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Top union calls cops on itself to orchestrate ‘civil disobedience’ stunt at GOP office: source
FIRST ON FOX: Members of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), one of the largest and most politically active unions in the country, contacted local California police with a plan to get arrested on purpose during a scheduled protest outside the office of GOP Rep. Young Kim, Fox News Digital has learned.
A source familiar told Fox News Digital that SEIU informed the Anaheim Police Department about a protest held Tuesday, in which they wanted to be arrested during a staged «civil-disobedience type of event.» The protesters planned to block the office entryway to prompt an arrest by police officers.
Following conversations with law enforcement, the source said SEIU decided to go «in a different direction,» by holding a rally outside the office with «small civil disobedience toward the end,» like blocking a driver outside Kim’s office to get cited by police.
«Sorry, I have no information on that,» an Anaheim Police Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital when reached for comment.
FLORIDA PROTESTER SCREAMS AT REP. BYRON DONALDS DURING TENSE TOWN HALL
Members of SEIU contacted local California police with a plan to intentionally get arrested during a scheduled protest outside Rep. Young Kim’s office. (Getty Images)
When reached by Fox News Digital for comment, a spokesperson did not confirm or deny that SEIU called the cops on itself.
«I’m glad our action got your attention! You may have missed the real news today, which is that the lives of people with disabilities are at stake,» the spokesperson said while including information about the «devastating effects cutting Medi-Cal would have on Rep. Kim’s constituents who live with disabilities.»
‘CHAOS AND CONFUSION’: HOW DEMOCRATS INFILTRATED ‘THUNDEROUS’ GOP TOWN HALLS
About 1,000 people gathered outside Kim’s office on Tuesday in a peaceful protest where no one was arrested, ABC 7 Eyewitness News reported.
At one point, roughly a dozen people blocked a driveway near the building. Police instructed them to move and when they refused they were marched to another parking lot and cited with tickets for blocking a roadway, the outlet reported.
Protesters gather in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 17, 2025. Protesters also gathered outside Rep. Young Kim’s office on Tuesday. (Deirdre Heavey/Fox News Digital)
Protests outside representatives’ offices and at their town halls have erupted during President Donald Trump’s second term, as massive layoffs and spending cuts led by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have triggered outrage among Democrats across the country.
SEIU has been at the forefront of those protests nationwide, advocating for workers’ rights and protecting Americans’ access to healthcare. The protest outside Kim’s office was about protecting Medicaid as Democrats have been sounding the alarm about potential threats to the program since Trump’s November victory.
«The GOP budget would gut $880 BILLION from Medicaid – the biggest cut in U.S. history – just to hand $7 TRILLION to billionaires. This will hurt working families, seniors, kids, veterans & people with disabilities,» SEIU posted on Friday.
Rep. Young Kim speaks during a hearing March 10, 2021, on Capitol Hill. (Ting Shen-Pool/Getty Images)
While Democrats have said there is no way to preserve Medicaid given Trump’s ambitious tax cuts included in his «big, beautiful bill,» Republicans have maintained that Trump will not cut Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid benefits.
Kim, whom the SEIU protesters were targeting with their staged arrests, joined 12 House Republicans in a letter to House leadership opposing any budget resolution that would make cuts to Medicaid services. Her office is also shutting down the implication that congressional Republicans are hiding from their constituents.
«I had a productive meeting with many of these local healthcare advocates last week and will continue to make clear to House leadership and my constituents that any budget resolution that cuts vital Medicaid services for the most vulnerable citizens in our community will not receive my vote. My door is always open,» Kim told Fox News Digital in a statement.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders participate in a stop on the «Fight Oligarchy» tour in Bakersfield, California, on April 15, 2025. (Reuters/Aude Guerrucci)
«Rep. Kim recently wrote to House leadership to make clear once again that any budget resolution that cuts vital Medicaid services for the most vulnerable citizens in our community will not receive her vote. She appreciates the work of these advocates on healthcare issues. She is committed to protecting and strengthening our healthcare system, including vital Medicaid services for our most vulnerable, and has worked across the aisle to expand access to care for her constituents,» a spokesperson for Kim added in a statement.
Kim’s spokesperson said the California congresswoman was «recently ranked the most effective federal lawmaker from California» and emphasized her efficiency and bipartisan leadership in Congress.
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Progressive protest groups organized disruptions at Republican-held town halls and local legislative offices earlier this year, effectively shutting them down. Some lawmakers, including Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., reported safety concerns following threats of violence. Many Republicans opted for tele-town halls as a result, citing productivity in a controlled environment.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the former vice presidential candidate, has joined a growing number of Democrats hosting town halls in Republican-held congressional districts, following reports that the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) told congressional Republicans to stop holding in-person town hall meetings after protesters began disrupting them earlier this year.
Politics,California,US protests
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Senate Democrats are feverishly recruiting top candidates to win back majority in 2026 midterms
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As they mount their uphill effort to win back the Senate majority in next year’s midterm elections, Democrats feel that they’re on a roll.
Late last month, they landed their biggest recruit to date, when former two-term Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper of North Carolina declared his candidacy in the 2026 race to succeed retiring Republican Sen. Thom Tillis.
Democrats view the open Senate seat in the crucial southeastern battleground state as a top pick-up opportunity next year as they try to win back control of the Senate, which the Republicans currently hold with a 53-47 majority.
«It’s hard to overstate the importance of getting Gov. Cooper to run for the Senate in North Carolina, and already we are seeing a potential for a ripple effect,» longtime Democratic strategist Chris Moyer told Fox News Digital.
THIS REPUBLICAN JUST JUMPED INTO BATTLEGROUND GEORGIA’S HIGH-PROFILE SENATE RACE
Then-Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat from North Carolina, speaks with reporters on Sept. 10, 2024, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Paul Steinhauser – Fox News )
Moyer, a veteran campaign communicator, said that Cooper recruitment is «giving more faith to potential candidates who are questioning whether there’s a chance for a Democratic majority in the Senate next year.»
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) Chair Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, after landing Cooper, said he «is a formidable candidate who will flip North Carolina’s Senate seat.»
Top Democrats now have their eyes on former Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, who lost last year’s re-election bid in a onetime top swing state that’s become reliably red over the past decade.
WHAT A TOP POLITICAL HANDICAPPER SAID ABOUT THE DEMOCRATS’ CHANCES TO WIN BACK SENATE IN 2026
Schumer, the top Democrat in the Senate, trekked to Ohio this summer in hopes of convincing Brown to take on Republican Sen. Jon Husted, Fox News confirmed.
Brown, who served over three decades in the House and later the Senate, is viewed by Democrats as the only candidate who could potentially topple Husted, who was named at the beginning of this year to fill the seat left vacant when then-Sen. JD Vance stepped down to become vice president.
Former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio is seriously considering a 2026 bid to return to the Senate. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Democrats landed the candidate they were hoping for in swing state New Hampshire in the race to succeed retiring longtime Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen.
Four-term Rep. Chris Pappas’ announcement in early April that he would run to succeed Shaheen has cleared the Democratic primary field, as of now, of any potential rivals for the party’s Senate nomination.
Democratic Senate candidate in New Hampshire Rep. Chris Pappas is interviewed by Fox News Digital on July 4, 2025, in Portsmouth, N.H. (Paul Steinhauser – Fox News)
Meanwhile, a Republican primary in the state – where the GOP hasn’t won a Senate race in 15 years – is heating up between former Sen. Scott Brown and state Sen. Dan Innis, with the possibility of more candidates entering the race.
In battleground Georgia, which President Donald Trump narrowly carried in last year’s White House race, Republicans view first-term Sen. Jon Ossoff as the most vulnerable Democrat incumbent up for re-election next year.
But Ossoff is off to a very hot fundraising start, and a GOP primary between Reps. Mike Collins and Buddy Carter, and former college and professional football coach Derek Dooley, is starting to turn combustible.
Republicans view Sen. Jon Ossoff as the most vulnerable Democrat running for re-election in the 2026 midterm elections. (AP)
Of potential concern for the Democrats is Michigan, where the dynamics appear to be the opposite of Georgia, in the race to succeed retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters.
Former Rep. Mike Rogers, the 2024 GOP Senate nominee who narrowly lost last year’s race, appears to have cleared the Republican, thanks in great part to Trump’s endorsement and likely arm twisting by the president’s political team.
Democrats, meanwhile, have a very competitive primary on their hands. The primary race includes three well-known Democrats: Rep. Haley Stevens, state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, and former gubernatorial candidate Abdul El-Sayed, who enjoys the backing of progressive champion Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.
And popular Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan is running for the Senate as an independent, which could potentially hurt Democrats in the general election.
While Texas has long been a reliable red state, and conservative firebrand Sen. Ted Cruz comfortably won re-election last year, Democrats are optimistic about their 2026 chances to potentially flip a red seat to blue.
That’s because longtime GOP Sen. John Cornyn is facing a serious primary challenge from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a MAGA world rockstar.
Former Rep. Colin Allred of Texas, seen on the campaign trail last October, is running for a second straight election cycle for the Senate. (Reuters/Marco Bello)
Paxton has long been surrounded by scandals, and is now dealing with a headline-grabbing divorce with his wife, state Sen. Angela Paxtom. And Democrats believe if Paxton topples Cornyn in next March’s GOP primary, he’ll be toxic in the general election.
But Democrats could have a competitive primary in Texas as well.
Former Rep. Colin Allred, who lost to Cruz last November, launched a second straight campaign earlier this year.
Former Rep. Beto O’Rourke, who came close to ousting Cruz in the state’s 20218 Senate election before unsuccessfully running for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination and losing the 2022 Texas gubernatorial race to GOP Gov. Greg Abbott, is taking a hard look at a 2026 Senate run.
State Rep. James Talarico, who grabbed national attention recently for his appearance with popular podcaster Joe Rogan, and Rep. Joaquin Castro, are also mulling bids.
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Democrats also feel they may have a shot in Iowa – a onetime swing state that’s become firmly red in recent election cycles – if Republican Sen. Joni Ernst decides against seeking a third term in the Senate.
But they’ll likely have a much better chance of flipping a GOP-held seat in blue state Maine if longtime Republican incumbent Sen. Susan Collins decides against seeking re-election.
democrats senate,senate,midterm elections,elections,donald trump,democratic party,republicans elections
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White House envoy Steve Witkoff landed in Russia on Wednesday for his fifth visit with Russian President Vladimir Putin as President Donald Trump looks to force a peace deal and bring an end to the three-and-a-half-year war in Ukraine.
Little seems to have been accomplished from the three-hour meeting in the way of securing a peace deal, or even circumventing the threatened sanctions by Trump that Putin now stares down, though according to Russian foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushakov, the meeting was described as «useful and constructive.»
Ushakov said Putin «received some signals from Trump» and «sent some signals,» but he did not elaborate on any specifics.
Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) meets with US President’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff (R) at Kremlin Palace in Moscow, Russia on August 6, 2025. (Kremlin Press Office / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)
WITKOFF SCRAMBLES FOR PEACE DEAL WITH RUSSIA AS SANCTIONS LOOM TARGETING INDIA, CHINA
The advisor also told reporters that Putin and Witkoff had discussed developing the «strategic partnership» between the U.S. and Russia but did not elaborate how. The comment came after Witkoff was spotted earlier in the day taking a walk near the Kremlin with Kirill Dmitriev, the Russian president’s envoy for investment and economic cooperation.
Witkoff and Putin met shortly before noon in Moscow, according to the timestamp released by the Kremlin which accompanied an image of Putin and Witkoff smiling and shaking hands as Russian foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushakov looked on.
Witkoff’s team did not respond to Fox News Digital’s questions on what the envoy was hoping to accomplish in his meeting with Putin, though some reporting this week suggested he may look to secure a moratorium on air strikes.
A police officer at the site of a Russian air strike that hit a residential building in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Thursday, July 10, 2025. (Andrew Kravchenko/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Witkoff traveled to Moscow in a last-ditch effort to get Putin to capitulate to Trump’s and Western calls for an end to the war, though the Kremlin chief was not expected to make great concessions in ending his war ambitions ahead of the trip.
In mid-July, while seated next to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump promised to enforce «very severe» tariffs on Russia if Putin does not enter into a deal with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy within 50 days.
«Tariffs at about 100%, you’d call them secondary tariffs,» he had said, implying that nations who trade with Russia will see 100% tariffs slapped on them when trading with the U.S.
He then pushed the date up to within 10 days of July 29, forcing the new deadline for Friday.
But on Tuesday Trump walked back his 100% tariff threat amid tough trade talks with India and China, and said, «I never said a percentage.»
«We’ll see what happens over the next fairly short period of time,» he added in response to questions from reporters. «We have a meeting with Russia tomorrow. We’re going to see what happens.
President Donald Trump, right, and Mark Rutte, secretary general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), shake hands during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Monday, July 14, 2025. (Yuri Gripas/Abaca/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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«We’ll make that determination at that time,» he added.
The tariffs would most drastically target China and India, which are the largest purchasers of Russian oil, though high tariffs on those nations, both of which are major traders with the U.S., would also mean higher prices for the American consumer.
russia,vladimir putin,ukraine,donald trump,world
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Italia aprobó la construcción del puente colgante más largo del mundo sobre el estrecho de Mesina
El gobierno italiano aprobó este miércoles el proyecto definitivo para la construcción del puente sobre el estrecho de Mesina, una obra faraónica de 13.532 millones de euros que unirá por primera vez la península italiana con la isla de Sicilia mediante lo que será el puente colgante más largo del mundo.
El visto bueno fue otorgado por el Comité Interministerial para la Planificación Económica y el Desarrollo Sostenible (Cipess), tras evaluar la documentación técnica y financiera presentada por el Ministerio de Infraestructuras y Transportes y las empresas involucradas en el proyecto.
El ministro de Infraestructuras y viceprimer ministro, Matteo Salvini, anunció en rueda de prensa que espera “iniciar las obras, los trabajos y las expropiaciones entre septiembre y octubre”, una vez que el Tribunal de Cuentas otorgue su aprobación final. Salvini describió el proyecto como una “obra sin precedentes en el mundo” y un “proyecto de ingeniería fascinante” que acelerará el desarrollo económico del sur de Italia.
La estructura que unirá la isla con la península será el puente colgante más largo del mundo, con un vano central de 3.300 metros. Estará sostenido por dos torres de 399 metros de altura, situadas en las costas de Calabria y Sicilia, unidas por cuatro cables de suspensión.
El puente contará con tres carriles de carretera por sentido, dos carriles de servicio y dos vías ferroviarias en el centro. El tablero tendrá 60,4 metros de ancho y una altura de 72 metros sobre el nivel del mar para permitir el paso de embarcaciones de gran calado.
Según las estimaciones oficiales, una vez completado entre 2032 y 2033, el puente tendrá una capacidad máxima de hasta 6.000 vehículos por hora y 200 trenes al día, reduciendo dramáticamente el tiempo de viaje entre Calabria y Sicilia de las actuales dos o tres horas en ferry a apenas 15 minutos por carretera y 10 minutos en tren.
La construcción del puente que una la región de Calabria con la ciudad de Messina es una idea que se estudia desde 1971. El ex primer ministro Silvio Berlusconi relanzó el proyecto durante su segundo gobierno (2001-2006) como uno de sus grandes sueños, aunque nunca llegó a colocarse la primera piedra.
Los intentos por construir un puente sobre el estrecho de Mesina se remontan incluso a tiempos antiguos. Según el cronista romano Plinio el Viejo, en el año 252 a.C. un cónsul logró trasladar 100 elefantes de guerra capturados desde Sicilia hasta la península italiana utilizando balsas hechas de “filas de barriles atados”.
En 2005, Berlusconi otorgó el primer contrato de 3.900 millones de euros para el puente, pero fue archivado meses después cuando cayó su gobierno. Al regresar al poder dos años más tarde, intentó revivir el proyecto, pero fue cancelado nuevamente en 2011 durante la crisis de deuda soberana europea.
Los costos han aumentado significativamente: de 4.400 millones de euros estimados hace dos décadas a los actuales 13.500 millones.
El gobierno de Giorgia Meloni ha reenmarcado el proyecto no solo como una obra de desarrollo económico, sino como una infraestructura estratégica crucial para la seguridad nacional. Italia ha comprometido aumentar su gasto en defensa al 5% del PIB dentro de una década como parte de sus compromisos con la OTAN, destinando 1,5% del PIB a infraestructuras estratégicas.
“El puente del estrecho de Mesina constituye una infraestructura fundamental con respecto a la movilidad militar, teniendo en cuenta la presencia de importantes bases de la OTAN en el sur de Italia”, señalaron las autoridades italianas en un informe de abril.
Sin embargo, expertos como Alessandro Marrone del Instituto de Asuntos Internacionales de Roma cuestionan esta justificación, argumentando que la prioridad de la OTAN es facilitar el despliegue rápido de tropas hacia el este europeo en caso de ataque ruso.
Marrone dijo al Financial Times que Italia debía centrarse en mejorar los puertos, aeropuertos y carreteras de las regiones donde están estacionadas sus tropas: “Si hay que ir al este, hay que hacerlo por el Adriático, en avión o por los Alpes”.
Se espera que el proyecto movilice más de 23.000 millones de euros en inversiones totales y genere aproximadamente 120.000 puestos de trabajo durante su ejecución. El consorcio Eurolink, liderado por la empresa italiana Webuild y que incluye la participación de 235 compañías —entre ellas la española Sacyr con un 22,4% de participación—, además de empresas japonesas y danesas, se adjudicó la obra.
Sin embargo, el proyecto enfrenta resistencias. Diversas asociaciones ciudadanas y medioambientales han denunciado los posibles daños al ecosistema marino del estrecho de Mesina y alertan sobre el riesgo de infiltración de mafias locales, como la ‘Ndrangheta en Calabria y Cosa Nostra en Sicilia.
La Dirección de Investigación Antimafia ha advertido en varias ocasiones sobre estos peligros, por lo que no se descarta que se presenten denuncias legales contra el proyecto.
Los residentes de Messina también se han movilizado para intentar detener el proyecto, que requerirá cambios masivos en la ciudad, incluyendo la reubicación de la estación de tren y demoliciones de algunos barrios.
A pesar de las controversias, el gobierno describió el puente como “infraestructura estratégica” y de “interés nacional” para completar las redes transeuropeas de transporte, con lo que describe como un “acelerador del desarrollo” para dos de las regiones más pobres de Italia.
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