Trump responds to GOP senator’s push to bump minimum wage to $15 an hour
President Donald Trump signaled he was not sure about whether, or not, he would support a recent proposal led by GOP Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour.
“I haven’t seen it. I’d have to speak to Josh. He’s a very good friend of mine,” Trump said Wednesday from the Oval Office after a reporter asked whether he supported the move. “That’s interesting that Josh did that. You have to think about that one.”
Alongside Democrat Vermont Sen. Peter Welch, Hawley introduced the Higher Wages for American Workers Act last week. If passed, the legislation would more than double the current federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $15.00 per hour.
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Currently, at least 31 states require businesses to pay most workers above the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour — including Hawley’s home state of Missouri.
“Some people agree with it. Some people don’t,” Trump added while speaking to reporters from the Resolute Desk. “You know, some people say it really turns away business, restaurants, clothes and a lot of things happen. Other people agree. I’d have to speak to Josh — he’s a good guy.”
Hawley has framed the raise to the minimum wage as “a populist position.”
“If we’re going to be a working people’s party, we have to do something for working people,” the senator told NBC News after the bill was introduced last week. “And working people haven’t gotten a raise in years. So they need a raise.”
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Hawley’s somewhat surprising move to support an increase to the federal minimum wage follows other moves he has made in an effort to push an economic populist agenda.
Hawley partnered with progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., in February, to introduce legislation that seeks to cap credit card interest rates at 10%.
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On Tuesday, Hawley voted alongside progressives like Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Sanders and against the majority of Republicans when he declined to support legislation that imposes regulations on the cryptocurrency market, which critics fear will benefit institutional players at the cost of smaller investors.
Hawley’s office declined to comment for this story.
Potential illegal voting being investigated in major red state following Trump order
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has launched an investigation into 33 potential noncitizens allegedly illegally voting in the 2024 general election.
Paxton, a Republican who is running a Senate primary challenge against Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, announced the investigation on Tuesday.
In a press statement, Paxton’s office said it was made aware of the potential illegal votes by Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson. The statement said Nelson was only able to access the information because of an executive order signed by President Donald Trump this March.
Trump’s executive order, titled “Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections,” directed the Departments of State and Homeland Security to give all states “access to appropriate systems for verifying the citizenship or immigration status of individuals registering to vote or who are already registered.”
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The order also directed DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to provide U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi with “complete information on all foreign nationals who have indicated on any immigration form that they have registered or voted in a Federal, State, or local election, and shall also take all appropriate action to submit to relevant State or local election officials such information.”
Part of this order involved the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service’s SAVE database being opened up to the states at no cost, through which Nelson was able to access the information about the alleged illegal voting, according to Paxton’s statement.
Trump said in the order that “free, fair, and honest elections unmarred by fraud, errors, or suspicion are fundamental to maintaining our constitutional Republic” and “the right of American citizens to have their votes properly counted and tabulated, without illegal dilution, is vital to determining the rightful winner of an election.”
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In August 2024, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced that the state had removed 1.1 million people from its voter rolls, including individuals who had moved out-of-state, were deceased or who were non-citizens.
A statement by the governor’s office said that over 6,500 of the individuals removed from the state’s voter rolls were potential noncitizens. The statement said that approximately 1,930 of the removed noncitizens had a voter history.
Later reporting by the Texas Tribune alleged that the governor’s office had inflated the numbers of noncitizen voters. The governor’s office, however, has said that the removal process “has been, and will continue to be, ongoing.”
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In his Tuesday statement announcing the investigation into the 33 potential noncitizens voting, Paxton said that “these potential instances of unlawful voting will be thoroughly investigated, and I will continue to stand with President Trump in fighting to ensure that our state’s elections are safe and secure.”
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“In order to be able to trust the integrity of our elections, the results must be determined by our own citizens—not foreign nationals breaking the law to illegally vote,” said Paxton, adding that “noncitizens must not be allowed to influence American elections, and I will use the full weight of my office to investigate all voter fraud.”
Musk fires back at New York Times with drug test results as media feud escalates
The New York Times accused Tesla CEO Elon Musk of “lashing out” against them on Tuesday.
In May, the New York Times published a report citing “private messages” sent to them and “interviews with more than a dozen people who have known or worked with him” that alleged Musk’s drug use was “more intense” than publicly known as he campaigned with then-candidate Donald Trump in 2024.
“Mr. Musk’s drug consumption went well beyond occasional use,” the NYT reported. “He told people he was taking so much ketamine, a powerful anesthetic, that it was affecting his bladder, a known effect of chronic use. He took Ecstasy and psychedelic mushrooms. And he traveled with a daily medication box that held about 20 pills, including ones with the markings of the stimulant Adderall, according to a photo of the box and people who have seen it.”
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Musk repeatedly denounced the article and called out the Times by posting the results of a recent drug test on his X account Tuesday.
The paper’s communications team responded to the results, saying that Musk was “continuing to lash out” against them and stood by the story.
“Elon Musk is continuing to lash out because he doesn’t like our reporting. Nothing that he’s said or presented since our article about his drug use during the presidential campaign was published contradicts what we uncovered. We stand by our journalism,” the NY Times Communications account wrote.
The NYT gave the same response after Musk challenged the New York Times and Wall Street Journal to release the results of their own drug tests.
“Great idea. I hereby challenge the NYT and WSJ to take drug tests and publish the results! They won’t, because those hypocrites are guilty as sin,” Musk wrote.
The back-and-forth between the New York Times and Musk has been ongoing since the article was published on May 30.
One day after the story was published, Musk wrote on X that the NYT was “lying their a– off” and insisted that he had not taken ketamine in years.
The NY Times Communications account pushed back on Musk at the time, similarly accusing Musk of “lashing out” but with “no evidence.”
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“Kirsten Grind and Megan Twohey’s thoroughly sourced report provides an important and fair look into Musk’s drug use and family conflicts. They interviewed a dozen people who have known or worked with him, and saw private text messages, legal documents and photographic evidence,” the NY Times Communications account wrote. “Elon Musk is just lashing out because he doesn’t like our article. We provided Musk with multiple opportunities to reply or rebut this reporting before publication and he declined, opting instead to try to distract with a social post and no evidence.”
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Family of 5’s bill for breakfast at Disneyland raises eyebrows online
A family of five’s breakfast at Disneyland in California has gone viral after a father shared a photo on social media of the meal’s pricey nearly $1,000 receipt.
X user John ‘Rock & Roll’ Tolkien, or @jrockandrollt, took to the social media platform on Monday to share his sticker shock after he received a $937.65 bill for breakfast at Disney Princess Breakfast Adventures. The guest said that the meal was for two kids and three adults, with the total including a $150 tip — just over 20% of the original amount.
“‘Princess Breakfast’ at Disneyland with my kids,” he wrote on X. “Almost spit out my coffee.”
The dad’s post on X has garnered 16.5 million views and received thousands of comments over the course of just a few days.
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“Please tell me you have 35 kids,” one X user commented.
“That’s ridiculous,” another X user said. “So torn about going to Disney, could literally go to Italy for a month for the same amount.”
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Disney Princess Breakfast Adventures, located in Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel and Spa, offers a three-course breakfast priced at $142 for both adults and children. Guests can also interact with Disney Princesses and participate in “one-of-a-kind Princess-themed activities,” as noted on the Disneyland website.
The meal begins with three-tier towers of appetizers like lobster rolls, beignets and cornbread. Main courses for kids include waffles and macaroni and cheese, while adults can choose between a range of items including scrambled eggs, short ribs and deviled eggs. Guests can also choose between a selection of desserts like cake pops, cream puffs and sorbet, according to the Disneyland website.
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While the father said he expected the check would be half of what it was before it arrived at his table, he acknowledged the meal at Disney Princess Breakfast Adventures was good and said it was a fun experience.
“Service was attentive and enthusiastic, princesses were all trained pro-actresses and spent a lot of time with the kids,” he said. “I enjoyed it.”
Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California, is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year. The company recently shared some details about its economic impact in the U.S., including that Disney parks coast-to-coast generate nearly $67 billion annually.
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Disney did not immediately respond to FOX Business’ request for comment.
Unknown suspects takeover intersection with dangerous car stunts, fireworks
Police are investigating what they say was an illegal street takeover that blocked a busy intersection over the weekend with dangerous stunts and multiple fireworks in Plymouth Township, Pennsylvania.
Multiple cars were caught on video “spinning uncontrollably throughout the intersection” as some passengers hung outside the vehicles before fleeing from the police on Sunday evening.
“At approximately 8:03 p.m., the Plymouth Township Police Department received numerous calls regarding street racing in the middle of the intersection,” the police said in a press release on Tuesday.
Several vehicles recklessly drove donuts in the middle of the road as a large crowd of spectators approached the intersection, police added.
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“Surveillance in the area revealed numerous pedestrians circling the intersection, participant vehicles blocking the motoring public, fireworks being ignited in the intersection, and several vehicles spinning uncontrollably throughout the intersection: some with passengers hanging out of the vehicle.” the department added.
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Approximately 50 to 100 people, including the passengers involved, witnessed the event but fled before law enforcement arrived, according to the police.
“None of the operators of the vehicles, nor any of the civilian spectators were contacted by the police,” the department said, adding that they are seeking help from the public in identifying those involved in the car meet-up.
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Detectives are reviewing surveillance images from the surrounding area and are working with regional law enforcement partners in the investigation.
Media melts down over Supreme Court decision on gender transition ban for kids
The legacy media was united in its disapproval of the Supreme Court‘s landmark ruling upholding Tennessee’s ban on transgender medical treatment for minors.
In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court struck down a challenge to a Tennessee law restricting access to puberty blockers and hormone treatment to children who identify as the opposite sex.
Several news organizations framed the ruling negatively and implied it was a “setback for transgender rights” for all ages, despite the decision affecting only minors. The result was also described as a “major blow,” a “devastating loss,” and a “stunning setback.”
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“BREAKING: The Supreme Court upholds a Tennessee ban on gender-affirming care for transgender minors in a huge setback for transgender rights,” the Associated Press reported on X Wednesday.
“BREAKING: Supreme Court upholds a Tennessee law restricting gender transition care for minors, delivering a major blow to transgender rights,” NBC News similarly posted.
“The US Supreme Court backed a Republican-backed ban in Tennessee on gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors, in a setback for transgender rights that could bolster efforts by states to defend other measures targeting transgender people,” Reuters wrote.
“The Supreme Court upheld Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for transgender minors, a stunning setback to transgender rights,” The Boston Globe also posted.
While the Tennessee law was passed in 2023 and Supreme Court oral arguments were heard in December, some news outlets tied the ruling negatively to President Donald Trump’s policies.
Newsweek warned in its headline that the ruling was a “major setback for transgender rights,” telling readers the decision “effectively protects from legal challenges many efforts by President Donald Trump’s Republican administration and state governments to roll back protections for transgender people.”
The Washington Post described the 6-3 ruling as a “divided Supreme Court” and called the broader trans debate “a polarizing national issue the Trump administration has seized on in initiatives targeting transgender rights.” NPR said the decision “plunged the Supreme Court into yet another culture war feud.”
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The New York Times attempted to equate the ruling on trans-identifying minors to the Supreme Court’s 2020 decision giving gay and transgender adults civil rights protections from employers under Title VII.
“The decision, which came amid the Trump administration’s fierce assaults on transgender rights, was a bitter setback for their proponents, who only five years ago celebrated a decision by the court to protect transgender people from workplace discrimination,” the Times wrote.
CNN went even further, decrying the ruling coming at a “critical time” for the transgender community.
“The 6-3 decision by a conservative majority is a major blow to the transgender community and its advocates at a critical time,” CNN wrote. “Since 2020, Republican-led states around the country have passed a wave of laws regulating the lives of trans Americans, with a particular focus on minors.”
“And President Donald Trump, who ran for reelection in part on ending the ‘transgender lunacy,’ has taken several steps intended to roll back gains made by that community,” CNN continued.
The Guardian called the ruling “a devastating loss for trans rights supporters in a case that could set a precedent for dozens of other lawsuits involving the rights of transgender children.”
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CNN political director David Chalian said Republicans will use the ongoing transgender debate ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, but stressed there will be a “real human impact” on American families.
“We’re going to learn what the human impact is of this court decision among families across the country, but in the politics of it, I think the two things to watch are how Republicans will sort of hit the gas on this issue, what they believe is a winning culture war issue for them, and watch how Democrats, especially those considering a 2028 presidential campaign, respond to this court ruling. Have they learned to message around this issue in a way that’s more politically palatable than what Kamala Harris was able to do back in 24,” Chalian said on the channel.
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An MSNBC panel sounded the alarm about the “slippery slope” that could put transgender kids at risk as a result of the ruling.
“Any transgender minor is now at risk because states are copycats. They see now that Tennessee has been successful, and so they’re going to implement laws that copy the language here,” MSNBC legal analyst Barbara McQuade said. “So I think if you are a family today with a transgender child, your child is likely at risk if you live in a state that is hostile to transgender Americans.”
Jurors reach their decision in Karen Read’s gripping second murder trial
Jurors have reached a verdict in Karen Read’s retrial in the murder of her Boston police officer boyfriend John O’Keefe, who prosecutors allege she killed in a drunken hit-and-run during a blizzard on Jan. 29, 2022.
Jurors found Read not guilty of second-degree murder, the top charge, but guilty of a lesser offense of operating a vehicle under the influence with a blood-alcohol level of .08% or greater.
Special prosecutor Hank Brennan requested 1 year of probation and that Read be entered into a 24D outpatient program – routine penalty for a first drunken driving offense.
The trial saw more than 30 days of testimony and four days of deliberation. Read was also found not guilty of drunken driving manslaughter and fleeing the scene of a deadly accident. Her first trial on the same charges ended without a verdict last year when jurors deadlocked.
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Cheers of her supporters, who had been waiting for an update across the street from the courthouse, could be heard inside the courtroom.
For Read’s second trial, the commonwealth appointed a special prosecutor, high-powered defense attorney Hank Brennan, and Read added New York defense attorney Robert Alessi to a team that included Los Angeles’ Alan Jackson and Boston’s David Yannetti.
Jack Lu, a retired Massachusetts judge and Boston College law professor, called the outcome “a stunning victory for the defense” that he said would also help Read in a civil lawsuit against her from O’Keefe’s family.
WATCH ‘KAREN READ TRIAL LIVE’ ON FOX NATION, HOSTED BY PAUL MAURO
The investigation of Read’s case led to investigations into the investigators, leading to an audit into the Canton Police Department and the firing of a state police homicide detective.
“Today’s outcome may bring a sense of relief to some and continue to raise questions for others,” said John McCourt, chairman of Canton’s governing body, the select board. “We encourage members of the community to move forward together, treating one another with respect through civil, constructive dialogue.”
Read found O’Keefe around 6 a.m. lying in the snow and unresponsive. She was with two other women – Jennifer McCabe and Kerry Roberts, both of whom testified against her during the trial.
They said Read called them in a panic that morning and said she couldn’t find O’Keefe.
McCabe testified that on the morning in question, Read repeated three times, “I hit him.”
Paramedic Timothy Nuttall, the first witness to take the stand in the trial, said he overheard Read saying the same thing – three times again.
But the defense argued that a collision never happened.
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The couple and other friends and acquaintances, including McCabe, had been out drinking in downtown Canton before they were invited to an after-party at the home of Brian Albert, who testified in the first trial but not the second.
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O’Keefe was found on Albert’s lawn hours later.
Witnesses said they saw Read’s car outside but neither she nor O’Keefe went into the gathering. She did not testify in her own defense – but she told reporters outside court that she saw O’Keefe go inside before she drove away.
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Throughout the trial, Brennan played clips of Read’s televised interviews, giving jurors a chance to hear not only her version of events, but other commentary she gave journalists, including how she was spiking her own drinks at the bar before O’Keefe’s death and an encounter with O’Keefe’s mother afterward.
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Prosecutors allege Read hit O’Keefe and drove to his house without him. Read’s defense has argued she never hit him, blaming his injuries on a dog attack and an altercation with other men at the party.
WNBA team faces backlash over player photo featured in social media post
The Los Angeles Sparks came under fire on social media this week for a post that some users claimed sexualized one of the team’s players.
The Sparks’ X page shared a post Tuesday afternoon teasing the team’s game against the Seattle Storm later that evening.
The post shared a graphic of rookie guard Sarah Ashlee Barker wearing what appeared to be a crop top.
“Back in front of the home crowd,” the post said, adding game details.
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Fans seemed unimpressed with the decision to post Barker dressed in that way.
“Where’s the jersey’s man,” one user wrote.
“These gameday posts frying me. No unis or nothing, just thirst traps,” another added.
Another user wrote, in part, “What kind of chance does women’s sports have if this is OFFICIAL team communication??? Are they playing in lingerie? Then put them in the fkn jerseys on gameday.”
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The Sparks have previously shared game day posts of players wearing their uniforms.
Just last week, Sparks forward Cameron Brink faced similar criticism from a fan online, accusing the former first-round pick of putting more time into “walking down red carpets and schmoozing” than rehabbing her ACL injury.
“She should’ve been back on the court now, and something tells me that if she put as much work into rehab as she puts into walking down red carpets and schmoozing, she’d be back by now,” the fan wrote in a comment that Brink posted on her Instagram stories last week.
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“I’m working INCREDIBLY hard every day. I would give anything to be out on the court right now. Basketball is my passion and everything to me… to say this you aren’t a real fan.
“Thank you to those who understand ACLs can take a year & giving me grace. I cannot wait until I get to play again.”
Brink, 23, has been sidelined since she tore the ACL in her left knee during a June 2024 game against the Connecticut Sun. She was averaging 8.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.5 blocks a game before the injury.
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Beloved American candy deemed ‘unsafe to eat’ due to hidden chemicals
One of America’s favorite candies has been shunned by authorities in the United Kingdom, who claim it is “unsafe to eat.”
The U.K.’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) announced a stern advisory against Jolly Rancher candies on June 11.
The alert applies to all Jolly Rancher hard candies, as well as Jolly Rancher Misfits, Jolly Rancher Fruity 2 in 1s and Jolly Rancher Berry Gummies.
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The reason, the FSA claims, is that the candies contain “Mineral Oil Aromatic Hydrocarbons (MOAH) and Mineral Oil Saturated Hydrocarbons (MOSH).”
The agency said the hydrocarbons make the candies “unsafe to eat and not compliant with U.K. laws.”
The FSA has instructed British consumers not to buy or eat the products.
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“If you’ve eaten these products, there should be no immediate cause for concern, as food safety risk is low, but don’t eat any more,” the agency said.
“These products contain mineral oil, which isn’t allowed in food in the U.K. and may pose a food safety risk if consumed regularly over a sustained period of time.”
Although the alert did not mention the word “ban,” the FSA said that it had “requested enforcing authorities in the U.K. to take action to remove products, to protect consumers.”
Jolly Ranchers were first introduced to the U.S. candy market in 1949. They come in a variety of flavors, including watermelon, cherry, blue raspberry, grape and green apple.
The candies were acquired by the Hershey Company in 1996.
Jolly Ranchers were first introduced to the U.S. candy market in 1949.
Todd Scott, a spokesperson for the Hershey Company, headquartered in Pennsylvania, told Fox News Digital this week that the “safety and quality” of Jolly Rancher candies is the company’s “first priority, and consumers can rest assured that our products are safe to enjoy.”
Scott went on, “As a global brand with a wide audience, we also recognize our products can sometimes be purchased in markets other than those for which they were originally produced. In such cases, we cannot guarantee that the products meet the regulatory requirements of the end market, which may differ from those of the U.S.”
Mineral oil hydrocarbons enter food “through environmental contamination, use of lubricants for machinery, release agents, processing aids, food or feed additives and migration from food contact materials,” according to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
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The negative health impacts of mineral oil hydrocarbons can vary widely, according to the European agency.
“MOAH may act as genotoxic carcinogens (they can damage DNA, the genetic material of cells, and may cause cancer), while some MOSH are known to accumulate in the liver and lymphoid system,” the EFSA’s website states.
The FDA also regulates the presence of hydrocarbons. According to the Code of Federal Regulations, mineral oil “may be safely used as a component of nonfood articles intended for use in contact with food,” if it meets certain rules.
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Scott told Fox News Digital that the Hershey Company is “continuing to work closely with the FSA in the United Kingdom on these important issues” and that it looks forward to “bringing Jolly Rancher products back to established retailers soon.”