Fentanyl’s financial grip on US skyrocketed to $2.7T at height of Biden admin: study
FIRST ON FOX: The opioid crisis under the Biden administration cost the U.S. $2.7 trillion in 2023 alone, a new study exclusively obtained by Fox News Digital shows. The Council of Economic Advisers, an agency within the executive office that advises the president on economic policy, released a study on Friday, detailing that the opioid epidemic cost the U.S. $2.7 trillion in 2023 when considering costs related to loss of life, loss of quality of life, loss of labor force productivity, crime and costs to the health care system. The opioid epidemic has raged for years, primarily inflamed by the use of fentanyl, which is a synthetic opioid that chiefly originates in China and comes to the U.S. over the Mexico border. President Donald Trump is in the midst of leveraging tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China to bolster border security and stem the flow of fentanyl into the U.S., which has sparked condemnation from critics that the tariffs will lead to higher costs for U.S. consumers purchasing goods originating from those three nations. The study, however, argues that the costs of the opioid epidemic “dwarfs even pessimistic estimates of the effects of tariffs.” TRUMP IMPOSES TARIFFS ON IMPORTS FROM CANADA, MEXICO AND CHINA: ‘NATIONAL EMERGENCY’ “Ever since his first entry into politics back in 2015, President Trump has been committed to tackling the opioid epidemic that is destroying American lives, families, and communities,” White House deputy press secretary Kush Desai told Fox News Digital on Friday. “While Democrats cry foul and drum up hysteria over his use of tariff powers to save American lives from the scourge of illicit drugs like fentanyl, President Trump isn’t going to waver from using every lever of executive and legislative power to put Americans and America First — the costs of standing idly by in this drug war clearly far outweigh the exaggerated costs of fighting for American lives,” he said. The Council of Economic Advisers study used a 2017 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that researchers adjusted to account for inflation trends, and opioid deaths and dependency, since its release. The loss of life in 2023, for example, cost the U.S. $1.11 trillion, with the study explaining that researchers multiplied the 74,702 opioid deaths that year “by value of statistical life in the United States and then adding productivity and healthcare costs that arise due to opioid fatalities.” TRUMP’S TARIFFS ON MEXICO AND CANADA WILL INCREASE PRICES FOR CONSUMERS; EXPERTS OFFER DETAILS “We inflation-adjusted the $10.1 million value of a statistical life number provided by NIH (2017) to 2025 dollars ($13.0 million per life),” the study explained. Another $1.34 trillion of the $2.7 trillion total accounts for loss of quality of life for those in the midst of opioid addiction compared to Americans who are healthy and not addicted. WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH TRUMP’S TARIFFS ON CHINA, CANADA AND MEXICO? “The measure shows that life with OUD [opioid use disorder] has about 60 percent (0.626) of the quality of life of those in full health,” the study found. “Second is a measure of how much Americans value a year of life in full health. Adjusted for inflation, this value is estimated at $624,410 per person per year. Together these values imply that the lost quality of life costs $234,478 per year for each person living with OUD. We then multiply this value by the prevalence of OUD, estimated to be 5.7 million in 2023.” The opiod crisis cost the U.S. health care system an estimated $107 billion in 2023, the study found, when accounting for treatment of individuals with opioid use disorder, relative to the average annual cost of treating patients who do not have an opioid addiction. “This amounts to $19,000 additional dollars per year per person with OUD,” the study detailed. “These costs were primarily borne by private insurers, Medicaid, and hospitals providing uncompensated care. Ultimately, these costs are passed on to all Americans through higher insurance premiums, taxes, and healthcare expenses.” Loss of labor productivity due to the opioid crisis cost the U.S. an estimated $107 billion, the study found. Researchers determined that figure by multiplying the number of productive work hours lost due to opioid-related deaths, addiction and incarceration by the average hourly wages and benefits for U.S. employees. Crime was the final component in the study. The report found that police protection, court proceedings, correctional facility use and property loss stemming from opioid-related crime cost the U.S. $63 billion. ‘MAKING AMERICA EXPENSIVE AGAIN’: DEMOCRATS FIND A TAX THEY DON’T LIKE IN TRUMP TARIFFS “The enormous economic cost of the illicit opioid epidemic to Americans, estimated at $2.7 trillion in 2023 alone, underscores the urgent need to control the flow of lethal drugs pouring in from foreign countries. The human suffering and financial burden inflicted by this epidemic are unsustainable,” the conclusion of the study found. Trump and his administration are in the midst of a border security blitz, with law enforcement agencies stretching from the Department of Homeland Security to U.S. Marshals conducting raids across the nation to deport illegal immigrants and prevent the flow of other illegal migrants entering the nation. As part of the immigration plan, Trump announced tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China at the end of January, which included a 25% additional tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico and a 10% tariff on imports from China. Energy resources from Canada were set to have a lower tariff, at 10%. The executive order that authorized the tariffs, which Trump signed Saturday, said they were created in light of “extraordinary” threats stemming from “illegal aliens and drugs, including deadly fentanyl.” “This challenge threatens the fabric of our society,” the executive order states. “Gang members, smugglers, human traffickers, and illicit drugs of all kinds have poured across our borders and into our communities. TRUMP AGREES TO PAUSE TARIFFS ON CANADA IN EXCHANGE FOR MORE BORDER ENFORCEMENT “Canada has played a central role in these challenges, including by failing to devote sufficient attention and
Harris dodges questions about political future, possible run for California governor
Former Vice President Kamala Harris is not giving any hints about her political future, despite speculation of a possible California gubernatorial bid in 2026. Harris has mostly kept quiet since leaving Washington, D.C., last month after President Donald Trump’s inauguration, aside from a Jan. 20 visit to Altadena, California, to tour the Eaton wildfire damage. On Thursday, the former vice president toured areas damaged by the Palisades Fire and spoke with displaced residents at a Red Cross shelter. When addressing reporters that same day, Harris made it clear that she is not ready to announce her next move just yet. “I have been home for two weeks and three days,” Harris said. “My plans are to be in touch with my community, to be in touch with the leaders and figure out what I can do to support them.” MAJOR CALIFORNIA DEMOCRAT PREDICTS KAMALA HARRIS WOULD BE ‘FIELD-CLEARING’ IF FORMER VP RUNS FOR GOVERNOR When pressed by Fox 11 LA about her political future, Harris said she “would be here no matter what office I hold because it is the right thing to do.” While the former vice president has not commented on President Donald Trump‘s response to the California wildfires, a Harris advisor told Fox 11 that the two former rivals have spoken multiple times behind the scenes. After the Pacific Palisades visit, Harris and former second gentleman Doug Emhoff were spotted at the Los Angeles Lakers-Golden State Warriors NBA game at LA’s Crypto.com Arena on Thursday. Political insiders and Americans alike have speculated on Harris’ next moves after her crushing loss to Trump in November. During a desk drawer signing ceremony — a decadeslong tradition — Harris told staff that she would not “go quietly into the night,” and that their “work is not done.” Late last month, New York Magazine reported that Harris was seeking advice from former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who also lost to Trump during her own White House bid. CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR? ANOTHER WHITE HOUSE RUN? KAMALA HARRIS UNSURE OF NEXT STEPS AFTER LOSING ELECTION: REPORT Prior to her time as vice president, Harris represented California in the U.S. Senate and served as the state’s attorney general. Her political experience in the state has led many to believe that she may seek the top spot. California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s time in office will end in 2026, and due to the state’s term limits, he is ineligible to run again. Amid speculation about a possible gubernatorial run, there are also those who wonder if Harris will try for the White House again. In 2019, Harris launched her first presidential bid, which ended with her in the number two slot alongside Biden. Harris’ second presidential bid had an unusual start after Biden ended his re-election campaign in July 2024 and immediately endorsed his vice president. Harris’ campaign ended in a crushing defeat, as Trump won both the Electoral College and popular votes.
FBI agents’ association ‘optimistic’ about AG Bondi despite early controversy with Trump administration
FIRST ON FOX: The head of the FBI Agents Association (FBIAA) is cautiously optimistic that newly minted U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi will steady the ship at the Department of Justice (DOJ) after turbulent weeks since President Donald Trump took office. FBIAA president and CEO Nicole Campa told Fox News Digital in an interview this week that she is eager to see if Bondi will make good on her pledge to end political weaponization at the FBI and the Justice Department. This new leadership could reduce some of the heat agents have felt in recent weeks, she said, citing firings and forced departures of some personnel – as well as a questionnaire requiring agents to detail their roles in the Jan. 6 investigation. Campa pointed specifically to Bondi’s vows to not go after Trump opponents or chase down any so-called “enemies lists,” two promises Bondi cited repeatedly last month during her confirmation hearing. BONDI SWORN IN AS ATTORNEY GENERAL WITH MISSION TO END ‘WEAPONIZATION’ OF JUSTICE DEPARTMENT “I’m optimistic about her statements moving forward, in that she has stated that people would not be targeted for simply doing their job,” Campa said. “So I think we are optimistic in moving forward.” Even so, she added, “there are still real concerns about compiling lists when looking at this stuff and being able to potentially release agents’ names.” FBIAA, a voluntary professional association, represents more than 14,000 active and retired FBI special agents. The agency joined nine anonymous FBI employees earlier this week in suing the Justice Department to block access to records of agents involved in the Jan. 6 investigation, citing fears of internal punishment or retaliation, as well as threats to the agents or the agents’ families should their names be made public. The judge in the case, U.S. Judge Jia Cobb, is expected to rule on their request for emergency injunctive relief early Friday afternoon. DEMS DELAY PATEL COMMITTEE VOTE, DERIDE TRUMP FBI PICK AS DANGER TO US SECURITY The interview comes as rank-and-file DOJ and FBI employees have been roiled by recent firings at DOJ, forced resignations or retirements of FBI personnel and a detailed questionnaire sent to thousands of FBI agents asking them to detail their involvement in the Jan. 6 investigations. Justice Department acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove attempted to assuage FBI agents’ fears. He stressed in a recent email that the effort was simply to obtain and review what role agents played in the Jan. 6 investigation, and was not intended to be a precursor to a mass expulsion of employees. The lawsuit filed this week emphasized their intent to ensure their identities were not released to the public and that they were not retaliated against for doing their jobs. FBI AGENTS GROUP TELLS CONGRESS TO TAKE URGENT ACTION TO PROTECT AGAINST POLITICIZATION Campa underscored these deep-running concerns to Fox News, noting that FBI employees and the agent association “didn’t have much clarification on what that list was going to be utilized for, besides a broad statement of just personnel actions,” when the DOJ issued its request. “So it raised a lot of concern within the bureau – mainly because we have seen over the past few weeks the associate U.S. attorneys on the investigation be terminated, and then our seventh floor leadership be presented with ultimatums to either retire or be terminated.” Other former department officials cited similar concerns in recent days, expressing fear that any mass purge of employees could compromise decades of agency experience across the bureau’s more than 52 field offices, who have deep knowledge of complex issue areas ranging from counterterrorism and violent crime to drug trafficking, cartel activity and more. “It takes a really long time to get an agent hired and through the process,” Campa told Fox News Digital, citing the lengthy background check and clearance process, as well as training at Quantico, Virginia. “We can’t just pick somebody up off the street tomorrow and make them an FBI agent,” she said. “So when we lose FBI agents – whether it be through retirement or some sort of ‘mass purge,’ to use a term that’s been thrown around in the media, it will take years and years and years, if not decades, to replace that experience.” “That’s scary for everyone at the bureau because we need to be able to have those people standing next to us to be able to get this work done.” Campa said the “best case scenario” is that the identities of the FBI agents are kept private and that the installation of permanent leadership at DOJ and FBI will resolve the controversy as DOJ commits to a process for looking at the Jan. 6 investigations. “I don’t know of an FBI agent who doesn’t stand by their work, so we welcome a review of the work,” she said. “But we are just concerned that it will be done in a thorough and fair manner.”
Conservative firebrand ‘considering all possibilities’ for two key races in Georgia next year
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, one of the most visibile and combustible members of Congress and a top supporter of President Donald Trump in the House, says she is not closing any doors when it comes to a run for the Senate or governor in her home state next year. “Of course, I’m considering all possibilities. No decisions have been made, but I would be telling a lie if I didn’t say I wasn’t considering it,” Greene said when asked during an interview Thursday evening with the Atlanta Journal Constitution about a possible Senate bid in 2026. Greene, who is now in her third term representing the heavily red northwest corner of the key southeastern battleground state, added that a bid for Georgia governor was also on the table. WILL THIS POPULAR REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR JUMP INTO A TOP 2026 SENATE RACE? The congresswoman, thanks to her regular in-your-face social media attacks on the left as well as some well-documented infighting with fellow Republicans in the House, has vastly expanded her national profile over the past couple of years. WHY SENATE REPUBLICANS ARE OFF TO A STRONG START IN 2026 BALLOT BOX BATTLE The Senate race in Georgia, where Democrat Sen. Jon Ossoff is facing re-election in 2026, will likely be one of the most competitive, divisive and expensive showdowns of the cycle, as the GOP tries to hold and possibly expand its current 53-47 majority in the chamber. Georgia and national Republicans are courting popular conservative Republican Gov. Brian Kemp – who is term-limited and cannot seek re-election next year – to run for the Senate. “I think Gov. Kemp would be a very solid candidate,” Greene said. TRUMP-BACKED 2024 GOP SENATE NOMINEE IN KEY BATTLEGROUND STATE MOVING TOWARDS ANOTHER RUN IN 2026 Kemp has not weighed in publicly on whether he’ll run for the Senate. “We’ll see what happens down the road,” he told Fox News Digital late last year. When asked about his political future, the governor said “I try to keep all doors open in politics.” If Kemp does not run for the Senate, other Republicans besides Greene who may potentially launch a campaign include Reps. Buddy Carter and Mike Collins, state insurance commissioner John King and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. In the Republican race to succeed Kemp as governor, Lt. Gov Burt Jones, a top Trump loyalist, and attorney general Chris Carr are expected to be the leading candidates.
‘Stunning and brave’: Dem senator mocked after hyping all-nighter stunt in protest of Trump nominee
Dem. Sen. Chris Murphy was ripped on social media on Thursday morning over a post where he explained how he stayed up most of the night drinking Red Bull because democracy is “on the line” if Democrats do not stop Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) efforts. “After taking the 2-5am shift on the Senate floor last night for our overnight protest, got 2 hours of crappy sleep on my office couch and right back at it today,” Murphy posted on X. “We don’t rest. Keep going. Democracy on the line.” Murphy, whose post was accompanied by a photo of a Red Bull energy drink and video explaining his cause, was on the Senate floor late Wednesday night attempting to block the confirmation of Office of Management and Budget nominee Russ Vought until the “crisis” of Musk’s DOGE crackdown “passes.” Murphy’s post on social media was widely mocked by conservatives who questioned Murphy’s motives on the Senate floor. FEDERAL JUDGE ORDERS LIMITED DOGE ACCESS TO SENSITIVE TREASURY DEPARTMENT PAYMENT SYSTEM RECORDS “So brave,” Fox News contributor Lisa Boothe sarcastically posted on X. “Area man has to work overnight one time,” New York Post reporter Jon Levine posted on X. “Stunning and brave,” the Trump White House rapid response account posted on X. MEET THE YOUNG TEAM OF SOFTWARE ENGINEERS SLASHING GOVERNMENT WASTE AT DOGE: REPORT “Imagine bragging about doing something that basically every college student has done at some point,” conservative journalist John Hasson posted on X. “Men used to go to war and now they cry about working overnight and post their little sugar free red bulls like they’re battle scars,” conservative commentator Ashley St. Clair posted on X. “These clowns are BEYOND pathetic,” video journalist Nick Sortor posted on X. “This is so embarrassing.” “The purest form of love can be found in the relationship between Chris Murphy and a camera,” former Trump campaign senior adviser Tim Murtaugh posted on X. “Overwhelmed at your level of Heroism for ‘democracy’ while your constituents in CT have $1300 electric bills,” radio host Tony Bruno posted on X. “You’re a worthless clown!” Despite efforts from Murphy and his fellow Democrats, Vought was confirmed as the new White House budget chief late Thursday night. In an Instagram live post, Murphy explained to his followers that he was not playing the hero. “I’m not trying to plead hardship here, right?” Murphy said. “All I did was stay up late.” Murphy added, “So yeah, the USAID workers, the domestic violence workers, the teachers, those are my heroes. But you guys are my heroes too. Because I get paid to do this job, I asked. I raised my hand. I said, ‘make me a United States Senator, I want to defend democracy.’ So I volunteered for this job. I get a paycheck. But the people that are showing up at these protests, the people that are going to show up at these protests, you got other stuff going on in your life. You don’t have to stand up and fight for democracy, but you are because you think the moment is important, and you are despite the fact that they are doing things to try to make you stay home, try to make you afraid of speaking up.” Murphy’s Senate speech amid the Trump administration’s targeting of USAID after Musk’s DOGE efforts have resulted in the agency being effectively shut down over what the administration argues is wasteful spending. “For decades, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has been unaccountable to taxpayers as it funnels massive sums of money to the ridiculous — and, in many cases, malicious — pet projects of entrenched bureaucrats, with next-to-no oversight,” the White House said Monday.
Noem reveals 2nd flight of ‘dangerous criminal aliens’ left for Gitmo ahead of her visit
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem announced on Friday that a second flight to Guantanamo Bay carrying “dangerous criminal aliens” had departed a day earlier – just as she is heading to the site where up to 30,000 migrants could eventually be held. “A second flight of dangerous criminal aliens took off for Guantanamo Bay yesterday. ALL are known gang members from Venezuela,” she said on X. She said that those on board included an immigrant who confessed to homicide and another wanted in Venezuela for escaping jail and for aggravated robbery with a weapon/intent to commit homicide. FIRST 10 ‘HIGH THREAT’ ILLEGALS TO ARRIVE TO GUANTANAMO BAY ARE ALL TREN DE ARAGUA MEMBERS Other crimes said to be committed by passengers include weapons trafficking, robbery, drug distribution, assault and impersonation fraud. Fox News reported Thursday that DHS had said there were 13 Venezuelan men on the plane, some of whom are suspected members of Tren de Aragua. The Thursday flight was the second after a similar flight on Tuesday. Noem will visit the Guantanamo Bay facility on Friday, when she will see the detention and processing center and have tours and briefings on the site. President Donald Trump announced last week that he was instructing the Pentagon to prepare to hold 30,000 nationals at the military base. MEXICAN TROOPS BEGIN ARRIVING AT US-MEXICO BORDER FOLLOWING DEAL MADE TO PAUSE TRUMP-APPROVED TARIFFS About 380 service members are supporting the holding operations at Naval Station Guantanamo, U.S. Southern Command said Tuesday, adding that the number of service members will continue to fluctuate based on DHS requirements. The Department of Defense (DOD) stated that these migrant criminals are being housed in vacant detention facilities. The DOD said that is only a temporary arrangement being made to “ensure the safe and secure detention of these individuals until they can be transported to their country of origin or other appropriate destination.” DHS clarified that the Guantánamo Bay prison will be used to house only “the worst of the worst” criminals. It is part of a broader mass deportation operation launched by the Trump administration on day one in office. President Trump declared a national emergency at the border and deployed the military to the border as part of a rapid-fire series of measures to crack down on illegal immigration. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE DHS has since taken a number of measures to free up ICE agents to arrest and deport illegal immigrants, and officers are frequently arresting over 1,000 a day. Fox News Digital reported on Thursday that any releases of illegal immigrants from ICE custody will now need the signature of the acting director, while the agency has also requested an apportionment of around $575 million from the Office of Management and Budget as an advance of its funding for the year in order to be able to work quicker and get another step closer to a reported target of 100,000 beds and 1 million removals a year. Fox News’ Alexis McAdams, Peter Pinedo and Bill Melugin contributed to this report.
Democrats try to enter Department of Education amid outrage over possible DOGE cuts
Democrats on Friday morning attempted to enter the Department of Education building in Washington, D.C. to meet with acting Education Secretary Denise L. Carter but were stopped by security. The man, who said he was a federal employee, did not make it clear why the lawmakers were not allowed into the building. Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., asked the man whether he was doing so of his own volition or if he was ordered to block the door, to which the guard responded that he was doing his job without giving further details. As they surrounded the single security guard in front of the door, lawmakers repeatedly insisted that they had the right to enter the building and slammed the Trump administration over a “lack of transparency.” President Donald Trump and Republicans have advocated for shutting down the Department of Education, saying that the states are better equipped to handle education. Trump on Tuesday said that if Linda McMahon, his pick for education secretary, is confirmed, she should work to “put herself out of a job.” The Nation’s Report Card, which assesses how American students are performing in various subjects, showed seven out of 10 fourth graders are not proficient readers, which is a worse score than the last report card in 2022. The report card noted that reading scores showed “no significant change” since 1992. Former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, who served in Trump’s first administration, slammed the department and called for a revamp in an opinion piece. “A complete reset begins with ending the failed experiment resident in the Department of Education. The bureaucrats have focused on mandating DEI, when students needed the focus to be on ABC and 123,” DeVos wrote. “President Trump and Congress should take their corrosive power away and instead block grant all necessary education funding directly to the states.” “This reset must also ensure that no child in America is trapped in a failing school,” DeVos added. Elon Musk, whose Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is expected to make major spending cuts, became the subject of Democrats’ ire as lawmakers protested against him on Capitol Hill this past Tuesday. In response to lawmakers’ fears, Trump said that Musk “can’t do and won’t do anything without our approval.”
NIH resumes critical grant-making process after federal communications freeze at HHS
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) will resume important meetings and travel associated with the critical grant-review process amid an agency-wide communications freeze at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). While the agency is working its way back to normalcy, its operations are still not completely back to what they were before President Donald Trump took office. The advisory council and scientific review meetings associated with the NIH’s grant-making process, in which outside scientists provide a final grant review and strategic advice before the finalization of a new program, have continued but will not yet meet in open session. When Trump took office, he initiated a freeze on external communications at HHS and all of its sub-agencies. Earlier this week, HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon said that “several types of external communications” are no longer subject to the pause, and “all HHS divisions have been given clear guidance on how to seek approval for any other type of mass communication.” MEDICAL EXPERT GIVES HEALTHY, COST-EFFECTIVE PROTEIN ALTERNATIVES FOR CHICKEN, EGGS NIH is currently taking things day-by-day to ensure they are meeting their obligations under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, which governs the operation of federal advisory committees and emphasizes public involvement through open meetings and reporting. Last week, NIH director Matthew Memoli sent a letter to staff seeking to clarify the ongoing communications pause. According to Memoli, the freeze had been issued to “allow the new team to set up a process for review and prioritization,” but noted that due to “confusion on the scope of the pause” he wanted to provide additional guidance. In addition to halting announcements, press releases, website and social media posts, new guidance, and new regulations, the freeze also halted public appearances and travel by agency officials, and prohibited new purchases or service requests related to agency work. The move caused anger and confusion among both HHS officials and those in the broader medical community, particularly due to the potential pause of critical health research. SEAFOOD SAMPLES CONTAIN HIGH LEVELS OF MICROPLASTICS IN US STATE, SAY RESEARCHERS In his memo to staff, Memoli clarified that any research or clinical trials initiated before Jan. 20 can keep going “so that this work can continue, and we do not lose our investment in these studies.” Officials working on these studies may also purchase any “necessary supplies” and conduct meetings related to such work. Although new research projects are still prohibited, NIH staff were told they could continue submitting papers to medical journals and can communicate with those journals about submitted work. Travel and hiring for such work can continue as well, Memoli indicated, but his office must grant specific exemptions for new hires as Trump also initiated a freeze on the hiring of new federal civilian employees across all agencies during his first week in office. Routine travel planned for after Feb. 1 “does not need to be canceled at this time,” Memoli added. Patients receiving treatment at NIH facilities can also continue to do so. NIH can also submit documents to the Federal Register and send correspondence to public officials. While the pause at HHS has caused a firestorm of concern and criticism, Dr. Ali Khan, a former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention scientist who is now the dean of the University of Nebraska’s school of public health, told the Associated Press that such pauses are not unusual. Khan said concern is only warranted if the pause was aimed at “silencing the agencies around a political narrative.”
Trump admin appeals ruling blocking birthright citizenship order
The Trump Justice Department appealed a Thursday order blocking the president’s birthright citizenship order, hours after the ruling was issued. The Justice Department filed its appeal to the Ninth Circuit on Thursday evening. The move came shortly after U.S. District Judge John Coughenour extended a temporary restraining order he had previously issued. Coughenour notably scolded the Trump administration in the Washington courtroom, accusing the administration of ignoring the rule of law for political and personal gain. “It has become ever more apparent that, to our president, the rule of law is but an impediment to his policy goals. The rule of law is, according to him, something to navigate around or simply ignore, whether that be for political or personal gain,” Coughenour said while announcing his ruling. FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS TRUMP BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP ORDER: ‘UNEQUIVOCAL CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT’ The appeal will now go up to the Ninth Circuit, which covers Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Washington and Guam. The Court of Appeals notably issues more progressive rulings with a higher reversal rate than other circuit courts. The Washington ruling came only a day after a Maryland federal judge also blocked Trump’s executive order. U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman, a former President Joe Biden appointee, noted the Washington ruling that had previously paused Trump’s order from going into effect. Boardman said citizenship is a “national concern that demands a uniform policy,” continuing on to say that no court has yet sided with the administration on the matter. TRUMP ADMIN HITS BACK AS ACLU LAUNCHES LAWSUIT ON BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP: ‘READY TO FACE THEM’ “Citizenship is a most precious right, expressly granted by the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution,” she wrote in her ruling. Trump issued the executive order, titled, “Protecting The Meaning And Value Of American Citizenship,” on Inauguration Day. The order seeks to end birthright citizenship for children of illegal immigrants and was one of several orders he signed that day to overhaul U.S. immigration policy and border security. Supporters and opponents of the order disagree over the meaning of the 14th Amendment, which states, “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.” The primary disagreement is over the clause, “subject to the jurisdiction thereof.” TRUMP’S HOUSE GOP ALLIES PUSH BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP BILL AFTER PROGRESSIVE FURY AT PRESIDENTIAL ORDER Some legal experts argue that such a move is a constitutional change and cannot be made via executive order. Trump advisers and other conservative legal scholars have previously argued that the idea of giving birthright citizenship to children of illegal immigrants is based on a misreading of the amendment. Senate Republicans recently introduced a bill that would reform U.S. law to end birthright citizenship in light of the executive order. The bill, titled, the “Birthright Citizenship Act of 2025,” would end the practice of automatically conferring citizenship status on people born in the U.S. of parents who are either illegal immigrants or who are in the country legally on a temporary basis. The bill was introduced by Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Katie Britt of Alabama, and Ted Cruz of Texas. The bill’s sponsors said in a statement that the measure would address what they called “one of the biggest magnets for illegal immigration,” which they believe poses a weakness to national security. Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano, Adam Shaw and Peter Pinedo contributed to this report.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to House Republicans releasing their tax and spending cut plan
House Republican leaders spent nearly five hours at the White House on Thursday – some of it with President Donald Trump – as they tried to finalize the outline of their tax and spending cut package. The plan is to release a framework with some numbers in the coming days. Fox is told to expect north of $1 trillion in spending cuts. The bill would make permanent the 2017 Trump tax cuts. It is also likely the bill includes a provision to bar taxes on tips. ‘POWER GRAB’: JEFFRIES UNVEILS DATA PROTECTION BILL AMID DOGE CRACKDOWN House Republicans hoped to have a bill ready to go before the Budget Committee this week after their retreat at Mar-a-Lago. But no dice. Republicans hope to prep this bill before the House Budget Committee next week. DOGE TARGETS MEDICARE AGENCY, LOOKING FOR FRAUD When asked if a plan would be unveiled Friday, Speaker Mike Johnson told Fox News, “nothing today” on paper or details of a budget package. “There won’t be any details announced until the end of the weekend. Possibly not until Monday,” he said. He said the committee markup may come Tuesday, but that there are a couple of details to “work out.” Republicans need a budget framework adopted on the floor so they can use the budget reconciliation tool to bypass a Senate filibuster. No budget? No reconciliation option. House GOPers are feeling pressure from Senate Republicans who are pressing ahead with their own plan. Senate Republicans dine at Mar-a-Lago tonight with President Trump. House Republicans are worried if they stumble at moving first, they could get jammed by the Senate.