US ambassador warns Iran at emergency UN meeting that Trump is ‘man of action,’ ‘all options are on the table’
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz warned Iran during an emergency meeting of the Security Council that President Donald Trump “is a man of action” who has “made it clear all options are on the table to stop the slaughter.” Waltz said Thursday that, “We all have a responsibility to support the Iranian people and to put an end to the regime’s neglect and oppression of the Iranian nation.” Iran has been plunged into turmoil amid recent anti-government protests, with the death toll from those being at least 2,677, the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency told The Associated Press. “Colleagues, let me be clear. President Trump is a man of action, not endless talk like we see at the United Nations. He has made it clear all options are on the table to stop the slaughter. And no one should know that better than the leadership of the Iranian regime,” Waltz added. Waltz’s remarks came as Gholam Hossein Darzi, the deputy Iranian ambassador to the U.N., accused the U.S. of trying to destabilize the Islamic Republic. TOP IRANIAN GENERAL THREATENS TO ‘CUT OFF’ TRUMP’S HAND OVER POTENTIAL MILITARY STRIKES “Under the hollow pretext of concern for the Iranian people and claims of support for human rights, the United States regime is attempting to portray itself as a friend of the Iranian people, while simultaneously laying the groundwork for political destabilization and military intervention under a so-called humanitarian narrative,” Darzi said. Waltz dismissed the claim, telling diplomats at U.N. headquarters on Thursday that Iran’s leaders are “afraid of their own people.” “I would like to address the allegation put forward by the regime that these inspired protests are somehow a foreign plot to give a precursor to military action. Everyone in the world needs to know that the regime is weaker than ever before, and therefore is putting forward this lie because of the power of the Iranian people in the streets,” Waltz said. IRAN ALLEGEDLY AIRS 97 ‘COERCIVE CONFESSIONS’ AMID RECORD-BREAKING NORTH KOREA-STYLE INTERNET BLACKOUT “They are afraid. They’re afraid of their own people. Iran says it’s ready for dialogue, but its actions say otherwise. This is a regime that rules through oppression, through violence, and through intimidation, and has destabilized the Middle East for decades. Well, enough is enough,” he added. “The regime’s dereliction of duty to its own citizens is what has put the ayatollahs in the positions they are in today with hundreds of thousands, if not millions, protesting in the streets after decades of neglect and abuse. So everyone should ask themselves, everyone sitting here today, how many people are dead?” Waltz also said. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Thursday that Trump and his team “have communicated to the Iranian regime that if the killing continues, there will be grave consequences.” “And the president received a message as he revealed to all of you and the whole world yesterday, that the killing and the executions will stop. And the president understands today that 800 executions that were scheduled and supposed to take place yesterday were halted. And so the president and his team are closely monitoring this situation, and all options remain on the table for the president,” she added.
Sen John Fetterman calls for Democrats to ‘resist’ advocacy of ‘extreme’ stances like abolishing ICE
While some Democrats advocate for the abolition of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., has pressed his party not to advocate for “extreme” ideas. “Even Mayor Frey of Minneapolis doesn’t support abolishing ICE. The party must resist the destructive tendencies to push extreme positions,” Fetterman noted in the post on X. “Secure the border. Deport all the criminals. Stop targeting the hardworking migrants in our nation,” he added. DEMOCRATS’ DILEMMA: PROGRESSIVE PUSH TO ‘ABOLISH ICE’ SPARKS FRESH DIVIDE IN PARTY His post featured a screenshot of a headline by The New York Times that reads, “Abolish ICE? It’s a Slogan Some Democratic Critics of ICE Would Abolish.” Fetterman asserted in a July 2025 post on X that “ICE performs an important job for our country,” describing “calls to abolish” the agency as “inappropriate and outrageous.” DEMOCRAT JOHN FETTERMAN DECLARES SUPPORT FOR ICE, CONDEMNING ANY CALLS FOR ABOLITION AS ‘OUTRAGEOUS’ In another post later in July, Fetterman shared a screenshot of the headline of a Fox News Digital article titled, “ICE arrests over 200 illegal alien child sex offenders in Houston area in past 6 months,” expressing his support for the law enforcement activity. “I don’t support or agree with all of ICE’s tactics or actions. I do fully support moves like these. This makes our nation more secure and all our children safer,” he noted in the post. Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Mich., has introduced legislation to abolish ICE. ICE AGENT SHOOTS VENEZUELAN NATIONAL IN MINNEAPOLIS AFTER SHOVEL ATTACK DURING AMBUSH: DHS “Effective on the date that is 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is abolished,” part of the measure reads.
Socialist mayor pays ethics fine after failing to disclose $10K contribution from parents
Newly elected Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson was forced to pay a $250 fine by a citywide ethics commission after she failed to adequately disclose more than $10,000 in contributions that Wilson’s parents made to her campaign. Following her election victory in November, Wilson defended taking her parents’ money to help assist her mayoral run, claiming in an interview to CNN that it made her more “relatable” to voters. The money, Wilson said, went to help her pay for childcare. The City of Seattle’s Ethics and Elections Commission found last month that the money Wilson got from her parents constituted “campaign contributions” and indicated corrective action was warranted in order to avoid creating an avenue for future candidates to circumvent campaign finance laws. In the letter, Jessica Pisane, indicated that the fine was only $250 because what occurred was “a novel issue” not seen before the commission. SEATTLE ORDER TO STOP DRUG ARRESTS ‘CREATING HAVOC’ FOR PEOPLE FENDING OFF ADDICTS SURVIVING ON THEFT: EXPERT The fine Wilson was forced to pay by the Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission was first reported by Seattle-area conservative radio host Jason Rantz. “It’s the first time it has arisen in a City election campaign,” Pisane pointed out, adding that Wilson also refunded money to her parents that exceeded the contribution limits Wilson was expected to abide by. Fox News Digital reached out to Wilson’s team for comment but did not receive a response. “Campaigning for office is stressful,” Wilson said following her election victory amid questions about her parents’ contributions. “Seattle is one of the most expensive cities in the country, our childcare is off-the-charts expensive and, honestly, I think that a lot of people of my generation, and younger and older, found it very relatable that during this stressful campaign my parents chipped in to help pay for the cost of their granddaughter’s daycare.” Wilson said during her campaign that the cost of childcare was about $2,200 per month for her and her reportedly unemployed husband. SEATTLE’S SOCIALIST MAYOR-ELECT KATIE WILSON OPEN TO MEETING WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP Prior to moving to Seattle in 2004, Wilson lived in upstate New York. After graduating from high school in Binghamton, Wilson studied physics and philosophy at Oxford University, thanks to financial assistance from her parents living in New York once again. Wilson left Oxford debt-free, which she credits to her parents. However, she also left without a degree, dropping out just six weeks before her graduation. Before earning her new mayoral salary, Wilson was getting paid by the nonprofit she founded in 2011, the Transit Riders Union. She began collecting paychecks from the group in 2019. Before that, Wilson worked a series of odd jobs, including barista, boatyard worker, apartment manager, lab technician, baker, construction worker and legal assistant. Tax records show that Wilson brought in $72,669 in 2022 as the president of the Transit Riders Union. There are no records of Wilson’s salary for 2023 or 2024, reportedly due to the fact the nonprofit changed tax preparers recently, according to PubliCola. The IRS does not require nonprofits to disclose salaries of employees making under $100,000 per year. Meanwhile, in a financial statement to the city upon declaring her candidacy for mayor, Wilson reported earning between $60,000 and $99,000. She also reported income “less than $30,000” from PubliCola, The Urbanist and The Stranger, respectively, for work as a “columnist” for the left-wing online news outlets. As Seattle mayor, Wilson will make well into the six-figures, according to pay records of past mayors. Wilson has been compared to socialist firebrand Zohran Mamdani, campaigning on policy proposals like those by the self-avowed socialist mayor of New York City. This includes, through her support of a “Solidarity Budget” which would have cut the Seattle police force by 50% and other defund the police positions, Wilson has been compelled to walk back support for government-run grocery stores, calls to tax the wealthy, and a proposal to “Trump-proof” the city of Seattle.
Unearthed filing shows top teachers union funneling millions to far left orgs: ‘Social justice unionism’
FIRST ON FOX: One of the nation’s most prominent teachers unions funneled millions of dollars in union funds to far-left activist groups, ballot initiatives and social justice organizations, according to federal labor filings. A November Form L-2 disclosure from the National Education Association (NEA) filed in November and obtained by the North American Values Institute (NAVI) shows 2024 fiscal year spending that involved millions given to social justice-oriented groups and far-left causes. The NEA, which boasts more than 3 million members, sent $300,000 to the Sixteen Thirty Fund, a liberal dark money group Fox News Digital has reported on extensively, and tens of thousands of dollars to the Tides Foundation network, which Fox News Digital previously reported has ties to anti-Israel protests and a variety of far left causes. Among the largest expenditures was more than $3.5 million sent to Education International, a global teachers federation where NEA President Becky Pringle serves as a vice president. The filing also details hundreds of thousands of dollars flowing to organizations backing ballot initiatives aimed at reshaping education policy and election laws in states, including Ohio, Massachusetts, Arizona and Wisconsin. GOT A SCOOP ON CAMPUS? SEND US A TIP HERE The union reported spending $500,000 to support a campaign to end standardized testing in Massachusetts, another $500,000 to back an anti-gerrymandering amendment in Ohio and nearly $500,000 to a progressive political consulting firm specializing in ballot initiatives and canvassing. In addition to electoral spending, the NEA paid more than $166,000 to Imagine Us LLC, a consulting firm focused on racial equity training, and tens of thousands more to groups promoting what they describe as “social justice education,” including curriculum materials centered on race, gender identity, and activism in K-12 classrooms. TEACHERS UNION SLAMS ‘TRUMP REGIME,’ CLAIMS ICE MURDERED MINNEAPOLIS AGITATOR IN MESSAGE TO SUPPORTERS NEA sent $350,000 to the Schott Foundation, which describes itself as “a BIPOC-led public fund that pools philanthropic funding and fuels racial and education justice movements.” “This is the upshot of social justice unionism,” NAVI Director of Research Mika Hackner told Fox News Digital. “Instead of focusing on member’s working conditions, unions spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on pet political projects completely divorced from the needs and wants of most teachers but perfectly in line with the political agenda the union has been co-opted to serve.” Fox News Digital reached out to the NEA for comment but did not receive a response. The NEA has long-faced criticism for focusing on political advocacy and far-left ideology rather than the best interests of students. In November, Fox News Digital reported on uncovered documents showing the NEA instructing members on how to go through a gender transition at work, including best practices for using gender pronouns and combating transphobia, while also being provided with literature labeling conservative opposition as “villains.” Erika Sanzi, senior director of communications for Defending Education, suggested to Fox News Digital at the time that the union’s federal charter should be re-evaluated. Sanzi said, “Their federal charter was granted because they promised to ‘elevate the character and advance the interests of the profession of teaching; and to promote the cause of education in the United States.’ Seeing as their leadership — and by extension, the organization itself — has morphed into a far-left insane asylum that is actively destroying the cause of education, that charter is no longer defensible.”
Lindsey Graham returns to Israel for talks with Netanyahu amid Middle East tensions
Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who visited with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem less than a month ago, said in a Thursday post on X he was going to Israel to meet with the foreign leader and his team. “I am traveling to Israel to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his team at this crucial time in the history of the Middle East. The goal is to build on the historic opportunities created by President Trump’s unprecedented leadership, to stand up to evil, and to support the people who are sacrificing for freedom,” Graham wrote in the post. “The Trump-Netanyahu alliance has thus far been one of the strongest partnerships in the history of the U.S.-Israel relationship, and I am hopeful it will pay dividends in the near future. We live in a time of great consequence with the Middle East on the verge of previously unimaginable change. Standing together and following through on our commitments only makes us stronger,” he added. LINDSEY GRAHAM CALLS FOR US TO USE ‘ANY MEANS NECESSARY’ TO STOP THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE KILLING OF IRANIANS Graham’s announcement comes less than a month after he met with Netanyahu in Israel in December. In a video posted to X on December 21, Netanyahu welcomed the senator, calling Graham “a great friend of Israel” and “great personal friend.” GRAHAM SUGGESTS TRUMP ‘HELP’ IRAN PROTESTERS WITH ‘MILITARY, CYBER AND PSYCHOLOGICAL ATTACKS’ AGAINST REGIME The lawmaker has been advocating for U.S. President Donald Trump to attack Iran. “President Trump’s resolve is not the question: Question is, when we do an operation like this, should it be bigger, or smaller? I’m in the camp of bigger,” Graham said in footage he highlighted in a Thursday post on X. “Time will tell. I’m hopeful and optimistic that the regime days are numbered.” TOP IRANIAN GENERAL THREATENS TO ‘CUT OFF’ TRUMP’S HAND OVER POTENTIAL MILITARY STRIKES In a Wednesday post on X, Graham wrote, “People often ask me what should we do next when it comes to the murderous, religious Nazi regime in Iran. It’s pretty simple. Stand by the protesters demanding an end to their oppression. But it’s going to take more than standing by them. We must stop those who are responsible for killing the people by any means necessary ASAP. Make The Iranian People Safe Again.”
RNC chair bets on ‘secret weapon’ to defy midterm history, protect GOP majorities
EXCLUSIVE — Republican National Committee (RNC) Chair Joe Gruters says he has “one goal” this year — to make sure the GOP holds its fragile House majority and narrow control of the Senate in November’s midterm elections. Making Gruters’ mission more difficult: the party in power, which is clearly the Republicans right now, traditionally faces political headwinds and usually loses congressional seats in the midterms. But the RNC chair, a longtime ally of President Donald Trump, who the president picked last summer to steer the national party committee, says he has a “secret weapon” in order to “defy history” and pick up seats in the 2026 elections. “I think the President of the United States is our secret weapon… He’s laser focused,” Gruters touted in a national digital exclusive sit-down interview with Fox News. HOUSE GOP CAMPAIGN CHAIR WANTS TRUMP ‘OUT THERE ON THE TRAIL’ IN MIDTERM BATTLE FOR MAJORITY Pointing to Trump’s unprecedented agenda during his first year back in the White House, Gruters argued, “I think it’s going to pay huge dividends across the board, whether you’re running for governor, Senate, House, or whether you’re running for a local seat.” Democrats see it differently, as they spotlight Trump’s underwater approval ratings and deep concerns by Americans over continued high prices. PERCEPTION VS. REALITY’: TRUMP’S ECONOMY PICKS UP SPEED — BUT VOTERS AREN’T BUYING IT YET The GOP is also dealing with a low propensity issue: MAGA voters who don’t always go to the polls when Trump’s name isn’t on the ballot. But Gruters noted that Trump’s made stops in recent weeks in three key midterm election battlegrounds and said that the president’s “going to barnstorm the country with our candidates.” The RNC chair also spotlighted the party’s formidable fundraising advantage over the rival Democratic National Committee (DNC), noting that “we’re raising a ton of money.” But he cautioned: “We got to do everything right. We got to make sure we turn our voters out, and we got to make sure that we have people energized. And there’s nobody that can energize our base more than President Trump.” REPUBLICAN SENATORS HIT BORDER, TOUTING TOUGHER SECURITY AND TAX CUTS, IN 2026 KICKOFF Gruters, who was interviewed ahead of next week’s RNC winter meeting, also argued that “there’s been nobody that’s been more focused on affordability than President Trump. Look at gas prices, the lowest prices since 2021. Look at egg prices, real pocketbook issues that impact everyday Americans the president is focused on, and he’s not done.” Deep concerns over inflation boosted Trump and Republicans to sweeping victories at the ballot box in 2024, as they won back the White House and Senate and keep their House majority. But Democrats say their decisive victories in November’s 2025 elections, and their overperformances in special elections and other ballot box showdowns last year, were fueled by their laser focus on affordability. “One year into his second term, Donald Trump has made one thing unmistakably clear: He doesn’t care about everyday Americans — he only cares about himself and his billionaire donors. As working families struggle to afford groceries, utilities, and health care, and worry about finding a job, Trump is busy meddling in foreign countries and palling around with executives, failing to address Americans’ top concerns on the economy,” DNC Rapid Response Director Kendall Witmer argued in a statement. And pointing to November’s midterm elections, Witmer predicted, “Voters won’t forget Trump’s betrayal come midterms — and Republicans will have to answer for it.” CONGRESSIONAL DEMOCRATS WIDEN 2026 BATTLEFIELD, ZERO IN ON NEW HOUSE REPUBLICAN TARGETS But Gruters, who was a certified public accountant (CPA) before taking over the RNC, highlighted the series of tax cuts in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Trump’s signature domestic policy achievement so far during his second term. “I will tell you that people are very excited about filing their taxes this year. This should be some of the biggest refunds that anybody has gotten,” he said. The cost of living has been a key issue at the ballot box the past couple of years. And an overwhelming majority questioned in a Fox News national poll conducted last month expressed concern about high prices. Gruters, promoting Trump’s agenda, told Fox News Digital that from “an affordability standpoint, I think we win hands down based on the policies this president has pushed.” Democrats disagree. Gruters’ rival, DNC Chair Ken Martin, put it bluntly last month at the national party’s winter meeting. “S— is too expensive,” Martin emphasized.
Noem names Charles Wall ICE deputy director following Sheahan resignation
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem announced Thursday via X that longtime U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) attorney Charles Wall will serve as the agency’s new deputy director as enforcement operations intensify nationwide. “Effective immediately, Charles Wall will serve as the Deputy Director of @ICEGov,” wrote Noem. “For the last year, Mr. Wall served as ICE’s Principal Legal Advisor, playing a key role in helping us deliver historic results in arresting and removing the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens from American neighborhoods.” Wall replaces Madison Sheahan, who stepped down earlier Thursday to pursue a congressional run in Ohio. Her departure left ICE leadership in transition at a moment when the agency has faced increasing resistance to enforcement efforts and heightened threats against officers in the field. The move comes as the Trump administration intensifies immigration enforcement against murderers, rapists, gang members and suspected terrorists living illegally in the U.S., even as sanctuary jurisdictions and activist groups seek to block or disrupt ICE actions. DHS DEMANDS MN LEADERS HONOR ICE DETAINERS, ALLEGES HUNDREDS OF CRIMINAL ALIENS HAVE BEEN RELEASED UNDER WALZ ICE officials said Wall brings more than a decade of experience inside the agency. “Mr. Wall has served as an ICE attorney for 14 years and is a forward-leaning, strategic thinker who understands the importance of prioritizing the removal of murderers, rapists, pedophiles, gang members, and terrorists from our country,” Noem added. Wall most recently served as ICE’s principal legal advisor, overseeing more than 3,500 attorneys and support staff who represent the DHS in removal proceedings and provide legal counsel to senior agency leadership. He has served at ICE since 2012, previously holding senior counsel roles in New Orleans, according to DHS. ‘WORST OF THE WORST’: ICE ARRESTS CHILD PREDATOR, VIOLENT CRIMINALS AMID SURGE IN ANTI-AGENT ATTACKS DHS has described the appointment as part of a broader effort to ensure ICE leadership is aligned with the Trump administration’s public safety priorities. The leadership change comes as ICE operations have drawn national attention following protests in Minneapolis after the ICE-involved fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Good on Jan. 7. Administration officials have repeatedly emphasized that ICE’s focus remains on what they describe as the “worst of the worst” criminal illegal aliens, warning that local resistance and political opposition increase risks for officers carrying out enforcement duties. ICE has recently created a specific landing page where these ‘worst of the worst’ offenders can be viewed with names and nationalities attached. “I look forward to working with him in his new role to make America safe again,” Noem concluded. ICE did not immediately provide additional comment to Fox News Digital.
WATCH: ICE takes down illegal alien who allegedly rammed law enforcement vehicles, nearly running over officer
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested an illegal immigrant who the agency said “weaponized” his vehicle by ramming two ICE vehicles, nearly running over an agent. Cuban illegal Robyn Argote Brooks rammed two ICE cars in a San Antonio parking lot in an attempt to evade arrest during a targeted vehicle stop, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Video captured of the incident shows Brooks, who is driving a sedan and is boxed in by agents’ vehicles, defying law enforcement directions and suddenly reversing, narrowly missing an agent and hitting a federal SUV. After unsuccessfully accelerating into the larger vehicle, Brooks then speeds into another ICE vehicle in front of him, a sedan, and continues to accelerate as agents attempt to stop him. Eventually, an agent breaks through Brooks’ window and pulls him out of the car to make the arrest. The incident occurred Tuesday and comes amid heightened concern about illegals and anti-ICE agitators violently attempting to disrupt federal law enforcement operations. THREE VENEZUELAN ILLEGALS ARRESTED AFTER ICE OFFICER ‘AMBUSHED AND ATTACKED’ DURING TRAFFIC STOP: NOEM DHS said ICE officers are facing a 3,200% increase in vehicular attacks. The agency said that, from Jan. 21, 2025, to Jan. 7, 2026, ICE officers experienced 66 “vehicular attacks,” compared to only two during the same time period the previous year. Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said one of the ICE officers involved in the arrest was injured and said, “We are praying for him, his health and his family.” She placed the blame squarely on pro-sanctuary politicians she said “have encouraged illegal aliens to evade arrest.” “They have created an environment that incites violence against our law enforcement,” said McLaughlin, adding that agents are also facing a “more than 1,300% increase in assaults against them.” OFFICER INJURED AFTER SUSPECT RAMS LAW ENFORCEMENT VEHICLES DURING CHARLOTTE IMMIGRATION RAIDS “Secretary Noem has been clear: Anyone who assaults law enforcement will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” she warned. According to the agency, Brooks entered the U.S. using the Biden administration’s CBP One app in 2024, which it said “allowed over a million unvetted aliens into the country.” Brooks is in ICE custody. Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons argued Tuesday that federal immigration agents are facing “constant impediments” and “constant attacks.” “When we hear elected officials calling upon individuals to impede or obstruct ICE law enforcement operations nationwide, you’re going to see incidents like this,” said Lyons. “You saw the officers and agents attempting to apprehend a criminally illegal alien, and there they are using their car as a weapon.” ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT INDICTED IN ASSAULT ON ICE AGENTS IN TEXAS Lyons said one of the agents involved later went to a hospital with neck injuries. “Every day, this is what the men and women of ICE are facing,” he said. “It’s constant impediments, constant attacks like this. And it’s not safe for my folks, it’s not safe for the public. It really needs to stop.”
Trump’s tariffs could be undone by one conservative doctrine: ‘Life or death’
The Supreme Court is poised to rule soon on President Donald Trump’s use of an emergency wartime law to unilaterally impose sweeping tariffs on most U.S. countries, which brought key questions over the “major questions doctrine (MQD),” or the limiting principle by which courts can, in certain circumstances, move to curb the power of executive agencies. During oral arguments over Trump’s tariffs in November, justices honed in on the so-called major questions doctrine, which allows courts to limit the power of executive agencies on actions with “vast economic and political significance,” and how it squares with Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to enact his sweeping global and reciprocal tariffs. Plaintiffs told the court Trump’s use of IEEPA to unilaterally impose his steep import duties violates the major questions doctrine, since IEEPA does not explicitly mention the word “tariffs.” Rather, it authorizes the president to “regulate … importation” during a declared national emergency, the plaintiffs noted, arguing it falls short of the standard needed to pass muster for MQD. “Congress does not (and could not) use such vague terminology to grant the executive virtually unconstrained taxing power of such staggering economic effect — literally trillions of dollars — shouldered by American businesses and consumers,” they told the court in an earlier briefing. TRUMP TARIFF PLAN FACES UNCERTAIN FUTURE AS COURT BATTLES INTENSIFY Lawyers for the Trump administration countered that the text of the IEEPA emergency law is the “practical equivalent” of a tariff. “Tomorrow’s United States Supreme Court case is, literally, LIFE OR DEATH for our Country,” Trump posted on Truth Social in November. “With a Victory, we have tremendous, but fair, Financial and National Security. Without it, we are virtually defenseless against other Countries who have, for years, taken advantage of us. “Our Stock Market is consistently hitting Record Highs, and our Country has never been more respected than it is right now,” he added. “A big part of this is the Economic Security created by Tariffs, and the Deals that we have negotiated because of them.” While U.S. Solicitor General D. John Sauer acknowledged to the justices that IEEPA does not explicitly give an executive the power to regulate tariffs, he stressed in November that the power to tariff is “the natural commonsense inference” of IEEPA. But whether the high court will back his argument remains to be seen. That was the conclusion reached by the U.S. Court of International Trade last year. Judges on the three-judge panel voted unanimously to block Trump’s tariffs from taking force, ruling that, as commander in chief, Trump does not have “unbounded authority” to impose tariffs under the emergency law. “The parties cite two doctrines — the nondelegation doctrine and the major questions doctrine — that the judiciary has developed to ensure that the branches do not impermissibly abdicate their respective constitutionally vested powers,” the court said in its ruling. The doctrine was also a focus in November, as justices pressed lawyers for the administration over IEEPA’s applicability to tariffs, or taxation powers, and asked the administration what guardrails, if any, exist to limit the whims of the executive branch, should they ultimately rule in Trump’s favor. Though it’s not clear how much the court will rely on the MQD in its ruling, legal experts told Fox News Digital they would expect it to potentially be cited by the Supreme Court if it blocks Trump’s tariff regime. US COURT OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE SIDES WITH TRUMP IN TARIFF CASE The high court agreed to take up the case on an expedited basis last fall, and a ruling is expected to be handed down within the coming days or weeks. There’s little precedent for major questions as a formal precedent cited by the courts, the University of Chicago College of Law noted in 2024. The doctrine was cited formally by the Supreme Court for the first time ever in its 2022 ruling in West Virginia v. EPA, when the court’s majority cited the doctrine as its basis for invalidating the EPA’s emissions standards under the Clean Power Plan. Prior to that, the doctrine existed as a more amorphous strand of statutory interpretation, a phenomenon Justice Elena Kagan noted in her dissent in the same case. “The current Court is textualist only when being so suits it,” Kagan said then. “When that method would frustrate broader goals, special canons like the ‘major questions doctrine’ magically appear as get-out-of-text-free cards.” SUPREME COURT FREEZES ORDER TO RETURN MAN FROM EL SALVADOR PRISON One factor that could play in Trump’s favor is the fact that the tariff case is to some degree a foreign policy issue, which is an area in which executives enjoy a higher level of deference from the court. Still, if oral arguments were any indication, the justices seemed poised to block Trump’s use of IEEPA to continue his steep tariff plan. Justices pressed Sauer why Trump invoked IEEPA to impose his sweeping tariffs, noting that doing so would be the first time a president used the law to set import taxes on trading partners. They also seemed skeptical of the administration’s assertion that it did not need additional permission from Congress to use the law in such a sweeping manner and pressed the administration’s lawyers on their contention that EEPA is only narrowly reviewable by the courts. “We agree that it’s a major power, but it’s in the context of a statute that is explicitly conferring major powers,” Sauer said. “That the point of the statute is to confer major powers to address major questions — which are emergencies.”
Women’s sports on the line as Supreme Court wrestles with defining ‘sex’
The Supreme Court this week heard arguments in a landmark pair of cases regarding the future of women’s sports, but the real drama lies in whether the court will choose to answer an increasingly controversial question: What is a woman? The arguments in Little v. Hecox and West Virginia v. B.P.J. lasted an unusually long time — more than three hours — with tough questioning from the justices to both sides that mostly focused on highly technical legal standards. The national context, however, is simple. There has been a surge of biological boys identifying as transgender girls participating in girls sports across the country. The result? Girls and women are losing athletic competitions, losing scholarship opportunities and sometimes even sustaining physical injury from their physically stronger male counterparts. A recent United Nations report summed it up. As of August 2024, “over 600 female athletes in more than 400 competitions [worldwide] have lost more than 890 medals in 29 different sports” to “males who identify as women.” As a result, more than half of the states in the country have passed laws protecting women’s sports by keeping participation separated by sex. RILEY GAINES SLAMS DEMS AS SCOTUS SET TO HEAR ARGUMENTS ON WOMEN’S SPORTS CASES On Tuesday, there were two questions before the court. In the Idaho case, it was, “Do laws that seek to protect women’s and girls’ sports by limiting participation to women and girls based on sex violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment?” In the West Virginia case, there was a similar first question and the addition of another: “Does Title IX prevent a state from consistently designating girls’ and boys’ sports teams based on biological sex determined at birth?” In 2020, Idaho became the first state in the nation to pass a law protecting women’s sports, Fairness in Women’s Sports. The law preserves women’s sports in public schools — elementary through college — by linking participation on an athletic team to biological sex. Lindsay Hecox, a biological male athlete identifying as a transgender woman who wanted to try out for the Boise State University women’s track and cross-country teams, sued, arguing it was unconstitutional. The 9th Circuit barred Idaho from enforcing the law. Subsequently, in the lead-up to the Supreme Court case, the transgender athlete attempted to have the lower court dismiss the case entirely, but the court rejected the request. In 2023, West Virginia also passed a law protecting female sports teams by keeping them biologically sex-specific, called Save Women’s Sports. Before the law took effect, B.P.J., then an 11-year-old biological male who identifies as female, sued, and the law was paused as it was litigated. West Virginia alleges that B.P.J. eventually went on to beat and displace female competitors in cross-country and track and field events and that five female athletes refused to compete against the athlete. Lainey Armistead, a former West Virginia State University female soccer player, intervened in the lawsuit to help defend the state’s law. The 4th Circuit ultimately blocked West Virginia from enforcing the law. REPUBLICAN GOVERNORS URGE JUSTICES TO DEFEND WOMEN’S SPORTS AS SUPREME COURT HEARS KEY CASE The bulk of the arguments in the Idaho case focused on whether Idaho’s law classifies on the basis of sex or status. The state argued that the law classified on the basis of biological sex, treating boys and girls equally by permissibly separating them in sports for fairness and safety reasons. The opposing side argued status, that the law impermissibly excluded boys who identify as transgender girls from participating in sports for discriminatory reasons, thereby warranting a higher level of scrutiny from the court. If that sounds confusing, it’s because it is. On classifications, Justice Samuel Alito asked the ACLU attorney representing the West Virginia transgender athlete a question. “You argue this is a status-based classification that targets transgender individuals,” Alito said. “But if a state law treats all biological males the same — meaning no biological male can play on the girls team — and it treats all biological females the same, how is that a status-based classification?” Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, who notably refused to define what a woman was under questioning from Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., during her confirmation hearing, was sympathetic to the status argument and pushed for a case-by-case analysis where schools could create exceptions for boys who identified as girls but who did not pose an unfair advantage by having the transgender student medically prove they were not at an advantage. The transgender athletes in both cases had taken hormones, and the one in the West Virginia case had taken puberty blockers; the states argued the drugs do not undo the physical advantages that are natural to biology. Initially, Justice Neil Gorsuch also seemed sympathetic to the arguments from the transgender athletes, which was unsurprising given a 6-3 decision he authored in 2020 that found “sex” within Title VII’s prohibition against employment discrimination “because of sex” includes transgender individuals despite the law not mentioning sexual orientation or gender identity. But later in the Title IX arguments, Gorsuch suggested that sports and the history of Title IX made it different. “Javits [Amendment] changed Title IX, and it said, you know, sports are different,” he said. “And we’ve got these regulations that have been out there for 50-plus years. … Why doesn’t that make this case very different than Title VII?” IDAHO AG SAYS SUPREME COURT TRANSGENDER SPORTS CASE DEFIES ‘COMMON SENSE’ Cutting through the hyper-technical discussions about classifications, Alito asked, “How can a court determine whether there is discrimination on the basis of sex without knowing what ‘sex’ means for equal protection purposes?” Early on, the attorney for the transgender athlete in the Idaho case also raised the issue of mootness, reminding the justices his client had asked for the case to be dismissed. Justice Sonya Sotomayor appeared to be interested in this argument, but, notably, little time was spent on it overall. The second round of arguments in the West Virginia case focused on Title