NationalWatch

A federal appeals court upheld an Oklahoma law banning gender transition medical treatment for minors.

The law, Senate Bill 613, makes it a felony for health care workers to provide gender transition treatment such as puberty-blocking drugs and hormones to a minor.

The bill was passed by the state’s Republican-controlled legislature and signed into law by GOP Gov. Kevin Stitt in 2023.

Five families of transgender children and a physician challenged the state’s law, arguing it violated their constitutional rights.

ITALIAN LAW WOULD REGULATE GENDER TRANSITION TREATMENT FOR MINORS

The plaintiffs, represented by Lambda Legal, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the ACLU of Oklahoma, argued that lawmakers approved the law with discriminatory intent, pointing to a 2022 law that froze pandemic relief funding for the hospital system OU Health unless Oklahoma Children’s Hospital halted gender transition treatment for minors.

A federal judge declined to block the law from taking effect in 2023, writing that transgender medical care for children is “an area in which medical and policy debate is unfolding” and the state “can rationally take the side of caution before permitting irreversible medical treatments of its children.”

The U.S. Supreme Court in June upheld a similar Tennessee ban on transgender-related treatment, a ruling relied upon when the 10th Circuit issued its ruling in Oklahoma on Wednesday, when a three-judge panel ruled unanimously that Oklahoma’s law is constitutional.

The laws in Tennessee and Oklahoma “are functionally indistinguishable,” Circuit Judge Joel M. Carson, an appointee of President Donald Trump, wrote in the order.

The order says Oklahoma’s law does not violate the Constitution and was not intended to discriminate against transgender children.

“We recognize the importance of this issue to all involved,” Carson wrote. “But this remains a novel issue with disagreement on how to assure children’s health and welfare. We will not usurp the legislature’s judgment when it engages in ‘earnest and profound debate about the morality, legality, and practicality’ of gender transition procedures for minors.”

“While we respect that Plaintiffs disagree with the legislature’s assessment of such procedures’ risks, that alone does not invalidate a democratically enacted law on rational-basis grounds,” the judge added.

Oklahoma’s Republican Attorney General Gentner Drummond praised the court’s ruling in a post on social media.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION REFINES EEOC APPROACH TO TRANSGENDER WORKPLACE DISCRIMINATION CLAIMS

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“For years, radical left activists pushed the lie of ‘gender transition’ procedures for minors. The truth is much simpler: there is no such thing,” he wrote Thursday on X. “Today, here in Oklahoma, we celebrate a new decision from the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals that recognizes this truth and protects our children. I am proud to have fought this battle and won. This is a victory for our children, for our Constitution, and for common sense.”

Attorneys for the plaintiffs, on the other hand, described Wednesday’s ruling as “a devastating outcome for transgender youth and their families across Oklahoma and another tragic result of the Supreme Court’s errant and harmful ruling” in the Tennessee case.

“Oklahoma’s ban is openly discriminatory and provably harmful to the transgender youth of this state, putting political dogma above parents, their children, and their family doctors,” the attorneys said in a joint statement. “While we and our clients consider our next steps, we want all transgender people and their families across Oklahoma to know we will never stop fighting for the future they deserve and their freedom to be themselves.”

FIRST ON FOX: Senate Republicans last month were able to advance President Donald Trump’s desire to clawback billions in federal spending, an effort carried to fruition for the first time in nearly three decades by a first-term senator.

While the effort to slash funding to NPR, PBS and foreign aid was born in the White House, it was executed thanks in large part to Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo.

Schmitt, who was first elected to the Senate in 2022, has become an envoy of sorts for Trump’s agenda in the upper chamber. He has a strong relationship with the president that dates back to his first campaign, which has developed into a regular invite to join Trump for rounds of golf.

‘LONG OVERDUE’: SENATE REPUBLICANS RAM THROUGH TRUMP’S CLAWBACK PACKAGE WITH CUTS TO FOREIGN AID, NPR

He’s launched probes against former President Joe Biden’s alleged mental decline, helped smooth over concerns during passage of Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” and contends that “intuitively” he understands the president’s America First message. 

And his role in bridging the gap between the White House and the Senate, along with negotiating among his conference to get the $9 billion package across the line, has seen his stock rise immensely within the Senate GOP.

But, in an interview with Fox News Digital, he said his entire goal is to just be helpful.

“I think I approach it with that kind of humility,” Schmitt said. “But I also, I want to be successful, and I want the agenda to move forward. I think it’s really important. Being on the golf course with President Trump is a great honor, and we have a lot of fun. He’s a very good golfer.”

Schmitt, who previously served as Missouri’s attorney general before launching a bid for the Senate, regularly clashed with the Biden administration and said that his role of rebuking lockdowns, vaccine mandates, censorship and mass migration informed how he currently views legislating.

SENATE TO DEBATE TRUMP’S $9B CLAWBACK BILL AFTER DRAMATIC LATE-NIGHT VOTES

“My job was to stand in the gap and fight back, with the hopes that President Trump would return,” he said.

Trump endorsed Schmitt in 2022, and in return the lawmaker became one of the first senators to back his reelection campaign the following year. That turned into Schmitt becoming a mainstay on the campaign trail, jetting across the country in Trump Force One where “Big Macs and double cheeseburgers and quarter pounders with cheese” flowed.

And when Trump won, Schmitt had the opportunity to leave the Senate and join the administration as attorney general, but he opted to stay in the upper chamber.

Had he jumped ship, Trump’s recissions package may not have been able to pass muster with the Senate GOP, where appropriators raised concerns about the impact that clawing back already agreed-upon spending would have on the government funding process and others raised issues with the funding that was targeted.

“This wouldn’t have happened without Eric Schmitt,” Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., told Fox News Digital. 

Britt was part of the same 2022 class of freshman senators as Schmitt, which included other notable Republicans, like Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., and Vice President J.D. Vance.

She said Schmitt’s leadership on the rescissions package, like listening to lawmakers’ concerns and negotiations with Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins, R-Maine, to take the lead on the package, led to a final product that could actually pass in the diverse Senate GOP.

‘SHOULD HAVE BEEN PREPARED’: GOP SENATORS FIGHT FOR UNIFIED MESSAGE ON TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’

Indeed, Schmitt agreed to allow as many amendments to the bill as lawmakers wanted and included his own change to the clawback that would save funding for global AIDS and HIV prevention — a key change that helped bring more Republicans on board.

“When Eric speaks, people listen,” Britt said. “And he is thoughtful about when he uses his voice, and when he does it most definitely makes an impact.”

Schmitt, however, is more humble in how he views his part in the process.

“People can label,” Schmitt said. “I don’t get too hung up on any of that. Like for me, honestly, I feel fortunate to be in the position that I’m in. There’s really not a lot of daylight between the President’s agenda and the things that I support.”

Still, he was hopeful that another recissions package would come, describing it as “a good exercise for us,” but noted that the timing for the remaining fiscal year would be tricky given the GOP’s continued push to blast through Democrats’ blockade on nominees and the looming government funding deadline when lawmakers return after Labor Day.

But getting the first one done was key to opening the door for more.

“I think that was also part of what was on the line,” he said. “When we were, you know, in the middle of the night, trying to make sure we had the votes, was that we have to prove that we have the ability to do it. And once you do it, there’s muscle memory associated with that. There’s a cultural shift in how we view things.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

However, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has demanded that Republicans commit to a bipartisan appropriations process and eschew further rescissions packages.

Should another come from the White House in the waning days of this fiscal year, it could spell trouble in Congress’ bid to avert a partial government shutdown by Sept. 30.

“I really think it would be a bad idea for Republicans to alter our course of action based on what Democrat threats are,” Schmitt said. “At the end of the day, they’re an obstructionist party without a message, without a messenger.” 

A Miami federal judge has ordered a temporary halt to construction at the “Alligator Alcatraz” detention facility in Florida, Fox News has learned. 

U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams said the facility, which is built in the middle of the Florida Everglades, can continue to hold migrant detainees, but cannot add any new infrastructure capacity. The ruling stops new construction, including filling, paving, installation of new infrastructure, and installation of new lighting, for a 14-day period while the parties involved in a lawsuit over the facility complete their hearing on a motion for a preliminary injunction. 

Williams issued her ruling during a Thursday hearing where attorneys argued that the detention center violates environmental laws. 

FLORIDA OFFICIALS REVEAL CRIMINAL BACKGROUNDS OF MIGRANTS HELD AT ‘ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ’

“Today’s ruling by an activist judge will have no impact on immigration enforcement in Florida,” said Alex Lanfranconi, the communications director for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. “Alligator Alcatraz will remain operational, continuing to serve as a force multiplier to enhance deportation efforts.”

The office of Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier vowed to appeal the ruling.

“Judge Williams’ order is wrong, and we will fight it,” Uthmeier’s communications director, Jeremy Redfern, said in a statement to Fox News. “However, it does not shut down Alligator Alcatraz, which will continue to send illegal aliens back to where they came from.”

Environmental groups – the Friends of the Everglades and the Center for Biological Diversity — and a Native American tribe have asked Williams to issue a preliminary injunction to halt operations and further construction. A lawsuit said the project threatens environmentally sensitive wetlands that are home to protected plants and animals and violates the National Environmental Policy Act, which requires federal agencies to assess the environmental effects of major construction projects.

TRUMP SAYS ONLY WAY OUT OF ‘ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ’ IS DEPORTATION

“It’s a relief that the court has stepped in to protect the Everglades’ sensitive waters, starry skies and vulnerable creatures from further harm while we continue our case,” Elise Bennett, Florida and Caribbean director and an attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “We’re ready to press forward and put a stop to this despicable plan for good.”

Paul Schwiep, an attorney for the environmental groups, asked Williams to issue a temporary restraining order to halt any new construction at the site. 

Williams asked Florida attorney Jesse Panuccio if the state would agree to halt construction so that she wouldn’t need to issue the restraining order. She pointed out that anything built at the site would likely remain there permanently, regardless of how the case was ultimately decided.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

The 30-square-mile property will be home to 5,000 detainees and is guarded by alligators and pythons.

The lawsuit is one of two legal challenges against federal and state authorities. A second lawsuit brought by a civil rights group alleges that detainees are being deprived of their constitutional rights, such as being barred from meeting lawyers and being held without any charges.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett, one of the most prominent anti-Trump voices in Congress, is the subject of a scathing report this week that labels her as a “diva” and someone who terrorizes staff members.

Several congressional aides who worked for or with Crockett told the New York Post this week that Crockett, 44, described the firebrand congresswoman as “rude” and rarely present in her Washington, D.C., office except when the cameras are rolling.

“She is laying around her apartment, won’t come into the office, and is really just indifferent to staff and will scream at them,” one former aide told the outlet, adding that Crockett is “never in the office” and “very disengaged.”

The former staffer added that Crockett “freaks out over the most random things.”

CROCKETT CHEERS TEXAS DEMS FLEEING TO DELAY CONGRESSIONAL MAPS BACKED BY ‘RIDICULOUS TYRANT’ TRUMP: ‘DEUCES!’

Another source that is “widely known” the Crockett mistreats staff and is a “diva” that is “focused almost exclusively on being an influencer”

Crockett, who has served in Congress as a representative from Texas since 2023, regularly goes viral for her criticisms of Trump and has called him a “piece of s***” and an “enemy to the United States.” The congresswoman  is also known for blasting Trump during committee hearings in speeches that often go viral on social media.

The report goes on to say that Crockett usually works from a luxury office building instead of her office and is known for requiring staffers to drive her short distances in a rented car, rather than their personal car, which is typically the method used to save costs. 

CROCKETT SAID SHE ‘BROKE DOWN IN TEARS’ WATCHING ALEX PADILLA GET FORCIBLY REMOVED FROM PRESS CONFERENCE

During those trips, according to the New York Post, Crockett demands the rented car “has to be an Escalade” or something similar and staffers are told to open the door for her. 

“The staff is really just an island unto itself, because she doesn’t care about the local issues happening in her district,” a source told the New York Post. “She’s more focused on, ‘Get me on “The View,” ‘Get me on this late-night talk show.’”

Crockett made headlines last year for criticizing the appearance of GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene while using the term “butch.”

According to the report, gay staffers in Crockett’s office took issue with that term, and Crockett dismissed their concerns.

“That’s not offensive,” Crockett said, according to a former aide. “You’re stupid if you think so.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The report goes on to say that Crockett has burned staff members at a rapid pace due to a “toxic staff environment” that has left Black female staff members feeling a lack of empowerment. 

At one point, Crockett reportedly made a staff member cry after saying, “Do you really want to be here? And if not, you can leave!”

Crockett was criticized earlier this year when she appeared to board a flight while skipping ahead of two passengers in wheelchairs in an incident that is reportedly indicative of her overall personality.

“Her cutting in line in front of a handicapped person is really indicative of the type of person she is,” a source close to Crockett told the New York Post. “She is interpersonally very rude and doesn’t get along well with people.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Crockett’s office for comment. 

While she is shutting down her sanctuary state’s migrant shelters, critics are accusing Democratic Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey of simply shifting the costs over to a program that makes migrants eligible to receive at least $30,000 in housing assistance over two years.

The Boston Herald reported in June that the Healey administration had increased spending in Massachusetts’ HomeBASE program to $97 million in 2025, up from $9.5 million in 2022, according to state data.

The outlet reported that eligible families in the Massachusetts-run shelter system were being provided with $30,000 in rental assistance over two years. According to the Herald, the total caseload for HomeBASE increased under Healey from 1,473 in January 2023 to 7,767 in April 2025, more than a 400 percent increase. The outlet also said that some eligible families could qualify for an additional $15,000 in a third year of assistance but that state officials planned to pause third year assistance in July. 

After that report, Massachusetts GOP Chair Amy Carnevale commented that the HomeBASE program amounted to being “shelters by another name.”

“Taxpayers are giving migrant families nearly limitless free rental assistance. Meanwhile, federal action means these families won’t be receiving work permits anytime soon,” she went on, adding, “The migrant shelter crisis is not over, and cost-shifting is not leadership.”

However, a spokesperson for Healey pushed back against the criticism, telling Fox News Digital that the governor is the first to require families receiving HomeBASE funds prove their legal status as well as Massachusetts residency. 

DHS SCOOPS UP CRIMINAL ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT SUSPECTED OF KILLING MAN ON LAWNMOWER: ‘SENSELESS TRAGEDY’

The spokesperson said that claims that illegal aliens are benefitting from the program “are completely false.” 

“Every family must have legal status and prove Massachusetts residency to be in the HomeBASE program. Governor Healey is the first Governor to require that. In fact, HomeBASE has been operated for over a decade, including under the prior Republican administration, and Governor Healey is the first to enact additional eligibility requirements,” said the spokesperson. 

This month, Healey announced the closure of all remaining hotel shelters in the Bay State amid the formal termination of her executive emergency focused on the state’s Biden-era migrant influx.

In a statement emailed to Fox News Digital, Carnevale said that “friends, favors, and failures continue to emerge even as she declares that the migrant crisis is over.”

“Healey should rip off the Band-Aid and tell the public whether these same oversights are occurring in the HomeBASE program,” she continued.

TOM HOMAN PUTS SANCTUARY CITIES ‘ON NOTICE’ AS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION CRACKS DOWN ON IMMIGRATION

“The abuse of taxpayer dollars, coupled with a stunning lack of oversight by Maura Healey and her administration, will define her legacy as governor.”

Meanwhile, Jon Fetherston, a former Massachusetts migrant shelter director who blew the whistle about rampant crime and abuse taking place in the system, commented that “instead of creating stability, HomeBase has become a revolving door of short-term rental assistance.”

He said that because migrants often spend the bulk of their $30,000 on upfront costs, many become unable to sustain their housing within months.

“The Healey Administration’s expansion of the HomeBASE program was sold to the public as a solution, one that would save money, reduce shelter dependence, and help migrant families become self-sufficient. But the reality is far different,” he explained. “HomeBASE is now a bloated, mismanaged program that’s failing both the taxpayers who fund it and the migrants it claims to help.”

ICE RAID TIPOFFS FROM DEM LAWMAKER COULD MEAN CHARGES, SAYS DHS REP: ‘LOOKS LIKE OBSTRUCTION’

“HomeBASE, in its current form, is a broken promise,” he said. “Taxpayers are footing a nearly $100 million bill with little transparency, no measurable outcomes and no end in sight. The promise of savings from closing hotel shelters is being quietly replaced with backdoor spending that still lacks accountability.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“This isn’t a hand-up; it’s a setup for failure.”

Fox News Digital’s Charles Creitz contributed to this report.

The Trump administration will deliver $93 million in new food aid to 12 African countries and Haiti to fight malnutrition, the State Department has announced.

State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a Thursday press briefing that the Trump administration will treat nearly one million children suffering from malnutrition through $93 million in ready-use therapeutic food (RUTF). 

The food aid will be distributed in Haiti, Mali, Niger, Ethiopia, Sudan, South Sudan, Nigeria, Madagascar, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Kenya and Chad.

GAZA HUMANITARIAN FOUNDATION: WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE US-BACKED AID GROUP

Following the announcement, Pigott was asked to square the discrepancy between the Trump administration’s revocation of visas belonging to Haitians in the U.S. and plans to potentially deport them, with the administration’s efforts to try to promote stability in the region through food assistance.  

“Look, we’ve seen actions from this administration in order to try to encourage stability in Haiti. We’ve seen actions, announcements taken to try to go after those that are leading to instability in Haiti,” Pigott responded. 

“For specifics on TPS, I assume that you’re talking about whether they are afraid of [Department of Homeland Security] in terms of those specific decisions. But we have seen actions here from the State Department to try to encourage stability in Haiti.”

RUBIO OFFICIALLY KILLS USAID, REVEALS FUTURE HOME FOR FOREIGN ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS

The announcement about new foreign nutrition aid comes after the Trump administration gutted billions from the government’s spending on foreign aid. As part of the reforms, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the primary government agency tasked with disbursing foreign aid, was folded into the State Department.

The $93 million in new food assistance will be utilized by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and will run until June, according to Semafor, which spoke to a State Department official familiar with the new food aid disbursement. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

In addition to providing ready-to-eat food, the new assistance, which will all be American-made, according to the State Department, will also be used to help produce or grow more ready-to-eat food, Semafor reported.  

President Donald Trump has directed federal law enforcement to increase its presence throughout Washington, D.C., following a concerning surge in violent crime, including an incident in which a former DOGE worker nicknamed “Big Balls” was brutally beaten in the streets this week.

Trump signed an executive order in March establishing the “Making DC Safe and Beautiful Task Force.” Now the administration is taking a whole-of-government approach by deploying additional law enforcement to increase presence and improve overall public safety in the nation’s capital city, according to a source familiar with the plans.

The operation, which will use both local and federal law enforcement agencies, including Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI, DEA and others, begins at midnight on Thursday and will initially last for seven days with the option to extend “as needed.”

Law enforcement will focus on improving safety in high-traffic tourist areas and other known hotspots.

TRUMP WHITE HOUSE CELEBRATES LATEST CHAPTER OF WINS AT 200-DAY MARK

In a statement to Fox News, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced “there will be no safe harbor for violent criminals in D.C.” beginning on Thursday night.

“Washington, DC is an amazing city, but it has been plagued by violent crime for far too long,” Leavitt said. “President Trump has directed an increased presence of federal law enforcement to protect innocent citizens. Starting tonight, there will be no safe harbor for violent criminals in D.C.”

She added, “President Trump is committed to making our Nation’s capital safer for its residents, lawmakers, and visitors from all around the world.”

The source familiar with the plans noted that stamping out the “out-of-control violent crime plaguing DC” has been an “ongoing priority” for the president and that the move is him delivering on his campaign promise to restore the capital city.

TRUMP THREATENS TO FEDERALIZE DC AFTER EX-DOGE EMPLOYEE ‘BIG BALLS’ VIOLENTLY BEATEN

Among the priorities laid out in Trump’s executive order, he directed the task force to deploy a more robust federal law enforcement presence and coordinate with local law enforcement in the District of Columbia, including the National Mall and Memorial Parks, museums, monuments, Lafayette Park, Union Station, Rock Creek Park, Anacostia Park, the George Washington Memorial Parkway, the Suitland Parkway, and the Baltimore-Washington Parkway.

The order also instructs the task force to review and, if needed, revise federal prosecutorial policies on pretrial detention of criminal defendants to ensure individuals who pose a threat to public safety are detained to the maximum extent permitted by law.

Additionally, the order instructs the task force to direct maximum enforcement of federal immigration law, redirecting federal, state or local law enforcement resources to apprehend and deport illegals throughout the area.

WATCH: TRUMP HINTS HE WILL FEDERALIZE DC SOON, BRING IN NATIONAL GUARD AFTER ‘BIG BALLS’ ATTACK

The source said the additional law enforcement will be devoted to protecting D.C. residents and visitors from the “scourge of violent crime plaguing” the city.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“President Trump promised to Make DC Safe Again on the campaign trail – this is another promise kept,” they said.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday that sex changes for transgender children is something she’s working for “at the national level.”

Earlier in the day, Pelosi toured the San Francisco VA Medical Center to review health-system upgrades, research initiatives and—according to a press release from her staff—the threat that House Republicans might slash core veterans’ services.

While speaking with reporters, she was asked how her office was responding to pauses to “gender-affirming care” in California.

“That is something I’m working for at the national level, and we are hoping we can have gender-affirming care for our trans kids,” Pelosi said. “It’s a sad thing for us… I don’t know what effect we can have nationally with what we have going on in the White House and in Congress.”

DEMOCRATIC STATES SUE TRUMP ADMIN OVER ENDING SEX CHANGE SURGERIES FOR MINORS

She called the situation “really sad, adding that a transgender-pride flag—five horizontal stripes of light blue, pink and white—hangs outside her office. Pelosi also said several colleagues display the same flag.

She acknowledged that many Republicans on Capitol Hill oppose medical transition for transgender youth.

Still, she is not alone in her stance on sex changes for kids.

CHILDREN’S NATIONAL HOSPITAL IN DC TO END GENDER TRANSITION MEDICAL INTERVENTIONS

Earlier this month, over a dozen officials from Democratic-led states filed a lawsuit to stop the Trump administration from blocking access to sex change procedures and treatments for people under the age of 19.

The complaint, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, argues that the Trump administration wants to impose a nationwide ban on sex change procedures by threatening providers with “baseless criminal charges” and investigations.

The lawsuit names President Donald Trump, Attorney General Pam Bondi and the Justice Department as defendants. It challenges Trump’s Jan. 28 executive order barring government support for sex change operations and treatments and two memos by Bondi and Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate. 

Pelosi’s office told Fox News Digital the Democrat was referring to this lawsuit when she spoke about supporting sex changes for children.

TRUMP’S JUSTICE DEPARTMENT TARGETS DOCTORS, CLINICS WHO PROVIDE SEX CHANGE PROCEDURES TO MINORS

Bondi’s memo directs the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate and prosecute those who offer sex-change treatments to minors. Shumate’s memo directs prosecutors to prioritize investigations against doctors, hospitals and pharmaceutical companies that perform such procedures. 

In July, Kaiser Permanente announced that it would pause sex change surgeries for patients under 19 beginning Aug. 29 in response to the Trump administration’s efforts on the matter. The same month, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles shuttered its Center for Trans Youth Health and Development, one of the nation’s largest clinics for transgender young people.

The Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C., also announced that it will no longer provide gender transition-related medical interventions. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Many states have laws restricting or banning sex change surgeries for children. The states named in the lawsuit – California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Washington D.C., and Wisconsin. – allow such procedures.

Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano contributed to this report.

After a report by the Daily Mail cited “well-placed” sources close to Steve Bannon who claim he is gearing up for a 2028 presidential run, the former chief strategist to Donald Trump gave a two-word response. 

“Trump 2028,” Bannon said in response to a report he’s seeking political advice for a potential run. The report also claimed Bannon had privately disparaged Vice President JD Vance, considered the top contender to run for the presidency on the GOP’s ticket in 2028.

A source in Bannon’s inner circle told the Daily Mail Bannon has repeatedly said he does not think Vance is tough enough to run in 2028.

21 DEMOCRATS WHO MAY TRY TO SUCCEED TRUMP IN THE 2028 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

However, this week, President Trump said JD Vance would most likely be his successor. He added that Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio would make a formidable ticket, noting it was “too early” to discuss the matter. 

“I think JD Vance would be a great nominee if he decides he wants to do that,” Rubio said during an interview with Lara Trump.

SUCCEEDING TRUMP: 6 REPUBLICAN POTENTIAL PRESIDENTIAL HOPEFULS TO KEEP YOUR EYES ON IN 2028

Bannon’s two-word response was published by the conservative news outlet The National Pulse, which blasted the Daily Mail for the “thinly sourced story” and argued the article was an effort to drive division within the Republican Party.

Bannon told Politico in March that “all I do is back President Trump and try to move the populist agenda and the America First agenda. I don’t think like a politician.” Bannon also described the notion of him running for president as “absurd.” 

In April, Bannon told News Nation that there are “many different alternatives” that could permit Trump to sidestep constitutional term limits, noting in another interview the same month that “we have a team” looking at those alternatives. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Three days after Trump’s 2025 inauguration, Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., introduced a constitutional amendment that would allow the president to serve a third and final term. 

According to Congress.gov, that proposal was referred to the House Judiciary Committee but has received no further consideration thus far.

The official Trump Store continues selling “TRUMP 2028” merchandise, such as a hat for $50, which has further fueled speculation about a potential Trump run for a third term.

The Department of Defense plans to build the largest federal migrant detention facility in the U.S. to date, at Fort Bliss in Texas, which is expected to have up to 5,000 beds for illegal aliens.

Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson announced the project during a press briefing Thursday, stating that construction began in July. 

“Since then, work has begun for initial detainment capacity of 1,000 illegal aliens with initial operating capacity likely to be achieved by mid to late August,” Wilson said. “Once DOD achieves initial stand up, we will finish construction for up to 5,000 beds in the weeks and months ahead.”

Wilson said the facility will become the largest of its kind in U.S. history, serving what she called “this critical mission: the deportation of illegal aliens.”

TRUMP ADMIN OFFERS $608M FOR STATES TO BUILD MIGRANT CAMPS MODELED AFTER ‘ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ’

The new facility is being established to support President Donald Trump’s executive order to protect Americans against an invasion.

The announcement follows Indiana Gov. Mike Braun’s recent statement that the state will build a facility dubbed the “Speedway Slammer” at the Miami Correctional Center, located between Indianapolis and Fort Wayne.

Named in reference to Indiana’s racing heritage, including the Indianapolis 500, the “Speedway Slammer” will house up to 1,000 migrants once operational.

SELF-DEPORT OR END UP IN ‘ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ,’ NOEM WARNS MIGRANTS DURING TRUMP VISIT

“We are proud to work with President Trump and Secretary Noem as they remove the worst of the worst with this innovative partnership,” Braun said in a statement on Tuesday. “Indiana is taking a comprehensive and collaborative approach to combating illegal immigration and will continue to lead the way among states.”

Funding for the project comes from a reconciliation bill signed by Trump last month, which he referred to as the “one big, beautiful bill.”

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said the legislation funds the 287(g) program, which facilitates cooperation between Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and local authorities, as well as 80,000 ICE detention beds.

The Trump administration has continued deportation operations while encouraging undocumented immigrants without additional criminal records to self-deport.

TRUMP TO VISIT ‘ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ’ FOR GRAND OPENING OF SWAMPY EVERGLADES DETENTION CENTER FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS

According to DHS, individuals who voluntarily leave the country are eligible for a $1,000 incentive and free travel, potentially allowing for legal reentry in the future.

Another facility, informally known as “Alligator Alcatraz,” opened this summer under the supervision of federal officials and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. It serves as a staging center for deportations.

Initially funded by the state, the facility will also receive support from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. It currently holds 2,000 people, with capacity expected to double. Deportation flights began late last month.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The facility was converted from a decommissioned airport in the Everglades. A second center may follow, according to WJHL. State officials have faced criticism from immigration and environmental advocacy groups over the facility’s location and purpose.

Fox News Digital’s Greg Norman and Cameron Arcand contributed to this report.

EXCLUSIVE: Rep. Young Kim, R-Calif., responded to comments from a Democratic challenger referring to her as an “ESL puppet” in a post criticizing the Trump administration’s immigration policies.

“My story is not unique. It’s the story of so many Korean Americans and immigrants across the country who are proud Americans and are making our communities better every day. I’m proud of my accent and will keep using my voice to protect the American dream for future generations,” Kim told Fox News Digital in an exclusive statement.

“It’s a new low for a child of Korean immigrants to move to a district two hours away to parrot race-baiting, anti-immigrant slurs targeting a fellow Korean American. Young is the most effective federal lawmaker from California and continues to prove she’s an independent fighter for her community,” Callie Strock, campaign spokesperson for Kim added. 

Democrat Esther Kim Varet’s post Wednesday night included screenshots from a National Republican Campaign Committee X post that says Kim Varet is “radical,” “anti-ICE,” and “pushing fringe conspiracy theories.”

It also included screenshots of various news articles about Asian immigrants facing deportation and other woes as ICE doubles down on deportation efforts.

TRUMP’S IMMIGRATION RESET IS LIFTING WAGES AND FORCING REAL ECONOMIC REFORM

“Remember when your own racist MAGA party couldn’t tell your much older a– apart from me [Rep. Kim]?” Kim Varet wrote. “You’re a power-hungry Korean-born immigrant that has sold your conscience to the devil – at the price of all hard-working immigrants. You don’t work hard, you and your husband are the biggest GRIFTERS representing the swamp – putrid and pussing from the rot that is your soul.

“Don’t you even realize that OUR shared Korean-American community has the highest number of undocumented immigrants amongst Asians?” she added. “You don’t even speak English well enough to hold a single cohesive argument. You ESL puppet. So embarrassing. A real life Judas to our community. You sicken me [Rep. Kim].”

The posts quickly caught the attention of the NRCC as it focuses on competitive House races. 

MOM OF MS-13 MURDER VICTIM CONFRONTS DEMOCRAT LAWMAKER’S ‘TRAP’ QUESTION AT SENATE BORDER HEARING

The comments come as ICE operations continue to be a major topic of debate in the Golden State. Most Republicans argue the efforts are necessary for public safety, while others worry it’s harming immigrant communities.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE

“Unhinged Democrat Esther Kim Varet is a hate-filled bigot who embodies the worst of today’s political discourse. Californians will reject this vile extremist who has no business representing them in Congress,” NRCC spokesman Christian Martinez said in a statement Thursday.

In response to the NRCC’s comments, Varet told Fox News Digital it “seems like par for the course that national Republicans can’t tell Asians apart.”

IMMIGRANTS NEEDED FOR ‘REDISTRICTING PURPOSES,’ HOUSE DEM ADMITS IN VIRAL CLIP: ‘QUIET PART OUT LOUD’

California congressional seats could face redrawing for the 2026 cycle, but the fate of redistricting is still to be battled out nationwide. Still, Kim could be in yet another closely watched race after President Donald Trump won the district narrowly in 2024. Kim defeated Democrat Joe Kerr by over 40,000 votes in November.  

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Kim Varet is one of several candidates in a wide Democratic field seeking to challenge the incumbent Republican in the general election, according to Politico. Cook Political Report ranks the race as “Lean Republican.”

Former President Joe Biden’s campaign team allegedly opted against a Super Bowl interview last year because of Special Counsel Robert Hur’s report, Fox News Digital has learned.

A source familiar with Anita Dunn’s interview with the House Oversight Committee told Fox News Digital that the report –  in which Hur described Biden as “well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory” – played a factor in the then-president breaking with the decades-old tradition.

But a source close to Dunn told Fox News Digital that she said Biden’s team decided against doing a Super Bowl interview last year because they thought the main coverage would be about what he did with classified records and not about the president’s policy decisions. They claimed the choice was made before Hur’s report was released.

Dunn sat with House investigators for just over five hours on Thursday, as Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., probes allegations that Biden’s inner circle worked to conceal evidence of mental decline in the former president.

FAR-LEFT FIREBRAND SAYS SHE ‘NEVER HAD A CONCERN’ ABOUT BIDEN’S MENTAL STATE AS HOUSE PROBE HEATS UP

The source familiar with her interview said Dunn also told committee staff that Biden’s inner circle came to a consensus he should not take a cognitive test, concluding it would offer no political benefit to the then-president.

It comes two days after Fox News Digital was told that ex-deputy White House chief of staff Bruce Reed, who met with House investigators on Tuesday, said Biden’s White House physician Kevin O’Connor called cognitive tests “meaningless.”

The source close to Dunn said Thursday that Biden’s team believed he would be able to pass a cognitive test, even if they saw no political benefit in one.

Dunn also told investigators that she was not aware of Biden’s stutter, which he’s said he dealt with all his life, until media coverage of it in 2020, the first source said. 

LONGTIME BIDEN AIDE SAYS HE STOOD TO EARN UP TO $8M HAD PRESIDENT WON RE-ELECTION

“She went on to blame the media for pushing the narrative that President Biden was old,” the source said.

The practice of pre-Super Bowl interviews began with former President George W. Bush opting to sit for an interview before the big game in 2004 and has been since followed by both former President Barack Obama and President Donald Trump – though Trump also skipped out on a Super Bowl interview in 2019.

Biden sat for Super Bowl interviews in 2021 and 2022, but did not in 2023 and 2024.

In 2023, talks about a pre-Super Bowl interview fell through with Fox Corp.

Hur’s report was released publicly on Feb. 8, 2024. The Super Bowl took place that year on Feb. 11. 

He was appointed special counsel by former Attorney General Merrick Garland in 2023 to investigate whether Biden mishandled classified documents. 

Hur “uncovered evidence that President Biden willfully retained and disclosed classified materials after his vice-presidency when he was a private citizen” but said it did not “establish guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.”

Given that Biden “would likely present himself to a jury, as he did during our interview of him, as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory,” Hur said, “it would be difficult to convince a jury that they should convict him – by then a former president well into his eighties – of a serious felony that requires a mental state of willfulness.”

RON KLAIN DODGES REPORTERS AFTER MARATHON GRILLING IN BIDEN COVER-UP PROBE

Dunn is the tenth ex-Biden administration official to appear before the House Oversight Committee.

In addition to investigating the alleged cover-up, Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., is also looking into whether decisions were approved via autopen without the former president’s knowledge.

Of particular interest to Comer is the myriad of clemency orders Biden signed in the latter half of his presidency, though the former president told The New York Times last month that he was behind every decision.

Dunn, like most of those who appeared before her, defended Biden’s mental acuity to committee investigators.

“The President made it clear that decisions rested with him, and White House staff brought issues to him for him to decide,” Dunn said in her opening statement, obtained by Fox News Digital. “I believed strongly then, and I believe just as strongly today, that Joe Biden was an effective President who accomplished many important things for the American people.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

A spokesperson for the House Oversight Committee criticized Dunn after the statement came out in the media, however.

“It’s no surprise Anita Dunn is telling the American people not to believe their own eyes, claiming Joe Biden was sharp and ‘fully engaged.’ This opening statement, leaked to media before Ms. Dunn even delivered it, is yet another example of the absurd lengths Biden loyalists will go to defend his failed presidency,” the spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

Fox News Digital also reached out to a representative for Biden and to Dunn’s counsel for comment.

In an effort to crack down on crime in the nation’s capital, President Donald Trump is ramping up federal enforcement in Washington, D.C., and deploying additional federal law enforcement agents this week.

Backed by a March executive order, the White House, respective federal agencies and local officials will work together to drive down D.C. crime.

D.C. residents can expect an increase in federal enforcement starting as early as Friday, officials said.

“Washington, D.C., is an amazing city, but it has sadly been plagued by petty and violent crime for far too long,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote in a statement to Fox News Digital. “President Trump is committed to making our nation’s capital safer and even more beautiful for its residents, lawmakers, and visitors from all around the world.”

DC US ATTORNEY SAYS ‘ENOUGH IS ENOUGH’ AS YOUTH CRIME PUTS SPOTLIGHT ON NATION’S CAPITAL

Trump on Monday threatened to federalize Washington, D.C., calling for local minors and gang members over the age of 14 to be prosecuted as adults after a former Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) employee reported being violently beaten in the city by two juveniles.

A White House official told Fox News Digital the effort to revitalize the capital has been an ongoing priority for the president, who established the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force through the “Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful” executive order. 

Federal officials will monitor D.C.’s sanctuary city status to ensure compliance with federal immigration law and support the full accreditation of the district’s forensic crime laboratory to aid local investigations.

TRUMP THREATENS TO FEDERALIZE DC AFTER EX-DOGE EMPLOYEE ‘BIG BALLS’ VIOLENTLY BEATEN

The task force is also providing assistance to the city’s Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) to boost recruitment, retain officers and facilitate work with federal personnel to reduce crime.

Other areas of focus include expediting the concealed carry permitting process in D.C., ending fare evasion and other crimes within the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority system and reviewing prosecutorial policies on pretrial detention to ensure suspects who pose a genuine threat to public safety are detained.

WATCH: TRUMP HINTS HE WILL FEDERALIZE DC SOON, BRING IN NATIONAL GUARD AFTER ‘BIG BALLS’ ATTACK

One of the most visible changes will be a heightened federal law enforcement presence in and around key locations in the city. 

Officials said deployments will include areas including the National Mall, Lafayette Park, Union Station, Rock Creek Park and major parkways.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The task force has already made progress, using federal enforcement and the National Park Services to increase enforcement, arrest illegal immigrants and remove homeless encampments from parks and public spaces.

Operational details had not been finalized as of Thursday afternoon.

President Donald Trump has taken a much harsher approach to address the rise of antisemitic violence in the U.S. in comparison to his predecessor, from launching task forces to penalizing academic institutions who have become embroiled in anti-Israel protests. 

For example, Trump’s Justice Department cracked down on Palestinian militant group Hamas, establishing a new task force in March aimed at providing justice to the victims of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel. 

Attorney General Pam Bondi said the group, known as Joint Task Force October 7, would focus on identifying, charging and prosecuting those who conducted the 2023 attacks, which took the lives of roughly 1,200 people — including 47 U.S. citizens. Hamas also took more than 250 people hostage that day, including eight U.S. citizens. 

Meanwhile, the Biden administration recently came under fire in a House Judiciary Committee memo in July that claims his administration directed taxpayer funding to protests in Israel against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 

“The Committee’s oversight has revealed that the Biden–Harris Administration provided grant funds to groups that contributed directly and indirectly to the judicial reform protests that sought to undermine the Israeli government,” the committee wrote in the memo.

Meanwhile, lawmakers on the House Homeland Security Committee are cautioning that antisemitic attacks are becoming “alarmingly more frequent” in the U.S. as the FBI launches an investigation into antisemitic graffiti outside the home of a former Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldier in Clayton, Missouri.

The Clayton, Missouri, Police Department said Tuesday in a statement that it had launched an investigation after officers found “Death to the IDF” emblazoned on the pavement next to three vehicles that had been set on fire. The police department said it believed the fire had been “intentionally set,” and that the victim had been “specifically targeted.” 

The IDF is the national military for Israel, which has been embroiled in a conflict with Gaza after Hamas launched an attack against Israel. Hamas has served as the governing body of Gaza. 

It’s unclear whether the IDF soldier involved in the Missouri incident is Jewish. 

The attack follows several other antisemitic acts of violence in 2025, including ones in Boulder, Colorado, and Washington, D.C., this spring. 

AUTHORITIES PROBE ANTISEMITIC ATTACK INVOLVING ARSON, THREATENING GRAFFITI IN MIDWEST CITY: ‘VIOLENT ACTS’

“No American should live in fear because of their political or religious beliefs,” Rep. August Pfluger, the chairman of the Homeland Security Committee’s counterterrorism and intelligence subcommittee, said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Yet, this week, a Jewish American — with a record of courageous service supporting one of our nation’s closest allies — had their private property set on fire by extremists seeking to intimidate them and their family. Heightened antisemitic and anti-Israel acts of violence on U.S. soil are becoming alarmingly more frequent.” 

“These are not isolated incidents, but part of a broader and deeply troubling surge in hatred fueled by propaganda online and on college campuses,” Pfluger said.

Leo Terrell, head of the Justice Department’s Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, said in a Tuesday X post that the attack occurred outside the home of a U.S. citizen who served in the IDF. 

Terrell also said the FBI was immediately contacted and is working in tandem with local authorities to investigate the matter. Local authorities said they are probing the attack as a hate crime. 

The FBI and the White House did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. 

Pfluger has repeatedly cautioned about the rise of antisemitic violence, and the House Homeland Security Committee met with stakeholders and law enforcement to address the matter during a closed-door congressional roundtable on July 22. 

Additionally, Pfluger held a hearing in June on the matter following a terrorist attack in Colorado targeting a grassroots group advocating for the release of Israeli hostages, and a May shooting that killed two Israeli Embassy employees in Washington.

RISE IN ANTISEMITIC EXTREMISM FUELS WAVE OF TERROR PLOTS IN THE UNITED STATES SINCE 2020

On Wednesday, the Justice Department unsealed an indictment against Elias Rodriguez, 31, the suspect involved in the shooting in Washington, revealing federal hate crime and murder charges in connection with the shooting. 

The indictment is on top of other charges brought against Rodriguez in a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, including charges of the murder of a foreign official, causing death through the use of a firearm and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. 

The indictment includes two federal counts of hate crime resulting in death, and two local counts of assault with intent to kill while armed. 

Meanwhile, antisemitic violence reached a new high in 2024, according to the Anti-Defamation League. 

‘CRITICAL’ CLOSED-DOOR CONGRESSIONAL HUDDLE FOCUSES ON GROWING ANTISEMITISM IN US, MAMDANI’S RISE

The group recorded 9,354 antisemitic instances of harassment, assault and vandalism in the U.S. in 2024 — a 5% increase from the 8,873 incidents recorded in 2023 and a 344% increase in the past five years. The number of incidents is the highest the group has recorded since 1979, when the group first started tracking these cases.

Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee Rep. Andrew Garbarino, R-N.Y., said in a statement to Fox News Digital on Thursday that he is “deeply concerned” about the increase in antisemitic violence and terrorism — including this most recent attack. 

“There is no place in America for this vile hatred and intimidation, but it has surged in the years following the devastating, cowardly, and unprovoked October 7 attacks by Hamas,” Garbarino said.

Fox News’ Ashley Oliver contributed to this report. 

Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., spoke with Fox News Digital about his latest book “One Nation Always Under God,” and talked about why prayer and faith are necessary to achieve “extraordinary accomplishments” in life and in the U.S.

The former presidential candidate has long been outspoken about his Christian faith, his commitment to the church, and his personal mission to spread the word of God to those around him. 

“The ordinary person can have extraordinary accomplishments as they pray about it, and they act consistent with their faith,” Scott told Fox News Digital. “Whether it’s the story of Norman Burlog or Dorothea Dix, these are stories of ordinary individuals who had an extraordinary impact, not only here in America, but around the world because they felt called by the Lord. One nation, always under God.”

TIM SCOTT PRESSED ON CBS ABOUT HOW HE CAN ‘RECONCILE’ HIS CHRISTIAN FAITH WITH SUPPORTING TRUMP

The South Carolina native said he works to implement faith into his goals and accomplishments in Congress. His beliefs are openly acknowledged by his colleagues in the House and the Senate, and it was even once rumored he would retire his seat to pursue becoming a pastor, though Scott told Fox he thinks his faith is better served fighting for Americans in Congress. 

As the Senate Banking Committee chairman, he wields a powerful gavel that impacts the American economy, and made clear his wish that faith plays a bigger role in American beliefs about hard work and discourse. 

“I’d love to see the Lord do remarkable things throughout this country, especially for those who feel like they’re on the wrong side of fair,” Scott told Fox. “The Bible teaches us that, paraphrasing of course, the harder you work, the luckier you get, which basically means if you put your shoulder to the grindstone, really good things happen.”

PRO-LIFE GROUP CELEBRATES ‘VICTORY’ AFTER LOUISIANA’S LAST PLANNED PARENTHOOD CLINICS SHUTTER

“One of the most important parts of America is this notion of freedom and liberty,” Scott added. “That means that we have the right and the responsibility to make the best decisions for ourselves eternally and while we’re here. That means taking responsibility for making the best path for yourself.”

Scott’s message comes as statistics show a significant decline in religious affiliation in the U.S. A Gallup poll showed that weekly church attendance declined from 34% in 1992 to 16% in 2019. 

Despite church attendance declining, the Pew Research Center estimates roughly 62% of Americans still identify as Christians, though that number has been on a downward trend in recent years.

HALL OF FAMER JARED ALLEN PUTS FAMILY ABOVE FOOTBALL SUCCESS IN HEARTFELT CANTON SPEECH

Political ideologies have also shifted alongside religious views in the U.S. Socialist beliefs have risen in the U.S. and propped up candidates like Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic candidate for New York City mayor. Scott says this rise in the radical political party and ideology “corrodes the soul.”

“Being promised something as a guarantee when it hasn’t ever worked anywhere is a bad strategy for progress,” Scott told Fox. “The way we combat that is to break down and make it simple.” 

“Free markets and capitalism have freed more people from poverty than any other objective and plan we’ve known in history,” the South Carolina senator continued. “Socialism has put more people in poverty than any other plan we’ve seen.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

Scott’s new book focuses on these principles, while also telling the story of the hardships he faced coming up through poverty to become one of the most prominent members of the United States Senate. 

Preston Mizell is a writer with Fox News Digital covering breaking news. Story tips can be sent to Preston.Mizell@fox.com and on X @MizellPreston Sarah Freeman with Fox News also contributed to this report.

Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening…

-Abbott, Paxton launch legal blitz on fleeing Democrats in redistricting showdown

-4 key Senate seats Senate Republicans want to win and keep Dems on their heels 

– Veteran Biden insider Anita Dunn  appears in House Oversight autopen probe

FBI forces out former acting director, two other officials in latest agency shake-up

The FBI on Thursday is ousting at least three officials, including the former acting director and an officer involved in the January 6 investigations, Fox News has learned.

Former FBI acting director, Brian Driscoll, is among those being forced out of the bureau, sources familiar with the matter told Fox News, along with Walter Giardina, a special agent at the bureau who played a role in the investigation of Trump trade advisor, Peter Navarro, and Steven Jensen, the acting director in charge of the Washington Field Office.

Driscoll, for his part, served as acting director of the FBI prior to the confirmation of FBI Director Kash Patel, and Jensen played a key role in the January 6 investigations…READ MORE

White House

COUNT AGAIN: Trump orders work on new census, says people in US illegally ‘WILL NOT BE COUNTED’

TRANS SPORTS FUROR: Potential 2028 hopeful challenges Trump’s juvenile surgery ban while opposing women’s sports bill restrictions

World Stage

BUCK UP: Zelenskyy confirms he discussed Putin trilateral meeting with Trump

LEVIES RISE: World leader refuses to ‘humiliate’ himself with Trump trade negotiations

IDEOLOGICAL DIVIDE: Netanyahu’s security cabinet to meet on Gaza war, as some in Israel call to resettle enclave

PEACE POSSIBLE?: Trump-Putin meeting agreed upon ‘in principle’ Putin adviser reportedly indicates

Across America 

IMMIGRATION ON HIGH: Charleston bishop slams Trump’s ‘harsh’ deportations

‘NO STONE UNTURNED’: DOJ considers seeking death penalty against DC shooting suspect charged with hate crime

PROMISES KEPT: DHS scoops up criminal illegal immigrant suspected of killing man on lawnmower in ‘senseless tragedy’

SANCTUARY SHOWDOWN: Dem governor defies FBI: ‘Unwelcome’ to pursue Texas Democratic lawmakers

RUNAWAY REBELLION: FBI agrees to help locate Texas Democrats who fled state to sabotage GOP redistricting plan, Cornyn says

LEAVING THE PARTY: Former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan abandons GOP to join Democratic Party

‘SIGN OF THE TIMES’: Pro-life group celebrates Planned Parenthood’s closing of remaining Louisiana facilities: ‘Huge success’

Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., has condemned the Department of Health and Human Services’ move to shift funding away from mRNA vaccine development, claiming it undermines President Donald Trump’s agenda to make the nation healthy again.

“We reviewed the science, listened to the experts, and acted,” Department of Health and Human Services Sec. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said, according to an HHS press release.

“BARDA is terminating 22 mRNA vaccine development investments because the data show these vaccines fail to protect effectively against upper respiratory infections like COVID and flu. We’re shifting that funding toward safer, broader vaccine platforms that remain effective even as viruses mutate.”

RFK JR CANCELS $500 MILLION IN MRNA RESEARCH, HHS TO PRIORITIZE ‘SAFER’ VACCINE ALTERNATIVES

Cassidy registered his objection to the move.

“It is unfortunate that the Secretary just canceled a half a billion worth of work, wasting the money which is already invested. He has also conceded to China an important technology needed to combat cancer and infectious disease. President Trump wants to Make America Healthy Again and Make America Great Again. This works against both of President Trump’s goals,” the lawmaker said in a post on X. 

The HHS stated, “While some final-stage contracts (e.g., Arcturus and Amplitude) will be allowed to run their course to preserve prior taxpayer investment, no new mRNA-based projects will be initiated. HHS has also instructed its partner, Global Health Investment Corporation (GHIC), which manages BARDA Ventures, to cease all mRNA-based equity investments. In total, this affects 22 projects worth nearly $500 million. Other uses of mRNA technology within the department are not impacted by this announcement.”

GOP LOUISIANA STATE SENATOR SAYS HE’S RUNNING FOR US SENATE BECAUSE INCUMBENT REPUBLICAN ‘SUCKS’

Fox News Digital reached out to Cassidy’s office to request comment from the senator on Thursday, but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

Cassidy, who has served in the upper chamber since 2015, is aiming to get re-elected in 2026, though the incumbent faces competition from other Republicans who have also launched bids for the Senate seat.

WHO IS JOHN FLEMING, THE FREEDOM CAUCUS FOUNDING MEMBER CHALLENGING GOP SEN BILL CASSIDY?

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

In February 2021, Cassidy voted to convict Trump after the House impeachment in the wake of the January 6 episode at the U.S. Capitol. That Senate vote, which occurred after Trump had already left office, ultimately fell short of the threshold necessary to convict.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents “are now facing a 1000% increase in assaults against them as they risk their lives to arrest the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens.” 

Noem said in a post on X that these “acts of violence are fueled by sanctuary politicians’ rhetoric vilifying our law enforcement.” 

“We will not and have not let this violence stop us or slow us down. Everyday our law enforcement continues to enforce the law and arrest the most depraved criminals including pedophiles, terrorists, murderers, gang members, and sexual predators,” she added. 

It is unclear what the time period is for the 1000% increase in assaults. The Department of Homeland Security did not clarify the matter when asked about it by Fox News Digital. 

NOEM WARNS OF ‘UNPRECEDENTED’ THREAT LEVEL FOR ICE AGENTS, BLAMES ‘LIES’ FROM DEMOCRATS 

In July, Fox News Digital reported that ICE officials faced an 830% increase in assaults between Jan. 21, 2025 and July 14, 2025, compared to the same period in 2024.  

That timeframe began the day after President Donald Trump returned to the Oval Office. 

Noem made the announcement Thursday as the Trump administration is removing the age cap for ICE law enforcement positions, opening up roles to many who may have aged out of the force. 

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ENDS AGE CAP FOR ICE POSITIONS IN MAJOR RECRUITMENT DRIVE 

Noem said Wednesday they are looking to make 10,000 hires, and she said ICE has already received 80,000 applications. 

“We are ENDING the age cap for ICE law enforcement. Qualified candidates can now apply with no age limit,” Noem wrote on X. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

ICE is seeking to entice more applicants with a signing bonus of up to $50,000, options to repay or forgive student loans and other benefits. 

Fox News’ Greg Wehner and Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report. 

FIRST ON FOX: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has lodged an ICE detainer on an illegal immigrant suspected of driving drunk and killing a man using a lawnmower in Louisiana.

DHS announced in a Thursday press release that a detainer has been lodged against Roberto Romero-Hernandez, who they say is a criminal illegal immigrant from Mexico, after he was arrested by the Louisiana State Police after 59-year-old Rickey G. Maddox was struck and killed by a car in Alexandria, Louisiana.

Police say Romero-Hernandez was driving that car while intoxicated and without a license.

“An arrest detainer was immediately issued following his arrest to ensure he is not released back into the community following any local proceedings,” DHS said. 

DHS SCOOPS UP TRANS ILLEGAL ALIEN CHARGED WITH HEINOUS CRIME ON CHILD IN SANCTUARY CITY: ‘WORST OF THE WORST’

Romero-Hernandez, according to local media outlets, was driving a Chevrolet Silverado on the night of Aug. 3, before he left the road on Highway 1 and struck Maddox on his 2013 Kubota lawnmower on the northbound shoulder. 

Maddox was taken to the hospital with severe injuries where he later died. 

16 IN CUSTODY AFTER IMMIGRATION RAID AT LA HOME DEPOT, DHS SAYS

“This criminal illegal alien’s reckless decision to drink and drive killed an innocent man. The senseless tragedy should have never happened because Romero-Hernandez should have never been in our country,” Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital in a statement. 

“Illegal aliens drinking and driving and killing American citizens happens far more often than the media wants you to know about. Just over the past two weeks, an illegal alien driving under the influence killed a mother and her 11-year-old daughter in New Jersey and two high school sweethearts in Wisconsin. Every death caused by an illegal alien is preventable.”   

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

This comes as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is facing intense criticism for its crackdown on illegal immigration and as officers are dealing with an 830% increase in assaults.

While the agency has said it will not back down from arresting any immigrants who are in the country illegally, the new DHS statement says that the vast majority of those arrested thus far have criminal charges or convictions. Despite claims by some Democrats that ICE is targeting innocent immigrant communities, 70% of the agency’s arrests have been of illegal immigrants convicted or charged with crimes.

The country has seen an influx of ICE detainers under the Trump administration and Fox News Digital previously reported that in the sanctuary city of New York, ICE has already issued 400% more detainers on illegal immigrants than former President Joe Biden did during his entire term.

Fox News Digital’s Peter Pinedo contributed to this report

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro drew sharp criticism after joining a lawsuit to block President Donald Trump from placing prohibitions on juvenile gender surgeries and criticizing supporters of a state Senate bill that would ban biological males from competing in girls sports.

The potential 2028 Democratic hopeful was careful to distinguish that his opposition to Trump’s move is not necessarily in support of such procedures, but because he believes the doctor’s office is no place for the federal government.

“I am suing the Trump administration alongside 16 other states for threatening baseless civil investigations and criminal prosecutions against healthcare providers in Pennsylvania and trying to take medical decisions away from parents and local communities,” Shapiro said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

“The freedom to make healthcare decisions should be between parents, their children and their doctor, and I will not stand by while the federal government tries to infringe on the rights and freedoms of Pennsylvania families,” the governor said.

‘STAR WARS BAR OF LEFTISTS’: WEINGARTEN, HUNTER, MAMDANI PROVE DEMOCRATIC PARTY LED BY ‘EXTREME FIGURES,’ SEN. SCHMITT SAYS

However, that did not quell concerns among the state’s Senate GOP majority. A spokesman for the caucus’ campaign committee called it Shapiro’s “attempt to ingratiate himself with the Democrats’ radical base [that] puts the health of children at risk.”

“Josh Shapiro’s presidential aspirations are no secret,” SRCC Executive Director Cody Harbaugh said.

Shapiro also explicitly lambasted Trump and potential second-time gubernatorial opponent Sen. Doug Mastriano, R-Gettysburg, as “extremist politicians” for “trying to legislate a student’s participation [in scholastic sports] and legislate the restriction on freedom the way they’ve tried to do on many other things.”

CHICAGO MAYOR CALLS ICE RAIDS ‘TERRORISM,’ SAYS TRUMP’S AMERICA APPEARS AS IF ‘THE CONFEDERACY WON’

Mastriano is a co-sponsor of the “Save Women Sports Act” from state Sen. Judy Ward, R-Huntingdon, which would ban biological males from girls sports. It mirrors similar efforts at the federal level. He also authored the “Two-Gender Protection Act” to prohibit Harrisburg from recognizing transgender people.

“Josh Shapiro just called Senator Mastriano and President Trump ‘extremist politicians’ for standing up for women’s sports. Let’s be honest. It’s Shapiro who’s extreme,” Mastriano countered in comments to Fox News Digital.

“He’s denying science and forcing biological males into women’s sports,” Mastriano added, calling such a push from the left “a woke patriarchy that tramples women’s rights.”

“We cannot allow the opportunities that Title IX enshrined for women to be lost,” Ward said of her bill in a separate statement.

Mastriano, whose populist streak has ruffled feathers with some in his own party, is seen as a top potential opponent to Shapiro again in 2026.

He recently dropped a survey on social media asking supporters whether the PAGOP should endorse primary candidates amid reports some donors and county GOP chairs want State Treasurer Stacy Garrity to run.

Shapiro expressed his criticisms of Trump and Mastriano in public remarks reported by WHYY as well but added that the Democratic-majority state House of Representatives hasn’t taken up the Senate-passed bill and that he “hasn’t reviewed it specifically.” 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The White House said the lawsuit Shapiro joined is “exactly why the Democratic Party’s approval continues to hit new lows. 

“They back radical policies that over 90% of America does not support,” spokeswoman Taylor Rogers told Fox News Digital.

“President Trump took decisive action on day one to stop the despicable mutilation and chemical castration of children, which everyday Americans resoundingly support. The president has the lawful authority to protect America’s vulnerable children through executive action, and the administration looks forward to ultimate victory on this issue.”

Shapiro has broken with some in his party on issues or people considered “extreme” on the right.

When antisemitic protests broke out at the University of Pennsylvania, Shapiro broke with progressives and demanded the college “act [and] disband the encampment and restore order.”

As Republicans criticized his comments on Ward’s bill and he became a party to the lawsuit against Trump, the SRCC suggested many Democrats are being pulled further left, a shift they attribute to the early success of New York Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral bid.

“With the victories of progressive Democrat candidates in places like New York City, Shapiro knows he has no choice but to abandon common sense,” the SRCC said in a statement.

Shapiro, however, recently criticized Mamdani for failing to rein in his most radical backers.

“You have to speak and act with moral clarity, and when supporters of yours say things that are blatantly antisemitic, you can’t leave room for that to just sit there,” he said.

Mastriano said, “don’t believe” Shapiro when he “pretends to be a moderate” in cases like the Trump lawsuit.

Shapiro supporters pointed to a July ranking placing him as the nation’s 9th most popular governor.