Former VP Harris sends direct message to leaders after deadly Minneapolis shooting
Former Vice President Kamala Harris
strongly condemned the shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis on Wednesday, saying the first week of classes were “marred” by senseless violence.
Harris weighed in on the shooting in a post on X.
“The beginning of a new school year should be filled with excitement and anticipation. But today, it was marred by yet another act of senseless gun violence,” she wrote. “The students, teachers, and community of Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis now share a traumatic experience that has affected far too many Americans.
WHO IS ROBIN WESTMAN, SUSPECT IN ANNUNCIATION CATHOLIC SCHOOL SHOOTING IN MINNEAPOLIS?
“I spoke with Governor Walz this afternoon to share Doug and my grief for the families impacted and our gratitude for the first responders and law enforcement on the scene,” Harris continued. “Mayor Jacob Frey said it clearly: ‘Don’t just say this is about thoughts and prayers right now. These kids were literally praying.
“We know the solutions. Our leaders must have the courage to act to stop these tragedies,” she concluded.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp joined leaders across the country by condemning the deadly shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis on Wednesday.
Youngkin ordered flags lowered to half-staff to honor the lives lost in the tragic incident.
“Our hearts break for the victims of today’s horrific violence in Minneapolis. I’ve ordered flags across Virginia lowered to half-staff in honor of the innocent lives senselessly taken,” Youngkin said in a post on X. “Suzanne and I are praying for the children lost, the families forever changed, the injured, and the entire Annunciation Catholic School community.”
WHO IS ROBIN WESTMAN, SUSPECT IN ANNUNCIATION CATHOLIC SCHOOL SHOOTING IN MINNEAPOLIS?
Kemp also weighed in on X, calling the attack on children and a place of worship “horrendous,” while offering prayers for victims, families, and first responders.
“Today, along with all Americans, Marty, the girls, and I are deeply shocked and saddened by the tragedy in Minneapolis,” he wrote. “Any attack on a place of worship and on innocent children who are there to learn is horrendous, and the victims, students, teachers, their families, and all the first responders are in our prayers.”
The shooter who opened fire at a Catholic school Mass in Minneapolis on Wednesday, killing two children and injuring 17 others, had an official name change in 2019, according to court records.
The shooter has been identified as 23-year-old Robin Westman, but according to court documents, Westman changed their name from Robert to Robin in 2019.
WHO IS ROBIN WESTMAN, SUSPECT IN ANNUNCIATION CATHOLIC SCHOOL SHOOTING IN MINNEAPOLIS?
The court documents show the shooter’s mother applied for the name change and wrote, “minor child identifies as female and wants her name to reflect the identification.”
Local police said earlier in the day they were aware of a manifesto that the shooter had timed to be released on YouTube, though the video has been taken down and is now under investigation.
The manifesto, police added, appeared to show Westman at the scene and included disturbing writings.
U.S. Rep. Andrew Garbarino, R-N.Y., the chair of the House Committee on Homeland Security, expressed grief with the victims of the shooting at the Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, saying the panel was in contact with the Department of Homeland Security as the investigation continues.
“My prayers are with the people of Minneapolis
, the Annunciation parish community, the innocent lives lost, and all those injured in this horrific and unacceptable act of violence at a house of worship,” Garbarino said in a statement. “No American should ever face violence for their faith or beliefs. The Committee remains in close contact with the Department of Homeland Security as law enforcement continues to investigate the perpetrator’s motives and assess any ongoing threats.”
Garbarino added that authorities must “hold this evil to account by ensuring all levels of law enforcement and government can work together to prevent further violence against faith-based communities across our country.”
In another statement, Dr. Steven F. Cheeseman, the president of the National Catholic Educational Association, said the Catholic community was grieving alongside the school.
“We pray for God’s consolation and healing for all who are suffering and for the entire Body of Christ,” a quoted posted on X by Cheeseman states.
“As an educator and a parent, my heart breaks for the tragic harm and loss of lives today in Minneapolis,” he wrote.
Minneapolis police have confirmed the shooter who opened fire and killed two children while injuring 17 others from a Catholic school attending Mass at a nearby church had a manifesto, though the details about the video timed to be released on YouTube are sparse.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said the manifesto appeared to show the shooter at the scene as well as “some disturbing writings.”
WHO IS ROBIN WESTMAN, SUSPECT IN ANNUNCIATION CATHOLIC SCHOOL SHOOTING IN MINNEAPOLIS?
“That content has since been taken down with the assistance of the FBI, and it now remains under active review by our investigators,” the chief said.
When asked about the shooter’s relationship to the church or school, as well as a motive, O’Hara said he did not have any information to share.
“I have no information to share on a motive other than saying, again, that there was some sort of manifesto that was timed to come out on YouTube,” he said. “It’s been taken down and our investigators are going through that to try and develop a motive from that.”
He added that search warrants are being executed at three different residential locations, as well, to hopefully find more information and give investigators more insight into a motive.
John and Yvette Hoffman, who were shot by a gunman
in June amid shootings targeting state lawmakers, along with their daughter, Hope Hoffman, condemned Wednesday’s deadly event.
“Sen. John Hoffman, Yvette Hoffman and Hope Hoffman today send all the love and support to the Annunciation Catholic School and Church community and the entire state of Minnesota,” the family said in a statement. “We are all impacted by these mindless acts of violence and senseless attacks.”
“The evil actions of an individual can impact the lives of so many, the victims and our community,” the statement continued.
“Our family understands this firsthand and calls on our State and the nation to find more grace, and peace in our daily lives. We will hold these families in our hearts and prayers forever.”
John and Yvette Hoffman were shot in June. Vance Boelter, who is also charged with stalking and murdering former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, at their home in Minneapolis in June.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said he will order flags in his state be lowered to mourn the victims in Wednesday’s shooting in Minneapolis.
“Today’s attack at a Catholic school in Minnesota is horrific and heartbreaking,” he wrote on X. “Cecilia and I are lifting up in prayer the families who lost innocent children, those injured, and the entire community as they face this tragedy.”
WHO IS ROBIN WESTMAN, SUSPECT IN ANNUNCIATION CATHOLIC SCHOOL SHOOTING IN MINNEAPOLIS?
He further stated that he would honor a request by President Donald Trump request to lower all flags in other states and U.S. territories.
Gov. Tim Walz, D-Minn., said there are no words when it comes to “unspeakable tragedies” like the shooting at Annunciation Church and School on Wednesday.
Walz spoke during a press conference, telling reporters beautiful children were going school committed to academics, service and Catholic values for the first days of school, but instead they were met with evil, horror and death.
WHO IS ROBIN WESTMAN, SUSPECT IN ANNUNCIATION CATHOLIC SCHOOL SHOOTING IN MINNEAPOLIS?
“We often come to these and say these unspeakable tragedies…there’s no words for this,” he said. “There shouldn’t be words for these types of incidents because they should not happen, and there’s no words that are going to ease the pain of the families.”
Walz offered his deepest sympathies to the families on behalf of the people of Minnesota.
He continued, saying he spoke with federal partners, including President Donald Trump, who called the governor to offer his deep condolences and to provide the support the people of Minnesota need.
But Walz also stressed that Minnesotans will not step away when the cameras from news crews pack up and leave.
“We’ll stand with this community,” he said, adding that they will do whatever possible to understand what can be done to prevent shootings at schools.
A man who lives near the Minneapolis church rushed to the building after the shooting where he saw a “terrible” scene.
Pat Scallen said he lives near the church and got to the church after the shots were fired. He went to the front and comforted two girls who appeared seriously hurt and a boy.
“I kind of hung with them until the EMTS came because they were obviously very distressed and I was worried about their physical condition,” he said during an appearance on “The Story with Martha MacCallum.” “It was a terrible scene.”
WHO IS ROBIN WESTMAN, SUSPECT IN ANNUNCIATION CATHOLIC SCHOOL SHOOTING IN MINNEAPOLIS?
“They asked for their mom and I reassured them and gave them comfort,” he added.
Scallen, who attended the school, as well as his children and father, noted that many of the people who witnessed Wednesday’s deadly shooting will live with the trauma.
“It will take a while to heal and this will never go away for the people that were there and they’ll always live with it,” he said.
Former President Joe Biden, who was raised Catholic, said he and former first lady Jill Biden were “heartbroken” over the deadly shooting.
WHO IS ROBIN WESTMAN, SUSPECT IN ANNUNCIATION CATHOLIC SCHOOL SHOOTING IN MINNEAPOLIS?
“There are simply no words to adequately mark such a horrific and painful moment,” he wrote on X. “With all our hearts, we are praying for the victims, their families, and the community of Minneapolis.”
The man named in a disturbing video allegedly made by the prime suspect in Wednesday’s mass shooting at a Catholic church and school is speaking out and condemning the shooter’s “hateful and senseless act.”
Brandon Herrera, a Second Amendment activist, YouTuber and Texas Republican congressional candidate, responded to being named in the shooter’s video in a statement emailed by his campaign to Fox News Digital.
WHO IS ROBIN WESTMAN, SUSPECT IN ANNUNCIATION CATHOLIC SCHOOL SHOOTING IN MINNEAPOLIS
Herrera said, “I’m horrified by this clearly hate-motivated attack on innocent children and disgusted that my name came out of this demon’s mouth.”
Herrera went on to say, “I meet thousands of people every year at SHOT Show in Las Vegas, but I don’t remember this individual at all, nor does anyone I was there with.”
Read more about Herrera’s reaction to the video.
This is an excerpt from a story by Fox News Digital’s Peter Pinedo.
Minneapolis, Minnesota Police Chief Brian O’Hara said Wednesday that the “coward” who opened fire during a Catholic school mass had no prior history and legally purchased the guns used in the tragic incident.
“The coward that shot these victims took his own life in the rear of the church. That coward has been identified as 23 year old Robin Westman,” the chief said, adding that he had no prior criminal history.
WHO IS ROBIN WESTMAN, SUSPECT IN ANNUNCIATION CATHOLIC SCHOOL SHOOTING IN MINNEAPOLIS?
He also said a rifle, a shotgun and a pistol used by Westman had been lawfully purchased by the shooter.
O’Hara noted that the shooter purchased the guns recently, but did not provide a timeframe.
While speaking with reporters, O’Hara said there is no indication of any other suspects being directly involved in carrying out the attack.
“Our investigators are working with other agencies, [and are] in the process of executing four search warrants. One is for the church itself where this crime occurred,” O’Hara said. “The other three are residences nearby in the metro that are related to this shooter. Additional firearms are being recovered from those three residential locations as we speak.”
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem blasted the shooter who killed two children and injured 17 individuals at Annunciation church on Wednesday morning.
“This deranged monster targeted our most vulnerable: young children praying in their first morning Mass of the school year. This deeply sick murderer scrawled the words ‘For the Children’ and ‘Where is your God?’ and ‘Kill Donald Trump’ on a rifle magazine. This level of violence is unthinkable,” Noem wrote on X.
FBI Director Kash Patel said the FBI is investigating the shooting at a Minneapolis Catholic school
mass as an act of domestic terrorism and hate crime in a post on X.
“The FBI is investigating this shooting as an act of domestic terrorism and hate crime targeting Catholics,” Patel wrote. “There were 2 fatalities, an 8-year-old and a 10-year-old. In addition, 14 children and 3 adults were injured.
SHOOTING AT MINNEAPOLIS CATHOLIC CHURCH LEAVES 2 CHILDREN DEAD, 17 INJURED
“The shooter has been identified as Robin Westman, a male born as Robert Westman,” he continued. “The FBI will continue to provide updates on our ongoing investigation with the public as we are able.”
Pope Leo XIV sent his condolences to Archbishop Bernard Hebda of Minneapolis after the deadly shooting at Annunciation church during a Mass with school students.
A telegram to Hebda sent in the name of Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin read:
“At this extremely difficult time, the Holy Father imparts to the Annunciation Catholic School Community, the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis and the people of the greater twin cities metropolitan area his Apostolic Blessing as a pledge of peace, fortitude and consolation in the Lord Jesus.”
A student from the Annunciation Catholic School who was in Mass as the shooting occurred described the “very scary” ordeal. He said that the group entered the church minutes before the shooting began.
“It was super scary because, like we’ve never practiced it in the church. We’ve only practiced it the main school. So we really didn’t know what to do. We just got into the pews and he shot through the stained glass windows,” a 10-year-old student said, referring to shooting drills.
He also shared that he had two friends who were hit. One of whom said he was on top of him to make sure he was safe.
The young student said that the shooter fired though the stained glass windows.
The vice president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Archbishop William E. Lori, issued a statement in response to the shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Wednesday.
SHOOTING AT MINNEAPOLIS CATHOLIC CHURCH LEAVES 2 CHILDREN DEAD, 17 INJURED
“As a Church, we are following the tragic news from Annunciation School in Minneapolis with heartbreaking sadness,” the archbishop said. “Whenever one part of the Body of Christ is wounded, we feel the pain as if it were our very own children. Let us all beg the Lord for the protection and healing of the entire Annunciation family.”
President Donald Trump
ordered U.S. flags to be flown at half-staff at the White House and across the country in honor of the victims of a shooting in Minneapolis on Wednesday.
“As a mark of respect for the victims of the senseless acts of violence perpetrated on August 27, 2025, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, by the authority vested in me as President of the United States by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby order that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset, August 31, 2025,” Trump wrote in a proclamation.
SHOOTING AT MINNEAPOLIS CATHOLIC CHURCH LEAVES 2 CHILDREN DEAD, 17 INJURED
“I also direct that the flag shall be flown at half-staff for the same length of time at all United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations,” he added.
The Minnesota Twins and the Minnesota Vikings released statements following the deadly shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis.
“The Minnesota Twins are heartbroken by today’s tragic and senseless mass shooting at Annunciation Church and School in south Minneapolis. The taking of innocent lives in a place of learning and worship is incomprehensible,” the MLB team wrote on X. “Alongside our community, we mourn this tragedy and yearn for a future where such violence no longer shatters lives.”
The Twins also expressed their gratitude for the first responders on the scene.
“We are devastated by the horrific violence that took place at Annunciation Church in Minneapolis this morning. Our hearts are broken for the victims, their families and all who have been impacted by this senseless and cowardly act,” a post from the Minnesota Vikings read. “We are praying for the injured, those who witnessed the attack and the first responders who were on the scene providing care and support during this tragedy.”
The shooter who killed two school children during a Catholic mass went by two names, Robin Westman and Robert Westman, two law enforcement sources confirmed to Fox News.
Westman is accused of fatally shooting two children and injuring 17 others at Annunciation Catholic School on Wednesday morning.
WHO IS ROBIN WESTMAN, SUSPECT IN ANNUNCIATION CATHOLIC SCHOOL SHOOTING IN MINNEAPOLIS?
Police confirmed Westman is deceased, likely of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy condemned the Wednesday shooting at a Minneapolis Catholic school as an “unthinkable crime.”
“I cannot imagine what the families at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis are going through.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said Wednesday it has completed a tracing of firearms found at the site of the Minneapolis church shooting.
“ATF completed the urgent traces of the recovered firearms and has provided that information to all investigative partners involved in the shooting in at Annunciation Church this morning,” the agency’s St. Paul office wrote on X. “This information is for investigative partners only and will not be released to the public.”
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said earlier that the shooter “was armed with a rifle, a shotgun and a pistol.”
“This was a deliberate act of violence against innocent children and other people worshiping. The sheer cruelty and cowardice of firing into a church full of children is absolutely incomprehensible,” O’Hara added.
A school safety expert said while most school safety discussions focus on public schools, Catholic schools face a unique risk.
Ken Trump, president of National School Safety and Security Services, told Fox News Digital that this scenario is unique because you not only have the staff and students attending mass, but some parents and other adult parishioners from the community as well.
“In Catholic schools, an all-school Mass brings hundreds of students, staff, parents and parishioners together—creating safety challenges rarely seen in public schools,” Trump explained.
“Who will monitor entrances while staff are in the Mass? Who will secure the grounds? How will you lock down or evacuate a church full of students?” he continued.
Regarding the Minnesota Catholic school shooting, he said, law enforcement officers may have to assess motives tied to grievances against the church, individual staff or even ideological and religious influences.
“Catholic schools cannot afford to rely on tradition and trust alone,” Trump said. “They must train, plan and invest in safety like every other school.”
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., said she was “beyond heartbroken” in a post on X following the shooting at a Minneapolis Catholic school in her congressional district.
“I am beyond heartbroken over the tragic news of the shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis. I am praying for all the families impacted by this horrific tragedy. I will continue to closely monitor the situation and provide updates.”
Omar later spoke with reporters, saying it was not the right time to have a “national conversation” about stopping school shootings.
“We know that once this investigation is done, once these families are made whole, then we can have the national conversation that is necessary to stop school shootings like this from taking place in our communities and devastating families all over this country.”
A retired FBI special agent said law enforcement’s mission in response to the Minnesota Catholic school shooting was “get to the school as fast as possible and stop the shooter.”
“Officers entered the building not knowing what they would face,” Jason Pack told Fox News Digital.Pack added that “those first minutes are confusion and noise, but training takes over.”
“Secure the scene. Protect the children. Save lives.”
Officials in Minneapolis confirmed that the shooter was dead and took his own life.
Pack said now the investigation shifts to gathering shell casings, reviewing security footage, tracing the firearms and interviewing witnesses.
He added that investigators will also look at the suspect’s past to understand warning signs and whether others were involved.“The main question they are answering, ‘Why would someone do this?’” Pack said.
Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin interrupted his party’s summer meeting Wednesday in Minneapolis to announce the mass shooting in the same city.
“I just want to announce some news. I’m not trying to startle or shock any of you. It’s shocking to me. There is an active shooter, here in Minneapolis. Right now, an unknown amount of victims at a church and school,” Martin, who is from Minneapolis himself, told the audience.
“EMS has requested mass casualty responders, if, any of you, doctors, nurses and otherwise, responders, first responders, that could help. It seems to be a fairly significant shooting,” he added.
Police later said two children were killed and 17 other people – including 14 children – were injured in the shooting during a mass at the Annunciation Catholic School.
Nine of the children injured in a shooting at the Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis on Wednesday were being treated at a hospital, with four requiring surgeries, a hospital official told reporters.
Tom Wyatt, chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Hennepin Healthcare said 11 patients were brought to the Hennepin County Medical Center, including two adults and nine children aged between 6 and 14.
There were no fatalities among the 11 patients being treated there as of Wednesday afternoon, he said, adding that several of the children were in critical condition and four required surgery.
“I can’t get into specifics, but we are dealing with gunshot wound injuries from apparently a high velocity weapon,” Wyatt said. “And, you know, gunshot wounds can be very problematic because it can involve multiple body systems.”
Wyatt said that he believed other non-critical victims were brought to other area hospitals.
Bill Bienemann who lives in the area of the Annunciation Catholic School said he heard from a witness presumably in the church that it sounded like the gunfire “went on for eternity.”
Bienemann told Fox News he could hear the “sporadic” gunfire. He also said he was “shocked,” and thought there was “no way that that could be gunfire, there was so much of it.”
Police have confirmed that two children were killed in the shooting and 17 other individuals were injured, including 14 children and three adults.
The shooter is dead, likely from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, though police have not conclusively stated his cause of death.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara confirmed on Wednesday that two children were killed and 17 others were injured, 14 of whom were children.
“The sheer cruelty and cowardice of firing into a church full of children is absolutely incomprehensible,” O’Hara said while addressing reporters.
Additionally, O’Hara said police believe the assailant took his own life. The suspect is believed to have shot through the church windows into the area where the children were praying. He was confirmed to have a rifle, a shotgun and a pistol.
There was a smoke bomb found at the scene.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., are among the Democratic lawmakers sharing their reactions to the shooting at the Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis on Wednesday.
“I’m horrified by the shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis and closely monitoring the situation,” Schumer wrote on X. “I’m thankful for the first responders on the scene. Students and teachers should not be putting their lives on the line just by going back to school. We must do more to stop gun violence in America.”
Jeffries similarly called the Catholic school shooting “horrifying.”
“Praying for the children, families and first responders during this moment of terror and unimaginable grief,” he wrote on X, in part. “Weapons of war have no place in our neighborhoods, streets or schools.”
Children’s Minnesota Hospital said six children are being treated after the shooting at a Minnesota Catholic school. The hospital would not share details on the patients out of respect for them and their loved ones.
A federal source on the ground in Minneapolis confirmed to Fox News that an estimated 15 to 20 people were injured in a shooting at the Annunciation Catholic School.
Another federal source told Fox News Digital that there were 20 injured, and were “mostly children.”
It was not immediately clear whether there were any fatalities.
Fox News Digital’s Preston Mizell and Fox News’ Matt Finn contributed to this report.
A shooting
was reported Wednesday at the Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, according to the state’s governor, Tim Walz.
Walz wrote on X that “I’ve been briefed on a shooting at Annunciation Catholic School” and “I’m praying for our kids and teachers whose first week of school was marred by this horrific act of violence.”
The Minneapolis Police Department shared a message from the city of Minneapolis confirming “there is no active threat to the community at this time” and “the shooter is contained.” Sources told Fox 9 that the suspect – who has not been publicly identified – is deceased.
Biden-appointed judge orders Trump to pay billions as legal battle heats up
Lawyers for the Trump administration filed an emergency appeal to the Supreme Court on Tuesday night asking the justices to halt a lower court injunction and allow it to freeze billions in foreign aid spending previously allocated by Congress — kicking the issue of USAID funding back to the high court for the second time in roughly six months.
At issue is nearly $12 billion in funding allocated to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and owed by the end of the fiscal year in September. The majority of those funds were axed by President Donald Trump almost immediately after taking office, under the broader mantle of slashing foreign aid and eliminating so-called “waste, fraud, and abuse.”
U.S. Solicitor General D. John Sauer told the Supreme Court in an emergency filing Tuesday that, absent intervention from the high court, the Trump administration would be forced to “rapidly obligate some $12 billion in foreign-aid funds” owed by September 30, or the end of the fiscal year.
SCOTUS RULES ON NEARLY $2 BILLION IN FROZEN USAID PAYMENTS
Those payments have been held up in court for months, after President Donald Trump signed an executive order on his first day back in office in January seeking to block nearly all foreign aid spending, as part of his administration’s broader crackdown on waste, fraud, and abuse.
That order was blocked by a federal judge in D.C. earlier this year. That judge, U.S. District Judge Amir Ali, ordered the Trump administration to resume payments on billions of dollars in funding for USAID projects that were previously approved by Congress.
That order was overturned this month by the U.S. District Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, which ruled 2-1 to vacate the lower court injunction.
TRUMP TEMPORARILY THWARTED IN DOGE MISSION TO END USAID
The appeals court partly vacated Judge Ali’s injunction, rejecting a request from foreign aid groups that had sought to restore the grant payments. The 2-1 majority also ruled that the plaintiffs failed to show Trump had acted “plainly” in excess of his executive branch authorities.
Writing for the majority, Judge Karen L. Henderson, a President George H.W. Bush appointee, said that the plaintiffs lacked the proper cause of action to sue the Trump administration over its decision to withhold the funds, or what is known as impoundment.
But the appeals court has not yet issued a mandate to enforce that ruling — meaning that, for now, the judge’s order, and the payment schedule he previously laid out — remains in place.
FEDERAL JUDGE ORDERS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TO PAY ‘UNLAWFULLY’ RESTRICTED USAID FUNDS
Sauer argued in the emergency Supreme Court appeal that the foreign aid groups, which sued the Trump administration this year in order to claw back some of the grant money, have no legal authority to challenge the executive branch on the matter, which is technically under the legal jurisdiction of the Impoundment Control Act.
“Congress did not upset the delicate interbranch balance by allowing for unlimited, unconstrained private suits,” Sauer wrote. “Any lingering dispute about the proper disposition of funds that the President seeks to rescind shortly before they expire should be left to the political branches, not effectively prejudged by the district court.”
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Plaintiffs, for their part, have argued that the executive branch lacks the authority to unilaterally withhold already-appropriated funds, under the Impoundment Control Act (ICA), as well as the Administrative Procedure Act.
The Supreme Court previously ruled 5-4.
Feds take down 27 suspects in small town as Mexican cartel’s deadly pipeline exposed
Federal agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration said Wednesday that 27 people were arrested in Franklin, New Hampshire, in a sweeping narcotics bust that seized fentanyl and methamphetamine tied to Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel.
Investigators said the supply chain traced back through Lawrence, Massachusetts, a city long identified as a fentanyl hub for New England.
TRUMP-SIGNED FENTANYL LAW WILL END ‘CAT AND MOUSE’ WITH TRAFFICKERS, STATE ATTORNEYS GENERAL SAY
“Twenty seven people in Franklin, New Hampshire have just been arrested!” wrote the DEA’s New England office on X. “Fentanyl and methamphetamine sourced from Lawrence, Massachusetts have been seized. The drugs are directly linked to the Sinaloa Cartel. The investigation continues.”
Authorities said the takedown targeted cartel-backed networks fueling the region’s fentanyl crisis. Photos released by DEA New England showed suspects in handcuffs outside a home and bundles of seized cash.
DEA, FBI SEIZE $10 MILLION IN CRYPTOCURRENCY ‘DIRECTLY LINKED TO THE SINALOA CARTEL’
The Sinaloa cartel has long dominated the fentanyl trade into the U.S., according to federal officials, and Lawrence has repeatedly been flagged as a key distribution point. Fentanyl remains the nation’s leading cause of overdose deaths, with more than 70,000 fatalities a year, CDC data show.
DEA officials stressed that the Franklin investigation is ongoing, with more arrests possible.
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The DEA did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
American tourist wounded in Germany condemns Europe’s ‘immigration problem’
The American tourist who was stabbed in the face while protecting two women on a tram in Germany is speaking out about what he calls Europe’s “immigration problem.”
In an interview after his release from a hospital, 21-year-old John Rudat told “Fox & Friends First” Wednesday he believes the attack highlights Germany’s failure to address immigration. He said he later learned one of the suspects, a Syrian asylum seeker already known to police, was arrested, released by prosecutors and arrested again. Another suspect remains at large.
“People have been telling me over the past 10 years [that] it has been getting worse and worse and worse. And, since this incident, thousands of people, especially women, have reached out to me claiming that they haven’t been feeling safe on the trams. They haven’t been feeling safe in their own home city, their own country,” he said.
CAPITOL HILL STAFFER STABBED IN HEAD, CHEST WELCOMES TRUMP’S WASHINGTON, DC CRIME CRACKDOWN
“And I feel really bad for them because clearly, as I’m now seeing, it’s not only affecting the German citizens but the tourists going to Germany.”
According to an online fundraiser organized by his brother’s girlfriend, Rudat stepped in when two Syrian men allegedly began attacking women on a tram in Dresden on Sunday. He sustained a stab wound to the face from one of the suspects carrying a six-inch blade, leaving him bloodied and bandaged.
Authorities arrested a 21-year-old Syrian accused of beating Rudat before the stabbing, but he was later released, German outlet Bild reported, according to the New York Post.
AMERICAN TOURIST STABBED IN FACE BY SYRIAN AFTER DEFENDING WOMEN ON GERMAN TRAM: REPORT
Senior Public Prosecutor Jürgen Schmidt said there were “insufficient grounds for detention” and that the knife attack “cannot be attributed to him.” That decision prompted Rudat to criticize Europe’s immigration policies in an Instagram post.
After new information emerged, authorities arrested the suspect again, according to The Associated Press.
Rudat’s facial wounds were visible during his Fox News appearance, but he said he feels much better since being released from the hospital.
“The unconditional support I’ve seemed to get from the German people has been nothing but refreshing and sustaining for my recovery, and hopefully it’ll be even quicker because of it,” he said.
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His part-time modeling career is on hold because of the wounds, he added.
In a statement, the U.S. Embassy in Berlin condemned the attack.
“While courageously intervening to protect a fellow passenger, he was viciously attacked,” the embassy wrote on X. “We urge German authorities to swiftly bring the perpetrators to justice and punish them to the fullest extent permitted by law. Safety is a collective responsibility — no one is safe until all are safe.”
Country star walks off stage after fans cross the line at Oklahoma concert
Country singer Braxton Keith has drawn the line on beer-throwing at his concerts – this time for good.
During an Aug. 22 performance, the rising star abruptly ended the show after concert-goers exhibited some unruly behavior.
In a TikTok video shared by a fan in the crowd, Keith, 25, can be seen stopping his band mid‑set before he snapped at the audience.
LUKE BRYAN GETS HIT IN THE FACE BY OBJECT THROWN ON STAGE DURING CONCERT
“Y’all, I know that most of y’all are behaving yourselves tonight,” he said. “But there’s a bunch of people up here that are having a good time, and then there’s a bunch of beer‑throwing.”
Keith continued with frustration, “Listen, I don’t come to any of y’all’s jobs and do anything like that to y’all. So until y’all can learn some concert etiquette, my name is Braxton Keith. Thank y’all for coming out to Ardmore, Oklahoma, tonight.”
After his stern announcement, the “Chase You Down” crooner walked abruptly offstage, as he took off his guitar strap and fixed his cowboy hat. The performance ended earlier than fans had anticipated.
Reps for Keith did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
This wasn’t the first time Keith’s concert got interrupted by disruptive beer-throwing.
ZACH BRYAN SLAMMED BY FELLOW COUNTRY SINGER WHO DOUBTS THE TRUTH BEHIND HIS IMAGE
In April, during his show in Gilmer, Texas, Keith stopped performing to scold fans who threw beer cans at him and his band while they played “Honky Tonk City.”
Instead of letting the chaos ruin the vibe, he took control of the situation at the time.
“Hey listen up. Pause this s—,” Keith was seen shouting in a video he shared to TikTok. “I didn’t come here to get beer cans thrown at me, all right? This isn’t a godd— Gavin Adcock concert, OK?”
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Keith referred to his fellow country artist, who’s known for throwing drinks at his concerts.
“Don’t be throwing f—ing beers out here,” he continued to yell at his fans as he stopped his performance.
“These people at the front are gettin’ wet up here and it’s gonna p— them off and it’s gonna p— me off.”
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The singer confronted the crowd and pointed out a young fan who was attending her first country show.
“This little girl right here’s never been to a country concert before, and it’s her first damn time, OK? We’re gonna have a good show for her, OK?”
The rowdy audience was heard cheering in the background after Keith’s announcement.
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‘Shame! Shame!’: Protesters drown out Collins as Democrat challenger gains traction
Senator Susan Collins, R-Maine, faced repeated heckling from protesters on Tuesday during a ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the completion of a $9.2 million federally-funded Route 1 reconstruction project.
Collins’ remarks on securing federal money for the project were repeatedly drowned out, showing both her challenges on the home front and the broader fight for Senate control.
Collins, who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee, has cast the Route 1 project as a major win for Maine communities.
Protesters, however, shouted her down with chants of “Shame! Shame! Shame!” while raising grievances over Medicare, Israel policy and her voting history for Trump-supported bills.
‘MAINE’S MAMDANI’: MAINE GOP CHIEF ISSUES WARNING ABOUT NEW CHALLENGER LOOKING TO OUST SUSAN COLLINS
Her Democrat challenger, Graham Platner, quickly seized on the moment, sharing a close-up video of the heckling on X that has nearly 4k likes.
With the Senate hanging by a razor-thin margin, Maine’s race has emerged as one of the most closely watched in the country. Democrats see Collins’ seat as a potential pathway back to control, while Republicans, led by President Trump, are fighting to defend their fragile majority.
“I’m so disgusted with the cuts the Republican Party has made to this big ugly bill…. Get outta here!” shouted one protester, referencing the “One, Big Beautiful Bill.”
At one point during the ceremony, Collins attempted to reason with the demonstrators. “Could you please just listen, for just one—” she began, before being cut off by a protester shouting, “We’d like you to listen!”
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“I have a suggestion. Would you listen to the suggestion?” asked Collins before another protester responded, “Vote Graham Platner!”
Graham Platner is a Democrat candidate seeking to challenge the longtime incumbent moderate Republican, who is facing a spirited reelection battle in an increasingly blue state.
Platner, a Marine and Army veteran turned oyster farmer, frames his candidacy as a fight against what he calls the “billionaire economy.” While his biography as a working-class veteran could resonate in a state with many independents, his policy platform leans hard to the left. He has called for banning billionaires from financing elections, raising the federal minimum wage, establishing postal banking and defending abortion.
He supports aggressive climate regulations, breaking up corporations he labels monopolies and ending what he terms “the mass deportation machine.” Platner has also demanded cuts to Pentagon spending, vowed to “stop pointless wars,” and backs expanding union powers. Those stances put him squarely in the progressive camp and open him to criticism that he is out of step with Maine’s moderates despite his veteran credentials.
Maine Republicans, meanwhile, were quick to paint Platner as out of step with the state. “Graham is a far-left progressive backed by national progressive operatives and environmental extremists. His views would be perfectly suited for a Portland City Council race – not for representing all of Maine,” Jason Savage, the executive director of the Maine Republican Party, told Fox News Digital. A Collins spokesperson likewise dismissed him as “just another progressive entering the race.”
Platner has also brought on Joe Cavello, a former senior aide to Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., as part of his campaign team, and tapped Democratic strategist Morris Katz, an advisor to New York City mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani, to produce his launch video.
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With Republicans clinging to their slim Senate majority, Collins’ reelection fight could help determine whether Trump’s influence continues to shape the legislative agenda or whether Democrats reclaim the upper hand.
Maine’s Senate primary is scheduled for June 9, 2026, with the general election set for Nov. 3, 2026. Sen. Collins and Platner did not immediately return Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Man seen on video whacking federal officer with sub sandwich avoids indictment
A former Department of Justice employee who prosecutors say threw a sandwich at a federal officer in Washington, D.C., has avoided indictment for felony assault, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.
Sean Charles Dunn, 37, was allegedly caught on video shouting obscenities at Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents standing near 14th and U streets on Aug. 10.
Witnesses said Dunn yelled, “Why are you here? I don’t want you in my city!” while confronting the agents. At one point he was said to call an officer a “fascist.”
He is then allegedly seen tossing his sub-style sandwich at one of the officers, whacking him in the chest before running off. Witnesses can be heard giggling as federal agents give chase, the viral video showed.
MAN CHARGED WITH FELONY AFTER ALLEGEDLY WHACKING FEDERAL AGENT WITH SANDWICH AMID TRUMP’S DC CRIME CRACKDOWN
He was chased down, arrested, and later fired from his DOJ position.
On Tuesday, prosecutors from the office of U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro asked a federal grand jury to indict Dunn for felony assault of a federal officer.
But, as the New York Times first reported, the grand jury voted against returning an indictment.
Pirro, who has vowed to aggressively pursue cases under President Trump’s anti-crime push in Washington, posted a video after the incident, saying: “He thought it was funny. Well, he doesn’t think it’s funny today, because we charged him with felony assault on a police officer, and we’re going to back the police to the hilt. So there. Stick your Subway sandwich somewhere else.”
Dunn allegedly lobbed the Subway sandwich at the officer as President Trump’s law-and-order initiative in the capital got underway.
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This included National Guard deployments and expanded federal law enforcement presence. According to the White House, the crackdown has resulted in more than 1,000 arrests to date.
It’s unclear if prosecutors will try to indict Dunn on lesser charges.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Department of Justice for comment.
Travis Kelce joins brand facing Sydney Sweeney backlash after Taylor Swift engagement
Travis Kelce’s engagement to Taylor Swift has been public for just one day, and he is already expanding his business empire.
Kelce’s lifestyle brand Tru Kolors is launching a new design collaboration with American Eagle, which was announced Wednesday.
“It was an awesome opportunity to team up with an established brand where both sides were excited to truly collaborate on every decision in the design and creative process that brought the ‘AE x TK’ collection to life,” Kelce said in a statement.
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American Eagle has been the subject of controversy and growing popularity after a series of advertisements featuring actress Sydney Sweeney. The ad in question involved Sweeney in denim for American Eagle, playing on the homophones “jeans” and “genes” that sparked accusations of eugenics.
The ad was part of the company’s “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans” campaign.
American Eagle released a statement on its social media earlier this month, saying, “‘Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans’ is and always was about the jeans. Her jeans. Her story. We’ll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way. Great jeans look good on everyone.”
JASON KELCE CONGRATULATES TRAVIS AND TAYLOR SWIFT ON ENGAGEMENT: ‘F— YEAH’
Despite the backlash from some critics, the company’s stock price increased and now Kelce has joined in on promoting the brand amid his hyper-public engagement to Swift.
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Kelce’s first ad was released Wednesday, and included fellow star athletes like U.S. Olympic gold medal gymnast Suni Lee, women’s tennis star Anna Frey, women’s basketball player Azzi Fudd, Penn State quarterback Drew Allar, Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and Syracuse basketball star Kiyan Anthony (Carmelo Anthony’s son).
Iowa senator admits he was ‘naive’ about Biden, says staff controlled him
Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said Wednesday he had been “naive” about former President Joe Biden and argued Biden would not be remembered as an effective president.
Grassley, who has served alongside nine presidents, told Miranda Devine on the “Pod Force One” podcast that he got along with Biden when they were both senators, noting they worked on legislation together and knew each other personally.
“I think it’s, if you feel like you know somebody well, it’s hard to believe some of the things that you originally heard, now you kind of know. I was a little naive about how I looked at the ‘President Biden’ compared to ‘Sen. Biden,’” Grassley said.
Devine asked Grassley how he would assess Biden’s time in office.
TRUMP TELLS GRASSLEY TO TELL DEMOCRATS ‘GO TO HELL’ OVER BLOCKED JUDICIAL NOMINEES IN SENATE
“Well, considering the fact that he doesn’t look like he was running it — at least in (the) recent two or three years — I think he’ll never go down in history as a very effective senator or a very effective president,” he said.
Grassley told Devine he only had one face-to-face meeting with Biden after Biden became president. Grassley also acknowledged he didn’t have “anything to judge it by” but said he felt a lot changed for the former president physically and mentally, pointing to what others have said, as well as seeing Biden on TV.
Asked by Devine whether he thought Biden was being controlled by his staff, Grassley replied, “Yes.”
“When you do a thousand commutations and pardons, and you don’t pay any attention to it, you aren’t doing your job,” the Republican senator said.
The podcast host also pressed Grassley on Biden’s decision to pardon his son, Hunter Biden.
Hunter was found guilty of three felony gun offenses and was also charged with federal tax crimes regarding the failure to pay at least $1.4 million in taxes.
GOP SAYS DEMS ADMIT ‘GUILT’ IN BIDEN HEALTH COVER-UP BY BOYCOTTING SENATE HEARING ON ‘CONSTITUTIONAL SCANDAL’
“I’m not surprised, but it shouldn’t have been done, and it proves the guilt of Hunter Biden,” Grassley responded.
The senator reacted on X in December when Biden announced the pardon.
“I’m shocked Pres Biden pardoned his son Hunter [because] he said many many times he wouldn’t & I believed him,” Grassley wrote. “Shame on me.”
Biden’s office did not immediately return a request for comment.
Grassley has made headlines recently for defending the Senate’s “blue slip” tradition, which drew criticism from President Donald Trump.
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The “blue slip” tradition in the Senate effectively gives Senate Republicans and Democrats the ability to veto district court and U.S. attorney nominees in their home states.
“We’re also going to be filing a lawsuit on blue slipping,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Monday. “You know, blue slips make it impossible for me, as president, to appoint a judge or a U.S. attorney because they have a gentleman’s agreement.
“Nothing memorialized. It’s a gentleman’s agreement that’s about 100 years old, where if you have a president, like a Republican, and if you have a Democrat senator, that senator can stop you from appointing a judge or a U.S. attorney, in particular, those two.”