Good morning. Questions about national security and citizenship are surfacing in an unlikely corner of the immigration debate, the Epstein scandal continues to ripple through global institutions and Washington power circles, and celebrity politics is again colliding with a high-stakes Senate primary in Texas.
Senators Demand Probe Into Foreign-Run Surrogacy Networks
Sens. Tom Cotton and Rick Scott are calling on the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate foreign-operated surrogacy centers, citing reports that wealthy Chinese nationals have fathered large numbers of children born in the United States through California’s largely unregulated industry.
Their letter to Attorney General Pamela Bondi points to the case of Guojun Xuan and his partner Silvia Zhang, who allegedly used their Arcadia-based agency, Mark Surrogacy, to have at least 26 children via American surrogates using Xuan’s sperm and anonymous egg donors. Authorities uncovered the operation after a two-month-old in Xuan’s care was hospitalized with head injuries, prompting a broader child welfare investigation.
According to reporting and research cited by the senators — including work by author Peter Schweizer — more than 100 companies in California alone contain the word “surrogacy” in their filings and are linked to Chinese ownership. Cotton and Scott warn that children born on American soil automatically receive citizenship and, in many cases, are reportedly taken to China to be raised.
The lawmakers also referenced another instance in which a Chinese billionaire allegedly fathered more than 100 American-born children through surrogacy, reportedly with the goal of producing heirs who hold American passports.
Xuan, whose background includes ties to Chinese political bodies and organizations associated with the United Front Work Department, is reportedly out on bond along with Zhang as state child abuse investigations continue. Meanwhile, some surrogates are now fighting for custody of children they say they would not have agreed to carry had they known the scope of the operation.
Cotton and Scott are asking DOJ officials to clarify whether federal laws — including immigration fraud, human trafficking statutes, or foreign agent registration rules — may have been violated, framing the issue as a potential long-term national security concern tied to birthright citizenship.
WEF Chief Resigns as Epstein Probe Expands
The fallout from the Jeffrey Epstein scandal continues to reverberate internationally.
Børge Brende resigned Thursday as president and CEO of the World Economic Forum following an internal investigation into his past interactions with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Brende acknowledged dining with Epstein on multiple occasions but said he was unaware of Epstein’s criminal history at the time. His departure comes as the U.S. House Oversight Committee intensifies its own inquiry into Epstein’s network and influence.
On Thursday, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sat for a deposition in Chappaqua, New York, after complying with a congressional subpoena. Former President Bill Clinton, who previously acknowledged flying on Epstein’s plane in the early 2000s, is scheduled for questioning as well.
House Oversight Chairman James Comer said a goal of the investigation is to understand how Epstein amassed his wealth and cultivated relationships with powerful global figures. Hillary Clinton reportedly told investigators she did not recall speaking directly with Epstein and had met his associate Ghislaine Maxwell only a handful of times.
Cardi B Weighs In on Texas Senate Race
Celebrity politics is again in the spotlight — this time in Texas.
Rapper Cardi B is urging voters to back Rep. Jasmine Crockett in the Democratic U.S. Senate primary as early voting enters its final stretch.
In an Instagram video, Cardi B encouraged Texans to support Crockett, calling her someone who would “fight for your voice and your problems.” Crockett amplified the endorsement on social media, as has singer Kelly Rowland.
Crockett currently leads state Rep. James Talarico in public polling, including a recent University of Texas/Texas Politics Project survey showing her ahead by double digits among likely Democratic primary voters.
The endorsement marks another turn in Cardi B’s evolving political commentary. After previously expressing frustration with both major parties and declaring she would not back presidential candidates again, she later endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024. Following Donald Trump’s election victory that year, she posted — and deleted — a controversial remark linking hurricane-prone states to voting patterns. Months later, during a trip to Saudi Arabia, she criticized the United States as “ghetto” and “dusty” in an Instagram Live video.
Now, as early voting closes, her attention — and her 160+ million followers — are focused squarely on a Texas primary that could shape the national Senate map.
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