Trans Air Force sergeants take Trump admin to court, say it’s ‘not possible’ to serve as women
Two transgender military service members, both of whom have already undergone sex changes from female to male, are taking the Trump administration to court over executive orders that not only banned transgender individuals from serving in the military but also recognize only two sexes, male and female. The lawsuit filed Monday in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey by Master Sgt. Logan Ireland and Staff Sgt. Nicholas Bear Bade, two biologically female service members who transitioned to male, argues the executive orders subject the Air Force personnel “to unequal, harmful, and demeaning treatment.” TRANS AIRMEN, SPACE FORCE PERSONNEL HAVE UNTIL MARCH 26 TO RESIGN UNDER TRUMP ORDER: MEMO The lawsuit continues that the executive orders mean the non-commissioned officers’ “future in the Air Force is in jeopardy” as they have been put on administrative leave unless they serve as their biological sex. “It is not possible, though, for either Plaintiff to serve as a woman because each one has medically transitioned to be and live as a man,” the lawsuit states. Both service members “reasonably fear” imminent separation proceedings against them after the Trump administration issued a memorandum warning transgender troops in the Air Force and Space Force have until March 26 to resign, saying that individuals with gender dysphoria are “incompatible with the high mental and physical standards necessary for military service.” PENTAGON SAYS TRANSGENDER TROOPS ARE DISQUALIFIED FROM SERVICE WITHOUT AN EXEMPTION “Simply put, Master Sergeant Ireland and Staff Sergeant Bade have a constitutional right not to be separated from military service based on their transgender status, a characteristic that has nothing to do with their fitness or ability to serve,” the lawsuit reads. Both service members began their gender transition more than 10 years ago and have since racked up several honorable accolades while serving in the military, court documents show. Both airmen contest that their longstanding careers will take a hit, affecting their livelihood and families, if forced to resign. This is the third lawsuit the Trump administration has been hit with over his transgender military order, and one of at least 12 others against Trump’s “two-sexes” order. The lawsuit requests the court to block Trump’s order from taking effect, which if granted would add to a pile of district judges bucking several of Trump’s executive orders. VA RESCINDS 2018 DIRECTIVE ON TRANSGENDER TREATMENTS, ALIGNING WITH TRUMP’S ‘TWO SEXES’ EO Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.
Trump doesn’t use autopen for legally binding documents, unlike Biden, White House says
The White House maintains that President Donald Trump does not use an autopen to sign legally binding documents like pardons — after Trump accused former President Joe Biden of having used the mechanical device to sign such documents. A White House official confirmed to Fox News Digital Tuesday that the Trump administration’s official policy during both his terms has been to use Trump’s hand signature on every legally operational or binding document. Trump told reporters on Air Force One Sunday that while he uses an autopen for correspondence, it’s shameful to use one when signing documents such as pardons. “We may use it, as an example, to send some young person a letter because it’s nice,” Trump said. “You know, we get thousands and thousands of letters, letters of support for young people, from people that aren’t feeling well, etcetera. But to sign pardons and all of the things that he signed with an autopen is disgraceful.” TRUMP CLAIMS BIDEN PARDONS ARE ‘VOID,’ ALLEGING THEY WERE SIGNED VIA AUTOPEN Trump also claimed on Sunday that the courts must decide whether Biden’s use of an autopen for executive orders and pardons means they are void. An autopen is a device that physically holds a pen and is programmed to replicate a person’s signature. The Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel determined in 2005 that the president is permitted to use an autopen to sign bills into law, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit issued a ruling in February that said the absence of “a writing does not equate to proof that a commutation did not occur.” “The constitutional text is thus silent as to any particular form the President’s clemency act must take to be effective,” the circuit court said in its opinion. Trump raised the issue of Biden utilizing an autopen to sign pardons — including some for lawmakers who served on the House Select Committee to investigate the Jan. 6 Capitol riot — in a social media post on Sunday. Trump claimed in the post that the pardons were “VOID” and accused Biden of not having knowledge of their signing. “In other words, Joe Biden did not sign them but, more importantly, he did not know anything about them! The necessary Pardoning Documents were not explained to, or approved by, Biden. He knew nothing about them, and the people that did may have committed a crime,” Trump said in his post. A spokesperson for Biden did not provide comment on the record to Fox News Digital. BIDEN’S ‘AUTOPEN SIGNATURE’ APPEARS ON MOST OFFICIAL DOCS, RAISING CONCERNS OVER WHO CONTROLLED THE WH: REPORT On March 6, the Oversight Project with conservative think-tank The Heritage Foundation released a report claiming that it conducted an analysis of Biden documents, and found that a majority of documents signed during his administration used an autopen. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Our findings suggest widespread use of an autopen to sign clemency warrants throughout the Biden Presidency,” the Oversight Project said in a memo released March 17. “This apparent use raises concerns about: whether President Biden personally authorized each official act; whether or which unelected staff controlled the autopen device; and whether they acted with his approval.” On Trump’s inauguration day, Biden signed pardons for the former chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, retired Gen. Mark Milley, whom Trump has accused of committing treason, as well as those involved in the Jan. 6 Select Committee investigation that conducted a probe into the attack. Trump historically has railed against the select committee, and was indicted in August 2023 for attempting to overturn the 2020 election results that culminated in the attack on the Capitol. However, special counsel Jack Smith dropped the case against Trump in November 2024 after Trump won the presidential election. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
California Sen Adam Schiff changes tune on DOJ, reams increasingly ‘Orwellian’ leadership
Sen. Adam Schiff, once a staunch defender of the Justice Department’s independence, now warns it has become an ‘Orwellian’ tool for President Donald Trump and ripe for political abuse. The California Democrat and former U.S. prosecutor, who served four House terms before his election to the Senate last fall, has long been an outspoken Trump foe, using his former posts as chair of the House Oversight Committee and impeachment probes to urge a more independent-minded Justice Department. “The rule of law is a core foundation of our nation,” Schiff previously told Time Magazine during Trump’s first term in office. “No one, not even the president, is above it.” Schiff once served as a federal prosecutor at the Justice Department, where he helped successfully convict an ex-FBI agent on charges of spying for the Soviet Union. Throughout his later service in the House, he repeatedly defended the Justice Department as independent-minded and asserted that its career officials operate above the political fray. TRUMP ASKS SUPREME COURT TO REVIEW BAN ON BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP He also chided his Republican colleagues who, in his view, too harshly criticized the agency, warning them that doing so could lead to an erosion of trust. Fewer than four years later, however, Schiff is singing a different tune. Now in the Senate, the California Democrat is one of the most vocal critics, sounding the alarm about Trump’s efforts to reform the Justice Department to his liking. On Monday, he pushed back against Trump’s claim that he and other members of the House committee tasked with investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot could be subject to “investigation at the highest level,” as the president threatened in a Truth Social post. “The members of the Jan 6 Committee are all proud of our work,” Schiff wrote on X, in response to Trump’s remarks. “Your threats will not intimidate us. Or silence us.” Earlier this month, Schiff took aim at the current leadership of the Justice Department in a blistering floor speech, noting that the DOJ’s three most senior officials, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche and John Sauer, all formerly represented Trump in criminal court proceedings. By so frequently claiming the Justice Department has been improperly “weaponized” against him, Schiff said, Trump has arguably given his officials a green light, “in Orwellian fashion, to do what they have accused others of doing,” which is “to weaponize the department. … To use the department as a sword and as a shield.” WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY DEFENDS TRUMP’S FIRING OF INSPECTORS GENERAL Schiff also blasted the Supreme Court decision last August that expanded the view of presidential immunity – a ruling, he said, that “has turbocharged the ability to weaponize the Department of Justice by a president who wishes to use it for that purpose.” Last month, Schiff joined other Democrats on the panel in urging the administration to turn over information that prompted their decision to remove or reassign dozens of career Justice Department officials and FBI personnel. Lawmakers also cited concerns about a sprawling questionnaire sent by Justice Department officials to thousands of FBI agents and supervisors in January asking detailed questions about their roles in the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot investigation. FBI AGENTS GROUP TELLS CONGRESS TO TAKE URGENT ACTION TO PROTECT AGAINST POLITICIZATION That questionnaire is also the subject of a lawsuit filed this year by current and former FBI agents, who are seeking to head off any retaliation or discriminatory action against personnel involved in the Jan. 6 probe. A judge is expected to hear from both parties in court later this month. Most recently, Trump attempted to strip security clearances and access to federal government buildings for all Perkins Coie employees, a law firm he sees as opposed to his political agenda, prompting a federal judge to step in and block the order. “An American President is not a king – not even an ‘elected’ one – and his power to remove federal officers and honest civil servants like plaintiff is not absolute,” U.S. District Court Judge Beryl Howell wrote in a court order this month that blocked one of Trump’s executive orders from taking force. Schiff, for his part, appears to share that view. “There could be no more frontal assault on the post-Watergate policy of having some division between the White House and the Justice Department than the Supreme Court of the United States saying, ‘Break down that wall. Use the department any way you wish. Create cases where there’s no evidence. Dismiss cases where there’s plenty of evidence. And you will never face accountability. No matter how corrupt a motive,’” Schiff said this month. Reached for comment about his evolving views on the Justice Department, Schiff’s office pointed Fox News Digital to his previous remarks, including a February interview on MSNBC’s “The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell.” Asked about his claims that Trump has weaponized the Justice Department – and the severity of the issue – Schiff responded, “We’ve had a debate about what level of constitutional crisis we’re in, and frankly, I think we’re already there.”
Byron Donalds picks up endorsement from fellow House Republican as he eyes Florida governorship
Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., has endorsed Trump-backed gubernatorial hopeful Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., for Florida governor. “My friend, Byron Donalds, is a fearless Conservative and MAGA patriot. I have worked closely with him in Congress and know from personal experience his fight, tenacity, and effectiveness. He will be a great executive for our Sunshine State,” Buchanan said in a statement. Donalds announced his candidacy last month after President Donald Trump publicly pledged his endorsement while urging the lawmaker to run. FIRST ON FOX: TOP CONSERVATIVE GROUP ALIGNS WITH TRUMP AS IT MAKES MAJOR ENDORSEMENT IN HIGH-PROFILE RACE “Byron Donalds would be a truly Great and Powerful Governor for Florida and, should he decide to run, will have my Complete and Total Endorsement. RUN, BYRON, RUN!” Trump declared in the February post on Truth Social. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis — who is currently serving his second term — may not run again in the 2026 cycle. “Honored to receive my first Congressional endorsement from a friend and trusted conservative leader: Rep. @VernBuchanan. Vern and I have fought side-by-side in Congress for our SW Florida community and the Sunshine State. As governor, I’ll bring that same fight to Tallahassee,” Donalds declared in a post on X. FLORIDA REP. BYRON DONALDS ANNOUNCES PLANS TO RUN FOR GOVERNOR When Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade asked DeSantis’ predecessor, U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., whether he endorses Donalds, the senator responded noting that the lawmaker is his “friend,” and that he will do all that he can to be helpful to Donalds, who he believes will win and “be a phenomenal governor.” While speaking on the “Brian Kilmeade Show,” Scott noted that he is “glad” Trump endorsed Donalds. BYRON DONALDS POINTS TO TRUMP ENDORSEMENT WHILE ADDRESSING CASEY DESANTIS RIVALING CAMPAIGN RUMORS CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Donalds has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2021.
DOJ insists El Salvador deportation flights did not violate court order
The Justice Department insisted Tuesday that deportation flights that sent Venezuelan nationals to El Salvador over the weekend did not violate a court order. The federal response came after U.S. District Judge James Boasberg granted an emergency order Saturday to temporarily block the flights from taking place for 14 days while his court considered the legality of using the 1798 wartime-era Alien Enemies Act to immediately deport Venezuelan nationals and alleged members of the violent gang Tren de Aragua. He ordered the Trump administration on Monday to submit more information about Saturday’s flights, including what time each plane took off from the U.S. “The Court… ordered the Government to address the form in which it can provide further details about flights that left the United States before 7:25 PM,” reads a filing Tuesday that was co-signed by Attorney General Pamela Bondi, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche and others. “The Government maintains that there is no justification to order the provision of additional information, and that doing so would be inappropriate, because even accepting Plaintiffs’ account of the facts, there was no violation of the Court’s written order (since the relevant flights left U.S. airspace, and so their occupants were ‘removed,’ before the order issued), and the Court’s earlier oral statements were not independently enforceable as injunctions.” Boasberg on Tuesday ordered the Justice Department to answer five other questions, submitting declarations to him under seal by noon on Wednesday: “1) What time did the plane take off from U.S. soil and from where? 2) What time did it leave U.S. airspace? 3) What time did it land in which foreign country (including if it made more than one stop)? 4) What time were individuals subject solely to the Proclamation transferred out of U.S. custody? and 5) How many people were aboard solely on the basis of the Proclamation?” In granting the emergency order Saturday, Boasberg sided with the plaintiffs – Democracy Forward and the ACLU – who had argued that the deportations would likely pose imminent and “irreparable” harm to the migrants under the time proposed. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS NOON DEADLINE TO DISCLOSE DEPORTATION FLIGHT DETAILS AFTER JUDGE’S ORDER Boasberg also ordered the Trump administration on Saturday to immediately halt any planned deportations and to notify their clients that “any plane containing these folks that is going to take off or is in the air needs to be returned to the United States,” he said. However, the decision apparently came too late to stop two planes filled with more than 200 migrants who were deported to El Salvador. READ THE DOJ FILING – APP USERS, CLICK HERE: White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News in an interview that a plane carrying hundreds of migrants, including more than 130 persons removed under the Alien Enemies Act, had already “left U.S. airspace” by the time the order was handed down. US PAID EL SALVADOR TO TAKE VENEZUELAN TREN DE ARAGUA MEMBERS, WHITE HOUSE SAYS “ICE understood the Proclamation Invocation of the Alien Enemies Act Regarding the Invasion of The United States by Tren De Aragua to be effective only once it was posted to the White House website, which was at or around 3:53 PM EDT on March 15, 2025,” ICE Acting Field Office Director of Enforcement and Removal Operations Robert Cerna wrote in a declaration Tuesday. “On March 15, 2025, after the Proclamation was publicly posted and took effect, three planes carrying aliens departed the United States for El Salvador International Airport (SAL). Two of those planes departed U.S. territory and airspace before 7:25 PM EDT. The third plane departed after that time, but all individuals on that third plane had Title 8 final removal orders and thus were not removed solely on the basis of the Proclamation at issue,” he continued. “To avoid any doubt, no one on any flight departing the United States after 7:25 PM EDT on March 15, 2025, was removed solely on the basis of the Proclamation at issue. ICE carefully tracks the TdA members who are amenable to removal proceedings. At this time approximately 54 members of TdA are in detention and on the detained docket, approximately 172 are on the non-detained docket, and approximately 32 are in criminal custody with active detainers against them. Should they be transferred to ICE custody, they will likely be placed in removal proceedings,” he said. Fox News’ David Spunt contributed to this report.
China, Hong Kong threaten to thwart sale of Panama Canal ports to America’s BlackRock
A deal for the U.S. to “reclaim” the Panama Canal is increasingly under fire from authorities in China and Hong Kong. Earlier this month, BlackRock announced a $23 billion deal with CK Hutchinson to take ownership of the Panamanian ports of Cristobal and Balboa, which are located at the Atlantic and Pacific ends of the canal, respectively. It would also take over Hutchinson’s controlling interest in 43 ports in 23 other countries. However, Hong Kong and Chinese leaders could seek to stand in the way. John Lee, the leader of Hong Kong, stated his concerns about the deal on Tuesday, saying it deserved “serious attention.” The agreement between the two conglomerates was seen as a solution to President Donald Trump’s threats to take back the canal after he argued that China was using it to “rip off” U.S. ships through entry fees. DEM SEEKS TO HALT TRUMP FROM ‘INVADING’ GREENLAND, CANADA AND PANAMA Trump touted the BlackRock deal as the U.S. “reclaiming” the port when it was first announced. Now, Beijing has opened up investigations into potential antitrust and national security concerns about the deal through various agencies, including its State Administration of Market Regulation, Bloomberg reported. “If Beijing stops this deal, that’s a direct challenge to the president of the United States on an issue which he really cares about,” said U.S.-China relations expert Gordon Chang. “That is not going to go down very well.” The lucrative waterway sees 5% of global maritime trade pass through. CK Hutchison’s stock price fell 3% on Tuesday after Lee’s comments, and the company canceled press and investor briefings that were scheduled for this week when it releases its financial report. CHINA SLAMS TRUMP-IMPOSED ‘ARBITRARY TARIFFS,’ VOWS RETALIATION AGAINST US “We oppose the abusive use of coercion or bullying tactics in international economic and trade relations,” Lee had said in an apparent jab at Trump. Commentaries published in Ta Kung Pao, a Hong Kong newspaper owned by the Chinese government, claimed the Hutchison-BlackRock agreement would allow the U.S. to “use [the canal] for political purposes and promote its own political agenda” and would make Chinese trade and shipping “subject to the United States.” CK Hutchison is owned by Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-Shing. Lee has said any business transaction must comply with Hong Kong law, and the city will handle the deal according to law. “I suspect that the Hong Kong government is not going to take on Li Ka Shing and Hutchison, but you never know because the environment in Hong Kong is changing. It’s not getting better,” said Chang. PANAMA PLEDGES TO END KEY CANAL DEAL WITH CHINA, WORK WITH US AFTER RUBIO VISIT China’s presence in the canal zone allows it to block U.S. access at will. That could mean in the outbreak of war in the Indo-Pacific, it could prevent the U.S. Navy from surging ships from the Atlantic to the Pacific through the canal. However, the canal could also be used as leverage for China in its push for Trump to alleviate tariffs. Trump said Monday that Chinese President Xi Jinping would be visiting the U.S. in the “not too distant future.” Trump at first put a blanket 10% tariff on all Chinese goods. In March, he upped it to 20%, arguing China was still not doing enough to address fentanyl flowing from its country through U.S. borders. CK Hutchison’s ownership of the canal also faces a constitutional challenge in Panama, which could be a factor in its intent to sell. Panamanian Attorney General Kenia Isolda Porcell Díaz has filed a submission in support of two lawsuits against renewal of a 25-year contract for Hutchison to own the ports, arguing the contract is “unconstitutional” because it “improperly agree[s] to transfer exclusive rights of the Panamanian State.” When asked about the reports that China was investigating the sale, foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said the questions should be directed at other agencies. “I would like to stress that in principle, China has been firmly opposing infringing on or undermining other countries’ legitimate rights and interests with economic coercion and bullying,” she said. Last month, Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino said his nation would not renew its participation in China’s Belt and Road Initiative, which funds infrastructure projects in nations across the globe in efforts to increase its influence.
Canada ‘rage room’ lets visitors smash Trump, Vance, Musk portraits to release tariff angst
Canadians upset with President Donald Trump’s tariffs now have an outlet for their anger – a “rage room” business now offers the ability to “smash” the U.S. leader; kind of. Rage Room: Halifax, in the Nova Scotian capital, announced on its website that “until the tariffs come off, we understand you might have a little extra rage that you want to let out.” The “Smash the Tariffs” promotion offers customers portraits of Trump to “smash,” discounts on other “smashables.” Customers who order any package of smashables at the business, about 600 miles northeast of Boston across the Bay of Fundy, receive a Trump portrait for free, and with a $5 donation to a Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, food bank, they can also smash likenesses of Vice President JD Vance and DOGE leader Elon Musk. STEVE MOORE: TARIFFS WILL BRING FREER AND FAIRER TRADE Efforts to reach Rage Room: Halifax were unsuccessful on Tuesday, as it was closed as scheduled. However, owner Terry LeBlanc told Vancouver-based national broadcaster Global News that his view is “we’re entertainment first.” “Normally, I don’t really get political. However, I feel with everything going on in the world and what’s happening these days … this is needed,” he told the network. If customers are able to relieve stress and be entertained, then it is a “win,” he said. A social media post advertising the new promotion invited Canadians “fed up with the chaos” and news cycle to come and enjoy the “perfect way to let it out.” In its report, CTV News described a 14-year-old boy placing a framed picture of Trump on a table, while bedecked in a mask for protection, as he leveled a baseball bat at the mogul’s portrait and “obliterated” it. HOW JACKSON-ERA TARIFFS ALMOST LED TO CAROLINA CONFLICT 30 YEARS BEFORE THE CIVIL WAR The boy was asked by the outlet why he wanted to smash the portrait and responded, “it’s about how he’s treating this country (Canada),” as his sister soon smashed another Trump portrait with a golf club. The girl said Trump is “not a very smart man” and that the rage room allowed her to safely release frustrations. Typical smashable packages have descriptors such as “Anger Management” and “Parental Leave,” according to CTV. Customers are also regularly asked what their top smashable was during their visit. As of late, it has been Trump’s likeness. When asked about the rage room, White House spokesman Kush Desai said, “Fortunately, Canadians won’t have to worry about President Trump’s tariffs anymore when Canada becomes our 51st state.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The Secret Service, which often probes issues regarding presidential protection, did not respond to a request for comment for the purposes of this story. Canadian news coverage has shown state stores removing American bourbon and other uniquely U.S. products from their shelves in response to Trump’s tariff actions. Liberal Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said in recent public remarks “there is a limit given the relative size of our economies to the extent that we should match U.S. tariffs,” adding that the U.S. economy is 10:1 larger than Canada’s – before criticizing Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre for his plans to deal with the tariff matter. On Monday, Poilievre lamented that both U.S. and Canadian workers will be hurt by the tariffs and slammed Carney and predecessor Justin Trudeau for a “lost liberal decade.” “Let’s solve this problem,” Poilievre said while gathered with blue-collar workers in L’Orignal, Ont.
Vanderbilt Med Center ‘hiding’ DEI resources behind password-protected web pages: report
FIRST ON FOX: While some medical schools have taken steps to scrub their diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) commitments from their websites, Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) has been found to be hiding some of theirs behind password-protected web pages. The conservative nonprofit organization Consumers Research unveiled a campaign Tuesday titled, “What Is Vanderbilt University Medical Center Hiding?” after finding that VUMC was not just deleting some of its references to DEI commitments and resources, but also keeping some and hiding them from public view. The campaign includes a website, complete with screenshots and archived web links, showing the various web pages tied to DEI and climate activism that are now password-protected. The Consumers’ Research campaign also includes a mobile billboard that the nonprofit has deployed at the university to raise awareness about VUMC’s actions. UNIVERSITY DOCTOR BOASTS ABOUT FINDING LOOPHOLES TO SKIRT ANTI-DEI LAWS: ‘THAT’S WHAT WE DO’ “Vanderbilt University Medical Center is frantically trying to conceal its radical policies by password-protecting and deleting webpages highlighting its commitment to DEI and climate activism,” Will Hild, Consumers’ Research executive director, said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Until recently, VUMC proudly touted its woke ideology, showcasing DEI policies and an activist climate agenda prominently throughout its website. But now, the health system is scrambling to hide the evidence. This seemingly nefarious behavior begs the question, what is Vanderbilt University Medical Center hiding?” While VUMC deleted several web pages related to DEI resources and programs that it offers within specific departments, VUMC’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion website allegedly remains active, only to be accessed with a username and password, according to the nonprofit. A VUMC Department of Medicine web page touting its commitment to recruit “a diverse resident and fellow population” and laying out resources for those “underrepresented in medicine” is now hidden as well. UNIVERSITIES FACING ‘IMPOSSIBLE SITUATION’ AS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION CRACKS DOWN ON DEI: REPORT Other web pages about prioritizing “climate care as health care” and other left-wing climate change initiatives have also become password-protected, Consumers’ Research found. In a statement to Fox News Digital, VUMC spokesperson John Howser said that in light of President Donald Trump’s recent executive actions mandating an end to DEI programs, particularly in educational institutions, VUMC “is undertaking a thorough review” of its programs to figure out “where revisions may be required to remain in compliance, including updating information on websites and other public platforms.” “While we undertake that review, we have elected to take down related websites to ensure current, accurate, and factual information,” Howser added. “VUMC remains committed to maintaining an environment in which all our employees, patients and visitors feel equally welcome, respected and valued.” UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON’S EX-DIVERSITY OFFICER SCRUTINIZED OVER SPENDING, JUDGMENT AMID DEI CRACKDOWN Included in the Consumers’ Research campaign is a letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., calling on HHS and the Department of Government Efficiency to investigate VUMC. “VUMC, a top research hospital in the United States, relies heavily on federal dollars,” the letter states. “Taxpayer dollars should be used to prioritize patient care, not political activism. Consumers’ Research stands ready to assist as needed to ensure accountability and protect consumers.” VUMC was investigated by Tennessee’s Attorney General’s Office in 2023 amid allegations that a doctor at VUMC was manipulating medical billing codes to evade insurance coverage-limitations for transgender treatments. The investigation followed a video released in 2022, which allegedly showed a VUMC doctor touting transgender surgeries for minors as “huge money makers” and telling anyone with a religious objection to providing them should quit.
Alleged MS-13 leader on FBI most wanted list being extradited to US, Patel says
An alleged MS-13 senior gang leader on the FBI’s “Ten Most Wanted Fugitives” list is being extradited to the U.S. after his arrest in Mexico, FBI Director Kash Patel announced Tuesday. Francisco Javier Roman-Bardales was arrested on Monday in the mountains of the Gulf coast state of Veracruz by Mexican soldiers and federal agents. The FBI was offering a $250,000 reward for information on Bardales prior to his arrest. “I can now confirm that last night, working with the Justice Department and other interagency partners, the FBI has extradited one of our ‘Ten Most Wanted’ from Mexico — one we believe to be a key senior leader of MS-13, Francisco Javier Roman-Bardales,” Patel announced in a statement. “He was arrested in Mexico and is being transported within the U.S. as we speak, where he will face American justice. This is a major victory both for our law enforcement partners and for a safer America. Thank you to our brave personnel for executing the mission. And thank you to Mexico’s SSPC and FGE teams for their support of the FBI in this investigation and arrest,” he added. TRUMP STATE DEPARTMENT DECLARES TREN DE ARAGUA, MS-13, MEXICAN DRUG CARTELS AS FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS The FBI said Bardales faces charges in the Eastern District of New York relating to “several offenses for his alleged role in ordering numerous acts of violence against civilians and rival gang members, as well as his role in drug distribution and extortion schemes in the United States and El Salvador.” The Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, was one of eight Latin American criminal organizations declared foreign terrorist organizations by the Trump administration last month. Bardales’ transfer comes nearly a month after Mexican authorities extradited another drug cartel member to the U.S. in late February. Jesus Ricardo Patron Sanchez, 39, faces charges relating to drug trafficking in New York City for the H-2 cartel, according to federal prosecutors. The head of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) said last year that the U.S. is facing the “most dangerous and deadly drug crisis” in its history with fentanyl and methamphetamine flowing across the border — and that the “Sinaloa and Jalisco Cartels are at the heart of this crisis.” POLICE LEAD TREN DE ARAGUA CRACKDOWNS AS EXCLUSIVE FOX NATION RIDE-ALONG EXPOSES VENEZUELA’S DEADLIEST GANG Prosecutors allege that under the direction of Sanchez, H-2 transported cocaine, heroin, marijuana and methamphetamine into the U.S. on a monthly basis from June 2013 to December 2016. The cartel used multiple distribution cells throughout the country, including New York, Las Vegas, North Carolina, Ohio and Los Angeles, to traffic “large quantities” of drugs, officials said. “As alleged in the indictment and court filings, Sanchez was one of the principal leaders of the H-2 Drug Trafficking Organization, a brutally violent transnational criminal organization that flooded American streets with dangerous drugs and protected its operations through murder and corruption,” U.S. Attorney John Durham said. Sanchez also directed members of the cartel to kill members of other drug trafficking organizations and additional perceived rivals, according to prosecutors. Monday’s arrest and swift handover came just weeks after Mexico handed over 29 drug cartel figures, including drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero, who was allegedly behind the killing of a U.S. DEA agent in 1985. Mexico has also stepped up operations against the Sinaloa Cartel, a main trafficker of fentanyl to the United States. President Claudia Sheinbaum has worked to show President Donald Trump that Mexico is a reliable partner on security and immigration. The results have so far kept most of Trump’s tariffs at bay. The Trump administration sent two other top members of MS-13 to El Salvador over the weekend, along with hundreds of Venezuelans. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Vance knocks globalization’s ‘cheap labor’ and lauds ‘America’s great industrial comeback’ at AI summit
WASHINGTON — Vice President JD Vance knocked recent globalization efforts that use “cheap labor as a crutch” while simultaneously hampering innovation on the global scale during a Tuesday tech and artificial intelligence speech. “Our workers, the populists, on the one hand, the tech optimists on the other, have been failed by this government,” he said. “Not just the government of the last administration, but the government in some ways of the last 40 years, because there were two conceits that our leadership class had when it came to globalization.” Vance explained that recent globalization efforts falsely assumed that world leaders could “separate the making of things from the design of things,” citing the belief was that poorer nations would create goods such as cellphones, while wealthier nations would move “further up the value change.” “Now, we assume that other nations will always trail us in the value chain, but it turns out that as they got better at the low end of the value chain, they also started catching up on the higher end. We were squeezed from both ends. Now, that was the first conceit of globalization,” he said. ‘DEREGULATORY FLAVOR’: JD VANCE LAYS OUT VISION IN PARIS FOR THE FUTURE OF AI UNDER TRUMP Vance said the efforts have led to an addiction to cheap labor that has halted innovation. “Cheap labor is fundamentally a crutch, and it’s a crutch that inhibits innovation,” he said. “I might even say that it’s a drug that too many American firms got addicted to. Now, if you can make a product more cheaply, it’s far too easy to do that rather than to innovate. And whether we were offshoring factories to cheap labor economies or importing cheap labor through our immigration system, cheap labor became the drug of Western economies. “And I’d say that if you look in nearly every country, from Canada to the UK that imported large amounts of cheap labor, you’ve seen productivity stagnate,” he said. “And I don’t think that’s that’s not a total happenstance. I think that the connection is very direct.” Vance argued that “innovation is key to winning the worldwide manufacturing competition, to giving our workers a fair deal and to reclaiming our heritage via America’s great industrial comeback.” The American Dynamism Summit is an annual tech summit hosted by venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz. The event, which is in its third year, acts as a bridge between California’s Silicon Valley and Washington, D.C. Vance headlined the event at the Waldorf Astoria and was joined by other notable speakers during the summit, such as Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, General Bryan P. Fenton, who serves as U.S. Special Operations Command commander, and Democratic New York Rep. Ritchie Torres. AMERICAN AI FREEDOM STILL UNDER THREAT FROM BIDEN’S LEFTOVER DIRECTIVES Vance also spoke out against industry and world leaders who are championing strict regulations on AI due to concerns over the tech, saying their worries are based “on a faulty premise.” “This idea that tech-forward people and the populists are somehow inevitably going to come to a loggerheads is wrong,” he said. “I think the reality is that in any dynamic society, technology is going to advance.” The vice president compared the rise of AI to the proliferation of ATMs in the 1970s, which sparked concern that bank tellers would be obliterated, similarly to how some workers are concerned AI could push them out of their jobs. “I think there’s too much fear that AI will simply replace jobs rather than augmenting so many of the things that we do now,” he said. “In the 1970s, if you go back a little ways, many feared that the automated teller machine, what we call the ATM, would replace bank tellers. In reality, the advent of the ATM made bank tellers more productive, and you have more people today working in customer service in the financial sector than you had when the ATM was created.” ELON MUSK AND TECH LEADER SAM ALTMAN GET INTO WAR OF WORDS OVER AI INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT “Now they’re doing slightly different jobs, of course. Yes, they’re doing more interesting tasks also,” he continued. “And importantly, they’re making more money than they were in the 1970s.” Vance attended a separate tech summit in February in Paris, called the AI Action Summit, where he railed against Europe’s “trepidation” of artificial intelligence, and regulation of it as hampering the future of innovation and jobs. “Now, at this moment, we face the extraordinary prospect of a new industrial revolution, one on par with the invention of the steam engine or Bessemer steel,” he said in the Paris speech. “But it will never come to pass if overregulation deters innovators from taking the risks necessary to advance the ball, nor will it occur if we allow AI to become dominated by massive players looking to use the tech to censor or control users’ thoughts. “And as AI creates new jobs and industries, our government, businesses and labor organizations have an obligation to work together to empower the workers not just of the United States but … all over the world,” he added. “To that end, for all major AI policy decisions coming from the federal government, the Trump Administration will guarantee American workers a seat at the table, and we’re very proud of that.” VANCE TELLS WORLD LEADERS AI MUST BE ‘FREE FROM IDEOLOGICAL BIAS,’ AMERICAN TECH WON’T BE CENSORSHIP TOOL President Donald Trump announced a massive artificial intelligence infrastructure plan on his second day in office in January, explaining that tech firms Softbank, OpenAI and Oracle joined forces for a project called Stargate, which is working to build U.S.-based data centers to power artificial intelligence. There was an initial $100 billion investment in the project, with plans to expand to $500 billion across the next four years. Trump additionally signed an executive order on his third day in office called, “Removing Barriers to American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence.” The executive order rescinded previous Biden-era AI