Chinese-owned GNC stores operating on US military bases spark national security concerns
While much of Congress focuses on banning China from buying land near U.S. military bases, freshman Rep. Pat Harrigan, R-N.C., says the Chinese Communist Party already has a direct presence on those installations – through national nutrition chain GNC. A bill released by Harrigan this week, the Military Installation Retail Security Act of 2025, would ban any companies of Chinese, North Korean, Iranian or Russian ownership from operating on military bases. “This is actually a situation where the CCP is operating on our military bases. It’s even crazier [than foreign land purchases],” Harrigan told Fox News Digital. In June 2020, vitamin retailer GNC filed for bankruptcy and was wholly acquired by Harbin Pharmaceuticals, a partially state-owned enterprise in China. Harbin had previously acquired a 40% stake in GNC in 2018. ‘MIND-BOGGLING’: SPACE FORCE CHIEF FIRES OFF DIRE WARNING ABOUT CHINESE CAPABILITY TO KNOCK OUT US SATELLITES In 2019, GNC agreed to integrate its manufacturing with International Vitamin Corporation (IVC), which has a consortium of Chinese investors. The company, founded in Pittsburgh, had already been operating on U.S. bases for years at the time of its sale, and its potential to help with Chinese surveillance on military bases was overlooked. Now, some 85 GNC stores operate on U.S. military bases. They operate under what are known as “long term concessions” contracts, meaning they are operated, staffed and supplied by GNC. “This is a really ripe target for intelligence gathering,” said Harrigan. “This is no joke about defending the integrity of our military, making sure that foreign adversaries who are actively seeking to undermine us don’t have the opportunity to do that from within our military bases.” “You know who these people are, the customers you’ve got, their purchasing habits. You have access to sensitive health information based on the type of products that they’re purchasing,” he said. The store could identify individuals with vulnerabilities by tracking frequent purchases of testosterone, sleep aids, or anxiety supplements, Harrigan said. It could also monitor deployment cycles based on changes in buying patterns, he added. Harrigan warned that GNC’s access could even allow adversaries to introduce banned or harmful substances – or counterfeit products – to degrade military readiness. US BANS ROMANTIC AND SEXUAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH CHINESE CITIZENS FOR GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES IN CHINA The store also poses potential cyber risks, Harrigan said, noting that in-store WiFi and mobile data tracking could reveal troop geolocations. Loyalty apps and promotional materials, he warned, could be used to embed malicious links or software. Fox News Digital reached out to GNC for comment but did not receive a response prior to publication. Lawmakers have introduced dozens of bills aimed at blocking China from buying U.S. land near sensitive military sites – a movement that gained urgency after Chinese food producer Fufeng Group purchased 370 acres near a North Dakota Air Force base in 2022. China owned around 350,000 acres of farmland across 27 states as of last year, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. GNC Holdings appeared on the System for Award Management – the federal registry for government contractors – in 2023 and 2024, despite not being required to register due to its long-term concessions contract. The company did not disclose its Chinese ownership on the website, and let its registration expire in October 2024. As a U.S. senator from Florida, Secretary of State Marco Rubio raised alarms in 2020 over GNC’s sale to Harbin, warning that customers’ personal data could be handed over to the Chinese Communist Party. He urged the Treasury Department to launch a national security review. Despite those concerns, Bankruptcy Judge Karen Owens approved the $770 million sale. Since then, GNC has capitalized on renewed interest in health and wellness to grow its footprint to more than 4,000 stores in the U.S. and 2,000 internationally, according to the company’s website.
Pro-Trump House candidate unleashes on ‘partisan hack’ Dem incumbent after launching rematch bid
FIRST ON FOX: Former Ohio Republican State Senator Kevin Coughlin exclusively spoke to Fox News Digital about his recent announcement that he is challenging Dem. Rep. Emilia Sykes in one of the most closely watched House districts in next year’s midterms. “The motivation is the same as it was in the last election,” Coughlin, who narrowly lost to Sykes in November by two points in Ohio’s 13th Congressional District, told Fox News Digital. “I wanna make a difference for people. I think our country’s going in the wrong direction. I think we have some great opportunities here. And it’s very clear that with tight majorities in both the House and the Senate, we need reinforcements there to help push an America First agenda through and to try to secure our border, bring down costs, protect our communities and give taxpayers value for their dollar. The spirit is there, and the movement is there in DC. It’s harder to do when you’ve got close majorities. And so I want to go and contribute to that and help deliver for the people of Northeast Ohio.” Coughlin told Fox News Digital that Sykes has not served the district well and that when he speaks to people in the district they tell him they are unsatisfied with her leadership. LEAKED VIDEO EXPOSES DEM STAFFER ADMITTING ‘QUIET PART OUT LOUD’ IN FIERY TIRADE: ‘OPEN THE F—ING BORDER’ “What they’re getting with our current member of Congress is somebody who’s just a partisan hack who’s doing everything her party tells her to do at the expense of what’s right for the families and the small businesses of our region and our district,” Coughlin said. “She’s repeatedly voted against extending the Trump tax cuts of 2017, which would end up being a huge tax increase on everyone. She has opposed efforts to reduce regulation and to root out waste and fraud in our government. She has voted to shut down our government and provide essential services to people who truly need them.” Coughlin added that Democrats since Trump’s inauguration have become “a bunch of toddlers pounding on the floor” and that they “really just don’t have a message right now.” “They’re flailing around not only for leadership, but for a voice and a message and you know the old adage when your adversary is drowning, don’t interrupt them,” Coughlin said. “I think the best thing for us to do as Republicans is to continue moving forward in the way they have so far, methodically move toward delivering on President Trump’s agenda, delivering on the promises that they were elected on and moving that forward to deliver for the people that they represent. And as long as we keep doing that, and I think that the spirit is there, as long as they keep doing it, I think we’ll be rewarded in the midterms.” FORMER NAVY SEAL CLINT BRUCE ON RELATIONSHIP WITH OHIO STATE’S RYAN DAY, HELPING COLLEGE FOOTBALL STARS The Cook Political Report ranks the race in OH-13 as a “Democrat toss up” as Republicans head into the midterms with a slim majority in the House and facing the conventional wisdom that the party in power struggles in the first midterm after a new president takes office. Coughlin told Fox News Digital he expects Republicans to do well in the midterms, particularly in Ohio, where Trump won by 11 points in November. “I was encouraged by results around the country this week with special elections in Florida and with the ballot issue on voter ID passing in Wisconsin,” Coughlin said. “It tells me that our issues are still winning, that the people still view and have the same concerns that we have, and so that’s a good thing.” “I think with regard to my opponent, what I’ve seen this year is that she’s become even more partisan than she was before. She’s digging in and hugging the liberal left even harder than she did before. So, that means she’s casting a lot of votes that are very much out of step with her district, and I expect she’ll continue to do that. And frankly, Ohio is different from the rest of the country in some regards,” Coughlin said. “I think we’re a little bit insulated here from the traditional midterm effect of the president’s party not doing well in the elections. Statewide elections are going on next year, and if we stay true to form, we will have a strong, talented, dynamic, well-organized, well-funded slate of people running for statewide office, which lifts all boats with regard to Republican candidates in our state. So, I think it’s going to be a good year here in Ohio.” A Sykes campaign spokesperson dismissed Coughlin’s attacks. “Rep. Sykes is focused on how we can best bring costs down, put money in people’s pockets and protect earned benefits like social security and medicaid and will let others engage in unproductive name-calling,” the spokesperson said. The spokesperson also referred Fox News Digital to a quote from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), who called Coughlin a “corrupt, out of touch loser who’s only running so he can work with Elon Musk to dismantle Social Security and gut Medicaid to pay for billionaire tax breaks.” “Congresswoman Sykes is a results oriented leader with an undeniable record of fighting for Northeast Ohioans – focusing on lowering costs, creating good paying jobs, and keeping our communities safe,” the DCCC spokesperson Viet Shelton added. “Emilia Sykes is nothing but a rubber stamp for the far Left, completely out of touch with the people of Ohio,” NRCC spokesman Zach Bannon said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “From voting to shut down the government and raise taxes to supporting open borders, Sykes is too extreme for Ohio. That’s why she’ll be out of a job next November.”
‘Radical’ federal judges ‘will soon learn’ consequences of bucking Trump’s orders: official
The Trump administration said that “radical judges” will “soon learn that denying” President Donald Trump his “constitutionally granted authorities is a gross infringement of the law and will not stand on appeal” after a Bush-appointed judge blocked the administration from firing intelligence agency employees tied to DEI programs. U.S. District Judge Anthony Trenga, a President George W. Bush appointee in Virginia, issued the preliminary injunction on Monday ahead of a 5 p.m. deadline issued by CIA Director John Ratcliffe for the agents to resign or be fired, allowing them to appeal and stay on the federal payroll. The injunction was part of a lawsuit filed by more than a dozen intelligence agents from the CIA and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence who were found to be involved in, or working on, DEI programs in the department. TRUMP DOJ, EDUCATION DEPT FORM TASK FORCE TO PROTECT FEMALE ATHLETES FROM ‘GENDER IDEOLOGY’ IN SCHOOLS, SPORTS “The plaintiffs face termination without any suggestion of wrongdoing or poor performance,” Trenga said after the ruling, according to Politico. “Simply requiring the government to follow its regulations is a minimal burden.” The employees, who were abruptly placed on administrative leave in January, were facing termination as part of the Trump administration’s effort, supported by Elon Musk, to eliminate DEI-related programs and initiate a large-scale government overhaul. Musk also visited the CIA headquarters on Tuesday to discuss his government efficiency program. “These radical judges will soon learn that denying the Chief Executive his constitutionally granted authorities is a gross infringement of the law and will not stand on appeal,” Trump administration spokesperson Harrison Fields told Fox News Digital. CONCERNED PARENTS OF TRANS KIDS COMPARED TO ‘HATE GROUPS’ BY COLORADO DEM: WOULDN’T ‘ASK THE KKK’ FOR OPINION “Ending the bigotry of DEI and ensuring the federal government runs efficiently might be a crime to Democrats, but it’s in line with the law,” he said. The 19 employees, who are unnamed, contended in their lawsuit last month that their roles in the DEI programs were “temporary assignments” and that they also had other responsibilities as intelligence officers. The lawsuit also states that “poor performance” wasn’t a factor in their dismissal. The “imminent termination is therefore arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion,” the lawsuit charges. BAN ON TAXPAYER-FUNDED SEX CHANGES FOR PRISONERS SPARKS DEM WALKOUT IN GEORGIA HOUSE VOTE Trenga’s written order also said the Trump administration must consider employees’ “request for reassignment for open or available positions, in accordance with their qualifications and skills.” The administration can still fire the employees but first has to present a “report” on the employees’ appeals or reassignments to the judge. This injunction adds to a stack of injunctions and temporary restraining orders placed on several of President Donald Trump’s executive orders. Trump issued an executive order last month penalizing law firm Perkins Coie for its representation of Hillary Clinton and its DEI policies by targeting the firm’s government contracts and limiting access to federal facilities. Over 300 law professors and legal groups, including the ACLU and Cato Institute, filed briefs supporting Perkins Coie. In February, a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction blocking key provisions of President Trump’s executive orders aimed at banning DEI programs on university campuses. Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser lobbed at least 13 lawsuits against Trump administration policies related to DEI, including the Health and Human Services’ (HHS) termination of public health grants, and moves to defund the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
FBI Director Patel leads charge to root out Chinese influence on US soil
FBI Director Kash Patel is tackling China’s influence on American farmlands head-on, as both a food supply and national security concern. Patel’s early focus on Chinese influence over American land — particularly farmland near sensitive sites — reflects a broader second-term push by the Trump administration to confront the Chinese Communist Party’s presence on U.S. soil. The effort has gained traction among Republican lawmakers and conservative allies, who say CCP-connected land ownership poses a direct threat to national security and critical infrastructure. “FBI Director Kash Patel has made eradicating CCP interference and infiltration in the United States a relentless, uncompromising priority,” Patel advisor Erica Knight told Fox News Digital. “With his unmatched experience in counterterrorism and intelligence, Patel possesses a profound understanding of the grave threats our nation faces,” Knight said. “His expertise and unwavering resolve make him uniquely equipped to lead the bureau to crush CCP infiltration and safeguard America’s national security.” US-CANADA BORDER EYED AS VULNERABILITY BY CHINA, RUSSIA, SAYS PATEL: ‘THE ENEMY ADAPTS’ Patel recently told lawmakers that the “effective resolution” of the southern border crisis has prompted adversaries like China, Russia, and Iran to shift their focus to the U.S. northern border. As the administration ramps up its second-term focus on China, President Donald Trump was asked aboard Air Force One on Thursday what the White House is doing about Chinese-owned farmland. Trump said he is “looking at it all the time,” adding that he has “a very good relationship with China and with the president.” “I have a lot of respect for President Xi,” Trump said. TOP FIVE TAKEDOWNS: KASH PATEL’S FBI HITS THE GROUND RUNNING WITH MAJOR EARLY VICTORIES Trump emphasized that Chinese-owned farmland “has been an issue for years.” In a February Fox News op-ed, Presidential Envoy for Special Missions Ric Grenell echoed growing concern on the right over Chinese-owned farmland, calling it part of a “not-so-silent takeover.” “While conservative legislators and governors across the country are taking action to stop adversarial nations from buying U.S. farmland, we must recognize that there’s a much broader issue at play here — China’s end goal is not confined to land ownership,” Grenell wrote. MORE THAN HALF A MILLION LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL BACK PATEL AS FBI DIRECTOR Capitol Hill lawmakers have already begun taking action. In early March, Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., introduced the PASS Act in the Senate, which would bar entities from “covered countries” — including China — from purchasing agricultural land near military bases or other sensitive sites. The legislation, which also has Democratic support, would allow the Department of Agriculture to submit cases to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. for review if the department suspects there is a national security concern. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Likewise, Republican senators in January also announced the Not One More Inch or Acre Act, led by Sens. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Kevin Cramer of North Dakota and Katie Britt of Alabama. The legislation would require selling land owned or “influenced” by the Chinese Communist Party that is deemed to be a national security risk. Fox News Digital’s Morgan Phillips and Michael Lee contributed to this report.
Cory Booker on whether he should be Democrats’ next leader: ‘It’s time for all of us’
After breaking the Senate record for longest floor speech, Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., gave an innocuous answer about whether he sees himself as the Democratic Party’s next leader. With Democratic veterans like former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., no longer in leadership, no one person can fully claim the title of Democratic Party leader. At age 55, Booker has been in the Senate for more than 10 years. After his record-breaking speech on the Senate floor this week, during which he bashed the Trump administration, Elon Musk and Republicans, some wonder whether Booker could be a contender for party leader. “Some are saying the Democratic Party needs a national leader, are you it?” Fox News Digital asked. BOOKER CALLED FILIBUSTER AN ‘ABUSE OF POWER’ YEARS BEFORE SETTING SENATE SPEECH RECORD “I think that, as the great Ella Baker said, we are the leaders we’ve been looking for,” Booker answered. “I think the Democratic Party needs everybody to realize it’s time for all of us to lead,” he added. During his speech, Booker claimed that President Donald 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.” Booker said he felt inspired to make his marathon speech, which disrupted votes on the Senate floor for over 25 hours, because his constituents “were demanding more.” BAN ON TAXPAYER-FUNDED SEX CHANGES FOR PRISONERS SPARKS DEM WALKOUT IN GEORGIA HOUSE VOTE “We’re in a moral moment in our country about what we are going to stand for,” he said. “So, I wanted to stand with our veterans, I wanted to stand with expecting moms in their healthcare, I want to stand for people who rely on Social Security and a lot of the other things that are happening I think are in the balance right now.” The senator said that his days as a football player at Stanford prepared him to be able to stand and speak for so long. “I learned a lot as an athlete — as most athletes will tell you, what you learn is that you can go further than you think you can,” said Booker. “You’ve got more in the tank when you think it’s all gone. And those lessons gave me a lot to draw on. And then even when everything is out of the tank and you physically have hit your wall, that your spirit can take over and you can do a little bit more.” JASMINE CROCKETT SETS OFF SOCIAL MEDIA AFTER TOUTING BEING BLACK AS QUALIFICATION FOR PUBLIC DEFENDER JOB Asked whether his speech, not technically a filibuster, had the impact he was hoping for, Booker responded: “I think this is not a single moment, or even 25 hours. I think it’s a longer journey.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “It was a good day,” he continued. “But as I learned playing college football, just because you had a good play, you get back to the huddle, and you get ready for the next one, and that’s what we need to do.”
Judge orders Trump administration to return Maryland man mistakenly deported to El Salvador prison
A federal judge on Friday ordered the Trump administration to immediately make arrangements for the return of a Maryland man who was mistakenly deported to an El Salvador prison. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis said that Kilmar Abrego Garcia had been illegally deported to El Salvador and said he must be returned by Monday before midnight. This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Dem senator looks to hijack key Trump budget process with tariff challenge
FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Jacky Rosen plans to introduce amendments ahead of Friday night’s “Vote-A-Rama” that would roll back President Donald Trump’s tariffs on certain materials on key tourism partners, likely forcing her Republican colleagues to go on record defending the policy again. “President Trump broke his promise to lower costs, and has enacted reckless tariffs that are jacking up prices even higher for hardworking Nevada families and harming my state’s tourism economy,” Rosen, D-Nev., told Fox News Digital in an exclusive statement. “Donald Trump may not care if his tariffs raise prices, but I do, and that’s why I’m trying to stop his new national sales tax. Every senator should be on the record: Do you stand with America’s working families who need financial relief, or do you stand with Trump in giving his billionaire buddies even more tax giveaways?” REPUBLICANS CHARGE AHEAD ON TRUMP BUDGET, SETTING UP MARATHON SENATE VOTES The Nevada Democrat’s amendments include one to stop the administration from levying tariffs on critical construction materials for building houses, and one that would bar Trump from putting across-the-board tariffs on countries with many who visit the U.S. “I’ve already heard from Nevadans and Nevada business owners who are worried about how these new tariffs will impact their businesses and livelihoods, including the founder of a small business in Reno. They wrote to me saying, quote, ‘We maintain a small production facility in Reno . . . these duties will force us to raise retail prices by 37 percent, and we don’t believe our customers will accept that. This policy could wipe us out entirely,’” Rosen said during her debate time on the floor on Friday. TED CRUZ CLASHES WITH KEY DEMOCRAT OVER ‘SECOND PHASE OF LAWFARE’ THROUGH FEDERAL JUDGES’ ORDERS “They go on to say, quote, ‘I’m not asking for a favor. I’m asking for leadership that reflects the urgency and reality we face. These tariffs do not bring jobs back. They raise prices, punish small businesses, and put livelihoods at risk, all while making it harder for companies like mine to do what we’ve done for 13 years: create jobs, innovate, and support our families,’” she went on. On Thursday, Republicans agreed to a motion that kicked off roughly a day’s worth of debate, before the “vote-a-rama” begins. A marathon of amendment votes is now expected to take place at some point on Friday after the debate ends. GOP DEFECTORS HELP SENATE ADVANCE RESOLUTION TO CANCEL TRUMP TARIFFS DESPITE WHITE HOUSE VETO WARNING During this process, senators can introduce an unlimited number of amendments, and many are expected to get floor votes. The “vote-a-rama” marks movement on Trump’s budget for border funding and extending his hallmark 2017 tax cuts, which Republicans in Congress have long been pursuing. This week, the Senate released its changes to the House’s budget reconciliation resolution, taking a big step forward. SENATE DEMS FORESHADOW MORE FORCED VOTES TO BLOCK TRUMP’S EMERGENCY ORDERS This amendment to the resolution will get a Senate vote at the end of the “vote-a-rama.” The expected budget vote comes after months of disagreement between Republicans in the House and Senate, the former of which sought a reconciliation bill to tackle both the border and taxes, while many in the Senate wanted to split it into two bills. Ultimately, House Republicans got what they wanted in a one-bill approach, which Trump blessed.
Trump’s China tariffs face legal challenge from conservative group calling them ‘unlawful’
A conservative legal group is challenging President Donald Trump‘s tariffs on China, calling them “an unlawful attempt” to make Americans pay higher taxes on Chinese imports. The New Civil Liberties Alliance (NCLA) filed an initial complaint in Florida district court Thursday, challenging Trump’s “unlawful use of emergency power to impose a tariff on all imports from China.” “By invoking emergency power to impose an across-the-board tariff on imports from China that the statute does not authorize, President Trump has misused that power, usurped Congress’s right to control tariffs, and upset the Constitution’s separation of powers,” Andrew Morris, senior litigation counsel at NCLA, said in a statement released. SOME COUNTRIES TARGETED BY TRUMP TARIFFS SEEK NEGOTIATIONS, CHINA SAYS ‘NO WINNERS IN TRADE WARS’ Trump issued an executive order on Feb. 1 titled “Imposing Duties to Address the Synthetic Opioid Supply Chain in the People’s Republic of China,” and amended it on Mar. 3 to raise tariffs on Chinese imports from 10% to 20%. Plaintiff Emily Ley, owner of Simplified, a Pensacola, Florida-based company, argues Trump’s invocation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose the tariffs is unlawful. The plaintiff also argues that her business will be harmed as a result of Trump’s action. “The key thing for all of this is that IEEPA does not provide for the tariff power, and you know that because when Congress does do it, they use the word, and they say how the president is supposed to do it,” John Vecchione, senior litigation counsel at NCLA, told Fox News Digital. Vecchione notes that the complaint delineates the various statutes Trump used in his first term to impose tariffs, saying that in this instance, he is “using the wrong statute.” “Here, [Trump] declares an emergency, and then he says that his tariffs fit the emergency, that they’re necessary for the emergency,” Vecchione said. “IEEPA requires that they be necessary for the emergency, and they’re not.” TRUMP TOUTS RETURN OF THE ‘AMERICAN DREAM’ IN HISTORIC TARIFF ANNOUNCEMENT The plaintiff argues that the law permits the president to “order sanctions as a rapid response to international emergencies,” but does not authorize him to “impose tariffs on the American people.” “President Trump’s executive orders imposing a China tariff are, therefore, ultra vires and unconstitutional,” the complaint states. If the president is granted such authority, the group argues, he would have “nearly unlimited authority to commandeer Congress’s power over tariffs.” “He would be empowered to declare a national emergency based on some long-running national problem,” the complaint continues, “then impose tariffs purportedly in the name of that emergency – thus sidestepping the detailed constraints Congress has placed on the tariff authority it has granted.” NCLA is asking the court to block the administration from implementing or enforcing the executive orders and to vacate “all resulting modifications” to the tariff schedule. In response to the lawsuit, White House principal deputy press secretary Harrison Fields defended the executive orders, telling Fox News Digital, “President Trump has broad authority to impose tariffs to address issues of national emergency, such as the opioid pandemic. The Trump administration looks forward to victory in court.” The suit comes just days after the president unveiled his tariff plan during a speech in the White House Rose Garden at a highly anticipated “Make America Wealthy Again” event. “Now it’s our turn to prosper, and in so doing, use trillions and trillions of dollars to reduce our taxes and pay down our national debt,” Trump said on April 2. “And it will all happen very quickly. With today’s action, we are finally going to be able to make America great again, greater than ever before.” HOW WE GOT TO LIBERATION DAY: A LOOK AT TRUMP’S PAST COMMENTS ON TARIFFS Trump was joined by several Cabinet members in the Rose Garden on Thursday for his first official presidential event since taking office in January. During the speech, Trump announced that China would be hit with a 34% tariff. In response, China declared retaliatory measures on Friday, saying it would impose matching 34% tariffs on U.S. goods. The new tariffs are set to take effect April 10, according to The Wall Street Journal. “China played it wrong, they panicked – the one thing they cannot afford to do,” Trump wrote Friday on Truth Social. Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton and Greg Norman contributed to this report.
Trump DOJ, Education Dept form task force to protect female athletes from ‘gender ideology’ in schools, sports
The Trump administration launched a new investigative unit to protect “female athletes, from the pernicious effects of gender ideology in school programs and activities” on Friday, further clamping down on transgender women in school sports and sending a warning signal to states defying the president’s executive orders. The Department of Education (DOE) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the Title IX Special Investigations Team (SIT) to handle cases, particularly targeting transgender women in sports, because “traditionally, our Office for Civil Rights [OCR] takes months, even years, to complete Title IX investigations,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said Friday. “OCR under this Administration has moved faster than it ever has, and the Title IX SIT will ensure even more rapid and consistent investigations,” McMahon said. “To all the entities that continue to allow men to compete in women’s sports and use women’s intimate facilities: there’s a new sheriff in town. We will not allow you to get away with denying women’s civil rights any longer.” CONCERNED PARENTS OF TRANS KIDS COMPARED TO ‘HATE GROUPS’ BY COLORADO DEM: WOULDN’T ‘ASK THE KKK’ FOR OPINION The team, drawn from both agencies, will implement a rapid process to handle the growing number of cases to hand over investigations to potential DOJ enforcement. McMahon said the Title IX unit “will benefit women and girls across this nation who have been subjected to discrimination and indignity in their educational activities.” “Protecting women and women’s sports is a key priority for this Department of Justice,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said Friday. “This collaborative effort with the Department of Education will enable our attorneys to take comprehensive action when women’s sports or spaces are threatened and use the full power of the law to remedy any violation of women’s civil rights.” The unit comprises investigators and attorneys from the OCR, DOE Office of General Counsel, and the DOE Office of Student Privacy and Protection, along with caseworkers and an FSA Enforcement investigator. The unit also includes attorneys from the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division. TRANS INMATE IN PRISON FOR KILLING BABY MUST GET GENDER SURGERY AT ‘EARLIEST OPPORTUNITY’: JUDGE The investigative unit will enforce Title IX protections with President Donald Trump’s executive orders on “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” and “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism.” The unit comes as Trump has been facing pushback from both lawmakers and judges for his gender-related orders. Trump and Democratic Maine Gov. Janet Mills sparred in February over Trump’s order banning biological males from women’s sports. During a National Governors Association meeting, Trump accused Mills of defying federal orders by continuing to allow transgender women to compete in women’s sports. Following the confrontation, the Trump administration launched investigations into Maine’s education department. The U.S. Department of Agriculture also froze funds to certain educational programs in Maine due to the state’s rebellion. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins indicated the funding freeze could be lifted if Maine aligns with federal interpretations of Title IX. BAN ON TAXPAYER-FUNDED SEX CHANGES FOR PRISONERS SPARKS DEM WALKOUT IN GEORGIA HOUSE VOTE Trump’s Title IX unit comes after the Biden administration updated Title IX regulations in 2021 and 2022 to expand protections for LGBTQ+ students, interpreting the law’s prohibition on sex discrimination to include gender identity and sexual orientation. Under then-President Joe Biden’s interpretation, transgender students were protected in sports, bathrooms, changing room facilities and in other educational programs.
Trump shakes up NSA leadership, appoints new acting director and deputy to replace Biden appointees
President Donald Trump has fired the head of the National Security Agency (NSA), a high-level move driven by mounting pressure from conservative allies to purge officials they view as insufficiently loyal to the president’s “America First” agenda. Lt. Gen. Timothy Haugh and civilian Deputy Wendy Noble were let go from their roles as director and deputy director of the NSA. Lt. Gen. William Hartman, who also leads U.S. Cyber Command, will serve as acting director, while Sheila Thomas will take over as deputy. Hartman previously commanded the Cyber National Mission Force and has served in intelligence, cyberspace operations and infantry roles during deployments around the world. Thomas most recently headed NSA’s cryptologic partnership with the United Kingdom and served as director of engagement and policy at NSA. TRUMP CONFIRMS NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL FIRINGS AS WALTZ’S SIGNAL CHAT WOES SNOWBALL The shake-up comes as some right-wing figures have turned against members of Trump’s national security team. Far-right provocateur Laura Loomer met with Trump this week to share her “research” on officials she believes should be fired. As Loomer pointed out on X, both Haugh and Noble were Biden appointees. She seemingly took credit for the firing, claiming Haugh had “no place” in the Trump administration because he was “hand-picked” by former Joint Chiefs Chairman Mark Milley. “Why would we want an NSA Director who was referred to Biden after being hand selected by Milley,” Ms. Loomer wrote. “Why would we want Milley’s hand picked choice for NSA DIRECTOR? We do not! And he was referred for firing.” NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY DIRECTOR GEN. HAUGH FIRED, CIVILIAN DEPUTY DIRECTOR REASSIGNED The White House and NSA did not respond when asked if Loomer had influenced the president’s decision. Trump also fired several National Security Council (NSC) staffers on Thursday, adding to national security adviser Mike Waltz’s recent woes after he accidentally included The Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg in a Signal chat about Houthi strikes. “We’re going to let go of people we don’t like, or people we don’t think can do the job, or people who may have loyalties to somebody else,” Trump told reporters about the firings. He confirmed that NSC members had been fired, but remarked it was not many individuals. The NSA shuffle also came after Trump recently let go of C.Q. Brown, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs, and Adm. Lisa Franchetti, former chief of naval operations. The White House has insisted Waltz’s job is not under threat. “As the president has made it very clear, Mike Waltz continues to be an important part of his national security team,” Trump administration press secretary Karoline Leavitt told the media in brief remarks outside the White House’s press room on Monday afternoon. “And this case has been closed here at the White House, as far as we are concerned.”