Rubio takes somber tone on Russia-Ukraine peace deal: ‘Close but not close enough’
Secretary of State Marco Rubio appeared to temper expectations for a major peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia on Sunday. Rubio made the statement during a Sunday morning appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” telling host Kirsten Welker that a deal is “still not there.” “We’ve made real progress, but the last couple steps of this journey were always going to be the hardest,” Rubio said. “It needs to happen soon. We cannot continue to, as I said, to dedicate time and resources to this issue if it’s not gonna come to fruition.” “The last week has been about figuring out how close are these sides really, and are they close enough that this merits a continued investment of our time as a mediator in this regard,” he added. TRUMP SAYS ‘INFLAMMATORY’ ZELENSKYY STATEMENT ON CRIMEA PROLONGS WAR WITH RUSSIA Rubio argued it was “silly” to put a specific date or timeline on when the U.S. might pull out from mediation, but he said this will be “a very critical week.” ZELENSKYY SPEAKS OUT AFTER PUBLIC SPAT WITH TRUMP, VANCE, SAYS DUSTUP ‘BAD FOR BOTH SIDES’ “This week is going to be a very important week at which we need to make a determination about whether this is an endeavor that we want to continue to be involved in, or if it’s time to sort of focus on some other issues that are equally if not more important in some cases,” he said. President Donald Trump met face-to-face with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Vatican this weekend. Neither Ukrainian nor White House officials gave many details on the meeting; however, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung said the leaders had “a very productive discussion.” Zelenskyy later tweeted that the meeting was “very symbolic” and could potentially be “historic.” This meeting comes as peace talks between Russia and Ukraine appear to be at a standstill, with Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin making competing demands. “A good day in talks and meetings with Russia and Ukraine. They are very close to a deal, and the two sides should now meet, at very high levels, to ‘finish it off.’ Most of the major points are agreed to. Stop the bloodshed, NOW. We will be wherever is necessary to help facilitate the END to this cruel and senseless war,” Trump wrote on Truth Social after arriving in Rome on Saturday. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov did not reveal any specifics about potential negotiations during a pre-recorded interview with CBS’ “Face the Nation” that aired Sunday. “We are really polite people, and unlike some others, we never discuss in public what is being discussed in negotiations,” Lavrov told host Margaret Brennan. “Otherwise, negotiations are not serious. To ask for somebody’s opinion regarding the substance, go to Zelenskyy. He is happy to talk to anybody through media, even to President Trump.” “Russia is always available for a dialogue,” Lavrov added. When asked whether there would be a meeting between Trump and Putin, Lavrov said the two presidents are “masters of their own destiny and of their own schedule.” Fox News’ Rachel Wolf contributed to this report.
Trump’s First 100 Days: Gitmo took early role in deportations prior to El Salvador prison deal
America’s most notorious federal prison, a terrorist detention facility at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, took center stage for a short period in the early days of President Donald Trump’s first 100 days, when the administration began sending some of the “worst of the worst” criminal illegal aliens there. Also known as “Gitmo,” Guantánamo is a 45-square-mile high-security naval base in Cuba and houses some of America’s most deadly enemies, including the al-Qaeda terrorists responsible for the 9/11 terror attacks. In one of the first moves of his second term, Trump authorized the detention of illegal immigrants at the facility shortly after taking office on Jan. 20. Trump instructed the Pentagon to prepare 30,000 beds at the base to house “criminal illegal aliens” who pose a threat to the American public, adding that putting them there would ensure they would not come back. PRESIDENT TRUMP BLASTS COURTS FOR GETTING IN THE WAY OF DEPORTATION AGENDA At the time, Trump explained the decision, saying that some criminal migrants “are so bad that we don’t even trust the countries to hold them, because we don’t want them coming back, so we’re going to send ‘em out to Guantánamo.” The president said the move would bring the U.S. one step closer to “eradicating the scourge” of migrant crime in communities, once and for all. Then, shortly after the State Department declared 10 migrant gangs – including the Salvadoran MS-13 and Venezuelan Tren de Aragua as well as several Mexican cartels – “foreign terrorist organizations,” the administration began sending migrants through Gitmo, with several hundred passing through the base. Among those sent to the base were several “high threat” illegal members of Tren de Aragua, which is an international terrorist and criminal group linked to Venezuelan socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro. Tren de Aragua – also known as “TdA” – has a presence in most major American cities and is linked to the high-profile murder of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley and the seizure of an entire apartment building in Aurora, Colorado. TRUMP ADMIN FILES FIRST RACKETEERING CHARGES AGAINST MASSIVE MIGRANT TERRORIST GROUP PRESENT IN US The Department of Defense stated that the migrant criminals sent to Gitmo were being housed in vacant detention facilities and that the arrangement was only temporary “until they can be transported to their country of origin or other appropriate destination.” Illustrating Guantánamo’s importance in the administration’s eyes, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth made Gitmo his first naval installation to visit as secretary. In a social media post, Hegseth called Gitmo “the front lines of the war against America’s southern border.” Speaking of the troops manning Gitmo, Hegseth said, “These warriors are directly supporting the apprehension and deportation of dangerous illegal aliens.” However, the administration soon began running into snags, making it difficult to ramp up the naval base’s capacity to accommodate the 30,000 beds that Trump had wanted. SUPREME COURT POISED TO MAKE MAJOR DECISION THAT COULD SET LIMITS ON THE POWER OF DISTRICT JUDGES In early March, Fox News Digital reported that none of the 195 tents set up in Guantánamo Bay had been used to house migrants. According to two U.S. defense officials familiar with the matter, this was due to the tents not meeting ICE standards. The officials said that the U.S. military was told to set up the tents without clear guidance as to what the standards for holding migrants are, and that the military had not received specific guidelines on what the tents need in order to be certified to hold the migrants. The operation to build more tents was halted in February, just several weeks after it started. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE Despite this, a congressional delegation of Republicans led by House Armed Services Committee Chair Mike Rogers visited Gitmo around the same time these difficulties were surfacing. After the visit, Rep. Abe Hamadeh, R-Ariz., told Fox News Digital that “it is clear that Guantánamo Bay is operational and equipped to conduct these deportations.” WHITE HOUSE DEFENDS ICE, SAYS DEMS, MEDIA WANT ‘SICK’ CRIMINAL MIGRANTS LEFT ON STREETS On March 14, Fox News Digital reported that the 40 remaining illegal migrants being held at Guantánamo Bay had been sent back to the United States to be held in Louisiana. Of those returned to U.S. soil, 23 were “high-threat illegal aliens.” It is unclear whether the U.S. will again hold migrants at Guantánamo. Representatives for the White House and DHS did not respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment prior to publication deadline. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Meanwhile, the U.S. has begun partnering with the government of Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele to send illegal gang members to El Salvador’s “Terrorist Confinement Center” (CECOT). The U.S. has sent several hundred Salvadoran and Venezuelan migrants to CECOT. Fox News Digital’s Cameron Arcand, Michael Dorgan, Liz Friden, Jennifer Griffin and Louis Casiano contributed to this report.
SCOOP: Dolly Parton symphony concert heads to DC’s Kennedy Center in event ‘no one will want to miss’
FIRST ON FOX: The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., will host symphony concerts featuring the music and life of American icon Dolly Parton this summer, Fox News Digital has learned. “The threads of my life are woven together through my songs. That’s why the project, Threads: My Songs In Symphony, is so special to me,” Parton said in the Kennedy Center’s announcement of the show, which was first exclusively shared with Fox Digital on Sunday. “It’s about sharing my music and my musical journey with audiences in a new way.” The concert, called “Dolly Parton’s Threads: My Songs in Symphony,” made its premiere last year in Nashville and has since toured the nation from Pittsburgh to Portland, Oregon. The Kennedy Center will host the program on June 26 and 27, with the National Symphony Orchestra performing hits such as “Jolene,” “Coat of Many Colors,” and “I Will Always Love You.” Parton will not sing during the concerts, but the events will feature “a unique performance that honors her enduring spirit and unparalleled impact on American popular music culture.” The National Symphony Orchestra will perform alongside guest vocalists and musicians to deliver a “fresh symphonic take on the timeless songs of Dolly Parton,” according to the Kennedy Center. DOLLY PARTON SUPPORTERS PUSH PETITION TO RENAME NASHVILLE AIRPORT: ‘DEPARTIN’ FROM PARTON!’ “Bringing Dolly Parton’s music to life through the power of a full symphony orchestra has long been a dream of mine,” National Symphony Orchestra Principal Pops Conductor Steven Reineke said. “Dolly is one of the great storytellers of American music, and I am excited to bring her expansive catalog to the Kennedy Center. Through these unique symphonic charts, her music will be showcased like never before and will surely be an evening no one will want to miss!” The concert is billed as “multimedia,” and will include imagery of the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer on screen that will lead “audiences in a visual-musical journey of her songs, her life, and her stories,” according to the Kennedy Center. “Dolly Parton is an American icon whose music resonates with people from all walks of life and we are overjoyed to bring her symphony to the Kennedy Center!” Roma Daravi, vice president of public relations at The Kennedy Center, told Fox News Digital. Tickets will become available to Kennedy Center members April 29 at 10 a.m., while the general public can begin purchasing tickets on May 1. Kennedy Center President Richard Grenell told Fox News Digital back in February that he and his team will help usher in the “Golden Age of the Arts” with shows Americans actually want to see after years of the performing arts center running in the red. DOLLY PARTON WARNS SABRINA CARPENTER SHE DOESN’T ‘MAKE FUN OF JESUS,’ USE SWEAR WORDS AHEAD OF COLLABORATION “This will be the Golden Age of the Arts,” Grenell said. “The Kennedy Center has zero cash on hand and zero dollars in reserves – while taking tens of millions of dollars in public funds. We must have programs that sell tickets. We can’t afford to pay for content that doesn’t at least pay for itself right now. I wish we didn’t have to consider the costs of production, but we do.” KENNEDY CENTER SHAKE-UP WILL USHER IN ‘GOLDEN AGE OF THE ARTS’ UNDER TRUMP, RIC GRENELL PREVIEWS “The good news is that there are plenty of shows that are very popular, and therefore the ticket sales will pay for themselves,” Grenell added. Grenell added during remarks at CPAC that the Kennedy Center will now focus on performances “the public want to see,” such as Christmas-focused productions in December. The Kennedy Center under the Biden administration had rolled out drag show performances, which drew the ire of President Donald Trump earlier this year. “We have to do the big productions that the masses and the public want to see, we want to have really good programming,” Grenell said at CPAC. “So the first thing that we’re doing … you’ve got to be at the Kennedy Center in December, because we are doing a big, huge celebration of the birth of Christ at Christmas. How crazy is it to think that we’re going to celebrate Christ at Christmas with a big traditional production to celebrate what we are all celebrating in the world during Christmastime, which is the birth of Christ.”
SCOOP: Republicans roll out $69B funding plan for new CBP agents, building border wall in Trump budget bill
FIRST ON FOX: House Republicans are carving out $68.8 billion for President Donald Trump’s border wall and to hire more agents in the field amid talks on a massive bill to advance the commander-in-chief’s agenda. While Trump spent much of his first term focused on a physical barrier between the U.S. and Mexico, the legislation now under consideration seeks to modernize the task with $46.5 billion for an integrated “border barrier system,” according to details first viewed by Fox News Digital. It would incorporate physical fencing along with updated surveillance tools, roads, and lighting. The bill also aims to pay $5 billion for new facilities and personnel for Customs and Border Protection (CBP), something the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has sought since Trump came back to the White House. ACLU APPEALS TO SUPREME COURT TO STOP VENEZUELAN DEPORTATIONS; BOASBERG HOLDS EMERGENCY HEARING FRIDAY NIGHT It would specifically dedicate $4.1 billion to fund new front-line personnel to patrol the border, while also incentivizing new and current CBP staff with retention bonuses, among other measures – for which $2 billion is dedicated. It would also put $813 million into modernizing CBP’s existing fleet of vehicles, with its current tech falling prey to mechanical issues and high maintenance costs. The bill also seeks $2.7 billion to fund an array of modern technology that agents could use to crack down on illegal immigration at the border, including ground sensors, drones, radar, and remote surveillance technology, among other items. For people caught crossing illegally, it would fund $673 million in upgrades to the U.S.’s current biometrics system aimed at tracking those illegal migrants. Just over $1 billion in funding for new and updated air and maritime platforms is also included. The legislation also puts millions toward threat-assessment and logistical planning for multiple upcoming international events in the U.S. – $1 billion for the 2028 Summer Olympics, and $625 million for the coming World Cup soccer championships. Other funding items include $1 million to commemorate American victims of illegal immigrant crime, and $500 million to specifically crack down on cartel drug smuggling at the border. Border security is a core pillar of congressional Republicans’ priorities in the budget reconciliation process. The Homeland Security Committee, which has jurisdiction over significant amounts of U.S.-Mexico border operations, was directed to use up to $90 billion in new spending to achieve those goals. Trump administration officials, including Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and immigration czar Tom Homan, have emphasized the need for more funding to carry out the president’s agenda. DHS sent a memo to House and Senate Republicans earlier this month warning that failure to pass the legislation “will undo all the Trump Administration’s Massive Successes.” DEMOCRAT SENATOR VAN HOLLEN MEETS, SHAKES HANDS WITH ABREGO GARCIA Budget reconciliation lowers the Senate’s passage threshold from 60 votes to 51 for certain items relating to federal spending, taxes, and the national debt. It therefore allows a party controlling the House, Senate and White House to pass sweeping reforms while entirely sidelining the opposing party, in this case Democrats. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Republicans are aiming to use reconciliation to pass broad swaths of Trump’s agenda. In addition to border security that includes new commitments to fossil fuel energy, the national defense, and Trump’s tax policies – both extending the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) and fulfilling newer promises to eliminate taxes on tips, overtime pay, and retirees’ social security.
Wisconsin judge threatens courtroom boycott over Hannah Dugan arrest
A Wisconsin judge is threatening not to hold court in protest of federal authorities arresting her fellow judge Hannah Dugan last week. Judge Monica Isham made the announcement in an email to judges across the state on Saturday. Her email, titled “Guidance Requested or I Refuse to Hold Court,” made clear she had no intention of working with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). “If there is no guidance for us and no support for us, I will refuse to hold court in Branch 2 in Sawyer County. I will not put myself or my staff who may feel compelled to help me or my community in harms way,” Isham wrote. “I have no intention of allowing anyone to be taken out of my courtroom by ICE and sent to a concentration camp, especially without due process, as BOTH of the constitutions we swore to support require. Should I start raising bail money?” Isham wrote, referring to the Wisconsin state constitution as well. NEW MEXICO SUPREME COURT BANS JUDGE AFTER ALLEGED TDA MEMBER ARRESTED AT HOME “If this costs me my job or gets me arrested then at least I know I did the right thing,” she added. Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon reacted to Isham’s ultimatum on social media, saying the threat was “problematic.” NEW MEXICO JUDGE RESIGNS AFTER ALLEGED TDA MEMBER ARRESTED AT HIS HOME Dugan was arrested and charged with obstruction of an official proceeding on Friday after evidence came to light that she had shielded the migrant from ICE agents, according to a criminal complaint. She was also charged with concealing an individual to prevent discovery and arrest. Federal agents from ICE, FBI, CBP and DEA attempted to arrest the undocumented male – Mexican national Eduardo Flores-Ruiz – following his scheduled criminal court appearance before Dugan on April 18 to face three misdemeanor battery charges for allegedly beating two people. Dugan demanded that the officers proceed to the chief judge’s office and – after his hearing ended – escorted Flores-Ruiz and his attorney out a restricted jury door, bypassing the public area where agents were waiting in order to help him avoid arrest, per the complaint. Dugan has worked with legal aid organizations and as executive director of Catholic Charities in the past. She was elected to Branch 31 of the Circuit Court in 2016 and ran unopposed in the 2022 election. She primarily oversees cases in its misdemeanor division, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Fox News’ Michael Dorgan contributed to this report
USDA threatens to halt Mexican beef imports over flesh-eating fly crisis
In a dramatic move to protect America’s cattle industry, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has warned Mexico that the U.S. will halt imports of live animals — including cattle and bison — if Mexico doesn’t step up efforts to combat a dangerous pest creeping northward. In a letter sent Saturday and obtained by Fox News, Secretary Rollins put the Mexican government on notice to act immediately to fight the spread of the New World screwworm or face serious economic consequences on the border. The USDA has set a firm deadline of April 30 for Mexico to address the growing crisis, or U.S. ports of entry will slam the door on key animal commodities. FEDERAL DIETARY GUIDELINES WILL SOON CHANGE FOR AMERICANS, HHS AND USDA ANNOUNCE “I must inform you that if these issues are not resolved by Wednesday, April 30, USDA will restrict the importation of animal commodities, which consist of live cattle, bison, and equine originating from or transporting to Mexico to protect the interest of the agriculture industry in the United States,” Rollins wrote. The New World screwworm, a flesh-eating fly whose larvae can decimate livestock populations, has been spreading rapidly from Central America into southern Mexico. USDA officials have long relied on a sophisticated sterile insect technique (SIT) program — using specially equipped aircraft to release sterile flies — to keep the deadly pest in check. But that strategy is now in jeopardy. MAINE’S FEDERAL FUNDING FREEZE FROM TRUMP’S USDA REVERSED At the heart of the conflict is Dynamic Aviation, a U.S. government-contracted carrier tasked with aerial fly dispersals. According to the letter, Mexican aviation authorities are limiting Dynamic’s operations to just six days a week under a temporary 60-day permit, a move the USDA says undermines the urgent, around-the-clock response needed to stop the screwworm’s advance. Even more troubling, Rollins said Mexican customs officials are imposing hefty import duties on critical supplies like sterile flies, aviation parts and dispersal equipment — all fully funded by U.S. taxpayers to benefit both nations. These delays are expensive and threatening to cripple the campaign just when speed is most vital. Rollins is demanding immediate action from Mexico, including long-term operational clearance for Dynamic Aviation, full duty waivers on all emergency materials and the appointment of a senior-level liaison to fast-track solutions. Every day lost, Rollins warned, gives the screwworm a bigger foothold and risks devastating American ranchers and the broader agricultural economy. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP In a bid to salvage cooperation, Rollins also proposed an emergency U.S.-Mexico summit with government leaders, technical experts and operational partners to get back on track. The message from Washington is clear: Mexico must move — and fast — or face tough new trade restrictions designed to protect America’s food supply and farming communities.
Trump blasts Putin, questioning if Russian leader wants peace or is just ‘tapping me along’
President Donald Trump has expressed doubts that Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to end its war with Ukraine which has raged for more than three years. Trump took to Truth Social on Saturday to express his growing frustration with the Russian leader in a week that saw Russia launch a deadly missile attack on Kyiv. The Thursday attack on Ukraine killed 12 people and injured at least 90, including children. “There was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days,” Trump wrote, shortly after he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Vatican on Saturday for Pope Francis’ funeral. TRUMP INSISTS UKRAINE-RUSSIA PEACE DEAL IS CLOSE, BUT MISTRUST IN PUTIN LEAVES EXPERTS SKEPTICAL “It makes me think that maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war, he’s just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently, through ‘Banking’ or ‘Secondary Sanctions?’ Too many people are dying!!!” The post comes as a peace deal appears nowhere in sight despite ongoing negotiations and Trump repeatedly claiming on the campaign trail that he would end the war within 24 hours of taking office. Trump said Saturday that the killings in the war are “worse than anything since World War II.” ZELENSKYY SPEAKS OUT AFTER PUBLIC SPAT WITH TRUMP, VANCE, SAYS DUSTUP ‘BAD FOR BOTH SIDES’ On Thursday, Trump pleaded with Putin to end the war. “I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV. Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP! 5,000 soldiers a week are dying. Let’s get the peace deal DONE,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. The attack on Kyiv came a day before Special Envoy Steve Witkoff’s fourth visit to Moscow. Trump had expressed hope over Easter that Russia and Ukraine could reach a deal this week, saying that once an agreement was reached, they would be able to “start to do big business with the United States of America…” Trump met face-to-face with Zelenskyy in Rome on Saturday, the first time since their infamous Oval Office spat in February. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Neither Ukrainian nor White House officials gave many details on the meeting; however, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung said it was “a very productive discussion.” Trump also took aim at former presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama in his Saturday post, blaming Biden for the war taking place under his watch and Obama for Russia taking Crimea. “This is Sleepy Joe Biden’s War, not mine,” Trump raged. “It was a loser from day one, and should have never happened, and wouldn’t have happened if I were President at the time. I’m just trying to clean up the mess that was left to me by Obama and Biden, and what a mess it is.” Fox News’ Rachel Wolf contributed to this report.
‘No excuse’: Bipartisan fury erupts over New Jersey’s REAL ID backlog
It’s virtually illegal to make a left turn in many parts of New Jersey, and bipartisan lawmakers there are outraged at how equally difficult it is to make a REAL ID appointment as of late. “We’ve known for years that this deadline was coming,” state Assemblymember Nancy Muñoz, R-Union, told Fox News Digital on Friday. “There’s no excuse for the Motor Vehicle Commission to be this unprepared. Constituents are waking up early, refreshing their screens, only to watch appointments vanish in seconds,” Muñoz, the Budget Committee’s minority leader, said. “Some are driving over an hour just to find an available slot: It’s outrageous.” REAL ID SEES NATIONWIDE STATE GOVERNMENT COMPLIANCE AHEAD OF THE DEADLINE BUT IT WASN’T ALWAYS THAT WAY New Jersey, like all states and territories, is fully legally compliant with the Department of Homeland Security’s new standards, which require a driver’s license to have a star affixed to a corner to confirm the holder has provided additional identifying documentation in order to board a domestic flight. But the Garden State ranked last out of 49 states that responded to a CBS News survey on the percentage of residents who have actually obtained REAL IDs. Assembly Majority Leader Lou Greenwald, D-Cherry Hill, told Fox News Digital he understands residents’ concerns and panic, noting the deadline has been pushed back several times since President George W. Bush signed the law in 2005. “Now we’re heading into summer, folks have travel plans, and they’re being told they’ll have to wait months just to get an appointment,” Greenwald said. NO ‘REAL ID’ APPOINTMENTS OPEN IN NEW JERSEY AS RESIDENTS SOUND OFF: ‘GET WITH THE TIMES, NJ’ “There’s no reason in the 21st century that we should still be relying solely on in-person appointments, which are time-intensive, often require residents to take off work or travel long distances, and where a single forgotten document means starting the process all over again.” Greenwald said New Jersey’s appointments system is more troublesome than other states like neighboring Pennsylvania, which allows residents to apply for REAL IDs online, and which he called a “common sense” tweak that’s not prohibited by the feds. In that regard, Greenwald said he will introduce a bill in Trenton to direct the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) to begin online processing of REAL ID applications to help fix the backlog and other issues. “[That way,] New Jerseyans can obtain their REAL IDs easily and conveniently, without unnecessary delays,” he said. A source familiar with New Jersey’s REAL ID rollout told Fox News Digital that because it is one of a handful of states where illegal immigrants can get “status-neutral” licenses, its low personal compliance proportion differs from states where only citizens can get drivers’ licenses — so there is a baseline percentage of drivers who cannot get a REAL ID to start with. Only green-card holders and U.S. citizens can get a REAL ID. Passports also remain acceptable for travel for people without a REAL ID. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The MVC has noted it holds weekly “REAL ID Thursdays” — where only REAL ID applications are processed, not learner’s permits or renewals — and employees are also required to work two weekends per month to better serve the public. Nonetheless, Muñoz said the state has had enough time to plan for the rush of New Jerseyans who need one. When reached for comment, Gov. Phil Murphy’s office directed Fox News Digital to the MVC. An agency spokesperson said the MVC has been working “nonstop” to help as many residents as possible. “Our challenges are not unique to New Jersey — every state in the nation is facing similar pressures as the deadline approaches,” the spokesperson said. “Our state has made REAL IDs available for the past five and a half years — since September 2019. We are currently issuing approximately 23,000 REAL IDs per week and remain focused on delivering efficient service and to ensure that every eligible New Jerseyan can secure one.”
Experts reveal Trump’s next move could be ‘nail in coffin’ for Biden-era regulations on nicotine
FIRST ON FOX: President Trump’s “nicotine freedom crusade” rolling back Biden-era policies related to nicotine and tobacco products could be primed to reverse a key rule that experts who spoke to Fox News Digital say would be a critical step forward. Shortly before Trump was sworn into office, Biden’s FDA proposed a rule that it described at the time as “bold” that “would make cigarettes and certain other combusted tobacco products minimally or nonaddictive by limiting the level of nicotine in those products.” Cigarettes and “certain other combusted tobacco products” would not be allowed to have more than 0.7 milligrams of nicotine per gram of tobacco under the proposed rule, according to the FDA. The agency said that lower nicotine levels would “be low enough to no longer create or sustain addiction.” While the FDA insisted at the time that the rule “would not ban” cigarettes, critics disagree and are optimistic that Trump will continue his push for nicotine freedom and upend the rule. TRUMP FDA NOMINEE TURNS VACCINE QUESTION ON DEM, RECALLING CONTROVERSIAL BIDEN DECISION “The Biden legacy on tobacco policy is one of hamfisted regulations, crippling bureaucracy, and prohibition fueling massive criminal markets — from cigarettes to Chinese vapes,” Rich Marianos, former assistant director of the ATF, executive director of the Tobacco Law Enforcement Network, told Fox News Digital. “President Trump can put the nail in the coffin of that failed era by killing this insane ban on cigarettes and focusing resources on vigilant enforcement.” Peter Brennan, Executive Director of the New England Convenience Store & Energy Marketers Association (NECSEM), told Fox News Digital that “prohibitionist tobacco policy” ends up punishing small businesses by “taking sales out of our stores and pushing them into the streets and the illicit market.” FDA PHASING OUT SOME ANIMAL TESTING IN ‘WIN-WIN’ FOR ETHICS AND PUBLIC HEALTH: COMMISSIONER “Biden’s plan to ban all cigarettes is a real threat that is still hanging over our heads.” Brennan said. “We are hopeful that President Trump will help America’s convenience stores by putting a stop to this disastrous idea.” Trump has taken several actions in the nicotine space since taking office, including withdrawing a proposed rule seeking to ban menthol cigarettes, after the Biden administration said it intended to make the ban become a reality after years of advocacy from anti-smoking groups. Months later, FDA Tobacco Director Brian King, who critics believed was a key figure behind the administration’s efforts against banning menthols and the “war on nicotine” was removed from his post in a move that experts who spoke to Fox News Digital praised earlier this month. “President Trump has succeeded in his nicotine freedom crusade since taking office, repealing Biden’s misguided menthol ban and firing the FDA architect behind it,” a Republican strategist who worked to elect Trump in 2024 told Fox News Digital this week. “The logical next step is to officially repeal a Biden-era rule on banning low nicotine products, which will be the final blow to Biden’s war on nicotine.” Fox News Digital reached out to the FDA for comment. Biden’s perceived “war on nicotine,” along with the surge in illicit Chinese vapes flooding the market over the last few years, is believed by some to have hurt his presidential campaign along with that of VP Kamala Harris, who eventually took his place on the ticket. “If President Trump withdraws Biden’s disastrous rule that would effectively ban cigarettes, it would be a huge win for his working-class coalition,” a person close to the Trump administration told Fox News Digital. Fox News Digital’s Alec Schemmel contributed to this report.
Fox News Digital’s Presidential 100 Days Quiz
As we close in on Donald Trump’s second 100 Days in Office, take the time to test your knowledge of Presidential Trivia and Achievements in the First 100 Days.