Supreme Court weighs transgender youth treatments in landmark case
The Supreme Court on Wednesday heard oral arguments in a high-profile case regarding whether states can ban minors from receiving gender transition medical care under the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment, a closely-watched case that could impact the care and treatment for young people in at least half of U.S. states. The case, United States v. Skrmetti, centers on a Tennessee law that bans gender-transition treatments for adolescents in the state. The law, passed in March 2023, also takes aim at health care providers in Tennessee who continue to provide gender-transition treatments to transgender minors, opening them up to fines, lawsuits and other liability. At issue in the case is whether Tennessee’s Senate Bill 1, which “prohibits all medical treatments intended to allow ‘a minor to identify with, or live as, a purported identity inconsistent with the minor’s sex’ or to treat ‘purported discomfort or distress from a discordance between the minor’s sex and asserted identity,’” violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Wednesday’s oral arguments marked the first time the Supreme Court considered restrictions on puberty blockers, hormone therapy and surgery for minors. However, it also comes as many other states have moved to ban or restrict medical treatments and procedures for transgender adolescents, placing outsize focus on the case and on oral arguments Wednesday, as observers closely watched the back-and-forth for clues as to how the court might rule. SUPREME COURT CAN TAKE MASSIVE STEP IN PREVENTING TRANS ATHLETES IN GIRLS’ SPORTS WITH HISTORIC HEARING Petitioners in the case were represented by the Biden administration and the ACLU, which sued to overturn the Tennessee law on behalf of the parents of three transgender adolescents and a Memphis-based doctor. At issue during Wednesday’s oral arguments was the level of scrutiny that courts should use to evaluate the constitutionality of state bans on transgender medical treatment for minors, such as SB1, and whether these laws are considered discriminating on the basis of sex or against a “quasi-suspect class,” thus warranting a higher level of scrutiny under the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution. Both sides continued to battle over the level of scrutiny that the court should apply in reviewing laws involving transgender care for minors, including SB1. Petitioners argued that the court should use the test of heightened scrutiny, which requires states to identify an important objective that the law helps accomplish, while the state of Tennessee reiterated its claim that the rational basis test, or the most deferential test that was applied by the 6th Circuit Court in reviewing SB1, is sufficient. Petitioners, represented by U.S. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, argued that SB1 discriminates against individuals on the basis of sex, which itself warrants a heightened level of scrutiny under the Equal Protection Clause. They argued that SB1 “categorically bans treatment when, and only when, it’s consistent with the patient’s birth sex.” In Tennessee, petitioners argued, the way that the sex-based classification works is that, “from the standpoint of any individual who wants to take these medications, their sex determines whether SB1 applies.” Prelogar cited one of the unnamed petitioners in the case, whom she referred to only as John Doe. Doe “wants to take puberty blockers to undergo a typical male puberty. But SB1 says that because John sex at birth was female, he can’t have access to those medications,” Prelogar argued. “And if you change his sex, then the restriction under SB1 lifts, and it changes the result.” Petitioners also sought to assuage concerns raised by justices about the ability of states to pass legislation protecting minors, so long as the test meets a higher standard of scrutiny. Pressed by Justice Brett Kavanaugh on the impact the ruling could have on other states, Prelogar responded by noting that the court could write a very narrow opinion that states only that when a law prohibits conduct that is “inconsistent with sex, that is a sex baseline, so you do have to apply heightened scrutiny.” “But the court has made clear that that’s an intermediate standard,” Prelogar said. “And if the state can come forward with an important interest and substantiate that it needed to draw those sex baselines to substantially serve the interest,” it would still be permitted. TRUMP’S AG PICK HAS ‘HISTORY OF CONSENSUS BUILDING’ Respondents for the state of Tennessee argued Wednesday that SB1 was designed to protect minors from what they described as “risky and unproven medical interventions.” The state, represented by Tennessee Solicitor General Matthew Rice, argued that SB1 draws a “purpose-based line, not a sex-based line,” thus failing to meet the necessary requirement to trigger heightened scrutiny. The law, Rice said, turns “entirely on medical purposes, not a patient’s sex.” The only way petitioners can point to a sex-based line, he argued, “is to equate fundamentally different medical treatments.” “Giving testosterone to a boy with a deficiency is not the same treatment as giving it to a girl who has psychological distress associated with her body,” Rice said. Still, respondents faced tough questioning from justices on the classification and application of SB1. On issues of classification, Justice Kentaji Brown Jackson cited parallels to the race-based case of Loving v. Virginia, which overturned Virginia’s law forbidding marriage between persons of different racial categories; in that case, a White man and a Black woman. She noted that under SB1, an individual can be prescribed puberty blockers or hormone treatments if doing so is consistent with their sex, but not if it is inconsistent, asking Rice, “So how are they different?” Justice Elena Kagan asked Rice about the application of SB1, noting the text of SB1 and one of its articulated purposes, which is to “encourag[e] minors to appreciate their sex and to ban treatments ‘that might encourage minors to become disdainful of their sex.’” “You’re spending a lot of time talking about what the classification is here,” Kagan told Rice. “And I think we’ve talked a good deal about that. But what produced this classification might be relevant
Pete Hegseth ramps up Pentagon pitch with back-to-back meetings on Capitol Hill
Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Defense, is ramping up his pitch to lead the Pentagon with back-to-back meetings on Capitol Hill. Since his nomination, Hegseth has been meeting privately with senators in Washington, D.C., in an effort to earn their support ahead of his confirmation hearing next year. Hegseth was back on the Hill for a second day on Wednesday, meeting first with incoming Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., who is set to be the Armed Services Committee chair, ahead of a crucial meeting with incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D. The nominee has faced a series of drinking and sexual misconduct allegations, all of which he has denied, since being tapped for the top administration role. TRUMP FLOATS DESANTIS AS POTENTIAL DEFENSE SECRETARY REPLACEMENT IF HEGSETH FALTERS An email was recently leaked from Penelope Hegseth, Pete Hegseth’s mother, where she was critical of his past relationships with women. However, she joined “Fox and Friends” Wednesday morning to set the record straight and “tell the truth to the senators on the hill, especially our female senators.” Penelope Hegseth said she wrote the email in an impassioned moment after her son’s divorce, but apologized hours after sending it. Hegseth’s mother also said she did not believe any of the accusations against him. TRUMP TRANSITION SIGNS AGREEMENT FOR FBI BACKGROUND CHECKS Multiple sources confirmed to Fox News that Trump is reportedly considering nominating Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as Defense Secretary in place of Hegseth amid the allegations against him. But Hegseth brushed off the potential replacement, telling reporters that he spoke with Trump on Wednesday morning, who reportedly told him to “keep going, keep fighting.” “Why would I back down?” Hegseth said. “I have always been a fighter. I am here for the war fighters.” Hegseth added that he would be “meeting all day with senators.” In an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal, published Wednesday afternoon, Hegseth outlined his military service and his time working with veterans after leaving the Army. “I’ve been through a lot: combat tours, job changes, divorces and family challenges,” Hegseth wrote, before bashing the press for using “anonymous sources to try to discredit” him. “Talk to those who served with me in Guantanamo Bay, Iraq, Afghanistan or the National Guard. They support me, and I’m honored by that,” Hegseth wrote. “I have never backed down from a fight and won’t back down from this one. I am grateful President-elect Trump chose me to lead the Defense Department, and I look forward to an honest confirmation hearing with our distinguished senators—not a show trial in the press. Fox News’ Bret Baier, Paul Steinhauser and Bill Melugin contributed to this report.
If Trump makes cuts to Medicaid, Texas officials could seize the opportunity to further slash the program
State leaders have shown a decadeslong antipathy toward the health insurance program. If Trump makes severe reductions, it’s unlikely leaders would have the political will to make up any lost federal funds with state money, experts say.
Dems renew push for limiting presidential clemency powers after Hunter Biden pardon
Several House Democrats are renewing calls to put more guardrails on the executive branch’s clemency powers after President Biden’s sweeping pardon for his son, Hunter. Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., who has introduced a constitutional amendment limiting presidential pardon powers in several congressional terms, defended Biden’s decision but said he hoped those who were critical of the decision would co-sponsor his measure. “The pardon power is supposed to be a safety valve against injustice, and I understand why President Biden thought it appropriate in this instance,” Cohen said earlier this week. “But to all those who find this pardon distasteful, I encourage you to cosponsor and support the constitutional amendment I have introduced in the last several Congresses to reform the pardon power. The measure would eliminate pardons for the President’s self, the President’s family, Administration officials and campaign staff, and those who commit crimes on behalf of, for the benefit of, or at the direction of the President – all instances with inescapable perceptions of conflicts of interest.” LAWMAKERS HARSHLY CRITICIZE BIDEN’S DECISION TO PARDON HUNTER It comes as a wave of Democrats have expressed unease with the pardon, arguing its broad nature sets a precedent for future abuse. A spokesperson for Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., who previously backed Cohen’s amendment, said the lawmaker’s position has not changed. “If Republicans reconsider their willingness to overlook rampant abuses of pardon powers by the President-elect, and drop their opposition to pardon reform, that would be a good thing – especially given his promises to pardon violent criminals who brutally assaulted police officers on January 6th,” the spokesperson said. Several Democrats who spoke with Fox News Digital signaled openness to some limitations on pardons. HUNTER BIDEN SAYS HIS MISTAKES WERE ‘EXPLOITED’ FOR POLITICAL SPORT, HE WILL NEVER TAKE PARDON FOR GRANTED Rep. Glenn Ivey, D-Md., did not reject supporting the amendment but doubted there would be enough political momentum for such a change. He also urged Biden to extend his clemency powers to people jailed on minor charges. “It’s something that we could look at. But I’d be more interested in sort of focusing on uses of the pardon power. Thousands of people that should be pardoned or have their sentences commuted are in jail for minor offenses,” Ivey said. “I’d love to see them focus on that.” Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, said, “I think we need to look at presidential pardons. The Congress needs to look at presidential pardons, generally. And it’s a large conversation regarding different issues – for example, when a president can pardon somebody whose crimes may have been related to the president.” “Cohen’s bill is worth talking through. I think he mentioned that there weren’t any Republican co-sponsors, so hopefully he gets them now,” said Rep. Greg Landsman, D-Ohio. Republicans, however, were skeptical. “What we have now has been in place for hundreds of years. And you know, we’re not always going to agree with things that one party does or another party does, but I think it’s something that needs to stand,” Rep. Mike Ezell, R-Miss., told Fox News Digital. Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., said limiting pardon powers would be “a slippery slope” but accused Biden of “abusing” the responsibility. BIDEN PARDONS SON HUNTER BIDEN AHEAD OF EXIT FROM OVAL OFFICE House GOP Policy Chairman Gary Palmer, R-Ala., meanwhile, did not comment on limiting pardon powers but said they must not go away altogether. “The fact that Joe Biden is basically protecting a crime family and has overstepped his authority, and basically exposed himself to be a liar, would not be justification for eliminating it across the board,” he said. Hunter Biden’s pardon covers any and all possible crimes between 2014 and December 2024. It came as he was facing possible jail sentences over separate firearms and tax charges. The 82-year-old president accused Republicans of weaponizing the justice system against his son, who he said was “selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted.” Meanwhile, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., promised “reform” during his weekly press conference on Wednesday but did not go into further detail. “This pardon is a perversion of justice, and it is an utter disregard for the rule of law. And it undermines, further undermines the people’s faith in our system of justice,” Johnson said. “So we have reform on the way, and it cannot happen soon enough.”
Trump keeps Whatley at Republican National Committee following ‘OUTSTANDING and HISTORIC JOB’
President-elect Trump on Wednesday invited Republican National Committee chair Michael Whatley to continue steering the GOP’s national party committee. And Whatley quickly accepted, saying he is “honored for the opportunity to continue as Chairman of the RNC and work nonstop to help President Trump Make America Great Again!” The former and future Republican president, pointing to his convincing White House victory in last month’s elections, as well the GOP’s flipping of the Senate and holding onto its fragile House majority, said Whatley had done “an OUTSTANDING and HISTORIC JOB in running” the RNC. And Trump announced that “I have asked Michael to return as Chairman of the RNC to continue to build our Party, and be a trusted partner as we Make America Great Again, and ensure Free and Fair Election.” HEAD HERE FOR FULL FOX NEWS RESULTS FROM THE 2024 ELECTIONS In March, as he clinched the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, Trump named Whatley to succeed Ronna McDaniel as RNC chair. Whatley, a longtime ally of the former president and a major supporter of the former president’s election integrity efforts, had served as RNC general counsel and chair of the North Carolina Republican Party. Trump also named his daughter-in-law Lara Trump as RNC co-chair. After first winning the White House in 2016, Trump picked McDaniel to steer the national party committee, and she became the longest serving chair in modern times. But earlier this year, Trump essentially pushed McDaniel out the door by repeatedly urging changes at the committee – after lackluster party fundraising and his opposition to the RNC’s presidential primary debates. DEMOCRATIC PARTY CHAIR FRONT-RUNNER OFFERS ‘UNCOMFORTABLE’ ADVICE Trump, in his social media post, said Whatley “is a smart, tough lawyer who put together a completely unprecedented ELECTION INTEGRITY OPERATION that protected the Vote all across America, and a GET OUT THE VOTE CAMPAIGN that delivered the Votes we needed in every Battleground State.” And he argued that “Michael and Lara transformed the RNC into a lean, focused, and powerful machine that will empower the America First Agenda for many years to come.” Trump, whose immense grip over the GOP is stronger than ever, urged that “Republicans everywhere should support him [Whatley] as he continues his mission at the RNC.” Whatley, responding minutes later in a social media post, thanked Trump “for the trust he has placed in me to continue our important work at the @GOP.” “As long as I am Chairman, the RNC’s priorities will remain the same: get out the vote, protect the ballot, and raise the money we need to elect Republicans up and down the ticket,” he pledged. Whatley pointed to the “crucial fights ahead,” which he said included “supporting President Trump’s cabinet nominees and preparing for the 2026 midterms, to our ongoing fight for election integrity across America.” But Trump, in last month’s elections, outperformed many down-ballot Republicans in key Senate and House races. And the RNC, going forward, will need to work to ensure that Trump voters continue to support the party’s candidates even though the term-limited Trump won’t appear on the ballot ever again.
Top Dems, activists call on Biden admin to dole out more student loan forgiveness before term ends
Top Democratic lawmakers and activists alike are calling on the Biden administration to ignore a federal injunction and continue wiping out student loan debt before the president leaves office. Sens. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Ed Markey, D-Mass, held a press conference alongside a cohort of activist groups on Wednesday from the nation’s capital, calling on the Department of Education to finish granting federal student loan forgiveness for borrowers it pledged to help. These borrowers attended either now-defunct or predatory for-profit colleges. “I’m urging the Biden administration in the closing hours of their administration – the last seven weeks – come to the rescue of these students as quickly as possible,” Durbin said Monday from the Senate floor. In 2022 and 2023, President Biden’s Education Department announced it would grant student loan forgiveness for 560,000 borrowers who attended Corinthian Colleges Inc., as well as to 208,000 borrowers who attended ITT Technical Institute. While most of those students had their loans fully forgiven, according to the Project on Predatory Student Lending (PPSL), at least 145,000 former Corinthian students who were approved to have their loans forgiven still have not gotten their promised relief. BIDEN MAKES FINAL PUSH FOR STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS BEFORE TRUMP TAKES OFFICE “The coming weeks are pivotal, and we are focused on two things,” PPSL said in a statement last week, according to Forbes. “First, everyone who was promised relief, must receive their relief. Second, the Department must issue more group discharges for people who went to predatory schools.” Meanwhile, the group’s senior director of policy and advocacy told the Washington Post that the group “definitely want[s] to make sure the Biden administration finishes the work they started.” On Wednesday, Durbin and Markey will be joined by groups like PPSL to continue urging the Biden administration to maximize student debt relief. The calls come even though the program, known as the “borrower defense loan discharge program,” remains tied up in litigation after a federal court issued an injunction last year. BIDEN PUSHES TO FINALIZE MORE STUDENT DEBT RELIEF BEFORE END OF TERM, INCLUDING FOR ‘FUTURE BORROWERS’ According to the federal government’s student aid office, “the injunction is effective” until a final judgment in the case has been made. “The Department will not adjudicate any borrower defense applications under the rule subject to the injunction unless and until the injunction is lifted,” the agency asserts. Nonetheless, the agency still encouraged borrowers to continue applying for “borrower defense relief,” adding that they would continue to “adjudicate borrower defense applications” while the case makes its way through the courts. The Department of Education did not provide any on-the-record remarks in time for publication when reached for comment. Durbin and Markey, as well as PPSL, did not respond to inquiries from Fox News Digital for purposes of this story.
Top House Democrat says Hunter Biden pardon was ‘disappointing,’ calls out Biden for flip-flop
Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., called out President Biden for going back on his word and pardoning his son, Hunter, on Wednesday, calling the move “disappointing.” Aguilar, who chairs the House Democratic caucus, said he understood Biden’s decision “as a father,” but argued the pardon did not uphold the rule of law. Rep. Ted Lieu, who joined Aguilar in Wednesday’s press conference, did not comment on the pardon. “As a father, I understand it, and I get it. But as someone who has spent a lot of time at this podium talking about the importance of respecting the rule of law, it’s disappointing,” Aguilar said. “The president gave his word and said publicly that he wasn’t going to give a pardon and then he did, so that part is disappointing. I believed him when he said he wasn’t,” he said. SPECIAL COUNSEL, IRS WHISTLEBLOWERS SAY DON’T BUY BIDEN’S ‘SPIN’ ABOUT HUNTER BIDEN LEGAL SAGA Aguilar joins a number of Democrats who have openly criticized Biden’s pardon. California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Wednesday that he also was “disappointed” with Biden’s decision. PRESIDENT BIDEN’S PARDON OF SON HUNTER A POLITICAL GIFT FOR TRUMP GOING FORWARD “With everything the president and his family have been through, I completely understand the instinct to protect Hunter, but I took the president at his word,” Newsom told Politico, adding that he “can’t support the decision.” In a statement announcing the pardon, Biden took aim at what he described as a politically motivated investigation. SPECIAL COUNSEL, IRS WHISTLEBLOWERS SAY DON’T BUY BIDEN ‘SPIN’ ABOUT HUNTER BIDEN LEGAL SAGA “No reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunter’s cases can reach any other conclusion than Hunter was singled out only because he is my son — and that is wrong,” the president wrote. Biden had vowed multiple times that he would not intervene in his son’s case, first in June when his son was convicted on three felony firearm charges, and then in September after Hunter pleaded guilty to federal charges of tax evasion. “I am not going to do anything,” Biden said this summer. “I will abide by the jury’s decision.”
Incoming GOP Senate majority leader unveils legislative agenda for Trump administration’s 1st 30 days
Incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., is laying out a legislative road map for 2025 with plans to pass a colossal bill within the first month under the new administration. Thune revealed his legislative priorities during a Republican meeting on Tuesday, telling his colleagues that he intends to swiftly move forward a budget reconciliation bill on border security, defense and energy within the first 30 days of the new Congress. Reconciliation is a legislative maneuver used to fast-track bills on issues such as taxes, the debt limit and federal spending by bypassing the Senate’s 60-vote threshold for passage, instead lowering it to a simple 51-vote majority. The senator told lawmakers that his next order of business would be legislation focusing on taxes and other top priorities of President-elect Donald Trump’s administration. WHAT IS RECONCILIATION, THE TOOL REPUBLICANS WANT TO USE TO ‘PUSH THE OUTER LIMITS’ ON FEDERAL POLICY? Lawmakers in the House chamber have already signaled their intention to also pass a border security and energy-focused reconciliation bill. “We’re going to push the outer limits to include as much pro-growth strategy as we can. One of those would be regulatory reform,” Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, the House Budget Committee Chair, told Fox News Digital. “Another one will be border security and immigration reform.” However, reconciliation plans were not welcomed by all congressional Republicans. Rep. Jason Smith, R-Mo., chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, strongly criticized the proposal, labeling the concept of reconciliation as “reckless.” “If they do that process, I think that they are creating an opportunity to increase taxes for all Americans,” Smith told Punchbowl News. SENATE DEMOCRATS NAME TOP LEADERSHIP POSITIONS AFTER LOSING CHAMBER MAJORITY During Tuesday’s meeting, Thune also revealed his plans to make some changes to the workflow in the chamber. The Republican senator said that votes would no longer be held indefinitely to shorten voting time and prepared lawmakers to expect longer work weeks during the first few months of the 119th Congress. Trump reportedly called into Tuesday’s meeting to speak with the senators as they discussed legislative priorities, as he will have to work closely with the chamber to move forward his own agenda. “He was thrilled with his victory,” Sen. John Barrasso, R–Wyo., said of Trump’s call, the Hill reported. “We have a mandate and an opportunity to do the sorts of things that we campaigned upon in terms of lowering prices, in terms of the border, in terms of getting America back on track.” Fox News’ Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.
‘Our demeanour is causing a serious dilution of the institution’: RS Chairman tells opposition members
Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar on Wednesday expressed his dismay over the conduct of opposition members as they insisted, despite his ruling, on clarifications over External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s statement on recent developments in the India-China border areas.
Trump announces picks for Army secretary, trade adviser, hostage envoy, NASA administrator
President-elect Trump announced several more additions to his incoming administration on Wednesday, including his choices for Army secretary, trade adviser, hostage envoy and NASA administrator. Daniel P. Driscoll of North Carolina, a veteran and venture capitalist, will serve as secretary of the Army. “I am pleased to nominate Daniel P. Driscoll, from the Great State of North Carolina, to serve as the Secretary of the Army. As a former Soldier, Investor, and Political Advisor, Dan brings a powerful combination of experiences to serve as a disruptor and change agent,” Trump posted on Truth Social. He has also selected Peter Navarro to be trade adviser, Adam Boehler to be a special envoy for Hostage Affairs, and Jared Isaacman to head up NASA. This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.