Dallas and Fort Worth end their diversity efforts to keep federal funding
The North Texas city councils said hundreds of millions of dollars were in jeopardy if they didn’t shut certain programs to comply with the Trump administration.
Heider Garcia resigns as Dallas County elections chief
The election official, who previously worked in Tarrant County, won praise for pushing back on misinformation.
Texas identifies the 119 people killed in Kerr County floods
Most victims were Texans, but some were visiting from other states like California, Florida and Alabama. The youngest victims were 1 year old; the oldest was 91.
Judge blocks Beto O’Rourke from financially supporting Texas Democrats who left the state
The order came at the request of Attorney General Ken Paxton, who O’Rourke accused in a separate lawsuit of going on a “fishing expedition, constitutional rights be damned.”
Judge blocks Beto O’Rourke from funding Texas Dems who fled to stop GOP redistricting vote
A Texas judge ruled Friday against Beto O’Rourke and his nonprofit in a case brought by state Attorney General Ken Paxton, who accused them of illegally raising funds to support Democratic lawmakers fleeing the state to block GOP redistricting legislation. Tarrant County District Judge Megan Fahey handed down a temporary restraining order Friday evening against O’Rourke, a former congressman and Democratic presidential candidate, and his group, Powered by People, over alleged “unlawful fundraising practices” tied to efforts to support Texas Democrats who fled the state — including funding air travel, lodging, logistics and daily fines. “Defendants have and will continue to engage in unlawful fundraising practices and utilization of political funds in a manner that either directly violates or causes Texas Democratic Legislators to violate [the law],” Fahey wrote in her Friday evening ruling. “Consumer have and continue to suffer irreparable harm through these unlawful acts because they are making political contributions that are being used to fund personal expenses and violate state law.” BETO O’ROURKE ASKED POINT BLANK WHY HE’S HELPING DEMS FLEE TEXAS RATHER THAN HELPING TEXANS Fahey’s order bars O’Rourke or his group from continuing to fundraise or provide financial support to the fleeing Texas Democrats. The ruling came only hours after Paxton’s office filed a petition for a temporary restraining order against O’Rourke. Fahey is a Republican, and she was appointed by GOP Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott in 2019. In response to the ruling, O’Rourke put out a statement arguing that Paxton is trying to shut down his nonprofit “because our volunteers fight for voting rights and free elections,” which he called “the kind of work that threatens the hold that Paxton, Trump, and Abbott have on power in Texas.” GEORGE SOROS, BETO O’ROURKE BEHIND FUNDING FOR DEMS FLEEING TEXAS OVER GOP CONGRESSIONAL MAP “They want to make examples out of those who fight so that others won’t,” O’Rourke added. “Now Paxton’s filed a restraining order to try to take us out of the fight. He wants to silence me and stop me from leading this organization. He wants to stop us from fighting Trump’s attempt to steal the five congressional seats he needs to hang on to power. But I’m not going anywhere. I plan on speaking at our rally to stop the power grab in Fort Worth tomorrow afternoon.” “Cry more, lib,” Paxton said in response to O’Rourke’s statement. “You lost in court because you’re breaking the law and deceiving Texans. We absolutely will make an example out of law breakers.” In addition to Powered By People, Paxton also launched an investigation into the Texas Majority PAC, which has also been accused of being a major funder of the fleeing Texas Democrats. Meanwhile, O’Rourke filed his own lawsuit against Paxton in El Paso district court on Friday, The Texas Tribune reported. O’Rourke has accused Paxton of launching a “fishing expedition” and asked a judge to block Paxton’s investigation into his nonprofit’s practices.
Trump administration demands $1B settlement from UCLA over campus antisemitism claims
The Trump administration is seeking $1 billion from UCLA to settle discrimination and antisemitism allegations in exchange for restoring more than half a billion dollars in frozen grant funding to the university. The proposed agreement sent to the school Friday requires UCLA to pay the federal government $1 billion over multiple installments, along with establishing a $172 million claims fund for alleged victims of violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin. The Trump administration has already suspended $584 million in federal grants from UCLA after the Justice Department announced it found the school violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. TRUMP CONGRATULATES IVY LEAGUE SCHOOL AFTER $50M DEAL TO RESTORE FEDERAL FUNDING: ‘WOKE IS OFFICIALLY DEAD’ In a statement provided to Fox News Digital, UC President James Milliken said the university system had received the document with the offer and was reviewing it. “Earlier this week, we offered to engage in good-faith dialogue with the (Justice) Department to protect the university and its critical research mission,” Milliken said. “As a public university, we are stewards of taxpayer resources, and a payment of this scale would completely devastate our country’s greatest public university system as well as inflict great harm on our students and all Californians. “Americans across this great nation rely on the vital work of UCLA and the UC system for technologies and medical therapies that save lives, grow the U.S. economy and protect our national security.” “Demanding $1 billion from a publicly-funded, leading research institution is a misuse of tax dollars that will hurt the University’s mission of serving students and the public,” he said in a statement. “UCLA, and the larger UC system, has taken meaningful steps to make it clear that combatting antisemitism and protecting Jewish students, faculty, and community members on campus is a top priority.” “They have been committed to increasing security, strengthening policies against hate, and engaging directly with Jewish voices to better inform their approach,” he added. “If the Administration’s mission is truly to protect the Jewish community, they would be supporting that work – not hamstringing it with these outlandish demands that would only take away needed resources and services for students and faculty.” UCLA PAYS BIG SETTLEMENT OVER ‘JEW EXCLUSION ZONE’ DISCRIMINATION CLAIMS FROM STUDENTS California state Sen. Ben Allen, a Democrat whose district encompasses UCLA, said the Trump administration’s demand is “harming the engines of American power, innovation, and, indeed, greatness.” The move came a day after California Gov. Gavin Newsom criticized settlements between Columbia and Brown universities, both Ivy League schools, and the Trump administration. “We’re not Brown, we’re not Columbia, and I’m not going to be governor if we act like that,” Newsom said while speaking in San Francisco. “Period. Full stop, I will fight like hell to make sure that doesn’t happen.” Columbia will pay more than $220 million to resolve multiple federal civil rights investigations, including $21 million to settle claims of antisemitic employment discrimination against Jewish faculty after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks in Israel. Brown will shell out $50 million over a decade to state workforce development organizations as part of a deal struck with the U.S. government. In July, UCLA agreed to pay $6 million to settle a lawsuit brought by Jewish students and faculty members over the school’s handling of anti-Israel protests, including allowing protesters to ban Jews from a part of the campus known as a “Jew Exclusion Zone.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The lawsuit was brought last year by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which accused UCLA of “aiding and abetting” an antisemitic culture, including “segregating Jewish students and preventing them from accessing the heart of campus.”
Fox News Politics Newsletter: Walz under fire for axe murderer’s release
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening… -US appeals court blocks Trump contempt proceedings ordered by Boasberg -Inside NASA’s fast-track plans for lunar nuclear power and new space stations to outpace global rivals –Ghislaine Maxwell prison transfer called ‘highly unusual’ by former federal prison official EXCLUSIVE: The highest-ranking Minnesotan in Congress is blasting Gov. Tim Walz after a man who murdered his family as a teenager was released from prison. “Once again, Tim Walz proves why he is one of the worst governors in the country,” House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., told Fox News Digital. “Not only do his soft-on-crime policies rob victims of the justice they deserve, but they also put the safety of every Minnesotan at risk. Being a self-proclaimed knucklehead doesn’t excuse the chaos he has caused with his dangerous, far-left agenda.” Emmer, as the GOP whip, is the No. 3 House Republican leader…READ MORE. CARTEL TAKEDOWN: Trump approves military action against Latin American cartels classified as terrorist organizations IN CUFFS: Kash Patel slams ‘corrupt’ sanctuary sheriff indicted for cannabis company extortion PARTY HOPPER: EXCLUSIVE: Duncan says Trump’s attacks justify his switch from GOP to Democratic Party: ‘He’s making my case for me’ ‘REAL CONSEQUENCES’: Noem, in Illinois, calls out Gov. Pritzker, Chicago’s mayor over their handling of criminal illegal immigrants GLOBAL DEPORT LINKS: List of countries taking in illegal immigrant deportees grows with latest African partners SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP: US, UK ‘disagree’ on Gaza plan but ‘share’ same goal Vance says ahead of Lammy meeting PATRIOTISM UPROAR: Cuban-born congressman calls for ‘Squad’ member’s removal over ‘Guatemalan before American’ remark HEATED BATTLE: Former Democratic advisor says party’s rhetoric on redistricting is getting ‘a little out of control’ PACS UNDER PROBE: Texas AG investigates Beto O’Rourke PAC over support for quorum-breaking lawmakers JOB RUNNING: Party of ‘crazies’: Dems comply with outrageous redistricting stunts due to primary threats, state rep says ON THE RUN: Texas asks Illinois court to enforce arrest warrants for Democratic lawmakers BREAKING POINT: Chicago’s budget shortfall puts spotlight on Mamdani’s ‘socialism’ agenda for New York City CASH CLASH: Georgia attorney general sues GOP opponent in governor’s race over campaign financing PUBLIC SCHOOL CRISIS: Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker lambasted for new ‘disastrous policy’ requiring mental health screenings for kids Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
WATCH: GOP senators divided over whether Epstein documents are a distraction or a needed reckoning
Republican senators offered a range of responses when pressed on how the Trump administration has been handling the Epstein files controversy, with some calling it a distraction and others arguing the American people are “entitled” to answers. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the “first phase” of declassified files related to Jeffrey Epstein Feb. 27, noting the move was following through on President Donald Trump’s commitment to “lifting the veil” on Epstein and his co-conspirator’s actions. Bondi also said the same month she was in possession of an Epstein “client list.” However, the February declassification contained mostly information and files that had already been publicly available, and the Justice Department subsequently indicated that no “client list” exists. Since then, a series of events, including a clash between FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino and Attorney General Bondi, have led to mounting pressure on the Trump administration to release more files. ‘NOT GOING AWAY’: INSIDE THE EPSTEIN DRAMA THAT’S THROWN HOUSE GOP INTO CHAOS “This is factual. Epstein trafficked a lot of young women, some of whom were minors. The American people are entitled to know who — if anyone — he trafficked these young women to, besides himself, and why they weren’t prosecuted,” John Kennedy, R-La., said. “Now that’s a very simple question that’s at the bottom of all of this. The Department of Justice is going to have to answer that question to the satisfaction of the American people.” TABLES TURN AS HOUSE GOP BLASTS DEMS FOR SUDDENLY DEMANDING EPSTEIN TRANSPARENCY FROM TRUMP ADMIN Kennedy’s call for transparency comes after the president described the Epstein situation as a “hoax” while blasting Democrats and other “weaklings” who continue to buy into it. “Their new SCAM is what we will forever call the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax, and my PAST supporters have bought into this ‘bull—-,’ hook, line, and sinker,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform last month amid mounting reports of internal division within the administration over its handling of the Epstein case When asked about how the Trump administration was handling the Epstein furor, Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., said he thought the situation was being used by Democrats to create a “distraction” from the ongoing investigations into former President Biden and others, like the probe related to Biden’s use of an autopen tool to sign important documents and the investigation into whether Obama-era officials manufactured evidence to accuse Trump of Russian collusion. “Look what’s being investigated right now through the Biden administration. … So, what are they going to talk about now?” Mullin asked. “This is nothing but a distraction from the actual facts that is coming out about the Biden administration. Of course, the Democrats say, ‘Well, we’re just about transparency.’ Well, where was the transparency the last four years?” Democrats have suggested Trump could be implicated in the files, but Mullin said that if such a circumstance were true, the information would have been leaked by the Biden administration. Mullin’s counterpart in the Senate, Republican Oklahoma Sen. James Lankford took more of a middle ground in his response about how the administration has been handling the Epstein files. “The challenge is there are people that are victims that are in it, and there are folks that are not criminals that are in it as well,” Lankford said. “And the challenge the Department of Justice has is you’ve got a girl that was 14, 16 years old and was abused. Well, now she’s, let’s say 26 or 30, married and has children. “Maybe her family knows about this, maybe they don’t. I don’t know the situation, but we gotta figure out a way to be able to protect those folks that are genuine victims on all this as well as getting out as much information as you possibly can.” For Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, the debate about the Epstein files was not something she was interested in talking about when approached by Fox News Digital. “I’m going,” Collins responded when pressed on the matter outside the Capitol complex.
Federal agencies directed to delete employee COVID vaccination records and exemption requests
In a sweeping move aimed at rolling back pandemic-era mandates, the Trump administration on Friday directed all federal agencies to erase any records related to employees’ COVID-19 vaccination status, prior mandate noncompliance or exemption requests. The guidance, issued by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), was a response to recent litigation and is part of a broader push to reverse what officials have described as “harmful pandemic-era policies” imposed under the Biden administration. “Things got out of hand during the pandemic, and federal workers were fired, punished or sidelined for simply making a personal medical decision,” OPM Director Scott Kupor said in a statement. “That should never have happened. Thanks to President [Donald] Trump’s leadership, we’re making sure the excesses of that era do not have lingering effects on federal workers.” TRUMP ADMIN ISSUES NEW GUIDANCE TO PROTECT RELIGIOUS EXPRESSION ACROSS FEDERAL WORKFORCE Former President Joe Biden signed Executive Order 14043 in September 2021, directing federal agencies to require COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of federal employment. After the controversial demand, numerous lawsuits were filed by federal employees, unions and states alleging the mandate violated constitutional rights and federal labor laws. EXCLUSIVE: TRUMP ADMIN STRENGTHENS RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATIONS IN FEDERAL WORKFORCE A federal appeals court blocked enforcement of the order in 2022m and Biden repealed the mandate in May 2023, prompting OPM officials to issue a memorandum to human resources directors stating that “agencies should review their job postings … to ensure that none list compliance with the now revoked Executive Order 14043 as a qualification requirement.” The memo also reminded agencies that the executive order could no longer be enforced. SUPREME COURT LETS TRUMP’S ‘WRECKING BALL’ FEDERAL JOB CUTS PROCEED WHILE LEGAL FIGHT CONTINUES In a memo to heads and acting heads of departments and agencies Friday, Kupor announced that, effective immediately, agencies are barred from using a person’s vaccine history or exemption requests in any employment-related decision, including hiring, promotion, discipline or termination. Unless an employee affirmatively opts out within 90 days, all vaccine-related information must be permanently removed from both physical and electronic personnel files. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Agencies must certify compliance with the memo by Sept. 8, according to the memo. The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Ken Paxton asks Texas Supreme Court to expel 13 House Democrats over redistricting standoff
Gov. Greg Abbott previously asked the court to expel Rep. Gene Wu, the House Democratic leader. Paxton disputed the governor’s authority to make the request.