Fetterman defends Trump’s ‘tasteful’ $200M White House ballroom makeover amid Dem criticism
While some Democrats have railed against President Donald Trump’s $200 million plan to remodel the White House ballroom, Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., defended the investment in an interview with Fox News Digital. “The plans are going to be done in a tasteful and historical kind of way,” Fetterman said. “They’re not putting in a Dave & Buster’s kind of situation here, so I think upgrading some of these facilities seems pretty normal.” But Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., described Trump’s latest endeavor as anything but “normal.” “The project at the White House is a gigantic boondoggle,” Blumenthal said. “The important question is not only the damage that it could do to the architecture of the White House, but also what contributors would have over Trump if they are giving to this project.” TRUMP GAVE THE OVAL OFFICE A GILDED MAKEOVER – AND COVERED THE COST HIMSELF White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters last month that Trump and private donors will fund the estimated $200 million cost of the new ballroom. TRUMP APPEARS ON WHITE HOUSE ROOF AMID TALKS OF HISTORIC RENOVATIONS “Now, he is gonna be soliciting money from private contributors for this boondoggle, and the question is – what kind of influence and impact will those contributors have?” the Connecticut senator questioned. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said Democrats’ criticism is “not surprising to anyone.” “That is the essence of their party,” Cruz said. “They wake up animated by hatred for Trump and hatred for the American people that voted for him.” The Texas senator said he is grateful for the “phenomenal project,” and accused Democrats of hating anything Trump does. “A ballroom in the White House will be used by presidents, both Republicans and Democrats, and it’s being funded without a penny of taxpayer money,” Cruz said. Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., however, acknowledged that the White House needs event space. Leavitt said the president is unable to host major functions with world leaders without installing a “large and unsightly tent approximately 100 yards away from the main building’s entrance.” But Coons said that he doesn’t “know whether he actually has the authority to fundamentally alter the shape and scale of the White House without some White House Historical Association or some architect approving it.” “The last time I checked there’s nothing in the law that says that,” Cruz fired back. Coons also raised an issue with the project’s timeline. Leavitt said the renovations will begin in September and will be “completed long before the end of President Trump’s term.” “My concern, given what I’ve heard so far, is that it wouldn’t be completed on his timeline, so that he will be the former president and whoever succeeds him will be stuck with what could be a white elephant,” Coons said. Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., added that the ballroom is very “Trumponian,” but affirmed that “he’s gonna do it right.” “I’m glad they’re doing it with private dollars,” Marshall added. “I think it’ll be a great thing to add and put that Trump stamp on the White House.” And Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., agreed, telling Fox News Digital that the new ballroom would be a great addition to the White House and celebrated that there would be “no cost to the taxpayer.” Fox News Digital’s Amanda Macias contributed to this report.
Parents: Virginia boys suspended after questioning transgender locker room policy were ignored by school
A pair of parents from Virginia say their sons, who were suspended and found responsible for sexual harassment after questioning why a biological female was using the boys locker room, were provided no formal way to express discomfort with their school’s transgender locker room policy. Parents Renae Smith and Seth Wolfe say unclear policies and poor communication on the part of the Loudoun County Public Schools District led to the Title IX ruling and 10-day suspension for the boys. They say their kids were never instructed on how to communicate any potential concerns about the district’s transgender locker room or pronoun policy, nor did parents ever get notified about how to help their kids understand them. Earlier this year, the Loudoun County school district launched a sexual harassment investigation into the two boys after they were videotaped by a biological female who identified as transgender inside the boys locker room. The video caught them outwardly complaining to each other about the fact that there was a girl using their facilities. VIRGINIA SCHOOL DISTRICT VOTES TO KEEP GENDER BATHROOM POLICY, DEFYING DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION DIRECTIVE Smith, Wolfe and their attorney, Josh Hetzler, said the boys tried to speak to alert administrators about their discomfort with a biological female using their locker room. However, the concerns fell on deaf ears, they recounted. “There was an incident earlier in the year where one of the students involved with this went to another administration and was uncomfortable with it. They were pretty much just told, ‘This is how it is and to accept it,’ and they’re not supposed to say anything about it,” Wolfe relayed to Fox News Digital. “The more we look into it, no adult ever actually told these boys how to communicate with this individual. How to use the pronouns that are appropriate. They never gave us as parents opportunities to even talk to our children about this.” “I specifically asked my son what they did to prepare them for this type of situation and the answer was absolutely nothing,” Smith added. “If you’re going to implement this policy on paper, you better have a strategy for it in the classroom.” In response to accusations that the boys’ complaints fell on deaf ears, the district contested that it has never suspended a student “simply because they expressed some kind of discomfort.” “At no time would LCPS suspend a student simply because they expressed some kind of discomfort,” district spokesperson Dan Adams told Fox News Digital. “A reading of our Title IX resources should make it clear that there is a high bar to launch a Title IX investigation and an even higher bar to determine a student is in violation of Title IX.” Fox News Digital responded with questions about what the district was accusing the boys of beyond expressing discomfort but did not hear back. VIRGINIA SCHOOL DISTRICT ACCUSED OF RELIGIOUS DISCRIMINATION IN TRANSGENDER LOCKER ROOM CASE In addition to the confusing nature of the ongoing school controversy, Smith told Fox News Digital she thought the allegations themselves were also confusing. “I think the allegations themselves lend a lot of confusion,” Smith said. “Like, how do we get to sexual harassment based off of somebody asking why there’s a girl in their locker room?” Smith also questioned why the other student, who filmed the boys, was not similarly disciplined. Smith and Wolfe, along with their attorney, are appealing the Loudoun County Public Schools Title IX ruling, which found their kids responsible for sexual harassment and suspended them for 10 days. While Smith has taken her child out-of-state, Wolfe’s son has been able to attend the first several days of school because the appeal put a hold on the boys’ suspensions. The boys’ attorney with the Founding Freedoms Law Center said they are now partnering with another law group, America First Legal,, to take legal action. The families and their attorneys intend to exhaust all avenues in an attempt to overturn the district’s Title IX ruling finding their sons responsible for sexual harassment, which they fear will have long-term impacts on their kids, particularly when it comes to getting into college. However, Hetzler said he is not hopeful their appeal will overturn anything. “I don’t know who the exact person is who’s making the appeal decision. I get the sense that it’s a pretty tight-knit group overall in Loudoun County Public Schools, so I don’t expect a different result,” Hetzler said. “Ultimately, I think we’re going to have to sue them. I think we’re going to have to go into federal court. And if we go into a federal court, then the Department of Justice will have an opportunity to intervene in the case.” Hetzler noted that they would like to avoid going to court but said “the reality is that at every point along the way, when Loudoun County has had the opportunity to do the right thing, they always seem to do the wrong thing.” “We’d love for Loudoun to do the right thing and avoid [court], but we’ve got to stop these boys from being suspended, because once they’re suspended and they miss school, you can’t unring that bell,” Hetzler continued. “So, we’re gonna prevent that, and then we’re trying to make sure that this is scrubbed from their record because they should never have a Title IX sexual harassment on their record for simply complaining about a girl being in their locker room.”
Top Senate Republican ready to ‘roll over’ Democrats with rule change to confirm Trump nominees
FIRST ON FOX: Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso is ready to go nuclear on Senate Democrats and their blockade of President Donald Trump’s nominees. Before leaving Washington, D.C., to their respective home states, Senate Republicans were on the verge of a deal with their colleagues across the aisle to hammer out a deal to ram through dozens of Trump’s picks for non-controversial positions. But those talks fell apart when Trump nuked any further negotiations over funding demands from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. Currently, there are 145 pending nominations on the Senate’s executive calendar, with that number expected to balloon when the upper chamber reopens for business. SENATE GOP READY TO GO NUCLEAR AFTER SCHUMER’S ‘POLITICAL EXTORTION’ OF NOMINEES Lawmakers are set to return on Tuesday, and Barrasso, R-Wyo., wants to immediately tackle the nomination quandary. He’s engaged in a public pressure campaign, writing an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal directly calling out Schumer. Meanwhile, he’s facilitated talks among Senate Republicans on the best path forward, and told Fox News Digital in an interview that, at this point, he’s willing to do anything necessary to see the president’s picks confirmed. “We need to either get a lot of cooperation from the Democrats, or we’re going to have to roll over them with changes of the rules that we’re going to be able to do in a unilateral way, as well as President Trump making recess appointments,” he said. Senate Democrats, under Schumer’s direction, are unlikely to play ball, however. Schumer, in response to Barrasso’s public jab against him and Senate Democrats, contended in a statement that “historically bad nominees deserve a historic level of scrutiny by Senate Democrats.” TRUMP TELLS SCHUMER TO ‘GO TO HELL’ OVER SENATE NOMINEE DEAL FUNDING DEMANDS AFTER NEGOTIATIONS COLLAPSE “Anybody nominated by President Trump is, in Schumer’s words, ‘historically bad.’ Why? Because they were nominated by President Trump,” Barrasso shot back. “That is his sole criteria for which these people are being gone after and filibustered, each and every one of them, even those that are coming out of committee, many, many of whom are with bipartisan support.” Unilaterally changing the rules, or the nuclear option, would allow Republicans to make tweaks to the confirmation process without help from Democrats, but it could also kneecap further negotiations on key items that would require their support to advance beyond the Senate filibuster. Barrasso was not worried about taking that route, however, and noted that the nominees that he and other Republicans were specifically considering would be “sub-Cabinet level positions” and ambassadors. Up for discussion are changes to the debate time, what kind of nominee could qualify for a speedier process and whether to give the president runway to make recess appointments, which would require the Senate to go into recess and allow Trump to make appointments on a temporary basis. DEMS DIG IN, TRUMP DEMANDS ALL: NOMINEE FIGHT BOILS OVER IN SENATE AS GOP LOOKS FOR A DEAL “When you take a look at this right now, it takes a 30-minute roll-call vote to get on cloture, and then two hours of debate time, and then another 30-minute roll-call vote,” Barrasso said. “Well, that’s three hours, and it’s time when you can’t do legislation, you can’t do any of the other things.” But there is a menu of key items that Congress will have to deal with when they return, particularly the deadline to fund the government by Sept. 30. Barrasso acknowledged that reality, and noted that it was because of the hefty schedule that he wanted a rules change to be put front and center. “There’s not going to be any time to — or there’s going to be limited time, I should say, to actually get people through the nominations process, which is just going to drag on further, and you’ll have more people having hearings and coming out of committees,” he said. “This backlog is going to worsen this traffic jam at the Schumer toll booth. So, we are going to do something, because this cannot stand.”
DOJ staffer fired after flipping off, cursing National Guard in Washington, DC: report
Attorney General Pam Bondi fired another Department of Justice paralegal on Friday, this time for flipping off a member of the National Guard in Washington, D.C., on her way to work earlier this month. Elizabeth Baxter of the department’s environmental division arrived for work just after 8:20 a.m. on Aug. 18 at the DOJ’s “4CON” building in the NoMa district, where she bragged to a security guard that she had just made the gesture at Metro Center Metro Stop and told the guardsman, “F–k the National Guard,” Bondi said, according to the New York Post. “Today, I took action to terminate a DOJ employee for inappropriate conduct towards National Guard service members in DC,” Bondi told the outlet. FORMER DOJ WORKER WHO HURLED SANDWICH AT FEDERAL OFFICER CHARGED WITH MISDEMEANOR “This DOJ remains committed to defending President Trump’s agenda and fighting to make America safe again,” she continued. “If you oppose our mission and disrespect law enforcement — you will NO LONGER work at DOJ.” Later that day, Baxter was seen on DOJ security footage sticking up her middle finger at the National Guard and exclaiming, “F–k you!” the outlet reported. She was also allegedly seen demonstrating to a department security guard how she held up her middle finger. On Aug. 25, she allegedly arrived at work and again boasted to the security guard that she hated the National Guard and that she told them to “F–k off!” BONDI ANNOUNCES NEARLY 200 ARRESTS ‘AND COUNTING’ AS FEDERAL AGENTS SWARM NATION’S CAPITAL “You are removed from your position of Paralegal Specialist, GS-0950-11, Environmental Defense Section, Environment and Natural Resources Division, and from the federal service, effective immediately,” Bondi wrote in a termination letter to Baxter on Friday following an investigation into her conduct, according to the outlet. The Trump administration moved in recent weeks to boost the presence of federal law enforcement in D.C. in an attempt to reduce crime. Hundreds of federal agents and National Guard troops have been deployed to the city’s streets as part of the federal takeover of the district. Baxter’s termination comes after Sean Charles Dunn, another DOJ paralegal, was fired after he was accused of throwing a sandwich at a Customs and Border Protection agent earlier this month in Washington, D.C. Dunn, who worked in the criminal division’s international affairs section in the 4CON building, was initially charged with a felony, but a grand jury declined to hand down an indictment. He was subsequently charged with a misdemeanor, which could result in up to one year in jail.
Pentagon backs Under Secretary Anthony Tata amid legal dispute involving astrologer
The Pentagon is standing firmly behind Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Anthony Tata, who is facing a legal dispute in Florida connected to a self-described astrologer. Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell told Fox News that Tata continues to enjoy full confidence from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. “Under Secretary Tata has the complete and total confidence of Secretary Hegseth in his role and will continue to have his support,” Parnell said. “Mr. Tata has done a fantastic job delivering on the priorities of this Department and this administration. We strongly stand by him.” According to a 17-page complaint filed in Palm Beach County and obtained by Fox News Digital, John Doe, whose personal details align with Tata, accused Amy Tripp of harassment, defamation and attempted extortion. The suit alleges she threatened his marriage and career while demanding money to remain silent. PENTAGON TAPS CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES TO ASSIST TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT The filing states Doe and Tripp met in April 2024 on the dating app Bumble while Doe was working on a book and consulting about “astrological beliefs and related issues.” Their relationship developed into both “a casual sexual relationship as well as a professional relationship regarding the astrology business.” Doe also invested in Tripp’s company, Starheal LLC, in exchange for a 5% equity stake. Court records show that a temporary restraining order was granted against Tripp on Aug. 7, 2025, after the alleged harassment escalated. A summons issued later that month ordered her to respond to the allegations within 20 days. PENTAGON UNVEILS NEW MEDAL FOR TROOPS DEPLOYED IN TRUMP’S SOUTHERN BORDER CRACKDOWN While the Florida case unfolds, Tata’s career spans decades of military and public service. A retired Army brigadier general and novelist, he spent 28 years in uniform, including service in Afghanistan. After retiring, he transitioned into civilian leadership roles, including stints in education and as North Carolina’s transportation secretary. Tata, a graduate of West Point, is also a recipient of the Army Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Combat Action Badge, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Kosovo Campaign Medal, and Ranger Tab. His public career has not been without turbulence. Tata resigned from the transportation post in 2015, following scrutiny from his management, and his nomination for a top Pentagon role in 2020 drew attention to past social media posts as reported by CNN. Tata later apologized for his remarks. Tata’s current responsibilities overseeing personnel and readiness for the U.S. military remain the Pentagon’s priority despite the legal challenge. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Attorneys for John Doe in the Palm Beach County complaint did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Federal judge blocks Trump’s expanded deportation plan over due process concerns for illegal immigrants
A federal judge on Friday blocked the Trump administration from expanding the expedited removal of illegal immigrants, saying the risk of applying fast-track deportations in the interior of the United States is too great and could impact foreigners who aren’t eligible. The ruling by U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb in Washington, D.C., prevents the Trump administration from using expedited removal for immigrants granted parole status. “The Court does not cast doubt on the constitutionality of the expedited removal statute, nor on its longstanding application at the border,” Cobb wrote in a 48-page opinion. BOASBERG CLEARED TO RULE ON CECOT MIGRANT DEPORTATIONS AFTER APPEALS COURT DECISION “It merely holds that in applying the statute to a huge group of people living in the interior of the country who have not previously been subject to expedited removal, the Government must afford them due process. The procedures currently in place fall short.” Earlier this month, Cobb temporarily blocked the Trump administration from efforts to expand fast-track deportations of immigrants who legally entered the U.S. under humanitarian parole. US APPEALS COURT BLOCKS TRUMP CONTEMPT PROCEEDINGS ORDERED BY BOASBERG Fast-track deportations allow federal authorities to remove someone from the country without seeing a judge first. Expedited removal has been used by the Trump administration to quickly remove illegal immigrants, a major hallmark of President Donald Trump’s campaign. Meanwhile, the administration has pressured immigration authorities to ramp up deportations. Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House and the Department of Homeland Security. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Pro-Palestinian conference panelist calls US ‘evil,’ urges ‘destroying the idea of America’
A panelist speaking at the “People’s Conference for Palestine” in Detroit on Friday called the United States “an evil country” and expressed a need to “destroy the idea of America in Americans’ heads.” Speaking on a panel titled “No Weapons for Genocide: The People Demand an Arms Embargo,” Sachin Peddada, a Ph.D. student in economics and research coordinator at Progressive International, repeatedly ripped on the United States as an “empire” motivated by greed. In response to a question about how Americans can get more involved, Peddada paraphrased a quote by deceased Palestinian author Bassel al-Araj, saying, “The average American will never understand the plight of the Palestinian person because the state of Israel is a carbon copy of the United States. “And, therefore, the thing to do is to destroy the idea of America in Americans’ heads so that they can see the humanity of everybody outside the warping of American exceptionalism and imperialism and all these evil things.” As Peddada said these words, the crowd broke into applause. WHITE HOUSE DEMANDS ALL GAZA HOSTAGES RETURN HOME ‘THIS WEEK’ AMID STALLED TALKS Peddada continued, saying, “We have to dismantle this idea of American exceptionalism, of supremacy, of being beyond reproach. “I think it’s very important that we normalize criticism as a healthy process and learn from our experiments in the world to push the boundaries of what is possible, to continue to fight for more and more and to see how the empire responds to us, to continue to push farther and harder.” At another point during the panel, Peddada declared, “We live in an evil country.” He said that, since Oct. 7, 2023, “We can say with certainty that the U.S. has been the most complicit country — complicit is not even the right word to use — but the most responsible country for what is happening not only in Gaza but also the West Bank and also all over the global south.” Peddada claimed that the U.S. is a country that has “functionally for decades been the sole superpower of the world” and has “an agenda that is driven primarily by the accumulation of profit at the expense of human lives. COLUMBIA PROFESSOR WHO CALLED OCT. 7 HAMAS ATTACKS ‘AWESOME’ TO TEACH COURSE ON ZIONISM “To obfuscate that point or beat around the bush there does not serve us; we live in an evil country, that’s just what’s happening,” he said as the crowd again broke into applause. “That doesn’t mean we’re all evil,” he added. “But it does mean we have a unique responsibility. We have a unique position here in the heart of the empire to act in solidarity with all of our siblings in Gaza and in the West Bank, all around the world.” Commenting on the remarks, one user on X posted, “As an American, I find this galling.” “My culture and history have already been relentlessly attacked — statues of Washington, Jefferson, and other Founders torn down as ‘controversial,’” he said. “Now we have conference speakers openly talking about ‘destroying the idea of America.’” SQUAD MEMBERS SUED FOR ‘INCITING’ COLUMBIA ANTI-ISRAEL ENCAMPMENT The People’s Conference for Palestine, organized by a dozen pro-Palestinian groups, began Friday and will run through Sunday. Even before it started, the gathering drew scrutiny for featuring speakers with extremist views, including two former prisoners of Israel released in a Hamas deal, alongside Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., a prominent anti-Israel congresswoman. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The conference opened Friday afternoon with an elaborate opening ceremony, in which a speaker, after leading the crowd in chants, invited attendees to rise for “our national anthem” as a band began playing a song in a foreign language. People wearing keffiyehs proceeded in, holding Palestinian flags. Fox News Digital reached out to Progressive International and the People’s Conference for Palestine for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz says it’s time to ‘take serious action’ after deadly school shooting
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Friday said it was time to “take serious action” in the state legislature after a deadly shooting at a Catholic school in Minneapolis this week. “It’s time to take serious action at the State Capitol to address gun violence,” the Democrat and former 2024 vice presidential candidate wrote in an X post. Walz has been considering a special session on guns next month at the state capitol and has been calling legislators after a fatal shooting at the Annunciation Catholic Church Wednesday, according to FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul. An 8-year-old boy, Fletcher Merkel, and a 10-year-old girl, Harper Moyski, were killed at the back-to-school event. Eighteen others were injured, including 15 children. WHAT LEADS SOMEONE TO COMMIT A MASS SHOOTING? TRUMP ADMIN, RFK JR PLAN TO FIND OUT The shooter’s mother, Mary Grace Westman, previously refused to talk to police and retained a lawyer, Fox News reported. Minneapolis Assistant Police Chief Christopher Gaiters said at a news conference Friday that, with the cooperation of the Minnesota Department of Safety’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, there has been “conversation” with Westman, “and I’m not at liberty to go any further.” When asked what changes the city has made since the 2020 George Floyd riots to respond to incidents, Mayor Jacob Frey said, “What this is more about than specific changes is practice, and we practice a whole lot. We practiced the coordination through our incident management system. “We practiced communication channels and how that would work in a time of crisis. We practiced making sure people understood exactly what their responsibility was regardless of the events that might occur. And that may sound like a small thing. It’s not.” MINNESOTA BISHOP REBUKES DEM MAYOR FOR DISMISSING PRAYER FOLLOWING DEADLY CATHOLIC SCHOOL ATTACK He said the “flow of information was drastically improved,” adding that the governor had immediately offered assistance after the shooting. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Gaiters said the Minneapolis Police Department was conducting additional patrols at all schools and religious institutions. Fox News Digital has reached out to Walz’s office for comment.
Legal group sues FDA over puberty blocker records, citing alleged Biden-era cover-up
America First Legal (AFL) sued the Food and Drug Administration on Friday to obtain Biden-era records related to the government’s internal guidance for the recommended use of puberty blockers for kids. The Trump-aligned legal group previously uncovered communications from the former administration through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, which reportedly showed the FDA knew that these drugs increased mental health risk but still recommended approving them for kids. Following those uncovered communications, AFL followed up with a separate FOIA requesting documents specifically pertaining to the FDA’s internal guidance for the off-label use of these drugs. Despite acknowledging the federal information request, the FDA has not cooperated, and the deadline to produce documents is up. DEMOCRATIC STATES SUE TRUMP ADMIN OVER ENDING SEX CHANGE SURGERIES FOR MINORS “The Biden administration pushed gender-denying treatments on American kids. Now, it’s time to expose what officials really knew,” AFL counsel Will Scolinos, said. Similar to AFL’s current FOIA request, the group was required to engage in litigation to compel the release of the first set of documents. But, eventually, documents were released that seemed to show the Biden-era Division of General Endocrinology at the FDA recommended the agency approve puberty blockers for children despite the knowledge that there were negative impacts associated with them, such as increased depression, suicidality and seizure risks. “There is definitely a need for these drugs to be approved for gender transition,” an FDA official from the agency’s endocrinology division stated in an email uncovered by AFL. In the same communications, the FDA official also explicitly states that studies found “increased risk of depression and suicidality, as well as increased seizure risk.” Such findings have been confirmed by other studies as well. Researchers at the University of Texas sampled 107,583 patients 18 and older who had gender dysphoria, including some who underwent gender surgery, and concluded that “gender-sensitive mental health support … to address post-surgical psychological risks” is a “necessity.” PROGRESSIVES TRAPPED IN ‘MISINFORMATION BUBBLE’ ABOUT TRANSGENDER YOUTH TREATMENTS, ATLANTIC WRITER ADMITS Males who received surgery had depression rates of 25% compared to males without surgery, who had rates slightly below 12%. Anxiety rates among that group were 12.8% compared to 2.6%. The same differences were seen among females as well. Those with surgery had 22.9% depression rates compared to 14.6% in the non-surgical group. Females who did get surgery also had a rate of anxiety of 10.5% compared to 7.1% for girls who had not gotten surgery. Fox News Digital reached out to the FDA for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
Federal court strikes down Trump tariffs as illegal under federal law in appeals ruling
A federal appeals court has ruled that most of President Donald Trump’s tariffs are illegal. “We affirm the CIT’s holding that the Trafficking and Reciprocal Tariffs imposed by the Challenged Executive Orders exceed the authority delegated to the President by IEEPA’s text,” the opinion from the Washington-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit states. “We also affirm the CIT’s grant of declaratory relief that the orders are invalid as contrary to law.” In a 7-4 vote, the divided court allowed the tariffs to remain in place through Oct. 14 to give the Trump administration a chance to file an appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court. TRUMP’S TARIFF POWER GRAB BARRELS TOWARD SUPREME COURT On Truth Social, Trump criticized the ruling, saying all tariffs were still in effect. “Today a Highly Partisan Appeals Court incorrectly said that our Tariffs should be removed, but they know the United States of America will win in the end. If these Tariffs ever went away, it would be a total disaster for the Country,” he wrote. “It would make us financially weak, and we have to be strong. The U.S.A. will no longer tolerate enormous Trade Deficits and unfair Tariffs and Non Tariff Trade Barriers imposed by other Countries, friend or foe, that undermine our Manufacturers, Farmers, and everyone else. “ Trump has made tariffs a pillar of his second term as a way to compel other nations to renegotiate trade deals with the United States and to give the U.S. economic concessions. “President Trump lawfully exercised the tariff powers granted to him by Congress to defend our national and economic security from foreign threats. The president’s tariffs remain in effect, and we look forward to ultimate victory on this matter.” White House spokesman Kush Desai told Fox News. TRUMP’S ‘LIBERATION DAY’ TARIFFS COULD HIT A SNAG IN COURT TODAY. HERE’S WHAT TO KNOW Revenue from tariffs totaled $142 billion by July, more than double what it was at the same point the year before. Congress has the power to impose taxes, including tariffs. But, in recent decades, lawmakers have ceded authority to the president, The Associated Press reported. At issue was the legality of Trump’s attempt to use the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) — a 1977 emergency law — to enact the steep import fees and impose additional tariffs on certain trading partners. The Trump administration argued that courts approved President Richard Nixon’s emergency use of tariffs in a 1971 economic crisis that arose from the chaos that followed his decision to end a policy linking the U.S. dollar to the price of gold, according to the AP. Trump used the IEEPA law to enact the tariffs during his April 2 “Liberation Day” event. In his post, Trump said allowing Friday’s decision to stand would “literally destroy the United States of America.” “At the start of this Labor Day weekend, we should all remember that TARIFFS are the best tool to help our Workers, and support Companies that produce great MADE IN AMERICA products,” he said. “For many years, Tariffs were allowed to be used against us by our uncaring and unwise Politicians. Now, with the help of the United States Supreme Court, we will use them to the benefit of our Nation, and Make America Rich, Strong, and Powerful Again! Thank you for your attention to this matter.”