AOC faces fierce backlash from progressive allies over Israel amendment vote

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., is getting broadsided from her left over her vote on an amendment aimed at blocking U.S. funding for Israel’s Iron Dome.

The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) are criticizing the progressive firebrand for voting against an amendment by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., to block $500 million in Congress’ annual defense spending bill that was aimed at helping fund Israeli missile defense systems.

“An arms embargo means keeping all arms out of the hands of a genocidal military, no exceptions. This is why we oppose Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’[s] vote against an amendment that would have blocked $500 million in funding for the Israeli military’s Iron Dome program,” the DSA said over the weekend.

The DSA noted she did vote against the defense funding bill itself, thereby “voting against funding for the imperialist military-industrial complex and the Israeli genocide.”

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The group added, however, “We were further deeply disappointed by her clarifying statement on her position on the Iron Dome.”

“Along with other US-funded interceptor systems, the Iron Dome has emboldened Israel to invade or bomb no less than five different countries in the past two years,” the DSA said.

“The fact that Representative Ocasio-Cortez acknowledges that Israel is carrying out this genocide makes her support for military aid all the more disappointing and incongruous. We urge the representative to continue voting against the Iron Dome, whether it is part of a larger defense spending bill or as a stand-alone bill.”

The DSA commended Reps. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich.; Ilhan Omar, D-Minn.; Summer Lee, D-Pa., and Al Green, D-Texas, for voting against the amendment.

Fox News Digital reached out to Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign and congressional office for comment.

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She posted on X after the vote, “Marjorie Taylor Greene’s amendment does nothing to cut off offensive aid to Israel nor end the flow of US munitions being used in Gaza. Of course I voted against it.”

“What it does do is cut off defensive Iron Dome capacities while allowing the actual bombs killing Palestinians to continue. I have long stated that I do not believe that adding to the death count of innocent victims to this war is constructive to its end,” she said.

“That is a simple and clear difference of opinion that has long been established. I remain focused on cutting the flow of US munitions that are being used to perpetuate the genocide in Gaza.”

The clash exemplifies how Israel continues to drive an ideological wedge within the Democratic Party. 

It’s not the first time Ocasio-Cortez caught heat from the progressive base for failing to take a critical enough stance on Israel.

In 2021, the New York Democrat cried on the House floor after voting “present” on funding Israel’s Iron Dome defense system.

“Yes, I wept,” she wrote in an open letter to constituents after the incident. “I wept at the complete lack of care for the human beings that are impacted by these decisions. I wept at an institution choosing a path of maximum volatility and minimum consideration for its own political convenience.”

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The overall bill that passed last week calls for $832 billion in defense funding for fiscal year 2026.

That’s separate from the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), another annual bill that sets defense and national security policy each fiscal year – essentially detailing how those funds will be spent.

Greene’s amendment to strip $500 billion going toward Israeli missile defense programs lost in a lopsided 6-422 vote.

‘Clear corruption’: Jeffries faces complaint for pressing judges to fire Alina Habba

Republican legal activists are filing a complaint in defense of U.S. Attorney Alina Habba after House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called for federal district judges to remove her from her position. 

Jeffries’ complaints about Habba stemmed from her decision to charge Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., with obstructing Homeland Security agents during an altercation at an immigration facility in Newark on May 9. 

McIver has pleaded not guilty. She is now headed for trial on Nov. 10.

“The so-called U.S. Attorney in NJ maliciously indicted Congresswoman LaMonica McIver for doing her job,” said Jeffries in a post on X. “Habba is a woefully unqualified political hack who must go.

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“She must be rejected by the Federal District Court Judges who are considering whether to retain her.” 

The Article III Project filed a House Ethics complaint against Jeffries over the weekend for “improperly inserting himself into a criminal proceeding.” 

“This is clear corruption by House Democrat Leader Hakeem Jeffries.”

Attorney General Pam Bondi appointed Habba, a former Trump campaign legal spokesperson and White House counselor, to the position in March in an acting capacity. 

Habba’s confirmation has been held up in the Senate. But if a majority of U.S. district court judges in New Jersey decide to allow her to retain her position on Monday, she could stay on through the Trump presidency. 

Of the 17 sitting district court judges from New Jersey, 15 were nominated by Democratic presidents. 

“A House member – particularly the House Democratic leader – who disagrees with the merits of a pending criminal case abuses his official position when he attempts to strong-arm federal judges to corruptly prejudice the ongoing criminal proceeding by firing the U.S. attorney for the purely political reason of protecting a partisan House colleague,” the complaint said, asking the House Ethics Committee to hold Jeffries “accountable.” 

McIver and two other members of Congress said they were conducting a congressional oversight visit that coincided with an immigration protest, when a clash ensued with federal agents. 

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According to a DOJ press release, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was allowed into the Delaney Hall immigration facility’s secured area and then federal agents warned him to leave, but he refused to do so.

When officers tried to arrest Baraka, McIver allegedly blocked them, putting her arms around the mayor, and “slammed her forearm” into one officer while grabbing another and using both of her forearms to forcibly strike the second officer.

Each of the first two counts carries a maximum eight-year prison sentence. The third carries up to one year.

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The Campaign for Accountability, a liberal watchdog group, has filed a complaint against Habba for bringing charges against McIver and Baraka, alleging she politically targeted the pair in retaliation for participating in the protest and oversight visit because their views oppose those of President Donald Trump. 

Fox News Digital has reached out to Jeffries’ office for comment. 

One year after Biden exit, Democrats’ poll numbers plunge to historic lows

One year ago on Monday, then-President Joe Biden stunned the political world by ending his campaign for re-election.

Biden’s exit from the 2024 White House race also rocked the Democratic Party, which went on to suffer setbacks on Election Day, as the party lost control of the presidency, the Senate and fell short in its bid to win back the House majority.

One year later, the Democratic Party is still reeling.

Just 28% of Americans view the party favorably, according to a CNN poll conducted July 10-13 and released last week. That’s the lowest mark for Democrats in the entire history of CNN polling, going back over 30 years.

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The CNN poll is far from an outlier.

Just 19% of voters questioned in a Quinnipiac University national poll give Democrats in Congress a thumbs up on how they’re handling their duties, with 72% disapproving.

That’s an all-time low since Quinnipiac University first began asking congressional approval questions in their surveys 16 years ago.

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The Democratic Party has been in the political wilderness since November’s elections. Not only did the party lose power, but Republicans made gains among Black, Hispanic and younger voters, all traditional members of the Democratic Party’s base.

Since President Donald Trump‘s return to power earlier this year, an increasingly energized base of Democrats is urging party leaders to take a stronger stand in pushing back against the president’s sweeping and controversial second-term agenda. Their anger is directed not only at Republicans, but at Democrats they feel aren’t vocal enough in their opposition to Trump.

That has fueled a plunge in the Democratic Party’s favorable ratings, which have hit historic lows in several surveys this year.

The trend is reflected in the new Quinnipiac poll, which was conducted July 10-14.

Just 39% of Democrats approve of the way Democrats in Congress are handling their jobs, with 52% disapproving and 9% not offering an opinion.

“The approval numbers for Democrats can be characterized as flat out terrible,” Quinnipiac University polling analyst Tim Malloy said.

While the approval ratings for Republicans in Congress aren’t as “terrible” as the Democrats, they’re nothing to brag about.

Only a third of voters questioned in the poll said they approved of the way congressional Republicans were handling their duties, with 62% giving them a thumbs down.

However, just over three-quarters of Republicans (77%) said they approved of the way GOP lawmakers on Capitol Hill were handling their jobs, with just one in five disapproving.

Additionally, in the CNN poll, while not as bad as the Democrats, the favorable rating for the Republican Party registered at a low 33%.

Meanwhile, Trump’s approval ratings in both polls remain underwater, at 40%-54% in the Quinnipiac survey and 44%-56% in the CNN survey.

Trump started his second tour of duty in the White House with approval ratings in positive territory, but his numbers quickly sank underwater in many polls. The president’s approval ratings were in negative territory in 13 of the 17 polls conducted so far this month.

The CNN survey has a silver lining for the Democrats.

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The poll indicates that Democrats are more energized than Republicans in voting in next year’s midterm elections, when the GOP will be defending its thin House and Senate majorities.

Seventy-two percent of Democrats and independents who lean toward the party said they are extremely motivated to vote next year, 22 points higher than the share of Republicans and GOP-aligned voters who said they were extremely motivated to vote.

Trump admin giving savings accounts to newborns — with money already deposited

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, recently signed into law by President Donald Trump, allows millions of babies born in the U.S. to receive a $1,000 “Trump Account.”

These accounts, which are created by the government for those under 18 years old, are designed to help young people start investing early.

“This will afford a generation of children the chance to experience the miracle of compounded growth and set them on a course for prosperity from the very beginning,” the White House said.

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Children born between Jan. 1, 2025 and Dec. 31, 2028 are eligible for a one-time $1,000 payment into their Trump Accounts, courtesy of the federal government. 

Parents and relatives can contribute up to $5,000 each year into the account until the child turns 18 years old. After 2027, the $5,000 number may be adjusted for inflation.

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Parents’ employers can also contribute, according to the bill.

The child can access the money, which must be invested in low-cost stock mutual funds or exchange-traded funds like the S&P 500, once they turn 18 years old.

A Social Security number is required to open an account, and only one account can be opened per child, according to the new law.

“This initiative gets at the core of binding those future generations to the benefits and the potential of America’s great companies and markets,” Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon said in a statement. “Early childhood investments have far-reaching benefits, and Goldman Sachs is proud to support his initiative … Our economy’s future vitality is dependent on young people understanding the power of investing for the long term.”

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Trump signed the bill into law on July 4.

The bill includes key provisions that would permanently establish individual and business tax breaks included in Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, and incorporates new tax deductions to cut duties on tips and overtime pay. 

Before signing the bill, the president said it would “fuel massive economic growth” and “lift up the hard-working citizens who make this country run.”

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The White House did not immediately respond to FOX Business’ request for comment.

NPR CEO Katherine Maher responds to federal funding cuts for public broadcasting

NPR CEO Katherine Maher expressed “deep frustration” in a new interview upon seeing the passage of the Trump administration’s rescissions package that pulled her organization’s federal funding, but she vowed NPR would continue to operate.

Republicans in the Senate and House narrowly passed the rescissions package last week that yanked over $1 billion in federal broadcast funding for the fiscal year. 

“Throughout this process, the political rhetoric has been about punishing NPR (and PBS) for editorial and programming decisions. But the reality is that NPR receives less than half of one percent of all federal funds for public broadcasting. More than 70% goes directly to local stations,” Maher told Status. 

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“Meanwhile, lawmakers from both parties continuously acknowledge—in public and private—how important their local stations are to their constituents. In this sense, it’s a bit like Congress itself,” she continued. “The institution may have low approval ratings, but people generally approve of their local representatives. This eviscerates funding for those independent, community-based stations. And for what purpose? Scoring political points by saying you voted against NPR and PBS.”

Maher admitted the cuts are a “big hit” for NPR, and local member stations in rural areas will be rocked.

“I expect you’ll see nearly immediate loss of universal coverage in hard-to-reach parts of the country, as well as layoffs of journalists covering local and state news,” Maher told Status. 

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“The loss of funding may make it impossible for local stations in places like rural Alaska and Appalachia to continue to operate—stations that receive as much as 70% of their budget from federal funds. Stations like these are already pulling shutdown plans out of their desks,” Maher added, adding NPR had committed to reduce its operating budget by $8 million.

Trump’s multibillion-dollar clawback package teed up cuts to “woke” spending on foreign aid programs and NPR and PBS, as Republicans finally yanked federal money from public news outlets in a move advocates said was long overdue. 

Maher, who has espoused liberal views and preferences in past remarks and social media postings, has repeatedly denied the notion that NPR is “woke” or biased and believes the vote was “about politics and power.”

“We can have real, substantive policy debates about federal funding for public media. I recognize that’s a matter of legitimate political disagreement—how big the government should be, or what the government should and shouldn’t fund,” Maher told Status. 

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“This argument about public media being ‘biased’ is a stalking horse. We report on soybean farmers and LGBTQ activism. We report on coal miners and eco-warriors,” she continued. “Having non-White voices and perspectives on air does not make us woke. Covering the existence of disagreement and difference in our country does not make us biased. It makes us reflective of the complex, diverse nation we serve.”

Maher said NPR would “take a moment to mourn” and ultimately move forward. 

Ex-NPR editor Uri Berliner roasted the outlet last year over its biased coverage on such issues as COVID-19, Hunter Biden’s laptop and the Russiagate saga. He soon after resigned and joined The Free Press.

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Father’s story unravels after 9-year-old daughter found dead in woods

A Canadian man has been charged with murdering his 9-year-old daughter after she was found dead in a wooded area of upstate New York, state police said.

Luciano Frattolin, 45, was arrested early Monday and charged with murder in the second degree and concealment of a human corpse, New York State Police (NYSP) Trooper Robert McConnell said Monday in a news conference.

Authorities said “inconsistencies” in Frattolin’s account of his daughter Melina Galanis Frattolin’s disappearance triggered an investigation. He is being held in the Essex County Jail pending arraignment in Ticonderoga Town Court, NYSP said. 

Melina was reported missing Saturday night while the pair were visiting Lake George, New York, from Canada.

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Authorities allege that the 45-year-old father murdered Melina and left her body in a remote area where she was later discovered by law enforcement.

Frattolin initially claimed that Melina had been abducted, prompting law enforcement to issue an Amber Alert shortly after midnight on Sunday. The father, McConnell said, initially told authorities that a “suspicious white van” was in the area at the time of his daughter.

McConnell said Monday that the white van claims were “proven to be untrue.”

By Sunday morning, the Amber Alert was canceled, and NYSP investigators said they had identified “inconsistencies” in Frattolin’s statements and timeline.

State Police launched a multi-agency search for the 9-year-old that included aviation, K9 units, forest rangers and uniformed patrols, the department said.

Melina’s body was discovered on Sunday, July 20, in a wooded area near State Route 74 in Ticonderoga, the agency confirmed. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

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In their release, NYSP said the Essex County District Attorney’s Office is involved in the case, and additional updates will be provided pending the autopsy and further investigation. 

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Melina’s cause of death is pending the results of an autopsy, which is scheduled for later Monday.

Tennessee quarterback opts for surgery as No. 1 draft pick now in spotlight

Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis will miss the entire 2025 season as he decided to undergo shoulder surgery that will keep him sidelined for the remainder of the year.

The Titans made the announcement on Monday with mere days to go before the start of training camp.

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“After consulting with doctors and his representatives, Will Levis has decided to undergo shoulder surgery that will sideline him for the entire 2025 season,” the team said. “We support his decision to focus on his long-term health.

“He approached the offseason with professionalism and showed clear growth as a leader. We remain confident in his full recovery.”

Levis suffered an injury to his right shoulder early last year and re-aggravated it during the 2024 season, ESPN reported. He reportedly has been unable to move past the discomfort he’s been dealing with.

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The Titans selected Levis in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft as Malik Willis failed to live up to expectations and quarterback Ryan Tannehill was on his way out.

He played in 21 games between the 2023 and 2024 seasons. He has 3,899 passing yards and 21 touchdown passes, but the Titans were 5-16 in his starts.

Tennessee obtained the No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft and selected quarterback Cam Ward.

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It may have been a quarterback competition going into camp, but Ward now appears to be the frontrunner to get the nod for Week 1. Brandon Allen and Tim Boyle are currently the other quarterbacks on the roster.

WNBA star throws teammate under the bus during ‘Pay Us’ protest discussion

Los Angeles Sparks star Kelsey Plum took a swipe at Caitlin Clark and her All-Star team during a postgame press conference on Saturday night as she spoke about the players’ protest.

WNBA All-Stars, including Clark, who was sidelined because of an injury, wore T-shirts that read, “Pay Us What You Owe Us.” The shot across the bow of the WNBA came amid tense talks around their new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) for 2026 and beyond.

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Plum, who was sitting next to New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu, made an odd revelation about the decision to wear the shirts. Even Ionescu, who was on Clark’s team during the All-Star Game, appeared to be taken aback.

“It was a very powerful moment,” Plum said. “We didn’t, at least as players, we didn’t know that was going to happen. I think it was kind of, like, a genuine surprise. But the T-shirt, just, united front, was determined this morning, that we had a meeting for. And, you know, not to tattletale, but zero members of Team Clark were very present for that.”

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Ionescu added, “not really needed to be mentioned,” as she shook her head in disapproval.

“I’m trying to make the situation light, OK? I think it was all of us just getting on the same page before the game, and we wanted to do something that was just uniting and collective and I thought that it was a very powerful moment and got the point across,” Plum continued. “And sometimes, you don’t have to say anything.”

The protest was the talk of the weekend as players criticized WNBA officials amid the negotiations.

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said Saturday she believed a deal will get done before the current CBA expires.

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“I’m still really optimistic that we’ll get something done that would be transformational,” she said. “And that, next year at All-Star, we’ll be talking about how great everything is. Obviously there’s a lot of hard work to be done on both sides to get there.”