INTERNACIONAL
Vets groups torch Dems for holding up key VA picks, including memorials chief, on Memorial Day
FIRST ON FOX: A slew of veterans’ groups, along with Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins, are criticizing Senate Democrats for delaying key agency nominations over what some have called unserious or «DOGE-type» concerns.
One top nominee currently facing the collective procedural roadblock ahead of Memorial Day is wounded warrior Sam Brown, a former Nevada senatorial candidate and Army captain who was burned over more than one-third of his body when the Humvee he was riding in in Helmand, Afghanistan, hit a roadside IED that incinerated its fuel tank.
He was nominated by President Donald Trump as undersecretary for memorial affairs, which maintains cemeteries and facilitates veterans’ burial ceremonies – about 100,000 per year.
A letter from about two dozen veterans’ groups addressed to Senate VA Committee Chairman Jerry Moran, R-Kan., ranking member Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and caucus leaders was obtained Friday by Fox News Digital.
Doug Collins, left, Sam Brown, right (Getty)
The groups note that they respect the Senate’s advise-and-consent role, but object to the current situation. They note that the VA has the fewest presidentially nominated positions and that other agency nominees receive overnight and weekend considerations at times.
«We will be happy to bring the senators coffee and donuts during such late night and weekend sessions, of course in compliance with the Senate’s gift and ethics rules,» the groups wrote.
Brown and all other nominees since April have been held up by Blumenthal and Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz. – but the lawmakers say their move is not personal and instead aimed to halt mass firings and other Trump-era actions.
Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, indicated that he would join the two Democrats, after a confirmation hearing for Brown, Marine Lt. Col. James Baehr for general counsel and Army veteran Richard Topping for VA CFO, was mooted in April by the procedural hold.
«We’ve had 2,400 firings so far,» King said, according to Stars & Stripes.
Vietnam Veterans of America, in a separate letter obtained by Fox News Digital, demanded Brown, Baehr and Topping be confirmed summarily.
«All three of these veterans received favorable reports following the April 9th nominations process from the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee,» wrote VVA President Jack McManus.
NEW GOP SENATOR TEARS INTO DEMS ‘SEEKING TO DELAY’ PETE HEGSETH DOD CONFIRMATION
Senate VA Chair Jerry Moran of Kansas (Getty)
McManus said that many Vietnam Vets are concerned about the hold-up and agree that Brown and the others are eminently qualified, blaming «two members of the US Senate Veterans Affairs Committee» for «affecting services to our veterans.»
Another letter from the Independence Fund, which provides resources, including trackchairs, to severely wounded veterans, said a fully staffed VA central office is crucial to its mission.
Last week, when Moran again attempted to confirm Brown by unanimous consent – a voice vote that must have no audible objections – Blumenthal rose to block him.
«The chairman and I share a bipartisan commitment to putting our veterans first. . . . I think we also share a respect for Sam Brown [and] his service to our nation as a decorated veteran,» said Blumenthal.
Blumenthal, whose own service was criticized by Trump with the nickname «Da Nang Dick» after a Vietnamese province, said that Brown’s nomination lacked unanimous support in committee, citing a 10-9 vote.
TRUMP VA PICK DOUG COLLINS ADVANCES TO FULL SENATE VOTE
«This issue is bigger than Sam Brown. It is about information that has been denied to our committee and to us as senators. The secretary of the VA is actively working to undermine our bipartisan oversight efforts.
Blumenthal told Fox News Digital he had a message for Collins: «Before you hire new top VA bureaucrats, you should be rehiring the dedicated veterans you fired.»
«Secretary Doug Collins is denying us essential information that is necessary for our oversight, and we want accountability. All Americans, especially veterans, deserve votes by the full Senate on top nominees—not rubber stamp unanimous consents,» he said, adding Collins can ask the Senate to hold floor-debate on the nominees through regular order.
In comments to Fox News Digital, Collins rejected Blumenthal’s claims and lambasted the delays.
«Imagine how much better off America’s veterans would be if Senators Blumenthal and Gallego cared as much about fixing the department’s broken bureaucracy as they do about preventing wounded combat veterans from coming to work at VA,» he said.
«Despite their obstruction, we will reform the department to make it work better for veterans, families, caregivers and survivors.»
Gallego said he also does not object to Brown personally, and that he is instead seeking agency accountability – saying in a recent statement he wants to reverse «hack-job firings.»
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Primaries were held on Tuesday night to fill the seat being vacated at the end of this year by Rep. Ruben Gallego. (Getty Images)
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Gallego said Collins is «more concerned with three political appointees than the thousands of veterans who are going to lose their jobs and care.»
«I served this country and received care at the VA. I know how important it is for veterans. Abandoning them, like Secretary Collins wants to do, is reckless and un-American. Show Congress the plan on how care won’t be impacted. Anything short of that is political posturing,» he said.
In Gallego’s Arizona, the Phoenix VA hospital is letting go 800 employees, and a 2024 inspector general report found that the site already faced staffing shortages.
Recent surveys of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans show an elevated concern that VA cuts could impact benefits and health care.
Fox News reached out to King for comment for purposes of this story.
Senate,Military Families,Veterans,Cabinet
INTERNACIONAL
Elecciones en Moldavia: el partido gobernante denunció que el intento de Rusia de interferir en los comicios fue “colosal”
El líder del gobernante Partido Acción y Solidarida (PAS) de Moldavia, Ígor Grosu, acusó este domingo a Rusia de emprender unos intentos “colosales” de socavar los comicios legislativos de hoy.
“Los intentos de Rusia de socavar el proceso electoral fueron colosales”, dijo Grosu, citado por medios moldavos, al término de la votación y a falta de conocerse sus resultados.
Grosu agregó que estos esfuerzos consistieron en “compra de votos, intentos de desestabilización y falsas amenazas de bomba”.
“Las instituciones estatales hicieron todo lo posible para garantizar la seguridad y la integridad del proceso electoral”, aseguró y añadió que las consecuencias de las acciones de Rusia “son difíciles de evaluar en ese momento”.
El político dijo que ahora hay que esperar los resultados de los comicios y mantener la calma.
Mientras, el ex presidente moldavo y uno de los líderes del opositor Bloque Electoral Patriótico, Ígor Dodon, aseguró que PAS “ha entrado en pánico” y baraja incluso anular los resultados, “ya que rechaza categóricamente ceder el poder”.
“Estimados ciudadanos, queridos moldavos, nos vemos mañana a las 12 horas cerca del Parlamento. Hoy votamos por el cambio, mañana lo vamos a defender”, escribió Dodon en Telegram.
Este domingo, el PAS lidera las elecciones parlamentarias con el 38 % de los votos, según los primeros resultados ofrecidos por la Comisión Electoral Central (CEC) del país, sin que se conozca aún si este resultado será suficiente para que el PAS siga en el poder.
Tras el escrutinio del 19 por ciento de las papeletas, en segundo lugar se sitúa el opositor Bloque Electoral Patriótico, que defiende el fortalecimiento de los lazos con Moscú y obtiene el respaldo del 33,63 % de los electores.
La alta participación marcó las elecciones parlamentarias que se celebraron este domingo, en una jornada empañada por acusaciones del Gobierno de casos de fraude en los comicios y alertas de bomba en algunos colegios electorales.
A las 17:00 hora local (14:00 GMT), la participación alcanzaba más del 43,8 %, es decir, ya habían ejercido su derecho al voto más de 1,2 millones de electores.
Para que las elecciones sean reconocidas como válidas se necesitaba la participación de al menos el 33 % de los votantes.
La afluencia a las urnas en estos comicios fue alta, tanto dentro de Moldavia como fuera de sus fronteras, donde ya votaron cerca de 200.000 electores.
“Hoy, miles de ciudadanos de la República de Moldavia ejercen su derecho al voto en el extranjero, demostrando una vez más la fuerza y la unidad de nuestra diáspora”, señaló previamente el Ministerio de Exteriores moldavo en un comunicado.
En total, Moldavia se abrieron cerca de 2.000 colegios electorales dentro del país y 301 en el extranjero, la mayoría en países europeos.
Precisamente la posición de la diáspora fue clave para dar la victoria al rumbo europeo de esa antigua república soviética en el referéndum y las presidenciales del año pasado.
La presidenta del país, la europeísta Maia Sandu, informó de casos de fraude con las papeletas registrados en varios colegios dentro del país.
Sandu llamó a los moldavos a demostrar que son “fuertes” y seguir ejerciendo su derecho al voto.
La misión de observación Promo-LEX informó de 254 infracciones confirmadas en lo que va de jornada electoral. La mayoría de estos incidentes estaba relacionada con la violación del derecho de los ciudadanos al voto secreto.
(Con información de EFE)
Europe,Elections / Voting,Chisinau
INTERNACIONAL
Ex Michelle Obama aide leads Des Moines school board’s defense of superintendent arrested by ICE
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Iowa Democrats are rallying behind a school superintendent who was arrested by ICE on allegations that he is in the country illegally this week, and they are led by a school board chair who once held a key role in the Obama White House.
After ICE arrested Ian Roberts, the superintendent for Des Moines Public Schools (DMPS) last week, school board chair Jackie Norris called for people to have «radical empathy» as Roberts’ case plays out. Norris previously served as White House chief of staff for then-first lady Michelle Obama. Meanwhile, Republicans in the state legislature are also launching a probe into how the board chose Roberts in the first place.
Norris supported Roberts in a statement on Friday in which she said that officials «do not have all the facts.»
«There is much we do not know,» Norris said. «However, what we do know is that Dr. Roberts has been an integral part of our school community since he joined over two years ago.»
IOWA SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT ARRESTED BY ICE, FACING PRIOR WEAPONS CHARGES, ALLEGEDLY FOUND WITH LOADED HANDGUN
Authorities said a handgun was found in a vehicle used by Ian Roberts to flee from pursuing ICE agents. (ICE)
«During his time with our district, he has shown up in ways big and small and has advocated for students and staff, and has begun introducing concepts that will help us reimagine education for future generations,» she continued.
Norris said Roberts joined the school district in July 2023 after having served in various school districts across the U.S. for «over 20 years.» Norris was not the chair of the school board at the time Roberts started, but she has been a member since 2021.
Meanwhile, Republicans in the Iowa legislature are calling for a wider probe to ensure proper hiring practices are being followed across the state. Iowa’s House Government Oversight Committee also sent a letter to the DMPS directing it to preserve documents related to Roberts’ hiring.
«I will not hesitate to introduce and pass legislation to mandate enhanced hiring protocols, increase transparency in district operations, and protect the resources allocated to our schools through the appropriations process,» State Rep. Austin Harris said. «Iowa’s families deserve nothing less than a safe, lawful, and effective education system for their children.»
DMPS did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
Jackie Norris worked as Michelle Obama’s chief of staff in the White House in 2009. (Getty Images)
ICE alleges that Roberts is in the country illegally from Guyana. They say he is not legally permitted to work in the United States and had a final order of removal from a judge issued in May 2024.
Roberts was arrested after allegedly driving away from law enforcement. He later abandoned his car in the woods, and Iowa State Patrol ended up finding him, according to a press release.
«This suspect was arrested in possession of a loaded weapon in a vehicle provided by Des Moines Public Schools after fleeing federal law enforcement,» ICE ERO St. Paul Field Office Director Sam Olson said in a statement.
«This should be a wake-up call for our communities to the great work that our officers are doing every day to remove public safety threats,» Olson continued. «How this illegal alien was hired without work authorization, a final order of removal and a prior weapons charge is beyond comprehension and should alarm the parents of that school district.»
Ian Roberts, head of Des Moines Public Schools, was arrested by immigration authorities on Friday after a brief chase, Roberts was living in the United States illegally, authorities said. (Getty Images; ICE)
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The district said Roberts had previously done an I-9 to prove legal status, but that it was conducted by a third-party group and that it did not know about an order of removal, according to The Associated Press.
Roberts came to the United States with a student visa in 1999 and had charges for weapon possession in 2020, according to ICE.
immigration,education,politics,iowa
INTERNACIONAL
Estados Unidos: Donald Trump ordena el envío de tropas a Portland para proteger la ciudad de «terroristas internos»
– Ciudad «santuario» –
Agentes de Aduanas y Protección Fronteriza de EE. UU. detienen a un hombre frente al edificio de Inmigración y Aduanas de EE. UU. durante una protesta en Portland, Oregón. Foto AP– «Sedición terrorista» –
Inmigración en EE.UU,Donald Trump,Inmigración,Estados Unidos
Círculo rojo: Milei busca una nueva épica, malos pronósticos en el Congreso y reclamos urgentes de las provincias y el PRO
La Casa Rosada busca apoyo de los gobernadores para frenar la ofensiva opositora contra los DNU de Milei
La pobreza fue del 31,6% en el primer semestre de 2025 y registró una significativa baja
Elecciones en Moldavia: el partido gobernante denunció que el intento de Rusia de interferir en los comicios fue “colosal”
La oposición presiona para sesionar en Diputados y aprobar los cambios en la ley de DNU
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