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Michigan state Rep. Angela Rigas joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers Thursday in urging Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to block the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) from euthanizing two non-releasable animals, a disabled baby deer named Peanut and a coyote named Kota, currently housed at the Detroit Animal Welfare Group (DAWG), a no-kill sanctuary.

“These animals are not threats — they are survivors,” Rigas, a Republican, said in a news release. “Peanut and Kota have been cared for by licensed professionals and were intended to serve as education ambassadors. Their lives are now being taken over by arbitrary deadlines and bureaucratic technicalities.

“Governor Whitmer must commute the death sentences of these animals.”

The lawmakers’ letter to Whitmer asks the Democrat to direct the DNR to allow permanent educational and sanctuary placements for the animals and to establish a clearer, more humane process for appeals in similar cases. It also urges the state to drop prosecution of DAWG and issue permits for ongoing care.

Under Michigan law, wildlife that cannot survive in the wild must either be transferred to an approved educational facility or euthanized. DAWG, which has held a rehabilitation license since 2014, said it submitted all required paperwork, but was told it missed a technical deadline. The sanctuary disputes that claim, saying the animals have been safely housed and inspected for years.

NEW MAHA INITIATIVE AROUND BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH IS UNITING THE GOP WITH SOME UNUSUAL BED FELLOWS

The DNR has said the agency ordered euthanasia because DAWG failed to meet a deadline to apply for an educational permit to keep the animals in permanent captivity, The Midwesterner reported. The DNR declined to provide additional comment to Fox News Digital, citing ongoing litigation, but confirmed the matter is currently before an administrative law judge.

In their letter, lawmakers warned the case illustrates how state agencies “can exercise disproportionate authority, often to the detriment of citizens and organizations acting in good faith.”

Rigas cited “a lack of transparency, arbitrary deadlines and aggressive enforcement tactics” and called for immediate review of DNR procedures.

Rigas accused the DNR of “harassing” DAWG and said it routinely enforces rules unevenly. 

“They make these regulations on a case-by-case basis — no consistency, no fairness,” Rigas told Fox News Digital. “They’re overfunded, overstaffed, and this is a perfect example of how government overreach hurts good people just trying to do the right thing.”

ZOO’S REQUEST FOR DONATIONS OF PETS TO BE FED TO PREDATORY ANIMALS DRAWS PETA BLOWBACK

DAWG says Peanut is not blind, but does suffer from minor impairments that make her unreleasable, and added that Kota’s domesticated behavior makes both animals unfit for release. 

DAWG stated that Peanut came to their facility for rehabilitation and, after completing treatment, was transferred to a wildlife center as an education ambassador. Kota has been with the nonprofit since 2018, and Peanut was taken in after being deemed non-releasable by veterinarians.

“Peanut is a gentle animal who relies on staff for daily care,” DAWG said in a statement. “We have provided all medical documentation and licensing updates required, and we believe the decision to euthanize her is both unnecessary and cruel.”

In a Facebook post titled “Peanut’s Journey,” DAWG detailed the fawn’s recovery after she was found collapsed and unable to stand. 

“She came in lateral, on her side, very weak and unable to move,” the post reads. “After warming and getting her glucose up with IV fluids and dextrose, she was treated as a neurologic patient.”

Over several weeks, staff documented the tiny deer’s slow progress — lifting her head, learning to stand, then walking on her own. “Every day she became stronger and stronger,” the sanctuary wrote. “She was so small but held her own with the bigger fawns.”

HOUSE DOGE LEADER PUSHES TOUGHER PENALTIES FOR ASSAULTS ON POLICE K9S, HORSES AMID ANTI-ICE VIOLENCE

The post concludes: “She fought to get this far so we then carried her torch to find her a safe haven to live out her life. She is absolutely precious and deserves every opportunity… However, the Michigan DNR has now ordered her to be killed for absolutely no reason. Please be her voice and help save her life.”

Former Republican Michigan gubernatorial nominee Tudor Dixon also weighed in, telling Fox News Digital, “Whitmer and her band of enforcers are obsessed with malicious obedience to their unreasonable government regulations. Too bad Peanut didn’t illegally cross the border — she’d have free healthcare for life.”

Rigas and her colleagues also referenced findings from the U.S. House Committee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, which investigated what it calls overreach by state agencies.

In that context, they argued, DAWG’s situation is part of a larger pattern of what Rigas called “government overreach” and disregard for “compassion and common sense.”

Rigas said she expects the Michigan House Oversight Committee to hold a hearing later this month to review the DNR’s authority. 

“This isn’t just about one deer,” she said. “It’s about whether unelected bureaucrats get to decide life and death without accountability.”

“The blood of Peanut and Kota will be on the Governor’s hands if she does not act,” Rigas said. “This is not just about wildlife — it’s about compassion, common sense, and the proper role of government.”

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The case has echoes last fall’s seizure and killing of P’Nut the squirrel in New York State under Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul, which sparked national outrage.

Whitmer’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Des Moines Public School Board (DMPS) Chair Jackie Norris ended her bid for Iowa’s open U.S. Senate seat Thursday after facing backlash for urging “radical empathy” toward former superintendent and illegal immigrant Ian Andre Roberts.

Norris, a Democrat who previously served as first lady Michelle Obama’s chief of staff, said the “superintendent crisis” demanded her full attention as board chair and put her “in the crosshairs of vicious and coordinated attacks.”

“Those realities took time and oxygen away from the work I set out to do: stand up for our kids and families — and the backbone of our communities, their educators and caregivers,” Norris wrote in a statement.

SCHOOL CHIEF TO SUSPECT: ICE ARREST OF DES MOINES SUPERINTENDENT EXPOSES FAKE DEGREES, DRUG CONVICTIONS

Roberts, the former superintendent of Iowa’s largest school district, has an extensive criminal history and was living and working in the U.S. illegally.

He submitted his resignation Sept. 30, after his Sept. 26 arrest by immigration authorities, which involved a short car chase.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said agents allegedly found a gun, hunting knife and $3,000 in cash in his car.

DES MOINES PUBLIC SCHOOL BOARD ACCEPTS SUPERINTENDENT’S RESIGNATION AFTER ICE ARREST

Federal officials say Roberts, who illegally returned to the U.S. from Guyana in 1999 after a theft and drug arrest, was convicted in 2012 of reckless driving, unsafe operation and speeding in Maryland. 

In 2020, he was charged with second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, third-degree criminal possession of a weapon and fourth-degree weapon charges.

Despite overstaying visas on multiple occasions and being ordered deported in 2004 and 2024, he holds active voter status and is a registered Democrat in Maryland.

Roberts is charged with being an illegal alien in possession of firearms, according to authorities.

IOWA SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT ARRESTED BY ICE, FACING PRIOR WEAPONS CHARGES, ALLEGEDLY FOUND WITH LOADED HANDGUN

The board said when Roberts was hired in July 2023, they knew he did not graduate from Morgan State University, as he claimed in his resume.

It is unclear if they knew about his illegal immigration status or criminal record.

Norris’ opponent, Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, called for her resignation and exit from the Senate race, claiming she “can’t even run the bare minimum of hiring standards at the Des Moines Public Schools.”

In Norris’ announcement ending her campaign, she said the school board “stepped up and are bringing accountability—leading with grace, transparency, and resolve.”

“It’s clear I need to focus on the work at hand: leading the board through this transition, working to support the passage of the Reimagining Education bond, and fully participating in ongoing investigations to get the answers our community deserves,” Norris wrote. “I leave this race with my head high, and I’ll continue serving my community and doing everything I can to help Democrats win this seat.”

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The school board did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Norris’ office declined further comment.

Fox News Digital’s Stephanie Samsel and Louis Casiano contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump on Thursday announced efforts to expand access to in vitro fertilization (IVF) by making such treatments more affordable.

The move includes two priorities: lowering drug prices and making IVF treatment more affordable for women seeking to conceive but who struggle to afford the expensive procedure.

“In the Trump administration, we want to make it easier for couples to have babies, raise children, and start the families they’ve always dreamed of,” Trump said during an announcement from the Oval Office.

BATYA UNGAR-SARGON: HOW TRUMP USES SAME STRATEGY TO CURB BIG PHARMA, SECURE MIDEAST PEACE

Trump said EMD Serono, the largest fertility drug manufacturer in the world, has agreed to provide discounts on the cost of fertility drugs the company sells in the U.S.

The deal includes the drug Gonal-f, which treats infertility in women and men.

Dr. Mehmet Oz, who leads the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said: “There are going to be a lot of Trump babies. I think that’s probably a good thing.”

Trump said a single round of IVF in the United States can cost up to $25,000, with many couples requiring multiple rounds for a successful pregnancy.

“We’re pleased to announce that, depending on the patient’s income, the cost of drugs for a standard IVF cycle of infertility will decrease somewhere between 42 and 79% for families,” an official said, “based on the results of this negotiation.”

TRUMP SAYS ADMINISTRATION CLOSE TO FINALIZING FEDERAL FUNDING DEAL WITH HARVARD UNIVERSITY

In 2024, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said a single cycle of IVF ranges from $15,000 to $20,000 and can exceed $30,000.

“Given that the average number of cycles needed to become pregnant from IVF is 2.5, this means that the average cost of IVF to conceive successfully can easily exceed $40,000,” an HHS report states.

Libby Horne, EMD Serono’s U.S. vice president of fertility and HIV/endocrinology, praised Thursday’s announcement, noting that 1 in 8 couples face infertility.

“Through our partnership with the administration, we are proud to announce that Americans will have access to our leading IVF therapies at an 84% discount off list prices,” said Horne.

The announcement came after Trump in February signed an executive order directing federal agencies to find ways to lower the cost of IVF.

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Trump pledged on the campaign trail that if he won a second term, he would mandate free in vitro fertilization treatment for women.

Trump credited Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., with bringing the issue of IVF access to his attention.

“This is the most pro-IVF thing that any president in the history of the United States of America has done,” Britt said Thursday alongside Trump.

The commander of U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), whose area of operations includes the Caribbean waters where the strikes against the alleged drug boats have been conducted, announced he is retiring suddenly by the end of the year. 

Navy Adm. Alvin Holsey, who became the commander of SOUTHCOM in November 2024, announced Thursday that he would retire from the Navy in December. No reason for his abrupt departure was provided. 

“The SOUTHCOM team has made lasting contributions to the defense of our nation, and will continue to do so,” Holsey said in a statement SOUTHCOM shared on social media. “I am confident that you will forge ahead, focused on your mission that strengthens our nation and ensures its longevity as a beacon of freedom around the globe.” 

The New York Times first reported that Holsey was departing his post. 

Department of War Secretary Pete Hegseth commended Holsey for his service, and wished Holsey and his family continued success. 

“Throughout his career—from commanding helicopter squadrons to leading Carrier Strike Group One and standing up the International Maritime Security Construct—Admiral Holsey has demonstrated unwavering commitment to mission, people, and nation,” Hegseth said in a post on social media on Thursday. “His tenure as Military Deputy Commander and now Commander of United States Southern Command reflects a legacy of operational excellence and strategic vision.” 

This is a breaking news story and will be updated. 

Former White House National Security Advisor John Bolton was indicted Thursday for improper handling of classified materials, Fox News Digital has learned.

Bolton’s Maryland home had been raided by FBI agents in August. That search was focused on classified documents agents believed Bolton possessed. 

JOHN BOLTON’S HOME AND OFFICE RAIDED BY FEDERAL AGENTS

The list of more than a dozen items seized from the Bethesda, Maryland, home of President Donald Trump’s former national security advisor was included in search warrant documents filed with the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland.

Among the technology seized from Bolton’s home were two iPhones — a red one with two camera lenses and a black one in a black case — and three computers, including a silver Dell XPS laptop with cables, a Dell Precision Tower computer model 3620 and a Dell Inspiron 2330 computer, according to the search warrant documents. 

One Seagate hard drive and two Sandisk 64 gigabyte USB drives were also seized.

The list shows the FBI also took a white binder labeled, “Statements and Reflections to Allied Strikes…” and typed documents in folders labeled “Trump I-IV.”

Four boxes containing what federal officials called “printed daily activities” also were hauled from Bolton’s home, according to the documents. 

The Aug. 22 FBI raid was linked to a probe of mishandling classified documents.

Bolton served as Trump’s White House national security advisor during his first administration, from 2018 to 2019.

A source familiar with the early stages of the investigation told Fox News Digital that CIA Director John Ratcliffe provided FBI Director Kash Patel with limited access to U.S. intelligence that served as the basis for the search warrant. The source told Fox News Digital that the evidence justified the raid on Bolton’s home.

“I can’t give you any more details than that, but let’s just say that John Bolton really had some nerve to attack Trump over his handling of classified information,” the source told Fox News Digital after the August raid.

The probe into Bolton’s alleged retention of classified documents was first launched years ago but later shut down by the Biden administration “for political reasons,” according to a senior U.S. official.

LIST REVEALS ITEMS FBI SEIZED FROM JOHN BOLTON’S HOME DURING RAID

The Justice Department under Trump’s first administration argued that Bolton’s 2020 memoir, “The Room Where It Happened,” contained classified material and sought to block its publication. A federal judge ultimately allowed the book to be published.

Justice Department lawyers argued the book contained classified national security information covering areas like U.S. intelligence sources and methods, foreign policy deliberations and conversations with foreign leaders.

In June 2021, the Biden Justice Department abandoned both a criminal inquiry and civil lawsuit against Bolton over the memoir, ending the legal battle at that time.

Bolton’s attorney said at the time that a senior career official in charge of the National Security Council’s pre-publication review process conducted a four-month review of the book and, after requiring a number of revisions, concluded that it contained no classified information.

The book contained a damning account of the Trump White House, alleging that Trump once “pleaded” with Chinese President Xi Jinping to aid his re-election campaign, among other missteps.

Trump ousted Bolton from his first administration in 2019 because the pair “disagreed strongly” on policy. 

Bolton has both praised and criticized Trump since leaving his first administration. 

He criticized Trump’s handling of classified documents, which led to an FBI raid on the former president’s Mar-a-Lago home in 2022 and a subsequent federal indictment, but insisted that “the legal process play out.”

Trump initially was indicted on 37 felony counts, later expanded to 40, but the case was ultimately dismissed in July 2024.

In 2022, Bolton said Trump lacked the competence and character to be president.

However, Bolton strongly backed Trump’s military strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities in June, calling it “a decisive action,” “the right thing to do,” and praising its potential to generate “huge change in the Middle East.”

Trump, meanwhile, often has criticized Bolton for pushing U.S. involvement in wars in the Middle East. Bolton served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations under President George W. Bush from August 2005 to December 2006.

Trump revoked Bolton’s Secret Service detail Jan. 21, the day after Trump’s inauguration as the 47th president and Bolton said the move showed that Trump was coming after him.

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“I think it is a retribution presidency,” Bolton told ABC earlier in 2025, responding to Trump’s move to revoke his security clearance.

Bolton has faced threats from Iran going back years, including an alleged plot to assassinate him in 2021 and the Department of Justice subsequently charging a member of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps for the plot in 2022.

The Iranian threats against Bolton were likely sparked by the January 2020 U.S. strike that killed Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s Quds Force, the Department of Justice reported in 2022. 

Fox News Digital’s Ashley Oliver contributed to this report. 

Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening…

-Here’s everything you missed from Zohran Mamdani’s first Fox News interview

–Justice Jackson’s remarks on minority voters spark heavy backlash: ‘They’re disabled’

-Senate Democrats block GOP plan for 10th time, ensuring shutdown lasts into next week

Obama backs Spanberger in VA governor’s race

Former President Barack Obama endorsed former Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger in Virginia’s governor race, releasing a pair of ads attacking Republicans. 

The contest between Spanberger, a former CIA officer, and Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears is one of only two governor races in the U.S. this November. The contests are viewed as political bellwethers ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. 

“Virginia’s elections are some of the most important in the country this year. We know Republicans will keep attacking abortion rights and the rights of women. That’s why having the right governor matters, and I’m proud to endorse Abigail Spanberger,” Obama said in one of the ads, titled “Protect Our Rights.”…Read more

White House

PEACE THROUGH POWER: Grenell praises Trump’s ‘common sense’ foreign policy, slams Biden for avoiding Putin

World Stage

STRENGTH WORKS: Trump’s Iran gamble pays off as WWIII doomsayers now praise Israel-Hamas ceasefire

Capitol Hill

HOSTAGE POLITICS: No 2 House Democrat says healthcare drives party’s strategy as shutdown heads into next week

BLUE TAKEOVER: Johnson says ‘Marxists’ run Democratic Party as government shutdown heads into next week

GRIDLOCK GRIND: Republicans push to pay troops, reopen government as Democrats balk

‘NOT NAZIS’: Fetterman says he knows and loves Trump voters: ‘I’m the only Democrat in my family’

NANCY’S MELTDOWN: Pelosi tells reporter to ‘shut up’ when asked about January 6 committee

Across America 

MAGA MOMENTUM: 2025 GOP wins in New Jersey, Virginia, would ‘set the table for…more decisive victories’ in 2026

OFF THE RADAR: A secret fleet of ‘ghost ships’ moving Russia’s oil could soon enter Trump’s crosshairs

DISMISSING JONES: Arlington prosecutor defending Jones rife with Soros-linked donations

GRIEF TO GLORY: Texas mother turns tragedy into purpose: Esmeralda ‘Esmi’ Cantu-Castle runs for office after losing daughter

ACADEMIC ACTIVISM: Bombshell report exposes ‘deeply concerning’ Midwest university initiative pushing far-left K-12 lesson plans

‘UNNECESSARY’: Secretary of Education points out that the government shutdown shows her department is unneeded

‘CRIMINAL HISTORY’: ICE reveals ‘disturbing details’ after agency rescued 3-year-old abducted to Mexico

URBAN CLASH: Final stretch: Mamdani’s large lead shrinking as Cuomo gains ground in NYC mayoral race

‘ARMED EXTREMISTS’: DOJ brings first Antifa-related terrorism charges in Texas ICE attack

GUT PUNCH: Blue city repeat offender accused of metal pipe rampage just days after release

ARCHITECT-IN-CHIEF: Trump reveals Arc de Triomphe-style monument for America’s 250th anniversary

Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.

A federal judge reportedly said she wants federal agents in the Chicago area to wear body cameras after a series of violent clashes with anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) crowds.

U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis, who was appointed by former President Barack Obama, said images of the clashes on TV left her a “little startled” as the Trump administration continues its illegal immigration crackdown.

“The field director is going to explain to me why I am seeing images of tear gas being deployed and reading reports that there were no warnings given out in the field,” Ellis said in court this week, according to The New York Times.

Last week, Ellis ordered ICE agents to wear badges and banned them from using certain riot control tactics against peaceful protesters and journalists. ICE agents have reportedly used tear gas and taken other measures as tensions between the immigration enforcement officers and the public escalate.

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“I’m getting images and seeing images on the news, in the paper, reading reports where I’m having concerns about my order being followed,” Ellis said.

“I’m having concerns about my order being followed,” the judge added this week, according to The Associated Press.

“I am adding that all agents who are operating in Operation Midway Blitz are to wear body-worn cameras, and they are to be on,” Ellis said, referring to the government’s name for the crackdown.

Justice Department attorney Sean Skedzielewski laid blame on “one-sided and selectively edited media reports,” according to the AP. He also said it wouldn’t be possible to distribute cameras immediately.

“I understand that. I would not be expecting agents to wear body-worn cameras they do not have,” Ellis said, adding that the details could be worked out later.

She said the field director of the enforcement effort must appear in court Monday.

The ICE facility in Broadview, Ill., a Chicago suburb, has been the site of several chaotic clashes between federal law enforcement and protesters.

Following a different federal judge’s order, an eight-foot fence surrounding the facility was taken down Tuesday, FOX 32 Chicago. The fence was reportedly put up late last month and caused tension between federal and local officials. The Broadview Fire Department reportedly informed DHS that the fence was built without permission on a public street, which is under the village’s jurisdiction, according to FOX 32.

Also on Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that two illegal immigrants were in custody after ramming their vehicle into a Border Patrol vehicle in Chicago during an immigration enforcement operation. This led to a clash with protesters.

The illegal immigrants were identified as Luis Gerardo Pirela-Ramirez and Yonder Enrique Tenefe-Perez, both of whom are from Venezuela. A senior DHS source told Fox News that the two rammed into a Border Patrol vehicle and attempted to flee the scene.

TRUMP OFFICIALS SLAM BLUE STATE GOVERNOR FOR IGNORING CHAOTIC ANTI-ICE ‘RIOTERS’ DISRUPTING OPERATION

“This morning, while conducting an immigration enforcement operation in Chicago, a vehicle, driven by an illegal alien rammed a Border Patrol vehicle and attempted to flee the scene,” a DHS spokesperson said. “Border Patrol pursued the vehicle and was eventually able to stop it utilizing an authorized precision immobilization technique (PIT) maneuver. Once the vehicle was stopped, the suspects, who are both illegal aliens, attempted to flee on foot. As Border Patrol arrested the subjects and attempted to secure the scene, a crowd began to form and eventually turned hostile and eventually crowd control measures were used.”

During the clash with protesters that followed the incident, federal officers deployed tear gas, exposing 13 Chicago police officers on the scene to the riot control agent.

Several Democrats, including Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, have pushed back on the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies. President Donald Trump recently called for Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson to be arrested for failing to protect federal ICE agents.

“I will not back down. Trump is now calling for the arrest of elected representatives checking his power. What else is left on the path to full-blown authoritarianism?” Pritzker said in reaction to Trump on Oct. 8. “We must all stand up and speak out.”

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Fox News Digital contacted Ellis’ office, which acknowledged the judge’s courtroom statements but noted an official order has not yet been issued regarding requiring federal agents to wear body cameras. 

The White House declined to comment, saying it would need the full order to do so.

DHS did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Fox News’ Bill Melugin, Fox News Digital’s Landon Mion and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

It began as a mother’s heartbreak, but now it has become a movement to restore faith, unity, and opportunity in South Texas.

Esmeralda “Esmi” Cantu-Castle told Fox News Digital that running for public office was never a part of the plan. She had never thought about running for Texas state representative in House District 37.

A mother, law student and woman of deep faith, her life took many unexpected turns, including the death of her husband and the day her daughter, Navy seaman Angelina Resendiz, went missing. That moment, and everything that followed, changed her forever.

“Then it was the summer, and Angie went missing,” Castle told Fox News Digital while fighting back tears. “That shift changed everything. During that process, I was watching all the failures, though I didn’t realize they were failures until later — when you look back and start putting the pieces together, seeing a system that’s broken. I have no other words for it. It just doesn’t work. It’s a broken system.”

NAVY’S SEARCH FOR MISSING 21-YEAR-OLD SEAMAN ENDS WITH TRAGIC DISCOVERY, SAILOR DETAINED IN VIRGINIA

Castle’s losses could have shattered her spirit, but instead it revealed her purpose.

She admittedly was already paying close attention to what she described as the government’s overreach, to imbalance, to the growing sense that everyday people may be left out of important conversations.

“As a law student, we’re watching these things unfold — from the executive branch to the legislative branch to the judicial branch — and all the things that were happening,” she recalls. “It was gut-wrenching to watch a president extend the powers of the executive branch the way he was. At that point, I knew I wanted to do something.”

Castle never imagined that “something” would be of this magnitude. Through “Angie’s” tragedy, she began to meet key people, some advocates, some activists, and others she calls mentors, who inspired her and spoke into existence the idea of running for office.

“I know Claudia will probably hear me talk about her. We had dinner, and I told her all about Angie. She gave me a lot of advice about the military, and we talked for a while. She was very serious when she looked at me and said, ‘You need to run for an office.’

“I didn’t understand at first,” she recalls. Claudia then said, “You need to run for some kind of office and help people. The country needs people like you. You would help people, and people need help.”

Castle said that of all the people who had said things like that, she took her very seriously. “What she said resonated with me.”

Her mentor spoke to her shortly after and that is when “the bells started ringing.”

“Then my mentor, the attorney I had worked for, for many years, called to check on me. As we talked, he shifted the conversation.”

“‘Esmi,’ he said, ‘you should consider running for state representative. We need someone like you to run in your district. You’re sitting right there. You can do it. You could win.’”

“It was like the bells started ringing — ding, ding, ding. I felt it was a call. There are no coincidences,” Castle said.

NAVY SAILOR VANISHES WITHOUT A TRACE AS MOTHER REVEALS CONCERNING BREAK IN DAILY HABIT

Castle, however, is still humbled by the voices lifting her up in inspiration.

“I’m just a mom,” she says as she describes herself in the simplest of terms.

“That’s exactly what I am. I’m just an ordinary person. I’m a mom. I go to school. I’m simple, a simple person. Ordinary. But that’s what it takes — a regular person. Someone who has the desire to do good and wants to do good.”

And so now her fight has taken on a much more powerful meaning as she begins to campaign for Texas state representative for House District 37, a region she says has been “overlooked for far too long.”

“Here in the Rio Grande Valley, we work hard, raise children, and serve our country, yet we have been left out for far too long by the very government meant to serve us. But we can turn our challenges into opportunities for good, together. By investing time and effort into education, entrepreneurship, local businesses, health, and the environment that sustains us.”

Her message is one of unity and compassion.

“I believe what’s good for me should be good for you — and never come to the harm of others.”

Castle’s platform centers on people, not politics. She speaks about opportunity, education, entrepreneurship, small businesses, health, and the environment. And she insists that it’s not just about policy. It’s about people.

“This isn’t about politics,” she said. “It’s about people — compassion, community, resilience, and hope. Together, with faith, love, and gratitude, we can build something stronger. We can turn our challenges into opportunities for good.”

“As I thought about it, the families I’d helped came to mind — all the reasons they were in those situations. Laws had been enacted that hurt them, maybe unintentionally, but they did harm,” she spoke about passionately. “Resources in our area are limited — funding is scarce, and it’s a seriously underrepresented region. Those were the things that came to mind. This is an opportunity to do good for people — for all people.”

She’s also tackling one of the Valley’s long-standing issues: political disengagement.

“There are 400,000 people who live in Cameron County. Two hundred thousand of them are eligible to vote, she stated. “In the last election, only 55,000 people voted. That’s a very low number for those who could vote. These are people who don’t understand the power of their vote in local elections — your state representative, your mayor, your commissioner — all these positions directly affect you.”

She goes on to say that those who don’t vote give up their power and that they are allowing themselves and those around them to be acted upon because they themselves didn’t act. 

“You relinquish your power,” she explained.

To Castle, the act of voting is sacred — not partisan, but deeply personal.

“My mission for Texas state representative is simple: vote. Start voting. That’s it. Here in District 37 — vote. If you’re not voting, you’re not being heard. You won’t be heard until you start using your voice,” her guidance was simple but powerful. “It starts with getting up and casting a ballot. It doesn’t matter who you vote for — just do it. When you start doing it, everything changes. You’ll shift the reality of the Valley. It will no longer be overlooked.”

Castle’s faith is the foundation of everything she does.

“My faith teaches me that when you’re in the service of your fellow man, you’re in the service of your God. I hold on to that. What I do for Angie is service to her. What I do for others in my daily life and volunteering is service to God.”

She has found some healing as she connects with veterans, mothers and those who’ve felt unseen or unheard. She’s been working with community leaders and groups like The League of United Latin American Citizens(LULAC) to advocate for a long-promised VA hospital in South Texas — one approved in 2009 but never built.

“I’ve been working with LULAC and with Larry, who is the vice president of the Veterans Committee. There should be a VA hospital in this area. It was approved in 2009, but the VA said the numbers weren’t high enough,” something she deems unacceptable. “That was 2009. Now it’s 2025. We have 400,000 people in Cameron County, another 20,000 to 30,000 in Willacy County, and we’re not even counting Hidalgo County. Where is the hospital? It should already be here. There are no more excuses. The only excuse they could have is that we’re in the Valley — that we don’t count because we don’t vote.”

Despite her growing profile, Castle remains humble.

“I’m no different from anyone else,” she said. “There’s nothing in me that isn’t already in you. I just chose to step up. I chose to fight. I chose to protect and defend. That same strength is already built into every person in this community.”

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Her voice breaks, but her conviction never wavers.

“We are more than our circumstances,” she says. “We get to choose how we respond. And I choose to respond with love, with service, and with hope.”

As Election Day nears, her message remains clear and unwavering:

“Vote. That’s how we rise. That’s how we’re heard. That’s how we change everything.”

EXCLUSIVE: A new report from a leading advocacy group alleges that a race and gender center at the University of Minnesota is supplying K-12 teachers with ethnic studies lessons that promote a variety of left-wing causes, including defunding the police, Black Lives Matter, and the dangers of “white supremacy” and “settler colonialism.”

The report, from the education watchdog group Defending Education, focuses on RIDGS, a University of Minnesota hub that builds materials for Minnesota classrooms with lessons themed around Black Lives Matter, the death of George Floyd, “radical capitalism,” and “settler colonialism.”

RIDGS’s Ethnic Studies Initiative explains on its website that it works “directly with K-12 teachers, staff, and students to ensure our programming meets their immediate and long-term needs.”

The report describes a course assignment that calls on students to create “protest art” for a “cause” that the students choose, and the students are given suggestions, including “creating liberatory art meant to make people feel safe in spaces that they do not already feel safe or welcome in.”

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Some “optional” themes for the students include “Black Lives Matter,” “people over property,” “defund the police,” and “all power to the people.”

Course documents also include a “social identity wheel activity guide” that helps students figure out their different identities, including if they fall into a “privileged” or “marginalized” group.

Minnesota law, signed by Gov. Tim Walz in 2023, requires districts to offer ethnic studies at the high school level by 2026‑27, and provide instruction in elementary and middle school by 2027‑28. The state is currently building implementation plans in order to do this, which presumably would include the University of Minnesota.

“It is deeply concerning to see the University of Minnesota’s ethnic studies initiative working directly with K–12 teachers and students on ideological concepts like the guiding principles of the Black Lives Matter movement and exercises that ask students to sort themselves into ‘privileged’ or ‘marginalized’ groups,” Paul Runko, senior director of strategic initiatives in K-12 programs for Defending Education, exclusively told Fox News Digital after the report’s release.

“This goes far beyond teaching about history or culture — it’s about imposing a particular worldview in the classroom. UMN is yet another example of how political agendas developed in higher education are filtering down into K–12 schools, shaping what children are taught and how they see themselves and others.”

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The report from Defending Education isn’t the first time the University of Minnesota has faced scrutiny over promoting far-left ideology.

In 2023, UMN liberal arts professor Melanie Yazzie called for people to “dismantle” and “decolonize” America during a pro-Palestinian event.

In Defending Education’s report, campus emails obtained via FOIA request show faculty members circulating calls for anti-Israel demonstrations and seeking volunteers to “”honor martyred Palestinians” and describing the situation in Israel as a “genocide.”

In a statement to Fox News Digital, a university spokesperson said, “The University of Minnesota is steadfast in its commitment to the principles of academic freedom.”

Additionally, the spokesperson provided a link with more information on the university’s “approach.”

The spokesperson did not address questions about how this program would be vetted, if parents are notified or can opt out, or if the university condones or supports the messages promoted in the curriculum. 

Reagan Dugan, Project Manager for Higher Education at Defending Education, called the situation “troubling.”

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“Minnesota and many other institutions have framed political activism and divisive ideology as legitimate academic study under the guise of Ethnic Studies,” Dugan explained. 

“However, courses focused on questions like ‘how indigenous feminists have theorized from ‘the flesh’ of their embodied experience of colonialism,’ and calling for students to “consider how indigenous women are articulating decolonization and the embodiment of autonomy through scholarship, cultural revitalization, and activism,” show their framing to be dubious at best.”

Dugan added, “UMN’s Ethnic Studies initiative is proof that the deeply divisive and ideological curriculum contained in Ethnic Studies is not just a higher education problem. By cloaking outright political activism in academic terms, the program aims to sneak divisive ideology into the state curriculum. Encouraging 6th grade students to embrace slogans like ‘Defund the Police’ has no place in our schools.”

An elected Virginia prosecutor whose campaigns received big sums from groups tied to Hungarian-American billionaire George Soros downplayed violent rhetoric from Democratic attorney general nominee Jay Jones as “fake outrage.”

Arlington County Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti – whose office was previously embroiled in controversy over how it prosecuted a shopkeeper for shooting at burglars – slammed the media’s coverage of Jones’ texts envisioning the murder of a former top Republican official.

Dehghani-Tafti criticized Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares, arguing he should act independently of the governor’s office and voicing her support for Jones instead.

Her message came in response to a post on the social media platform Bluesky by the left-leaning Virginia politics blog Blue Virginia.

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Referring to Hampton Roads’ paper-of-record, Blue Virginia had written that the Virginian-Pilot’s lead story and top op-ed were wrongly centered on Jones.

“Nothing on the government shutdown or decimation of CDC or a million other important stories,” she wrote, before adding, “Your [quotes sic] ‘liberal media’ at work.”

Dehghani-Tafti wrote that re-electing Miyares would place him “in the position to obstruct and block [Abigail] Spanberger’s agenda” – further suggesting Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears’ loss is fait accompli.

“If we fall for the false outrage and get frightened into abandoning Jay, Miyares as AG will remain Trump’s right hand in Richmond,” she warned.

Dehghani-Tafti’s campaigns since 2019 have received $325,000 from Soros-funded political action committee Democracy PAC II and $190,000 from another related organization called Justice and Public Safety PAC.

The next-highest donor over that period was Alexandria attorney Christopher R.K. Leibig, who gave $10,900, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.

Soros Fund Management and Democracy PAC (separate from Democracy PAC II) are top multi-million-dollar donors to Justice and Public Safety PAC, according to OpenSecrets.

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While Arlington County has won praise for choosing to prosecute serial sex offender Richard Kenneth Cox – a key figure in the election-centric transgender bathroom and crime wave controversies – versus how Fairfax County’s liberal leadership has reacted – Dehghani-Tafti had her own controversies boil up over the years as well.

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In 2020, Dehghani-Tafti faced backlash for prosecuting a Shirlington smoke shop employee who fired at burglars after being awakened in the store’s back room. Hamzeh Abushariah shot one intruder in the back as several young people broke in around 4:50 a.m., according to reports.

Shop owner Jowan Zuber defended Abushariah, telling WMAL Radio that CCTV footage showed a suspect “lunged toward Hamzeh when he opened the door… what would you do?” Prosecutors argued the “castle doctrine” didn’t apply because the store wasn’t his home and charged Abushariah with malicious wounding and a gun offense.

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The prosecution argued Abushariah had other options, such as running away or barricading himself, according to reports. A judge initially denied bond at prosecutors’ request, but a jury later acquitted him. Dehghani-Tafti told ABC’s Washington affiliate she “cannot ethically discuss an ongoing investigation,” adding there was evidence supporting the charges and urging the public “not to rush to judgment.” 

Arlington County police later charged two juveniles in the burglary.

Democracy PAC and Democracy PAC II collectively poured more than $42 million into the 2022 races alone, according to FactCheck.org.