Texas homeowners could see lower property tax bills if deal from Republican lawmakers passes
Legislators in the House and Senate have reached an agreement on more property tax relief. But some critics worry the cuts aren’t sustainable forever.
White House rips House Dems trying to hijack Trump’s Gulf of America plans
FIRST ON FOX: The White House is going after Democratic lawmakers looking to upend House GOP plans to make President Donald Trump’s Gulf of America name change permanent. The House Rules Committee, the final gatekeeper before most legislation gets a House-wide vote, is considering a bill to codify Trump’s decision to cease calling the body of water on the U.S. Southeast “the Gulf of Mexico.” “Democrats are so overtaken with Trump Derangement Syndrome and obsessed with obstructing the President’s agenda that they will always put America last,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told Fox News Digital. “As President Trump said, the Gulf of America has long been an integral asset to our nation. All future generations should be able to recognize this beautiful body of water as a sign of American greatness.” MEET THE TRUMP-PICKED LAWMAKERS GIVING SPEAKER JOHNSON A FULL HOUSE GOP CONFERENCE Four Democrats have submitted amendments in a bid to upend the legislation — though none are likely to pass, given the committee’s Republican majority. The first measure, led by Rep. Jared Huffman, D-Calif., would revert a similar Trump decision to rename Mt. McKinley in Alaska. The highest peak in North America, former President Barack Obama stripped his assassinated predecessor’s name from the mountain in favor of Mt. Denali, the name originally given by the indigenous peoples who lived in the area. Trump signed an executive order restoring McKinley as its name on his first day in office this year. BROWN UNIVERSITY IN GOP CROSSHAIRS AFTER STUDENT’S DOGE-LIKE EMAIL KICKS OFF FRENZY A second amendment by Rep. Darren Soto, D-Fla., is aimed at limiting Trump’s ability to issue oil and gas drilling leases in the Gulf region. Rep. Maxine Dexter, D-Ore., meanwhile, submitted an amendment that, if passed, would block the Trump administration from “retribution” against news organizations that refer to the area as the Gulf of Mexico. The White House had blocked access for an Associated Press journalist earlier this year after the organization continued to refer to the gulf’s former name even after Trump’s executive order. A federal judge ordered the White House to reverse that last month. The fourth amendment submitted by Democrats, led by Rep. Luz Rivas, D-Calif., would prevent the formal name change from taking effect until the Department of Interior carried out an assessment on whether it would benefit the economy. Rivas told Fox News Digital that the Gulf of America rename is a “vanity project” that “accomplishes nothing” in response to the White House statement. “Millions of Americans are struggling because of President Trump’s economic policies, and Republicans in Congress have yet to put forth a legislative proposal that lowers the costs of groceries, protects healthcare, or lowers housing costs,” Rivas said. The bill itself is expected to get a vote sometime this week. It’s one of several pieces of legislation House Republicans are advancing aimed at making Trump’s executive actions permanent. Trump’s executive order renaming the gulf was one of the first actions he took in his second term. The remaining three Democratic offices who Fox News Digital reached for comment did not get back by press time.
Trump-aligned group sues Chief Justice John Roberts in effort to restrict power of the courts
A pro-Trump legal group founded by White House aide Stephen Miller is suing Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts — a long-shot move as Trump allies fight court rulings blocking key actions from the Oval Office. The lawsuit was filed by the America First Legal Foundation against Roberts in his capacity as the official head of the U.S. Judicial Conference and Robert J. Conrad, who serves as the director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. The complaint accuses both the U.S. Judicial Conference and the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts of performing certain regulatory actions that go beyond the scope of resolving cases or controversies, or administratively supporting those actions, which they argue are the “core functions” of the judiciary. It also argues that records held by the Roberts-led U.S. Judicial Conference should therefore be subject to the Freedom of Information Act requests, or FOIA requests, as a result. TRUMP’S EXECUTIVE ORDER ON VOTING BLOCKED BY FEDERAL JUDGES AMID FLURRY OF LEGAL SETBACKS AFL cited in its lawsuit recent actions taken by both the Judicial Conference and Administrative Office in 2023 to “accommodate” requests from Congress to investigate allegations of ethical improprieties by Justices Thomas and Alito, and subsequently to create or adopt an “ethics code” for justices on the high court. “Under our constitutional tradition, accommodations with Congress are the province of the executive branch,” AFL said, adding: “The Judicial Conference and the Administrative Office are therefore executive agencies,” and must therefore be overseen by the president, not the courts. GORSUCH, ROBERTS SIDE WITH LEFT-LEANING SUPREME COURT JUSTICES IN IMMIGRATION RULING The U.S. Judicial Conference is the national policymaking body for the courts. It is overseen by the Supreme Court’s chief justice, and tasked with making twice-yearly recommendations to Congress as needed. The Administrative Office for the U.S. Courts, meanwhile, operates under the guidance and supervision of the Judicial Conference. Its role is to provide administrative support to the federal courts on certain administrative issues and for day-to-day logistics, including setting budgets and organizing data, among other things. Plaintiffs for AFL, led by attorney Will Scolinos, argued in their lawsuit that the Judicial Conference’s duties are “executive functions,” and functions they allege must be supervised by executive officers “who are appointed and accountable to other executive officers.” Further, AFL argued, “Courts definitively do not create agencies to exercise functions beyond resolving cases or controversies or administratively supporting those functions.” In their view, this is also sufficient to put the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts — as it is overseen by the Judicial Conference — under the executive branch as well. Scolinos argued that AFL’s proposed framework “preserves the separation of powers but also keeps the courts out of politics.” U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden, a Trump appointee, has been assigned to preside over the case.
Israel strikes Yemen’s port city in response to Houthi attack on Tel Aviv Airport
Israeli forces on Monday struck Yemen’s port city of Hodeidah, targeting the Iran-backed Houthis in response to “repeated attacks” against the Jewish state, in particular its missile strike that nearly hit Tel Aviv’s largest airport. The Israel Defense Forces said fighter jets targeted the port city, which is along Yemen’s coastline, and a concrete factory. “The terrorist infrastructure sites struck in the Hudaydah port serve as a central supply source for the Houthi terrorist regime,” an IDF statement said. “The Hudaydah Port is used for the transfer of Iranian weapons, military equipment, and other equipment intended for terrorist purposes.” ISRAEL APPROVES PLAN TO CAPTURE ALL OF GAZA, CALLS UP TENS OF THOUSANDS OF RESERVE TROOPS In addition, the IDF also struck the “Bajil” Concrete Plant, which serves as a significant economic resource for the Houthis, the IDF said. The facility is also used for the construction of underground tunnels and terrorist infrastructure for the terrorist regime, officials said. During the strike, the Houthis retaliated with surface-to-surface missiles and drones that were launched at Israel and civilians, Israel said. PARENTS OF HAMAS HOSTAGES URGE TRUMP TO BE ‘TOUGH WITH ENEMIES AND FRIENDS’ AMID ISRAELI SIEGE IN GAZA Following Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, the Houthis have targeted commercial shipping in and around the Red Sea in solidarity with the terror group. U.S. naval forces have been deployed to the region, where they have launched repeated airstrikes against the Houthis in Yemen. The group is funded and trained by Iran. Israel’s strike was in retaliation for a Houthi missile attack that nearly struck Ben Gurion Airport, causing multiple international airlines to cancel flights to Israel. The missile reportedly evaded both Israeli and U.S. missile defenses, according to Israeli media. On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed retaliation.
Trump bans federal funding for ‘dangerous’ gain-of-function research
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday banning all federal funding for “dangerous” gain-of-function research in China, Iran and other countries and blocking all federal funding for foreign research that could cause another pandemic. The president signed the order Monday afternoon to improve the safety and security of biological research in the U.S. and around the world. FLASHBACK: COVID ORIGINS: HHS SUSPENDS ECOHEALTH ALLIANCE GRANTS AFTER FINDING TAXPAYER FUNDS USED IN RISKY RESEARCH The White House said the order “will drastically reduce the potential for lab-related incidents involving gain-of-function research, like that conducted on bat coronaviruses in China by the EcoHealth Alliance and Wuhan Institute of Virology.” Gain-of-function research typically involves modifying a virus to make it more infectious among humans. Gain of function research took place at the Wuhan Lab before the COVID-19 pandemic began. The White House said the order will protect Americans from lab accidents and other biosecurity incidents, “such as those that likely caused COVID-19 and the 1977 Russian flu.” The president’s order ends any present and all future federal funding of gain-of-function research in countries with insufficient oversight of research, and it empowers U.S. research agencies to identify and end federal funding of any other biological research that could pose a threat to American public health, public safety or national security. FLASHBACK: US TAXPAYER FUNDS FLOWED TO CHINESE ENTITIES THAT CONDUCTED CORONAVIRUS RESEARCH BEFORE COVID PANDEMIC: GAO “For decades, policies overseeing gain-of-function research on pathogens, toxins, and potential pathogens have lacked adequate enforcement, transparency, and top-down oversight,” the White House said in a fact sheet describing the order. “Researchers have not acknowledged the legitimate potential for societal harms that this kind of research poses.” The order, according to the White House, “protects Americans from dangerous gain-of-function research that manipulates viruses and other biological agents and toxins, but it does not impede productive biological research that will ensure the United States maintains readiness against biological threats and continues to drive global leadership in biotechnology, biosecurity, and health research.” “President Trump has long theorized that COVID-19 originated from a lab leak at the Wuhan Institute of Virology and has consistently pushed for transparency in investigating its origins,” the White House said. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Popular GOP Gov Brian Kemp announces whether he’ll run for Senate in battleground Georgia
Two-term Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, who was the GOP’s top Senate recruit in battleground Georgia for next year’s midterm elections, announced Monday that he is passing on launching a campaign. “Over the last few weeks, I have had many conversations with friends, supporters, and leaders across the country who encouraged me to run for the U.S. Senate in 2026. I greatly appreciate their support and prayers for our family. After those discussions, I have decided that being on the ballot next year is not the right decision for me and my family,” Kemp said in a social media post. The popular conservative governor, who is term-limited and prevented from seeking re-election in 2026, was the GOP’s dream candidate to take on Democrat Sen. Jon Ossoff, who is considered vulnerable, as Republicans aim to expand their 53-47 Senate majority next year. FIRST ON FOX: REPUBLICAN LAUNCHES SECOND STRAIGHT BID TO FLIP DEMOCRAT-HELD SENATE SEAT IN KEY BATTLEGROUND Ossoff, who is running for a second six-year term in the Senate after flipping the seat with a razor-thin victory in a January 2021 runoff election, is a top target of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) in a state that President Donald Trump narrowly carried last November. ONLY ON FOX NEWS: SENATE REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN CHAIR REVEALS HOW MANY SEATS HE’S AIMING FOR IN 2026 “Republicans have a number of strong candidates who can build a winning coalition to add this seat to President Trump’s Senate Majority,” NRSC communications director Joanna Rodriguez told Fox News in a statement. Kemp, in his social media post, said that he “spoke with President Trump and Senate leadership earlier today and expressed my commitment to work alongside them to ensure we have a strong Republican nominee who can win next November.” The governor, who has been courted to run for the Senate for months, told Fox News Digital in a February interview that while he was in the middle of Georgia’s legislative session, “I know I can’t keep holding out forever, so we’ll have something to say on that down the road.” WHY PETE BUTTIGIEG SAID NO TO RUNNING FOR THE SENATE NEXT YEAR IN MICHIGAN Kemp, who is currently chair of the Republican Governors Association, also said “we need to flip that seat. We should have a Republican in that seat, and I believe we’ll have one after the ’26 election.” But with Kemp out of the picture, the GOP faces the prospect of a crowded and potentially divisive primary that could include Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a top Trump supporter in the House who enjoys massive name recognition but is seen by pundits as too toxic to court crucial independent voters needed to win the general election. Among the other Republicans who have expressed interest in running if Kemp were to bow out are Reps. Buddy Carter, Mike Collins, and Rich McCormick, and state Insurance Commissioner John King. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee highlighted Kemp’s announcement. “Brian Kemp’s decision to not run for Senate in 2026 is yet another embarrassing Republican Senate recruitment failure as they face a building midterm backlash where every GOP candidate will be forced to answer for Trump’s harmful agenda. Senate Republicans’ toxic agenda and recruitment failures put their majority at risk in 2026,” DSCC communications director Maeve Coyle said in a statement.
‘Use a chair’: Jasmine Crockett invokes 2023 Montgomery brawl in college speech
Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, told the graduating class at Tougaloo College in Jackson, Mississippi, during a commencement speech on Sunday that they know how to “use a chair” in the face of adversity. “There are people that are going to tell you that there is not a table in which there is not a seat for you, but I am here to remind you of Montgomery and those folding chairs. Let me tell you that we know how to use a chair, whether we [are] pulling it up or we doing something else with it,” Crockett said. During her remarks, Crockett seems to reference the viral video from August 2023 of a group of White boaters attacking a Black riverboat captain, Dameion Pickett, in Montgomery, Alabama. The white folding chair became a symbol of resistance when a Black man raised a chair over his head in Pickett’s defense as the other men attacked him. The Texas Democrat urged the graduating class at the historically Black college on Sunday to pull up their own seat at the table, reminding students of the bystanders who rushed to defend Pickett when he was attacked. Conservatives were quick to reply to the clip of Crockett’s remarks, and Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, said Crockett’s comments were “not cool.” TRUMP MOCKS ‘LOW IQ’ JASMINE CROCKETT, ‘NUTJOB’ BERNIE SANDERS AS POTENTIAL LEADERS FOR THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY Crockett’s remarks come on the heels of a contentious back-and-forth with President Donald Trump on Sunday. JASMINE CROCKETT CLAIMS TRUMP IS ‘TERRIFIED OF SMART, BOLD BLACK WOMEN’ AFTER PRESIDENT’S ‘LOW IQ’ JAB “For you to be in charge of the WHOLE country, you sure do have my name in your mouth a lot. Every time you say my name, you’re reminding the world that you’re terrified of smart, bold Black women telling the truth and holding you accountable. So keep talking,” Crockett said. Trump on Sunday told Kristen Welker, host of NBC’s “Meet the Press,” that Crockett is a “low I.Q. person,” calling her the future of the Democratic Party, which he described as in “disarray.” Reports last week indicated that Crockett, who is currently the vice ranking member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, has her eyes set on the chair position of the committee. Crockett would lead oversight of the federal government if she gets the gig, which could include leading investigations into Trump’s agenda. Conservatives have accused Crockett of inciting violence during Trump’s first 100 days. The progressive lawmaker from Texas was slammed online earlier this year for implying that Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, “has to be knocked over the head, like hard.” Crockett also said Democrats need to be willing to “punch” in races against Republicans. The White House’s rapid response account replied to the comments on X, calling Crockett “another unhinged Democrat inciting violence.” Earlier this year, Attorney General Pam Bondi accused Crockett of “threatening lives” and said she should apologize for her rhetoric against Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) for saying, “‘All I want to see happen on my birthday is for Elon to be taken down.’” Crockett would clarify that her comments were intended as “nonviolent” resistance. Crockett was also criticized this year for calling Gov. Greg Abbott, R-Texas, who is in a wheelchair, “Governor Hot Wheels.” She tried to walk back the comments after her remarks went viral, calling the outrage a “distraction” and claiming she was “appalled that the very people who unequivocally support Trump – a man known for racially insensitive nicknames and mocking those with disabilities – are now outraged.” Crockett did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Former blue county sheriff unleashes on Dems after switching parties: ‘Party of paid protests’
Former Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva is now a registered Republican after leaving the Democratic Party. “As of today, I’m leaving the party of paid protests, purple hair, and pronouns. And I’m joining the party of faith, family, and freedom — the Republican Party,” Villanueva told the Unite Inland Empire Conservative Conference on Saturday. “Today I announced ending 44 years as a registered Dem and joining the [GOP] Time to make [California] purple again!” he posted to X. The former sheriff led the large blue county’s department from 2018 to 2022, as he was defeated by a significant margin by Sheriff Robert Luna in 2022. ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS CHARGED IN BRUTAL MURDER DURING CALIFORNIA HOME INVASION, ROBBERY The move was met with open arms by Republican leaders in the Golden State. “I left the [California Democratic] Party when I saw it no longer stood for the values I was raised with: personal responsibility, public safety, and freedom. [Alex Villanueva] made the same call. It takes courage, but it’s the right move. Welcome to our movement to restore common sense!” California Republican Party Chairwoman Corrin Rankin posted to X. “[Alex Villanueva], you are not alone. Many classic liberals have noticed that [the California Democratic Party] has lost their way, and that they champion crime and criminals. You don’t *need* to be a Republican to vote for sanity, but it helps,” Roxanne Hoge, chairwoman of the Republican Party of Los Angeles, posted to X. TRUMP ORDERS FEDS TO REOPEN ALCATRAZ TO HOUSE ‘AMERICA’S MOST RUTHLESS AND VIOLENT’ CRIMINALS Some critics of the former former sheriff welcomed the move away from the party. “Not a surprise. Hasn’t been a DEM. Votes for him in ‘18, regretted it & happily helped vote him out in ‘22. At least we won’t have to see him again in elected office now with party switch,” podcaster Scott Moore posted. “The democrats have selected the Wu Tang Clan. Republicans can have Villanueva,” Democratic strategist Michael Trujillo posted. MALIBU MAN TO STAND TRIAL FOR MURDER IN HIGH-SPEED CRASH THAT LEFT 4 PEPPERDINE STUDENTS DEAD CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Republicans are still far behind Democrats in party registration numbers in the Golden State, but there is a sense of ambition and optimism among party leaders in the state ahead of the 2026 midterms, especially as three seats in the Democrat supermajority legislature went from blue to red in November, according to CalMatters. In Los Angeles County alone, political tensions remain high after the devesting aftermath of the Pacific Palisades fire as a recall effort against Mayor Karen Bass is ongoing.
Trump foe Letitia James leading charge on new multistate lawsuit over HHS cuts
New York Attorney General Letitia James on Monday said she is leading a coalition of 20 states in suing the Trump administration over its cuts to public health funding and the Department of Health and Human Services, describing the efforts in a press conference as the most “sweeping and unlawful assault on public health” in U.S. history. The lawsuit, filed by James and other state attorneys general, accuses the Trump administration of violating “hundreds” of laws and regulations in attempting to dismantle the Department of Health and Human Services, both by firing thousands of HHS employees in an effort to slash its overall workforce by 20,000 people and shuttering crucial health programs across the U.S. “This administration is not streamlining the federal government; they are sabotaging it,” James said Monday. She used a press conference to highlight the risks these cuts pose for Americans in New York and across the country. 100 DAYS OF INJUNCTIONS, TRIALS AND ‘TEFLON DON’: TRUMP SECOND TERM MEETS ITS BIGGEST TESTS IN COURT “When you fire the scientists who research infectious diseases, silence the doctors who care for pregnant people and shut down the programs that help firefighters and miners breathe or children thrive, you are not making America healthy; you are putting countless lives at risk,” James said. “This is not how government is supposed to work. These actions are dangerous, cruel and illegal. They defy Congress’s authority and they violate federal law. And that is why today I am leading a lawsuit joined by Democratic attorneys general across the country to stop this administration from tearing down our public health infrastructure.” The plaintiffs, who filed the lawsuit Monday in the U.S. District Court in Rhode Island, are asking the court “to halt the unlawful dismantling of HHS, to stop the mass firings, and to restore the life-saving programs that millions of Americans depend on,” James said. New York is joined in the lawsuit by the attorneys generals of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Michigan, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. Their lawsuit accuses the Trump administration in the lawsuit of erasing “decades of public health progress” and leaving HHS “unable to execute many of its most vital functions.” FEDERAL JUDGES IN NEW YORK AND TEXAS BLOCK TRUMP DEPORTATIONS AFTER SCOTUS RULING Such actions, they argue, are “in violation of Congress’s instructions, the U.S. Constitution, and the many statutes that govern the Department’s programs and appropriate funds for it to administer.” These actions included terminating 10,000 full-time employees, collapsing 28 agencies into 15, and closing half of HHS’s 10 regional offices. James cited many of these issues directly in the press conference Monday, taking aim at the administration for systematically depriving HHS of the “resources necessary to do its job.” The government has “all but stopped testing for measles in the middle of an unprecedented measles outbreak,” James said. New York’s Wadsworth Center, she noted, is one of the “only labs in the country still equipped to detect rare infectious diseases” and is “scrambling to fill the void left by a hollowed-out CDC.” Her remarks come after HHS announced thousands of layoffs in March and April, including at the FDA, the CDC and NIH. The reductions were in keeping with a Department of Government Efficiency-led push for agencies to slash the size of the federal workforce and trim government spending, prompting criticism from Democrats and some Republicans. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ASKS SUPREME COURT TO REVIEW EL SALVADOR DEPORTATION FLIGHT CASE These cuts included terminating HHS employees tasked with determining SNAP and Medicaid eligibility for low-income or disabled Americans; the firing of the CDC’s entire maternal health team; and the gutting of mental health and substance abuse services and personnel. “None of these layoffs were necessary to accommodate a funding shortfall – Congress’s appropriations have remained steady, or in many cases, grown in recent years,” the plaintiffs said in their lawsuit. “All told, 20,000 full-time employees – almost twenty-five percent of HHS headcount – would be terminated in a few months to save, by Defendants’ own estimate, less than one percent of HHS expenditures.” Plaintiffs in the lawsuit asked to halt HHS efforts to dismantle the HHS-led agencies and programs that were cut as a result of the reorganization. States are also seeking declaratory and injunctive relief to prevent what they described as the “unconstitutional and illegal dismantling of the Department.” The lawsuit is not the first time James, a longtime foe of the current president, has sparred with Trump since the start of his second presidential term. To date, she’s joined Democrat attorneys general in more than a dozen other lawsuits challenging his early actions.
Top UN court dismisses Sudan’s genocide case against UAE
NewsFeed The International Court of Justice dismissed Sudan’s case accusing the United Arab Emirates of enabling genocide in Darfur by supplying the paramilitary forces with weapons. The ICJ said it lacked jurisdiction, rejecting Sudan’s request for emergency measures and ordered the case be removed from its docket. Published On 5 May 20255 May 2025 Adblock test (Why?)