SCOOP: Bill preventing activist judges from blocking Trump’s agenda backed by White House
FIRST ON FOX: President Donald Trump has shown interest in a House GOP bill that would block federal judges from issuing nationwide injunctions, two sources familiar with discussions told Fox News Digital. Top White House aides communicated to senior Capitol Hill staff this week that “the president wants this,” the sources said. They said the White House felt that time was of the essence in the matter and that Trump wanted Congress to move swiftly. It comes after various U.S. district court judges issued more than a dozen nationwide orders at least temporarily blocking Trump’s executive orders. The bill by Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., if it passed Congress and was signed into law, would bar such judges in most cases from blocking Trump policies on a national scale. INJUNCTION LIFTED ON TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDERS SLASHING FEDERAL DEI SUPPORT Issa’s office did not directly confirm whether or not the exchange occurred but told Fox News Digital, “President Trump knows we need a national solution to this major malfunction in the federal judiciary, and we think we have the momentum to get this done.” A White House official told Fox News Digital they would not get ahead of the president on legislative matters. But the idea has appeared to gain traction in the upper levels of the White House. Trump Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller complained on X twice on Thursday about federal district judges having the ability to affect policies for the entire country, though he did not mention Issa’s bill specifically. “It takes 5 Supreme Court justices to issue a ruling that affects the whole nation. Yet lone District Court judges assume the authority to unilaterally dictate the policies of the entire executive branch of government,” Miller posted. TRUMP ASKS SUPREME COURT TO REVIEW BAN ON BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP He posted again later, “Under what theory of the constitution does a single Marxist judge in San Francisco have the same executive power as the Commander-in-Chief elected by the whole nation to lead the executive branch? No such theory exists. It is merely naked judicial tyranny.” Issa’s legislation reads, “Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no United States district court shall issue any order providing for injunctive relief, except in the case of such an order that is applicable only to limit the actions of a party to the case before such district court with respect to the party seeking injunctive relief from such district court.” The bill advanced through the House Judiciary Committee earlier this month. Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, told CNN on Wednesday, “We think that’s good. We passed it through the committee. We’ll try to look to pass it on the House floor and move it through the process.” Jordan told Fox News Digital last month he thought Issa’s bill “makes sense” and the committee would “try to move fairly quick on that bill.” Fox News Digital reached out to the House Judiciary Committee for comment on Trump’s backing of Issa’s bill but did not hear back by press time. But it comes amid some disagreements among congressional Republicans about how to heed Trump’s call to deal with “activist” judges. Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, recently introduced a resolution to impeach U.S. District Judge James Boasberg after he ordered a 14-day emergency stop to Trump’s plans to deport suspected Tren De Aragua gang members to El Salvador. Gill argued that Boasberg abused his power in doing so, and told Fox News Digital this week that he hoped the resolution would go through the regular committee process – something Jordan seemed open to. TRUMP SCORES BIG LEGAL WIN AGAINST PULITZER PRIZE BOARD MEMBERS AS LAWSUIT MOVES TO DISCOVERY Jordan told multiple outlets he would potentially hold hearings on Gill’s resolution, which is a traditional step in the impeachment inquiry process. Trump posted on Truth Social earlier this week that he wanted Boasberg impeached as well. But multiple sources told Fox News Digital that House GOP leaders are more wary of the impeachment route, given the virtual guarantee that such a move would not get the necessary Democrats to pass the Senate. “It’s another intense whipping process for something that won’t move at all in the Senate,” one senior House GOP aide said. “I think the White House is trying to find something easier to do.” Speaker Mike Johnson’s office told Fox News Digital that he was looking at all available options when reached for comment on House Republicans’ path forward on Thursday morning. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Activist judges with political agendas pose a significant threat to the rule of law, equal justice, and the separation of powers. The Speaker looks forward to working with the Judiciary Committee as they review all available options under the Constitution to address this urgent matter,” a spokesperson for Johnson, R-La., said. Fox News Digital also reached out to the Senate Judiciary Committee on whether it would take up the legislation. Fox News Digital’s Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report
Feds accuse Minnesota state senator of soliciting a minor for sex
Republican Minnesota state Sen. Justin Eichorn has been charged with attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota noted in a press release. An affidavit signed by an FBI special agent details how Eichorn, who had actually been corresponding with law enforcement, allegedly arranged to pay for sex. “Bloomington Police Department detectives communicated with the man who thought he was talking to a 17-year-old female. On March 17, a detective arranged to meet with the male at a location near the 8300 block of Normandale Avenue in Bloomington,” a press release on the bloomingtonmn.gov website states. “The male, identified as Justin David Eichorn, age 40, of Grand Rapids, Minn. was observed arriving in the area by pickup truck. Eichorn was arrested without incident outside of his vehicle by uniformed Bloomington Police Officers.” MINNESOTA REPUBLICANS TO INTRODUCE BILL DEFINING ‘TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME’ AS MENTAL ILLNESS Fox News Digital reached out to Eichorn’s office on Thursday to request a comment from the state lawmaker, but no comment was provided by publication time. The affidavit notes that “the undercover law enforcement phone number received text messages from XXX-XXX-9711 (hereinafter, the Suspect). These texts included, ‘Hey [fictitious name] I saw your post and [sic] chance you are still available tonight?’ and later, ‘What’s a guy gota [sic]do to get with the hottest girl online tonight.’” The suspect continued communication even after an undercover law enforcement officer posing as the girl said she was 17 years old. The affidavit states that “after again inquiring about the undercover officer’s age, the Suspect wrote, ‘Ok will ya send me a naught pic of you to show me your real?’” SANCTUARY CITY LAWYERS PLOT TO HELP ILLEGAL MIGRANTS EVADE ICE IN EXPOSED GROUP EMAIL Other texts showed the suspect asking about pricing and setting up a meeting. Police found cash and an unopened condom in Eichorn’s truck, the affidavit notes. “As a 40-year-old man, if you come to the Orange Jumpsuit District looking to have sex with someone’s child, you can expect that we are going to lock you up,” Bloomington Police Chief Booker Hodges said, according to the press release. PROPOSED BILL WOULD REQUIRE LAW ENFORCEMENT IN BLUE STATE TO COOPERATE WITH ICE: ‘A LINE OF COMMUNICATION’ CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “I have always advocated stiffer penalties for these types of offenses. The recent case involving Michael Gillis who was arrested in Bloomington is a prime example of why we need stronger penalties. We need our state legislature to take this case and this type of conduct more seriously.” Senate Republicans planned to move on Thursday morning to expel Eichorn from the state Senate, according to a Senate Republican statement provided to Fox News Digital by the caucus spokesperson. “There is no question that these charges merit expulsion,” Senate Republican Leader Mark Johnson noted. “We owe it to the public to hold our members to the highest standards, and this violation of the public trust is so severe we must act. It is my hope that this quick resolution gives Senator Eichorn time to focus on his family.”
WH may reverse decision to kill Biden-Maduro oil deal, apply tariffs instead to avoid hurting US firms
FIRST ON FOX: President Donald Trump has signaled an openness to holding off on killing an oil deal forged between former President Joe Biden and Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, after he previously ordered Chevron and other U.S. firms to close up shop in oil-rich Venezuela. Several Cabinet secretaries, including the Department of Energy’s Chris Wright, the Department of the Interior’s Doug Burgum and the Department of Commerce’s Howard Lutnick, were present during a meeting at the White House yesterday, which also featured several oil executives and representatives of energy advocacy groups. A source familiar with the events told Fox News Digital there was a brainstorming session as to how best to deal with Maduro and also help grow U.S. energy dominance and strengthen U.S. oil firms. Trump reportedly explored ways to incentivize oil imports that would align with U.S. foreign policy goals while benefiting American consumers and workers. VENEZUELAN OPPO LEADER JOINS CUBAN-BORN GOP LAWMAKER IN PRAISING TRUMP ON VENEZUELA STANCE Lutnick reportedly floated the idea of increasing pressure on Maduro by tariffing Venezuela instead of revoking leases for what are U.S. oil firms, Fox News Digital has learned. Trump was warm to the idea, as he has long advocated a hardline stance against the Caracas dictatorship, said the source, who declined to be identified. Trump charged in February that the Maduro regime had not lived up to its end of the deal forged by his Delawarean predecessor, particularly in the form of election reform after the dictator “won” the latest disputed contest last year. “We are hereby reversing the concessions that Crooked Joe Biden gave to Nicolás Maduro, of Venezuela, on the oil transaction agreement, dated November 26, 2022,” Trump announced on Truth Social. “Additionally, the regime has not been transporting the violent criminals that they sent into our Country (the Good Ole’ U.S.A.) back to Venezuela at the rapid pace that they had agreed to.” RUBIO: MADURO A ‘HORRIBLE DICTATOR’ Trump called Biden’s agreement “ineffective and unmet” and ordered U.S. oil firms to begin winding down their presence in the country starting March 1. Maduro deputy Delcy Rodriguez called the move “damaging and inexplicable.” The source familiar with the meeting told Fox News Digital that Trump has indicated he wants to balance U.S. foreign policy challenges while seeing that the U.S. benefits from the heavy crude that Venezuela produces – which is tailor-made for the types of refineries that dot the Gulf Coast domestically and create U.S. jobs. Fox News Digital reached out to Lutnick, Wright and the White House for comment. Wright previously told Reuters after the meeting that Trump’s “whole economic agenda is to lower prices in the United States and grow job opportunities in the United States.” Earlier this month in Miami, Fox News Digital was one of a few media outlets on hand when Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla. – whose family fled the Castro dictatorship in the 1960s – hosted Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó at an event praising the Trump administration’s hardline stance toward dictatorship. In an exclusive interview, Gimenez said Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua are “all pretty much tied together” in the fact they are dictatorial regimes repressing their own people. “I expect this is just the first step in trying to liberate these countries. The people of Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua deserve freedom,” he said of Trump’s initial overtures toward Venezuela. During the event, Guaidó also offered remarks in Spanish praising Trump and slamming Central American despots. “[W]e need a strong, prosperous and safe Latin America – and one that will be safe, with democracy and freedom,” he said. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “I have no doubt in President Trump, and in the message that he is sending directly to the heart of those who financed the coup d’état perpetrated by the dictatorship on July 28, 2024 (the disputed/corrupt re-election of Maduro)…” he said. “It is accurate, correct and timely to confront that dictatorship and also [send] a message to those who today usurp [power] in Cuba and Nicaragua that they will not have impunity,” Guaidó added. Venezuela had long been a friendly oil-trading partner of the U.S. until the leftist regime took root following the 1998 and 2000 elections under the rule of the late Hugo Chavez and foreign policy challenges arose.
Speaker Johnson says GOP looking at ‘all available options’ to address ‘activist judges’ opposing Trump
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Republicans in the lower chamber are reviewing tools available to take on “activist judges” as President Donald Trump sees resistance from the judiciary in implementing his agenda. “Activist judges with political agendas pose a significant threat to the rule of law, equal justice, and the separation of powers. The Speaker looks forward to working with the Judiciary Committee as they review all available options under the Constitution to address this urgent matter,” a spokesperson for Johnson’s office told Fox News Digital in a statement. WHO IS JAMES BOASBERG, THE US JUDGE AT THE CENTER OF TRUMP’S DEPORTATION EFFORTS? News that the House is considering possible actions to rein in the federal judiciary comes after the latest Trump restriction, wherein U.S. District Judge James Boasberg granted an emergency order to temporarily halt the administration’s deportation flights of illegal immigrants. The judge granted the order to review the 1798 wartime-era Alien Enemies Act being invoked by the administration in order to immediately deport Venezuelan nationals and alleged members of the violent gang Tren de Aragua. FEDERAL JUDGE ORDERS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TO PAY ‘UNLAWFULLY’ RESTRICTED USAID FUNDS Trump appeared to call for Boasberg’s impeachment after the order. “This judge, like many of the Crooked Judges’ I am forced to appear before, should be IMPEACHED!!! WE DON’T WANT VICIOUS, VIOLENT, AND DEMENTED CRIMINALS, MANY OF THEM DERANGED MURDERERS, IN OUR COUNTRY. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!” he remarked in a post to Truth Social. HERE’S WHY DOZENS OF LAWSUITS SEEKING TO QUASH TRUMP’S EARLY ACTIONS AS PRESIDENT ARE FAILING In a separate post, Trump said, “If a President doesn’t have the right to throw murderers, and other criminals, out of our Country because a Radical Left Lunatic Judge wants to assume the role of President, then our Country is in very big trouble, and destined to fail!” JUDGE BLOCKS TRUMP ADMIN FROM TARGETING DEMOCRATIC LAW FIRM AFTER ATTORNEYS WARN OF FIRM’S DEMISE Republicans have continued to criticize the flow of temporary restraining orders against Trump’s administration from judges across the country. Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff for policy and Homeland Security advisor, wrote on X on Thursday, “Under what theory of the Constitution does a single Marxist judge in San Francisco have the same executive power as the Commander-in-Chief elected by the whole nation to lead the executive branch? No such theory exists. It is merely naked judicial tyranny.” As the House explores options to address the issue, the Senate is also expected to investigate. The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on the subject in the coming weeks.
Pentagon to appeal judge’s decision blocking transgender ban, Hegseth says
The Pentagon will appeal a federal judge’s decision to block the Trump administration’s ban on transgender troops, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday night. Biden-appointed Washington, D.C., Judge Ana Reyes ruled the ban unconstitutionally discriminates on the basis of sex, saying it was “soaked in animus” and “dripping with pretext.” “We are appealing this decision, and we will win,” Hegseth posted on X. In her opinion, Reyes savaged the policy and issued an order that blocks the Defense Department from removing transgender service members from the military. VA RESCINDS 2018 DIRECTIVE ON TRANSGENDER TREATMENTS, ALIGNING WITH TRUMP ‘TWO SEXES’ EO “Its language is unabashedly demeaning, its policy stigmatizes transgender persons as inherently unfit, and its conclusions bear no relation to fact,” she said. “The cruel irony is that thousands of transgender servicemembers have sacrificed – some risking their lives – to ensure for others the very equal protection rights the Military Ban seeks to deny them.” Reyes’ order gives the Trump administration until Friday to file an appeal. “The ban at bottom invokes derogatory language to target a vulnerable group in violation of the Fifth Amendment,” Reyes said. “The President has the power – indeed the obligation – to ensure military readiness,” she wrote in her 79-page opinion. “At times, however, leaders have used concern for military readiness to deny marginalized persons the privilege of serving.” The Justice Department (DOJ) has filed a complaint against Reyes, accusing her of potential bias and misconduct. FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS TRUMP’S TRANSGENDER MILITARY EXECUTIVE ORDER “This is the latest example of an activist judge attempting to seize power at the expense of the American people who overwhelmingly voted to elect President Trump,” a DOJ spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “The Department of Justice has vigorously defended President Trump’s executive actions, including the Defending Women Executive Order, and will continue to do so.” Around 4,200 service members, 0.2%, are transgender, according to DOD. In a January executive order, President Donald Trump argued the Pentagon had been afflicted with “radical gender ideology”and the “adoption of a gender identity inconsistent with an individual’s sex conflicts with a soldier’s commitment to an honorable, truthful and disciplined lifestyle, even in one’s personal life.” “The Armed Forces have been afflicted with radical gender ideology to appease activists unconcerned with the requirements of military service like physical and mental health, selflessness, and unit cohesion,” the executive order read. TRANSGENDER SAILORS, MARINES OFFERED BENEFITS TO VOLUNTARILY LEAVE SERVICE OR FACE BEING KICKED OUT Service members filed suit when the Pentagon in February issued new policy guidance warning that transgender troops would be pushed out of the military. It had not yet forced any troops out, but encouraged them to voluntarily separate. Reyes said plaintiffs “face a violation of their constitutional rights, which constitutes irreparable harm.” White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller condemned Reyes’ ruling on X, writing, “District court judges have now decided they are in command of the Armed Forces… is there no end to this madness?” In 2016, a DOD policy permitted transgender people to serve openly in the military, but Trump, during his first term, reversed that order. The Supreme Court allowed that ban to take effect. President Joe Biden reversed the ban. Six service members and two people wanting to enlist in the military sued the government in January over Trump’s executive order. Later, about a dozen others, including nine on active duty, joined the suit. Their attorneys, from the National Center for Lesbian Rights and GLAD Law, said transgender troops “seek nothing more than the opportunity to continue dedicating their lives to defending the Nation.” Fox News’ Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.
Dem senator refuses to address relationship with founder of Soros-funded ‘propaganda’ news network
Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy is refusing to address reports he is romantically involved with a former Democratic political operative running a Soros-funded media network masquerading as independent media. Murphy, who recently announced separation from his wife after nearly two decades together, was recently photographed having a cozy dinner with Tara McGowan, the founder and publisher of Courier Newsroom, a progressive media group that has received millions of dollars in funding from liberal mega-donors such as George Soros. Fox News Digital recently asked Murphy on Capitol Hill about his involvement with McGowan. “I’m not going to talk about that,” Murphy responded. SEVERAL DEMOCRATS TO BOYCOTT TRUMP’S ‘PEP RALLY’ SPEECH TO CONGRESS McGowan has long held ties with the Democratic Party, working on former President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign before serving in top positions at Priorities Action USA, a Democratic super PAC, and ACRONYM, a Democrat-focused digital advocacy group. The Murphy-tied strategist founded Courier Newsroom, a left-leaning media group that has received millions from the Fund for Policy Reform, an advocacy group founded by Soros. In 2021, Gabby Deutch, who the Washington Post described as “the Washington correspondent for NewsGuard, a New York-based nonpartisan organization that reviews news sites to combat misinformation,” penned an op-ed criticizing Courier Newsroom as a “political operation” and argued it is “exploiting the widespread loss of local journalism to create and disseminate something we really don’t need: hyperlocal partisan propaganda.” ‘STUNNING AND BRAVE’: DEM SENATOR MOCKED AFTER HYPING ALL-NIGHTER STUNT IN PROTEST OF TRUMP NOMINEE Fund for Policy Reform provided Courier Newsroom with three grants totaling $5 million in 2021 and 2022 to “support its non-partisan journalism, which aims to further the common good and general welfare of U.S. communities by providing access to information,” its grant database shows, as previously reported by Fox News Digital. McGowan was also in close quarters with former President Joe Biden’s administration, visiting the Biden White House nearly 20 times by April 2024. Murphy and McGowan were spotted getting close at a Washington, D.C., watering hole earlier this month, according to the New York Post, with a source telling the outlet the pair was getting “cutesy.” The outlet reported that Murphy is still married to his wife, Washington, D.C., lawyer Cathy Holahan, and that neither has filed for divorce in Connecticut nor Washington, D.C. The couple did announce they were separating in November, shortly after Murphy won re-election. Murphy has positioned himself as one of the most prominent Democrat critics of President Donald Trump, which has caused many to speculate he is interested in a run for the White House in the future. “Chris Murphy Emerges as a Clear Voice for Democrats Countering Trump,” a recent New York Times headline read with an article that was reposted on Murphy’s website. Fox News Digital reached out to McGowan for comment. Fox News Digital’s Cameron Cawthorne contributed to this post.
Trump still needs Congress’ help with plan to abolish Education Department
President Donald Trump could begin to dismantle the Department of Education via an executive order, but he would need congressional approval in order to officially abolish the agency. Trump is expected to sign the order to start dissolving the department in an effort to “turn over education to families instead of bureaucracies,” according to a White House fact sheet previously reported by Fox News Digital. If Trump signs such an order, expected as soon as Thursday, he can significantly diminish the department. However, the entire agency cannot be outright abolished unless Congress passes legislation that addresses the laws establishing the department. The Education Department was established in 1979 after Congress passed the Department of Education Organization Act, signed into law by former President Jimmy Carter. Republicans, including former President Ronald Reagan, have since spent decades calling for the department to be dismantled in an effort to allow educational decisions to be determined at the state and local level. EDUCATION LEADERS SAY TRUMP DISMANTLING KEY GOVERNMENT AGENCY ‘SAVED EDUCATION’ Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., reintroduced legislation in January to abolish the department, stating, “the Department of Education shall terminate on December 31, 2026.” EDUCATION DEPT LAUNCHES WIDESPREAD CIVIL RIGHTS PROBE: A LOOK AT WHAT THE AGENCY AS TRUMP EYES SHUTDOWN In order to pass any legislation, Trump would need congressional approval from a supermajority in Congress to eliminate the department, according to Andrew Stoltmann, an attorney and law professor. “President Trump does not have the ability to eliminate a federal department. Eliminating it would require congressional action, including a supermajority of 60 votes in the Senate,” Stoltmann told Fox News Digital. “So, even if Trump can follow through with what he says, he has to pull in some Democrats in the Senate, and that will likely be impossible.” Jamie E. Wright, a political pundit and founder of the Wright Law Firm, also previously told Fox News Digital that there could be obstacles to passing such a bill. “To pass such a bill successfully into law would require backing from members of Congress for the president’s agenda to advance smoothly through the legislative process — an endeavor that may present obstacles should opposition arise from legislators who consider the Department of Education crucial in ensuring consistent national educational guidelines and federal funding allocation for education initiatives,” Wright told Fox. Trump has promised since his 2024 presidential campaign that he would work to close the department during his second term, tapping Education Secretary Linda McMahon to head the agency to quickly “put herself out of a job.” During her confirmation hearing in February, McMahon acknowledged that the administration would need approval from Congress to move forward with actions to abolish the agency. “Certainly, President Trump understands that we’ll be working with Congress,” McMahon told the members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. “We’d like to do this right. We’d like to make sure that we are presenting a plan that I think our senators could get on board with, and our Congress could get on board with, that would have a better functioning Department of Education, but it certainly does require congressional action.” The administration has already taken steps to gut the department, beginning with the canceling of hundreds of millions of dollars in grants funding diversity, equity, and inclusion in schools and cutting nearly half its workforce. Savannah Newhouse, a Department of Education spokesperson, previously told Fox News Digital amid cuts to the department, that “President Trump’s goal is to cut federal bureaucracy and return education authority to the states because the dollars and decision-making should be closest to students.” The department currently oversees some funding, managing student loans, financial aid and enforcing nondiscrimination policies in schools, while most education itself is dealt with at the state level. Newhouse added that “despite misconceptions, the Department of Education does not control school curricula, decide teacher pay, set who qualifies for student aid and how much they receive, operate schools, or serve as the primary source of funding for schools.” Fox News Digital reached out to the Department of Education for further comment but did not immediately receive a response.
Can Maine’s high school sports authority dodge Title IX? Conservative legal experts say no
Maine’s primary governing body for high school athletics claims it isn’t liable for Title IX violations since it receives no federal funding, but Title IX legal experts call that argument “weak.” The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) determined earlier this week that the Maine Department of Education, the Maine Principals’ Association (MPA) and Greely High School in Cumberland violated Title IX by continuing to allow biological males to compete in women’s sports. However, in a formal response to HHS’ finding, the MPA asserted that it could not be investigated for violating Title IX because it does not receive federal funds, either “directly” or “indirectly.” “This is an incredibly weak argument by the Maine Principals’ Association. It is no different than any one of the pass through funding options we’ve seen with Title IX in the past,” said Sarah Perry, a senior legal fellow with the Heritage Foundation who has experience litigating Title IX issues. Perry pointed to the NCAA as an example, noting that courts have found it liable under Title IX because it manages billions in sports revenue in its role overseeing schools that receive direct federal funding. HHS EXPANDS TITLE IX PROBE IN MAINE TO INCLUDE STATE ASSOCIATION GOVERNING ATHLETICS, EMBATTLED HIGH SCHOOL “The NCAA is a secondary recipient of federal funding because all of its member organization schools are themselves recipients of federal funding and that is precisely the basis for which Riley Gaines and a number of other NCAA swimmers sued the NCAA for violation of Title IX,” Perry pointed out. Kristen Waggoner is president and general counsel of Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative, Christian legal advocacy group and nonprofit. She also has experience litigating Title IX issues and called the MPA’s argument “weak.” “Courts have consistently held that sports associations must comply with Title IX, even if they don’t directly pocket federal dollars. In fact, if an association has ‘controlling authority’ over entities that receive federal funds, courts have concluded Title IX still binds the association,” Waggoner said. “In this situation, it appears the MPA has significant control over sports in the state, as schools have delegated authority to them. The MPA isn’t simply a bystander.” TRUMP ADMIN PAUSES $175M IN FEDERAL FUNDING TO UPENN OVER INCLUSION OF TRANS ATHLETES IN WOMEN’S SPORTS In a separate statement from MPA following HHS’ determination it had violated Title IX, the association said the issue of transgender athletes’ participation in sports was a “policy question” that needed to be decided by the Maine legislature and by Congress. They added that their only intention was to follow the law, and currently their legal counsel was advising them to follow Maine’s Human Rights law, which requires athletic participation be determined by one’s preferred gender identity. Gov. Janet Mills, a Democrat, has backed the argument that officials should follow state law in determining athletic eligibility for transgender athletes. She has also directly challenged President Donald Trump over his push to keep males and females separate in sports. Last month, Mills and Trump got into a public battle over the matter during a meeting with various governors at the White House, during which Mills told Trump she would “see [him] in court.” Perry said she anticipates it will take future litigation to iron out the issue completely, telling Fox News Digital that until the Supreme Court clarifies that Title IX terminology on sex means only male and female, “we’re going to continue to have these governors who are going to weigh in, and they’re going to find every which way from Sunday” to prevent the federal government from stripping funds. JUDGE RULES AGAINST FEMALE ATHLETES SEEKING MANDATORY GENDER TESTING IN NCAA TO COMBAT TRANS INCLUSION “Maine has made very clear – Minnesota, Michigan have made very clear – all under Democratic leadership and governorship – that they are going to fight tooth and nail to prevent the loss of their federal funds, but also to continue to promote what is the prevailing narrative on gender identitarianism.” In a statement to Fox News Digital, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly slammed the MPA for choosing to assert “it has the legal power to discriminate against biological women” rather than “simply protect women’s sports.” “The Trump administration is committed to upholding common sense and rejecting gender insanity,” she said. State Rep. Laurel Libby, R-Auburn, echoed Kelly’s sentiment in a statement to Fox News Digital, blasting Maine’s leaders for “continu[ing] to pass the buck instead of taking responsibility for allowing biological males to compete in girls’ sports.” “Rather than focusing on legal loopholes to avoid accountability, the MPA should prioritize fairness, safety, and equal opportunity for Maine’s female athletes,” Libby said. “Every girl in Maine deserves a level playing field, and the MPA’s refusal to uphold that standard is a disservice to them.”
Trump DOJ drops Biden-era legal challenge to Texas border security law
The Trump administration is moving to drop a Biden-era legal challenge to a Texas immigration law that allows state and local police to arrest people suspected of illegally crossing the U.S. border into Texas. The Justice Department filed a voluntary dismissal of the federal government’s challenge to the Texas law, known as SB 4, on Tuesday, though legal challenges by two immigrants’ rights groups, American Gateways and Las America Immigrant Advocate Center, are set to continue with a July trial, according to a report from Fox 7. At issue is Texas’ controversial 2023 bill making it a state crime to illegally cross the U.S.-Mexico border into Texas, with the state granting local law enforcement officers the power to arrest individuals they observe illegally crossing the border as well as providing for criminal penalties for those who admitted to illegally crossing the border. NEW BORDER SECTOR BECOMES NATION’S BUSIEST AS OVERALL ENCOUNTERS CONTINUE TO PLUMMET ON TRUMP WATCH The law also allows for a judge to step in and drop the charges against a migrant who agrees to return to Mexico. While state lawmakers reasoned that the law was made necessary by former President Joe Biden’s lax policies on border security, the Biden administration pushed back against the state with legal challenges. Most notably, the Biden administration argued that the Texas law violated the constitution, which grants only the federal government the power to regulate immigration. TRUMP POLICY ON BORDER JUMPERS EMPOWERS USE OF ‘MAXIMUM CONSEQUENCES,’ BORDER AGENT TELLS FOX “Because SB 4 is unconstitutional and will disrupt the federal government’s operations, we request that Texas forbear in its enforcement,” Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian Boynton wrote in a letter to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, as the Republican governor weighed signing the bill, adding that “the United States intends to file suit to enjoin the enforcement of SB 4,” according to a CBS News report. Abbott would go on to sign the legislation, sparking the current legal challenges. Meanwhile, the border has fallen eerily silent in the weeks since President Donald Trump took office, with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents recording record-low numbers of encounters with illegal migrants at the southwest border. According to CBP data, the agency encountered just over 8,000 migrants at the southwest border in February 2025, down over 90% from the totals seen the prior year.
User’s manual to Trump’s effort to dismantle the Education Department
President Donald Trump is implementing his plan to dismantle the Department of Education. But this plan likely needs to go through Congress, and GOP lawmakers just re-upped much of the funding for the Department of Education in last week’s spending bill to avoid a government shutdown. Actually, eliminating the Education Department likely requires both chambers of Congress to approve legislation to end the department or blend some of its functions with other agencies. There are numerous laws on the books over the years mandating certain actions by the department or the federal government. REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: SHOULD THE HOUSE ALLOW MEMBERS OF CONGRESS TO VOTE REMOTELY? Keep in mind that this proposal would need to go through both the House and Senate. And in the Senate, it needs to overcome a filibuster. That requires 60 yeas. Democrats will not support that. And frankly, some Republicans may not do so either. What to watch: Congress will soon receive a “recissions” request from the Trump administration to cancel spending, which is already on the books. While canceling the spending does not eliminate the department, it does gut it. The department would still exist, but have no funding. Also, look to see how lawmakers handle funding for the department in the next round of spending bills over the spring and summer, due by Sept. 30. Opponents may then try to “zero out” the Education Department. But, since this is legislation, it also needs 60 yeas in the Senate to break a filibuster. So the chances of killing all funding for the department are slim.