Cornell student who challenged Trump EOs targeting pro-Palestinian protesters now faces deportation

Cornell student who challenged Trump EOs targeting pro-Palestinian protesters now faces deportation
Cornell student who challenged Trump EOs targeting pro-Palestinian protesters now faces deportation
Matt Burkhartt/Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — A Cornell University graduate student filed a lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump’s executive orders aimed at going after universities and “foreign national” protesters, then he was asked to surrender to ICE.

Momodou Taal, a Ph.D. student in Africana Studies at Cornell University, filed the suit on Saturday hoping to prevent the administration from targeting him and others who have participated in pro-Palestinian protests. An attorney for Taal said he had been targeted by some of the same groups that had advocated for Mahmoud Khalil’s arrest and that his client feared he could be next.

Taal is a citizen of the U.K. and Gambia and is in the United States on a student visa.

According to court records, Taal was temporarily suspended from Cornell in April and September of 2024 for his participation in student protests. Instead of imposing sanctions that could have affected his immigration status, the university chose to allow Taal to continue studying remotely until Spring 2025 when his full access to the campus would be restored, his lawyers said.

In an X post on Wednesday, Taal said law enforcement agents “from an unidentified agency” had been seen parked outside his home in Ithaca, New York.

“Trump is attempting to detain me to prevent me from having my day in court,” he wrote.

On Thursday, attorney Eric Lee filed an affidavit, stating, “It appears the government is attempting to detain Mr. Taal imminently.” Witnesses had seen an undercover law enforcement official parked outside Taal’s home, his attorney said. The man allegedly showed the witnesses a badge “indicating he is a member of law enforcement.”

Taal’s attorneys petitioned for a temporary restraining order seeking to prevent his arrest.

However, on Friday, his attorneys said they received an e-mail from a Justice Department lawyer asking Taal to turn himself in to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

“ICE invites Mr. Taal and his counsel to appear in-person at the HSI Office in Syracuse at a mutually agreeable time for personal service of the NTA and for Mr. Taal to surrender to ICE custody. Accordingly, if you are interested in proposing such a date and time, we will promptly forward it to ICE for consideration,” the email read.

On Friday, Lee posted on X and condemned the Trump administration’s move.

“The Trump administration responded to Momodou Taal’s lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the executive orders by sending agents to stake out his house, he said. When we asked the Court to enjoin the administration from detaining Mr. Taal as the case progresses, the administration responded by ordering him to surrender to ICE. This does not happen in a democracy.”

A hearing has been set for Tuesday.

ABC News has reached out to ICE for comment.

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Husam al-Titi, former ABC News journalist, killed in Gaza air strike

Husam al-Titi, former ABC News journalist, killed in Gaza air strike
Husam al-Titi, former ABC News journalist, killed in Gaza air strike
Obtained by ABC News

(DEIR AL BALAH, Gaza) — Former ABC News journalist Husam al-Titi was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza on Monday evening local time, the night the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas ended, according to al-Titi’s family.

Al-Titi was a sound engineer for ABC News for 20 years until 2014, when he left the company and became a teacher. He lived in Gaza City with his wife, daughter and three sons, but he was in Deir al Balah in a displacement camp when he was killed.

Al-Titi’s wife, daughter and three of his sons were taken to the hospital after the airstrike. Three of his sons remain hospitalized and one was seriously injured, al-Titi’s family told ABC News.

 

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Trump suggests Tesla vandals should be sent to prison in El Salvador

Trump suggests Tesla vandals should be sent to prison in El Salvador
Trump suggests Tesla vandals should be sent to prison in El Salvador
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump seemed to issue a warning to individuals who participate in Tesla vandalisms, as reports of destruction to vehicles, dealerships and charging stations surge across the country.

Early Friday morning, Trump posted on his social media platform: “People that get caught sabotaging Teslas will stand a very good chance of going to jail for up to twenty years, and that includes funders. WE ARE LOOKING FOR YOU!!!”

He also suggested those found guilty of participating in Tesla-related crimes could be sent to prison in El Salvador, referring to the administration’s controversial move to deport alleged gang members to the country after Trump signed a proclamation invoking the Alien Enemies Act even though a court order temporarily blocked the authority.

“I look forward to watching the sick terrorist thugs get 20 year jail sentences for what they are doing to Elon Musk and Tesla,” Trump said in a posting. “Perhaps they would serve them in the prisons of El Salvador, which have become so recently famous for such lovely conditions.”

Recent attacks aimed at Tesla have been reported in Seattle, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Charleston and other cities across the United States since Tesla CEO Elon Musk began his role with the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.

When asked about his comments at the White House on Friday afternoon, Trump called the vandalism suspects “terrorists” and appeared to argue what was happening with Tesla vehicles was worse than what happened during the Jan. 6 riots at the Capitol.

“You didn’t have that on January 6, I can tell you. You didn’t have anything like that on January 6, which is sort of amazing,” Trump said.

Three people have been charged for their alleged involvement in recent attacks against Tesla properties in Salem, Oregon; Loveland, Colorado; and North Charleston, South Carolina. Adam Lansky of Salem was charged with illegally possessing an unregistered destructive device on March 5, Lucy Grace Nelson of Lyons, Colorado, was charged with one count of malicious destruction of property on Feb. 27 and Daniel Clarke-Pounder of North Charleston was charged with arson on March 15, according to federal prosecutors.

Both Lansky and Clarke-Pounder have not entered any pleas, but Nelson pleaded not guilty on March 11, according to court records.

Attorney General Pam Bondi also spoke out against the Tesla vandalisms, saying on Thursday the three suspects will face the “full force of the law” for allegedly using Molotov cocktails to set fire to the electric vehicles and charging stations.

“The days of committing crimes without consequence have ended,” Bondi said in a statement. “Let this be a warning: if you join this wave of domestic terrorism against Tesla properties, the Department of Justice will put you behind bars.”

More Tesla incidents continue to pop up across the country, with the latest occurring in Fargo, North Dakota, early Friday morning, where fire crews found “a small fire in wood chips at the base of the electric vehicle chargers in the parking lot,” according to the Fargo Fire Department.

Officials said the fire is considered “suspicious” and the cause of the fire is under investigation. It is unclear whether the fire damaged the chargers, authorities said.

In addition to the company dealing with the recent attacks, Tesla’s stocks have tumbled nearly 48% this year and in recent weeks, four top officers at the company have sold off $100 million in stock, according to filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Musk, the owner of X, reposted reactions to Trump’s comments on Friday, including one that said “ESPECIALLY the funders” should be held responsible for these attacks.

A spokesperson for Tesla did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.

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Wildfire warnings continue in parts of the country as strong winds persist

Wildfire warnings continue in parts of the country as strong winds persist
Wildfire warnings continue in parts of the country as strong winds persist
ABC News

(NEW YORK) — Powerful winds and wildfire warnings persist in several states, with some areas still fighting existing flames, as a new cross-country storm emerges in the Pacific Northwest on Friday.

Red flag warnings are in place for areas in the Southwest, including New Mexico and north-central Texas, where wind gusts will reach up to 40 mph on Friday paired with a relative humidity down to 10%.

Firefighters have continued to battle the Gail Fire in New Mexico, which has burned 238 acres and is 10% contained, officials said on Thursday.

The southern half of Missouri and northern half of Arkansas also face red flag warnings on Friday, with wind gusts up to 45 mph and a relative humidity of 20% to 25%.

According to the Arkansas Forestry Division, 96 wildfires statewide have been contained, but four new wildfires are active.

“We are mobilizing all resources and working closely with local, state and federal partners,” the forestry division said in a statement on Friday.

Southeast Florida also remains under fire weather alerts, with red flag warnings in place from Orlando to Stuart and elevated fire dangers from West Palm Beach down to Miami. The humidity will be as low as 20% in these parts of the state, creating ideal conditions for existing fires to spread.

In Miami-Dade County, a fire has burned 25,000 acres and is 30% contained, officials said. It is burning in largely unoccupied parts of the Everglades.

Along with the threat of wildfires, other parts of the country will experience frigid temperatures, with central Mississippi, nearly all of Alabama and most of Georgia under frost and freeze warnings on Friday.

As the weekend progresses, a new cross-country storm will bring strong winds to the Midwest, heavy snow to the North and severe storms to the South.

The storm will begin with rain and mountain snow throughout the Pacific Northwest on Friday. Oregon is expected to be hit with 10 inches of snow in the mountains during the day and into the evening Friday. Idaho and western Montana should expect 8 to 16 inches of snow Friday night into Saturday morning.

By Sunday, strong to severe winds of up to 40 to 60 mph are expected across the Great Plains and upper Midwest, creating a threat for dust storms, ground blizzards and the destruction of power lines and trees.

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Pentagon changed course for Musk visit after report about him viewing China war plans: Officials

Pentagon changed course for Musk visit after report about him viewing China war plans: Officials
Pentagon changed course for Musk visit after report about him viewing China war plans: Officials
Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

(WASHINGTON) — Tech billionaire Elon Musk was slated to visit the Pentagon on Friday and attend a meeting of the Joint Chiefs of Staff that would touch on China, among other things, two United States officials confirmed to ABC News — but that plan changed after The New York Times reported Musk would be briefed on potential China war plans.

Musk visited the Pentagon on Friday — but instead of meeting with the Joint Chiefs, Musk met with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and staffers, a U.S. official said.

The meeting between Musk and the Joint Chiefs was to be at the unclassified level and attended virtually by Adm. Sam Paparo, the commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, one official said. But some time between the publication of The New York Times story on Thursday and Musk’s visit to the Pentagon Friday morning, the visit turned into just a meeting with Hegseth.

The New York Times reported that Musk would receive a briefing from senior military leaders about a top-secret military plan for potential war with China. The publication said the meeting was canceled because of its initial report.

Musk, Hegseth and President Donald Trump denied the report — with Trump asserting that Musk would not be briefed on a war plan with China.

“I don’t want to show that to anybody. But certainly, you wouldn’t show it to a businessman who is helping us so much. He’s a great patriot … But I certainly wouldn’t want — you know, Elon has businesses in China, and he would be susceptible perhaps to that. But it was such a fake story,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Friday.

“I don’t want to show that to anybody. But certainly, you wouldn’t show it to a businessman who is helping us so much. He’s a great patriot … But I certainly wouldn’t want — you know, Elon has businesses in China, and he would be susceptible perhaps to that. But it was such a fake story,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Friday.

Musk arrived at the Pentagon just before 9 a.m. and remained in Hegseth’s office for the duration of his visit.

The meeting of the Joint Chiefs of Staff did take place as scheduled, but Paparo did not join the meeting as previously scheduled. One of the officials said the meeting of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the in the conference room known as “The Tank” went on for about two hours.

Musk left the Pentagon at 10:21 a.m. — about 20 minutes after it appeared that the meeting in The Tank actually got underway.

As Musk departed Hegseth’s office on Friday, he was asked by reporters how the meeting went and responded that “it’s always a great meeting.”

“I’ve been here before, you know,” Musk added as both he and Hegseth walked together. Musk did visit the Pentagon in 2016 to meet with then-Defense Secretary Ash Carter.

When they were outside the Pentagon, Hegseth and Musk shook hands and Musk was overhead to say, “If there’s anything I can do to be helpful, I’d like to see you.”

Neither responded to questions at that time about whether they had discussed China or if was a classified briefing.

Hegseth previously posted on X that the meeting was not about “China war plans,” but rather described it as an “informal meeting about innovation, efficiencies & smarter production.”

Trump posted on his conservative social media platform that China would not be mentioned or discussed during the meeting.

Musk went so far as to suggest there should be prosecutions of anyone at the Pentagon who may have leaked information.

“They will be found,” Musk wrote on X.

ABC News’ Justin Gomez and Chris Boccia contributed to this report.

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Trump says student loans, special needs programs will be moved to new departments

Trump says student loans, special needs programs will be moved to new departments
Trump says student loans, special needs programs will be moved to new departments
President Donald Trump stands with Secretary of Education Linda McMahon /Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump announced Friday that two key functions of the agency he is seeking to dismantle, the Department of Education, will be moved to new departments: The Small Business Administration will take on student loans, and the Department of Health and Human Services will take on special needs and nutrition efforts.

“I do want to say that I’ve decided that the SBA, the Small Business Administration, headed by Kelly Loeffler, [who] is a terrific person, will handle all of the student loan portfolio,” he said.

“We have a portfolio that’s very large, lots of loans, tens of thousands of loans — pretty complicated deal. And that’s coming out of the Department of Education immediately,” Trump said, adding that he believes it will be “serviced much better” than it has been.

Student loans are currently overseen by the Federal Student Aid Office within the Department of Education, and it handles not tens of thousands of dollars in loans but $1.6 trillion in loans for 43 million people.

However, the SBA, which already handles billions of dollars in loans each year, has faced cuts since Trump took office, saying it would reduce its staff by 43% amid agencywide reorganization.

The SBA said it would “eliminate approximately 2,700 active positions out of a total active workforce of nearly 6,500 through voluntary resignations, the expiration of COVID-era and other term appointments, and a limited number of reductions in force.”

The Federal Student Aid Office employs over 1,000 employees, but it is unclear whether these employees would move under the SBA or how the agency would handle an influx in loans to manage.

Trump noted that Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s HHS will handle “special needs and all of the nutrition programs and everything else,” conceding that it’s “rather complex.”

“Those two elements will be taken out of the Department of Education, and then all we have to do is get the students to get guidance from the people that love them and cherish them,” Trump said.

The president maintained that the core functions would remain intact.

“Pell Grants, Title 1, funding resources for children with disabilities and special needs will be preserved, fully preserved,” Trump said Thursday before signing the bill. “They’re going to be preserved in full and redistributed to various other agencies and departments that will take very good care of them.”

The president did not offer any details about how exactly those portfolios would be transferred to other agencies, saying only that it would happen “immediately.”

At least one component of the plan — moving the student loan system to another department — is likely to face significant legal pushback.

The central legal issue is likely to focus on the Higher Education Act of 1965, which stipulates that the Federal Student Aid Office should be under the purview of the secretary of education.

“Congress has charged the secretary of education with administering the federal student aid program by issuing student loans and grants to support students’ attainment of higher education,” said Andrew Cook, press secretary for the American Federation of Teachers. “The department’s office of Federal Student Aid is statutorily mandated to do so and has the unique expertise to manage the complex student aid program.”

AFT President Randi Weingarten was more blunt: “See you in court,” she said in a statement after Trump signed the executive order on Thursday.

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London’s Heathrow Airport to restart flights after fire causes closure

London’s Heathrow Airport to restart flights after fire causes closure
London’s Heathrow Airport to restart flights after fire causes closure
(Jake Warga/Getty Images)

(LONDON) — London’s Heathrow Airport is now “safely able to restart flights” after a fire at a nearby electrical substation closed one of the world’s busiest airports on Friday.

However, even as the airport says it can restart flights, officials advised people not to travel “unless your airline has advised you to do so.” The airport said it hopes to “run a full operation” on Saturday.

“Our teams have worked tirelessly since the incident to ensure a speedy recovery. We’re now safely able to restart flights, prioritising repatriation and relocation of aircraft,” Heathrow said in a statement.

Heathrow Airport said the fire at the substation, which supplies power to the airport, caused a “significant power outage” and the airport was expected to be closed until 11:59 p.m. local time on Friday night.

“We expect significant disruption over the coming days and passengers should not travel to the airport under any circumstances until the airport reopens,” a spokesperson for Heathrow Airport said.

In total, 70 firefighters and 10 fire trucks responded to the blaze in west London when the London Fire Brigade brigade was first called at 11:23 p.m. local time. The fire was contained more than seven hours later at 6:28 a.m. on Friday morning, but was still burning at about 10% on Friday evening.

“This was a very visible and significant incident, and our firefighters worked tirelessly in challenging conditions to bring the fire under control as swiftly as possible,” London Fire Brigade Assistant Commissioner Pat Goulbourne said. “Thanks to their efforts and coordinated multi-agency response, we successfully contained the fire and prevented further spread. “We will maintain a presence at the scene throughout the day, assisting the National Grid as they assess the site.”

Firefighters safely evacuated 29 people from neighboring properties and, as a precaution, a 200-meter cordon was established with around 150 people evacuated.

“Due to the significant smoke, we strongly advise local residents to keep their windows and doors closed, as some smoke will remain for a number of hours today. Scientific advisors will also be on-site this morning to conduct further assessments and monitor the air quality,” Goulbourne continued. “Our Control Officers handled more than 200 emergency calls, providing guidance and reassurance to the public. As the morning progresses, disruption is expected to continue, and we urge people to avoid the area whenever possible.”

Counter-terror police were on the scene at the Hayes substation, London’s Met Police confirmed to ABC News, but they cautioned it’s only because they could get the investigation done faster.

“We are working with the London Fire Brigade to establish the cause of the fire which remains under investigation. While there is currently no indication of foul play we retain an open mind at this time,” Met Police said in a statement. “Given the location of the sub-station and the impact this incident has had on critical national infrastructure, the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command is now leading enquiries.”

As many as 290,000 passengers could be impacted by the closure Friday, according to Cirium, an aviation analytics company. There were 665 flights scheduled to depart from Heathrow on Friday, with 145,094 seats. There were 669 flights scheduled to depart to Heathrow on Friday, with 145,836 seats, according to Cirium. The fire could affect another 270,000 passengers on Saturday, too, Cirium said.

“Accordingly, the impact of this incident can cascade over several days, as aircraft, crew, passengers are out of place, with limited spare aircraft and seats available to recover passengers,” Cirium said in a statement.

British Airways, which has a hub at Heathrow Airport, said it is advising travelers not to go to the airport and that they are working to notify passengers of their travel options for the next 24 hours and beyond as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, inbound flights to Heathrow are being redirected to other U.K. airports, officials said.

“Due to a power outage in the London Heathrow area, London Heathrow Airport is currently closed,” British Airways said. “As a result, customers due to travel from Heathrow on Friday are advised not to travel to the airport until further notice. This will clearly have a significant impact on our operation and our customers and we’re working as quickly as possible to update them on their travel options for the next 24 hours and beyond.”

The fire has caused a power outage affecting a large numbers of homes and businesses and led to some evacuations, the fire brigade said. Firefighters led 29 people to safety from neighboring properties and, as a precaution, established a cordon around the area and evacuated about 150 people.

“This is a highly visible and significant incident, and our firefighters are working tirelessly in challenging conditions to bring the fire under control as swiftly as possible,” Pat Goulbourne, assistant commissioner of the London Fire Brigade, said in a statement shortly before 2 a.m. local time.

The cause of the fire is not yet known, the fire brigade said.

ABC News’ Clara McMichael and Ayesha Ali contributed to this report.

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Measles cases linked to outbreak in Texas reach 309, surpassing nationwide total in 2024

Measles cases linked to outbreak in Texas reach 309, surpassing nationwide total in 2024
Measles cases linked to outbreak in Texas reach 309, surpassing nationwide total in 2024
Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

(AUSTIN, Texas) — The number of measles cases associated with an outbreak in western Texas has grown to 309, with 30 cases reported over the last three days, according to new data released Friday.

This means the total number of Texas cases linked to the outbreak in roughly two months has surpassed the number confirmed for the entirety of last year in the U.S., which saw 285 cases nationwide, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Almost all of the cases are in unvaccinated individuals or in individuals whose vaccination status is unknown. At least 40 people have been hospitalized so far, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS).

Just two cases have occurred in people fully vaccinated with the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine.

Children and teenagers between ages 5 and 17 make up the majority of cases, at 130, followed by children ages 4 and under accounting for 102 cases.

There have been two U.S. deaths linked to measles this year, with one confirmed and one under investigation.

The confirmed death was an unvaccinated school-aged child in Texas. The child did not have any known underlying conditions, according to DSHS.

The death was the first U.S. measles death recorded in a decade, according to data from the CDC.

A possible second measles death was recorded after an unvaccinated New Mexico resident tested positive for the virus following their death. The New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) said the official cause of death is still under investigation.

New Mexico has reported a total of 42 measles cases so far this year, according to the NMDOH. Many of the cases have been confirmed in Lea County, which borders western Texas. Four of the New Mexico cases occurred in people who were vaccinated with at least one MMR dose, while 30 cases were reported in unvaccinated individuals, according to the NMDOH. Eight of the cases presented in people whose vaccination status is unknown.

Health officials suspect there may be a connection between the Texas and New Mexico cases but a link has not been confirmed.

The CDC has confirmed 301 measles cases in at least 14 states so far this year as of last week, including Alaska, California, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont and Washington. This is likely an undercount due to delays in states reporting cases to the federal health agency.

The majority of nationally confirmed cases are in people who are unvaccinated or whose vaccination status is unknown, the CDC said. Of those cases, 3% are among those who received just one dose of the MMR inoculation and 2% are among those who received the required two doses, according to the CDC.

The CDC recommends that people receive two doses of the MMR vaccine, the first at ages 12 to 15 months and the second dose between 4 and 6 years of age.

One dose is 93% effective and two doses are 97% effective in preventing measles, the CDC says. Most vaccinated adults don’t need a booster, per the health agency.

In the face of the growing measles outbreak, the CDC issued an alert on March 7, saying that parents in the outbreak area should consider getting their children their first MMR vaccine between ages 6 and 11 months, followed by the previously recommended scheduled doses at 12-15 months and then at 4-6 years old, for a total of three vaccinations. Texas health officials have also recommended early vaccination for infants living in outbreak areas.

ABC News’ Youri Benadjaoud and Sony Salzman contributed to this report.

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Wyoming Rep. Harriet Hageman grilled at town hall about DOGE: ‘Where is this fraud?’

Wyoming Rep. Harriet Hageman grilled at town hall about DOGE: ‘Where is this fraud?’
Wyoming Rep. Harriet Hageman grilled at town hall about DOGE: ‘Where is this fraud?’
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

(WASHINGTON) — Wyoming Republican Rep. Harriet Hageman tangled with a fiery town hall audience in her home state on Thursday night as she went back and forth with constituents over Elon Musk’s DOGE and cuts to federal spending.

At one point, Hageman sparred with a woman who said she was a retired military officer and Republican, who grilled the congresswoman over the evidence of alleged fraud that Musk and Republicans contend they have uncovered.

“Just to give you a little reference, I’m a retired military officer,” an unidentified woman said at one point in the town hall. “At 18, I rose my hand to defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. … “And my question, having looked at Musk’s DOGE, you are a lawyer. Where is this fraud? Who? What company? What organization? What personnel are we going after right now?”

DOGE’s actions have come under fire, not only for recommending thousands of federal workers be fired, including many veterans but allegations, backed by President Donald Trump and the White House pertaining to what they say is massive fraud in government spending. The claims of fraud, which Trump outlined in his recent address to Congress, are not yet verifiable.

Hageman, fired back at the constituent, saying, “Oh my gosh, I’ll just start reading some of it. I’ll just start reading it right now, if you like me to. I’ll just focus on USAID spending right here.”

“I didn’t say spending, I said actual fraud,” the woman shouted back at Hageman.

“This is what it is,” Hageman retorted. “This is the spending associated with the fraud. This is the fraud. Spending is the fraud.”

“No, no, no,” the woman shouted back. “Go after specific companies or specific personnel that are committing fraud.”

“This is fraud. This is fraudulent spending,” said Hageman.

“No, it may be abusive spending, but it’s not fraud,” the woman replied.

“What I said was waste, fraud and abuse. Waste, fraud and abuse,” Hageman said back, before trying to give figures on USAID spending.

The same constituent then pressed Hageman over firings and whether or not they were actually making government more efficient: “Just because you’re firing somebody doesn’t mean that’s efficient because the job is still there. It still needs to be done,” she said.

“We will eliminate some of those jobs as well,” Hageman said. “Those jobs will be being eliminated. They don’t need to be done.”

At another point during the town hall, another woman pressed Hageman over what qualifies Musk to be making cuts to federal spending.

“You just described the cuts to the government right now as some kind of careful audit, but the cuts that DOGE has been making have been willy-nilly by someone who has never served in the government, has never run a nonprofit, who has 19-year-olds infiltrating computers and agencies and making decisions. So who is Musk accountable to? What qualifies him to be making these cuts? It’s not an audit,” she asked.

DOGE claims to have saved $115 billion but that full amount is unverifiable because there are only receipts for a portion of the claimed savings.

“As I said a moment ago, this is, it is an audit. It is the closest thing that we are ever going to get to zero-based budgeting in the federal government,” Hageman said.

“What I cannot understand, whether he is a billionaire, a millionaire, or someone who is, just as he says, tech support, all he is doing is going in and looking at every single agency and how the money is being spent. Do you think that you are entitled to know how your money is being spent?” she added.

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Musk PAC offers $100 to WI voters who sign petition against ‘activist judges’

Musk PAC offers 0 to WI voters who sign petition against ‘activist judges’
Musk PAC offers $100 to WI voters who sign petition against ‘activist judges’
Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images

(WASHINGTON) — Elon Musk’s political action committee is offering Wisconsin voters $100 who sign a petition opposing “activist judges” ahead of the April 1 Wisconsin Supreme Court election, echoing the billionaire’s controversial cash giveaways during President Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign.

The petition, promoted online and at in-person events by Musk’s America PAC, asks voters in the state to reject “activist judges who impose their own views.” Wisconsin voters who sign up are eligible to receive the $100, according to the PAC.

The petition’s language mirrors recent attacks by Musk and Trump on federal judges who have ruled against the administration. It reads: “Judges should interpret laws as written, not rewrite them to fit their personal or political agendas. By signing below, I’m rejecting the actions of activist judges who impose their own views and demanding a judiciary that respects its role — interpreting, not legislating.”

The petition also allows Musk’s team to collect voter data for get-out-the-vote efforts ahead of next month’s election.

The world’s richest man has used cash giveaways in past elections, including a controversial $1 million sweepstakes to voters in swing states who signed a second amendment petition in efforts to boost Trump’s chances.

So far, two political groups aligned with Musk — America PAC and Building America’s Future — have poured nearly $20 million into supporting Republican candidate Brad Schimel.

In a memo obtained by ABC News, Building America’s Future said that internal polling showed Schimel was “within striking distance” of Democratic candidate Susan Crawford. To pull ahead, Schimel needed to “consolidate the base and present Schimel as a pro-Trump conservative,” according to the memo.

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