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WWE mogul and Trump’s Education chief pick advances to final round

The nomination of Linda McMahon, the former World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) CEO picked by President Donald Trump to head the Department of Education, will head to a final Senate vote after passing the final procedural hurdle of the confirmation process. The chamber passed a cloture vote on Thursday afternoon that advanced McMahon’s nomination to a final floor vote to decide on her confirmation. The vote passed by a 51 to 47 tally. Trump tapped McMahon to serve as head of the Department of Education, which he has said he wants to close “immediately.”  DEM BID TO END TRUMP ENERGY EMERGENCY SQUASHED AFTER FORCED SENATE VOTE Trump has also said he wants McMahon to “put herself out of a job.” REPUBLICANS BARREL TOWARD SHOWDOWN OVER TRUMP TAX CUTS AFTER DRAMATIC HOUSE BUDGET VOTE “It’s a big con job,” the president said the day before McMahon’s confirmation hearing. “They ranked the top countries in the world. We’re ranked No. 40, but we’re ranked No. 1 in one department: cost per pupil. So, we spend more per pupil than any other country in the world, but we’re ranked No. 40.” McMahon testified before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee in February, focusing her remarks on the idea that “education is the issue that determines our national success and prepares American workers to win the future,” according to an excerpt of her opening remarks, shared first with Fox News Digital. The confirmation hearing was marked by protesters, discussions on the participation of biological men in women’s sports and scrutiny over recent spending cuts proposed by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the newly formed cost-cutting department led by Elon Musk. McMahon co-founded WWE with her husband, Vince McMahon, before serving as administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) until 2019, when she stepped down to “return to the private sector.” 

Texas Senate passes ban on lottery sales through courier services

Unanimous passage in the Senate comes after top Texas officials say the third-party services undermine trust in the lottery.

Government data torpedoes Swalwell’s viral claim about plane crashes on Trump’s watch: ‘Habitual liar’

Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., claimed earlier this month that “no president” has presided over more plane crashes during his first month in office than President Donald Trump. But data obtained by Fox News Digital shows there were more plane crashes during that same time period under President Joe Biden.  “No president has had more planes crash in their first month in office than Donald Trump,” Swalwell posted Feb. 17 on X, a comment viewed over 7 million times on X.  Department of Transportation data provided by a senior administration official contradicts that data and shows more plane crashes during the first few weeks of Biden’s term. Swalwell had posted in response to a small plane crash in Georgia that left two dead.   GOP REP REVEALS AFTER F-16 RIDE WHY TRUMP’S LEADERSHIP IS ALREADY PAYING OFF FOR MILITARY There were 55 aviation accidents in the U.S. between Biden’s inauguration on Jan. 21, 2021, and Feb. 17, 2021, compared to 35 during the same period for Trump. Worldwide, there were 91 aviation accidents during that same time period for Biden and 50 during Trump’s first few weeks.  “Eric Swalwell is a habitual liar and fraud, who continues to beclown himself every single day because he suffers from a debilitating and severe case of Trump Derangement Syndrome that has rotted his brain,” White House communications director Steven Cheung told Fox News Digital.  GOP GOVERNOR IN TOP ENERGY STATE OUTLINES HOW PRODUCTION ‘HELD BACK’ BY BIDEN WILL ‘OPEN UP’ UNDER TRUMP “As an elected official, he should actually tell the truth for once, but it’s understandable he’s incapable of that since he has Fang Fang on his mind all day.” Swalwell told Fox News Digital in a statement he was referring to commercial airliners, although his initial post stated “planes.” “There have been two U.S. commercial airliner crashes, where people died or were seriously injured in Trump’s first month,” Swalwell said. “Please show me a president who had more in their first month.” Several Democrats have blamed Trump for high-profile plane crashes in recent weeks, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who suggested Trump’s cuts to the FAA were to blame in the Toronto crash, which resulted in serious injuries but no deaths.  White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt pushed back at the time, pointing out that the “crash unfortunately took place in Canadian airspace with Canadian air-traffic controllers overseeing it.”   She then disputed the Democratic attack line about Trump firing FAA officials.  “And the facts about the FAA are that no air-traffic controllers have been let go by Secretary Duffy or this new administration. In fact, Secretary Duffy has put great emphasis on hiring the best and the brightest air-traffic controllers who want to be part of the FAA,” Leavitt argued. Fox News Digital’s Gabriel Hays contributed to this report.

Bipartisan duo looks to fend off food supply cyber threats as global tensions persist

FIRST ON FOX: A bipartisan duo is looking to tag team cyber risks for American food supplies, debuting new legislation to increase analysis and threat detection in critical farm and food infrastructure.  Sens. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., and Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., teamed up to introduce the Farm and Food Cybersecurity Act, designed to boost protection across agriculture and food sectors.  “America’s adversaries are seeking to gain any advantage they can against us—including targeting critical industries like agriculture,” Cotton told Fox News Digital in a statement.  “Congress must work with the Department of Agriculture to identify and defeat these cybersecurity vulnerabilities,” he said. “This legislation will ensure we are prepared to protect the supply chains our farmers and all Americans rely on.” SCOOP: INSIDE ELON MUSK’S MEETING WITH THE SENATE DOGE CAUCUS “Food security is national security, and the Farm and Food Cybersecurity Act is a vital step toward safeguarding Michigan’s agriculture and food sectors,” said Slotkin in her own statement.  “Cyber-attacks threaten our food supply constantly, and we must ensure both government and private industries are prepared,” she added. “This bipartisan bill will require the Department of Agriculture to work closely with our national security agencies to ensure that our adversaries, like China, can’t threaten our ability to feed ourselves by ourselves.” TOP INTEL REPUBLICAN TOM COTTON SEEKING RE-ELECTION TO SENATE IN 2026 Specifically, the measure would require the secretaries of agriculture, homeland security and health and human services to coordinate with each other and with the director of national intelligence to go through annual crisis simulations to prepare for any cyber emergencies relating to food infrastructure.  TULSI GABBARD GIVES EXCLUSIVE GLIMPSE OF TRUMP’S FIRST CABINET MEETING The secretary of agriculture would also be directed to conduct risk assessments every two years to determine any vulnerabilities in the food and farm sectors, reporting the findings to Congress.  DEM SENATOR’S ‘DARK MONEY CORRUPTION’ HYPOCRISY REVEALED IN ETHICS COMPLAINT, EXPERT SAYS Sens. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., Thom Tillis, R-N.C., Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., Katie Britt, R-Ala., and Ted Budd, R-N.C., are cosponsors of the bill. A companion bill is being introduced in the House of Representatives by Rep. Brad Finstad, R-Minn. The bill has already gotten the backing of several food industry groups, such as the North American Millers Association, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, USA Rice and the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives.

Air traffic controllers may get pay hike as Trump admin looks to boost recruitment

Air traffic controllers are set to receive a 30% pay hike as President Donald Trump’s administration seeks to boost recruitment Thursday. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy made the announcement during a press conference at the air traffic controller’s academy in Oklahoma on Thursday. He argued that the pay structure and the technology air traffic controllers are forced to use are outdated. “Currently, students are paid $17.61 an hour. By the way, you might be able to go to Walgreens and make that, right? So we’re going to bump it up to $22.84 an hour,” Duffy said.  “And again, I think making sure people have a wage that can allow them to live while they’re going through school. But the real incentive is, again, three years out of this academy, and you’re certified, on average, $160,000 a year. So you can be 24 years old, 23 years old, making a great salary, as an air traffic controller.” FLASHBACK: MUSK USED HIS ‘WHAT DID YOU GET DONE THIS WEEK’ DIRECTIVE BEFORE GUTTING TWITTER Duffy noted that the pay increase plan will require Congress to approve “billions” in additional funding for the DOT. Elon Musk also sent out a request for retired air traffic controllers to return to work. MUSK’S DEMAND THAT FED EMPLOYEES LIST THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENTS ROILS WORKFORCE: ‘MASS CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE’ The announcement comes after a string of air travel disasters in recent weeks, though few of them were blamed on air traffic control. Most recently, a Southwest airliner narrowly avoided a collision with a Flexjet business jet on a runway in Chicago. The Southwest plane was coming in for landing as the Flexjet, allegedly ignoring instructions from air traffic control, crossed the landing strip. Pilots in the Southwest plane were able to take off again quickly enough to avoid a collision. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The National Transportation Safety Board says it is still investigating Tuesday’s incident. Trump himself called for the Flexjet pilots to have their licenses revoked if the investigation exposes wrongdoing.

Here’s why dozens of lawsuits seeking to quash Trump’s early actions as president are failing

The Trump administration’s lawyers have spent significant time in court this month fighting dozens of requests filed by legal groups, labor organizations and a litany of other state and local plaintiffs across the country – and so far, most judges haven’t granted these requests. The courts “are rightfully saying we don’t have jurisdiction over this,” or, in certain cases, that plaintiffs “aren’t proving harm,” Fox News legal editor Kerri Kupec Urbahn, a former spokesperson for Attorney General Bill Barr, said of the numerous legal challenges to Trump’s agenda.  The lawsuits, totaling more than 80, are aimed at blocking or reversing some of Trump’s most controversial actions and executive orders.  Nearly all plaintiffs are seeking, in addition to the long-term injunctive relief, a temporary restraining order, or TRO, from a federal judge that would block the order or policy from taking force until the merits of the case can be heard.  AG BONDI DISMISSES DEI LAWSUITS BROUGHT AGAINST POLICE, FIRE DEPARTMENTS UNDER BIDEN ADMINISTRATION Almost all these requests for emergency relief have been rejected in court, with judges noting that plaintiffs lacked standing, and ordering both parties to return for a later hearing date to consider the merits of the case. Some Trump allies and legal commentators have criticized the many lawsuits as a way for plaintiffs to skip over the traditional administrative appeals process and take their case directly to the courts instead – a pattern they say has prompted the wave of rejections by federal judges.  There is an internal review process for agency-specific actions or directives, which can be challenged via appeals to administrative law judges or an agency-specific court.  But doing so for executive orders or presidential actions is much more difficult. According to information from the Code of Federal Regulations and the Federal Register, a president’s executive order can be revoked or modified only by the president or via the legislative branch, if the president was acting on authority that had been granted by Congress. TRUMP STRIPS SECURITY CLEARANCES FROM LAW FIRM TIED TO JACK SMITH CASES Since the latter is not immediately applicable to the Trump-era orders many of the lawsuits hinge on, that leaves the courts as one of the limited arbiters for determining whether to let stand the orders or action in question.  That means the requests for injunctive relief are considered in a sort of two-part wave of proceedings, since most – if not all – Trump-era complaints include both the request for the TRO and for the preliminary injunction.  The TRO requests are the first wave of “mini-arguments” to come before U.S. judges tasked with reviewing the complaints.  They are heard immediately and require plaintiffs to prove they will suffer irreparable injury or harm if their request for relief is not granted— a difficult burden to satisfy, especially when the order or policy has not yet come into force.  (As one judge remarked earlier this month, the court cannot grant TRO requests based on speculation.) The courts then order both parties to re-appear at a later date to consider the request for preliminary injunction, which allows both sides to present a fuller argument and for the court to take into account the harm or damages incurred.  “The bottom line is that courts typically do not grant requests for emergency relief at the start of a lawsuit,” Suzanne Goldberg, a Lawfare contributor and professor at Columbia Law School, wrote in a recent op-ed.  “Instead, they wait to decide what remedies a plaintiff deserves, if any, until after each side makes its legal arguments and introduces its evidence, including evidence obtained from the other side through the discovery process.” LAWSUIT TRACKER: NEW RESISTANCE BATTLING TRUMP’S SECOND TERM THROUGH ONSLAUGHT OF LAWSUITS TAKING AIM AT EOS These near-term court victories have buoyed Trump allies and the Department of Government Efficiency, allowing DOGE, at least for now, to continue carrying out their ambitious early-days agenda and claiming “victory.”  “LFG,” Elon Musk cheered on X recently, in response to a court’s rejection of a request from labor unions seeking to block DOGE access to federal agency information. Other accounts have praised the overwhelming court rejections of emergency restraining orders as evidence that the Trump administration, and DOGE, are “winning” – a characterization that legal experts warn is largely premature. In fact, they’ve noted, the slow-moving legal challenges and nature of the court calendar are features, not bugs. This includes efforts to block or curtail DOGE from accessing internal government information or firing agency employees; lawsuits aimed at blocking the Trump administration’s transgender military ban; and complaints seeking to block the release or public identification of FBI personnel involved in Jan. 6 investigations, among many other things. But that’s not because every one of these actions is legitimate. Rather, legal experts say, the near-term “victories” hinge on the limited power a judge has to intervene in proving emergency relief, or granting temporary restraining orders. JUDGE DENIES DEMOCRAT-LED EFFORT TO BLOCK DOGE ACCESS, CITING LACK OF PROVEN HARM Judges, including U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, noted previously that fear and speculation alone are not enough to curtail DOGE access: plaintiffs must prove clearly, and with evidence, that their workings have met the hard-to-satisfy test of permanent or “irreparable” harm. Rule 65 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure states that plaintiffs must be able to show evidence that a rule, action or policy in question will result in “immediate, irreparable harm” to satisfy a TRO request.  That’s a difficult burden of proof, and a near impossible one for plaintiffs to satisfy, especially for an action that has not yet taken effect.  DOGE SCORES BIG COURT WIN, ALLOWED ACCESS DATA ON 3 FEDERAL AGENCIES One exception is the Trump administration’s ban on birthright citizenship.  The request for immediate relief, was granted by multiple U.S. district courts judges, who sided with plaintiffs in ruling that hundreds of children born in the U.S. were at risk of real harm.  It was also upheld by a U.S. appeals court last week, setting the stage for

SCOOP: Inside Elon Musk’s meeting with the Senate DOGE Caucus

FIRST ON FOX: Billionaire Elon Musk, now also a senior adviser to President Trump, met with Senate Republicans in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Caucus on Thursday at the White House to discuss the work they’ve been doing and to get briefed on DOGE’s findings.  The meeting was led by caucus Chairwoman Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, who has spearheaded efforts to audit and cut bloat in the government for years.  TOP INTEL REPUBLICAN TOM COTTON SEEKING RE-ELECTION TO SENATE IN 2026 “The Senate DOGE Caucus has hit the ground running to save taxpayer dollars,” Ernst told Fox News Digital in an exclusive statement. “I was proud to bring my colleagues together to coordinate efforts with Elon, so we can continue to streamline our work. We are just getting started to make government more efficient and protect taxpayers to ensure Washington works for the American people.” The discussion was the first opportunity for senators in the caucus to hear from Musk directly regarding the discoveries he and DOGE have made.  TULSI GABBARD GIVES EXCLUSIVE GLIMPSE OF TRUMP’S FIRST CABINET MEETING The goal of the gathering was to share work between the Senate and Musk’s DOGE, and to discuss how they could be most helpful in the legislature, Ernst’s office shared with Fox News Digital. At the White House, Musk told senators that DOGE’s work is essential and detailed his plans to create savings, a source familiar told Fox News Digital.  During the meeting, they presented to Musk the various areas that senators are already focused on, using a divide and conquer strategy. Some of the Republicans have targeted government spending, while others have sought to address the national debt, concerning flows of money to labs like the Wuhan Institute of Virology and much more.  DEM SENATOR’S ‘DARK MONEY CORRUPTION’ HYPOCRISY REVEALED IN ETHICS COMPLAINT, EXPERT SAYS The senators further talked with Musk about how congressional action could make Washington, D.C., more efficient going forward and protect American taxpayers from funding extravagant projects.  In attendance at the meeting were Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Mike Lee, R-Utah, Rick Scott, R-Fla., Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., Steve Daines, R-Mont., Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., Roger Marshall, R-Kan., James Risch, R-Idaho, Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, Jon Husted, R-Ohio, Ron Johnson, R-Wis., Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, John Cornyn, R-Texas, Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., Tim Sheehy, R-Mont., Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., Katie Britt, R-Ala., Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., and John Hoeven, R-N.D. Musk similarly met with President Donald Trump and his Cabinet at the White House on Wednesday. The White House’s DOGE spokesperson did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Major admin reshuffle in Delhi: IAS Madhu Rani Teotia appointed as CM Rekha Gupta’s secretary

Teotia had previously served as Additional Chief Executive Officer at the National Health Authority under the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Trump accepts second state visit to UK, reveals letter from King Charles

President Donald Trump accepted an invitation on Thursday from King Charles III for a second state visit to the United Kingdom. The invite came in a letter presented to Trump by U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who is meeting with Trump at the White House regarding ending the war in Ukraine. “This is really special. This has never happened before. This is unprecedented,” Starmer said as he was sitting next to Trump in the Oval Office.  “I think that just symbolizes the strength of the relationship between us. This is a very special letter. I think the last state visit was a tremendous success,” he continued. “His majesty the king wants to make this even better than that.”  “What I haven’t got yet is your answer,” Starmer then said, drawing laughs.  “The answer is yes, on behalf our wonderful First Lady Melania and myself, the answer is yes and we look forward to being there and honoring the king and honoring really your country,” Trump responded. “Your country is a fantastic country.”  Trump described Charles “beautiful” and “wonderful man.”  “I’ve gotten to know him very well actually, first term and now, a second term,” he added.  This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

‘Liberal propaganda’ media outlet could see taxpayer funding slashed if GOP efforts succeed

National Public Radio could see its funding slashed as a new bill would scrap both “direct or indirect” federal taxpayer support for the news organization. Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Fla., and Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., introduced the “Defund NPR Act” this week as spending across the board is being scrutinized by Republican lawmakers. “I’m glad to join my longtime friend, Senator Banks, in introducing the Defund NPR Act in the House,” Cammack said in a statement. “Last Congress, the Energy & Commerce Committee held a hearing about the status of NPR and how federal funds are often used for left-wing activism under the journalism moniker.” TRUMP FCC CHAIR TARGETS NPR, PBS FOR INVESTIGATION AHEAD OF CONGRESSIONAL THREATS TO DEFUND The public radio orgnization receives 1% of its budget from the United States government, but local NPR affiliates rely on federal government grants much more heavily. However, it also takes aim at the “dues” and “fees” paid out by those affiliates, which NPR describes on its website as a significant source of income. NPR’s website also describes the funding from the government as “essential” and would risk “weakening the institution” if it were scrapped, as it would have to rely more heavily on donations and other sources of revenue. MORNING GLORY: CHANGE COMES TO THE WHITE HOUSE ‘PRESS POOL’  “Taxpayers shouldn’t be forced to fund NPR’s liberal propaganda. If NPR can’t stay afloat without government funding, that tells you all you need to know about the quality of their news,” Banks said in a statement. Bank iontroduced legislation under the same title while he was in the House in April 2024.  Earlier this month, Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., and Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, introduced the “Defund Government Sponsored Propaganda Act,” taking aim at both NPR and PBS.  KAROLINE LEAVITT SAYS PRESS HAVING HARD TIME WITH TRUMP TEAM ‘GENUINELY HAVING SO MUCH FUN’ “Americans have hundreds of sources of news and commentary, and they don’t need politically biased, taxpayer-funded media choosing what they should see and hear. PBS and NPR are free to compete in the marketplace of ideas using donations, but their public subsidy should end,” Lee said in a statement at the time.  NPR did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication.