Bill to ban child marriages in Texas advances in the House
Before the House takes a final vote on the bill, it could face a proposal that would allow adults and minors to marry if their age gap is three years or less.
Supreme Court to debate Trump restrictions on birthright citizenship and enforcement of nationwide injunctions
The case on the Supreme Court’s docket this week ostensibly deals with a challenge to the Trump administration’s efforts to narrow the definition of birthright citizenship. But overriding that important constitutional debate is a more immediate and potentially far-reaching test of judicial power: the ability of individual federal judges to issue universal or nationwide injunctions, preventing temporary enforcement of President Donald Trump’s sweeping executive actions. That will be the focus when the nine justices hear oral arguments Thursday morning about how President Trump’s restrictions on who can be called an American citizen can proceed in the lower federal courts. Trump signed the executive order on his first day back in office that would end automatic citizenship for children of people in the U.S. illegally. SUPREME COURT POISED TO MAKE MAJOR DECISION THAT COULD SET LIMITS ON THE POWER OF DISTRICT JUDGES Separate coalitions of about two dozen states, along with immigrant rights groups, and private individuals — including several pregnant women in Maryland — have sued. Three separate federal judges subsequently issued orders temporarily blocking enforcement across the country while the issues are fully litigated in court. Appeals courts have declined to disturb those rulings. Now the three consolidated cases come to the high court in an unusual scenario, a rare May oral argument that has been fast-tracked for an expected ruling in coming days or weeks. The executive order remains on hold nationwide until the justices decide. But the cases will likely not be decided on the merits at this stage, only on whether to narrow the scope of those injunctions. That would allow the policy to take effect in limited parts of the country or only to those plaintiffs actually suing over the president’s authority. SUPREME COURT TO HEAR ORAL ARGUMENTS IN BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP CASE A high court decision could be sweeping, setting a precedent that would affect the more than 310 — and counting — federal lawsuits against White House actions filed since Jan. 20, according to a Fox News data analysis. Of those, more than 200 judicial orders have halted large parts of the president’s agenda from being enacted, almost 40 of them nationwide injunctions. Dozens of other cases have seen no legal action so far on gateway issues like temporary enforcement. While the Supreme Court has never ruled directly on the use of universal injunctions, several conservative justices have expressed concerns over power. Justice Clarence Thomas in 2018 labeled them “legally and historically dubious,” adding, “These injunctions are beginning to take a toll on the federal court system – preventing legal questions from percolating through the federal courts, encouraging forum shopping, and making every case a national emergency for the courts and for the Executive Branch.” And it comes to the Supreme Court as part of the so-called emergency or “shadow” docket, time-sensitive appeals known officially as “applications” that usually arrive in the early stages. They seek to temporarily block or delay a lower court or government action that, despite its procedurally narrow posture, can have immediate and far-reaching implications. Things like requests for stays of execution, voting restrictions, COVID vaccine mandates or access to a federally approved abortion medication and, since January, Trump’s sweeping executive reform plans. Some members of the court have expressed concern that these kinds of appeals are arriving with greater frequency in recent years, high-profile issues leading to rushed decisions without the benefit of full briefing or deliberation. ‘ACTIVIST’ JUDGES KEEP TRYING TO CURB TRUMP’S AGENDA – HERE’S HOW HE COULD PUSH BACK Justice Elena Kagan last year said the shadow docket’s caseload has been “relentless,” adding, “We’ve gotten into a pattern where we’re doing too many of them.” The pace this term has only increased with the new administration frustrated at dozens of lower court setbacks. “We’ve seen a lot of justices critical of the fact that the court is taking an increasing number of cases and deciding them using the shadow docket,” said Thomas Dupree, a former top Justice Department lawyer and a top appellate advocate. “These justices say, ‘Look, we don’t have to decide this on an emergency basis. We can wait.’” Many progressive lawyers complain the Trump administration has been too eager to bypass the normal district and intermediate appellate court process, seeking quick, end-around Supreme Court review on consequential questions of law only when it loses. The debate over birthright citizenship and injunctions is expected to expose further ideological divides on the court’s 6-3 conservative majority. That is especially true when it comes to the 13 challenges over Trump policies that have reached the justices so far, with six of them awaiting a ruling. The court’s three more liberal justices have pushed back at several preliminary victories for the administration, including its ban on transgender individuals serving in the military and the use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport scores of illegal immigrants suspected of criminal gang activity in the U.S. TRUMP’S REMARKS COULD COME BACK TO BITE HIM IN ABREGO GARCIA DEPORTATION BATTLE Dissenting in one such emergency appeal over the deportations to El Salvador, Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote, “The Government’s conduct in this litigation poses an extraordinary threat to the rule of law.” “Our job is to stand up for people who can’t do it themselves. And our job is to be the champion of lost causes,” Sotomayor separately told an American Bar Association audience last week. “But, right now, we can’t lose the battles we are facing. And we need trained and passionate and committed lawyers to fight this fight.” Trump has made no secret of his disdain for judges who have ruled against his policies or at least blocked them from being immediately implemented. He called for the formal removal of one federal judge after an adverse decision over deporting illegal immigrants. That prompted Chief Justice John Roberts to issue a rare public statement, saying, “Impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision.” And in separate remarks last week, the chief justice underscored the judiciary’s
DHS fires back at blue-city mayor unhappy about ICE operation, provides rap sheets for those charged
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Tuesday fired back at Democrat Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell‘s public accusation that Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents “do not share [the state’s] values of safety” after a Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) operation in coordination with ICE resulted in nearly 200 illegal immigrant arrests. ICE and THP announced 196 arrests of illegal immigrants during the Nashville effort, 95 of whom had prior criminal convictions and pending criminal charges. More than 30 were previously removed individuals who reentered the U.S. illegally, a felony offense under federal law. ICE TOUTS RECORD-BREAKING IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT DURING TRUMP’S FIRST 100 DAYS Despite the operation’s success in protecting Americans from illegal immigrants, DHS officials wrote in a news release that O’Connell “stands by pro-illegal policies, claiming that these operations were done by ‘people who do not share our values of safety.’” DHS noted “attacks and demonization of ICE” have resulted in officers facing a 413% increase in assaults. “You would think all public officials would unite around DHS bringing violent criminal illegal aliens to justice and removing them from American communities,” DHS Assistant Secretary of Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin said in a news release. “However, pro-open borders politicians – like Mayor O’Connell – would rather protect illegal aliens than American citizens.” TRUMP NABS 30K ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, 1,100 GANG MEMBERS IN 100 DAYS: ‘CRIME WILL GO DOWN,’ EX-FBI AGENT SAYS “This operation resulted in getting gang members, sex offenders, and other violent criminals off Nashville’s streets,” McLaughlin added. “President [Donald] Trump and [DHS] Secretary [Kristi] Noem will continue to stand with victims and the brave ICE agents who are on the front lines, making America safe again.” Though O’Connell launched the “Belonging Fund” to provide taxpayer dollars for illegal immigrants in Nashville, DHS officials stood firm, saying, “BOTTOM LINE: DHS is [a] law enforcement agency, and it will continue to enforce the law and work with all state and local partners so that Americans do not continue to be victimized by criminal aliens.” Below are detainees who ICE officials said were nabbed during the Nashville operation. Jassim Jafaf Al-Raash, a 60-year-old illegal immigrant from Iraq, was previously convicted of rape, for which he was sentenced to 10 years in prison, according to DHS officials. He was also convicted of larceny and false imprisonment, for which he was sentenced to nearly a year in prison, and charged with failure to register as a sex offender. Al-Raash had a final order of removal dated Sept. 1, 2021, according to DHS. Franklin Oswaldo Velasquez, a 33-year-old illegal immigrant from El Salvador, is allegedly affiliated with the MS-13 gang, according to DHS. He has an active Red Notice in El Salvador for aggravated murder, which is a worldwide wanted alert. Velasquez was convicted of possession of methamphetamines, possession of drug paraphernalia, failure to appear and criminal impersonation, according to DHS. NEARLY 800 ILLEGAL ALIENS ARRESTED IN MASSIVE FLORIDA ICE OPERATION: ‘TIDAL WAVE’ Inmar Antonio Penado-Membreno, a 34-year-old illegal immigrant from El Salvador, was previously convicted of possession with intent to manufacture, deliver, or sell cocaine, for which he was sentenced to eight years in prison, according to DHS. Penado-Membreno was also convicted of aggravated assault, for which he was sentenced to four years in prison, officials said. Richard St. Baptiste, a 36-year-old illegal immigrant from Haiti, was previously convicted of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, for which he was sentenced to eight years of probation, according to DHS. He was also convicted of marijuana possession, for which he was sentenced to 30 days imprisonment, according to officials. Carlos Reinaldo Alvarado-Rodriguez, a 39-year-old illegal immigrant from Guatemala, was previously convicted of aggravated assault, for which he was sentenced to four years in prison, according to DHS. DHS and O’Connell’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Texas Legislature approves bill to ease polling place requirements for countywide voting
The bill would reduce the minimum number of polling places that Texas counties must have, rolling back a 2023 law that created challenges for election administrators.
Judge upholds Trump’s authority to deport criminal migrants under Alien Enemies Act
A federal judge on Tuesday said the Trump administration can invoke the Alien Enemies Act (AEA) to deport criminal illegal immigrant members of the Venezuelan Tren De Aragua gang, but that it has not given adequate prior notice to those subject to removal, before those deportations can take place, which would allow possible due process and habeas legal challenges. The 43-page ruling by U.S. District Judge Stephanie Haines, a Trump appointee, conflicts with other rulings challenging the administration’s deportation efforts. TRUMP ADMIN REVOKES 4K FOREIGN STUDENTS’ VISAS IN FIRST 100 DAYS, NEARLY ALL WITH SERIOUS CRIMINAL RECORDS “Having done its job, the Court now leaves it to the Political Branches of the government, and ultimately to the people who elect those individuals, to decide whether the laws and those executing them continue to reflect their will,” Haines wrote. Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House. Trump issued an executive order on March 14, “Invocation of the Alien Enemies Act Regarding the Invasion of the United States by Tren De Aragua.” Tuesday’s ruling was confined to Venezuelan aliens who are not naturalized or lawful permanent residents, 14 years or older, and have been specifically designated as part of a Foreign Terrorist Organization, specifically Tren de Aragua. NOEM RIPS DEMOCRATS OVER SUPPORT FOR DEPORTED MIGRANT Earlier this month, another judge stated that he would not prevent the administration from deporting individuals in the U.S. illegally but that the Alien Enemies Act could not be used as a basis to expel alleged gang members from the country. “The question that this lawsuit presents is whether the President can utilize a specific statute, the AEA, to detain and remove Venezuelan aliens who are members of [Tren de Aragua]” U.S. District Court Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr., another Trump appointee, wrote in his order. “As to that question, the historical record renders clear that the president’s invocation of the AEA through the Proclamation exceeds the scope of the statute and is contrary to the plain, ordinary meaning of the statute’s terms,” the order states.
WATCH: Newark mayor compares self to biblical hero in wake of ICE protest arrest: ‘This is our David moment’
Newark, New Jersey, Mayor Ras Baraka compared his arrest at a federal immigration center last week to the Bible’s accounts of King David, telling a crowd at a political rally in his city Tuesday afternoon that it was “our David moment.” Baraka has repeatedly insisted he did nothing wrong, calling his tactics “absolutely effective” during a Democrat primary debate for the race for governor in New Jersey that took place Monday evening. He followed up the defense of his tactics Tuesday by comparing his arrest to the story of King David in the Bible. “This is our David moment,” Baraka told a crowd of several dozen supporters at a rally in his hometown on Tuesday. “Many of us miss our David moment because we [are] trying to run away from confrontation and controversy. But your crowd lives in the middle of controversy. The thing that has been promised to you is surrounded by high walls, and the gates are guarded by giants. If you’re running from conflict and controversy, then you’ll never get what’s promised of you. This is our David moment.” FAR-LEFT MAYOR ARRESTED AT ICE FACILITY DENIES IMPEDING LAW ENFORCEMENT, SAYS PROTEST ‘ABSOLUTELY’ EFFECTIVE Baraka told supporters that he physically could not have done anything to prevent his arrest at the immigration detention center on Friday, telling them his body “froze” involuntarily after being told he was going to be arrested for trespassing at the facility. “When the congressman came to the gate and was like, ‘Mayor, they said they’re going to arrest you.’ That was a David moment,” Baraka said Tuesday. “I could have gotten in the car and ran. I could have said, ‘I’m getting out of here, maybe they’ll arrest me at work or at home or whatever.’ But I froze. I froze – not even actively or deliberately – my body froze. My body – my body froze, like, ‘This is it, you’re supposed to be here. Whatever they going to do, they going to do it.’” Baraka’s arrest occurred during a protest at Delaney Hall attended by three members of Congress, who said they were in attendance to perform their congressionally mandated oversight duties related to federal detention facilities. WHO IS THE DEMOCRATIC GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE ARRESTED FOR TRESPASSING AT AN ICE DETENTION CENTER? The three congressional lawmakers and Baraka were outside the facility with a group of protesters when the gates opened to allow an ICE bus in. All four officials then allegedly rushed through the gates and past security, according to officials from the Department of Homeland Security. The arrest came as activists had been calling for access to the facility for days, which is a privately run facility that was revamped as an immigration detention facility this year. In addition to comparing his debacle with federal authorities to King David, Baraka also made light of his arrest Tuesday, quipping that he was speaking to attendees at the rally Tuesday “as a returning citizen.” “Pardon me, ‘formerly incarcerated,’” Baraka said, garnering laughter from the crowd. NEWARK MAYOR SPEAKS AFTER BEING RELEASED FROM HSI FACILITY CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “They told me I got to check in, and they ain’t talking about the hood either,” Baraka added. “I got to check in, I have to give them all my information, all this stuff, all my family’s information. I mean, I’m making light of it, but it’s real. I got to go to court Thursday. Are these people … serious? They’re really trying to go forward with this and leverage it to make me be quiet.” Baraka confirmed to Fox News Digital on Tuesday that he was back at the detention facility Tuesday morning. The Newark mayor also confirmed that he participated in a pretrial intervention phone call ahead of a Thursday court hearing over the matter. Media reports have indicated that Baraka plans to plead not guilty.
TribCast: Can Texas make its housing more affordable?
In this week’s episode, we discuss Texas’ rising home prices and the steps the Legislature is taking to reduce them.
Capitol Police arrest protesters disrupting budget markup as Cory Booker thanks them for defending Medicaid
More than two dozen protesters were arrested for disrupting the House Energy and Commerce’s budget reconciliation markup on Tuesday, as Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., thanked those holding court in the hallway. “Around 2 p.m., 26 people were arrested for illegally demonstrating in the Rayburn House Office Building. They were arrested for 22-1307 Crowding, Obstructing, and Incommoding. It is against the law to protest inside the Congressional Buildings,” the U.S. Capitol Police Department told Fox News Digital. Dozens of protesters, many in wheelchairs, filled the halls outside the John D. Dingell Room in the Rayburn House Office Building on Tuesday afternoon, chanting, “No cuts to Medicaid!” Several protesters, who were blocking the entrance to the committee room, were wheeled away and arrested by Capitol police after multiple warnings. A defiant Booker walked by the budget markup during its first hour and was greeted by the cheers and whistles of those protesting Medicaid cuts. Booker, who spent more than 12 hours protesting President Donald Trump’s agenda on the steps of the U.S. Capitol just two weeks ago, thanked the protesters for showing up to protect Medicaid. HOUSE GOP UNVEILS MEDICAID WORK REQUIREMENTS IN TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ A Capitol police officer confirmed to Fox News Digital that disruptors were arrested for protesting and would be processed and released immediately. Many protesters remained in the hallway during the first few hours of the markup as others were removed for shouting during the representative’s testimonies and subsequently arrested. ANTI-ABORTION PROVIDER MEASURE IN TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ COULD SPARK HOUSE GOP REBELLION “The audience is supportive that you’re all here and participating. We want you here. You’re part of the process. We want you to be here, but we have to proceed. And the rules of the House, and the law is that – if you’re disruptive, you’ll be removed, and you’re subject to arrest. I don’t make that decision, the Capitol Police does,” Kentucky Republican Rep. Brett Guthrie, Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, said following one of several disruptions by protesters. Inside the budget markup, Democrats and Republicans sparred over rhetoric about Medicaid cuts. Democrats claimed the Republican budget bill would cut vital access to Medicaid, with many representatives sharing stories of their constituents who have benefited from its services. Meanwhile, Republicans accused Democrats of lying to the American people about Medicaid cuts – a word Guthrie deterred his colleagues from using. “I want to send one very clear message: you’re being lied to. The other side is telling you a lot of things about this legislation. I’m not sure they have read this legislation,” Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., who chairs the Republican Congressional Campaign Committee, said. Republicans mostly avoided the deep cuts to Medicaid pushed by fiscal conservatives in the House Republican Conference, which could serve to benefit moderate Republicans who have fielded relentless attacks from Democrats over potential Medicaid cuts. House Republicans, however, have vowed to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse in the Medicaid program. The committee’s budget markup includes increased regulations and program cuts to Medicaid, including tightened address verification requirements, ensuring deceased individuals are not enrolled, more provider screening requirements, removing excess Medicaid payments, revising home equity limits for determining eligibility, prohibiting illegal immigrants from obtaining Medicaid services, ensuring accurate payments, prohibiting funding for gender transition procedures for minors and requirements for states to establish Medicaid community engagement programs. “This budget does not cut Medicaid, Medicare or Social Security benefits for the Americans who truly need them. We are strengthening and protecting Medicaid for pregnant women, children, individuals with disabilities, low-income seniors and vulnerable families. These Americans will continue to have access to the care they need and deserve. What we are doing is eliminating waste, fraud and abuse,” Rep. Erin Houchin, R-Indiana, told the committee. But despite Republicans’ assurances that the proposed budget does not cut Medicaid, Democrats testified, one after the other, about the threats program cuts pose to Americans. “They are cutting this Medicaid care and these Medicaid dollars to pay for tax cuts for Elon Musk and billionaires, so this money isn’t even going towards funding better care for people who are eligible… We are cutting money and health care from people and families who are suffering, to pay for tax cuts for the rich. It is a crime happening in front of the American public right now,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said. The proposed legislation would put a new 80-hour-per-month work requirement on certain able-bodied adults receiving Medicaid, aged 19 through 64. It would also put guardrails on states spending funds on their expanded Medicaid populations. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) allowed states to expand Medicaid coverage to adults who make up to 138% of the poverty level. More specifically, states that provide Medicaid coverage to illegal immigrants could see their federal Medicaid reimbursement dollars diminished, putting more of that cost on the state itself. The bill would also require states with expanded Medicaid populations to perform eligibility checks every six months to ensure the system is not being abused. The Energy & Commerce Committee, which has broad jurisdiction, including over federal health programs, telecommunications and energy, was tasked with finding at least $880 billion in spending cuts to pay for other priorities in Trump’s “big, beautiful bill.” Guthrie told House Republicans on a lawmaker-only call on Sunday night that the panel had found “north of $900 billion” in savings.
US cuts defense ties with Cuba over ‘non-cooperation’ after harboring terror fugitives
The U.S. State Department has determined and certified Cuba as a “not fully cooperating country” (NFCC) for not helping with counterterrorism efforts after the island nation failed to turn over at least 11 fugitives in 2024 to U.S. custody. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce made the announcement on Tuesday that the certification, which falls under Section 40A of the Arms Export Control Act, will result in the prohibition on the sale or license for export of defense services to Cuba. “In 2024, the Cuban regime did not fully cooperate with the United States on counterterrorism,” Bruce said in a statement. “There were at least 11 U.S. fugitives from justice in Cuba, including several facing terrorism-related charges, and the Cuban regime made clear it was not willing to discuss their return to face justice in our nation.” “The Cuban regime’s refusal to engage on this important issue, as well as other recent circumstances of non-cooperation on terrorism-related law enforcement matters, made efforts to cooperate on counterterrorism issues futile in 2024,” she continued. CHINA DENIES NEW REPORT LINKING CCP TO 4 SITES IN CUBA ALLEGEDLY USED TO SPY ON THE US Secretary of State Marco Rubio not only certified Cuba as an NFCC, he also re-certified Iran, Syria, Venezuela and North Korea as NFCCs. In January, the Biden administration lifted Cuba’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism, reversing a move made by the Trump administration in 2021. Former President Joe Biden said at the time that the Cuban government “has not provided any support for international terrorism during the preceding six-month period” as well as “provided assurances that it will not support acts of international terrorism in the future.” DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS CRITICIZE BIDEN ADMIN’S CUBA DÉTENTE Cuba was given the designation in January 2021, shortly before Biden took office. At the time, the U.S. Embassy in Cuba accused the country of “repeatedly providing support for acts of international terrorism in granting safe harbor to terrorists.” The designation returned the Caribbean nation to a list that it was on from the Reagan administration to that of former President Barack Obama. In 2016, Obama became the first U.S. president to visit Cuba since 1928. WHITE HOUSE REMOVES CUBA’S STATE SPONSOR OF TERRORISM DESIGNATION, REVERSING TRUMP ADMINISTRATION MOVE The Obama administration attempted to normalize relations in 2015 but encountered resistance from President Donald Trump, whose administration recently argued that Cuba has failed to cooperate on counterterrorism. State Department officials said Cuba refused to extradite 10 suspects wanted in Colombia for a police academy bombing that killed 22 people and injured dozens more. Authorities also accused Cuba of harboring multiple American fugitives, including Joanne Chesimard, also known as Assata Shakur. She was convicted of killing New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster in 1973. In the summer of 2017, Trump imposed travel and financial restrictions on Cuba while blasting as “one-sided” Obama’s 2016 deal with the regime. Fox News Digital’s Andrea Margolis contributed to this report.
FDA’s latest MAHA move would wipe out kids’ fluoride prescriptions as health risk evidence mounts
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced Tuesday it is taking a step toward “ending outdated practices” related to children’s health and will begin removing ingestible fluoride prescription drug products for kids from the market. Health and Human Services and the FDA are “taking bold action to protect America’s children by initiating the removal of unapproved, ingestible fluoride prescription drug products from the market,” Department of Health and Human Services spokesman Andrew Nixon told Fox News Digital Tuesday. “These fluoride prescription drug products, given to infants and toddlers, have never been approved by the FDA and pose real risks to developing children — including harm to the gut microbiome, potential thyroid dysfunction, weight gain, and even reduced IQ. This is not just a public health issue — it’s a moral issue.” “This marks another step toward delivering on our Make America Healthy Again promise — by ending outdated practices and putting Gold Standard Science at the center of children’s health,” he added. The FDA announced earlier Tuesday it had begun the initial steps of removing “concentrated ingestible fluoride prescription drug products for children from the market.” Fluoride is frequently used to protect teeth from decay and cavities. DESANTIS SIGNS BILL BANNING FLUORIDE ADDITIVES IN FLORIDA PUBLIC WATER: ‘HYDRATE, NOT MEDICATE’ Ingestible fluoride, such as tablets prescribed to kids at high-risk for cavities, was never approved by the FDA, according to its chief, Marty Makary, and have been “shown to alter the gut microbiome,” as well as possible association “between fluoride and thyroid disorders, weight gain and possibly decreased IQ.” Ingestible fluoride is swallowed, and differs from other fluoride products, such as toothpaste bolstered with fluoride. UTAH BANS FLUORIDE FROM PUBLIC DRINKING WATER, ALIGNING WITH MAHA MOVEMENT Makary said in a Tuesday press release that children can avoid heavy sugar intake to dodge cavities instead of “altering a child’s microbiome.” The gut microbiome is the ecosystem of microorganisms that live in a person’s intestines. “The best way to prevent cavities in children is by avoiding excessive sugar intake and good dental hygiene, not by altering a child’s microbiome,” Makary said in the press release. “For the same reason that fluoride may kill bacteria on teeth, it may also kill intestinal bacteria important for a child’s health.” “I am instructing our Center for Drug Evaluation and Research to evaluate the evidence regarding the risks of systemic fluoride exposure from FDA-regulated pediatric ingestible fluoride prescription drug products to better inform parents and the medical community on this emerging area. When it comes to children, we should err on the side of safety.” FLUORIDE EXPOSURE LINKED TO ‘DETRIMENTAL EFFECTS’ ON HEALTH OF PREGNANT WOMEN, INFANTS Nixon told Fox News Digital that HHS and the FDA will launch a full safety review, including with public input, as health leaders work to finalize details of the plan by Oct. 31. “The American people deserve transparency and accountability,” Nixon said. “The Department will issue new guidelines promoting safe, effective dental hygiene without compromising gut health.” HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. added in the press release that “ending the use of ingestible fluoride is long overdue.” RFK JR. CALLS FOR REMOVAL OF FLUORIDE FROM DRINKING WATER, SPARKING DEBATE “I’m grateful to Commissioner Makary for his leadership on this vital issue — one that directly safeguards the health and development of our children,” Kennedy said. “This decision brings us one step closer to delivering on President Trump’s promise to Make America Healthy Again.” Kennedy posted to X following President Donald Trump‘s election win in November 2024 that the Trump administration “will advise all U.S. water systems to remove fluoride from public water” upon Inauguration Day. CHILDREN EXPOSED TO HIGHER FLUORIDE LEVELS FOUND TO HAVE LOWER IQS, STUDY REVEALS “Fluoride is an industrial waste associated with arthritis, bone fractures, bone cancer, IQ loss, neurodevelopmental disorders, and thyroid disease. President @realDonaldTrump and First Lady @MELANIATRUMP want to Make America Healthy Again,” he continued. Trump told the media shortly after Kennedy’s X post that such a plan to remove fluoride from water systems “sounds OK to me.” FIRST STATE TO BAN FLUORIDE IN DRINKING WATER WILL HEED MAHA MOVEMENT’S CALL TO ACTION Utah became the first state in the nation to ban fluoride from public water systems in May, while Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill May 6 banning fluoride additives to the state’s public water supply. That law will take effect July 1. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Jamming fluoride in the water supply … is essentially a forced medication,” DeSantis said during a news conference May 6 in Tallahassee, Florida. “At the end of the day, we should all agree that people deserve informed consent.“ Amid states moving to ban fluoride from water systems specifically, local dentists and critics of the move claim it will hurt residents who rely on the fluoride to bolster dental health.