Trump FDA overhauls COVID-19 vaccine approval to focus on older populations, high-risk individuals
The Food and Drug Administration is shifting its annual COVID-19 vaccine approval policies to focus on Americans older than age 65 and other “high-risk” individuals, while increasing the standard of evidence to approve COVID vaccines for low-risk individuals. “The FDA will approve vaccines for high-risk persons and, at the same time, demand robust, gold-standard data on persons at low risk,” FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research chief, Vinay Prasad, and FDA Commissioner Martin Makary, wrote in the New England Journal of Medicine Tuesday. “These clinical trials will inform future directions for the FDA, but more important, they will provide information that is desperately craved by health care providers and the American people.” Americans over the age of 65 and those considered at high-risk of contracting the virus will be able to receive an annual COVID-19 vaccine this fall, the essay outlined, while vaccines for low-risk Americans will likely face stricter scientific analysis before they are made available to the public. The FDA estimated that about “100 million to 200 million Americans” older than age 65 or considered at high-risk will still have access to vaccines. Prasad and Makary said in their essay that the U.S. will move away from a “one-size-fits-all” paradigm that promoted COVID-19 vaccines for the vast majority of Americans, stretching from children to the elderly. The shift, they said, will bring America’s policies more in line with guidelines in European nations. RFK JR’S HHS TO END ROUTINE COVID VACCINE GUIDANCE FOR CHILDREN, PREGNANT WOMEN: REPORT “While all other high-income nations confine vaccine recommendations to older adults (typically those older than 65 years of age), or those at high risk for severe Covid-19, the United States has adopted a one-size-fits-all regulatory framework and has granted broad marketing authorization to all Americans over the age of 6 months,” the health leaders wrote in the New England Journal. “The U.S. policy has sometimes been justified by arguing that the American people are not sophisticated enough to understand age- and risk-based recommendations,” they wrote. “We reject this view.” FIERY RFK JR. FLOGS WHO FOR CAVING TO CHINA ON COVID, CELEBRATING PANDEMIC ‘FAILURES’ IN STUNNING VIDEO TO ORG The FDA’s policy shift will include requiring vaccine manufacturers to gather clinical trial data to justify rolling out new COVID-19 vaccines for Americans at low risk of contracting the virus. BEN & JERRY’S CO-FOUNDER ARRESTED PROTESTING SENATE HEARING: ‘RFK KILLS PEOPLE WITH HATE’ Prasad and Makary held a roundtable discussion on the framework outlined in their medical essay Tuesday afternoon to walk Americans through the policy shift. Prasad explained that health officials under the Trump administration are taking into account that Americans have balked at the FDA’s guidance under the Biden administration to receive multiple booster shots, while other Americans demand access to the vaccines. “We have to admit to ourselves that America is deeply divided on the policy issue of repeat COVID 19 vaccine doses or boosters,” he said. “There are some Americans out there who are worried that the FDA has not fully documented and interrogated the safety harms of these products, and they are categorically opposed to these products. There are also some Americans we also have to recognize, who are desperate for additional protection, and they demand these products. But the truth is that most doctors and most of the public are entirely uncertain, and that is reflected in low vaccine uptake of these products.” The pair added during the roundtable that Americans’ trust in the scientific community has cratered since the pandemic. “Survey after survey shows trust in institutions like the FDA and scientists in general, it’s rock bottom,” Prasad said during the roundtable. “I mean, we have lower trust than Congress, and that’s saying something, you know. And we need to rebuild that trust. And part of rebuilding that trust is having conversations like this, writing articles like we’ve done in the New England Journal, and having a common-sense evidence-based framework for rebuilding that trust.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The pair cited in their article in the New England Journal that “public trust in vaccination in general has declined,” including for “vital immunization programs such as that for measles–mumps–rubella (MMR) vaccination, which has been clearly established as safe and highly effective.”
GOP holdouts unmoved by Trump’s ‘big, beautiful’ trip to Capitol Hill
President Donald Trump’s rallying speech to House Republicans Tuesday morning wasn’t enough to convince some holdouts to unite behind his “big, beautiful bill” ahead of a planned vote this week. Trump urged Republicans to cease infighting on Medicaid reform and state and local tax (SALT) deduction caps at the House GOP’s weekly conference meeting. Several Republicans who emerged said they were still concerned enough to oppose the bill, however. House Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris, Rep. Eric Burlison of Missouri, Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and representatives Nick LaLota, Mike Lawler and Andrew Garbino of New York told Fox News Digital Tuesday they would vote against the bill if changes were not made. On the other hand, Trump did persuade some people. Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina, one of several Republicans to sink a committee vote on the bill Friday, told reporters he would review it and make a “judgment call” ahead of a 1 a.m. meeting to advance the bill through the House Rules Committee. INSIDE TRUMP’S URGENT MEETING WITH HOUSE GOP TO PASS THE ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ Norman said Trump did a “fantastic job” and delivered “one of the best speeches I’ve heard” at the House GOP meeting, and he urged his blue state colleagues to “take the words the president said to heart about SALT.” CONSERVATIVE RIPS BLUE STATE REPUBLICAN’S PROPOSAL TO RAISE TAXES ON WEALTHY IN SALT DEBATE Norman and Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, are both members of the powerful rules panel who have not been shy about their concerns with the current bill. The committee acts as the final gatekeeper before most legislation sees a full House vote. Roy did not appear to attend Trump’s speech but told reporters Monday evening the 1 a.m. Wednesday vote should be postponed. But the New York Republicans weren’t budging after Trump’s “big, beautiful” speech, maintaining the bill doesn’t go far enough to deliver for middle-class New Yorkers on the SALT deduction cap. “This is the single biggest issue that I’ve talked about, and, with all due respect to the president, I’m not budging,” Lawler said. “Between property taxes and income taxes, it blows well past the $30,000 cap with the $400,000 income cap. So, as I’ve said repeatedly, that is insufficient. We will continue the dialogue with leadership, but as it stands right now, I do not support the bill,” Lawler said. Lawler said SALT is one of the biggest issues affecting his district in New York and campaigned on never supporting a tax bill that doesn’t “adequately lift the cap.” “The president can say whatever he wants, and I respect him, but the fact is, I certainly understand my district. I’m one of only three Republican members that won in a district Kamala Harris won, and I did so for reasons,” Lawler said. “We need a little more SALT on the table to get to this,” fellow New York Republican LaLota added. “I hope the president’s presence motivates my leadership to give us a number that we can go sell back home.” LaLota said while he is still a “no,” he hopes “the president’s presence here today motivates some folks in the Ways and Means Committee and my leadership to give us a number to which we can actually say ‘yes.’” When asked if Trump did enough to ease concerns in Tuesday’s meeting, Garbarino, another New York Republican, said, “No. There were no specifics. … It was more of a rally. We need to get this done.” “We share President Trump’s call for unity within the House Republican Conference,” Rep. Young Kim, R-Calif., said in a joint statement after Trump’s visit to Capitol Hill. “We hope his remarks today motivate the Speaker to advance a SALT proposal that delivers meaningful relief for our middle-class constituents, as we have worked in good faith with House Leadership for more than a year,” the statement from Kim, Garbarino, Lawler, LaLota and Rep. Tom Kean, R-N.J., said. Meanwhile, Trump urged Republicans not to “f— with” Medicaid in his speech, though different factions came to different conclusions about what he meant. Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee, who was not in the room for Trump’s speech, called for more cuts to the entitlement program in an X post Tuesday afternoon but told Fox News Digital he was opposed to the legislation as written. “I agree with President Trump — we must crush the waste, fraud, and abuse. Liberal states like California and New York are abusing Medicaid — and making you pay for it. Illegal aliens and freeloaders have no right to taxpayer-funded benefits,” Ogles said on X. Other fiscal conservatives, like Ogles, who were in the room, said the bill does not go far enough to reform Medicaid and would also vote “no” in the bill’s current form. “I think it’s inappropriate for us to say we’re not going to touch it and then leave all of this fraud that’s happening in the system,” Burlison said. Harris, the House Freedom Caucus chair, said, “I can’t support the bill. It does not eliminate waste, fraud and abuse in Medicaid. The president called for waste, fraud and abuse to be eliminated. I don’t think that’s where the bill sits.” Massie, known for being a libertarian, was unconvinced by Trump’s appearance, telling reporters that his constituents didn’t “vote for increased deficits and Biden-level spending.” He acknowledged that younger members or those who harbor ambitions for higher office would likely fall in line, however. “I think he probably closed the deal in there,” Massie said. SALT deduction caps and Medicaid remain two of the biggest sticking points in Republican negotiations. SALT deduction caps primarily benefit people living in high-cost-of-living areas like New York City, Los Angeles and their surrounding suburbs. Republicans representing those areas have argued that raising the SALT deduction cap is a critical issue and that a failure to address it could cost the GOP the House majority in the 2026 midterms. Republicans in redder, lower-tax areas have said in response that
US Attorney staff in NYC potentially undermined Trump effort to kill NYC driving tax: watchdog
FIRST ON FOX: Government watchdog group Democracy Restored is calling on the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate U.S. attorneys in the Southern District of New York (SDNY), accusing them of potentially seeking to undermine Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s efforts to end New York City’s driving tax, also known as a congestion tax. New York City’s congestion pricing program essentially assesses drivers a toll for driving on some streets in Manhattan, with the price varying depending on the time of day. Late in the night of April 23, SDNY attorneys representing Duffy and the Department of Transportation published an 11-page confidential memo in federal court in Manhattan, explaining that the Trump administration’s argument to end the NYC driver’s tax was weak and included “considerable litigation risk.” The next day, the memo was taken down from the public case docket, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District said the filing was a mistake. In response, officials at the Transportation Department said they would be transferring the case to the DOJ’s civil division, according to the New York Times. Fox News Digital reached out to the DOT to confirm the attorneys involved in the mistaken filing were off the case, but did not immediately receive a response. TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY SEAN DUFFY BLAMES BIDEN ADMIN FOR DATED AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM “It’s imperative to know whether this filing was inadvertent, and incompetent, or something worse,” Houston Keene, the director of Democracy Restored said. “The memo contains confidential legal advice that just happens to criticize the secretary and department’s legal strategy — quite an inconvenient document to have made public for lawyers doing their best for their client.” Democracy Restored said in its letter that more fact-finding must take place, but indicated there are “a variety” of potential ethical and legal violations associated with the mistaken filing, particularly if the act was done on purpose. While it can not be concluded whether the act stemmed from incompetence, or whether it was purposeful, Democracy Restored points to the “partisan political activity” and involvement in political non-profits by the attorneys involved, suggesting it could shed light on the motivations behind the action. EXCLUSIVE: ‘SHADY TRIAL LAWYER PIPELINE’ FUNNELING MILLIONS TO DEMOCRATS, ACCORDING TO REPORT According to Democracy Restored, the attorneys involved were all registered Democrats and had a history of donating to Democratic political candidates and campaigns. The attorneys’ public social media posts also showed them supporting left-wing political groups and acts of defiance against President Donald Trump’s executive directives. “US Attorneys must be nonpartisan and objective in their work and the partisan backgrounds of these attorneys add to the doubts,” Keene said. “Far too many questions remain unanswered about this incident. The DOJ must investigate this matter immediately.” In early January, NYC launched its congestion pricing program, or driver’s tax, which imposed a $9 daytime toll on most individuals driving their cars into Manhattan’s core, south of Central Park. A month later, the Trump administration issued a federal order meant to halt the program by March 21, but the tolls have continued as the result of a federal lawsuit filed by New York City’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), the state agency that runs New York City’s public transit system. IF THESE STATES DON’T COMPLY, WE WON’T APPROVE THE FLOW OF THE BILLIONS GOING TO THEM: SEAN DUFFY The Department of Transportation and the MTA subsequently reached an agreement extending the deadline to end the program until at least the fall. Earlier this month, as the legal battle over the matter has continued, New York City and the MTA requested a federal judge block the Trump administration’s efforts to squash the program. City officials say the program has significantly reduced congestion, improving travel times due to reduced traffic. Because the program involves tolls on federal highways, it must have Department of Transportation approval. The Justice Department declined to comment for this article. Fox News Digital also reached out to the Department of Transportation and the office of the U.S. Attorney or the Southern District of New York, but did not hear back in advance of publication.
Dem lawmaker fundraises off federal assault charges after ICE facility confrontation: ‘Doing my job’
FIRST ON FOX: New Jersey Rep. LaMonica McIver is fundraising off her federal charges for allegedly “assaulting, impeding and interfering with law enforcement” earlier this month at the gates of Delaney Hall, which is a privately-operated Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Newark. “As you know, Trump is using his Department of Justice to target political opponents. Less than two weeks ago, I was doing my job and conducting oversight at an ICE facility in my city,” the fundraising text obtained by Fox News Digital stated. “Now, the Trump admin has filed charges against me. This is a first-and it’s a flashing red light for our democracy,” it continues. “I’m sounding the alarm and asking you to donate now so we can fight these charges and keep speaking truth to power.” FEDERAL CHARGES FILED AGAINST DEM CONGRESSWOMAN FOLLOWING CONFRONTATION AT ICE FACILITY Investigators say McIver assaulted two federal agents at the Delaney Hall, according to the charging documents. Prosecutors say one victim was an HSI agent, and the other was an ICE agent.” Law enforcement says McIver assaulted the agents when she “slammed her forearm into the body of a uniformed HSI agent. & reached out and tried to restrain the agent by forcibly grabbing him.” Then, after Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested, McIver allegedly “pushed an ICE officer & used her forearms to forcibly strike the agent.” BLUE STATE POLITICAL BATTLE INTENSIFIES AFTER DEM MAYOR’S ARREST AT ICE FACILITY: ‘OUTRAGED’ According to the documents, McIver created a “human shield” and blocked agents from handcuffing Baraka after he ignored numerous warnings to leave the property and told him he would be arrested. When the HSI agent told the mayor he was going to arrest him, McIver interjected, yelling, “Hell no! Hell no! Hell no!” CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE The HSI agent then ordered the mayor to put his hands behind his back and displayed his handcuffs. So, McIver and other members of Congress “surrounded the Mayor and prevented HSI from handcuffing him and taking him into custody,” according to prosecutors. DEM LAWMAKERS DEFEND ‘STORMING’ OF ICE FACILITY, SAY TRUMP ADMIN IS ‘LYING AT ALL LEVELS’ In a statement after the charges were announced, McIver said that she is “thankful for the outpouring of support” she’s gotten and that the “truth” will be “laid out clearly in court.” “Earlier this month, I joined my colleagues to inspect the treatment of ICE detainees at Delaney Hall in my district. We were fulfilling our lawful oversight responsibilities, as members of Congress have done many times before, and our visit should have been peaceful and short. Instead, ICE agents created an unnecessary and unsafe confrontation when they chose to arrest Mayor Baraka,” she stated. “The charges against me are purely political—they mischaracterize and distort my actions, and are meant to criminalize and deter legislative oversight,” McIver added. DHS SAYS ‘ARRESTS ARE STILL ON THE TABLE’ AFTER NEW JERSEY HOUSE DEMS CAUGHT ON CAMERA ‘STORMING’ ICE FACILITY Baraka had a federal trespassing charge against him that was dropped by acting U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Alina Habba, but the mayor said he stands in solidarity with McIver. “Representative LaMonica McIver assaulted, impeded, and interfered with law enforcement in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 111 (a)(1),” Habba said in a letter shared on X Monday. “That conduct cannot be overlooked by the chief federal law enforcement official in the State of New Jersey, and it is my Constitutional obligation to ensure that our federal law enforcement is protected when executing their duties.” Fox News Digital reached out to the McIver campaign for comments about the texts and both the campaign and her official office about the charging documents. The Democrat represents a deep blue district that includes Newark.
Acting ICE director demands Tim Walz apologize for calling agents ‘modern-day Gestapo’
Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons is demanding that former Democratic vice-presidential candidate Tim Walz apologize after he called agents “[President] Donald Trump’s modern-day Gestapo.” Lyons said that “if the governor doesn’t like the laws, he’s free to advocate that Congress change them, but he should refrain from putting ICE officers in danger by likening them to one of the most appalling groups in history.” During a commencement speech at the University of Minnesota law school over the weekend, Walz, a Democrat and the governor of Minnesota, described Trump as a “tyrant” and told students they “are graduating into a genuine emergency.” “Some would say, ‘Boy, this is getting way too political for a commencement address,’” Walz told students during his commencement address on Saturday. “But I would argue, I wouldn’t be honoring my oath if I didn’t address this head on.” LA COUNTY DA NATHAN HOCHMAN PROMISES CRACKDOWN ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS: ‘THE FUN IS OVER’ He then proceeded to compare the Trump administration’s ongoing deportations of criminal illegal immigrants to the Nazi secret police force of the 1930s and 1940s. “I’m gonna start with the flashing red light — Donald Trump’s modern-day Gestapo is scooping folks up off the streets. They’re in unmarked vans, wearing masks, being shipped off to foreign torture dungeons. No chance to mount a defense. Not even a chance to kiss a loved one goodbye. Just grabbed up by masked agents, shoved into those vans and disappeared.” Walz’s comments drew strong condemnation from Lyons, who released a statement on Tuesday in which he pointed out that the commencement fell during National Police Week. “On the final day of National Police Week — when those brave enough to put on a badge and a uniform mourn their fallen brothers and sisters — Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz referred to my professional, hard-working ICE agents and officers as ‘modern-day Gestapo,’” said Lyons. TEXAS GANG MEMBERS SENTENCED FOR HUMAN SMUGGLING AFTER HIGH-SPEED BORDER CHASES The acting ICE director said that Walz’s “abhorrent, dehumanizing and ignorant comment should not be tolerated.” CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE Lyons said that assaults against ICE officers have risen by over 400% from the same time last year. He placed part of the blame for the rise in assaults against ICE agents on “politicians like Gov. Walz are careless with their politically motivated rhetoric.” ‘PROJECT HOMECOMING’ LAUNCHES WITH FIRST FLIGHT OF 64 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ACCEPTING $1,000 TO SELF-DEPORT White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller has also responded to Walz’s statement, saying in a Sunday X post that “this vile anti-American language can only be construed as inciting insurrection and violence.”
Rubio, Kaine clash on South African refugees: ‘You don’t like that they’re white.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., clashed in a heated and racially charged exchange over South African refugees on Tuesday – with Kaine accusing Rubio and the Trump administration of prioritizing white South African farmers for refugee entry. The spat was prompted after the United States last week welcomed dozens of white South African refugees who the State Department said are victims of “government-sponsored racial discrimination” in their homeland. Their arrival comes as the administration has suspended most refugee resettlement programs. Kaine, during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, called the persecution claims “specious,” noting that South Africa now has a government of national unity and the agriculture minister is an Afrikaner. TRUMP TO BRING WHITE AFRIKANERS TO US AS REFUGEES FROM SOUTH AFRICA, IN WAKE OF EXPROPRIATION LEGISLATION He inferred that the Trump administration was giving preference to Afrikaners because of their skin color. “Can you have a different standard based upon the color of somebody’s skin? Would that be acceptable?” Kaine said before Rubio shot back. “I’m not the one arguing that, apparently you are because you don’t like the fact that they’re white and that’s why they’re coming,” Rubio said. “I’m asking you to say that that would be unacceptable, that would seem to be a very easy thing to say,” Kaine said. “The United States has a right to pick and choose who they allow into the United States,” Rubio said before Kaine cut across him. “Based on the color of somebody’s skin?” Kaine asked. “You’re the one that’s talking about the color of their skin, not me. These are people whose farms were burned down and they were killed because of the color of their skin,” Rubio said. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION MAKES NEW MOVE TO BRING SOUTH AFRICAN REFUGEES TO US AS PRESIDENT BLASTS NATION’S RULERS AGAIN President Donald Trump directed the State Department to bump up Afrikaners to the front of the line for resettlement after a law was passed by the South African government allowing it to take private land for public use, sometimes without compensation. Trump claimed the law would be used to target South Africa’s white minority Afrikaner group, descended from Dutch and other European settlers who arrived more than 300 years ago. Amid his immigration crackdown, Trump said in January the U.S. will only admit refugees who “can fully and appropriately assimilate.” Kaine played down the threat the Afrikaners face and said that the U.S. did not establish a special refugee program for Black South Africans during the apartheid era. “Now we’re creating a special pathway for white Afrikaner farmers in a country governed by a unity government that includes the Afrikaner parties,” Kaine said. “Would you agree, Mr. Secretary, that if we’re interpreting the phrase ‘a well-founded fear of persecution’, we should apply that standard evenhandedly?” “I think we should apply it in the national security interest of the United States,” Rubio said. “The United States has the right to choose who it allows in and to prioritize that choice,” Rubio asserted. “And should that be applied evenhandedly?” Kaine asked, with Rubio responding, “Our foreign policy does not require evenhandedness.” Rubio also said that Kaine seems to think everyone should be allowed into the country for any reason, and reasserted that the government’s immigration policy should reflect what benefits the United States. In March, Rubio expelled the South African ambassador to the U.S., calling him a “race-baiting” politician who hates America and Trump after he said the commander-in-chief is leading a global white supremacist movement. South Africa’s foreign ministry has said the accusations of racial discrimination against Afrikaners are “unfounded.” Elsewhere in the hearing on Tuesday, Rubio requested a budget totaling $28.5 billion, which he said will allow the State Department to fulfill its mission while also outlining a bureaucratic overhaul, proposing the recission of $20 billion in duplicate, wasteful and ideologically driven programs. Rubio announced the creation of new consolidated funds that will absorb many U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) functions. Last month, Rubio announced he was overhauling the agency and shuttering more than 130 offices around the world in order to streamline operations and align the department more closely with the administration’s foreign policy objectives. Rubio said that all the changes will not be universally welcome, but the intent of the changes is to make the agency more efficient. “It is not to dismantle American foreign policy and it is not to withdraw us from the world, because I just hit 18 countries in 18 weeks, that doesn’t sound like much of a withdrawal,” Rubio said. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “We are engaged in the world, but we’re going to be engaged in a world that makes sense and that’s smart. And that isn’t about saving money, it is about ensuring that we are delivering to our people what they deserve. A foreign policy that makes America stronger, safer and more prosperous.” He also discussed various foreign affairs matters, including the Ukraine-Russia war, which he said can only end through a negotiated settlement. “Neither side can win militarily,” Rubio said. Fox News’ Brie Stimson contributed to this report.
Rep. Jared Golden vows to stop Trump ally Paul LePage from entering Congress
Democratic Rep. Jared Golden of Maine is passing on a potential statewide bid for governor or the Senate and instead will seek re-election in a key swing congressional district that Republicans are working to flip in the 2026 midterm elections. “I have decided the best way to continue serving the people of Maine is to do my part to restore balance in Congress by helping to win back the House of Representatives. My focus will remain on checking the extremes and putting working-class families first,” Golden said Tuesday morning in a social media post, as he announced his re-election. Golden, a U.S. Marine veteran who deployed to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, is a moderate Democrat who often bucks his own party in Congress. He has held the seat in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District, which is one of the most competitive in the nation, since first winning it in 2018. THIS LONGTIME TRUMP ALLY AND FORMER GOP GOVERNOR AIMS TO FLIP DEMOCRAT-HELD KEY SWING CONGRESSIONAL SEAT Golden won re-election by a razor-thin margin last year in the district, which is the second-most rural in the U.S. and the largest east of the Mississippi River. And President Donald Trump carried the district in the 2016, 2020 and 2024 presidential elections by nine, seven and 10 points. “While the election is still 18 months away and I remain focused on my responsibilities to my constituents and my family, I also know the path to the GOP majority runs through Maine,” said the 42-year-old Golden, who had been floated as a potential gubernatorial or Senate candidate. HOUSE GOP, AIMING TO HOLD MAJORITY, TOUTS THIS KEY METRIC As Republicans aim to defend their razor-thin House majority in the midterms, Golden’s district is in their crosshairs. National Republican Congressional Committee spokeswoman Maureen O’Toole said that “we look forward to making out-of-touch Democrat Jared Golden wish he ran for governor.” But the top Democrats in House leadership countered that “Jared’s dedication to representing all of his constituents — no matter their party affiliation — makes him uniquely suited to once again win one of the toughest seats in the country for Democrats to hold.” “He’s also helping Democrats flip Republican seats in competitive districts throughout America,” House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08), Whip Katherine Clark (MA-05), Chairman Pete Aguilar (CA-33) and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) Chair Suzan DelBene (WA-01) added in a joint statement. CONGRESSIONAL DEMOCRATS TARGETING THESE HOUSE REPUBLICANS IN 2026 MIDTERM BATTLE Challenging Golden is former two-term Republican Gov. Paul LePage, who is a major Trump supporter and ally. “I am going to do what it takes to make sure no one like Paul LePage blusters his way into Congress,” Golden said in his announcement. LePage, in his first interview after announcing his candidacy earlier this month, told Fox News Digital, “I never, ever had any aspirations to go to Washington until now.” “Donald Trump, I think, is doing what is necessary in addressing the debt this country is facing. And I think that’s a big, big thing for me,” LePage said as he was interviewed in Lewiston, the Maine city where he was born and raised. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP LePage — the brash and blunt politician who won over blue-collar workers struggling with economic woes, which helped the Republican businessman win election and re-election in the blue-leaning state — was one of the first major GOP elected officials to endorse Trump when the president first ran for the White House nearly a decade ago. “I have a friend in the White House right now. I know President Trump. I think I can have an audience of President Trump. I know several of his secretaries very well. And so I think this is a good time. It’s a good time for me to go help,” LePage told Fox News.
Trump administration secures release of US veteran held in Venezuela, family says
The family of a U.S. Air Force veteran who was wrongfully detained in Venezuela since November 2024, on Tuesday, said he was released. Joseph St. Clair, a four-tour Afghanistan War veteran from Hansville, Washington, first went missing in November while getting PTSD treatment in Colombia. “This news came suddenly, and we are still processing it—but we are overwhelmed with joy and gratitude,” said Scott and Patti St. Clair, Joseph’s parents. The family also thanked President Donald Trump, as well as his administration, for securing St. Clair’s release. This story is breaking. Please check back for updates.
Federal judge with history of anti-Trump remarks assigned to Hannah Dugan criminal case
The Milwaukee judge accused of helping an illegal immigrant evade Immigration and Customs Enforcement is back in the spotlight — this time because of the liberal federal judge presiding over her trial. U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman, 85, was randomly assigned to preside over the jury trial of Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan, who was indicted earlier this month for allegedly shielding an illegal immigrant from ICE in her courtroom. Adelman, a former Democratic lawmaker and outspoken judge, faces mounting criticism and scrutiny of his record as he handles the high-profile case. Adelman spent 20 years as a Democrat in the Wisconsin state Senate before then-President Bill Clinton nominated him in 1997 to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. Though the judge hasn’t been active in politics for years, critics note recent rulings and writings in which he’s taken aim at President Donald Trump, Chief Justice Roberts and others. TRUMP CONSIDERS FORMER DEFENSE ATTORNEY EMIL BOVE FOR FEDERAL APPEALS COURT VACANCY Some fear this continued political bias could risk his impartiality in presiding over Dugan’s trial — or at least the perceptions of it, in the eyes of Trump allies. Adelman did not respond to a request for comment. In 2020, Adelman published an article for Harvard Law & Policy Review, titled, “The Roberts Court’s Assault on Democracy” that set off a torrent of criticism from Trump allies and court commentators alike. The article accused Chief Justice John Roberts of breaking with his Senate confirmation testimony in 2005 — instead ushering in a “hard-right majority” on the Supreme Court, and “actively participating in undermining American democracy.” Adelman also took aim at Trump, whose temperament he said “is that of an autocrat,” but who he said “is also disinclined to buck the wealthy individuals and corporations who control his party.” Adelman used the article to advocate for “righting the ship” of the high court, in part by embracing an approach similar to the Warren Court — known both for its landmark civil rights rulings and a slew of other progressive decisions. 100 DAYS OF INJUNCTIONS, TRIALS AND ‘TEFLON DON’: TRUMP SECOND TERM MEETS ITS BIGGEST TESTS IN COURT Adelman was later admonished by the Civility Committee for the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals for his remarks in the article. They found his remarks did not violate prohibited political activity under the Canons of Judicial Conduct, but issued the following rebuke: “The opening two sentences regarding the Chief Justice and the very pointed criticisms of Republican Party policy positions could be seen as inconsistent with a judge’s duty to promote public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary and as reflecting adversely on the judge’s impartiality,” the committee said. Adelman later issued a public apology for those remarks. Adelman was also at the center of a major case involving Wisconsin’s voter ID law, which sought to make it harder for citizens to vote. He blocked the law from taking force ahead of the elections — a decision that was later reversed by the U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, which again issued a sharp rebuke of his ruling. In “our hierarchical judicial system, a district court cannot declare a statute unconstitutional just because he thinks (with or without the support of a political scientist) that the dissent was right and the majority wrong,” the appeals court said, noting that Adelman did not rely on any Supreme Court precedent to base his decision. In light of his previous remarks and progressive rulings, court-watchers expect his behavior here to be closely scrutinized. It’s unclear whether his behavior could assuage the concerns of longtime critics — among them, Mike Davis of the Article III Project, and conservative scholar Josh Blackman, who took aim at Adelman’s 2020 remarks in a blog post at the time. This is due in part to the canons of judicial ethics, Fox News contributor Jonathan Turley noted in an op-ed for The Hill. “Because of these ethical principles, judges are usually highly restrained in their public comments, particularly about political or ideological matters,” he said. JUDGES V TRUMP: HERE ARE THE KEY COURT BATTLES HALTING THE WHITE HOUSE AGENDA Dugan’s trial comes at a time when Trump and his allies have blasted so-called “activist” judges who they see as acting politically to block his agenda — suggesting her trial, and Adelman’s behavior — will be under especially close scrutiny. But others noted that federal judges often take great caution to avoid the appearance of political bias, even more so in public remarks, understanding that doing so could violate the canons for judicial behavior. Many also see their roles on the court as a serious job that requires them to be impartial arbiters of the law — looking to precedent, rather than politics — as their guide. In presiding over Dugan’s case, experts hope Adelman will do the same. “When I have served on panels with sitting federal judges, they often balk at even discussing the scope of constitutional rights out of concern for these canons,” Turley noted in the an op-ed. “Federal judges are expected to speak through opinions in court decisions rather than in editorials or law review articles.”
Children take over White House briefing room with questions about Trump’s favorite ice cream, superpower
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt fielded questions from the children of journalists and White House officials to celebrate Take Our Sons and Daughters to Work Day on Tuesday. The children’s questions focused mainly on President Donald Trump, with Leavitt being forced to reveal the president’s favorite flavor of ice cream, what super power he most wants to have, and whether he likes to give hugs. “Oh, does he like to give hugs? You know, I think he does. I have seen him give many hugs to children and his family and our beautiful first lady. So, yes, I do think he likes to gives hugs,” Leavitt told her first questioner. “What is the funnest part about your job, and the hardest part?” the next child asked. MEET THE TRUMP-PICKED LAWMAKERS GIVING SPEAKER JOHNSON A FULL HOUSE GOP CONFERENCE “I think the most fun part about my job is doing things like this with all of you in the briefing room and answering so many great questions. I think that the hardest part of my job is also doing things like this in the briefing room and answering all of these questions,” she responded, to laughter. HOUSE GOP TARGETS ANOTHER DEM OFFICIAL ACCUSED OF BLOCKING ICE AMID DELANEY HALL FALLOUT “And reading the news is a big part of my job every day. I wake up and read the newspaper and watch the news and listen to all of the things that your parents are reporting on in the news, and that’s a big part of my job every day,” she added. The next child asked about Trump’s favorite food, and Leavitt said he prefers steak to anything else. Leavitt informed the next child that Trump’s favorite ice cream flavor is a classic ice cream sundae. “If the president could have a superpower, what would it be? That is a very good question,” Leavitt responded to the next child. “I think if he had a superpower it would be to just snap his fingers and solve all of our country’s problems just like that, because he likes to get things done very quickly but sometimes it takes a little bit longer. “Like today, he had to go to Capitol Hill to convince people to vote for his one big beautiful bill. I bet if he had a superpower he would snap his fingers and get it passed immediately, but Life doesn’t work that way, unfortunately,” she added. First lady Melania Trump also spent time with kids outside the White House. Many of them could be seen wearing dark blue hats that said “Gulf of America” in bright red letters.