Trump not invited to Dick Cheney funeral
President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance were not invited to the funeral for former Vice President Dick Cheney, Fox News has confirmed. Cheney’s funeral is scheduled for mid-morning on Thursday at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. It is traditional for sitting U.S. presidents to attend funerals for past presidents and vice presidents, but Trump has had a uniquely poor relationship with Cheney’s family in recent years. News of the president’s exclusion was first reported by Axios. Cheney’s daughter, former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., helped lead the House investigation into Trump’s role in the storming of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Both Liz and her father endorsed former Vice President Kamala Harris during the 2024 presidential campaign. CHIP CARTER MARVELS AT BIPARTISANSHIP HE WITNESSED AT HABITAT FOR HUMANITY, FATHER’S FUNERAL The elder Cheney, who went from the plains of Casper, Wyoming, to a decades-long public career as a Republican congressman, Defense secretary, White House chief of staff and one of the most powerful American vice presidents ever, died at age 84 earlier this month. “Richard B. Cheney, the 46th Vice President of the United States, died last night, November 3, 2025. He was 84 years old. His beloved wife of 61 years, Lynne, his daughters, Liz and Mary, and other family members were with him as he passed,” his family said in a statement obtained by Fox News. “The former Vice President died due to complications of pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease.” “For decades, Dick Cheney served our nation, including as White House Chief of Staff, Wyoming’s Congressman, Secretary of Defense, and Vice President of the United States,” the statement continued. VANCE SAYS HE OWES ‘SO MUCH’ TO CHARLIE KIRK WHILE GUEST-HOSTING SHOW, PRAISES ‘VISIONARY’ CONSERVATIVE LEADER “Dick Cheney was a great and good man who taught his children and grandchildren to love our country, and to live lives of courage, honor, love, kindness, and fly fishing,” his family said. “We are grateful beyond measure for all Dick Cheney did for our country. And we are blessed beyond measure to have loved and been loved by this noble giant of a man.” Cheney had a long history of cardiac problems, including five heart attacks. He received a heart transplant on March 24, 2012, at a Virginia hospital after nearly 21 months on a waiting list. Cheney, who served as vice president for two terms under President George W. Bush, was one of the most powerful and controversial men ever to hold that position. He was a driving force behind America’s “war on terror,” including the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Fox News’ Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.
Trump administration eyes sweeping federal power over AI, draft order shows
The Trump administration is preparing a sweeping executive order that would direct the Justice Department to sue states that enact their own laws regulating artificial intelligence, according to a draft reviewed by Fox News Digital. The six-page document, titled, “Eliminating State Law Obstruction of National AI Policy,” is marked “Deliberative / Predecisional / Draft,” a label the government uses for internal working documents that have not been approved or made official. Such markings indicate the text is part of policy discussions still underway and is exempt from public release under the Freedom of Information Act until a final decision is made. The draft order reviewed by Fox News Digital details a broad, multiagency plan to centralize AI regulation under federal authority and anchor Washington’s control over the fast-moving technology sector. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE DRIVES DEMAND FOR ELECTRIC GRID UPDATE The Washington Post first reported the administration’s intent to direct the DOJ to sue states over AI laws. A White House official, speaking on background, said any discussion of potential executive orders is speculative until one is officially announced. During his second term, President Donald Trump has placed energy and AI dominance at the core of his economic and national security agenda. If enacted, it would mark one of the strongest federal efforts yet to override state authority on technology regulation, potentially testing the limits of presidential power. The order directs the Justice Department to create an AI Litigation Task Force within 30 days to challenge states that pass their own AI rules. It also directs the Commerce Department to review state AI laws within 90 days and allows the agency to withhold federal broadband and infrastructure funds from states that don’t comply. TRUMP, MCCORMICK TO UNVEIL $90B ENERGY AND INNOVATION INVESTMENT IN PENNSYLVANIA It calls on the Federal Trade Commission and Federal Communications Commission to set nationwide rules for AI transparency, blocking states from enforcing their own, potentially stricter, versions. The draft goes beyond what has been publicly reported, explicitly naming California and Colorado as examples of states whose “fear-based” AI regulations obstruct “America’s domination of this new frontier.” It asserts that such state measures undermine U.S. dominance in AI. The Special Advisor for AI and Crypto is directed to develop legislative proposals to make the federal framework permanent. The executive order follows a failed effort in Congress earlier this year to block all state AI regulation through a broader tax and immigration bill. That proposal collapsed after pushback from Senate Republicans who said oversight was needed to protect consumers and workers. Concerns about AI’s impact on jobs, children and the energy grid have become central political issues across party lines. Meanwhile, Republicans have championed state sovereignty, making the proposal’s endorsement of federal authority a noteworthy departure. The Trump administration has recently taken similar legal action against several states, including California, New York and Vermont, over climate and policing laws that the White House argues violate federal prerogatives.
House Republican to move to expel Dem accused of stealing disaster relief money for campaign
Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., said Thursday he will be moving to expel a colleague from the other side of the aisle, Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla., following an indictment alleging that she used federal disaster funds for her 2021 campaign. While the congressman initially moved to file a motion to censure his colleague, he changed his mind on Thursday and instead called for her expulsion. “I have decided to skip censure and move straight to expulsion,” Steube wrote on X. “Defrauding the federal government and disaster victims of $5 million is an automatic disqualifier from serving in elected office.” “Cherfilus-McCormick needs to be swiftly removed from the House before she can inflict any more harm on Congress, her district, and the State of Florida,” he added. SOCIAL MEDIA ERUPTS AFTER FAR-LEFT FIREBRAND BOTCHES EPSTEIN CLAIMS: ‘INSANE ACCUSATION’ Steube said he would file the resolution on Thursday, saying that if Cherfilus-McCormick refused to resign and “save Congress the embarrassment of having to expel her,” he would bring it to the floor for a vote. On Wednesday night, Steube initially said he would file “a privileged motion to censure” Cherfilus-McCormick on Thursday morning and to remove her from all committees in the wake of “one of the most egregious abuses of public trust I have ever seen.” “Stealing $5 million in taxpayer disaster funds from FEMA of all places is beyond indefensible,” he wrote Wednesday. “Millions of Floridians have relied on FEMA after devastating hurricanes, and that money was supposed to help real disaster victims.” “And once House Ethics concludes their investigation or she is formally convicted, rest assured I will move to expel her from Congress,” he added. Cherfilus-McCormick responded to that Wednesday message in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. “This is an unjust, baseless, sham indictment — and I am innocent. The timing alone is curious and clearly meant to distract from far more pressing national issues. From day one, I have cooperated with every lawful request, and I will continue to do,” Cherfilus-McCormick said. “I am deeply grateful for the support of my district, and I remain confident that the truth will prevail. I look forward to my day in court. Until then, I will continue fighting for my constituents.” The Justice Department said in a statement that in 2021, Cherfilus-McCormick and her brother, Edwin Cherfilus, operated a family healthcare company on a FEMA-funded COVID-19 vaccination staffing contract and received an overpayment of $5 million. “The indictment alleges that the defendants conspired to steal that $5 million and routed it through multiple accounts to disguise its source. Prosecutors allege that a substantial portion of the misappropriated funds was used as candidate contributions to Cherfilus-McCormick’s 2021 congressional campaign and for the personal benefit of the defendants,” the DOJ said in its statement. NANCY MACE TO FORCE CENSURE VOTE AGAINST FELLOW HOUSE REPUBLICAN According to the DOJ, Cherfilus-McCormick and Nadege Leblanc allegedly arranged additional funds using straw donors and funneled “other monies from the FEMA-funded COVID-19 contract to friends and relatives who then donated to the campaign as if using their own money.” The Florida congresswoman is also accused of working with her 2021 tax preparer, David K. Spencer, to conspire to file a false federal tax return, according to the DOJ. The two allegedly “falsely claimed political spending and other personal expenses as business deductions and inflated charitable contributions in order to reduce her tax obligations.” Attorney General Pam Bondi called Cherfilus-McCormick’s alleged crime “particularly selfish” and “cynical.” Additionally, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Jason A. Reding Quiñones said that the “indictment shows no one is above the law.” “This individual and her family allegedly stole money from FEMA and then laundered it through friends toward her own personal benefits — including her campaign accounts. Today the FBI and partners at [DOJ] took action. No one is above the law,” FBI Director Kash Patel wrote in a post on X. If convicted, Cherfilus-McCormick faces up to 53 years behind bars, according to the DOJ. If convicted, her brother faces up to 35 years, Leblanc faces up to 10 years and Spencer faces up to 33 years, prosecutors said. Fox News’ Bill Melugin and David Spunt contributed to this report.
Kamala Harris accuses Trump of ‘gaslighting’ America on Epstein: ‘Release the files!’
Former Vice President Kamala Harris called on President Donald Trump to unilaterally release the Epstein files on Wednesday. Harris shouted at Trump to take action during a podcast appearance with The Bulwark. She argued that Trump’s claim that he cannot release the files without congressional approval is an example of him trying to “gaslight the American people.” “All of a sudden he’s saying he’ll wait to see what Congress does. Since when?” Harris asked. “All of a sudden now he’s waiting for Congress to green light what he will do or wants to do? Come on.” “So, release the files!” Harris shouted. “Release the files. He is the president of the United States, the head of the executive branch. He has taken unilateral action without concern about the three co-equal branches of government on almost everything he has done, so release the files.” KHANNA, MASSIE, GREENE URGE SENATE TO PASS EPSTEIN BILL UNCHANGED, WARN OF ‘RECKONING’ Harris’ statement came just hours before Trump signed legislation green lighting the Justice Department to release the files. “I HAVE JUST SIGNED THE BILL TO RELEASE THE EPSTEIN FILES!” Trump wrote in a lengthy message on the Truth Social platform. “As everyone knows, I asked Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, to pass this Bill in the House and Senate, respectively. Because of this request, the votes were almost unanimous in favor of passage. “At my direction, the Department of Justice has already turned over close to fifty thousand pages of documents to Congress. Do not forget — The Biden Administration did not turn over a SINGLE file or page related to Democrat Epstein, nor did they ever even speak about him.” EPSTEIN FILES TO GO PUBLIC AS TRUMP SAYS HE SIGNED LAW AUTHORIZING RELEASE OF RECORDS The House voted Tuesday to release the files by a 421–1 margin, following pressure for months from the measure’s ringleaders, Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and other Democrats. The Epstein Files Transparency Act specifically directs the Justice Department to release all unclassified records and investigative materials related to Epstein and Ghislane Maxwell, as well as files related to individuals who were referenced in Epstein’s previous legal cases, details surrounding trafficking allegations, internal DOJ communications as they relate to Epstein and any details surrounding the investigation into his death. Files that include victims’ names, child sex abuse materials, classified materials or other materials that could threaten an active investigation may be withheld or redacted by the DOJ. Attorney General Pam Bondi told reporters Wednesday that she would comply with the law after it was signed, which directs the Justice Department to release the files online in a searchable format within 30 days. Fox News’ Diana Stancy and Emma Colton contributed to this report.
Former aide to House rep accused of faking political attack
A former aide to Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., was charged with faking a political attack that prosecutors say included lacerations and writing on her body. Natalie Greene, 26, of Ocean City, made an initial court appearance Wednesday on one count of conspiracy to convey false statements and hoaxes and one count of making false statements to federal law enforcement following the alleged incident in Egg Harbor Township over the summer. “Late at night on July 23, 2025, Greene’s co-conspirator called 911 and reported that she and Greene had been attacked by three men when they were out walking on a trail at a nature preserve in Egg Harbor Township,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey said in a statement. “According to the co-conspirator, during the attack, the men had called Greene by name and had specifically referenced her employment with Federal Official 1, an official whose identity is known to the Government.” “When law enforcement officers located Greene, she was lying in a wooded area just off the trail, with her hands and feet bound together with black zip ties. Greene’s shirt was pulled over her head and was also tied with a black zip tie,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office added. “Greene had numerous lacerations on her face, neck, upper chest, and shoulder. The words ‘TRUMP W—-’ were written on her stomach and the words ‘[Federal Official 1] IS RACIST’ were written on her back. Greene was crying and yelling that one of her alleged attackers had a gun.” ‘GEN Z’ DEM CANDIDATE CHARGED WITH INTERFERING WITH ICE POSTED VIDEO OF HERSELF IN MOB BLOCKING UNMARKED SUV Federal prosecutors said Greene told the responding officers that one or more of the alleged attackers said they had a gun and threatened to shoot her, while they also “had held her down and restrained her movement, cutting her and writing on her body.” After receiving medical treatment for the wounds, Greene again described her alleged attack to law enforcement officers and an FBI agent, but the “investigation revealed that Greene had not, in fact, been attacked by three men at gunpoint on July 23,” according to the Attorney’s Office. “Instead, Greene had paid a body modification/scarification artist to deliberately cut the lacerations on her face, neck, upper chest, and shoulder, based on a pattern that she had provided beforehand. Law enforcement officers recovered black zip ties in Greene’s car on the night of the alleged attack, similar to the zip ties that had been used to bind Greene’s arms and feet,” it said. “Also, the investigation revealed that, two days prior to the alleged attack, the cellphone of Greene’s co-conspirator had been used to search ‘zip ties near me.’” JUDGE REJECTS REP. LAMONICA MCIVER’S BID TO TOSS ASSAULT CASE, SAYS HER ACTIONS HAD ‘NO LEGISLATIVE PURPOSE’ A Van Drew spokesperson told Fox News Digital, “We are deeply saddened by today’s news, and while Natalie is no longer associated with the Congressman’s government office, our thoughts and prayers are with her.” “We hope she’s getting the care she needs,” the spokesperson added. The Attorney’s Office said the count of conspiracy has a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and a term of three years of supervised release, while the count of false statements also has the same penalties. “Greene was released on a $200,000 unsecured bond and additional conditions, as set by the Court,” the office said following her court appearance Wednesday. Greene joined Van Drew’s team in a part-time role in 2022 and later was his constituent advocate, according to the New York Post.
Blue states blasted for funneling millions in SNAP cash for fast food meals
FIRST ON FOX: U.S. taxpayers are footing nearly $250 million a year in SNAP benefits spent on fast-food meals across just nine states, most of which are blue states, according to Republican Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst. Nine states, including Arizona, California, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Rhode Island, and Virginia — all of which are Democrat-run states except for Virginia — are opted into a SNAP program called the Restaurant Meals Program (RMP), which has spent nearly $250 million a year on hot meals, including fast food, Ernst’s office found. The modern day Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program was established in 1964 under the Food Stamps Act to provide basic food needs such as meats and fruits and vegetables to financially vulnerable Americans. Hot foods or foods ready for immediate consumption were not eligible for purchase under the program as its main mission was to provide staple foods to be prepared at home. A 1977 loophole, however, allowed states to opt into a program called the Restaurant Meals Program, which was established to allow homeless individuals who do not have a kitchen to purchase prepared meals using SNAP benefits, according to Ernst’s office. The eligibility for the program expanded in the following years to include disabled individuals, the elderly and their spouses, according to the office. FOOD-STAMP FRAUD NUMBERS EXPOSE WHICH STATES ARE DRAINING THE MOST TAXPAYER DOLLARS Nine states are opted into the program, which requires participating restaurants to sign an agreement with the state that is then authorized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the SNAP program writ large. Restaurants that participate in the program were historically a small group but have since expanded, most notably in California in the Biden era, Ernst’s office said. California expanded its program statewide, for example, in 2021 that allowed restaurants to accept CalFresh benefits via SNAP at a swath of top fast-food chains stretching from McDonald’s to Domino’s Pizza to Jack in the Box. Ernst’s office found that from June 2023 to May 2025, more than $475 million in taxpayer dollars funded Restaurant Meals Program meals at fast-food establishments. During that same time period, $524 million in taxpayer funds were spent through the Restaurant Meals Program overall, meaning California accounted for more than 90% of the nation’s total Restaurant Meals Program funds from June 2023 to May 2025, according to the office. “The ‘N’ in SNAP stands for nutrition not nuggets with a side of fries,” Ernst told Fox News Digital. “I wish I was McRibbing you but $250 million per year at the drive-through is no joke and a serious waste of tax dollars. I hate to be the one to say McSCUSE ME, but something needs to be done because taxpayers are not lovin’ it.” TRUMP SAYS SNAP BENEFITS WILL ONLY RESUME WHEN ‘RADICAL LEFT DEMOCRATS’ OPEN GOVERNMENT The data found that between June 2023 and May 2025 $41.4 million funds went through Restaurant Meals Program in Arizona, $3.6 million in New York, $1.3 million in Michigan, $995,900 in Rhode Island, $649,000 in Massachusetts, $479,000 in Illinois, $308,500 in Virginia, and $8,600 in Maryland. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION CITES WIDESPREAD MISUSE OF SNAP AS FUNDING LAPSES DURING SHUTDOWN Ernst’s introduced legislation Thursday, dubbed the McSCUSE ME Act, to rein in the scope of Restaurant Meals Program. Specifically, the bill would continue allowing homeless, elderly and disabled individuals to continue using the program, but ending spousal eligibility. CHARTS ILLUSTRATE THE SCALE OF SNAP AS MILLIONS FACE POTENTIAL BENEFIT LAPSE The legislation also would reel in which vendors are able to participate in the program, specifically restricting fast-food vendors in favor of grocery stores that have hot bars to better ensure availability of healthy prepared food options. The legislation would also require states to produce public annual reports showing how many vendors participate in the Restaurant Meals Program, the number of participating beneficiaries and total costs for the program, Fox News Digital learned. The report and legislation comes after the U.S. government just emerged from the longest government shutdown in history, at 43 days, that included putting the food assistance program under heightened scrutiny over fraud and concern as recipients saw disruptions to their access. Upon the reopening of the government, the Trump administration is requiring all SNAP beneficiaries to reapply for the program in an effort to prevent fraud. Federal spending on SNAP overall climbed to record highs under the Biden administration, Fox News Digital previously reported, at $128 billion in 2021 and $127 billion in 2022 during the pandemic. By the Biden administration’s final year, SNAP cost $99.8 billion. Fox News Digital’s Amanda Macias contributed to this report.
Mamdani vows NYPD will ‘never’ go back to Adams-era cooperation with ICE enforcement
New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani said that the New York City Police Department will not be helping with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) measures under his watch, shortly after border czar Tom Homan announced federal immigration officials would be ramping up its enforcement measures soon in the Big Apple. The commitment follows through on Mamdani’s campaign promise that the NYPD will not assist federal immigration officials, such as ICE, under his watch. “We can never go back to the days where Eric Adams would go on national television and open the door to the NYPD handling civil immigration enforcement. That can never even be entertained,” Mamdani said during an interview with local television station PIX11 News. “People are living in fear.” The mayor-elect continued, “And what we will ensure is that the NYPD will be delivering public safety, not assisting ICE in their attempts to fulfill the administration’s goal of creating the single largest deportation force in American history.” MAMDANI FORCED TO ADDRESS UNEARTHED VIDEO EXPOSING VILE NYPD COMPARISON Mamdani’s response on whether he would have the NYPD cooperate with ICE came in the context of NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch and the fact she was “tipped off” about an earlier raid. When asked how he would handle a similar situation, Mamdani said he would tell the commissioner “to ensure no officers are assisting with the actions of ICE.” Under the incumbent Adams administration, the NYPD was reportedly permitted to help with criminal immigration enforcement operations, but according to an Adams spokesperson, they were not directed to assist with civil immigration enforcement. Meanwhile, on Wednesday, following months of speculation, Mamdani announced Tisch would be staying on as police commissioner despite questions about the pair’s ideological differences. MAMDANI’S TOP INCOMING AIDE WAS ‘CHIEF ARCHITECT’ OF RADICAL PROPOSAL OVERHAULING NYPD One example of their differences was whether to keep the city’s Strategic Response Group, a group within the NYPD focused on rapid-response for large-scale events, like protests and mass shootings. Mamdani said during his interview with PIX11 that the Strategic Response Group will not exist anymore under his mayorship. When asked if Mamdani “gave anything up” to coax Tisch to stay on as commissioner, he did not indicate one way or the other. “I spoke to the commissioner about the fact that I am looking to keep her in this position because of the work that she has done, not because of the idea that I have of overhauling all of it. It’s about building that together,” Mamdani said. “There’s also a real shared alignment – both the commissioner and I have a shared agreement on the fact that the police should not be asked to handle the fact that our social safety net is coming apart at the seams – that is a responsibility for city government.” During the talk about Tisch, Mamdani also doubled down on his promise that the NYPD headcount will not rise under his tenure, even if it is something Tisch wants. “I will be the one who has the final decision,” Mamdani said when asked about how he would approach shared governing responsibilities with Tisch.
Trump secures release of American trapped in Saudi Arabia for years over online posts
A U.S. citizen jailed in Saudi Arabia for criticizing the royal family online was freed Wednesday by Saudi authorities, ending a four-year ordeal in the country, according to media reports. Saad Almadi’s release came just a day after President Donald Trump met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Washington, D.C., per the New York Post. Almadi, 75, a retired engineer and U.S. resident since 1976, was detained in 2021 during a family visit to Riyadh and later sentenced to more than 19 years in prison on terrorism charges tied to a series of posts online. US AND QATAR SECURE RELEASE OF AMERICAN CITIZEN AMIR AMIRY FROM AFGHANISTAN DETENTION The charges were reduced to cyber crimes, and although he was released from prison in 2023, Almadi was held in the country under an exit ban which prevented him from going back home to the U.S. The Almadi family issued a statement Wednesday celebrating the good news and thanking Trump. “Our family is overjoyed that, after four long years, our father, Saad Almadi, is finally on his way home to the United States!” they said. “This day would not have been possible without President Donald Trump and the tireless efforts of his administration. We are deeply grateful to Dr. Sebastian Gorka and the team at the National Security Council, as well as everyone at the State Department.” TRUMP DESIGNATES SAUDI ARABIA AS MAJOR NON-NATO ALLY DURING CROWN PRINCE WHITE HOUSE VISIT A third portion of the statement expressed appreciation to others who had supported the case over the years. “We extend our thanks to the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh for keeping our father safe, and to the nonprofit organizations and members of Congress who fought for his freedom,” the statement read. Almadi’s case also drew attention from human rights groups and U.S. lawmakers after he was accused of terrorism over 14 social media posts. SAUDI ARABIA’S 40-YEAR-OLD DISRUPTOR: HOW MBS REWIRED THE KINGDOM IN 10 SHORT YEARS One suggested that a street in Washington be renamed after Jamal Khashoggi, who was murdered in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul in 2018. U.S. pressure to lift Almadi’s exit ban had also intensified since Trump’s May visit to Saudi Arabia. The president’s national security advisor, Sebastian Gorka, also met with Almadi’s son at the White House. The Foley Foundation, which advocates for Americans detained overseas, praised the news Wednesday, saying it was “so excited” the family’s fight had finally succeeded. Per reports, Almadi was flying to the U.S. from Riyadh on Wednesday, according to his family, after Trump and the crown prince set foot on stage at a forum in Washington. Fox News Digital has reached out to Sebastian Gorka, the Department of State and The White House for comment.
Federal judge allows Texas AG to challenge Harris County bail reforms: ‘Unleashing criminals’
A federal judge has granted Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton a key win, allowing him to intervene in a lawsuit that produced the 2019 Harris County misdemeanor bail reform consent decree. “The justice system must be dedicated to punishing the evildoer and protecting the innocent,” Paxton said in a press release on Wednesday. “But far too often, leftist judicial activists and other liberal anti-prison organizations have worked to make Texas less safe by throwing open the prison doors and unleashing criminals back onto the streets. I will do everything in my power to reverse this disastrous policy and uphold the law.” TEXAS INVESTIGATING USTA FOR POSSIBLE VIOLATION OF LAW BANNING BIOLOGICAL MALES IN WOMEN’S SPORTS The O’Donnell Consent Decree stemmed from a 2016 class-action lawsuit arguing that Harris County’s prior bail practices were unconstitutional because they detained people charged with misdemeanors simply for being unable to afford cash bail. A judge approved the decree in 2019, eliminating most cash bail for misdemeanor offenses and requiring release on unsecured bonds, while also creating an independent monitor to oversee compliance. FEDERAL JUDGE RULES LAW REQUIRING DISPLAY OF TEN COMMANDMENTS IN TEXAS CLASSROOMS UNCONSTITUTIONAL The new ruling opens the door for Paxton’s office to seek termination of the decree, arguing that it violates Texas law and endangers public safety. Paxton’s office said the decree “enabled radical judges to more easily release criminals into Harris County communities” and that liberal activists have tried to expand its reach despite state laws imposing stricter bail standards. “General Paxton seeks to vacate the decree and ensure that the rights of Harris County citizens are represented in court,” the release said.
Appeals court blocks order limiting immigration agents’ use of force in Chicago
A federal appeals court has blocked a lower-court ruling that sought to limit how immigration agents can use force during Chicago-area enforcement operations, calling the judge’s order “overbroad” and “too prescriptive.” The Seventh Circuit panel cautioned against “overreading” its stay, noting that a fast-track appeal could result in a “more tailored and appropriate” order. Earlier this month, U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis issued a preliminary injunction after media organizations and demonstrators accused federal officers of using excessive force during an immigration operation that has resulted in more than 3,000 arrests since September across Chicago and nearby communities. Justice Department lawyers argued that the order restricted law enforcement’s ability to carry out its duties and could “subvert” the constitutional structure. BLUE CITY JUDGE CITES ‘FEAR OR OBSTRUCTION’ IN BLOCKING ICE COURTHOUSE ARRESTS DURING COURT PROCEEDINGS The panel said the order was “too prescriptive” because it specified riot control weapons and other devices in a way that “resembles a federal regulation.” Ellis’ order barred agents from using physical force and chemical agents such as tear gas and pepper balls unless necessary or to prevent “an immediate threat.” The judge said the use of those tools violated the constitutional rights of journalists and protesters. Witnesses told the court they were tear-gassed, shot with pepper balls while praying, and had guns pointed at them. FEDERAL JUDGE SAYS ICE DETAINEES ‘SHOULDN’T BE SLEEPING NEXT TO OVERFLOWING TOILETS’ AT CHICAGO-AREA FACILITY Ellis found that Trump administration witnesses were “simply not credible,” including Gregory Bovino, a Border Patrol commander who led the Chicago area operation before moving on to North Carolina. Bovino has defended the agents’ use of force and oversaw about 230 officers from U.S. Customs and Border Protection in the region beginning in September. Federal border agents are expected to next be deployed to New Orleans. The immigration operation has drawn multiple lawsuits, including claims of inhumane conditions at a federal immigration facility — allegations that prompted a federal judge and attorneys to visit the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement center outside Chicago last week. DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin called the stay “a win for the rule of law and for the safety of every law enforcement officer.” The Associated Press contributed to this report.