West Texas measles outbreak climbs to 58, with four saying they were vaccinated
State health officials are seeking to confirm the vaccine status of the four self-reported cases, but no mutations of the virus have been recorded.
Bengaluru power cut on February 19: 7-hour outage announced by BESCOM; check list of affected areas, timings
According to details on KPTCL’s official site, maintenance will take place at the 66/11 KV Kumbalagod Substation on February 19.
State takes on ‘woke’ language, introduces bill to ban terms such as ‘pregnant person’ and ‘chestfeeding’
West Virginia lawmakers on Monday introduced a bill that bans “woke words” and agendas from state government content, citing concerns about the terms being “sexist” and “exclusionary.” The changes, which center around “accurate, female-affirming alternatives,” would restrict wording used in state government documents, websites, literature and in-person, according to legislators. Specific terms included in the bill include using “pregnant women” instead of “pregnant people,” using “woman” instead of “womxn or womyn,” and using “woman” instead of “birth-giver.” LGBT ACTIVISTS MOBILIZE TO CHALLENGE TRUMP’S ‘EXTREME GENDER IDEOLOGY’ EXECUTIVE ORDERS The phrases were designed for gender inclusivity, as some people do not identify with their biological anatomy. Other wording changes noted in the bill relate to breastfeeding and other pregnancy-related topics. Legislators suggested using “breastfeeding” as opposed to “chestfeeding,” “breast fed” as opposed to “body fed” or “person fed,” and “breast milk” instead of “human milk.” While supporters claim the gender-neutral terminology can “streamline” communication about various topics, critics allege the wording is “made up” and can lead to confusion. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2023 posted advice on its website for transgender and non-binary people wishing to “chestfeed” their children. Portions of the guidance detailed instructions for those who had breasts removed in gender-reassignment surgery or for biological men taking hormones to grow breasts on how to feed their newborns. Several doctors criticized the information, claiming the CDC failed to gauge the risks posed to children drinking milk produced by chemicals used in gender-reassignment medical operations. FEDS SPENT MILLIONS STUDYING TRANS MENSTRUATION, STRENGTHENING GAY RIGHTS IN THE BALKANS, DATABASE REVEALS House Bill 2406, which is sponsored by 11 delegates, would take effect on June 1. On Feb. 7, CDC researchers were told to remove words frequently associated with gender ideology from research manuscripts that they intend to publish. A screenshot of a leaked internal email sent out to CDC staff, obtained by the newsletter Inside Medicine, showed a list of terms and phrases that must be removed from scientific manuscripts produced by the agency’s researchers and intended for publication. Those terms included: “gender,” “transgender,” “pregnant person,” “pregnant people,” “LGBT,” “transsexual,” “non-binary,” “nonbinary,” “assigned male at birth,” “assigned female at birth,” “biologically male” and “biologically female.” According to the Washington Post, the list includes about 20 terms. They indicated that the directive also ordered the removal of any use of “they/them.” West Virginia University is the latest education institution to curb its diversity, equity and inclusion office due to reverse-discrimination claims. The delegates did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. Fox News Digital’s Gabriel Hays and Charles Creitz contributed to this report.
Mark Zuckerberg’s philanthropy ends DEI programs, social advocacy efforts
FIRST ON FOX: Mark Zuckerberg’s philanthropy ended its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs Tuesday, along with its social advocacy efforts including immigration reform and racial equity grantmaking, Fox News Digital has learned. The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative’s chief operating officer Marc Malandro sent an email to staff Tuesday evening with the announcement. The move comes after Zuckerberg’s Meta ended its DEI programs last month– a move to ensure that the company is “building teams with the most talented people.” Meta also ended its fact-checking program and lifted restrictions on speech to “restore free expression” across Facebook, Instagram and Meta platforms, admitting its content moderation practices had “gone too far.” META POLICY CHIEF SAYS DECISION TO END DEI ENSURES COMPANY HIRES ‘THE MOST TALENTED PEOPLE’ In the company-wide memo, Malandro said he and the leadership team have been reviewing CZI’s programs and practices “to ensure that they align with our focus as a science philanthropy as well as the current legal and policy landscape.” “As a result, we want to reiterate that we made the decision a few years ago to wind down our social advocacy work and have since discontinued that funding, as well as share some new changes we’re making to our hiring and HR practices around diversity,” he wrote. Malandro explained that CZI invests “the vast majority of our resources into building Biohubs and supporting research teams to solve complex questions around biology and health.” META ENDS CORPORATE DEI PROGRAMS Malandro stressed that CZI is “very focused on solving four grand challenges that will give scientists the tools to help cure, prevent, or manage all diseases in the coming decades,” including building an AI-based virtual cell model to predict and understand cellular behavior; developing state-of-the-art imaging systems to observe living cells in action; instrumenting tissues to better understand inflammation, a key driver of many diseases; engineering and harnessing the immune system for early detection, prevention, and treatment of disease. But Malandro announced that with CZI’s focus on science, they have “wound down our social advocacy funding.” META ENDS FACT-CHECKING PROGRAM AS ZUCKERBERG VOWS TO RESTORE FREE EXPRESSION ON FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM “This includes our previous work on immigration reform, as well as our racial equity grantmaking as we’ve completed the five-year program we announced in 2020,” he wrote. “We haven’t launched new programs in this area for a few years. There are a small number of multi-year grant commitments we made previously that we will still honor, but none of these will support political activism.” Malandro added: “Looking ahead, we expect CZI’s increasing focus to continue to be pushing the frontiers of biology and AI.” As for DEI, Malandro cited “the shifting regulatory and legal landscape.” “In addition, given the shifting regulatory and legal landscape, we will no longer have a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility team at CZI,” he wrote. “The three members of that team have transitioned to new roles and responsibilities.” As for hiring, CZI has also “discontinued our Diverse Slate Practice.” “Going forward, we will continue to cast a wide net to source top candidates while always selecting the best candidate for the role,” he wrote. “We remain dedicated to ensuring our work serves everyone, that you feel welcome at CZI, and that you can do the best work of your career here,” he continued. “To support this, we are building a workforce that reflects a broad range of experiences, thoughts, and opinions, supporting employees via our employee resource groups which are open to all to join, and driving effectiveness in our work by rewarding individual initiative, excellence, and hard work.”
Trump orders all Biden-era US attorneys to be fired: ‘We must clean house immediately’
President Donald Trump directed the Justice Department to fire all U.S. attorneys left over from the Biden administration. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the agency has been “politicized like never before.” “Therefore, I have instructed the termination of ALL remaining “Biden Era” U.S. Attorneys. We must ‘clean house’ IMMEDIATELY, and restore confidence,” Trump wrote. “America’s Golden Age must have a fair Justice System – THAT BEGINS TODAY!” Terminating U.S. attorneys from previous administrations is generally standard procedure. Fox News Digital has reached out to the Justice Department. This story is breaking. Please check back for updates.
Howard Lutnick confirmed as Trump’s commerce secretary
The Senate confirmed Howard Lutnick on Tuesday to serve as President Donald Trump’s secretary of commerce. The Republican-controlled Senate voted to confirm Lutnick on Tuesday, less than a week after senators voted to invoke cloture on his nomination. He needed a simple majority for a full Senate confirmation, getting confirmed on a 51- 45 tally on Tuesday. Lutnick passed his procedural vote last week after the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee voted 16-12 to motion for cloture on Feb. 5. Lutnick said he aligns with Trump’s “trade and tariff agenda,” which seeks to remedy trade imbalances by imposing reciprocal tariffs. His confirmation indicates a milestone for Trump’s America First policy agenda. US WILL BE ‘FLOODED WITH JOBS’ AS FOREIGN NATIONS AVOID TARIFFS, TRUMP SAYS Lutnick, chair and CEO of investment firm Cantor Fitzgerald, is one of the wealthiest people to serve in a presidential administration. Lutnick vowed to divest his financial interests upon confirmation to remain impartial. TRUMP’S BILLIONAIRE COMMERCE SECRETARY PICK VOWS TO SELL ALL HIS BUSINESS INTERESTS IF CONFIRMED “My plan is to only serve the American people. So I will divest, meaning I will sell all of my interests, all of my business interests, all of my assets, everything,” Lutnick said. “I’ve worked together with the Office of Government Ethics, and we’ve reached agreement on how to do that, and I will be divesting within 90 days upon my confirmation.” During his confirmation hearing on Jan. 29, Lutnick said he would sell his businesses and elect someone else to lead them once confirmed. Lutnick aligned closely with Trump’s trade and tariff policies during the hearing. He said it’s “nonsense” that tariffs create inflation and advocated for reciprocity. “We are treated horribly by the global trading environment. They all have higher tariffs, non-tariff trade barriers and subsidies. They treat us poorly. We need to be treated better. We can use tariffs to create reciprocity,” Lutnick said. Trump last week directed federal agencies to explore the implementation of reciprocal tariffs to remedy tariff imbalances imposed by countries that sell American products. The presidential memorandum directed Lutnick to study reciprocal trade relations within 180 days. Lutnick said Thursday he will have the report ready by April 1. Trump also announced last week a 25% tariff on all steel and aluminum imports from all countries, adding up to a 35% tariff for Chinese steel and aluminum imports. The tariffs are set to begin March 12. Trump nominated Lutnick to serve as commerce secretary two weeks after he was elected. Lutnick was a co-chair of Trump’s 2024 presidential transition team. “I am thrilled to announce that Howard Lutnick, Chairman & CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, will join my Administration as the United States Secretary of Commerce. He will lead our Tariff and Trade agenda, with additional direct responsibility for the Office of the United States Trade Representative,” Trump said in the announcement. Trump praised Lutnick’s leadership during the presidential transition and said he “created the most sophisticated process and system to assist us in creating the greatest Administration America has ever seen.”
Texas Senate bill would give public school teachers free pre-K and raises based on experience and performance
The proposal would expand a program that allows districts to award bonuses to educators based on their students’ academic growth.
NY Gov Hochul weighs decision to remove Mayor Adams
Governor Kathy Hochul, D-N.Y., met with “key leaders” in New York City on Tuesday to discuss the “path forward” for Mayor Eric Adams, D-N.Y., following a slew of City Hall resignations after the Justice Department dropped bribery, wire fraud and conspiracy charges against Adams last week. Protesters gathered outside Hochul’s Manhattan office during her meetings on Tuesday, chanting: “Governor Hochul, fight back, remove Eric Adams.” City Hall sources tell Fox News that Hochul met with the City’s Inability Committee as pressure mounts for Hochul to use her constitutional powers to remove Adams. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, City Comptroller Brad Lander, Rev. Al Sharpton and other community leaders met with Hochul this afternoon. Lander, a 2025 mayoral candidate, told Fox News he discussed with Hochul whether Adams could even do his job anymore, given the controversy surrounding his office and the logistical imperative of four deputy mayor resignations. NY GOV. HOCHUL TO MEET WITH ‘KEY LEADERS’ TO DISCUSS ‘PATH FORWARD’ AMID ERIC ADAMS TURMOIL “I do think the mayor should resign,” Lander said outside Hochul’s office on Tuesday. “The mayor is not able, in my opinion, to devote his full-time and attention to the needs of New Yorkers.” NY JUDGE ORDERS ERIC ADAMS, TRUMP DOJ OFFICIALS TO COURT OVER MOTION TO DISMISS CORRUPTION CHARGES Sharpton, the civil rights activist, said he is also concerned with Adams’ ability to govern, telling Fox News Hochul will continue to deliberate with city leaders and see what the judge decides tomorrow. U.S. District Judge Dale E. Ho ordered a status conference on Wednesday to discuss why the Justice Department filed a motion to drop indictment charges against Adams on Friday. Adams has maintained his innocence throughout legal proceedings, claiming the trial was politically motivated. “Despite our pleas, when the federal government did nothing as its broken immigration policies overloaded our shelter system with no relief, I put the people of New York before party and politics. I always knew that if I stood my ground for all of you, that I would be a target — and a target I became,” Adams said following his indictment on Sept. 27, 2024. Adams was critical of President Joe Biden’s handling of the migrant crisis, particularly as New York City struggled to keep up with the busloads of migrants entering the city’s overwhelmed shelter system. Adams said opposition to Biden’s leadership on the migrant crisis made him a target of political persecution. Adams’ chief campaign fundraiser Brianna Suggs’ home was raided in connection to Adams’ indictment charges in Nov. 2023. Adams was on his way to Washington, D.C., for a meeting with Biden White House officials to discuss the migrant crisis when news of the raid broke. Adams canceled his meetings and abruptly returned to New York City before those meetings could happen. “Through all the negative headlines, rumors and criticism, I have remained clear: I’m not stepping down, I’m stepping UP. No matter what you read, no matter what you see – they may want to fight me, but I’m always fighting for you,” Adams said on Sunday. Adams, who has developed a relationship with Trump and held private meetings with the president down in West Palm Beach, met with Trump’s border czar Tom Homan on Friday. Homan and Adams sat for a joint interview with Fox & Friends to discuss their plans to crackdown on illegal immigration in New York City. Homan said he would hold Adams to his commitments, telling Fox & Friends: “If he doesn’t come through, I’ll be back in New York City, and we won’t be sitting on the couch. I’ll be in his office, up his butt, saying, ‘Where the hell is the agreement we came to?’” New York City leaders did not appreciate the remark, questioning on Tuesday if Adams’ was still aligned with their views on immigration. “I’m very concerned that Mr. Homan came in here and acted like he could make Adams do what he wants, or he’d be up his butt. I can’t believe someone would say that on national television,” Sharpton said. “It’s one straightforward test of where his loyalties lie: with New Yorkers or with Donald Trump?” Lander added. In Dec. 2024, Trump said he would “look at” a pardon for Adams, claiming he was “treated pretty unfairly” by federal prosecutors and compared Adams’ indictment to his own “political persecution.” As Hochul decides whether to remove Adams as mayor, she said the “alleged conduct at City Hall” over the past two weeks cannot be ignored. Fox News contributor Byron York questioned why Hochul would choose now to consider removing Adams as mayor. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi filed a lawsuit last week against Hochul for allowing illegal immigrants to obtain a driver’s license and restricting the DMV from releasing their information to immigration authorities without a warrant. “She didn’t seek to remove him before he was indicted. Not after the indictment, either. But the prospect of Adams not resisting enforcement of federal immigration law is just too much,” Fox News contributor Byron York said in a post. “The calls for Mayor Adams’ removal now reek of political maneuvering,” What has changed since September until now? Comptroller Brad Lander must recuse himself from any discussions on the mayor’s status, including any role in the Inability Committee if it convenes. These decisions must be free from political bias. I also urge the Department of Investigation and the Conflicts of Interest Board to examine Lander’s apparent misuse of city resources. Using official letterhead and staff to draft a politically charged letter that benefits his own mayoral ambitions is a clear abuse of public trust. New Yorkers deserve better.” Hochul, who has the authority under New York State law to remove Adams as mayor, said the resignation of four deputy mayors in New York City on Monday raised “serious questions about the long-term future” of Adams’ administration. “I recognize the immense responsibility I hold as governor and the constitutional powers granted to this office.
First openly gay DC federal judge rakes Trump admin over military trans ban
The first openly gay federal judge in D.C. spent hours Tuesday grilling the Trump administration over its attempt to codify terms of service for transgender service members in the U.S. military, seeking to determine the extent of potential harm to transgender military personnel. At issue is a Jan. 27 executive order signed by President Donald Trump requiring the Defense Department to update its guidance regarding “trans-identifying medical standards for military service,” and to “rescind guidance inconsistent with military readiness.” U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes harshly questioned the Trump administration at length over the order, demanding to know whether it was a “transgender ban” and if the government’s position is that being transgender is an “ideology.” Civil rights groups sued earlier this month to block the order on behalf of six transgender U.S. service members, arguing that the order is both discriminatory and unconstitutional, and alleging it threatens U.S. national security, as well as years of training and financial investments made by the Department of Defense. JUDGE DENIES DEMOCRAT-LED EFFORT TO BLOCK DOGE ACCESS, CITING LACK OF PROVEN HARM Tuesday’s court hearing focused largely on how, or to what extent, the order might cause harm to transgender service members. While Trump has instructed that “radical gender ideology” be banned from all military branches, the executive order stopped short of detailing how the Pentagon should do this, prompting a flurry of questions and concerns from plaintiffs and the judge. Reyes, a Biden appointee and first openly gay member of the D.C. federal bench, spent much of the hearing Tuesday asking how the order would be implemented and whether the transgender service members named in the lawsuit would be removed from their roles or separated from their units. LAWSUIT TRACKER: NEW RESISTANCE BATTLING TRUMP’S SECOND TERM THROUGH ONSLAUGHT OF LAWSUITS TAKING AIM AT EOS “Can we agree that the greatest fighting force that world history has ever seen is not going to be impacted in any way by less than 1% of soldiers using a different pronoun than others might want to call them,” she asked Lynch. At another point in the hearing, she challenged lawyers for the Justice Department to find her a declarant or any commissioned officer who would get on the stand and tell the court that they’ve been harmed by the pronoun use of transgender military members. “I’ll get you a box of cigars,” Reyes told Lynch. “If you can find someone who will tell me we’re less prepared because we have to use pronouns for a few thousand people… have at it.” DOGE SCORES BIG COURT WIN, ALLOWED ACCESS DATA ON 3 FEDERAL AGENCIES Lych noted in response that the administration is still awaiting further guidance on the terms of the transgender executive order, which will determine its impact on personnel, including the six transgender plaintiffs named in the case. That answer did little to assuage concerns of Judge Reyes, who told Lynch the government must inform the court by Wednesday whether they can ensure that the named service members would not be removed from their roles in the military or face discrimination as a direct result of the executive order. Should they fail to do that, the judge said, the court will reconvene Friday to consider plaintiffs’ request for a temporary restraining order. Beyond the facts of the case, Reyes did little to disguise her displeasure with the order itself. At one point during the hearing, she posed a hypothetical to the Justice Department’s attorney, asking: “If you were in a foxhole” with another service member, “you wouldn’t care about their gender ideology, right?” She went on to suggest Lynch would be happy to be next to someone with their commendations and bravery. Lynch agreed he doubted that gender identity would be on his mind in that situation.
Trump issues warning about wasteful spending, orders ‘radical transparency’ amid DOGE probes, revelations
President Donald Trump issued an unsmiling warning to bureaucrats on Tuesday, ordering that leaders of government agencies begin to be “radically transparent” about spending. The White House published a memo entitled “Radical Transparency About Wasteful Spending” on Tuesday afternoon, directed at the heads of executive departments and agencies. The memo begins by arguing that the American government “spends too much money on programs, contracts, and grants that do not promote the interests of the American people.” “For too long, taxpayers have subsidized ideological projects overseas and domestic organizations engaged in actions that undermine the national interest,” the note continues. “The American people have seen their tax dollars used to fund the passion projects of unelected bureaucrats rather than to advance the national interest.” HOMAN TAKES VICTORY LAP AFTER ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CROSSINGS PLUMMET DURING TRUMP ADMIN: ‘HE IS DELIVERING’ “The American people have a right to see how the Federal Government has wasted their hard-earned wages.” Trump continued the memo by ordering that all heads of executive departments and agencies must “take all appropriate actions to make public, to the maximum extent permitted by law…the complete details of every terminated program, cancelled contract, terminated grant, or any other discontinued obligation of Federal funds.” “Agencies shall ensure that such publication occurs in accordance with all applicable laws, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the underlying contract, grant, or other award,” Trump continued. EMMANUEL MACRON CALLS ‘EMERGENCY MEETING’ FOR EUROPEAN LEADERS TO DISCUSS TRUMP: REPORT The memo came as Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) commission continues to audit government agencies with a mission to reduce waste. On Monday night, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt appeared on “Hannity” to express support for DOGE’s audits. “[L]isten to the words from those Democrat politicians, you would think you are listening to President Trump, Elon Musk and our entire administration, who are saying the exact same things that Democrat politicians promised the American people they would do for decades,” Leavitt said. “President Trump is just the first president in our lifetimes to actually do it.” “And now you see the Democrat Party and the mainstream media spiraling out of control about a very simple promise: rooting out waste, fraud and abuse from our federal bureaucracy,” she continued. “This is a promise President Trump campaigned on. He is now delivering on it.”