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Blagojevich has new job working for ‘Bosnian Bear’ politician with ties to Putin
Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, fresh off a pardon from President Donald Trump, has a new job representing the interests of a politician known as the "Bosnian Bear," who also has close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Blagojevich, who was pardoned by Trump in February, has agreed to lobby on behalf of the Republic of Srpska, a Serb-majority territory in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Politico reported. The region has long been mired in ethnic tension.
"RRB Strategies LLC will provide communications and public affairs support on behalf of the Republic of Srpska," according to the registration statement filed by Blagojevich's firm.
Registration is required under the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
In a post on Wednesday, Blagojevich said Interpol, the global police organization, denied a request from "the unelected Bosnian High Representative to arrest Milorad Dodik, known as the ‘Bosnian Bear’ for his big physique, the duly elected President of the Republic of Srpska."
Interpol's denial came as Dodik traveled to Israel to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and to attend a conference on how to combat antsemitism, the former governor said.
Earlier this week, Blagojevich said left-wing courts, prosecutors and officials were trying to "jail populist conservative leaders elected by the people & bar them from holding office."
He cited efforts to push back against Trump, Marine Le Pen in France and Dodik, who has long advocated for Srpska to separate from Bosnia and Herzegovina and join Serbia.
TRUMP PARDONS FORMER ILLINOIS GOV. ROD BLAGOJEVICH: 'HE WAS SET UP BY A LOT OF BAD PEOPLE'
In February, he was sentenced to a year in prison for defying the country’s Constitutional Court. He has since fled to Moscow.
In March, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Dodik was undermining Bosnia and Herzegovina's institutions and threatening its security and stability.
"Our nation encourages political leaders in Bosnia and Herzegovina to engage in constructive and responsible dialogue," he said. "We call on our partners in the region to join us in pushing back against this dangerous and destabilizing behavior."
Trump reportedly weighed tapping Blagojevich to serve as U.S. ambassador to Serbia before picking former Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich.
DOGE uncovers VA’s agreement to pay $380K per month for minor website modifications
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) paid hundreds of thousands of dollars a month for website changes before canceling the contract and having an internal staffer take over, according to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
While combing through loads and loads of data, DOGE discovered a previous contract by the VA for its website maintenance.
"Good work by @DeptVetAffairs," DOGE said in a post on X on Wednesday. "VA was previously paying ~$380,000/month for minor website modifications. That contract has not been renewed, and the same work is now being executed by 1 internal VA software engineer spending ~10 hours/week."
Fox News Digital has reached out to the VA for comment about the former contract.
SENATE CONFIRMS DOUG COLLINS TO LEAD THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
VA Secretary Doug Collins has defended DOGE cuts at the VA as part of the new administration's efforts to reform the department and better serve veterans.
In February, the VA announced that the dismissal of more than 1,000 employees would enable the department to redirect over $98 million per year in resources back to health care, benefits and services for VA beneficiaries.
Billionaire Elon Musk has been the face of DOGE since President Donald Trump signed an executive order establishing the department on Jan. 20.
‘CHANGES THAT ACTUALLY HELP OUR VETERANS’: VA SECRETARY DEFENDS PROPOSED 15% WORKFORCE REDUCTION
Trump tasked the organization with optimizing the federal government, streamlining operations and slashing spending and gave the agency 18 months to do it.
Along with discoveries like the former contract VA signed for website maintenance, DOGE continues to find waste and fraud among federal agencies.
Last week, DOGE announced the termination of 113 contracts valued at $4.7 billion, including a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) consulting contract for Peru's climate change activities.
WHITE HOUSE ADVISOR LOSES PATIENCE WITH REPORTER OVER QUESTIONS ABOUT TRUMP'S TARIFF STRATEGY
DOGE also announced the Department of Labor had canceled $577 million in "America Last" grants, totaling $237 million in savings.
The funding that was canceled included $10 million for "gender equity in the Mexican workplace," $12.2 million for "worker empowerment in South America" and $6.25 million for "improving respect for workers' rights in agricultural supply chains" in the countries of Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador.
As of April 2, DOGE claims on its site it has saved Americans $140 billion, or $869.57 per taxpayer.
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DOGE critics contend the organization has too much access to federal systems and should not be permitted to cancel federal contracts or make cuts to various agencies.
Transportation Sec Sean Duffy slams blue state governor, says criminals 'continue to terrorize' city residents
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Wednesday slammed New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), accusing both of discounting safety risks in New York City subways.
"The @MTA & @GovKathyHochul continue to say NYC subways are perfectly safe. Meanwhile, criminals continue to terrorize innocent New Yorkers," Duffy wrote in a post on X over a news story detailing recent violence on the NYC subway. "We're fighting to make commuting safe again."
In December, a 57-year-old woman was allegedly burned alive by an illegal migrant from Guatamala in a horrific subway attack.
Less than a month later, on New Year's Eve, a New York City man was charged with attempted murder after allegedly shoving a 45-year-old man onto the subway tracks.
GUARDIAN ANGELS RESUME NEW YORK CITY PATROLS AFTER SUBWAY BURNING DEATH: 'NEVER SEEN IT THIS BAD'
In 2024, subway felony assaults increased and homicides doubled to 10, Fox News Digital previously reported.
However, overall, subway crime was down by 5.4%, according to the NYPD.
Duffy in March sent a letter to the MTA noting New York City's transit authority must reduce crime, or it would face federal funding cuts.
"The trend of violent crime, homelessness, and other threats to public safety on one of our nation's most prominent metro systems is unacceptable," Duffy wrote in the letter. "After years of soft-on-crime policies, our Department is stepping in to restore order."
The letter requested a copy of MTA's data on fare evasion, worker assaults, customer assaults and police patrols, Fox News Digital previously reported.
NYPD INVESTIGATES AFTER HOMELESS MAN CATCHES FIRE IN MANHATTAN SUBWAY STATION
It also requested an explanation of how MTA, which is given billions of dollars from the federal government, has used taxpayer funding to address safety and security concerns.
"Commuters are sick and tired of feeling like they have to jeopardize their safety to get to work, go to school, or to travel around the city," Duffy wrote in the letter. "We will continue to fight to ensure their federal tax dollars are going towards a crime-free commute."
The DOT, MTA and Hochul's office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Fox News Digital's Anders Hagstrom and Lindsay Kornick contributed to this report.
Ted Cruz clashes with key Democrat over 'second phase of lawfare' through federal judges' orders
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., sparred during a hearing on federal judges' nationwide orders against the Trump administration, and the Democrat dismissed her colleague's claims of "lawfare."
"Understand this is the second phase of lawfare," Cruz said during the Senate Judiciary Committee's hearing, "Rule by District Judges II: Exploring Legislative Solutions to the Bipartisan Problem of Universal Injunctions."
"Now that their efforts to indict President Trump and stop the voters from re-electing him have failed, they're going and seeking out individual radical judges," the Texas Republican claimed.
Klobuchar disputed this, telling Cruz the injunctions from federal judges were a result of President Donald Trump "violating the Constitution."
"Why would Trump-appointed judges …," the Minnesota Democrat began before being interrupted by Cruz.
SENATE DEMS FORESHADOW MORE FORCED VOTES TO BLOCK TRUMP'S EMERGENCY ORDERS
"Why don't you file them in red districts?" Cruz asked. "Why are the Democrat attorneys general seeking out left-wing, blue swing districts?"
Klobuchar claimed the spike in nationwide injunctions from district judges halting Trump administration actions are not because "these judges are crooked or lunatics or evil." And she warned that making such claims could instigate threats and violence against them.
SCOOP: LINDSEY GRAHAM AMENDMENT SIGNALS GOP BUDGET BREAKTHROUGH, SETS STAGE FOR TRUMP AGENDA
Cruz criticized Democrats for not sufficiently denouncing threats against conservative Supreme Court justices in recent years. But Klobuchar called that a lie, explaining, "We came together and got more funding for the judges and changed things so that they had more protection."
While multiple Democrats criticized "judge shopping" during the hearing, they were careful not to get behind Republican bills to end all nationwide injunctions.
"It's impossible to separate the hearing from President Trump's record in office," said ranking member Dick Durbin, D-Ill.
TRUMP, SENATE GOP BUDGET LEADERS HUDDLE AT WHITE HOUSE ON RECONCILIATION BILL
But ending judge shopping, as Democrats have proposed in the past, wouldn't completely address the issue, said majority witnesses John N. Matthews, a law professor at Notre Dame Samuel Bray, and Jesse Panuccio, partner at Boies Schiller Flexner. He was previously the acting associate attorney general at the Department of Justice (DOJ), chairman of the DOJ’s Regulatory Reform Task Force and vice chairman of the DOJ’s Task Force on Market Integrity and Consumer Fraud.
"I think the incentive for forum shopping is that you think you can get a judge who can be a ruler for the whole nation. So, fix the problem of judges overreaching," Panuccio.
SCOOP: White House rallies House GOP on Trump tariff plan in secret call
FIRST ON FOX: The White House is taking a top-down approach in making sure Republicans are united on President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs plan.
U.S. trade representative Jamieson Greer briefed House Republican staffers on the administration's strategy on Wednesday evening, Fox News Digital was told.
Greer opened the call stressing that Trump was ushering in a magnitude of economic change not seen since the post-World War II era.
He also said the U.S. had been subjected to unfair trade practices for decades since lowering its own tariffs against other countries in a bid to bolster global trade, Fox News Digital was told.
WALL STREET FIRMS SEE RECESSION RISK RISING OVER TARIFFS, TRADE WAR
Examples Greer cited for Capitol Hill aides included both Brazil and the European Union, while stressing that exemptions would be made for foreign products already subject to U.S. penalties — rather than double up on the taxes.
While political communications offices often hold coordinated messaging calls on important issues, a source familiar with the matter told Fox News Digital that it was the first such communications policy call between this White House and House Republican staff.
It underscores tariffs' importance in the Trump administration's policy platform, as the White House works to ensure the GOP is in lock-step on its messaging.
When reached for comment by Fox News Digital, a White House official emphasized that the Trump administration has been the most transparent in history, and that the president wants to ensure his allies are armed with the most up-to-date information.
And while the vast majority of Republicans are praising Trump's moves, some GOP lawmakers have conceded to at least some concerns.
"I think tariffs that are equal to what they're charging are defensible. We want a level playing field," Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., told Fox News Digital on Wednesday evening. "The automobile one can be messy because the parts are from all over."
Meanwhile, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine., spoke out in support of a Democratic bid to exempt Canada from tariffs on the Senate floor Thursday, hours before Trump's formal announcement.
"The price hikes that will happen for Maine families, every time they go to the grocery store, they fill their gas tank, they fill their heating oil tank, if these tariffs go into effect, will be so harmful," Collins said of the Canada tariffs specifically.
"And as price hikes always do, they will hurt those the most who can afford them the least. Therefore, I will support this resolution, and I urge my colleagues to do so likewise."
Another GOP lawmaker who spoke with Fox News Digital on Thursday, however, downplayed any longstanding concerns.
"I think as long as it's a short-term tool, folks will be OK with it," the GOP lawmaker said.
During the Thursday evening call rallying House GOP aides, first-term Rep. Julie Fedorchak, R-N.D., sent out a statement backing Trump's move but conceding she understood the concerns.
TRUMP TO DELIVER 'LIBERATION DAY' ANNOUNCEMENT FROM ROSE GARDEN FLANKED BY CABINET MEMBERS
"The U.S. is taking action to address decades of unfair trade barriers that have put American manufacturers, producers, and businesses at a huge disadvantage. I support President Trump's efforts to create a level playing field and his long-term strategy to strengthen our critical domestic supply chains," Fedorchak said.
"At the same time, I recognize the challenges these tariffs create for North Dakota’s farmers and producers, and I will continue to advocate for expanding market opportunities for our products as well as other policies to help counter the negative impacts tariffs may create for producers."
A number of Republican lawmakers were at the White House in support of the announcement on Thursday, including Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.
"President Trump is sending a clear message with Liberation Day: America will not be exploited by unfair trade practices anymore," Johnson said in a public statement. "These tariffs restore fair and reciprocal trade and level the playing field for American workers and innovators. The President understands that FREE trade ONLY works when it’s FAIR!"
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Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., a close Trump ally, wrote on X, "President Trump’s reciprocal tariffs are a brilliant economic strategy. Joe Biden left the United States with a whopping $1.2 trillion trade deficit at the end of his regime."
Fox News Digital also reached out to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative for comment but did not immediately hear back.
Trump's plan involves a 10% blanket tariff on all foreign imports into the U.S., as well as tariffs up to 50% on both adversaries and allies.
It also introduces some level of reciprocal tariffs on countries that tax U.S. exports, though in most cases, the U.S. rate is lower than the foreign country's.
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He is a liar and prevaricator.
One of the major policy issue flip-flops of Obama was that on the important issue of NAFTA. In the primary campaign Obama vigorously campaigned against NAFTA, sending out a flyer stating, "Only Barrack Obama consistently opposed NAFTA," calling it a "bad trade deal," "devastating," and "a big mistake." Obama said he would take "the hammer" to Mexico and Canada. Now in the general election, Obama has blatantly backtracked on his anti-NAFTA position saying, "I'm not a big believer in doing things unilaterally." "I'm a big believer in opening up a dialogue and figuring out how we can make this work for all people." When called on his about-face, Obama responded by saying, "Sometime during campaigns the rhetoric gets overheated and amplified."
The second and most blatant major policy flip flop was that on public campaign financing. Obama was one of the chief proponents of public campaign financing when he was running in the primaries. But then after realizing how much money he could raise in the general election, he opportunistically opted out of the public finance system. As David Brooks eloquently described the situation in a New York Times piece: "In February 2008 he said he would aggressively pursue spending limits. He answered a Midwest Democracy Network questionnaire by reminding everyone that he has been a longtime advocate of the public financing system. But Thursday, at the first breath of political inconvenience, Fast Eddie Obama threw public financing under the truck." In early 2008, Obama wrote in response to the Midwest Democracy Network questionnaire, "If I am the Democratic nominee, I will aggressively pursue an agreement with the Republican nominee to preserve a publicly financed general election." He would later on in the primaries tell Tim Russert, "I will sit down with John McCain an make sure that we have a system that works for everybody." Of course no such attempt at "sitting down" or negotiations ever took place. Here's what the SunPost of Florida had to say about Obama's flip-flop on this important issue: "Speaking of selling one's soul, Sen. Obama did one of the most repulsive 180s in recent political history by becoming the first contestant from a major team to drop out of the public financing system for the general election since the system was changed in 1976. . . .Obama is not independent from the system; he is just using his mastery of it to his advantage. And he's doing it exactly the same calculating way that he used the system in Illinois to deny his rivals a place on the ballot."
While Obama has flip-flopped and even lied about several votes and policy issues, the most troubling lies he has told relate to his personal history and character. In one of his campaign ads, entitled "dignity," Obama claims he "passed a law to move people from welfare to work –slashed the rolls by 80%." Problem with this assertion is that this law in question was passed in 1996, and Obama did not enter the Illinois State Senate until 1997! Obama claims in another ad that he "worked his way through college and Harvard Law." Problem with that assertion is: Obama had only two jobs during those years, and they were both summer jobs! Furthermore, Obama lied on his bar application to the state bar of Illinois on two counts: 1) He concealed his long history of illegal drug use and possession; and 2) He failed to report unpaid criminal citations in excess of $200.
Obama has advertised a fairy tale biography in his ads, one in which his father was a poor goat herder from Kenya. Nothing could be further from the truth. Barack Hussein Obama, Senior belonged to a well-connected and politically privileged family. His cousin Rao Odinga now rules parts of the country. Obama, Senior had the finances and privilege to travel to America and attend Harvard. The rewriting of Barack Obama's family background is part of a concerted cover-up of the nefarious political and criminal activities on the part of his Kenyan family, particularly his dictator cousin Rao Odinga.
One of the most blatant lies on the part of Obama is that pertaining to his Muslim background. Obama has fiercely denied that he was ever a Muslim, and till this day his official campaign sites state that "Barack Obama Is Not and Has Never Been a Muslim," followed by "Obama never prayed in a mosque. He has never been a Muslim, was not raised a Muslim, and is a committed Christian." The mainstream media has followed the Obama camping in lock-step, and reported it as a fact that Obama was never a Muslim; but the truth is he was! The aspect of this story most dangerous to democracy is that both the Obama campaign and most media have labeled any statement or notion that Obama was a Muslim as a "smear," thus attacking and impugning the personal integrity and credibility of those who are merely reporting the facts. Here are the facts that PROVE beyond a reasonable doubt that Barack Hussein Obama was indeed a Muslim for at least a few years of his life:
A) Both Barack Obama's Kenyan father and Indonesian step-father were Muslims. According to Islam, if your father is Muslim, you are a Muslim. Barack Obama's half-brothers are all Muslim.
B) In his first elementary school in Indonesia, a Catholic school named, "Strada Asisia," Obama was listed as "Muslim" on his registration form. Obama's third grade teacher at this time, Fermin Katarina Sinaga, recalls that "Barry [Barack] went to the mosque with Lolo [Obama's Indonesian step-father]."
C) The next Indonesian school Barry Obama attended was the Basuki School, where Obama partook in Muslim studies two hours per week, nearly every week. According to Tine Hahiyary, one of the teachers at Obama's school, Obama was quite religious and took part in "mengaji classes." Mengaji classes teach Muslims how to read and chant from the Koran. It is something that primarily fundamentalist Muslims do. It is extremely rare for a non-religious Muslim to take mengaji classes.
D) Barack Obama's own half brother in Kenya has already exposed Senator Obama. In an interview with the Jeruslam Post just this past June, Malik Obama stated that Barack Obama would be a good president for the Jewish people "despite his Muslim background."
E) The Los Angeles Times interviewed a close childhood friend of Barry Obama, named Zulfin Adi, who stated that Obama did indeed pray in a mosque.
A 2007 Associated Press photograph, suppressed until now, shows the school register of the child who is today known as Barack Hussein Obama but was officially listed then as Barry Soetoro, whose citizenship was listed as "Indonesian" and whose religion was listed as "Islam." The visual evidence starkly contradicts the Obama campaign's claim that he was not a Muslim and confirms that he is a national of at least one other country.
In addition, it raises the highly problematic issue of what is Obama's official name. If it turns out to Barry Soetoro, and no official change of name was ever made, Obama may face an array of charges of deception and misprision that may throw into doubt, at the very least, his fitness to run.
Obama has tried to extricate himself of any criticism for attending a racist church for 20 years. Every time a tape of a racist sermon from the podium of Trinity United Church pops up, Obama has distanced himself by claiming he was never in the church when those sermons were made. Considering the sheer number of such sermons, such a claim would imply very irregular church-going on the part of the Obamas. That impression however is contradicted by Obama’s own words in a 2004 interview with Chicago Sun Times in which he claims to have attended almost every Sunday service. Furthermore, Obama must have known about Reverend Wright’s racist and anti-Semitic views from an article on the reverend in a February, 2007 Rolling Stone article in which Wright is quoted as saying: "We [the U.S.] are deeply involved in the importing of drugs, the exporting of guns and the training of professional KILLERS. . . . We believe in white supremacy and black inferiority and believe it more than we believe in God. . . . We conducted radiation experiments on our own people. . . . We care nothing about human life if the ends justify the means!" Finally, a NewsMax reporter witnessed and reported on an incident in which Obama did indeed witness a July 22, 2007 racist rant on the part of Reverend Wright, and not only did nothing to condemn it, but ostensibly expressed pleasure with those comments: “Wright laced into America’s establishment, blaming the “white arrogance” of America’s Caucasian majority for the woes of the world, especially the oppression suffered by blacks. To underscore the point he refers to the country as the ‘United States of White America.’ Many in the congregation, including Obama, nodded in apparent agreement as these statements were made.”