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Labor secretary defends his handling of Epstein plea deal, invited to Capitol Hill hearing

Though he has the public support of President Trump, it remains to be seen whether Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta's detailed defense of his handling of accused financier Jeffrey Epstein's 2008 sex trafficking case will be enough to ultimately save his job. On Wednesday, he pushed back against calls for him to step down over his past involvement in a plea deal for Epstein, saying his office fought for a tougher punishment after state prosecutors were ready to let him "walk free." Acosta, who was U.S. attorney for Florida at the time, helped Epstein secure a plea deal that resulted in an 18-month sentence. (He served just 13 months.) The deal was criticized as lenient because Epstein could have faced a life sentence. Epstein was charged this week with sex trafficking and conspiracy during the early 2000s based on new evidence.

Barry Krischer, the Palm Beach County, Fla., state attorney at the time, accused Acosta of revisionist history. The labor secretary will not escape further scrutiny. Democrats on the House Oversight Committee have invited him to testify at a July 23 hearing that will examine his actions related to Epstein.

Iranian gunboats target British tanker, senior US defense official says

Five Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps gunboats tried to seize a British oil tanker in the Persian Gulf on Wednesday but backed off after a British warship approached, a senior U.S. defense official told Fox News. The British warship was said to have been less than 5 miles behind the tanker but soon intercepted the Iranian boats and threatened to open fire. A manned U.S. reconnaissance aircraft was above as well, the official said, adding that Iranian forces left without opening fire.

Tucker Carlson calls out Rep. Ihan Omar for trying to ‘silence’ his show

Tucker Carlson has a message for U.S. Rep. Ihan Omar, D-Minn.: "Tucker Carlson Tonight" will not be silenced for telling uncomfortable truths. The Fox News host devoted his opening segment of his show to Omar on Wednesday night. On Tuesday, Carlson pointed out that Omar, a Somali immigrant, accuses the United States of bigotry and racism in almost all of her public statements and that she does not seem grateful to the country that has welcomed her and given her so many opportunities. Among several points, Carlson said, "No country can import large numbers of people who hate it and expect to survive."

Omar responded by calling Carlson a "racist fool" and urging a boycott of "Tucker Carlson Tonight.” Carlson called the response from Omar and the left typical. "They hate it when you say true things," he said during Wednesday's monologue. "Ilhan Omar and her allies in Congress immediately demanded that this show be pulled off the air. They didn't rebut what we said, any of our points, or even acknowledge them. They just try to silence us. That is how they operate." Click on the video above for the entire monologue.

AOC-Pelosi feud gets personal

The public spat between Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., got a lot nastier on Wednesday, with the freshman congresswoman suggesting that the speaker is "singling out" her and other progressives based on their race. "When these comments first started, I kind of thought that she was keeping the progressive flank at more of an arm’s distance in order to protect more moderate members, which I understood,” Ocasio-Cortez told the Washington Post. “But the persistent singling out … It got to a point where it was just outright disrespectful. … the explicit singling out of newly elected women of color.”

Possible break in missing Kentucky mother case

Law enforcement officials found human remains late Wednesday night during the search of a home believed to be the last known location of missing Kentucky mom Savannah Spurlock, who disappeared seven months ago after leaving a bar in January, officials said. The remains will be taken to the State Medical Examiner's Office in Frankfort for an autopsy and identification, State Police Trooper Robert Purdy said. He said he cannot confirm the body found is Spurlock at this time because the remains were heavily decomposed. A person is being questioned in connection with the case. Spurlock, a mom of four who had given birth to twins in December, was last seen on surveillance video Jan. 4 after leaving the Other Bar in Lexington with two men.

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SOME PARTING WORDS

Greg Gutfeld slams Beto O'Rourke for claiming that America was founded on white supremacy, pointing out that as his presidential campaign withers, his efforts to sow division only expand.

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Fox News First is compiled by Fox News' Bryan Robinson. Thank you for joining us! Enjoy your day! We'll see you in your inbox first thing Friday morning.