Tag: launch

  • Trump supporting California sheriff to launch GOP run for governor in race to succeed Newsom: sources

    Trump supporting California sheriff to launch GOP run for governor in race to succeed Newsom: sources

    A tough-on-crime Republican sheriff in southern California who was a supporter of President Trump in last year’s election will launch a campaign for Golden State governor, a source familiar confirms to Fox News.

    Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco is expected to announce his candidacy at a scheduled event Monday in Riverside, California, about 50 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles, in the 2026 race to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.

    Bianco, a vocal critic of Newsom and other state Democratic leaders when it comes to the issues of crime and punishment, was one of the leaders who helped push California’s Proposition 36 ballot measure to a landslide victory in last November’s elections.

    WHAT SHERIFF CHAD BIANCO TOLD FOX NEWS

    Sheriff Chad Bianco of Riverside County speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on May 15, 2024. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)

    The measure, which took effect in December, mandates stiffer penalties and longer sentences in California for certain drug and theft crimes.

    MAJOR CALIFORNIA DEMOCRAT PREEDICTS FORMER VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS WOULD CLEAR GUBERNATORIAL FIELD

    Bianco, who has worked in law enforcement for more than three decades, was first elected sheriff in 2018. He’s been openly flirting with a 2026 gubernatorial run since at least last spring.

    House Speaker Mike Johnson listens to Sheriff Chad Bianco speak during a news conference in the U.S. Capitol on May 15, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

    House Speaker Mike Johnson listens to Sheriff Chad Bianco speak during a news conference in the U.S. Capitol on May 15, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

    When asked late last year in a Fox News interview if he knew of anyone who might be capable of producing change in Sacramento – California’s capital city – Bianco responded, “I might, I might know someone that would go there with nothing but common sense and the betterment of the citizens of California rather than some crazy ideological agenda that truly makes absolutely no sense to any of us.”

    The news regarding Bianco was first reported by Politico.

    It’s been nearly two decades since a Republican won statewide office in heavily blue California. You have to go all the way back to former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 2006 re-election victory.

    Gov Gavin Newsom

    California Gov. Gavin Newsom is term-limited and cannot seek re-election in 2026. (California Governor Gavin Newsom YouTube channel)

    There has been plenty of speculation since former Vice President Kamala Harris’ election defeat last November to Trump regarding her next political move, with the two potential options likely being launching a 2026 gubernatorial run in her home state of California or seeking the presidency again in 2028.

    Harris served as San Francisco district attorney and California attorney general and U.S. senator before becoming vice president.

    Sources in the former vice president’s political orbit say no decisions have been made about any next steps.

    Vice President Harris

    Vice President Kamala Harris delivers remarks at the Democratic National Committee’s holiday reception in Washington, D.C., Dec. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

    The Democrats’ field for governor in the heavily blue-leaning state is already crowded.

    Among the more than half-dozen candidates already running for governor are Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, a Harris ally, and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

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    Former Rep. Katie Porter, who unsuccessfully ran for the Democratic Senate nomination last year, has expressed interest in launching a campaign.

    Additionally, former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, who served in Congress and as California attorney general before joining the Biden administration, is also seen as a potential contender.

    Former Fox News Channel host and conservative commentator Steve Hilton is considering a Republican run for California governor.

    In California, unlike most other states, the top two finishers in a primary, regardless of party affiliation, advance to the general election.

  • Iran’s covert nuclear agency found operating out of top space program launch sites

    Iran’s covert nuclear agency found operating out of top space program launch sites

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    FIRST ON FOX: A covert agency within Iran’s Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL) tasked with the development of Iran’s nuclear program has been found to be operating out of top sites used by Iran’s space program.

    Iran has hidden elements of its nuclear development program under the guise of commercial enterprises, and it has been suspected of using its space program to develop technologies that could be applied to its nuclear weapons program. 

    Fox News Digital has learned that according to information obtained by sources embedded in the Iranian regime, evidence collected over several months shows that Iran’s chief nuclear development agency, the Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research (SPDN), has been operating out two locations previously recognized as space development and launch sites.

    A big banner depicting Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is placed next to a ballistic missile in Baharestan Square in Tehran, Iran, on September 26, 2024 on the sideline of an exhibition which marks the 44th anniversary of the start of Iran-Iraq war.  (Photo by Hossein Beris / Middle East Images / Middle East Images via AFP) (Photo by HOSSEIN BERIS/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)

    IRAN HIDING MISSILE, DRONE PROGRAMS UNDER GUISE OF COMMERCIAL FRONT TO EVADE SANCTIONS

    “These reports, compiled from dozens of sources and thoroughly validated, indicate that in recent months, SPND has intensified its efforts to construct nuclear warheads at both the Shahrud and Semnan sites,” the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) said in a report exclusively obtained by Fox News Digital.

    The information was obtained by individuals affiliated with the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MEK) and given to the NCRI, an Iranian opposition organization based out of D.C. and Paris. The NCRI’s deputy director of its Washington D.C. office, Alireza Jafarzadeh, was the first to disclose to the world information about Iran’s covert nuclear program in 2002.

    One of the sites, the Shahroud Space Center, which has been suspected of being used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to develop intermediate-range ballistic missiles, is also now reported to have “large-scale” SPND personnel operating out of it – a move Jafarzadeh described as a “significant red flag.”

    The Shahroud Space Center caught global attention in 2022 when Iran announced it had developed the Ghaem-100 rocket – which could be used to send low-orbit satellites into space, but also as a ballistic missile with a range of nearly 1,400 miles, greater that what was previously achieved with the Qased rocket.

    But according to sources familiar with activity at the Shahroud Space Center “SPND’s experts are working on a nuclear warhead for the Ghaem100 solid-fuel missile with a range of more than 3,000 kilometers [more than 1,800 miles] and a mobile launch pad.”

    Iran missile launch

    TEHRAN, IRAN – MAY 07:  Iran’s medium-range ballistic missile called Hayber (Hurremshahr-4) is seen after the launch during the promotional program organized with the participation of high-ranking military officials in Tehran, Iran on May 07, 2023. The liquid-fueled ballistic missile Hayber, with a range of 2 thousand kilometers, can carry 1500 kilograms of warheads.  (Iranian Defense Ministry / Hanodut/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

    IRAN EXPANDS WEAPONIZATION CAPABILITIES CRITICAL FOR EMPLOYING NUCLEAR BOMB

    The site is under high security and personnel are apparently prohibited from driving onto the complex. Instead, they are required to park at a checkpoint at the entrance to the site, before being transported inside the complex by the IRGC. 

    “The Ghaem-100 missile, with a mobile launchpad that enhances its military capability, was produced by the IRGC Aerospace Force and copied from North Korean missiles,” the NCRI report said. “The production of the Ghaem missile was designed from the very beginning to carry a nuclear warhead. The IRGC Brigadier General Hassan Tehrani Moghaddam, the father of the IRGC’s missile program, personally pursued the project.”

    It is unclear what level of nuclear payload the Ghaem-100 missile would be capable of carrying at the range of 1,800 miles, though this is still shy of the roughly 3,400 miles needed to be classified as an intercontinental missile. 

    The second site, located in the northern city of Semnan, the Imam Khomeini Spaceport – Iran’s first spaceport – made international headlines just last month when Tehran launched its heaviest-ever rocket into space carrying a payload of roughly 660 pounds, relying on a liquid propellant.

    According to the NCRI report, Iran is using this technology to develop liquid-fuel propellants – like the Simorgh rocket with a range of more than 1,800 miles (used for launching heavier satellites into space – but with the capability of carrying nuclear warheads.

    Iran rocket space

    This photo released by the official website of the Iranian Defense Ministry on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, shows the launching of Simorgh, or “Phoenix,” rocket at Iran’s Imam Khomeini Spaceport in rural Semnan province, Iran. (Iranian Defense Ministry via AP)

    IRAN LAUNCHES ROCKET WITH HEAVIEST-EVER PAYLOAD INTO SPACE AMID HEIGHTENED CONCERN OVER NUCLEAR PROGRAM

    Liquid fuel enables a missile to have greater propulsive thrust, power and control. Though it is heavier than solid fuel and requires more complex technologies. 

    “Creating a Space Command of the IRGC’s Aerospace Force has served to camouflage the development of nuclear warheads under the guise of launching satellites while additionally giving the regime independent communications necessary for guiding the nuclear warheads,” Jafarzadeh told Fox News Digital. 

    The International Atomic Energy Agency earlier this month warned that Iran has developed some 440 pounds of near-weapons grade uranium that has been enriched to the 60% purity threshold – shy of the 90% purity levels needed to develop a nuclear bomb. 

    Though only some 92 pounds of weapons-grade uranium is reportedly required to create one nuclear bomb, meaning Iran, if it further enriched its uranium, could possess enough material to develop five nuclear bombs.

    Iran nuclear

    The Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) has analyzed where Iran’s nuclear infrastructure is located as Israel mulls retaliatory attack. 01/31/2025 (Image provided by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) )

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    But Jafarzadeh warned that the international community needs to be paying attention to Iran’s activities beyond enriching uranium. 

    “It is naïve to only focus on calculating the amount or purity of enriched uranium without concentrating on the construction of the nuclear bomb or its delivery system,” he said. “All are integral components of giving Iran’s mullahs an atomic bomb.”

  • Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and political allies launch public affairs firm

    Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and political allies launch public affairs firm

    Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has joined forces with five other figures to found Watchtower Strategy, a public affairs organization.

    The other people involved include Jeff Miller, Dan Conston, Arthur Schwartz, Cliff Sims and Brian Walsh.

    “Watchtower Strategy is a premier public affairs firm founded by six leaders at the pinnacle of American politics. Watchtower specializes in strategy, advocacy, and crisis communications,” the organization’s website declares.

    TRUMP ACCUSES FORMER SPEAKER KEVIN MCCARTHY OF ‘ONE OF THE DUMBEST POLITICAL DECISIONS MADE IN YEARS’

    A press release indicates that the group “will provide strategic advisory services for CEOs and senior executives, helping them navigate high stakes issues at the intersection of business, government, and public relations. The firm also specializes in developing and executing issue advocacy campaigns, with a proven track record of shaping public debates and influencing key policy outcomes.”

    Fox News Digital attempted to reach out to McCarthy for comment on Wednesday but did not receive a response in time for publication.

    “The launch of Watchtower Strategy comes at a pivotal and promising moment for our country,” McCarrthy said, according to the press release. “Navigating this moment can be both an opportunity and a challenge. The Watchtower team is trusted, tested, and built for success.”

    KEVIN MCCARTHY CLASHES WITH NBC HOSTS OVER BIDEN FAMILY PARDONS: HE ‘MUST KNOW SOMETHING’ THAT OTHERS DON’T

    McCarthy, Watchtower Strategy’s chairman, is also a member of the C3 AI advisory board, and he is on the Anivive Lifesciences board of directors. 

    C3 AI’s website says the organization “is a leading Enterprise AI software provider for accelerating digital transformation.” 

    Anivive has described itself as a “pet pharmaceutical company.”

    McCarthy obtained the speaker’s gavel in 2023 after a whopping 15 rounds of balloting. He was later ousted from the speakership, and eventually resigned from Congress before the end of his term.

    KEVIN MCCARTHY SHARES WHAT HE BELIEVES TO BE ‘THE GREATEST THREAT TO US’

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    McCarthy attended President Donald Trump’s inauguration ceremony last week.

  • Former Trump Cabinet members launch group to promote president’s energy agenda

    Former Trump Cabinet members launch group to promote president’s energy agenda

    FIRST ON FOX: Two former Trump administration Cabinet secretaries are launching a nationwide coalition to back the president’s “energy dominance” agenda, which aims to boost oil and gas production and scale back climate change policies.

    Former U.S. Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette and former U.S. Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt are launching the Restoring Energy Dominance Coalition on Wednesday, which will rally conservatives behind President Donald Trump’s broad energy approach, a central theme of his 2024 campaign.

    According to the nonprofit’s website, the organization is made up of “a group of concerned citizens and policy experts who understand that American energy production — of all kinds — is essential for unleashing domestic energy dominance.”

    EXPERTS SAY FIRST WEEK OF ‘TRUMP EFFECT’ IS DERAILING GLOBAL CLIMATE MOVEMENT’S ‘HOUSE OF CARDS’

    Former Trump Cabinet members are forming a new group to support President Donald Trump’s energy agenda and roll back the Biden administration’s focus on climate change. (Getty Images)

    Brouillette said the coalition will ensure Trump garners the support he needs for his all-of-the-above energy agenda, which is “essential to lowering costs, creating good-paying jobs, and bolstering America’s national security.” 

    All of the above energy involves a mix of energy sources, like fossil fuels, nuclear energy and renewable energy, to promote energy independence.

    “The first step to improving our economy and lowering the cost of living for American families is to restore our energy dominance,” Bernhadt said in a statement. “President Trump is spot on about needing all forms of energy to meet our current challenges and America’s new golden age will only be possible if we make the president’s energy platform from his 2024 campaign a reality.”

    Following Trump’s campaign promise to “drill, baby drill,” Trump issued an executive order on Inauguration Day declaring a national energy emergency, invoking the National Emergencies Act, to bolster domestic energy production and reduce reliance on foreign energy sources. The Trump White House argues it will lower energy costs. 

    ENERGY EXPERTS WEIGH IN AFTER CANADIAN PREMIER SAYS SHE WANTS TO DISCUSS KEYSTONE PIPELINE 2.0 WITH TRUMP

    oil derrick at left; right: Donald Trump

    President Donald Trump has vowed to unleash American energy. (Getty Images)

    The order directs federal agencies to “expedite the leasing, siting, production, transportation, refining, and generation of domestic energy resources,” including on federal lands.

    “The policies of the previous administration have driven our Nation into a national emergency, where a precariously inadequate and intermittent energy supply, and an increasingly unreliable grid, require swift and decisive action,” the executive order reads. “Without immediate remedy, this situation will dramatically deteriorate in the near future due to a high demand for energy and natural resources to power the next generation of technology.”

    TRUMP ELIMINATING LNG PAUSE TO HAVE ‘QUICKEST EFFECT’ ON ENERGY INDUSTRY: RICK PERRY

    Trump also issued a sweeping executive order rolling back environmental regulations – which sought to reduce emissions 61-66% by 2035 – that the Biden administration created in December. The order reverses several climate-focused policies and prioritizes fossil fuel expansion, mineral extraction and deregulation.

    The directive calls for increased oil, gas and coal production on federal lands and waters, while revoking multiple executive orders that supported renewable energy initiatives. It also eliminates the federal electric vehicle (EV) mandate, removes subsidies favoring EVs, and prevents states from imposing stricter emissions standards.

    President Donald Trump at Resolute Desk in Oval Office

    President Donald Trump after signing executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. (Yuri Gripas/Abaca/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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    Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.  

  • Wisconsin mom urges Trump admin to launch ‘pivotal’ probe into alleged race-based discrimination against son

    Wisconsin mom urges Trump admin to launch ‘pivotal’ probe into alleged race-based discrimination against son

    FIRST ON FOX: An official civil rights complaint has been filed to the Trump administration urging action in defense of a Wisconsin mother who alleges her son, who is White, was passed over being given the extra learning attention he needed due to language on the school’s website that says it prioritizes additional help for students based on race.

    The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) filed a Title VI civil rights complaint on Tuesday with the Department of Education’s Civil Rights office against the Green Bay Area Public School District after Colbey Decker alleged that a “troubling” and “unlawful” policy in the district “explicitly prioritizes reading support resources based on race, thereby violating the U.S. Constitution and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.”

    “Colbey Decker, a mom from Green Bay, Wisconsin, has a dyslexic son who was denied reading resources because he is white,” WILL said in a press release. “Not only does the GBAPS admit this practice through its ‘School Success Plan,’ which explicitly says it prioritizes some racial groups over others, but this message was conveyed directly to Mrs. Decker by a school principal during an in-person meeting.”

    “Mrs. Decker’s complaint comes at a pivotal moment because President Trump just ordered the U.S. Department of Education to direct all ‘local educational agencies that receive federal funds’ to implement measures and practices” required to comply with the Constitution’s demand of colorblind treatment of all students. WILL has issued a report and called on the Trump Administration to investigate claims of race discrimination in K-12 schools, and we hope that this is the first case they resolve.”

    TRUMP ADMIN TO PAUSE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS: REPORT

    Trump’s Department of Education has been asked to investigate a discrimination claim in Wisconsin  (Getty/AP)

    Fox News Digital previously spoke to Decker in December about her experience with the school district.

    “Any time a parent or a grandparent advocates for a child, I know that their sincere hope is that that child is just treated equally,” Decker said. “And that’s not what’s happening when someone is a priority. If someone is more of a priority than someone else’s child has to be less of a priority. And I don’t think that’s the way most of America wants to move forward with education.”

    TRUMP PUTS HIGHER EDUCATION ON NOTICE FOR ‘DANGEROUS, DEMEANING, AND IMMORAL’ DEI TEACHINGS

    US Department of Education

    The US Department of Education building is seen on August 21, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Tierney L. Cross)

    “I think everybody wants us to just be completely color-blind and look at children as simply being children. My son is in the 17th percentile in the state for reading, and there are children who are performing at a higher level than him that are more of a priority only because of their skin color. And I don’t think most parents want anything like that to ever happen in any educational setting ever.”

    The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights told Fox News Digital it “does not confirm complaints.”

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    “Our client’s son continues to lose valuable time in his educational development. It’s time for the GBAPS to adopt a color-blind policy for giving all kids access to important resources,” WILL Associate Counsel Lauren Gruel said in a press release. “We hope our appeal to the federal government will provide the catalyst needed to address this injustice.” 

    The district told Fox News Digital on Tuesday that “we do not feel we are able to comment until we have had sufficient time to review.”

    The district previously told Fox News Digital that “all District policies must be approved by the Board of Education and no such policy language exists.”

    The complaint states that the district has “refused to take any action to end its discrimination.”

    “WILL asks that the Department promptly investigate the allegations in this complaint, act swiftly to remedy unlawful policies and practices, and order appropriate relief,” the complaint states. “Thank you for your prompt attention to this request for investigation and resolution.”

  • SpaceX to launch Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center, will release more Starlink satellites

    SpaceX to launch Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center, will release more Starlink satellites

    SpaceX is preparing to launch a Falcon 9 rocket on Monday with Starlink internet-beaming satellites from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

    The four-hour launch window opens at 2:21 p.m. ET, according to the Kennedy Space Center. 

    The launch site in Brevard County, which is about an hour east of Orlando theme parks, allows people from near and far to see, as long as cloud cover, weather and visibility cooperate. 

    “SpaceX’s Starlink is the constellation of networked satellites aimed to provide internet services to those who are not yet connected, and to provide reliable and affordable internet across the globe,” Kennedy Space Center says on the launch details website. 

    SPACEX’S STARSHIP GROUNDS AFTER TEST FLIGHT EXPLOSION

    SpaceX, an American aerospace manufacturer, successfully launches a Falcon 9 rocket with multiple Starlink satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Jan. 24, 2025, in Lompoc, California. (George Rose / Getty Images)

    A Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from the other side of the country on Friday, when 23 Starlink satellites were delivered “to the constellation” after launching from California, SpaceX said on X. 

    Falcon 9 is dubbed the “world’s first orbital class reusable rocket,” SpaceX says. It has completed 426 missions, 382 total landings and 355 total reflights, according to the aerospace company’s website. 

    BILLIONAIRE ON SPACEX POLARIS DAWN MISSION CONDUCTS FIRST PRIVATE SPACEWALK

    Falcon 9 launch from Florida with spectators

    A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on May 6, 2024, in Cape Canaveral, Florida. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images)

    Just 10 days ago, a SpaceX Starship rocket broke up in space minutes after launching from Texas, forcing airline flights over the Gulf of Mexico to alter course to avoid falling debris and setting back Elon Musk’s flagship rocket program.

    Falcon 9 August 2024 launch

    A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, is seen in August 2024. (Manuel Mazzanti/NurPhoto / Getty Images)

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    SpaceX mission control lost contact with the newly upgraded Starship, carrying its first test payload of mock satellites but no crew, eight minutes after liftoff from its South Texas rocket facilities at 5:38 p.m. ET.

    Reuters contributed to this report. 

  • Senate Republicans launch effort to ban Chinese nationals from buying land in US

    Senate Republicans launch effort to ban Chinese nationals from buying land in US

    FIRST ON FOX: Republican senators are putting forth legislation that would ban China from buying U.S. land entirely. 

    The Not One More Inch or Acre Act, led by Republican Sens. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Kevin Cramer of North Dakota and Katie Britt of Alabama, would require the sale of land owned or “influenced” by the CCP that is deemed a national security risk. It would direct the president to take action to prohibit the purchase of public or private real estate in the U.S. by Chinese citizens or companies.

    China owned around 350,000 acres of farmland across 27 states as of last year, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 

    As of 2022, foreign entities and individuals held 43.4 million acres of U.S. agricultural land, which is nearly 2% of all land in the U.S.

    BIDEN ADMIN FAILING TO TRACK CHINESE OWNERSHIP OF US FARMLAND: GOVT WATCHDOG

    Lawmakers have argued that China’s land buys are a national security risk since many of them are near military installations. For years, Chinese nationals have attempted to breach U.S. military facilities, often through the use of surveillance drones or posing as tourists. 

    “For decades, the Chinese Communist Party has been gobbling up American farmland and real estate,” Cotton, chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said in a statement.

    Sen. Tom Cotton (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images/File)

    “At best, this submits American land and resources to China’s best interests, not America’s—at worst, these purchases serve as outposts for Chinese espionage campaigns against American businesses and military bases. We can’t allow Chinese citizens, or anyone affiliated with the CCP, to own one more inch of American soil. And any American land exploited by current Chinese ownership should be sold.”

    Some states have already barred foreign nationals from purchasing land.

    Smithfield Foods, which has a Chinese parent company, makes up the largest share of Chinese-owned land with 110,000 acres. 

    A 2022 Chinese land purchase brought concerns to a fever pitch when food producer Fufeng Group bought 370 acres for corn milling near a North Dakota Air Force base.

    Wisconsin farmland

    A view of farmland (Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images/File)

    “One acre of American farmland owned by the Chinese Communist Party is one acre too many,” said Britt. “The CCP’s strategic acquisition of farmland, particularly near our military installations, isn’t just a national security risk, it is a threat to our economic and food security.”

    TRUMP WANTS TO VISIT CHINA AGAIN AFTER HE TAKES OFFICE: REPORT

    That prompted the Biden administration to propose a rule requiring any foreign company or individual looking to buy land within 100 miles of certain U.S. military bases to get government approval.

    Last month, a Chinese national was arrested at San Francisco International Airport before he could board a flight to China on accusations that he tried to fly a drone over Vandenberg Air Force base in California.

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    Efforts to thwart China from purchasing U.S. farmland near U.S. military installations have gained steam among Republicans in both chambers. 

    “It’s a major concern for me that countries like China have increased purchases of American farmland tenfold over the last decade to control our land and threaten our food, energy and national security,” Rep. Randy Feenstra, R-Iowa, who led efforts in the House to ban China from buying farmland suitable for energy production, told Fox News Digital.