The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced Thursday an investigation into the city of Boston, Massachusetts, alleging its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) housing practices violate federal anti-discrimination laws.

HUD said it has evidence Boston used federal grant assistance for «race-based preferences,» in violation of the Fair Housing Act and Title VI, describing the initiatives as a «social engineering project.»

«We believe the City of Boston has engaged in a social engineering project that intentionally advances discriminatory housing policies driven by an ideological commitment to DEI rather than merit or need,» HUD Secretary Scott Turner said in a statement. «HUD is committed to protecting every American’s civil rights and will thoroughly investigate the City’s stated goal of ‘integrating racial equity into every layer of city government.’»

Turner added that «this warped mentality will be fully exposed, and Boston will come into full compliance with federal anti-discrimination law.»

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The investigation came after HUD sent a letter to the Mayor’s Office of Housing, alerting city officials that it had «reason to believe» Boston was improperly using its federal grant assistance.

According to HUD, Boston’s Fair Housing Assessment promises to «target homebuyer outreach» at «Black and Latinx families» and charges city departments with collecting racial and ethnic data «to evaluate their work through a racial equity/social justice lens.»

Boston’s Housing Strategy 2025 also states that «at least 65%» of homeownership opportunities through city initiatives should go to BIPOC (Black, indigenous, and people of color) households, according to HUD.

«The policy is clear,» the agency stated. «Financial housing assistance is not just for all low-income persons but instead ‘particularly BIPOC residents.’»

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Turner said Thursday on X that HUD is «Breaking Up Biden’s Boston BIPOC Bash.»

«Boston pushed discriminatory housing policies in the name of DEI,» he wrote. «This warped mentality will be exposed and Boston will come into full compliance with federal law.»

Turner slammed the Biden administration earlier this week, telling Fox News Digital he blamed the former president’s policies for an illegal immigration and refugee crisis that rattled the housing market.

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The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is investigating whether Boston was using federal grant assistance for «race-based preferences,» in violation of the Fair Housing Act and Title VI. (Lane Turner/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

HUD releases its «Worst Case Housing Needs Report» every two years, which assesses the state of the housing market for low-income Americans and how many lack both affordable and adequate housing.

Turner said there are damning findings in this year’s assessment, which he pinned on former President Joe Biden’s immigration crisis.

«The unchecked illegal immigration and open borders policies allowed by the Biden administration continue to put significant strain on housing, pricing out American families,» Turner said.

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Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner stated on Dec. 11 that Boston «has engaged in a social engineering project that intentionally advances discriminatory housing policies driven by an ideological commitment to DEI rather than merit or need.»  (Getty Images)

Fox News Digital reached out to the City of Boston for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Charles Creitz contributed to this report.

El presidente de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, anunció este jueves la inminente firma de un acuerdo internacional sobre semiconductores con Japón, Australia, Corea del Sur y Singapur, denominado Iniciativa Pax Silica, con el objetivo de impulsar una política económica robusta centrada en el desarrollo de inteligencia artificial.

Trump, en declaraciones desde el Despacho Oval, subrayó la importancia de la medida: “No hacer esto hubiera sido un gran regalo para muchos países, pero para China en particular”.

Según el Departamento de Estado, la iniciativa busca reunir a los países sede de las empresas tecnológicas más avanzadas para liberar el potencial económico de la IA, aprovechando activos estratégicos comunes como la computación, el silicio, minerales y energía.

La cumbre Pax Silica tendrá lugar este viernes en Washington, con la participación adicional de Países Bajos, Emiratos Árabes Unidos, Canadá y representantes de la Unión Europea.

La cartera, liderada por el secretario de Estado Marco Rubio, explicó que los países “explorarán alianzas multidimensionales para reforzar la seguridad de la cadena de suministro, reducir dependencias coercitivas, proteger puntos críticos y fomentar ecosistemas tecnológicos confiables en áreas como semiconductores, conectividad, fabricación avanzada y energía”.

El pasado lunes, Trump anunció que su administración permitirá a la empresa tecnológica Nvidia exportar sus chips de inteligencia artificial H200 a determinados clientes en China y otros países, bajo condiciones diseñadas para salvaguardar los intereses de seguridad nacional.

Este anuncio, emitido a través de Truth Social, representa un giro respecto a las restricciones que Washington impuso en los últimos años para limitar el acceso de Beijing a semiconductores avanzados esenciales para el desarrollo de sistemas de IA. Trump reveló que el líder chino, Xi Jinping, “respondió positivamente” al ser informado sobre la decisión.

En la misma publicación, el mandatario republicano precisó que “el 25% será pagado a los Estados Unidos de América”, aunque no aclaró si se trata de un impuesto, tarifa u otro mecanismo financiero. Funcionarios estadounidenses consultados por medios locales no respondieron sobre los detalles de esta disposición.

Según Trump, el Departamento de Comercio de Estados Unidos está ultimando los lineamientos que regirán las exportaciones de chips de inteligencia artificial, como parte del proceso para autorizar ventas controladas a clientes en China y otros países y aclaró que este enfoque regulatorio también se aplicará a otras empresas estadounidenses del sector tecnológico, incluyendo AMD e Intel, ambas fabricantes de procesadores clave para sistemas de computación avanzada.

Según un informe publicado el domingo 7 de diciembre por el Institute for Progress, el chip H200 de Nvidia ofrece un desempeño casi seis veces superior al H20, el semiconductor más avanzado que actualmente puede exportarse legalmente a China luego de la reversión de una prohibición previa.

El estudio señala que el acceso al H200 permitiría a laboratorios chinos desarrollar supercomputadoras de inteligencia artificial con capacidades cercanas a las de los centros de referencia en Estados Unidos, aunque con un mayor costo operativo.

A pesar de la flexibilización anunciada respecto al H200, el presidente Donald Trump aclaró que los chips más recientes de Nvidia —la generación Blackwell— continuarán bajo un régimen de bloqueo y no podrán ser exportados a China.

(Con información de EFE)

The Trump administration is offering a $5 million reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the leader of Los Choneros, a gang the State Department designated a foreign terrorist organization (FTO) in September.

The State Department’s Narcotics Reward Program announced the reward Thursday for Ecuadorian fugitive Francisco Manuel Bermúdez Cagua, also known as «Churron,» because the gang he belongs to is allegedly responsible for trafficking drugs and guns into the U.S. and carrying out extreme acts of violence.

The 29-year-old was charged with international cocaine distribution conspiracy, international cocaine distribution and using firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, according to a superseding indictment filed in the Eastern District of New York.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York brought the charges, and the superseding indictment was unsealed in June.

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«As alleged, Bermúdez Cagua is a top lieutenant within the leadership of Los Choneros, an extremely violent foreign terrorist organization responsible for pumping drugs into the United States, causing harm to our communities and wreaking havoc in his homeland of Ecuador,» U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. of the Eastern District of New York said. 

«The significant reward being offered by the State Department underscores our resolve to bring Los Choneros’ leadership to justice in a U.S. courthouse and eradicate such organizations.»

Alleged co-conspirator José Adolfo Macías Villamar, also known as «Fito,» 46, was extradited to New York in July 2025. The Department of Justice said he is an Ecuadorian citizen who also faces international drug trafficking and firearms charges.

Darío Javier Peñafiel Nieto, also known as «Topo,» 35, is an alleged co-conspirator in the superseding indictment and is in custody in Ecuador.

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Ecuadorian police forces carry out a security operation as part of the fight against extortion gangs in a shantytown in the northeast of Guayaquil, Ecuador, April 4, 2024. (Gerardo Menoscal/AFP via Getty Images)

«We will use every tool in our arsenal to stop the brutal criminals who are trafficking deadly drugs into our country,» Chris Landberg of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs said. 

«We are offering a reward of up to $5 million under the Narcotics Rewards Program for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Bermúdez Cagua.»

The indictment alleges that Los Choneros was one of the most violent transnational criminal organizations operating out of Ecuador.

The group’s network moved multi-ton quantities of cocaine from South America, funneling shipments through Central America, Mexico and the U.S., among other locations, the indictment alleges.

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Soldiers keep watch outside the Zonal 8 prison in Guayaquil, Ecuador, Jan. 11, 2024. (Henry Romero/Reuters)

The alleged co-conspirators are accused of directing and ordering acts of violence to advance the organization’s goals.

The State Department designated Los Choneros as an FTO in September 2025.

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«Bermúdez Cagua is a high-ranking narco-terrorist whose actions have fueled the flow of cocaine into the United States and sown chaos in Ecuador,» U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Administrator Terrance Cole said. «The DEA is resolute in its mission to turn up the pressure and bring this dangerous individual to justice.»

The DEA encourages anyone with information about Bermúdez Cagua’s whereabouts to contact the agency at Ecuadortips@dea.gov or +593-988-292-235. All information will be kept confidential.