Musk tells Cabinet that DOGE email was ‘pulse check’ for workers, warns US will ‘go bankrupt’ without action
President Donald Trump tapped Elon Musk to speak at the top of the first full Cabinet meeting on Wednesday to discuss the progress made by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Musk, standing in his signature black suit jacket with a T-shirt underneath, spoke at the meeting in which the media was present and made some clarifications about what he and DOGE are doing, as well as a recent email sent to government employees. “I actually just call myself a humble tech support hero,” Musk stated. “As crazy as it sounds, that is almost a literal description of the work of the DOGE team is doing is helping fix the government computer systems,” Musk said, saying the computer systems are “extremely old” and there are many mistakes in the systems. “So we are actually tech support,” Musk said. “It’s ironic, but it’s true.” HERE ARE THE AGENCIES THAT FOLLOWED MUSK’S DOGE PRODUCTIVITY EMAIL VERDICT – AND THE ONES THAT DIDN’T He also defended last week’s productivity email to federal employees. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday in a press briefing that more than 1 million federal workers participated in the Musk and the Office of Personnel Management directive to provide a bullet-point list of their work accomplishments from the previous week. “I think that email was perhaps interpreted as a performance review, but actually it was a pulse check review. Do you have a pulse?” Musk said. “And if you have a pulse and two neurons, you could reply to an email.” Musk said the task was “not a high bar” and should be something “anyone could accomplish.” “But what we are trying to get to the bottom of is we think there are a number of people on the government payroll who are dead, which is probably why they can’t respond,” Musk said. “And some people who are not real people … like they’re fictional individuals that are collecting a paycheck … well somebody is collecting paychecks on a fictional individual, so we’re just literally trying to figure out are these people real, are they alive, and can they write email, which I think is a reasonable expectation.” Musk explained that “our goal is not to be capricious or unfair” in how DOGE operates, and that the “overall goal here with the DOGE team is to help address the enormous deficit.” HOUSE DOGE HEARING ERUPTS OVER DEMOCRAT DEEMING TRUMP ‘GRIFTER IN CHIEF,’ REFERRING TO ‘PRESIDENT MUSK’ “We simply cannot sustain a country on $2 trillion deficits,” Musk said, noting the interest on the national debt exceeds Defense Department spending. “We spend a lot on the Defense Department, but we’re spending like $1 trillion on interest. If this continues, the country will go, become de facto bankrupt. It’s not an optional thing.” “It is a central thing that’s the reason I’m here. And taking a lot of flack, and getting a lot of death threats, by the way,” Musk added. “But if we don’t do this, America will go bankrupt. That’s why it has to be done.” Musk said he was confident that DOGE could find $1 trillion in savings, or roughly 15% of the $7 trillion budget, and thanked Cabinet members for their support. “We do need to move quickly,” Musk said. “If we’re to achieve $1 trillion deficit reduction in financial year 2026, it requires saving $4 billion per day every day from now through the end of September. But we can do it. And we will do it.”
Federal judge hints she will continue blocking Trump from firing head of whistleblower protection agency
A federal judge hinted Wednesday that she may extend a temporary restraining order which has kept Hampton Dellinger, the head of the Office of Special Counsel, in his job after President Donald Trump announced his termination earlier this month. U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson called the matter “an extraordinarily difficult constitutional issue” during a Wednesday hearing before telling lawyers for Dellinger and the government that she will take the matter under advisement. Jackson issued the temporary restraining order 14 days ago, meaning she must act by Wednesday evening to extend the order. Earlier this month, liberal Supreme Court justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson voted to outright deny the administration’s request to approve the firing. Conservative justices Neil Gorsuch and Samuel Alito dissented, saying the lower court overstepped. They also cast doubt on whether courts have the authority to restore to office someone the president has fired. While acknowledging that some officials appointed by the president have contested their removal, Gorsuch wrote in his opinion that “those officials have generally sought remedies like backpay, not injunctive relief like reinstatement.” HOUSE DEMS ORGANIZE RAPID RESPONSE TASK FORCE AND LITIGATION GROUP TO COMBAT TRUMP AGENDA The dispute over Dellinger is the first legal challenge to reach the Supreme Court after several firings under the Trump administration. FEDERAL JUDGE ORDERS TRUMP ADMIN TO RESTORE PUBLIC HEALTH WEB PAGES Dellinger sued the Trump administration in Washington, D.C., federal court after his Feb. 7 firing. “I am glad to be able to continue my work as an independent government watchdog and whistleblower advocate,” Dellinger said in a statement after Friday’s proceedings. “I am grateful to the judges and justices who have concluded that I should be allowed to remain on the job while the courts decide whether my office can retain a measure of independence from direct partisan and political control.” He has argued that, by law, he can only be dismissed from his position for job performance problems, which were not cited in an email dismissing him from his post. Trump began his second term in the White House with a flurry of executive orders and directives that have since been targeted by a flood of legal challenges. Since Jan. 20, dozens of lawsuits have been filed over the administration’s actions, including the president’s birthright citizenship order, immigration policies, federal funding freezes, federal employee buyouts, Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency and legal action against FBI and DOJ employees. Fox News’ Louis Casiano contributed to this report.
Trump’s latest moves signals most ‘hawkish’ approach on China yet: expert
President Donald Trump’s latest move to restrict Chinese investment in strategic areas shows the president may be even more aggressive than ever toward the U.S. rival in his second term. “Although it will take time for the necessary agency and regulatory actions necessary to implement the policy, Trump 2.0 is taking an even more hawkish approach to China as he did in his first term,” Larry Ward, a national security law expert and current partner at the international law firm Dorsey & Whitney, told Fox News Digital. The comments come after Trump signed a memorandum last week that directed the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) that aims to both promote foreign investment from some countries while restricting investment from adversaries such as China, protecting U.S. national security interests. “The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) will be used to restrict Chinese investments in strategic U.S. sectors like technology, critical infrastructure, healthcare, agriculture, energy, raw materials, and others,” reads a fact sheet about the memorandum released by the White House last week. TAIWAN DISPATCHES NAVY, AIR FORCE AFTER CHINA LAUNCHES LIVE-FIRE DRILLS WITH NO WARNING The memorandum, dubbed the National Security Presidential Memorandum (NSPM), specifically singles out China for “exploiting our capital and ingenuity to fund and modernize their military, intelligence, and security operations, posing direct threats to United States security with weapons of mass destruction, cyber warfare, and more,” according to the White House release. “Chinese hackers have repeatedly targeted U.S. entities, including recently breaching the Treasury Department’s CFIUS office, the entity responsible for reviewing foreign investments for national security risks,” the release adds. While Trump has in the past imposed tariffs on China, Ward argued that the president’s new policy is a further step in aggressively responding to the threat posed by China. “This is very different from tariffs. It’s different from trade concerns. Foreign investment is an issue that potentially impacts national security,” Ward said. Ward noted the example of the social media application TikTok, which has famously been at the center of a debate about protecting Americans from potentially being targeted by China. TRUMP MUST DUMP ‘ONE CHINA’ POLICY AND RECOGNIZE ‘FREE’ TAIWAN, HOUSE REPUBLICANS SAY “TikTok initially went through the CPA process and was examined on a national security basis, and then the determination was made that there were national security concerns,” Ward said. Ward noted that Chinese investment in certain sectors has faced restrictions for years, but Trump’s move makes clear that such restrictions are likely to expand beyond those that investors have traditionally seen. “So you look at sectors like semiconductors, the AI space increasingly is a tech sector that has been a general focus,” Ward said. “But certainly this policy again puts out in front that, yes, certainly as to those sensitive industry sectors, we we are going to be very stringent when it comes to Chinese investment, but also we’re going to expand into other industry sectors that maybe haven’t been sort of front and center over the last five, 10 years.” Responding to Trump’s move, the Chinese commerce ministry accused the U.S. of “politicizing” and “weaponizing” economic issues, according to a report from Reuters, adding that it would continue to closely monitor the situation to defend its interests. Nevertheless, Ward believes Trump’s memorandum signals that the president is more committed than ever to combating Chinese threats to U.S. security. “The biggest thing about this policy is that President Trump is not afraid to say that really the threat here is China,” Ward said. “Everybody that sort of works in this space knows that, but it was the elephant in the room, right? People sort of weren’t willing to speak about it publicly. And President Trump has really come out and said through this policy, yeah, China’s the concern.”
Trump: Environmental Protection Agency eyeing to cut 65% of its staffers
President Donald Trump signaled Wednesday that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) might be the next agency on the chopping block as his administration continues to unveil new cuts to the federal government. Trump told reporters Wednesday during the first meeting with his Cabinet that Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin is eyeing cutting 65% of federal employees from the agency. “I spoke with Lee Zeldin, and he thinks he’s going to be cutting 65 or so percent of the people from Environmental, and we’re going to speed up the process too at the same time,” Trump said. “He had a lot of people that weren’t doing their job, they were just obstructionists, and a lot of people that didn’t exist.” TRUMP ADMIN TO DIRECT AGENCY HEADS TO PREP FOR ‘LARGE-SCALE REDUCTIONS IN FORCE,’ REORGANIZATION BY MARCH 13 Trump also suggested that the Department of Education could also face steep cuts as he renewed calls to move education back to the states. Trump historically has signaled he is considering shuttering the agency entirely through an executive order, although Article II of the Constitution stipulates Congressional approval is required to entirely eliminate a federal agency. “We’re cutting down government … we’re bloated, we’re sloppy,” Trump said Wednesday. The EPA and White House press office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. Trump’s remarks come as his administration and the newly created Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE) led by SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk are seeking to dramatically shrink the size of the federal government and workforce. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought and acting Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Charles Ezell issued a memo on Wednesday directing agencies to brace themselves for “large-scale reductions in force” and establish downsizing plans by mid-March. Additionally, DOGE has been tasked with eliminating government spending, waste and streamlining efficiency and operations, and Trump said Saturday he wanted to see DOGE take an even more aggressive approach moving forward. HERE ARE THE AGENCIES THAT FOLLOWED MUSK’S DOGE PRODUCTIVITY EMAIL VERDICT – AND THE ONES THAT DIDN’T Musk, who said Wednesday that the U.S. will “go bankrupt” without DOGE cuts, has launched several initiatives to drastically cut the federal workforce. For example, Musk requested all federal workers respond to a personal productivity email — that he described Wednesday as a “pulse check review” — the Office of Personnel and Management (OPM) sent out by Monday at 11:59 p.m. listing five things they accomplished the previous week. Musk warned that those who failed to comply would lose their jobs. While some agencies instructed their staffers to ignore the email, Musk said Wednesday another email would go out as DOGE seeks to eliminate people who are on the government payroll but don’t exist. Likewise, Musk said Wednesday that DOGE is seeking to preserve jobs for everyone who is an essential worker and is performing well, but warned that those who aren’t could lose employment. The White House said Tuesday that one million federal workers did comply with Musk’s productivity email request and that employees should look to their individual agency for guidance on how to proceed.
Senate confirms Trump nominee Jamieson Greer as US trade representative
The Senate Wednesday afternoon confirmed President Donald Trump’s nominee for U.S. trade representative (USTR), Jamieson Greer. The vote was 56-43. Greer, who previously served as chief of staff to former USTR Robert Lighthizer during Trump’s first term, has been credited with assisting in imposing tariffs on China and renegotiating the trade agreement with Canada and Mexico during the first administration. He is also a lawyer and Air Force judge advocate general’s corps veteran with one deployment to Iraq. The Senate Finance Committee advanced his nomination with a 15-12 vote in early February despite some Democratic concerns about his support for President Trump’s trade agenda. TRUMP US TRADE REP PICK JAMIESON GREER ADVANCES OUT OF SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE Greer’s confirmation comes on the heels of Trump’s promise to impose tariffs on Mexico, China and Canada. TRADE REPRESENTATIVE NOMINEE DEFENDS TRUMP TARIFFS IN COMMITTEE HEARING Greer will be responsible for pursuing U.S.-international trade agreements that align with President Trump’s agenda to support American jobs and bolster supply chain resilience, which includes boosting domestic manufacturing and industrial jobs and diversifying sources for essential goods and reducing dependence on foreign suppliers. Greer also noted he would seek to balance U.S. trade with countries like Vietnam, which has a trade surplus in the country, to “have better reciprocity.”
Bipartisan bill promises more resources at ports to fight fentanyl smuggling, speed up wait times
As drug smuggling attempts persist at ports of entry along the southern border, a bipartisan duo in the House of Representatives is proposing legislation to make it easier for U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents to do their jobs. H.R. 1924, the Border Enforcement, Security, and Trade (BEST) Facilitation Act, would make sure image technicians and supervisors are hired at the ports to more closely examine cargo scans, a policy that proponents believe would speed up wait times and make it easier to catch drugs like fentanyl from heading into the U.S. The goal is to create a specific role for scanning to make it easier on already strained agents. “The majority of the fentanyl that is intercepted is at the ports of entry because of the technology that we have,” Rep. Juan Ciscomani, R-Ariz., who drafted H.R. 1924, told Fox News Digital. “Also because of the way that fentanyl looks and the way it gets transported, which are small pills and they can fit pretty much anywhere.” MEXICAN DRUG CARTEL LEADER EXTRADITED TO THE US TO FACE FEDERAL DRUG TRAFFICKING CHARGES “Cars are taken apart and rebuilt around the fentanyl there. So when you’ve got these kinds of training positions, that enhances the security at the port of entry,” the Arizona Republican continued, adding that the legislation comes from an idea floated by authorities on the ground. Much of the known drug trafficking done across the border is through the ports. The majority of convictions in recent years for smuggling fentanyl specifically have been American citizens, according to the U.S. Sentencing Commission. “Through this kind of scanning process where goods are flowing back and forth, we can prevent the crossing of illegal drugs and also speed up the process of the legal goods coming in,” Ciscomani said. He also noted that the legislation could make certain ports optimal for increasing trade and reduce wait times, which could be hours. BLUE STATE SHERIFF UNLEASHES ON ‘UN-AMERICAN’ SANCTUARY LAWS, MAKES SPECIAL OFFER TO HOMAN The influx of migrants during the Biden administration put a strain on resources at the ports, which even led to longer lines as authorities were also trying to handle the wave of people crossing into the nation illegally. Despite the obstacles, CBP still seized over 21,000 pounds of fentanyl and over 158,000 pounds of meth along the southern border in fiscal year 2024 alone, according to the agency’s data. “When I think about Eastern North Carolina and so many families being devastated in particular by the fentanyl crisis, we have to do something. We have to take urgent steps. We have to, you know, put aside the partisan politics because this is hitting home literally. So when I went to the border, taking three trips to the border, and in particular the Tucson sector,” Rep. Don Davis, D-N.C., who’s co-sponsoring the legislation, told Fox News Digital. “They’re gonna be able to do more inspections, and I believe that this is a pathway of actually saving lives,” Davis added. DHS SEC NOEM DOUBLES DOWN ON CALLS FOR ILLEGAL MIGRANTS TO SELF-DEPORT, ANNOUNCES ENFORCEMENT OF REGISTRY H.R. 1294 has been referred to the House Homeland Security Committee, and it comes at a time when the Trump administration is undertaking a full-scale crackdown on the border crisis, which has led to praise from Republicans and backlash from Democrats. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced that only 200 people were encountered by CBP trying to illegally cross on Saturday, the lowest daily figure in 15 years. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids are ongoing across the country, with some even being held at Guantanamo Bay, and troops were sent down to the southern border shortly after President Donald Trump took office last month. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP Meanwhile, the overall conversation remains heated on Capitol Hill. Democratic Rep. Janelle Bynum slammed another bill by Ciscomani, the Agent Raul Gonzalez Safety Act, as akin to the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 for ramping up penalties for those “intentionally fleeing” law enforcement near the border. Yet, the bill ended up passing with some bipartisan support. There have been some bright spots of compromise despite broader disputes on the issue across the nation as well. Arizona Republican lawmakers and Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes are supporting a state bill that would give permission to local authorities to shoot down drones suspected of being operated by the cartels, which would likely hinder one tool the organizations use to smuggle illicit drugs.
Top blue-state Republican launches comprehensive DOGE effort, with a twist
A top Republican in the Pennsylvania legislature is drafting plans for a Department of Government Efficiency modeled after the work of President Donald Trump, Elon Musk and congressional DOGE lawmakers, but with one major difference. State Sen. Doug Mastriano, R-Gettysburg, said in a Tuesday interview his plan entails PA DOGE being a legislative branch project, not that of the executive, which is currently helmed by Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro. At the federal level, Trump and Musk say they are working from the executive branch to slash government bureaucracy and inefficiency, but Mastriano said Pennsylvania’s legislature is the chief appropriator and therefore the fitting home for PA DOGE. “It doesn’t make any sense why we always defer to the executive branch seeing it for these kinds of decisions,” said Mastriano, the 2022 GOP gubernatorial nominee. LAWMAKERS DRAFT ‘DRAIN THE SWAMP’ ACT “We have oversight of the purse strings. We control the budget. It only makes sense, therefore, that we have a DOGE by the legislature with oversight to make cuts where we can.” State Treasurer Stacy Garrity and Auditor General Timothy DeFoor would, however, have a say in some of its membership, he noted. Mastriano, who ran as the 2022 GOP gubernatorial nominee against Shapiro, said that when Musk unveiled his original DOGE proposal, he thought, “No kidding, we absolutely must have this in Pennsylvania.” The lawmaker, who is also a retired Army colonel and veteran of the Desert Storm Battle of 73 Easting – history’s last major tank battle – said his DOGE committee plan was also inspired by his experiences with the federal military bureaucracy. “I remember in the ’80s when Reagan came in, and there was accountability done when reporters found out the U.S. Air Force had spent $800 on toilet seats for the airplanes and another case of a hammer [reportedly costing hundreds of dollars] that they wanted to buy – so that kind of fraud, waste, abuse has been extant throughout my career.” “And in DoD, we always had a fraud-waste-abuse hotline – then you see what Elon Musk is doing. We need that in Pennsylvania.” DOGE ANNOUNCES MORE THAN $1B IN SAVINGS Mastriano added that if legislation to create PA DOGE is passed, it will be Shapiro’s “ultimate test” of bipartisanship to consider it. In separate remarks to Chambersburg’s 103.7FM, Mastriano quipped that some state cabinet departments are run “like USAID” in that they take in a lot of money and put out very little of value – and would therefore be a prime target of PA DOGE. Mastriano suggested PA DOGE is also the panacea to bloated executive budget proposals the legislature has been handed over the years. Under the proposal, three of PA DOGE’s 10 members would be House lawmakers, three would be senators, the state treasurer would name one member, the auditor general would name one member and two would be civilians. Any ties would be broken by the state treasurer; currently Garrity – a Republican. “This committee will have teeth,” Mastriano said. “If the committee sees fraud, waste and abuse and decides to eliminate elements of the state budget or even departments within the state, they have the power to do so.” Fox News Digital reached out to leaders on the Senate Intergovernmental Operations Committee – which oversees and manages relationships within state government and would be the relevant panel should the DOGE plan come to fruition. Chairman Jarrett Coleman, R-Allentown, told Fox News Digital it is “well past time to examine how state funds are being used.” Coleman said he will support any effort to highlight or minimize government waste. “Oftentimes, I question whether or not elected officials would be so wasteful if it were their own money,” he said. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The chairman, who is a pilot by trade, suggested DOGE could target what he described as a hefty executive branch tab for use of the state plane, which he dubbed “Shapiro-Davis Airlines; Operated by PennDOT.” Clint Barkdoll, a Waynesboro attorney, told NewsTalk 103.7 that he supports the idea of a Keystone DOGE. “We need this at all levels of government, we’re seeing the benefits that it can bring. Obviously, if it’s set up in a way through the General Assembly, they don’t have to accept the recommendations,” Barkdoll said. “But why not have a body empaneled to make recommendations and make it a diverse group? Get some lay-people on there. It doesn’t have to be all elected officials: Get some business people.” The idea of having civilians on the board alongside public officials would offer wider insight into key issues and considerations, he said. State Sen. Tina Tartaglione, D-Philadelphia, the ranking member on Coleman’s committee, did not respond to a comment request. Shapiro also declined comment.
Over 150 lawmakers lend support to resistance movement inside Iran as regime’s proxies fall
FIRST ON FOX: A bipartisan group of 151 lawmakers is rallying around a resolution to support the Iranian resistance movement ahead of a hearing with an opposition leader. The resolution, led by Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., expresses support for the Iranian people and their stated desire for a “democratic, secular and non-nuclear” Iran through regime change. “The developments of the past year have left no doubt that the source of terrorism and warmongering in the Middle East region is the theocratic Islamic Republic of Iran,” the resolution reads. It calls out the Iranian regime’s oppressive practices, voices support for the opposition and calls on global leaders to continue imposing sanctions. WORLD BRACES FOR IMPACT OF TRUMP’S ‘MAXIMUM PRESSURE’ SANCTIONS TARGETING IRAN “The efforts of Western countries over the past 45 years to change the behavior of this regime have failed, and the ultimate solution to ending the Iranian regime’s threats is the establishment of a secular, democratic, and pluralistic republic by the Iranian people and resistance.” President Donald Trump has been hesitant to throw U.S. efforts into regime change in Iran. “We can’t get totally involved in all that. We can’t run ourselves, let’s face it,” he told Iranian-American producer Patrick Bet-David in October. The resolution also claimed that in the first four months of Masoud Pezeshkian’s presidency, beginning July 28, 2024, some 500 prisoners, including political prisoners and at least 17 women, were executed, and hand amputations increased. The resolution also expressed support for Maryam Rajavi, president-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), a leading resistance group known as MEK to Iranians, and her 10-point plan to bring democracy, secular government and human rights to Iran. The plan, which has the support of 4,000 parliamentarians across the globe, calls for installing NCRI as a provisional government for six months to set up elections and a constituent assembly. It was introduced Wednesday ahead of a 2 p.m. hearing entitled “The Future of Iran” with the Congressional Iran Human Rights and Democracy Caucus, where Rajavi – a top target of Iran’s terror plots and demonization – will give testimony. PRESIDENT TRUMP CAN STOP IRAN’S MARCH TO NUCLEAR WEAPONS: ‘RE-ESTABLISH CREDIBLE MILITARY THREAT’, REPORT SAYS The first Trump administration imposed harsh sanctions to bankrupt Iran but stayed away from messaging campaigns aimed at encouraging Iranian resistance. This time around, opposition supporters say the situation on the ground has changed – the regime is far weaker after Bashar al-Assad was forced out of power in Syria and Israel has decimated its proxies, Hamas and Hezbollah. Protests have again kicked up across the nation and threaten to spread if the financial crisis does not improve. Rajavi, in her opening remarks, will say that the Iranian regime is at its weakest point in decades. “The situation of the Iranian society is explosive. During its 46-year rule, the religious fascism has never been so weak and fragile,” Rajavi is expected to say, according to remarks obtained by Fox News Digital. STATE, TREASURY DEPARTMENTS REIMPOSES ‘MAXIMUM PRESSURE’ SANCTIONS ON IRAN’S OIL TRADE “The mullahs are surrounded from all sides: by a society that is filled with anger and rebellion, by Resistance Units, and by selfless and rebellious youth, because of its bankrupt economy and corruption in the government, particularly after the overthrow of the brutal dictatorship of Assad and the collapse of the regime’s “strategic depth” in the region.” The resolution is sure to rankle Ayatollah Ali Khameni, leader of the current Iranian regime, and supporters of Reza Pahlavi II, whose father ruled Iran in the 1970s, who want to see the younger Pahlavi cede power in Iran and deeply oppose the NCRI. Rajavi will call for the implementation of United Nations snapback sanctions that were eased under the 2015 nuclear deal, putting the regime under the Chapter VII charter of the U.N. as a threat to peace and formally recognizing the resistance’s movement for regime change. She will also pay tribute to two resistance leaders, Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani, who have been sentenced to death on charges of “rebellion” and for being members of the MEK. The U.N. has called on Iran to halt their executions. The regime has executed 120,000 on political grounds over the past four decades, according to Rajavi. The hearings come after the Trump administration pushed forward with its promise to return the U.S. to “maximum pressure” sanctions with new crackdowns on Iranian oil tankers. Trump has said he would “love to make a deal” with the nation’s clerical leaders, but Iran has insisted it will not engage in nuclear negotiations while the U.S. is imposing maximum pressure. “Iran’s position regarding nuclear talks is clear, and we will not negotiate under pressure and sanctions,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said during a televised joint press conference with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. “There is no possibility of direct negotiations with the U.S. as long as maximum pressure is being applied in this way.”
‘Back in the driver’s seat’: Parents offered new guide to Trump’s executive orders and how they affect kids
FIRST ON FOX: President Donald Trump has issued 73 executive orders since his return to the Oval Office in January, including at least six that directly affect parents and their children, according to a parental rights group that released a parent’s guide to navigating the executive orders. “President Trump’s Executive Orders have put parents back in the driver’s seat,” American Parents Coalition’s Executive Director Alleigh Marré told Fox News Digital. “From rolling back President Biden’s radical changes to Title IX that required schools to let boys play in girls sports, to protecting kids from harmful gender interventions, parents are already better positioned to make decisions regarding the well-being of their children than they were just a month ago.” The coalition released a “lookout” parental notification system Wednesday that detailed six different executive orders that “enable parents to choose what is best for their children and to better protect kids.” The lookout works as a guide to parents navigating the executive orders, including offering tips on how parents can keep up with the breakneck pace of the Trump administration’s executive orders, and working their way through Congress and at the state level. TRUMP SIGNS ‘NO MEN IN WOMEN’S SPORTS’ EXECUTIVE ORDER The American Parents Coalition was established in 2024 to advocate for public policy favorable toward parental rights. “In this Lookout, American Parents Coalition seeks to keep parents informed and provide tips to stay in the loop about future changes made by the Trump Administration, Congress, and state legislatures,” Marré added in comment to Fox Digital. The parental notification system focused on six Trump executive orders, providing an explainer for each and what the order actually means for parents. The six orders include: Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports; Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling; Expanding Educational Freedom and Opportunity for Families; Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation; Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal; Ending the Weaponization of the Federal Government. PARENTS SHOULD BE TERRIFIED BY TIKTOK’S DANGEROUS INFLUENCE OVER OUR KIDS For the executive order protecting children from chemical mutilation, for example, the coalition explained that it “ensures parents, not activists, make medical decisions for their children and protects children from irreversible procedures until they reach adulthood.” “Although there is more work to be done at the state level, parents can now feel reassured that schools, healthcare providers, and government programs will not bypass them in pushing gender transition interventions on their children,” the lookout report continues. Trump’s bevy of executive orders related to transgender issues and children were long previewed on the campaign trail, as the then-candidate vowed that he would ban biological males from women’s sports and ban gender surgery procedures for children. MILLION-DOLLAR TV AD CAMPAIGN ACCUSES TIKTOK OF EXPOSING YOUNG PEOPLE CONTENT GLORIFYING SUICIDE, SELF-HARM “On Day One, I will revoke Joe Biden’s cruel policies on so-called ‘gender affirming care’ — ridiculous — a process that includes giving kids puberty blockers, mutating their physical appearance, and ultimately performing surgery on minor children. Can you believe this?” Trump said in a campaign video in 2023 of his plan to “protect children from left-wing gender insanity.” TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDER ON PROTECTING WOMEN’S SPORTS DRAWS RESPONSE FROM NCAA Outside of executive orders that directly address children and parents, Trump also signed an executive order that ends the weaponization of the federal government, including preventing agencies from targeting people based on their political beliefs. “Parents can advocate for their children’s education and rights without fear of government retaliation for speaking out,” the lookout explained of how the order impacts parents. “Some parents critical of far-Left educational policies such as teaching (critical race theory), transgender bathrooms and sport policies have been ridiculed and even investigated by the FBI. This order is a win for free speech and puts parents into the driver’s seat of their children’s lives.”
Victim’s family ‘confident’ Oklahoma’s Richard Glossip will be convicted after Supreme Court orders new trial
The family of murdered Oklahoma City motel owner Barry Van Treese told Fox News Digital they are “confident” Richard Glossip will once again be found guilty after the Supreme Court tossed out his conviction and ordered a new trial. Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in a majority opinion Tuesday that “the prosecution violated its constitutional obligation to correct false testimony” in court proceedings against Glossip, who was convicted and sentenced to death following the 1997 killing. Prosecutors alleged that it was a murder-for-hire scheme. “The family remains confident that when that new trial is held, the jury will return the same verdict as in the first two trials: guilty of first-degree murder,” Derek Van Treese, Barry’s son, said in a statement to Fox News Digital provided by the family’s lawyer, Paul Cassell. “The burning issue here is of process and procedure. The U.S. Supreme Court has concluded that one small bit of impeachment evidence should have been presented at Glossip’s trial and has remanded for a new trial,” he continued. “Two juries have shown that the issue at hand isn’t one of guilt or innocence, Glossip is clearly guilty of first-degree murder.” SUPREME COURT TOSSES CONVICTION AND DEATH SENTENCE OF OKLAHOMA INMATE, ORDERS NEW TRIAL Derek Van Treese added that “For the last 10,276 days, we’ve been waiting for justice for the murder of Barry Van Treese.” “As difficult as it may be to start fresh on a 28-year-old case, I hope that the Attorney General and the Oklahoma County District Attorney’s office can begin to show the perseverance that our family has shown throughout this process,” he also said. “We pray that they exhibit the fortitude to take politics out of the equation and process this case as it is, a death penalty case, and not take the easy road of a lesser charge. If they find themselves unable to shoulder the burden, they should recuse themselves and allow someone with the aptitude and skill necessary to prosecute this case so it can finally be laid to rest, once and for all.” SOUTH CAROLINA DEATH ROW INMATE CHOOSES FIRING SQUAD AS EXECUTION METHOD Don Knight, Glossip’s attorney, told the Associated Press that the Supreme Court’s ruling “was a victory for justice and fairness in our judicial system.” “Rich and I opened the decision together on the phone this morning, knowing it would be a life-changing moment,” his wife said in a text message to the AP following the Supreme Court’s announcement. “To say that we are overcome with emotion is an understatement. We are deeply grateful. Today is truly an answered prayer.” Glossip, 62, is currently being held at the maximum-security Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester, according to the AP. Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond was quoted by the news agency as saying that Glossip will remain in custody, and he will now consult with the Oklahoma County district attorney over whether to try Glossip again and if the state should seek the death penalty or lesser charges. “I do not believe Richard Glossip is innocent,” Drummond reportedly added, noting that “I have conferred with several members of the Van Treese family and given them my heartfelt sadness for where they are, where they find themselves.” Fox News’ Bill Mears contributed to this report.