Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s administration is offering taxpayer-funded scholarships for an activist program while limiting participation to immigrants, including non-U.S. citizens, a requirement that has drawn criticism online.

The Immigrants Lead Boston program, run by the Mayor’s Office for Immigrant Advancement, is designed for “emerging leaders” interested in advocating for Boston’s immigrant communities. Participants meet city officials and receive training aimed at helping them engage with local government and organize within their communities during the 10-week program.

Critics have seized on both the taxpayer funding and the eligibility requirements, arguing that U.S.-born residents are excluded from a city-backed leadership program whose participants can receive a $575 scholarship.

“That is not charity. That is a political pipeline built to shut citizens out of their own city,” one user wrote on X.

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“Paying illegal immigrants to learn political organizing to protest against the country they’re in,” one person wrote on X.

“For starters it sounds like discrimination,” posted a user.

“Michelle WU is a communist who probably wants a American version of China,” a person wrote taking shots at the Boston mayor.

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“Is this legal,” asked one user.

“Illegal aliens have broken our laws. Any assistance given them other than assistance to leave the country, simply rewards their unlawful behavior, encourages other unlawful behavior, and more illegals to follow their lead,” one person posted.

Similar taxpayer-backed benefits for immigrants have surfaced in other Democratic-led states, particularly in higher education.

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New York, Connecticut and Vermont have offered in-state tuition or other financial benefits to immigrants in the country illegally, while Oregon and Washington have provided access to benefits such as state grants or student loans. California has also allowed qualifying students in the country illegally to apply for state financial aid.

Fox News Digital reached out to Mayor Wu’s office for comment.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani unveiled a plan last week to give away 70,000 free tickets to the Metropolitan Opera House, firing up critics on social media who argue there are more pressing issues facing New Yorkers.

“Opera for All,” a partnership between the city and the Metropolitan Opera at Lincoln Center, will allow New Yorkers who have never attended a performance to enter a monthly lottery for tickets to productions ranging from Macbeth to La Bohème, according to a press release from the mayor’s office.

A spokesperson for Mamdani’s office told Fox News Digital the city is not paying for the program. The Metropolitan Opera is donating tickets from its pool of unsold seats, representing about 10% of its seasonal capacity, while the city will help promote and distribute them.

In a video announcing the latest giveaway, Mamdani appeared alongside the cast of La Bohème, telling viewers that “every New Yorker should have the opportunity to see this no matter how much money is in their pocket.”

He also highlighted former New York City Mayor Fiorello La Guardia’s “People’s Opera,” which was founded in 1943 to offer affordable tickets before filing for bankruptcy in 2013 and relaunching in 2016.

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“This art form was meant to be seen by everyone,” he said.

While many liberals have touted Mamdani’s move, conservatives on social media were quick to ridicule Mamdani’s announcement, which was viewed over 6 million times on X, calling it a case of misplaced priorities.

In a post on X, former Los Angeles mayoral candidate and reality TV star Spencer Pratt wrote, “Prior generations of billionaires gave endowments to the arts. Today’s autistic billionaires ignore culture and spend all their philanthropy fixated on the fecundity of peasants 10K miles away, then are baffled by why they’re so hated here & can’t get data centers approved.”

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“His entire shtick is designed to make you believe there’s this starving underworld that longs for things like opera tickets but is so oppressed they cannot attain them,” Newsmax’s Rob Schmitt posted on X. “It’s all bull—- and he’s just wasting your money.”

“A random entertainment lottery for the poors? What the f— is this? The Hunger Games?” music video director Joseph Kahn posted on X.

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“Ever see a fight break out at an opera?” comedian Danny Polishchuk posted on X. “Do you want to? Now’s your chance!”

But this is not the first time Mamdani has pushed his democratic socialist agenda. In August, New York City high school students were offered thousands of free and discounted Broadway tickets through a partnership with the Theatre Development Fund (TDF).

His other affordability-focused proposals, including fare-free buses, city-owned grocery stores, rent freezes and free child care programs, have also sparked concerns over expanded government and taxpayer burdens.

The partnership with the Metropolitan Opera will remain permanent and continue into next season, with tickets available throughout the venue, excluding standing-room tickets.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Metropolitan Opera for comment.

DALLAS — Everything is bigger in Texas, including the political stakes this November.

Texas voters head to the polls Nov. 3 in an election that could reshape the state’s political landscape, with major battles for governor, U.S. Senate and seats in Congress and the state legislature. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott faces Democrat Gina Hinojosa, while Republican Ken Paxton squares off against Democrat James Talarico for a U.S. Senate seat.

At the State Fair of Texas in Dallas, voters told Fox News Digital that pocketbook pressures are shaping how they view the state’s future, with some predicting the reliably red Lone Star State will stay that way while others see an opening for Democrats this fall.

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“I think we’re going to struggle, but I think it will stay red,” Briana of Garland, told Fox News Digital.

Mike and Tracey, a couple from Houston, were more definitive.

“Red. It’s going to stay red,” Tracey said. “Red,” Mike added.

Chris took that confidence a step further.

“Hell will freeze over before Texas flips blue,” Chris told Fox News Digital.

Patrick and Jennifer, of Dallas, shared that confidence.

“Texas will always be a Republican state,” Jennifer said, while acknowledging that Republican candidates will not win every race. “But we still think it will stay Republican,” Patrick added.

Not everyone at the fair was betting on Texas staying firmly in Republican hands.

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Mary said she believes the Dallas-Fort Worth area is moving in the opposite direction.

“It’s definitely leaning more blue. Texas as a whole, I’m not sure,” she said. “I think if there would be an election that swings blue, it would be this one. So we’ll see if it happens.”

Party politics aside, several voters said the economy remains top of mind.

Cynthia, who moved to Texas from New York, said she is looking for policies that will grow the economy, support businesses and leave families with enough disposable income to enjoy outings like the State Fair.

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“If you don’t have enough disposable income, then you can’t really enjoy something like this,” she said. “It’s pricey.”

Jennifer also pointed to inflation and the prolonged strain of higher prices.

“I think people were expecting some sort of inflation,” Jennifer said. “But I don’t think we were prepared for it to last this long.”

Meanwhile, Roxanne also expressed frustration with the country’s current direction, saying dissatisfaction with the current administration is influencing her political outlook.

“I just don’t agree with the current administration, so I really want to see somebody else come in and do a better job,” she said.

From the midway to the ballot box, Texas voters offered competing views of where the Lone Star State is headed, but agreed the economy will be difficult to ignore as they prepare to cast their ballots Nov. 3.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s political future has remained a topic of discussion within the left wing — and there’s increasing speculation that she could be set for a collision course with Democrats’ top leader in Congress.

The progressive rock star says she’s weighing what to do next, whether it be a 2028 presidential run or a bid for the seat currently held by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a fellow Democrat and New Yorker.

“I know there is a lot of speculation about what I will decide to do in 2028. I get asked about it nearly every interview and event,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote in a recent fundraising email to supporters.

The 36-year-old lawmaker with a massive social media footprint said in a recent New York Times interview that her decision, which could happen sometime after this year’s midterm elections, would come down to answering the question, “Where can I do the most good?”

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If she decides on a statewide rather than a national run, it could set up a titanic Democratic Party and generational battle between her and the soon-to-be 76-year-old Schumer, who was first elected to Congress nearly half a century ago and has served in the Senate since 1999.

Ocasio-Cortez, in her interview, made clear that her decision about 2028 would not be dictated by someone else.

“I don’t think that my decisions would come down to deference,” she said.

Meanwhile, a campaign swing the past few days throughout upstate New York by Ocasio-Cortez raised some eyebrows. While the trip was aimed at boosting fellow Democrats on the ballot in this year’s elections, it sparked speculation that it was also a move by Ocasio-Cortez to build relationships far from her base in New York City.

Schumer has left his 2028 plans open and has not announced whether he’ll run for yet another term. When asked about re-election, he’s repeatedly said his “first focus is winning in 2026, getting back the Senate in 2026.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Schumer’s office regarding his thinking on a potential 2028 re-election run, but didn’t receive a response by the time this story was published.

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But a potential intra-party clash between Ocasio-Cortez and Schumer may never materialize, according to speculation from plugged-in Democratic strategists familiar with the New York state political landscape, who doubt Schumer will seek re-election even if his party wins back the Senate majority in November’s midterms.

“Everyone has an expiration date,” said one strategist, who like the others asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely.

And referring to Ocasio-Cortez, the strategist told Fox News Digital, “I think she’s in a good position to win statewide.”

Another operative, pointing to Schumer, speculated, “I think Schumer wants to go out on top and with a good legacy and one way to do that is to hand the reins over to this inspiring generational leader. At the same time, New York politics are insane and there are lots of people gunning for that spot and he may feel like he can’t do that.”

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“He’s always been pretty smart when it came to her,” the operative noted. “As other Dems were still warming to her… he was one of the first members of the New York delegation to be very welcoming and thoughtful and worked with her on legislation during COVID.”

Schumer’s approval ratings among New York voters are deep into negative territory at 36%-54%, according to a Quinnipiac University poll conducted Sept. 17-20. The senator’s favorable ratings were also underwater, at 34%-51%.

Meanwhile, 41% of Empire State voters viewed Ocasio-Cortez favorably, with 36% seeing her in an unfavorable light.

“He was the supreme retail politician. Once he became leader, he became a swamp creature from Washington and it started to chip away at his popularity back home,” a third Democratic strategist said of Schumer.

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Schumer’s short-term goal is to win back the Senate majority in the midterms.

Asked if that prospect would make potentially challenging Schumer more difficult, Ocasio-Cortez told the New York Times, “That would honestly be the best possible problem we could have as a country.”

“We’re working hard to have that problem, and I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it,” she added.

Recent fundraising text messages sent to supporters appeared to take jabs at the Democratic establishment, of which Schumer is a part. She did not name any particular person in the notes, however.

“The establishment believes that there’s only one path to winning: Don’t upset the status quo, don’t stand up to the concentration of greed taking over our country, and instead spend most of your time fundraising from powerful donors,” it read. “But Alexandria’s campaign didn’t win in 2018 by following the establishment playbook.”

Another message said her 2018 victory “represented a threat to the typical D.C. power structure that existed back then and still exists now.”

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President Donald Trump is unveiling Monday plans for a massive steel plant in Iowa that the White House says will be the largest in American history and promises to bring 1,750 permanent jobs to the state.

The roughly $15 billion steel plant is touted as a major new investment and evidence that Trump’s economic agenda is bringing heavy manufacturing back to the U.S. with just over a month until the midterms. It will create between 5,000 and 6,000 construction jobs during its first phase.

Trump is expected to make the announcement from the Oval Office at 2 p.m. alongside executives from Mesabi Metallics, a White House official told Fox News Digital. The company plans to build the facility using iron ore from its newly constructed mine in Minnesota.

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The Iowa plant is expected to produce 7.5 million tons of steel annually in its first phase before eventually reaching 10 million tons per year, according to the White House. The administration says that would make it the largest steel plant ever built in the U.S.

If completed as planned, the project would represent a significant expansion of American steel-making capacity. At its planned 10 million tons of annual production, the Iowa plant alone would have output equivalent to roughly one-tenth of what the entire U.S. steel industry produced last year.

The project would also create a fully domestic supply chain, according to the White House, using iron ore mined at Mesabi’s Minnesota operation to produce finished steel in Iowa.

But the scale of Monday’s announcement also comes with a long timeline: Mesabi does not expect the Iowa facility to produce its first steel until 2030.

Trump has frequently highlighted large investment commitments as evidence that his tariffs and other economic policies are encouraging companies to build in the United States rather than invest abroad. The administration has announced hundreds of billions of dollars in planned investments from foreign governments and corporations, many of which are designed to unfold over several years.

Mesabi’s Minnesota operation also illustrates the challenges that can accompany large industrial projects. The project traces back nearly two decades and encountered years of financing problems and missed deadlines before Essar Steel Minnesota filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2016. It later emerged from bankruptcy as Mesabi Metallics, and Essar eventually regained control.

The project has since made substantial progress. Mesabi has begun mining and commissioning work at the Minnesota operation, although commercial pellet production has not yet begun. A recent SEC filing by a company that holds a royalty interest in the project said initial DR-grade pellet production is targeted for the fourth quarter of 2026, followed by an eight- to 12-month ramp-up to commercial production.

The White House says the Minnesota operation will ultimately produce 7.5 million tons annually and create roughly 350 permanent jobs.

The administration is also emphasizing the national security implications of the Iowa project. The new plant will be capable of producing high-grade steel used to meet defense-sector requirements, according to the White House, as Washington seeks to strengthen domestic supply chains for materials used by the military and critical infrastructure.

“President Trump is delivering on his promise to rebuild American industry, reshore manufacturing, and create new jobs,” White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers told Fox News Digital.

“Today’s announcement underscores the President’s historic efforts to revitalize the U.S. steel industry—supporting local communities, strengthening supply chains, and protecting our national security,” Rogers said. “After decades of decline, this President is restoring America’s industrial competitiveness and securing trillions of dollars in new investment.”

The announcement comes as Trump points to tariffs as a tool for encouraging companies to manufacture in the United States. Trump doubled tariffs on steel and aluminum imports to 50% last year, arguing that protecting domestic producers from cheaper foreign competition would rebuild an industry critical to the economy and national security.

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The policy has also increased costs for companies that consume steel. S&P Global reported that federal data showed prices for iron and steel rose 10.4% between April 2025 and April 2026, while the steel mill products index climbed 13.3%, even as domestic steel production increased.

Unlike many newer U.S. steel facilities, which are smaller electric arc furnace plants, the Iowa project will be a large-scale integrated steel facility. The White House says it will be the first new “mega-steel” plant built in the United States since the 1960s.

The first phase of the steel plant and the Minnesota mine together represent nearly $18 billion in investment, according to the administration. The White House estimates the first phase will generate approximately $95 billion in economic activity during construction and the plant’s first decade of operation.

Trump is expected to be joined for Monday’s announcement by Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, National Energy Dominance Council Executive Director Jarrod Agen and Export-Import Bank Chairman John Jovanovic, along with Mesabi Metallics Chairman Rewant Ruia, board member Prashant Ruia and CEO Joe Broking.