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Mamdani’s ‘gun violence’ comments after killing of 7-month old baby spark outrage: ‘Absolute disgrace’

Politics 4 Mins Read

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is facing criticism from local politicians and onlookers on social media over comments he made that critics say places blame on guns rather than criminals in an incident involving the shooting death of a 7-month-old child in Brooklyn.

“This is not our first family to know this pain,” Mamdani said in response to a 7-month-old baby girl, Kaori Patterson-Moore, who was killed by a stray bullet on Wednesday afternoon when a gunman on a moped opened fire on a Brooklyn street in a suspected gang-related incident. 

“Too many children have never grown up into becoming adults. To parents who’ve had to bury those they love most. We cannot accept it as normal in our city. We cannot grow numb to this pain, and today is a devastating reminder of just how much more work there is to be done… to combat gun violence across the city.”

The clip, along with other comments by Mamdani, have sparked criticism from local politicians, experts and onlookers who say the mayor is blaming guns instead of criminals and implementing policies that embolden those criminals.

HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR, 86, PRICED OUT OF NYC SAYS MAMDANI SKIPPED SCHEDULED HOUSING MEETING

“Literally anything but blaming the criminals who our system releases onto our streets repeatedly, over and over again, with no consequences,” NYC Republican Councilwoman Vickie Paladino posted on X. “Absolute disgrace.”

“If only New York had strict gun laws,” Power the Future Executive Director and New York City native Daniel Turner posted on X.

Manhattan Institute fellow Rafael A. Mangual told Fox News Digital that Mamdani’s “references to the means by which this heinous crime was committed suggests that he is uncomfortable with acknowledging that the murder of Kaori Patterson-Moore was committed by two evil thugs whose callous disregard for the value of human life should disqualify them from ever experiencing freedom.”

MAMDANI IGNITES SOCIAL MEDIA OUTRAGE AFTER PHOTO-OP AT NOTORIOUS NYC JAIL: ‘F—ING RIDICULOUS’

Mangual continued, “Framing this as a gun problem rather than an evil gangbanger problem is more familiar territory for a self-styled progressive whose political base is constituted by people simultaneously (if dissonantly) committed to the cause of ‘gun control’ as well as efforts to reorient the criminal justice system to be more lenient toward the offenders who pull triggers. But, as the recent killing of Richard Williams illustrates clearly, criminals can and do take lives without any weapons at all.”

Richard Williams, an 83-year-old Air Force veteran, was recently allegedly shoved onto subway tracks in New York City by an illegal immigrant with a long criminal history and later died from his injuries in an incident Mamdani has faced criticism for not addressing. 

“An 83-year old veteran was killed in New York City last month after being randomly pushed onto the subway tracks by an illegal alien,” Media Research Center Managing Editor Brittany Hughes posted on X. “Mamdani didn’t say a word because trains aren’t a good political prop, and he won’t condemn criminal aliens.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani’s office for comment. 

Mamdani, who has faced intense criticism over past calls to defund the police and proposed slashing the NYPD’s budget in February, did thank the department in a post on X, but that didn’t appear to assuage his critics.

“We should focus on the family’s loss today,” attorney Jim Walden, who ran against Mamdani for mayor, posted on X. “But every time you now ‘thank NYPD’ it burns my blood after you spent your career attacking them and coddling criminals. You really should be ashamed of yourself, @NYCMayor. But we all know you still hate police and policing and would dine with this vile criminal if you could get away with it, politically.”

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Body found in Colombia amid search for missing U.S. flight attendant

Business 3 Mins Read

Colombian officials discovered a body Friday amid the search for a U.S. flight attendant who went missing in the country last weekend.

Medellin Mayor Federico Gutiérrez announced the discovery in a post on X, saying that “a lifeless body has just been found between the municipality of Jericó and Puente Iglesias,” in the northeast region of the South American country.

The mayor said the body was likely that of Eric Fernando Gutierrez Molina, a 32-year-old American Airlines flight attendant from Texas who vanished while out with colleagues in Medellín, Colombia, during a layover.

“There is a very high probability that it is this person. The lifeless body is being transported to legal medicine in Medellín for identification and recognition,” Gutiérrez wrote on X. “We express our solidarity to his family and friends. I have just personally delivered the painful news to his father, who is in Medellín.”

Gutiérrez also said authorities suspect foul play, adding that officials “have very clear leads on those responsible” and calling for those individuals to be sought through extradition.

The mayor said he informed the U.S. ambassador to Colombia of the discovery. The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment, nor did Gutierrez Molina’s family.

In a news briefing, Medellín Security Secretary Manuel Villa said Gutierrez Molina was in Colombia on business and was out in the city of Itagüí with two co-workers that he identified as a man and a woman. Gutierrez Molina and the man then left the first establishment to go to a second location with others, also in Itagüí.

“And from there, once they left, there has been no further information on the whereabouts of Eric,” Villa said. “The woman arrived at the hotel where she was staying. However, she arrived somewhat disoriented.”

Villa said law enforcement have determined through their investigation that Gutierrez Molina and the woman encountered individuals “with a history of committing theft under the influence of scopolamine.”

The investigation remains under investigation and national police are still deployed throughout the area, Villa said.

Gutierrez Molina’s sister, Mayra Gutierrez, said in a phone call earlier this week that her brother had been out with another crew member over the weekend. She said the family last heard from him in the early hours of Sunday and confirmed that he worked for American Airlines.

American Airlines did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In a statement earlier this week, the airline said it is “actively engaged with local law enforcement officials in their investigation and doing all we can to support our team member’s family during this time,” but did not mention Gutierrez Molina by name.

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Cuba has run out of diesel: what happens to its economy now?

Investing 4 Mins Read

Cuba has run out of diesel and fuel oil, according to Energy Minister Vicente de la O, leaving the island facing one of its most severe power crises in decades.

In Havana, many neighbourhoods are now enduring between 20 and 22 hours of blackout a day, a level of disruption that points to a broader breakdown in the country’s ability to secure and distribute fuel.

The immediate story is about shortages.

The more important story is what those shortages imply. When a country runs out of transport and generation fuel at the same time, the impact quickly spreads beyond electricity supply.

It affects public transport, food distribution, industrial activity, tourism, healthcare logistics and confidence in the state’s ability to manage the crisis.

Reuters reported from Havana that the US fuel blockade has “strangled” supplies to the island.

De la O said Cuba remains open to any seller willing to supply fuel, adding that negotiations to import cargoes are continuing.

He also pointed to higher global oil and shipping costs linked to the US-Israeli war with Iran, which has made an already difficult procurement environment even tougher.

Why the shortage matters

The blackout figures alone show why this is no longer just an energy story.

If residents in the capital are spending most of the day without power, the consequences are likely to reach deep into daily economic life.

For households, prolonged outages mean higher food spoilage, water shortages, weaker mobile connectivity and greater reliance on costly backup solutions.

For businesses, especially small private operators, it means lost trading hours, damaged inventory and lower productivity.

Tourism, one of Cuba’s most important sources of hard currency, is also exposed if hotels, restaurants and transport services cannot guarantee reliable power.

The shortages matter even more because Cuba has limited buffers.

Reuters reported that the island has no diesel or fuel oil reserves, while only one Russian tanker has delivered crude since December.

That suggests the government is operating with little margin for error. Any delay in fresh deliveries could prolong the crisis or force even harsher power rationing.

Why imports are hard to secure

Cuba’s fuel problem is not simply about demand exceeding supply.

It is also about financing and access.

Sanctions make transactions harder, freight costs have risen and sellers may be reluctant to engage because of compliance and payment risks.

Even where there is a willing buyer and a willing seller, shipping and insurance can become obstacles.

The UN has called the US blockade unlawful, according to Reuters, but that does not change the practical constraints facing Havana in the market.

The island’s grid relies on a combination of domestic crude, gas and constrained solar generation, which means imported fuel still plays a critical role in keeping electricity flowing.

If imported cargoes do not arrive in time, generation capacity remains exposed.

What the implications are

The biggest implication is that Cuba’s economic weakness could deepen.

Longer blackouts can reduce output, hit export-linked sectors and worsen shortages elsewhere in the economy. They can also intensify inflationary pressure if transport and supply chains become less reliable.

There is also a social implication. Extended outages in the capital tend to carry greater political sensitivity than shortages in outlying areas.

If the crisis persists, the government may face rising public frustration, especially if there is no clear timetable for new imports or improved generation.

Diplomatically, the shortage also sharpens the significance of Cuba’s search for suppliers.

Any successful deal would be more than a commercial transaction; it would signal which partners are still willing and able to support the island under tightening external pressure.

What to watch next

The key question is whether Cuba can secure fuel quickly enough to stabilise power generation.

Markets and policymakers will be watching for confirmation of new import agreements, tanker arrivals and any change in the severity of Havana’s outages.

A second issue is whether global oil and shipping costs remain elevated.

If they do, Cuba’s procurement challenge will become more expensive just as the country appears least able to absorb it.

For now, the fuel shortage is best seen not as a short-term supply hiccup, but as a stress test of Cuba’s economic resilience.

The blackouts are the most visible symptom. The deeper risk is that they expose how little room the island has left to manage another external shock.

The post Cuba has run out of diesel: what happens to its economy now? appeared first on Invezz

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Nvidia CEO joins Trump’s China trip after late invitation from White House

Investing 3 Mins Read

Jensen Huang was not originally part of Donald Trump’s China trip.

But he received a last-minute invitation, and was later seen boarding Air Force One in Alaska during a refueling stop, as he headed to Beijing.

For investors, the symbolism is hard to miss.

The world’s most valuable chipmaker is now represented at a summit that could shape trade, technology access and the next phase of US-China relations.

The change in plans also shows how central Nvidia has become to the negotiations, even as Washington and Beijing remain far apart on advanced chips.

Jensen Huang was not invited, until he was

Huang’s name was absent from the White House’s initial list of executives expected to travel with Trump, even though the delegation already included heavyweight names such as Elon Musk, Tim Cook, Boeing’s Kelly Ortberg and others.

That omission stood out because Huang had recently said that, if invited, it would be “a privilege” to represent the United States.

As per reports, Trump asked Huang at the last minute to join after media coverage highlighted his absence.

A White House spokesman said the schedule changed and it worked out for him to come.

The timing matters as Trump is due to hold talks with Xi Jinping on Thursday and Friday in Beijing, and the trip is his first visit to China in nearly a decade.

The White House has framed the visit as part diplomacy, part dealmaking, with the president aiming to extend a fragile trade truce and boost US exports.

Huang’s late addition gives the delegation a sharper technology angle, especially since Nvidia has become one of the clearest examples of how trade policy now reaches directly into corporate revenue.

What Huang wants from Beijing

For Nvidia, the China question is no longer about incremental gains but about a market that has already largely shut down.

The company has spent months trying to navigate restrictions that have effectively pushed it out of advanced AI chip sales in the country, after US export curbs blocked its most capable products and eroded its earlier dominance.

Chief executive Jensen Huang has previously noted that Nvidia’s share of China’s AI chip market has fallen dramatically over recent years.

In its latest disclosures, the company has gone further, effectively describing its position in China’s data center market as closed off, with competitors stepping in to fill the gap.

Against that backdrop, recent policy adjustments around products like the H200 have had limited commercial impact so far, with shipments still constrained by approvals on both sides and regulatory uncertainty in Beijing.

Even large reported order volumes have not translated into meaningful near-term sales, given supply and clearance bottlenecks.

That makes Huang’s presence in Beijing less about unlocking an immediate revenue stream and more about positioning.

If the summit results in any easing of chip-related restrictions, it would represent a marginal reopening in a market that remains strategically important but commercially constrained.

If not, Nvidia continues to operate in a reality where US controls limit its access while China accelerates efforts to build alternative supply chains in AI computing.

The post Nvidia CEO joins Trump’s China trip after late invitation from White House appeared first on Invezz

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House Republicans pass DHS funding bill that Democrats call ‘dead on arrival’ in the Senate

Business 5 Mins Read

WASHINGTON — House Republicans voted Friday evening to pass a short-term funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security that has no viable path in the Senate and is likely to extend the shutdown stalemate on Capitol Hill.

The vote of 213-203 came after Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., rejected the Senate-passed bill, which would fund all of DHS except Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection. Funding for DHS lapsed in mid-February.

He called the Senate measure “a joke,” placing full blame for it on Democrats, even though Republicans control the Senate and the bill passed by unanimous consent early Friday morning.

“They have taken hostage the funding processes of government so that they can impose their radical agenda on the American people,” Johnson told reporters before the House vote.

His remarks came around the same time President Donald Trump signed an order directing the Department of Homeland Security to pay Transportation Security Administration employees who have missed paychecks during the DHS shutdown, leading to high TSA callout rates that have created long lines for passengers at U.S. airports. The dollar amount and authority for tapping the funds was not immediately clear, but a DHS spokesperson said paychecks should start arriving as early as Monday.

We’d like to hear from you about how you’re experiencing the partial government shutdown, whether you’re a TSA agent who can’t work right now or a federal employee who is feeling the effects at your agency. Please contact us at tips@nbcuni.com or reach out to us here.

The House-passed bill, which would fund DHS through May 22, is not expected to become law. The Senate left town Friday for a two-week recess, and Democratic senators have consistently vowed to block funding for ICE and CBP without constraints on immigration enforcement operations.

Asked if Trump has endorsed his plan, Johnson told reporters on Friday afternoon: “I spoke to the president a few moments ago; he understands exactly what we’re doing and why, and he supports it.”

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has no plans to bring back the Senate because there is no realistic path to passing the House bill, a GOP aide told NBC News.

The belief among Senate Republican leadership is that it does not make sense to pursue a path other than the bipartisan bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security, minus ICE and CBP, that the Senate passed early Friday morning, according to a senior GOP aide.

The Senate over the past six weeks has attempted to pass numerous measures identical to the one passed by the House on Friday night, and all have failed in the face of Democratic opposition.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., warned that a House bill that funds ICE and CBP without guardrails would go nowhere in the Senate, where it would require 60 votes to advance. Republicans hold a 53-47 majority.

“We’ve been clear from day one: Democrats will fund critical homeland security functions — but we will not give a blank check to Trump’s lawless and deadly immigration militia without reforms,” Schumer said, adding that the House GOP’s short-term funding bill would be “dead on arrival in the Senate, and Republicans know it.”

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., sided with Schumer in favor of the Senate-passed bill.

“We have this bipartisan bill sent over by the Senate that House Democrats are prepared to support,” he told reporters Friday. “If that bill is brought to the floor today it will pass. The Trump-Republican DHS shutdown will be over. Unfortunately, MAGA extremists in the House of Representatives continue to inflict pain on the American people.”

Johnson put forward the short-term funding bill after a bloc of House conservatives expressed outrage over the Senate-passed measure and vowed to vote against it, complicating any move toward swift passage in the House.

Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., called the Senate bill “irresponsible” and added that voter identification provisions and parts of ICE funding must be included.

“Those two things will have to be in,” he said.

Rep. Susie Lee, D-Nev., said Democrats won’t support a bill to fund ICE without constraints after immigration enforcement agents killed two Americans in Minneapolis.

“I think we made it very clear, and the American public is demanding some sort of guardrails on an agency that has basically terrorized communities across this country, resulted in the death of two American citizens,” she said. “We have shone a light on just how rogue ICE was acting.”

Leaving the Capitol on Friday, Johnson told NBC News that he gave Thune a heads up before deciding to reject the Senate-passed measure and its omission of funding for ICE and CBP.

“We talked today, and I told him it shouldn’t be a surprise to anybody we would not be able to do that,” Johnson said. “We’re not going to split apart two of the most important agencies in the government and leave them hanging like that. We just couldn’t do it.”

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Who’s in, who’s out: what Trump’s China CEO list really signals?

Investing 3 Mins Read

President Donald Trump is heading to Beijing with a business delegation that is heavy on marquee names and light on surprise.

Sixteen top executives are expected to join the Beijing visit, including Elon Musk of Tesla, Tim Cook of Apple, Kelly Ortberg of Boeing, Larry Culp of GE Aerospace, Larry Fink of BlackRock, Stephen Schwarzman of Blackstone, and David Solomon of Goldman Sachs.

The delegation also includes Jane Fraser of Citigroup, Cristiano Amon of Qualcomm, Michael Miebach of Mastercard, Ryan McInerney of Visa, Brian Sikes of Cargill, Jim Anderson of Coherent, Jacob Thaysen of Illumina and Sanjay Mehrotra of Micron Technology.

The summit itself is slated for May 14-15, and the mix of attendees already tells investors where Washington wants the conversation to land: aircraft, agriculture, finance and supply chains.

The deals already written before the plane lands

The first takeaway is that this trip is built around transactions that are largely pre-negotiated.

Boeing and China have been in prolonged talks over a deal that could include 500 737 MAX jets plus dozens of widebody aircraft, a package that would be China’s first major Boeing order since 2017 and potentially the largest airplane order in history.

Beijing is expected to announce purchases tied to American agriculture and energy, which helps explain why Cargill’s Brian Sikes is on the list.

In that sense, the delegation is commercial, and it is meant to surface tangible wins fast.

That framing is exactly why the White House kept the delegation narrower than past China visits.

The administration considered around a dozen companies, far fewer than the 29 executives who accompanied Trump in 2017, and the US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer was reluctant to make the trip look like a full-scale “managed trade” summit.

Reva Goujon of Rhodium Group told Reuters that “a small CEO delegation that aligns with the actual concessions and negotiating points would make sense,” adding that Greer seemed intent on not setting expectations too high.

Read more- Trump-Xi summit: trade, Taiwan, AI talks in focus; major breakthroughs unlikely

Who didn’t make the cut?

The names left off the list are as revealing as the ones on it.

Jensen Huang was not invited, as the White House was deliberately prioritizing agriculture and commercial aviation rather than semiconductors.

That makes sense politically as chips remain one of the most sensitive flashpoints in US-China relations, and the administration appears to want this summit to stay focused on deal flow, not export controls.

Oil and gas chiefs were absent from the invite list, with the global energy sector’s current strain from Iran-war-related disruptions likely pushed the White House towards a narrower roster.

The broader geopolitical backdrop matters as the Council on Foreign Relations says Trump and Xi are slated to meet in Beijing on May 14-15, and argues that the summit gives Beijing room to “manage” Washington while trade, Taiwan, rare earths and AI all hover in the background.

That is the key investor point: the White House is trying to extract visible commercial wins while sidestepping the tougher strategic issues that could derail the optics.

Absences such as Nvidia, Alphabet, GM and Disney therefore look less like personal slights than an effort to keep the agenda winnable.

The post Who's in, who's out: what Trump's China CEO list really signals? appeared first on Invezz

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FBI warns some foreign apps could collect Americans’ data — even if you never download them

Politics 3 Mins Read

Americans’ personal data could be collected and stored overseas — even if they’ve never downloaded a foreign-developed app themselves — according to a new FBI alert warning about the risks tied to popular mobile platforms.

That means information like a person’s name, email address or phone number could be pulled from someone else’s contact list and potentially stored abroad if a friend or family member grants an app access to their device.

The warning comes after years of scrutiny over TikTok’s ties to China, but the FBI alert suggests the concerns extend beyond any single platform to a broader range of foreign-developed apps.

In a public service announcement, the FBI said many widely used apps developed overseas, particularly those tied to China, may access extensive data once permissions are granted, including address books containing information on both users and non-users.

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The bureau also warned that some apps may continue collecting data in the background after access is granted and, in certain cases, store that information on servers in countries where local laws could allow government access.

“Developer companies can store collected data on users’ private information and address books, such as names, e-mail addresses, user IDs, physical addresses, and phone numbers of their stored contacts,” the FBI said. “The app can persistently collect data and users’ private information throughout the device, not just within the app or while the app is active.”

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The FBI did not name specific companies, but the warning could apply to a range of widely used apps developed by Chinese firms — including video-editing platform CapCut, shopping apps like Temu and SHEIN, and social media platforms such as Lemon8 — several of which rank among the most downloaded apps in the United States.

U.S. officials have long warned that data collected by Chinese-linked platforms could be used to build detailed profiles of Americans, map personal and professional networks, and potentially support intelligence-gathering efforts, particularly if accessed under China’s national security laws.

The FBI added that apps operating in China are subject to the country’s national security laws, which could allow the government to access user data.

The FBI also pointed to possible warning signs that an app may be collecting more data than expected, including unusual battery drain, spikes in data usage, or unauthorized account activity after installation — indicators that could suggest background data collection or other suspicious behavior.

The bureau urged users to limit unnecessary data sharing, download apps only from official app stores, and regularly review permissions granted to mobile platforms. The bureau also warned that apps obtained from third-party sites may carry malware designed to gain unauthorized access to personal data.

Years of scrutiny over TikTok culminated in a 2026 deal that forced its Chinese parent company to relinquish control of U.S. operations to an American-led group in order to address fears over data access and national security.

The FBI’s latest warning suggests those risks may extend beyond a single platform to a broader range of foreign-developed apps used by millions of Americans.

The Chinese embassy could not immediately be reached for comment. 

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When will TSA lines go back to normal? Travelers may face delays for days or weeks

Business 3 Mins Read

Travelers frustrated by long security lines may not see immediate relief, even as Transportation Security Administration officers begin receiving pay again on Monday after working without wages for more than a month during the partial government shutdown.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday directing federal officials to ensure that TSA workers are paid despite the shutdown, breaking a more than 40-day stretch in which officers went without salaries.

But the move is unlikely to bring instant relief at airport checkpoints, according to former TSA Administrator John S. Pistole.

“It’s a temporary fix,” he told NBC News.

The more pertinent question, he said, is how many workers actually return to their posts now that paychecks are set to resume Monday.

More than 500 officers have quit during the shutdown, according to the Department of Homeland Security, while thousands more have called out because they can’t afford basic expenses.

TSA callout rates reached a high of 12.35% of the workforce on Friday, accounting for more than 3,560 employees, a DHS spokesperson said Saturday. The department added that at Trump’s direction and under Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, TSA has “immediately begun the process of paying its workforce” and that officers “should begin seeing paychecks as early as Monday, March 30.”

Those shortages have forced travelers to contend with missed and canceled flights, long security lines and growing uncertainty around air travel.

If most officers report back beginning Monday and airports are able to restore staffing, wait times could start to ease within several days to a couple of weeks, Pistole said.

“It really depends on that asterisk of how many people show up,” he said.

Some workers who left may already have other jobs lined up, raising questions about whether some will return at all.

“How many of them come back after they get this paycheck? Or maybe they already have another full-time job lined up, they’re just waiting to inform TSA after they get their check on Monday,” Pistole said. “So there are a number of variables there.”

Pistole said the uncertainty, coupled with TSA’s typical annual attrition rate of about 7%, could mean delays will continue even after pay resumes.

Until then, some travelers may want to consider alternatives such as driving, rail or bus.

“I think many will and are looking at those options to say, ‘Is that more reliable? Because the last thing I want to do is get to Bush International Airport in Houston and have a four-hour wait,’” Pistole said.

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No more casual: State Department imposes first-ever dress code on diplomats

Politics 3 Mins Read

FIRST ON FOX: The State Department has added business formal dress code guidance to its internal policy manual for the first time, establishing department-wide standards for employee attire.

The changes, implemented in recent days in the Foreign Affairs Manual — the department’s central repository for policies — mark the first time the agency has formally codified expectations for how diplomats and staff should dress in official settings.

“Representing the United States of America is an honor — and this new policy ensures our diplomats project credibility, respect, and the dignity of the nation we serve,” Assistant Secretary Dylan Johnson told Fox News Digital.

The updated policy applies broadly across the department for both civil service and foreign service employees.

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The move underscores a broader recalibration at the State Department, where Trump administration officials have sought to impose clearer standards around discipline, appearance and adherence to policy. 

A State Department official said the change was driven in part by concerns that some diplomats had been dressing “pretty informally” in recent years. 

“This should have happened a long time ago,” the official said. 

The formal dress code represents a shift away from Biden-era personnel policies that prioritized flexibility and cultural inclusivity, toward a more uniform and prescriptive standard for how U.S. diplomats present themselves.

“Appropriate attire and appearance will depend on the duties performed, the work environment, and the level of interaction with foreign interlocutors and other external stakeholders,” reads the manual, viewed by Fox News Digital. “For staff participating in meetings or other official engagements with foreign interlocutors, dress is Business Formal and personal appearance is polished and professional unless otherwise specified.”

The dress code update follows other recent changes to how the State Department evaluates and manages its workforce, including revisions to hiring and promotion criteria for Foreign Service officers. 

Earlier in 2026, the department replaced diversity, equity and inclusion-related benchmarks with a new core precept focused on “fidelity,” emphasizing adherence to U.S. government policy and chain-of-command authority.

Under the updated guidance, mid- and senior-level diplomats are expected to demonstrate loyalty by “zealously executing U.S. government policy” and resolving ambiguity in favor of leadership direction, according to internal documents previously reported by Fox News Digital.

Those changes came alongside broader efforts to restructure the department’s workforce, including plans to reduce staffing and consolidate offices, signaling a shift toward more standardized expectations for diplomatic personnel. The addition of a formal dress code marks the latest step in that direction.

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Pam Bondi already fired as attorney general, Cabinet official teed up as replacement: sources

Politics 4 Mins Read

FIRST ON FOX — President Donald Trump fired Attorney General Pam Bondi Wednesday, according to two sources familiar with the matter who spoke with Fox News Digital. 

Trump confirmed the ouster in a Truth Social post Thursday, underscoring that he views her as “a Great American Patriot and a loyal friend” as she moves into an undisclosed role in the private sector. 

“Pam did a tremendous job overseeing a massive crackdown in Crime across our Country, with Murders plummeting to their lowest level since 1900,” he continued. “We love Pam, and she will be transitioning to a much needed and important new job in the private sector, to be announced at a date in the near future.” 

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche will serve as interim attorney general, Fox News reported Thursday. 

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“Our Deputy Attorney General, and a very talented and respected Legal Mind, Todd Blanche, will step in to serve as Acting Attorney General,” Trump added in his post. “Thank you for your attention to this matter!” 

Bondi met with Trump in the Oval Office Wednesday night ahead of his speech to the nation on the war in Iran, according to two sources familiar with the meeting who spoke to Fox News Digital ahead of Trump’s announcement. 

Bondi departed for Florida Thursday morning, Fox News reported, where she is filming an NFL-affiliated child safety initiative. 

The president is reportedly considering replacing Bondi with Environmental Protection Agency Director Lee Zeldin, according to the sources familiar with the matter. Trump held a meeting with Zeldin at the White House Tuesday to discuss wildfire and prevention, where talks of the transition also unfolded, according to an individual familiar with the meeting. 

That source relayed to Fox News Digital that Zeldin would be a plausible replacement, adding that Trump could change his mind at any point. 

The ouster follows a recent New York Times report detailing that Trump was preparing to replace Bondi with Zeldin as the president had become increasingly dissatisfied with her performance in the role. 

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When initially asked about the meetings and Bondi’s ouster Wednesday evening, the White House directed Fox News Digital to the same comment defending Bondi that the office provided to the Times.  

“Attorney General Pam Bondi is a wonderful person and she is doing a good job,” Trump’s comment states. 

The ouster came the same day Bondi accompanied Trump to the U.S. Supreme Court Wednesday morning for oral arguments on the high-stakes birthright citizenship case. 

Sources confirming to multiple outlets Zeldin’s potential ascension to her former role comes as he prepares for an event with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Thursday afternoon to make an announcement on addressing rising instances of microplastics in drinking water.

Bondi’s entire tenure at the DOJ has been riddled with public scrutiny, especially as it relates to her promise to release the entirety of the Jeffrey Epstein files. 

She told Fox News at the onset of taking her role at the helm of the Justice Department in February that the files were “sitting on my desk right now to review.” 

The trickle of information from her agency over the ensuing year and the lack of new information left Americans frustrated that she was reneging on the promise of releasing the the files.  

Fox News’ Aishah Hasnie and Peter Doocy contributed to this report. 

Editor’s note: This article was updated to clarify that Bondi was out as AG before Trump’s address Wednesday night, and left Washington, D.C., the following morning. 

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