UT-Dallas students launch alternative newspaper after clash with administration
Students at the university created their own news organization — The Retrograde — after they reached an impasse with administrators regarding oversight and the firing of the campus newspaper’s editor-in-chief.
Trump plans to meet with Zelenskyy as he looks to end Ukraine war
President Donald Trump may soon meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. “He may meet next week, yeah. Whenever he would like. I’m here,” Trump told reporters while hosting Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Friday. Trump said that the meeting would likely be held in Washington, D.C., because he would not go to Ukraine. Trump also said there was a possibility he would meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, noting that the two have always had a “very good relationship.” TRUMP AND ‘NO ONE ELSE’ CAN END THE UKRAINE-RUSSIA WAR, US ALLY SAYS “That’s why it is so sad that this happened,” Trump said, appearing to reference Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. “This never would have happened if I were president.” Trump, who met with Zelenskyy in New York in September 2024, urged Putin to cease the war — or face sanctions — in a post on Truth Social on Jan. 22. “Settle now, and STOP this ridiculous War! IT’S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE,” Trump said. If we don’t make a ‘deal’, and soon, I have no other choice but to put high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries.” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also said he backed issuing harsher sanctions on Russia during his confirmation hearing Jan. 16 to expedite the end of the war. TRUMP’S ‘RARE’ PRICE FOR US MILITARY AID TO UKRAINE CALLED ‘FAIR’ BY ZELENSKYY According to retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, Trump’s envoy for Russia and Ukraine, Trump is the only person who could end the conflict. “The only person that Putin will really want to talk to — because he’s kind of denigrated other leaders that are out there — is President Trump, and President Trump’s the only one who can bring this to a conclusion,” Kellogg told “Fox & Friends Weekend” on Sunday. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. Fox News’ Rachel Wolf contributed to this report.
Meet man, IIT-JEE alumnus, worked at Tata Steel, led anti-corruption movement with Anna Hazare, IPS Kiran Bedi, he is…
Arvind Kejriwal, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo and former Chief Minister of Delhi, is a politician and an activist. His name emerged popular after the movement against corruption led by activist Anna Hazare, back in 2011.
Deadline looms for release of JFK assassination files
The Director of National Intelligence (DNI) and the attorney general are expected to release their proposed plan for the declassification of the JFK files on Friday. Both offices, in coordination with the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs and the Counsel to the President, have until the end of the day Friday to release their proposed plan. Last month, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to declassify files on the assassinations of former President John F. Kennedy, his brother Robert F. Kennedy and civil rights icon Martin Luther King, Jr. THE JFK FILES: HERE’S WHAT’S HAPPENED SINCE THEIR ORIGINAL PLANNED RELEASE “Everything will be revealed,” Trump told reporters as he signed the order in the Oval Office. The executive order came after Trump had previously promised on the campaign trail to declassify the documents upon entering his second term, saying at the time, “When I return to the White House, I will declassify and unseal all JFK assassination-related documents. It’s been 60 years, time for the American people to know the truth.” TRUMP TO DECLASSIFY JFK FILES: FAMED DOCTOR WHO INVESTIGATED ASSASSINATION PREDICTS WHAT AMERICANS COULD LEARN Trump had initially promised to release the last batch of documents during his first term, but such efforts ultimately dissipated. Trump then blocked the release of hundreds of records on the assassination following several CIA and FBI appeals. “I have no choice,” Trump said in a memo, where he cited “potentially irreversible harm” to national security if he allowed the records to be released. Trump said at the time the potential harm to U.S. national security, law enforcement or foreign affairs is “of such gravity that it outweighs the public interest in immediate disclosure.” TRUMP SIGNS ORDER TO DECLASSIFY FILES ON JFK, RFK AND MLK ASSASSINATIONS Attorney General Pam Bondi, who was sworn in on Wednesday, is in New Orleans, Louisiana, for the day to survey Super Bowl LIX security. Bondi’s first full day on the job is part of an effort to highlight the administration’s broader commitment to crack down on violent crime and acts of terrorism. Bondi has yet to formally address Trump’s order to declassify the JFK assassination files and her approach to the task. Fox News Digital learned shortly after she was sworn in that the new AG would be issuing several major directives on her first day, including orders to combat the weaponization of the legal system and making prosecutors seek the death penalty when appropriate. Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s pick for DNI, successfully advanced out of the Intel Committee this week, with all Republican members voting in her favor. Gabbard has faced questions during her confirmation process regarding her past meeting with former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, her previous FISA Section 702 stance and her past support for NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden. Fox News’ David Spunt, Breanne Deppisch, Julia Johnson and Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
Senate moves full steam ahead on massive Trump budget bill after GOP divisions derail House
Senate Republicans are moving full steam ahead with their plans for a massive conservative policy overhaul through the budget reconciliation process, despite House GOP leaders still insisting their chamber is set to go first. Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., unveiled a 61-page resolution that would fund President Donald Trump’s priorities for border security, fossil fuel energy, and national defense. It would fund completion of Trump’s border wall, as well as provide dollars for more beds in detention centers at the border. The bill would also include funds to hire more Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, more personnel patrolling the border, and to increase the number of immigration judges in order to process the backlog of existing asylum cases. On energy, the bill is aimed at ramping up offshore drilling leases, and stopping the Biden administration’s methane emissions fee. SCOOP: KEY CONSERVATIVE CAUCUS DRAWS RED LINE ON HOUSE BUDGET PLAN The legislation would also fund increased military readiness, grow the U.S. Navy, and building an “integrated air and missile defense to counter threats,” according to a summary provided by Graham’s office. Graham also signaled the bill would be deficit-neutral, with his press release stating that its $342 billion in new spending will be offset by the same amount of money in savings. Per the Senate’s plan to split Trump’s reconciliation priorities into two bills, it’s expected that extensions to Trump’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act – as well as other key Trump proposals, such as eliminating taxes on tipped and overtime wages – will be in a second plan released at a later date. Republicans plan to use their majorities in the House and Senate to pass a wide swath of Trump policy initiatives, from extending the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act to funneling more cash to operations at the U.S.-Mexico border. The budget reconciliation process makes that possible by lowering the threshold for Senate passage from 60 votes to a simple 51-seat majority. Because the House already operates on a simple majority threshold, it will allow Republicans to skirt Democratic opposition to pass their agenda – provided the measures included involve budgetary or other fiscal matters, as reconciliation rules call for. The first step in reconciliation is advancing a resolution through the House and Senate budget committees, which will then give instructions to other committees of jurisdiction that will eventually form a final bill. The Senate’s plan differs significantly from the House’s intended approach. While both sides agree on what should be passed via reconciliation, House GOP leaders and Republicans on the Ways & Means Committee are concerned that the intense political maneuvering the process takes will mean they run out of time before passing a second bill with Trump’s tax cuts at the end of this year. BLACK CAUCUS CHAIR ACCUSES TRUMP OF ‘PURGE’ OF ‘MINORITY’ FEDERAL WORKERS A Ways & Means Committee memo sent earlier this year projected the average American household could see taxes rise by over 20% if those provisions expire at the end of 2025. Trump himself has repeatedly called for “one big, beautiful bill,” but said he ultimately was not concerned about the packaging as long as all of his priorities were passed. House Republicans had intended to move one bill through their budget panel this week, but the process was stalled as spending hawks pushed for deeper funding cuts than what GOP leaders initially proposed. Conservatives have insisted that any plan Republicans pass must be deficit-reducing or deficit-neutral. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters on Friday morning that he was playing “phone tag” with Graham due to their schedules but signaled he still intended for the House to move ahead with their plan next week. “I sent him a text message early this morning and explained where we are in the process and how it’s moving aggressively,” Johnson said. He told reporters he hoped for a House Budget Committee markup of the bill as early as Tuesday. Graham, meanwhile, intends to advance his bill through committee on Wednesday and Thursday. Senate Republicans are meeting with Trump at Mar-a-Lago on Friday night. Fox News’ Daniel Scully contributed to this report.
WA Democrats reportedly block move to nix 48-hour scholastic assault reporting requirement
A new Washington state bill characterized as a repeal of the state’s Parents Bill of Rights now includes a provision allowing information to be essentially withheld from parents regarding assaults of their children for up to 48 hours. State Sen. Claire Wilson, D-Federal Way, attested to the Washington State Standard the bill overall “doesn’t change any rights” and is a “cleanup bill” that updates health privacy provisions to align with current law. In a House Education Committee hearing this week, one lawmaker unsuccessfully attempted to undo the 48-hour rule and require immediate parental notification. “The underlying bill essentially states that schools can wait 48 hours before they tell parents if their children were involved in any kind of criminal action or if there was any sexual misconduct of staff,” said state Rep. Travis Couture, R-Shelton. WASHINGTON STATE PROPOSES PROTECTIONS FOR UNEMPLOYED ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS “And we have seen a stunning amount of sexual misconduct and sexual assaults by educators in our schools just in the last year itself.” He cited reports that two principals in the Vancouver, Wash., area “hid information” from parents on sexual misconduct against a teen. “As a parent myself, I would be disgusted and sickened to know if my kids had some kind of sexual abuse put upon them by staff, and I wasn’t notified immediately of those things. . . . For God’s sake, vote yes [on the amendment].” But Democrat Lillian Ortiz-Self argued that as a school guidance counselor, she was trained in how to best deal with such situations. “It’s very clear that we take direction from law enforcement and from the Department of Children and Family Services whenever there’s a crime that has taken place and that we must sit here and give them the time to do the investigation so that justice can be served. Our role in the schools is to support the child and support the parents,” said Ortiz-Self, of Mukilteo. WASHINGTON STATE DEMOCRATS ACCIDENTALLY EMAIL THEIR ‘RADICAL’ TAX PLAN TO ENTIRE SENATE Ortiz-Self said authorities must not have their investigations “impeded,” to which KTTH commentator Jason Rantz reacted incredulously in a column. “She didn’t say, most likely because it’s a completely contrived concern,” he wrote. Couture’s amendment to ensure immediate parental notification failed in an ensuing voice vote, with House Education Committee chairwoman Sharon Tomiko-Santos, D-Seattle, voting “nay” and deeming the vote unsuccessful. Following Couture’s attempt to undo the change, another committee member raised a new amendment regarding parental notification if they are accused of a crime and have “more than just a meet and greet with a police officer.” “We just heard if law enforcement are involved, parents should be involved as well. They should have the bare minimum of a notification when it comes to law enforcement questioning a child,” said state Rep. Matt Marshall, R-Roy. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “There are just certain protections that are afforded to all of us as members of society given by our Constitution. And one of them is the right to legal protection. And we’re innocent until proven guilty. If parents aren’t even involved, then children are potentially not aware of their rights. If they’re being questioned, who’s to say what they’re going to admit to when they’re being accused of a crime?” Marshall later said committee Democrats rejected two dozen Republican amendments in what he called a “blatant disregard for parents’ rights” and children’s safety. “[This is] further proof that Dems care more about their woke agenda than protecting our kids,” he said.
Lawmakers demand Bondi’s DOJ investigate Biden’s post-Election Day dismissal of green energy fraud lawsuit
EXCLUSIVE: Republican lawmakers are calling on the Trump administration to investigate President Biden’s dismissal of a lawsuit claiming millions in fraud from a green energy project the day after the 2024 election. In 2011, President Barack Obama’s Treasury Department granted Tonopah Solar Energy, LLC hundreds of millions of dollars for the construction of a green energy solar plant, the Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project, in Nevada. However, the energy group was eventually sued by CMB Export, LLC for alleged fraud involving approximately $275 million of taxpayer dollars in a qui tam lawsuit, which is a case on behalf of the government claiming fraud against federal programs. The case was being investigated by the Department of Justice (DOJ), until the Biden administration filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit on Nov. 6, 2024 – the day after the presidential election. In a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, obtained first by Fox News Digital, Republican Reps. Lance Gooden, R-Texas, and Carol Miller, R-W.Va., are sounding the alarm over the previous administration’s decision to halt the potential recovery of taxpayer funds. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT FIRES MORE THAN A DOZEN KEY OFFICIALS ON FORMER SPECIAL COUNSEL JACK SMITH’S TEAM “Despite investing three and a half years in investigating this case, it is deeply troubling that the DOJ reversed its position shortly after the presidential election, claiming the dismissal was in public interest and citing undue burdens on federal agencies,” the letter reads. “This decision is perplexing, given that the government stands to lose nothing by allowing CMB Export, LLC, to proceed with the case.” The letter asks that Bondi investigate the Biden administration’s rationale for dismissal, potential conflicts of interest, timeline of events, and accountability regarding the possible misuse of taxpayer funds. AG NOMINEE PAM BONDI SEEN AS STEADYING FORCE TO STEER DOJ IN TRUMP’S SECOND TERM “The American people soundly rejected the Biden administration’s radical Green New Deal agenda and fraudulent coverups when they voted for President Trump,” Miller told Fox News Digital. “Our understanding is the Crescent Dunes project was an energy proposal that cost American taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars, produced less energy than promised, and posed safety concerns for individuals working on the project. With President Trump back in the White House, transparency is now the standard for the federal government.” Biden’s DOJ claimed the dismissal was “commensurate with the public interest,” and that litigation obligations would impose “an undue burden” on the government, two claims that are being called into question in the new letter. The letter asks if there is any evidence that the timing of the motion was politically influenced, coming right after the election loss, and if the DOJ’s decision to dismiss a case that seeks to recover taxpayer dollars conflicts with its responsibility to uphold accountability in cases of alleged fraud against the government. “The allegations in this case represent not just potential financial fraud but a breach of public trust,” the Republican lawmakers wrote. “The Crescent Dunes project, like other failed ‘green energy’ initiatives, has already cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars, and the dismissal of this case raised serious concerns about the previous administration’s commitment to protecting public funds and prosecuting fraud.” The lawmakers asked that the DOJ conduct an internal investigation into the case, and upon reevaluation, consider allowing CMB Export, LLC, to continue its charge against the solar company. “The American people deserve accountability and transparency in how their tax dollars are used, especially in cases involving allegations of fraud on such a significant scale,” the letter reads.
FBI, DOJ strike agreement in lawsuit over January 6 agent list amid fears of retaliation
The Justice Department and a group of FBI agents reached an agreement in federal court Friday over the dissemination of information about FBI agents involved in the Jan. 6 investigation. According to the text of the deal, the Trump administration cannot release information about the FBI agents who investigated the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot without giving plaintiffs at least two days’ notice so that the matter can be considered again in federal court. It does not, however, place such a time limit on the dissemination of agents’ identities to other government agencies or the White House. The deal resolves, at least for now, a dispute over the release of information that agents said they feared could be used for retaliation or leaked to the public. FBI AGENTS GROUP TELLS CONGRESS TO TAKE URGENT ACTION TO PROTECT AGAINST POLITICIZATION The agreement comes after active FBI agents and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Agents Association, a voluntary agents’ group, sued the Justice Department earlier this week seeking to block the release of any identifying information about FBI agents involved in the January 6 investigations. The two parties tussled for hours in court on Thursday in front of U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb, who questioned both parties at length on the nature of DOJ’s questionnaire, the potential for disclosures or retaliation and how the Justice Department intends to use information divulged in the questionnaires. The agreement defers any immediate relief for plaintiffs, pushing to March 27 their hearing for a preliminary injunction. “I do have questions about the survey,” Cobb said Thursday. She also questioned the Justice Department’s attorney at length about what the questionnaire was being used for. FBI AGENTS SUTE TRUMP DOJ TO BLOCK ANY PUBLIC IDENTIFICATION OF EMPLOYEES WHO WORKED ON JAN.6 INVESTIGATIONS Cobb previously granted the two parties a brief administrative stay on Thursday evening, telling lawyers for both parties, saying that if the information was released she believed it “would put FBI agents in immediate danger.” The agreement comes just days after FBI leadership said it had provided the Justice Department with a list of agents who worked on Jan. 6 investigations and criminal cases, in keeping with an earlier deadline set by U.S. Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove. “Plaintiffs assert that the purpose for this list is to identify agents to be terminated or to suffer other adverse employment action,” lawyers for the FBI agents said, adding that they “reasonably fear that all or parts of this list might be published by allies of President Trump, thus placing themselves and their families in immediate danger of retribution by the now pardoned and at-large Jan. 6 convicted felons.” BONDI SWORN IN AS ATTORNEY GENERAL WITH MISSION TO END ‘WEAPONIZATION’ OF JUSTICE DEPARTMENT Lawyers for the agents argued that any effort to review or discriminate against agents involved in the investigation would be “unlawful and retaliatory,” and a violation of civil service protections under federal law. They also cited “profound concern” that the list of thousands of FBI agents involved would be leaked to the public, threatening their safety. Meanwhile, lawyers for the Justice Department stressed that their intent in issuing the questionnaire was to conduct an “internal review” of activities in the Jan. 6 probe, not to punish individuals for carrying out orders. Bove also sought to emphasize this message in an all-staff email to FBI personnel earlier this week. In the email, Bove stressed that the questionnaire was not intended to be a first step to mass layoffs, and stressed it was simply intended for review.
Army recruiting is up, but data show trend began before the election, former Army official says
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Sen. Tom Cotton attributed increased Army recruiting numbers to “America First” leadership and “the Trump effect.” However, data indicates that recruiting numbers began to improve months before the U.S. Presidential election, according to a former official. “You had some number of young men and women who didn’t want to join the army over the last four years under Joe Biden and Christine Wormuth, the former secretary of the Army, when they thought it was more focused on Wokeness and DEI and climate change,” Cotton told Fox’s “America’s Newsroom.” “That’s not why young men and women join our military. They do it because they love the country.” The uptick in recruiting started months before the election on Nov. 5. “No, it did not all start in December,” former Army Secretary Christine Wormuth, who served until Jan. 20, said in an interview with Fox News. ARMY RECRUITING SHATTERS RECORDS AFTER PRESIDENT TRUMP ELECTION WIN “Army’s recruiting started getting better much earlier. We really started seeing the numbers, the monthly numbers, go up in February of 2024. We were seeing sort of in the high 5000 contracts per month, and that accelerated, you know, into the spring all the way into August, when the Army really hit a peak.” Starting in October 2023, the Army put 1,200 more recruiters in the field. By September 2024, before the election, the Army announced it had exceeded its recruiting goals. The groundwork was laid that October when Wormuth and Gen. Randy George, the Army chief, began a sweeping initiative to help those who did not meet academic standards or fitness requirements. The six-week pre-boot camp, called the Future Soldier Prep Course, helps lower-performing recruits meet enlistment standards. They also moved away from just recruiting in high schools to posting on job message boards. Recruiters got trained by Amazon, Wells Fargo and other industry leaders in talent acquisition. Additionally, the Army brought back the “Be All That You Can Be” branding campaign from the 1980s. “We’ve been selecting soldiers who have personalities that are more suited to recruiting. We improved our marketing very dramatically in terms of being very data driven and very targeted. And then, of course, the future Soldier Prep course, which the Army established some time ago, has been a big success and has accounted last year for about 25% of the new recruits that came in,” Wormuth said. “If you look at our Army ads, we show young people, you know, jumping out of helicopters. We show kids doing, you know, night patrols in the jungle.” DEMOCRATS PRESS ARMY SECRETARY NOMINEE IF ‘READINESS’ AFFECTED BY SOUTHERN BORDER DEPLOYMENTS Army data shows the Army has struggled with recruiting numbers since COVID, including a shortfall of 15,000 recruits in 2022. It reported record-breaking recruitment in December 2024, with nearly 350 recruits enlisting daily and the total number of active duty soldiers reaching 5877 recruits that month. Secretary Hegseth praised the recruiting numbers in a post on X. “@USArmy: @USAREC had their most productive December in 15 years by enlisting 346 Soldiers daily into the World’s greatest #USArmy! “Our Recruiters have one of the toughest jobs – inspiring the next generation of #Soldiers to serve. “Congratulations and keep up the great work!” However, August of last year, three months prior to the election, saw a higher number of recruits than in December – 7,415 recruits compared to the 5,877 in December. January 2025 still has not surpassed August 2024 for the highest monthly count of the past year. In other words, the positive recruiting trend began before the election. ARMY SEC NOMINEE QUESTIONS WHETHER MILITARY PILOTS SHOULD TRAIN NEAR DC AIRPORT The increased recruiting numbers resulted from more women joining. Women made up 19% of the recruits last year, the highest rate to date. “For example, right now, 16% of the overall Army is women. And so, having a year where almost 20% of the new recruits are women is a notable increase,” Wormuth said. “In 2024, we also had the highest ever recruiting year for Hispanics.” There is a lag of about 10 to 12 weeks from the time a recruit enters a recruiting office and actually signs up due to medical exams and other paperwork. “The biggest reasons young people are hesitant to join the Army is because of fear of death or injury, fear of leaving their families, a sense that maybe somehow, you know, joining the Army will put their lives on hold for a period of time,” Wormuth said. “Concerns about so-called wokeness are very low on the list of obstacles for most young people. And the last time the Army ran that survey, we didn’t really see a change. That remains to be a small concern.” During its recruiting crisis, the Army had seen a drop in the number of families who typically send their children to serve, families whose members have served for generations. Many of those families tended to be White and from one of the 10 states that make up nearly half of the recruits: Texas (13.3%), California (10.5%), Florida (9.7%), Georgia (5.1%), North Carolina (4.6%), New York (4.3%), Virginia (2.9%), Ohio (2.8%), Illinois (2.6%) and Pennsylvania (2.4%). There is no data suggesting a surge in White males joining the Army last year. In FY2024, 40% of the Army recruits were Caucasian, 25% were Black and 26% were Hispanic. “From the data we saw, there was no discernible change in young White men joining the Army compared to the spring of 2024. The Army had about 7,400 recruits in August, and in December it was about 5,800,” Wormuth said. The Army is also set to expand its basic training capacity in the spring. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “U.S. Army Recruiting Command is on track to exceed the fiscal year 2025 recruitment goal of 61,000 new Soldiers and an additional 10,000 in the Delayed Entry Program,” Madison Bonzo, Army Recruiting Command spokeswoman, said in a statement. “As of today,
‘BACK TO PLASTIC!’: Trump vows executive order ending ‘ridiculous’ push for paper straws
President Donald Trump is planning to end bans and restrictions on plastic straws, according to his recent post on Truth Social. “I will be signing an Executive Order next week ending the ridiculous Biden push for Paper Straws, which don’t work,” Trump posted Friday. “BACK TO PLASTIC!” If signed, the executive order would affect laws in several Democratic-run states that currently have bans or restrictions on single-use plastic straws, such as California, Colorado, New York, Maine, Oregon, Vermont, Rhode Island and Washington. The impending executive order comes just months after the Biden administration announced plans in July to phase out single-use plastic in the federal government. FEDERAL AGENCIES SCRUB CLIMATE CHANGE FROM WEBSITES AMID TRUMP REBRANDING Blue states such as California and New York currently have laws in place limiting the use of single-use plastic straws in full-service restaurants, unless it is requested by the customer. NJ LAWSUIT CLAIMING OIL COMPANIES CAUSE CLIMATE CHANGE DEALT MASSIVE BLOW IN COURT Democratic states have also adopted the use of paper straws as a more environment-friendly alternative, which has been criticized by Trump for years, who wrote in a 2019 social media post that “liberal paper straws don’t work.” “Greatest President ever!” wrote Elon Musk, who is leading efforts at the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency, in a post on X regarding the president’s plan for plastic straws.