Cruz spearheads effort to derail nuclear waste dumping in oil-rich area of Texas
FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, is leading a bipartisan amicus brief urging the Supreme Court to validate a lower court ruling preventing nuclear waste from being deposited in his state. Cruz, along with Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, wants the top court to uphold a lower court ruling that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) lacks authority to license nuclear waste storage facilities. They argue the proposed location of the nuclear waste sites poses “an enormous threat to the country’s security and economic well-being.” The case, NRC v. Texas, will decide “whether the Commission has authority to issue the license under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 or the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982.” TOP TRADE ASSOCIATION SENDS LETTERS CALLING ON BIG CHANGES IN THREE KEY DEPARTMENTS: ‘UNLEASH AMERICAN ENERGY’ The Supreme Court in October agreed to take up the case after the Biden administration appealed a Fifth Circuit decision holding that the NRC lacked authority to license nuclear waste storage facilities. The license, which was granted to the Biden administration and a company to build a waste storage facility in western Texas, was challenged by Texas and New Mexico. Interim Storage Partners planned on operating the nuclear storage facility in Andrews County, Texas, a decision that spurred backlash because of the facility’s location within the Permian Basin. “The Permian Basin is our nation’s leading oil- and gas-producing region and a critical pillar of America’s energy security,” Cruz told Fox News Digital in a statement. “I support the State of Texas in opposing the NRC’s federal overreach and will keep fighting to ensure West Texas remains the energy power house it is today.” The brief argues that placing the storage facilities near the Permian Basin makes the area “an enticing target for adversaries,” therefore threatening the oil-producing region. The brief says neither the parties hoping to operate the facilities nor the NRC are “equipped to consider the broader ramifications” of placing the facilities in the area. ALASKA LEADERS CHEER TRUMP OIL AND GAS DRILLING EXECUTIVE ORDER Texas Democratic Rep. Henry Cueller and Republican Reps. August Pfluger and Ronny Jackson have also joined Cruz’s brief. “Energy independence is national security, which is why I support the scale-up of all reliable and economical energy sources, including nuclear, to meet our rising energy demand,” Arrington said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “However, I will not allow Washington to impose its will on West Texas regarding the temporary disposal of high-level nuclear waste simply because the Nuclear Regulatory Commission can’t — or won’t — finalize permanent storage elsewhere.” Arrington said Texas “and the people of Andrews should make the decision” rather than “some nameless, faceless bureaucrat in Washington, D.C.” The amicus brief states that the location of the waste sites — while “remote” — “present an enormous threat to the country’s security and economic well-being.” “Energy security is national security. That adage remains as true now as it did in the 1970s, when OPEC strategically curtailed its oil supply to the United States,” the filing continues. BIDEN HAD NO IDEA HE SIGNED NATURAL GAS EXPORT PAUSE, JOHNSON SAYS “And although we’ve come a long way since then — building up domestic energy production capacity and decreasing dependence on fossil fuels — recent events are a vivid reminder of the importance of energy independence,” the amicus continued. “They’ve also shown that the Permian Basin has global importance.” The high court is set to hear oral arguments in the case in early March.
Ross Ulbricht, founder of darknet drug market Silk Road, thanks Trump for pardon: ‘I’m a free man now’
Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the now-defunct darknet drug market previously known as Silk Road, thanked President Donald Trump for setting him free and hinted at what he has planned for his future in a video posted on social media. Ulbricht, who was known online by his darknet moniker, “Dread Pirate Roberts,” was arrested in 2013 for his part in developing an online marketplace that connected people selling drugs and committing other illegal acts like money laundering. It is considered the first modern version of darknet illegal marketplaces, which, over the years, have become more prevalent. Ulbricht was sentenced to life without parole. Ulbricht’s laptop, from which he did much of the site’s maintenance and creation, is held as an artifact by the FBI alongside other items such as Ted Kaczynski’s cabin, D.B. Cooper’s plane ticket and pieces of the World Trade Center. PRO-LIFE PROTESTERS PARDONED BY TRUMP, FOX CONFIRMS Ulbricht said in a video on X thanking Trump for his pardon that he was looking forward to “re-engaging with the free world” in the near future. Ulbricht added that the action was a “victory” for everyone “who loves freedom and who cares about second chances.” “It feels amazing to be free, to say the least. It’s overwhelming,” Ulbricht posted on his X account, which he has regularly posted on from jail during the 11 years he was incarcerated. “For the next however long we need, I’m going to be with my family so that we can reunite, and be whole again, and heal. But there’s a lot to talk about, and I look forward to re-engaging the free world. So, once I’m feeling up to it, we’ll talk again. “Let it be known that Donald Trump is a man of his word,” Ulbricht added during the roughly two-minute video. “Thank you so much President Trump for giving me this amazing blessing.” PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP EXPLAINS PARDONING JANUARY 6 DEFENDANTS Ulbricht’s family campaigned for years to get him some form of release and also shared a statement following the pardon from Trump on the website FreeRoss.org. “Our immense gratitude to President Trump for giving Ross a second chance and to all those who have supported us throughout the years. From the bottom of our hearts, THANK YOU!!!” it said. Trump said he called Ulbricht’s mother shortly after being sworn in to fulfill his campaign promise of releasing Ulbricht, who many believe was given an unfairly harsh sentence for setting up Silk Road. “I just called the mother of Ross William Ulbricht to let her know that in honor of her and the Libertarian Movement, which supported me so strongly, it was my pleasure to have just signed a full and unconditional pardon of her son, Ross,” Trump said on Truth Social earlier this week after his inauguration. “The scum that worked to convict him were some of the same lunatics who were involved in the modern day weaponization of government against me. He was given two life sentences, plus 40 years. Ridiculous!”
Fox News Politics Newsletter: ATF Misfires on DEI Order
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, exclusive interviews and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening… – House Republicans clear path for Trump to act on tariff plans -JFK’s grandson says there is ‘nothing heroic’ about Trump’s declassification order – Deportation flights have begun as Trump sends ‘strong and clear message’ The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has been accused of allegedly quietly changing the job title of its former diversity officer as President Donald Trump ordered all federal diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) employees be placed on paid leave. “The ATF defied @realDonaldTrump’s order to place DEI workers on leave, instead giving their DEI officer a new title. They attack citizens’ rights, ignore leadership, and act as though they’re above the law. Enough is enough. Time to abolish the ATF!” Republican Missouri Rep. Eric Burlison posted to X. The ATF, a federal law enforcement agency under the Department of Justice’s umbrella, previously employed Lisa T. Boykin as its chief diversity officer before her title was changed on the ATF’s website this week to “senior executive” with the ATF. An archived link of the ATF’s website reviewed by Fox Digital shows Boykin was listed as the chief diversity officer as recently as Tuesday — Trump’s second day in the Oval Office — and now shows her as working as the agency’s “senior executive.”…Read more ‘MAXIMUM PRESSURE’: Trump’s latest hires and fires rankle Iran hawks as new president suggests a nuclear deal…Read more ‘PROMISES KEPT’: Trump’s ICE nabs child sex offenders among 530+ illegal immigrants caught in single day…Read more ‘DUE PROTECTION’: Veterans groups ask Trump to reconsider immigration executive order, cite impacts on Afghan partners…Read more ‘MASS INFLUX’: Trump DHS finds ‘mass influx’ of illegal migrants at southern border, requests assistance from all 50 states…Read more ‘RESTORE ORDER’: Bill to limit Biden-era immigration powers gets renewed push under Trump…Read more ‘ENERGY SECURITY’: Energy experts weigh in after Canadian premier says she wants to discuss Keystone Pipeline 2.0 with Trump…Read more ‘EXTRAORDINARY MOVE’: Ex-Venezuelan military official applauds Trump’s ‘first good step’ targeting bloodthirsty gang…Read more ‘RIDICULOUS WAR’: Trump says Ukraine’s Zelenskyy is ready to negotiate a deal to end war with Russia…Read more BATTER UP: Date set for Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s health secretary confirmation hearings…Read more CODE RED: Murkowski voted to confirm 19 Biden Cabinet picks in defiance of GOP…Read more ICE RAIDS: Dems rail against ‘egregious’ ICE raid after military veteran questioned…Read more ‘WHITE SUPREMACY’: McCormick responds to Squad member who claims ‘white supremacy and xenophobia’ are the right’s ‘true religion’…Read more THIRD TIME’S THE CHARM: Lawmaker unveils resolution to allow Trump another term…Read more ‘WARFIGHTING AND LETHALITY’: Pentagon pauses all social media posts pending review by incoming secretary…Read more BACK THE BLUE: GOP senator revives effort to make assaulting police a deportable offense: ‘We must act’…Read more ‘EMPTY WORDS’: 11 Dem state AGs criticize ‘vague’ threats over prosecution for noncompliance of immigration enforcement…Read more JUNKYARD DOG: DeSantis pushes Florida lawmakers to take action on illegal immigration, warns of consequences for defiance…Read more ‘STANDING UP FOR LIFE’: March for Life rally unfolds in Washington, with Vance to make first public appearance since inauguration…Read more PAY UP: Texas Gov. Abbott asks government to reimburse state for $11B spent to secure southern border…Read more TROOPS ON THE BORDER: Active-duty troops begin arriving at US-Mexico border in Texas and California to combat migrant crisis…Read more ‘HEINOUS CRIMES’: Illegal immigrant in Texas wanted for allegedly raping child in Mexico repatriated back to native country…Read more OFFICE VISIT: Rhode Island judge specializing in immigration law resigns after FBI raids office…Read more FOX NEWS POLL: After Surgeon General’s alcohol warning, will voters still raise a glass?…Read more GOOD BURGER: Top 5 fast-food burgers for your health, says new study…Read more Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
‘Unusual order’ barring commuted J6 defendants from DC, Capitol raises constitutional implications: expert
An order barring commuted Jan. 6 defendants from entering Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Capitol could raise constitutional challenges, one legal expert says. In a filing Friday, Judge Amit P. Mehta specified the order applied to “Defendants Stewart Rhodes, Kelly Meggs, Kenneth Harrelson, Jessica Watkins, Roberto Minuta, Edward Vallejo, David Moerchel, and Joseph Hacket,” whose sentences were commuted. Those pardoned are not subject to the order. Rhodes, founder of the Oath Keepers, was previously seen in the Capitol complex’s Longworth House Office Building. He was convicted of seditious conspiracy. PRO-LIFE PROTESTERS PARDONED BY TRUMP, FOX CONFIRMS The order states, “You must not knowingly enter the District of Columbia without first obtaining the permission from the Court.” It adds, “You must not knowingly enter the United States Capitol Building or onto surrounding grounds known as Capitol Square.” The filing says the order is effective as of Friday at noon. Later that day, the Justice Department filed a motion seeking to lift the order. “If a judge decided that Jim Biden, General Mark Milley, or another individual were forbidden to visit America’s capital — even after receiving a last-minute, preemptive pardon from the former President— I believe most Americans would object. The individuals referenced in our motion have had their sentences commuted — period, end of sentence,” Acting U.S. Attorney Edward Martin said in a statement. “This is a very unusual order,” Jonathan Turley, Fox News Media contributor and the Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University, told Fox News Digital. “The judge is relying on the fact that the sentences were commuted, but the defendants did not receive full pardons.” COMMUTED JAN. 6 DEFENDANTS BARRED FROM DC, CAPITOL BUILDING BY FEDERAL JUDGE Ron Coleman, counsel at Dhillon Law Group, called the order “novel.” “It is unclear what basis the court would have to assert jurisdiction over someone who has been pardoned for the conviction that is presumably the basis for the order or what the legal grounds are for making Washington, D.C., the kind of national capital, like Moscow in the old USSR, that a citizen needs permission to enter,” Coleman said. NANCY PELOSI SLAMS TRUMP’S ‘SHAMEFUL’ PARDONS OF JAN. 6 DEFENDANTS Turley said that although the new order could “prove a factor” in President Donald Trump extending a full pardon to those with commuted sentences, “it’s not clear whether an order will prompt Trump to reconsider his decision to offer only commutations.” Turley noted that the order could raise constitutional challenges, including First Amendment implications. “I think the court is effectively barring these individuals from being able to associate or petition government officials without the prior approval of the court,” Turley said. “That could raise questions under the First Amendment. “I expect this will be challenged by these individuals.” Trump pardoned nearly all Jan. 6 defendants earlier this week after promising to do so at his inaugural parade. DOJ CONSIDERS CHARGING 200 MORE PEOPLE 4 YEARS AFTER JAN. 6 CAPITOL ATTACK Trump signed off Monday on releasing more than 1,500 people charged with crimes from the Jan. 6, 2021, attack at the U.S. Capitol. The order required the Federal Bureau of Prisons to act immediately on receipt of the pardons. Those pardoned in his initial order included Enrique Tarrio, the former Proud Boys chairman who faced a sentence of 22 years in prison for seditious conspiracy. Fox News’ David Spunt, Diana Stancy and Jamie Joseph contributed to this report.
Mississippi DA bill would pay bounty hunters a reward to help facilitate deportation of illegal immigrants
Matthew Barton, a Mississippi district attorney, is proposing a bill that would pay bounty hunters for assistance in deporting illegal immigrants. Under the terms of House Bill 1484, the state would create the Mississippi Illegal Alien Certified Bounty Hunter Program, which would pay a $1,000 reward to registered bounty hunters for each successful deportation they facilitate. “This legislation is about keeping Mississippi communities safe,” said Republican state Rep. Justin Keen, who authored the bill. ACTIVE-DUTY TROOPS BEGIN ARRIVING AT US-MEXICO BORDER IN TEXAS AND CALIFORNIA TO COMBAT MIGRANT CRISIS “We’ve seen firsthand the danger posed by bad actors and violent criminals who enter this country illegally, like the innocent life of Laken Riley,” he added. “President Trump’s administration has made it clear that deporting illegal immigrants is a priority, and we are proud to do our part here in Mississippi to help support his agenda and protect our citizens.” Funding for the proposed program would come from the general assembly and be administered by the state treasurer. The intention, Keen said, is to encourage collaboration between law enforcement and private citizens in identifying illegal immigrants in the state. It would also alleviate financial burdens on Mississippi taxpayers, who bear the costs of illegal immigration, a press release states. TRUMP’S ICE NABS CHILD SEX OFFENDERS AMONG 530+ ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS CAUGHT IN SINGLE DAY The bill comes as the Trump administration continues to tout tougher policies to combat illegal migration into the United States, as well as crime. Federal immigration authorities have made hundreds of arrests this week of illegal immigrants with criminal histories. “When President Trump took office this week, he immediately recognized the emergency at our borders, rolling out executive orders to combat illegal immigration and cartels,” DeSoto County District Attorney Matthew Barton said in a statement. “This legislation builds upon that foundation, empowering local leaders and communities to support federal efforts in protecting our citizens.” “Legal immigration is a cornerstone of America, and we must ensure that our borders are secure and that the safety of Mississippians comes first,” Barton continued.
Dem governor backs ICE arresting ‘criminals’ despite vowing to use ‘every tool’ against Trump deportations
The Democratic governor of Massachusetts signaled her support for arresting criminal illegal immigrants, saying she supports “the apprehension of criminals in our communities” Gov. Maura Healey told reporters on Thursday that she supports arresting criminals, regardless of whether they are undocumented or not, according to local news outlet WCVB. Fox News witnessed ICE Boston making eight arrests this week, including multiple MS-13 members, Interpol Red Notices, murder and rape suspects, and a volatile Haitian gang member with 18 convictions in recent years who shouted that he “ain’t going back to Haiti” and “F— Trump, Biden forever!” The arrests come as the Trump administration moves rapidly to fulfill its promise to launch a historic mass deportation operation, which it has said will focus primarily – but not exclusively – on public safety threats. ‘NATIONAL EMERGENCY’: TRUMP DECLARES AMBITIOUS ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN IN INAUGURAL ADDRESS Addressing the arrests, Healey said she “wouldn’t describe them as raids,” but instead, “what it seems to be, and what we expected and what I support, which is the apprehension of criminals in our communities.” “Whether you’re documented or undocumented, you commit crimes, you’re subject to investigation and prosecution and accountability, and it looks like that is what happened,” Healey said, according to Fox local outlet, Boston 25. Healey, who previously vowed to resist Trump’s deportation efforts in November, noted that Massachusetts is not a sanctuary state, despite a 2017 ruling by the state Supreme Judicial Court that severely limits law enforcement cooperation with ICE. Healey said in November that her state police will “absolutely not” be cooperating with Trump’s mass deportation efforts, warning that she will use “every tool in the toolbox” to “protect” residents in the blue state. “I still remain opposed on efforts to target large swaths of an undocumented population who’ve done nothing wrong other than they’re here without lawful presence,” she said. TRUMP GOES TOE-TO-TOE WITH SANCTUARY CITIES OVER DEPORTATION AS ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN SET TO BEGIN Healey has taken a slightly more centrist position on immigration enforcement in recent months. After an illegal migrant was caught using the state’s migrant shelter system for illegal activity, Healey said she was “outraged,” She ordered a full inspection of the system and sent a letter to Massachusetts legislative leaders, urging them to amend the state’s “right to shelter” laws to exclude illegal immigrants. At the time, she commented that Trump now has the opportunity to fix the border and said, “I hope he does.” ICE ARRESTS MORE THAN 530 MIGRANTS IN ONE DAY AMID TRUMP’S CRACKDOWN Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell, however, continues to staunchly oppose the Trump administration’s crackdown. She has taken to social media several times this week to express her anger over Trump’s immigration decisions, saying in one X post that “State & local law enforcement cannot be commandeered for federal immigration enforcement. Despite what President Trump may think, he doesn’t have the authority to unilaterally rewrite our Constitution.” “State AGs won’t hesitate to respond if his threats become illegal actions,” she said. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE Meanwhile, Republican state Representatives Michael Soter and Kenneth Sweezey introduced a bill on Friday, titled “An Act to promote and protect safety in the Commonwealth,” which would empower local and state law enforcement to more fully cooperate with ICE. “The immigration issue in Massachusetts has gotten completely out of control,” Sweezey said in a statement sent to Fox News Digital. “This piece of legislation is a very simple, common-sense first step in rectifying part of the issue.” Bill Melugin, Stephen Sorace and Adam Shaw contributed to this report.
Newsom-Trump war of words still simmering as president arrives in California to survey wildfires
When President Donald Trump lands in California on Friday to survey the devastating wildfires that have ravaged metropolitan Los Angeles this month, the state’s Democratic governor will be among the officials greeting him. But Gov. Gavin Newsom is showing up uninvited. “I look forward to being there on the tarmac to thank the president, welcome him, and we’re making sure that all the resources he needs for a successful briefing are provided to him,” Newsom told reporters on the eve of Trump’s stop in Los Angeles. Since the fires, which have killed nearly 30 people and forced tens of thousands to flee their homes, broke out earlier this month, Trump has repeatedly criticized Newsom’s handling of the immense crisis. He has accused the governor of mismanaging forestry and water policy, and pointing to intense backlash over a perceived lack of preparation, he has called on Newsom to step down. UNINVITED NEWSOM SAYS HE’LL BE ON TARMAC TO GREET AND BRIEF TRUMP “Gavin Newscum should resign. This is all his fault!!!” Trump charged in a social media post on Jan. 8, as he repeated a derogatory name he often labels the governor. And in his first Oval Office interview since returning to power in the White House, Trump told Fox News’ Sean Hannity this week, “This fire was just raging, and then it would catch to another area, another area, another area.” “It took a week and a half — and I’ve never seen anything like it. We look so weak,” Trump argued in the appearance on Fox News’ “Hannity,” as he pointed towards his repeated claim that a main reason the blazes raged was because firefighters didn’t have access to water. TRUMP PLEDGES FEMA OVERHAUL DURING STOP IN HURRICANE RAVAGED WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA Trump and some top Republicans in Congress have pushed toward placing conditions on continuing the massive federal wildfire aid to California in order to force policy changes. The president said on Friday, ahead of his arrival in Los Angeles, that he wanted to see “two things” before he would support federal disaster relief funds for California. “I want to see two things in Los Angeles: Voter ID so that the people have a chance to vote. And I want to see the water be released and come down into Los Angeles and throughout the state. Those are the two things. After that, I will be the greatest president that California has ever seen,” Trump said. Newsom on Thursday signed a $2.5 billion state relief package. But California will need much more help from the federal government. And Newsom, the governor of the nation’s most populous state, one of the Democratic Party’s leaders in the resistance against the returning president, and a potential White House contender in 2028, has pushed back, as the two larger-than-life politicians trade fire. The governor has noted that reservoirs in the southern part of California were full when the fires first sparked, and has argued that no amount of water could tackle fires fueled by winds of up to 100 miles per hour. Newsom has also charged Trump has spread “hurricane-force winds of mis-and-disinformation. And in a letter to Congress last week, Newsom emphasized that “our long national history of responding to natural disasters, no matter where they occur, has always been Americans helping Americans, full stop.” The wildfires are far from the first time Newsom and Trump have taken aim at each other. Their animosity dates back to before Trump was elected president the first time in 2016, when Newsom was California’s lieutenant governor. The verbal fireworks continued over the past two years, as Newsom served as a top surrogate on the campaign trail for former President Biden and then former Vice President Kamala Harris, who replaced Biden as the Democrats’ 2024 standard-bearer last summer. Following Trump’s convincing election victory over Harris in November, Newsom moved to Trump-proof his heavily blue state. “He is using the term ‘Trump-Proof’ as a way of stopping all of the GREAT things that can be done to ‘Make California Great Again,’ but I just overwhelmingly won the Election,” Trump responded. While pushing back against Trump’s attacks amid the wildfires, Newsom also knows he needs to work with the president. Newsom, who two weeks ago invited Trump to come to California to survey the damage, said in a statement on Monday following the inauguration ceremony, “I look forward to President Trump’s visit to Los Angeles and his mobilization of the full weight of the federal government to help our fellow Americans recover and rebuild.” He emphasized “finding common ground and striving toward shared goals” with the Trump administration. “In the face of one of the worst natural disasters in America’s history, this moment underscores the critical need for partnership, a shared commitment to facts, and mutual respect – values that enable civil discourse, effective governance, and meaningful action,” the governor said. Veteran California-based political scientist Jack Pitney at Claremont McKenna College noted that “this is a very difficult balance” for Newsom. “As a governor of California, he needs to work with the president to get federal aid for the state. As a national political figure, he feels pressure to attack Trump. It’s hard to do both of those at the same time,” Pitney told Fox News.
Pro-life activist prosecuted by Biden DOJ reacts to Trump pardon: ‘I want to give him a hug’
FIRST ON FOX: When Joan Bell, 76, was given the news she was one of the pro-life activists pardoned by President Donald Trump Thursday afternoon, she was in disbelief. “I didn’t know if that meant we would get out in a few weeks or a few months, or what. I didn’t really know, but I knew we got pardoned,” Bell, a grandmother of eight, told Fox News Digital Friday. “Well, then I ran upstairs because I had a rosary every evening.” After finishing her prayers and Bible study with other inmates, Bell, a lifelong pro-life advocate, was told by several other inmates that her husband, Christopher Bell, was on Laura Ingraham’s Fox News show saying she was indeed one of the 23 others pardoned. PRO-LIFE PROTESTERS COULD FACE UP TO 10 YEARS IN PRISON: ‘POLITICAL WITCH HUNT’ “That was overwhelmingly beautiful,” Bell recalled. “Everyone was clapping.” She was then told by a guard to pack up her things for her release later that evening. “We are so grateful to Trump. And to just feel the fresh air, God’s beautiful air, just wonderful,” Bell said. “Just being out and being with my husband, my son, just glorious. There are no words to describe that kind of freedom.” She added that she and her husband will take a “second honeymoon” soon. Bell, who lives in New Jersey, was sentenced to more than two years in prison in November 2023 for participating in a “blockade,” conspiring with other activists at a Washington D.C. abortion clinic in October 2020, according to President Biden’s Department of Justice (DOJ). PRO-LIFE ACTIVISTS FOUND GUILTY ON CONSPIRACY CHARGES FOR 2020 ‘RESCUE ACTION’ AT DC CLINIC Prosecutors from the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division and U.S. attorney’s office for the District of Columbia argued the pro-life activists violated the 1994 FACE Act, a federal law that prohibits physical force, threats of force or intentionally damaging property to prevent someone from obtaining or providing abortion services. The activists were sentenced by Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, a Clinton appointee, and immediately detained. While signing the pardons Thursday, just a day before Friday’s annual March for Life rally, Trump said, “They should not have been prosecuted.” PRO-LIFE PROTESTERS PARDONED BY TRUMP, FOX CONFIRMS “Many, many of them are elderly people,” Trump said in the Oval Office. “They should not have been prosecuted. This is a great honor to sign this. They’ll be very happy.” Bell, along with Paula Paulette Harlow, Jean Marshall and John Hinshaw, were all around 70 years old when they were imprisoned. “That he personally knew our case is so touching,” Bell said of Trump. “I want to give him a hug.” Attorneys from the Thomas More Society formally requested pardons from the Trump administration earlier this month for the 21 pro-life advocates the law firm was representing. “The heroic peaceful pro-lifers unjustly imprisoned by Biden’s Justice Department will now be freed and able to return home to their families, eat a family meal and enjoy the freedom that should have never been taken from them in the first place,” Steve Crampton, senior counsel of the Thomas More Society, said in a statement. “These heroic peaceful pro-lifers were treated shamefully by Biden’s DOJ, with many of them branded felons and losing many rights that we take for granted as American citizens.” In a previous interview with Fox News Digital, Crampton said it was hard to find a “fair jury” and that most of the jurors were either Planned Parenthood donors or pro-choice advocates in the cases. He called Washington, D.C., the “most pro-abortion city in America.” “She can say her pro-death words, but we weren’t allowed to say pro-life words,” Bell said of the judge in the trial. Nonetheless, she said it was more “heartbreaking” to be prosecuted for her religious beliefs. This week, Trump also took action to pardon over 1,000 Jan. 6 rioters who were imprisoned, along with numerous other executive orders related to immigration and cryptocurrency and orders to declassify the MLK and JFK files. Fox News Digital has reached out to the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division for comment.
Patel, Gabbard to appear before Senate committees next week
Some of President Donald Trump’s most controversial executive branch nominees are set to appear before Congressional committees next week. The commander-in-chief promises that they will shake up their respective departments if they are approved by the Senate. Kashyap “Kash” Patel has been nominated to be the FBI’s next director and will appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee, while Director of National Intelligence (DNI) pick Tulsi Gabbard has a hearing scheduled on the same day before the Senate Intelligence Committee. HEGSETH CLEARS SENATE HURDLE AND ADVANCES TO A FINAL CONFIRMATION VOTE Meanwhile, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., tapped to become director of the Department of Health and Human Services, will face questions on Wednesday from members of the Senate Finance Committee, which directly oversees the department. He’ll also appear before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) committee on Thursday for a courtesy hearing. The Senate’s “advice and consent” role allows the body to review the president’s appointments and provide oversight on key positions. The picks require a majority vote in the Senate with Republicans holding a 53-47 vote advantage over Democrats. But all face tough battles to get over the line. The Senate advanced the nomination of Pete Hegseth as Trump’s defense secretary on Thursday with Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, R-Alaska, and Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, breaking ranks. Patel has called for radical changes at the FBI and was a fierce and vocal critic of the bureau’s work as it investigated ties between Russia and Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. He held numerous national security roles during the first Trump administration and was the chief investigator in the congressional probe into alleged Trump-Russia collusion, uncovering government surveillance abuse that led to the appointment of two special counsels: one who determined that there had been no such collusion and another who determined the entire premise of the FBI’s original investigation was bogus. TULSI GABBARD CHANGES TUNE ON CONTROVERSIAL INTELLIGENCE TOOL FOLLOWING GOP LOBBYING Patel was an integral part of the creation of a memo released by then-Chair Devin Nunes in February 2018, which detailed the DOJ’s and FBI’s surveillance of former Trump campaign aide Carter Page under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. He’s been a loyal ally to Trump for years, finding common cause over their shared skepticism of government surveillance and the “deep state” — a catchall used by Trump to refer to unelected members of government bureaucracy. Meanwhile, Trump has argued that Gabbard will bring a “fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community, championing our Constitutional Rights and securing Peace through Strength.” The director of national intelligence leads the U.S. intelligence community, which includes overseeing the National Intelligence Program and advising the president on security matters. Gabbard has served as a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserves since 2021, after previously serving in the Hawaii Army National Guard for about 17 years. She was elected to the U.S. House representing Hawaii during the 2012 election cycle, serving as a Democrat until 2021. She did not seek re-election to that office after she entered the 2020 White House race. Gabbard left the Democratic Party in 2022, registering as an independent, before becoming a member of the GOP last year and offering her full endorsement of Trump amid his presidential campaign. Critics have attempted to paint Gabbard as a national security risk who is sympathetic to U.S. adversaries. However, more than 250 veterans signed a letter last month endorsing her nomination, including high-profile and nationally known names such as retired Gen. Michael Flynn and former acting Secretary of Defense Chris Miller. Kennedy Jr. is also a contentious pick, and he could face opposition, even from Republicans. In particular, Kennedy’s views and past statements about vaccines have been scrutinized by both GOP and Democratic lawmakers. GOP lawmakers have been concerned about Kennedy’s pro-abortion views that he has espoused in the past and his potential impact on the agriculture sector. In what was a blockbuster move by the former Democrat, Kennedy dropped out of the 2024 presidential race as an Independent and endorsed Trump, vowing to “Make America Healthy Again,” should he be part of the new administration. Fox News’ Emma Colton and Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
Trump revokes security detail for Fauci
President Donald Trump confirmed on Friday that he has terminated the security detail provided to Dr. Anthony Fauci at the taxpayer’s expense. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) requested security for Fauci in 2020 to protect him from threats he received as the top health official and public spokesperson during the COVID-19 pandemic. Trump earlier revoked the security clearances of 51 intelligence officials who had wrongly claimed that Hunter Biden’s laptop had “all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation,” as well as the details provided to former national security advisor John Bolton and ex-CIA Director Mike Pompeo. This is a breaking story and will be updated.