Trump bans federal funding for ‘dangerous’ gain-of-function research
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday banning all federal funding for “dangerous” gain-of-function research in China, Iran and other countries and blocking all federal funding for foreign research that could cause another pandemic. The president signed the order Monday afternoon to improve the safety and security of biological research in the U.S. and around the world. FLASHBACK: COVID ORIGINS: HHS SUSPENDS ECOHEALTH ALLIANCE GRANTS AFTER FINDING TAXPAYER FUNDS USED IN RISKY RESEARCH The White House said the order “will drastically reduce the potential for lab-related incidents involving gain-of-function research, like that conducted on bat coronaviruses in China by the EcoHealth Alliance and Wuhan Institute of Virology.” Gain-of-function research typically involves modifying a virus to make it more infectious among humans. Gain of function research took place at the Wuhan Lab before the COVID-19 pandemic began. The White House said the order will protect Americans from lab accidents and other biosecurity incidents, “such as those that likely caused COVID-19 and the 1977 Russian flu.” The president’s order ends any present and all future federal funding of gain-of-function research in countries with insufficient oversight of research, and it empowers U.S. research agencies to identify and end federal funding of any other biological research that could pose a threat to American public health, public safety or national security. FLASHBACK: US TAXPAYER FUNDS FLOWED TO CHINESE ENTITIES THAT CONDUCTED CORONAVIRUS RESEARCH BEFORE COVID PANDEMIC: GAO “For decades, policies overseeing gain-of-function research on pathogens, toxins, and potential pathogens have lacked adequate enforcement, transparency, and top-down oversight,” the White House said in a fact sheet describing the order. “Researchers have not acknowledged the legitimate potential for societal harms that this kind of research poses.” The order, according to the White House, “protects Americans from dangerous gain-of-function research that manipulates viruses and other biological agents and toxins, but it does not impede productive biological research that will ensure the United States maintains readiness against biological threats and continues to drive global leadership in biotechnology, biosecurity, and health research.” “President Trump has long theorized that COVID-19 originated from a lab leak at the Wuhan Institute of Virology and has consistently pushed for transparency in investigating its origins,” the White House said. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Popular GOP Gov Brian Kemp announces whether he’ll run for Senate in battleground Georgia
Two-term Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, who was the GOP’s top Senate recruit in battleground Georgia for next year’s midterm elections, announced Monday that he is passing on launching a campaign. “Over the last few weeks, I have had many conversations with friends, supporters, and leaders across the country who encouraged me to run for the U.S. Senate in 2026. I greatly appreciate their support and prayers for our family. After those discussions, I have decided that being on the ballot next year is not the right decision for me and my family,” Kemp said in a social media post. The popular conservative governor, who is term-limited and prevented from seeking re-election in 2026, was the GOP’s dream candidate to take on Democrat Sen. Jon Ossoff, who is considered vulnerable, as Republicans aim to expand their 53-47 Senate majority next year. FIRST ON FOX: REPUBLICAN LAUNCHES SECOND STRAIGHT BID TO FLIP DEMOCRAT-HELD SENATE SEAT IN KEY BATTLEGROUND Ossoff, who is running for a second six-year term in the Senate after flipping the seat with a razor-thin victory in a January 2021 runoff election, is a top target of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) in a state that President Donald Trump narrowly carried last November. ONLY ON FOX NEWS: SENATE REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN CHAIR REVEALS HOW MANY SEATS HE’S AIMING FOR IN 2026 “Republicans have a number of strong candidates who can build a winning coalition to add this seat to President Trump’s Senate Majority,” NRSC communications director Joanna Rodriguez told Fox News in a statement. Kemp, in his social media post, said that he “spoke with President Trump and Senate leadership earlier today and expressed my commitment to work alongside them to ensure we have a strong Republican nominee who can win next November.” The governor, who has been courted to run for the Senate for months, told Fox News Digital in a February interview that while he was in the middle of Georgia’s legislative session, “I know I can’t keep holding out forever, so we’ll have something to say on that down the road.” WHY PETE BUTTIGIEG SAID NO TO RUNNING FOR THE SENATE NEXT YEAR IN MICHIGAN Kemp, who is currently chair of the Republican Governors Association, also said “we need to flip that seat. We should have a Republican in that seat, and I believe we’ll have one after the ’26 election.” But with Kemp out of the picture, the GOP faces the prospect of a crowded and potentially divisive primary that could include Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a top Trump supporter in the House who enjoys massive name recognition but is seen by pundits as too toxic to court crucial independent voters needed to win the general election. Among the other Republicans who have expressed interest in running if Kemp were to bow out are Reps. Buddy Carter, Mike Collins, and Rich McCormick, and state Insurance Commissioner John King. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee highlighted Kemp’s announcement. “Brian Kemp’s decision to not run for Senate in 2026 is yet another embarrassing Republican Senate recruitment failure as they face a building midterm backlash where every GOP candidate will be forced to answer for Trump’s harmful agenda. Senate Republicans’ toxic agenda and recruitment failures put their majority at risk in 2026,” DSCC communications director Maeve Coyle said in a statement.
‘Use a chair’: Jasmine Crockett invokes 2023 Montgomery brawl in college speech
Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, told the graduating class at Tougaloo College in Jackson, Mississippi, during a commencement speech on Sunday that they know how to “use a chair” in the face of adversity. “There are people that are going to tell you that there is not a table in which there is not a seat for you, but I am here to remind you of Montgomery and those folding chairs. Let me tell you that we know how to use a chair, whether we [are] pulling it up or we doing something else with it,” Crockett said. During her remarks, Crockett seems to reference the viral video from August 2023 of a group of White boaters attacking a Black riverboat captain, Dameion Pickett, in Montgomery, Alabama. The white folding chair became a symbol of resistance when a Black man raised a chair over his head in Pickett’s defense as the other men attacked him. The Texas Democrat urged the graduating class at the historically Black college on Sunday to pull up their own seat at the table, reminding students of the bystanders who rushed to defend Pickett when he was attacked. Conservatives were quick to reply to the clip of Crockett’s remarks, and Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, said Crockett’s comments were “not cool.” TRUMP MOCKS ‘LOW IQ’ JASMINE CROCKETT, ‘NUTJOB’ BERNIE SANDERS AS POTENTIAL LEADERS FOR THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY Crockett’s remarks come on the heels of a contentious back-and-forth with President Donald Trump on Sunday. JASMINE CROCKETT CLAIMS TRUMP IS ‘TERRIFIED OF SMART, BOLD BLACK WOMEN’ AFTER PRESIDENT’S ‘LOW IQ’ JAB “For you to be in charge of the WHOLE country, you sure do have my name in your mouth a lot. Every time you say my name, you’re reminding the world that you’re terrified of smart, bold Black women telling the truth and holding you accountable. So keep talking,” Crockett said. Trump on Sunday told Kristen Welker, host of NBC’s “Meet the Press,” that Crockett is a “low I.Q. person,” calling her the future of the Democratic Party, which he described as in “disarray.” Reports last week indicated that Crockett, who is currently the vice ranking member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, has her eyes set on the chair position of the committee. Crockett would lead oversight of the federal government if she gets the gig, which could include leading investigations into Trump’s agenda. Conservatives have accused Crockett of inciting violence during Trump’s first 100 days. The progressive lawmaker from Texas was slammed online earlier this year for implying that Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, “has to be knocked over the head, like hard.” Crockett also said Democrats need to be willing to “punch” in races against Republicans. The White House’s rapid response account replied to the comments on X, calling Crockett “another unhinged Democrat inciting violence.” Earlier this year, Attorney General Pam Bondi accused Crockett of “threatening lives” and said she should apologize for her rhetoric against Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) for saying, “‘All I want to see happen on my birthday is for Elon to be taken down.’” Crockett would clarify that her comments were intended as “nonviolent” resistance. Crockett was also criticized this year for calling Gov. Greg Abbott, R-Texas, who is in a wheelchair, “Governor Hot Wheels.” She tried to walk back the comments after her remarks went viral, calling the outrage a “distraction” and claiming she was “appalled that the very people who unequivocally support Trump – a man known for racially insensitive nicknames and mocking those with disabilities – are now outraged.” Crockett did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Former blue county sheriff unleashes on Dems after switching parties: ‘Party of paid protests’
Former Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva is now a registered Republican after leaving the Democratic Party. “As of today, I’m leaving the party of paid protests, purple hair, and pronouns. And I’m joining the party of faith, family, and freedom — the Republican Party,” Villanueva told the Unite Inland Empire Conservative Conference on Saturday. “Today I announced ending 44 years as a registered Dem and joining the [GOP] Time to make [California] purple again!” he posted to X. The former sheriff led the large blue county’s department from 2018 to 2022, as he was defeated by a significant margin by Sheriff Robert Luna in 2022. ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS CHARGED IN BRUTAL MURDER DURING CALIFORNIA HOME INVASION, ROBBERY The move was met with open arms by Republican leaders in the Golden State. “I left the [California Democratic] Party when I saw it no longer stood for the values I was raised with: personal responsibility, public safety, and freedom. [Alex Villanueva] made the same call. It takes courage, but it’s the right move. Welcome to our movement to restore common sense!” California Republican Party Chairwoman Corrin Rankin posted to X. “[Alex Villanueva], you are not alone. Many classic liberals have noticed that [the California Democratic Party] has lost their way, and that they champion crime and criminals. You don’t *need* to be a Republican to vote for sanity, but it helps,” Roxanne Hoge, chairwoman of the Republican Party of Los Angeles, posted to X. TRUMP ORDERS FEDS TO REOPEN ALCATRAZ TO HOUSE ‘AMERICA’S MOST RUTHLESS AND VIOLENT’ CRIMINALS Some critics of the former former sheriff welcomed the move away from the party. “Not a surprise. Hasn’t been a DEM. Votes for him in ‘18, regretted it & happily helped vote him out in ‘22. At least we won’t have to see him again in elected office now with party switch,” podcaster Scott Moore posted. “The democrats have selected the Wu Tang Clan. Republicans can have Villanueva,” Democratic strategist Michael Trujillo posted. MALIBU MAN TO STAND TRIAL FOR MURDER IN HIGH-SPEED CRASH THAT LEFT 4 PEPPERDINE STUDENTS DEAD CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Republicans are still far behind Democrats in party registration numbers in the Golden State, but there is a sense of ambition and optimism among party leaders in the state ahead of the 2026 midterms, especially as three seats in the Democrat supermajority legislature went from blue to red in November, according to CalMatters. In Los Angeles County alone, political tensions remain high after the devesting aftermath of the Pacific Palisades fire as a recall effort against Mayor Karen Bass is ongoing.
Trump foe Letitia James leading charge on new multistate lawsuit over HHS cuts
New York Attorney General Letitia James on Monday said she is leading a coalition of 20 states in suing the Trump administration over its cuts to public health funding and the Department of Health and Human Services, describing the efforts in a press conference as the most “sweeping and unlawful assault on public health” in U.S. history. The lawsuit, filed by James and other state attorneys general, accuses the Trump administration of violating “hundreds” of laws and regulations in attempting to dismantle the Department of Health and Human Services, both by firing thousands of HHS employees in an effort to slash its overall workforce by 20,000 people and shuttering crucial health programs across the U.S. “This administration is not streamlining the federal government; they are sabotaging it,” James said Monday. She used a press conference to highlight the risks these cuts pose for Americans in New York and across the country. 100 DAYS OF INJUNCTIONS, TRIALS AND ‘TEFLON DON’: TRUMP SECOND TERM MEETS ITS BIGGEST TESTS IN COURT “When you fire the scientists who research infectious diseases, silence the doctors who care for pregnant people and shut down the programs that help firefighters and miners breathe or children thrive, you are not making America healthy; you are putting countless lives at risk,” James said. “This is not how government is supposed to work. These actions are dangerous, cruel and illegal. They defy Congress’s authority and they violate federal law. And that is why today I am leading a lawsuit joined by Democratic attorneys general across the country to stop this administration from tearing down our public health infrastructure.” The plaintiffs, who filed the lawsuit Monday in the U.S. District Court in Rhode Island, are asking the court “to halt the unlawful dismantling of HHS, to stop the mass firings, and to restore the life-saving programs that millions of Americans depend on,” James said. New York is joined in the lawsuit by the attorneys generals of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Michigan, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. Their lawsuit accuses the Trump administration in the lawsuit of erasing “decades of public health progress” and leaving HHS “unable to execute many of its most vital functions.” FEDERAL JUDGES IN NEW YORK AND TEXAS BLOCK TRUMP DEPORTATIONS AFTER SCOTUS RULING Such actions, they argue, are “in violation of Congress’s instructions, the U.S. Constitution, and the many statutes that govern the Department’s programs and appropriate funds for it to administer.” These actions included terminating 10,000 full-time employees, collapsing 28 agencies into 15, and closing half of HHS’s 10 regional offices. James cited many of these issues directly in the press conference Monday, taking aim at the administration for systematically depriving HHS of the “resources necessary to do its job.” The government has “all but stopped testing for measles in the middle of an unprecedented measles outbreak,” James said. New York’s Wadsworth Center, she noted, is one of the “only labs in the country still equipped to detect rare infectious diseases” and is “scrambling to fill the void left by a hollowed-out CDC.” Her remarks come after HHS announced thousands of layoffs in March and April, including at the FDA, the CDC and NIH. The reductions were in keeping with a Department of Government Efficiency-led push for agencies to slash the size of the federal workforce and trim government spending, prompting criticism from Democrats and some Republicans. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ASKS SUPREME COURT TO REVIEW EL SALVADOR DEPORTATION FLIGHT CASE These cuts included terminating HHS employees tasked with determining SNAP and Medicaid eligibility for low-income or disabled Americans; the firing of the CDC’s entire maternal health team; and the gutting of mental health and substance abuse services and personnel. “None of these layoffs were necessary to accommodate a funding shortfall – Congress’s appropriations have remained steady, or in many cases, grown in recent years,” the plaintiffs said in their lawsuit. “All told, 20,000 full-time employees – almost twenty-five percent of HHS headcount – would be terminated in a few months to save, by Defendants’ own estimate, less than one percent of HHS expenditures.” Plaintiffs in the lawsuit asked to halt HHS efforts to dismantle the HHS-led agencies and programs that were cut as a result of the reorganization. States are also seeking declaratory and injunctive relief to prevent what they described as the “unconstitutional and illegal dismantling of the Department.” The lawsuit is not the first time James, a longtime foe of the current president, has sparred with Trump since the start of his second presidential term. To date, she’s joined Democrat attorneys general in more than a dozen other lawsuits challenging his early actions.
White House says ‘no final decisions’ made on foreign moviemaking tariffs as Trump weighs ‘national security’
The White House said Monday “no final decisions” have been made regarding the Trump administration’s planned tariffs on foreign moviemaking, as one expert welcomed the potential action as a reprieve for the American film industry. “Although no final decisions on foreign film tariffs have been made, the Administration is exploring all options to deliver on President Trump’s directive to safeguard our country’s national and economic security while Making Hollywood Great Again,” White House spokesperson Kush Desai said in a statement to Fox News Digital. President Donald Trump first announced in a Truth Social post on Sunday that he was authorizing the Department of Commerce and the U.S. trade representative “to immediately begin the process of instituting a 100% Tariff on any and all Movies coming into our Country that are produced in Foreign Lands.” Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick responded on X, “We’re on it.” ACTORS GO BEHIND-THE-SCENES ON HOW TRUMP IS MAKING HOLLYWOOD GREAT AGAIN “The elite in Hollywood will largely hate this because they’ve sold out their workers in favor of maximum profits while shooting in insanely cheap labor environments,” Robby Starbuck, a former Hollywood producer and conservative activist, told Fox News Digital. “American workers who are referred to as ‘below the line’ in filmmaking are over the moon about getting more jobs back here and rental houses couldn’t be happier.” “Overall, while there will be short-term pain for studios, in the long run this will strengthen the American film business,” Starbuck said. “Also, communist China’s propaganda efforts take a major hit with this move.” On-location production in the greater Los Angeles area dropped by 22.4% in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same time last year, according to FilmLA, a nonprofit that organizes film permits for the city and county. One movie producer told the New York Times last month that the Hollywood film industry is undergoing an “existential crisis,” as the newspaper noted that reality shows, indie films and even blockbuster films are increasingly making business decisions to film overseas to the detriment of the middle-class workers in the Los Angeles-area, such as camera operators, set decorators and lighting technicians. The newspaper noted that despite Hollywood’s many available studios, the game show “The Floor” chose to fly host Rob Lowe and 100 American contestants to Dublin, Ireland, rather than shoot the show domestically. TRUMP ANNOUNCES 100% TARIFF ON ALL FOREIGN-PRODUCED MOVIES: ‘WE WANT MOVIES MADE IN AMERICA, AGAIN!’ The BBC reported that several recent major films produced by U.S. studios were recorded overseas, including “Deadpool & Wolverine,” “Wicked” and “Gladiator II.” “Mission Impossible” also was shot outside the United States. In his Truth Social post, Trump said the movie industry in America is “DYING a very fast death,” arguing that other countries “are offering all sorts of incentives to draw our filmmakers and studios away from the United States.” “This is a concerted effort by other Nations and, therefore, a National Security threat. It is, in addition to everything else, messaging and propaganda!” Trump wrote. “WE WANT MOVIES MADE IN AMERICA, AGAIN!” Trump told reporters Sunday that other countries have been “stealing” the moviemaking capabilities from the United States, saying that he had done “some very strong research over the last week.” The president said the U.S. is “making very few movies now” and that Hollywood is “being destroyed.” “You have an incompetent, grossly incompetent governor that allowed that to happen, so I’m not just blaming other nations,” Trump said, making a dig at Democrat California Gov. Gavin Newsom. “But other nations have stolen our movie industry. They’re not willing to make a movie inside the United States and we should have a tariff on movies that come in,” Trump added. “Governments are actually giving big money. I mean they’re supporting them financially, so that’s sort of a threat to our country in a sense. And it’s been a very popular thing.… Moviemakers love it.” In January, Trump appointed stars Jon Voight, Mel Gibson and Sylvester Stallone as “special ambassadors” to Hollywood. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Voight – who is Angelina Jolie’s father – reportedly has recently been meeting with movie executives and union representatives in Los Angeles while crafting a plan to revive the American moviemaking industry, Deadline reported. Trump’s Hollywood ambassador has met with the Directors Guild of America, Teamsters and the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees so far, sources told the outlet.
Deadline looms allowing left-wing court to select US attorney as state AGs urge confirmation of Trump pick
FIRST ON FOX: Twenty-three state attorneys general sent a letter to Senate leaders on Monday urging lawmakers to swiftly confirm President Donald Trump‘s nominee to serve as United States Attorney for the District of Columbia, Ed Martin, ahead of a May 20 deadline, when judges on a court led by Trump-antagonist Judge James Boasberg could select a temporary replacement. “To put it bluntly, the District of Columbia is broken. And four years of alleged corruption, mismanagement, and derelictions of duty in the U.S. Attorney’s Office under President Biden’s appointees are in many ways to blame. The District should be made safe again. The District should have a U.S. Attorney who replaces the rule of lawfare with the rule of law. Ed Martin is the man to achieve those goals. We strongly encourage the Senate to confirm him at the earliest possible date,” reads the letter, which was first exclusively obtained by Fox News Digital. It was sent to Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley on Monday afternoon. The letter comes as a May 20 deadline looms to confirm the Trump nominee, when his role as interim U.S. attorney runs dry after 120 days in the role. Martin, who previously worked as a defense attorney and represented Americans charged in the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol in 2021, was named interim U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia beginning on Inauguration Day. If an interim U.S. attorney is not confirmed by the Senate within 120 days, judges on the federal district court for that district can name a new interim U.S. attorney until a nominee is confirmed, Department of Justice documents show. Trump antagonist Judge James Boasberg, an Obama-appointed judge at the center of legal efforts targeting Trump’s deportation efforts, is the current chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. TRUMP NOMINATES JAN. 6 DEFENSE ATTORNEY FOR TOP PROSECUTOR ROLE IN DC Trump has previously slammed the entire D.C. District Court, saying it would be “virtually impossible” for him to get an “honest ruling” after Boasberg blocked Trump’s Venezuelan deportation flights in March. “Our Nation’s Courts are broken, with New York and DC being the most preeminent of all in their Corruption and Radicalism. There must be an immediate investigation of this Rigged System, before it is too late!” Trump posted to Truth Social in March. Indiana Republican Attorney General Todd Rokita spearheaded the letter and told Fox Digital on Monday that Martin has already shown in his few months serving on an interim basis that “he’s a proven leader.” “I am proud to lead this effort to support Ed Martin because he’s a proven leader who is already devoting all of his time to restoring the rule of law in our nation’s capital,” Rokita said. “His bold actions have had an immediate impact, which sent the disreputable D.C. news media into a full-blown meltdown – the Senate must act swiftly to confirm him and ensure his critical work continues uninterrupted.” TRUMP NOMINATES JUDGE TO SERVE AS NEXT US ATTORNEY FOR SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA The letter similarly argued that the Senate confirmation process should go smoothly as lawmakers can already examine Martin’s track record in the role. “The Senate does not have to wonder or speculate about whether Mr. Martin will lead the U.S. Attorney’s Office with honor and skill,” the state attorneys general continued in their letter. “As interim U.S. Attorney for the District since January 20, 2025, he has shown conclusively that he has what it takes to serve in that role with integrity and a fearless commitment to do what is right on behalf of the American people. And there are few offices in the American justice system that could use that kind of leader now as much as the D.C. U.S. Attorney’s Office.” The 23 states that joined the letter include: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and West Virginia. Martin’s confirmation has stalled, however, with Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, voicing concerns about the nomination during the committee’s May 1 executive business meeting. FEDERAL PROSECUTOR VOWS TO PROTECT DOGE STAFFERS FROM ANY ‘THREATS, CONFRONTATIONS’ TARGETING MUSK TEAM “Last Friday, we received responses from Mr. Martin to our questions, and it raised even more questions. Mr. Martin made a number of false statements and contradictory statements that are easily disproven by the material he himself disclosed in his Senate Judiciary Questionnaire. And it wasn’t just to my questions—it was to Chairman Grassley’s questions as well,” Durbin said during the meeting. The AGs took specific issue with how crime has spiraled in the nation’s capital under the Biden administration, which they cited was related to the justice system and failing to prosecute criminals. “Under President Biden, public safety and the quality of life deteriorated in the District of Columbia. Matthew Graves—President Biden’s appointee as chief federal prosecutor for District—oversaw during his tenure a deeply troubling increase in crime in the nation’s capital. In 2023 alone, the number of homicides in D.C. increased by 35% over the previous year. Robberies were up 67%. Car theft skyrocketed by 82%. All the while, Mr. Graves declined to prosecute over two-thirds of all criminal cases brought to his office. In this way, President Biden brought to the District the same lax-on-crime policies that have benighted many of America’s largest cities for decades,” they wrote. Since taking over the position, Martin has overseen the dismissals of various Jan. 6 cases after Trump pardoned and commuted the defendants. Martin also published a fiery letter in February vowing to hold to account those who try to sabotage the efforts of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to clean the federal government of overspending and corruption. Trump granted clemency to more than 1,500 Jan. 6 criminal defendants upon taking office earlier this year. TRUMP UNLOADS ON JUDGE BOASBERG, ‘RADICAL LEFT JUDGES’ FOR HALTING DEPORTATIONS
Trump says he had ‘productive’ call with Turkey’s Erdogan about Russia-Ukraine war, Gaza
President Donald Trump on Monday said he held a “productive” call with Turkish President Recep Erdogan on a range of topics, including the war between Russia and Ukraine. Trump shared details of the call in a post on his TRUTH Social platform. “I just had a very good and productive telephone conversation with the President of Turkey, Recep Erdoğan, concerning many subjects, including the War with Russia/Ukraine, all things Syria, Gaza, and more,” Trump wrote. The president added that he is looking forward to working with Erdogan to end the “ridiculous, but deadly” Russia-Ukraine war. TRUMP’S 16TH WEEK IN OFFICE TO INCLUDE WH MEETING WITH CANADA, ONGOING TRADE NEGOTIATIONS Trump has vowed to end the three-year war between Russia and Ukraine, though the U.S. has tempered expectations regarding recent peace talks it’s brokering between the warring nations. Gaza has also been a major issue for the Trump administration as Israel works to get its hostages returned after Hamas led a deadly attack on Oct. 7, 2023. As the fighting in Gaza has escalated, Trump has pushed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “to be good to Gaza” because the people there “are suffering.” Trump noted that his relationship with Erdogan during his first term was “excellent,” adding that the Turkish leader invited him to Turkey at a future date. Trump said Erdogan will also visit Washington, D.C., though no date was immediately provided. ISRAEL APPROVES PLAN TO CAPTURE ALL OF GAZA, CALLS UP TENS OF THOUSANDS OF RESERVE TROOPS Trump also highlighted that he and Erdogan had “worked together closely on numerous things,” including the return of American pastor Andrew Brunson, who Trump said was freed “immediately upon my request.” Brunson was imprisoned and detained in Turkey for 735 days on terror and treason charges in October 2016 over his alleged ties to an outlawed group after a massive government crackdown following a failed coup months earlier.
Rwanda ‘in discussions’ with US to receive deported migrants: report
Rwanda is reportedly “in discussions with the United States” to receive migrants deported by the Trump administration. Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe told state broadcaster Rwanda TV on Sunday that the East African country “has not yet reached a stage where we can say exactly how things will proceed, but the talks are ongoing … still in the early stages,” according to Reuters. “We are in discussions with the United States.” A State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital on Monday that implementing the Trump administration’s immigration policies is a top priority and that it is working closely with partners and regional leaders to end the crisis of illegal and mass migration. The spokesperson added that ongoing engagement with foreign governments is vital to accomplishing that goal but noted that the State Department does not publicly discuss the details of its diplomatic communications. RWANDAN PRESIDENT PRAISES ‘UNCONVENTIONAL’ TRUMP, SAYS ‘WE MIGHT LEARN SOME LESSONS’ WITH USAID SHUTDOWN Rwanda’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond Monday to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. At a Cabinet meeting last week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, “We have gone to countries all over the world and said, ‘Hey, you want good relations with the United States, you need to take back your people that are here illegally.’ And we’ve had historic cooperation. Beyond that, and I say this unapologetically, we are actively searching for other countries to take people from third countries. “So we are actively – not just El Salvador – we are working with other countries to say, ‘We want to send you some of the most despicable human beings to your countries, will you do that as a favor to us?’ And the further away from America the better, so they can’t come back across the border,” Rubio added. TRUMP QUESTIONS JUDGES WHO BLOCK DEPORTATIONS OF ‘CRIMINALS, INCLUDING MURDERERS’ In a 2023 report on the human rights situation in Rwanda, the State Department said “significant” issues exist, such as “credible reports of arbitrary or unlawful killings, including extrajudicial killings; harsh and life-threatening prison conditions; arbitrary arrest or detention; political prisoners or detainees; transnational repression against individuals in another country; arbitrary or unlawful interference with privacy,” among other allegations. Rwanda previously had an agreement with the United Kingdom in 2022 to accept thousands of asylum seekers, but that deal was scrapped last year by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Reuters reported. Rwandan President Paul Kagame said in February that “President Trump has an unconventional way of doing things,” and “I completely agree with him on many things.” Fox News Digital’s Jeffrey Clark contributed to this report.
‘MOGE’ audit uncovers nonprofits’ ‘incredibly wasteful’ spending of taxpayer funds: state official
EXCLUSIVE: An audit by Mississippi state auditor Shad White found several instances of “incredibly wasteful” expenditures of state HIV/AIDS grants, as President Donald Trump has been criticized for cutting similar funding via the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). White said his report shows funds meant for HIV/AIDS issues were spent by some recipients on a “Queer-ceanara” – a “Latinx pride month event” based off the Spanish term “Quinceañera” for a girl’s 15th birthday celebration. “We’ve been following the model that President Trump and DOGE set in digging into taxpayer funds here in Mississippi,” White told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview about updates to what is being called “MOGE,” or Mississippi’s version of Elon Musk’s DOGE government efficiency work. “We’re particularly looking now at grants that are being passed from state agencies over to nonprofits, and our latest findings are really just a slap in the face to taxpayers, unfortunately,” he said. MISSISSIPPI MUSK: STATE AUDITOR’S ‘MOGE’ REPORT FINDS $400M IN GOVERNMENT WASTE “So what we started doing is digging into grants that were designed to pay for tests, to test people for HIV/AID – and so those grants were flowing through the Mississippi Department of Health… And when you dig into how [some] nonprofits are spending the money, you see that it’s incredibly wasteful.” White said taxpayer funds meant for constructive means were also spent on cab rides in the overnight hours 1,000 miles away in New York City over a several-day period. “[That] looked like bar-hopping,” he said. COST CUTTING: 2 STATES AIM TO ELIMINATE PERSONAL INCOME TAXES White remarked that if that kind of funding “abuse” could happen in a red state like the Magnolia State, it may only be the tip of the iceberg compared to more financially permissive blue states. “Our audit shows that when you dig into how this money is actually being spent, it’s not actually helping people with HIV/AIDS. It’s not helping to test folks for HIV. It’s instead just being wasted.” At the same time, the Trump administration’s National Institutes of Health has been under fire for similar cuts in its own DOGE efforts, with one CNN report citing a critic claiming “people will die.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The network looked into changes made in a Health and Human Services database, and one source said they had been getting texts from concerned people. Back in Jackson, White said the HIV/AIDS funding audit is only the latest in his office’s wide-ranging efforts to curb waste or fraud in terms of state taxpayer monies. “DOGE has highlighted in particular how grants passed down from the federal government to state governments, and then to non-profits, are really a massive, massive fraud risk,” he said. “Our audit here proves that the craziest kind of stuff that you see at the federal level and the craziest stuff that may see in California or New York is happening in red states too. Every single state needs to be following President Trump’s lead.”