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EXCLUSIVE: Trump administration eyes Alcatraz reopening to house nation’s ‘worst of the worst’

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EXCLUSIVE: Trump administration eyes Alcatraz reopening to house nation’s ‘worst of the worst’

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EXCLUSIVE: Fox News was granted access to Alcatraz Island Thursday as U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum toured the infamous former prison in California’s San Francisco Bay at the direction of President Donald Trump. 

The visit was part of an official review to determine whether the site could be brought back into use as a high-security federal detention center.

“This was an idea of the president,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt explained during a White House briefing Thursday in Washington, D.C. “He spoke about it in May and directed his administration to review a reopening plan for Alcatraz if it is possible.”

TRUMP PUSHES TO REOPEN ALCATRAZ, BUT PELOSI AND NEWSOM DISMISS IT AS A ‘DISTRACTION’

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After Trump’s May 5 announcement about reopening Alcatraz as a working prison, Bondi and Burgum joined Fox News correspondent David Spunt to visit “the Rock” to receive a briefing on the site and assess the 91-year-old former federal prison’s infrastructure. 

The visit, which included walk-throughs of the main cell blocks and off-limits areas normally closed to the public, was a fact-finding mission and not an official announcement of reopening.

Fox News correspondent David Spunt interviews Attorney General Pam Bondi and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum inside Alcatraz Thursday. The exclusive interview took place during their tour of the decommissioned prison. (Fox News)

Bondi and Burgum spent several hours inspecting the crumbling infrastructure while discussing the island’s potential for future federal use. They toured the prison and surrounding island, met with National Park Service (NPS) officials and directed staff to collaborate on a preliminary plan to rehabilitate the complex.

The island is managed by the NPS under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Interior. 

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If reactivated, it would be operated by the Bureau of Prisons, a division of the Department of Justice (DOJ).

“So many people remember Al Capone, but this isn’t about the past. It’s about what Alcatraz could be again,” Spunt reported from the island. “They believe, along with their boss, the president, that this may be the symbol of law and order this administration is looking for.”

Alcatraz operated as a federal prison from 1934 to 1963, originally operating as a military prison in the 1850s. The name derives from “Alcatraces” after Spanish explorer Juan Manuel de Ayala’s 1775 exploration mission of San Francisco Bay. While its etymology has inspired debate, the Bureau of Prisons contends it most likely means “pelican” or “strange bird.”

LEGAL EXPERTS SAY TRUMP CAN DEFINITELY REOPEN ALCATRAZ, BUT COULD FACE ‘AVALANCHE OF LAWSUITS’

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi listens as a National Park Service official leads her through a restricted tunnel during a private tour of Alcatraz Island Thursday. (Fox News)

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Alcatraz as a federal prison had a maximum capacity of 336 inmates, plus over 150 staff members and their families. At its peak in the early 1960s, the prison’s operating cost per inmate was over $10 per day, nearly double the national average, according to Bureau of Prisons data.

“This is a terrific facility,” Bondi said. “It needs a lot of work, but no one has been known to escape from Alcatraz and survive.”

Bondi told Fox News the prison could theoretically hold a range of offenders, including “violent criminals, federal predators and illegal aliens.” She emphasized the symbolic value of its isolation and reputation for strict control.

Burgum said the goal is to evaluate the feasibility of restoring Alcatraz to its original use. 

“It’s a federal property. Its original use was a prison. We’re here to take a look at whether it can serve that purpose again,” he said.

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The island poses serious logistical challenges. Alcatraz has no direct power or water lines from the San Francisco mainland more than a mile away, and over 1 million gallons of water per month were once ferried in. Restoration would also require major upgrades to meet modern codes, including ADA compliance, environmental regulations and approval from the Bureau of Prisons and federal courts.

The DOJ this week sent letters to California sheriffs seeking information on undocumented migrants being released from state prisons. An administration official noted to Fox News Digital that while these letters reflect the DOJ’s ongoing public safety mission, they are not directly related to the Alcatraz review.

Alcatraz Island gets 1.5 million visitors yearly as a National Park. (Lea Suzuki/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)

Not everyone is on board. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who represents San Francisco in Congress, called the initiative “the stupidest yet” from Trump.

The administration has not announced a timeline for a decision. Bondi and Burgum will report their findings to the president before any formal steps are taken.

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After its closure in 1963 due to high costs and decaying infrastructure, Alcatraz reopened to the public in 1973 under the Department of the Interior. It is now one of the most visited national historic landmarks in the country, drawing more than 1.5 million tourists annually. That popularity could become a factor in any decision to return it to a secured corrections site.

Alcatraz has long captured the American imagination. Between 1934 and 1963, 14 escape attempts involving 36 men were recorded, but the Bureau of Prisons maintains that no escapee ever made it to freedom. 

Officials believe that frigid, high currents may have claimed the lives of those who vanished.

“This is Alcatraz,” Burgum said. “The name still means something.”

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The DOJ did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

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Washington

Stabbing at Washington state high school injures 6, including suspect, police say

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Stabbing at Washington state high school injures 6, including suspect, police say


TACOMA, Wash. (AP) — A student at a Tacoma high school was booked on five counts of first-degree assault after four students and an adult security guard were wounded in a stabbing at the school Thursday, police said.

The Tacoma Fire Department took five people to hospitals from Foss High School, with four of the patients in critical condition and one with minor injuries, said Chelsea Shepherd, a spokesperson for the department.

A sixth person was in police custody and taken to a hospital with minor injuries, she said. All were in stable condition as of late afternoon.

All of those wounded were either stabbed or cut, said Shelbie Boyd, a spokesperson for the Tacoma Police Department. The suspect was among those cut in the altercation.

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The school went into lockdown at 1:38 p.m. after the violence began and students were safely dismissed at 2:45 p.m., Tacoma Public Schools said in a statement.

“The school is secure, and we are currently investigating,” Boyd said, adding that a reunification area had been set up at the school for parents to pick up their students

School and after-school activities for Friday were canceled. The school will reopen Monday with counselors on site to support students and staff.

“We are grateful for the quick, calm action of our staff and our first responders,” the district said.

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

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Wyoming

Rising fuel costs are squeezing a Wyoming landscaping business — and customers could feel it soon

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Rising fuel costs are squeezing a Wyoming landscaping business — and customers could feel it soon


WYOMING, Mich. — Tryston Crain has been mowing lawns since he was a kid. He started with a couple of houses in his neighborhood, before turning it into a full fledged business.

Now, rising fuel prices are threatening to squeeze his small landscaping business — and potentially his customer’s wallets, too.

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Trystan Crain has owned his own lawn scaping business since he was 16.

Crain started Crain Lawn and Landscape in high school, at the age of 16. Today, he serves more than 60 clients every week in the Wyoming area.

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“I’m an owner operator with a couple guys that work with me on bigger projects, but primarily just myself,” Crain said.

With dozens of clients to serve, Crain and his crew make frequent trips to the gas pump — filling up trucks two to three times a week, on top of fueling their four mowers.

Crain's truck

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Crain’s has been around for 6 years, helping over 60 clients a week.

I asked Crain what kind of impact rising fuel prices have had on his business.

“When you jump up $1 a gallon, that’s 30 gallons, three times a week. That’s $100 a week just for the truck, $400 a month, and you got the mowers on top of that. So, at this rate it’s almost $1,000 extra a month,” Crain said.

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WATCH: Rising fuel costs are squeezing a Wyoming landscaping business — and customers could feel it soon

Rising fuel costs are squeezing a Wyoming landscaping business — and customers could feel it soon

That added cost is forcing Crain to pull money away from growing his business just to keep up with daily operations.

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“When we go into budget, with what we want to spend on, you know, X, Y and Z, and we have to take out money that we would usually put into reinvesting, growing the business back into just our daily operations. It hurts us,” Crain said.

Mower in trailer

WXMI

As fuel prices continue to rise, its having an impact on Crain’s and their budgeting.

Crain said he does not want to pass those costs on to his customers — but may have no choice if prices stay high.

“When they’re struggling with all their rising prices, you know, groceries on top of everything else, rent, gas, everything’s going up. So it’s just not something that I want to put on to them. But if it gets to a point where it keeps going up or stays this high for a while, it’s something that you might have to think about,” Crain said.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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San Francisco, CA

San Francisco’s free, discounted childcare program adds over 700 new spots

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San Francisco’s free, discounted childcare program adds over 700 new spots


More San Francisco families will soon have access to free or discounted childcare thanks to an expansion of a city program announced Thursday by Mayor Daniel Lurie. 

Who’s eligible for free or discounted childcare in San Francisco?

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Dig deeper:

Under the mayor’s expansion of the city’s Family Opportunity Agenda, nearly 750 more children will have access to free or discounted care. To be eligible for free childcare, families must earn less than 150% of the city’s annual median income, $230,000. Families who earn under 200% of the median income – $310,000 – will receive a 50% subsidy for childcare.

The program expansion will offer more than 700 childcare spots, with a focus on infants and toddlers in the Sunset, Parkside, Richmond, Mission, Bayview, Portola, Mission Bay, Excelsior, Glen Park, and SoMa neighborhoods, the mayor’s office said.

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“The new slots will expand the city’s early childhood system for infants and toddlers by more than 8%—broadening access to affordable, high-quality childcare for working families,” the city said, in part, in a statement Thursday.

What is San Francisco’s Family Opportunity Agenda?

Big picture view:

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The mayor’s Family Opportunity Agenda was launched in January to make housing, childcare, education and more necessary resources affordable for San Francisco residents. 

“When families have access to quality, affordable childcare, they can stay and build a life in San Francisco,” Lurie said. “For children, it supports their academic and emotional growth long before kindergarten. And for our entire city, it strengthens our future—helping families stay and keeping our communities strong.”

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For more information on the city’s childcare program, click here.

How much does childcare cost?

According to the Public Policy Institute of California, full-time childcare for pre-school-age children can cost anywhere between $9,000 and $24,000 per year. For children under the age of two, the cost rises from $11,000 to $29,000, research shows.

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Data from the U.S. Census Bureau in 2024 shows California has the third-highest costs for childcare across the U.S., at an average $16,945 per year.

The Source: Office of San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie

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