Southwest
Americans exposed to nuclear radiation by government would be compensated under approved Senate bill
The Senate passed legislation Thursday that would compensate Americans exposed to radiation by the government by renewing a law initially passed more than three decades ago.
The bill by Sens. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M., would expand the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act to include more people who believe that exposure caused their illnesses. While some Republicans have balked at the cost — an estimated $50 billion, according to Hawley’s office — the senators have argued that the government is at fault and should step up.
Hawley stood outside the Senate before the vote with advocates for the legislation, several of whom have been diagnosed with cancers or who have family members who have been diagnosed. He said it’s “hard to look them in the eye” and say they were poisoned by their government, “but we’re not going to be there for you.”
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The bill passed the Senate 69-30, with 20 Republicans and all but two Democrats voting in favor. But its prospects in the House are uncertain.
Uranium processing in the St. Louis area played a pivotal role in developing the nuclear weapons that helped bring an end to World War II and provided a key defense during the Cold War. But eight decades later, the region is still dealing with contamination at several sites.
In July, an investigation published by The Associated Press, The Missouri Independent and MuckRock showed that the federal government and companies responsible for nuclear bomb production and atomic waste storage sites in the St. Louis area were aware of health risks, spills, improperly stored contaminants and other problems but often ignored them.
A “no trespassing” sign hangs on a fence outside the West Lake Landfill Superfund site on April 21, 2023, in Bridgeton, Mo. The Senate passed a bill that would expand compensation for Americans who were exposed to radiation by the government. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File)
While it is difficult to prove definitively that the waste caused residents’ illnesses, the advocates argue that there is more than enough evidence that it has sickened people in the area.
“I am a two-time breast cancer survivor,” said Missouri state Rep. Chantelle Nickson-Clark, a Democrat who represents Florissant, an area that sits along the creek that was contaminated by nuclear waste in the 1960s. “I lost my mother to breast cancer, an aunt to breast cancer. Two cousins that are breast cancer survivors, a nephew that had a cancerous brain tumor and other genetic mutation deficiencies in my family. I’m here to represent a community that has been underserved, undervalued, underrepresented and unheard.”
President Joe Biden signed an executive order in 2022 extending RECA for two years, but it expires in June. Hawley’s bill would extend the law for five years and expand coverage to include people in Missouri as well as Idaho, Montana, Colorado, Tennessee, Kentucky, Alaska and Guam.
The White House indicated Wednesday that Biden would sign the legislation.
“The President believes we have a solemn obligation to address toxic exposure, especially among those who have been placed in harm’s way by the government’s actions,” the White House said in a statement.
Others worried about the cost. The taxpayer advocacy group Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget said that the legislation should include budget offsets to pay for it.
Advocates have been fighting for years to expand the program to include more sites in the U.S. In New Mexico, residents in the communities surrounding the area where the first atomic bomb was detonated in 1945 — the top-secret Manhattan Project — were not warned of the radiological dangers and didn’t realize that an atomic blast was the source of the ash that was raining down upon them. That included families who lived off the land — growing crops, raising livestock and getting their drinking water from cisterns.
Tina Cordova, a cancer survivor and founder of a group of New Mexico downwinders, talked about the wave of momentum for expanding the compensation program that has been building since “Oppenheimer,” a film about the development of the first atomic bomb, premiered last year.
“You know, we are ground zero,” she said. “We’re where it all started. The origins of the whole nuclear program are in New Mexico, and we were the first people exposed to radiation as a result of an atomic bomb and to be left out for 79 years is just truly unacceptable.”
Cordova has had many family members and friends die of cancer over the years. Thursday marked the 11th anniversary of her father’s death, and she said she was thankful to be in Washington to celebrate the vote.
“People have been waiting for justice for far too long, and it’s just simply time to do the right thing,” she said.
The vote was a rare up-or-down roll call on standalone legislation as Congress is busy trying to fund the government. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., announced that he would put the bill on the Senate floor last week amid negotiations on the spending package.
Hawley would not say if he had threatened to hold up the spending bill over his legislation, which was included in a massive defense bill last year but stripped out at the last minute. But he said he had pledged to use “every tool at his disposal” to get the bill passed.
Persuading the GOP-led House to take up and pass the legislation could be more difficult. Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., is among those pushing for the measure.
In St. Louis, nuclear waste stored near Lambert Airport made its way into Coldwater Creek in the 1960s. Many people who live near the meandering creek believe the contamination is responsible for cancers and other illnesses, though experts say connecting radiation exposure to illness is complicated. Cancer concerns also have been raised by people in nearby St. Charles County, Missouri, where uranium was processed and a large quarry became contaminated, resulting in a Superfund cleanup.
In 2022, a St. Louis County grade school closed amid worries that contamination from Coldwater Creek got onto the playground and inside the building. The Army Corps of Engineers announced this week that it is testing a few homes near the creek after high radiation levels were found in their backyards.
After the report by AP and the other news agencies last year, Hawley introduced an amendment to the annual defense bill that would have extended the law. It also would have provided health care coverage and compensation to so-called “downwinders” exposed to radiation during weapons testing in several new regions, as well as to people in Missouri who were exposed to the nuclear waste. But it was removed during negotiations with the House.
Advocates for the bill who traveled to Washington for the vote said it represents hope for them and their families as they have been burdened with medical costs.
Christen Commuso, who works for the advocacy group Missouri Coalition for the Environment, said she has dealt with many health issues, including thyroid cancer, and has had to at times ration her care because it is so costly.
“It’s not about putting money in my pocket,” Commuso said. “It’s about providing me the ability to get the care that I deserve and need.”
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Southwest
Fugitive repeat offender keeps walking free as courts let him loose to hurt people, experts warn
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A felon wanted in California and with over two dozen prior arrests has been repeatedly granted bond throughout Texas, raising questions about repeat offenders being released back onto the streets around the country.
In 2022, authorities charged Carlos Rusi and three other Houston men with a bank jugging case in Burbank, California, according to FOX 26.
Rusi, who was suspected of committing other similar thefts throughout the area, allegedly skipped bond in July 2023 – subsequently forcing authorities to name him as a wanted fugitive.
Prior to Rusi’s 2022 alleged California jugging spree, he reportedly spent three years in a Texas prison for engaging in organized criminal activity in what was not his first time behind bars.
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Carlos Rusi received separate prison sentences in 2018, 2015, 2011, 2008, 2006 and 2005 for various convictions on felony cases stemming from charges of robbery, organized criminal activity and drug-related crimes in Texas, according to KPRC 2. (iStock; FOX 26)
His lengthy criminal record includes more than 30 arrests spanning several years and showcases 26 mugshots dating back to 2006, according to KPRC 2.
Additionally, records show he received separate prison sentences in 2018, 2015, 2011, 2008, 2006 and 2005 for various convictions on felony cases stemming from charges of robbery, organized criminal activity and drug-related crimes, the outlet reported.
Last year, Rusi was sentenced to five years of probation after accepting a plea agreement over charges of robbery and evading arrest.
In July, while on probation in Harris County, Rusi allegedly followed a 71-year-old man from his bank to a local coin dealer, where police say he shoved the man to the ground and robbed him.
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The Harris County Jail in Houston, Texas, on Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024. (Karen Warren/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)
Security camera footage led investigators to Rusi’s gray Volvo, which was registered to a car rental company, KPRC 2 reported.
The vehicle’s rental agreement was reportedly registered to Rusi’s mother and returned after the alleged robbery took place – with investigators subsequently finding previous reports in which Rusi’s mother rented vehicles for her son, who would then use them to commit crimes.
One day later, police said Rusi followed another individual from a Bank of America in Fort Bend County and robbed them at gunpoint, according to KPRC 2.
Later in July, as officers were performing surveillance of the suspect’s vehicle, he allegedly returned to the same bank and followed several victims for 28 miles, KPRC 2 reported. When the individuals stopped at a gas station, Rusi allegedly broke into their vehicle and snatched the woman’s purse – which contained $5,200 cash.
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Carlos Rusi has been released on bond in multiple counties throughout Texas, despite having numerous prior convictions and a warrant for his arrest in California, according to FOX 26. (iStock)
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Officers reportedly arrested him shortly after and recovered the purse.
Rusi was charged with theft in Harris County following the incident, but was released on a $75,000 bond on July 21 while still on probation, according to KPRC 2.
In August, Pearland Police allege Rusi broke into a car in a Walmart parking lot and stole $100 cash after following the victim from a nearby ATM, the outlet reported.
In September 2025, Rusi was reportedly arrested in Montgomery County for a similar jugging case, but was released from jail on a $25,000 bond. He was taken into custody again in October after allegedly testing positive for drugs while out on bond in Montgomery County, but was re-released on Nov. 4.
The Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office declined Fox News Digital’s request for comment, citing Rusi’s pending case.
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During the same month, while on probation, Rusi was convicted of misdemeanors for falsifying a drug test and displaying a fake handicap placard, KPRC 2 reported.
In November, he was reportedly handed a second bond in Harris County stemming from the alleged July robbery. The next day, he was also granted bond in Brazoria County.
Currently, Rusi remains out on bond, despite the various charges spanning multiple counties throughout Texas and the active warrant for his arrest in California, according to FOX 26.
“What jumps out is that this isn’t one bad call, it’s a chain of release decisions across jurisdictions,” Bobby Taghavi, Managing Partner of law firm Sweet James, which has offices in Texas, told Fox News Digital.
“When someone described by police as a repeat offender with a long history is still receiving probation and multiple bonds, and is also reported as a wanted fugitive out of California since 2023, that raises a serious red-flag question – was the full-risk picture consistently in front of every court and judge at the time those decisions were made?”
Court records indicate that various officials throughout the Texas counties were unaware Rusi was a wanted man, despite details of his alleged California crime spree appearing on Internet searches, FOX 26 reported.
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However, according to Taghavi, the blame falls on government officials involved in every step of the criminal process.
“This kind of failure usually happens when critical information isn’t surfaced, confirmed and emphasized in real-time, especially out-of-state warrant status at the moment bond or probation decisions are being made,” Taghavi said.
“Responsibility is typically shared across the system. Prosecutors need to present the complete record and argue risk, judges must evaluate it, probation departments must accurately report supervision status, and law enforcement must ensure warrants and holds are properly entered and actionable.”
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The pattern of Rusi’s habitual criminal behavior being met with only a slap on the wrist has also raised concern for community leaders in Texas.
“I’ve never in my life seen anything as absurd as this,” Andy Kahan with Houston Crime Stoppers told FOX 26. “Shame on our criminal justice system for continuing to allow this defendant to roam our community and to steal our property and to hurt people.”
The Harris County District Attorney’s Office, Rusi’s attorney and Texas Department of Public Safety did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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While Rusi remains on the streets pending trial, Taghavi suggests the saga could signify an overarching problem plaguing local and state authorities regarding repeat offenders being released into communities as officials remain in the dark.
“If it’s one missed check, that can be an isolated oversight,” Taghavi told Fox News Digital. “But when the same person is reportedly able to obtain probation and bonds across multiple jurisdictions, it starts to look more like a systemic breakdown in coordination and verification – not just one-off human error.”
Fox News Digital’s Olivia Palombo contributed to this report.
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Southwest
Jasmine Crockett cites Mamdani-Trump, AOC-Trump voters when confronted on path to victory in Texas
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Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, pointed to Mamdani-Trump voters, AOC-Trump voters and Obama-Trump voters when confronted Tuesday on her difficult path to victory in the Texas Senate race.
MS NOW host Chris Hayes asked Crockett about people who question her ability to win the “8 to 10% of Republican voters necessary to win this race,” who cited the voters who supported both President Donald Trump and Democrats like Zohran Mamdani, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and former President Barack Obama.
Crocket, who launched her Texas Senate bid on Monday, disagreed with the notion that she needs to win over a percentage of Republican voters and said she hoped to energize her base in a way Democratic candidates have failed to do in the past.
Hayes pointed to Georgia’s Senate races and said Democratic Sens. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff were the closest model after their hard-fought wins in the 2020 and 2022 cycles. He said, “They definitely got high levels of turnout, but they also did win crossover voters.”
From left, Zohran Mamdani, Rep. Jasmine Crockett and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. (Adam Gray/Bloomberg via Getty Images; John Medina/Getty Images for MoveOn; Neil Constantine/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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The lawmaker agreed that Texas was a difficult place to win, but said some Trump voters were unsatisfied and pointed to the recent congressional election in Tennessee, which was a closer race than it had been in the past.
“I don’t think anyone who is super in love with Trump would ever vote for me or any other Democrat. That is just the reality. I think what it is, is who is going to talk to people and make them understand that they will fight for them. That is why you have Mamdani-Trump voters. That is why you have AOC-Trump voters. That is why you had Obama-Trump voters,” she told Hayes.
“Let me tell you something, Mamdani has not backed down whatsoever from his rhetoric against the president in the Oval Office. He stood there and he said what he said about him being a fascist. Yet he was able to win those voters. So, Democrats that believe the only way that you can win is by being soft and sounding like a Republican, that is not true,” Crockett said.
Rep. Jasmine Crockett speaks during the Won’t Back Down event at The Van Buren on August 3, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona. (John Medina/Getty Images for MoveOn)
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She argued voters were looking for someone to fight for them and that’s what she plans to do.
Crockett similarly said she didn’t need to win over Trump’s supporters on Tuesday during an interview on CNN and said that it wasn’t her “goal.”
CNN host Laura Coates asked Crockett if she needed to garner support from Trump voters.
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“Our goal is to definitely talk to people. No, we don’t, we don’t need to. Our goal is to make sure that we can engage people that historically have not been talked to, because there’s so many people that get ignored, specifically in the state of Texas,” she said.
Crockett is trying to become the first Democrat since 1988 to win a U.S. Senate race in Texas.
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Southwest
Crockett faces blowback from GOP, Hollywood for far-left agenda, media presence after launching US Senate bid
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From Congress to Hollywood, Texans are pushing back on Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett’s U.S. Senate launch as she faces scrutiny for her far-left policies and presence on social media.
Crockett, a progressive known for her viral social media clashes and sharp exchanges in the House of Representatives, rolled out her Senate bid on Monday. She framed her candidacy as an effort to stand against President Donald Trump, something she said incumbent Republican Sen. John Cornyn will not do.
“I’m done watching the American dream on life support while Trump tries to pull the plug. The gloves have been off, and now I’m jumping into the ring,” she said.
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Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, speaks to reporters after announcing her run in the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate on Dec. 8, 2025, in Dallas. (LM Otero/AP Photo)
Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, responded to her announcement on Tuesday, blasting her record on policing and border enforcement.
“Texans want somebody representing them who’s gonna stand for law and order, and that is certainly not Jasmine Crockett,” Gill said on “Hannity.” “If Texans support one thing, it’s law and order. And listen, this is probably the most pro-criminal candidate Democrats could have possibly found.”
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The congressman cited Crockett’s past support for the defund-the-police movement, adding that Crockett “has said on record that just because you commit a crime doesn’t mean that you’re a criminal.”
“This is somebody who has said on record that just because somebody crosses our border illegally, that is not a crime,” Gill added.
Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, has been a vocal critic of President Donald Trump during her time in Congress. (Photo by Julia Beverly/Getty Images)
Gill also warned that the Democrat was misreading the state’s politics.
“Remember, Texas is a state where President Trump won by 14 points,” he said. “She’s saying she doesn’t need Trump voters for her to win this. Yes, she does.”
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The pushback against Crockett isn’t limited to Capitol Hill, however.
“I live in Texas, I love Texas, I really don’t want her representing Texas,” actor Zachary Levi said on “Gutfeld!” Tuesday.
The “Shazam!” star called out Crockett’s social media habits.
“I think that a lot of people are digging themselves in some pretty big holes because they think they’re taking advantage of social media, and yet they’re coming out with this really bizarre stuff,” Levi said. “And I think that a lot of people that might otherwise support her are cringing because of that.”
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Levi suggested that her participation in viral TikTok trends wouldn’t age well.
“And more than that, you’re supposed to be a responsible adult in the room as a politician. You should be doing things that are of more value to your constituency,” he added.
Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser, Peter Pinedo, Elizabeth Elkind and Deirdre Heavey contributed to this report.
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