Sunday, August 2, 2026

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A senior House Democrat is urging his party to push back against the growing socialist wing that's been gaining influence in recent years.

"I don't ascribe to any of those ideas at all, and I think that there's very little support for those ideas," Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., told Fox News Digital in an interview.

He compared the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) to the House Freedom Caucus, a group on the rightmost flank of the House GOP, while denouncing the DSA's use of the word "democratic" in its name — implying its ideals were mostly socialist in nature.

"Much like the Republicans have had to deal with the Freedom Caucus, the Democrats are going to have to deal with this group," Suozzi said. "I don't like the idea of them using 'democratic.' I think that we should be, as the Democratic Party, should be fighting against that and saying, 'You know, you shouldn't be using the word democratic ... that's us, that's not you."

RAHM EMANUEL WARNS DSA AGENDA DOESN'T PLAY WELL OUTSIDE 'UPPER WEST SIDE OF MANHATTAN'

It comes as DSA-linked candidates are making significant inroads in primary elections across the country, even defeating incumbent House progressives in New York and Colorado.

HOUSE REPUBLICANS AIM TO TURN DEMOCRATIC CIVIL WAR INTO MIDTERM WEAPON

And as Republicans work to capitalize on a burgeoning civil war within the party, Suozzi warned fellow Democrats to take the perception of a DSA takeover seriously.

"I try not to waste my time on worry. I try to take action. So I just say very clearly, 'That's not me and that's not us, and this is why that's not us, and that's why this is not me.' And I fight back against it," Suozzi said. "And there are a lot of Democrats who say, 'Oh, if you look at it, it's just a very small percentage in very deep-blue seats. And it's not that big a deal.' I think that's wrong to just discount it like that. I think you just come out head-on, and take it on and say, 'These guys are wrong. We've got nothing to do with them.'"

100 DAY SPRINT TO THE MIDTERMS KICKS OFF AS REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS CLASH FOR CONTROL ACROSS THE COUNTRY

Suozzi himself is part of an ever-shrinking group of moderates on both sides of the aisle. He's also co-chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, which is dedicated to finding legislative solutions that both parties can get behind.

The New York Democrat is one of Republicans' top targets in the coming midterm elections, and his November victory would be key to Democrats taking back control of the House. Suozzi's district, anchored in the wealthy Long Island suburbs outside of New York City, was won by President Donald Trump in 2024.

He told Fox News Digital that Democrats should not focus on running against Trump the person, but rather argue about his specific policy actions.

"Your grocery prices are higher, your fuel prices are high, your health insurance costs are higher. Your energy bill is higher. Your kids can't buy a house — all these different factors. And that's happening because of this administration," Suozzi argued. "I think it should be less about Trump himself. You know, when I say it should be a referendum on Trump, it should be a referendum on this administration's performance addressing the things in your life."

Meanwhile, Republicans have argued that a Democrat-controlled House will embolden the party's socialist wing to take control and push policies that are unpopular with Americans.

In the Empire State, for example, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist, has become a prominent boogeyman for the right.

Suozzi said the tactic "would be effective" if he had not distanced himself from the socialist's policy platform early on.

"He's a very smart guy, he's very charismatic," Suozzi said. "I just fundamentally disagree with his positions on things."

But it's not enough to speak out against the socialist left, Suozzi warned.

"I started a thing called The Promise to America, where I've got now 10 members of Congress signed onto it. We're in the process of getting 200 state and local officials," he said. "We've identified 10 candidates, Democratic candidates, to sign the pledge that says 'We're capitalist, not socialist. We're for safety, not lawlessness. We're proud, not ashamed of America, and we're mainstream, we're not extreme.' So we've just got to organize, we've got to do the work necessary."

Suozzi is running against Republican former state lawmaker Mike LiPetri, whom Trump endorsed to flip the seat red.



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The New Mexico Supreme Court ruled that the body camera footage of a woman confessing to hiding her newborn baby in a hospital trash can in an attempt to conceal her pregnancy cannot be used by prosecutors in her murder case because of doctor-patient confidentiality.

Alexee Trevizo, who was 19 when she was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and tampering with evidence in 2023, was captured on police body camera admitting to hospital staff and her mother that she dumped the baby boy in the trash after workers reported the incident to authorities.

But the court ruled in a unanimous decision that all statements made in front of a police officer in the hospital room cannot be used at trial because her confession was protected under doctor-patient confidentiality, People reported. The state's high court also upheld the Fifth Judicial District Court’s ruling that surveillance video showing Trevizo inside the hospital and any body camera footage captured by police were also not admissible in court.

Trevizo’s doctor entered the room with two officers and informed the then-high school cheerleader and her mother that a dead newborn was found in the trash and had to be reported, the body camera footage shows.

NEW MEXICO WOMAN CHARGED WITH MURDER AFTER DEAD NEWBORN FOUND IN TRASHCAN

"I’m sorry, it came out of me. I didn’t know what to do," Trevizo was heard saying in the footage after a doctor told her the baby was found in the trash.

"I was scared," she continued, claiming that the child "was not crying or nothing."

After learning that a newborn had been found in the trash can, Trevizo’s mother asked: "How big is the baby?" A nurse told her that the baby appeared to be full term, to which Trevizo responded that "nothing was crying."

Trevizo's mother then asked her: "Where did you put the baby at? Tell me the truth. You put it in the bag?" Trevizo confirmed that she did put the newborn in the trash bag.

Police had not read Trevizo her Miranda rights before making the confession, but prosecutors argued that she did not need to be Mirandized since she was speaking to hospital staff in front of officers and not directly to any police.

The young woman was also receiving medical treatment when officers entered the room with body cameras.

"Despite her unresolved medical crisis, Dr. [Heather] Vaskas, without authorization, ambushed Defendant, bringing with her two armed officers who stood in the doorway of her hospital room, and disclosed her personal medical information to all persons in the room without warning," the court said in an opinion written by Justice Michael E. Vigil.

Since Trevizo was "not given the opportunity to exclude anyone from the room before Dr. Vaskas discussed her condition in the presence of others" and in a "compromised medical condition," the justices said that they "cannot conclude that Defendant’s waiver of her physician-patient privilege was voluntary."

Trevizo, now 22, arrived at Artesia General Hospital for severe back pain on Jan. 27, 2023, when hospital staff began running tests and giving her morphine for the pain as they waited for her results.

The teenager repeatedly denied to hospital staff that she was pregnant before running out of her hospital room and holding her backside on her way to the bathroom. Her mother followed her toward the bathroom and knocked several times on the locked door, waiting with hospital staff for around 20 minutes before the high school senior opened the door just as a nurse was about to unlock it.

After she opened the door, Trevizo was found cleaning up a heavy amount of blood on the floor. Hospital staff originally suspected the blood was from the woman attempting to terminate her pregnancy.

The bathroom had blood splattered on the wall, so hospital staff asked a janitor to clean it.

As the janitor was cleaning the bathroom, they noticed the trash felt heavier than expected and dug around until they discovered the newborn baby that was no longer breathing hidden inside. The janitor then told nurses of the discovery, and police were notified as required by law.

The New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator later determined the newborn died by homicide, finding that the child died from entrapment after being placed and tied inside a plastic trash bag beneath bloody paper towels and other garbage. The autopsy report also said the child had air in his lungs and that there was evidence of a hemorrhage consistent with hypoxia.

Despite these findings, Trevizo has maintained that the baby was stillborn. She has also continued to claim that she did not realize she was pregnant until she gave birth to her child in the hospital bathroom.

NEW MEXICO TEEN ACCUSED OF KILLING NEWBORN FACES 'NONSENSE' PETITION TO BAN HER FROM COLLEGE: LAWYER

The district attorney’s office filed charges against Trevizo based on the conversation captured on body camera footage as well as video taken from hospital security cameras that showed her in the hospital hallway entering and later leaving the bathroom. But that evidence is now inadmissible.

After her arrest on May 10, 2023, Trevizo was released from jail and allowed to finish her senior year of high school without an ankle monitor or house arrest while waiting for trial.

Trevizo attended prom and had planned to walk at her high school graduation while awaiting trial, but the school asked her not to attend.

She then attended New Mexico State University, where students launched a petition that received more than 30,000 signatures demanding she be banned from campus.



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Saturday, August 1, 2026

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EXCLUSIVE: The rise of a new type of fraudster has a top Trump administration investigator sounding the alarm as new — albeit brazen — schemes for ripping off hard-working American taxpayers emerge.

The Department of Labor (DOL) Inspector General is warning of a growing cottage industry of online scammers, dubbed "fraudfluencers," who boast their skill in exploiting government programs and facilitate fraud on behalf of others. Typically, the scammers take a cut of the fraudulently obtained benefits.

"This isn’t just a crime — it’s a deliberate and public betrayal of every hardworking American who plays by the rules," DOL Inspector General Anthony P. D’Esposito told Fox News Digital. "Fraud is not a trend or content; it’s theft of taxpayer dollars, and it will be prosecuted."

EXCLUSIVE: WOMAN WHO STOLE $1.7M MEANT FOR HURRICANE VICTIMS GETS PRISON TIME AS DHS CRACKS DOWN ON FEMA FRAUD

In one case, a California Employment Development Department (EDD) contract employee named Britteny Egland openly used her social media to invite others to participate in her schemes. She offered to help her followers take advantage of taxpayer-funded programs they weren't qualified for by using insider information and stolen identities to file fraudulent unemployment insurance, grant and rent relief applications. 

Egland had nearly 10,000 followers on Instagram and over 1,500 followers on X at the time of the posts. Her actions exhibit a growing cottage industry of online schemers who brazenly solicit others to team up and commit fraud.

She went on to steal $2.8 million from government coffers.

"NEW OR REGULAR CLAIMS ONLY," a typical post from the fraudfluencer, who used the handle @Britisshh on X, reads. "IF YOU DID PANDEMIC EDD THIS ISN'T FOR YOU! EVEN IF YOU HAVE A REMAINING BALANCE IT WILL NOT WORK."

EXCLUSIVE: FBI ADDS ALLEGED COVID FRAUDSTER ACCUSED OF TAKING $5M FROM KIDS' MEAL PROGRAM TO MOST WANTED LIST

"IF YOU HAVEN'T DID EDD DURING THAT PERIOD LET'S RUN IT UP. 10-30K," the post continued, before offering for her to "check a claim" for the price of $150.

Egland prompted users to "get with the winning team" by defrauding the U.S. government, but warned potential clients against asking her too many questions because she was unable to address the influx of messages.

"IT'S A LOT OF MONEY ON THE FLOOR! PLEASE DON'T BE STUPID AND MISS OUT," another post from the perpetrator said. "NOBODY WENT TO JAIL OR OWE BACK FOR ANYTHING - LITERALLY - THE WHOLE WORLD IS SCAMMING THE GOVERNMENT AND ALL THESE PROGRAMS."

In a third post, the scammer offered her services in defrauding a $20,000 grant program, saying that she would take $5,000 and give the rest to her client.

VANCE ANTI-FRAUD TASK FORCE SUSPENDS 447 HOSPICES IN LOS ANGELES OVER MORE THAN $600M IN SUSPECTED FRAUD

The law eventually caught up with Egland. In June 2025, she pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

Egland was sentenced 60 months in federal prison, 36 months of supervised release and ordered to repay the full $2.8 million she stole.

"What makes this increasingly dangerous is the growing effort by fraudsters on social media to glamorize and normalize stealing from their own communities — turning theft into entertainment and betrayal into a lifestyle," said D'Esposito.

"My office, working in close coordination with Vice President Vance’s White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, has zero tolerance for those who cheat the system. We will pursue these cases aggressively, seek prison sentences, and ensure real accountability."

Egland's case isn't isolated.

Investigators are increasingly seeing fraudsters use social media to normalize theft, advertise their methods and build audiences around criminal behavior.

An Atlanta man named Jonathan Dupiton, who had a podcast with the motto "F.R.A.U.D is Dope," was convicted in April and sentenced to seven years in federal prison for using stolen identities to brazenly obtain $3.8 million in fraudulent unemployment insurance benefits from the same California EDD program.

In 2022, a Memphis rapper called "Nuke Bizzle," whose real name is Fontrell Antonio Baines, was sentenced to 77 months in federal prison after exploiting Pandemic Unemployment Assistance provisions from the CARES Act, meant to help struggling Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Baines bragged about his $788,000 in ill-gotten gains in a music video posted to YouTube.

"The criminal mindset hasn’t changed — only the platform has," said D'Esposito, a former NYPD detective. "I’ve seen criminals make mistakes. Today’s ‘Fraudfluencers’ make those mistakes in high definition. They steal from taxpayers, boast about it on social media, and leave a digital footprint our investigators can follow."

D'Esposito and the White House Fraud Task Force was created, in part, to crack down on taxpayer funds being paid out to fraudsters and to end the widespread abuse of government programs.



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As President Donald Trump intensifies his push to eliminate the Senate filibuster to pass the SAVE America Act, lawmakers are exposing familiar fault lines over when the chamber's 60-vote rule should, and shouldn't, apply.

Democratic senators avoided endorsing an outright elimination of the filibuster. Some defended exceptions for certain legislation, with several arguing it should stay in place while Republicans push to pass the SAVE Act through the Senate.

"I would want to know what specific measure it covered," Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., told Fox News Digital. "I'm in favor of eliminating the filibuster for specific measures, not across the board."

TRUMP'S VOTER ID BILL CATCHES UNLIKELY BREAK AS MCCONNELL REMAINS SIDELINED

"When we wanted the Voting Rights Act passed, I was willing to do it," Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash said.

"It depends on constitutional issues," she said. "If there are people that are overriding the Constitution and not following the Constitution, that would be an area where I would think about [eliminating the filibuster.]"

Democrats previously pushed to create exceptions to the filibuster for legislation including voting rights bills after Republicans repeatedly blocked those measures during President Joe Biden's administration.

As the SAVE Act stalls in the Senate, Trump has repeatedly urged Senate Majority Leader John Thune and other Senate Republicans to eliminate the filibuster to pass the election integrity bill.

"I think we have to be really careful," Sen. Angela Alsobrooks said. "The filibuster is what’s preventing President Trump from his SAVE Act."

Trump took to Truth Social urging Thune not to allow the Senate to leave for August recess until lawmakers either pass the Save Act terminate the filibuster. He also insisted that Senate Democrats would do it to advance their own legislation if they regained the majority.

WATCH: ELISSA SLOTKIN SAYS SAVE AMERICA ACT WOULD MAKE IT 'HARD FOR ANY DEMOCRAT' TO WIN AN ELECTION

"I think that the Democrats would absolutely eliminate the filibuster," Sen. Roger Marshall said. "Every Democrat senator that's here now, that was here when they had the chance, voted to end it."

Marshall explained that his position switched on this, with him now having newfound support for eliminating the filibuster as he claims the Democratic party has become unwilling to cooperate.

"Democrats don't want to cooperate," Marshall said.

He continued, "They want to do everything they can to make life miserable in America, thinking it's going to help them politically. Always putting their political goals ahead of what's best for America."

TRUMP DEMANDS THUNE KEEP SENATE IN SESSION UNTIL SAVE AMERICA ACT PASSES

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., acknowledged the same argument that Thune has defended himself to the president for not passing the SAVE Act: the votes in the upper chamber are not there to remove the filibuster.

"[Trump] knows the votes aren’t there to do what he wants to do, in the way he wants to do it," Kennedy said. "The House has passed a budget resolution to get reconciliation started. We can pass the SAVE Act with the right… the correctly crafted bill."

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is working to craft that bill to pass certain elements of the SAVE Act through the budget reconciliation process — dropping the need for Senate Democrats to vote in favor of the bill to get it passed to Trump.

"There comes a time when you got to stop talking and just vote," Kennedy said.

" I'm ready to vote, and I'm gonna vote yes. And I'll stay here as long into August or September as I need to for us to get our work done."



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Friday, July 31, 2026

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Federal immigration officials have lodged a detainer against a Honduran national accused of attempting to disarm a police officer during an encounter in Northern Virginia.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is asking Fairfax County officials not to release Nehemia Noel Fuentes-Banegas after authorities said he ambushed a Fairfax County police officer Tuesday.

According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), officers responded to a report of a man who left a home in Annandale following an argument while allegedly armed with two knives.

SPANBERGER'S ICE ROLLBACK TO BLAME FOR TODDLER KILLING, VIRGINIA 'HOTBED' OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CRIME: DHS

Fairfax County police said the man also stabbed himself before leaving the residence and fleeing into a nearby wooded area.

As officers searched a wooded area, Fuentes-Banegas allegedly emerged from the brush, grabbed an officer's firearm and attempted to disarm the officer, DHS said.

Fairfax County police said one officer fired his service weapon while a second officer simultaneously deployed a department-issued Taser. The bullet grazed Fuentes-Banegas' shoulder, police said.

Fuentes-Banegas was arrested and charged with attempted disarming of a law enforcement officer. ICE has lodged a detainer requesting that Fairfax County notify federal authorities before his release.

ILLEGAL ALIEN ‘MONSTER’ CHARGED WITH RAPING DEAD GIRLFRIEND’S DAUGHTER, DHS BLAMES BIDEN-ERA POLICIES

According to DHS, Fuentes-Banegas entered the United States illegally through Texas in 2022 and was later released under the Biden administration.

"This criminal illegal alien from Honduras attacked a law enforcement officer and attempted to take the officer's gun," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.

"He has now been charged with attempted disarming of a law enforcement officer," she continued. "ICE is calling on Governor Abigail Spanberger and her fellow sanctuary politicians to commit to not releasing this dangerous criminal from jail."

DHS blamed Virginia's sanctuary policies for limiting cooperation with federal immigration authorities, arguing they have made the commonwealth "a magnet for illegal alien crime."

ABIGAIL SPANBERGER’S VIRGINIA A ‘HOTBED’ FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CRIME, DHS SAYS AFTER LATEST RAPE CHARGE

The department noted that Spanberger signed executive orders at the start of her administration ending former Gov. Glenn Youngkin's 287(g) agreements and limiting state cooperation with ICE.

"Under Governor Spanberger, Virginia has become a hotbed of illegal alien crime," DHS said.

DHS also pointed to the recent arrest of Raul Genesis Ortiz Moran, a Mexican national charged with second-degree murder and aggravated sexual battery in connection with the death of a 2-year-old girl in Louisa County.

"This horrific tragedy was completely avoidable because this illegal alien should have never been in our country. Governor Spanberger’s sanctuary policies have made Virginia a hotbed for illegal alien crime," DHS Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis previously told Fox News Digital.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Spanberger's office for comment.

Fox News Digital's Charles Creitz contributed to this report.



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There’s a moment in the homebuying process that always stands out for me. It’s at closing when, after countless pages have been signed, my clients take their new keys and start the next chapter of their lives. I’ve helped clients buy and sell thousands of properties during my real estate career. Yet that moment never loses its meaning because it’s the embodiment of the American Dream — of unlocking opportunity and a brighter future.

At the 250th anniversary of our founding, however, the path to homeownership has grown far harder than it should be. From inventory to insurance and regulatory hurdles, there are very real affordability barriers preventing buyers from entering the housing market.

Making the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act a law is a massive step in the right direction, but there is more work to do, and we need to maintain momentum. Homeownership puts families on the path to intergenerational wealth, strengthening our economy and the social fabric of our nation. The most important part is to now act on the opportunity.

THE AMERICAN DREAM NOW COMES WITH A ZIP CODE: HERE'S WHERE STARTER HOMES ARE STILL WITHIN REACH

Americans across the board increasingly recognize the importance of homeownership. A recent national poll of voters commissioned by NAR found that 85% of respondents say owning a home is part of the American Dream, up from 79% who were asked that same question in 2013. It’s understandable why: homeowners have 40 times the net worth of renters. In fact, home equity and retirement accounts represent over 60% of American households’ net worth.

Yet, too many barriers to homeownership exist. Sadly, this isn’t new. My father had to contend with redlining and discriminatory covenants, conditions and restrictions. But his persistence in the face of prejudice laid a groundwork of intergenerational wealth through homeownership and real estate investment. In doing so, it expanded what was possible for our family.

My father built a business as a REALTOR®, bringing that transformative power to others, and my brother and I followed suit. We saw firsthand how homeownership strengthens families, communities and the economy. This is the thread that ties my family’s story together and countless others.

THE SURPRISING HIDDEN COST QUIETLY ADDING NEARLY $132K TO NEW HOME PRICES REVEALED

Now, to fix today's problem, it helps to identify it clearly. Ten years ago, there were 1.65 million available homes, and buyers could lock in a mortgage rate at 3.7%. Today, inventory stands at just 1.18 million homes, despite 20 million more people living in the United States, and mortgage rates are hovering north of 6%.

This is a concerning reality. As president of the National Association of REALTORS®; I’ve watched the path to home ownership grow longer and steeper. Our 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers shows that the median age of a first-time buyer is 40, the highest on record in the United States.

This is also personal for me. My own children are in their 20s, I know the struggles of first-time buyers trying to break into the market due to the lack of affordable homes. I see it when I counsel young people looking for a pair of house keys to call their own.

There is no quick fix. But there is a path forward — one that requires taking on the full set of forces shaping the housing market. This means addressing financing, expanding supply, tackling rising insurance costs, zoning restrictions, protecting access to inventory and breaking down barriers that keep Americans from owning a home.

This is one of the reasons why NAR was such a full-throated supporter of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act. It took immense effort on the part of many stakeholders, representing the kind of comprehensive action that can expand the dream of homeownership to more Americans.

In every ZIP Code across the country, this law gives communities new tools and resources to plan and build for growth, streamlining federal processes that delay construction, and updating financing options for manufactured and rural housing. It’s a package of nearly 50 individual bills that together will make an impact for years to come.

But now is the time to step on the gas when it comes to addressing federal, state, and local policies that have adverse effects on homeownership. Take rent control as an example: we know that affordability is a real concern, but these rent control measures do not work, discouraging investment and limiting housing supply.

That’s why we worked alongside state and industry stakeholders to successfully challenge the statewide rent control ballot measure in Massachusetts, advocating instead for policies that expand housing availability and improve affordability over the long term.

A similar rationale underpins our ongoing advocacy against the "Home Equity Tax" that is freezing our housing market. Current capital gains exclusion levels haven’t been updated in nearly 30 years or indexed to inflation.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINION

The result is that more and more middle-income Americans fall victim to this tax each year and choose to stay put, with first-time buyers and families facing higher prices. Through new original research, polling and advocacy with policymakers, we're making the case that modernizing these thresholds would help unlock existing housing supply and improve opportunities for buyers. This legislation would have immediate effect and is the fastest way to get more homes on the market now.

At its core, homeownership is about more than having a place to call your own. It’s a foundation for financial stability, wealth building and community well-being. It drives economic strength. The numbers back this up; real estate represents nearly one-fifth of U.S. GDP, and each home sale produces $125,310 in local economic activity and generates two jobs. It’s that straightforward.

At our nation’s 250th anniversary, I am clear-eyed about the challenges that homebuyers and sellers face. But I’ve never been more optimistic about the power of real estate and the impact it can have. It’s time to make homeownership more accessible and affordable. The keys are within reach.



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Thursday, July 30, 2026

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A Washington mother says she is withdrawing her children from an elementary school after learning a Pride-themed lesson had been presented during music class without advance notice to parents or an opportunity to opt out, raising questions about district policies governing classroom instruction.

"I assumed I had probably missed an email asking for consent, but there was nothing," Maria Varchetto said in communications with school administrators, which she shared with Fox News Digital on Monday. "No advanced notice, no opportunity to review the lesson, no information letting parents know this topic would be discussed. No option to request that our kids be allowed to opt out and participate in an alternative activity. There was nothing."

Varchetto alleged the lesson was presented to elementary school students, including her daughter, on June 15 at Martha Lake Elementary School in the Edmonds School District as part of a music class and that parents were not informed beforehand.

TRUMP ADMIN TARGETS WOKE SCHOOLS ACCUSED OF HIDING STUDENTS' GENDER TRANSITIONS FROM PARENTS

Varchetto said that a video entitled, "Why is Pride in June," from the YouTube account, "Queer Kid Stuff," which, according to the account, "imagines a kinder and more equal future through highly-accessible education and entertainment for kids ages 3+," was shown to her fourth-grade daughter.

The YouTube channel describes itself as an "LGBTQ+ educational webseries for children ages 3+ hosted by a tie-wearing queer lady, Lindsay, and her non-binary best-stuffed friend, Teddy. Gender Studies 101 meets Mr. Rodgers’ Neighborhood!"

Varchetto said the incident prompted her to remove her children from the school.

VIRGINIA SCHOOL DISTRICT SUED OVER ALLEGED POLICY OF KEEPING STUDENTS' GENDER TRANSITIONS HIDDEN FROM PARENTS

"We are 100% removing our kids from this school as I have no trust in the leadership," Varchetto said.

Other materials Varchetto said were included were a list of videos from musicians in the LGBTQ+ community such as Freddie Mercury of Queen, Lil Nas X, and Billy Porter dancing in a ballgown on Sesame Street.

Varchetto told school officials that her daughter recalled hearing during the lesson that students could identify as gay, lesbian, transgender, asexual, nonbinary or Two-Spirit.

She said an administrator told her she had not been aware those topics were part of the classroom discussion, leaving Varchetto wondering whether the lesson included more than the materials she had been shown.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OPENS FOUR TITLE IX INVESTIGATIONS INTO MICHIGAN AND NORTH CAROLINA SCHOOL DISTRICTS

"No handouts were sent home (which is typical for music class)," Varchetto told Fox News Digital in a statement.

Varchetto said she asked the school for a copy of the lesson materials but was told they could only be reviewed in person rather than sent electronically. She also said parents were not notified beforehand that the lesson would be taught, were not given an opportunity to opt their children out, and received no advance communication about its content.

She said that cultural lessons were taught every month for the theme of that month, but that Pride month was left off of the list of lessons.

"I feel mad they did this, mad they hid it," Varchetto said. "I feel insulted, offended, angry, and sad that my kids are now being taken out of a lifestyle they've grown to love, away from the friendships they've built, all because this one teacher didn't care to ask permission and a principal lied and hid it." 

In a statement to Fox News Digital, a spokesperson for Edmonds School District said, "The lesson was not part of a districtwide Pride curriculum. It was a music lesson developed by the school’s music teacher that highlighted the contributions of influential musicians, including some who identify as LGBTQ+."

The spokesperson continued, "The purpose of the lesson was to teach music and music history through the lives and contributions of notable artists. Discussions about an artist’s background or identity were included as relevant biographical context, similar to how students may learn about other aspects of historical figures’ lives that helped shape their experiences and contributions."

The spokesperson added, "We expect instructional materials to be age-appropriate and aligned with district expectations and state standards. As with any concern raised about classroom instruction, we will work with the school administrator to determine whether they met those expectations."



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