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Dem ripped for ‘disgusting’ absence on bill to punish violent criminals after girl strangled in grisly killing
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FIRST ON FOX: Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico is being ripped by critics accusing him of making a «disgusting» decision to be absent during a vote on a Texas bill to automatically deny bail to illegal immigrants charged with violent felonies after a local preteen was strangled to death.
As a member of the Texas House of Representatives in 2025, Talarico was absent during the final voting on a bill dubbed by state lawmakers «Jocelyn’s Law,» in honor of slain Houston preteen Jocelyn Nungaray. The measure, which would have added a Texas constitutional amendment to deny bail to illegal immigrants charged with violent felonies, ended up failing due to lack of bipartisan support.
Before being absent for the final vote, Talarico voted against killing two amendments to the bill that would have exempted immigrants present in the country on humanitarian parole, an order of supervision, a pending green card application, trafficking or Violence Against Women Act victim protections, visa extension applications, deferred action or Temporary Protected Status.
He is now taking flak over his absence as he runs for U.S. Senate in one of the states most impacted by illegal immigrant crime. Nungaray, 12, was sexually assaulted and killed, allegedly by two Venezuelan illegal immigrants, in a Houston neighborhood in June 2024.
Zach Kraft, a spokesperson for the Republican National Committee, slammed Talarico for what he said amounts to helping to kill the bill, saying, «It is disgusting that James Talarico is letting his anti-American agenda show by siding with a violent illegal over a Texas family.»
DA TO SEEK DEATH PENALTY AGAINST ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ACCUSED IN NUNGARAY MURDER CASE
Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico (left) is taking heat for voting against «Jocelyn’s Law,» a bill named in honor of slain Houston preteen Jocelyn Nungaray (right) to amend the Texas constitution to deny bail to illegal immigrants charged with violent felonies. (Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images; The American Border Story)
Kraft told Fox News Digital that Talarico’s alleged opposition to the bill has «once again … proven his priority is criminals, not the safety of Texans.»
JT Ennis, a spokesperson for Talarico’s campaign, pushed back on this, telling Fox News Digital that «James is a law and order Democrat who supports prosecuting violent felons, and has a proven track record voting for tighter bail laws for violent offenders and voting repeatedly to increase funding for Texas police.»
Ennis added that «while [incumbent Sen.] John Cornyn, [challenger Texas Attorney General] Ken Paxton, and the billionaires who prop them up lie about James’ record, he will continue standing up against both political parties to fix this broken, corrupt political system.»
Texas bore much of the brunt of the border crisis during the Biden administration.
Prosecutors say Nungaray was abducted, sexually assaulted and strangled. Her body was later found in a creek drainage area. Two men, Johan Jose Martinez-Rangel and Franklin Jose Peña Ramos, both Venezuelan nationals illegally present in the U.S., have been charged with capital murder in the case.
JAMES TALARICO IS NEWEST TEXAS DEMOCRAT MEDIA DARLING, BUT DREAMS OF STATE ‘GOING BLUE’ HAVE LONG BEEN DASHED
Texas Senate candidate James Talarico speaks at a campaign rally in Houston on March 2, 2026. (Danielle Villasana/Getty Images)
Before Nungaray’s killing, the men were encountered by U.S. Border Patrol near El Paso, Texas, in early 2024. However, they were released on their own recognizance under the Biden administration into the U.S. The murder happened just months after their illegal entry.
According to data gathered by the House Homeland Security Committee toward the end of the Biden administration, there were more than 10.8 million border encounters and roughly two million known gotaways under former President Joe Biden.
Against this backdrop, Talarico has been criticized as soft on crime and pro-defund the police, the latter of which he has denied as a «flat-out lie.»
During his time in the Texas House, he has also voted against the Damon Allen Act, a bill that restricted bail for certain offenders named in honor of Texas state trooper Damon Allen, who was killed by a career criminal out on bail. In 2021, he also voted against a proposed constitutional amendment that would deny bail for anyone accused of violent sexual offenses or trafficking.
GOV ABBOTT EXTENDS OFF-RAMP FOR NY BILLIONAIRES FLEEING MAMDANI’S POLICIES
Franklin Jose Peña Ramos and Johan Jose Martinez-Rangel have been charged in the killing of Jocelyn Nungaray in Houston, Texas, on Monday, June 17. (Harris County Jail)
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On the immigration issue, Talarico has taken heat for saying in 2019 that «undocumented Americans» are «also my constituents.»
In a graphic put out by United We Dream, an activist group that supports abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Talarico encouraged people not to open their doors to federal immigration agents. He instructed people not to sign any documentation without an attorney and to «fight back.»
Fox News Digital’s Leo Briceno and Alexandra Koch contributed to this report.
midterm elections, immigration, migrant crime, illegal immigrants, texas, democratic party, politics
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Amid President Donald Trump’s Monday announcement that a deal with Iran’s clerical regime is imminent to re-open the Strait of Hormuz and negotiate an end to Tehran’s illicit nuclear weapons program, Iranians who hoped U.S. pressure would force a decisive outcome now fear it may survive while ordinary people absorb the costs.
«Inside Iran, the mood has shifted from early-war optimism to a kind of exhausted resignation, but there is still some hope that this is the moment President Trump will use his leverage to do the right thing. The Iranian people understand this unusually narrow but strategic window,» Lisa Daftari, editor-in-chief of The Foreign Desk who keeps in contact with Iranians on the ground, told Fox News Digital.
She continued that ,»The regime is fiscally strained and politically brittle, while the broader population has been disillusioned by years of repression and economic collapse. Iranians do see this as a one‑time opportunity for Washington — and President Trump in particular — to translate military and economic leverage into the potential collapse of an irrefromable regime. If the outcome is a shallow agreement that props up the system without changing its trajectory, that window will likely close for years.»
TRUMP’S LEADERSHIP CREATES ‘RARE OPPORTUNITY’ FOR CHANGE IN IRAN, FORMER IRANIAN POLITICAL PRISONER SAYS
An Iranian flag is placed amid rubble next to a destroyed residential building near Ferdowsi Square in Tehran on March 3, 2026. (ATTA KENARE / AFP via Getty Images)
She continued, «If instead, the U.S. holds firm on sanctions and nuclear red lines, it can weaken the regime’s hand without punishing the Iranian people, who have already paid the highest price.»
Daftari, the Iran expert, shared recent correspondence from two Iranians from Tabriz and Tehran.
The resident from Tabriz said, «From my perspective, decades of political tension between Iran and the United States have had their greatest impact on ordinary people rather than those in power. Many families feel their voices are not being heard in international discussions about Iran.» Adding, «I respectfully ask whether you might consider sharing or highlighting the human side of this situation, so that the experiences of ordinary Iranian families are not overlooked in political discussions and media coverage.»
The Tehran resident said, «Today, the people of Iran believe in the future. On days when economic pressure makes the faces of the Iranian people sad, the word ‘unity’ brings a smile to their lips. Our situation is not good, but we are motivated.»
Fox News Digital surveyed a few Iranians and agreed to use only their first names because the clerical regime has declared the use of Starlink to bypass the censor a criminal act. A sophisticated clandestine network has managed to smuggle some satellite internet technology into Iran to allow people to communicate with the world outside the Islamist state.
Two armed members of Iran’s police special forces stand behind a country flag placed on an armored military vehicle during a pro-Government rally in downtown Tehran, Iran. (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Hassan, who lives in Tehran, pleaded with President Trump to keep strong in his dealings with the regime, saying that «Things have gotten so bad that even if you wanted to give up and leave Iran and just focus on your own life and work, it feels like there’s nowhere left to turn. Mr. Trump, through these deals and arrangements, has left people feeling trapped, with no road left open.»
Mehdi, who resides in Tehran, expressed confusion about the existence of an agreement. He said, «So what exactly are they agreeing on? Are they saying they’re close to a deal or are there other discussions too? Every minute there is a new piece of news, everyone has a new analysis, everything changes every minute. It’s strange. This war achieved nothing. We’re the only ones left paying the price,» he complained.
THE WAR HITS HOME: WHY FINANCIAL PAIN AND ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY THREATEN TRUMP’S DRIVE TO TOPPLE IRAN’S REGIME
Hassan from Tehran said that «Mr. Trump, if until yesterday most Iranians thought they were on the same path as America, you caused them all to become disappointed. «Mr. Trump, if you wanted this government to remain in power, why did you blow up factories? Now workers are being laid off, and inflation is out of control. Even with a salary of 18 million tomans, you cannot feed yourself.»
Mahsa, from the Caspian Sea city of Rasht, told Fox News Digital that the system [Islamic Republic of Iran] is still fully intact. They don’t care how many people died. If anything, they seem more emboldened now and even take pride in martyrdom. Yesterday I argued with a regime supporter [who] said: «Our leader didn’t give away a single meter of land, didn’t take a step backward, unlike previous kings who gave away Bahrain, Baku, Nakhchivan, and others.»
Protesters block a street as a crowd gathers during a demonstration in Tehran, Iran, on Jan. 9, 2026. (Mahsa/Middle East Images/AFP)
The concerns among many Iranians revolve around the proposed memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran’s regime. The MOU does not address the overthrow of the clerical regime or human rights violations, according to media reports. Large numbers of Iranians within Iran and among the Iranian diaspora want the Trump administration to topple the Islamist dictatorship in Tehran.
The MOU reportedly involves a 60-day ceasefire extension. Israel and the U.S. launched a joint attack on Iran on February 28. The MOU would also see the reopening the Strait of Hormuz and new talks over Iran’s illicit nuclear weapons program.
The leaked elements of the MOU have not been confirmed by the Trump administration.
When asked about the concern among Iranians about a deal with the Islamic Republic, Anna Kelly, a spokeswoman for the White House, told Fox News Digital that «For 47 years, American Presidents and countless other world leaders talked about the threat posed by Iran, but no one had the courage to address it. President Trump took decisive action to ensure that Iran could never harm our homeland, our troops, or our allies again. Once Iran’s nuclear threat is removed for good, the entire region and its people will be safer and more stable.»
IRAN REGIME ESCALATES REPRESSION TOWARD ‘NORTH KOREA-STYLE MODEL OF ISOLATION AND CONTROL’
Protesters march in downtown Tehran, Iran, on Dec. 29, 2025. (Fars News Agency/AP)
However, Trump said last week during his cabinet meeting, «We didn’t set out for regime change,» adding, «But by the fact that we’re dealing with a totally different group of people than we were at the beginning … This is regime change.»
Reza Farnood, an Iranian American who supports the Trump administration and is a researcher, writer and activist, urged that President Trump continue with his maximum pressure campaign against Tehran.
Farnood told Fox News Digital, «We welcome the bombing and attacking the regime because we are aiming to overthrow the regime.» He urged that Trump continue the blockade of Iran’s vessels and deny money to the regime. He said sanctions relief will be used by Iran «against the U.S. and Israel and their allies and innocent Iranians.»
Farnood stressed that the clerical regime is holding the Iranian people «hostage.»
Kianoosh, who lives in the northern city of Karaj, the capital of Alborz province, said about Trump’s proposed deal: «You threw six months of our lives into hell. What answer are «you going to give to the mothers of all those children who were killed? Why did you give people false hope? Why did you hand down a death sentence to everything so many people believed in?»
Leading U.S. Senators well-versed in foreign policy have praised Trump’s approach to the Islamic Republic. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-SC., recently told Fox News’ Sean Hannity «On Trump’s watch, they’re [Iran’s regime] becoming poorer and weaker. That’s the difference.»
TRUMP’S ‘ECONOMIC FURY’ SQUEEZES IRAN — BUT CAN TEHRAN OUTLAST THE PRESSURE?
Graham juxtaposed Trump’s Iran policy with his predecessors. «Obama and Biden screwed Iran up, and Donald Trump is fixing it. On Obama and Biden’s watch, Iran became rich and lethal,» he said. «On Trump’s watch, they’re becoming poorer and weaker. That’s the difference.»
Iran is running dangerously low on oil storage capacity and could face a severe economic breaking point if forced to halt production, former U.S. Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette recently told Fox News.
Trump has said that Iran’s regime murdered as many as 45,000 Iranian demonstrators in January 2026. He urged just days after the mass murder that protesters keep going and promised them that «help is on its way.»
Lawdan Bazargan, a prominent Iranian-American activist who the regime imprisoned in its infamous Evin Prison in Tehran in the 1980s for political dissent, told Fox News Digital that the Iranians she’s spoken with are discouraged by Trump’s dealings. «He was one of the few world leaders who repeatedly spoke about the thousands of Iranians killed in January 2026 and expressed disgust at the sheer brutality of the Islamic Republic. He had promised support for the Iranian people and raised expectations that meaningful change might finally come.»
Iranians attend an anti-government protest in Tehran, Iran, on Jan. 9, 2026. (UGC via AP)
She continued: «Now, 88 days later, many people feel they are left facing the same regime, one that appears more emboldened, more ideological, and still willing to repress, execute, and arrest people. The economy has been devastated, and many feel trapped between a government with no mercy and a future with no clear path forward.
For years, 90 million Iranians have lived as hostages of the Islamic Republic. Now, many fear that the consequences no longer stop at Iran’s borders, through threats to global energy routes, regional stability, and even digital infrastructure.»
According to Bazargan, «The question many ordinary Iranians are asking is simple: How are people expected to fight a system that feels victorious, controls the weapons, controls the narrative through a massive propaganda machine, and possesses countless tools of repression?»
A billboard in Tehran displays Iran’s supreme leaders since 1979: Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who was appointed supreme leader on March 9, 2026. (AFP/Via Getty Images)
Ali, who is also from the sprawling capital city of Tehran, complained about the spiraling prices and inflation and disappointment that the regime is still in place.
«For a government with state-provided housing and billions in patronage and privileges, what difference did any of this make for its supporters?»
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Ali added: «We’re the ones who are paying the price and getting crushed. How are our children ever supposed to afford these housing and car prices, and how are they supposed to get married?»
The U.S. State Department referred Fox News Digital to the White House for a comment.
war with iran, iran, sanctions, terrorism, national security
INTERNACIONAL
Banca privada incrementa un 33.9% los créditos al sector construcción en El Salvador durante abril de 2026
Al cierre de abril de 2026, la banca privada concedió créditos por USD 1,564 millones al sector construcción, una cifra que marca un crecimiento interanual de 33.9% y consolida el papel central de esta industria en la economía salvadoreña.
El impulso financiero se refleja en la generación sostenida de más de 187,000 empleos en todo el país, posicionando a la construcción como la actividad productiva más dinámica y de mayor liquidez.
El efecto multiplicador de la industria alcanza a ramas como la importación de materiales, servicios logísticos, arquitectura y comercialización de insumos, fortaleciendo el tejido económico nacional.
El director ejecutivo de la Oficina de Planificación del Área Metropolitana de San Salvador (Opamss), Luis Rodríguez, explicó que la información consolidada por la Superintendencia del Sistema Financiero y el Banco Central de Reserva (BCR) confirma la solidez del sector.
En declaraciones recogidas por Diario El Salvador, Rodríguez afirmó que “el crecimiento del crédito de la construcción es una señal clara de alta actividad constructiva, inversión sostenida y confianza empresarial”.
El volumen de préstamos otorgados involucra a bancos comerciales, sociedades de ahorro y crédito y bancos cooperativos. Rodríguez atribuyó estos resultados a la coordinación de esfuerzos entre los sectores público y privado, así como a la participación de la Opamss en la planificación y ejecución de proyectos que han modificado zonas urbanas, la logística nacional y el turismo.
La expansión del sector ha provocado un incremento del 50% en los servicios relacionados con la construcción, lo que se traduce en mayor demanda de materias primas, cadenas de abastecimiento, servicios legales, arquitectura, comercialización y distribución de materiales, además de la gestión de bodegas. Esta dinámica sostiene el crecimiento del crédito productivo y genera efectos positivos en diversas áreas económicas.
El sector ha registrado un crecimiento superior al 9% sobre el “boom” reportado al cierre de 2025, evidenciando que la estrategia conjunta entre el sector privado —a través de la Cámara Salvadoreña de la Construcción (Casalco)— y entidades estatales ha mantenido el flujo de inversiones y la confianza empresarial. Rodríguez remarcó que la continuidad de la inversión y la transformación urbana son resultado de esa colaboración.
Durante el primer cuatrimestre de 2026, la liquidez del sector se reflejó en importaciones por USD 535 millones en materiales y maquinaria, de los cuales USD 437 millones correspondieron a materiales y USD 127 millones a maquinaria y equipo especializado para la construcción.
La construcción mantiene una posición relevante en la economía salvadoreña, apoyada por condiciones de seguridad jurídica y física, así como por la creación constante de empleo.
Durante el primer cuatrimestre de 2026, la construcción registró un aumento significativo en el otorgamiento de créditos, la generación de empleo y el volumen de importaciones de insumos y maquinaria.
Estos resultados se relacionan con la confianza de los inversionistas y con la implementación de estrategias conjuntas entre el sector público y privado.
Rodríguez señaló que la colaboración entre distintas entidades, incluida la Opamss, ha contribuido al desarrollo de proyectos urbanos y a la evolución del sector, que se consolida como un actor relevante en el panorama económico de El Salvador.
construcción,banca privada,créditos,El Salvador,economía,desarrollo,empleo,inversión,infraestructura,crecimiento
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WATCH: Chuck Schumer sidesteps Platner scandals, confirms support for controversial Dem
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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., ignored persistent questions about controversies surrounding Democrat Graham Platner and reaffirmed his support for the embattled Senate candidate.
Platner, a Marine veteran and oyster farmer, has faced a series of controversies in recent weeks, including criticism over a tattoo with links to Nazi imagery, resurfaced Reddit posts where he made inflammatory comments about veterans and reports about sexually explicit messages exchanged with other women during his marriage.
Speaking with journalists in the Capitol on Tuesday, Schumer was pressed on whether he, as the top Senate Democrat, is satisfied with Platner’s explanations of the scandals dogging his campaign. In response, he said, «I met with Graham Platner today, we’re going to beat [Sen.] Susan Collins and take back the Senate.»
PLATNER CONTROVERSIES FUEL SPECULATION ABOUT LITTLE-KNOWN MAINE BALLOT REPLACEMENT PROVISION
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., confirmed his support for Maine Democratic candidate Graham Platner on Tuesday amid mounting controversy. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images; Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Schumer was asked several more times whether he still supports Platner in the face of the scandals considering his endorsement came before all the controversy. He was also asked whether Democrats’ backing of Platner undermines the party’s credibility in criticizing Texas Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton, who has faced some similar scandals.
The New York senator did not respond to these questions directly. Instead, he repeated: «We’re going to beat Susan Collins and take back the Senate.»
Schumer attempted to prompt reporters to ask about other topics.
«Any other subjects you got?» he said. But reporters continued to zero-in on his support for Platner.
After being asked about the candidate for a fifth time, Schumer finally responded, «As I said, I endorsed Graham Platner.»
«We’re going to beat Susan Collins and take back the Senate,» he reiterated before walking away.
SUNNY HOSTIN SUPPORTS GRAHAM PLATNER DESPITE CALLING HIM ‘A LIAR, A RACIST, AN ANTISEMITE’
Sen. Bernie Sanders and Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner stand together during a «Fighting Oligarchy» tour stop at the Collins Center for the Arts on the University of Maine campus in Orono, Maine, on May 24, 2026. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Platner has run a deeply controversial campaign, in addition to being the subject of various scandals, he faced scrutiny for having a «Totenkopf» Nazi SS tattoo, which he then covered-up with a different tattoo.
The far-left Senate hopeful has most notably ignited backlash after his vulgar messages on a since-deleted Reddit account were uncovered. Under the moniker «P-hustle,» Platner joked about masturbating in public portable toilets, among other crude posts.
Platner also called himself a communist, denigrated rural White people as «racist» and «stupid» and singled out Black people for not tipping.
GRAHAM PLATNER PULLED OUT OF MS NOW INTERVIEW IN WAKE OF SCANDAL, HOST CLAIMS
Graham Platner, a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Maine, points to a covered tattoo that was previously recognized as a Nazi symbol during an interview in Portland, Maine, on Oct. 22, 2025. (WGME via AP)
It was also recently uncovered that Platner has an active account on Kik, an anonymous chatting platform notorious for lax identification methods that have enabled the proliferation of child sexual abuse material.
The profile, reviewed by Fox News Digital, contains a sexually suggestive picture of Platner only wearing a towel around his waist. It is unclear when the image was taken, but Platner created the account in 2016.
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Schumer previously endorsed Maine Democratic Gov. Janet Mills to challenge Collins. Mills dropped out of the race in April, citing failure to garner the necessary financial backing for her campaign.
Her departure left Platner the frontrunner in the Democratic primary.
democratic party, democrats senate, chuck schumer, senate elections, elections, midterm elections, politics
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