Gas surge tied to Iran conflict hits swing states, testing Trump’s low-price pitch
For voters feeling the sting of rising gas prices, a trip to the gas pump is becoming a daily flashpoint as midterm elections loom. President Donald Trump touted low gas prices during his February State of the Union address, saying they had fallen “below $2.30 a gallon in most states and in some places, $1.99.” Now, an escalating conflict with Iran is sending prices sharply higher — particularly in battleground states like Virginia, Pennsylvania, Georgia and Ohio. That surge is undercutting a central economic message that helped power Trump’s return to office and could reshape the political landscape as fuel costs rise in key states. “I used to put $30 worth of gas in my car for the week — now it’s $45,” said Zafar, an Uber driver who typically fills up in Virginia, where gas prices are more than $1 higher than a year ago. WHERE GAS PRICES ARE RISING THE FASTEST AS TRUMP’S IRAN DEADLINE LOOMS “I have no choice — I have to support my family,” he said, adding that he can’t afford to cut back on driving despite rising gas prices. Just weeks ago, the outlook looked very different. The national average has climbed to $4.16 per gallon, up about 91 cents from a year ago, according to AAA, with prices rising across nearly every region. West Coast drivers are seeing the highest costs, with prices reaching $5.93 per gallon in California and $5.39 in Washington. Meanwhile, on the East Coast, gas prices have surpassed $4 in several areas, including $4.29 in Washington, D.C., and $4.18 in Pennsylvania. Meanwhile, in the Midwest, Illinois stands out at $4.36 per gallon, while much of the region remains in the mid-$3 range. While Southern states remain comparatively cheaper, prices are climbing there as well, with Georgia at $3.73, Texas and Alabama at $3.84, and Florida higher at $4.18. Oklahoma and Kansas have the lowest gas prices in the nation, at $3.34 and $3.39, respectively. Beyond gasoline, other fuel costs are rising even faster. Diesel has climbed to $5.66, up about $1.15 over the past month. As a key fuel for freight, shipping and public transportation, it is especially sensitive to supply disruptions — and its rising cost can quickly ripple through the broader economy, pushing up prices on everything from groceries to goods. DEMS WHO RAN ON AFFORDABILITY NOW FACE BACKLASH AS COSTS CLIMB IN NY, VIRGINIA That kind of pocketbook pressure is exactly what Democrats have been eager to exploit. Last fall, Democrats leaned heavily on affordability themes in state and local elections, and it paid off. In places like Virginia, New York and New Jersey, where voters have been squeezed by high housing costs and utility bills, Democratic candidates seized on Trump’s early economic moves, including his trade policy, to argue that the Republican agenda was worsening the affordability crisis rather than easing it. That same playbook is now reemerging on a national scale, as rising fuel costs tied to the Iran war give Democrats a fresh opening to hammer Republicans on kitchen-table costs. OIL, GAS PRICES JUMP AS TRUMP FLIRTS WITH STRIKING IRANIAN OIL INFRASTRUCTURE Campaigns are leaning in, tying higher fuel costs to Republican policies in ads, speeches and appearances across key battleground states. In central Pennsylvania, Janelle Stelson, a Democrat challenging Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., campaigned Monday at a Mobil gas station where prices were $4.24 for regular unleaded and more than $6 for diesel. She argued Perry, a Trump ally, bears some responsibility for worsening the cost-of-living crisis, according to The Washington Post. In Iowa, the left-leaning veterans group VoteVets is running a new $825,000 ad campaign backing state Rep. Joshua Turek’s Senate bid that highlights rising gas prices. The message is also playing out in Michigan, where Abdul El-Sayed, a liberal Democrat in a competitive Senate primary, is airing ads focused on rising gas prices. “You know why gas is so expensive? Donald Trump’s $200 billion war with Iran,” he says in one ad. With prices rising, the cost of gas is quickly becoming a central political battleground — and a potential liability for Trump and his allies in the months leading up to the midterms.
WATCH: Bondi successor reveals shocking number of fraud cases with eye-popping taxpayer theft
Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche revealed that the Justice Department is investigating more than 8,000 fraud cases, which he said represent over $1 trillion in taxpayer funds potentially stolen each year by “increasingly sophisticated and opportunistic fraudsters.” Blanche, who is filling in for the role after former Attorney General Pam Bondi’s sudden ouster last week, said just a few of the fraud schemes being investigated by the DOJ recently resulted in a guilty plea by fraudsters for “stealing over half a billion dollars from taxpayers.” He noted that the 8,000 cases “represent a fraction of the fraud ripping off our country every day.” He said the recently launched DOJ National Fraud Enforcement Division will “work closely” with the Vice President JD Vance-led Task Force to Eliminate Fraud to pursue a “comprehensive and coordinated approach” to investigating fraud. “Because of this administration’s leadership, fraudsters, scammers, tax cheats or anyone who lies to get rich off the generosity of the American people should be on notice,” he said, noting, “Our goal is to prevent this from ever happening again.” VANCE SAYS BIDEN ADMIN ‘TURNED OFF’ ANTI-FRAUD PROTECTIONS, DEBUTS NEW TASK FORCE WITH FOCUS ON SOMALI SCHEMES Blanche delivered the remarks Tuesday in what was his first press conference as acting head of the DOJ. The conference came days after Bondi was abruptly removed from her role as attorney general by President Donald Trump. Blanche refused to speculate on the reason for Bondi’s removal, saying, “Nobody has any idea … except for the president.” Though Bondi’s leadership of the DOJ has been heavily criticized, especially by Democrats, Blanche praised her “vision and her commitment to justice.” He signaled continuity between her leadership and his, particularly on fraud investigations. The Trump administration has made such investigations a priority following revelations about rampant Medicaid and childcare fraud in Minnesota involving the state’s Somali immigrant community. Just last week, Trump named Vance fraud czar and tasked him with tackling fraud schemes, which he said are most rampant in blue states. BLANCHE ARGUES TRUMP CAN INFLUENCE DOJ INVESTIGATIONS, INCLUDING THOSE INVOLVING POLITICAL FOES Blanche said, “Every day, Department of Justice investigators and prosecutors work to punish those who commit fraud.” “For example, just this week, and it’s only Tuesday, a criminal defendant was sentenced, and the department obtained two additional guilty pleas and matters totaling over half 1 billion dollars in health care and COVID fraud,” he said. “If you think about that, just since yesterday, we had a guilty plea in a $160 million health care enrollment fraud scheme, a sentencing in a $100 million COVID-19 fraud case, and a guilty plea in a $160 million health care fraud scheme as well.” He said the DOJ is “supercharging” its efforts through the new division, involving every U.S. attorney across the country in efforts to “take down every fraudster and bring them to justice.” BLANCHE INVOKES TRUMP ‘LOVE’ WHEN ASKED ABOUT STAYING ON AFTER BONDI “With over $1 trillion at stake every single year, threatened by increasingly sophisticated and opportunistic fraudsters, the time for this comprehensive and coordinated approach is now,” he said, adding, “So, to the fraudsters who seek to take advantage of our nation, let this be a warning.”
Iran reveals 10-point plan for peace with the US – here’s what’s in it
The U.S. and Iran have agreed to a two-week ceasefire as both sides engage in talks to secure a wider peace agreement Wednesday. Iran has proposed a 10-point plan and shared it with President Donald Trump, who said it represents a “workable basis on which to negotiate.” The White House, however, says that plan differs with the one Iranian officials released to the public on Wednesday, according to the New York Times. The publicly available plan demands that the U.S. end all primary and secondary sanctions against Tehran, as well as that Iran receive full control over the Strait of Hormuz. The plan also demands an end to U.S. attacks on Iran and its allies, a withdrawal of U.S. forces from the Middle East, the release of frozen Iranian assets and a United Nations resolution stating that the agreement will be binding. The U.S. would also have to compensate Iran for damage incurred during the war and accept Iran’s right to enrich uranium, according to the plan. TRUMP TELLS ‘STRANGE’ IRANIAN NEGOTIATORS TO ‘GET SERIOUS SOON’ OR ‘IT WON’T BE PRETTY’ In exchange, Iran would commit not to build nuclear weapons and enter into peace agreements with its regional neighbors. A White House official declined to say how the plan Trump received differs from the public version, but said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt would offer further details at a press conference later Wednesday, the Times reported. Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian claimed on Tuesday that the U.S. had accepted the “general principles desired by Iran.” The public plan already has critics within the U.S., however, and some of Trump’s allies have voiced opposition to key portions. TRUMP’S APOCALYPTIC IRAN WARNING RAISES STAKES FOR SWEEPING US STRIKE THREAT “The supposed negotiating document, in my view, has some troubling aspects, but time will tell. I look forward to the architects of this proposal, the Vice President and others, coming forward to Congress and explaining how a negotiated deal meets our national security objectives in Iran,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. “Allowing this regime to enrich in the future would be an affront to all those murdered by the regime since this war started and would be inconsistent with denying Iran a pathway toward a bomb in the future,” he added. Trump has already confirmed that the U.S. will not agree to certain parts of Iran’s proposed deal, referencing the country’s nuclear program in particular on Wednesday. Trump said Iran has agreed to allow the U.S. to “dig up and remove” the country’s enriched uranium at the site where Operation Midnight Hammer struck last year. “The United States will work closely with Iran, which we have determined has gone through what will be a very productive Regime Change! There will be no enrichment of Uranium,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “It is now, and has been, under very exacting Satellite Surveillance (Space Force!). Nothing has been touched from the date of attack. We are, and will be, talking Tariff and Sanctions relief with Iran,” Trump wrote.
Republicans win but Democrats also claim victory with ballot box surge in Trump territory
RINGGOLD, GA — Republican congressional candidate Clay Fuller credited President Donald Trump in his victory speech after keeping a solidly red district in GOP hands and boosting Republicans’ razor-thin House majority. “He was the difference maker,” Fuller, who was backed by Trump, emphasized in a Fox News Digital interview following his victory Tuesday night. “He was the key factor in us winning.” Fuller defeated Democrat Shawn Harris in a special election to fill the empty U.S. House seat in Georgia’s 14th Congressional District, in the northwest corner of the crucial southeastern battleground state. The seat was left vacant when MAGA firebrand Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene stepped down at the beginning of January. Greene quit Congress with a year left in her term, after a bitter falling out with Trump. TRUMP-BACKED REPUBLICAN PADS GOP’S FRAGILE HOUSE MAJORITY The special election came as Republicans clung to a fragile 218–214 majority in the House. The GOP was under the gun to make sure the Democrats didn’t pull off an upset in a district that Trump carried by a whopping 37 points in his 2024 presidential victory. Fuller, who was a local district attorney and a lieutenant colonel in the Air National Guard, who’s served in the Air Force since 2009, called himself a “reinforcement” for House Speaker Mike Johnson and said his victory was “extremely crucial.” PRIMARY PAUSE, POLITICAL FIRESTORM: HIGH-STAKES ELECTIONS THIS MONTH TAKE CENTER STAGE But even in defeat, Democrats see cause for celebration. Harris, a cattle farmer who spent four decades in the military and retired as an Army brigadier general, lost to Fuller by roughly 12 points, according to the latest election results. That’s a significant improvement from the 29-point defeat he suffered to Greene in her 2024 re-election. Democrats touted the results in Georgia’s 14th Congressional District as their party’s latest ballot box overperformance in the nearly 15 months since Trump returned to the White House and say they have the wind at their backs as they aim to win back congressional majorities from the Republicans in this autumn’s midterm elections. “In the deepest-red congressional district in Georgia — and despite more than $1.5 million in spending by Republicans to defend this Trump +37 seat — Democrat Shawn Harris notched a jaw-dropping more than 20-point overperformance in Marjorie Taylor Greene’s backyard,” said Charlie Bailey, chair of the Democratic Party of Georgia, in a statement. HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL And Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chair Ken Martin highlighted that “Shawn Harris ran a fearless campaign in the reddest district in all of Georgia, delivering a double-digit overperformance.” Fuller pushed back on the Democrats’ messaging. “They lost. They’ve got to call me congressman, and they poured in millions of dollars, just lit millions of dollars on fire, and still got crushed,” he argued, in his Fox News Digital interview. And Georgia Republican Party Chair Josh McKoon said that “Democrats threw everything they had at this race… They made this the Super Bowl and they lost.” The runoff in Georgia wasn’t the only major election on Tuesday night. Liberals expanded their majority on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, strengthening control in a key battleground state, in a ballot box showdown that drew limited national attention but had plenty riding on the results. Wisconsin Appeals Court Judge Chris Taylor, a former Democratic state representative, defeated Appeals Court Judge Maria Lazar, a conservative. Taylor will succeed a retiring conservative justice and with the victory, liberals will expand their majority on the state Supreme Court to 5-2. While officially a non-partisan contest, state Supreme Court elections in Wisconsin have become extremely partisan in recent election cycles. Taylor ended up topping Lazar by roughly 20 points, a larger victory than expected. And national Democrats once again were quick to showcase the overperformance. “Wisconsin voters showed up and sent another big message to Republicans, securing a liberal majority until 2030!” the DNC’s Martin said in a social media post. It’s hard to deny that Democrats are on a roll in electoral showdowns since the start of Trump’s second term. The flipping of two GOP-controlled state Senate seats in Iowa last year denied Republicans their super majority in the chamber. Democrats also scored larger than expected victories in last November’s gubernatorial elections in blue-leaning Virginia and New Jersey, and over performed in last December’s special congressional election in a red-leaning district in Tennessee. Earlier this year, plenty of Republicans were calling their party’s double-digit shellacking in a state Senate election in a ruby red district in Texas in an early February special election a “wake-up call” for the party. And in special elections two weeks ago, Democrats in Florida flipped a state Senate seat and a state House district that includes Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s home turf in Palm Beach. Partially fueling the Democrats’ ballot box performances is their laser focus on affordability amid persistent inflation. Meanwhile, Republicans are battling stiff political headwinds as the party in power in the nation’s capital traditionally loses seats in the midterms, and a rough political climate fueled by economic concerns, an unpopular war with Iran, and Trump’s underwater approval ratings. “Enthusiasm for Democrats is growing everywhere. We’re closing the gap and Republicans are absolutely terrified,” Martin claimed. But Republicans say that Democrats are overemphasizing their ballot box performances, especially their special election successes in what are often low-turnout contests. “A low-turnout state House special election is a snapshot of local quirks, candidate dynamics, and turnout math — not some grand verdict,” RNC senior adviser Danielle Alvarez said after last month’s special election in Palm Beach, Florida. And veteran Republican strategist and communicator Jesse Hunt told Fox News Digital that “historically, special elections have been a poor barometer for what will occur during regularly scheduled midterm or presidential elections. Specials have unique dynamics that don’t play as much of a factor when the broader electorate feels the muscle memory of showing up to vote in November.”
Far-left network activates to fly Iran’s flag over America in victory and wage a ‘smokeless war’ on the US
Even as Department of War Secretary Pete Hegseth declares a “historic and decisive victory” against the Islamic Republic of Iran, the U.S. still faces foot soldiers on another front: on America’s streets. There, a network of pro-communist groups funded by Neville Roy Singham, an American-born tech tycoon living in China, supporting the Chinese Communist Party and allies, like Iran, are flying the Iranian flag and declaring “Trump failed in his criminal war against Iran.” The rapid mobilization and quick narrative pivot illustrate how an interconnected protest infrastructure, spanning pro-communist political groups, pro-Palestinian advocacy networks and far-left activist organizations tied to international propaganda ecosystems, can coordinate demonstrations in U.S. cities within hours in a dynamic that national security experts call cognitive warfare, or a “smokeless war.” In the nation’s capital Tuesday evening, activists from the professional network of well-funded far-left anti-American groups pulled up to the curb at the corner of 16th Street NW and Pennsylvania Avenue NW, unloading wagons with megaphones, pre-printed signs and protest-friendly arts-and-craft. Within minutes, they painted their hands blood-red and launched familiar chants, blurring one cause into the next, including a condemnation of “Trump’s war on Iran.” A few hours later, writers at the Party for Socialism and Liberation, a self-declared pro-China communist group in the Singham network, banged out a missive on their propaganda platform, “Liberation News,” headlined, “Why Trump failed in his criminal war against Iran – and why we need to keep up the pressure.” The next morning, as Hegseth declared victory over Iran, officials in the Party for Socialism and Liberation’s busy Atlanta chapter issued a call for members to meet at Marietta Street NW and Centennial Olympic Park Drive NW at 5:30 p.m. for a “National Day of Action” against the U.S., declaring the Trump administration “was compelled to temporarily step back from its genocidal threats,” but its members have to “KEEP THE PRESSURE UP!” SHANGHAI SABOTAGE: INSIDE SINGHAM’S SECRET STRATEGY TO DEMONIZE AMERICA “U.S. out of everywhere!” shouted Olivia DiNucci, a regular on the protest circuit and Washington, D.C., coordinator for CodePink, a theatrical protest group that just sent a “caravan” to Cuba to support the communist party there. DiNucci pressed her hands into the red paint and smeared them across a banner, then raised her paint-covered hands in the air as she stood beside a smiling Medea Benjamin, co-founder of CodePink. DiNucci moved through the crowd with a wagon, handing out stickers, chatting with demonstrators and pausing with Benjamin to pose for photos. Nearby, members of the Party for Socialism and Liberation handed out their trademark signs with the group’s brand along the bottom and messages in bold sans-serif font, this time reading, “STOP THE WAR ON IRAN!” “Free, free Palestine!” shouted members of the Palestinian Youth Movement, as flags of the Islamic Republic of Iran flew overhead, beside Palestinian flags. “Zionism will fall, brick by brick, wall by wall,” another chant began. POWER COUPLE OF CHAOS: HOW A TYCOON AND ACTIVIST BUILT A ‘REVOLUTIONARY BASE’ AT THE HOUSE OF SINGHAM Nearby, Nadine Seiler, a regular on the protest circuit who sometimes dresses in costumes, including as a pink frog, stood with her spray-painted banner, raising a question about U.S. “war crimes.” Recently, she acknowledged the performative nature of the protests. “It is political theater,” she told Fox News Digital, “and we need more of it!” Experts say scenes like this are not simple expressions of dissent, but part of a broader geopolitical contest played out in cognitive warfare, where adversaries use narratives, imagery and street theater to shape how Americans perceive conflicts unfolding far beyond their borders, even after bombs stop dropping. In cognitive warfare, experts note, the battlefield isn’t territory, like the Strait of Hormuz, but the public mind, where propaganda, protests, social media messaging and ideological narratives are used to influence how citizens interpret events and pressure governments to change policy. In this case, proxies for U.S. adversaries, including Iran and China, are pivoting to declare the ceasefire a “victory” for Iran. Many of the groups, including CodePink, are part of the broader protest network funded by Singham, who has financed a global constellation of activist groups and media projects promoting narratives sympathetic to the Chinese Communist Party, while depicting the United States as a “fascist” and “rogue” nation. In 2017, as reported in a Fox News Digital investigation, Singham married a co-founder of CodePink, Jodie Evans, and started pouring a documented $278 million into a network of groups that fuel anti-American protests in the United States, support the People’s Republic of China and now back the Islamic Republic of Iran, a strategic partner of China and a major source of its oil imports. Code Pink has waged a pro-China campaign for years under the slogan “China Is Not Our Enemy.” CHINA’S AMERICAN MAO: INSIDE SINGHAM’S BLUEPRINT TO ‘WAGE WAR’ FOR A ‘NEW WORLD ORDER’ U.S. Justice, State and Treasury officials, the House Ways and Means Committee and the House Oversight Committee are investigating several of these groups for possible violations of federal laws, including statutes that require individuals and groups acting on behalf of foreign interests to register as foreign agents with the Justice Department. Gordon Chang, an expert on China’s global influence, has warned about an expanding anti-American campaign emanating from China, writing, “Now, the Chinese regime has help funding propaganda and protests in America. After all, it has Singham’s cash and world-spanning network.” In their call to action, organizers criticized Trump‘s Tuesday night deadline for Iran, writing: “Trump has given a deadline for genocide — either Iran surrender by 8 p.m. ET or the country’s ‘whole civilization will die tonight.’” They added: “This is the criminal threat of a madman, but a madman who controls the deadly might of the Pentagon war machine.” Within hours, the same messaging began circulating across the network as additional organizations promoted similar protests nationwide. Soon afterward, another cluster of organizations, including CodePink, joined forces with the Chicago chapters of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, the Palestinian Youth Movement, American Muslims for Palestine and Students for Justice, to announce an emergency
Biden ally tells Spanberger to exit ‘bunker’ as ex-gov renews debate push
A former top official in the Biden administration slammed Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger as wrongly following Joe Biden’s playbook, squandering “goodwill” and allowing the GOP to define her, demanding she “come out of her Biden bunker.” The swipe comes as former Gov. George Allen offered to debate her virtually on the subject of redistricting if timing was an issue in her original rejection, and Spanberger briskly avoided a Fox News Digital reporter who confronted the tight-lipped governor in Richmond this week. Michael LaRosa, former first lady Jill Biden’s longtime top aide and spokesperson, slammed Spanberger on Tuesday, unfavorably comparing her to former President Joe Biden and calling a Washington Post poll showing her as the governor with the highest unfavorables dating back to Allen’s era “entirely self-inflicted and avoidable.” LaRosa called Spanberger’s fall from a landslide-winning candidate to a controversial chief executive “a classic, but all too familiar tale.” WHO IS ABIGAIL SPANBERGER, AND WHY DID DEMOCRATS CHOOSE HER FOR TO THEIR STATE OF THE UNION RESPONSE? “[She] came in with a mandate and genuine goodwill, and within months, the GOP succeeded in branding her a wolf in sheep’s clothing,” he said. “Instead of confronting it, the governor defaulted to the old 1990s ‘don’t give it oxygen’ playbook prescribed for Biden throughout his four years: duck and cover.” Biden remained out of public view during some controversial points in his tenure, leading pundits to claim he was hiding or stowed away in a “bunker.” LaRosa added on X that ignoring “attacks, smears and misinformation” doesn’t make them disappear but instead creates a vacuum for Spanberger and allows her opponents to define her. “What started as silly right-wing noise is now a mainstream narrative, and it’s reflected in her first report card. She needs to channel the badass, confrontational Abby Spanberger from that Nov[ember] 2020 caucus call — spicy, direct and pragmatic.” ‘GIVE ME LIBERTY’ FOUNDING FATHER’S DESCENDANT BLASTS SPANBERGER’S REDISTRICTING PUSH He suggested she hold regular pressers, get combative with reporters and accept interviews with mainstream media. “She has to show and tell and climb out of the Biden bunker,” LaRosa said, before borrowing a line President Donald Trump used toward African American voters unsure of whether to break with Hillary Clinton and Democratic Party orthodoxy in 2016: “What the hell does she have to lose?” Spanberger’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and neither did representatives for Biden. After she declined Allen’s invitation to an in-person debate on the merits of the redistricting effort — what some call gerrymandering — being put in front of voters, the Republican said Monday he would re-up his offer with even more favorable terms for Spanberger. “All of this is a bit confusing; it’s unusual, and it helps the people to hear both sides of it,” Allen said of the redistricting referendum while speaking with Rich Herrera on Richmond’s WRVA radio. NEW DEM STAR’S QUICK HARD-LEFT TURN AFTER ‘MODERATE’ CAMPAIGN WON HER COVETED RESPONSE TO TRUMP: LAWMAKER Allen, son of Washington Redskins icon George H. Allen, said Spanberger declined his invitation, citing her busy schedule and a pile of bills to review. He told Herrera that he responded in a letter telling her he fully understands that experience and instead would like to debate virtually, but televised, for one hour, at a time and date and with a moderator of her choosing before the April 21 election. The last time Democrats held this much power in Virginia, the “Byrd Organization,” led by segregationist former Gov. Harry F. Byrd, maintained it for decades. The Post’s poll shows Spanberger similarly swept Republicans out of Richmond but has already lost much of her political capital just four months in. Forty-six percent of Virginians disapproved of her job performance, while 47% approved, only four months into her term. In contrast, predecessor Gov. Glenn Youngkin saw a 54-39 job approval at this point in his term, with the highest favorability going to Democrat Mark Warner – now Virginia’s senior senator — with a 78-20 rating. Fox News Digital reached out to Spanberger for comment.
Judge Boasberg weighs curbing Trump FTC demand for trans minors’ data after heated court clash
Lawyers for a coalition of medical groups on Tuesday urged a federal judge to block the Trump administration’s effort to access data on transgender procedures for minors, arguing the FTC demand is unconstitutional and retaliatory. The case marks a high-stakes legal clash over the Trump administration’s investigation into transgender treatments for minors, with the FTC arguing it is policing potential consumer harm while medical groups say the probe is politically motivated and unconstitutional. At issue in the lawsuits, filed by the Endocrine Society and the American Academy of Pediatrics, is the FTC’s demand for information from the groups regarding “pediatric gender dysphoria treatment[s]” they provided, according to the FTC, and whether the organizations engaged in false advertising or unfair practices as part of the process. FLORIDA EXECS SENTENCED IN $233M OBAMACARE FRAUD THAT TARGETED HOMELESS, HURRICANE VICTIMS The FTC in January launched an investigation into the medical groups, and issued the Civil Investigative Demand, or CID, that prompted the lawsuit. During back-to-back hearings Tuesday, lawyers for the medical groups urged U.S. District Judge James Boasberg to issue a preliminary injunction blocking the FTC’s wide-ranging demand for information. Plaintiffs argued the effort by the FTC was not a legitimate consumer protection effort, but rather a political effort to crack down on transgender procedures for minors and retaliate against the organizations for providing them. “Unable to prevail in the marketplace of ideas, the FTC has resorted to burdening AAP with an intrusive and expensive investigation that is unconstitutional and outside the scope of the FTC’s statutory authority,” lawyers for the pediatricians’ group told the court. Lawyers for the Trump administration sharply disputed that notion, however. They argued that the FTC has a mandate to ensure consumers are not misled — including in cases when medical procedures are provided to minors. Boasberg used the hearing to grapple with concerns about the scope of the FTC’s wide-ranging demand, broader constitutional concerns, as well as the administration’s assertion that the court lacked reviewability to consider the matter entirely. 100 DAYS OF INJUNCTIONS, TRIALS AND ‘TEFLON DON’: TRUMP SECOND TERM MEETS ITS BIGGEST TESTS IN COURT Justice Department lawyer John Bailey said any concerns about the scope or limitations of the FTC action should play out via the typical “agency administrative agency process” recognized by the Supreme Court. “So the answer is no, that I must quash it or let it proceed — that I have no power to narrow?” Boasberg asked, clarifying. “My answer, respectfully, would be that you have to let this proceed within the typical agency administrative process,” Bailey responded. Boasberg ultimately adjourned court without ruling from the bench, though he indicated he would move quickly on the matter. APPEALS COURT BLOCKS TRUMP ADMIN’S DEPORTATION FLIGHTS IN ALIEN ENEMIES ACT IMMIGRATION SUIT The hearings come as Trump takes steps to limit gender transition procedures for minors in his second term. Shortly after taking office, Trump signed an executive order, “Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation,” which cut off federal support for transgender procedures for minors. Last year, the Health and Human Services Department proposed a new rule to strip federal Medicare and Medicaid funding for hospitals that provide “sex‑rejecting procedures” for children under the age of 18. Concerns over the regulations have prompted dozens of hospitals to shutter their transgender treatment programs in fear of losing federal funding.
5 US House races shift toward Democrats: Cook Political Report
As the GOP and Democratic Party vie for control of the House chamber during the 2026 midterm election cycle, The Cook Political Report has shifted five districts toward Democrats, and one toward Republicans. The analysis shifts two districts in Ohio in the Democrats’ favor. Ohio’s 1st Congressional District, represented by incumbent Democratic Rep. Greg Landsman, has been shifted from toss-up to lean Democrat, according to the report. The district was redrawn last year, “turning it into a district that would have voted for Donald Trump by 2.5 points in 2024,” according to the report. The Buckeye State’s 13th Congressional District, where incumbent Democratic Rep. Emilia Sykes is seeking re-election, has been switched from lean Democrat to likely Democrat, according to the election analysis. FOX NEWS POLL: SOUR VOTERS SAY WASHINGTON IS OUT OF TOUCH “In the redistricting deal negotiated by Ohio Republicans and Democrats last year, Democratic Rep. Emilia Sykes was a clear winner. Her current Akron-based district, which narrowly voted for Kamala Harris in 2024, was redrawn to shift three points to the left,” according to The Cook Political Report. New Jersey’s 9th Congressional District, represented by Democratic Rep. Nellie Pou, has been shifted from lean Democrat to likely Democrat, according to the report. Pou is a member of the left-wing Congressional Progressive Caucus. The Cook Political Report noted that 2025 Garden State gubernatorial candidate Mikie Sherrill, a Democrat who won the race, won the “district by nearly 20 points” last year after President Donald Trump “carried it by 1.5 points” in 2024. “Although Pou won’t be able to replicate Sherrill’s landslide victory, it’s hard not to see her as the obvious favorite after the district snapped back to Democrats in 2025 — and as an unsettled primary has kept Republicans from turning their full attention to the general election,” the report states. MIDTERM ALARM BELLS: DEMOCRATS FACE STEEP FAVORABILITY DEFICIT DESPITE ELECTION GAINS The Cook Political Report has shifted Florida’s 27th Congressional District from solid Republican to likely Republican. Trump has endorsed incumbent GOP Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, who represents that district in the Sunshine State, for re-election. The analysis shifted Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District, represented by GOP Rep. Rob Bresnahan, from lean Republican to toss up, saying that his “stock trades have dogged him all cycle, giving Democrats a potent line of attack in a district that has been trending Republicans’ way but is very much in play this cycle.” In a statement provided to Fox News Digital on Wednesday, Bresnahan campaign spokesman Chris Pack said, “We’re not focused on Washington, D.C. political race handicappers whose business model depends on creating the perception of a close race to drive paid subscriptions.” “The reality on the ground in Northeastern Pennsylvania tells a very different story,” Pack said. “Rob continues to rapidly consolidate labor union support and post strong fundraising numbers, while Mayor Cognetti is defined by an extreme record that includes supporting mass amnesty for millions of illegal immigrants, eliminating maternity leave for new mothers, and personally calling for disarming the police.” Trump has endorsed Bresnahan for re-election. TRUMP COMMANDEERS CABINET MEMBERS TO CAMPAIGN IN MIDTERMS, ORDERING THEM TO DROP OR MUTE CONTROVERSIAL STANCES The report highlighted one bright spot for the GOP: Colorado’s 3rd District has been shifted from likely Republican to solid Republican. Trump endorsed incumbent GOP Rep. Jeff Hurd, then withdrew the endorsement, then endorsed Hurd again. “We’re shifting this district from Likely Republican to Solid Republican for now, though if either Democratic candidate picks up momentum it could move back onto the board later this cycle,” The Cook Political Report analysis stated. Trump is facing underwater job approval polling, which could potentially serve as a drag for the Republican Party during the elections this year.
Trump, Rubio face NATO chief as US moves to ‘reexamine’ alliance after Iran clash
President Donald Trump will meet with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte Wednesday at the White House, just as transatlantic relations within the alliance have frayed during U.S. operations in Iran. Trump has repeatedly threatened to withdraw the U.S. from NATO and slammed European nations for blocking base access and providing limited help to the Iran offensive known as Operation Epic Fury. Despite a good relationship with the head of NATO, who once called him “daddy” of the alliance, Trump has said he views NATO as a “one-way street.” “You’ll have to start learning how to fight for yourself, the U.S.A. won’t be there to help you anymore, just like you weren’t there for us,” he said to the alliance in a Truth Social post March 31. TRUMP PRESSES NATO PARTNERS ON SUPPORT AS HEGSETH BLASTS HESITATION Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who also meets with Rutte on Wednesday, told Fox News recently: “After this conflict is concluded, we are going to have to reexamine that relationship. We’re going to have reexamined the value of NATO in that alliance for our country.” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez closed Spanish airspace to any aircraft — including U.S. bombers departing from the U.K. — involved in strikes against Iran and denied the U.S. use of its in-country bases, the Rota Naval Station and Morón Air Base for any combat, refueling or staging missions related to the Iran conflict. EX-NATO AMBASSADOR WARNS US AND ALLIES MUST ‘STOP THE SNIPING’ AND UNITE TO END IRAN CONFLICT President Emmanuel Macron blocked Israeli aircraft from using French airspace to transport U.S.-made munitions intended for the war in Iran, Fox News Digital previously reported. Meanwhile, Finnish President Alexander Stubb told Trump in a phone call a “more European NATO” is taking shape. European nations have felt the brunt of the closing of the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for its natural gas supply and expressed frustration that they were not consulted prior to the start of the Iranian conflict. “I am not the commentator on an operation that the Americans decided on with the Israelis alone. They can later regret not being supported in an operation they decided on by themselves. This is not our operation,” Macron told reporters April 2.
Hegseth declares ‘decisive military victory’ over Iran
War Secretary Pete Hegseth declared a “decisive military victory” in Iran on Wednesday after President Donald Trump agreed to a two-week truce. Hegseth made the comments during a press conference at the Pentagon, telling reporters that the War Department had succeeded in decimating Iran’s military capabilities. “This morning, a big day for world peace. Iran wants it to happen. They’ve had enough. Operation Epic Fury was a historic and overwhelming victory on the battlefield. A capital V,” Hegseth said. “In less than 40 days, one of our combatant commands…CENTCOM, using less than 10% of America’s total combat power, dismantled one of the world’s largest militaries,” he continued. “The world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism proved utterly incapable of defending itself, its people or its territory. IRAN’S TALLEST BRIDGE COLLAPSES AFTER REPORTED US AIRSTRIKES, IRAN THREATENS AMERICAN ALLIES IN RETALIATION “We utilized just a fraction of our strength, and Iran suffered a devastating military defeat. Together with our Israeli partners. America’s military achieved every single objective on plan, on schedule, exactly as laid out from day one,” he said. Hegseth went on to say that Iran had been “obsessed” with attacks on the USS Abraham Lincoln, firing hundreds of missiles and drones as the vessel. “Every single one of those shots easily shot down, miles and miles away from the Abe Lincoln. They were blowing ammo into Fantasy land,” Hegseth said. Trump agreed to a two-week truce with Iran on Tuesday night, saying Iran had agreed to open the Strait of Hormuz while wider negotiations continue. U.S. troops will remain in the region to enforce the ceasefire as talks are ongoing. TRUMP REVEALS IRAN MADE ‘SIGNIFICANT PROPOSAL’ AFTER ULTIMATUM, BUT ‘NOT GOOD ENOUGH’ In a Truth Social post early Wednesday, Trump suggested Iran was ready to reach a peace agreement and said the U.S. would help manage traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. “A big day for World Peace! Iran wants it to happen, they’ve had enough! Likewise, so has everyone else! The United States of America will be helping with the traffic buildup in the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump wrote. “There will be lots of positive action! Big money will be made. Iran can start the reconstruction process.” Trump said the U.S. will be “loading up with supplies of all kinds, and just ‘hangin’ around’ in order to make sure that everything goes well.” He added, “I feel confident that it will.” “Just like we are experiencing in the U.S., this could be the Golden Age of the Middle East!!!” Trump added. Trump later referenced a 15-point peace agreement the U.S. is negotiating for. Iran has previously proposed a 10-point plan. Fox News’ Michael Sinkewicz contributed to this report.