INTERNACIONAL
Top Virginia cities in the hot seat as Trump-aligned group demands DOJ probe of DEI mandates
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FIRST ON FOX: A Trump-aligned legal group is ramping up its pressure campaign targeting big blue cities violating President Donald Trump’s Executive Orders and federal civil rights law by continuing to embed diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) into their practices.
America First Legal (AFL) sent three more civil rights complaints to the Department of Justice’s Office of Civil Rights this week requesting it investigate the Virginia cities of Richmond, Alexandria and Arlington for violating Title VI and Title VII of the Federal Civil Rights Act of 1964, as well as Trump’s Executive Orders on discriminatory DEI initiatives, via its city and county programs, hiring, and public services.
AFL argues the cities receive federal grant money and distribute it across their city governments in various departments and for multiple purposes, opening them up to federal scrutiny.
The civil rights complaint letters to the Justice Department follow the agency’s decision to launch an investigation into the city of Austin for similar DEI violations, which was followed by AFL’s first complaint letter to the Justice Department’s Office of Civil Rights earlier this month, asking the agency to investigate Seattle over its allegedly discriminatory DEI practices. AFL filed a complaint against Portland a few days later as well, alleging similar accusations.
TOP UNIVERSITY HIT WITH SCATHING FEDERAL COMPLAINT CALLING FOR PROBE INTO ‘UNSAFE’ AND ‘UNLAWFUL’ DEI AGENDA
Virginia police officers seen walking outside the state capitol building in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty Images)
«Despite these federal civil rights laws, these jurisdictions openly engage in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion («DEI») policies in their respective jurisdictions, ordering local departments to implement discriminatory ‘equity’ programs and directives,» an AFL press release states. «Race-based policies do not create justice—they destroy it. As Virginia lurches to the Left, America First Legal will continue leading the fight to ensure that federal funds never support programs that divide citizens, weaken public safety, or erode the rule of law.»
In AFL’s complaint, the legal watchdog accuses the City of Richmond of creating a «government-wide pattern or practice of discrimination» by embedding racial equity in every department. The complaint cites hiring materials embedded with discriminatory themes, mandatory DEI training, Richmond’s Equity Agenda, and the capital city’s establishment of an Office of Equity and Inclusion, which AFL claims to have an aim to empower «only certain people and communities wholly based on race,» rather than merit.
Richmond’s fiscal year budgets reportedly measured department performance by the percentage of employees completing «equity training,» with a stated goal of 100% participation. Meanwhile, AFL also cited Richmond’s «Climate Equity Action Plan» and «Racial Equity and Environmental Justice (REEJ) program,» which the group accuses of funneling resources to only certain racial groups.
CONSERVATIVE MOM SUED FOR CALLING DEI TEACHER ‘WOKE’ CELEBRATES AS DEFAMATION CASE TOSSED
The civil rights complaints against Alexandria and Arlington include similar allegations to those levied against Richmond.
The monument of confederate General A.P. Hill used to stand prominently at the intersection of Laburnum Avenue and Hermitage Road in Richmond, Virginia. However, following a lengthy battle, it was approved by a judge to be removed and was taken down in 2022. The statue is currently in storage at an undisclosed location. Hill’s remains, which were inside the statue, have been re-interred at Fairview Cemetery in Culpeper County, Virginia. (AP Photo/Steve Helber, File)
Alexandria’s Office of Race and Social Equity (RASE), AFL alleges, serves to embed «racial and social equity into all city policies, programs, decisions, and environments» and ensure city policies and programs «are discussed and evaluated through a racial and social justice lens.»
In particular, AFL calls out Alexandria’s Police Department’s development of a «Racial Equity Plan,» which the complaint claims has instructions for the police department «to make efforts in creating a diverse workforce» with the goal of «improv[ing] the demographic representation» through recruitment. A similar «strategic plan» from the city’s fire department reportedly pushes similar hiring preferences on its department as well, AFL alleges.
A police officer blocks an intersection in Alexandria, Virginia. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Arlington, meanwhile, is accused of establishing an «Affirmative Action Plan,» which AFL says includes «underutilization goals» based on race for specific job groups. These goals include increasing minority representation in the «Senior Administrators» job group from 35.23% to 45%, and minority representation in «Police Officers» from 27.38% to 38%, according to AFL’s complaint.
To prove the real-life consequences of these cities’ policies, AFL’s complaint against Arlington pointed to an incident at a local public school from last year.
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A polling location in Arlington, Virginia. (Valerie Plesch/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
«In September 2024, a male sex offender was permitted to use the girls’ locker room at Washington Liberty High School in Arlington County for months because he claimed to be transgender—a direct result of the County’s policy allowing individuals to use facilities based on their claimed ‘gender identity.’ The individual ultimately exposed his genitals to a 9-year-old girl,» AFL’s complaint to the Department of Justice chronicles. «This incident demonstrates how Arlington County’s race- and sex-conscious policies not only violate federal civil rights law but also compromise student safety.»
Last month, AFL reached a settlement with the City of Philadelphia that began in 2019 over alleged race- and sex-based quotas and «discriminatory» union-membership requirements in public contracting. Under the settlement, the City of Philadelphia agreed to rewrite its «Project Labor Agreements,» which AFL said penalized city contractors that refused to abide by its DEI mandates. Under the settlement, the city was compelled to make previous workforce diversity goals «strictly aspirational» and end «quotas or mandatory minimums.»
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INTERNACIONAL
El ataque a Irán afectó también los viajes en Medio Oriente: caos en vuelos y aeropuertos
El ataque de Estados Unidos e Israel a Irán en la madrugada del sábado cambió sorpresivamente los planes de vuelos en todo Oriente Medio por el cierre del espacio aéreo en la región y las complicaciones se extendían este fin de semana por los ataques contra algunos aeropuertos y la suspensión de las operaciones en estaciones clave que conectan Europa, África y Occidente con Asia.
Cientos de miles de viajeros quedaron varados o fueron desviados a otros aeropuertos luego que Israel, Qatar, Siria, Irán, Irak, Kuwait y Bahréin cerraron sus espacios aéreos. Tampoco hubo actividad de vuelos sobre Emiratos Árabes Unidos, según el sitio web de rastreo FlightRadar24, después que el gobierno allí anunciara un “cierre temporal y parcial” de su espacio aéreo.
En ese marco se produjeron el cierre de aeropuertos clave de conexión en Dubái, Abu Dabi y Doha, y a la cancelación de más de 1.800 vuelos por parte de las principales aerolíneas de Oriente Medio. Las tres aerolíneas más importantes que operan en esos aeropuertos —Emirates, Qatar Airways y Etihad— suelen tener alrededor de 90.000 pasajeros por día transitando por esos centros y aún más viajeros con destino a lugares en Oriente Medio, según la firma de análisis de aviación Cirium.
En medio hubo un ataque de represalia iraní que impactó en el Aeropuerto Internacional de Dubái, el más grande de Emiratos Árabes Unidos y uno de los más transitados del mundo, donde al menos un hombre de nacionalidad asiática murió y otras tres personas resultaron heridas.
Emirates condenó el “ataque flagrante que involucró misiles balísticos iraníes”. También se reportaron ataques en otros aeropuertos comerciales de la región, incluido el Aeropuerto Internacional de Kuwait.
Henry Harteveldt, un analista de la industria aérea y presidente de Atmosphere Research Group, alertó que los pasajeros “deberían prepararse para retrasos o cancelaciones durante los próximos días a medida que estos ataques evolucionen y, con suerte, terminen”.
Las aerolíneas que están cruzando Oriente Medio tendrán que desviar los vuelos alrededor del conflicto, con muchos vuelos dirigidos hacia el sur sobre Arabia Saudí. Eso añadirá horas a esos viajes y consumirá combustible adicional, sumándose a los costos que las aerolíneas tendrán que absorber. Por lo tanto, los precios de los boletos podrían comenzar a aumentar rápidamente si el conflicto se prolonga.
Los vuelos adicionales también ejercerán presión sobre los controladores de tráfico aéreo en Arabia Saudí, que podrían tener que ralentizar el tráfico a fin de asegurarse de manejarlo de manera segura. Y los países que cerraron su espacio aéreo dejarán de percibir las tarifas de sobrevuelo que las aerolíneas pagan por cruzar por encima.
Por ahora no está claro cuánto tiempo durará la interrupción de las operaciones de vuelo. A modo de comparación, el ataque israelí y estadounidense a Irán en junio de 2025 duró 12 días.
En ese contexto, algunas aerolíneas estaban emitiendo exenciones para los viajeros afectados, lo que significa que los pasajeros pueden reprogramar sus planes de vuelo sin pagar cargos adicionales ni tarifas más altas.
Al menos 145 aviones que se dirigían a ciudades como Tel Aviv y Dubái a primera hora del sábado fueron desviados a aeropuertos en ciudades como Atenas, Estambul o Roma, según FlightAware. Otros dieron la vuelta y regresaron al lugar desde donde despegaron.
Un avión pasó casi 15 horas en el aire después de salir de Filadelfia y llegar hasta España antes de dar la vuelta y regresar al lugar donde comenzó.
Numerosas aerolíneas cancelaron vuelos internacionales a Dubái durante el fin de semana, y la agencia de aviación civil de India designó gran parte de Oriente Medio —incluidos los cielos sobre Jordania, Arabia Saudí y Líbano— como una zona de alto riesgo de seguridad a todas las altitudes.
Air India canceló todos los vuelos a destinos de Oriente Medio. Turkish Airlines señaló que los vuelos a Líbano, Siria, Irak, Irán y Jordania se suspenderán hasta el lunes, y que los vuelos a Qatar, Kuwait, Bahréin, Emiratos Árabes Unidos y Omán se suspenderán hasta nuevo aviso.
Delta Airlines, con sede en Estados Unidos, y United Airlines suspendieron los vuelos a Tel Aviv al menos durante el fin de semana, y la aerolínea holandesa KLM ya había anunciado a principios de semana que suspenderá sus vuelos con origen y destino en Tel Aviv.
Aerolíneas como Lufthansa, Air France, Transavia y Pegasus han cancelado todos los vuelos a Líbano, y American Airlines suspendió los vuelos de Filadelfia a Doha.
La inglesa British Airways informó que sus vuelos a Tel Aviv y Bahréin se suspenderán hasta la próxima semana, y que los vuelos a Amán, Jordania, se cancelarán el sábado.
Con información de AP / SMB
INTERNACIONAL
Concerns rise over DHS shutdown in shadow of Iran strikes: ‘Now would be a good time’ to end it
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The partial government shutdown has Department of Homeland Security employees missing their paychecks even as the U.S. has engaged Iran with airstrikes that have brought the nation to the brink of war.
Earlier Saturday, the U.S. and Israel commenced targeted Iranian positions including the palace of dictator Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei – who was later declared dead by Jerusalem officials. The strikes have prompted concerns of retaliation, possibly inside U.S. borders.
«I am in direct coordination with our federal intelligence and law enforcement partners as we continue to closely monitor and thwart any potential threats to the homeland,» DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement.
As Friday rolled into Saturday, Transportation Safety Administration officers began effectively working pro bono, with the agency calling them «true models of selflessness and sacrifice.»
«Right now, the men and women of TSA are showing up to work without a paycheck due to the reckless DHS shutdown — despite the fact that Democrat members of Congress are still getting paid,» the agency said in a statement, calling out Democrats’ «political theater making life harder for these officers and their families.»
Lawmakers took notice of the disparity on Saturday as eyes turned to the security of America’s homeland amid Iran’s pledge to strike back.
«Given developments in the Middle East and the ongoing threat posed by Iran and its terrorist proxies, Democrats in the house, and Senate must cease the politics and must immediately fund the Department of Homeland Security,» said Rep. Daniel Meuser, R-Pa.
The Blue Mountain congressman – whose district is home to the agency’s latest immigration center purchase in Shartlesville, which is simultaneously being lambasted by Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro – added that blocking DHS funding is «irresponsible and dangerous» amid the rising global tension.
«Democrats in Congress must join Republicans, act responsibly and stop blocking efforts to fund DHS,» said Meuser.
Meuser added that protecting American people is a fundamental federal responsibility and that the U.S. cannot afford national security-related delays.
DHS SHUTDOWN TRIGGERS TSA ‘EMERGENCY MEASURES’ AS LAWMAKER WARNS AIRPORTS COULD FEEL ECONOMIC PAIN
His Keystone compatriot Sen. David McCormick echoed that sentiment in a Saturday statement:
«Now would be a good time for Democrats to drop their opposition to DHS funding and pass the bill to support our homeland security,» McCormick said.
«Continuing to play political games with our national security given the unfolding situation in the Middle East is dangerous.»
While many Democrats voiced concern or opposition to the Trump administration’s strikes, McCormick’s counterpart, Sen. John Fetterman, ridiculed critics on X – retweeting an alert that Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei had been killed, writing: «Let’s see who grieves for that garbage.»
The top Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee, however, did criticize the operation.
Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi told NOTUS News on Saturday that Trump’s attack lacks «a clear strategy» while saying the U.S. is «vulnerable to ensuing terrorism attacks today because of Trump’s reckless, inflammatory actions.»
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Iranian worshippers hold up their hands as signs of unity with Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, during an anti-Israeli rally to condemn Israel’s attacks on Iran, in downtown Tehran, Iran, on June 20, 2025. (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
«I am deeply concerned about the administration’s attention to possible threats and its ability to protect Americans,» he added.
Just prior to the strikes, the Senate and House Democratic leaders released a joint statement addressing the DHS shutdown’s current conditions.
«We have received the White House’s counteroffer and are reviewing it closely. Democrats remain committed to keep fighting for real reforms to rein in ICE and stop the violence,» said New York Sen. Charles Schumer and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries.
Fox News Digital reached out to DHS for additional comment.
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war with iran,iran,donald trump,immigration,homeland security,republicans
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In coordinated, sweeping U.S.–Israeli strikes on Iran in the predawn hours of Saturday, key military and nuclear-linked sites were targeted inside the country.
The strikes focused on what U.S. officials described as high-value Iranian targets, which included Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) command and control facilities, naval assets and underground sites believed to be associated with Iran’s nuclear program.
In addition, Iranian air defense weapons, missile and drone launch sites, and military airfields were also targeted, according to officials.
Israeli forces targeted sites linked to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a senior Israeli official confirmed to Fox News.
President Donald Trump confirmed Saturday afternoon that Khamenei had been killed in a strike. He is among more than 40 senior Iranian security and regime figures killed in the attack, a senior Israeli official told Fox News.
In coordinated, sweeping U.S.–Israeli strikes on Iran in the predawn hours of Saturday, key military and nuclear-linked sites were targeted inside the country. (Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images)
«Khamenei, one of the most evil people in History, is dead,» Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. «This is not only Justice for the people of Iran, but for all Great Americans, and those people from many Countries throughout the World, that have been killed or mutilated by Khamenei and his gang of bloodthirsty THUGS.»
He also claimed that the IRGC is seeking immunity from the U.S.
The leaders had all been meeting at a compound in Tehran on Saturday morning.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed in the strikes, President Donald Trump confirmed. (Iranian Leader Press Office/Anadolu via Getty Images)
FBI RAISES COUNTERTERROR TEAMS TO HIGH ALERT AMID IRAN TENSIONS
The strikes were moved up due to the «target of opportunity,» multiple sources told Fox News, which is why the strikes happened in the daytime in Iran, keeping the element of surprise. «There was a deliberate decision to accelerate the timeline,» one source said.
The campaign, which Trump described overnight from Mar-a-Lago as the beginning of «major combat operations» in the region, encompasses multi-geographic targets in an effort to overwhelm Iran’s defensive capabilities.
People watch as smoke rises on the skyline after an explosion in Tehran on Saturday. (AP Photo)
ISRAEL’S LARGEST EVER MILITARY FLYOVER HAMMERS IRANIAN MILITARY TARGETS
The strikes could also continue for multiple days.
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Trump said the campaign aimed to devastate Iran’s military, dismantle its nuclear program, and he urged the Iranian people to «take over» their government.
Tomahawk cruise missiles were used in the first strikes of the operation, called Operation Epic Fury, along with one-way attack drones that were used for the first time, according to a U.S. official.
Fox News’ Liz Friden, Morgan Phillips, Amanda Macias, Alexandra Koch and Kelley Kramer contributed to this report.
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