Moms for Liberty co-founder says Congress’ latest bill to protect kids online has serious loophole
A new bipartisan bill intended to shield children under 13 from harmful content on social media does not apply to YouTube Kids, which parental rights advocates warn still feeds transgender ideology and DEI videos to minors. Parental rights advocates who spoke to Fox News Digital also took issue with the bill, deemed the Kids Off Social Media Act, over its restrictions on the algorithm, suggesting the measure constitutes “government overreach.” The bill was introduced by Sens. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Chris Murphy, D-Conn., and Katie Britt, R-Ala., and is expected to go to mark-up on Wednesday. In an online question-and-answer fact sheet, Schatz’s office said YouTube Kids does not fit the definition of social media under the bill, nor do video games and other platforms like wireless messaging, educational platforms and teleconferencing. Upon visiting the YouTube Kids site, users are prompted to determine whether they are a parent or a child. It tells parents they must set up an account for their children and can block videos or channels they do not like. Among the content available to children on the site are videos made by “queer” creators, including from the accounts Queer Kid Stuff, Nickelodeon and CBC Kids News, advocates note. Other popular videos center on DEI, such as explaining “systemic racism” to children. DEI OFFICE CLOSURES AT UNIVERSITIES PILE UP AFTER ANOTHER STATE ORDERS END TO ‘WOKE VIRUS’ “I don’t think that we should just exclude apps from scrutiny because they say kids in them. You know, we’re all familiar with the so-called gender-affirming care, which isn’t really helpful or caring in any way. We’ve learned that, right? So the title of something shouldn’t just allay our fears. I don’t know why YouTube Kids has been excluded,” Moms for Liberty co-founder Tiffany Justice told Fox News Digital. “What we have seen on YouTube Kids, I’ve seen personally myself, is evidence of transgender ideology being fed to kids,” she explained. “We know that trans activists have been targeting children. We know that there are vulnerable children who see this content. They often will click on it. Sometimes the algorithm will feed them more of that content. And so I think it’s very concerning. I don’t want parents to just say, this is meant for children and everything’s okay.” “We have always said it, Moms for Liberty, we do not co-parent with the government.,” Justice said. “So I really would like to continue to tell parents they need to be involved. They need to be the ones that are making those choices.” “There’s a tidal wave of evidence barreling down on the United States showing that so-called gender-affirming care is bad for children,” she said, championing President Donald Trump’s executive action to remove DEI and gender ideology from classrooms. “We do not want our children indoctrinated, indoctrinated to think that they were born in the wrong body. This is a horrible message. Stopping the natural, healthy development of children is criminal. And so the idea that you have a website that is feeding kids content around gender, ideology or DEI is extremely concerning. And it is worrisome that perhaps parents think, well, it’s YouTube Kids, so it’s safe.” Reached by Fox News Digital, a spokesperson for YouTube defended the YouTube Kids app but did not address the legislative proposal directly. “The YouTube Kids app puts parents in the driver’s seat,” the spokesperson said. “Parents can choose what their kids see and what they don’t see. They have control over the content their kids watch and can easily go into the app to curate a list of allowed channels or block content from their child’s profile through the ‘approved content only’ setting.” Meanwhile, Justice highlighted separate legislative measures introduced by Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, to protect children online, including one bill introduced last session that would require age verification in the app store. Lee is not listed as a co-sponsor of the Kids Off Social Media Act, which would prohibit social media platforms from allowing children under the age of 13 to create or maintain social media accounts, but does not include a parental consent provision. That bill would not require users to present a government ID to gain access to social media and instead requires social media companies to use data about their users, including pictures they post, channels they follow or the date of birth they require upon sign-up to determine if a child is on their platform. As for another aspect of the Kids Off Social Media Act, Justice said she was concerned that the bill bans “algorithmic boosting” for children under 17. Under the bill, social media platforms would not be able to use machine learning to follow exactly how long children watch posts and what they click on to learn what makes each individual child stay on the platform the longest. Schatz’s office argued that social media companies exploit kids for profit in this way, but Justice said her main concern is the government controlling the algorithm. THERAPISTS SOUND ALARM AFTER STUDY SHOWS DRAMATIC RISE IN GENDER DYSPHORIA AMONG CHILDREN “If your son likes hockey, and it gives you more hockey information, well, I don’t know that that would bother me,” Justice said, explaining that she met a fellow mom who told her she goes on her children’s social media accounts and “trains” the algorithm to pull up more conservative political content so that her teenagers are exposed to another perspective outside mainstream media. “So I just think there are a lot of questions about who’s controlling the algorithm,” Justice said. “We know that there are oftentimes really dangerous content that can affect children’s mental health. We have evidence of that. And so we want to be really careful about how that algorithm is being used. And again, I just don’t know that I want the government making those decisions for my family.” Another parental rights advocate, Cat Parks, the former vice chair of the Texas GOP, told Fox News Digital that her primary
‘Swindled the American taxpayer’: New House GOP internal memo rips Dem USAID uproar
EXCLUSIVE: An internal memo being circulated to House Republicans is urging lawmakers to argue that President Donald Trump’s handling of foreign aid is “already paying dividends” and that the Biden administration spent that money on initiatives like “a transgender opera in Colombia through the State Department.” The three-page document, obtained by Fox News Digital through a House GOP source, is being sent to members of Republican leadership as well as lawmakers on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. It includes two pages of recommended talking points, including, “America is spending $40 billion in foreign aid annually. Much of those aid dollars are not even reaching the intended recipients and are instead propping up an NGO industrial complex that has, for years, swindled the American taxpayer.” The memo urged Republicans to argue Trump’s freeze on foreign aid “is needed because it’s nearly impossible to evaluate foreign aid programs when they are on autopilot.” SCOOP: KEY CONSERVATIVE CAUCUS DRAWS RED LINE ON HOUSE BUDGET PLAN “A 90-day review period, with commonsense waivers for truly life-threatening situations, is the only way to give the State Department the time needed to root out waste,” it said. The State Department issued a freeze on most federal foreign aid days after Trump was sworn into office. Within recent days, Trump and Elon Musk’s “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) have also led a significant scale-back of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), including making Secretary of State Marco Rubio its acting head. Opponents of the moves have said it would embolden authoritarian governments that want to see the United States’ stature on the world stage diminished and that it would imperil thousands of lives abroad that depend on the aid. But Republicans like House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Brian Mast, R-Fla., a top Trump ally, argue that the moves are justified to evaluate what money is actually going to foreign assistance that aligns with Trump’s agenda. “America’s foreign aid is not charity and its goal should not be to advance DEI abroad,” the committee wrote on X on Monday. NONCITIZEN VOTER CRACKDOWN LED BY HOUSE GOP AHEAD OF 2026 MIDTERMS The memo also encouraged lawmakers to point out existing exceptions for “emergency food assistance” and “life-saving medicine, medical services, food, shelter, and subsistence assistance, as well as supplies and reasonable administrative costs as necessary to deliver such assistance.” The third page is dedicated to highlighting where committee Republicans tracked foreign aid as going toward, including “$39,652 to host seminars at the Edinburgh International Book Festival on gender identity and racial equality through the State Department” and “$425,622 to help Indonesian coffee companies become more climate and gender friendly through USAID.” Other priorities listed included “$14 million in cash vouchers for migrants at the southern border through the State Department,” “$446,700 to promote the expansion of atheism in Nepal through the State Department” and “$32,000 for an LGBTQ-centered comic book in Peru.” A group of House Democrats said they were denied entry into USAID headquarters on Monday amid reports of a scale-back in senior officials and others. “We are not going to let this injustice happen. Congress created this agency with the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, and if you want to change it, you got to change that law,” said Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va. It’s not clear if all Republicans are on board with Trump’s push, however. A vote to defund USAID last year led by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., failed with 127 GOP lawmakers voting against it, compared to 81 in support. But Trump’s handling of foreign aid has been backed by Republicans known to be national security hawks, including previous House Foreign Affairs Chair Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas. “President Trump and his team are right to scrutinize and revamp U.S. foreign aid distribution to ensure every taxpayer dollar serves its intended purpose. And I am optimistic they will do it in a way that strengthens the intention behind these programs and strengthens our national security,” McCaul said.
GOP-led Senate confirming president’s nominees at faster pace than Biden admin, first Trump term
Despite Democrats’ attempts to slow down the process to approve President Donald Trump’s picks for various administration positions, the Republican-led Senate is confirming nominees at a record pace. The Senate Republicans Communication Center reported on Tuesday that under the leadership of Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., confirmations are moving quicker than they did during the Biden administration and Trump’s first term. As of Feb. 4, the previous two administrations – former President Joe Biden’s and Trump’s first term – only had six nominees confirmed, while the current administration has 11 positions officially filled. WE NEED TO GET THE TRUMP NOMINEES ACROSS THE FINISH LINE: SEN. ROGER MARSHALL On Tuesday, Trump’s pick for attorney general in Pam Bondi was confirmed, as was Doug Collins for secretary of veterans affairs. Tulsi Gabbard, selected for director of national intelligence, and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., chosen to lead the department of health and human services, are next up for their confirmation votes after making it out of committee hearings on Tuesday. After Gabbard and RFK Jr., nine more nominees await confirmation. TRUMP ANNOUNCES NEW PICKS INCLUDING DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE CIA, CHIEF PENTAGON SPOKESMAN Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., shared a roundup on X of where confirmations stand as of Tuesday night. A handful of Republican senators chimed in on the pace and promised to keep it up until all nominees are confirmed. “.@SenateGOP is delivering results. Despite Democrat obstruction, we’re confirming @POTUS’ nominees at a strong pace—faster than in the Biden admin or first Trump admin. I’ll keep fighting to confirm President Trump’s team,” Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., wrote on X. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mon., said the chamber is “ahead of schedule and not slowing down.” The last administration to have all nominees quickly confirmed was former President George W. Bush, whose entire Cabinet was in place by Feb. 1, according to PresidentialTransition.org. Trump’s first term saw all picks confirmed by the end of April, a timeline similar to former President Barack Obama’s, while Biden’s Cabinet was filled by March 22.
California Gov. Newsom to seek more federal funds for LA fire recovery during DC meeting with Trump
California Gov. Gavin Newsom traveled to Washington, D.C., on Tuesday to meet with President Donald Trump and members of Congress in hopes of securing more money following deadly wildfires in the Los Angeles area. The visit, which was confirmed by the White House, comes just one day after California lawmakers approved $25 million in legal funding to challenge the Trump administration. This will be Newsom’s first visit to the capital since Trump took over and is a continuation of his plea for additional federal funding to aid in wildfire recovery. TRUMP MEETS WITH CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS, FIRE AND LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS TO SEE LA WILDFIRE DAMAGE FIRST HAND Trump had threatened to withhold wildfire aid until certain stipulations were met in California, including changes to water policy and requiring an ID to vote, but now appears willing to work with Newsom following a visit to the Golden State last month. The two have remained friendly in person, despite frequently criticizing one another on social media. NEWSOM CALLS TRUMP’S CLAIMS ‘PURE FICTION’ AFTER HE POINTED FINGER OVER CALIFORNIA FIRE TRAGEDY Trump has placed a lot of blame for the deadly wildfires on Newsom, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and the policies approved by state lawmakers. In an executive order issued last month, he described management of the state’s land and water resources as “disastrous.” “This tragedy affects the entire Nation, so it is in the Nation’s interest to ensure that California has what it needs to prevent and fight these fires and others in the future,” Trump wrote. “Therefore, it is the policy of the United States to provide Southern California with necessary water resources, notwithstanding actively harmful State or local policies.” An itinerary is not currently available for the trip, but Newsom is expected to return to California on Thursday.
Trump executive order forces New Jersey to cancel its first offshore wind farm
President Donald Trump’s executive order banning offshore wind projects has brought New Jersey’s first offshore wind project to a standstill. Federal permitting uncertainty and Shell pulling back on clean energy halted negotiations, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities said. Christine Guhl-Sadovy, president of New Jersey BPU, said Monday it would “not be a responsible decision at this time” to award New Jersey’s fourth offshore wind solicitation, effectively pausing offshore wind projects in the state. An executive order signed by Trump on his first day back in the Oval Office banned offshore wind leasing and called for a review of the federal government’s permitting practices for wind projects. Yet, New Jersey remains committed to offshore wind development to “achieve energy independence,” Guhl-Sadovy said in a statement. NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR SUGGESTS HE’S HOUSING A MIGRANT AT HIS HOME, TELLS FEDS ‘GOOD LUCK’ TRYING TO GET HER Gov. Phil Murphy, who has led the state’s push for offshore wind development since he took office in 2018, Monday night continued to champion the offshore wind industry’s potential for New Jersey to “secure energy independence” and create “cost-effective energy solutions.” TRUMP TO SIGN EXECUTIVE ORDER TO KEEP BIOLOGICAL MEN OUT OF WOMEN’S SPORTS But as the state ends negotiations on its latest wind power project, it’s unlikely offshore wind farms will be a part of Murphy’s legacy. Energy giant Shell paused its deal with Atlantic Shores Thursday. BPU’s announcement Monday ended further bids on Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind, canceling New Jersey’s first offshore wind project that was approved under President Joe Biden. Wind turbine projects are unlikely during the Trump administration. “I support the BPU’s decision on the fourth offshore wind solicitation, and I hope the Trump Administration will partner with New Jersey to lower costs for consumers, promote energy security, and create good-paying construction and manufacturing jobs,” Murphy said in a statement appealing to the Trump administration. Murphy is term-limited this year. As the Democratic governor of the Garden State, Murphy made “clean energy” solutions and climate change policies pillars of his administration. He spearheaded offshore wind development under the Offshore Wind Economic Development Act designed to “combat the threat of global climate change,” create alternative energy resources and boost the state’s economy. Trump’s executive orders should come as no surprise. Trump has long said he doesn’t like wind turbines. Five days before he took office this year, Trump wrote on Truth Social, “Windmills are an economic and environmental disaster. I don’t want even one built during my Administration. The thousands of dead and broken ones should be ripped down ASAP. Most expensive energy, only work with massive government subsidies, which we will no longer pay!”
Trump Education Dept launches probe into ‘explosion of antisemitism’ at 5 universities
The Education Department (DoEd) is probing five institutions of higher education with large-scale reports of alleged antisemitism after the 2023 deadly terrorist attack in Israel. The terrorist group Hamas coordinated an attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, provoking an ongoing Israeli military response that in turn prompted anti-Israel protests to break out on college campuses across the U.S. Many protests were not immediately shut down, and Columbia University canceled its main commencement ceremony due to safety concerns. Two weeks after assuming office, Trump’s DoEd is alleging that “the Biden Administration’s toothless resolution agreements did shamefully little to hold those institutions accountable,” prompting a new federal probe into five universities the administration identified as having reports of “widespread antisemitic harassment.” The DoEd announced it will investigate five universities: Columbia University, Northwestern University, Portland State University, the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION DOLED OUT OVER $200M TO UNIVERSITIES TO INJECT DEI INTO COUNSELING COURSES: REPORT “Too many universities have tolerated widespread antisemitic harassment and the illegal encampments that paralyzed campus life last year, driving Jewish life and religious expression underground. The Biden Administration’s toothless resolution agreements did shamefully little to hold those institutions accountable,” Craig Trainor, the acting assistant secretary for civil rights at the DoEd, said in a statement. TRUMP PREPARING TO MAJORLY REVAMP DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AS MATH, READING SCORES SHOW STUNNING LOWS “The Department is putting universities, colleges, and K-12 schools on notice: this administration will not tolerate continued institutional indifference to the wellbeing of Jewish students on American campuses, nor will it stand by idly if universities fail to combat Jew hatred and the unlawful harassment and violence it animates,” Trainor wrote. The investigation comes days after Fox News Digital reported that Trump ordered the potential removal of anti-Jewish protesters with student visas from the country. Northwestern University, Portland State University and the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, told Fox News Digital they would comply with the department’s investigation. “There is no place for antisemitism or any form of identity-based discrimination or hate at Northwestern University. Free expression and academic freedom are among our core values, but we have made clear that these values provide no excuse for behavior that threatens the well-being of others,” Jon Yates, vice president of global marketing and communications at Northwestern University, told Fox News Digital in a statement. “Portland State University is dedicated to upholding a safe, inclusive and respectful community for all community members. We take these concerns seriously,” Portland State University told Fox. “The university continues to support and engage with efforts to combat antisemitism and mitigate the impact of hate and bias.” The school noted that “it is the university’s understanding” that the investigation notice “initiates a directed investigation — which means it is not based on a specific complaint from an individual, but instead is prompted by the new administration.” The University of Minnesota said in a statement that they are “confident in our approach to combating hate and bias on our campus and will fully cooperate with this investigation.” Columbia University did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment at the time of publication. The Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Committee on Education and the Workforce sent a letter, obtained by Fox, to Columbia University in September asking whether the university was “maintaining a safe environment for all members” as a recipient of funding through Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) grants. Columbia University reportedly received $611,173,605 in National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants in fiscal 2024, according to the HHS public page on NIH funding. Fox News Digital’s Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report.
Experts rally around Trump’s under the radar executive order unlocking ‘critical’ project blocked by Biden
President Trump signed an executive order overlooked by some in the media on his first day of office that experts tell Fox News Digital will play a critical role in developing mineral resources in the United States. On the first day of his presidency, Trump signed an executive order advancing the Ambler Access Project, a 211-mile industrial road through the Brooks Range foothills that enables commercial mining for copper, zinc and other materials in a remote Arctic area in Northwest Alaska. That executive order, one of dozens signed by Trump in the early hours of his administration, reverses a move by former President Biden to block the project and represents a significant change in energy policy, according to experts who spoke to Fox News Digital. “President Biden issued 70 executive actions that discouraged tapping into Alaska’s natural resources and public lands access,” Gabriella Hoffman, Independent Women’s Forum Center for Energy & Conservation Director, told Fox News Digital. “Unlike his predecessor, President Trump recognizes Alaska’s potential to meet domestic energy and national security needs for reliable energy and critical minerals—including restoring the Ambler Access Project connecting to the Ambler Mining District.” EXPERTS SOUND ALARM ON BIDEN’S OFFSHORE DRILLING BAN HAVING REVERSE EFFECT ON ENVIRONMENT: ‘DISGRACEFUL’ “The Ambler Access Project has endured extensive environmental review and would bring economic development to rural communities in dire need of it without despoiling Alaska’s natural beauty,” Hoffman added. “Those who would benefit from employment by Ambler also hunt, fish, and enjoy public lands.” Research by the University of Alaska Center for Economic Development on the economic impact of the project concluded that the development of the Ambler Mining District could create thousands of direct, indirect, and induced jobs and the project could mean a projected $1 billion for the state in revenue, mining license tax revenue, corporate income taxes, and production royalties. “Ambler Road is the equivalent of a shoelace on a football field: a blip in the vast remoteness of Alaska’s wilderness,” Power The Future founder and Executive Director Daniel Turner told Fox News Digital. “Yet somehow bureaucrats in DC who do not live there and cannot find it on a map have the authority to prevent Alaskans from developing their own land and growing their economy. It’s insanity.” AMERICA’S ENERGY CRISIS IS HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT AND IT’S WORSE THAN YOU KNOW Unlocking the project comes under the backdrop of China’s emergence in the market for critical minerals as the country controls roughly 60% of the world’s production of rare earth minerals and materials, prompting warnings from U.S. officials on the over-reliance on foreign suppliers. Turner explained that projects like Ambler Road being held up by the Biden administration have increased US dependency on China. “Critical projects in Alaska like Ambler Road and Pebble Mine and oil and gas exploration in ANWR which are held up by radical green ideologues have forced our dependency on China for these raw materials, compromised our national security, but also prevented our fellow Americans in Alaska from the prosperity and economic opportunities they deserve,” Turner said. “So many raw materials we need are in Alaska, and Governor Dunleavy is hamstrung by green insanity in San Francisco and Washington, DC from developing them and growing his state’s prosperity. The Trump Administration could be the most pro-Alaskan Presidency since Lincoln bought it.” Hoffman told Fox News Digital that “critics” of the Ambler project “ignore” that “access to the Ambler Mining District is guaranteed by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) of 1980.” “My fellow Lower-48ers treat Alaska as a national preserve to be untouched and unexplored–dismissing locals and their perspectives,” Hoffman said. “President Trump is actually listening to Alaskans and their needs.” In a statement to Fox News Digital, Alaska GOP Sen. Dan Sullivan said he looks forward to “working with President Trump’s administration and Alaskan leaders in the region to fully implement President Trump’s Alaska-specific EO, which includes reversing Biden’s denial of the Ambler road.” “After enduring a four-year onslaught of 70 executive orders and actions by the Biden administration targeting my state, Alaskans have a new sense of hope and optimism for our future across a whole host of sectors and projects, including in our ability to develop our vast deposits of critical minerals and metals—many of which the United States is almost wholly dependent on China for,” Sullivan said. Sullivan added that he worked “closely” with the first Trump administration to approve a road to the Ambler Mining District before the Biden administration “issued an order that killed that road last June, even though federal law mandates it.” “Ironically, during Joe Biden’s final overseas trip as president, he announced $600 million in aid to build a railroad in Angola to help that country produce and market its critical minerals. That’s insane.” Trump also signed an executive order which he said will “unleash American energy” by directing agencies to revise and rescind actions that impose undue burdens on domestic mining. “The Trump Administration is unwavering in its commitment to securing America’s energy future, strengthening national defense, and fostering economic growth,” White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly told Fox News Digital. “By unlocking one of the world’s largest undeveloped mineral belts, President Trump is ensuring a domestic supply of critical minerals, reducing our reliance on foreign adversaries, and creating thousands of American jobs. This project is a win for national security and the American people.”
Trump’s proposed US takeover of Gaza Strip elicits positive response across administration
Support for President Donald Trump’s vision for the U.S. to “take over the Gaza Strip,” level it and rebuild the area came flooding in on Tuesday after a news conference announcing the plan. The comments were made following a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House in which Trump claimed the U.S. would take over the Strip and make it safe again. “The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it, too,” Trump stated. “We’ll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous, unexplored bombs and other weapons on the site.” Trump’s sentiments were echoed by many officials across the social media platform X. ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER LAUDS TRUMP’S LEADERSHIP WHEN ASKED IF BIDEN SHOULD TAKE CREDIT FOR CEASEFIRE “Trump’s proposed USA takeover of the Gaza Strip may sound out of the box, but it is brilliant, historic and the only idea I have heard in 50 years that has a chance of bringing security, peace and prosperity to this troubled region,” Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman wrote. White House Deputy Chief of Staff and Cabinet Secretary Taylor Budowich also expressed that it was “Time to think different, stop the killing!” “Pres. Trump’s pursuit of peace and prosperity for all is truly visionary. Gaza shouldn’t be a pile of rubble that provides refuge to terrorists, especially when it so easily can become Dubai 2.0. Time to think different, stop the killing!,” he wrote on X. In a second post, he said that there is a need for lasting peace. “President Trump’s bold and unwavering pursuit for peace continues with a humanitarian’s heart. The killing must stop, the war must end, and we must realize lasting PEACE. That’s why the United States will work with Israel to secure Gaza and find a lasting home for the Palestinian people,” Budowich stated. Secretary of State Marco Rubio agreed with the president, saying that “Gaza MUST BE FREE from Hamas. As @POTUS shared today, the United States stands ready to lead and Make Gaza Beautiful Again. Our pursuit is one of lasting peace in the region for all people.” ‘LEVEL IT’: TRUMP SAYS US WILL ‘TAKE OVER’ GAZA STRIP, REBUILD IT TO STABILIZE MIDDLE EAST Netanyahu said during the news conference with Trump that the Gaza Strip has become “a symbol of death and destruction for so many decades and so bad for the people anywhere near it.” He also lauded Trump’s tenacity and ability “to think outside the box” during his comments to the press. Sen. Rick Scott seemingly agreed with Netanyahu, writing in an X post, “Hamas terrorists murdered babies and burned people alive. They are evil monsters. Thank God we finally have a president who is committed to standing with Israel and working with Netanyahu on how to support their efforts to get terrorists out of Gaza and bring every hostage home.” Congresswoman Beth Van Duyne is one of many who stand for the president’s radical movement to change how this country is being run and agrees this is the right move for peace. “The world is looking to the United States for leadership and President @realDonaldTrump is delivering lasting peace! Today’s announcement put Hamas, Iran, and all our enemies on notice — the U.S. will NOT continue the status quo that has empowered terrorists and created a humanitarian disaster,” she said. Not everyone is onboard, though Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry issued a statement to Trump, noting a call for an independent Palestinian state was a “firm, steadfast and unwavering position.” “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirms that the position of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on the establishment of the Palestinian state is a firm, unwavering position, and His Highness the Prime Minister – may God protect him – has affirmed this position in a clear and explicit manner that does not allow for any interpretation under any circumstances,” the statement said. ‘PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH’: TRUMP AND NETANYAHU EXPECTED TO DISCUSS IRAN, HAMAS AT WHITE HOUSE MEETING Saudi Arabia and the U.S. are in negotiations over a deal to diplomatically recognize Israel in exchange for a security pact among other terms. “The duty of the international community today is to work to alleviate the severe human suffering endured by the Palestinian people, who will remain committed to their land and will not budge from it,” the Saudi statement said. Hamas also wrote a statement criticizing Trump’s comments. “We reject Trump’s statements in which he said that the residents of the Gaza Strip have no choice but to leave, and we consider them a recipe for creating chaos and tension in the region,” the group said. Hamas has recently reaffirmed control over the Gaza Strip following the start of the ceasefire and has said they will not release hostages without an end to the war and Israeli forces’ full withdrawal.
Unions sue Trump administration over ‘arbitrary and capricious’ federal employee buyout offers
As a deadline looms for government employees to fold to an ultimatum given by the Trump administration to either accept a buyout or return to the office, unions representing those workers have filed a lawsuit, calling the offer “arbitrary and capricious.” The Trump administration is offering buyouts for nearly 2 million federal employees, including those who work remotely, as part of President Donald Trump’s efforts to get employees back into the office, but they only have until Feb. 6 to opt-in. Under the buyout offer, the employee will stop working this week and receive pay benefits through Sept. 30. Exempt from the offer are public safety employees, like air traffic controllers. ‘GET BACK TO WORK’: HOUSE OVERSIGHT TO TAKE ON GOVERNMENT TELEWORK IN 1ST HEARING OF NEW CONGRESS During Trump’s first week in office, he issued several directives to the federal workforce, including a requirement that remote employees must return to in-person work. With a deadline quickly approaching, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and two other unions filed a complaint, claiming the buyout offer is “arbitrary and capricious” and violates federal law.” The unions allege the administration cannot guarantee the plan will be funded and has failed to consider the consequences of mass resignations, including how it may affect the government’s ability to function. TRUMP TO SIGN MEMO LIFTING BIDEN’S LAST-MINUTE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS On Tuesday, AFGE filed a lawsuit calling for a temporary restraining order (TRO) to halt the Trump administration’s “Fork Directive” deadline of Feb. 6 and require the government to articulate a policy that is lawful, not arbitrary and unlawful. The union said the “Fork Directive” is the administration’s latest attempt to remove public service workers and replace them with partisan loyalists. The group also says the directive amounts to a clear ultimatum to a sweeping number of federal employees: “resign now or face the possibility of job loss without compensation in the near future.” But the unions say the package being offered violates the law because the funds used to pay the employees who accept the offer have not been appropriated for that reason. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OFFERS BUYOUTS TO FEDERAL EMPLOYEES, INCLUDING REMOTE WORKERS: ‘DEFERRED RESIGNATION’ “AFGE is bringing this suit with our partners today to protect the integrity of the government and prevent union members from being tricked into resigning from the federal service,” AFGE National President Everett Kelley said. “Federal employees shouldn’t be misled by slick talk from unelected billionaires and their lackeys. Despite claims made to the contrary, this deferred resignation scheme is unfunded, unlawful, and comes with no guarantees. We won’t stand by and let our members become the victims of this con.” Last week, a government-wide email was sent out to ensure all federal workers were on board with the Trump administration’s plan. The email pointed to four pillars that Trump set forth, to bring accountability back to the federal government, including a return to in-person work, restored accountability for employees who have policymaking authority, restored accountability for senior executives, and a reformed federal hiring process based on merit. The email noted that the majority of federal employees who have worked remotely since COVID will be required to return to their physical offices five days a week. For those who returned to office, the Trump administration thanked them for their “renewed focus” on serving the American people. But the future of their position could not be guaranteed, according to the email. The buyouts do not apply to military personnel of the armed forces, postal service employees, positions related to immigration enforcement and national security, and any other positions specifically excluded by the agency the federal workers are employed by. The White House is expecting a “spike” in federal resignations ahead of a Thursday deadline for a buyout offer, Fox News Digital has learned. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “The number of deferred resignations is rapidly growing, and we’re expecting the largest spike 24 to 48 hours before the deadline,” a White House official told Fox News Digital on Tuesday morning. Axios reported earlier Tuesday that roughly 20,000 federal employees have taken the offer, accounting for about 1% of the federal government’s workforce. The White House official told Fox News Digital following the report’s publication that the 20,000 figure “isn’t current.” Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton and Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
CIA offering buyouts to its entire workforce: report
The Central Intelligence Agency, in what officials reportedly claimed was an effort to bring the agency in line with Trump’s agenda, offered buyouts to its entire staff on Tuesday. The Wall Street Journal reported that the agency is the first to tell its employees they can quit and get eight months of pay and benefits. Last month, the Trump administration offered about 2 million federal employees buyouts to be paid through September, though the window to accept the offer closes on Thursday. While the Trump administration made offers to some 2 million federal workers, some categories were exempt from taking advantage of the buyout, including federal workers with national security roles. WHITE HOUSE EXPECTING ‘SPIKE’ IN FEDERAL RESIGNATIONS AS AT LEAST 20K TAKE BUYOUTS CIA Director John Ratcliffe reportedly told the White House to extend the same offer to employees within the CIA, hoping it could pave the way for “a more aggressive” agency, an aide told the Wall Street Journal. Fox News learned that even though the CIA was exempt, Ratcliffe personally decided he wanted the agency to participate. On Thursday, he emailed the Office of Personnel Management and asked for a process that would enable the CIA to email its workforce and offer the same opportunity, while also retaining flexibility to work through the timing of employee departures in critical areas. Ratcliffe also chose to offer the option of early retirement to long-tenured officers, while also halting on bringing on any officer offered a job late during the Biden administration to ensure their position aligns with the Trump administration’s priorities. TRUMP TO SIGN MEMO LIFTING BIDEN’S LAST-MINUTE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS “Director Ratcliffe is moving swiftly to ensure the CIA workforce is responsive to the Administration’s national security priorities,” a CIA spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “These moves are part of a holistic strategy to infuse the Agency with renewed energy, provide opportunities for rising leaders to emerge, and better position the CIA to deliver on its mission.” The Office of Personnel Management, which operates as the federal government’s human resources department, notified roughly 2 million federal employees on Jan. 28 that they would be required to work out of their respective offices five days a week, or they could leave their roles through the equivalent of a buyout offer. The deadline to accept the offer is Feb. 6. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Those who choose to take the offer will retain all pay and benefits and be exempt from in-person work until Sep. 30. During Trump’s first week in office, he issued several directives to the federal workforce, including a requirement that remote employees must return to in-person work.