Risch proposes bill to block US foreign aid from funding abortions
EXCLUSIVE: Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jim Risch, R-Idaho, and Republican senators on Thursday are expected to roll out a measure that would prohibit the use of U.S. foreign aid funds for abortions, Fox News Digital has learned. The bill, titled “the American Values Act,” would permanently enact and expand existing prohibitions on the use of U.S. foreign assistance to pay for the performance or promotion of abortion services overseas. WHITE HOUSE STILL COMMITTED TO FREEZING ‘WOKE’ FUNDS DESPITE RESCINDING OMB MEMO The bill would restrict the use of foreign assistance funds to perform abortions, promote or lobby for or against abortions and force sterilization. The bill also would ensure U.S. foreign aid funds cannot be used for biomedical research relating to abortions. The bill also would permanently restrict funds to organizations that support or participate in the management of a program of “coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization.” It also would permanently enact restrictions on the use of funds made available to the Peace Corps to pay for abortions. s”American foreign aid should always be used in a way that is in line with American values — and that means that no foreign assistance funds should ever be used to perform or promote abortion services,” Risch told Fox News Digital. “I’m proud to introduce the American Values Act with my colleagues to hold our government accountable to this standard and protect the sanctity of life across the globe.” STATE DEPT PULLS MILLIONS IN FUNDING FOR ‘CONDOMS IN GAZA,’ AS TRUMP ADMIN LOOKS TO TRIM SPENDING The legislation is co-sponsored by Republican Sens. Roger Marshall of Kansas, Rand Paul of Kentucky, Rick Scott of Florida, Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma, Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Steve Daines of Montana, Tim Sheehy of Montana, Bill Hagerty of Tennessee and Pete Ricketts of Nebraska. The introduction of the bill comes after President Donald Trump issued an order to freeze funding flowing from federal agencies that would go towards “woke” initiatives and the “weaponization of government” to improve government efficiency. The White House, in rolling out the order, said that the Department of Government Efficiency, which aims to eliminate government spending and waste, identified $37 million that was about to go to the World Health Organization, along with $50 million to “fund condoms in Gaza.” “That is a preposterous waste of money,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
Trump backed 2024 Republican Senate nominee in Michigan moves closer to making another run in 2026
Former Rep. Mike Rogers is “strongly considering” a second straight Republican run for the Senate in the crucial battleground state of Michigan. The announcement from Rogers comes two days after two-term Democratic Sen. Gary Peters announced he wouldn’t seek re-election in the 2026 midterms, which will force the Democrats to defend a key swing state seat as they try to win back the Senate majority from the Republicans. Rogers won the 2024 GOP Senate nomination in Michigan but narrowly lost to Rep. Elissa Slotkin, the Democrats’ nominee, in last November’s election in the race to succeed longtime Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow, who retired. Slotkin, who vastly outspent Rogers, edged him by roughly 19,000 votes, or a third of a percentage point. The 61-year-old Rogers made his news in a social media statement released on Thursday in which he spotlighted his relationship with President Donald Trump and the “support” he has received from Michiganders. GARY PETERS, DEMOCRATIC SENATOR FROM TRUMP STATE, WON’T SEEK RE-ELECTION Rogers is a former FBI special agent who later served as chair of the House Intelligence Committee during his tenure in Congress. A one-time GOP Trump critic who mulled a White House run of his own in 2024, Rogers later became a strong supporter of the then-Republican presidential nominee and won his endorsement last year. “I’ve spent the last two years traveling across Michigan with the support of President Trump and millions of voters,” Rogers wrote in a social media post on Thursday. “What I learned more than anything is that hard-working Michiganders deserve strong and honest representation that will have President Trump’s back.” MEET THE REPUBLICAN SENATOR TASKED WITH DEFENDING THE GOP’S SENATE MAJORITY IN 2026 Pointing to his 2024 showing, Rogers noted that “since receiving more votes than any other Republican candidate that has ever run for Senate in Michigan, the tremendous outpouring of support and encouragement I’ve received since November proves that our mission to send a real fighter to the US Senate has just begun.” He added that he and his wife Kristi “are strongly considering joining the fight once again ― to be the ally that President Trump needs and the leader that Michigan deserves. Good news is coming soon.” Peters, a former House member first elected to the Senate in 2014, announced in a social media post that he would not seek re-election. “Serving Michigan in the Congress has been the honor of my life. I’m forever grateful for the opportunity the people of my home state have given me,” Peters, who steered the Senate Democrats campaign committee the past two elections cycles, said. DEMOCRATS’ NEW SENATE CAMPAIGN CHAIR REVEALS KEYS TO WINNING BACK MAJORITY IN 2026 Peters was one of three Democratic senators up for re-election in the 2026 midterms that the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) was planning to heavily target as they aim to expand their current 53-47 majority in the Senate. The other two Democrats are Sens. Jon Ossoff of Georgia and Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire. While Rogers is the first Republican to publicly make a move toward launching a 2026 Senate campaign in Michigan, GOP sources tell Fox News others who may consider running are Rep. John James -who’s in his second term in the House and was the GOP Senate nominee in Michigan in 2018 and 2020 -, longtime Rep. Bill Huizenga, and former NFL head coach Tony Dungy. Hours after Peters’ announcement, there were developments in the race for the Democratic Senate nomination. Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate who moved his residency from Indiana to Michigan a few years ago, signaled that he’s mulling a Senate bid. “Pete is exploring all of his options on how he can be helpful and continue to serve. He’s honored to be mentioned for this, and he’s taking a serious look,” a source familiar told Fox News. Meanwhile, Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan quickly took herself out of consideration. WHO IS GARY PETERS? 7 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE MICHIGAN SENATOR “Governor Whitmer is grateful for Senator Peters’ service. She is proudly serving the people of Michigan as governor and is not running for this seat in the Senate,” a spokesperson for her political action committee, Fight Like Hell PAC, said in a statement on Tuesday. Responding to Peters’s news, NRSC chair Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina argued in a statement earlier this week that “Gary Peters is reading the room. After spending years ignoring illegal immigration and destroying his state’s auto industry, Michigan is better off without him.” Scott emphasized that “we’re committed to giving them a fighter that will stand with President Trump to restore the economic prosperity and security of our country.” The rival Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee noted that “no Republican has won a Michigan Senate race in 30 years – including last cycle when Democrats won an open Senate seat even as Trump won the state.” And DSCC spokesman David Berstein also pledged that “Democrats will continue to hold this seat in 2026.” Peters, in his statement on Tuesday, pledged “although I will not be on the ballot next year, I will not just walk away. I plan to actively campaign to ensure we elect a dynamic Democratic candidate to be the next U.S. Senator from Michigan.” Senate Democrats faced an extremely difficult map in the 2024 cycle as they lost control of the majority. And while an early read of the 2026 map indicates they’ll play defense in Michigan, Georgia, and New Hampshire, they may have a couple of opportunities to go on offense. GOP Sen. Susan Collins of Maine is up for re-election in a reliably blue state. And Sen. Thom Tills of North Carolina is also up in 2026, in a battleground state Trump narrowly won this past November. Fox News’ Julia Johnson and Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report
Trump’s tariffs loom and even his supporters in Texas are nervous
Trump has vowed punishing tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China, which are Texas’ biggest international trading partners.
CenterPoint Energy settles rate case, will lower power costs for customers
Houston’s main electrical company backed off plans to raise rates after facing sharp criticism for its response to massive power outages after Hurricane Beryl.
Where Trump’s Cabinet nominees stand in Senate confirmation process
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Tulsi Gabbard and Kash Patel testified before Senate committees on Capitol Hill Thursday as urgency builds to confirm President Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominations. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Trump’s nominee for secretary of the Health and Human Services (HHS), faced his second day of questioning on the Hill before the Senate Committee on Health, Education Labor & Pensions on Thursday. Kennedy clashed with Democratic senators over abortion and vaccines on Wednesday before the Senate Finance Committee, which will vote on his confirmation. RFK JR’S CONFIRMATION HEARING GOES OFF RAILS AMID MULTIPLE CLASHES WITH DEM SENATORS: ‘REPEATEDLY DEBUNKED’ Trump’s nominee for FBI director, Kash Patel, appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday as Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s nominee for national intelligence director, appeared before the Senate Intelligence Committee. Also on Thursday, Trump’s nominee for Army secretary, Daniel Driscoll, the relatively unknown soldier and former advisor to Vice President JD Vance, fielded questions from the Senate Armed Services Committee. Once nominees have testified before relevant Senate committees, that panel votes on whether to recommend the nominee before the full Senate. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., can then file a motion to end Senate floor debate on the nominee, triggering a cloture vote to halt deliberations. Once debate closes, senators make final confirmation votes. ‘LIES AND SMEARS’: TULSI GABBARD RAILS AGAINST DEM NARRATIVE SHE’S TRUMP’S AND PUTIN’S ‘PUPPET’ For confirmation, a nominee needs a majority in the Senate, or 51 votes. Vice President JD Vance can settle a tie vote, as was the case with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s confirmation. Elise Stefanik, nominee for United Nations ambassador, testified before the Foreign Relations Committee last week, and the committee voted to advance her nomination to the Senate floor on Thursday. Stefanik joins Trump’s nominees for director of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Russ Vought, secretary for Department of Housing and Urban Development Scott Turner, and attorney general, Pam Bondi, among those who have been voted out of committee and await a vote on the Senate floor. SPARKS EXPECTED TO FLY AT KASH PATE’S SENATE CONFIRMATION HEARING TO LEAD FBI Agriculture Secretary nominee Brooke Rollins, nominee for Commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick, and nominee for Small Business administrator, Kelly Loeffler, have testified but await scheduling for Senate committee votes. Kennedy also awaits a vote by the Finance Committee as he testifies before the Senate Committee on Health, Education Labor and Pensions Thursday. Thune moved to end Senate deliberations for Energy Secretary nominee Chris Wright and Veteran Affairs Secretary Doug Collins. Both nominees await a procedural vote on the Senate floor ahead of the confirmation vote. Trump’s nominee for Interior secretary, Doug Burgum, passed the cloture vote on Wednesday and awaits his confirmation vote on the Senate floor. As of Thursday, the U.S. Senate has confirmed seven of Trump’s Cabinet nominations, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Homeland Security Secretary Krisit Noem, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, and Environmental Protection Agency Administration Lee Zeldin.
Gabbard says 9/11 likely could have been prevented if not for intelligence ‘stovepiping’
Tulsi Gabbard, President Donald Trump‘s director of national intelligence (DNI) pick, said the attack on Sept. 11 likely could have been prevented if not for government “stovepiping,” where government officials deliver intelligence directly to high-ranking officials without broadening communications. “There’s a general consensus that there was a massive intelligence failure,” Republican Sen. Roger Wicker said during Gabbard’s hearing regarding 9/11. “This caught us all by surprise, even though the the World Trade Center had been attacked earlier. Do you think stovepipeing was a problem in our intelligence failure?” “There’s no question about it, senator,” Gabbard said before Wicker asked her to elaborate. “Senator, when we looked back at the post-9/11 reporting and the post-assessments that were made, it was very clear, that there was stovepiping of information and intelligence that occurred at many levels, at the highest, but also at the lowest levels,” she said. ‘LIES AND SMEARS’: TULSI GABBARD RAILS AGAINST DEM NARRATIVE SHE’S TRUMP’S AND PUTIN’S ‘PUPPET’ “Information that was collected by the FBI, information that was collected by the CIA was not being shared. It was almost ships passing in the night where if there was an integration of those intelligence elements and information being shared, it is highly likely that that horrific attack could have been prevented,” she said. TENSION BUILDS AROUND TULSI GABBARD’S CONFIRMATION WITH KEY GOP SENATORS UNDECIDED Wicker pressed if the intelligence community could face another “stovepipe” issue in the future if plans to trim the DNI office of redundant jobs and increase efficiency, as Gabbard has said she will do, is put into effect. “And that’s the reason, really, your position was created,” Wicker told Gabbard after she said 9/11 likely could have been prevented. “There’s been some discussion this morning, I again, have not been able to listen in, but I understand there’s been some discussion about reforming the office of DNI, to eliminate redundancy and increase effectiveness. Do you worry that in doing so, we might be getting back to the same problem that we had in 2001?” WASSERMAN SCHULTZ SPARKS BACKLASH FOR CLAIMING TULSI GABBARD IS A RUSSIAN ASSET “The problem that we had in 2001, senator, remains at the forefront of my mind. And as you said, this is exactly why the ODNI was created. Given my limited vantage point not being in this seat, I am concerned that there are still problems with stovepiping that need to be addressed. And in some cases, my concern would be that unnecessary bureaucratic layers may be contributing to that problem. This is where coming in and being able to really take a fresh look, given my experience and my background, will be essential to making sure that the ODNI is accomplishing the reason why it was created in the first place,” she responded. Gabbard was elected to the U.S. House representing Hawaii during the 2012 election cycle, serving as a Democrat until 2021. She did not seek re-election to that office after throwing her hat in the 2020 White House race. She left the Democratic Party in 2022, registering as an independent, before becoming a Republican this year and offering her full endorsement of Trump amid his presidential campaign before Trump named her his DNI pick. She appeared before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday as part of the last leg of her confirmation process. Fox News Digital reported ahead of the hearing that Gabbard does not currently have a majority of its members’ votes, which are necessary to move to the full Senate, according to a senior Intel Committee aide. Fox News Digital’s Julia Johnson contributed to this report.
Kash Patel hammers ‘grotesque mischaracterizations’ from Dems amid fiery FBI confirmation hearing
Kash Patel, Trump’s nominee to lead the FBI, ripped into “false accusations and grotesque mischaracterizations” from Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee at his confirmation hearing on Thursday. Patel, a former public defender and DOJ official, was grilled by Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., who accused Patel of having called for FBI headquarters to be shut down. That came on the back of a number of barbs coming from Democrats on the Committee. Patel fired back with a fiery response. SPARKS EXPECTED TO FLY AT KASH PATEL’S CONFIRMATION HEARING TO LEAD FBI “If the best attacks on me are going to be false accusations and grotesque mischaracterizations, the only thing this body is doing is defeating the credibility of the men and women at the FBI,” he said. “I stood with them here in this country, in every theater of war we have. I was on the ground in service of this nation. And any accusations leveled against me that I would somehow put political bias before the Constitution are grotesquely unfair,” he said. He then pointed to an endorsement by over 300,000 law enforcement officers to be the next head of the bureau. “Let’s ask them,” he said. Democrats had pointed to Patel’s record and a book, “Government Gangsters,” released in 2023 that claimed that “deep state” government employees have politicized and weaponized the law enforcement agency – and explicitly called for the revamp of the FBI in a chapter dubbed “Overhauling the FBI.” WHO IS KASH PATEL? TRUMP’S PICK TO LEAD THE FBI HAS LONG HISTORY VOWING TO BUST UP ‘DEEP STATE’ “Things are bad. There’s no denying it,” he wrote in the book. “The FBI has gravely abused its power, threatening not only the rule of law, but the very foundations of self-government at the root of our democracy. But this isn’t the end of the story. Change is possible at the FBI and desperately needed.” Patel received praise from Republicans on the Committee, with Chairman Chuck Grassley arguing he could help restore trust in the FBI. “Public trust in the FBI is low,” Grassley said in his opening remarks. “Only 41% of the American public thinks the FBI is doing a good job. This is the lowest rating in a century.” FORMER TRUMP OFFICIALS REJECT WHISTLEBLOWER CLAIM THAT FBI DIRECTOR NOMINEE KASH PATEL BROKE HOSTAGE PROTOCOL Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-RI, however, cited several Republican figures who have opposed Patel’s nomination, including former National Security Advisor John Bolton who he said had claimed was “forced to hire him.” “Former CIA director Gina Haspel was reportedly threatening to resign rather than have this nominee serve under her,” Whitehouse said. “Former Attorney General Bill Barr said this nominee has virtually no experience that would qualify him to serve at the highest level of the world’s preeminent law enforcement agency, end quote.” Patel later accused Whitehouse of using “partial quotations” in further criticisms about alleged intentions to “prosecute journalists” and his so-called ‘enemies list’ – a term Patel said he does not endorse. Fox News’ Charles Creitz and Emma Colton contributed to this report.
Trump attacks DEI policies after DC plane crash, says FAA employees must be held to ‘highest standards’
President Donald Trump set his sights on DEI standards at the Federal Aviation Administration on Wednesday after a deadly in-air collision at the nation’s capital. Trump, speaking to reporters in the White House briefing room, highlighted efforts by the Biden administration to lower aviation standards, though he acknowledged that the cause of Wednesday night’s crash has yet to be determined. “We must have only the highest standards for those who work in our aviation system,” Trump said. “Only the highest aptitude – you have to be the highest intellect – and psychologically superior people, were allowed to qualify for air traffic controllers.” “We have to have our smartest people. It doesn’t matter what they look like, how they speak, who they are. What matters is intellect, talent. The word talent. They have to be talented geniuses,” he continued. “We can’t have regular people doing that job. They won’t be able to do it.” He later credited the crash to a “confluence of bad decisions that were made.” VIDEO SHOWS DC PLANE CRASH INVOLVING AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT, BLACK HAWK HELICOPTER Trump noted that he had raised the qualification standards for air traffic controllers during his first administration, but he said President Joe Biden had lowered them once he left office. AMERICAN AIRLINES CEO EXPRESSES ‘DEEP SORROW’ AFTER MIDAIR COLLISION The president reinstated the higher standards last week with an executive order, he said. “We do not know what led to this crash, but we have some very strong opinions and ideas, and I think we’ll probably state those opinions now, because over the years I’ve watched as things like this happen and they say, well, we’re always investigating. And then the investigation, three years later, they announce it,” Trump said, going on to detail an investigation including the FAA, Department of Defense and the National Transportation Safety Board. Trump went on to highlight a series of articles covering the FAA’s “diversity push” that he said occurred prior to him taking office. “The FAA is actively recruiting workers who suffer severe intellectual disabilities, psychiatric problems, and other mental and physical conditions under a diversity and inclusion hiring initiative spelled out on the agency’s website,” he said. While that language was present on the FAA’s website during the Biden administration, it was also present during Trump’s first administration. AMERICAN FIGURE SKATING MEMBERS, RUSSIAN OLYMPIANS ABOARD PLANE IN REAGAN NATIONAL AIRPORT CRASH When asked for comment on the initiative last year, including what roles people with disabilities would fulfill, the FAA told Fox News Digital that the agency thoroughly seeks and vets qualified candidates “from as many sources as possible” for a range of positions. Later in the press conference, Trump criticized former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg as a “disaster. “He’s just got a good line of bulls–t,” he said of the Democrat. Reporters then pressed Trump on the facts of the crash, asking whether he had evidence that it was caused by incompetence due to DEI. Trump said the investigation is ongoing, but that “it could have been.” Buttigieg was quick to strike back on X, calling Trump’s comments “despicable.” “As families grieve, Trump should be leading, not lying,” Buttigieg continued. “We put safety first, drove down close calls, grew Air Traffic Control, and had zero commercial airline crash fatalities out of millions of flights on our watch.” Wednesday night’s crash involved and American Airlines jet carrying 60 passengers and four crew members. It collided with a military Blackhawk helicopter carrying three service members. Trump confirmed that there were no survivors. Fox News’ Emma Colton contributed to this report.
Gabbard sheds light on Assad visit, expresses shock intelligence community showed no interest at the time
Director of national intelligence nominee Tulsi Gabbard shed further light on her 2017 meeting with then-Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, a trip that has come under the microscope since President Donald Trump nominated the former congresswoman. “There is not a great deal in the public record about what you and Syrian dictator Bashar al Assad discussed for so long in January of 2017. And I think there’s a great deal of interest from the American people about what was discussed in that meeting. So what did you talk about? And did you press Assad on things like his use of chemical weapons, systematic torture and the killing of so many Syrians?” Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., asked Gabbard on Thursday. Gabbard, when she served in the U.S. House, traveled to Syria in 2017, when she met with the dictator, whose government was overthrown years later in 2024. The visit has become a focal point of Democrats’ criticism of the DNI nominee, arguing the visit casts doubt on her worldview and judgment. ‘LIES AND SMEARS’: TULSI GABBARD RAILS AGAINST DEM NARRATIVE SHE’S TRUMP’S AND PUTIN’S ‘PUPPET’ “Yes, senator, I, upon returning from this trip, I met with people like then-Leader Nancy Pelosi, and Steny Hoyer, talked to them and answered their questions about the trip,” Gabbard, who served in the U.S. House representing Hawaii from 2013 to 2021, responded. TENSION BUILDS AROUND TULSI GABBARD’S CONFIRMATION WITH KEY GOP SENATORS UNDECIDED “And quite frankly, I was surprised that there was no one from the intelligence community or the State Department who reached out or showed any interest whatsoever in my takeaways from that trip. I would have been very happy to have a conversation and give them a back brief. I went with former Congressman Dennis Kucinich, who had been there many times before and who had met with Assad before. A number of topics were covered and discussed. And to directly answer your question, yes. I asked him tough questions about his own regime’s actions. The use of chemical weapons and the brutal tactics that were being used against his own people.” Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi also met with Assad in 2007, despite then-President George W. Bush’s criticism of the visit at the time. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ SPARKS BACKLASH FOR CLAIMING TULSI GABBARD IS A RUSSIAN ASSET “Were you able to extract any concessions from President Assad?” Heinrich asked Gabbard. “No, and I didn’t expect to, but I felt these issues were important to address,” she continued. “Just in complete hindsight, would you, would you view this trip as, good judgment?” the Senate lawmaker continued. “Yes, senator. And I believe that leaders, whether you be in Congress or the president of the United States, can benefit greatly by going and engaging boots on the ground, learning and listening and meeting directly with people, whether they be adversaries or friends,” Gabbard said. Gabbard is appearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday as part of her nomination process to serve as director of national intelligence under the second Trump administration.
An East Texas town debates where to place EV charging stations as Trump threatens subsidies
Some residents see the charging stations as an economic boom to the town, while others find it an assault on the oil and gas industry in Texas.