Several Democratic Socialists of America-backed congressional nominees are traveling to Uruguay this week to join a left-wing international conference aimed at opposing President Donald Trump’s foreign policy in the Western Hemisphere.
New York Assemblywoman Claire Valdez, New York activist Darializa Avila Chevalier, and Pennsylvania state Rep. Chris Rabb — all three DSA members who won Democratic congressional primaries this year — will attend the Pan-American Congress in Montevideo as “special guests” of a congressional delegation led by Reps. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) and Jesús “Chuy” García (D-IL). New Jersey Democratic congressional candidate Adam Hamawy, who is not a DSA member but has embraced many of the same left-wing causes, is also attending.
The gathering, scheduled for August 21-23, will bring together left-wing political leaders from across North America, South America, Central America, and the Caribbean.
For Valdez, Avila Chevalier, and Rabb, all of whom are running in heavily Democratic districts, the trip also offers an early look at the foreign-policy priorities they could bring to Capitol Hill next year.
Valdez, who is expected to succeed retiring Rep. Nydia Velázquez in New York’s heavily Democratic 7th Congressional District, said she intends to promote “international solidarity and cooperation — not imperialism, war and extraction.”
“The threats we face, from climate change to mass displacement to the rise of fascism, don’t stop at borders, and neither can our response,” Valdez told <a href="https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/08/19/congress/democratic-socialists-congress-uruguay-01041713">Politico</a>.
Conference organizers have similarly framed the participation of the incoming lawmakers as part of a broader effort to reshape the United States&#8217; role in the hemisphere. 
“These inspiring leaders won their primaries on a promise to pursue a new place and purpose for the United States in the international community — and that project starts right here in the hemisphere,” said David Adler, the Pan-American Congress’ general coordinator.
The delegation comes as the Trump administration has moved to assert a more aggressive U.S. presence in the Western Hemisphere through what the administration has dubbed the “Donroe Doctrine.” The administration has emphasized combating drug trafficking, illegal immigration, and foreign adversaries in the Americas, while seeking to strengthen relationships with governments willing to cooperate with the United States.
The Democratic delegation, however, is traveling to Uruguay with the stated goal of building opposition to that approach. Jayapal, 9 other House Democrats, and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) last week sent Secretary of State Marco Rubio a <a href="https://jayapal.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/FINAL-SIGNED_Letter-to-Rubio-on-Trump-Corollary.pdf">letter</a> condemning the administration’s application of the “Trump Corollary,” arguing that it amounts to “a license for unlimited foreign intervention.”
The lawmakers accused the administration of using military force without congressional authorization, economic sanctions and tariffs as “collective punishment,” and political pressure to influence elections in sovereign countries. 
“Taken together, the interventions conducted under the banner of the ‘Donroe’ Doctrine appear to follow a partisan playbook,” the lawmakers wrote. “These are tactics that destabilize our hemisphere and endanger our neighbors.”
The emerging Democratic opposition to the policy is notable not simply because of the current congressional delegation, but because of who is preparing to join it. Valdez and Avila Chevalier are among a new generation of DSA-backed politicians who have successfully <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mamdanis-socialists-upset-incumbent-dems-in-house-primary-sweep">defeated</a> Democratic establishment candidates in deep-blue districts.
Valdez, a former union organizer, defeated Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso and other candidates in the Democratic primary to succeed Velázquez. She was endorsed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the self-described democratic socialist whose political movement has helped propel a new generation of socialist candidates into office. 
Avila Chevalier defeated five-term Democratic Rep. Adriano Espaillat in New York’s 13th Congressional District. The 32-year-old organizer <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrats-newest-pick-is-their-most-radical-yet">has spent years</a> working on immigration and Palestinian causes and has helped organize the Columbia University protests following Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel. She also received endorsements from Mamdani and the DSA. 
Rabb defeated Democratic establishment favorite Sharif Street in Pennsylvania’s 3rd Congressional District, another overwhelmingly Democratic seat. The DSA-backed candidate has advocated for Medicare for All, universal basic income, guaranteed housing, and the abolition of ICE, among other left-wing policies.
Rabb has also rejected the premise of describing illegal immigration as inherently criminal and said he wants to end deportations. “What are illegals?” Rabb <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/socialist-house-nominee-radical-law-order-vision-what-are-illegals">asked</a> when Fox News host Sean Hannity pressed him on whether he supported amnesty for illegal immigrants and the abolition of national borders.
Valdez, Avila Chevalier, and Rabb are heavily favored to join the House next year, while other DSA-aligned candidates are competing for additional seats.
The Pan-American Congress was founded as a forum for left-wing political leaders from across the Americas to coordinate on regional issues and develop a shared political vision.
This year&#8217;s gathering will give several likely future members of Congress a chance to begin building those relationships before they take office, as Democrats intensify their fight with the Trump administration over the future of U.S. policy in the Western Hemisphere.

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Socialist Congressional Nominees Join International Leftist Push Against Trump’s ‘Donroe Doctrine’

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New court records show that the mother of Democratic Michigan Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed worked for an American-based Islamic charity later designated by the federal government as a terrorism supporter, after the organization was accused of financially supporting Osama bin Laden, the Taliban, and Hamas.
Fatten Fathy Elkomy, El-Sayed’s birth mother, worked for the Islamic American Relief Agency (IARA), also known as the Islamic African Relief Agency, from 1999 through at least 2004, according to records first reported by the <a href="https://www.themidwesterner.news/2026/08/docs-abdul-el-sayeds-mother-worked-for-designated-terror-group-iara-that-provided-direct-financial-support-to-osama-bin-laden-taliban-hamas">Midwesterner</a>. The Treasury Department designated IARA a global terrorist organization in October 2004.
The Treasury Department <a href="https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/js2026">accused</a> IARA’s international offices of providing “direct financial support” to bin Laden, al-Qaeda, and other terrorist organizations. 
The Treasury designation said IARA had been affiliated with Maktab al-Khidamat, an organization co-founded and financed by bin Laden that was a precursor to al-Qaeda. According to the department, IARA and bin Laden’s network had commingled funds and cooperated in fundraising and spending. An IARA program also worked with an institute controlled by bin Laden that provided assistance to Taliban fighters, Treasury said.
The department further said that information available to the U.S. government showed that overseas IARA branches provided hundreds of thousands of dollars to bin Laden in 1999. 
IARA&#8217;s American operation was later separately prosecuted by the Justice Department over illegal transfers to Iraq. In 2016, IARA-USA <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdmo/pr/iara-pleads-guilty-transferring-nearly-14-million-iraq-violation-sanctions?">pleaded guilty</a> to conspiring to violate U.S. sanctions and other offenses after secretly transferring $1.375 million to Iraq. 
Federal prosecutors said the organization had used its tax-exempt status to solicit donations while concealing prohibited transfers. The organization was subsequently dissolved. 
Several IARA officials and employees were also prosecuted. Executive Director Mubarak Hamed received nearly five years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to illegally transfer more than $1 million to Iraq, obstructing tax laws, and lying to federal agents. Another top IARA fundraiser pleaded guilty to conspiring to lobby for the organization’s removal from a government list of charities suspected of terrorist ties. 
Elkomy was not charged in the federal case or named as a co-conspirator, and the court records cited here do not establish that she knowingly supported terrorism.
In a 2004 interview with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Elkomy defended her work for IARA, saying she was helping orphans and children who had lost a parent. 
“I’ve been working there serving orphans and children with at least one deceased parent, and it breaks my heart they’re not going to get any help,” Elkomy said at the time.
Court records from the subsequent IARA prosecution nevertheless reference Elkomy multiple times. According to the Midwesterner’s review of the government&#8217;s proposed exhibit list, her name appears in 14 exhibits, including records involving eight wire transfers and five recorded telephone calls between 1999 and 2002. 
One document concerned an IARA-USA request to transfer $24,607.34 to its Iraq office.
The revelation comes as El-Sayed, who narrowly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/abdul-el-sayed-secures-far-lefts-biggest-victory-yet-over-dem-establishment">won the Democratic nomination</a> for Michigan’s open Senate seat earlier this month, campaigns to become the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Senate. He will face Republican Mike Rogers in November.
The newly uncovered records add to previously reported connections between El-Sayed’s family and organizations with documented ties to Islamist networks. His father-in-law, Tayeb Jukaku, <a href="https://freebeacon.com/democrats/abdul-el-sayeds-father-in-law-a-top-donor-to-an-el-sayed-super-pac-is-among-top-leaders-of-muslim-brotherhood-organization-linked-to-terror-funding/">has served</a> on the founding committee of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) since at least 2007 and previously served as president of the Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). Jukaku has also contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to Fighting for Michigan PAC, a super PAC supporting El-Sayed. 
Both ISNA and CAIR were identified as unindicted co-conspirators in the federal Holy Land Foundation terrorism-financing case. Federal prosecutors claimed that the Holy Land Foundation funneled more than $12 million to Hamas, while a federal judge later found that the government had presented ample evidence connecting ISNA and CAIR to Hamas. 
The family connections come as El-Sayed has faced scrutiny over his own <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/abdul-el-sayed-dedicated-his-life-to-sharia-law">past statements </a>concerning Islam and Sharia law. As a 24-year-old medical student in 2009, El-Sayed told The New York Times that he had chosen a Sharia-compliant mortgage because he did not want to reach the end of his life having failed to follow Islamic law.
“Ultimately, the question is, when I die and I stand before God and go through everything I did in my life, I don’t want to say I did it the easy way instead of the Sharia-compliant way,” El-Sayed said at the time.
The Daily Wire reached out to El-Sayed’s campaign for comment but did not receive a response before publication.

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Abdul El-Sayed’s Mother Worked For Terror Group That Funded Bin Laden And Taliban

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The Trump administration is moving to claw back tens of millions of dollars in pandemic relief that went to celebrities, music artists, and entertainment industry elites.
The Small Business Administration announced Tuesday that it has referred $34 million in outstanding Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) debt to the Treasury Department, marking the first time the federal government has referred unresolved debt from the program to the Treasury for collection.
The move is part of a broader effort by SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler to recover pandemic-era funds that the agency says were improperly awarded or remain outstanding. 
“Under the Biden Administration, the SVOG program became one of the biggest cash-grabs of the pandemic,” Loeffler said in a statement first obtained by The Daily Wire. “For the last year, the Trump SBA has been working to recoup funds meant for struggling small arts and entertainment businesses that ended up lining the pockets of celebrities, music artists, and elite talent agents.”
“Today’s $34 million referral to the Treasury Department is only the first one,” she added, saying the agency will continue using “every lawful tool to claw back unmerited SVOG payments.”
The Treasury referral comes after recipients failed to resolve outstanding repayment obligations through the SBA’s debt-resolution process. The $34 million figure includes principal, applicable administrative costs, and accrued interest. The Biden administration never referred the outstanding SVOG debts to the Treasury for collection, according to the SBA.
The SVOG program was created during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide emergency assistance to live venue operators, promoters, theatrical producers, performing arts organizations, museums, movie theaters, and talent representatives whose businesses were affected by pandemic-related shutdowns and revenue losses.
Congress authorized $16.25 billion for the program, with individual applicants eligible for grants of up to $10 million. 
But the program ultimately became a source of millions of dollars in federal aid for some of the entertainment industry&#8217;s wealthiest names. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lil-wayne-chris-brown-covid-relief-funds-svog-grant-2024-12">Business Insider</a> previously reported that musicians including Lil Wayne, Chris Brown, Marshmello, Steve Aoki, and members of Alice in Chains received millions of dollars through the program.
Lil Wayne&#8217;s touring company received an $8.9 million grant. Records reviewed by Business Insider showed that more than $1.3 million was spent on private-jet flights and more than $460,000 on clothing and accessories, while nearly $88,000 was charged to taxpayers for a concert the rapper did not ultimately perform.
Chris Brown&#8217;s touring company received $10 million, with approximately $5.1 million going to Brown personally. His company also charged nearly $80,000 to the grant for his birthday party.
Marshmello received $9.9 million, while Steve Aoki&#8217;s touring company received millions more. Business Insider reported that Aoki&#8217;s company used approximately $1.9 million of its grant for officer pay.
The program&#8217;s rules allowed recipients to spend grant money on a broad range of authorized business expenses, including payroll and owner compensation. That meant wealthy artists could qualify through corporate entities connected to their touring operations even if they personally possessed substantial assets, provided their businesses met the program&#8217;s eligibility requirements.
The grants were intended to help keep struggling businesses in the live entertainment industry afloat during the pandemic, when venues and performances were shut down across the country.
Instead, critics have pointed to instances in which large sums flowed to already wealthy entertainers and their business managers.
The SBA now says it is attempting to recover money it determined was improperly awarded or remains subject to repayment.
The agency began issuing rescission and demand letters to SVOG recipients in June 2025. Those recipients were given opportunities to appeal the agency&#8217;s determinations or enter repayment agreements before the SBA pursued additional collection measures.
The agency says it has recovered more than $50 million through voluntary and involuntary payments since the Trump administration began its recovery effort.
The SBA said additional referrals could follow as it continues reviewing outstanding awards and resolving recipients&#8217; repayment obligations. The SBA&#8217;s Office of Inspector General identified approximately $544 million in potentially improper SVOG payments. It also found that 2,590 awards worth approximately $4.8 billion remained open more than a year after they were supposed to have been closed out.
A separate 2025 inspector general report found that 1,080 SVOG grants remained open as of May 2025, meaning the agency had not yet fully accounted for how the funds were used. Roughly two-thirds of those recipients had either failed to submit required audits or failed to respond to questions about their use of the funds.
The program&#8217;s problems began almost immediately after Congress authorized the grants.
In 2021, amid pressure from lawmakers to get money out to struggling entertainment businesses as quickly as possible, the Biden administration directed SBA personnel to “presume applicant assertions to be true” and expedited the review of applications under $500,000. As many as two-thirds of approved applicants were reportedly on the Treasury Department&#8217;s Do Not Pay List. The SBA says its current effort is intended to restore accountability and ensure that pandemic-relief programs do not become a permanent loss for taxpayers.

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EXCLUSIVE: A-Listers Got $34 Million In COVID Relief, The Trump Admin Is Trying To Get It Back

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The prosecution is making a final push for the death penalty, asking a Utah judge to send Tyler Robinson to trial on all seven charges in the assassination of Charlie Kirk, while accusing Robinson’s attorneys of misrepresenting evidence and violating their ethical duty of candor to the court.
In a 19-page <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/prosecutors-hammer-tyler-robinson-bid-derail-death-penalty-charlie-kirk-murder-case">filing</a> Tuesday, prosecutors sharply rejected the defense’s arguments that the evidence is insufficient to support the charges or the aggravating circumstance that could make Robinson eligible for the death penalty. 
The state specifically accused Robinson’s lawyers of relying on a Utah Court of Appeals decision that the Utah Supreme Court later rejected, while failing to inform the judge of the subsequent ruling. “Defendant’s counsel ignore this controlling caselaw and have therefore violated their ethical duty of candor to the court,” prosecutors wrote.
The dispute centers in part on the legal standard governing Robinson’s preliminary hearing. His attorneys argued that prosecutors were asking the judge to speculate when choosing between competing interpretations of the evidence. Prosecutors countered that the Utah Supreme Court has explicitly rejected that reasoning, holding that choosing between reasonable inferences is a normal part of determining guilt.
Prosecutors also argued that the evidence overwhelmingly supports the charges, saying Robinson does not dispute the substance of evidence showing that he allegedly crawled to the Losee Building rooftop, fired the fatal shot, hid the rifle, discarded clothing, and instructed his roommate to delete incriminating text messages.
The state’s filing also added to its argument that Robinson knowingly placed other people in danger when he allegedly shot at Kirk from the rooftop. Prosecutors allege Robinson had previously taken practice shots with the suspected murder weapon and “seldom hit the bullseye and sometimes missed the target completely.” The state argues that his poor accuracy demonstrated he knew firing toward Kirk from a rooftop, with thousands of people gathered below and around him, created a substantial risk that someone other than Kirk could be killed.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🔎Accused Charlie Kirk assassin Tyler Robinson allegedly &#8220;seldom hit the bullseye and sometimes missed the target completely&#8221; when taking practice shots with the suspected murder weapon, according to Utah prosecutors, who are trying to show that Robinson allegedly knew shooting… <a href="https://t.co/S3D3NbwT92">https://t.co/S3D3NbwT92</a> <a href="https://t.co/2ENUhKyRB5">pic.twitter.com/2ENUhKyRB5</a>
— Michael Ruiz (@mikerreports) <a href="https://x.com/mikerreports/status/2090073665647816895?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 19, 2026</a></blockquote>
That allegation is particularly significant because prosecutors must establish the aggravating circumstance that Robinson knowingly created a great risk of death to others for him to potentially face the death penalty upon conviction.
Robinson, 23, is accused of killing Kirk, 31, at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025. He has not entered a plea. Judge Tony Graf is expected to decide at a September 1 hearing whether prosecutors have established sufficient probable cause to send Robinson to trial.

Tyler Robinson

Prosecutors Make Final Push For Death Penalty In Tyler Robinson Case

Utah Prosecutors Make Final Push For Death Penalty, Slam Robinson Defense For Ethics Violation

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Florida state Rep. Angie Nixon, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), scored a major upset Tuesday night by defeating former Trump impeachment witness Alex Vindman for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate.
Nixon, a leftist firebrand from Jacksonville, will face Sen. Ashley Moody (R-FL) in November to determine who will serve the final two years of Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s Senate term.
The upset is a major victory for the Democratic Party’s Left-wing — and potentially a major boost for Republicans in a state President Donald Trump won by 13 points in 2024.
Vindman vastly outraised Nixon during the primary, bringing in roughly $16.3 million compared to Nixon’s $975,000. Nixon instead relied heavily on grassroots organizing, unions and left-wing activists.
Nixon joined the DSA in June and is also a member of the Working Families Party and the Service Employees International Union. She received <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/6036787-nixon-vindman-peltola-primaries/">endorsements</a> from far-Left lawmakers including Reps. Maxwell Frost (D-FL), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI).
Her victory marks the first time a self-avowed democratic socialist has won a Democratic Senate or gubernatorial primary this cycle. The socialist upset comes two weeks after Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed squeaked out a narrow victory over the establishment-backed candidate in his own Democratic primary. While El-Sayed <a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/elections/battle-for-future-of-democratic-party-rages-in-key-senate-primary-c98e5e49?mod=article_inline">has said</a> he is “not technically or practically DSA” — he ran as a leftist, aligned with the party’s democratic socialist wing, and received campaign support from prominent socialists including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT).
President Donald Trump also weighed in on the upset Tuesday night, celebrating Nixon’s victory while taking a swipe at her defeated opponent, former White House national security official Alexander Vindman. “SleazeBag Vindman loses tonight to a Radical Left Lunatic. How cool is that???” Trump wrote on <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/117119603749653762">Truth Social</a>.
Vindman became a prominent figure during Trump’s first impeachment after testifying before Congress about a 2019 phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Vindman, who was serving as a National Security Council aide at the time, testified that Trump had pressured Zelensky to look into his political rivals, including the Biden family.
Trump was ultimately acquitted by the Senate, and he fired Vindman from the National Security Council in February 2020. Vindman then sued, alleging that the firing was retaliatory and an intimidation tactic.
Election analysts already viewed Florida as a difficult state for Democrats, with Kyle Kondik of the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics saying Sabato’s Crystal Ball <a href="https://x.com/kkondik/status/2089865578282369064">would move</a> the Senate race from “likely Republican” to “safe Republican&#8221; after Nixon&#8217;s upset victory.
Moody, who was appointed to the Senate last year after Rubio became secretary of state, easily won the Republican primary and will now face Nixon in November.

Florida Senate Candidate Angie Nixon Rallies Supporters On Eve Of Primary Election

Socialist Scores Major Upset, Stuns Trump Impeachment Witness In Senate Primary

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Ryan Elijah emerged victorious Tuesday in the Republican primary for Florida’s 7th Congressional District, as a series of controversies sinks incumbent Cory Mills’ attempt at re-election.
Mills, a two-term incumbent, faced Elijah, a former television journalist; businesswoman Sarah Ulrich; and veteran Michael Don Johnson in the GOP primary. With roughly 84% of the vote reported, Elijah led with 46.9% of the vote, followed by Mills with 34.4%, according to preliminary results. Decision Desk HQ called the race at 7:53 p.m. ET.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Decision Desk HQ projects Ryan Elijah wins the Florida US House 7 Republican Primary<a href="https://x.com/hashtag/DecisionMade?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DecisionMade</a>: 7:53 PM EDT <a href="https://t.co/TvJjVyAgSK">pic.twitter.com/TvJjVyAgSK</a>
— Decision Desk HQ (@DecisionDeskHQ) <a href="https://x.com/DecisionDeskHQ/status/2089863894672023980?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 18, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Last November, lawmakers on the House Ethics Committee launched an investigation into Mills over allegations including possible domestic violence and campaign finance violations. The Department of Justice <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-backed-congressman-faces-new-doj-probe">opened</a> a criminal probe into Mills last month in connection with his finances. Mills has denied the allegations and argued that they are politically motivated.
The incumbent also faced significant opposition from within his own party. Reps. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) and Mike Haridopolos (R-FL) <a href="https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/08/05/congress/2-florida-republicans-endorse-mills-opponent-in-primary-01025306">endorsed Elijah</a>, while several Florida sheriffs also backed Elijah&#8217;s campaign. Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/14/florida-desantis-mills-house-support-01038128">said</a> last week that he did not support Mills.
Mills nevertheless entered the primary with President Donald Trump’s <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/12/florida-mills-republican-primary-trump-01035412">endorsement</a>, which the president handed to him in February. Trump’s support came despite the controversies surrounding Mills, although the president did not publicly campaign for him in the final days of the primary.
Mills has defended his record in Congress, pointing to his constituent services and high-profile efforts to evacuate Americans from conflict zones including Afghanistan, Israel, and Haiti. His campaign also highlighted more than $100 million in constituent assistance secured through his congressional office.
Elijah campaigned heavily on the allegations against Mills and received endorsements from several prominent Florida Republicans. Johnson, who previously challenged Mills, also made Mills’ controversies a central focus of his campaign, while Ulrich ran as a socially conservative alternative.
Elijah will now face Democratic nominee Bale Dalton in November. Democrats have identified the district as a potential pickup opportunity, although the heavily Republican seat remains expected to favor the GOP.

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Scandals Sink Trump-Backed Congressman In Florida GOP Primary

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Michael Caruso, the Palm Beach County clerk of courts and former Republican Florida state representative, was arrested Tuesday on charges alleging he sexually abused his grandson, a child under the age of 12.
The arrest carries a dark political irony: Caruso was one of the Florida lawmakers who voted for a 2023 law making certain sexual offenses against children under 12 eligible for the death penalty. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has indicated additional charges could follow.
Caruso, 67, faces charges of kidnapping, lewd or lascivious molestation, lewd or lascivious exhibition, luring or enticing a child, and child abuse causing mental injury, according to an <a href="https://www.flgov.com/eog/sites/default/files/shared/2026/08/EO_26-170_Caruso_Suspension_0.pdf">arrest affidavit</a>. The alleged victim, Caruso&#8217;s grandson, was under 12 at the time of the alleged abuse. Caruso has not been charged with sexual battery, which can be a capital offense under Florida law when committed by an adult against a child under 12. Florida law defines sexual battery to include certain forms of oral, anal, or genital penetration.
Caruso served in the Florida House from 2018 until 2025 and was appointed Palm Beach County Clerk of Courts by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis last year. DeSantis suspended him from office Tuesday following his arrest, with Shannon Ramsey-Chessman sworn in as interim clerk.
The allegations against Caruso date back to 2024, according to investigators. The boy&#8217;s father became aware of possible abuse in October 2025 after observing concerning sexual behavior involving the child and his younger brother. The child subsequently told investigators that Caruso had molested him during a 2024 fishing trip and &#8220;placed his &#8216;pp&#8217; in his mouth&#8221; while showering with the victim on a family cruise in August 2025. The alleged conduct described by the child could fall within Florida&#8217;s statutory definition of sexual battery, though Caruso has not been charged with that offense.
According to the affidavit, Caruso later acknowledged taking the child fishing and separating him from his parents during the cruise but denied abusing him. During a recorded conversation with the boy&#8217;s father in February, Caruso allegedly said the accusations were impossible because he is attracted to women and warned, “If you report this to the authorities there won&#8217;t be any of me left, I can tell you that.” The investigation remains ongoing.
The arrest comes three years after Caruso voted for HB 1297, legislation <a href="https://www.flgov.com/eog/news/press/2023/governor-ron-desantis-signs-third-consecutive-anti-crime-pro-public-safety">signed</a> by DeSantis in 2023 that created a capital offense for an adult who commits sexual battery against a child under 12. Under the law, such an offense can be punished by either death or life imprisonment. Caruso&#8217;s current charges include lewd or lascivious molestation, which is a separate offense under Florida law. 
Florida lawmakers approved the legislation by votes of 95-14 in the House and 34-5 in the Senate. The law was part of DeSantis&#8217; broader 2023 public-safety agenda and was explicitly designed to make certain child sex offenders eligible for capital punishment. 
Caruso&#8217;s case will now proceed in Orange County, where the alleged victim lives. He is being held without bond pending his first court appearance.

Florida Counties Face Deadline For Recount

Lawmaker Could Face Execution Under Law He Voted To Pass

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Bill Rasmussen, the visionary founder of ESPN who helped transform sports from a programming category into a round-the-clock television industry, died Tuesday at his home in Florida. He was 93.
Rasmussen died from complications related to Parkinson’s disease, according to <a href="https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/49649281/espn-founder-bill-rasmussen-dies-93">ESPN</a>. He revealed in 2019 that he had been diagnosed with the disease five years earlier. 
After working as a sportscaster in Massachusetts, Rasmussen joined the New England Whalers of the World Hockey Association in 1974. He was fired as the team’s communications director in 1978, just months before he and his son Scott began developing the idea for a 24-hour sports network.
To make it happen, Rasmussen took an enormous financial risk. He maxed out his credit card and used a $9,000 advance to secure satellite capacity. He and Scott, along with Ed Egan, incorporated the company in 1978 and began pitching the idea to investors, cable operators, and professional sports leagues. 
On September 7, 1979, the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, ESPN, went on the air.
The first broadcast featured a 30-minute edition of “SportsCenter,” followed by a college football preview and slow-pitch softball game. About 1.4 million households initially had access to the network.
 Rasmussen’s gamble soon began to reshape the sports landscape. ESPN secured a deal with the NCAA to televise college sports and aired 23 games from the 1980 NCAA Basketball Tournament, giving viewers access to far more tournament action than had previously been available nationally.
The network would eventually grow into a global sports media empire, fundamentally changing how Americans consume sports. Rasmussen, however, did not remain at the company for long. He and his son were forced out by Getty Oil in 1980, barely a year after ESPN launched. He later pursued other media ventures, wrote “Sports Junkies Rejoice: The Birth of ESPN,” and became a motivational speaker and entrepreneurship advocate.
Despite his brief tenure, Rasmussen remained closely associated with ESPN&#8217;s origins. 
“Bill was a remarkable man — a visionary and an innovator who conceived the idea of a network entirely devoted to sports,” ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro wrote in a statement on <a href="https://x.com/ESPNPR/status/2089740690108408200/photo/1">X</a>. “Quite simply, none of us would be here today if it wasn&#8217;t for Bill&#8217;s passion and all the hard work and entrepreneurial spirit he put into building ESPN in the late 1970s.”
Longtime ESPN anchor Chris Berman, who joined the network just three weeks after its launch, previously called Rasmussen “the George Washington of ESPN.”
In the years since Rasmussen’s departure, ESPN has also undergone dramatic changes, and its relationship with sports fans has become increasingly strained, especially <a href="https://awfulannouncing.com/espn/vibes-brand-perception-all-time-low.html">recently</a>. The network remains a dominant force in sports media, but carriage disputes, failed ventures such as ESPN Bet, streaming complications, and increasingly polarizing on-air personalities have contributed to a perception that the network is a far cry from the ESPN of its heyday. Critics have increasingly questioned whether the “Worldwide Leader in Sports” still occupies the same place in the culture that Rasmussen helped create.
Rasmussen was born in Chicago in 1932, attended DePauw University, served in the U.S. Air Force, and earned a master&#8217;s degree in business from Rutgers University. He was inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2025.
Rasmussen is survived by his sons Scott and Glenn, daughter Lynn Van Hollebeke, seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. His wife of nearly 56 years, Lois, died in 2011.
For a man whose original idea was dismissed by many as impractical, the legacy is difficult to overstate: Rasmussen didn&#8217;t merely start a television network; he helped create the modern sports media industry.

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Man Who Founded ESPN Dies At 93

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The Walt Disney Company and ABC sued the Trump administration’s Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday, accusing the agency of violating the company’s First Amendment rights through an unprecedented early review of its broadcast licenses.
The lawsuit marks one of the most aggressive legal challenges yet by a major media company against the Trump administration and comes amid an escalating fight between Disney, ABC, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, and President Donald Trump over the network’s programming — centered on late-night host Jimmy Kimmel.
Disney’s eight ABC-owned television stations <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kimmel-uproar-spills-over-abc-stations-now-under-review-what-it-means-for-your-tv">were ordered</a> by the FCC in April to begin the license renewal process years ahead of schedule. The stations’ licenses were not otherwise due for renewal until 2028 at the earliest.
Disney argues that the FCC’s action is an unconstitutional attempt to pressure the company over the content it broadcasts. “Acting through the Federal Communications Commission, the Administration has waged a retaliatory campaign against ABC for a single reason: it disapproves of what ABC broadcasts,” Disney attorneys wrote in the lawsuit.
The company is asking a federal court to immediately block the FCC from taking or threatening action against Disney’s ABC stations in connection with the early renewal process. ABC has also requested a speedy hearing and a temporary restraining order.
Trump has repeatedly called for Kimmel to be fired, including after the president accused the late-night host of making a “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-wants-kimmel-fired-over-despicable-assassination-comment">despicable call to violence</a>” about the president and first lady Melania Trump. The FCC’s early review, however, formally centers on ABC’s broadcast licenses and the agency’s authority to determine whether broadcasters are operating in the “public interest.”
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has defended the agency’s actions, arguing that broadcasters using the nation’s public airwaves have obligations that do not apply to cable channels, streaming services, or podcasts. “If you want to uniquely be on the public’s airwaves, you have to comply with those obligations,” Carr told <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/10/first-on-cnbc-transcript-fcc-chairman-brendan-carr-speaks-with-cnbcs-squawk-on-the-street-today.html">CNBC</a> in July.
Carr has argued that the FCC is not attempting to dictate what broadcasters say but is instead seeking to ensure that companies holding broadcast licenses meet their obligations to the public. Disney and ABC have rejected that characterization, previously accusing the FCC of attempting to chill constitutionally protected speech.
The conflict over ABC’s licenses intensified after the administration’s public clashes with Kimmel.
In September 2025, Disney <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/abc-pulls-jimmy-kimmels-late-night-show-indefinitely-after-charlie-kirk-comments">briefly pulled</a> “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” from the air after Carr publicly criticized Kimmel over comments he made following the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Kimmel had questioned the motives attributed to Kirk’s alleged killer and criticized Republicans for their response to the killing.
The network ultimately returned Kimmel to the air, but the episode became a major flashpoint in the broader dispute over whether the government was improperly attempting to influence the content of broadcast television.
Disney’s lawsuit now argues that the FCC’s actions represent an “existential threat” to the company and its First Amendment rights.
“The Commission issued an unprecedented order requiring the Stations to file early applications to renew their licenses — years before any of their licenses would have come up for renewal in the ordinary course and allowing only thirty days to file applications which ordinarily take months to prepare,” Disney attorneys Beth Wilkinson and Paul Clement <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/abc-disney-sues-fcc-trump-administration-first-amendment-rcna593088">wrote</a>.
Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro signaled last week that the company was prepared to continue fighting the administration. “We’re going to stand up to what we believe is journalistic integrity,” D’Amaro told <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/14/first-on-cnbc-transcript-disney-ceo-josh-damaro-speaks-with-cnbcs-julia-boorstin-on-squawk-on-the-street-today.html">CNBC</a>. “And we’re not going to be told how to run that side of our business.”
“I like what we do. We tell incredible stories. I think we do it well. We do it around the world. And we’re going to stay committed to that,” he added.
The FCC has not indicated that Disney’s licenses will be revoked, and the agency’s review itself does not establish that ABC has violated federal law or FCC rules.
But the legal battle pits the Trump administration’s increasingly aggressive approach toward broadcast media directly against one of the country’s largest entertainment companies.
The case could ultimately force the courts to address how far the federal government can go in enforcing the obligations attached to broadcast licenses without crossing the constitutional line into government control over protected speech.
Disney is asking the court to halt the FCC’s early renewal process while the broader dispute plays out.

Disney

Disney Goes To War With Trump’s FCC Over ABC, Jimmy Kimmel

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Attorney General Todd Blanche is launching a new federal process that could give as many as 30 million Americans a pathway to regain their Second Amendment rights, reviving a mechanism that has been effectively unavailable for more than three decades.
The Justice Department <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/attorney-general-blanche-launches-new-process-restore-federal-firearm-rights">finalized a rule</a> Monday establishing a process for individuals prohibited from possessing firearms to petition the federal government to restore their firearm rights.
“The Second Amendment is not a second-class right, and the federal government should not permanently deprive Americans of a constitutional right without regard to whether they pose a danger to public safety,” Blanche said. “This rule establishes a rigorous, commonsense process that protects the public while giving deserving Americans a real path to restoration.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has been unable to process such applications since 1992, when Congress prohibited the agency from using appropriated funds for that purpose. Congress authorized the attorney general to restore firearm rights under Section 925(c). The new Justice Department program establishes a separate process through which eligible individuals can apply for relief.
U.S. Pardon Attorney Edward Martin said the new program provides a pathway for approximately 30 million Americans who have lost their Second Amendment rights. “President Trump keeps making history — this time by his unprecedented restoration of firearms rights to millions of Americans,” Martin said. “Over the past months, we have worked at the direction of Attorney General Todd Blanche to build a program to give a pathway for restoration for the 30 million Americans who have lost their Second Amendment rights.”
The rule does not automatically restore firearm rights to anyone currently prohibited from possessing a gun. Instead, applicants will have to demonstrate to the attorney general’s satisfaction that the circumstances leading to their firearm prohibition, combined with their record, reputation, and subsequent conduct, show they will not act in a manner dangerous to public safety. The Justice Department will review applications individually and maintain strong presumptions against granting relief to people considered to pose heightened risks to public safety.
&#8220;Each applicant must establish to the Attorney General’s satisfaction that the circumstances giving rise to the prohibition, together with the applicant’s record, reputation, and subsequent conduct, demonstrate that the applicant is not likely to act in a manner dangerous to public safety and that granting relief would not be contrary to the public interest,&#8221; according to the press release from the DOJ.
Absent extraordinary circumstances, violent felons, registered sex offenders, illegal aliens, and others who present an ongoing danger will remain presumptively ineligible. It will not override independent restrictions imposed by state law.
The National Rifle Association, which has long advocated for restoring firearm rights to people who have completed their sentences and are not considered dangerous, welcomed the announcement while noting that it had sought several changes to the final rule.
“NRA has long championed full restoration of Second Amendment rights for individuals who paid their debts to society and who are not demonstrably dangerous to public safety,” John Commerford, Executive Director of the National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action, told The Daily Wire. “While the final rule falls short on a few of these suggestions, it is an important step in the right direction.”
“As ever, we will continue our advocacy to ensure no American is unduly deprived of the right to keep and bear arms,” Commerford concluded.
Federal law bars various categories of people from possessing firearms, with felony convictions among the most common grounds for a federal firearm disability. The restrictions have increasingly come under scrutiny following the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision in New York State Rifle &amp; Pistol Association v. Bruen, which established that modern firearm regulations must be consistent with the nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation.
Individuals seeking restoration of their federal firearm rights can access eligibility information, application instructions, and the Justice Department&#8217;s application process through the Federal Firearm Rights Restoration Program.

US-WEAPONS-STORE

Trump Admin Takes Aim At Decades Old Roadblock To Restoring Gun Rights

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Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF)

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National Rifle Association (NRA)

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Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-CA) is officially under investigation by the House Ethics Committee over allegations of sexual misconduct, making him the latest California Democrat to face scrutiny as a series of scandals continues to roil Congress.
The bipartisan Ethics Committee announced Monday that it is reviewing allegations that Gomez “may have engaged in sexual misconduct” in violation of the House Code of Official Conduct, including “inappropriate sexual contact with a House staffer.” The committee cautioned that an investigation does not itself establish that Gomez violated any law or House rule. “No other public comment will be made on this matter except in accordance with Committee rules,” the committee said.
The New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/04/18/us-news/rep-jimmy-gomez-friend-of-of-eric-swalwell-accused-of-kissing-staffer/">reported in April</a> that Gomez had been seen kissing a much younger congressional aide in the backyard of then-Rep. Eric Swalwell’s Washington residence in August 2023. Gomez, 51, acknowledged in June that he had engaged in extramarital conduct but insisted that his actions were consensual and did not violate the law or House ethics rules.
“Years ago, I made personal mistakes outside my marriage that have caused real pain to my wife and family,” Gomez wrote in a statement to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/06/02/politics/jimmy-gomez-house-ethics-investigation">CNN</a>. “Although my actions were consensual in nature and haven’t violated the law or House ethics rules, that doesn’t diminish the impact that these mistakes have made on those I care about the most.”
“I take full responsibility and have committed myself to working through the pain privately with my wife and family,” Gomez added. “I sought professional assistance to help re-center and heal my relationships and move forward with honesty, transparency and respect.”
Gomez said Monday that he would cooperate with the Ethics Committee investigation. The panel specifically cited an allegation involving “inappropriate sexual contact with a House staffer,” though it did not provide further details.
Gomez remains on the ballot for reelection in California&#8217;s 34th Congressional District. He advanced through the state&#8217;s top-two primary earlier this year and will face far-left Democrat Angela Gonzales-Torres in November.
The investigation comes during an unusually turbulent year for congressional ethics and sexual misconduct allegations. Two lawmakers, including California Democrat Eric Swalwell, have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/eric-swalwell-to-resign-from-congress-over-sexual-misconduct-scandal">resigned</a> from Congress this year amid sexual misconduct allegations. Swalwell has denied wrongdoing. Swalwell&#8217;s departure is particularly notable in the context of Gomez&#8217;s case because the alleged 2023 encounter involving Gomez occurred at Swalwell&#8217;s Washington residence.
The Ethics Committee has also recommended that Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-NC) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gop-congressman-faces-censure-over-beyond-inappropriate-treatment-of-staffers">be censured</a> after finding that he violated House rules involving sexual harassment and created a hostile work environment. Edwards subsequently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/republican-ends-re-election-bid-after-report-on-beyond-inappropriate-behavior">abandoned his reelection</a> campaign and has denied wrongdoing.
The House has been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/as-congress-returns-one-question-looms-which-house-members-could-face-expulsion">considering broader changes</a> to its rules governing relationships between lawmakers and congressional staff. Current House rules do not categorically prohibit members from engaging in romantic or sexual relationships with staffers who work for other members, although a bipartisan congressional task force is considering whether such relationships should be prohibited.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has <a href="https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/07/21/congress/speaker-backs-ban-on-members-dating-staff-01006175">endorsed a broader ban</a>, saying that sexual relationships between lawmakers and congressional staffers are inappropriate in a workplace.
For now, the committee has not determined that Gomez violated House rules, and Gomez maintains that his conduct did not constitute an ethics violation.

House Lawmakers Work On Final Passage Of Signature Budget Bill

Another California Democrat Hit With Sexual Assault Claims

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Newly released FBI files reveal that former Rep. Eric Swalwell had a sexual relationship with suspected Chinese intelligence operative Christine Fang, known as “Fang Fang,” settling years of public uncertainty over the nature of their relationship.
According to the May 2015 FBI files, released by the <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/election-integrity/">White House</a> and reviewed by The Daily Wire, Swalwell told federal investigators that he had “physical relations” with Fang “on a handful of occasions” after meeting her in 2012.
Swalwell told investigators that the relationship was casual and that the two never dated or had a romantic relationship, but said he believed Fang was interested in pursuing a closer romantic relationship with him. Swalwell said that March of 2015 was the last time he had physical relations with Fang.
The revelation is significant because the precise nature of Swalwell’s relationship with Fang had remained disputed since her ties to the California Democrat were first <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/alleged-chinese-spy-got-close-to-democrat-eric-swalwell-fbi-had-to-intervene">publicly exposed in 2020</a>.
At the time, <a href="https://www.axios.com/2020/12/08/china-spy-california-politicians">Axios reported</a> that Fang had cultivated extensive relationships with American politicians as part of what U.S. intelligence officials believed was a Chinese political intelligence operation. Fang participated in fundraising for Swalwell’s congressional campaign and helped place at least one intern in his congressional office.
Axios reported that Fang had sexual or romantic relationships with at least two Midwestern mayors but did not report that she had a sexual relationship with Swalwell.
Swalwell declined to answer questions about the nature of his relationship with Fang when the Axios story broke, instead saying that he had provided information about her to the FBI and would not discuss information that might be classified.
The newly released interview shows that federal investigators were aware of the sexual relationship by 2015 and that Swalwell himself had disclosed it during the FBI investigation.
The interview also provides additional details about Swalwell’s communications with Fang. He told investigators that the pair primarily communicated through text messages, but also spoke by phone and exchanged emails. Swalwell said he had used his personal Gmail account to communicate with Fang and had reviewed the account before his FBI interview, finding approximately five email exchanges that he offered to provide to investigators.
Swalwell also told investigators that he did not know the source of Fang’s money. He said he assumed Fang or her family was independently wealthy and had never discussed the sources of her income with her.
The files also contain secondhand accounts from people in Swalwell’s orbit describing Fang’s efforts to maintain access to him. One source told investigators that Swalwell’s then-chief of staff had said Fang appeared at Swalwell’s home unannounced on at least one occasion. The source also reportedly heard that Fang had appeared at Swalwell’s door and made it clear to him that she was not wearing underwear.
The FBI documents are dated May 2015, meaning the disclosures came while Swalwell’s relationship with Fang was either ongoing or had only recently ended. Swalwell told investigators that March 2015 was the last occasion on which he had physical relations with Fang.
That timing is particularly notable because federal investigators were becoming increasingly concerned about Fang’s activities around the same period. U.S. intelligence officials later provided Swalwell with a defensive briefing warning him about Fang, after which he said he cut ties with her. Fang left the United States in 2015 amid the investigation.
Fang had cultivated relationships with numerous rising politicians in California and elsewhere between roughly 2011 and 2015. U.S. intelligence officials believed she was operating on behalf of China’s Ministry of State Security and gathering political intelligence by developing access to ambitious politicians.
Among her most important targets was Swalwell, who had been elected to Congress in 2012 and joined the House Intelligence Committee in 2015.
Fang’s access to Swalwell extended beyond their personal relationship. According to the FBI files and previous reporting, she was involved in fundraising for his 2014 reelection campaign and helped place an intern in his congressional office. Intelligence officials believed Fang was cultivating relationships with politicians who could eventually rise to positions of national importance.
Swalwell has never been charged with a crime in connection with Fang, and investigators did not accuse him of knowingly participating in a Chinese intelligence operation. The House Ethics Committee also <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/4018047-house-ethics-concludes-swalwell-probe-into-link-to-chinese-spy-taking-no-action/">closed an investigation</a> into his ties to Fang without taking action.
In March, as Swalwell mounted his <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/eric-swalwell-suspends-campaign-amid-sexual-assault-allegations">now-defunct campaign</a> for governor of California, his attorneys sent FBI Director Kash Patel a <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/eric-swalwell-cease-desist-letter-fbi-kash-patel-suspected-chinese-spy-rcna266005">cease-and-desist letter</a> demanding that the bureau agree not to release investigative files concerning Fang. His lawyers argued that releasing the files would improperly damage Swalwell’s campaign and maintained that he had never been accused of wrongdoing.

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Drew Berkemeyer