Fellow GOP senator grills Mullin over personal attacks at hearing: ‘Tell it to my face’
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., pulled no punches in his opening statement Wednesday morning at the Department of Homeland Security Committee hearing on fellow GOP Sen. Markwayne Mullin’s nomination to be Kristi Noem‘s successor as secretary.
Paul, chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, accused Mullin of excusing political violence and challenging him to repeat past remarks of having called him a “snake” and saying he understood why Paul was attacked violently by a neighbor in 2017.
“You have never had the courage to look me in the eye and tell me that the assault was justified,” Paul told the committee in his opening remarks. “So today you’ll have your chance. Today I’ll give you that chance to clear the record.
“Tell it to my face if that’s what you believe. Tell it to me today. Tell the world why you believe I deserve to be assaulted from behind, have six ribs broken and a damaged lung.
40+ HOUSE REPUBLICANS RALLY BEHIND MARKWAYNE MULLIN FOR DHS, CALL IT A ‘CRITICAL MOMENT’ FOR BORDER SECURITY
“Tell me to my face why you think I deserved it.”
Mullin opened his own remarks off the cuff before his prepared statement to address Paul’s verbal attack.
“I have to address the remarks the chairman made, calling me a liar,” Mullin opened. “Everybody in this room knows that I’m very blunt and direct to the point. And if I have something to say, I’ll say it directly to your face.”
WATCH MULLIN’S RESPONSE:
Mullin pointed Paul back to a private conversation back in their days as House GOP members.
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“I said I could understand because of the behavior you were having, that I could understand why your neighbor…did what he did,” Mullin said. “As far as my terms, the snake in the grass, sir, I work around this room to try to fix problems. I’ve worked with many people in this room.
“It seems like you fight Republicans more than you work with us. I did address those remarks.”
Mullin vowed to Paul to be blunt and direct.
“If I do have something to say, everybody in this room knows how I’ll come straight to you,” he said. “I’ll say it publicly and I’ll say it privately, but I’ll never say it behind your back.”
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Mullin acknowledged about Paul, “We just don’t get along,” and saying Paul has “spent millions of dollars in my campaigns against me.”
“That doesn’t keep me at all from doing my job,” Mullin continued. “I can have different opinions with everybody in this room, but as secretary of homeland, I’ll be protecting everybody, including Kentucky, as much as I will my own backyard in Oklahoma.
“It’s bigger than the partisan bickering that we have. It’s bigger than the political differences we have.”
“The truth is, I have a job to do, and I don’t like to fail at anything at all. So I can set it aside, if you’re willing to set it aside. Let me earn your respect. I’m going to earn the job. I won’t fail you. I won’t back down from a challenge. And I’ll also admit when I’m wrong. I’m not perfect. I don’t claim to be perfect. I make mistakes just like anybody else. But mistakes, if you own them, you can learn from them and you can move ahead. And I’ll make that commitment to you
Paul showed no interest in setting the feud aside.
MULLIN FACES DHS CONFIRMATION HEARING AMID SHUTDOWN
“The record should show, and I think we’ll show a lack of contrition: No apology and no regrets for your support,” Paul picked up in his first line of questioning. “You completely understand the violence that was perpetrated on me. You’re unrepentant. The only thing you quibble about is whether I met you somehow when you’re in the House.”
“I don’t think we ever met when you were in the House, and this idea that the only thing you’re upset about is not that you are for violence. What you’re upset about is that I called you a liar because you said it to my face. So it’s really more about this machismo that you have.”
Paul was under some scrutiny for blocking fellow Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., from introducing Mullin at the start of the hearing, forcing Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., to do the introduction instead, three sources told Fox News’ Bill Melugin.
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“Rand Paul has become completely blinded by his hatred of President Trump and petty personal squabbles,” a senior Senate Republican source told Melugin. “His actions today were those of a seething snake — and a hopeless hypocrite.”
“What kind of free speech advocate would bar Sen. Mullin’s choice to deliver his introduction from speaking?” the source asked. “What kind of Republican would bar a fellow Republican Senator from voicing their support of a colleague? Why is this guy allowed to hold a Republican gavel anymore?”
US hammers Iran missile sites with bunker-buster bombs near world’s top oil route
U.S. forces hammered Iran’s anti-ship missile sites near the Strait of Hormuz with 5,000-pound bunker-buster bombs on Tuesday, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said.
The strikes near the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most important oil choke point, come as Iran’s stranglehold over the vital waterway has grown concerns over the regime’s threats to oil tankers.
“Hours ago, U.S. forces successfully employed multiple 5,000-pound deep penetrator munitions on hardened Iranian missile sites along Iran’s coastline near the Strait of Hormuz,” CENTCOM posted Tuesday evening on X.
Deep GBU- 72 penetrator weapons, often referred to as bunker busters, are designed to cut through hardened or underground targets before detonating. The munition was first tested by the Air Force in 2021.
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“The Iranian anti-ship cruise missiles in these sites posed a risk to international shipping in the strait,” the command said.
Most shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway for global oil and gas transport that supplies roughly one-fifth of the world’s crude oil, has been halted since early March, after the war started. About 20 vessels have been attacked in the area.
Oil prices have jumped more than 40% to above $100 per barrel since the Iran war began, and Iran has threatened it won’t allow “even a single liter of oil” destined for the U.S., Israel and their allies to pass through.
TRUMP WARNS NATO OF ‘VERY BAD’ FUTURE IF ALLIES DON’T HELP SECURE STRAIT OF HORMUZ
At least 89 ships crossed the Strait of Hormuz between March 1 and 15 — including 16 oil tankers, The Associated Press reported, citing Lloyd’s List Intelligence. The number of vessel passages per day was down from roughly 100 to 135 before the war, it said, with more than one-fifth of the 89 vessels believed to be Iran-affiliated and others being Chinese- and Greece-affiliated ships.
As crude prices spiked above $100 a barrel, President Donald Trump pressured allies and trade partners to send warships and reopen the strait, hoping to bring oil prices lower. No allies, however, have yet to commit.
“I think NATO’s making a very foolish mistake,” Trump said in the Oval Office on Tuesday when a reporter asked about getting America’s allies to assist the U.S. in escorting oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz. “And I’ve long said that, you know, I wonder whether or not NATO would ever be there for us.”
Trump added: “So this was a great test because we don’t need them, but they should have been there.”
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The U.S. on Friday bombed military sites on Kharg Island off the Iranian coast, which is key for Iran’s oil network and exports, but Trump said he had left its oil infrastructure alone for now.
Former ‘Price Is Right’ model claims she was axed for refusing to lie about Bob Barker
Holly Hallstrom says her time on “The Price Is Right” came at a steep cost.
The former model, who showcased prizes as one of “Barker’s Beauties” — a nod to “Charlie’s Angels” — is speaking out in a new episode of E!’s documentary series “Dirty Rotten Scandals,” premiering Wednesday.
The episode examines allegations that the beloved game show was marred by a hostile work environment, sexual harassment and discrimination.
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Bob Barker, who hosted the show for 35 years, died in 2023 at age 99.
Hallstrom appeared on the show from 1977 until she was fired in 1995, a decision she has said was blamed on weight gain caused by medication. However, Hallstrom alleges she was actually dismissed after declining to publicly support Barker when fellow model Dian Parkinson filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against him in 1994.
Barker consistently denied wrongdoing and maintained that any relationships were consensual.
WATCH: FAMOUS GAME SHOW HOST BOB BARKER PASSES AWAY AT 99
“I want people to know the whole story, not just Barker’s side of it,” Hallstrom told Fox News Digital. “After all these years, people who have only heard one side are going to hear the other side, and our side is court-documented testimony. You can’t argue against that.”
When Hallstrom was invited to “come on down” and audition for the show, she said she was immediately sold. Onstage, contestants competed for prizes by trying to guess their exact retail value, a simple premise that quickly became a television sensation.
“I thought it would be like working for the circus every day,” she recalled. “It was so big, bright and colorful. The people were so happy and excited to be there. It was just a wonderful environment. I thought, ‘I would love to work here, plus they’re going to pay me all this money?’ It was very exciting. It was scary, don’t get me wrong. It was terrifying to be auditioning for a show that size. And it’s a live audience, live theater.”
Hallstrom said the atmosphere quickly changed on set. In the episode, Hallstrom said show producers pressured her to alter her appearance to keep her role.
“I was very young, and at that time, everyone was getting breast implants,” she explained to Fox News Digital. “They were kind of the new thing. And I loved my job. I thought, ‘This is what you have to do. If you’re going to be an actress on TV, you have to look the part.’ I thought it was just part of the job, having the job, getting the job, keeping the job.
“It turned out that I hated my breast implants. I hated them for years and years. And the fact that I had to pay for them didn’t surprise me because the executive producer at that time was cheap. He’s like, ‘I’m not paying for them. You want this job? You pay for your breast implants yourself.’”
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But things worsened when Parkinson filed her lawsuit. Parkinson alleged that Barker had forced her to perform oral sex, and that she agreed to have sex with him only because she feared losing her job, Business Insider reported. According to the episode, many attempts were made to contact Parkinson. Fox News Digital also reached out to the former model for comment.
“When Dian filed her suit, oh boy, that was the beginning of when everything got really bad,” said Hallstrom. “I thought the whole situation, all the publicity, all the media attention, I thought it was horrible. I thought it was tacky. I was glad [co-creator] Mark Goodson had died [in 1992]. He would’ve been mortified to see that kind of tacky scandal on what was a family show.”
“I didn’t want to be involved in it at all,” said Hallstrom. “Barker wanted us to go on all these talk shows and say he was the victim and that Dian was lying. I didn’t participate because I didn’t want to, and I thought it was tacky. And also because I could not honestly say, ‘Oh yes, Dian is lying,’ or ‘Oh no, Dian is not lying.’ I was not present for those conversations.”
“I just avoided doing all of Bob’s PR tour,” Hallstrom continued. “Finally, I was told I would be appearing on ‘The Suzanne Somers Show,’ period. And I did. Of course, all they wanted was for me to say that Dian was lying. When Suzanne asked me if I thought Dian was lying, I just babbled some answer, and that was that.
“But then that week, I read in the tabloids, ‘Holly says, ‘Dian is lying.’ I never said that. I called the tabloid and demanded a retraction. They printed a retraction. But that was the beginning of the big rift between Bob and me. That’s when I got on his s–t list.”
Parkinson dropped her lawsuit in 1995. At the time, her attorney said the legal battle had become too emotionally and financially draining, while impacting her physical health. Barker maintained that their relationship was consensual.
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“Barker went all over television saying, ‘Her case was dismissed, and I’m totally vindicated,’” Hallstrom recalled. “I said, ‘That’s not true.’ I would not comment on that. I did not participate in those interviews. … I would not change my testimony to suit Barker. That’s when I was told my weight was a problem. I was off the show.”
“That was, well, probably the worst thing in my life at that point that had ever happened,” Hallstrom admitted. “It only got worse from there.”
Hallstrom and Barker spent nearly a decade locked in a legal battle after he sued her for defamation, according to Business Insider. She responded with a countersuit alleging defamation, along with claims of emotional distress and discrimination.
According to the outlet, Hallstrom said she was effectively blacklisted in the entertainment industry and pushed to the brink financially. She also declined settlement offers, saying she refused to be silenced by a nondisclosure agreement.
“As soon as I said I was fired because of my weight, for the first time in his career, Bob Barker was bombarded with hate mail,” said Hallstrom. “They would bring boxes, bags of letters to the network by the truckload. That’s when Barker said, ‘Holly is lying. Weight was never mentioned.’
“But I knew that I had the show on videotape showing where I was cut out, supposedly because of my weight problem. If it ever went to court, I would win. But the problem was, Barker spent the next 10 years fighting to keep his own lawsuit against me from ever going to court.”
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“I knew that it was just a matter of time that one of two things would happen,” she said. “I was going to run out of money and have to accept the settlement with the non-disclosure, or I was going to hang in there until Barker ran out of legal moves. That’s what finally happened — he ran out of legal moves at the same time I ran out of money.”
Two days before Hallstrom’s case was scheduled to go to trial, Barker and CBS had agreed to settle, Business Insider reported. The outlet reported that the network agreed to pay her a settlement reportedly in the millions. The terms were not disclosed, and settlements do not constitute an admission of wrongdoing.
“I was not going to sign a non-disclosure for that show or anything,” she said. “I was not going to sign away my right to free speech. It also meant that Barker could not do to me what he did to Dian, go out and claim victory and vindication. … He could not say anything about me as long as I could speak out for myself. And he never said another word.”
Today, Hallstrom doesn’t watch old clips of herself, a reminder of a chapter she now views very differently. Even so, she says she has no regrets about taking the chance and auditioning for the show.
“I see myself, and I see someone who is trying so hard to appear graceful and poised like a professional model,” she said. “But I also see a young woman who was having a wonderful time entertaining people. And those were the happiest parts of my work, those hours when we were shooting in front of the audience.”
“No matter what was happening backstage, I still felt the happiness of the audience,” she said. “And to be in that position, to bring people happiness, is a gift. It was worth everything that was happening backstage.”
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“All the backstage stuff disappeared as soon as I stepped on stage,” Hallstrom added.
Raja Krishnamoorthi loses Senate race after charging $13 for water at watch party
Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., is facing online mockery after his Senate campaign’s election night watch party charged customers exorbitant prices for water, despite claiming to champion affordability issues.
Krishnamoorthi, a five-term House lawmaker, narrowly lost to Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton in a bruising Democratic primary Tuesday night. Krishnamoorthi supporters had to pay nearly $13 for water and $22 for a glass of wine at an event at a Chicago hotel while watching the returns come in.
Online observers noted the irony of the steep prices as Krishnamoorthi’s Senate campaign was one of the most prolific fundraisers in the country.
The congressman reported a haul of more than $30 million during the campaign, far outpacing nearly all Senate candidates across the country. Krishnamoorthi also benefited from the cryptocurrency industry’s main super PAC, Fairshake, spending aggressively in an attempt to take down Stratton.
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“Dude hired three pollsters (that we know of) and is still charging $13 for a water,” Democratic pollster Adam Carlson wrote on X.
“Thanks, volunteers, for working for me. Now pay $13 for water,” Republican strategist Collin Corbett wrote on social media. “I guess, based on how Raja treats his staff, this shouldn’t be surprising.”
“That’s worse than some stadium prices,” Politico Playbook wrote in response to the $13 water.
Even a popular Chicago bar account mocked the congressman’s cash bar prices.
“I’m professionally and personally horrified,” the account wrote.
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Krishnamoorthi sought to aggressively brand himself as an affordability champion during the campaign. When asked by Chicago’s PBS station about the most pressing issue facing Illinois voters, Krishnamoorthi said rising costs.
“Life has become simply too expensive,” Krishnamoorthi said. “The cost of living has skyrocketed, opportunity has stalled, and it’s affecting every Illinoisan — whether they’re 8 years old or 80.
Democratic candidates nationwide are seeking to capitalize on voter unease about cost-of-living issues as the party seeks to flip control of Congress during November’s midterm elections.
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Stratton’s watch party — held at a different Chicago venue — notably offered attendees an open bar. The event also offered attendees free sandwiches and sliders.
Fox News Digital reached out to Krishnamoorthi’s campaign for comment.
Legal immigrant leads California governor race, argues this is the GOP’s year
Steve Hilton, a legal immigrant and political newcomer running as a Republican for governor of California, said the “absolute failure on every front” by current Gov. Gavin Newsom and Democrats means the GOP has a real shot at pulling off an upset in the Golden State.
Though California has long since been written off by many as a progressive stronghold, the most recent polling indicates Hilton may be right.
On Wednesday, Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies released a poll showing Hilton leading California voter preferences at 17 percent. Another Republican, Riverside Sheriff Chad Bianco, follows at 16 percent. Both Republicans are ahead of the two top Democratic names, Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., and former Rep. Katie Porter, who are each at 13 percent.
“I know people look at California and assume that it’s going to be Democrat forever. It’s a deep blue state, but people here are sick of it. There’s a revolution brewing in California,” Hilton told Fox News Digital, adding, “This is our year.”
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Hilton, an entrepreneur who immigrated to California from the United Kingdom in 2014, credits Newsom and years of one-party Democratic rule with voters waking up to the “complete disaster” unfolding in California.
“It’s not just the visible signs of failure that you see when you look at California. You know the homelessness crisis, by far the worst in the country. The crime that’s out of control, the smash-and-grab rates, the videos of that — those things are visible. But if you actually look under the hood, as it were, of daily life in California, it is an absolute failure on every front,” he said, emphasizing, “It’s not just that we’re doing badly in California under Gavin Newsom, we are the worst-performing state.”
He said that California’s sanctuary policies are a perfect illustration of this.
“People are infuriated when they see illegal immigrants in our state getting rewarded and getting away with crime and getting away with things that just regular Californians wouldn’t be able to get away with,” he said.
“It’s an insult to regular, hardworking California taxpayers when they see people who are here illegally getting things for free that they have to pay for.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Newsom’s office for comment.
The same Berkeley poll indicated that 42 percent of California voters consider a candidate’s ability to “aggressively fight Trump administration policies” important in selecting their preferred candidate. Additionally, 28 percent believe a candidate holding progressive views is important.
California saw some of the most dramatic expressions of anti-Trump sentiment in his first year, with anti-ICE riots breaking out throughout the summer.
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However, even with this, there is concern among Democratic strategists that the liberal and progressive vote will be split among the high number of Democratic candidates running for governor. Due to California’s unique top-two primary system, a fractured Democratic vote could mean Hilton and Bianco are the only two candidates to advance to the November general election.
Hilton is confident that Republicans can capitalize on dissatisfaction with Newsom’s tenure as governor to propel them to victory. He referred to the anti-ICE agitators as a “very loud, well-organized, often well-funded minority of activists.”
“It’s activists, political activists on the far left who are pushing this,” he said. “Most regular people believe that our laws should be properly enforced. That’s the majority position, I would say even in California.”
Regarding his stance on the issue, Hilton said that as governor, he would “not accept California sanctuary state law,” and would “very clearly and strongly work with the federal administration to enforce the law.”
“I have absolutely no doubt that standing up for the enforcement of the law and saying very clearly that, of course, this is America, and we want to welcome immigrants to our country, but it has to be done the right way, and if you break our laws to come here, then you shouldn’t be here. And it’s as simple as that,” he explained.
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Being from a family of immigrants himself — his parents fled to the U.K. from communist Hungary — Hilton said he is solidly “pro-immigration,” while noting, “But it’s got to be controlled.”
“I hear all the time that we should be offering a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants. There is a pathway of citizenship. It’s called legal immigration. I just took it. It is available,” he said.
Hilton concluded that while some conservatives may have written off California, he believes the gubernatorial race has an impact on the entire country.
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“So many of the terrible policies that are infecting the rest of the country, they all started here. The gender extremism, the climate extremism. All this nonsense, it started here in California,” he said. “So, if we beat them here, then we are doing something very important for the whole country.”
“That’s why I think it’s a race that actually really matters a lot.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the Swalwell and Porter campaigns for comment.
Trump’s statehood post sparks strong reactions after Venezuela baseball win
Just moments after Venezuela defeated the U.S. in the World Baseball Classic final, President Donald Trump took to Truth Social to send a simple one-word post that divided American fans.
“STATEHOOD!!!” Trump wrote, only adding his initials.
The post came a day after Venezuela beat Italy in the WBC semifinal, when Trump sent an initial post that teased statehood for the South American country if it were to win the championship.
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“Wow! Venezuela defeated Italy tonight, 4-2, in the WBC (Baseball!) Semifinal. They are looking really great. Good things are happening to Venezuela lately! I wonder what this magic is all about? STATEHOOD, #51, ANYONE?” Trump wrote Monday evening.
Trump appeared to double-down on that suggestion with his one-word post Tuesday night after Venezuela’s victory.
Some followers were encouraging of Trump’s bold suggestion.
But some followers were not as encouraging.
“That’s a terrible idea that would cost trillions. We can’t afford the 50 we have now!” one X user wrote in response.
Another user wrote, “It was just a baseball game. We don’t have to make them a state just so we can say we won the World Baseball Classic!”
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The new year started with the U.S. conducting a military operation in Venezuela, which led to the capture of its leader, Nicolas Maduro, and his wife. The two were brought back to the U.S. to face federal weapons and narco-terrorism charges, among other crimes.
Since then, relations between the U.S. and Venezuela have thawed. An American flag was recently raised over the U.S. Embassy building in Caracas for the first time in seven years.
But Venezuela may have stirred anger among American baseball fans with its 3-2 victory on Tuesday. It was Venezuela’s first WBC title.
JAPAN SUFFERS SHOCKING COLLAPSE TO VENEZUELA IN WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC
“My country needs that championship,” star outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. said, wiping tears from his eyes. “I just want to make my people proud. That’s what I did today.”
Venezuela acting President Delcy Rodríguez declared Wednesday a National Day of Joy and made it a non-working holiday except for essential workers.
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“They were with us here in our hearts,” Venezuela captain Salvador Perez said of his countrymen. “The World Series, as you all know, is one of the most important championships in the major leagues, but when you fight for your country, that goes beyond. That feeling, the country where you were born and raised, the sacrifices made by our parents, those people that helped us, that’s why this means a lot to me and to Venezuela.”
Repeatedly during the tournament, Venezuelan players described the team as a family, and brothers Willson and William Contreras went on the podium together to receive their medals and sing the Venezuelan anthem, “Gloria al Bravo Pueblo (Glory to the Brave People).”
Minnesota fraud takes new turn after audit exposes critical flaws in oversight
A new state audit investigating the massive fraud scandal in Gov. Tim Walz’s Minnesota revealed that the state’s Department of Human Services (DHS) failed for years to properly investigate Medicaid kickback allegations while incorrectly claiming that they did not have the authority to do so.
The Office of the Legislative Auditor report released on Tuesday, titled “Department of Human Services Investigations of Alleged Kickbacks in the Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention Program,” found that DHS’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) has long possessed the legal authority to pursue kickback cases independently, contradicting the agency’s own claims.
Instead, DHS officials operated under the belief that they could only investigate kickbacks if they were tied to other forms of fraud, such as billing abuse or theft, prompting a rebuke in the report.
“We disagree with DHS’s assertion that it did not have the authority to investigate allegations of kickbacks alone,” the report states. “Based on our analysis, DHS has had the authority to investigate allegations of kickbacks in MA since the late 1990s.”
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The audit found DHS declined to investigate three specific kickback allegations from 2021 to 2023 after concluding it lacked authority.
“In the three cases that we identified in this review, they did not refer any of the three cases to law enforcement or any other investigation agency,” Deputy Legislative Auditor Katherine Theisen said, according to KARE 11 News. She added that DHS also declined to flag the cases for further review.
The report also identified a decades-old error in DHS administrative rules that may have limited the agency’s ability to suspend payments during kickback investigations.
The Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention (EIDBI) program, which provides autism services, has faced scrutiny over fraud risks as the program’s budget jumped from $3 million in 2018 to nearly $400 million in 2023.
Kickbacks were a key component of fraud schemes uncovered in the state’s autism services program, with prosecutors describing how providers used financial incentives to attract and retain families in order to maximize Medicaid billing, CBS News reported in December.
In one case, investigators said an autism center operator fraudulently billed millions while using tactics that included offering payments or benefits tied to enrollment, illustrating how kickbacks helped drive inflated claims and contributed to large-scale misuse of public funds intended for children with autism.
The audit recommended that DHS “should amend its administrative rule defining ‘fraud’ to clearly include kickbacks” and said the legislature should intervene if that doesn’t take place.
MINNESOTA HUMAN SERVICES OFFICIALS SKIP FRAUD HEARING AS WALZ PROMISES REFORM
The department responded in a letter included in the report, saying, “We agree with the recommendation that fraud should be defined to more clearly include kickbacks.”
In a press release, Minnesota House Fraud Prevention Committee Chair Kristin Robbins, a Republican state representative running for governor, wrote, “The continued lack of accountability for the rampant fraud in this state is astounding.”
“DHS has been complicit in fraud because they have repeatedly failed to investigate credible allegations of fraud in multiple programs over many years. This OLA report provides the latest proof of their failure to provide proper oversight in the EIDBI (autism) program.”
Robbins added that “if DHS had corrected an error in its administrative rules, two other decades-old state law provisions would also have permitted DHS to suspend payments during an investigation for kickbacks.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Walz’s office for comment.
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The report’s findings quickly sparked outrage from conservatives on social media.
“The feds need to step in immediately,” Townhall columnist Dustin Grage posted on X.
“Despite claiming they had no authority, a new OLA report confirms DHS could investigate fraud in autism services,” Minnesota House Republicans posted on X. “The Walz administration didn’t act for years. How much did it cost Minnesotans?”
“Contrary to Walz administration claims, they have always had the legal authority to address kickback schemes,” Minnesota Republican state Rep. Walter Hudson posted on X. “They simply choose not to.”
Trump lifts century-old shipping rule to lower oil costs amid Iran war
President Donald Trump has temporarily waived a century-old shipping law to allow oil and other resources to flow to the United States, a White House official told FOX Business on Wednesday.
Trump issued a 60-day waiver of the Jones Act, a mandate that only U.S. ships carry cargo between U.S. ports and stipulates that at least 75% of the crew members are American citizens. Additionally, it demands these ships are built in the U.S. and owned by U.S. citizens.
“President Trump’s decision to issue a 60-day Jones Act waiver is just another step to mitigate the short-term disruptions to the oil market as the U.S. military continues meeting the objectives of Operation Epic Fury,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement on X. “This action will allow vital resources like oil, natural gas, fertilizer, and coal to flow freely to U.S. ports for sixty days, and the Administration remains committed to continuing to strengthen our critical supply chains.”
The war with Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil chokepoint that sees ships carry about a fifth of the world’s oil out of the Gulf region. Iran’s stranglehold and threats to ships in the narrow passageway has sent oil prices above $100 per barrel.
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Proponents of the Jones Act claim it beefs up national security, prevents foreign countries from accessing the U.S. and protects the American shipbuilding sector.
Critics, however, argue that the 1920s law is outdated and hampers competitiveness in the industry while driving up shipbuilding costs.
“We are deeply concerned about this 60-day, broad waiver being abused and unnecessarily displacing American workers and American companies,” the American Maritime Partnership told FOX Business in a statement on Wednesday. “The law sets a high bar: this waiver exists solely to address an immediate threat to military operations, not to displace American workers or reward foreign operators. Every vessel movement under this waiver must be publicly disclosed and justified according to federal law. We will be watching closely — and so will the American public.”
“We also reiterate that this waiver will not reduce gas prices,” it said. “The maximum potential impact of domestic shipping on the cost of gasoline nationwide is less than one penny per gallon.”
TRUMP WARNS NATO OF ‘VERY BAD’ FUTURE IF ALLIES DON’T HELP SECURE STRAIT OF HORMUZ
Even with oil prices surging and appeals from Trump and Washington, U.S. allies are declining to take part in military efforts to secure the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump on Wednesday appeared to call out these allies in a post on his Truth Social platform.
“I wonder what would happen if we ‘finished off’ what’s left of the Iranian Terror State, and let the Countries that use it, we don’t, be responsible for the so called ‘Straight?’ (sic) That would get some of our non-responsive ‘Allies’ in gear, and fast!!!” Trump wrote.
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Previous instances in which the Jones Act has been temporarily waived include responses to major hurricanes, such as Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and Hurricanes Harvey and Irma in 2017.
John Mellencamp never missed a day by daughter Teddi’s side during stage 4 cancer fight
Teddi Mellencamp’s dad was at the hospital every day during his daughter’s “ugly” cancer battle.
During an interview with Fox News Digital at the Women’s Cancer Research Fund, “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” alum opened up about the Mellencamp bond and how her diagnosis forced a new level of vulnerability and closeness between father and daughter.
“He was there with me at the hospital every day. So, I mean, he’s seen the good, the bad and the ugly. Um, but I talk to him—I mean, he calls every day to check in,” Teddi began. “This is a hard journey, and especially when you’re in treatment. I thought the surgery was going to be the hardest part, but it’s the treatment that’s really been weighing on me.”
Teddi shared that her diagnosis brought her closer to her famous father, John.
‘JERSEY SHORE’ STAR NICOLE ‘SNOOKI’ POLIZZI DIAGNOSED WITH CERVICAL CANCER
“Oh, of course. I’ve found ways to be vulnerable with him that I never—I never thought I needed and I mean, having cancer changes you,” she said. “And I never really believed that and then now, it’s just… what’s important to me has completely shifted.”
“He was there with me at the hospital every day.”
Marking the one-year anniversary of being transported to the ER for “migraines,” the reality star took to Instagram in February to share an image of herself with electrodes positioned across her head prior to a brain scan.
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“A year ago today I went into the ER thinking I had migraines and within 24 hours was having surgery on the plum-sized stage 4 tumors on my brain,” Mellencamp wrote.
WATCH: John Mellencamp visited daughter Teddi every day during stage 4 cancer battle
“I have a lot of anxiety surrounding today but also a lot of gratitude. Gratitude for the doctors and nurses who took care of me, gratitude for my family and friends for supporting me, and gratitude for all the love that you have poured into me,” her caption continued. “Trust your instincts. Get checked.”
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Mellencamp emphasized the importance of early detection during her interview with Fox News Digital.
“I think you just, you know, I… for over a year I thought I had migraines, and it was brain cancer. So, I think, you know, you just have to trust your instincts and go to the doctor. You know, we’re not professionals, so if you feel something that doesn’t feel right, take action,” she said.
WATCH: Teddi Mellencamp says cancer journey brought her closer to John Mellencamp
Teddi first shared she was diagnosed with stage 2 melanoma in March 2022, and later shared in April 2025 that her skin cancer had grown to stage 4 and that it had spread to her brain and lungs. She had surgery to remove the tumors on her brain, saying at the time that while getting them removed, doctors ended up finding more.
Later that month, a scan showed her tumors were decreasing in size. One of the many debilitating effects she suffered from on her cancer journey was her inability to speak clearly.
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