House Dem to block VA nominees to protest DOGE cuts
Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., will block President Donald Trump’s nominations for top positions at the Department of Veterans Affairs, he announced Tuesday. Gallego, a Marine Corps veteran, says the move is a protest against Trump’s plans to gut the VA. He stands to block some 13 of Trump’s VA nominees from receiving confirmation, though VA Secretary Doug Collins and deputy secretary Paul Lawrence have already been confirmed. “Talking to veterans, people that I served with as well as seeing some of what’s happening in Arizona, I decided that whatever tool I have to fix the situation, I’m going to use it. And this is one of the few tools I have at this point,” Gallego said. “As someone who actually has used that VA, you know I had services there done in the past. There’s no way they’re going to be able to cut 15% of the workforce, and it’s not going to impact veterans’ benefits,” he said. ‘LOOKING FOR SCALPS’: GREEN BERET NEVER CHARGED WITH A CRIME ENDS UP WITH MURDER ON BACKGROUND CHECK The announcement came just hours before the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs was scheduled to hear testimony from three of Trump’s nominees. NEW MILITARY BONUS PROGRAM HAUNTED BY OLD RECRUITING SCANDAL THAT GAVE SOLDIERS FALSE CRIMINAL RECORDS Gallego’s obstructionist move is uncommon but not unprecedented. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., used the same method to block hundreds of military members from receiving promotions under President Joe Biden’s administration. In that case, Tuberville was protesting the U.S. military’s policies on abortion, and he eventually backed down. There remain 11 unfilled Senate-confirmed positions at the VA. Trump has nominees lined up for five of those positions, but six have yet to receive nominees. TRUMP’S REINSTATEMENT OF TROOPS BOOTED OVER COVID VACCINE HAILED AS WIN FOR FREEDOM: ‘GREAT DAY FOR PATRIOTS’ Trump’s VA is in the midst of plans to cut its workforce by over 80,000 people. That would take it to 2019 staffing levels of just under 400,000 — before it had to provide benefits to veterans impacted by burn pits and exposure to other toxins under the 2022 PACT Act. Collins has argued that the cuts will not come at the expense of any veterans benefits. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Senate Dem to block VA nominees to protest DOGE cuts
Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., will block President Donald Trump’s nominations for top positions at the Department of Veterans Affairs, he announced Tuesday. Gallego, a Marine Corps veteran, says the move is a protest against Trump’s plans to gut the VA. He stands to block some 13 of Trump’s VA nominees from receiving confirmation, though VA Secretary Doug Collins and deputy secretary Paul Lawrence have already been confirmed. “Talking to veterans, people that I served with as well as seeing some of what’s happening in Arizona, I decided that whatever tool I have to fix the situation, I’m going to use it. And this is one of the few tools I have at this point,” Gallego said. “As someone who actually has used that VA, you know I had services there done in the past. There’s no way they’re going to be able to cut 15% of the workforce, and it’s not going to impact veterans’ benefits,” he said. ‘LOOKING FOR SCALPS’: GREEN BERET NEVER CHARGED WITH A CRIME ENDS UP WITH MURDER ON BACKGROUND CHECK The announcement came just hours before the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs was scheduled to hear testimony from three of Trump’s nominees. NEW MILITARY BONUS PROGRAM HAUNTED BY OLD RECRUITING SCANDAL THAT GAVE SOLDIERS FALSE CRIMINAL RECORDS Gallego’s obstructionist move is uncommon but not unprecedented. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., used the same method to block hundreds of military members from receiving promotions under President Joe Biden’s administration. In that case, Tuberville was protesting the U.S. military’s policies on abortion, and he eventually backed down. There remain 11 unfilled Senate-confirmed positions at the VA. Trump has nominees lined up for five of those positions, but six have yet to receive nominees. TRUMP’S REINSTATEMENT OF TROOPS BOOTED OVER COVID VACCINE HAILED AS WIN FOR FREEDOM: ‘GREAT DAY FOR PATRIOTS’ Trump’s VA is in the midst of plans to cut its workforce by over 80,000 people. That would take it to 2019 staffing levels of just under 400,000 — before it had to provide benefits to veterans impacted by burn pits and exposure to other toxins under the 2022 PACT Act. Collins has argued that the cuts will not come at the expense of any veterans benefits. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Booker delivering marathon Senate speech against Trump admin, Elon Musk: ‘Inflicted so much harm’
Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., spoke out against President Donald Trump and Elon Musk on the Senate floor throughout the night after beginning his marathon speech at 7 p.m. Monday. The senator was still speaking on the floor at 6 a.m. Tuesday, 11 hours after he had begun. Booker received some support from other Senate Democrats, whom he allowed to speak at times, during his hourslong show of opposition against the Trump administration. DEM SENATOR SAYS PARTY BRAND IS ‘REALLY PROBLEMATIC’ AND LED TO THE LOSS OF TRUST OF WORKING-CLASS VOTERS Booker said toward the beginning of his speech that Trump, in 71 days, “has inflicted so much harm on Americans’ safety, financial stability, the core foundations of our democracy, and even our aspirations as a people for, from our highest offices, a sense of common decency.” DEM SENATOR BEHIND SOCIAL MEDIA FAIL RESPONDS TO ELON MUSK’S OFFER Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., who said he planned to join Booker “for the entirety of his speech,” noted that he was “returning the favor” as Booker joined him when he “launched a filibuster to demand action on gun violence nine years ago.” Murphy was among the Democrats who provided Booker with some relief by speaking at times to punctuate the marathon session. In the social media video, Murphy described his colleague’s effort as “extraordinary.” JEN PSAKI CALLS OUT THE ‘WORST’ MEDIA TRAINING ADVICE GIVEN TO DEMOCRATS CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Booker said in a video before he began his demonstration that he plans to continue speaking as long as he is “physically able.”
House Republicans to go to war with ‘rogue judges’ blocking Trump’s agenda: Here’s their plan
House Republicans are going all out this week to signal their support for the Trump administration amid multiple legal standoffs over White House policy. A bill to limit U.S. district court judges’ ability to issue nationwide injunctions sailed through the House Rules Committee – the last gatekeeper for bills before a chamber-wide vote – in a party-line vote Monday evening, as expected. On Tuesday morning, meanwhile, two high-profile panels on the House Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing at 10 a.m. ET on “judicial overreach and constitutional limits on the federal courts.” “Clearly, our members are as angered as President Trump about some of these rogue judges,” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., the No. 2 House Republican, told Fox News Digital in a brief interview. “So we’re doing a number of things.” WHO IS JAMES BOASBERG, THE US JUDGE AT THE CENTER OF TRUMP’S DEPORTATION EFFORTS? The hearing will be held by the House Judiciary Committee’s subcommittee on the Constitution, led by Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, and its subcommittee on courts, led by Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif. Notably, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., is expected to testify, as is a woman described as a victim of criminal activity perpetrated by the terrorist organization Tren de Aragua in Aurora, Colorado. Her appearance is likely linked to the ongoing legal showdown between the Trump administration and U.S. District Judge James Boasberg after he issued an emergency 14-day pause on the White House’s deportation flights of suspected Tren de Aragua gang members to El Salvador. “We share the president’s concern that you’ve got some judges that have overstepped their boundaries,” Scalise said. “I mean, you have a plane flying with hardened criminals … and Judge Boasberg orders the plane to turn around in mid-flight … and bring hardened criminals back to America who were already here illegally. That’s clearly judicial activism and a judge trying to become the executive. That’s not his role.” Issa is also spearheading the No Rogue Rulings Act (NORRA Act) to get a House-wide vote this week, which would limit the ability of Boasberg and other district court judges from issuing rulings that affect Trump policies across the country, beyond their direct jurisdiction. That legislation is likely to pass with little if any Republican dissent. Two people familiar with discussions told Fox News Digital this month that Capitol Hill aides were told Trump “likes” the bill. House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., the No. 3 House Republican, also made clear leadership is united behind this week’s strategy. “Judges cannot act as pseudo-legislators to advance their political agenda; that’s not how our government works,” Emmer told Fox News Digital exclusively in a written statement. “I’m grateful for Chairman Jordan and Congressman Issa’s leadership in House Republicans’ efforts to ensure impartiality on the bench.” ‘WOEFULLY INSUFFICIENT’: US JUDGE REAMS TRUMP ADMIN FOR DAYS-LATE DEPORTATION INFO But it’s clear there’s an appetite among Republican judiciary hawks and conservatives to go further. Scalise would not go into specifics but vowed, “Everything’s being looked at, and all options are on the table.” Democrats are vowing to push back, with Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, accusing Trump of using judges as “scapegoats” for his policy setbacks. “This week’s efforts to distract from Trump’s serial violations of the Spending Clause, the separation of powers, the Birthright Citizenship Clause, Equal Protection, the First Amendment freedom of speech, Fifth Amendment Due Process and Sixth Amendment right to counsel will include a House hearing made for Trump’s viewing pleasure and a vote on a Republican bill to ban nationwide injunctions,” Raskin told Fox News Digital. “As my colleagues embark on this embarrassing diversion, Judiciary Democrats will remind them at every turn: it’s not the courts’ fault that Trump keeps losing these cases. No amount of finger pointing will shift responsibility from this rogue president who keeps deliberately trashing the Constitution and violating the rights and freedoms of the people of the United States.” There have been over a dozen injunctions levied against various Trump policies across the country, from birthright citizenship reform to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., met privately with Republican judiciary committee members last week for what sources called a “brainstorming” session. Ideas raised by lawmakers included a fast-tracked appeals process, wielding Congress’ spending power over the judiciary, and limiting the ability to “judge shop.” And some conservatives are eager to target specific judges they believe are abusing their power via the impeachment process, but House Republican leaders are wary of that route and believe it to be less effective than other legislative avenues. Conservatives could still force Johnson’s hand by filing a “privileged” impeachment resolution, meaning the House would have to at least hold a procedural vote on the measure within two legislative days. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Fox News Digital is not aware of any current plans to do so, and Johnson assured Republicans at their closed-door meeting last week that he was in contact with the White House every step of the way. Trump’s GOP Senate allies are rolling out their own strategy to push back on activist judges in the coming days, with the Senate Judiciary Committee teeing up a similar hearing to the House’s Tuesday event.
Trump’s pick for Joint Chiefs chair Daniel ‘Razin’ Caine set for Senate grilling
President Donald Trump’s nominee to be the U.S.’s top military officer is set to take the hot seat before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday. Lt. Gen. Daniel “Razin” Caine was plucked to replace Gen. C.Q. Brown, who Trump relieved of his role as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff last month. It will be Caine’s first highly publicized remarks since the shakeup. After testifying before the committee, he will have to pass a committee vote and then a full Senate vote. If confirmed, Caine would serve as a go-to adviser for both Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. TRUMP NOMINATES AIR FORCE LT. GEN. DAN ‘RAZIN’ CAINE FOR JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF CHAIRMAN Caine first caught the eye of the president years ago, when he was among a group of military leaders who met with Trump in December 2018 at the Al Asad Airbase in Iraq. Trump was visiting to deliver a Christmas message and hear from commanders on the ground. There, Caine told Trump they could defeat ISIS quickly with a surge of resources and a lifting of restrictions on engagement – a different message than the president was getting back in Washington. “We’re only hitting them from a temporary base in Syria,” Trump said Caine told him. “But if you gave us permission, we could hit them from the back, from the side, from all over – from the base that you’re right on, right now, sir. They won’t know what the hell hit them.” Trump had plucked the retired Air Force general from relative obscurity after accusing Brown of pushing a “woke” agenda at the Pentagon. Brown had been behind a 2022 memo laying out diversity goals for the Air Force. Caine does not meet the position’s prerequisites, such as being a combatant commander or service chief, and will require a waiver to be confirmed to the position. VANCE VISITS CAPITOL HILL TO URGE SENATORS TO CONFIRM ELBRIDGE COLBY FOR PENTAGON NO. 3 POST Caine’s reputation as an aggressive fighter pilot earned him the nickname “Razin Caine.” Caine, who flew F-16s, also spent time as the top military liaison to the CIA, an Air National Guard officer and regional airline founder in Texas. He was a White House fellow at the Agriculture Department and a counterterrorism specialist on the White House’s Homeland Security Council. From 2018-19, he was the deputy commander of Special Operations Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve, which has been fighting the Islamic State since 2014. Little is publicly known about his role in that operation. The role of airstrikes, however, grew during that time, including clandestine ones, and Trump designated airstrike approval to commanders rather than the White House. Critics viewed Caine as an unconventional pick who lacked the experience for the job – he had already retired from the military and held the rank of three-star general, not four. If confirmed, he would be tasked with providing the president with military advice at a time when Trump has toyed with bombing Iran and the Pentagon is shoring up its capabilities to ensure America is capable of winning a hypothetical war with China. The Pentagon is also in the midst of a major modernization push to integrate AI across its systems and will soon take up the monumental task of putting a “Golden Dome” over the U.S. homeland. It is currently trying to whittle down its civilian workforce by more than 50,000 people and identify waste in the agency with the largest budget.
Georgia governor expected to sign ‘Riley Gaines Act,’ which bans trans athletes from entering girls’ sports
The Georgia legislature passed a bill Monday along mostly party lines to prohibit transgender girls – or biological males – from participating in girls’ sports. S.B. 1, also known as the “Riley Gaines Act of 2025,” requires middle school, high school and college student athletes to compete on sports teams that align with their biological sex. Restrooms, locker rooms and sleeping quarters will also be restricted to only allow biological boys in the spaces designated for boys and biological girls in the spaces designated for girls. GEORGIA HOUSE PASSES ‘RILEY GAINES ACT’ THAT AIMS TO PROHIBIT TRANS ATHLETES FROM COMPETING IN FEMALE SPORTS The bill now heads to Republican Gov. Brian Kemp’s desk, and he is expected to sign the legislation. The measure was a priority for House Speaker Jon Burns and Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, both of whom are Republicans. “The General Assembly sent a clear message—biological men are not welcome in girls’ sports or spaces here in Georgia,” Burns said, according to Fox 5 Atlanta. Jones said the General Assembly “made a historic step toward achieving a critical goal for this session, the protection of women’s sports,” according to the outlet. “I want to thank all of the brave women and girls who shared their personal stories and helped shape this legislation,” Jones continued. “Their courage is commendable and ensures that the rights of female athletes are preserved and protected by law. I look forward to standing with Gov. Brian Kemp, Speaker Jon Burns and female athletes with their families around the state when the ‘Riley Gaines Act of 2025’ is signed into law.” The bill is named after Riley Gaines, a former collegiate swimmer who was put into the public spotlight when she criticized the participation of biological males in girls’ sports after she competed against Lia Thomas, a transgender swimmer who Gaines and other female athletes were forced to share a locker room with. CONTROVERSIAL TRANSGENDER SWIMMER LIA THOMAS VOWS TO FIGHT TRANS ATHLETE BANS AMID NATIONAL SHIFT ON ISSUE “Such a tremendous honor. There are few causes more worthy than protecting opportunities for the next generation,” Gaines wrote on X after the bill passed the Georgia House and Senate on Monday. More than 25 other states already prohibit biological males from participating in girls’ sports. The measure was passed on Transgender Day of Visibility, in which transgender people and their supporters march and hold community gatherings and rallies against legislation targeting LGBTQ+ people.
Georgia bill lowering threshold for proving intellectual disability in death penalty cases heads to Gov. Kemp
The Georgia Senate passed a bill on Monday easing the state’s strict burden of proof required for a death row inmate to be deemed intellectually disabled, which would make them ineligible for a death sentence. The Peach State currently has the highest threshold in the nation for a person to prove they have an intellectual disability, allowing them to avoid the death penalty. After a yearslong push to lessen requirements, the Senate approved H.B. 123 on Monday by a 53-1 vote. The measure now heads to Republican Gov. Brian Kemp’s desk after it was unanimously approved by the House earlier this month. Georgia became the first state to outlaw the death penalty for intellectually disabled people in 1988. The U.S. Supreme Court later followed suit and ruled in 2002 that executing intellectually disabled people violates constitutional protections against cruel and unusual punishment. GEORGIA HOUSE ADVANCES BILL TO EASE DEATH PENALTY LAW FOR INTELLECTUALLY DISABLED PEOPLE The Supreme Court allowed states to determine the threshold for a person to be considered intellectually disabled. Georgia requires proof of intellectual disability beyond a reasonable doubt, making it the only state with such a high burden of proof. H.B. 123 would lower the standard to a preponderance of evidence and amend trial procedures to ensure people facing a death sentence receive a fair chance at convincing judges and jurors of their disability. The bill would allow defendants to present evidence of intellectual disability at a pretrial hearing that would be mandatory if prosecutors agree. There would also be a separate process before the same jury for determining whether someone is guilty and has an intellectual disability. Defendants who are found to have an intellectual disability would be exempt from the death penalty and receive alternative sentences. In multiple cases in Georgia, lawyers have unsuccessfully argued that their clients had intellectual disabilities. Judges in some of these cases said they might have succeeded if the state’s rules were less strict. GEORGIA MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH SEEKS CLEMENCY ON GROUNDS OF INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY When the Georgia Supreme Court in 2021 upheld the death penalty for Rodney Young in a 2008 killing, the justices found he had failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he was intellectually disabled, but then-Presiding Justice David Nahmias wrote that he would “embrace” legislative efforts to lower the threshold. In another case, Warren Lee Hill was executed in Georgia in 2015 for killing a fellow detainee despite his lawyers arguing that he had an intellectual disability. In 2002, a judge said that if the state used a lower standard than reasonable doubt, Hill would likely have been found intellectually disabled. Willie James Pye, whose IQ was allegedly low enough to show he was intellectually disabled, was executed in 2024 after his conviction in the 1993 rape and shooting death of his former girlfriend, Alicia Lynn Yarbrough. Pye’s lawyers argued he was intellectually disabled and brain-damaged. In the House, Democratic Rep. Esther Panitch argued that executing people with intellectual disabilities is a “moral failure.” “How we protect the most vulnerable and intellectually disabled individuals facing the death penalty is the ultimate test of our collective moral character, and I submit that we must choose compassion over retribution and understanding over punishment,” Panitch said. LAWYERS FOR ‘MORBIDLY OBESE’ DEATH ROW INMATE ARGUE HIS WEIGHT COULD CAUSE BOTCHED LETHAL INJECTION District attorneys who opposed the rule change in the past have said more recently that they are fine with changing the reasonable doubt standard, but some have taken issue with a couple of procedural changes in the bill, including one that adds a pretrial hearing to determine whether someone has an intellectual disability that would be mandatory if prosecutors agree and another that establishes a separate process in a trial for determining whether someone is guilty and has an intellectual disability. Most states have these options, and lawyers say changing the reasonable doubt threshold will not stop intellectually disabled people from receiving the death penalty unless there are also procedural changes. Separate processes would allow jurors to evaluate whether someone is intellectually disabled without being influenced by the evidence of the crime the person committed, the lawyers argue. Some prosecutors allege that the bill would make it too difficult to pursue the death penalty and would prevent the practice from being carried out at all. They say that lawmakers should just ban the death penalty if that is their desire, but lawmakers have said that is not their intention. People would also have the option to receive sentences of life without parole if they are exempt from the death penalty, instead of just a life sentence. A Senate committee has also tweaked the bill so it would go into effect immediately and apply to all pending cases. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Trump, eyeing 3rd term, keeps attacking elite institutions – and many are caving
President Trump stirs up controversy, by design, on just about everything. And when the media, including me, cover this flood-the-zone approach, Trumpian allies rip the resulting stories and segments as reflecting an unhealthy negative obsession with the president. Memo to the pro-Trump zealots who go online and declare I hate the president, that’s objectively ridiculous. He was pleased with the two interviews I did with him during the campaign, and I was just over at the White House for a meeting with his team. But have your fun. HOW DONALD TRUMP DOMINATES THE NEWS, BOTH POSITIVELY AND NEGATIVELY You know how Trump has been kidding around about running for a third term? Well, he told Kristen Welker on “Meet the Press” he’s “not joking,” in an off-camera but on-the-record interview in which she had to describe his remarks. Sure it violates the 22nd Amendment, but there are workarounds, he said, adopting her suggestion that JD Vance could run in 2028 and then turn over the presidency to him. This is classic Trump – it’s a joke until it’s not. I happen to think he’s trolling the press and won’t do it – he’d be 82 – but with the Democrats in such sorry shape, who really knows? Now he undoubtedly called Welker because the Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg was a guest (insisting, by the way, that he does too know national security adviser Michael Waltz), and made other news. Trump said he is “pissed” at Russia for dragging its feet on a Ukraine peace deal, and IF he concludes that he may hit the Kremlin with more sanctions. This is noteworthy because he almost never criticizes Vladimir Putin – and sanctions won’t do much because of our minimal trade with Russia – but notice there’s no Trump sound bite to be replayed. Also, on American cars costing more because of his tariff war, the president said “I couldn’t care less if they raised prices because people are going to start buying American-made cars.” Imagine if Joe Biden had said that. He’d already have been impeached, with many cutting off the sound bite after the first eight words. Meanwhile, the market plummeted again yesterday over uncertainty over the tariffs that are about to take effect, and is on track for a horrible quarter. On his vow to take control of Greenland, Welker quoted Trump as saying “I never take military force off the table, but I think there’s a good possibility we could do it without military force.” That’s a relief. TRUMP TEASES RUNNING FOR A THIRD TERM: ‘NOT JOKING’ I talk and write about most of the major Trump controversies – there are always ones I can’t get to because of the fire-hose approach – which is of course as he likes it. Negative coverage helps him as much as positive coverage, as I’ve been saying for the more than three decades I’ve known him, because it means he’s driving the news agenda. I mean, the guy will talk about anything. When Kid Rock insisted on bringing Bill Maher to have dinner with Trump, the president said he’d do it as a favor to Kid but: “The problem is, no matter how much he likes your Favorite President, ME, he will publicly proclaim what a terrible guy I am, etc…Who knows, though, maybe I’ll be proven wrong? It might be fun or, it might not, but you will be the first to know!” I wonder if the president’s aware of how Maher beats up on the left. Maher’s response to critics: “If two guys who’ve been at each other for so long — I mean, it’s kind of a Nixon to China thing. There was nobody who was harder on Trump…It will probably accomplish very little, but you gotta try, man, you gotta try.” COMEDIAN BILL MAHER ACCEPTS TRUMP’S WHITE HOUSE INVITATION, SPARKS DEBATE Trump has launched a series of harsh attacks against major institutions, the latest being some of the world’s biggest law firms. Skadden, Arps has agreed to provide $100 million in free services to the White House. Paul, Weiss has agreed to $40 million in pro bono work. The alternative: Getting hit with an executive order which would bar the firms from reviewing classified documents, and therefore unable to help corporate clients. And sometimes that’s because a single prosecutor who investigated Trump works or worked there. Three other large law firms have sued the administration and won an initial round in court. As for academia, Columbia University has been acting conciliatory in hopes of regaining $400 million in frozen federal funds because of its failure to crack down on anti-Semitism. Unable to work it out, the school’s interim president has resigned, with longtime television journalist Claire Shipman taking over on a temporary basis. Columbia is obviously a test case. And then there are Trump’s lawsuits against CBS, NBC and the Des Moines Register. Remember, ABC paid Trump $16 million to settle a suit about George Stephanopoulos’ comments about sexual assault. JUDGES V TRUMP: HERE ARE THE KEY COURT BATTLES HALTING THE WHITE HOUSE AGENDA The New York Times says: “An Ivy League university. Distinguished law firms with Fortune 500 clients. The highest levels of government in the nation’s largest city. “As President Trump seeks to extract concessions from elite institutions and punish his perceived enemies, some of New York’s most powerful people are suddenly confronting excruciating decisions. “The hard choices they face seem almost to be pulled from the pages of a college ethics textbook.” Politico co-founder John Harris, with his staff, conjured up a great phrase on the reaction to these aggressive moves by Trump: the “Great Grovel.” “One after another, a parade of the wealthiest and most elite institutions in American life since last November have found themselves confronted by unprecedented demands from President Donald Trump and his team of retribution-seekers. “One after another, these establishment pillars have met these demands with the same response: capitulation and compliance.” SUBSCRIBE TO HOWIE’S MEDIA BUZZMETER PODCAST, A
Trump admin withholds millions from Planned Parenthood for civil rights and executive order violations: report
President Donald Trump‘s administration told several Planned Parenthood affiliates on Monday that it was withholding funding due to possible violations of civil rights laws, according to reports. Politico reported that tens of millions of dollars were being withheld from Planned Parenthood clinics that provide low-income Americans services like contraception, STI testing and other health services. On Monday, nine state affiliates of Planned Parenthood that receive money from the federal government through Title X, a family planning program, got notices saying their funding was being “temporarily withheld.” The publication said that the letter, which was provided by Planned Parenthood, pointed toward “possible violations” of Trump’s executive orders – like the banning of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs – and federal civil rights laws. PLANNED PARENTHOOD APPEARS TO SCRUB INSTAGRAM AS FEARS OF DOGE CUTS LOOM Another policy by Trump that the family planning program allegedly violated had to do with “taxpayer subsidization of open borders.” The Planned Parenthood chapters that received the letters were mostly in GOP-controlled states, the publication noted. The administration also pointed to evidence of violations by citing the mission statement from the clinic, as well as other documents that stress a “commitment to black communities.” The deputy director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Public Affairs, Amy Margolis, reportedly argued that those materials “paint a picture of Planned Parenthood” suggesting it is “engaged, across its affiliates, in widespread practices across hiring, operations, and patient treatment that unavoidably employ race in a negative manner.” FEDS GAVE $700M TO PLANNED PARENTHOOD DURING YEAR OF RECORD ABORTIONS The letter also accuses Planned Parenthood of encouraging illegal aliens to receive care. Planned Parenthood has 10 days to respond to the letter and provide evidence it plans to comply with the president’s executive orders. Once provided, the administration will determine whether to suspend or terminate the grants. Planned Parenthood and HHS did not respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment on the matter. In a social media post, Planned Parenthood wrote, “When we say, ‘Care no matter what,’ we mean it. Planned Parenthood health centers’ doors are open to everyone. Period. We’ve fought to protect your care for decades and won’t stop now.” In another post, Planned Parenthood directed its supporters to its website to submit a letter to Congress regarding the funding. NEW REPORT EXPOSES BOTCHED PROCEDURES, POOR CONDITIONS AT PLANNED PARENTHOOD ABORTION CLINICS “The Trump admin withholding Title X funds further strips health care from people across this country,” the post read. “We know what happens when Title X funding is taken away: cancer goes undetected, birth control access is severely reduced, and the STI crisis worsens. People will suffer.” HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon reportedly told Politico that payments to 16 Title X providers were being withheld, including nine Planned Parenthood affiliates. The reasoning behind the withholding, Nixon explained, is “to ensure these entities are in full compliance with Federal law and applicable grant terms, and to ensure responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars.” He further noted that out of Title X’s over $200 million budget, $27.5 million was frozen and under review.
Federal judge postpones DHS’s attempt to end Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelans
A U.S. District judge in San Francisco, California, on Monday granted a motion to postpone the Trump administration’s attempt to end temporary protected status (TPS) for Venezuelan nationals, which was granted under a program implemented by the Biden administration. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem announced actions three days after being sworn into her role to strip nearly 350,000 Venezuelan nationals of their protection under the TPS program, which allows them to live and work temporarily in the U.S. By stripping the Venezuelans of their TPS status, the court said Noem is subjecting them to “possible imminent deportation” back to their country, which the State Department has categorized as a “Level 4: Do Not Travel” country because of the “high risk of wrongful detentions, terrorism, kidnapping, the arbitrary enforcement of local laws, crime, civil unrest, [and] poor health infrastructure.” The action would reverse the Biden administration’s efforts to extend temporary protections of Venezuelan nations that have been in place since 2021. TRUMP ADMIN PULLING LEGAL STATUS FOR MORE THAN 530K MIGRANTS U.S. District Judge Edward Chen of the San Francisco Federal Court granted a postponement of Noem’s order on Monday, saying, “The Court finds that the Secretary’s action threatens to: inflict irreparable harm on hundreds of thousands of persons whose lives, families, and livelihoods will be severely disrupted, cost the United States billions in economic activity, and injure public health and safety in communities throughout the United States.” Chen also said the government has failed to identify “any real countervailing harm” in continuing TPS for Venezuelan beneficiaries. “Plaintiffs have also shown they will likely succeed in demonstrating that the actions taken by the Secretary are unauthorized by law, arbitrary and capricious, and motivated by unconstitutional animus,” Chen wrote. “For these reasons, the Court grants Plaintiffs’ request to postpone the challenged actions pending final adjudication of the merits of this case.” DHS’ KRISTI NOEM SAYS TRUMP ADMIN WILL RESUME CONSTRUCTION OF 7 MILES OF SOUTHERN BORDER Fox News Digital has reached out to DHS for comment on the decision. The National TPS Alliance – an organization representing individuals with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) in the U.S. – and individuals from Venezuela who have TPS challenged the Trump administration’s decision to terminate TPS for Venezuelans in the U.S., argue that Noem’s action was unlawful and motivated by racial bias. Venezuelan migrants were allowed to fly directly to the U.S. after applying from abroad under a policy started during the Biden administration that was designed to open legal migration pathways, but President Donald Trump suspended the program when he returned to office in January. JUDGE GIVES MAHMOUD KHALIL LEGAL TEAM MORE TIME TO REVIEW IMMIGRATION CASE The Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela program, CHNV, allowed migrants and their immediate family members to fly into the U.S. if they had American sponsors. They could then remain in the country for two years under a temporary immigration status known as parole. The program first applied to Venezuelans before it was expanded to additional countries. Trump’s efforts to remove legal and illegal migrants from the U.S. since taking office in January as part of his immigration agenda have faced numerous legal obstacles. The Trump administration is also reportedly dismantling internal watchdogs for DHS, including its Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, which investigated allegations of abuse and discrimination within immigration enforcement, according to Bloomberg News. Fox News Digital’s Landon Mion contributed to this report.