SCOOP: Jim Jordan joining Trump at NCAA men’s wrestling championships
FIRST ON FOX: House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, is joining President Donald Trump this weekend at the NCAA men’s wrestling championships, a source familiar with his plans tells Fox News Digital. The White House confirmed Friday that Trump would attend the event with Jordan and Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Pa. McCormick previously confirmed that Trump would be in attendance at the event in the senator’s home state of Pennsylvania. “I’m thrilled to be in Philadelphia this weekend with [Trump] for the [NCAA Wrestling] Championship,” McCormick wrote on X. “I grew up wrestling in small towns across PA and at West Point. It taught me grit, resilience, and hard work.” ‘WOEFULLY INSUFFICIENT’: US JUDGE REAMS TRUMP ADMIN FOR DAYS-LATE DEPORTATION INFO Jordan himself was a noted wrestling champion during his time in high school and later at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he won the NCAA Division I men’s wrestling title twice. INJUNCTION LIFTED ON TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDERS SLASHING FEDERAL DEI SUPPORT He was later an assistant coach at Ohio State University’s wrestling program from 1987 to 1995. Fox News Digital emailed Jordan’s office for comment but did not immediately hear back.
HHS slashes over $350M in grant funding for gender ideology, DEI research projects
FIRST ON FOX: The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has canceled hundreds of National Institutes of Health (NIH) research grants—worth over $350 million—funding projects related to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and gender ideology, according to a department official. The cuts included slashing projects studying “multilevel and multidimensional structural racism,” “gender-affirming hormone therapy in mice” and “microaggressions,” among others. In total, there were more than 500 research grants related to DEI and progressive gender ideology that the administration terminated. TRUMP NIH APPOINTEE DEFENDS PRESIDENT’S RESEARCH FUNDING CUTS, LAYS OUT NEW VISION FOR FUTURE “HHS is taking action to terminate more than $350 million in research funding that is not aligned with NIH and HHS priorities,” HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon said in a statement. “The terminated research grants are simply wasteful in studying things that do not pertain to American’s health to any significant degree, including DEI and gender ideology. As we begin to Make America Healthy Again, it’s important to prioritize research that directly affects the health of Americans.” One of the grants cut included nearly $1 million to scientists at the University of Maryland-Baltimore for a research project titled, “Assessing intersectional multilevel and multidimensional structural racism for English- and Spanish-speaking populations in the US.” The project included work to create an “intersectional, multilevel, and multidimensional Structural Racism Measure” in order to “eliminate health disparities and discrimination” for racial minorities. “There is an urgent public health need to collect valid and reliable data on structural racism before effective interventions to reduce structural racism can be designed,” the project’s description stated. TRUMP ADMIN PAUSES $175M IN FEDERAL FUNDING TO UPENN OVER INCLUSION OF TRANS ATHLETES IN WOMEN’S SPORTS Multiple projects studying transgender medical treatments in mice were also among those cut. One of those grants provided close to $1 million to Emory University researchers to study how transgender hormone treatments impact the skeletal maturation of mice, titled, “Microbiome mediated effects of gender affirming hormone therapy in mice.” Another project worth roughly $50,000 worked to understand “how chromosomal makeup and cross-sex hormone administration” impacts wound healing in mice. A separate research project that did not use mice got nearly $1 million “to study possible genomic associations with gender identity.” Grants focused on recruiting scientists based on their race or ethnicity were also slashed by the Trump administration. A grant worth more than $5 million to researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center to help “achieve more racial and ethnic diversity among our scientific research faculty,” included a commitment to hire at least 18 tenure-track faculty “from minoritized racial and ethnic groups.” UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA DROPS DIVERSITY STATEMENTS IN HIRING AMID THREATS OF TRUMP CUTTING FUNDING Soon after President Donald Trump was inaugurated, he directed federal agencies, including HHS, to temporarily freeze the issuance of new federal grants. The action was to ensure each agency’s funding was in compliance with Trump’s new policies and requirements, including those around getting rid of DEI and progressive gender ideology in the public sector. A judge subsequently issued an order temporarily blocking the administration’s funding freeze, and shortly thereafter, the Trump administration rescinded its memo directing the funding halt. A short time after that, the NIH resumed important meetings and travel associated with the agency’s grant-review process. In addition to reviewing NIH’s grant funding to ensure it aligns with the president’s policies, Trump also implemented a 15% cap on facilities and administrative costs included in research grant awards. The administration’s actions targeting NIH research have generated widespread backlash. Earlier this month, Trump’s pick to be the next NIH director, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, was peppered with questions from Democrats during his confirmation hearing over whether he would step in to prevent the president from slashing what they deemed critically important research projects. Bhattacharya would not explicitly say he disagreed with the cuts, or that, if confirmed, he would step in to stop them. Rather, he said he would “follow the law,” while also investigating the impact of the cuts and ensuring every NIH researcher doing work that advances the health outcomes of Americans has the resources necessary to do their work. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Bhattacharya also laid out what he called a new, decentralized vision for future research at NIH that he said will be aimed at embracing dissenting ideas and transparency, while focusing on research topics that have the best chance at directly benefiting the health outcomes of Americans. Bhattacharya said that he wants to rid the agency’s research portfolio of other “frivolous” efforts that he says do little to directly benefit health outcomes.
Migrant deaths hit record number in 2024, UN agency says
Nearly 9,000 fatalities confirmed worldwide, but real toll likely much higher. Nearly 9,000 people died last year trying to cross borders, the United Nations agency for migration says. The death toll set a new grim record for the fifth year in a row. The number of deaths on migratory routes has more than doubled since 2020. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) recorded 8,938 migrant deaths in 2024. The real death toll is likely much higher given that many deaths go unreported or undocumented, the IOM said in a statement on Friday. “The rise of deaths is terrible in and of itself, but the fact that thousands remained unidentified each year is even more tragic,” Julia Black, coordinator of the IOM’s Missing Migrants Project, said in the statement. The IOM’s deputy director general for operations, Ugochi Daniels, said: “The increase in deaths across so many regions in the world shows why we need an international, holistic response that can prevent further tragic loss of life.” “Behind every number is a human being, someone for whom the loss is devastating,” he added. Advertisement Asia was the region with the most reported fatalities with 2,788, followed by the Mediterranean Sea with 2,452 and Africa with 2,242. Final data are not yet in for the Americas, but at least 1,233 deaths (including 341 in the Caribbean) occurred in 2024. At least 233 migrants lost their lives in Europe and 174 in the Darien Gap between Colombia and Panama, a new record. According to the IOM, migrants are all people who leave their place of residence for any reason, for any length of time, whether voluntarily or involuntarily. Some seek asylum because they are fleeing war or violence. News of the record death toll comes days after the agency announced it was suspending many “lifesaving” programmes around the world and firing hundreds of employees due to United States aid cuts, impacting millions of vulnerable migrants and refugees worldwide. The Geneva-based IOM is one of several groups helping displaced people that have been hit by major US aid cuts, forcing it to scale back or shutter programmes, which it said will have a severe impact on migrants. Adblock test (Why?)
Israeli ex-deputy FM confronted over Israel’s renewed assault on Gaza
Redi Tlhabi challenges ex-Israeli deputy foreign minister Danny Ayalon on Israel’s ceasefire breach and its war on Gaza. Israel has shattered the ceasefire with Hamas this week through extensive air raids that killed hundreds of civilians, including at least 200 children. Israeli ground troops were also deployed, ending the ceasefire that lasted just less than two months. Then, on Tuesday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz threatened the residents of Gaza with “destruction and devastation” if they did not expel Hamas. So, what lies ahead for Gaza and is it in danger of a complete takeover? This week on UpFront, Redi Tlhabi speaks with Israel’s former deputy foreign minister about Israel’s war in Gaza. Adblock test (Why?)
Are Gen Z rejecting city life for farm life?
Today on The Stream: We examine why so many people of Gen Z age are choosing farm life over city dwellings. Faced with burnout, soaring rents, and a yearning for a slower, more intentional life, Gen Z is leaving cities behind for farms. From homesteading to off-grid communities, young people are redefining success through self-sufficiency and sustainability. But is rural life truly the answer, or does it bring its own set of challenges? With increasing land costs, social isolation, and infrastructure limitations, can this movement endure? We hear from those embracing this shift. Is rural living the key to a healthier, more sustainable society? Presenter: Anelise Borges Guests:Shannon Hayes – CEO, SAP Bush Hollow FarmVictor Gabriel Lara – Creative directorPatrick Vernuccio – Urban gardening content creator and authorMohammed Ali Al Khater – Co-Founder and CEO, Torba Farm Adblock test (Why?)
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s actions spark national anthem debate: What does law say?
The ‘Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971’ prohibits the actions that disrespect the national flag, anthem, and Indian Constitution. Know in details.
Paxton impeachment cost state $5.1 million, auditor report finds
The new finding is about 20% higher than previous estimates of the known cost of the effort to remove Paxton from office.
Texas prison staff falsified temperatures records, investigation finds
Two-thirds of the state’s roughly 100 jails and prisons in Texas are not fully air conditioned in inmate housing areas.
Student loans, Pell grants will continue despite Education Department downsizing, expert says
As President Donald Trump moves to downsize and eventually dismantle the Department of Education, an expert in contact with White House stakeholders assured that the department’s programs, including funding, student loans and civil rights protections, will continue. “They want to make sure, especially with things like Title I schools for disadvantaged students, and high poverty areas to civil rights protections for girls in sports, to race equality in education through Title Six will continue to be enforced through the federal Department of Education until and unless those burdens, those responsibilities, can be shifted to other departments, and that would take place by congressional action,” Sarah Parshall Perry, top legal expert at Heritage Foundation, told Fox News Digital in an interview. Trump signed a long-anticipated executive order Thursday to do away with the Education Department and directed Education Secretary Linda McMahon to initiate the shutdown process and transfer key functions, such as Pell Grants and Title I funding, to other federal agencies. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION SIGNIFICANTLY DISMANTLED IN NEW TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDER Perry said Thursday’s order “is going to be the first step in a very long, consistent, labor-intensive process to be able to continue the work of downsizing.” “Which is exactly what we’ve seen the Department of Education already do, but also specifically continue enforcing civil rights and financial aid responsibility through the federal government until those particular duties are passed to other agencies,” she said. For instance, Perry said, civil rights enforcement would shift to the Department of Justice, while student loan processes would be handled by the Department of the Treasury. “They fully understand, and this is gratifying to hear that the White House has to work with Congress to offload the full responsibilities to other agencies and to ultimately unwind the Department of Education,” she added. INJUNCTION LIFTED ON TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDERS SLASHING FEDERAL DEI SUPPORT Perry said the initial cuts so far within the agency have been narrowly focused on slashing critical race theory and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, in line with Trump’s other executive orders. “But the only two provisions in the executive order are taking legal steps to continue narrowing the agency’s focus and continuing to enforce civil rights and administer ongoing federal financial programs, because those duties cannot be offloaded to other agencies without shifting the burden by congressional action,” she said. Students attending college or private schools with student loans or Pell grants will continue to receive their federal funding under Trump’s order. Perry said there is “a misconception” that schools would be forced to close or raise taxes due to budget shortfalls caused by downsizing the department, but “federal taxpayer spending actually makes up less than 10% per pupil funding in the state, so the remaining amount is generally split between local and state taxpayers, not federal taxpayers.” Since its establishment in 1979, the Education Department’s budget has grown from approximately $14 billion to about $268 billion in Fiscal Year 2024, accounting for 4% of total federal spending, according to the Office of Management and Budget. Prior to the department’s creation, federal student loans were administered through the Guaranteed Student Loan Program, established in 1965 under the Higher Education Act. This program involved the federal government guaranteeing loans provided by banks and non-profit lenders to students attending eligible institutions. SCHOOL CHOICE ACTIVISTS WARN PARENTS ABOUT BLUE STATE’S HOMESCHOOL BILL WITH JAIL-TIME PROVISION Perry said the focus should be on strengthening education at the state and local levels, while ensuring continued federal oversight of student loans, civil rights laws, and Title One funding for underprivileged and low-income students. “So the federal government is always going to have a responsibility to enforce, apply and sort of interpret and send these particular protections and their financial associations,” Perry said. She suggested that these federal programs could be separated or “divested” from the Department of Education, meaning the department’s role in administering them can be reduced or transferred to other agencies. Trump’s executive order fulfills a major campaign promise, aiming to restore local control of education and back school choice amid the ongoing culture war.
Justice Department tells federal judge it might invoke state secrets act on high-profile deportation case
The Justice Department said Friday it is considering invoking the state secrets privilege in its ongoing court battle over the Trump administration’s deportation flights to El Salvador, a tool that could allow them to withhold certain information for national security purposes. In a declaration filed Friday morning, U.S. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche told U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg that he is aware of the Cabinet-level discussions invoking state secrets privilege. Invoking that privilege “is a serious matter that requires careful consideration of national security and foreign relations, and it cannot properly be taken in just 24 hours,” Blanche said. The declaration came after Boasberg had issued a Thursday deadline for the court to file information about deportation flights that sent Venezuelan nationals to El Salvador over the weekend, around the same time he issued an emergency court order temporarily blocking the Trump administration from doing so. ‘WOEFULLY INSUFFICIENT’: US JUDGE REAMS TRUMP ADMIN FOR DAYS-LATE DEPORTATION INFO Boasberg said in a blistering order Thursday evening that the Trump administration both failed to comply with the noon deadline for information – even after he gave the administration the option to file the information under seal – and noted that the court was instead sent only a six-paragraph declaration from a regional ICE officer in Texas, who said that the Trump administration is considering invoking the “state secrets privilege” in the case. Boasberg decried that declaration as “woefully insufficient,” noting Thursday that regional ICE officers cannot be talked to inform the court of high-level Cabinet discussions and suggested someone higher up in the federal government should do so. Blanche’s filing comes just hours before government attorneys are due in court Friday afternoon to testify before Boasberg in a hearing over their motion to vacate the case. Boasberg noted in a blistering order Thursday that the government had “again evaded its obligations” in failing to submit materials he requested about the flights, even after he extended the deadline for them to do so and said they could file the materials under seal. WHO IS JAMES BOASBERG, THE US JUDGE AT THE CENTER OF TRUMP’S DEPORTATION EFFORTS? At issue is whether the government failed to comply with his emergency restraining order Saturday, which blocked the Trump administration from using a 1798 wartime law to deport Venezuelan nationals, including alleged members of the gang Tren de Aragua, for a period of 14 days. Boasberg also ordered any flights in the air to return to U.S. soil immediately. Hours later, however, a plane carrying hundreds of U.S. migrants, including Venezuelan nationals removed under the law in question, arrived in El Salvador. In the days since, government lawyers have refused to share information in court about the deportation flights, and whether the plane (or planes) of migrants knowingly departed U.S. soil after the judge ordered them not to do so, citing national security protections. Boasberg previously asked government lawyers to submit information on how many planes departed the U.S. on Saturday carrying people deported “solely on the basis” of that proclamation, how many individuals were on each plane, where the planes landed, what time each plane took off from the U.S. and from where. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP He previously warned the Trump administration of consequences this week if it were to violate his order. The Trump administration, for its part, is challenging his order in appellate court Monday. Still, at least one plane with deported migrants touched down later that evening in El Salvador. “Oopsie, too late,” Salvador President Nayib Bukele said in a post on X.