The Democratic, Republican and independent candidates for New York City mayor don't often agree on much, but they appear to be in lock-step over the view that New Yorkers want someone different than former Governor Andrew Cuomo to run the Big Apple.Zohran Mamdani and Curtis Sliwa, the Democratic and Republican nominees for New York City mayor, were quick to respond to Andrew Cuomo's announcement that he will stay in the race as an independent after the former governor of New York lost his Democratic primary a few weeks ago. While blasting Cuomo, the pair also used the opportunity to slam incumbent independent mayoral candidate Eric Adams, who, on Monday, said Cuomo "had his opportunity" already, but New Yorkers no longer buy his message."Andrew is a double-digit loser in the primary. He lost by 12 points. He had his opportunity. He spent $25 million to get his message out. New York has heard it. He did not sell it," Adams said at a Monday press conference. The comments followed a separate press release his campaign put out Sunday amid rumors Cuomo would be re-joining the race as an Independent, saying that Cuomo's "political double-dealing" was the reason why New Yorkers have "lost trust" in him.MAMDANI LANDS ENDORSEMENT OF A TOP CUOMO BACKER IN NYC MAYORAL PRIMARY"I welcome everyone to this race, and I am as confident as I have been since three weeks ago on primary night when we faced Andrew Cuomo," Democratic Party nominee Mamdani said at a Monday press conference following Cuomo's announcement. "We did so because of the fact that while Andrew Cuomo and Eric Adams trip over themselves to make deals in back rooms with billionaires, we are focused on fighting for working New Yorkers. I think he's struggling to come to terms with what [Cuomo's primary loss] meant."Mamdani added that while Cuomo may have envisioned himself as becoming the next mayor, the Democratic primary results showed NYC's "hunger for a new kind of politics.""I understand that it is difficult for the former governor to come to terms with [his loss] because it is a repudiation of the politics that he has practiced that he has known for so many years, and it is that same politics that we are turning the page on."MAMDANI'S FAILURE TO WALK BACK THESE POSITIONS COULD CAUSE RECKONING IN DEMOCRATIC PARTY: FIVE-ALARM WARNINGSliwa, the GOP's nominee in the NYC mayoral race, also took the opportunity Monday following Cuomo's announcement he would be re-entering the race to slam not just Cuomo, but Adams as well, telling Fox News Digital the two are working eagerly to "cling to relevance.""Andrew Cuomo lost his primary and hides in the Hamptons. Eric Adams skipped his and fled to Fort Lauderdale. Now theyre both running as independents to cling to relevance," Sliwa said Monday. "Im the only candidate with a major party nomination, a 50-year record of serving New Yorkers, and a real path to victory. While they play musical chairs on a sinking ship, Im out campaigning in NYC, listening, leading, and fighting to win it for the people. Let the voters decide this November."In response to the criticism, a campaign representative for Cuomo zeroed in on Adams' comments."This is a primary that the mayor didnt participate in because he knew hed lose," Rich Azzopardi told Fox News Digital. "The governor got 36,000 more votes three weeks ago than the mayor got four years ago, when he was at the height of his popularity and people actually wanted to give him a chance."Azzopardi also pointed to an email Cuomo sent to supporters Monday noting he "made mistakes in the primary," such as being too comfortable with polling that showed he was the front-runner. The email also spoke to Mamdani, but did not directly address Sliwa. "I do not believe that New York City voters affirmatively voted for a socialist form of government that is hostile to business and economic growth, and I do believe that Zohran Mamdani poses a serious threat to the future of the city we love. I will give it my all to stop him," the email from Cuomo stated."I also believe that all of us who love New York City must be united in running the strongest possible candidate against Zohran Mamdani in the November general election for mayor. Our common goal must be to run the strongest candidate against Mr. Mamdani. That is why I have accepted the proposal put forth by former Governor David Paterson and candidate Jim Walden that, in mid-September, we will determine which candidate is strongest against Mamdani and all other candidates will stand down, rather than act as spoilers and guarantee Mamdanis election."On Monday, incumbent mayor Adams slammed the proposal mentioned by Cuomo in his email to supporters, which seeks to get the rest of the campaign field to pledge to consolidate around the strongest non-Mamdani candidate."This proposal that was put out. It was Andrew's proposal. He uses people to put things out that he really would like to come later and say, OK, I endorse what an independent person is doing,'" Adams said Monday.

Some Democratic strategists are so desperate for the party to start performing better, that theyre hoping for the economy to tank.A report from The Hill on Tuesday quoted several Democratic strategists reflecting on what they see as the dismal state of the Democratic Party. One said the party should be "praying" for a depression as a lifeline for their declining popularity following President Donald Trumps 2024 election victory."This is a nightmare scenario for the Dems right now," an anonymous strategist told the outlet. "We better pray long and hard that the country is going to be in a f--- depression, because I dont know how else we find ourselves out of this mess."MAHER CALLS OUT SNL FOR 'ZOMBIE LIE' THAT REPUBLICANS ARE RACIST, WARNS THEY ARE 'NOT HELPING'The Hill report prefaced that sobering impression of the Democratic Party by noting its current low approval numbers."Not only do polls show the Democrats approval ratings at historic lows, but theyre still scrambling to identify a national leader almost half a year after Trumps return to the White House dynamics that are raising alarm bells in certain corners of the party," the outlet stated.The Hill also cited one recent poll conducted by Democratic super PAC Unite the Country between May and June. The survey found that the Democratic Party has lost ground since losing to Trump in November. Many of those polled said they found the Democratic Party "out of touch," "weak," and "woke."Strategist and senior adviser to Unite the Country, Rodell Mollineau, told The Hill that "its going to be hard" for the party to move forward."Its hard to message when youre in the wilderness, which is what we are right now," he said. "When voters dont think that you care about their issues, and they dont think that youre going to fight for them, that becomes a problem."Brad Bannon, another strategist, told The Hill, "Sadly, Democrats are still stuck in the same mud that they were in six months ago. We are still as unpopular as we were when Trump was inaugurated in January."He did, however, express hope that the passage of Trumps "big, beautiful bill" would give his party an opening to mount a counterattack against their Republican opponents.MARK CUBAN SAYS LIBERAL ALTERNATIVE TO X HAS BECOME 'HATEFUL' DUE TO LEFTIST GROUPTHINK"Because of MAGA missteps, Democrats now finally have tools to use to build a new foundation," Bannon said. "The secret sauce for the opposition is to use the Medicaid cuts, immigration deportations and high tariff taxes to blister Trump for his failure to keep his campaign promise to bring down high prices on the first day of the second administration."Other prominent voices in the party have grown exasperated with Democratic leaders in the months since Trumps election.Billionaire business mogul Mark Cuban slammed Democrats for their post-election strategy on the "Pod Save America" podcast Sunday."Its just Trump sucks.' Thats the underlying thought of everything the Democrats do. Trump sucks. Trump says the sky is blue. Trump sucks. Thats not the way to win! Its just not! Because its not about Trump its about the people of the United States of America and whats good for them! And how do you get them to a place where theyre in a better position, and its less stressful for them."CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTUREFormer Democratic mayor of Chicago, Rahm Emanuel, ripped the state of his party in a recent CNN interview, telling host Dana Bash, "Just to give you a sense of how bad we are the Democratic Party is less popular than Elon Musk right now. That should be like a wake-up call how bad."The White House and the Democratic Party did not immediately reply to Fox News Digital's requests for comment.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said the White Houses decision to sell weapons to NATO countries for distribution to Ukraine was a "significant" moment for Europe amid stalled peace negotiations to end Russias war.Rutte met with PresidentDonald Trump Monday in Washington, D.C., where the commander-in-chief announced the sale of billions of dollars worth of weapons, including Patriot air defense missile systems, and threatened 100% secondary tariffs on countries that trade with Russia if a deal isnt made within 50 days."This is significant," Rutte said on "Special Report." "So today, if you are in Beijing, or in Delhi, or you're in Brazil and you know that this is coming to you, you might want to call Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin and say, Hey, friend, we are still buying stuff from you, but you have got to get serious when it comes to these negotiations on the ceasefire or a peace deal, or otherwise we get hit by the secondary sanctions."TRUMP'S BOLD PIVOT ON UKRAINE SENDS MAJOR SIGNALSen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said China, India and Brazilbuy oil and petroleum products from Russia, helping prop up its war machine.Trump has held off on imposing additional sanctions on Moscow, preferring to wait and see if his diplomatic efforts will bear fruit. He has grown frustrated with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has refused to agree to a 30-day unconditional ceasefire proposed by the United States and its European allies earlier this year."If we don't have an agreement in 50 days, that's what we're doing, secondary tariffs, and they're biting. And I hope we don't get to the point where we do, but I've been hearing so much talk. It's all talk. It's all talk, and then missiles go into Kyiv and kill 60 people. It's got to stop," Trump said Monday from the Oval Office.Putin has escalated attacks on Ukraine in recent months, targeting Kyiv with large-scale missile and drone attacks. The Russian strongman has stuck to his maximalist demands during two rounds of peace talks in Istanbul that have failed to produce much other than prisoner of war exchanges.Rutte told Fox News chief political anchor Bret Baier that the weapons sales send a clear message to Putin about the unity between the United States and Europe and how the two will "do whatever it takes for Ukraine.""If I was in the Kremlin today, I would not be too happy because this is a clear signal that President Trump is serious. He wants peace. He hates the fact that so many people lose their lives in Ukraine," said the former prime minister of the Netherlands.SENATE MOVES TO REIGN IN TRUMP ADMINISTRATION'S FLUCTUATING UKRAINE POLICYTrump has set multiple two-week deadlines for Russia to advance peace talks with Ukraine, but theyve repeatedly expired without significant progress or consequences.Ukraines former Foreign Minister Dmytro Kulebacalled on Trump last month to reshuffle three things to revitalize the negotiating process: sticks, carrots and the pressure of time.Kuleba said Trump created the pressure of time by stating he could end the war in 24 hours and calling on both sides to sit down and negotiate."What happened next is that all sticks went to Ukraine and all carrots went to Russia. It has never worked like this centuries ago in the history of diplomacy. It doesn't work like this, and it's not going to work like this, OK, because the right way to do it is to create a pressure of time to avoid endless deliberations and to find the right balance of sticks and carrots for each side," he said.

The New York Jets and wide receiver Garrett Wilson agreed to a four-year extension worth $130 million on Monday, according to multiple reports.Wilson will receive a nice portion of guaranteed money as well.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COMThe deal included $90 million guaranteed and a $13.75 million signing bonus, according to the NFL Network. He reportedly has a $20 million option bonus in the second year of his deal and a $10 million option bonus for the third year.With two years left on his rookie deal, Wilson will be locked into green and white through the 2030 season.New York selected the Ohio State product with the No. 10 overall selection of the 2022 NFL Draft. He was the Offensive Rookie of the Year that season.NFL WORLD RUSHES TO DEFENSE OF TEDDY BRIDGEWATER AFTER STAR QB SUSPENDED FROM HIGH SCHOOL COACHING JOBEven in Year 2 with Aaron Rodgers suffering a season-ending injury in Week 1 of the 2023 season, Wilson put up solid numbers. He had 95 catches for 1,042 yards and three touchdowns. He got better in his third season.Wilson had 101 catches for 1,104 yards and seven touchdowns, reaching career-highs in each of those statistical categories.He expressed in May he wanted to be with the Jets for the rest of his career if he could."Im hopeful Im a Jet for life," Wilson said at the time.. "And that we get this thing rolling and that all of our best days are ahead of us."He will have a new quarterback leading the charge in 2025. Justin Fields is set to be under center for Gang Green.The Associated Press contributed to this report.Follow Fox News Digitalssports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

The Trump administration filed a request with the courts to suspend a temporary restraining order (TRO) that was issued on Friday against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that ruled the agency likely violated constitutional protections through its immigration enforcement practices in Los Angeles.In a 53-page order issued Friday, U.S. District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong, a Biden appointee, barred ICE from conducting detentive stops in the Central District of California unless agents have "reasonable suspicion" that a person is in the country unlawfully.Frimpong's ruling explicitly prohibits ICE from relying solely on race or ethnicity, speaking Spanish or English with an accent, location, or type of work when forming suspicion, citing the Fourth Amendment.In its filing on Monday, the Trump administration said the lawsuit was originally filed by three individual aliens requesting to be released from immigration detention.LOS ANGELES JUDGE WEIGHS SEVERE LIMITS ON TRUMP'S IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT IN CALIFORNIA"But, apparently seeking to manipulate the process of judicial assignment, the original petitioners' counsel then filed an amended complaint adding a host of new individual and organizational plaintiffs, leveling systemic challenges to federal immigration enforcement in the Los Angeles area," the Trump administration wrote. "And a day later, on the eve of the July 4 holiday, they filed an emergency ex parte motion asking the court to impose a straight-jacket injunction that would vastly restrict the government's ability to stop and detain anyone on suspicion of being unlawfully present in the United States."The Trump administration also said the court gave them just two business days to respond to hundreds of pages of discovery."The result is a sweeping, district-wide injunction that threatens to bobble lawful immigration enforcement by hanging a Damocles sword of contempt over every immigration stop," the Trump administration said. "The government seeks an immediate stay of that untenable order pending appeal, and an administrative stay in the meantime."The Trump administration argued that Frimpong ignored the recent Supreme Court ruling involving the president that rejects universal injunctions the judges ruling on Friday was not nationwide but instead was focused on Los Angeles and the Central District of California.TRUMP ADMINISTRATION SUES LOS ANGELES OVER SANCTUARY POLICIES THAT 'IMPEDE' ICE OPERATIONS"Immediate relief is warranted here not only because of the magnitude of the courts legal errors, but also their practical consequences for the separation of powers and the governments sovereign prerogatives," the filing reads. "It is untenable for a district judge to single-handedly restructure the operations of federal immigration enforcement and usurp ongoing judicial supervision of an agency normally, and properly, overseen by the executive branch."Frimpong presided over a hearing Thursday where she considered granting the request that will have major implications for immigration enforcement in California, a state that has become a focal point in President Donald Trump's aggressive deportation plans.The judge heard arguments about whether to grant the TRO against ICE over allegations the agency is violating constitutional rights during its immigration arrests.FEDERAL JUDGE HALTS TRUMP'S PLAN TO CUT FUNDING FOR SANCTUARY STATES THAT REFUSE TO COOPERATEFrimpong said during the hearing on Thursday that she was leaning toward granting the TRO Friday."I think its important for the court not to burden otherwise lawful law enforcement activities," the judge said.The case was initially brought in June as a routine petition from three detainees, but it has ballooned into a weighty lawsuit challenging the way ICE operates.Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, on Friday, praised the federal courts decision to issue a temporary restraining order halting what she described as "unconstitutional and reckless raids conducted under the Trump Administration."She characterized the federal actions as aggressive and harmful and reaffirmed Los Angeles commitment to protecting its residents' rights.Immigration rights groups and local governments, including the cities of Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Culver, and West Hollywood, have all intervened in the case and Democrat-led states have filed an amicus brief in support of them.FEDERAL JUDGE ORDERS TRUMP TO RETURN CONTROL OF CALIFORNIA NATIONAL GUARD TO NEWSOMThe plaintiffs alleged in court papers that ICE is "indiscriminately" arresting people with "brown skin" at Home Depots, car washes, farms and more. Authorities made the arrests with no "reasonable suspicion" and sometimes mistakenly apprehended U.S. citizens in the process, all in violation of the Fourth Amendment, attorneys wrote.The plaintiffs argued the Trump administration gave ICE an unrealistic quota of 3,000 arrests per day, causing officers to feel pressured to blow past legal requirements to achieve those numbers.Meanwhile, the Trump administration is disputing the allegations and denies wrongdoing.Department of Justice attorneys wrote that immigration arrests, of which there have been nearly 3,000 across California since early June, have been carried out legally.Fox News Ashley Oliver, Bill Melugin, Cameron Arcand, Jasmine Baehr and Stepheny Price contributed to this report.

Jessica Alba appears to be enjoying her summer after filing for divorce from her estranged husband, Cash Warren.Alba, 44, sparked romance rumors after she was spotted boarding a plane headed back to Los Angeles from Cancun with "Captain America" star Danny Ramirez, TMZ reported. The outlet reported that the two spent time together in the sun-soaked town.Despite the reported quick getaway, sources told People magazine that Alba isn't dating anyone seriously, and is instead relishing in her new role as a single woman months after the "Honey" actress petitioned a Los Angeles court to end her 16-year marriage.JESSICA ALBA EMBRACES SELF-CARE AND SUMMER VIBES IN BIKINI PHOTOSIn video obtained by TMZ, Ramirez, 32, and the "Fantastic Four" actress both attempted to go incognito by wearing snapback hats as they left Mexico for L.A. on Sunday afternoon.JESSICA ALBA SHOWS OFF NEW TATTOO FOLLOWING SPLIT WITH HUSBAND CASH WARRENUpon arrival in the City of Angels, Alba and Ramirez walked closely together as they were escorted through a private terminal by a security guard.Alba and Ramirez's representatives did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.Ramirez portrayed Lt. Mickey "Fanboy" Garcia in "Top Gun: Maverick," and played Falcon in "Captain America: Brave New World."He'll reprise his Marvel character for "Avengers: Doomsday," which also stars Robert Downey Jr., Pedro Pascal and Chris Hemsworth.LIKE WHAT YOURE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSAlba has reportedly been on a few dates since announcing her split from Warren in February, insiders told People."Shes been getting a lot of attention since the divorce. Shes flattered and definitely enjoying being single again," sources said.CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER"Shes gone on some dates, but its nothing serious shes focused on herself and her kids. Shes not interested in a relationship right now."The mother-of-three is "excited" to dive back into work, and will soon begin filming "The Mark" in Australia with Orlando Bloom, who recently ended his engagement with Katy Perry."Shes in a great place. Shes excited to get back to filming. Shes doing what she loves and keeping her circle tight," the source told People.In January, the Honest Co. founder announced her split from Warren after 20 years together.APP USERS CLICK HERE TO VIEW POST"I've been on a journey of self realization and transformation for years both as an individual and in partnership with Cash," she wrote on Instagram."I'm proud of how we've grown as a couple and in our marriage over the last 20 years and it's now time for us to embark on a new chapter of growth and evolution as individuals."She added, "We are moving forward with love and kindness and respect for each other and will forever be family. Our children remain our highest priority and we request privacy at this time."Alba and Warren met on the set of "Fantastic Four" in 2004 and tied the knot in 2008.In the divorce petition filed in February and obtained by Fox News Digital, the pair requested joint custody of their three children Honor, 16; Haven, 13; and Hayes, 7.

A former intern for New York City Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani appeared in a resurfaced video calling activism "jihad" while encouraging protesters to get suspended or arrested in defiance of "settler colonialism."The footage of Hadeeqa Malik shows her calling out Muslims who haven't taken to the streets."The true believer knows that none of this is in vain, that this is all Jihad," said Malik in the recently resurfaced video, using the Muslim term for holy war.MAMDANI'S FATHER SITS ON COUNCIL OF ANTI-ISRAEL GROUP TIED TO TERROR, LEGITIMIZES ROLE OF SUICIDE BOMBERS"So, the conversation of doxing, the conversation of getting arrested and suspended, I think its time for Muslims to start to say, 'All right, all right, so what? Do what you want. I'm going to do what I got to do,'" she added.Malik served as a communications, outreach, policy, and constituent services intern at Mamdani's state Assembly office during the summer of 2024.A photo shows the pair smiling for a selfie. Her profile also said she recently began work as an outreach coordinator for the Counsel on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR.She also served as the president of City College of New York chapter for Students for Justice in Palestine from June 2024 to June 2025, her profile states.UNEARTHED MAMDANI COLLEGE NEWSPAPER WRITINGS PROMOTE ANTI-ISRAEL BOYCOTT, RAIL AGAINST 'WHITE PRIVILEGE'Over the more than two-hour video during a webinar, Malik responded to concerns about protesters possibly getting doxed, suspended and arrested."How gangster are you?" she asked. "And I know everybody has their own families and has an education and everything. Its just a question."She noted that getting suspended or doxed is "bound to happen when youre doing something for the sake of Allah here in the West it will never, ever be in vain, and the true believer does not fear that."In another video, Malik was seen screaming at a reportedly Muslim New York police officer at an anti-Israel protest."Lets read the badges of the pigs," she said, as she read the names of the officers aloud. The composed Muslim officer was singled out as she appeared to say he brought shame on his name. "To the pigs who can call themselves by the name of Islam, put some respect on their names!" she said.Fox News Digital has reached out to Mamdani's campaign and attempted to reach out to Malik.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, R., scored a victory on Friday when the state ofFlorida's university system approved a new accreditor to overhaul higher education.Florida, Texas, Georgia, North Carolina,South Carolina, and Tennessee formed the Commission for Public Higher Education, a consortium of six public universities offering a new accreditation model. Florida's Board of Governors approved the creation of the Commission for Public Higher Education at their latest meeting on July 11."The Commission for Public Higher Education is a consortium of six public university systems that are committed to streamlining accreditation standards and prioritizing student outcomes. It will be an accreditation model created by public universities for public colleges and universities," a spokesperson for the board told Fox News Digital.FLORIDA STANDS UP AGAINST WOKE MIND VIRUS AND REJECTS LEFTIST UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT WHO PROMISED 'DEI 2.0'The Commission willcreate a "first-of-its-kind accreditation model for public higher education institutions that will offer high-quality, efficient services prioritizing academic excellence, student outcomes and achievement."DeSantis said during a press conference at Florida Atlantic University that there was a need for "alternative accreditation.""The accreditors are telling them they have to do these things," he said. "So, when we said, No DEI, the accreditors are telling these universities, No, no, no, youre not going to get accredited unless you do DEI. Who the heck are they to say what our universities have to do? Theyre telling them they can't follow state law? Are you kidding me? Nobody elected them to make that judgment at all."UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA PRESIDENTIAL PICK REJECTED BY STATE BOARD OF GOVERNORS OVER PAST DEI SUPPORT"What weve seen develop is an accreditation cartel and the accreditors by-and-large are all singing from the same sheet of music, and it's not what the state of Florida wants to see reflected in its universities in many different respects," he continued.A Department of Education spokesperson in June directed Fox News Digital toPresident Donald Trumps executive order issued in April that called for accountability and reform to the accreditation process in higher education after claiming that past accrediting bodies "abused their enormous authority."Theexecutive order cited accredited institutions offering "undergraduate and graduate programs with a negative return on investment" and compelling the "adoption of discriminatory ideology, rather than on student outcomes" in order to access federal aid.DeSantis said the members of the new accrediting body have been working with the Department of Education to expedite the process of acquiring approval from the federal government."The Business Plan provides the mission and goals of CPHE and outlines the upcoming work for the entity to receive approval as a recognized institutional accreditor from the U.S. Department of Education," the spokesperson told Fox News Digital.The Department of Education did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

A California tax preparer pleaded guilty Monday to helping an illegal immigrant file fraudulent federal income tax returns that claimed $25 million in refunds, the Justice Department said.Victor Cruz, 40, of Bakersfield, helped Miguel Martinez, a Mexican national who was in the United States illegally, carry out the scheme from November 2019 through June 2023, prosecutors said.FEDS BUST ARMENIAN FRAUD RING ACCUSED OF STEALING $30M IN COVID, SMALL BUSINESS LOANSMartinez allegedly used stolen identities to create fake businesses and report phony wage and withholding information for the businesses to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). He then allegedly submitted hundreds of income tax returns using the stolen identities while claiming that they worked for the fake businesses and were owed tax refunds based on the phony information.Cruz prepared and filed more than 500 of the fraudulent tax returns, authorities said.COLOMBIAN WOMAN CHARGED WITH ILLEGALLY VOTING IN 2024 ELECTION STEALING $400,000 IN TAXPAYER FUNDED BENEFITSIn exchange, Cruz received thousands of dollars in fees from Martinez in exchange for his services. The IRS actually paid out $2.3 million of the $25 million in refunds that were claimed.Martinez has pleaded guilty for his role in the scheme and was sentenced to six years in prison. Cruz is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 17, 2025.He faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Left-wing Bluesky accounts defended Vice President JD Vances young children facing jeers and boos during their trip to Disneyland over the weekend.Vance was with his wife Usha and their children at the California amusement park where they faced cheers and boos from park attendees. Their trip also drew a large protest outside the Grand Californian Hotel and along Disney Way over the Trump administrations immigration policies.As news about people booing Vance and his family, including his children, spread on the social media site Bluesky, some users encouraged the jeers for the kids to learn that their dad "is a piece of s---."DEMS RUN TO THE BLUESKY BLOCK BUTTON AS VANCE TROLLS THEM ON THEIR OWN VIRTUAL TURF FOR SOLID WEEK"People who feel bad for JD Vances kids as family gets booed at Disneyland. I get it, but better those kids know now what their father is about. Other kids are watching their parents get shipped off to gulags," Mother Jones editor-in-chief Clara Jeffery wrote.She added, "Also, JD Vance knows he's going to be booed at Disneyland or the Kennedy Center or wherever. He doesn't have to go with his kids, but...he probably wants the optics of his family being booed. So...yeah.""He uses his kids as human shields," former Ohio congressional candidate Shannon Freshour replied, linking to a story about Vance being confronted by pro-Ukrainian protesters while with his young daughter."This is gonna sound snarky but if your dad is a piece of s--- it's better to realize it sooner rather than later," former HuffPost reporter Michael Hobbes wrote.University of Washington associate professor and astrophysicist Sarah Tuttle commented, "[I]t turns out finding out that JD vance is being booed in Downtown Disney is exactly the news I needed.""Also, unless those kids have burner accounts on bluesky, hearing ordinary people boo is literally the only way they will learn hes a piece of s---," author Elon Green wrote.The Vance's three children are 3, 5 and 8 years old.Fox News Digital reached out to Vances team for comment.FAMILY MATTERS: HOW VP VANCE, WIFE DELIVER 'NORMALCY TO THE KIDS IN A VERY ABNORMAL SITUATION'One of the more notable critics of Vances Disneyland trip included California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who attacked Vance on X over the Trump administrations recent ICE raids in the state."Hope you enjoy your family time, @JDVance. The families youre tearing apart certainly wont," Newsom wrote.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPThe vice president responded by thanking Newsom for the well-wishes without addressing the governor's comment about families being separated."Had a great time, thanks," Vance wrote back.