GOP governor rallies around historic proposal to slash state’s income tax: ‘I am optimistic’
Montana is considering making cuts to its individual income tax rate as a growing number of states have completely transitioned to eliminating the tax altogether. Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte came out in support of Senate Bill 323 last week, which would cut the state income tax from 5.9% to 4.9%, at a news conference with Americans for Prosperity. The cut is what the governor suggested in his November budget proposal. “So I came into office back four years ago after 16 years of Democrats in the governor’s office in Montana, and we had the highest income tax rate in the Rocky Mountain West,” Gianforte told Fox News Digital in an interview. “I firmly believe that the citizens of Montana know how to spend their money better than the government does. And so we’ve made it a priority to bring the tax rate down and to simplify our tax code. We’ve gone from seven tax brackets to two. With this change that we’re proposing, we knock another full percentage point off the income tax rate, and we’d be very close to a flat tax,” he added. MONTANA AG ASKS SUPREME COURT TO UPHOLD LAW REQUIRING PARENTAL CONSENT FOR A MINOR’S ABORTION If passed into law, it would lower the Treasure State’s comparatively high tax rate compared to others in the region even further, after the bracket impacting most people went from 6.9% to 6.75%, down to 5.9% in recent years. The state previously had seven brackets, and now it has two as of 2021. “It’s the most conservative tax-cut bill in front of our legislature right now, and we are a conservative legislature. I am optimistic,” the Republican said. The current version of the bill, which is still early in the process, would cut the tax rate to 5.4% in 2026 and the 4.9% rate would start in 2027, according to the legislation’s fiscal note. “As a fellow Montanan feeling the economic strain from the current rising cost of living in our gorgeous state, the bill would provide some relief,” Bianca Lester of Butte said, according to a news release. “I’m a single mom of four, which is no easy feat, and I need every penny that I make to help house and clothe and feed my kids. This bill would allow for so many other families like mine to keep all of our hard-earned income,” Lester added. Donald Trump Jr. also came out in support of the proposed cuts. “[Gianforte] pushing for the largest income tax cut in Montana history, just like my father’s historic tax cuts! Montana leading the way with conservative, Trump-style tax policies! Get it done! #MAGA,” he posted last week. MORNING GLORY: TRUMP, TARIFFS, THE CR AND THE TAX CUTS The development comes as Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves just signed legislation that will phase out the state’s income tax entirely in the coming years with the hope of boosting economic development in the southern state. In Montana, there are also bills moving through the process to tackle the state’s property taxes. DEEP RED STATE MAKES MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT INCOME TAX: ‘WE PLANT OUR FLAG’ CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Nationwide, President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress are also pushing for major tax reforms, including no taxes on tips and overtime pay, and there have also been other income tax cuts floated by the Trump administration. “I’m excited to get this across the finish line, because I think Montanans know how to spend their money better than the government does,” Gianforte said.
Massie and several GOP colleagues push proposal to require dual citizenship disclosure by political candidates
Several House Republicans are pushing a measure that would require federal political candidates to disclose their citizenship in foreign nations when designating their principal campaign committee. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., told Fox News Digital in a statement on Monday that he does not believe individuals with citizenship in foreign nations should serve in the nation’s legislature. “Personally, I don’t think dual citizens should serve in Congress, but I ultimately decided to introduce a transparency bill requiring full disclosure of citizenship. Voters can then make the decision,” he noted. TRUMP SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDER REQUIRING PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP IN FEDERAL ELECTIONS: ‘AN HONOR TO SIGN THIS ONE’ Massie introduced the “Dual Loyalty Disclosure Act” last week. Reps. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz.; Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga.; and Clay Higgins, R-La. are original cosponsors. In a statement included in a press release, Massie opined that dual citizens elected to serve in Congress should renounce their foreign citizenship. CONSERVATIVE BACKLASH ERUPTS AFTER TRUMP’S GRAHAM ENDORSEMENT: ‘I AM NOT WITH TRUMP AT ALL WITH THIS ONE’ “At a minimum, they should disclose their citizenship in other countries and abstain from votes specifically benefitting those countries,” he added. TRUMP PLEDGES TO ‘LEAD THE CHARGE’ AGAINST REP. MASSIE, LIKENS HIM TO LIZ CHENEY CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “If we are going to continue to allow Members of Congress to acquire and retain citizenship in other countries, they should at least be required to disclose to voters all countries of which they consider themselves to be citizens,” Massie asserted.
NYC Dem calls on NYPD to investigate car shoppers ‘aggressively’ test driving Teslas on city streets
A New York City Democrat council member is calling on the NYPD to investigate multiple reports that potential Tesla buyers are allegedly recklessly testing the cars’ safety features near the company’s showroom in the city’s Meatpacking District, according to a letter reviewed by Fox News Digital. “My office has received multiple reports of reckless driving involving Tesla vehicles near the Tesla showroom in the Meatpacking District—particularly along Tenth Avenue and the surrounding streets,” Councilman Erik Bottcher wrote in a Friday letter to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch and NYC Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. “These reports indicate a pattern of behavior that is both dangerous and deeply inappropriate for a dense, mixed-use neighborhood.” The councilman continued that the Tesla drivers at the heart of the complaints are potential buyers visiting a local showroom who are taking Tesla Cybertrucks for test drives on nearby streets to assess the cars’ safety, speed and braking abilities. “According to these accounts, what appear to be test drives of the Cybertruck are being conducted by potential buyers who are unaccompanied by Tesla staff,” the letter continued. “These individuals are reportedly accelerating aggressively well beyond the posted speed limit and then abruptly braking, seemingly to demonstrate the vehicle’s safety features. This activity is taking place on public streets shared by pedestrians, cyclists, families, and other drivers.” ‘ASTROTURF’: CRITICS SPECULATE TESLA PROTESTS ARE NOT A GRASSROOTS MOVEMENT, BUT CAREFULLY ORGANIZED CAMPAIGN The letter comes as protests against Tesla and its CEO, Elon Musk, have unfolded at showrooms across the country in response to Musk’s role helping lead the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). A “Tesla Takedown” movement formed in recent days, with more than 200 protests planned on Saturday in the U.S., and another few hundred planned protests in Canada and Europe as part of the “global day of action.” In the U.S. the Saturday protests were promoted by actors, congressional legislators, academics and activists who led a “mass mobilizing call” to rally support, and described in the media as a “grassroots” effort to buck Musk and President Donald Trump, while working to tank Tesla’s stock. FEDS ON ALERT FOR TESLA ‘GLOBAL DAY OF ACTION’ AFTER NATIONWIDE VIOLENCE LEADS TO ARRESTS The Saturday protests were billed as “nonviolent” and showcased people line dancing outside Teslas stores while holding anti-swastika and anti-Musk signs. Others protested for a couple of hours outside of Tesla dealerships, local media outlets reported, with some holding signs reading “DON’T BUY SWASTICAR,” or “Nobody elected Elon.” The NYC councilman continued in his letter that the NYPD and NYC Department of Transportation should investigate the reports to “ensure these dangerous activities are stopped.” “This behavior poses a serious public safety risk and is unacceptable on the streets of our city,” Bottcher said. “It threatens the well-being of everyone who lives, works, and travels through this area on a daily basis. As the Council Member representing this district, I take these concerns extremely seriously, and I believe swift action is warranted to prevent further harm.” “I respectfully urge the NYPD and DOT to investigate this issue and take all appropriate steps to ensure these dangerous activities are stopped,” he continued. “I would also appreciate any updates your offices can provide as the situation develops, and I stand ready to work with your teams to support any necessary enforcement or policy action.” Bottcher’s office told Fox Digital on Monday, when approached about the letter, that it did not have additional comment to share at this time. THE LOUDEST SILENCE: TOP DEMOCRATS REMAIN MUM AMID VIOLENT ATTACKS ON TESLA In addition to the peaceful protests against Tesla over the weekend, some Tesla locations have also faced violence in recent weeks as Musk and his DOGE team investigate federal agencies in search of government overspending, fraud and mismanagement, while critics accuse the Trump administration of creating an “oligarchy” by tapping the billionaire to help streamline federal government operations. DOGE is a temporary cross-departmental organization that was established to slim down and streamline the federal government. The group will be dissolved on July 4, 2026. VANDAL STRIKES CYBERTRUCK, TESLA OWNER HITS BACK A Las Vegas man, for example, was arrested earlier in March for alleged involvement in a Molotov cocktail attack on a Tesla property. The suspect in that case faces a bevy of felony charges, including three counts of arson, three counts of possession of an explosive device, five counts of shooting into a car and four counts of destroying personal property, according to local police. Musk remarked on X Saturday that it is “insanely ironic” that “the people shooting bullets into Tesla stores, burning down cars and generally being violent are calling me a Nazi when I have done literally zero violence at all.” Fox News Digital reached out to Tesla regarding the alleged dangerous test drivers and Bottcher’s letter, but did not immediately receive a reply.
Texas claims border islands used by Mexican cartels, asks Trump admin to secure and defend
EXCLUSIVE: They say everything is bigger in Texas, and the Lone Star State itself is growing a bit. Texas has claimed two cartel-infested islands along the Rio Grande as part of an ongoing state effort to eliminate safe havens used by Mexican drug organizations. In a letter to border czar Tom Homan, Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham requested that the Trump administration secure and defend Beaver Island, a 20.3-arce island in Starr County, Texas, and the Roma Islands. Both islands have been used by cartels for criminal activity, authorities said. The Roma Islands, which are 12.13 and 20.3 acres respectively, are located near Roma, Texas, and have been called a “smuggler’s paradise.” TEXAS VIDEO SHOWS MIGRANT RECALLING ASSAULT, SHAKEDOWN BY CARTELS AT BORDER The Texas General Land Office (GLO), the mapping entity for the state, recently received a request from the Texas Military Department to determine the status of the islands and indicate whether they are a part of Texas. The determination will permit law enforcement to conduct security operations in the area. Several islands dot the Rio Grande along the southern border, with many being used by the drug cartels for criminal activity, such as smuggling operations and stashing weapons, and to evade U.S. and Mexican law enforcement. “These islands are important because when they’re literally in no man’s land and they don’t belong to any country, then neither country and have law enforcement or the military step on them,” Buckingham told Fox News Digital. “So they become safe havens for the cartel.” FEDS LIKELY EYEING ‘COVER-UPS’ TO BUST MEXICAN CARTELS ALONG BORDER: FORMER DEA AGENT The cartels have built structures on the islands where they stash weapons, bombs, drugs and people, she said. Beaver Island is partly owned by Texas and the federal government, while the Roma Islands are considered Texas land. Once an island is designated as part of Texas, authorities will clear the area of vegetation, which cartels use to conceal their movements and illegal operations, and throw up razor wire in an effort to get full operational control, said Buckingham. The move marks the latest by Texas to crack down on cross-border crime and illegal immigration. During the Biden administration, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott launched Operation Lone Star, an aggressive effort to combat the flow of illegal immigrants and drugs into the state from Mexico. MEXICAN IMMIGRATION ACTIVIST WHO HID IN COLORADO CHURCH FOR YEARS TO AVOID DEPORTATION ARRESTED BY ICE In her letter to Homan, Buckingham noted that Fronton Island, a 170-arce formerly lawless island in the Rio Grande, was declared to be part of Texas in 2023. The densely-wooded area provided concealment for cartel criminal activity and had been a problem for decades, including gunfights and illegal immigration, according to law enforcement officials familiar with the area. The island was deemed by the TMD and Texas Department of Public Safety as the most dangerous part of the Texas border. “Besides being the first woman land commissioner Texas has ever had, it’s pretty fun also being the first person to make Texas bigger in a few hundred years,” Buckingham said of the addition of islands to the state. She further noted that the Trump administration has been cooperative with Texas authorities, resulting in a 95% reduction in illegal traffic across the border. “It’s completely different than it is now,” she said.
Trump and his tariffs find unlikely ally in auto union boss, who blasted Dems and ‘corporate greed’
President Donald Trump’s major tariffs on foreign-made automobiles and parts found a surprising ally in a longtime political foe, United Autoworkers (UAW) President Shawn Fain. While he slammed Trump’s order to end collective bargaining for federal workers during a CBS interview Sunday, he heaped praise on the president at an appearance at a Detroit university. “Yes, I disagree with Donald Trump on virtually everything, but [tariffs are] one thing I don’t disagree on,” Fain said at Wayne State University, according to the Detroit Free Press. “We’ve begged Democrats, politicians for years, to do something to get these companies in line.” BIDEN’S UAW STRIKE VISIT LAMBASTED AS ‘SELF-DEFEATING’ AMID EV ‘FANTASY’ Fain – who famously wore a shirt to a former Vice President Kamala Harris rally that read, “Trump is a scab; vote Harris,” and who Trump said should be fired during his convention speech – called the president the first in his lifetime to eliminate problematic trade deals like NAFTA. “I’m not going to sit here now and say that since he’s a Republican or because he’s Donald Trump, I’m going to say, ‘screw you.’ That’s not how we do things. It’s having integrity,” he said, according to the paper. Fox News Digital reached out to Fain via the UAW for further comment. Trump instituted 25% tariffs on outsourced cars and auto parts last week, which is primed to hit domestic brands like Chevrolet – which now produces vehicles in Mexico like the popular Equinox, and shuttered its major Lordstown, Ohio, assembly plant in 2020. Other manufacturers like Mack Trucks still make their vehicles in the U.S., with the Bulldog-branded manufacturing rigs at their longtime main plant in Macungie, Pennsylvania, and their powertrain facility in Hagerstown, Maryland. AUTOWORKERS FOR TRUMP LEADER SAYS THOUSANDS OF VOTERS POISED TO BREAK FROM DEMS While Fain reportedly said automakers cannot essentially wave a wand and reboot domestic production, he also said there is no reason U.S. automakers need to raise prices to withstand the financial hit. He called out “corporate greed” in that regard while adding Dodge had produced its Ram trucks in Warren, Michigan, for decades and does not need to suddenly move Ram “overflow” south of the border either. “In fairness to the companies, they can’t just close a factory and open a brand new factory overnight… But there are a lot of opportunities right now.” Fain alleged automakers used the COVID-19 price spike to “price-gouge” up to 40% “for no reason.” “They’ve made massive profits for a decade, and all they see here is an opportunity… it’s a choice.” “They could shift that work back to Warren tomorrow and produce trucks there. Those are the things that can happen immediately.” A White House spokesman said the administration welcomes Fain on board when it comes to tariffs. “We’re glad that UAW leadership has finally recognized what’s long been clear to UAW members: President Trump backs America’s blue-collar workers, and America’s blue-collar workers back President Trump,” said spokesman Kush Desai. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP When asked about potential price hikes and cases of U.S. automakers making vehicles abroad that could be hurt by said tariffs, Desai said “iconic automakers like Stellantis and Hyundai have already responded to President Trump’s America First economic agenda of tariffs, deregulation, tax cuts, and the unleashing of American energy with tens of billions in historic Made-In-America investment commitments.” Desai added that Trump’s push for Americans to be able to deduct taxes on U.S.-made cars will drive the onshoring of manufacturing and job growth without systemic inflation. “Just as President Trump’s policies did during his first term,” he said.
Republican AGs urge Trump to crack down on obscure ‘loophole’ cartels use to flood US with fentanyl
FIRST ON FOX — Kentucky Republican Attorney General Russell Coleman is hopeful that the Trump administration will address an issue he says is a little-known “loophole” allowing shipments of fentanyl to enter the U.S. “On its face, this looks hyper technical and bureaucratic, but what it is is closing a loophole,” Coleman told Fox News Digital in an interview on Monday. “And it’s closing a loophole where we receive a massive number of shipments from overseas, particularly China, that receive under this Type 86 with little or no inspection. And that should astound people, that there’s little or no inspection in this threat environment.” Coleman is referring to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) pilot program called Entry Type 86, which was introduced to streamline the importation process for low-value shipments, particularly those associated with e-commerce. However, Coleman, along with 24 other Republican attorneys general, says the program’s “use far exceeds its original scope” and “raises serious concerns about the flood of deadly drugs coming into our country.” FEDS LIKELY EYEING ‘COVER-UPS’ TO BUST MEXICAN CARTELS ALONG BORDER: FORMER DEA AGENT “We’re looking at over a billion packages shipped through this loophole last year,” Coleman said. “That’s in an environment where, I would argue, we’re facing a threat that has never existed before, and that is this, no margin of error environment in which we’re trying to raise families and protect families, and that is an environment where as little as one pill can and is killing people can and is killing folks Kentuckians.” Coleman said they urged the Biden administration to look into the program, and now, they are hoping the Trump administration will respond to a letter they sent Monday. Most of the shipments are arriving from Mexico and China, he said. “Entry Type 86 now accounts for 75% of all de minimis goods entering the United States, with shipments increasing from 153 million in 2015 to more than 1.2 billion in 2024,” the AGs wrote to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. “Any surge of this magnitude requires further study, especially when it comes to potential challenges within our customs enforcement system. It raises serious concerns about the flood of deadly drugs coming.” PROPOSED BILL IN CONGRESS TO COMBAT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS SQUATTING WOULD MAKE PRACTICE A DEPORTABLE OFFENSE Law enforcement and those in the shipping industry are well aware that this loophole exists, Coleman said, and it is unlikely to surprise those in Washington receiving this information, and there are ongoing dialogues about the potential dangers of parcel shipments with law enforcement agencies. “This is what drug trafficking looks like in the 21st century,” Coleman said. “It looks very different than ‘Breaking Bad.’ It looks very different than what we saw a decade ago. It’s not surreptitious.” “I’m optimistic that the administration will be responsive,” he added. MEXICAN IMMIGRATION ACTIVIST WHO HID IN COLORADO CHURCH FOR YEARS TO AVOID DEPORTATION ARRESTED BY ICE President Donald Trump has taken several steps to crack down on drug cartels since assuming office in January. Trump signed an executive order designating major Mexican drug cartels, including the Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation (CJNG) cartels, as Foreign Terrorist Organizations, allowing for actions such as freezing assets of individuals or groups supporting these cartels and enhances criminal penalties. Additionally, following significant arrests of cartel leaders, the administration authorized intelligence agencies, including the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and the National Reconnaissance Office, to use satellite surveillance to monitor the U.S.-Mexico border. In addition to Kentucky’s Coleman, attorneys general from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming joined in on the letter. Fox News Digital has reached out to CBP, the White House and the Department of Homeland Security for comment.
New poll shows where Trump stands 10 weeks into his second tour of duty in the White House
President Donald Trump took to social media on Monday, to showcase the speed at which he’s acted during the first two and a half months of his second administration. “107 executive orders signed in 67 days, more than any in American history,” the president wrote in a social media post. Trump has been expanding the powers of the presidency, as he has upended long-standing government policy and made major cuts to the federal workforce through an avalanche of executive orders and actions. While Trump repeatedly touts his performance steering the nation, the latest public opinion polling suggests Americans may not be so pleased with the job he’s doing as president. WHERE TRUMP STANDS IN THE LATEST FOX NEWS NATIONAL POLL Trump stands at 42% approval and 56% disapproval in an AP/NORC released on Monday that questioned adults nationwide March 20-24. That’s slightly lower than a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted March 21-23, which indicated the president at 45%-51% approval/disapproval. Trump’s numbers were slightly higher in the most recent Fox News national poll, which was in the field March 14-17. Americans appeared divided on the job the president was doing, with 49% approval and 51% disapproval. HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING, ANALYSIS, AND OPINION ON PRESIDENT TRUMP An average of all the most recent national polls that asked the presidential approval question indicates that Trump’s approval ratings are slightly in negative territory. Trump has seen his numbers edge down slightly since the start of his second term, when an average of his polls indicated the president’s approval rating in the low 50s and his disapproval in the mid-40s. Contributing to the slide, the economy and jitters that Trump’s tariffs on America’s top trading partners will spark further inflation, which was a pressing issue that kept former President Joe Biden’s approval ratings well below water for most of his presidency. Only 40% of those questioned in the AP/NORC poll gave the president a thumbs up on the job he’s doing steering the economy, with 58% saying they disapprove. And Trump stood at 38% approval and 60% disapproval on how he’s handling trade negotiations with other countries. A slew of Trump’s proposed tariffs are expected to go into effect on Tuesday. Inflation was arguably the top issue that boosted Trump to victory in last November’s presidential election, and it remains critical to his political fortunes. “If prices remain high, he’s going to have trouble,” warned Daron Shaw, a politics professor and chair at the University of Texas who serves as a member of the Fox News Decision Team and is the Republican partner on the Fox News poll. CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST INFLATION NEWS FROM FOX BUSINESS But the AP/NORC does have some good news for the president. It’s the latest survey to indicate an increase in the percentage of Americans who are optimistic about the direction of the country. Thirty-eight percent of those questioned said the country’s headed in the right direction, up from 28% in January at the end of Biden’s term in the White House. The jump is mostly fueled by a 34% surge in Republicans saying the country’s headed on the right track. According to the poll, Trump’s favorable rating is underwater at 42%-54% favorable/unfavorable. As with his approval rating, there’s a massive but expected partisan divide. But Trump’s favorable ratings are superior to Elon Musk, the world’s richest person and Tesla and Space X chief executive, and White House advisor whose controversial moves downsizing the federal government as he steers the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have grabbed tons of attention. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP According to the poll, Musk’s favorable rating stands at 36%, with 55% seeing him in an unfavorable light.
$3B LA lawsuit could ‘destroy’ gulf energy industry, critics warn, as state’s position questioned
U.S. energy interests warn that if the first of several expected lawsuits over decades of land loss — an issue widely acknowledged as a crisis — succeeds, it could threaten the future of American energy exploration. Plaquemines Parish, a coastal jurisdiction south of New Orleans — which would be called a “county” in most other states — is seeking billions in damages from Chevron due to allegations surrounding the behavior of its now-subsidiary Texaco. “Decades after Texaco ceased operations and was acquired by Chevron, the Parish and state have teamed up with private plaintiffs’ counsel to file dozens of lawsuits under a 1980 law that was never meant to apply to oil and gas activities,” said Chevron spokesman Bill Turenne. “The federal Fifth Circuit has already held that plaintiffs’ theories are without merit. The Parish and the State should cease their state court efforts to destroy the oil and gas sector in Louisiana.” GOV LANDRY: TRUMP AND MUSK ARE DOING WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE Plaquemines v. Rozel alleges Texaco released toxic pollution into bayou wetlands around the 1980s and violated permitting laws; but if Chevron/Texaco were to lose, observers said it could spell a very bad precedent as dozens of other cases against a potpourri of energy producers are primed to hit Louisiana courtrooms soon. One such case in Cameron Parish — home to Lake Charles — resulted in a “landmark settlement,” according to local press, involving BP, Shell and others. Most of the lawsuits have been filed by, or are associated with, attorney John Carmouche, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Carmouche, seen as an ally of Republican Gov. Jeff Landry, has critics asking why the governor — in the form of the state of Louisiana — appears to be countering the economic interests the oil companies represent. Climate change activists and skeptics alike in the Gulf Coast have highlighted the issue of land loss in Louisiana — as the state-centric Pelican Institute CEO Daniel Erspamer said nearly 2,000 square miles of land has been lost to coastal erosion since 1900. “It’s not just climate alarmism,” he said in an interview with Fox News Digital. “It’s a Bonafide policy problem in Louisiana — People down [in Plaquemines] have a level of urgency on the issue that maybe Washington Republicans may not understand.” LA GOV SIGNS RESTRICTIVE TRANSGENDER BATHROOM BILL Erspamer pointed to Landry appointing Carmouche to the board of Louisiana State University as evidence of their close relationship. A message left with a representative in Carmouche’s office was not replied to by press time, nor were calls placed with Landry. Attorney Jimmy Faircloth, representing state agencies in the suit, told the Times-Picayune that the Landry administration supports the energy industry and its positive impact on jobs. Faircloth reportedly said the case is more about Texaco’s alleged “sins of the past” and failure to enforce regulations in past decades. As energy development technology advances, its ability to operate more cleanly improves, as evidenced by allegations in Pennsylvania that natural gas firms purportedly sloppy fracking led to flammable tap water. Critics there have said the fiery effects are from mid-20th century operations, not contemporary ones. In Louisiana, a similar sentiment reigns among critics of the lawsuit. Erspamer cited a slew of natural and non-energy-development human events that have contributed to the land-loss crisis. Hurricane Katrina, the levee-ing of the Mississippi River and other phenomena have changed the mighty waterway’s course and caused a lot of the erosion being blamed on the energy firms. For its part, Texaco began operations in Louisiana in the 1930s, and by World War II, many U.S. firms, including in the oil sector, were harnessed by the government to contribute mainly or entirely to aiding the Allied efforts. Carmouche claimed in court earlier this month that the damage from Texaco’s alleged actions is comparable to the 2010 Gulf oil spill, claiming that Texaco did not properly follow the permitting process 40-plus years ago, according to the Times-Picayune. Erspamer said Landry, like bipartisan governors before him, rightly deemed land loss a “big issue,” but said the Republican “needs to be seen as being kind of a crusader.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP He said that then-Attorney General Landry had entered into a joint-prosecution agreement with Carmouche, “allowing him to handle these land loss cases on behalf of the state.” On the topic of Landry’s stated support for energy development in the state and as part of President Donald Trump’s vision of a revitalized domestic energy sector, Erspamer said if the governor were asked directly, “he would tell you this isn’t about the LNG renaissance that he’s a part of as governor, this is about the sins of the past.” Erspamer also agreed with critics warning of long-term consequences for oil and gas development in the Gulf of America if any of the suits — including Plaquemines’ — are successful. “I think right now Chevron, for example, was saying: Listen, if Louisiana is going to stick us up for a cool $3 billion and more … how can we do business in that state?” Fox News Digital also reached out to Louisiana’s two U.S. senators, John N. Kennedy and Bill Cassidy, for their takes on the suit and its potential effects on the Pelican State.
El Salvador accepts more alleged Tren de Aragua gang members from Trump admin
The U.S. military transferred a group of 17 alleged members of Tren de Aragua and MS-13 to El Salvador from Guantanamo Bay on Sunday night, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said. Rubio said in a statement posted on X that the alleged gang members included murderers and rapists. “In order to keep the American people safe, @POTUS designated the Tren de Aragua and MS-13 as Foreign Terrorist Organizations,” Rubio said. “These criminals will no longer terrorize our communities and citizens.” Those transferred to El Salvador included Keivis Jesus Arrecheder Vasquez, a Venezuelan national and an alleged leader of Tren de Aragua. He has two criminal charges pending related to the intent to sell drugs. EL SALVADOR TAKES IN HUNDREDS OF VENEZUELAN GANG MEMBERS FROM US, EVEN AS JUDGE MOVES TO BLOCK DEPORTATIONS Six other alleged Tren de Aragua members were also transferred. All the individuals transferred were either citizens of Venezuela or El Salvador. Some have criminal charges pending, while most have been convicted. Senior White House officials told Fox News that these removals were done via Title 8, not the Alien Enemies Act, and they all had deportation orders or final orders of removal, meaning the Trump administration did not violate a federal judge’s order halting the deportations. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ASKS SUPREME COURT TO REVIEW EL SALVADOR DEPORTATION FLIGHT CASE U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg extended a restraining order on Friday against the use of the Alien Enemies Act, a 1798 wartime immigration law, by the Trump administration to deport violent gang members with alleged ties to gangs. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News in a statement that the Trump administration will continue going after illegal alien criminals. “Every day, America becomes safer, thanks to the leadership of President Trump,” Leavitt said. “If you’re an illegal terrorist or criminal – the Trump administration is coming for you.”
Hegseth says he’s signing memo on combat arms standards for men and women
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed a memo ordering the military to adopt the same standards for both men and women serving in combat roles on Sunday. Hegseth highlighted the memo in a video filmed as he returned from a trip to Japan on Sunday, saying that the U.S. military’s standards had flagged under the previous administration. “For far too long, we allowed standards to slip, and different standards for men and women in combat arms MOS’s and jobs. That’s not acceptable,” Hegseth said. “We need to have the same standards – male or female – in our combat roles to ensure our men and women who are under our leaders and in those formations have the best possible leaders and the highest possible standards that are not based at all on your sex,” he continued. HEGSETH SAYS US TO BOOST TIES WITH PHILIPPINES AS DETERRENCE AGAINST CHINA: ‘PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH’ The new memo comes after Hegseth ordered a review of military fitness and grooming standards earlier this month. Hegseth has vowed to bring back tougher standards while reversing “woke” policies that don’t align with restoring the warrior ethos, rebuilding the military and reestablishing deterrence. “Our standards will be high, uncompromising, and clear,” he said in a Jan. 25 memo to service members. “The strength of our military is our unity and our shared purpose.” REPORTERS SAY THEY FOUND WALTZ, GABBARD, HEGSETH PRIVATE INFO ONLINE While in Japan, Hegseth announced a plan to upgrade the U.S. military command in the country, which he described as indispensable in combating Chinese aggression. HEGSETH SAYS US TO BOOST TIES WITH PHILIPPINES AS DETERRENCE AGAINST CHINA: ‘PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH’ “We share a warrior ethos that defines our forces,” Hegseth told Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani in Tokyo, adding that Japan is “our indispensable partner” in “deterring communist Chinese military aggression,” including across the Taiwan Strait. Hegseth said Japan is a “cornerstone of peace and security in the Indo-Pacific” and that the Trump administration would continue to work closely with the Asian country. Last year, then-President Joe Biden’s administration announced a major restructuring of the U.S. military command in Japan to deepen coordination with the country’s forces, as the two allied countries called China their “greatest strategic challenge.” The change will place a combined operational commander in Japan, who would be a counterpart to the head of a joint operations command established last week by Japan’s Self-Defense Forces. Fox News’ Louis Casiano and Landon Mion contributed to this report.