EU defense chief warns of ‘most dangerous moment’ – coordinated Russian-Chinese aggression by 2027
The European Union’s first-ever defense commissioner has issued a stark warning: the world’s “most dangerous moment” could arrive as soon as 2027, when Russia and China may coordinate aggressive moves designed to overwhelm Western defenses. Andrius Kubilius, the EU’s commissioner for defense and space, echoed recent remarks by U.S. Air Force Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, NATO’s top commander for air operations. Both officials highlighted 2027 as a potential flashpoint year when simultaneous military actions by Moscow and Beijing could stretch the transatlantic alliance to its limits. “The most dangerous moment can be in 2027, when both Russia and China will make these aggressive moves in a coordinated way,” Kubilius told reporters during a briefing in Washington. Grynkewich had warned last week that the United States and its European allies must be prepared to fight two wars simultaneously – one in Europe, should Russian President Vladimir Putin escalate in Ukraine or Eastern Europe, and another in the Pacific if Chinese President Xi Jinping launches an invasion of Taiwan. UKRAINE’S EX-FOREIGN MINISTER BACKS TRUMP ON DEFENSE SPENDING, WARNS DIPLOMACY WITH PUTIN IS NEARLY EXHAUSTED “We’re going to need every bit of kit and equipment and munitions that we can in order to beat that,” Grynkewich said. In a speech later Monday evening, Kubilius said the U.S. has the “right and reason” to turn its focus to China. “We are recognizing that you, Americans, have really the right and the reason in the longer-term perspective to start to shift more and more toward the Indo-Pacific in order to mitigate Chinese rising military power,” he said. “We Europeans need to ramp up our defense capabilities,” the former Lithuanian prime minister said, adding: “That is what we are doing.” Their warnings align with growing concerns across the U.S. defense establishment over what is often referred to as the “Davidson Window” – a term coined by former Indo-Pacific Command chief Adm. Philip Davidson, who testified before Congress in 2021 that China could attempt to forcibly reunify with Taiwan by 2027. The assessment has since become a widely cited benchmark for military planners preparing for a potential crisis in the Indo-Pacific. The 2027 window has taken on added urgency as China rapidly accelerates its military modernization program, aiming to achieve what Xi Jinping has called “world-class” warfighting capabilities by the People’s Liberation Army’s centennial in 2027. U.S. and NATO officials also fear that Russia, despite sustaining major losses in Ukraine, could reconstitute and redirect its forces toward renewed aggression in Eastern Europe by that same timeframe – placing strategic pressure on two fronts simultaneously. Kubilius traveled to Washington to assess potential shortfalls in European defense capabilities as the U.S. increasingly pivots its strategic attention toward the Indo-Pacific. He said EU member states are actively preparing for a shift in the American military posture on the continent. As of 2025, more than 80,000 U.S. troops are stationed in Europe – a presence widely expected to decline in the coming years as the Pentagon presses its European allies to assume greater responsibility for their own defense. “We are preparing ourselves to take responsibility on our shoulders,” Kubilius said. “We don’t know what Americans will decide.” Kubilius emphasized that Europe must not only fund its own defense but also build it. He noted that the EU has reduced its reliance on U.S.-made weapons from 60% of total imports to 40%, and hopes to lower that dependency further through increased domestic production. TRUMP’S NATO TURNAROUND: FROM THREATENING TO PULL US OUT TO ‘DADDY’ OF THE ALLIANCE As defense commissioner, Kubilius is tasked with implementing an $840 billion framework to “Re-Arm Europe,” including a €150 billion loan facility available to member states for building out their armed forces and industrial capacities. Separately, NATO leaders at last month’s summit in Washington agreed to a sweeping pledge to increase defense spending – raising the benchmark from 2% of GDP to 5% for member countries, a historic shift in alliance posture amid growing global instability. Adding to the sense of urgency, President Donald Trump announced that the United States would offer advanced weapons systems to Ukraine – on the condition that European partners cover the cost. Western defense ministers convened on Monday to discuss the proposed financing mechanism. “We’re going to be sending Patriots to NATO and then NATO will distribute that,” Trump said last week, referring to the high-value air defense systems that Kyiv has long sought. Kubilius declined to elaborate on which other weapons may be included in the package, but underscored the critical importance of maintaining unwavering support for Ukraine’s defense against Russia’s full-scale invasion. “China is watching,” he said. “China will be able to make a conclusion that if the West is weak in Ukraine, then we can expect aggressive behavior from China against anyone.”
5 bizarre moments from Hunter Biden’s interview meltdown
Hunter Biden covered a lot of ground during his hourslong, profanity-laden meltdown on the “Channel 5” podcast this weekend, but some moments stood out among all the rest. Biden spoke with host Andrew Callaghan for roughly three hours, and the former president’s son took care to hash out all of his political grievances, taking aim at everyone from President Donald Trump to actor George Clooney. Here are five of the most unusual moments from Biden’s extended tirade. Biden had some particularly vulgar words for Clooney, who he claims sabotaged former President Joe Biden’s re-election effort with the “blessing” of former President Barack Obama and his cohorts. “F— him! F— him and f— everybody around him. I don’t have to be f—ing nice. Number one, I agree with Quentin Tarantino. George Clooney is not a f—ing actor. He is a f—ing, I don’t know what he is, he’s a brand,” Biden said. He and Callaghan were discussing Clooney’s infamous New York Times guest essay that became a key moment in the pressure campaign for Joe Biden to drop out of the race. The “Ocean’s 11” actor penned the essay, which called for Biden to be replaced as the Democratic nominee, less than two weeks after the former president had a disastrous debate performance against Trump. DNC VICE CHAIR COMPARES TRUMP TO NOTORIOUS SEGREGATIONISTS DURING HEATED TOWN HALL EVENT WITH BETO O’ROURKE “It’s devastating to say it, but the Joe Biden I was with three weeks ago at the fundraiser was not the Joe ‘big f—ing deal’ Biden of 2010. He wasn’t even the Joe Biden of 2020. He was the same man we all witnessed at the debate,” Clooney wrote. Hunter unloaded on the actor, asking, “Why do I have to f—ing listen to you?” and accusing him of having lied about his father experiencing memory lapses at a June 2024 fundraiser. “What do you have to do with f—ing anything?… What right do you have to step on a man who’s given 52 years of his f—ing life to the service of this country and decide that you, George Clooney, are going to take out basically a full-page ad in the f—ing New York Times to undermine the president?” Hunter fumed. Biden compared Trump and his supporters to Confederates and the Ku Klux Klan when the conversation turned toward immigration. Trump, he said, is a “f—ing thug” who is deporting illegal immigrants to a “concentration camp” in El Salvador. Biden said America gets stuck in a “permanent Jim Crow loop” that when the “more perfect union” is nearly realized, a “symbiosis between money and power” ruins it. SETH MEYERS SKIPS ASKING GEORGE CLOONEY ABOUT BIDEN’S MENTAL DECLINE, NOT RECOGNIZING HIM AT FUNDRAISER “There is a minority group that those in power, that came into power through democratically elected means, are going to target this minority group because they’re stealing all the jobs,” he said, as clips played of Trump from 2016 speaking about “Mexico not sending their best” and claims of migrants “eating the dogs” in Ohio. “And what we’re going to do is we’re going to send masked men to this marginalized group, and we are going to take them, put them on planes, put them on buses, put them on trains and send them to a prison camp in a foreign country,” Biden fumed. “What am I describing right then? Am I describing Germany? Or am I just describing the United States right now? Because I will tell you what. You think that the prison in El Salvador is not a f—ing concentration camp, you’re out of your f—ing mind.” Biden then claimed White men are “4-5 times more likely” to commit a violent crime than illegal immigrants. Biden became animated when the conversation turned to his father’s disastrous debate performance against Trump in 2024, a debate that ultimately proved fatal to his campaign. He revealed that his father was taking Ambien to sleep while on the campaign trail. HUNTER BIDEN RAGES AGAINST F—ING THUG TRUMP, INVOKES KKK IN IMMIGRATION RANT “I know exactly what happened in that debate. He flew around the world, basically, the mileage that he could have flown around the world, three times. He’s 81 years old. He’s tired as s—. They give him Ambien to be able to sleep,” he said. “He gets up on the stage. And he looks like he’s a deer in the headlights. And it feeds into every f—ing story that anybody wants to tell,” Hunter went on, claiming that CNN anchor Jake Tapper’s book relied on several anonymous sources for his related expose because, in reality, no one had spoken out against Joe. “If this was a conspiracy… somehow the entirety of a White House in which you’re literally living on top of each other has kept their mouth shut about you now, like what? And what’s the conspiracy? Did Joe Biden get old? Yeah, he got old. He got old before our eyes. The people that came out against him were who — nobody — except Speaker Emerita Pelosi did not give a full-throated endorsement, which allowed everybody else to kind of go, ‘OK.’ JOHN KERRY ADMITS TRUMP WAS ‘RIGHT’ ON BORDER, SAYS HE TOLD BIDEN THAT DEMOCRATS MISSED ON IMMIGRATION “Who came out full-throated? Progressives. AOC, Bernie, the entire progressive wing, [Silicon Valley congressman] Ro Khanna. The entirety of the progressive side of the Democratic Party said Joe Biden has got more of our agenda accomplished in four years than any president in history. The largest investment into climate change in history, just that alone. And so he gets over the hump. He goes and does Stephanopoulos, and everybody said that’s not enough.” Biden eventually turned his ire toward Democratic strategists who he says sabotaged his father’s campaign, including David Axelrod, James Carville and the former Obama staffers behind “Pod Save America.” “James Carville—who hasn’t run a race in 40 f–ing years—and David Axelrod, who had one success in his political life, and that was
Trump endorses GOP senator years after asserting ‘I will never endorse this jerk again’
After lambasting GOP Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota in 2022 and vowing that he would never endorse the lawmaker again, President Donald Trump issued a full-throated endorsement of the incumbent Republican senator in a Truth Social post on Monday. Trump previously endorsed Rounds in 2020, but then excoriated the senator in 2022 after Rounds appeared on ABC’s “This Week” and described the 2020 election as “fair.” “‘Senator’ Mike Rounds of the Great State of South Dakota just went woke on the Fraudulent Presidential Election of 2020,” Trump declared at the beginning of a lengthy statement in January 2022. GOP SENATOR INVITES TRUMP TO ‘AN APPRECIATION EVENT LIKE YOU’VE NEVER SEEN’ IN DEEP-RED STATE “Even though his election will not be coming up for 5 years, I will never endorse this jerk again,” Trump later said in the statement. “The Radical Left Democrats and RINOS, like ‘Senator’ Mike Rounds, do not make it easy for our Country to succeed. He is a weak and ineffective leader, and I hereby firmly pledge that he will never receive my endorsement again!” Trump asserted in that statement several years ago. But in an about-face, Trump has endorsed Rounds for re-election. US CAN’T CUT CHINA OFF COMPLETELY, BUT MUST DEFEND AI AND AMERICAN INNOVATION FROM NONSTOP THEFT: SEN ROUNDS In a Monday Truth Social post, the president called the senator “An America First Patriot,” declaring, “Mike Rounds has my Complete and Total Endorsement for Re-Election – HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!” Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment on Tuesday morning but did not receive a response by the time of publication. TRUMP BLASTS MASSIE AS ‘THE WORST REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN’ AND SAYS HE’S SEEKING A CHALLENGER TO SUPPORT Rounds thanked Trump for the endorsement on Monday in posts on X, adding, “I look forward to working with you to make America even better!”
House Republicans warn anti-ICE rhetoric from Democrats is driving violent attacks on agents
President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration and deportation rollout has ignited anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protests across the United States. House Republicans told Fox News Digital there is a parallel between Democrats’ rhetoric against federal immigration officers amid this crackdown and the surge in violence against ICE and Border Protection (CBP) officers. “The increasingly violent attacks against law enforcement are being egged on by irresponsible Democratic politicians,” Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., said in an exclusive interview. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem on Monday blamed Democrats’ “sanctuary city policies” for the shooting of an off-duty CBP officer in New York City. NOEM WARNS OF ‘UNPRECEDENTED’ THREAT LEVEL FOR ICE AGENTS, BLAMES ‘LIES’ FROM DEMOCRATS A second illegal immigrant has been apprehended in connection to the shooting of the CBP officer. He was reportedly struck in the face and forearm in Manhattan’s Riverside Park on Saturday night. Miguel Francisco Mora Nunez, a Dominican national who was caught by Border Patrol in April 2023, was taken into custody following the shooting. GUNMAN AMBUSHES BORDER PATROL AGENTS DAYS AFTER HOUSE DEMS REJECT RESOLUTION CONDEMNING ANTI-ICE VIOLENCE “Without enforcing our immigration laws, we have no immigration laws,” McClintock continued. “Without immigration laws, we have no border, and without a border we have no country. And that’s what Americans suffered for four long years with the open borders policies of the Biden administration.” Democrat Sens. Alex Padilla and Cory Booker, two of the leading Capitol Hill critics of Trump’s illegal immigration crackdown, have introduced legislation that would require immigration enforcement officers to clearly identify themselves without masks. Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga, told Fox News Digital that he has “absolutely” seen an increase in violence, explaining that when a member of Congress uses “radical rhetoric,” people take it to heart. “We should be applauding them. We should be thankful to them. They are literally removing criminal aliens from our midst and making us a safer nation. And yet these radical Democrats are inflaming the public. And as a result, you’re seeing more violence against them. And it’s unconscionable that they do that,” Clyde said. Federal immigration law enforcement officers have been targeted since Trump signed his “big, beautiful bill” into law, which includes legislation for robust immigration reform. There were at least two ambushes in Texas, and protesters clashed with federal officers at the Portland, Oregon, ICE facility, over the Fourth of July weekend. Rep. Michael Guest, R-Miss., told Fox News Digital that there has been “growing rhetoric by many on the Democratic side” from everyone except Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa. Particularly in Los Angeles, Guest pointed to California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s and Mayor Karen Bass’ anti-ICE rhetoric as protests delved into riots in the West Coast city last month. Bass has signed a series of executive orders aimed at impeding ICE deportation raids in Los Angeles, criticizing the “unconstitutional, reckless raids” and establishing a Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) working group that expands resources for families impacted by Trump’s deportation rollout. “When we have Democrats constantly attacking our ICE agents for what they’re doing, demonizing them for enforcing the law, that is going to create more violence, and the situation is going to get worse and not better,” Guest added. Rep. Mariannette Miller‑Meeks, R‑Iowa, added in an interview with Fox News Digital that it’s “unreal to me that people are attacking law enforcement agents trying to do their job.” She said the emphasis should be on supporting ICE and CBP agents. “Keep the focus on deporting criminal illegals, people that are bad actors that should be out of the country, focusing on the influence of gangs and cartels in this country,” Miller-Meeks added, urging her fellow House Republicans to remind Americans that these deportations are necessary due to the surge of illegal immigration under the Biden administration. Fox News Digital reached out to Biden’s office for comment but did not immediately hear back.
Trump pulls US out of UN agency over its backing of ‘woke’ social causes
The Trump administration announced Tuesday that the United States will exit the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). “President Donald Trump has decided to withdraw the United States from UNESCO – which supports woke, divisive cultural and social causes that are totally out-of-step with the commonsense policies that Americans voted for in November. This president will always put America First and ensure our country’s membership in all international organizations aligns with our national interests,” White House Deputy Spokesperson Anna Kelly said on Tuesday. WATCHDOG BACKS RUBIO’S SANCTIONS ON UN OFFICIAL OVER ‘SHAMEFUL EFFORTS’ TARGETING US, ISRAEL “The U.S. continues to demonstrate moral clarity in the international arena and when it comes to its involvement and financial investments in international organizations, and makes it clear that it is unwilling to support entities that promote hatred, historical revisionism, and political divisiveness over advancing shared universal values,” Israeli U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon said in a statement. Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs Gideon Sa’ar also commended the decision, which he said “is a necessary step, designed to promote justice and Israel’s right to fair treatment in the U.N. system, a right which has often been trampled due to politicization in this arena.” “Singling out Israel and politicization by member states must end, in this and all professional U.N. agencies,” Sa’ar added. The move comes as the administration continues to make waves in the international community, and in particular at the U.N. The U.S.- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has drawn the ire of the U.N. and other international bodies. Additionally, Secretary-General António Guterres has expressed his concerns about the Trump administration’s foreign aid cuts, which he said would be “especially devastating” to the world’s vulnerable populations, according to Reuters. BUSH TEAMS UP WITH NOTORIOUS TRUMP FOES TO TRASH ‘COLOSSAL MISTAKE’ SHUTTERING USAID State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce said in a statement on the exit that “continued involvement with UNESCO is not in the national interest of the United States.” “UNESCO works to advance divisive social and cultural causes and maintains an outsized focus on the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals, a globalist, ideological agenda for international development at odds with our America First foreign policy,” the statement read. “UNESCO’s decision to admit the ‘State of Palestine’ as a Member State is highly problematic, contrary to U.S. policy, and contributed to the proliferation of anti-Israel rhetoric within the organization.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Trump withdrew the U.S. from UNESCO in October 2017, during his first term, but former President Joe Biden had the country rejoin the agency in 2023. In 2017, the State Department said the U.S. was withdrawing from the agency for very similar reasons, suggesting UNESCO has not sufficiently fixed the issues at the center of the Trump administration’s concerns.
Federal judge slaps temporary restraining order on Mississippi DEI ban
A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order Sunday against a Mississippi law banning diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) from public schools and universities. U.S. District Judge Henry Wingate, a nominee of former President Ronald Reagan, approved the request brought by plaintiffs, including the Mississippi Association of Educators, who are represented by the American Civil Liberties Union and the Mississippi Center for Justice. The order pauses implementation for at least 14 days of a state law known as House Bill 1193, which was approved in April and first took effect July 1. In his ruling, Wingate cited instances where the law is already having an impact as part of his reason for siding with the plaintiffs. Faculty members at Jackson State University have been instructed not to discuss gender theory or systemic racism, he wrote as an example. UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN, LAW JOURNAL SUED FOR ALLEGEDLY DISCRIMINATING AGAINST STRAIGHT WHITE MALES “Suppressing constitutional speech through vague prohibitions and the specter of financial retribution does not serve the public good – it undermines it,” Wingate wrote. “An over-broad, constitutionally borderless law should be the target of a well-aimed injunction to promote, rather than impair, the interests of Mississippi citizens, the integrity of its institutions, and the constitutional principles on which this republic stands.” The legislation bans DEI offices, programs, trainings and statements and prohibits institutions from considering DEI in contracts and their hiring processes. It also prohibits programs or academic courses promoting “divisive concepts,” including that one race, sex, color, or national origin is superior to another or that someone is inherently racist or oppressive, consciously or unconsciously, based on those characteristics. Schools or universities may not promote the concept that an individual’s moral character is determined by his or her race, sex, color, or national origin or that “meritocracy or traits such as hard work ethic are racist or sexist, or were created by a particular class to oppress another class.” The law also bans “concepts promoting transgender ideology, gender-neutral pronouns, deconstruction of heteronormativity, gender theory, sexual privilege or any related formulation.” Institutions found to be in violation of the law could lose state funding. The judge notes that plaintiffs argue “the law’s enforcement mechanism – withdrawal of funds, dissolution of student organizations, and employment consequences – exacerbates its chilling effect.” “The chilling effect is compounded in the academic context, where the fear of losing state funding compels institutions to over-correct in ways that suppress constitutionally protected speech censorship,” Wingate wrote. FEDERAL JUDGE RULES TRUMP ADMIN CANNOT BLOCK GRANTS TO LGBT GROUPS The order cites affidavits from school officials complaining that “vague prohibitions” under the law resulted in partnerships and programs supporting LGBTQ+ students being abruptly severed. One librarian at Hinds Community College attested she “is uncertain whether promoting material for events like Black History Month or recommending titles related to race, gender, or identity violates the Act.” “In this Court’s eye, these accounts appear to reflect a broad, chilling effect across public institutions and community organizations,” Wingate wrote. “The affidavits detail not only imminent harm, but a possible widespread suppression of speech, programming, and institutional function. The evidence, at this stage, demonstrates a clear and ongoing deprivation of constitutional rights in a manner not compensable by money damages – thus warranting injunctive relief.” The judge instructed both sides to appear for a hearing on Wednesday. Wingate can decide whether to extend the temporary restraining order by another 14 days. Plaintiffs are seeking a preliminary injunction, which would more permanently block the DEI ban. A hearing on that matter is scheduled for Aug. 3. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP It was not immediately known if Mississippi would appeal to the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. Fox News Digital reached out to the Mississippi Attorney General’s office, but they did not immediately respond. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
NYC councilwoman warns Mamdani victory will drive away key voting bloc: ‘Afraid to live here’
EXCLUSIVE: Inna Vernikov, a New York City Republican councilwoman, told Fox News Digital that voters in her heavily Jewish district are “petrified” about the prospect of socialist Zohran Mamdani becoming the city’s next mayor. “This is a guy who wants to globalize the intifada,” Vernikov told Fox News Digital. “We’ve never seen anything close to this in New York City. We have the largest Jewish population in America, and I’ll tell you Jews are telling me they’re going to run away from New York City, and Jews have contributed a lot to the city and to this country, and the idea that they are now afraid to live here it’s unacceptable and unprecedented really, this has never happened here.” Mamdani has been widely criticized for his anti-Israel positions dating back to his college days, when he founded his school’s Students for Justice in Palestine chapter. In recent weeks, Mamdani has been criticized over a perceived reticence to condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada,” which he now says he will not use and will discourage others from doing. Mamdani’s father, Mahmood, has also faced scrutiny over his past writings and comments, which included a social media post celebrating a potential “third intifadah against settler colonialism” in Israel. MAMDANI CONFRONTED ON STREETS OF NYC ABOUT ‘COMMUNIST’ LABEL, REFUSES TO ANSWER “The intifada is a call for violence, we’ve seen what happened during two intifadas where people were murdered, innocent people lost their lives,” Vernikov said, adding that “there’s a lot of fear in the Jewish community if this guy becomes mayor.” Vernikov, who is Jewish, told Fox News Digital people she has spoken to in her district are “petrified” of Mamdani becoming mayor. MAMDANI SPARKS FIRESTORM WITH RESURFACED COMMENT ON ABOLISHING PRIVATE PROPERTY: ‘HE’S A COMMUNIST’ Numerous Jewish groups have come out in staunch opposition against Mamdani’s candidacy. Brooke Goldstein, a human rights attorney, told Fox News Digital earlier this month that “Zohran Mamdani has built his political brand on the same radical, hate-filled and anti-American ideology his father, Mahmood Mamdani, has spent decades promoting—one that demonizes Jewish people and legitimizes anti-democratic violence.” Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani’s campaign for comment. Vernikov took issue with Democrats who have started to endorse Mamdani, which experts say could cause problems for the Democratic Party if he wins in November, and criticized their excuse that “he’s the Democratic nominee.” “I’m curious, I have a question,” Vernikov told Fox News Digital. “If this Democratic nominee would be like a KKK member or would call for annihilation of the black community, would they still you know, come behind him as hard as they are now, and I would think that the answer would be no, but when it comes to the Jews, that’s okay.” “So it’s really hypocritical, unacceptable, and disgusting, and they’ve been endorsing him one by one. While Republicans are fighting antisemitism on behalf of Jewish Americans every day, the Democrats are supporting an antisemite.”
Federal judge blocks Trump administration from defunding some Planned Parenthood facilities
A judge on Monday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from stripping some Medicaid funds from Planned Parenthood after Congress and President Donald Trump agreed to partially defund the nonprofit through passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Judge Indira Talwani of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts said in her order partially granting a preliminary injunction that the bill unconstitutionally punishes Planned Parenthood member organizations that do not provide abortions. The injunction will risk “at most minimal harm—financial or otherwise” to the Trump administration while the lawsuit proceeds, Talwani, an Obama appointee, wrote. The judge’s order appears to apply to some but not all Planned Parenthood facilities. The nonprofit said in a statement that it viewed Talwani’s order as a partial win and remained “hopeful” that the judge would take further judicial action down the line. “This isn’t over,” the organization said. “While we’re grateful that the court recognized the harm caused by this law, we’re disappointed that not all members were granted the necessary relief today.” SENATE PARLIAMENTARIAN OKS BAN ON PLANNED PARENTHOOD FEDERAL FUNDING IN TRUMP MEGABILL Talwani’s order arose from a lawsuit brought by Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider, over the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a massive budget bill that passed Congress this month with no Democrat support. Trump signed the bill into law on July 4. A provision in the bill stripped Medicaid funding from Planned Parenthood, which the nonprofit said could force it to close about 200 of its 600 facilities and deprive about half of its customers, more than one million people, of services that do not include abortion. Planned Parenthood attorneys noted in court filings that Medicaid typically does not cover abortion. JUDGE TORCHED FOR PLANNED PARENTHOOD ORDER: HER COURT LOOKS ‘LIKE A FAST FOOD DRIVE-THRU’ The attorneys argued that the bill would cause cancer and sexually transmitted infections to go undetected, especially for low-income people, and that more unplanned pregnancies would occur because of a lack of contraception access. They said the consequences of losing Medicaid funding “will be grave.” Department of Justice (DOJ) attorneys had previously argued in court filings that the purpose of the budget provision was to stop “federal subsidies for Big Abortion” by freezing federal funds for certain Medicaid recipients who provide abortions. Weakening Planned Parenthood has been one of the pro-life movement’s leading priorities since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Talwani granted a temporary restraining order two weeks ago in favor of Planned Parenthood. The judge initially offered no explanation for her decision, a move that led to widespread backlash among Republicans who described it as judicial overreach. Days later, Talwani offered more context in a subsequent order. PLANNED PARENTHOOD USING ‘LOOPHOLE’ TO GET MINORS GENDER TRANSITIONS WITHOUT PARENTS’ OK: WATCHDOG The preliminary injunction will partially leave in place the pause on defunding Planned Parenthood indefinitely, but the Trump administration is likely to appeal the order to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. The judge noted that her injunction applied to Planned Parenthood entities that do not provide abortion services or receive less than $800,000 in annual Medicaid reimbursements. DOJ attorneys had previously argued to the court that blocking a measure that was passed by Congress and signed by the president was an extraordinary move and unjustified. “Beyond the futility of the claims on the merits, Planned Parenthood fails to demonstrate imminent irreparable harm to justify an injunction, asserting only classically reparable economic injury and irrelevant potential harm to patients, who are third parties not before this Court,” DOJ attorneys wrote.
Thomas Fugate, 22-year-old Trump DHS appointee, addresses backlash over age, inexperience
FIRST ON FOX: Thomas Fugate, a 22-year-old Trump appointee, spoke with Fox News Digital after being cast into the spotlight and criticized over his young age, inexperience and role in President Donald Trump’s administration. Fugate’s official title at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is Special Assistant. However, several outlets reported that Fugate was the head of DHS’s Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships (CP3). CP3 is DHS’ lead office for terrorism and targeted violence prevention. The young appointee and DHS denied those claims to Fox News Digital. “All decisions came down from policy leadership, [the] undersecretary, deputy secretary, and chief of staff,” Fugate emphasized. SECOND SUSPECT ARRESTED IN CBP OFFICER SHOOTING HAS LENGTHY CRIMINAL PAST, DHS SAYS Fugate went on to say that CP3, a program which was gutted by an $18.5 million cut last week, has a heavily reduced role compared to previous administrations as Trump’s DHS has downsized the division. “Before I got there, [CP3] was already flagged for waste, fraud, and abuse,” Fugate explained. “We’re not talking about a massive office of 80 people with a wide range of functions. We’re talking about a very niche and small, specialized office.” Fugate said the office is mainly focused on administering a grant program. “It’s only when you take it out of context and blow it out of proportion that it then becomes a massive problem where people think I’m practically running the FBI,” Fugate continued. DHS also told Fox News Digital that Fugate was never in a position of leadership within the program, and even referred to him as a “low-level” staffer. NOEM BLAMES ‘SANCTUARY’ POLICIES FOR MIGRANT ACCUSED OF SHOOTING OFF-DUTY CBP OFFICER “This entire smear campaign around Thomas Fugate is a smokescreen to bury the rampant grift and waste festering in the CP3 program under the Biden Administration’s watch,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox. “Fugate never held the director role at CP3, and to imply that he had operational control or exercised leadership over CP3 is simply untrue, as we have consistently told them.” “The fact a low-level 22-year-old staffer was able to identify the misappropriated spending and the subsequent violent reaction to defend this woke, partisan spending by those on the left tells you exactly what this program was really being used for,” McLaughlin said. As for his young age and experience, Fugate noted that he started out with DHS at Border and Immigration when the Undersecretary of Policy asked him to temporarily assist at CP3. Prior to that, he interned at the Heritage Foundation before graduating from the University of Texas at San Antonio with a degree in Politics and Law last May.
Pentagon orders 700 Marines to withdraw from Los Angeles as stability returns following ICE protests
The Department of Defense has ordered 700 U.S. Marines to leave Los Angeles, California on Monday, more than a month after they were deployed to the city against the will of city leaders and amid violent demonstrations against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions. The Trump administration deployed the 700 Marines and federalized roughly 4,000 National Guard soldiers to Los Angeles in early June to quell anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) riots and protests. The Marines assigned to the area were limited to defending federal buildings, including the ICE office and detention facility in downtown LA. PENTAGON SCALING DOWN NATIONAL GUARD DEPLOYMENT TO LA “With stability returning to Los Angeles, the Secretary has directed the redeployment of the 700 Marines whose presence sent a clear message: lawlessness will not be tolerated,” Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell said. “Their rapid response, unwavering discipline, and unmistakable presence were instrumental in restoring order and upholding the rule of law. We’re deeply grateful for their service, and for the strength and professionalism they brought to this mission.” The Pentagon’s decision to have the Marines leave LA comes after half of the National Guard troops were ordered to leave the city last week. LA Mayor Karen Bass called the withdrawal of troops “another win for Los Angeles.” MARINES STILL NOT ON LA STREETS, SEEN IN HAND-TO-HAND COMBAT TRAINING “This is another win for Los Angeles, but this is also a win for those serving this country in uniform,” Bass said on Monday. “Just this morning I stood with Veterans, families of active-duty officers, and business leaders to show the impact of this unnecessary, unprecedented, and unconstitutional assault on our city. We took the administration to court and won, now we continue that momentum with today’s news. Los Angeles stands with our troops, which is why we are glad they are leaving.” California Gov. Gavin Newsom sued the Trump administration for deploying California National Guard troops despite his opposition. He argued that the National Guard troops were likely violating the Posse Comitatus Act, which prohibits troops from conducting civilian law enforcement on U.S. soil. HEGSETH SPARS WITH SENATE DEMOCRATS OVER MARINE DEPLOYMENT TO LA ANTI-ICE RIOTS: ‘NOT ABOUT LETHALITY’ Newsom won an early victory in the case after a federal judge ruled the Guard deployment was illegal and exceeded Trump’s authority. An appeals court tossed that order, and control of the troops remained with the federal government. The federal court is set to hear arguments next month on whether the troops are violating the Posse Comitatus Act. The deployment of National Guard troops was for 60 days, though Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had the discretion to shorten or extend it “to flexibly respond to the evolving situation on the ground,” the Trump administration’s lawyers wrote in a June 23 filing in the legal case. Fox News’ Liz Friden, Danielle Wallace, James Levinson and the Associated Press contributed to this report.