NationalWatch

San Francisco Mayor David Lurie launched the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) Hospitality Task Force and secured a key vote in support of the Fentanyl State of Emergency Ordinance this week as he works to clean up San Francisco’s streets and restore common sense policies to the liberal city. 

San Francisco has had one of the slowest economic recoveries from the COVID-19 pandemic in the country. Images of San Francisco’s open-air drug markets, homeless encampments and empty office buildings have caught the nation’s attention since the pandemic. 

The SFPD Hospitality Task Force will target San Francisco’s business and tourist districts, increasing police presence, dedicating resources to high-traffic areas and offering support to the hospitality industry. 

“Helping people feel safe walking downtown is the key to unleashing our city’s comeback,” Lurie said. “We are creating the conditions for a thriving commercial center by launching the SFPD Hospitality Task Force. The Hospitality Task Force will break down silos to increase the police presence across the areas that drive our city’s economy, not just during large conferences, but 365 days a year.”

FORMER AOC CHIEF OF STAFF ANNOUNCES RUN AGAINST PELOSI, CALLS DEMS ‘PARALYZED AND UNPREPARED’ UNDER TRUMP

People inhabit encampments on the streets of San Francisco April 15, 2023. (Flight Risk for Fox News Digital)

Major retailers, including Nordstrom and Saks Off Fifth, pulled out of San Francisco’s downtown due to rising crime and dwindling foot traffic. After more than 20 years in the heart of downtown San Francisco, Westfield abandoned the San Francisco Centre mall in 2023, citing a decline in sales, occupancy and foot traffic. 

San Franciscans voted Mayor London Breed out of office in November. She was elected in 2018 and led the city through its struggling pandemic recovery. Lurie, a Levi’s heir and political outsider, began his first term as mayor in January. 

He campaigned on cleaning up San Francisco’s streets, public safety, tackling the city’s drug crisis, creating housing, cutting through corrupt bureaucracy and “breathing life back into our downtown.”

CALIFORNIA PLANS TO CONTINUE ALLOWING TRANS ATHLETES TO COMPETE IN GIRLS’ SPORTS DESPITE TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDER

San Francisco Mayor David Lurie launched the SFPD Hospitality Task Force this week.  (Getty)

“With a safe, bustling downtown, we will attract businesses, shoppers, tourists and conventions, creating jobs, generating revenue and helping us provide better services for everyone in San Francisco,” Lurie said of the new task force. 

Also this week, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted 10-1 in favor of Mayor Lurie’s Fentanyl State of Emergency Ordinance. 

“As a candidate for mayor, I promised San Franciscans that I would work in partnership with the Board of Supervisors to take action on the critical issues facing our city,” Lurie said. “As mayor, I am proud to be delivering on that promise today. The Fentanyl State of Emergency Ordinance gives us the tools to treat this crisis with the urgency it demands. And with our partners on the board, that’s exactly what we will do.” 

The ordinance will equip the city with the resources “to get drugs off the street and keep San Franciscans safe” by unlocking funding and expediting the contracting process to allow for expanded treatment options, increased shelter capacity and health initiatives. The full Board of Supervisors will address the ordinance Tuesday for a second and final reading before Lurie can sign the ordinance into law. 

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“I don’t think there’s a problem facing San Francisco today that isn’t caused by or made significantly worse by street-level drug addiction,” Supervisor Matt Dorsey, who voted in favor of the ordinance, said.

“Mayor Lurie’s emergency ordinance aims to surge resources that deliver solutions as big as the problems. This is a needed approach to restore order to our streets, to diminish San Francisco’s attraction as a drug-use and drug-dealing destination and to save lives.”

A federal judge on Friday said he would not immediately block the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, from accessing systems at the Labor Department.

U.S. District Judge John Bates said he had concerns about DOGE but that the labor unions who sued to block their access to the systems have not yet provided evidence of any legal injury.

“Although the court harbors concerns about defendants’ alleged conduct, it must deny plaintiffs’ motion at this time,” Bates wrote.

The Labor Department has investigated companies like SpaceX and Tesla that are owned by Elon Musk, who leads DOGE, and keeps records on these investigations. The department also has information about these companies’ competitors’ trade secrets, the unions said in the lawsuit.

FEDERAL JUDGE ORDERS LIMITED DOGE ACCESS TO SENSITIVE TREASURY DEPARTMENT PAYMENT SYSTEM RECORDS

Elon Musk, who is leading the Department of Government Efficiency. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

The department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has investigated and fined SpaceX and Tesla over worker safety, the unions said.

The Labor Department’s systems contain medical and financial records of millions of Americans, including those who have filed safety complaints about their employers.

The ruling comes after the Trump administration agreed earlier this week that DOGE would not receive access to the Labor Department until this court decision.

The Justice Department said there are three DOGE staffers assigned to the Labor Department and reporting to its acting secretary, although they have been made special government employees and are required to follow the law with any sensitive information about corporations or workers as they conduct a review.

Elon Musk speaks at the SATELLITE Conference and Exhibition in Washington, D.C., on March 9, 2020. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

Musk’s DOGE team had gained access to sensitive Treasury Department payment systems, although a judge has since blocked that access to Treasury records containing sensitive personal data such as Social Security and bank account numbers for millions of Americans. DOGE has also largely dismantled the U.S. Agency for International Development and offered financial incentives to millions of federal workers to resign.

“At every step, DOGE is violating multiple laws, from constitutional limits on executive power, to laws protecting civil servants from arbitrary threats and adverse action, to crucial protections for government data collected and stored on hundreds of millions of Americans,” labor union lawyers represented by the advocacy group Democracy Forward wrote.

ELON MUSK DUNKS ON SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER, DECLARING ‘HYSTERICAL REACTIONS’ DEMONSTRATE DOGE’S IMPORTANCE

Elon Musk attends the opening of the Tesla factory Berlin Brandenburg in Gruenheide, Germany on March 22, 2022. (Patrick Pleul/Pool Photo via AP)

Labor Department leadership told a union member this week that DOGE would be visiting and workers should let them do “whatever they ask, not to push back, not to ask questions,” the unions wrote.

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The Justice Department said there is no evidence of wrongdoing and the judge should not issue “a sweeping, prophylactic order … based on plaintiffs’ rank speculation that DOL will violate the law.”

Nineteen states have sued over DOGE’s access to federal payment systems.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A federal judge on Friday ordered a temporary block on plans by the Trump administration to put 2,200 employees of the U.S. Agency for International Development on leave.

U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, a Trump appointee, also agreed to block an order that would have given just 30 days for the thousands of overseas USAID workers the administration wanted to place on abrupt administrative leave to move their families back to the U.S. at the government’s expense.

Both actions by the administration would have exposed the workers and their families to unnecessary risk and expense, according to the judge.

This comes as President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, who leads the Department of Government Efficiency, seek to dismantle the agency.

TOP DEM STRATEGISTS WARN USAID FUNDING FIGHT IS A ‘TRAP’ FOR THE PARTY

Demonstrators and lawmakers rally against President Donald Trump and his ally Elon Musk as they disrupt the federal government, including dismantling the U.S. Agency for International Development on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Nichols noted that staffers living overseas have said the administration had cut some workers off from government emails and other communication systems required to reach the U.S. government in case of a health or safety emergency.

USAID contractors in various regions, including the Middle East, even reported that “panic button” apps had been removed from their phones or disabled when the administration abruptly placed them on leave.

“Administrative leave in Syria is not the same as administrative leave in Bethesda,” the judge said.

An employee of U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) who wished to remain anonymous protests outside the USAID headquarters on February 3, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Getty Images)

The judge also pointed to workers stating difficulties that would arise from the 30-day timeline to return to the U.S., including that they had no home to return to in the U.S. after decades overseas and that they would be forced to pull children with special needs out of school in the middle of the school year.

Nichols ordered 500 USAID staffers who had already been placed on leave by the administration to be reinstated.

But the judge declined a request from two federal employee associations to grant a temporary block on an administration-imposed funding freeze that has shut down the agency and its work, pending more hearings on the workers’ lawsuit.

USAID STAFFERS STUNNED, ANGERED BY TRUMP ADMIN’S DOGE SHUTDOWN OF $40B AGENCY

The American flag flying alone beside an empty flagpole that previously had the flag of USAID is pictured in the reflection of a window that previously had the sign and the seal of USAID, Friday, Feb. 7, 2025. (AP)

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Nichols emphasized in the hearing earlier Friday that his order to pause the administration’s actions was not a decision on the employees’ request to block the administration’s efforts to quickly destroy the agency.

“CLOSE IT DOWN,” Trump said on Truth Social, referring to USAID, ahead of the judge’s ruling.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Benajamin Netanyahu to the White House Tuesday, marking the first visit from a foreign leader during Trump’s second term. 

During Netanyahu’s visit, Trump also unveiled massive plans suggesting that the U.S. would “take over” the Gaza Strip in a “long-term ownership position” to deliver stability to the region. 

“The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it, too,” Trump said Tuesday evening in a joint press conference with Netanyahu. “We’ll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous, unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site.”

Even so, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president wouldn’t commit to placing U.S. troops on the ground in Gaza as part of the rebuilding effort. 

“It’s been made very clear to the president that the United States needs to be involved in this rebuilding effort, to ensure stability in the region for all people,” Leavitt told reporters Wednesday at a White House press briefing. “But that does not mean boots on the ground in Gaza. It does not mean American taxpayers will be funding this effort. It means Donald Trump, who is the best dealmaker on the planet, is going to strike a deal with our partners in the region.”

TRUMP NOT COMMITTING TO PUTTING TROOPS ON THE GROUND IN GAZA, WHITE HOUSE SAYS

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president wouldn’t commit to placing U.S. troops on the ground in Gaza as part of the rebuilding effort.  (Evan Vucci/The Associated Press)

Leavitt said that Trump is an “outside-of-the-box thinker” who is “a visionary leader who solves problems that many others, especially in this city, claim are unsolvable.”

The announcement sparked backlash though from Democratic lawmakers, to leaders of Palestinian militant group, Hamas. 

“What President Trump stated about his intention to displace the residents of the Gaza Strip outside it and the United States’ control over the Strip by force is a crime against humanity,” a senior Hamas official told Fox News on Wednesday.

Here are some other actions Trump took his second week in office: 

Maximum pressure on Iran 

Trump also reinstated his “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran, instructing the Treasury Department to execute “maximum economic pressure” upon Iran through a series of sanctions aimed at sinking Iran’s oil exports. 

Trump said Tuesday that he was “torn” about signing the order and admitted he was “unhappy to do it,” noting that the executive order was very tough on Iran. 

“Hopefully, we’re not going to have to use it very much,” Trump told reporters Tuesday. 

Trump later told reporters in a joint press conference with Netanyahu that he believes Iran is “close” to developing a nuclear weapon, but that the U.S. would stop a “strong” Tehran from obtaining one.

TRUMP REINSTATES ‘MAXIMUM PRESSURE’ CAMPAIGN AGAINST IRAN 

President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu answer questions during a joint press conference in the East Room at the White House in Washington, U.S., Feb. 4, 2025 (Leah Millis/Reuters)

“They’re very strong right now, and we’re not going to let them get a nuclear weapon,” Trump said. 

His first administration also adopted a “maximum pressure” initiative against Tehran, issuing greater sanctions and harsher enforcement for violations.

Strict sanctions were reimposed upon Iran after Trump withdrew from the Iran deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, in May 2018. The 2015 agreement brokered under the Obama administration had lifted sanctions on Iran in exchange for limits on Iran’s nuclear program.

Sanctions against the International Criminal Court 

Trump also signed an executive order sanctioning the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Thursday, in response to its May 2024 arrest warrant for Netanyahu.

The order — which was lauded by even some top Democrats — unveils financial sanctions and visa restrictions against ICC officials and their family members who support ICC investigations against U.S. citizens and allies. 

The White House also signed executive orders on Thursday instructing the Justice Department to establish a task force dedicated to weeding out “anti-Christian bias,” and a review of all nongovernmental organizations that accept federal funds.

The ICC is an independent, international organization based in The Hague and established under the Rome Statute, an international treaty that took effect in 2002. The court oversees global issues including genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. 

The Trump White House claims that the U.S. and Israel are not subject to the jurisdiction of the ICC because the court poses threats to U.S. sovereignty and constitutional protections. Additionally, the White House has accused the ICC of politicization and said it has targeted Israel without holding regimes like Iran to the same standards. 

Sovereign Wealth Fund 

The U.S. Treasury and Commerce Departments will establish a sovereign wealth fund in accordance with a new executive order Trump signed on Monday. 

The sovereign wealth fund, a state-owned investment fund with various financial assets like stocks and bonds, could foot the bill for purchasing TikTok, according to Trump. 

“We’re going to be doing something perhaps with TikTok, and perhaps not,” Trump told reporters Monday. “If we make the right deal, we’ll do it. Otherwise, we won’t.”

Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent said the sovereign wealth fund would be created within the next 12 months. 

WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S PLANS FOR A SOVEREIGN WEALTH FUND 

Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent said the sovereign wealth fund would be created within the next 12 months.  (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)

“I think it’s going to create value and be of great strategic importance,” Bessent told reporters Monday. 

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Bessent and Commerce Secretary nominee Howard Lutnick are instructed to devise a plan in the next 90 days for the creation of the fund, according to the White House. The proposal will include recommendations on funding mechanisms, investment strategies, fund structure and a governance model. 

More details on the sovereign wealth fund were not immediately available, and it’s unclear whether Congress will sign off on it. 

Fox News’ Greg Norman contributed to this report. 

House Republicans are racing to get ahead of their Senate counterparts on plans to pass sweeping conservative policy legislation and advance President Donald Trump’s agenda.

Plans to take the first step in the budget reconciliation process this week were scuttled in the House, with fiscal hawks pushing GOP leaders to raise their proposed floor for spending cuts after balking at an initial rough proposal presented last month at the House Republican issues retreat in Miami.

Meanwhile, the Senate is moving full steam ahead with their own plan to advance a budget resolution on Wednesday and Thursday. Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., unveiled the upper chamber’s plan on Friday.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters that same day that he was hopeful the House Budget Committee would take up the lower chamber’s resolution on Tuesday.

SCOOP: KEY CONSERVATIVE CAUCUS DRAWS RED LINE ON HOUSE BUDGET PLAN

A plan to leapfrog House Republicans on the reconciliation process was unveiled to senators on Wednesday.  (Reuters)

“We’ve got a few more people we’ve got to talk with and a couple of more boxes to check, but we are almost there,” Johnson said. “The expectation is that we will be marking up a budget next week, potentially as early as Tuesday, the resolution. That will, of course, begin the process and unlock the whole reconciliation process, which I think we can wrap up in a short amount of time.”

Two House GOP lawmakers told Fox News Digital on Friday that the plan would call for a minimum of $2 trillion to $2.5 trillion in spending cuts over a period of 10 years.

Republicans plan to use their majorities in the House and Senate to pass a wide swath of Trump policy initiatives, from extending the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act to funneling more cash to operations at the U.S.-Mexico border.

The budget reconciliation process makes that possible by lowering the threshold for Senate passage from 60 votes to a simple 51-seat majority. Because the House already operates on a simple majority threshold, it will allow Republicans to skirt Democratic opposition to pass their agenda — provided the measures included involve budgetary or other fiscal matters, as reconciliation rules call for.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., is leading his chamber on a two-track reconciliation bill. (Getty Images)

A group of House Republicans, including Johnson, were at the White House on Thursday to discuss the process.

Trump told lawmakers he wanted the reconciliation plans to include eliminating taxes on tipped and overtime wages, no taxes on seniors, and no taxes on Social Security payments.

While they agree on the overall policies that need to pass via the reconciliation process, House and Senate Republicans differ in their preferred approach.

House Republicans are aiming to put all of Trump’s priorities on taxes, border security, energy, and defense into one large bill — complete with deep spending cuts to offset the new funding.

BLACK CAUCUS CHAIR ACCUSES TRUMP OF ‘PURGE’ OF ‘MINORITY’ FEDERAL WORKERS

House Ways & Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., is among the biggest proponents of a one-bill approach. (Tom Williams)

The Senate plan, meanwhile, would split the process into two bills. The first, unveiled by Graham on Friday, includes Trump’s border, energy and defense policies. A second bill would deal with taxes.

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But House GOP leaders are concerned that the intense political maneuvering the process takes will mean they run out of time before passing a second bill with Trump’s tax cuts at the end of this year.

A Ways & Means Committee memo sent earlier this year projected the average American household could see taxes rise by over 20% if those provisions expire at the end of 2025.

Trump himself has repeatedly called for “one big, beautiful bill,” but said he ultimately was not concerned about the packaging as long as all of his priorities were passed.

President Donald Trump on Friday announced he is revoking former President Joe Biden’s security clearances and stopping his daily intelligence briefings.

“There is no need for Joe Biden to continue receiving access to classified information,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social Friday night.

The privileges will be revoked immediately, according to the president.

President Trump in the Oval Office of the White House on February 04, 2025 in Washington, DC (Getty Images)

He added the precedent was set by Biden himself.

“He set this precedent in 2021, when he instructed the Intelligence Community (IC) to stop the 45th President of the United States (ME!) from accessing details on National Security, a courtesy provided to former Presidents,” Trump wrote. 

The president noted the Hur Report, which he claimed “revealed that Biden suffers from ‘poor memory’ and, even in his ‘prime,’ could not be trusted with sensitive information,” according to the post.

Trump said former President Joe Biden “could not be trusted” with sensitive information. (Screenshot/Biden speech)

Special Counsel Robert Hur submitted a report on Biden’s alleged improper retention of classified records, which confirmed the former president’s frequent memory lapses and contradicted his claims.

Hur also testified in March that he found evidence that “pride and money” motivated Biden to retain classified documents.

However, he did not recommend criminal charges against Biden.

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Trump wrote in the post that he will always protect National Security.

“JOE, YOU’RE FIRED. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN,” he wrote.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the $50 million special legislative “Trump-proofing” package which he proposed for Democrats to pass following President Donald Trump’s election.

Newsom said the bill will “bolster funding for legal services programs that are vital to safeguarding the civil rights of California’s most vulnerable residents, including people with disabilities, youth who are homeless, victims of human trafficking and wage theft, people facing unlawful evictions, immigrants and more. 

“None of the funding in this bill is intended to be used for immigration-related legal services for noncitizens convicted of serious or violent felonies,” he added in a signing statement. 

IS NOW THE RIGHT TIME … TO FIGHT DONALD TRUMP?’: CA HOUSE SPEAKER DODGES FIERY QUESTIONING FROM REPORTER

President Donald Trump, right, and California Gov. Gavin Newsom walk to speak with reporters after arriving on Air Force One at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles on Friday, Jan. 24, 2025. (Mark Schiefelbein/AP)

The package, which was passed by the state Senate and Assembly, allocates $25 million to the California Department of Justice to support legal battles against Trump’s federal policies, including environmental regulations and illegal immigration. An additional $25 million is designated for legal aid groups to assist illegal immigrants facing potential deportation.

Newsom lobbed hundreds of lawsuits against the Trump administration during Trump’s first term.

Newsom greets Trump on the tarmac. The president traveled to California to survey the damage caused by a series of devastating wildfires in the Los Angeles area.  (Fox News)

While Newsom is gearing up for potential showdowns with the Trump administration, he has also been working with Trump to secure federal disaster relief for the Los Angeles wildfires. Trump visited California in late January to meet with Newsom, and Newsom traveled to Washington, D.C., in early February for another round of discussions with the president.

“We’re working across the aisle, as we always have, to ensure survivors have the resources and support they need,” Newsom said in a statement on Wednesday. “Thank you President Trump for coming to our communities to see this first hand, and meeting with me today to continue our joint efforts to support people impacted.”

NEWSOM PROPOSES $25M FROM STATE LEGISLATURE TO ‘TRUMP-PROOF’ CALIFORNIA

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, left, and President Donald Trump have clashed on various issues, including immigration. (Getty/AP)

Trump hit back at Newsom after he announced the special legislative session in November, saying on his Truth Social account, “He is using the term ‘Trump-Proof’ as a way of stopping all of the GREAT things that can be done to ‘Make California Great Again,’ but I just overwhelmingly won the Election.”

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Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.

President Donald Trump on Friday signed an executive order cutting all foreign aid to South Africa, citing concerns about the country “seizing” ethnic minority Afrikaners’ agricultural property without compensation.

Trump alleged South Africa‘s recently enacted Expropriation Act 13 of 2024 “dismantles equal opportunity in employment, education, and business.”

The order notes “hateful rhetoric” and government actions have been “fueling disproportionate violence against racially disfavored landowners.”

South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa, left, and U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump has criticized South Africa’s new land laws. (Evan Vucci/AP/RAJESH JANTILAL/AFP via Getty Images)

SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT SIGNS CONTROVERSIAL LAND SEIZURE BILL, ERODING PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS 

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa previously released a statement arguing that no land was confiscated.

“We look forward to engaging with the Trump administration over our land reform policy and issues of bilateral interest,” according to the statement. “We are certain that out of those engagements, we will share a better and common understanding over these matters.”

The act permits the country to take land for a public purpose or in the public interest, while offering just and equitable compensation. 

However, Fox News Digital previously reported expropriation has yet to happen.

Cyril Ramaphosa waves as he arrives ahead of his inauguration as President, at the Union Buildings in Tshwane, South Africa, Wednesday, June 19, 2024. (Kim Ludbrook/Pool Photo via AP)

Elon Musk, leader of the DOGE team, publicly commented on the matter, accusing Ramaphosa of having “openly racist ownership laws.

The executive order also claims South Africa has taken “aggressive” positions toward the U.S. by accusing Israel of genocide – instead of Hamas, and “reinvigorating” its relationship with Iran to develop commercial, military, and nuclear arrangements.

Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa, is pictured in July 2023. (Xabiso Mkhabela/Xinhua via Getty Images)

INCOMING TRUMP ADMIN, CONGRESS SHOWDOWN LOOMS WITH SOUTH AFRICA OVER SUPPORT FOR RUSSIA, US FOES

Pointing to those concerns, the executive order states the U.S. cannot support the South African government’s alleged commission of rights violations.

In addition to eliminating aid and assistance, the order notes the U.S. will promote the resettlement of Afrikaner refugees escaping government-sponsored, race-based discrimination -which includes racially discriminatory property confiscation.

The Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security will prioritize humanitarian relief, including admission and resettlement through the United States Refugee Admissions Program, according to the order.

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Fox News Digital’s Paul Tilsley contributed to this story.

Democratic attorneys general from 19 states have filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration over the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) access to sensitive, personal data belonging to Americans at the Treasury Department. 

The lawsuit claims the Elon Musk-run agency illegally accessed the Treasury Department’s central payment system at the Trump administration’s behest. 

On Thursday, the Treasury agreed to limit the Musk team’s access to its payment systems while a judge hears arguments in a previous lawsuit filed by a group of employee unions and retirees. 

The lawsuit, filed Monday, claimed Musk’s team violated the law by being given “full access” to the Treasury’s payment systems.

FEDERAL JUDGE ORDERS LIMITED DOGE ACCESS TO SENSITIVE TREASURY DEPARTMENT PAYMENT SYSTEM RECORDS 

Democratic attorneys general from 19 states have filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration over the Department of Government Efficiency’s access to sensitive, personal data belonging to Americans at the Treasury Department.  (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

The payment systems have information about Americans’ Social Security, Medicare and veterans’ benefits, tax refund information and much more. 

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told FOX Business Wednesday the concerns are not valid. 

“DOGE is not going to fail,” he said. “They are moving a lot of people’s cheese here in the capital, and when you hear this squawking, then some status quo interest is not happy.

“At the Treasury, our payment system is not being touched. We process 1.3 billion payments a year. There is a study being done — can we have more accountability, more accuracy, more traceability that the money is going where it is? But, in terms of payments being stopped, that is happening upstream at the department level.”

ELON MUSK DUNKS ON SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER, DECLARING ‘HYSTERICAL REACTIONS’ DEMONSTRATE DOGE’S IMPORTANCE

DOGE was launched to root out wasteful spending in the government, and it has already come close to closing the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). 

The lawsuit claims the Elon Musk-run agency illegally accessed the Treasury Department’s central payment system at the Trump administration’s behest.  (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

The lawsuit was filed in New York by the office of New York Attorney General Letitia James, a vocal Trump critic. 

It includes attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin.

“President Trump does not have the power to give away Americans’ private information to anyone he chooses, and he cannot cut federal payments approved by Congress,” James said in a statement. “Musk and DOGE have no authority to access Americans’ private information and some of our country’s most sensitive data.”

The lawsuit by the attorneys general was filed in New York by the office of New York Attorney General Letitia James, a vocal Trump critic.  (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

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Treasury officials on Wednesday denied violating privacy laws, saying only two members of the DOGE team had been given “read-only” access to information in the payment systems. 

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report. 

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday addressed events in Afghanistan, saying they created the perception of “American weakness.”

While speaking to the Department of Defense and Pentagon workforce during a town hall on Friday, Hegseth said America “deserves to take accountability for” events in Afghanistan, the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel, and the war that was unleashed in Ukraine. 

“Chaos happens when the perception of American strength is not complete,” Hegseth said. “We aim to re-establish that deterrence.”

President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth testifies during his Senate Armed Services confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill on Jan. 14 in Washington, D.C.  ( (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images))

PETE HEGSETH CONFIRMED TO LEAD PENTAGON AFTER VP VANCE CASTS TIE-BREAKING VOTE

He discussed the three pillars he will focus on during his term – reviving the warrior ethos, restoring trust in the military and rebuilding it by matching threats to capabilities, and reestablishing deterrence by defending the homeland.

Hegseth also spoke about the broken windows theory in policing, explaining that disregarding the small things in the military can create large problems.

“I think the same thing exists inside our services – making sure at every level, there [are] standards and accountability, and that we live it at the highest levels,” he said.

UNITED STATES – DECEMBER 3: Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be defense secretary, makes his way to a meeting with Sen. Ted Budd, R-N.C., in Russell building on Tuesday, December 3, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images) (Tom Williams)

That is why, Hegseth said, the U.S. will look back at what happened in Afghanistan.

He added the department will hold people accountable.

“Not to be retrospective, not for retribution, but to understand what went wrong and why there was no accountability for it,” Hegseth said.

Sec. Hegseth said he will focus on rebuilding the military. (U.S. Army Fort Leonard Wood)

Going forward, the military will find strength in unity, not diversity, according to Hegseth.

“I think the single dumbest phrase in military history is ‘our diversity is our strength,’” he said. “Our strength is our shared purpose – regardless of our background, regardless of how we grew up, regardless of our gender, regardless of our race. 

WHITE HOUSE OPM ORDERS ALL DEI OFFICES TO BEGIN CLOSING BY END OF DAY WEDNESDAY

In the department, Hegseth said everyone will be treated equally.

“We will treat everyone with fairness,” he said. “We will treat everyone with respect.”

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Service members and department civilian employees will be judged by their merit, commitment to the team, and the mission, according to Hegseth.

A group of transgender people is challenging the Trump administration’s new policy that prevents the issuing of passports with sex designations that do not match an applicant’s biological sex at birth.

Seven people represented by the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit claiming the policy violates privacy and First Amendment rights. In 2022, the State Department allowed passport applicants to select M, F or X for sex. 

“The plaintiffs in this case have had their lives disrupted by a chaotic policy clearly motivated by animus that serves zero public interest,” said Sruti Swaminathan, staff attorney for the ACLU’s LGBTQ & HIV Project. 

“Our clients need to travel for work, school and family, and forcing them to carry documents that directly contradict what they know about themselves to be true — or withhold those documents altogether — is a blatant effort to violate their privacy and deny them their freedom to be themselves.”

INDIANA JUDGE RULES PRISON MUST PROVIDE TRANSGENDER SURGERY FOR INMATE WHO KILLED BABY

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters as he signs executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House Jan. 31, 2025, in Washington.  (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

The rule came after President Donald Trump signed an executive order promoting the “biological truth.”

The order, “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government,” declares that the U.S. will recognize only two sexes — male and female — based on immutable biological characteristics. 

It prohibits the use of gender identity in legal and administrative contexts and mandates that federal agencies, including those overseeing housing, prisons and education, adhere to this definition when enforcing laws and issuing regulations. 

The order directs changes to government-issued identification documents, bans the promotion of “gender ideology” in federal programs, rescinds previous executive actions that promoted gender identity inclusion and instructs federal agencies to eliminate guidance or regulations that conflict with the new policy.

TRUMP SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDERS BANNING ‘RADICAL GENDER IDEOLOGY,’ DEI INITIATIVES IN THE MILITARY

A suitcase, COVID vaccination card and passport. (RichLegg)

It mandated the requirement that government-issued identification documents “accurately reflect” the holder’s sex, defined as “male” or “female.”

In a statement released by the ACLU, Reid Solomon-Lane, one of the plaintiffs, said he’s lived his whole adult life as a man. 

“Everyone in my personal and professional life knows me as a man, and any stranger on the street who encountered me would view me as a man,” Solomon-Lane said. “Now, as a married father of three, Trump’s executive order and the ensuing passport policy have threatened that life of safety and ease. 

“If my passport were to reflect a sex designation that is inconsistent with who I am, I would be forcibly outed every time I used my passport for travel or identification, causing potential risk to my safety and my family’s safety.”

A bank of passports (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House and State Department. 

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The ACLU said it’s been contacted by more than 1,500 transgender people or family members, “many with passport applications suspended or pending, who are concerned about being able to get passports that accurately reflect their identity.”

President Donald Trump announced on Friday he decided to immediately fire multiple Kennedy Center board members, including the chairman, and fill that role himself.

Trump claimed he and current chair David Rubenstein “do not share [the same] Vision for a Golden Age in Arts and Culture,” according to the announcement on Truth Social.

He said a new board would be announced soon, adding the new chairman, naming himself, is “amazing.”

The Kennedy Center website features information about a drag event hosted in October 2024. (The Kennedy Center)

INDIANA JUDGE RULES PRISON MUST PROVIDE TRANSGENDER SURGERY FOR INMATE WHO KILLED BABY

“Just last year, the Kennedy Center featured Drag Shows specifically targeting our youth — THIS WILL STOP,” Trump wrote in the post. 

The Kennedy Center in October hosted a Dancing Queens Drag Brunch at its Roof Terrace Restaurant in October, featuring Washington, D.C.‘s “most fabulous drag performers,” according to its website.

The Kennedy Center website features information about a drag event hosted in October 2024. (The Kennedy Center)

The October event featured 2024 Capital Pride Honoree, Tula, and other drag performers “representing the diversity of D.C.’s queer community,” according to the site.

Tickets were sold for nearly $100 each, with reservations required, and included bottomless mimosas.

President Joe Biden speaks at the The Kennedy Center Honorees reception at The White House on Dec. 3 in Washington, D.C.  (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)

TRUMP SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDERS BANNING ‘RADICAL GENDER IDEOLOGY,’ DEI INITIATIVES IN THE MILITARY

Following Trump’s announcement, the Kennedy Center’s website limited users, citing “high traffic.”

Hundreds of visitors had to queue in an online waiting room to view the site.

In addition to George Clooney, Amy Grant, Gladys Knight, Tania León, and U2 members Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr. were honored at the Kennedy Center Honors. (Kevin Wolf/AP Photo)

In his post, Trump called the center “an American jewel,” and said it must reflect the nation’s “brightest stars” on its stage.

“At my direction, we are going to make the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., GREAT AGAIN,” the President wrote. “For the Kennedy Center, THE BEST IS YET TO COME!”

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It is unclear which Board of Trustees members have been canned, as of Friday night.

Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, exclusive interviews and more Fox News politics content.

Here’s what’s happening…

-America First Legal files amicus brief in support of Trump EO ending birthright citizenship

–Democrats disoriented in fight against Trump agenda

-RFK Jr. moves closer to leading HHS after advancing through finance committee

Blocking the ban on drilling 

The Republican-led House passed legislation to block future administrations from enacting bans on oil and gas drilling without congressional approval. 

In a vote on Friday, lawmakers passed the “Protecting American Energy Production Act” to prohibit the president from “declaring a moratorium on the use of hydraulic fracturing unless Congress authorizes the moratorium.”

There were 118 Democrats who voted against the legislation, while Republican House members unanimously voted in favor of its passage…Read more

President Donald Trump is expected to enact major reforms aimed at increasing American energy independence.  (Getty Images)

DOGE

DEM LEAVES DOGE: House Democrat leaves congressional DOGE caucus, saying Musk is ‘blowing things up’…Read more

DEVELOPING DEI: Archived USAID website promoted DEI program as department’s ‘mission’ labeled ‘disturbing’ by whistleblower…Read more

White House 

‘UP FOR REVIEW’: Trump admin appeals ruling blocking birthright citizenship order…Read more

HERE’S THE PLAN: Deadline looms for release of JFK assassination files…Read more

SO ORDERED: FBI, DOJ strike agreement in lawsuit over January 6 agent list amid fears of retaliation…Read more

‘BACK TO PLASTIC!’: Trump vows executive order ending ‘ridiculous’ push for paper straws…Read more

CHARM CITY FIGHT: Baltimore sues Trump for ditching DEI: ‘Attacks anyone who dares to celebrate diversity’…Read more

‘THE COURT AT RISK’: Sotomayor criticizes presidential immunity case as putting the high court’s legitimacy on the line…Read more

World Stage

RUBIO’S TRAVELS: Rubio to visit Middle East for second trip as secretary of state after Trump suggests U.S. takeover of Gaza…Read more

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio gives a joint news conference with Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader at the National Palace in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, Pool)

‘HOLD REGIME ACCOUNTABLE’: U.S. seizes second plane owned by Venezuelan government in Dominican Republic, citing evasion of sanctions…Read more

‘HIGHLY DANGEROUS’ PEOPLE: Over a dozen Venezuelan criminal illegal migrants sent to Guantanamo Bay…Read more

Capitol Hill

‘CONSIDERING WHAT’S AT STAKE’: John Fetterman reveals how he’ll vote on Trump’s Tulsi Gabbard and RFK Jr. nominations…Read more

‘MOOD IMPROVED’: House Rep. Eli Crane says therapy dogs should be mandatory at hearings after joke about Dems mental stability…Read more

IT’S THAT TIME: Top political handicapper reveals prediction for ‘volatile’ 2026 battle for House majority…Read more

CONFIRMED: Russell Vought confirmed to head government’s leading budget office after Dems hold 30-hour protest…Read more

TRUMP TIME: Senate moves full steam ahead on massive Trump budget bill after GOP divisions derail House…Read more

EXPORT CRACKDOWN: Top Republican moves to restrict AI exports amid concerns over Chinese tech…Read more

Across America

FARMLAND FIX: Heartland lawmakers seek to fix ‘fundamental’ roadblock for farm kids seeking student aid…Read more

‘WE WILL SEIZE IT’: Prominent sheriff announces gubernatorial run to replace Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer…Read more

YOU’RE FIRED: Fired Federal Election Commission leader rants on social media after removal by Trump: ‘This isn’t it’…Read more

SANCTUARY MAYORS: Sanctuary city mayors to testify at House Oversight, after AG Bondi cuts them off from federal funds…Read more

Attorney General Pam Bondi joins “Hannity” for her first interview since she was sworn-in. (Getty Images / Fox News Digital)

LOOSENING THE REINS: NIH resumes critical grant-making process after federal communications freeze at HHS…Read more

SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING: WA Democrats reportedly block move to nix 48-hour scholastic assault reporting requirement…Read more

CLEANING HOUSE: CDC staff told to remove terms like ‘non-binary,’ ‘they/them,’ ‘pregnant people’ from public health material…Read more

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

A Trump-appointed judge said at an emergency hearing on Friday that he would put a temporary block on the administration’s plan to put 2,200 U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) employees on paid leave by midnight, Fox News has learned. 

He also told a government lawyer that he’s not sure whether he would include the 500 employees already placed on leave in his order. 

U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols sided with two federal employee associations – the American Foreign Service Association and the American Federation of Government Employees – who filed lawsuits over the order on Thursday. 

Government officials “failed to acknowledge the catastrophic consequences of their actions, both as they pertain to American workers, the lives of millions around the world, and to US national interests,” the lawsuit says. 

Demonstrators rally in support of USAID.  (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Nichols said that the plaintiffs had “established irreparable harm,” adding that “there’s zero harm to the government to pausing this for some short period of time.” 

Nichols added that it would be a “very limited” temporary restraining order.

“CLOSE IT DOWN!” President Trump wrote on Truth Social earlier Friday of the U.S. agency that oversees international development. 

An official with USAID told reporters on Friday that the agency had “ceased to exist,” with the majority of employees gone and funding stopped. 

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that the most crucial life-saving programs administrated by USAID overseas were given waivers to continue. 

USAID was founded by President John F. Kennedy in 1961 and had more than 10,000 employees and a budget of about $40 billion a year. 

U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) headquarters in Washington, D.C. (Getty Images)

On Friday, the USAID website said that at midnight “all USAID direct hire personnel will be placed on administrative leave globally, with the exception of designated personnel responsible for mission-critical functions, core leadership and specially designated programs. Essential personnel expected to continue working will be informed by Agency leadership by Thursday, February 6, at 3:00pm (EST).” 

Trump and Elon Musk, who runs the cost-cutting Department of Government Efficiency, have said they might move USAID’s surviving life-saving programs under the State Department. 

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Rubio said the U.S. government will continue providing foreign aid, “but it is going to be foreign aid that makes sense and is aligned with our national interest.”

Democratic critics have said the move is illegal and needs Congressional approval. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Rep. Jim Jordan, GOP chair of the House Judiciary Committee, and Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga., sent employees from the Fulton County District Attorney’s office requests Thursday to hand over documents and interviews related to the Jan. 6 Committee as they continue investigating District Attorney Fani Willis. 

“The committee previously wrote to District Attorney Willis requesting documents relating to her coordination with the January 6 Select Committee. Because District Attorney Willis has declined to cooperate, the committee must pursue other avenues to obtain this information,” a press release states. 

Jordan and Loudermilk sent letters to Assistant Chief Investigator Michael Hill, Assistant Chief Investigator Trina Swanson-Lucas, Chief Senior District Attorney Donald Wakeford and Deputy District Attorney Will Wooten, requesting “all documents and communications” between the employees and “any member, staff member, agent, or representative of the January 6 Selection Committee.” 

THE FANI WILLIS TRUMP FIASCO IS FAR FROM OVER. IN FACT, IT’S JUST GETTING STARTED

The letters also request the employees hand over “all documents and communications referring or relating to records in your possession obtained” from the Jan. 6 Committee. 

GOP House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan and Rep. Barry Loudermilk sent Fulton County District Attorney employees letters Thursday, requesting documents and interviews as part of their investigation into DA Fani Willis.  (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

All employees were asked to submit the requested documentation no later than Feb. 20. 

The letters sent Thursday say the lawmakers had previously written to Willis “requesting documents relating to her coordination with the January 6 Select Committee.”

FANI WILLIS DECLINES TO SHARE JACK SMITH, JAN 6 RECORDS, IN A BLOW TO CONSERVATIVE WATCHDOGS

The lawmakers say they received a letter from Willis in December in which she confirmed the requested documents existed “but declined to produce such materials on the grounds that the materials were ‘protected from disclosure by attorney-client privilege, work product privilege, and other common law protections.'”

Willis was investigating Trump’s alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election in the state of Georgia.  (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

The DA’s office asserted the same claim in a court filing that same month when it declined to turn over any new communications between Willis and special counsel Jack Smith, who had also been investigating alleged efforts by President Donald Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 election. The filing asserted that the documents either did not exist or were exempt from disclosure under Georgia law.

GEORGIA APPEALS COURT DISQUALIFIES DA FANI WILLIS AND HER TEAM FROM TRUMP ELECTION INTERFERENCE CASE

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney had previously ordered Willis to produce any records of communication with either Smith or the House Select Committee on Jan. 6 within five business days. In doing so, the judge sided with Judicial Watch, a conservative legal group that had filed suit against Willis, determining that Willis had violated the state’s open records act by failing to respond to the lawsuit. 

The letters sent Thursday say the lawmakers had previously written to Willis “requesting documents relating to her coordination with the January 6 Select Committee.” (Alyssa Pointer/Pool/Getty Images)

The House Judiciary Committee launched its investigation into whether Willis coordinated with the House Jan. 6 Committee in December 2023. Jordan and Loudermilk took the lead on the probe after learning that Willis’ office “coordinated its investigative actions with the partisan Select Committee.”

The lawmakers said at the time that Willis asked the House Select Committee on Jan. 6 to share evidence with her office.

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Willis charged Trump with one count of violation of the Georgia RICO Act, three counts of criminal solicitation, six counts of criminal conspiracy, one count of filing false documents and two counts of making false statements. 

Trump pleaded not guilty to all counts.

Fox News Digital reached out to Hill, Swanson-Lucas, Wakeford, Wooten and the DA’s Office but did not immediately hear back. 

Fox News Digital’s Breanne Deppisch and Brooke Singman contributed to this report. 

The Trump administration is using federal prisons to house illegal immigrants as part of an expansive deportation operation, Fox News Digital confirmed on Friday.

In a statement, the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) said it is helping Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) “by housing detainees and will continue to support our law enforcement partners to fulfill the administration’s policy objectives.”

The bureau said that for privacy, safety and security reasons, it does not comment on the legal status of any individual, “nor do we specify the legal status of individuals assigned to any particular facility, including numbers and locations.”

TRUMP’S ICE LIMITS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT RELEASES AMID MOVES TO SHAKE OFF BIDEN ‘HANGOVER’ 

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, along with other federal law enforcement agencies, attend a pre-enforcement meeting in Chicago, Illinois, on Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025.  (Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The Associated Press reported that facilities in Los Angeles, Miami and Atlanta are being used for detention.

The move comes as ICE has been over capacity as it has quickly ramped up the number of illegal immigrants being arrested in raids in sanctuary cities and elsewhere across the country.

ICE currently has just under 42,000 beds available to it, and it has been exceeding capacity under the current administration. The administration has been pushing hard to get more beds and detention space, but sources tell Fox that it typically takes around 30 days for contractors to deliver, given the time it takes to identify buildings, hire people, conduct background checks and comply with related requirements. That help is expected soon.

Fox News Digital reported on Thursday that ICE has requested an apportionment of around $575 million from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) as an advance of its funding for the year in order to be able to work more quickly and get another step closer to a reported target of 100,000 beds and one million removals per year. 

TRUMP DOJ SLAPS ILLINOIS, CHICAGO WITH LAWSUIT OVER SANCTUARY LAWS 

Immigration authorities detain an individual in New York City on Jan. 28. (Matt McClain/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Fox also reported that ICE is working with the BOP to identify space to house illegal immigrants, as well as Customs and Border Protection (CBP), where there may be unused space in soft-sided facilities. Fox News Digital was also told that, as of this week, officials are being instructed that any release of an illegal immigrant in ICE custody must be personally signed off on by acting ICE director Caleb Vitello. 

Meanwhile, the administration is using Guantánamo Bay to house up to 30,000 detainees, with the second flight of migrants leaving for the facility on Thursday.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE

 “We are looking well outside the box,” a senior ICE official told Fox News Digital.

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“The Biden administration cut down so many of our beds, and they canceled so many contracts. And the problem with that is you can’t just immediately turn those back on. It’s not a switch, it’s a dial,” they said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
 

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor criticized the Court’s 2024 presidential immunity case in her first public appearance since the start of the second Trump term, saying it places the Court’s legitimacy on the line. 

Sotomayor made the comments during an appearance in Louisville, Kentucky, during which she was asked a range of questions, including the public’s perception of the high court, according to the Associated Press. Sotomayor’s comments are her first in public since President Donald Trump took office last month. 

“If we as a court go so much further ahead of people, our legitimacy is going to be questioned,” Sotomayor said during the Louisville event. “I think the immunity case is one of those situations. I don’t think that Americans have accepted that anyone should be above the law in America. Our equality as people was the foundation of our society and of our Constitution.”

‘INTEGRITY OF THE COURT’: CRUZ REINTRODUCES AMENDMENT TO COMBAT COURT EXPANSION EFFORTS

In a 6-3 decision in July 2024, the Supreme Court ruled in Trump v. United States that a former president has substantial immunity from prosecution for official acts committed while in office, but not for unofficial acts.

The case stemmed from Special Counsel Jack Smith’s federal election interference case in which he charged Trump with conspiracy to defraud the U.S.; conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding; obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding; and conspiracy against rights. 

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor criticized the Court’s 2024 presidential immunity case in her first public appearance since the start of the second Trump term, saying it places the Court’s legitimacy on the line.  (Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Sotomayor notably wrote the dissent, joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson, saying the decision “makes a mockery of the principle, foundational to our Constitution and system of Government, that no man is above the law.”

JUSTICE CLARENCE THOMAS SWEARING IN MULTIPLE TRUMP CABINET OFFICIALS RAISES EYEBROWS AT CNN

“Never in the history of our Republic has a President had reason to believe that he would be immune from criminal prosecution if he used the trappings of his office to violate the criminal law,” the dissent continued. “Moving forward, however, all former Presidents will be cloaked in such immunity. If the occupant of that office misuses official power for personal gain, the criminal law that the rest of us must abide will not provide a backstop. With fear for our democracy, I dissent.”

In a 6-3 decision in July 2024, the Supreme Court ruled in Trump v. United States that a former president has substantial immunity from prosecution for official acts committed while in office, but not for unofficial acts. (Donald Trump: Photo by Peter Zay/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images | Supreme Court: Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

During her Louisville appearance, Sotomayor shared that she “had a hard time with the immunity case,” saying the Constitution contains provisions “not exempting the president from criminal activity after an impeachment.”

Sotomayor warned that if the Court were to continue down the same path, the Court’s legitimacy would ultimately be at risk. 

SUPREME COURT DENIES TRUMP ATTEMPT TO STOP SENTENCING IN NEW YORK V. TRUMP

“And if we continue going in directions that the public is going to find hard to understand, we’re placing the court at risk,” Sotomayor said. 

When asked for comment, a White House spokesperson told Fox News Digital, “This historic 6-3 ruling speaks for itself.”

The justice suggested that one way to resolve the public’s distrust in the Court would be to slow down in overturning precedent. The Court has, in recent years, overturned various landmark decisions, including Roe v. Wade in 2022, and striking down affirmative action in college admissions in 2023 and the Chevron doctrine in 2024. 

The case stemmed from Special Counsel Jack Smith’s federal election interference case in which he charged Trump with conspiracy to defraud the United States; conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding; obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding; and conspiracy against rights.  (Probal Rashid/LightRocket via Getty Images)

“I think that creates instability in the society, in people’s perception of law and people’s perception of whether we’re doing things because of legal analysis or because of partisan views,” Sotomayor said. “Whether those views are accurate or not, I don’t accuse my colleagues of being partisan.”

Sotomayor made similar comments in 2023, saying she had a “a sense of despair” about the Court’s direction following the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, which overturned Roe. Sotomayor did not name the case specifically. 

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However, the justice said she did not have the luxury to dwell on those feelings.

“It’s not an option to fall into despair,” Sotomayor said. “I have to get up and keep fighting.”

Fox News Digital’s Ronn Blitzer and the Associated Press contributed to this report. 

President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order establishing a White House Faith Office on Friday. 

The new office will “empower faith-based entities, community organizations, and houses of worship to better serve families and communities,” according to a fact sheet obtained by Fox News. 

The office will be housed under the Domestic Policy Council and will consult experts in the faith community on policy changes to “better align with American values.” 

TRUMP ANNOUNCES EXECUTIVE ORDER CREATING TASK FORCE TO ‘ERADICATE ANTI-CHRISTIAN BIAS’

President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order establishing a White House Faith Office on Friday (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

The office plans to coordinate with other agencies on training for religious liberty and on elevating grant opportunities for non-profit faith-based entities, community organizations and houses of worship. It will also collaborate with the Department of Justice on identifying constitutional religious liberty protections. 

WHITE HOUSE CALLS DEMOCRAT CRITICISM OF DOGE ‘UNACCEPTABLE’ AND ‘INCREDIBLY ALARMING’

Former President Donald Trump is prayed over with Pastor Paula White during the National Faith Summit at Worship With Wonders Church on Oct. 28, in Powder Springs, Ga.  (AP/Alex Brandon)

The order will come one day after Trump signed an order to create a task force to identify “anti-Christian bias.”

The White House said this “Task Force to End the War on Christians” will comprise members of the president’s Cabinet and key government agencies, and the order seeks to “end the anti-Christian weaponization of government.” 

President Donald Trump speaks at the National Prayer Breakfast, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025.  (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

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It came after nearly two dozen pro-life Christians were charged and sentenced for demonstrating outside abortion facilities during the Biden administration. Trump pardoned 23 pro-life protesters in his first week on the job. 

President Donald Trump may soon meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.  

“He may meet next week, yeah. Whenever he would like. I’m here,” Trump told reporters while hosting Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Friday. 

Trump said that the meeting likely would be held in Washington, D.C., because he wouldn’t go to Ukraine. 

Trump also said there was a possibility he would meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, noting that the two have always had a “very good relationship.” 

TRUMP AND ‘NO ONE ELSE’ CAN END THE UKRAINE-RUSSIA WAR, US ALLY SAYS 

President Donand Trump said he likely would meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Washington, as he wouldn’t be going to Ukraine.  (Efrem Lukatsky/The Associated Press)

“That’s why it is so sad that this happened,” Trump said, appearing to reference Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. “This never would have happened if I were president.” 

Trump, who met with Zelenskyy in New York in September 2024, urged Putin to cease the war — or face sanctions — in a post on Truth Social on Jan. 22. 

“Settle now, and STOP this ridiculous War! IT’S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE,” Trump said. If we don’t make a ‘deal’, and soon, I have no other choice but to put high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries.”

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also said he backed issuing harsher sanctions on Russia during his confirmation hearing Jan. 16 to expedite the end of the war. 

TRUMP’S ‘RARE’ PRICE FOR US MILITARY AID TO UKRAINE CALLED ‘FAIR’ BY ZELENSKYY

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he backed issuing harsher sanctions on Russia during his confirmation hearing Jan. 16.  (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)

According to retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, Trump’s envoy for Russia and Ukraine, Trump is the only person that could end the conflict. 

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“The only person that Putin will really want to talk to — because he’s kind of denigrated other leaders that are out there — is President Trump, and President Trump’s the only one who can bring this to a conclusion,” Kellogg told “Fox & Friends Weekend” on Sunday. 

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

Fox News’ Rachel Wolf contributed to this report. 

The Justice Department and FBI agents reached an agreement Friday in federal court after the FBI filed a lawsuit seeking to block the Trump administration from releasing information about its agents involved in the Jan. 6 investigation.

According to the text of the deal, the Trump administration cannot release information about the agents who investigated the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot without giving plaintiffs at least two days’ notice so that the matter can be considered again in federal court.

It does not, however, place such a time limit on the dissemination of agents’ identities to other government agencies or the White House.

The agreement by both parties comes after active FBI agents and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Agents Association, a voluntary agents’ group, sued the Justice Department earlier this week seeking to block the release of any identifying information about FBI agents involved in the January 6 investigations.

The two parties tussled for hours in court on Thursday before U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb, who questioned both parties at length on the nature of DOJ’s questionnaire, the potential for disclosures or retaliation, and how the Justice Department intends to use information divulged in the questionnaires.

FBI AGENTS GROUP TELLS CONGRESS TO TAKE URGENT ACTION TO PROTECT AGAINST POLITICIZATION 

Kash Patel, Trump’s nominee to be FBI director, appears at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2025. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

“I do have questions about the survey,” Cobb said Thursday.

She also questioned the Justice Department’s attorney at length about what the questionnaire was being used for. 

Cobb previously granted the two parties a brief administrative stay on Thursday evening, telling lawyers for both parties, saying that if the information was released she believed it “would put FBI agents in immediate danger.”

The agreement comes just days after FBI leadership said it had provided the Justice Department with a list of agents who worked on Jan. 6 investigations and criminal cases, in keeping with an earlier deadline set by U.S. Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove.

Lawyers for the agents argued that any effort to review or discriminate against agents involved in the investigation would be “unlawful and retaliatory,” and a violation of civil service protections under federal law.

They also cited “profound concern” that the list of thousands of FBI agents involved would be leaked to the public, threatening their safety. 

FBI AGENTS SUTE TRUMP DOJ TO BLOCK ANY PUBLIC IDENTIFICATION OF EMPLOYEES WHO WORKED ON JAN.6 INVESTIGATIONS

The FBI’s interactions with the Council for American-Islamic Relations was restricted due to allegations from the DOJ.  (Getty Images)

“Plaintiffs assert that the purpose for this list is to identify agents to be terminated or to suffer other adverse employment action,” lawyers for the FBI agents said, adding that they “reasonably fear that all or parts of this list might be published by allies of President Trump, thus placing themselves and their families in immediate danger of retribution by the now pardoned and at-large Jan. 6 convicted felons.”

Meanwhile, lawyers for the Justice Department stressed that their intent in issuing the questionnaire was to conduct an “internal review” of activities in the Jan. 6 probe, not to punish individuals for carrying out orders. 

Bove also sought to emphasize this message in an all-staff email to FBI personnel earlier this week. In the email, Bove stressed that the questionnaire was not intended to be a first step to mass layoffs, and stressed it was simply intended for review.

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This is a breaking news story. Check back soon for updates.