INTERNACIONAL
Fiscal hawks seek millions for home district projects amid government funding debate
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
House GOP fiscal hawks have requested tens of millions of federal dollars for projects in their home districts for fiscal year 2026, an analysis by Fox News Digital has found.
It’s common practice for congressional lawmakers to request funding for specific community initiatives for the people they represent – measures called «earmarks.» Critics of such funding have often referred to it as «pork,» however.
This coming fiscal year, beginning on Oct. 1, is no different – both Republicans and Democrats have requests totaling over a billion dollars in earmarks so far.
That includes conservatives in the House of Representatives who have been known to criticize what they describe as excessive or bloated government spending.
GOP LAWMAKERS CLASH OVER STRATEGY TO AVERT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN CRISIS
House conservatives like Reps. Lauren Boebert, Clay Higgins, center, and Andy Harris have requested millions for community funding projects in their districts. (Getty Images)
House Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris, R-Md., for instance, has been approved for more than $55 million in federal funding for projects in his district.
The figure includes $9 million for the Middle River Fire Company to make improvements and upgrades to its facilities, and $1 million for the development of a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.
The majority of Harris’ requests are aimed at rural development in his district and the Army Corps of Engineers. Three earmarks were requested for clean water initiatives.
Harris told Fox News Digital when reached for comment on the funds, «These awards are certified to directly benefit taxpayers in the district—drawing from existing grant programs that are funded annually. It’s far better for elected members of Congress to designate where that money goes than to leave those decisions to unelected federal bureaucrats. There are no additional funds appropriated for Community Project Funding – they all fall within the agency’s appropriation.»
Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., a self-described deficit hawk, was approved for just over $10 million so far. That includes over $4 million for Flexible Neutron Source, a research tool at the University of Tennessee, and $2 million for veterans housing in Knox County.
LONGTIME BIDEN AIDE SAYS HE STOOD TO EARN UP TO $8M HAD PRESIDENT WON RE-ELECTION
House Freedom Caucus member Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., was approved for more than $18 million in earmarks – with the largest request being $4,200,000 for the Silicon Bayou Semiconductor Technology Center at the University of Louisiana, Lafayette.
Higgins’ total sum also includes funding for Army Corps of Engineers projects, as well as rural hospital, law enforcement and clean water initiatives.
He also submitted a joint request with House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., for $131,500,000 toward a levee and floodgate system, called the Morganza to the Gulf of Mexico Project, aimed at storm damage prevention.
Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., another member of the House Freedom Caucus, got nearly $15 million in community funding projects approved, chiefly aimed at clean water programs and highway infrastructure.
Boebert was vehemently against earmarks when she first came to Congress. Her opinion has changed since then, however, due to Republican-led changes to the process – which she explained in a 2023 op-ed in the Aspen Times.
Rep. Thomas Massie got $5 million approved for airport improvements. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
She made a similar argument to Fox News Digital when reached for this story: «I fought for real reforms to the appropriations process in 2023 to make sure my constituents’ tax dollars go to necessary infrastructure projects, not the wasteful and corrupt spending schemes that took place under Nancy Pelosi.»
«My district’s roads are crumbling, and our water keeps getting sent to California, where it’s wasted, because Colorado’s politicians won’t invest in water storage or infrastructure investments. My constituents pay federal taxes just like everyone else, and they should see their dollars benefit their communities instead of being sent to sanctuary cities like Denver,» Boebert said.
Conservative libertarian Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., also got some community funding, though only totaling $5 million approved so far. Massie’s requests so far are all focused on construction and rehabilitation for Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.
Massie told Fox News Digital of the funding, «I serve on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee because I believe the federal government has a legitimate role in transportation infrastructure, and the legislature has the constitutional authority to direct the funding of those projects.»
«In fact, I have voted in the GOP conference more than once to restore congressionally directed spending in the context of transportation infrastructure,» Massie said.
And Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., chair of the subcommittee for Delivering on Government Efficiency (DOGE), got nearly $10 million in earmarks approved for her rural-suburban Georgia district.
Those funding requests are largely comprised of infrastructure initiatives, clean water programs, and law enforcement-related projects for Floyd County and other areas.
148 DEMOCRATS BACK NONCITIZEN VOTING IN DC AS GOP RAISES ALARM ABOUT FOREIGN AGENTS
While known as a fiscal hawk, it’s worth noting that the majority of Greene’s criticism of government spending is directed at foreign aid.
Greene said she was glad to be able to provide for her district when reached for comment by Fox News Digital.
«I’m proud to bring federal tax dollars back home to Northwest Georgia – where they belong. My constituents work hard, and for far too long, Washington has sent their money to fund foreign wars, foreign governments and globalist pet projects. When I first got to Congress, I opposed the earmark process because I believed it was a tool of the Swamp. But after seeing how it works today, I’ve realized that if we don’t fight to bring money back to our districts, the money goes elsewhere,» Greene said.
«I’ll never support billions for Ukraine or other endless wars, but I will absolutely fight to secure critical investments in Northwest Georgia, from water systems and sewer expansions to public safety equipment, roads and broadband.»
Greene said she was glad to be able to provide for her district. (Reuters/Jim Bourg)
The aforementioned lawmakers’ spending requests are far from an exhaustive total list across the entire House, but fiscal conservatives’ earmark proposals show just how widespread the practice is within Congress – on both sides of the aisle.
Republicans have made some changes to the process as of FY2025, however, to narrow what’s allowed.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
In an effort to block out funding requests for «woke» or socially progressive policies, GOP appropriators have barred earmarks for most nonprofit organizations.
That move likely saved hundreds of millions of dollars in annual spending, but Democrats decried it as a block on federal funding for LGBT initiatives.
Fox News Digital reached out to spokespeople for Burchett and Higgins for comment but did not receive a response.
house of representatives politics,politics,budget house of representatives politics,government shutdown
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
EXCLUSIVE: The GOP Doctors Caucus is backing a possible effort to overhaul the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, or USPSTF, an independent task force that’s used to determine recommendations on what services health insurance companies in the United States have to cover free of charge.
A letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., led by Rep. Diana Harshbarger, R-Tenn., and Rep. Greg Murphy, R-N.C., and other members of the caucus expressed concerns that the group may be prioritizing social justice issues over other issues.
«Preventive care should be about keeping Americans healthy, not about checking political boxes,» Harshbarger said in a statement.
«The American people deserve a task force that follows the science, acts with urgency and relies on the expertise of front-line doctors. The USPSTF should be leading the charge in President Trump’s ‘Make America Healthy Again’ agenda, not wasting time on woke distractions while chronic disease rates keep climbing.»
REPUBLICAN SENATOR CLAIMS RFK JR. MRNA VACCINE DECISION UNDERMINES TRUMP AGENDA
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., makes his way to the inaugural Great American Farmers Market on the National Mall Aug. 4, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Specifically, the letter asks for «relevant specialists» to be part of the process when making certain recommendations, greater transparency in decision-making and more of a focus on outcomes as opposed to «substantial attention to divisive social issues,» citing «race and gender identity considerations that extend beyond traditional clinical parameters,» according to a news release.
«In 2010, the Affordable Care Act expanded the authority of the USPSTF and tied coverage recommendations to Task Force determinations. However, since the USPSTF’s authority was expanded, the rate of incidence of preventable chronic disease in the United States has only climbed,» the letter states.
The letter was also signed by other members of the caucus, including Reps. Andy Harris, Ronny Jackson, Mike Kennedy, Brian Babin, Sheri Biggs and Bob Onder.
GOP SENATORS RALLY AROUND EFFORT TO END ‘RADICAL WOKENESS’ IN HHS TASK FORCE
Rep. Diana Harshbarger, R-Tenn., speaks during the Republican Study Committee news conference to introduce a «Women’s Bill of Rights» outside the Capitol May 19, 2022. (Getty Images )
Earlier this month, three Republican senators wrote a similar letter raising ideological concerns about the current task force.
«In particular, the USPSTF departed from its proper activities in its December 2023 Health Equity Framework. The framework criticizes ‘equal access to quality health care for all’ as an inadequate goal of public health and announces that the Task Force will instead use equity as ‘a criterion of the ‘public health importance’ of a topic’ for consideration,» that letter stated.
The Wall Street Journal reported that, in July, Kennedy was considering removing members of the board.
DEMS ‘DELIBERATELY OBFUSCATING’ TRUTH ABOUT ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ WITH THIS CLAIM: WATCHDOG
A sign stands at an entrance to the main campus of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta Feb. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeff Amy, File)
«No final decision has been made on how the USPSTF can better support HHS’ mandate to Make America Healthy Again,» an HHS spokesperson told Fox News Digital in a statement when asked about the WSJ report at the time.
The American Medical Association has opposed an overhaul of the task force.
«USPSTF plays a critical, nonpartisan role in guiding physicians’ efforts to prevent disease and improve the health of patients by helping to ensure access to evidence-based clinical preventive services. As such, we urge you to retain the previously appointed members of the USPSTF and commit to the long-standing process of regular meetings to ensure their important work can continue without interruption,» the AMA wrote.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Meanwhile, a group of physicians, including those from the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, America’s Frontline Doctors and the Pennsylvania Direct Primary Care Association, signed another letter in support of possible changes.
The signers wrote that new members should have an «ideological balance to develop recommendations based on facts and science.»
Fox News Digital reached out to HHS for an updated comment.
health,congress,robert f kennedy jr
INTERNACIONAL
Russia launches largest attack on Ukraine this month following Trump’s meetings with Putin, Zelenskyy
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Russia launched its largest attack of the month against Ukraine while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with U.S. President Donald Trump and European leaders at the White House.
The attack also comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s meeting with Trump in Alaska last Friday, during which Putin refused an immediate ceasefire and demanded that Ukraine give up its eastern Donetsk region in exchange for an end to the conflict that began with a February 2022 invasion by Moscow. Trump later said he had spoken on the phone with Putin about arrangements for a meeting between the Russian president and Zelenskyy.
Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 270 drones and 10 missiles into Ukraine on Monday night and into Tuesday, but that 230 drones and six missiles were intercepted or suppressed. The air force reported that 40 drones and four missiles struck across 16 locations, and debris was said to have fallen on three sites.
TRUMP’S PUSH FOR PUTIN-ZELENSKYY TALKS HINGES ON KREMLIN’S CONDITIONS
Russia launched its largest attack of the month against Ukraine on Monday night. (Getty Images)
«While hard work to advance peace was underway in Washington, D.C. … Moscow continued to do the opposite of peace: more strikes and destruction,» Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote on X. «This once again demonstrates how critical it is to end the killing, achieve a lasting peace, and ensure robust security guarantees.»
Energy infrastructure in the central Poltava region was a target of the strikes, according to Ukraine’s Energy Ministry. The casualty figures were not immediately released by officials.
WHITE HOUSE REJECTS ‘BLANK CHECKS’ FOR UKRAINE, PRESSES NATO TO SHOULDER COSTS
Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 270 drones and 10 missiles into Ukraine. (Getty Images)
«As a result of the attack, large-scale fires broke out,» the ministry said in a statement.
Oil refining and gas facilities were attacked, the ministry added, saying the strikes were the latest «systematic terrorist attacks against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, which is a direct violation of international humanitarian law.»
The attack was the largest since Russia launched 309 drones and eight missiles into Ukraine on July 31, according to the air force.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces shot down 23 Ukrainian drones on Monday night and into Tuesday morning.
The attack was the largest since Russia launched 309 drones and eight missiles into Ukraine on July 31. (Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Both sides have been targeting infrastructure, including oil facilities.
Zelenskyy had criticized Moscow for earlier strikes on Monday ahead of his meeting at the White House in which at least 14 people were killed and dozens more were injured.
«The Russian war machine continues to destroy lives despite everything. Putin will commit demonstrative killings to maintain pressure on Ukraine and Europe, as well as to humiliate diplomatic efforts. That is precisely why we are seeking assistance to put an end to the killings,» he wrote Monday morning on X.
Reuters contributed to this report.
russia,ukraine,world,conflicts,vladimir putin,volodymyr zelenskyy,donald trump,drones,wars
INTERNACIONAL
Horror en Brasil: una joven fue abusada y asesinada a golpes tras negarse a salir con un capo narco
Una joven de 22 años fue abusada y asesinada a golpes en Vila Aliança, en la Zona Oeste de Río de Janeiro, y su familia afirmó que fue atacada tras negarse a salir con un capo narco.
La víctima del brutal femicidio fue identificada como Sther Barroso dos Santos y el hombre señalado como autor del crimen es Bruno da Silva Loureiro, alias Coronel“, jefe del tráfico en el barrio Muquiço y miembro de la banda criminal Terceiro Comando Puro (TCP).
Leé también: Escándalo en Inglaterra: una mujer tuvo relaciones sexuales frente a un grupo de chicos que iban a la escuela Sther Barroso dos Santos fue brutalmente asesinada tras negarse a salir con un capo narco en Brasil. (Foto: gentileza Globo).
Cómo fue el asesinato de la joven
Testigos contaron que Sther recibió una brutal paliza tras negarse a irse de una fiesta funk con Silva Loureiro. Un video que circula en redes muestra a la joven bailando y divirtiéndose en una fiesta.
La violencia fue extrema. El cuerpo de Sther fue dejado en la puerta de su casa, desfigurado por los golpes. Su familia intentó socorrerla y la llevó de urgencia al Hospital Albert Schweitzer, en Realengo, pero la joven ya estaba muerta. Por el crimen buscan a Bruno da Silva Loureiro, alias coronel. (Foto: gentileza Globo).
Los exámenes del Instituto Médico Forense (IML) confirmaron que también fue víctima de abuso sexual, según indicó el sitio R7.
Los sueños de Sther: “Será el mejor año de mi vida”
En las redes sociales, amigos y familiares despidieron a Sther compartiendo las metas que había escrito en un cuaderno para el año próximo: «Terminar la escuela, hacer tres cursos, tener un perrito, enfocarse en el gimnasio y agradecer a Dios todos los días“. Eran sueños simples, pero llenos de esperanza.
Su familia indicó que la joven había iniciado el trámite de su licencia de conducir y se preparaba para mudarse a un nuevo departamento. “Será el mejor año de mi vida”, había escrito Sther sobre lo que esperaba para el 2025. Sther se había fijado varias metas para el año 2025. (Foto: gentileza g1).
El doloroso descargo de su hermana: “La entregaron desfigurada y sin vida”
Sther y su familia habían abandonado hace poco Muquiço, la comunidad donde vivían, para intentar empezar de cero tras sufrir un robo. “Entregaron a mi hermana desfigurada y sin vida. Acabó con la vida de mi hermana en el lugar donde estábamos reconstruyendo nuestras vidas. Le quitó la vida a mi hermana. Solo Dios tenía ese derecho”, escribió la hermana de Sther en una publicación de Instagram.
“Estábamos en paz y felices. Tú (el narcotraficante) destrozaste a nuestra familia. Ya entregaste a mi hermana muerta. No tuvimos tiempo de ayudarla. Arruinaste a mi familia. Inaceptable. Mi hermana soñaba con ser madre de un niño, soñaba con casarse. ¿Y ahora qué hago con mi vida sin ti?”, escribió la hermana en otro doloroso posteo.
Leé también: Envenenó a la familia de su exmarido con un hongo letal y ahora podría ser condenada a prisión perpetua
“No tengo sueño ni sed. Quiero justicia. Lucharé por ella hasta el final. Entiendo a los familiares que no tienen el coraje. Lo único que temía era que algún gusano intentara hacer algo contra mi familia”, declaró su hermana.
“Ella tenía tantos sueños… Quería estudiar, trabajar, cambiar su vida. Eso se lo arrebataron de la manera más cruel”, lamentó una amiga cercana, en diálogo con el sitio g1.
Sther Barroso dos Santos tenía 22 años y ya estaba muerta cuando llegó al hospital. (Foto: gentileza Globo).
Ya hubo al menos 49 femicidios en Río de Janeiro en lo que va del año
El crimen de Sther no es un hecho aislado. Según datos del Instituto de Seguridad Pública (ISP), 49 mujeres fueron víctimas de femicidio en el estado de Río de Janeiro solo en el primer semestre de este año.
Los asesinatos ocurridos en julio y agosto, como el de Sther, suman más nombres a una estadística que no deja de crecer.
La Policía investiga el caso, pero hasta el momento no hay información sobre la detención del principal sospechoso. Según los investigadores, el traficante tiene antecedentes penales por tráfico de drogas, robo, homicidio con arma de fuego, asociación delictiva, portación ilegal de armas, robo de vehículos y lesiones.
Brasil registró cuatro femicidios al día en 2024
Brasil registró en promedio cuatro femicidios por día en 2024, un total de 1459 víctimas, según el diario Folha de São Paulo.
Los datos sobre femicidios comenzaron a ser compilados en 2015, cuando una ley brasileña calificó el femicidio como la muerte de una mujer “causada por la violencia doméstica o familiar debido a su condición” femenina.
Al menos 11.859 mujeres fueron víctimas de este tipo de crimen en la última década en ese país de 215 millones de habitantes, según cifras del Ministerio de Justicia.
Cantidad de femicidios por municipio en Brasil. (Infografía: gentileza Folha de Sao Paulo).
La encuesta anual de la ONG Foro Brasileño de Seguridad Pública (FBSP) reveló que el 37% de las brasileñas sufrieron violencia en el último año, es decir, más de 21 millones de mujeres mayores de 16 años, el dato más alto registrado hasta ahora. También indica que una de cada diez mujeres sufrió abuso sexual o fue forzada a mantener relaciones sexuales, que los casos más graves ocurrieron a menudo en el hogar y que solo una cuarta parte de las agredidas acudió a las autoridades.
Brasil, Femicidio, Río de Janeiro
«Pichón de ballena gorreada toda tu vida, cornuda»: una famosa cruzó fuerte a Carmen Barbieri
Una senadora del PRO aseguró que “los niños argentinos no tienen derecho” a ser atendidos en el Garrahan
La IA devora tus datos: sabe lo que buscas, haces o subes, y lo utiliza
Vélez Sarsfield venció 2-0 a Fortaleza y clasificó a los cuartos de final de la Copa Libertadores
La UCR implosionó en el cierre de listas y sus referentes se enfrentarán en la ciudad y la provincia
La UCR bonaerense busca contener la interna y replegarse para el desafío de Somos Buenos Aires
El Gobierno creó un programa para financiar la participación de películas argentinas en festivales internacionales
GOP doctors call out health task force for ‘woke distractions’ amid major reform push
Russia launches largest attack on Ukraine this month following Trump’s meetings with Putin, Zelenskyy
«Pichón de ballena gorreada toda tu vida, cornuda»: una famosa cruzó fuerte a Carmen Barbieri
Una senadora del PRO aseguró que “los niños argentinos no tienen derecho” a ser atendidos en el Garrahan
La IA devora tus datos: sabe lo que buscas, haces o subes, y lo utiliza
El Gobierno pidió la detención del propietario de HLB Pharma: “El señor del fentanilo debe ir preso”
Zaira Nara lanzó su nuevo emprendimiento y la mataron a críticas por sus «promos»: “Un robo”
Tristeza: Nicolás Cabré no puede creer lo que vive Rufina con la China Suárez
Patricia Bullrich confirmó que será candidata a senadora por la ciudad de Buenos Aires
Pamela David se disculpó con Karina Milei por haber dicho que usaba un reloj de lujo
Yanina Latorre se quebró en LAM y no pudo contener el llanto tras escuchar a Julieta Prandi: “Me mata tu historia”
POLITICA1 día agoPamela David se disculpó con Karina Milei por haber dicho que usaba un reloj de lujo
- POLITICA3 días ago
Cierre de listas: todos los candidatos a senadores y diputados, las sorpresas y los interrogantes que faltan definir
- CHIMENTOS2 días ago
El delicado estado de salud de Cacho Garay: «Sino mejora podrían apuntarle una extremidad»
