‘Incompetence’: Rep Banks rips West Point as school apologizes for ‘error’ saying Hegseth wasn’t accepted
FIRST ON FOX: The U.S. Military Academy at West Point is apologizing after an employee mistakenly said Pete Hegseth was not accepted by the historic military college, and now a lawmaker is seeking accountability. Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., accused West Point administrators of trying to “sabotage” Hegseth’s nomination to be President-elect Trump’s secretary of Defense. Banks is now demanding information on how the error was allowed to occur. “As you know, ProPublica reporter Jesse Eisinger had been preparing to publish a story falsely claiming that nominee for Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, was lying when he said that he was admitted into West Point but decided not to attend,” Banks wrote. “To preempt the publication of a blatantly false story, Hegseth published his West Point acceptance letter, proving the veracity of his claim and leading ProPublica to kill the story. Eisinger defended his reporting, claiming that West Point OPA told him ‘twice on the record’ that Hegseth had not even applied to West Point.” AFTER SECOND MEETING WITH HEGSETH, ERNST HINTS AT WHETHER SHE WILL OR WON’T SUPPORT CONFIRMATION “It is outrageous that West Point officials would so grossly interfere in a political process and make false claims regarding a presidential nominee. “Even in the unlikely scenario of OPA mistakenly making false claims not once but twice, it is an unforgivable act of incompetence that OPA did not make absolutely sure their information was accurate before sharing it with a reporter.” He asked the school to hand Congress “all communication and documentation regarding how West Point OPA falsely accused Hegseth of lying about his application.” When reached for comment, West Point apologized for the error and said the academy’s records indicate Hegseth was accepted in 1999 but did not attend. PETE HEGSETH SAYS HE WILL BE ‘STANDING RIGHT HERE IN THIS FIGHT’ AFTER MEETING WITH SENATORS “An incorrect statement involving Hegseth’s admission to the U.S. Military Academy was released by an employee on Dec. 10, 2024. Upon further review of an archived database, employees realized this statement was in error. Hegseth was offered acceptance to West Point as a prospective member of the Class of 2003. The academy takes this situation seriously and apologizes for this administrative error,” the West Point directorate of communications said. Hegseth is a veteran of the Army National Guard who served tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. It comes as he has continued meeting with senators as part of the confirmation process to join the next Trump administration. CONSERVATIVE GROUP COMPILES LIST OF ‘WOKE’ SENIOR OFFICERS THEY WANT PETE HEGSETH TO FIRE Banks, an Army veteran, has been a staunch ally of Hegseth’s. His support will be critical next year, having won a landslide victory in November to be Indiana’s next senator. Eisinger, an editor at ProPublica, defended the outlet’s handling of the situation in a lengthy series of posts on X. “No, we are not publishing a story. This is how journalism is supposed to work. Hear something. Check something. Repeat steps 1 and 2 as many times as needed. The end,” he said. Banks told Fox News Digital, “Pete Hegseth will shake up the DOD and eliminate wokeness from our military and military academies. This upsets the bureaucrats at West Point, who now seem to be trying to sabotage his nomination.”
PA lawmaker demands accountability at UPenn after prof praises Luigi Mangione
EXCLUSIVE: A Pennsylvania congressman fired off a scathing letter overnight to the University of Pennsylvania’s president demanding the firing of a left-wing professor whose social media posts lauded Luigi Mangione, the suspect accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. In his letter, GOP Rep. Dan Meuser called for Cinema & Media Studies professor Julia Alekseyeva’s firing and noted the university had just finished weathering another scandal relating to its soft response to antisemitic and pro-Hamas protests. Alekseyeva made her online accounts private this week after blowback for saying – among other things – that she is proud to be a UPenn Quaker like the accused killer. Thompson’s murder sparked a left-wing outcry depicting a simmering anger toward the insurance industry that led to online celebrations in other quarters. Alekseyeva posted a TikTok video of herself smiling as “Do You Hear The People Sing?” from the French musical “Les Miserables” played. The play tells the story of a peasant imprisoned for stealing food and his ensuing quest for redemption. MEUSER BILL WOULD PROHIBIT US FINANCIAL AID TO AFGHANISTAN TIL ALL WRONGFULLY-DETAINED AMERICANS RELEASED “I am writing to express my profound concern regarding the recent actions of Assistant Professor Julia Alekseyeva… which appear to celebrate the alleged actions of Luigi Mangione, the suspect in the tragic murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson,” Meuser wrote to UPenn interim president J. Larry Jameson. Meuser noted Alekseyeva proudly connected Mangione to the University City, West Philadelphia school and that she had labeled him “the icon we all need and deserve.” The educator, who was reportedly born in the Ukrainian USSR and moved with her family to Chicago in the 1990s, also refers to herself online as a “socialist and ardent anti-fascist” on her website. Meuser, seen as a potential top contender in the 2026 gubernatorial contest against Democrat Josh Shapiro, called Alekseyeva’s behavior “outrageous” and said it violates the “basic ideals of a civilized society.” In exclusive comments to Fox News Digital, Meuser said it is unacceptable for any educator to glorify acts of violence, especially at a high-level institution like UPenn. “These actions undermine the core values of higher education and threaten the trust placed in our academic institutions,” Meuser said. SARA CARTER RECOUNTS ‘MIND-BLOWING’ INTERVIEWS WITH UPENN STUDENTS FOLLOWING PRESIDENT’S RESIGNATION The lawmaker, who represents the Coal Region and part of Pennsylvania Dutch Country, said he is a fan of the Quakers but expects answers from Jameson in order to ensure further federal support for the school. “Your response will dictate how my colleagues and I support allocating future federal funding for research at the University of Pennsylvania,” he wrote in the letter, calculating $936 million in federal research grants in 2023. “[This] forces Congress to question whether safeguards are in place to ensure that faculty conduct reflects the ethical and professional standards in line with the University’s reputation as a center of excellence and thought leadership.” He also asked Jameson whether Alekseyeva was found to have used university property in making her pronouncements, whether other faculty made similar gestures of support for Mangione and what other steps are being taken to prevent such scandals in the future. The school has until the end of the year to respond, he said. Fox News Digital reached out to UPenn for comment. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The school’s deputy dean of its Arts & Sciences school said in a Wednesday statement the university is aware of concerns over Alekseyeva’s posts and that they are “antithetical to the values” of UPenn. “Upon reflection, Assistant Professor Alekseyeva has concurred that the comments were insensitive and inappropriate and has retracted them. We welcome this correction and regret any dismay or concern this may have caused,” Dean Jeffrey Kallberg said, according to the New York Post. Mangione, a member of a large and well-connected Baltimore family, was captured following a tip from a customer visiting a McDonald’s off Interstate 99 in Blair County, Pa.
House passes bill under Biden’s veto threat that would give Trump more federal judge appointments
The House passed a once-bipartisan bill on Thursday that authorizes 63 new permanent district judgeships over the next 10 years, 22 of which President-elect Trump can fill during his next term. The White House released a statement earlier this week that President Biden would veto the bill if it came to his desk. The Senate in August passed the “Judicial Understaffing Delays Getting Emergencies Solved Act” or the “JUDGES Act of 2024,” which staggers the 63 new permanent judgeships the president may choose over the next 10 years. Citing how courts are burdened by heavy caseloads, the bill says the president shall appoint 11 of those permanent judgeships in 2025 and 11 more in 2027. The president would tap another 10 judges in 2029, 11 in 2031, 10 in 2033 and 10 more in 2035, the bill says. But now key Democrats are backing away from the bill after Trump won the presidency, decrying how it wasn’t voted on until after Election Day. “Today, the House passed the JUDGES Act to authorize additional federal judges to ensure the American people receive timely and fair justice,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said in a statement. “This important legislation garnered broad, bipartisan support when it unanimously passed the Senate in August because it directly addresses the pressing need to reduce case backlogs in our federal courts and strengthen the efficiency of our judicial system.” “At that time, Democrats supported the bill – they thought Kamala Harris would win the Presidency,” he added. “Now, however, the Biden-Harris Administration has chosen to issue a veto threat and Democrats have whipped against this bill, standing in the way of progress, simply because of partisan politics. This should not be a political issue—it should be about prioritizing the needs of the American people and ensuring the courts are able to deliver fair, impartial, and timely justice.” This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
New Jersey drones: House Speaker Johnson says he’s getting a classified briefing today
House Speaker Mike Johnson told Fox News he is getting a “classified briefing” Thursday in Washington on the mysterious drones that are being spotted flying across New Jersey. The Louisiana Republican, speaking to Fox News Senior Congressional Correspondent Chad Pergram, called the situation a “quandary.” “I’m going to try to go get a classified briefing to see what we know, but the hearings have not yielded much yet,” Johnson said. “It’s a specific briefing today on that subject?” Pergram then asked. NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR SAYS FEDS HAVE AUTHORITY TO SHOOT DOWN DRONES, ‘WOULDN’T BE OPPOSED’ TO THEM PLAYING ‘MORE ROBUST ROLE’ So I’m anxious to find out,” Johnson responded. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy recently told WNYC that his state government is running down every theory of what the source of the drones could be. “I’m relying overwhelmingly on the experts in the federal government who do this for a living. There’s no evidence that anything is armed,” he said. “There’s some theories out there. Again, we take nothing off the table. Even if somebody says something crazy with absolutely no evidence. We’ve been running everything down.” NJ LAWMAKER CALLS ON DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE TO ‘IMMEDIATELY’ INVESTIGATE MYSTERY DRONE SIGHTINGS A New Jersey state senator is also calling on the Department of Defense to investigate the recent mysterious nighttime drone sightings amid rising public frustration over a lack of answers. “Let me be clear: The state police, this is way beyond their expertise … We know the Department of Defense has the technology to monitor these drones,” State Sen. Jon Bramnick, R-N.J., told co-anchor John Roberts Wednesday on “America Reports.” “The problem is we don’t have the Department of Defense in New Jersey at this time. And that’s what I call for. Until the Department of Defense comes in, shuts down airspace completely to drones, do a limited state of emergency – no drones in the sky until we figure out what’s going on here,” Bramnick warned. “But without the Department of Defense, we will have no information because the technology is way beyond state officials.” Fox News’ Joshua Comins contributed to this report.
Informant accused of feeding FBI bogus Biden information pleads guilty to 4 counts
Alexander Smirnov has reached a plea agreement with the office of special counsel David Weiss, agreeing to plead guilty on several counts. The plea agreement notes that Smirnov is consenting to “Count Two of the indictment in United States v. Alexander Smirnov … which charges defendant with causing the creation of a false and fictitious record in a federal investigation…” He is also agreeing to plead guilty to several counts of tax evasion. Smirnov has been accused of providing “false derogatory information to the FBI[.]” This is a developing story and will be updated.
US officials see fall of Assad as opportunity to force Iranian regime change
With the fall of Syria’s Bashar al-Assad over the weekend and a new White House on the horizon, Iranian resistance leaders and U.S. lawmakers alike have begun expressing hope that Iran will topple its own leadership in a similar fashion, with U.S. help. “There’s a real chance for regime change right now, that’s the only way you’re going to stop a nuclear weapon,” Sam Brownback, former U.S. ambassador for International Religious Freedom, told Fox News Digital at a Senate panel on Iran on Wednesday. “It’s not just now or never, it’s now or nuclear,” he said, as Iran enriches uranium to near-nuclear-capable levels. A bipartisan group of senators spoke in support of toppling the Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khameini – both through a return to former President Trump’s “maximum pressure” campaign through sanctions and supporting the Iranian resistance movement – a piece that was missing during the first Trump administration. Khameini has ruled Iran for 35 years. THE RISE AND FALL OF BASHAR AND ASMA ASSAD “We have an obligation to stand together with allies in making sure this regime’s suppression will come to an end,” said Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., at the event, which was hosted by the Organization for Iranian American Communities. “Iran is projecting only weakness,” said Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H. “Now is the time to think about how we invest more in the core values that we all share: democracy, human rights, justice for everyone.” “I have, for a long time, been willing to call quite unequivocally for regime change in Iran,” said Sen. Ted Cruz, R–Texas. It was a stronger message than has often recently been heard in Washington, D.C. circles, where there has been little appetite for getting further involved in the Middle East. “The ayatollah will fall, the mullahs will fall, and we will see free and democratic elections in Iran. Change is coming and it’s coming very soon,” the Texas Republican predicted. “We will return to a maximum pressure policy,” he added, “cut the cruel regime from resources from every direction possible – we are going to shut down nuclear research facilities, we are going to cut off their oil.” ISRAEL’S UN AMBASSADOR INSISTS NATION IS ‘NOT GETTING INVOLVED’ IN SYRIAN REGIME CHANGE “There is a cottage industry in Washington to promote the goals and objectives of this regime,” said Marc Ginsberg, former U.S. ambassador to Morocco. “You saw here there were Democratic senators to say to you, ‘We don’t buy this. We can make this a bipartisan effort.’” The Biden administration has issued Iran sanctions waivers in hopes of future nuclear negotiations, and has expressed no interest in helping to topple the ayatollah. On Wednesday, Biden renewed a sanctions waiver granting Iran access to $10 billion in payments for energy from Iraq. And asked if he would like to see Iran change its ruling system, Trump told Iranian American producer Patrick Bet David in October: “We can’t get totally involved in all that. We can’t run ourselves, let’s face it.” “I would like to see Iran be very successful. The only thing is, they can’t have a nuclear weapon,” he also said. But Brownback, a Trump appointee, insisted the U.S. must involve itself in regime change through supporting Iran’s opposition. “I think we need to support politically the opposition inside of Iran,” he said. “Provide them equipment, provide them information… the regime is not just going to walk away. You’ve got to force them out.” And Iran watchers believe the fall of Assad, who was heavily backed by Iran and its proxy force Hezbollah, is the perfect moment to do that. “The tectonic shift in the Syrian government… should mean to the people of Iran that change is in fact possible in the Middle East,” said Gen. James Jones, former White House national security adviser and supreme allied commander of Europe. “The change in administration has already caused tectonic shifts in geographic alignments,” he went on. “Appeasement does not work. Iranian regime does not do nuance.” Maryam Rajavi is president-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, the main resistance group in Iran. “The people, who are deeply discontented and angry, along with the resistance units, who are part of the Army of Freedom and the main force of change in Iran, they are preparing an organized uprising,” she told the panel. Rajavi and her political group have a 10-point plan for regime change that calls for rebuilding an Iranian government based on separation of religion and state, gender equality, abolition of the death penalty and denuclearization. “Our goal is not to seize power but to restore it to its rightful owners, the people of Iran and their vote.” Unlike the first Trump administration, Iran is now facing military attacks on other fronts through its proxies Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon. It’s unclear whether this weakened position would prompt them to bow to U.S. pressure or lash out even further. But one thing is clear: U.S. support for regime change would be a massive escalation in tensions between Washington and Tehran with unknown consequences.
US oil and gas producers pressure House to pass pivotal permitting bill and get America ‘back on track’
A group of U.S. oil and gas producers is upping the pressure on House Speaker Mike Johnson to push through a major permitting reform bill, stressing in a letter Wednesday the urgency for the chamber to move swiftly on approving the legislation, which they see as crucial for attracting new investments in domestic oil and gas projects, bolstering national energy security and breathing new life into other long-stalled energy infrastructure projects. The letter, authored by a coalition of U.S. oil and gas groups who represent a combined 80% of domestic fossil fuel production, stressed the need for House Republicans to swiftly and “immediately” pass the Energy Permitting Reform Act, or the 2024 bill authored by Sens. Joe Manchin, I-W.Va., and John Barrasso, R-Wyo. They described that legislation as crucial to helping expedite actions for producers under the second Trump administration. PATEL ‘READY TO SERVE’ AS FBI DIRECTOR, SEEKS ‘SMOOTH TRANSITION’ AFTER WRAY RESIGNATION NEWS “While this bill is merely the first step towards comprehensive permitting reform in this country, we believe that passing the package now, at the end of the 118th, and then earnestly advancing additional National Environmental Policy Act reforms such as those being drafted by Chairman Westerman in the Natural Resources Committee, will ensure that America can get back on track as quickly as possible,” the letter said. Pressure on Johnson and House Republicans has mounted in recent days as lawmakers prepare for a final sprint before the end of the 118th session of Congress. Some have suggested the bill’s best chances of passage are by paring it with NEPA reform — likely efforts championed by House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman, R-Ark., which could earn the permitting reform bill more buy-in from House Republicans. Its signatories included more than half a dozen major oil and gas industry groups, including the Gulf Energy Alliance, the U.S. Oil & Gas Association, and the Independent Petroleum Association, among others. In the letter, the groups pointed to an analysis from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory that found that in 2000, it took an average of just two years for new U.S. energy infrastructure projects to go from being issued their first permit to becoming fully operational — a timeline, they noted, that has now extended to an average of more than five years for new projects. “Such delays discourage investment in these projects and threatens our energy security,” they said. “Many projects take even longer or are ultimately canceled as funding is lost or companies simply give up.” LEAVE THE OIL TO ME: TRUMP VOWS TO UNLEASH US ENERGY, UNDO KEY BIDEN RULES IN 2ND TERM “The Energy Permitting Reform Act must be treated as an urgent priority,” National Ocean Industries Association President Erik Milito told Fox News Digital in a statement. “With the transition to a new Congress and administration looming, this legislation is crucial for establishing a strong national energy and permitting policy framework that will propel federal support for American offshore energy well into the future.” “By simplifying the permitting process, we can boost our domestic energy production while maintaining environmental safeguards,” Milito said, adding, “These reforms reaffirm America’s commitment to leading the world in energy production, economic prosperity, and environmental stewardship.”In campaigning for president, Trump has vowed to “unleash” U.S. energy production, including oil and gas production, and to “frack, frack, frack.” President-elect Donald Trump blamed the Biden administration for what he views as recent failures in U.S. oil and gas production and used many of his campaign trail stump speeches to take aim at the administration for its outsize focus on electric vehicle manufacturing and production, as well as the shuttering of aging power plants and the spike in energy prices, which increased by as much as 50% in the Keystone State. Fox News Digital has reached out to Speaker Johnson’s office for comment on the letter.
Fatal migrant gang stabbing leaves one teen dead
New York police are investigating a fatal immigrant gang stabbing in Lower Manhattan that left one teenager dead and another injured. The stabbing is believed to have erupted because of a dispute between migrant gangs that have taken over several New York City-run migrant hotels in the neighborhood, according to local news channel ABC7 NY. The two victims, both teenage migrants reportedly associated with a Venezuelan gang called “Los Diablos de la 42” (the devils of 42nd Street), were attacked by three unknown assailants at 7:43 p.m. on Dec. 5. The deceased victim, a 17-year-old named Yeremi Colino, was living in the Roosevelt Hotel in Midtown Manhattan, which is being used as a migrant shelter paid for by the City of New York. Colino was stabbed in the chest and was taken to a nearby hospital after a bystander called 911. Colino died from his wounds in the hospital. MIGRANT CRIME WAVE DURING BIDEN-HARRIS ADMIN UNDER SCRUTINY AMID SERIES OF ASSAULTS, MURDERS: A TIMELINE HERITAGE REPORT OFFERS ROADMAP TO DEFEAT TREN DE ARAGUA, THE MEGA-GANG TAKING OVER US CITIES The second victim, an 18-year-old migrant named Alan Magalles Bello, was stabbed in the arm by a screwdriver but is expected to recover. The three assailants, who were wearing COVID masks, were caught on camera. Police have yet to make any arrests. The incident was initially being investigated as a hate crime as early reports indicated the assailants attacked after asking the two victims if they spoke English. Several Democratic politicians rushed to condemn the attack as “racist.” According to local outlet amNewYork Metro, Congressman Dan Goldman, whose district includes portions of Manhattan, said that “two migrant teenagers were stabbed in our city because they didn’t speak English.” “I condemn this racist, xenophobic hatred in the strongest terms – it has no place in our city and must be rejected,” he said, adding that “these suspects must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” Police are no longer investigating the attack as a hate crime, however, after video footage indicated the confrontation unfolded over gang signs. According to ABC7 NY, video footage recorded the victims confronting the larger group asking; “Why are you flashing gang signs?” before a brawl ensued, which left Colino dead and Bello injured. The New York Post reported that both victims were associated with the “Diablos de la 42” gang, which has ties to the international Venezuelan terrorist group “Tren de Aragua.” ABC7 NY reported that the suspects are believed to be gang members in the Caribbean migrant community. New York Police Department Detective Bureau Assistant Chief Jason Savino said that the Diablos gang has issued messages mourning the loss of Colino and vowing revenge on the Caribbean gang.
Fetterman still enthusiastically supportive of Stefanik for US ambassador to UN: ‘Always was a hard YES’
After speaking with Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., reaffirmed his support for the congresswoman’s nomination to serve as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. “Always was a hard YES for @EliseStefanik but it was a pleasure to have a conversation. I support defunding UNRWA for its documented Hamas infiltration and fully look forward to her holding the @UN accountable for its endemic antisemitism and blatant anti-Israel views,” Fetterman said in a post on X. The senator made the comments when retweeting Stefanik, who shared a photo of herelf and Fetterman doing a double thumbs up for the camera. FETTERMAN SLAMS LEGAL CASES AGAINST TRUMP, HUNTER BIDEN IN FIRST TRUTH SOCIAL POST: ‘CASES WERE BOTH BULLS—’ “Thank you to @SenFettermanPA for hosting a very productive meeting where we discussed our shared commitment to standing with Israel and combating antisemitism,” Stefanik said in her post. “Senator Fetterman shared his ideas for strong national security leadership and I highlighted my ideas on implementing President @realDonaldTrump’s America First peace through strength national security agenda,” Stefanik added Last month, President-elect Donald Trump announced Stefanik as his choice for the role of U.S. ambassador to the UN. FETTERMAN HAILS RUBIO AS ‘STRONG CHOICE’ FOR SECRETARY OF STATE, SAYS HE WILL VOTE TO CONFIRM HIM Fetterman described Stefanik and Sen. Marco Rubio, who Trump tapped to serve as Secretary of State, as “serious, qualified individuals,” indicating last month that he planned to vote in favor of confirming both of them. The Democratic lawmaker, an unflinching supporter of Israel, accused the UN of “rank, pervasive antisemitism,” noting, “I look forward to voting for @RepStefanik to continue a strong and unapologetic pro-Israel position.” After Trump tapped Dr. Mehmet Oz — who lost Pennsylvania’s 2022 U.S. Senate contest to Fetterman — to serve as Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator, Fetterman indicated that he was open to supporting confirmation. FETTERMAN WOULD BE WILLING TO CONFIRM DR. OZ — ON ONE CONDITION CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “If Dr. Oz is about protecting and preserving Medicare and Medicaid, I’m voting for the dude,” Fetterman noted.
Scholarship programs slapped with lawsuits for alleged discrimination against White men
FIRST ON FOX: Two scholarship programs for “underrepresented” minorities are being slapped with lawsuits for allegedly discriminating against White people. The nonprofit organization Do No Harm (DNH) is challenging the Society of Military Orthopaedic Surgeons’ (SOMOS) E. Anthony Rankin Scholarship Program on behalf of a DNH member who said he could not continue with the application process because he is a White male. The program, which is “meant for underrepresented medical students,” matches students with a “U.S. Military host” at one of two medical centers, the complaint states. The program spans four weeks, during when students can receive up to $12,000 “to cover ‘travel, housing, and daily per diem for the duration’ of their time hosted by the military,” the filing reads, quoting the program’s website description. SUPREME COURT REJECTS BOSTON PARENTS’ APPEAL CLAIMING RACIAL BIAS IN ADMISSIONS POLICY “Member A was hurt and dismayed that SOMOS would use his race — which he cannot control — to preclude him from participating in the program and learning from some of the country’s most distinguished orthopaedic surgeons in service of our nation’s military and veteran communities,” the complaint states. DNH also named as defendants Director of the Defense Health Agency Telita Crosland and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, as well as others in their official capacities, arguing that they are violating the Fifth Amendment by operating “in partnership with SOMOS, a race-based service-learning program” for students interested in orthopedic surgery. “But the program excludes white, male applicants,” the complaint states. DNH is asking for a permanent injunction barring enforcement of the program’s requirements and, if necessary, “a preliminary injunction barring Defendants from enforcing the program’s racial requirement.” GORSUCH MAKES IT CLEAR THAT NIXING AFFIRMATIVE ACTION WAS STOPPING RACE DISCRIMINATION DNH is also challenging the University of Colorado’s “Underrepresented Minority Visiting Elective Scholarship” on behalf of one member “who is ready and able to apply for the scholarship” but cannot because of his race. The scholarship is offered via the university medical school’s Radiation Oncology Department within the school’s visiting elective rotation. The scholarship covers “up to ‘$2,000 reimbursement’ for ‘the cost of lodging, travel, and related expenses for [the] four-week elective,’” the initial complaint states. In order to apply for the scholarship, the visiting medical student must comply with several requirements, including being enrolled at an accredited medical school and being in good standing. The applicant is also required to submit a “brief statement of interest.” “Scholarship is prioritized based on the applicant’s interest in pursuing a career with underserved populations, service, leadership, and academic achievement,” the filing says, quoting the scholarship description found on the school’s website. “But the scholarship is not open to everyone,” the complaint states. The filing says the scholarship specifies eligibility is open to those “‘who identif[y] with groups who are recognized as historically underrepresented in medicine including but not limited to African American/Black, Native American, Hispanic/Latino, Pacific Islander, LGBTQ+, or those from a disadvantaged socioeconomic background.’” The website itself says the scholarship includes but is “not limited to” those races. The complaint states the plaintiff is a DNH member and “meets all nonracial eligibility requirements” for the scholarship. PARENTS ASK SUPREME COURT TO TAKE UP CASE TO RESTORE OPT-OUTS FOR INSTRUCTION ON GENDER AND SEXUALITY “Although Member A meets all the nonracial eligibility requirements and would be a strong candidate for the scholarship, Member A is not eligible to apply because he is a white, straight male and does not identify as any other ethnicity,” the complaint says. DNH is seeking a declaratory judgment that the scholarship violates the Equal Protection Clause and Title VI, as well as a permanent injunction “barring Defendants from seeing or considering applicants’ race when selecting the recipients” for the scholarship. “When we’re all on the operating table with a broken leg, we want the best surgeon. We don’t want someone based on the color of their skin, and we want merit,” Dr. Jared Ross, Senior Fellow with Do No Harm, told Fox News Digital. “And unfortunately, in the name of diversity — which is a laudable goal, having people from different backgrounds — we have essentially instituted discrimination and racial quotas to get to what the other side calls ‘equity.’” The U.S. Supreme Court rejected the use of race as a factor in college admissions in a 6-3 decision in 2023. The justices decided two separate legal challenges over just how Harvard University – a private institution – and the University of North Carolina – a public one – decide who fills their classrooms. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Student activist group Students for Fair Admissions brought cases against both universities. The group initially sued Harvard in 2014 for violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which “prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in any program or activity that receives Federal funds or other Federal financial assistance.” Fox News Digital reached out to SOMOS, the Defense Department and the University of Colorado for comment.