INTERNACIONAL
Border czar Homan fires back at Pope Leo, explains what Vatican leaders ‘don’t know’ about immigration
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
President Donald Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, revealed that he would «welcome» a discussion with Pope Leo XIV amid the administration’s ongoing spat with the Vatican over disagreements on immigration policy and the Iran conflict.
Differing from Vice President JD Vance, who said that «in some cases it would be best for the Vatican to stick to matters of morality,» Homan said he is «open to discussion with any of them.»
Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Homan, a «lifelong Catholic,» said, «I wish they’d stay out of immigration, they don’t know what they’re talking about.»
However, Homan asserted that the pope’s opinion would change if he understood that «illegal immigration is not a victimless crime.»
POPE LEO CALLS OUT TRUMP’S IRAN RHETORIC BEFORE LAST-MINUTE CEASEFIRE EMERGES
Trump administration border czar Tom Homan, right, said he would «welcome» a discussion with the Vatican about immigration policy amid the administration’s feud with the Holy See. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images; Matteo Pernaselci – Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images)
«If they wore my shoes for 40 years, and talked to a 9-year-old girl that got raped multiple times, or stood in the back of a tractor trailer with 19 dead aliens at my feet, including a 5-year-old boy that baked to death, if they understood the atrocities that happened on the open border, I think their opinion would change,» he said.
Trump’s border czar went on to say that despite intense criticism over the president’s immigration policy, «He’s saving thousands of lives a year because he has a secure border.»
«Where President Trump had the most secure border in the lifetime of this nation, right now, lives are being saved,» he emphasized.
In light of this, Homan said, «I welcome discussion with any of them, because they don’t understand illegal immigration is not a victimless crime.»
«Human traffickers are out of business, right? The cartels are going bankrupt because of that secure border. I wish they’d understand that,» he lamented. «Because if they did, I think they’d have a different opinion.»
Fox News Digital reached out to the Holy See for comment.
POPE LEO PICKS NEW VATICAN AMBASSADOR TO US AS TRUMP TENSIONS MOUNT OVER POLICIES
Pope Leo XIV and President Donald Trump (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images; Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Leo has said that «no one has said that the United States should have open borders» and stressed, «I think every country has a right to determine who and how and when people enter.» However, he has also taken a critical tone of the administration’s interior immigration enforcement tactics.
«When people are living good lives, and many of them for 10, 15, 20 years, to treat them in a way that is extremely disrespectful, to say the least, and there’s been some violence, unfortunately, I think that the bishops have been very clear in what they said. I think that I would just invite all people in the United States to listen to them,» the pope has said.
Trump criticized the pope’s positions on Sunday in a scathing rebuke on Truth Social.
«Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy,» Trump began in a lengthy post.
«Leo should get his act together as Pope, use Common Sense, stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician. It’s hurting him very badly and, more importantly, it’s hurting the Catholic Church,» he concluded.
Regarding the Iran conflict, Trump told reporters, «We don’t like a pope that’s going to say that it’s OK to have a nuclear weapon.»
«We don’t want a pope that says crime is OK in our cities. I don’t like it,» Trump added. «I’m not a big fan of Pope Leo. He’s a very liberal person, and he’s a man that doesn’t believe in stopping crime.»
BISHOP BARRON SAYS TRUMP ‘OWES THE POPE AN APOLOGY’
Pope Leo XIV met with Vice President JD Vance on May 19, 2025, in Vatican City. (Vatican Media/Vatican Pool – Corbis/Getty Images)
In response, Leo told reporters on Monday, «I have no fear of the Trump administration.»
«The things that I say are certainly not meant as attacks on anyone,» he also said, adding, «I don’t think that the message of the Gospel is meant to be abused in the way that some people are doing. I will continue to speak out loudly against war, looking to promote peace, promoting dialogue and multilateral relationships among the states to look for just solutions to problems.»
«Too many people are suffering in the world today,» Leo added. «Too many innocent people are being killed. And I think someone has to stand up and say there’s a better way.»
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
For his part, Vance, who has been very vocal about his conversion to Catholicism, told Fox News’s Bret Baier Monday, «I certainly think that in some cases, it would be best for the Vatican to stick to matters of morality… and let the president of the United States stick to dictating American public policy.»
Vance, who has visited the Vatican twice as vice president, dismissed the feud, saying, «We certainly have a good relationship with the Vatican, but we’re also [going to] disagree on substantive questions from time to time. I think that’s a totally reasonable thing.»
pope leo xiv, immigration, vatican, border security, tom homan
INTERNACIONAL
US-backed pipeline proposal targets global reliance on Strait of Hormuz amid Iran threats
US launches Project Freedom in Strait of Hormuz amid escalating Iran tensions
Dana Perino and Bill Hemmer announce the US initiative ‘Project Freedom’ to ensure freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. President Trump issues a stern warning to Iran against any interference with shipping lanes. Bryan Llenas reports from Tel Aviv on recent drone attacks attributed to Iran by the UAE, and South Korea’s investigation into a vessel attack in the volatile region.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A new U.S.-backed proposal to build a network of overland energy pipelines bypassing the Strait of Hormuz is gaining attention as tensions in the region expose a critical vulnerability in the global energy system.
A policy memo reviewed by Fox News Digital outlines the concept, known as «ARAM Express,» a proposed consortium between the United States and Gulf partners to develop a multidirectional overland network for oil, gas and petrochemicals, originating with Richard Goldberg of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
The plan envisions pipelines extending westward to the Red Sea and Mediterranean, as well as southern routes toward the Arabian Sea, creating multiple export pathways that would reduce reliance on the strait, through which roughly one-third of the world’s seaborne oil currently flows.
TRUMP OPENS HORMUZ UNDER FIRE WITH ‘PROJECT FREEDOM’ AS IRAN WARNS OF ATTACKS
USS George H.W. Bush transits the Arabian Sea as U.S. forces enforce a naval blockade against Iran and support Project Freedom in the Strait of Hormuz, according to U.S. Central Command. (Fox News)
The proposal would rely on broad international participation, with European and Asian buyers investing in infrastructure and securing long-term supply agreements.
«European buyers are desperate for long-term supply resilience, and Asian customers are equally exposed,» Goldberg said. «Even China cannot tolerate the risk of a sustained disruption.»
The push comes as Iran’s threats to commercial shipping and ongoing U.S. efforts to secure the waterway under President Donald Trump’s «Project Freedom» highlight the risks posed by a single chokepoint to global energy flows.
Roughly one-third of the world’s seaborne oil passes through the narrow waterway, making it a critical artery for global markets. With Iran threatening shipping and U.S. forces now guiding vessels through the strait under President Donald Trump’s «Project Freedom,» the White House is framing the crisis in global terms.
«The President will not allow Iran to hold the global economy hostage and undermine the free flow of energy,» said White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers, describing the launch of «Project Freedom» as a humanitarian effort to restore navigation through the strait.
That framing aligns with a growing view among U.S. officials and analysts that the risk is not only immediate but also structural.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz signaled that Washington’s partners are already looking beyond the strait itself.
«I know our Gulf partners and allies are seriously thinking through that,» Waltz told Fox News Digital when asked about long-term alternatives during a conference call with reporters Monday.
«I know they’re looking at additional alternatives to frankly diversify their pathways and diversify their economies,» he added.
MIKE WALTZ PUSHES UN RESOLUTION TO STOP IRAN MINING KEY GLOBAL SHIPPING ROUTE
The surge in regional piracy risk is exacerbated by the volatility of the Strait of Hormuz as Iranian-backed threats persist in the Persian Gulf and global energy flows are shifting. (Mass Communications Specialist 1st Class Cassandra Thompson/U.S. Navy via Getty Images)
A vulnerability years in the making
The idea that Hormuz represents a structural weakness is not new. But until now, it has largely been tolerated, with global markets relying on stability in the Gulf to keep energy flowing.
That assumption is now under strain.
Even with U.S. naval power deployed to secure the waterway, the current crisis has highlighted how quickly disruption, or even the threat of it, can ripple through global supply chains.
«This isn’t just a long-term idea anymore,» said Rich Goldberg of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies think tank. «There is a real threat to the Strait of Hormuz that isn’t going away so long as the regime in Tehran remains.»
AS IRAN WEAKENS, QUESTIONS GROW OVER MOHAMMED BIN SALMAN’S REGIONAL AMBITIONS
The proposal would rely on broad international participation, with European and Asian buyers investing in infrastructure and securing long-term supply agreements. (U.S. Central Command)
Saudi Arabia: Building around the risk
Saudi Arabia stands out as the country among Gulf states that has invested most heavily in reducing reliance on Hormuz.
Its East-West pipeline allows crude oil to travel from eastern fields on the Gulf to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, bypassing the strait entirely. From there, shipments can move toward Europe, Africa and Asia without entering the chokepoint.
«Saudi Arabia has treated the Strait of Hormuz risk with planning, not panic,» said Salman Al-Ansari, a Saudi geopolitical analyst.
«The East-West pipeline is strategic insurance,» he told Fox News Digital, «A Hormuz closure would be disruptive, but not paralyzing. Saudi Arabia has spent years reducing that vulnerability, and today it is uniquely positioned to absorb shocks and keep global flows moving.»
Al-Ansari argued that the kingdom’s strategy goes beyond energy exports, positioning the country as a broader logistics hub.
«Ports, pipelines, land bridges, storage and Red Sea access are all part of one Saudi contingency architecture,» he said.
HORMUZ CHOKE POINT PERSISTS AS IRAN HALTS OIL TRAFFIC DESPITE TRUMP CEASEFIRE
The plan envisions pipelines extending westward to the Red Sea and Mediterranean, as well as southern routes toward the Arabian Sea, creating multiple export pathways that would reduce reliance on the strait, through which roughly one-third of the world’s seaborne oil currently flows. (Fadel Senna / AFP via Getty Images)
UAE and the fragmentation of the Gulf model
Saudi Arabia is not the only player adapting.
The United Arab Emirates also has developed alternative export capacity through its pipeline to Fujairah, outside the Strait of Hormuz.
At the same time, some analysts argue that recent regional dynamics point to a deeper shift, one that goes beyond infrastructure and into the political structure of the Gulf itself.
Yonatan Adiri, an Israeli entrepreneur and former adviser to former Israeli President Shimon Peres, said the traditional model of a unified Gulf energy system centered on Hormuz is beginning to break down.
«The whole arrangement … it’s starting to expire,» Adiri said, referring to the long-standing reliance on the strait as a central artery for Gulf exports.
He pointed to emerging economic and geopolitical realignments, including new corridors and shifting alliances, that are fragmenting the region’s traditional energy architecture.
«The UAE stepping away from OPEC is not just about production policy,» Adiri said, referring to the country’s decision to leave the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries effective May 1, 2026. «It reflects a broader shift toward an independent strategy — building its own routes, partnerships and leverage rather than relying on a collective system.»
These changes are driven in part by broader global competition, according to Adiri, particularly efforts by the United States and its partners to counter China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
«The entire system is being rethought,» he said, describing a shift toward diversified routes that reduce reliance on single choke points.
WHY GULF STATES AREN’T JOINING THE WAR AGAINST IRAN — DESPITE ATTACKS ON THEIR SOIL
Cargo ships are anchored in the Gulf near the Strait of Hormuz as seen from northern Ras al-Khaimah, United Arab Emirates, March 11, 2026. (Reuters/Stringer/File Photo/File Photo)
Uneven exposure across the Gulf
Despite these developments, not all Gulf states are equally prepared.
«If you’re Kuwait, you’re in a world of hurt,» Goldberg said, pointing to countries that lack meaningful alternatives to maritime exports.
Qatar, one of the world’s largest exporters of liquefied natural gas, remains heavily dependent on the strait, with limited options to reroute supply if shipping is disrupted.
This uneven exposure could reshape regional dynamics, giving countries with alternative routes greater resilience and leverage in future crises.
Political limits and long-term questions
While the technical case for alternative routes is growing stronger, political constraints remain.
One of the most sensitive issues is whether future corridors could involve Israel, even indirectly.
«As for routes involving Israel, even indirectly, the politics are extremely difficult under current circumstances,» Al-Ansari said. «I genuinely do not see it happening now.»
At the same time, he suggested that such cooperation could become more realistic in the future under different political conditions.
A system in transition
For now, the U.S. and its allies remain focused on stabilizing the immediate situation in the Strait of Hormuz, ensuring that ships can pass safely and global markets continue to function.
But as tensions persist, the current crisis is forcing a broader reassessment.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
While the technical case for alternative routes is growing stronger, political constraints remain. (Altaf Qadri/The Associated Press )
The question is no longer just how to secure the strait, but whether the global energy system can afford to depend on it to the extent it has for decades.
If the current trajectory continues, Hormuz may remain critical, but no longer dominant, experts argue, as countries invest in new routes, new partnerships and a more diversified energy map.
Fox News Digital reached out to Saudi Arabia and the UAE for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.
war with iran, middle east, saudi arabia, trade, iran, geopolitics, energy
INTERNACIONAL
La calificadora Moody’s ratifica la nota Ba1 de Guatemala y mantiene la perspectiva estable
Moody’s reafirmó la calificación de Guatemala en Ba1 y mantuvo la perspectiva estable, lo que posiciona al país centroamericano a un solo nivel del grado de inversión e implica un reconocimiento al avance institucional y la prudencia fiscal, de acuerdo con información del Ministerio de Finanzas Públicas citada por Minfin.
Esta ratificación consolida una tendencia favorable iniciada en 2025, cuando S&P Global Ratings elevó su nota a BB+ y Fitch Ratings también mejoró su evaluación, alineando a las tres principales agencias internacionales en un diagnóstico común: estabilidad del perfil crediticio guatemalteco.
El dato más reciente sobre la economía nacional indica que Guatemala creció 4,3% en 2025, resultado que supera el 4,1% estimado previamente y confirmado por las autoridades monetarias tras la revisión efectuada en abril, según Minfin.
Esta evolución se da en un contexto en el que el país sostiene una de las deudas públicas netas más bajas de América Latina, fenómeno destacado por Moody’s Ratings en su informe. La agencia cita también el rol de las remesas y el gasto público como factores clave en el dinamismo económico.
La decisión de Moody’s se fundamenta en tres áreas: el refuerzo institucional, el crecimiento sólido y la resiliencia externa. El informe expresa: “La confirmación de la calificación Ba1 de Guatemala equilibra el impulso institucional en mejora, el sólido crecimiento tendencial, el historial de gestión fiscal prudente y la limitada vulnerabilidad externa, frente a las persistentes restricciones estructurales económicas e institucionales en comparación con países de mayor calificación”, según la propia calificadora.
La ratificación se produce tras la aprobación de instrumentos legislativos como la Ley de Infraestructura Vial Prioritaria, la Ley de Alianzas Público-Privadas y la Ley de Competencia, reformas impulsadas por el gobierno del presidente Bernardo Arévalo y destinadas a fortalecer la competitividad y atraer inversiones. Moody’s resalta estos logros como indicadores de que la agenda de reformas se mantiene en marcha.
La permanencia en el nivel Ba1 obedece también a la evaluación de desafíos persistentes. Moody’s advierte que la capacidad estatal, la baja base de ingresos y el déficit significativo de infraestructura continúan afectando el desempeño económico.
Estas debilidades, originadas en un “largo historial de baja formación de capital físico y humano”, restringen la capacidad productiva y dificultan tanto las funciones administrativas y regulatorias estatales como la captación de inversión extranjera directa y la competitividad exportadora.
Pese a estas restricciones, Moody’s señala que la fortaleza fiscal de Guatemala se apoya en un “largo historial de gestión prudente de la deuda y una carga de deuda gubernamental baja”. Sin embargo, la estructura rígida del gasto y los ingresos limitados afectan la flexibilidad del gobierno en el manejo fiscal y la asequibilidad de la deuda, de acuerdo con el reporte de Minfin.
La perspectiva estable asignada por la agencia responde a la expectativa de una mejora gradual. Moody’s sostiene que los avances en materia institucional “tardarán en traducirse en fundamentos económicos o fiscales materialmente más sólidos”, dado que la aplicación de políticas enfrenta barreras estructurales.
Por otro lado, advierte que los riesgos externos —como el endurecimiento de las políticas migratorias de Estados Unidos y la volatilidad de los precios internacionales— pueden incidir en el flujo de remesas, aunque estos efectos se ven mitigados por los “sólidos colchones externos y la gestión macroeconómica prudente”.
En el sistema financiero, el techo soberano en moneda local permanece en Baa1, tres escalones por encima de la nota soberana, reflejo de la “limitada intervención gubernamental en la economía y el riesgo político contenido”. El techo de moneda extranjera se mantiene en Baa3, dos niveles por debajo del techo local, y evidencia la persistencia de una “alta relación de préstamos en moneda extranjera respecto a depósitos, superior al 100% en el sistema bancario guatemalteco frente a sus pares regionales”.
El Ministerio de Finanzas Públicas coordina la gestión del riesgo país a través de la Mesa Interinstitucional para el Análisis de la Calificación del País (MINAPA), encargada de canalizar la interlocución con inversionistas, agencias calificadoras y organismos multilaterales. Según Minfin, la cartera intensificará esta estrategia de comunicación con los mercados para respaldar el proceso de reforma y avanzar hacia el grado de inversión.
Moody’s,Guatemala,Ba1,calificación,crédito,economía,perspectiva,estable,finanzas
INTERNACIONAL
Elizabeth Warren’s Bezos Met Gala jab backfires as critics mercilessly drag ‘un-American’ lawmaker
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., drew intense criticism on Monday after she claimed on X that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos should pay more in taxes in response to him sponsoring the Met Gala, with conservatives questioning the senator’s record and accusing her of misrepresenting facts.
«The answer to everything, up to and apparently including bankrupting an airline at the cost of something like 15,000 jobs and the entire concept of budget airfare, is ‘Jeff Bezos has a lot of money though,’» venture capitalist and media founder Mike Solana wrote in response to Warren’s post.
Solana was referring to the recent demise of Spirit Airlines. Conservative commentators claim Spirit could have been saved if Warren hadn’t pushed to block JetBlue’s acquisition of the budget carrier on anti-trust grounds in 2024.
«If Jeff Bezos can drop $10 million to sponsor the Met Gala, he can afford to pay his fair share in taxes,» Warren said on Monday, sparking the glut of pushback from social media users.
WASHINGTON POST ARGUES THERE’S ‘LITTLE TO GAIN BY RAISING TAXES ON THE RICH,’ RATES ALREADY HIGH ENOUGH
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., questions Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen during a Senate Finance Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington on March 16, 2023. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)
Following news that Bezos had cut an eight-figure check to fund the Met Gala, liberals in the entertainment industry such as Mark Ruffalo and Taraji P. Henson joined Warren in criticizing Amazon and Bezos for their allegedly unethical business practices. Protesters appeared outside the gala on Monday holding signs criticizing Bezos. One demonstrator was detained for trying to break into the event.
Warren’s message backfired online, as commenters pointed to the demise of Spirit Airlines and took issue with her tax policies across the years.
«Jeff Bezos employs over 1.5 million people at Amazon,» X user Gina Milan wrote. «You’re responsible for 17,000 workers losing their jobs and for blocking the merger that ultimately killed Spirit Airlines.»
Spirit put downward pressure on prices at other airlines and its folding could lead to an increase in overall travel prices, industry analysts told USA Today. Estimated job losses stemming from Spirit’s shuttering include approximately 15,000 direct employees and an additional 2,000 indirect employees.
«This myth just won’t die,» Reason Magazine reporter Billy Binion posted, responding to Warren’s assertion that Bezos isn’t paying enough in taxes. «In 2024 alone, it’s estimated Jeff Bezos paid almost $3 billion in taxes. Painting rich people as tax avoiders plays great on social media, but it’s not reality. The U.S. has the most progressive tax system in the developed world.»
Forbes estimates that Bezos paid $2.7 billion in taxes in 2024 after he sold $13.6 billion worth of Amazon stock. He reduced his tax burden that year by donating $2.5 billion in Amazon shares to charity over the three prior years. Bezos paid nearly $1 billion in taxes between 2014 and 2018, according to a ProPublica analysis of tax documents.
To minimize tax burdens, billionaires like Bezos often take out loans secured against their massive stock holdings to acquire spending money, according to securities filings reviewed by ProPublica. Since the IRS doesn’t consider loans income, this setup gives the wealthy access to cash without having to pay income taxes.
FROM ‘JUMP ON A BUS’ TO TAX CRACKDOWNS: BLUE STATES CHASE WEALTHY RESIDENTS FLEEING TO RED HAVENS
Billionaire Jeff Bezos attends the DealBook Summit. Critics on social media have accused Bezos of allowing the Washington Post to suffer amid hundreds of staff layoffs. (Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for The New York Times)
Some on social media pushed Warren for specifics on how she plans to make Bezos pay his «fair share.»
«What’s his fair share?» Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, asked Warren. «What tax rate?»
Warren has proposed a wealth tax, charging households with net worths above $1 billion an annual tax worth 6% of their total wealth. Under Warren’s proposal, households with net worths between $50 million and $1 billion would be subject to a similar 2% tax.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren speaks to a staff member before the Senate Banking Committee hearing on oversight of credit reporting agencies on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on April 27, 2023. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
CALIFORNIA’S HATRED FOR CAPITALISM IS KILLING THE GOOSE THAT LAID ITS GOLDEN EGG
Much of the growth in wealth experienced by Bezos and other billionaires comes through the unrealized gains of their assets, which Warren’s tax would target.
Writer Mike Coté pointed out that Bezos is «so rich that he can simply leave the jurisdiction or get citizenship elsewhere» if Warren’s tax plans were signed into law.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
«Liz Warren does not want progressive taxation,» he continued. «She wants confiscatory taxation. It’s fundamentally un-American. And it doesn’t work.»
Warren’s office did not respond to a request for comment sent by Fox News Digital Tuesday morning.
jeff bezos, taxes, amazon, elizabeth warren, senate elections
El CFI pagó los gastos de Kicillof y su comitiva durante el viaje a España por una cumbre progresista
Los hospitales de la UBA denunciaron que están en riesgo por la falta de fondos y el Gobierno los desmintió
US-backed pipeline proposal targets global reliance on Strait of Hormuz amid Iran threats
Racismo en los estadios: el caso Everton–Manchester City y un problema que sigue vigente en Europa
Antiperonista, atrevido para los negocios y con esposa política: las vetas del contratista de Adorni
La Libertad Avanza ploteó con un león violeta una sala de reuniones del anexo de Diputados
ANSES oficializó el calendario de pagos de mayo con aumentos para jubilados y beneficiarios de AUH
¡EXPLOTA LA INTERNA! Patricia Bullrich prepara el portazo: el pacto secreto con Macri para «borrar» a Milei en 2027
El arquitecto que refaccionó la casa del country declaró que Adorni lo llamó para ofrecerle asesoría legal
Javier Milei viajará a Estados Unidos para volver a participar en la Conferencia Global del Instituto Milken
ECONOMIA2 días agoANSES oficializó el calendario de pagos de mayo con aumentos para jubilados y beneficiarios de AUH
- POLITICA2 días ago
¡EXPLOTA LA INTERNA! Patricia Bullrich prepara el portazo: el pacto secreto con Macri para «borrar» a Milei en 2027
- POLITICA22 horas ago
El arquitecto que refaccionó la casa del country declaró que Adorni lo llamó para ofrecerle asesoría legal
