Rashida Tlaib rally moved after Jewish-owned Florida venue cancels event, cites ‘increased security concerns’
Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., an outspoken critic of Israel, was set to headline a rally in South Florida boosting three progressive Democratic candidates before the Jewish-owned venue hosting the event backed out a day before. The “Chomp the Oligarchy” rally to support two U.S. House candidates and one Senate candidate was scheduled for Friday night at The Venue in Fort Lauderdale, just four days before Florida’s primary election. State Rep. Michael Gottlieb, a Democrat, posted Thursday morning calling the event “anti-Jew,” while also accusing House candidates Elijah Manley and Oliver Larkin, along with state Rep. Angie Nixon — who is seeking the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate — of being part of an “Anti-Israel and Anti-Zionism coalition.” Gottlieb then said Tlaib “has by far the deepest record of antisemitic allegations and is being brought here to help these candidates raise funds for their campaigns.” JEWISH CALIFORNIA CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE SAYS HARASSMENT FROM GAZA AGITATORS WENT ‘BEYOND FREE SPEECH’ Following Gottlieb’s post, The Venue posted a statement Thursday night indicating that the event was canceled, citing “increased security concerns.” The statement did not mention Tlaib by name but said management pulled out after becoming aware of the “full scope” of the event and reviewing promotional materials. “Due to the increased security concerns as well as the welfare of attendees and staff, the decision was then made that the event would not proceed at our property,” the statement said. “The Venue Fort Lauderdale is Jewish-owned and operated and our values and commitment to the Jewish community are deeply important to us.” Fox News Digital reached out to The Venue for additional comment. Tlaib’s representatives did not immediately return a request for comment. DEMOCRATS SPLIT OVER TLAIB’S LEBANON MEASURE AS REPUBLICANS SEIZE ON HEZBOLLAH OMISSION Prior to the event being canceled, The Venue reached out to Gottlieb asking him to take down his post, something he refused to do, The New York Times reported. Cameron Driggers, a lead organizer for the rally, told the Times that the Venue reached out to the rally organizers saying it would only host the event if Tlaib was uninvited, but the organizers refused. Manley, who has been endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America, is facing off against Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., while Larkin, a self-identified DSA member, is challenging incumbent Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla. Nixon is running against Alexander Vindman, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel known for testifying during President Donald Trump’s first impeachment inquiry. JEFFRIES DECLINES TO BACK WASSERMAN SCHULTZ AS BLACK LEADERS REVOLT OVER DISTRICT SWITCH The “Chomp the Oligarchy” event’s organizers said on Instagram that they “will not be silenced by racist right-wing agitators and conservative Democrats,” adding that they will “keep fighting to deliver for working-class Floridians.” The rally ended up taking place at an alternate outdoor location reportedly with about 300 supporters in attendance. In his speech, Larkin addressed the tumult surrounding the event. “What we’ve seen in the last 36 hours is a mobilization campaign to try to intimidate and harass us with a campaign of Islamophobia. A campaign that seeks to excuse AIPAC’s corrupting influence over our elections,” Larkin said to a chorus of boos from the crowd. DEMOCRATS SPLIT OVER TLAIB’S LEBANON MEASURE AS REPUBLICANS SEIZE ON HEZBOLLAH OMISSION Tlaib also appeared at the rally as planned, introducing Nixon before she delivered her remarks. Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital on Wednesday “it’s no coincidence” Tlaib would be appearing at an event supporting candidates seeking to defeat Jewish Democrats. Tlaib, the first Palestinian American woman in Congress, has faced bipartisan criticism for her comments on Israel and Jewish people. The Michigan congresswoman has denied accusations of antisemitism. Congress censured Tlaib in 2023 for her embrace of the slogan “from the river to the sea,” which she says is an “aspirational call for freedom, human rights, and peaceful coexistence” from Palestinians. Many Jews view the slogan as a veiled call for genocide against Israelis.
Top Dem operative brushes off latest scandal plaguing Maine Senate candidate as ‘salacious gossip’
High profile Democrats aren’t backing off their support for Maine Senate candidate Troy Jackson following reports he fathered children with his cousin. Former Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Donna Brazile was among the chorus of party voices throwing cold water on the claims about Jackson in a scandal-plagued Senate race that was already upended after former far-left candidate Graham Platner was forced to drop out earlier this summer following a series of controversies that culminated in a rape allegation. And now, Jackson is facing even more turmoil with the most recent revelations of a 1988 police report accusing him of assault. “There’s a lot of people who are doing a lot of gossip as news, and I don’t want to break news that might not be true — especially on something so personal — that’s not what I do,” Brazile told Fox News Digital when asked about the report Jackson had two children with his cousin and longtime partner Lana Pelletier. INTERNET ERUPTS OVER REPORT THAT PLATNER’S REPLACEMENT IN KEY SENATE RACE FATHERED CHILDREN WITH SECOND COUSIN Jackson became the Democrat nominee for Senate in Maine despite Platner winning the June 9 primary race. Platner formally dropped out on July 10 — just in time for the Democratic Party to select a replacement for the November general election ballot. But just weeks after being nominated to step into the race, Jackson came under fire when a shocking report hit the internet claiming his longtime partner, with whom he shares two children, is his cousin. Brazile, a veteran Democrat and longtime operative for the party, told Fox News Digital she doesn’t “know anything about Mr. Jackson,” when asked about the relationship with his cousin. “I wish him the best of luck. I don’t know many… some of the nominees, but I wish them the best luck,” Brazile said, remaining agnostic to those particular claims. “There are so many lies,” Brazile went on. “I don’t really want to comment on salacious gossip — innuendos.” “All I know is that that’s going to be one of the most competitive races, and we’ll all be watching in the fall,” she concluded. The bombshell report introduces another threat to the already tumultuous race where Democrats are trying to flip the Senate seat currently held by Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine. FOX NEWS POLL: NEW MATCHUP, SAME RESULT: MAINE SENATE RACE STAYS LOCKED The Maine Wire editor Steven Robinson reported that Jackson shares two children with his second cousin “by blood” and alleged high school sweetheart, Lana Pelletier. In posting the genealogical findings, the independent journalist claimed Pelletier’s father is a cousin of Jackson’s mother. “I think it’s important to get the facts,” Brazile said about the report. A longtime political strategist, Brazile served as interim chair of the Democratic National Committee in 2011 and again in 2016. She has remained an influential voice within Democratic politics through multiple midterm election cycles and has often weighed in on candidates and the party’s overall direction following major electoral setbacks. Shortly after Brazile and other Democrats refused to abandon their support for Jackson in the Maine Senate race, a police report from 1988 resurfaced accusing Jackson of assaulting a man in an altercation over Pelletier. The same report states that Pelletier told the police that Jackson “pushed her around.” Jackson said in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital said, “I took responsibility for [the fight] then, and I take responsibility for it now.” Pelletier, for her part, claimed the statements attributed to her in the report are “not accurate,” and defended Jackson in a separate statement to Fox News Digital. “I do not remember making the statements attributed to me and they are not accurate,” she said. “This is the first time I have seen this report from 40 years ago. Troy and I have built a life and family together and I know the person he has been through the decades since, both as a caring partner and father.” EMBATTLED MAINE DEMOCRAT DEADLOCKED WITH COLLINS DESPITE CONTROVERSIES IN KEY SENATE RACE, NEW POLL SHOWS Jackson is up against Collins, who has held her Senate seat since 1997. The Democrat candidate accused Collins’ team of being responsible for the accusation that he fathered his second cousin’s children as a “shameful and desperate” attempt to bruise his campaign. But he has never directly denied in previous statements to Fox News Digital the claims that Pelletier, the mother of his two children, is his cousin. “Susan Collins will do anything to distract from the fact that she votes with Trump 96% of the time and has sold out working people in Maine. Personal attacks on Troy’s family are shameful and desperate,” Jackson’s campaign said in the statement. Jackson’s campaign did not respond to Fox News Digital’s most recent requests for comment. Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
DSA brand on trial as El-Sayed struggles where Dems can least afford it
A combustible and divisive Democratic Senate primary in battleground Michigan is giving Republicans an early edge as they aim to flip a crucial Democrat-held seat in the midterm elections. A Fox News poll conducted after this month’s primary showdown, in which left-wing candidate Abdul El-Sayed narrowly edged more moderate Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens to capture the party’s nomination in the race to defend the seat held by retiring Sen. Gary Peters, indicates El-Sayed is having difficulty unifying the Democratic base. That appears to be giving Republican nominee and former Rep. Mike Rogers more ammunition to court Democrats uncomfortable with some of El-Sayed’s controversial past comments and far-left policy positions. Democrats must hold the swing state seat as part of their uphill climb to win back the Senate majority from the GOP. HEAD HERE FOR ALL OF THE LATEST FOX NEWS POLLS According to a Fox News survey of Michigan registered voters conducted Aug. 6-10 and released this week, Rogers held a 51%-47% edge over El-Sayed, within the survey’s margin of sampling error. Rogers’ edge is fueled largely by stronger party unity among Republicans. Nearly all Republicans (96%), including both MAGA (99%) and non-MAGA Republicans (89%), backed Rogers, the poll indicates. El-Sayed’s support among Democrats is slightly lower, at 91%. While 98% of self-described Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) supporters backed El-Sayed, that number dropped to 69% of non-DSA Democrats and independents. WHO’S UP AND WHO’S DOWN: CHECK OUT THE FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS ON THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS Meanwhile, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, the more moderate Democratic gubernatorial nominee in the race to succeed term-limited Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, grabbed 81% support among non-DSA Democrats and independents. That helped fuel Benson’s overall 52%-47% advantage over Republican gubernatorial nominee Rep. John James. “El-Sayed is clearly underperforming in some groups…There is damage done from the primary,” veteran pollster and strategist Chris Anderson, the Democratic partner on the Fox News Poll, said. Anderson told Fox News Digital that El-Sayed “needs to bring home Democrats…He has his work cut out for him and he needs to convince some folks, but I think there’s favorable ground for him to be playing on despite the concerns that a lot of voters hold.” Rogers, in an interview with Fox News Digital ahead of the primary, said “we’ve unified the Republican Party in a way I haven’t seen in decades here on this particular race.” “We’re building our team, our resources, and ready for the fight…in a way I don’t think Democrats are expecting,” Rogers, who is backed by President Donald Trump as he runs for the Senate for a second straight cycle, touted. DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB A former Wayne County Health Department director, El-Sayed, if elected in November, would make history as the nation’s first Muslim senator. He is an epidemiologist who unsuccessfully ran for governor as an insurgent candidate in 2018. He has made support for “Medicare-for-all” a major component of his campaign. He has also called for abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and is a vocal critic of Israel during its war with Hamas — even characterizing Israel’s actions in Gaza as “genocide” against Palestinians. El-Sayed, who was endorsed and joined on the campaign trail by progressive champions Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, has also vowed not to accept PAC donations. Republicans argue that El-Sayed is too far to the left and too radical for the Great Lakes swing state. Rogers, in his Fox News Digital interview, called El-Sayed “way too extreme for Michigan. I mean, Abdul, he has his own special sauce of crazy.” SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER In a campaign video released last week, Rogers reached out to Democrats he called “hopeless, because the person who won [their party’s primary] does not represent your values, well, just know, there is still hope” and said they have a “home” with his campaign. El-Sayed, speaking to Fox News Digital on the eve of the primary, was confident that he would be able to unite Democrats. “I think we all understand the risk of Donald Trump. We all understand the risk of Mike Rogers,” El-Sayed said. Referring to voters who supported Stevens, he emphasized, “I think everybody understands what the stakes are. So I’m looking forward to welcoming everybody who might have voted differently in the primary.” Anderson, the veteran Democratic pollster, said he expects El-Sayed to better unify the Democratic base as Election Day nears. “These are folks who in highly partisan environment are going to be faced with do they vote for a Democrat or a Republican,” Anderson said.
Gun rights gets ‘greatest restoration’ in 100 years with latest Trump DOJ move, lawmaker hails
Gun rights advocates are cheering a recent ruling that will make it easier for people to obtain firearm suppressors and certain weapons, with a business founder-turned-lawmaker calling it “the greatest restoration” of Second Amendment rights in almost a century. Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., who founded Clyde Armory in his home state of Georgia before he was elected to Congress, argued that the regulatory barrier was wrong in the first place because it taxed a constitutional right. “If you can tax something legitimately, then you can actually destroy it through increased taxation. You might, quote, ‘have a right on paper,’ but you don’t really have a right because you can’t afford the right. Is that really a right? It’s not,” Clyde told Fox News Digital. “So here we are removing the taxation on a constitutional right from a bill that was passed in 1934. And once you remove the tax aspect of it, then you remove the constitutionality of the registration aspect.” GUN RIGHTS GROUPS CAPITALIZE AFTER JUDGE REVERSES DECADES-OLD RESTRICTIONS: ‘MONUMENTAL’ Clyde led the charge last year to roll back part of the National Firearms Act of 1934, a push that was ultimately successful in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). Under the 92-year-old law, a $200 tax was established on silencers, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns and other firearms that also required additional federal registration to obtain. Republicans reduced that tax to $0 in the OBBBA, which gun rights groups then used to successfully argue that the added registration was unconstitutional. The ruling affects the parties that brought the lawsuit and is not a national injunction on the law, however, according to the Associated Press. But Clyde said it was an “incredible win for the Second Amendment,” adding he hoped “more wins” would come in the future. INSIDE TRUMP’S UNPRECEDENTED BATTLE PLAN TO EXPAND SECOND AMENDMENT RIGHTS THROUGH JUSTICE DEPARTMENT “When you protect the Second Amendment, which protects every other amendment in the entire Constitution — I think that’s the teeth behind the Constitution,” Clyde said. “The right to free assembly, the right to freedom of religion, the rights of freedom of speech, the right of the free press, and the right to take your grievances to the government without fear of persecution or prosecution — that’s the First Amendment, and that’s what the Second Amendment protects,” he added. Clyde later led 47 Republican lawmakers in a letter urging Attorney General Todd Blanche not to appeal the ruling. The letter reads: “An appeal would prolong regulatory uncertainty for law-abiding gun owners and businesses and would consume DOJ resources defending a position that this Congress and now a federal district court has said cannot stand.” CLARENCE THOMAS’ CONSTITUTIONAL ARGUMENT AGAINST FEDERAL GUN LAW GETS FIRST MAJOR COURT TEST Gun right activists’ celebrations were compounded on Thursday when the Trump administration did not file an appeal to the judge’s ruling, meaning the order could go into effect without pause. Gun violence prevention groups panned the inaction, however. “Today, our government is failing us. At midnight, uniquely lethal weapons and devices — including silencers, short-barreled rifles, and shotguns — were deregulated for the first time in nearly a century,” Kris Brown, president of Brady: United Against Gun Violence said in a statement on Thursday. “The Department of Justice had the opportunity to act to protect our safety, but it failed to do so…Today, the gun industry and silencer dealers are celebrating, while Americans are left less safe.”
Socialist in Trump country gives Karl Marx vision thumbs-up before ducking key tax question
Florida socialist congressional candidate Oliver Larkin repeatedly declined to say how much he would raise taxes on high earners while defending his call to tax billionaires “out of existence” during a contentious interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity. Larkin, who volunteered for then-Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., in 2008 and led a New Hampshire presidential campaign field office for Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., in 2016, sparred with Hannity over his Democratic Socialists of America-aligned platform as Florida voters prepare to vote Tuesday. When asked about the idea of an economy based on the promise of “to each American based on their needs from each American based on their ability,” Larkin replied, “I think that’s a fine concept.” EXPERT WHO FLED CUBA WARNS OF ‘VICIOUS CYCLE’ THAT WILL LEAD TO ‘COMMUNISTS IN DOUBLE DIGITS’ IN CONGRESS The axiom was popularized in 1875 by German political theorist Karl Marx in his “Critique of the Gotha Programme.” Larkin, who is challenging moderate Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., in a district considered a prime Republican target in November’s general election, said he was less concerned with ideological labels than with meeting his potential new constituents every day. “I’m coming at the race from a pragmatic point of view of what the American people and the people of South Florida need, and that is Medicare-for-all, that is universal child care, that is the policy proposals that you just articulated on your show,” Larkin told Hannity. Before introducing Larkin, Hannity listed a series of policies he said the millennial left-winger supported, including abolishing the Electoral College, automatic same-day voter registration, shunning fossil fuels, abolishing ICE and prosecuting its agents, free public college, an end to sanctions on Iran and Cuba and a “passionate hatred of Israel,” in the conservative host’s words. THE MEDICARE FOR ALL TRADE-OFFS SOCIALISTS AREN’T TALKING ABOUT, ACCORDING TO EXPERTS Hannity challenged Larkin to go beyond the proposals and explain how he would achieve each of his policy objectives, starting with higher federal taxes “Out of every dollar these so-called ‘evil rich people’ make, how much should they be able to keep…?” he asked. Instead of offering a figure, Larkin praised former Presidents Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower for presiding over extremely high top marginal tax rates. “Give me a number,” Hannity demanded. PROGRESSIVES WANT TO TAX BILLIONAIRES FIRST, AND YOU’RE NEXT ON THE LIST “What percentage of every dollar should every American be able to keep after they pay the government, local, state, federal [taxes]?” Larkin replied that the figure depends on income, but did not specify any income ranges except to say that “billionaires should be taxed out of existence.” Hannity countered that most billionaires are among the “most brilliant” people and argued that it is wrong to take money from the most creative Americans through higher taxes. Larkin replied that X CEO Elon Musk — the world’s richest person — has received billions in government subsidies that helped build his wealth, arguing that billionaires should therefore face higher taxes and calling the South African immigrant a “vulture” for buying Tesla and presiding over its largesse himself. Hannity returned to pressing the candidate for specifics about his plans, including what tax rates Americans at different income levels should pay under a socialist system: “How much are you willing to let the government take? How much? Give us a number,” he said, asking for an example with an American making $100,000 per annum. “I want to see a return on our taxpayer investment,” Larkin replied without offering a specific figure. “I’m not interested in changing the tax rate on middle-class Americans on people making a hundred grand,” he later added, prompting Hannity to ask what tax rate should apply to people making $500,000. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER “Give me a number,” he insisted. “The DSA people talk a lot about fairness. What is fair for a guy that makes a half a million dollars a year out of every dollar — how much should the government get? Answer the question.” “It’s not that simple,” Larkin argued. After crosstalk, the candidate said the cap on income subject to Social Security taxes should be raised, but did not specify an amount. Moskowitz’ and Larkin’s district — which has changed numbers several times — has been represented by Democrats for most of the modern era. Over the past two decades, including when it was numbered the 22nd District, Col. Allen West has been the only Republican to represent the district. West served one term. From its inception in 1993 through the early years of George W. Bush’s presidency, the district was represented by Republican Rep. Eugene Clay Shaw Jr. After socialist candidates lost in Wisconsin but won in Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York and Minnesota, Florida Democrats will decide Tuesday whether to follow the same trend. Fox News Digital reached out to Larkin for comment.
Trump scores major immigration victory as judge clears way to end TPS protections for thousands of Somalis
President Donald Trump scored a major legal victory Friday after a federal judge cleared the way for his administration to terminate temporary legal protections for thousands of Somali nationals living in the United States. U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs in Boston lifted a stay that had prevented the Department of Homeland Security from terminating Somalia’s Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation, citing a June Supreme Court ruling that sharply limited judicial review of similar administration actions. The decision allows the Trump administration to move forward with ending TPS for Somalia, potentially exposing affected migrants who lack another lawful basis to remain in the U.S. to deportation. SUPREME COURT’S LATEST IMMIGRATION RULING WILL CAUSE AMERICANS TO ‘DIE AND SUFFER’ ATTORNEY WARNS Burroughs, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, had previously blocked the termination from taking effect in a lawsuit brought by four Somali nationals and two advocacy groups, including African Communities Together. The Trump administration announced in January that it planned to terminate Somalia’s TPS designation, with then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem arguing that conditions in the country had improved enough to end the humanitarian protections. The Supreme Court ruled in June in Mullin v. Doe that the TPS statute bars judicial review of certain non-constitutional decisions by the administration to terminate TPS designations. The court also found that the plaintiffs’ equal protection challenge in that case was unlikely to succeed. The ruling curtailed lower courts’ ability to review Trump administration efforts to terminate TPS designations for nationals of multiple countries. SUPREME COURT WEIGHS TRUMP EFFORT TO TERMINATE TEMPORARY PROTECTIONS FOR HAITIAN, SYRIAN MIGRANTS Plaintiffs challenging the termination of Somalia’s designation argued that the administration’s decision was motivated by bias against non-White immigrants, pointing to Trump’s previous descriptions of Somalis as “garbage” and “low IQ people.” Following the Supreme Court’s ruling, the plaintiffs filed an amended complaint raising new constitutional claims and sought emergency relief in another effort to prevent Somalia’s TPS protections from ending. Burroughs issued an administrative stay earlier this month after African Communities Together and other plaintiffs alleged that the administration violated the Fifth Amendment by terminating Somalia’s TPS designation based on racial and national-origin discrimination. In Friday’s ruling, Burroughs said the plaintiffs had presented a compelling case but concluded that the Supreme Court’s decision constrained her ability to continue blocking the administration’s action. BIDEN JUDGE OVERRULED ON KEY TRUMP IMMIGRATION POLICY Burroughs wrote that she was “bound … to view things through the Mullin prism,” referring to the Supreme Court case. “Plaintiffs have made a convincing showing that they will suffer irreparable harm if the injunction is withheld … and the balance of hardships and the public interest also favor Plaintiffs, given that the government has made no showing that maintaining TPS status for the duration of this litigation would impose an undue burden,” she wrote. Despite those findings, Burroughs lifted the stay, allowing the administration’s termination of Somalia’s TPS designation to move forward. The Trump administration’s decision affects several thousand Somali nationals currently living in the United States. Sources at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services previously told Fox News Digital that 2,471 Somali nationals in the U.S. currently have TPS, while another 1,383 have pending TPS applications. Fox News Digital’s Preston Mizell and Elaine Mallon, along with Reuters, contributed to this report.
Veteran pediatrician hails Medicaid shift ending youth sex-change treatments: ‘This is not denial of care’
The sweeping policy shift announced Tuesday to end Medicaid funding for youth sex-change treatments is being hailed by at least one veteran pediatrician, who argued that the procedures were never “compassionate” approaches for children facing gender dysphoria. In an interview with Fox News Digital, Dr. Quentin Van Meter, the immediate past president of the American College of Pediatricians (ACPeds), reflected on the new restrictions issued by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). “I’m really congratulating HHS and CMS for… taking the step to block the medical and surgical interventions or funding for those in those healthcare systems… primarily because it’s not an appropriate kind of intervention,” Van Meter said. Despite claims that children will be left to suffer under the policy change, Van Meter, a pediatric endocrinologist, asserted that government intervention is not meant to strip them of the care they need, arguing instead for ongoing mental health treatment to address the underlying issues driving their distress. MEDICAID ENDS FUNDING FOR CHILD SEX-CHANGE PROCEDURES AS TRUMP ADMIN SLAMS ‘EXPERIMENTAL’ TREATMENTS “This is not denial of care. This is not lack of compassion. This is not denial that these patients exist, as we are told that we are doing this,” he added. “This is actually very compassionate, very appropriate, and has been scientifically proven to be of benefit to these children.” Van Meter, who has 42 years of experience in the field dating back to his fellowship at Johns Hopkins in the late 1970s, further argued that “puberty is not a disease” and that interventions intended to alter its course under sex-change procedures can instead exacerbate the mental health problems children are facing. Tuesday’s policy shift also comes against the backdrop of what Van Meter described as a collapsing medical framework behind the youth transgender movement, citing mounting evidence and a series of disturbing findings. This includes a federally funded study researchers allegedly tried to bury after multiple transitioning children reportedly died by suicide, federal allegations challenging a prominent transgender medical authority, the shocking rise in potentially thousands of detransitioners, and the irreversible damage caused by sex changes, including sterilization. SEN HAWLEY WARNS IT WOULD BE ‘UNCONSCIONABLE’ IF BILLIONS OF TAXPAYER FUNDS FLOW TO TRANS KIDS’ SEX CHANGES One of the examples Van Meter pointed to dates back to 2015, when the National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded a five-year study to examine the outcomes of sex-change hormones in children. By the second year, three participants had died by suicide. Not only did researchers fail to immediately halt the study after the first death, they also attempted to bury the results by refusing to publish the data, according to Van Meter. The study’s chief investigators reportedly had a significant conflict of interest, having been “very proactive in the transgender arena” and often asserting that “these treatments are very beneficial and should be continued.” The multimillion-dollar study, titled “The Impact of Early Medical Treatment in Transgender Youth,” was later scrutinized by a GOP-led Senate committee in 2024. The committee accused the researchers involved of having “intentionally withheld scientific data from the American public showing that puberty blockers do not improve the mental health of children.” The Republican lawmakers involved added that the study also found 11 participants with suicidal thoughts. DETRANSITIONER CHLOE COLE SHARES COMPLICATIONS AFTER GENDER PROCEDURES: ‘I AM GRIEVING’ Separately, a major transgender medical authority known for spearheading the pediatric sex-change guidelines that major medical groups relied on, has been accused of promoting ideological opinion instead of evidence-based medicine. The criticism centers on the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), which is being challenged in a Texas court case involving the Federal Trade Commission. “None of this is a standard of care, none of it is rigorous. It’s just their specific opinion based on their ideology,” Van Meter said. Van Meter added that there has been a significant increase in the number of people seeking to detransition, citing online support resources that reportedly receive an estimated 600 to 700 hits per month from patients seeking help. During a conference last March, Van Meter said he encountered roughly 85 individuals from around the world who wanted to detransition, indicating that “there clearly is a population for which this has been a detriment.” HHS OFFICIAL WARNS OF IRREVERSIBLE RISKS AS TRUMP ADMIN RESTRICTS FUNDING FOR YOUTH GENDER PROCEDURES However, detransitioning is reportedly a highly complex process that involves reconstructive surgeries, gradual medication weaning and extensive mental health support. Sex-change treatments can ultimately result in severe and irreversible physical harms, Van Meter said. Pediatric interventions can result in permanent sterilization, profound sexual dysfunction, permanently diminished bone density, impaired brain development, a heightened risk of early dementia and lifelong health conditions requiring continuous medical management. The desire to undergo sex-change procedures can often emerge among vulnerable children “when their life is falling apart,” as they seek an escape from underlying problems such as divorced parents, parental incarceration, alcoholism, drug abuse or the death of a family member, Van Meter said. Impressionable children may then encounter online communities that frame undergoing a sex change as a cure-all or claim that their gender is the root of their problems. FTC ALLEGES INFLUENTIAL TRANSGENDER HEALTH ORGANIZATION MISLED PARENTS ABOUT SAFETY OF YOUTH TREATMENTS Beyond the need for better mental health access for children, Van Meter said more should be changed systemically across transgender policies. Van Meter proposed cutting federal funding from medical schools that promote research into sex-change treatments or teach such procedures as the standard of care in their curricula. He said doctors and pediatricians often uncritically promote transitions because they can easily be labeled a “bigot” or “hater” otherwise. Health care workers who disagree are also denied a voice in medical literature, academic departments and professional associations, he said. Additionally, he added, the statute of limitations should be extended to give detransitioners ample time to sue healthcare providers for facilitating such treatments, while clinics should be audited for scientific transparency.
Legal expert calls for Smithsonian leadership overhaul over ‘self-loathing’ portrayal of history: ‘It’s bile’
A legal expert is calling for a leadership overhaul at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History (NMAH), arguing the museum has embraced a negative, “self-loathing” portrayal of the nation’s past. “I think this is part of a broader effort by radicals on the left to redefine the history of the United States and reframe it in an oppressor-versus-oppressed narrative,” Cully Stimson, a senior legal fellow at the Heritage Foundation and former assistant U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C., told Fox News Digital. “Instead of looking at American history chronologically with all the triumphs and tragedies, including slavery, and then the things that our country did to eradicate the vestiges of slavery, and then passing the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments and the Civil Rights Acts and getting rid of various other laws that were discriminatory in practice or in spirit. They take a very pro-reparations, ‘we’re a bad country,’ oppressor-versus-oppressed narrative.” The comments come after a July 2026 White House report accused the Smithsonian of advancing DEI and left-wing agendas, prompting a pair of heated congressional hearings that put National Museum of American History Director Anthea Hartig under the national spotlight. DESCENDANT OF SLAVES SHAMES SMITHSONIAN’S WOKE ‘INDOCTRINATION’ AGAINST THE ‘GREATEST NATION ON EARTH’ Lawmakers accused museum leaders of allowing political activism to seep into exhibits and influence how history is presented, while Hartig maintained that the museum is nonpartisan and “does not take sides in America’s political debates.” Stimson said the hearings are exposing “bile that they’re trying to pass off as history,” saying “sunlight’s a good disinfectant.” “If the head of the Smithsonian had any shame whatsoever, she would have resigned in disgrace already and she doesn’t have any shame because she’s perfectly happy with what she’s done,” Stimson said. “She’s just the pointy end of the radical spear that’s out there trying to force this thing down the throats of Americans.” Stimson said Hartig should have been fired “the minute after the hearing” for what he called “smug and self-righteous” behavior during her testimony and for failing to take accountability. “Her little writing the question down and her smugness was really evincing of what she really thinks of the American people and congressional oversight,” he said. REP GILL CHALLENGES ‘GENUINELY INSANE AND OBJECTIVELY OFFENSIVE’ DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS AFTER VIRAL HEARING Looking back to America’s 250th anniversary celebrations in July, when hundreds of thousands of people came to D.C. to celebrate the milestone, Stimson said families and children were instead greeted with “all sorts of disgusting things, bondage, and all sorts of other nasty things” at the museum. Some of the controversial exhibits highlighted in the report and hearings featured sexually explicit material, focused on race, gender and sexuality, and portrayed the Founding Fathers through their ties to slavery rather than their roles in building America. “There should be an entire section dedicated toward the Founding Fathers and the Constitutional Convention of 1787 and the Reconstruction Amendments and all the things that happened, the Civil War, but no,” he said. Stimson said America has gone through many ups and downs “to get beyond the ugly parts of our history,” giving Americans reason to celebrate the country today. “We should not have a museum dedicated to flagellation and self-loathing,” he said. “That is not how you celebrate your country.” Many Democrats have also accused Republicans of trying to “whitewash” history, a claim Stimson rejected, saying that celebrating America does not mean ignoring the darker parts of its past. MIKE ROWE SAYS HISTORY SHOWS WHY AMERICANS KEEP REJECTING SOCIALISM “Celebrating doesn’t mean whitewashing history,” he said. “Every civilization throughout mankind has had slavery. That doesn’t make it right, it makes it reality.” But Stimson said this approach to teaching history goes further than the museums and that the concern is “something you need to be aware of.” “You see this in higher ed, you see this unfortunately in high school and even below in lower schools, and unfortunately at our premier national museums, including the American History Museum,” he said. Stimson said people should take away the same lessons that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic, when parents isolated at home got a firsthand look at what their children were being taught. “That’s why you saw more and more homeschoolers, more and more people in the school choice movement just explode across the country,” he said. He added “parents are the first educators of their children” and it’s up to them “to present American history” the right way. A complete reset could be what the museum needs, according to Stimson. “That’s all it is,” he said. “It’s bile. It needs to be ripped out, root and branch, and redone.” Fox News Digital reached out to the Smithsonian for comment but did not receive a response before publication.
DFW Airport scraps controversial Islamic foot-washing station plan as Texas Gov Abbott takes aim
FIRST ON FOX: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday directed a review of state grants to entities operating two major Texas airports over religious accommodations after Dallas Fort Worth International Airport said it would no longer move forward with a proposal to install Islamic washing stations. Abbott said the state will review grants to entities operating DFW and George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston for possible revocation and denial of future funding. He also referred both airports to the U.S. Department of Transportation for investigation. “Government-owned airports cannot favor one religion over all others,” Abbott wrote on X Friday. “DFW plans to install Islamic wudu washing facilities are illegal. I’ve directed a review of all state grants to both airports for possible revocation, and referred DFW & IAH to USDOT for investigation. “Texas will not allow illegal religious discrimination at taxpayer-funded facilities.” DALLAS-FORT WORTH AIRPORT TO INSTALL ISLAMIC FOOT WASH STATIONS INSIDE BATHROOMS DFW told Fox News Digital Friday it had been evaluating a proposal to add ablution washing stations on the pre-security side of Terminal D, its international terminal, but accelerated that review in response to increased public attention. “DFW was in the process of evaluating an internal proposal to add a set of ablution washing stations on the pre-security side of Terminal D, the international terminal. Like all proposed projects, the airport ultimately considers the operational benefits, customer service impacts, operational risks and costs before approving them,” the airport said. “While that evaluation was planned, the airport accelerated its review due to elevated public interest this week and has determined not to proceed with the project as it would not deliver the originally anticipated operational benefits.” The project was registered with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation July 31. The filing initially listed the project as privately funded, estimated its cost at $300,000 and indicated construction would be completed by the end of the year. DFW previously said those details resulted from administrative errors by the airport’s outside design firm and stressed that the project had not received final approval. CONNECTICUT BARS NATIVITY DISPLAY IN STATE CAPITOL BECAUSE IT’S ‘RELIGIOUS,’ LAWSUIT THREAT SAYS “While the estimate noted was $300,000, that was a preliminary high estimate, and we expect the project, if it were approved to proceed, would cost closer to $120,000,” a spokesperson for DFW previously told Fox News Digital. The airport said the design firm also mistakenly selected “privately funded” when submitting the regulatory filing. “That was an error, and it should have indicated that airport funds would be used to pay for the work like all our projects,” DFW said. DFW said it does not use taxpayer dollars for airport operations and instead relies on revenue streams, including parking and concessions. MYSTERY WI-FI NETWORK ABOARD FLIGHT RAISES ‘UNUSUAL’ ALARM ABOUT TRAVELERS’ INFORMATION Abbott’s office said Friday that George Bush Intercontinental Airport already has an ablution station and an adjoining prayer room. In a letter to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Abbott asked the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration to review religious facilities and accommodations at both airports. “These ablution facilities appear designed to single out one subset of the population for special treatment based on religion. That is illegal,” Abbott said. “Both airports are government-owned facilities. The federal and state constitutions prohibit government from facilitating this sort of discrimination. Just as the government cannot favor the secular over the sacred, it also cannot favor one religious view over all others.” Abbott’s office said recipients of state grants must certify compliance with laws prohibiting discrimination. Similar low-level basins and interfaith spaces exist at other major U.S. airports, including Chicago O’Hare, Fox News Digital previously reported. Fox News Digital has reached out to Houston Airports and the U.S. Department of Transportation for comment. Fox News Digital’s Landon Mion contributed to this report.
Reagan National Airport makes drastic change following deadly 2025 midair collision
A new radar system has been installed at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in the Washington, D.C., area after a 2025 midair collision that killed 67 people due to multiple systemic failures. The airport has received the Surface Movement Radar, known as SMR-4, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Friday. The technology will help air traffic controllers identify aircraft and vehicles moving along runways and taxiways, even in bad weather and low-visibility conditions. “This new radar is our latest reinforcement tool to equip our controllers as they safeguard our air travel. We’re working at the speed of Trump to deliver the world-class air traffic control system America deserves,” Duffy said. AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL AUDIO CAPTURES TENSE MOMENT TWO PLANES NEARLY COLLIDED AT BOSTON LOGAN AIRPORT He said the new radar system will give air traffic controllers a “clearer portrait” of airport activity. Reagan Airport is the sixth airport to install the system. Newark Liberty International Airport received the technology earlier this week. Over the next three years, $30.5 million will be invested in safety and technology upgrades at Reagan National, the Transportation Department said. The new upgrades came after the Jan. 29, 2025, midair collision between American Airlines Flight 5342, a regional jet operated by PSA Airlines, and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River near the airport. FAA INVESTIGATES SOUTHWEST NEAR MISS AFTER AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL SENDS JETS ON COLLISION COURSE All 64 people aboard the American Eagle flight and three aboard the military helicopter were killed. The federal government admitted liability for the deadly collision. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said systemic failures in airspace design, safety oversight and risk management by the Federal Aviation Administration and the Army contributed to what happened. “This complex and comprehensive one-year investigation identified serious and long-standing safety gaps in the airspace over our nation’s capital,” Jennifer Homendy, chairwoman of the NTSB, said in a January 2026 report. “Sadly, the conditions for this tragedy were in place long before the night of Jan. 29.”