Nick Shirley confronts California Democrats over 'Stop Nick Shirley Act,' pressing on First Amendment rights

California lawmakers were confronted at the state Capitol in Sacramento as independent journalist Nick Shirley filmed a video published this week questioning Assembly Bill 2624, a proposal California Republicans have dubbed the "Stop Nick Shirley Act," during interviews with Democratic and Republican legislators about the bill's scope and intent.

"If this bill were to get passed, instead of going after the fraudsters, they’re trying to make it criminal to go after the people that are committing this fraud," Shirley said in the video posted to his YouTube page.

The video centered on California Assembly Bill 2624, authored by Assemblymember Mia Bonta, D-Oakland, which seeks to restrict the public posting of personal information of individuals connected to immigration support services, including nonprofit organizations, legal clinics and health care providers.

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"I think that that’s a misinterpretation of the bill, but I’m happy to talk with you more about it," Sen. Sasha Renée Pérez, D-Alhambra, told Shirley when pressed about whether the measure would restrict fraud investigations.

The legislation also drew scrutiny in Shirley's video because Assemblymember Bonta is married to California Attorney General Rob Bonta. Shirley repeatedly framed that relationship as a potential conflict of interest while questioning lawmakers about whether the bill would make it harder to expose fraud involving taxpayer-funded immigration services.

"I actually don’t think that this bill violates the First Amendment," Pérez said when asked about constitutional concerns.

"We have ledge [legislative] counsel and ledge attorneys that talk with us about this. Constitutionality is really important to the work."

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Shirley’s video showed several encounters in which lawmakers declined to discuss the bill in detail, with some saying they were unfamiliar with its contents or needed to review it further.

"I need to read the bill," Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal, D-Long Beach, said after Shirley told him he had signed onto the measure.

One of the most pointed exchanges came when Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, was approached and asked for his opinion on the legislation.

"I think you’re a psycho scam artist," Wiener said on camera before closing the door on Shirley.

Shirley also approached Speaker of the Assembly, Robert Rivas, D-Salinas, and asked about the legislation directly.

"I don’t know anything about it," Rivas said, before also closing the door on Shirley.

"That just shows you everything you need to know," Nick Shirley said, after Rivas ignored the rest of his questions. "These people won't even answer the questions."

JOE ROGAN RIPS GAVIN NEWSOM FOR MOCKING NICK SHIRLEY OVER HIS 'BILLION DOLLAR' FRAUD INVESTIGATIONS

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Republican Assemblymember Carl DeMaio, R-San Diego, who appeared in the video opposing the measure, argued the bill's language could impact independent reporting on alleged fraud.

"You read the bill, and you realize that it's against the First Amendment," DeMaio said. "It criminalizes citizen investigative journalists who take video and expose fraud."

"That's what the bill is designed to do," he said. "It's designed to keep secrets, to keep the public from knowing what's going on. They don't want to end their fraud racket."

Fox News reached out to the California Democrats for comment, but did not immediately hear back.

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Sledgehammer murder spurs ICE manhunt for illegal immigrant suspect

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has asked officials in Democratic-run Harris County not to release an illegal immigrant suspect from custody after he allegedly beat a coworker to death with a sledgehammer on a construction site in a suburb of Texas’ largest city, Houston.

This comes as Texas officials feud with the City of Houston over a new policy limiting law enforcement cooperation with ICE. The confrontation mirrors the broader national debate between Democrats and Republicans over the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies. Disagreements over immigration enforcement have resulted in an ongoing lapse in funding for the Department of Homeland Security during a partial government shutdown.

Now, Venezuelan national Josue Abraham Chirino-Leonice has been charged with the murder of carpenter Juan Antonio Salinas Leija at a north Houston home earlier this month, according to reporting by local outlet KHOU-11. The outlet said Salinas Leija was found dead at a home under renovation with severe wounds consistent with a sledgehammer attack. Chirino-Leonice was later arrested driving the victim’s truck in east Houston.

ICE lodged a detainer — a request to hold — with the Harris County Jail last week. According to DHS, Chirino-Leonice was released into the country under Biden administration in 2023.

DHS SLAMS CALIFORNIA 'SANCTUARY' COUNTY AFTER MOM ALLEGEDLY MURDERED BY 2 HONDURAN NATIONALS

DHS said U.S. Border Patrol first arrested Chirino-Leonice in November 2023. The agency said the Biden administration "subsequently released him into the interior of the country."

Gabriel Martinez, acting field office director for ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations Houston, called the alleged murder a savage attack by an illegal alien "who never should have been allowed into the country."

"This criminal illegal alien — who never should have been allowed into the country in the first place — is accused of savagely beating a co-worker to death with a sledgehammer and leaving him to die in a house they were renovating together," said Martinez.

He said ICE officers in Houston are "working tirelessly to restore integrity to our nation’s immigration system to bring an end to the carnage and unnecessary suffering in this country that’s caused by criminal illegal aliens," adding, "We won’t rest until we’ve accomplished that mission."

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ICE has arrested thousands of illegal immigrants in the Houston area since President Donald Trump’s return to the Oval Office in January 2025. Those arrests have included at least 414 criminal illegal aliens who have been charged with or convicted of child sex offenses, according to DHS.

At the start of the month, ICE Houston said that in the span of five days it arrested nearly 150 criminal aliens, including five child predators, two drug traffickers, 14 thieves, 62 violent offenders, one arsonist, seven hit-and-run DWIs, and nine immigrants convicted of a combined 31 DWIs.

The Democratic-majority Houston City Council recently voted to end a policy requiring law enforcement to hold illegal immigrants for ICE for at least 30 minutes. Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has called the policy a "breach of contract" with the state. Last week, he issued an ultimatum to the city to reverse the move or pay the state back $110 million in funding.

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Democratic Mayor John Whitmire has called the situation a "crisis" for public safety. The city council is set to reconsider the policy this Wednesday.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Harris County Sheriff's Office for comment.

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8 children dead in mass shooting that began as domestic dispute, police say

A domestic dispute that led to a shooting in Louisiana left eight children dead at different homes early Sunday before the shooter was stopped dead after a chase by officers, authorities say.

The victims ranged in age from 1 to about 14 years old, according to Shreveport Police Department spokesperson Chris Bordelon. A total of 10 people were shot, including two adults.

"I just don’t know what to say, my heart is just taken aback," Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith said. "I cannot begin to imagine how such an event could occur."

"This is an extensive scene unlike anything most of us have ever seen," Bordelon said.

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The man stole a car at gunpoint a half block away from the original crime scene, leaving the scene of the shootings and getting pursued by police, according to Bordelon.

A shootout between police and suspect occurred after a traffic stop in Bossier Parish, resulting in the suspect's death.

"This is a tragic situation — maybe the worst tragic situation we’ve ever had," said Tom Arceneaux, mayor of the city in northwestern Louisiana with about 180,000 residents. "It’s a terrible morning."

Officials said they were still gathering details about the crime scene, which extended across three locations. Some of the children shot were related to the suspect, according to Bordelon.

FLORIDA MAN SUSPECTED OF KILLING 6 IN SHOOTING SPREE AT 2 RESIDENCES IDENTIFIED

Louisiana State Police say their detectives have been asked by Shreveport police to investigate the officer-involved shooting.

In a statement, state police say no officers were harmed in the shooting.

State police are asking anyone with pictures, video or information to share it with state police detectives.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Jennifer Aniston reacts to ex-husband Justin Theroux's baby announcement

Jennifer Aniston reacted to her ex-husband Justin Theroux sharing news that he and wife Nicole Brydon Bloom welcomed their first child.

Aniston, who was married to Theroux from 2015 until 2018, liked the post announcing the news on Instagram.

The picture featured Theroux cradling his newborn son on his chest.

Theroux and Bloom posted the joint photo with the caption: "He’s here. We are so in love."

JENNIFER ANISTON CELEBRATES VALENTINE'S DAY WITH BOYFRIEND JIM CURTIS IN SWEET SOCIAL MEDIA POST

Aniston and Theroux first met in 2007 but didn’t start dating until 2011, while on the set of Wanderlust.

The duo got engaged in 2012 before tying the knot in 2015. Their split was announced in 2018.

Despite their divorce, Aniston and Theroux have remained friends.

JENNIFER ANISTON'S BOYFRIEND CALLS ROMANCE WITH ACTRESS A 'DREAM'

In 2024, Theroux told The Times that Aniston "is still very dear to me."

Theroux and Bloom got engaged in 2024 and married the following year.

Aniston is currently in a relationship with Jim Curtis.

Aniston was first spotted with Curtis in July, while on a yacht off the coast of Mallorca, Spain. The actress was seen gently placing her hand on Curtis' hand while his arm was around her waist.

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At the time, a source told People that Aniston and Curtis were "casually dating and having fun."

"They've been seeing each other for a few months now," another source told the outlet. 

"They were introduced by a friend and started out as friends. Jen had read his book and was familiar with his work. She's really into self-help and wellness. They are dating, but it's still casual."

ADAM SANDLER GIVES JENNIFER ANISTON’S NEW ROMANCE HIS PUBLIC BLESSING AT HOLLYWOOD EVENT

"She's been happy on her own, but she's also open to sharing her life with someone. As long as it feels right," the source added. "Jen's in a very good place right now — grounded, fulfilled and very happy."

Aniston gave Curtis a birthday shout-out in early November, writing, "Happy birthday my love. Cherished."

She also shared a black-and-white image of herself with her arms wrapped around his waist.

JENNIFER ANISTON FINALLY FINDS LOVE WITH A REGULAR GUY AFTER YEARS OF HOLLYWOOD HEARTBREAK

In February, Curtis shared a PDA-filled moment with Aniston moment with Aniston in honor of her birthday.

"HBD MY [love emoji]," Curtis wrote beneath an Instagram carousel, with one picture of them sharing a kiss and another image of them mid-laugh.

Weeks prior, Curtis was asked about their relationship during an appearance on the "Today" show.

On how they met: "We were just introduced by friends," he said on the "Today" show on Jan. 26. "We found out that we had mutual friends, and we started to just chat."

He added that they "chatted for a long time" before they "became close."

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"It took a long time… months now, almost close to a year," he said.

When the host pointed out he seemed flustered, Curtis admitted with a laugh, "OK, yeah. I sure am."

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Months prior, Aniston offered a peek inside her first Christmas with Curtis.

In December, the actress posted a carousel of images to her Instagram page from her holiday celebrations — with one image of Curtis playing with a friend's baby.

The inclusion of Curtis in her Christmas post comes almost two months after confirming her romance with the life coach and author, who specializes in hypnotherapy.

According to Curtis' Instagram, his "mission is to help you heal and thrive by upgrading your I AM."

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Ilhan Omar's office says she's ‘not a millionaire’ after $30M filing revised down to under $100K: report

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., said she is not a millionaire and blamed a major accounting error after a congressional financial disclosure listing her assets as high as $30 million drew scrutiny from Republicans and a congressional watchdog.

An amended filing reviewed by The Wall Street Journal shows Omar and her husband’s assets were between $18,004 and $95,000, a sharp drop from an earlier disclosure that estimated their holdings between $6 million and $30 million.

"The amended disclosure confirms what we’ve said all along: The congresswoman is not a millionaire," Omar spokesperson Jacklyn Rogers told the Journal, adding that the filing was corrected "as soon as the discrepancy was identified."

The revised disclosure came after the Office of Congressional Conduct requested additional information earlier this year, according to the Journal.

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Omar’s attorney said in a letter to the watchdog that the inaccurate filing was unintentional and stemmed from reliance on accountants.

"As the busiest of people, it is very common for members and their spouses to rely on learned professionals like accountants to make calculations and determinations that appear on public filings," the attorney wrote, according to the Journal. "While the error is of course unfortunate, there is nothing untoward and nothing illegal has occurred."

The amended filing shows Omar reported between $102,503 and $1,005,200 in income in 2024 from assets she and her husband own, according to the Journal. Documentation attached to the attorney’s letter showed $213,200 in distributions to her husband from his venture capital management firm and $3,000 from a winery.

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A 2025 email between Omar’s husband and his accountant valued the venture capital firm at $7.9 million and the winery at $1.5 million, though he owns roughly one-third of both businesses, according to tax documents cited by the Journal.

The updated disclosure also shows Omar has between $15,001 and $50,000 in student loan debt and a similar amount in credit card debt.

The discrepancy had already drawn scrutiny from House Republicans, who questioned how such a large swing in reported assets went unflagged.

In a February letter to Omar’s husband, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., raised concerns about financial disclosures showing the value of two companies, eStCru LLC and Rose Lake Capital, surged from tens of thousands of dollars in 2023 to as much as $30 million in 2024.

Comer said the sudden increase "raises concerns that unknown individuals may be investing to gain influence," and requested financial records tied to the businesses.

Omar’s office pushed back, describing Comer’s request as "a political stunt" and part of a campaign "meant to fundraise, not real oversight," according to The Associated Press.

A 2025 financial disclosure filing had previously listed Omar’s husband’s business interests in the millions, including a winery valued between $1 million and $5 million and a venture capital firm valued between $5 million and $25 million.

Those valuations were later revised in the amended filing, with the businesses listed as having no net value once liabilities were factored in, according to the Journal.

Omar, a progressive Democrat originally from Somalia and member of the "Squad," has frequently clashed with President Donald Trump since first being elected in 2018 and has long been a target of Republican criticism.

Trump has suggested that Omar benefited from Minnesota’s sprawling welfare fraud scandal involving many people from the Somali community, a claim she has denied.

Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton weighed in on the amended filing, questioning how previously unreported liabilities wiped out millions in reported assets:

"Ilhan Omar says her congressional financial reports have massive accounting error," Fitton wrote on X. She and her husband only worth 18k-86k, NOT $6 million-$30 million! Previously unreported ‘liabilities’ erase wealth!"

Fox News Digital has reached out to Omar’s office for comment and will update this story with any response.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Rep Burlison demands FBI probe after top US scientists vanish or turn up dead

House Oversight Committee member Eric Burlison is demanding the FBI get involved after a string of "disturbing" disappearances and deaths involving U.S. scientists and researchers with access to top-level secrets.

Burlison described the pattern as "too coincidental" to ignore after at least 10 researchers have gone missing or turned up dead in the last two years.

"This is a rattling call to pay attention to this issue and make sure that our nation's top scientists are safe and secure. This is too coincidental," the Missouri republican said Friday on "Fox & Friends."

"We have to be investigating this. We need to have our nation’s top investigators, the FBI and every agency looking into this matter," he added.

GOVERNMENT WITHHOLDING INFORMATION ON UFOS FROM THE PUBLIC, GOP REP SAYS

Burlison said his office first became aware of the trend last year when an individual scheduled to speak with him, Matthew Sullivan, died by suicide under what he described as suspicious circumstances. He said his office referred the case to the Office of the Inspector General and the FBI, which he said deemed it "credible and urgent."

The recent disappearance of retired Air Force Maj. Gen. William "Neil" McCasland in February was another wake-up call. McCasland had been involved in research on unidentified anomalous phenomena and held top roles in space research.

Authorities at the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office in New Mexico said he walked out of his home while his wife was out, leaving his phone behind but taking his wallet and a gun. McCasland’s wife wrote on Facebook that her husband retired years ago, and that it’s "quite unlikely that he was taken to extract very dated secrets from him."

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Still, Burlison said the number of cases warrants an investigation.

"What's really disturbing when you look back and reflect on it, you've got Monica Reza, you've got Anthony Chavez, you got Melissa Cassius and you have Steven Garcia, all of which, along with General McCasland, walked out of their homes," Burlison said.

MISSING GENERAL, SCIENTIST DEATHS TIED TO SECRET US WORK PROMPT WHITE HOUSE PROBE

"These are some of the most advanced scientists, researchers in our nation, some of the most important people for our nation's national security efforts, and they all just mysteriously disappeared," he added.

President Donald Trump addressed the disappearances this week but did not say whether he believes the cases are connected. He noted that he would know more soon, having just emerged from a briefing on the subject.

"Hopefully, I don't know, coincidence, if you want it, whatever you want to call it. But some of them were very important people, and we're [going to] look at it," Trump said.

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Over a dozen state officials rally behind game-changing Trump admin rule cracking down on fraud: 'Essential'

FIRST ON FOX: Financial officers from 12 states are backing a proposed Department of Labor rule that targets healthcare "middlemen" by demanding more transparency, rallying behind the Trump administration’s waste, fraud, and abuse crackdown as well as the goal of lowering healthcare costs.

In a letter to the Labor Department obtained by Fox News Digital, over a dozen state financial officers in the State Financial Officers Association (SFOF) offered their support of a proposed rule being evaluated by the Labor Department targeting pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) that would expose hidden fees, conflicts of interest and overcharging that drive up costs.

"Healthcare purchasers are operating in the dark, paying inflated costs because hidden pricing and middlemen obscure where every dollar goes," OJ Oleka, CEO of the State Financial Officers Foundation, told Fox News Digital. "By bringing those hidden prices into the light, companies can finally identify waste, negotiate better deals, and redirect those savings toward higher wages, more jobs, stronger benefits for workers, and increases to shareholder value." 

Oleka went on to explain that on a state level, the transparency brought on by the new rule is "essential to safeguarding taxpayer resources and fulfilling fiduciary responsibilities."

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"Transparency isn’t just about accountability; it’s critical to detecting waste, preventing fraud, and ensuring that healthcare spending delivers value to the workers, businesses, and taxpayers who ultimately bear these costs."

If implemented, the rule would require full disclosure of these "middlemen" revenue streams, expand beyond pharmacy benefit managers to insurers and third-party administrators, and allow access to claims and pricing data, which SFOF says will be a key tool in combating fraud while outlining in the letter that the administration shouldn’t stop there.

"As the guardians of billions of taxpayers' hard-earned dollars, we support the Labor Department's proposed rule and hope the administration goes even further," Tina Cannon, Utah’s state auditor, told Fox News Digital.

"Enforcing price transparency is essential for us to perform our fiduciary duties effectively," she said. "Greater oversight and accountability for employer-based health plans will help prevent waste, fraud, and abuse in federal healthcare programs, such as the $463.7 million in inappropriate hospital payments my office uncovered in Utah last year. Expanding this rule would help us do our jobs, root out fraud and waste, and reduce the cost of healthcare for all Americans."

A "complex web" of hidden rebates, fees, and incentives, driven by pharmacy benefit managers, has allowed fraud to go undetected for years, according to the letter.

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The push follows months of action from the Trump administration and SFOF to crack down on waste, fraud, and abuse across government. Trump recently named Vice President JD Vance the nation’s "fraud czar" to lead an anti-fraud task force, and in February the SFOF uncovered billions in taxpayer waste.

Treasurers and auditors from 12 states — including Nebraska, Louisiana, Wyoming, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, North Dakota, Indiana, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah, Mississippi and Kansas — signed onto the effort.

More than $50 billion annually in undisclosed rebates and fees is retained by top pharmacy benefit managers, which has "prevented effective oversight," according to the letter. The letter details methods used to generate this hidden fraud.

"Healthcare overcharging in the United States erodes shareholder value by driving up costs for employers (and patients)," the letter states.

VANCE REVEALS $19B FRAUD UNCOVERED IN MINNEAPOLIS, HINTS CALIFORNIA IS NEXT TARGET

One major concern is that pharmacy benefit managers charge more for a drug than they pay at the dispensing pharmacy "to keep the difference or ‘spread’ as profit." In turn, money hidden from regulators drives price spikes. 

The letter also states that pharmacy benefit managers are buying more expensive drugs from manufacturers for higher rebates without those incentives ever being disclosed.

"These arrangements are generally not made public, so plan sponsors often do not have insight into how much pharmacy benefit managers are actually paying for drugs on their formularies," according to the letter.

It adds that pharmacy benefit managers are steering patients away from cheaper pharmacy options to their own affiliated pharmacies to boost profits.

In 2023, U.S. healthcare spending reached nearly $5 trillion, about 17.6% of GDP, while employers spent roughly $1.3 trillion in 2024, with costs rising more than 5% annually, according to the letter.

The letter builds on recent pressure from these same officials on Fortune 500 companies to more closely examine healthcare spending data, signaling a growing investor-driven push for cost transparency.

It also follows a recent SFOF report showing that financial officers prevented $28 billion in waste and abuse in 2025 alone, along with new polling indicating that Americans view fraud as a major driver of rising living costs.

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