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President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday requiring government payments and travel expenses to be justified and made public where possible.

The requirement is part of Trump’s executive order to implement the cost efficiency initiative for the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Using modern technology, the order aims to transform spending by putting all federal grants and contracts through rigorous standards to justify their existence. Trump’s order will have federal agencies acting immediately, reviewing all contracts and grants for waste, fraud and abuse.

Travel expenses and government payments are also being analyzed closely, as they must be justified and made public if possible.

MUSK TELLS CABINET THAT DOGE EMAIL WAS ‘PULSE CHECK’ FOR WORKERS, WARNS US WILL ‘GO BANKRUPT’ WITHOUT ACTION

President Donald Trump and DOGE head Elon Musk sit down for a “Hannity” exclusive interview. (Fox News)

The order also tells agencies to treat their credit cards as if they were frozen for 30 days.

“To the maximum extent permitted by law, all credit cards held by agency employees shall be treated as frozen for 30 days from the date of this order, except for any credit cards held by employees engaged in, or charges related to employees utilizing such credit cards for, disaster relief or natural disaster response benefits or operations or other critical services as determined by the Agency Head, and subject to such additional individualized or categorical exceptions as the Agency Head, in consultation with the agency’s DOGE Team Lead, deems appropriate,” Trump’s executive order reads.

Working with DOGE, agency heads will review and terminate any contracts deemed unnecessary.

HOUSE DOGE HEARING ERUPTS OVER DEMOCRAT DEEMING ‘GRIFTER IN CHIEF,’ REFERRING TO ‘PRESIDENT MUSK’

President Donald Trump signed an executive order implementing a DOGE cost efficiency initiative. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Additionally, the executive order will look at how the government manages property, requiring the General Services Administration to submit a plan for disposing of unnecessary owned or leased properties.

Trump’s order is being implemented to add “discipline to a wasteful system.”

“The existing system fails to safeguard taxpayer dollars or promote merit among contractors and grant recipients,” White House officials said in a fact sheet, noting that the government spends large sums of money on contracts and grants.

FEDERAL WATCHDOG RELEASES FIRST DOGE-ERA REPORT DETAILING AREAS OF GOVERNMENT PRONE TO FRAUD, WASTE AND ABUSE

President Trump has given SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and DOGE the reins for going through all federal agencies and looking for government waste. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

The sheet also notes that in fiscal year 2023, the government committed about $759 billion in contracts.

“This flood of spending historically had minimal safeguards,” the fact sheet read. “In the Biden Administration, GSA directed its efforts to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) rather than merit and efficiency.”

Since his return to the Oval Office, Trump has set sort of a wildfire on federal government spending, unleashing DOGE, which is led by billionaire Elon Musk.

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According to the DOGE website, the total estimated savings as of Tuesday were $65 billion, which is a combination of fraud detection and deletion, contract and lease cancelations, contract and lease renegotiation, asset sales, grant cancelations, workforce reductions, programmatic changes and regulatory savings. The site is updated two times a week.

The DOGE site also has a “Wall of Receipts,” showing a breakdown of how much was saved and where the savings were found.

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…

–FBI investigating claims of Comey-era ‘honeypot’ operation against Trump 2016 campaign

-Ratcliffe shrugs off concerns about potential threat of fired agents armed with CIA’s secrets

-States fire back against ‘sanctuary’ resistance as they rally around Trump’s deportation efforts

It’s Not Rocket Science

President Donald Trump tapped Elon Musk to speak at the top of the first full Cabinet meeting Wednesday to discuss the progress made by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). 

Musk, standing in his signature black suit jacket with a T-shirt underneath, spoke at the meeting in which the media was present and made some clarifications about what he and DOGE are doing, as well as a recent email sent to government employees.

“I think that email was perhaps interpreted as a performance review, but actually it was a pulse check review. Do you have a pulse?” Musk said. “And if you have a pulse and two neurons, you could reply to an email.” Read more

Department of Government Efficiency Chair Elon Musk met at the Trump administration’s Cabinet meeting Feb. 26, 2025, to discuss the progress made in his quest to cut out government waste.  (The Associated Press)

White House

READ IT: Trump admin directs agency heads to prep for ‘large-scale reductions in force’ 

IMMUNE TO ORDERS?: CDC seems to defy Trump executive order by participating in WHO vaccine conference

TRUMP’S BRUISE EXPLAINED: White House explains bruise on Trump’s hand seen during Macron meeting

GET OUR GEAR: Trump pushes to recover ‘billions of dollars’ of military equipment left behind in Afghanistan withdrawal

President Donald Trump wants to recover billions of dollars’ worth of equipment U.S. troops left in Afghanistan following their 2021 withdrawal from the country, including aircraft and weapons. (Sgt. Isaiah Campbell/Marine Corps)

World Stage

BAD FOR BUSINESS: Mexican drug cartel leader extradited to the US to face federal drug trafficking charges

‘BLATANT PROVOCATION’: Taiwan dispatches navy, air force after China launches live-fire drills with no warning

‘WE HAVE NO TIME’: Former Hamas hostage briefs UN Security Council on the ‘pure hell’ that was captivity in Gaza

Israeli hostage Eliya Cohen, center, is escorted by Hamas fighters before being handed over to the Red Cross in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, Feb. 22, 2025. (Abdel Kareem Hana/The Associated Press)

Capitol Hill

‘CLASSY’: Dem Rep unloads on Elon Musk outside Capitol: ‘F— off’

DOGE FIGHT: House DOGE hearing erupts over Democrat deeming Trump ‘grifter in chief,’ referring to ‘President Musk’

Across America 

‘ENDANGERS’ WOMEN: Blue state’s abortion-pill shield law harms women by depriving follow-up care, pro-life docs say

‘RESOURCES TO FIGHT’: Dem governor fundraises off dust-up with Trump over trans sports in Maine: ‘I told him we’d see him in court’

WITH PREJUDICE: Eric Adams’ lawyers seek to dismiss charges with prejudice

New York City Mayor Eric Adams departs Thurgood Marshall United States Courthouse in New York City, November 2024. (Adam Gray for Fox News Digital )

‘DOING THE RIGHT THING’: Blue state sheriff unleashes on ‘un-American’ sanctuary laws, makes special offer to Homan

‘HELL NO’: Gretchen Whitmer sounds off on push to condemn Supreme Court’s gay marriage ruling: ‘Hell no’

REMOVED: Massachusetts select board removes town administrator following controversy over Trump flag

YOUNG AND RESTLESS: New poll finds about half of rural young people feel job market pressures in their hometowns

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

Former Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti is speaking out after the Trump administration ousted her and other top leaders at the Pentagon Friday, asserting that the Navy’s mission will continue “unabated and undisrupted.”

Franchetti, the first woman to serve as the chief of naval operations and on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, described leading the sea service as the “honor of a lifetime” and thanked Navy sailors for their service supporting the U.S. 

“We are America’s Warfighting Navy and America is counting on us to deter aggression, defend our National security interests, and preserve our way of life,” Franchetti, who had served as the Navy’s top officer since 2023, said in a Tuesday LinkedIn post. “We operate from seabed to space, around the globe and around the clock. Our mission continues, unabated and undisrupted…There is no time to waste.”

TRUMP NOMINATES AIR FORCE LT. GEN. DAN ‘RAZIN’ CAINE FOR JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF CHAIRMAN

Adm. Lisa Franchetti became the first woman to serve as the chief of naval operations in 2023.   (Navy )

Franchetti joined the Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps as a student at Northwestern University and was commissioned in 1985. She told Navy Times in 2023 that she met other ROTC students at a barbecue during freshman orientation week, who notified her about the scholarship opportunities ROTC provided.

At the time of her commissioning, women were barred from serving on combatant ships and aircraft and were instead assigned to ships like oilers and destroyer tenders. However, Congress repealed the law in 1993 — paving the way for women like Franchetti to serve in top leadership positions in the Navy. 

“I joined for free college and books, but I stayed for our mission, the opportunity to serve something greater than myself, and the chance to be part of amazing teams in the world’s most lethal fighting force: America’s Warfighting Navy,” Franchetti wrote on LinkedIn. 

Ultimately, Franchetti went on to command two carrier strike groups, and served as the deputy commander of U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa and the commander of the U.S. 6th Fleet, which falls under U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa.

Other leaders the Trump administration removed Friday included Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. CQ Brown and Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Jim Slife. 

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth requested nominations to replace Franchetti and Slife, and said that both had “distinguished careers.”

“We thank them for their service and dedication to our country,” Hegseth said in a Friday statement. 

Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. James Kilby announced that he would take over responsibilities as the top officer in the Navy until a permanent replacement was found for Franchetti. 

FORMER CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF BIDS FAREWELL IN HEARTFELT SOCIAL MEDIA POST: ‘DISTINCT HONOR’

Adm. Lisa Franchetti’s previous assignments include serving as the commander of U.S. 6th Fleet based in Naples, Italy.  (Defense Department)

“The work of our Navy continues without disruption,” Kilby said in a statement Saturday. “We will sustain forward-deployed lethal forces that enhance the peace and deter our adversaries.”

The Navy did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. It remains unclear where Franchetti will be reassigned. 

Hegseth didn’t provide any additional comment on Franchetti or her career, but previously described her as a “DEI hire” in his 2024 book, “The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free.” 

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Hegseth also announced Friday that President Donald Trump plans to nominate retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Dan “Razin” Caine to replace Brown, claiming that Caine embodies the “warfighter ethos” the U.S. military needs. 

“Under President Trump, we are putting in place new leadership that will focus our military on its core mission of deterring, fighting and winning wars,” Hegseth said. 

House and Senate Republicans are heading for a messy showdown over how long to extend President Donald Trump’s tax cuts.

The two chambers are at odds over how to advance Trump’s agenda via the budget reconciliation process, a maneuver that will allow Republicans to advance their agenda without Democratic support.

As part of that, GOP lawmakers are aiming to extend the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) before its provisions expire at the end of 2025, as well as implement more recent Trump tax priorities.

House Republicans adopted a resolution on Tuesday evening that would provide roughly $4.5 trillion for Trump’s tax priorities over the next 10 years, with a goal of working to eventually make them permanent. The Senate adopted a narrower competing resolution earlier this month that would leave taxes for a second bill to come later.

KEY CONSERVATIVE CAUCUS DRAWS RED LINE ON HOUSE BUDGET PLAN

House and Senate Republicans are at odds over Trump’s tax cuts. (Getty Images)

But Senate GOP leaders are pushing to make the tax cuts permanent while Republicans are working through the reconciliation process.

Senate Republicans are signaling they would rewrite the House’s product significantly, a push that’s irked Republicans in that chamber.

“The Senate resolution punted on accomplishing the majority of President Trump’s agenda, and now they are further delaying and endangering it by announcing they will rewrite what narrowly passed the House,” a senior House GOP aide told Fox News Digital.

Nevertheless, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., congratulated House Republicans on passing their resolution but added, “A key part of that agenda is making the pro-growth Tax Cuts and Jobs Act permanent, which is why we’ll work closely with our House colleagues to ensure the final package includes all of the president’s key tax priorities, including permanency, which will create long-term certainty for working families in America.”

Trump himself even weighed in on the matter. He wrote on his Truth Social app on Wednesday morning, “I hope the House and Senate are able to agree on making the Tax Cuts PERMANENT!”

But Republicans are also dealing with razor-thin margins in both chambers of Congress. In the House, they can currently only lose one Republican vote with full attendance, while Senate Republicans can afford three defectors. 

Getting the House resolution across the line proved dramatic on Monday night, with Republican leaders working up until the final moments to convince conservative fiscal hawks who were wary of how much the legislation would add to the federal deficit.

President Donald Trump said he wants Republicans to make his 2017 tax cuts permanent. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

It could prove more difficult if they did the exercise again, but with even more funding allocated toward Trump’s tax priorities.

“The Senate can push all they want to. This is being driven by the House,” Ways & Means Committee member Rep. Greg Murphy, R-N.C., told Fox News Digital.

“I don’t see how it can be permanent,” another House Republican on Ways & Means told Fox News Digital. 

Murphy denied that Trump’s earlier Truth Social post made the situation more difficult for their side, however, explaining the ultimate “goal is” to make those provisions permanent.

The Senate advanced its own narrower version of the plan that would split Trump’s priorities into two parts earlier this month. The resolution that passed would repeal some progressive Biden administration policies and provide new funding for defense and border security, while leaving taxes for a second bill.

A significant number of House Republicans balked at that plan, worried that tax cuts could expire for millions of Americans if two reconciliation bills prove too heavy a lift.

But Senate Republicans want to spend more time cobbling together a tax plan they believe is closer to what Trump wants, and that this reconciliation opportunity is the best lane to do it.

GOP LAWMAKER CALLS FOR CONGRESSIONAL HEARING OVER DC PLANE CRASH

House Ways & Means Committee Chair Jason Smith is spearheading the push for one bill. (Tom Williams/Getty Images)

“A short-term extension of President Trump’s signature tax cuts would potentially leave future extensions vulnerable to Democrat presidents and Democrats in Congress, where we risk losing them forever and undoing President Trump’s legacy,” a senior Senate GOP aide told Fox News Digital.

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“We have to give greater certainty for working families. With President Trump in the White House, we have a unique opportunity to make the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act permanent. The Senate will have to rewrite House Republicans’ budget resolution in order to do so.”

The senior House GOP aide who spoke with Fox News Digital said, however, “Republicans in both chambers want to deliver on President Trump’s promise and the American people’s mandate for a lengthy extension of the Trump tax cuts.”

“Congress can do this quickly by passing the only resolution that has already passed through one chamber of Congress – the House resolution – that has the capacity to implement the full Trump agenda,” they said.

President Donald Trump’s plan to offer a “gold card” visa to wealthy immigrants is similar to policies in use in more than three dozen countries, although the U.S. proposal would come with the highest price tag, an expert tells Fox News Digital.

“What you’re doing is you’re bringing in wealthier individuals, clearly job creators, consumers,” Anthony Esposito, the Founder & CEO of Island Capital Investments, told Fox News Digital.

Esposito’s comments come after Trump said Tuesday that he planned to offer a “gold card” visa that gives recipients a path to U.S. citizenship for $5 million, telling reporters such a program would be “extremely successful.”

“They’ll be wealthy and they’ll be successful, and they’ll be spending a lot of money and paying a lot of taxes and employing a lot of people, and we think it’s going to be extremely successful,” Trump said Tuesday from the Oval Office, according to a report from the Associated Press.

TRUMP TO INTRODUCE ‘GOLD CARD’ VISA FOR WEALTHY INVESTORS WITH $5 MILLION PRICE TAG: ‘ROUTE TO CITIZENSHIP’

President Donald Trump’s plan to offer a “gold card” visa to wealthy immigrants is similar to policies in use in more than three dozen countries (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said that the new gold card would replace the current EB-5 Immigrant Investor visa program within two weeks, a program that was created by Congress in 1990 and offers residency to people who spent about $1 million on a business while employing at least 10 people, the report notes.

Trump has also touted the program as a way of trimming the national debt.

“It’s the exact opposite of the Biden administration’s policy. On one side of the curve we had the mass migrations of unvetted, undocumented immigrants coming in the southern border that were essentially living on the taxpayer dime[.]”

“Companies can go and buy a gold card, and they can use it as a matter of recruitment,” Trump told reporters Wednesday. “At the same time, the company is using that money to pay down debt. We’re going to pay down a lot of debt with that.”

Esposito shares Trump’s view for how the money can be used, noting that 1 million gold card recipients would result in $5 trillion for the U.S. Treasury.

“A million individuals coming in would be $5 trillion in payment to the government, off the bat, that doesn’t include the derivative growth of those individuals being here,” Esposito said.

“Companies can go and buy a gold card, and they can use it as a matter of recruitment,” Trump told reporters. (Sean Rayford/Getty Images)

TRUMP STATE DEPARTMENT DECLARES TREN DE ARAGUA, MS-13, MEXICAN DRUG CARTELS AS FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS 

Nearly 40 other countries have similar so-called “citizenship by investment” programs, according to Henley & Partners, a law firm who represents clients looking to use such arrangements. However, the U.S. investment of $5 million proposed by Trump would make the United States the most expensive of the group.

Esposito believes allowing such investments would benefit the U.S. economy.

“It is the greatest nation in the world. It is the greatest economy in the world. This is just simply a way of vetting people and having people come in that will create a mutually beneficial relationship…”

“The job growth, the job creation, the taxes paid, the consumer spending, 10 million cards would be $50 trillion. The numbers are real walking in, and the numbers are real as of derivative benefits of these individuals being here,” Esposito said.

While some critics have expressed fears that the program could be abused or lead to threats to national security, Esposito argued that the Trump administration should be trusted to put the right vetting procedures in place.

“It’s the exact opposite of the Biden administration’s policy. On one side of the curve, we had the mass migrations of unvetted, undocumented immigrants coming in the southern border that were essentially living on the taxpayer dime,” Esposito said, adding that Trump’s policy would call for “a program where we have fully vetted the individuals on a personal basis and on an economic basis.”

Former President Joe Biden speaks with US Customs and Border Protection officers as he visits the US-Mexico border in El Paso, Texas, on January 8, 2023.  (JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)

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Ultimately, Esposito says, Trump’s program will cause a “mutually beneficial” partnership between the U.S. and gold card holders.

“It is the greatest nation in the world. It is the greatest economy in the world,” Esposito said. “This is just simply a way of vetting people and having people come in that will create a mutually beneficial relationship between the United States, and the United States economy, and those gold card holders.”

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

EXCLUSIVE: Fox News Digital spoke to GOP Rep. Abe Hamadeh about the state of the U.S. military after four years of the Biden administration, following the freshman congressman’s visit to an Arizona Air Force base to meet with service members and fly in an F-16 fighter jet. 

“Under President Trump’s leadership, there’s a renewed sense of purpose in our military. He has made it clear from day one that his mission is to reenergize and refocus our armed forces,” Hamadeh said after his visit to Luke Air Force Base in Maricopa County, Arizona, where 70% of the world’s F-35 pilots train. 

Hamadeh, who flew in an F-16 at the base, met with airmen of the 56th Fighter Wing and posted the video on X, spoke about how the military is returning to its “core mission” under Trump. 

“Eliminating the failed woke DEI agenda pushed by the Democrats has already boosted morale,” Hamadeh said. 

FRESHMAN GOP LAWMAKER TARGETS ‘PROPAGANDA’ FROM TOP ADVERSARY IN FIRST BILL OF CONGRESSIONAL CAREER

GOP Rep. Abe Hamadeh told Fox News Digital that Trump’s leadership is already paying dividends for the military. (Getty/Rep Abe Hamadeh)

“When I served overseas as a captain and intelligence officer in the U.S. Army Reserve, I saw firsthand how Biden and Secretary Lloyd Austin’s first order of business was a military-wide stand-down to lecture service members about so-called ‘right-wing extremism.’ That kind of political nonsense has no place in our armed forces. Now, with President Trump and Secretary Hegseth at the helm, the military is returning to its core mission, being the most lethal fighting force on earth and defending America’s national security interests.”

Fox News Digital extensively reported on sagging military recruitment during the Biden administration, which Hamadeh said was due in part to “lost focus” during those years. 

“Americans watched in horror as our heroes were disrespected by their own government. One of Biden’s worst decisions was forcing service members to take the COVID vaccine, disregarding their personal and religious freedoms,” Hamadeh explained. 

TRUMP PENTAGON LEADERSHIP SHAKEUP AIMS TO RECAPTURE ‘WARRIOR ETHOS,’ EXPERT SAYS

Rep. Abe Hamadeh visited Luke Air Force Base in Arizona last week. (Rep. Abe Hamadeh )

“This culture of disrespect was only magnified by the catastrophic Afghanistan withdrawal, which resulted in unnecessary tragedy and humiliation. President Trump has already taken action to correct these wrongs – by executive order, he reinstated thousands of service members who were wrongfully discharged for refusing an experimental vaccine. Under his leadership, respect for our troops is being restored, and recruitment will rise again because service members know they’ll be treated with the dignity they deserve.”

Hamadeh, whose flight on the F-16 was one of the last on the base before the aircraft training is moved to New Mexico and the base focuses on F-35s, emphasized to Fox News Digital that DEI was a “disaster” for the military. 

“Warfighters should be focused on strength, discipline, and mission success – not political indoctrination,” Hamadeh said. “The left’s obsession with identity politics has weakened recruitment, lowered standards, and distracted from what actually matters: making sure our military is the most dominant force in the world. If anything should be merit-based, it’s the entity tasked with protecting us and keeping us safe.”

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President Donald Trump speaks with reporters in the Oval Office at the White House, Feb. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

Trump signed an executive order in January banning DEI in the military in a move Hamadeh, who serves on both the House Armed Services Committee and House Veterans Affairs Committee, said will improve the military’s effectiveness. 

“President Trump understands that victory, not virtue signaling, is the priority,” Hamadeh said. “By removing DEI and refocusing on warfighting, we are ensuring that our troops are prepared, our adversaries are deterred, and America remains strong.”

Fox News Digital previously reported that military recruitment appeared to be trending higher since Trump’s November victory, highlighted by the U.S. Army announcing that December 2024 was its most productive recruiting month in 15 years.

The Senate Wednesday afternoon confirmed President Donald Trump‘s nominee for U.S. trade representative (USTR), Jamieson Greer. The vote was 56-43.

Greer, who previously served as chief of staff to former USTR Robert Lighthizer during Trump’s first term, has been credited with assisting in imposing tariffs on China and renegotiating the trade agreement with Canada and Mexico during the first administration. He is also a lawyer and Air Force judge advocate general’s corps veteran with one deployment to Iraq.

The Senate Finance Committee advanced his nomination with a 15-12 vote in early February despite some Democratic concerns about his support for President Trump’s trade agenda.

TRUMP US TRADE REP PICK JAMIESON GREER ADVANCES OUT OF SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE

Jamieson Greer, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be the U.S. trade representative, testifies during his Senate Finance Committee confirmation hearing at the Dirksen Senate Office Building Feb. 6, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)

Greer’s confirmation comes on the heels of Trump’s promise to impose tariffs on Mexico, China and Canada.

TRADE REPRESENTATIVE NOMINEE DEFENDS TRUMP TARIFFS IN COMMITTEE HEARING

President Donald Trump and Jamieson Greer (Getty Images)

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Greer will be responsible for pursuing U.S.-international trade agreements that align with President Trump’s agenda to support American jobs and bolster supply chain resilience, which includes boosting domestic manufacturing and industrial jobs and diversifying sources for essential goods and reducing dependence on foreign suppliers. 

Greer also noted he would seek to balance U.S. trade with countries like Vietnam, which has a trade surplus in the country, to “have better reciprocity.” 

FIRST ON FOX: A bipartisan group of 151 lawmakers is rallying around a resolution to support the Iranian resistance movement ahead of a hearing with an opposition leader. 

The resolution, led by Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., expresses support for the Iranian people and their stated desire for a “democratic, secular and non-nuclear” Iran through regime change. 

“The developments of the past year have left no doubt that the source of terrorism and warmongering in the Middle East region is the theocratic Islamic Republic of Iran,” the resolution reads. 

It calls out the Iranian regime’s oppressive practices, voices support for the opposition and calls on global leaders to continue imposing sanctions. 

WORLD BRACES FOR IMPACT OF TRUMP’S ‘MAXIMUM PRESSURE’ SANCTIONS TARGETING IRAN

NCRI President-elect Maryam Rajavi will attend a hearing in the U.S. House titled, “The Future of Iran.” (Siavosh Hossein, The Media Express)

“The efforts of Western countries over the past 45 years to change the behavior of this regime have failed, and the ultimate solution to ending the Iranian regime’s threats is the establishment of a secular, democratic, and pluralistic republic by the Iranian people and resistance.”

President Donald Trump has been hesitant to throw U.S. efforts into regime change in Iran. “We can’t get totally involved in all that. We can’t run ourselves, let’s face it,” he told Iranian-American producer Patrick Bet-David in October. 

The resolution also claimed that in the first four months of Masoud Pezeshkian’s presidency, beginning July 28, 2024, some 500 prisoners, including political prisoners and at least 17 women, were executed, and hand amputations increased. 

The resolution also expressed support for Maryam Rajavi, president-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), a leading resistance group known as MEK to Iranians, and her 10-point plan to bring democracy, secular government and human rights to Iran. The plan, which has the support of 4,000 parliamentarians across the globe, calls for installing NCRI as a provisional government for six months to set up elections and a constituent assembly. 

It was introduced Wednesday ahead of a 2 p.m. hearing entitled “The Future of Iran” with the Congressional Iran Human Rights and Democracy Caucus, where Rajavi – a top target of Iran’s terror plots and demonization – will give testimony. 

PRESIDENT TRUMP CAN STOP IRAN’S MARCH TO NUCLEAR WEAPONS: ‘RE-ESTABLISH CREDIBLE MILITARY THREAT’, REPORT SAYS

The first Trump administration imposed harsh sanctions to bankrupt Iran but stayed away from messaging campaigns aimed at encouraging Iranian resistance. This time around, opposition supporters say the situation on the ground has changed – the regime is far weaker after Bashar al-Assad was forced out of power in Syria and Israel has decimated its proxies, Hamas and Hezbollah. Protests have again kicked up across the nation and threaten to spread if the financial crisis does not improve. 

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is the target of resistance efforts. (Photo by Iranian Leader Press Office/Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Rajavi, in her opening remarks, will say that the Iranian regime is at its weakest point in decades. 

“​​The situation of the Iranian society is explosive. During its 46-year rule, the religious fascism has never been so weak and fragile,” Rajavi is expected to say, according to remarks obtained by Fox News Digital. 

STATE, TREASURY DEPARTMENTS REIMPOSES ‘MAXIMUM PRESSURE’ SANCTIONS ON IRAN’S OIL TRADE

“The mullahs are surrounded from all sides: by a society that is filled with anger and rebellion, by Resistance Units, and by selfless and rebellious youth, because of its bankrupt economy and corruption in the government, particularly after the overthrow of the brutal dictatorship of Assad and the collapse of the regime’s “strategic depth” in the region.”

The resolution is sure to rankle Ayatollah Ali Khameni, leader of the current Iranian regime, and supporters of Reza Pahlavi II, whose father ruled Iran in the 1970s, who want to see the younger Pahlavi cede power in Iran and deeply oppose the NCRI. 

President Donald Trump, right, has called for the resumption of his “maximum pressure” sanctions campaign targeting Iran. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz/File Photo)

Rajavi will call for the implementation of United Nations snapback sanctions that were eased under the 2015 nuclear deal, putting the regime under the Chapter VII charter of the U.N. as a threat to peace and formally recognizing the resistance’s movement for regime change.

She will also pay tribute to two resistance leaders, Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani, who have been sentenced to death on charges of “rebellion” and for being members of the MEK. The U.N. has called on Iran to halt their executions. The regime has executed 120,000 on political grounds over the past four decades, according to Rajavi.

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The hearings come after the Trump administration pushed forward with its promise to return the U.S. to “maximum pressure” sanctions with new crackdowns on Iranian oil tankers. 

Trump has said he would “love to make a deal” with the nation’s clerical leaders, but Iran has insisted it will not engage in nuclear negotiations while the U.S. is imposing maximum pressure. 

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“Iran’s position regarding nuclear talks is clear, and we will not negotiate under pressure and sanctions,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said during a televised joint press conference with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.

“There is no possibility of direct negotiations with the U.S. as long as maximum pressure is being applied in this way.”

FIRST ON FOX:  The Trump administration will direct heads of agencies across the federal government to prepare to initiate “large-scale reductions in force” and develop reorganization plans by mid-March, Fox News Digital has learned. 

Fox News Digital exclusively obtained the memo that will be sent Wednesday to agency heads by Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought and acting director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Charles Ezell. The memo directs them to prepare to eliminate roles and submit plans for reorganization by March 13. 

TRUMP SIGNS ORDER INSTRUCTING DOGE TO MASSIVELY CUT FEDERAL WORKFORCE

The memo states, however, that government positions “necessary to meet law enforcement, border security, national security, immigration enforcement, or public safety responsibilities” are exempt from the order, as well as officials nominated and appointed to positions requiring presidential appointment or Senate confirmation, officials in the Executive Office of the President, and U.S. Postal Service workers. 

Elon Musk and President Donald Trump talk about DOGE’s efforts to investigate wasteful U.S. government spending from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Feb. 11, 2025. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)

The memo is titled “guidance on agency RIF and reorganization plans requested by implementing the president’s ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ workforce optimization initiative.” 

“The federal government is costly, inefficient, and deeply in debt,” the memo states. “At the same time, it is not producing results for the American public.” 

“Instead, tax dollars are being siphoned off to fund unproductive and unnecessary programs that benefit radical interest groups while hurting hard-working American citizens,” it continued. “The American people registered their verdict on the bloated, corrupt federal bureaucracy on November 5, 2024 by voting for President Trump and his promises to sweepingly reform the federal government.” 

The memo points to the president’s February executive order, which directed agencies to “eliminate waste, bloat and insularity” in order to “empower American families, workers, taxpayers, and our system of Government itself.” 

The memo provides guidance to agency heads for the reduction-in-force and reorganization plans, along with instructions for how those plans should be submitted to OMB and OPM. 

“President Trump required that ‘Agency Heads shall promptly undertake preparations to initiate large-scale reductions in force, consistent with applicable law,’” the memo states, noting that agencies have to submit reorganization plans “no later than March 13, 2025.” 

The reorganization plans, according to the memo, should provide “better service for the American people; increased productivity; a significant reduction in the number of full-time equivalent positions by eliminating positions that are not required; a reduced real property footprint; and reduced budget topline.” 

IRS TO SLASH NEARLY 7K EMPLOYEES STARTING THURSDAY: REPORTS

OMB and OPM directed agency heads to focus on “maximum elimination of functions that are not statutorily mandated while driving the highest-quality, most efficient delivery of their statutorily-required functions.”

OMB and OPM also directed agencies to consolidate areas of their organization charts that are “duplicative,” and consolidate management layers “where unnecessary layers exist.” 

They also are directing agencies to “maximally reduce the use of outside consultants and contractors.” 

As for office space, the memo says agency heads should close or consolidate regional field offices and should align those closures or relocations of bureaus and offices with agency return-to-office actions “to avoid multiple relocation benefit costs for individual employees.” 

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The memo says “Phase 1” of reorganization plans should be submitted by March 13, with “Phase 2” being submitted by April 14. 

“Phase 2 plans shall outline a positive vision for more productive, efficient agency operations going forward,” the memo explains. “Phase 2 plans should be planned for implementation by September 30, 2025.” 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) appeared to defy President Donald Trump’s executive order to withdraw the U.S. from the World Health Organization (WHO) after the U.S. agency said it would participate in a conference with the global organization.

The CDC confirmed this week that it will go ahead and partake in a biannual conference on the influenza vaccine led by the WHO.

“CDC will be actively participating virtually at the WHO vaccine consultation meeting for the recommendation of viruses for 2025-26 Northern Hemisphere Vaccine this week,” a CDC spokesperson told Fox News. 

The agency did not clarify if it received an exemption from Trump’s executive order, which required all officials to stop working with the WHO. 

TRUMP OPEN TO CONSIDERING RE-ENTRY INTO WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION: ‘THEY’D HAVE TO CLEAN IT UP’

The CDC confirmed it will partake in a biannual conference on the influenza vaccine led by the WHO. (AP Photo/Jeff Amy)

Trump signed the executive order to withdraw the U.S. from the WHO just hours after taking office last month. The president cited reasons such as WHO’s “mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic,” the “failure to adopt urgently needed reforms,” and “unfairly onerous payments” forced on the U.S. 

Trump signed an executive order hours after he took office in January, calling for the U.S. to withdraw from the WHO. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

CDC ORDERED TO IMMEDIATELY STOP COLLABORATING WITH WHO AFTER TRUMP BEGINS PROCESS FOR US WITHDRAWAL

Days after signing the order, Trump said during a Las Vegas rally that he was open to potentially rejoining the WHO if the global body were “to clean it up a bit.”

The WHO issued a statement shortly after Trump’s order, lamenting the president’s decision and expressing hope that the U.S. will rethink the move.

The World Health Organization logo is seen near its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, on Feb. 2, 2023.  (Reuters/Denis Balibouse/File Photo)

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During Trump’s first term, in July 2020, he took steps to withdraw the U.S. from the WHO but his successor, former President Joe Biden, eventually reinstated the nation’s participation in the global health initiative. 

Fox News Digital’s Alex Schemmel contributed to this report.

Gov. Janet Mills of Maine is attempting to capitalize on her moment in the national spotlight after she got into a public dust-up with President Donald Trump last week over her state’s defiance of his executive order demanding biological males who identify as transgender stay out of women’s sports. 

The pair got into a verbal skirmish on Friday at the White House after Trump said the night prior that Maine would not receive any federal funding until it started taking action to prevent transgender women from competing on women’s sports teams. 

“We’re going to follow the law, sir. We’ll see you in court,” Mills said after Trump asked if she would comply with his order. “Enjoy your life after governor, because I don’t think you’ll be an elected official afterward,” Trump shot back.

A Maine state representative confirmed to Fox News Digital that following the verbal skirmish on Friday, Mills began sending out mass fundraising texts to Maine residents that cited her altercation with Trump, which played out on national TV.

MAINE STATE REP TALKS ‘EXTREME’ TRANSGENDER ATHLETE POLICY

“On Friday at a bipartisan meeting of governors, Donald Trump threatened to deny Maine school children federal funding unless we fall in line with his personal demands,” Mills’ text campaign said. “He even stated that he was ‘the law,’ never mind Congress or the states. I told him we’d see him in court.”

Maine Gov. Janet Mills and President Donald Trump at the White House on Friday. (Getty Images)

Mills went on to say that while Trump campaigned on lowering prices for everyday Americans, he is now using his new power to “punish his enemies.”

“I want to make one thing clear: Maine will not be intimidated by the president’s threats,” the campaign said. “The work to push back against Trump and his agenda begins at the state level. Can you donate $10 to the Maine Democratic Party to make sure they have the resources to fight for our state?” 

The same week Trump threatened to withhold funding from Maine for not complying with his executive order on women’s sports, a transgender woman who competed as a man until June last year won first place in the women’s pole vault at Maine’s Class B state indoor championship.

MAINE FEMALE ATHLETE ‘GRATEFUL’ FOR TRUMP’S FOCUS ON TRANS COMPETITORS AFTER LOCAL LEADERS ‘FAILED’ GIRLS

Maine’s primary governing body for high school athletics said they would defer to state law that makes it illegal to determine someone’s athletic eligibility on the basis of their gender identity. (Getty Images)

Maine’s primary governing body for high school athletics, the Maine Principal’s Association, confirmed that it did not intend to follow Trump’s executive order after it came out. Rather, the association said they would defer to state law that makes it illegal to determine someone’s athletic eligibility on the basis of their gender identity. 

Sarah Perry, a civil rights attorney who has extensive experience litigating Title IX issues, said that in addition to Trump’s executive order, Maine is also flouting directives from the Department of Education and previously established precedent from a slew of cases that challenged former President Joe Biden’s Title IX regulations allowing athletic eligibility to be determined by one’s preferred gender identity. 

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“Within six weeks [after Biden’s Title IX ruling] we had 11 federal lawsuits brought by 26 states, in addition to a handful of others – the Biden administration has lost every time,” Perry pointed out.

Perry added that besides the obvious risk of losing funding, these states also open themselves up to federal Title IX investigations, something she said could potentially force them to comply with Trump’s demands.

Fox News Digital attempted to reach out to the governor’s office for comment but did not hear back.

EXCLUSIVE: As most leaders in deep blue Washington state double down on sanctuary policies and refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities, Sheriff Bob Songer of Klickitat County is pledging to support federal immigration enforcement in any way he can, telling Tom Homan to “put me on speed dial.”

In December, Songer published a video through the Klickitat County Sheriff’s Office’s official Facebook page in which he said the Biden administration had “allowed our country to be invaded” and publicly vowed to help ICE enforce immigration law. 

Songer’s stance flies directly in the face of Washington’s migrant sanctuary laws, which prohibit law enforcement from assisting federal authorities in enforcing immigration laws. 

It also puts him at odds with other law enforcement authorities in the state and Democratic Gov. Bob Ferguson, who has vowed to “protect law-abiding Washington families” including the “overwhelming majority of undocumented residents” who he said are “decent, hard-working, law-abiding residents.” 

ALLEGED FENTANYL-SMUGGLING IMMIGRANTS LEAD POLICE ON DANGEROUS CORNFIELD CHASE

Sheriff Bob Songer, right, of Klickitat County in Washington, is pledging to support federal immigration enforcement in any way he can, telling Tom Homan, left, to “put me on speed dial.” (Fox News Digital)

Uncowed by this, Songer – who, after serving in law enforcement for 56 years, is currently serving his third term as sheriff – said, “I will cooperate with ICE 100 percent because they’re doing the right thing.” 

In an interview with Fox News Digital, he explained that, despite being a small, rural county in Washington, illegal immigrants regularly pass through the county and very often receive government benefits paid for by the taxpayers. 

“When people have invaded our country across the southern border and even the northern border, Canada, our government, it’s their job to protect our American citizens by preventing that invasion,” he said. “Why would any governor, any mayor, any county commissioner, or any sheriff or police chief knowingly allow criminals, serious criminals for murder, rape, whatever, protect them from immigration, protect them from ICE?” 

“So why am I standing up against that?” he continued. “You bet I’m saying that Tom Homan, if you wish to contact me, I’ll give you my phone number, he can have me on speed dial.” 

TOM HOMAN TELLS MIGRANT TERROR GROUPS TRUMP WILL ‘WIPE YOU OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH’

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted a worksite enforcement operation Jan. 28 at Complete Autowash in Philadelphia based on allegations that employees were being subjected to labor exploitation. (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

Songer said there are two main reasons for his bold stance. First, he believes Washington’s sanctuary law is unconstitutional, and secondly, he feels the U.S. citizens of Klickitat County are demanding it.  

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“I honestly believe that it’s the best thing for our citizens,” he explained, adding: “You know what’s neat about an elected sheriff versus police chief … an elected sheriff is elected by the people. His or her only boss is the people, not the governor, not the county commissioners, not anybody but the people themselves. That’s the sheriff’s boss.” 

Responding to criticisms from Democrats and the media that not all illegal immigrants should be arrested and deported by ICE, Songer said, “They’ll try to tell you, ‘well, those who just waded across the Rio Grande, that’s a civil infraction,’ that’s bull, it’s a crime under federal law. Period. No matter what their intentions were.” 

TEXAS GOVERNOR ANNOUNCES CRACKDOWN ON MASSIVE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY NEAR MAJOR CITY

ICE agents conduct an enforcement operation in the U.S. interior on June 2, 2022. (Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

“They’re coming into this country across the border with no legal representation at all. In other words, they know they’re breaking the law. Why not? They get free phones, free medical, free sign up, it’s Christmas for them,” he said. “And at the same time, our government, Democrat government, they didn’t give a d— about veterans or homeless that are U.S. citizens.”

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“I know Washington State is a blue, blue, blue sanctuary state. It’s scary to live in this kind of atmosphere,” he concluded. “But I wanted to make it clear and make it known to Tom Homan and President Trump and Vance, the vice president, that as long as I’m in office … I will totally cooperate with it and I want them to know that all they got to do is reach out and ask for assistance in Klickitat County, and I’ll be there, standing at attention and willing to carry out the duties.”

The town of West Boylston, Massachusetts, voted to fire its administrator following a dispute over a Trump flag hanging in the police station.

The vote took place during a closed-door Zoom meeting “to discuss the reputation, character, physical condition or mental health, rather than professional competence, of an individual, or to discuss the discipline or dismissal of, or complaints or charges brought against, a public officer, employee, staff member or individual.”

The result was a 4-1 vote to remove former Town Administrator James Ryan.

TRUMP FLAG IN MASSACHUSETTS POLICE STATION GYM DIVIDES TOWN AS CHIEF, OFFICIAL FEUD OVER ITS REMOVAL: REPORT

The town of West Boylston, Massachusetts, voted to fire Town Administrator James Ryan following a dispute over a Trump flag hanging in the police station. (Google Maps)

The dispute allegedly began when Ryan toured the police station in January and viewed a Trump flag hanging in its gymnasium. At the time, Ryan claimed the flag was a civil rights violation, according to a statement.

Police Chief Dennis W. Minnich, Sr., removed the flag but alleges that Ryan later had a town employee sneak into the police station after hours to verify the flag was removed. According to him, at that time a new flag was then hanging, but has since been taken down.

TRUMP PARDONS FORMER DC POLICE OFFICERS CONVICTED IN DEATH OF MEN DURING DEADLY PURSUIT

A police support sign and a Trump sign are displayed.  (Paul Weaver/Pacific Press/LightRocket)

Minnich says he was “targeted” and sent a three-page memo to the Board of Selectmen to request “an immediate and thorough review” of Ryan’s actions.

“Either he’s gone or I’m gone,” Minnich said Friday. “I’m going to take all vacation time until this is resolved. I’m not reporting to the guy. I don’t trust him. There’s no trust there.”

The select board said Ryan’s firing had nothing to do with the police dispute, but him allegedly sending an employee inside the station that could have seen private information.

A closed-door Zoom meeting resulted in a 4-1 vote to remove Town Administrator James Ryan.

Ryan’s attorney, John Clifford, said in a statement that his client was “disappointed” with the select board’s decision.

“James acknowledges that he could have handled the situation differently, but his insistence that there be no political signs in a public building was completely justified,” the statement read. “In tonight’s meeting, James expressed his sincere regret that he had any role in what became an embarrassment and distraction for the entire town. While he knows he may have made some mistakes as a very new town administrator, he is not responsible for the controversy that has ensued.”

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Clifford released a statement on Ryan’s behalf which read, in part:

“James will be reviewing his options with respect to litigating his termination, but he would like to make it clear that he has no ill feelings toward town employees, volunteer officials, or the citizens of West Boylston. He remains grateful for the short opportunity to serve in West Boylston and wishes the town the best of luck in the future.”

A new Gallup-Walton Family Foundation survey released Wednesday shows that nearly half of rural Generation Z Americans feel they can’t find fulfilling work in their communities and are considering moving.

Rural Gen-Zers are also nearly 20 percentage points more likely to feel that way than their urban brethren.

Urban young people also have a higher confidence in their ability to land crucial internships out of school, and parents of rural youths are similarly concerned about quality-of-life issues for their grown children and in their ability to accomplish their goals.

Forty-nine percent of Gen Zers believe they can find a worthy job at home. Thirty-eight percent say they’re confident in their internship searches.

LGBT AMERICANS REACH RECORD NUMBER, MORE LIKELY TO BE DEMOCRAT: POLL

The pressures of the contemporary occupational landscape are also leading 77% of Gen Z adults to seek to move away from their hometowns, if they are able.

But that feeling is met with countervailing sentiment against leaving home.

More than half of urban Gen Zers say they are comfortable relocating out of state or even outside the U.S., while about half in rural areas prefer to entertain moving to another place within their state, at most.

About two-fifths would consider moving out of state and only a few percent would think to leave the U.S. for a job.

“The desire to stay closer to home contrasts with those in urban areas who are more likely to say they would like to leave their state (54%), or even the country (15%),” the poll found.

“Career and education opportunities strongly influence young people’s decisions to relocate, but rural Gen Zers often face limited access compared to their urban peers,” said Stephanie Marken, senior partner for U.S. research at Gallup. 

“Expanding access to job training, career opportunities and higher education in rural areas could help more young people stay connected to their communities while pursuing their goals.”

TRUMP’S SURPRISING NEW POLL NUMBERS

Only one-fifth of adult Gen Z Americans who have moved away from their home areas mentioned the ability to live financially comfortably.

Many, however, still love their hometowns despite a changing job landscape in recent years and decades.

The panel was conducted in November, the week of the presidential election.

Pollsters sampled 3,963 people ranging in age from 12 to 27 in all 50 states plus Washington, D.C.

They were randomly selected using an address-based methodology, but the polling firm also said it uses random-digit telephone dialing to cover both landlines and cellphones.

The margin of error was +/- 2.3 percentage points overall. A total of 382 respondents were in rural areas with a 7.3 percentage point margin, and 2,969 were from urban areas with a 2.7 percentage point margin of error.

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Between rainstorms, fifth-generation wheat farmer Sen. Jon Tester ends his day of cultivating on his 1,800-acre farm land in Big Sandy, Mont. (Melina Mara/Washington Post via Getty)

Despite facing fewer job and education opportunities, rural Gen Zers remain deeply connected to their communities, with their desire to move only slightly numerically higher than their urban peers (82% vs. 78%).

The co-leader of the poll, the Walton Family Foundation, was launched by late Walmart founder Samuel Walton and his wife, Helen.

The foundation seeks to improve the U.S. education system, communities and waterways, particularly in northwest Arkansas, where the family and mega-store chain are both based.

The U.S. Supreme Court is poised to hear oral arguments Wednesday in a case involving an Ohio woman who claims she was unfairly discriminated against for being straight, while she watched her less-qualified LGBT colleagues in Ohio’s youth corrections system climb the career ladder.

Marlean Ames, the woman at the center of the case, argued she was discriminated against because of her heterosexuality at the Ohio Department of Youth Services and contends that her demotion and pay cut constitutes a violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The decision of the case could have a significant impact on employment law.

Ames’ case is before the Supreme Court after lower courts dismissed her claim in light of the precedent in the 1973 McDonnell Douglas Corp. v. Green decision. In that case, the high court created a three-step process for handling discrimination cases based on indirect evidence, with the first step being the key issue in the case.

SCOTUS TURNS DOWN ABORTION CLINIC BUFFER ZONE CHALLENGE, THOMAS SLAMS ‘ABDICATION’ OF DUTY

The U.S. Supreme Court is poised to hear oral arguments Wednesday in a case involving an Ohio woman who claims she was unfairly discriminated against for being straight. (Fox News Digital)

At this first step, plaintiffs in such cases must present enough evidence to make a basic case of discrimination. This requirement applies to all plaintiffs, whether they are from minority or majority groups.

Thus, Ames is challenging the legal standard used by lower courts, which requires her to provide additional “background circumstances” to “support the suspicion that the defendant is that unusual employer who discriminates against the majority.” The majority in this case appears to be Ames, since she is straight. 

Ames’ attorney, Edward Gilbert, argued in a Feb. 7 court filing that this additional evidence burden is inappropriate and that discrimination should be assessed equally.

“Judges must actually treat plaintiffs differently, by first separating them into majority and minority groups, and then imposing a ‘background circumstances’ requirement on the former but not the latter,” the filing read. “In other words, to enforce Title VII’s broad rule of workplace equality, courts must apply the law unequally.”

Ames started working at the Ohio Department of Youth Services in 2004 as an executive secretary, which oversees the rehabilitation of juvenile offenders. Since 2009, she was promoted several times, and by 2014, she was promoted to program administrator, according to the Supreme Court filing.

In 2017, Ames began reporting to a new supervisor, Ginine Trim, who is openly gay. During her 2018 performance review, Trim rated Ames as meeting expectations in most areas and exceeding them in one.

‘THE PENDULUM IS SWINGING’: EXPERTS WEIGH IN ON HISTORIC SCOTUS TRANSGENDER CASE AMID ORAL ARGUMENTS

Ames’ case is before the Supreme Court after lower courts dismissed her claim in light of the precedent in the 1973 McDonnell Douglas Corp. v. Green decision. (Ricky Carioti /The Washington Post via Getty Images)

However, in 2019, after Ames applied for a bureau chief position and did not get it, she was removed from her program administrator role, the court filing states. The department’s assistant director and HR head, both of whom are straight, offered her the choice to return to her previous job with a pay cut. Ames chose to remain with the department and was later promoted to a different program administrator position. The department then hired a gay woman for the bureau chief role Ames had wanted, and a gay man for the program administrator position she previously held.

After assuming Ames’ role, the co-worker “expressed to Ames an ‘impatient attitude towards climbing the ranks within the Department,’ ‘claim[ed] that he could manipulate people to get what he wanted on the basis of being a gay man,’ and ‘acknowledge[d]; that he had ’been angling for Ames’s position for some time, stating in front of their coworkers that he wanted the PREA Administrator position,'” according to the filing.

In an amicus brief filed by Elizabeth Prelogar, the U.S. solicitor general under the Biden administration, the federal government supports Marlean Ames’ argument. Prelogar said the “background circumstances” requirement imposed by the lower court has no basis in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and goes against the Court’s past rulings, which allow all plaintiffs to be judged by the same standards, SCOTUS Blog reported.

On the other hand, the Ohio Department of Youth Services disagrees with the idea that Ames was held to a higher standard because she is straight. The department argued that the “background circumstances” rule is not an additional burden on plaintiffs, but rather a “method of analysis” to examine cases like Ames’ without creating a new legal precedent.

UNPACKING THE SUPREME COURT: WHY IT’S NOT JUST A MAGA STRONGHOLD, AND HOW THE JUSTICES REALLY VOTE

The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the case Wednesday morning, with a ruling expected by the end of June. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

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The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the case Wednesday morning, with a ruling expected by the end of June. 

The case’s hearing before the high court comes amid a second Trump administration that is working to dismantle Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the federal sector while pressuring private sectors to do the same. 

FIRST ON FOX: Now-FBI Director Kash Patel worked hard to get the Senate support necessary for confirmation, studying the lawmakers, sitting for countless meetings and even enlisting the assistance of Sens. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Ted Cruz, R-Texas, to prep for his hearing, Fox News Digital has learned.

Patel met with 61 senators in his bid to take on the role that President Donald Trump nominated him for, a transition official told Fox News Digital. 

They noted this is significant for a position that is not even within the president’s Cabinet. 

GOP SENATOR SUFFERS SEIZURE, BRAIN BLEED AFTER FALLING ON ICE

Kash Patel’s confirmation was the result of a significant and long-term effort to get senators’ support. (Reuters)

“He studied what was important to the FBI and everyone in these meetings,” they said, explaining how close to home the question of who directs the bureau hits for each senator. 

“You can touch and feel an FBI office in nearly every state.”

Prominent Republicans Lee and Cruz were part of “murder board” sessions to critique and question Patel before his hearing. There were roughly 10 such meetings to prepare him. 

“I was happy to assist Director Patel through the confirmation process, because President Trump picked a man of great integrity and dedication to lead the FBI. America will be more free, fair, and safe with him at the Bureau,” Lee told Fox News Digital in a statement. 

A source familiar said the sessions consisted of a series of round-robin questions on hot-button issues. He was asked about some of the FBI controversies of recent memory, particularly former FBI officials Peter Strzok and Lisa Page, who infamously exchanged anti-Trump text messages while investigating him for potential collusion with Russia.

DEMS DEMAND TRUMP RESUME CASH FLOW AS THEY FINALLY GET LEVERAGE IN RACE TO PREVENT SHUTDOWN

Kash Patel is sworn in as FBI director by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington on Feb. 21, 2025. (REUTERS/Leah Millis)

They also took turns grilling Patel over a group of individuals listed in his 2023 book who he considers deep-state actors. Democrats dubbed it an “enemies list,” which the then-nominee denied.

According to the transition official, the enthusiasm was palpable upon Patel’s nomination.

“There’s a cadre of senators that knew Kash before he was nominated,” they said, adding that they were excited.

He was confirmed last week by a narrow margin of 51-49. This caught his team by surprise as they actually expected both Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, to come down in favor of his nomination.

During his meeting with Collins, a source familiar told Fox News Digital that Patel referenced the fact that she is the only elected Republican from Maine in Congress and is up for re-election in 2026. The then-nominee also told her that he understood if she was in a position in which she couldn’t vote for him.

Collins’ office did not provide comment to Fox News Digital in time for publication. 

Patel’s meetings with both Collins and Murkowski had been good, per the transition official.

“Kash and Lisa had many conversations and talked a lot,” they explained.

While she didn’t vote for him, the Alaska Republican did call Patel in the hours leading up to the vote, giving him a heads-up that she wasn’t going to be able to support him, a source familiar shared.

Another significant vote was that of former Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who opted to support Patel after opposing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.

EXCLUSIVE: TRUMP WARNS MAJOR DEM AGAINST MOVE THAT COULD COST VOTERS TRILLIONS

McConnell shocked some when he supported Patel. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Trump’s team leading Patel through the process had strategically worked on getting McConnell’s backing behind closed doors.

Before Christmas, the then-nominee had already done 40 meetings with senators. This was on purpose; they wanted to get senators talking with each other, the source said. 

This early meeting blitz was specifically designed to lay the groundwork for Patel’s eventual discussions with McConnell, Murkowski and Collins, along with others who were potentially skeptical. 

When McConnell’s meeting came around, it appeared the strategy worked, with the seemingly open-minded Republican asking questions about Patel’s background experience in law and national security. McConnell also seemed particularly interested in Patel’s plans to increase transparency. 

Another key win for the now-FBI director was having Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., in his corner. The senator had previously hesitated on Hegseth’s confirmation, waiting until the last minute to announce his support. 

ETHICS WATCHDOG FLAGS SENATOR HELPING MAKE MILLIONS FOR WIFE’S GREEN NONPROFIT

Tillis, left, was one of Patel’s most vocal supporters. (Getty Images)

What truly sold Tillis on supporting Patel, with whom he was relatively unfamiliar, was the opinion of former South Carolina Republican congressman and current Fox News weekend host Trey Gowdy. Patel and Gowdy worked with one another when the former was a staffer for former Republican congressman Devin Nunes. The two were part of investigating the FBI’s probe into potential Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Gowdy spoke with Fox News Digital, sharing that he received calls about his experience with Patel from “maybe a dozen” senators. He said he was happy to share his opinion but urged each of them to meet with the nominee themselves rather than just take his word for it.

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Tillis quickly became one of Patel’s biggest supporters, giving him advice as he met with other lawmakers. 

The North Carolina Republican even introduced Patel for his hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, also creating a “K$H Bingo” game that included subjects Tillis expected to be brought up by Democrats during the hearing. The sheet included subjects such as “Deep State,” “Enemies List” and Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, among others.

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin appears to be following through with a promise to help federal workers find new employment after their jobs were cut by the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. 

The Republican governor has announced a new website to assist them find employment in the Virginia government on virginiahasjobs.com. 

“We care about you,” Youngkin said at the Capital One Center in McLean. “And we have a support system in order to help you find that next great opportunity.”

VIRGINIA GOV. YOUNGKIN CALLS FOR END TO TAXES ON TIPS AHEAD OF LEGISLATIVE SESSION

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin speaks on Day 1 of the Republican National Convention (RNC) at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S., July 15, 2024.  (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)

The new website is described as a “federal workers support resource package.” Youngkin says the site was designed to help federal employees transition into new roles if they “experience job dislocation.” 

“We have openings in state government, and they will find a link on our website to go find those opportunities as well,” Youngkin.

The site will connect those searching for employment to job sources and regions as well as listings on Indeed and LinkedIn.

“Take advantage of the resources that will help you find your pathway to that career of your dreams,” adding: “I actually have extraordinary empathy for the fact that there are many workers in Virginia today, from our federal workforce, who are experiencing real concerns,” Youngkin added.

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin speaks during the Faith & Freedom Coalition’s Road to Majority Policy Conference at the Washington Hilton on June 22, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

DESANTIS ANNOUNCES FLORIDA ‘DOGE TASK FORCE’

Democrats in Virginia have made a note that they believe Youngkin is backing the president and not defending Virginians.

House Speaker Don Scott, D-Portsmouth, called the website “an insult.”

“Glossy websites and slogans can’t cover up his political capitulation and a Governor who has turned his back on his constituents when they need it most,” Senate Majority Leader Scott A. Surovell, D-Fairfax, said in a statement.

Youngkin has not denied that he is in support of recent DOGE cuts, stating that he believes they are essential.

President Donald Trump and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin meet for the first time in June 2024. (Trump Campaign)

“We have a federal government that is inefficient, and we have an administration that’s taking on that challenge, rooting out waste, fraud and abuse and driving efficiency in our federal government,” and “It needs to happen,” he said.

However, Youngkin does believe the “federal workforce is not at fault here.”

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“But the reality,” he said, “is that any CEO who steps into a position where there is an organization that has had such deep financial challenges is going to have to make change.”

Virginia is home to one of the largest populations of federal employees with over 144,000, according to a December 2024 congressional report. That number rises significantly when you add in commuters working in Washington, D.C. and Maryland, rising to over 300,000.

White House officials confirmed with Fox News that while billionaire Elon Musk is overseeing the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an acting administrator has been appointed to the role.

Amy Gleason, who is a low-profile executive with an expertise in healthcare technology, has been appointed as the acting leader of DOGE, the department responsible for gutting many federal agencies while locating and cutting billions of dollars in government waste.

Gleason’s identity was revealed after a reporter pressed White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on who is actually running DOGE.

CBS News’ Nancy Cordes pointed out to Leavitt that President Donald Trump’s executive order to create DOGE called for the naming of a DOGE administrator. She then asked the president’s spokesperson who is serving as the DOGE administrator.

KAROLINE LEAVITT: TRUMP, ELON MUSK’S DOGE TEAM ARE DOING WHAT DEMOCRATS PROMISED ‘FOR DECADES’

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks during the daily briefing in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House Tuesday. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)

“So, the president tasked Elon Musk to oversee the DOGE effort,” Leavitt said. “There are career officials and there are political appointees who are helping run DOGE on a day-to-day basis.

“There are also individuals who have onboarded as political appointees at every agency across the board to work alongside President Trump’s Cabinet to find and identify waste, fraud and abuse, and they are working on that effort every day.”

Cordes quickly asked, “So, is Elon Musk the administrator?” as Leavitt twice called on another reporter.

ELON MUSK SAYS MILLIONS IN SOCIAL SECURITY DATABASE ARE BETWEEN AGES OF 100 AND 159

Elon Musk and protesters against DOGE and its work auditing various federal agencies.  (Getty Images)

After the exchange, Fox News learned of Gleason’s temporary appointment.

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Gleason, 53, worked from 2018 through 2021 for the United States Digital Service, an agency that has been renamed the US DOGE Service, according to her LinkedIn profile. In that role, she worked with the White House on the federal response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Gleason returned to the agency after Trump’s return to the Oval Office in January.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The Georgia state Senate passed a bill on Monday that they are referring to as “DOGE lite.”

Senate Bill 28, Red Tape Rollback Act of 2025, has the goal of reducing costs and increasing accountability for state agencies by having them review and update rules and regulations every four years.

During the vote, Democrats were against the measure, accusing Republicans of trying to bring DOGE to Georgia. “DOGE” refers to the Department of Government of Efficiency, headed by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and aimed at shrinking the federal government. 

WHITE HOUSE PUSHES BACK ON REPORT CLAIMING SOME CANCELED DOGE CONTRACTS WON’T SAVE TAXPAYERS MONEY

Republican Georgia senators on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024 at the state Capitol in Atlanta.  (AP Photo/Jeff Amy)

“This is a power grab. Plain and simple, this is DOGE coming to Georgia,” said state Sen. Emanuel Jones (D-Decatur) during the debate.

An aerial photograph shows the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta. (Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

The bill is also aimed at small businesses and requires state agencies to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of rules and will solicit the public’s input regarding whether rules are justified and if the government can further reduce those costs.

MEET THE FAR-LEFT GROUPS FUNDING ANTI-DOGE PROTESTS AT GOP OFFICES ACROSS THE COUNTRY

President Donald Trump and DOGE head Elon Musk sit down for a “Hannity” exclusive interview. (Fox News)

The vote was split between party lines, but the majority was Republican.

“Now that Donald Trump is president, we need to feign outrage about a commonsense bill,” claimed Sen. Greg Dolezal following the vote.  “That’s just the state of play in Georgia politics.”

Dolezal says there has been some mischaracterization of the bill.

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He went on to say before President Trump was reelected that a similar bill passed with bipartisan support last year.

Overall, Senate Democrats believe the bill will be effective in aggressive cost-cutting, much like at the federal level.

The bill will now go to the House for consideration.

The House of Representatives has adopted a resolution that will eventually become a massive multi-trillion-dollar bill full of President Donald Trump’s priorities on the border, defense, energy and taxes.

In a major victory for House GOP leaders, the resolution passed in a 217 to 215 vote.

All Democrats voted against the measure, along with lone Republican rebel Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who was concerned about its effect on the national deficit.

The next step is now for the relevant House committees to meet and build their own proposals, which will eventually be returned into the framework and negotiated into a compromise deal with the Senate.

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Speaker Mike Johnson is advancing a reconciliation bill aimed at Trump’s priorities through the House of Representatives. (Getty Images)

It was a dramatic scene in the House chamber on Monday night as Republican leaders delayed formally ending a vote for roughly 45 minutes as they worked to convince conservative fiscal hawks to support the legislation.

Impatient Democrats called out loud for the vote to be closed as Republicans huddled in varied groups.

Two people on the House floor told Fox News Digital that President Donald Trump got involved at one point, speaking to one of the holdouts, Rep. Victoria Spartz, R-Ind., by phone.

Reps. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., and Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, could be seen on the phone at other points on the House floor as well, but it’s not clear if they were speaking with Trump.

At one point, House GOP leaders appeared to lose confidence that they had enough support and abruptly canceled the planned vote. 

Moments later, however, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle were rushing back to the House floor and Fox News Digital was told the vote would be held.

Meanwhile, three House Democrats who had been absent early in the day returned for the Tuesday evening vote in dramatic fashion. 

Rep. Brittany Pettersen, D-Colo., who had a baby roughly a month ago, returned to the House floor with her infant to oppose the bill. And Rep. Kevin Mullin, R-Calif., who was recently hospitalized for an infection, appeared in the chamber aided by a walker.

House and Senate Republicans are aiming to use their majorities to advance Trump’s agenda via the budget reconciliation process. 

It’s a Senate maneuver that lowers the threshold for passage from two-thirds to a simple majority, but it’s used when a party controls both houses of Congress and the White House because it allows that party to pass its policy goals even under the slimmest margins.

And Republicans are dealing with slim margins indeed; with current numbers, the House GOP can afford no more than one defection to pass anything without Democratic votes if all liberals are voting.

On the Senate side, Republicans can lose no more than two of their own in the reconciliation process.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune is waiting in the wings with a Plan B. (Getty Images)

The House resolution aimed to increase spending on border security, the judiciary and defense by roughly $300 billion, while seeking at least $1.5 trillion to $2 trillion in spending cuts elsewhere. 

As written, the House bill also provided $4.5 trillion to extend President Donald Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act provisions, which expire at the end of this year.

An amendment negotiated by House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, and conservatives on his panel would also force lawmakers to make $2 trillion in cuts, or else risk the $4.5 trillion for Trump’s tax cuts getting reduced by the difference. 

The resolution also fulfilled Trump’s directive to act on the debt limit, raising it by $4 trillion or roughly two years. 

NONCITIZEN VOTER CRACKDOWN LED BY GOP AHEAD OF 2026 MIDTERMS

A bipartisan deal struck in 2023 saw the debt limit suspended until January 2025. Now, projections show the U.S. could run out of cash to pay its debts by spring if Congress does not act.

The resolution’s odds were touch and go for much of the week so far, since House lawmakers returned from a week-long recess period Monday.

Several fiscal conservatives had demanded more assurances from House GOP leadership that Republicans would seek deep spending cuts to offset the cost of Trump’s priorities.

Republican lawmakers in more competitive districts are concerned some cuts may go too far, however. 

The resolution directs the House Energy & Commerce Committee to find at least $880 billion in spending cuts – which those lawmakers fear will mean severe cuts for federal programs like Medicaid.

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Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., pushed back against fears of such cuts during his weekly press conference on Tuesday.

“Medicaid is hugely problematic because it has a lot of fraud, waste and abuse. Everybody knows that. We all know it intuitively. No one in here would disagree,” Johnson said. “What we’re talking about is rooting out the fraud, waste, and abuse. It doesn’t matter what party you’re in, you should be for that because it saves your money, and it preserves the programs so that it is available for the people who desperately need it.”

It was also supported by a wide swath of Republicans, including conservative Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, a member of the House Budget Committee that approved the bill earlier this month.

“It’s the best bill we’re going to get,” Gill said while praising Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, for his efforts. “If I were writing it then I’d write it differently, but this is the best we’re gonna get it.”

Rep. Randy Feenstra, R-Iowa, said he was eager to begin working on “cutting taxes for Iowans, securing our border, unleashing American energy production, and eliminating waste and fraud in our government.”