FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Tom Cotton, chair of the Republican Conference and Select Committee on Intelligence, revealed his plans to run for re-election in Arkansas in 2026, telling Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview how he plans to help build on the GOP majority for the next Congress and sharpen his focus on national security, namely the threat posed by communist China. 

"It's been a great honor and privilege to serve the people of Arkansas in the United States Senate," he said, pointing to several GOP accomplishments. 

The Arkansas Republican is going into his re-election bid with a whopping $8 million in cash on hand between his campaign and leadership accounts, his campaign said. This is more than triple the amount he had for his 2020 campaign, in which he handily defeated his opponent. 

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Cotton has amassed 135,000 donations, coming from tens of thousands of people from each of the state's 75 counties, per his campaign. 

Cotton also boasts endorsements from all statewide officials in Arkansas, including Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Lieutenant Governor Leslie Rutledge, Attorney General Tim Griffin, Secretary of State Cole Jester, Treasurer John Thurston, Auditor of State Dennis Milligan and Land Commissioner Tommy Land, all Republicans.

This support is in addition to the backing of congressional Republicans Sen. John Boozman, and Reps. Rick Crawford, Steve Womack, French Hill and Bruce Westerman—all of Arkansas' D.C. delegation.

"Senator Cotton is fortunate to have overwhelming support from Arkansans who recognize that he has fought and delivered for conservative values," said Brian Colas, Cotton's campaign adviser, in a statement.

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The senator also has the endorsements of several GOP senators he serves alongside, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota, Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso of Wyoming, and Sens. Tim Sheehy of Montana, Jim Banks of Indiana, Bernie Moreno of Ohio, and Tommy Tuberville and Katie Britt of Alabama.

"A fellow combat veteran, Tom Cotton’s entire career has been about serving the American people – whether it was on the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan or at home in Congress. As chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, he is a tireless warrior for the America First agenda, fighting to secure the border, rebuild our military, bring down costs, and restore common sense in D.C. The people of Arkansas are blessed to have Tom as their voice in the Senate, and I’m proud to give him my endorsement," Sheehy said in a statement. 

In his own statement, Tuberville noted that Cotton was born in Camden, Arkansas, a state "that holds a special place in my heart."

"Tom's a conservative fighter who puts America first. He's tough on crime, strong on national security, and understands the Constitution. I'm honored to serve with Senator Cotton and look forward to his leadership in the Republican Party for years to come," he added. 

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While a significant portion of Cotton's time in the Senate has been spent pushing back on Democratic policies, the senator added, "I'm very excited now. We have a chance for at least the next four years with President Trump and a Republican Congress to get our state and get our nation back on track."

Cotton was first elected to the Senate in 2014 and was re-elected in 2020. He is now seeking his third term in the upper chamber. 

Now, with Republicans holding a trifecta of power in Washington, D.C., he'll have several years to advance key policies that he likely would not be able to if Democrats led Congress. 

"I've been in the majority. I've been in the minority. It's much better to be in the majority," he said. 

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He doesn't expect Democrats to come to power anytime soon, either. "I'm very confident that we're not just going to keep our majority in the Senate, but we're going to grow our majority next year," he said in reference to the 2026 Senate election map. 

Cotton's latest venture is his newly-released book, "Seven Things You Can't Say About China," which just became a #1 New York Times bestseller. "Most Americans have a rightly low opinion of Communist China, but however bad you think the Chinese Communist Party is, or dangerous it is to America, it's actually much worse," he said.

"I think the success we've had in the first week since the book was published just reflects how many Americans, how many Arkansans are concerned about communist China," the senator said, adding that it will be a "centerpiece of my campaign."

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signed a letter on Tuesday that calls for the White House to release $1.88 billion in approved federal funding that he says the Trump administration is withholding.

Pritzker, an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump, said in the letter addressed to Russel Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), that the nearly $2 billion in federal funds "were passed by Congress, signed into law, and promised to Illinois."

"We have an obligation to Illinois taxpayers and residents to demand answers about the future of this funding," the letter said, "including when the Trump Administration will follow the law and make good on the federal government’s promise to deliver hard-earned taxpayer dollars back into Illinois’ economy, workforce, and communities." 

The letter stated that nine Illinois agencies, boards and commissions are unable to access $692 million obligated but not yet received from the federal government. Ten state entities were expecting another $1.19 billion in federal funds yet to be obligated, and grants or programs have been "essentially paused."

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While the letter did not specify which state agencies and other entities were supposed to have received the funds, it shared some details on what kind of programs were affected.

"These frozen funds impact programs that provide technical assistance for small businesses, provide affordable solar energy for low-income residents, improve roads and bridges, and more," according to the letter.

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The White House Office of Management and Budget directed agencies to halt federal funding on Jan. 27 in compliance with Trump's executive orders. Federal judges had issued a temporary restraining order to block the funding freeze, but only states with litigation against the Trump administration were able to access the unfrozen funds.

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

Fox News Digital’s Deirdre Heavy contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump's nominee for labor secretary cleared a key vote before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) on Thursday morning after picking up Democratic support from Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H. 

Lori Chavez-DeRemer's past support for the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act seemed to jeopardize her confirmation odds last week, when Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said he would not vote for her if she continued to support the PRO Act. Paul's reluctance meant Chavez-DeRemer would likely need some Democrats' support to pass the key confirmation hurdle. 

Hassan's support, as a Democrat on the HELP Committee, was a breakthrough for Chavez-DeRemer's chances. 

"The Department of Labor plays an integral role in supporting workers and small businesses alike, and after hearing significant support from constituents, including members of labor unions in New Hampshire, I will support Representative Chavez-DeRemer's nomination as Secretary of Labor," Hassan shared in a statement to Fox News Digital. 

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Hassan admitted that she "may not agree on everything" with Chavez-DeRemer, but she is "qualified" to serve and earned "significant support" from New Hampshire voters.

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"Though we may not agree on everything, after meeting with Representative Chavez-DeRemer and listening to her testimony during her confirmation hearing, I believe that she is qualified to serve as the next secretary of labor, and I look forward to working with her to support New Hampshire's workers and small businesses," Hassan added. 

Chavez-DeRemer supported the PRO Act as a representative for Oregon’s 5th Congressional District but told senators during her confirmation hearing that she no longer supports overturning Republican-supported right-to-work laws under the PRO Act.

The PRO Act would effectively kill state-level laws that prevent employers and unions from requiring workers to pay union dues as a condition of their employment. Republicans oppose the PRO Act for overturning right-to-work laws. 

Chavez-DeRemer went into the committee vote without Paul's voting plan publicly known. But, going in with Hassan's support, Chavez-DeRemer was much less likely to be reliant on Paul to be reported favorably out of the committee. 

"If she wanted to make a public statement saying that her support for the PRO Act was incorrect and she no longer does, then I'd think about her nomination," Paul told Fox News Digital in a statement ahead of Chavez-DeRemer’s hearing. 

"So you no longer support the aspect of the PRO Act that would have overturned state right-to-work laws?" Paul asked during the hearing. 

"Yes, sir," she replied. 

Paul's office did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment on how he would vote in committee, however.

Chavez-DeRemer testified before the HELP Committee on Feb. 19. 

Once reported out of committee, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., can file a motion to end Senate floor debate on the nominee, triggering a later cloture vote. Once the debate is closed, senators will cast their final confirmation vote. 

During her hearing, Chavez-DeRemer advocated for trade school investments to expand "educational pathways beyond the traditional four-year degree" to strengthen the American workforce. She said she is committed to leveling the playing field for American businesses, workers and unions. 

Chavez-DeRemer also thanked Trump and credited him with the "single greatest political achievement of our time" in building a "new coalition of working-class Americans."

"President Trump has united a new coalition of working-class Americans like never before. With 59.6% of Teamsters backing him, historic support from African-American and Latino voters, and record-breaking turnout in once-solid blue cities and states, Americans are speaking loud and clear. They are calling for action, progress and leadership that puts the American worker first," Chavez-DeRemer said.

Trump nominated Chavez-DeRemer for secretary of labor less than three weeks after he was elected president.

"Lori has worked tirelessly with both Business and Labor to build America’s workforce, and support the hardworking men and women of America," Trump wrote.

"I look forward to working with her to create tremendous opportunity for American Workers, to expand training and apprenticeships, to grow wages and improve working conditions, to bring back our manufacturing jobs. Together, we will achieve historic cooperation between Business and Labor that will restore the American Dream for Working Families," he added.

U.S. service members who are transgender or otherwise exhibit gender dysphoria are prohibited from military service unless they obtain an exemption, according to an internal Pentagon memo.

The memo, revealed in a court filing on Wednesday night, details the Trump administration's new policy regarding transgender individuals. The policy notes that such service members "may be considered for a waiver on a case-by-case basis, provided there is a compelling Government interest."

"Service members who have a current diagnosis or history of, or exhibit symptoms consistent with, gender dysphoria are disqualified from military service," the memo reads.

"Service members who have a history of cross-sex hormone therapy or a history of sex reassignment or genital reconstruction surgery as treatment for gender dysphoria or in pursuit of a sex transition, are disqualified from military service," the memo continues.

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The memo goes on to stipulate a number of requirements a solider must meet in order to obtain an exemption.

The soldier must demonstrate 36 consecutive months of "stability in the service member's sex." The soldier must demonstrate that they have never attempted to transition to any sex other than their sex. Finally, the soldier must be willing to adhere to any standards associated with their sex.

The Pentagon's transgender ban is currently facing legal challenges. Trump's Justice Department filed a complaint against the presiding judge, Ana Reyes, accusing her of potential bias and misconduct.

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The letter, addressed to Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit Sri Srinivasan and signed by Attorney General Pam Bondi’s chief of staff, Chad Mizelle, concerns what the DOJ characterized as Reyes’ "misconduct" during the proceedings in Nicolas Talbott v. Donald J. Trump. The case was brought by two LGBTQ groups challenging the Trump administration’s executive orders barring transgender individuals from serving in the U.S. military.

According to the complaint, the transcript "reveals multiple instances where Judge Reyes’ misconduct compromised the dignity of the proceedings and demonstrated potential bias, raising serious concerns about her ability to preside impartially in this matter." In addition to appearing to take the plaintiffs' side on the issue of transgender service members, Reyes also went on a bizarre rant against graduates of University of Virginia School of Law.

The letter closes by requesting that "appropriate action be taken to address these violations," saying that, at a "minimum, this matter warrants further investigation to determine whether these incidents represent a pattern of misconduct that requires more significant remedial measures."

Fox News' Jennifer Griffin and Jake Gibson contributed to this report.

Democrats in Congress are facing backlash for their opposition to bipartisan legislation aimed at closing loopholes in U.S. drug laws taken advantage of by fentanyl traffickers.

The HALT Fentanyl Act, which would make the temporary Schedule I classification for fentanyl analogs permanent, has been opposed by a George Soros-backed drug policy nonprofit that claims the bill will exacerbate mass incarceration and limit research on these types of opioids. Democrats, such as Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, have pushed the same arguments, while also seeking to impede the bill's passage with various amendments and procedural maneuvers. 

During comments Tuesday from the Senate floor, as he called to extend the temporary scheduling of fentanyl analogs, Booker claimed that the HALT act will implement "harsher penalties for drugs" and that he would "not stop working until this body does more than just scheduling." Other Democratic senators, such as Rhode Island's Sheldon Whitehouse and Massachusetts' Ed Markey, have said the HALT Act will impede research on fentanyl analogs and exacerbate mass incarceration among minority communities.

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Booker cited testimony Tuesday from parents who lost their children to fentanyl overdoses during his remarks, but the same grieving parents he pointed to are calling on Congress to quit stalling the move to permanently schedule fentanyl analogs as Schedule I substances. 

"Continuing resolutions to accommodate the scheduling aspect of fentanyl analogs is simply a method of kicking the can further down the road," Jaime Puerta, who lost his son, Daniel, in 2020 to a fentanyl overdose, wrote in a letter to Booker Wednesday and obtained by Fox News Digital. "Fentanyl and its analogs have been the leading cause of overdose deaths in the United States, with synthetic opioids accounting for over 74,000 fatalities in 2023 alone. Your reluctance to support the HALT Fentanyl Act disregards the escalating death toll and the devastating impact on families and communities nationwide."

Another parent who lost their child to fentanyl in 2014, Lauri Badura, wrote in a separate letter to the top members of the Senate Judiciary Committee that if they can't pass the HALT Act "how can the public hold out hope Congress will fix the larger problem of illicit fentanyl crossing our borders every single day?"

"I am not alone in urging passage of the HALT Fentanyl Act," Badura wrote. "Families across America – in your states! – who have lost a child or loved one to fentanyl poisoning want this bill passed. Our kids did not want to die."

The arguments put forth by Democrats against this bipartisan bill mirror those of the Soros-backed Drug Policy Alliance, a New-York-based 501(c)3, which declined to provide comment for this story. 

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Earlier this month, after the House passed the HALT Act with a vote of 312-108, the nonprofit responded with a statement warning the bill would "create new mandatory minimum sentences for fentanyl-related substances" and block "potential research that could uncover new overdose medications."

Stanford University's Keith Humphreys, a former senior policy adviser in the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, argued that claims the HALT Act's scheduling permanency will increase incarceration rates among minority communities – similar to the impact of crack cocaine laws during the War on Drugs – are likely unfounded. 

"I don't think [the HALT Act] is going to make a big difference," Humphreys said. "It's illegal now, you can't go around doing fentanyl analogs … also the market size is just not comparable to the number of players that we had with crack." 

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Humphreys added that while it can be "hard" to get the approval to study Schedule I substances, it is "not impossible." But there are ways to schedule fentanyl analogs as Class I substances to remove these barriers, he noted. "You want to start scheduling drugs for use and for science and let them have two indicators." 

According to its sponsors, the HALT Act would serve to reduce bureaucratic hurdles by streamlining the registration process for Schedule I researchers, opening up the door for more scientists to study fentanyl analogs.  

"Law Enforcement needs permanence. It needs a definitive change to combat the opioid crisis and to go after the criminals flooding communities with deadly drugs," said Sen. Bill Cassidy, R–La., a former physician who introduced the HALT Act alongside Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Martin Heinrich, D-N.M. "Congress' inaction only emboldens China, drug cartels and other criminals who exploit our communities."

But some Democrats, like Booker, want more done. 

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"This can't be all Congress does. The whole bill cannot be our only response, because the whole bill permanently schedules what we have already scheduled temporarily," Booker said Tuesday. "I've watched now, for at least three congresses that I've worked on trying to get a larger approach to meet the fentanyl crisis," he continued. "And three congresses, this body has failed to rise to the challenge. I'm dying to be here when my colleague tells me, 'I told you so" – and I give him permission to do that – that this body will do something beyond just scheduling."

Fox News Digital reached out to Booker and other Democrats for purposes of this story, including Whitehouse and Markey, but did not receive any responses by publication time. 

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., chair of the House Oversight DOGE subcommittee, threatened potential "criminal referrals" during a hearing Wednesday on the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).  

"This committee, based on this hearing and witness testimonies, will consider recommending investigations and criminal referrals," Greene said, beginning a line of questioning after several witnesses made opening remarks to the committee. The congresswoman reiterated that Hunter Biden was on the board of the Ukrainian energy company Burisma when his father, Joe Biden, was vice president. 

"The prosecutor general of Ukraine at the time, Viktor Shokin, was investigating Burisma for corruption. Biden threatened, and it's on video, to withhold 1 billion of USAID grant to Ukraine if Shokin wasn't fired," Greene said, before questioning one of the witnesses, former USAID official and Heritage Foundation senior research fellow, Max Primorac.

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"Is USAID supposed to be used as leverage by a president to protect his son?" she asked. 

Primorac responded, "No, we call that corruption." 

"In your estimation, roughly what percentage of USAID funding is doled out to bad actors or to efforts that don't have the best interests of Americans in mind?" Greene added. 

Primorac said it was discovered through the work of the House Foreign Affairs Committee that USAID has been paying out over 50% to overhead charges and the inspector general of USAID "criticized the agency for not knowing the overhead charges being handed out to all of these actors for $142 billion of disbursements." 

"That is extremely troubling," he added. 

Another witness, Middle East Forum Executive Director Gregg Roman, said in his opening statement that he was there to testify "because there’s a fox loose in the henhouse of our foreign aid system – a system intended to uplift lives abroad that instead has funneled millions of taxpayer dollars to radical and terrorist-linked organizations." 

"If we don’t fix these fences now, we risk fueling violence against our allies, our troops, and potentially ourselves," he said, later adding: "I urge this committee to make a formal criminal referral to the Department of Justice regarding USAID's systemic failure to prevent taxpayer dollars from reaching terrorist organizations. USAID’s reckless bureaucrats should be dragged not just in front of this committee, but before a criminal court judge who can get to the bottom of this travesty and lock up any government official who risked the lives of innocent people around the world to advance these radical anti-American pet projects." 

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Greene did not specify who would potentially be the recipients of the criminal referrals. 

The chairwoman said that the "Democrat-run USAID should not get to use our federal government – our U.S. taxpayer dollars – as their party piggy bank to push their radical agenda in countries that we have no business giving money to."

Greene said 95% of all political contributions from USAID employees go to Democratic Party candidates or PACs. 

"The revolving door between USAID employees and NGOs that receive USAID funding is undeniable. Maybe we should consider investigating whether USAID funding has made it back to Democrat campaigns?" she later asked. 

In her closing remarks, Greene again posed bringing criminal referrals in connection to USAID funding. 

"What we have heard today is that USAID has been used as a tool by Democrats to brainwash the world with globalist propaganda to force regime changes around the world," she said. "But if USAID funded terrorism that resulted in the death of Americans," Greene added, "then this committee will be making criminal referrals."

Committee Democrats spent the hearing arguing that the Trump administration's dismantling of USAID was illegal, and is "reordering the global stage" to favor foreign adversaries and "undermining global democracy." 

EXCLUSIVE - A leading conservative organization that is already a big spender in Republican primary politics is looking to up its game in the 2026 election cycle as it aligns with President Donald Trump and his political team.

"Our goal is going to be even bigger and do more," Club for Growth President David McIntosh emphasized in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital.

The Club for Growth is a political advocacy organization which pushes a fiscally conservative agenda, including a focus on tax cuts and other economic issues. 

Its political arm, the Club for Growth Action super PAC, has been a major player in GOP primary showdowns.

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Club for Growth Action says it and its affiliated super PACs raised $163 million in the 2024 election cycle, and touts that it won 73% of the races where it made political investments. The group says it aims to up the ante in the 2026 cycle, and it works to strengthen the Republican majorities in the House and Senate.

McIntosh said that when it comes to increasing its investments this year and next year, "a lot of that depends on the members. We’re dependent on our donors to help us fund these races."

However, he added, "we’ve got some very good, generous people who support us in that."

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"One of the key factors," McIntosh emphasized, "is going to be President Trump and his endorsement. That literally trumps everything else. So what we would do is recommend to him and his political team what candidates that we think would support his agenda, the free market, limited government conservatives that we could support together."

McIntosh and the Club have had an up-and-down relationship with Trump. They opposed Trump as he ran for the White House in 2016 before embracing him as an ally. In the 2022 cycle, Trump and the Club teamed up in some high-profile GOP primaries but clashed over combustible Senate nomination battles in Alabama, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Additionally, the Club was on the outs with Trump as the 2024 Republican presidential nomination race got underway. Trump repeatedly criticized McIntosh and the Club, referring to them as "The Club for NO Growth," and claimed they were "an assemblage of political misfits, globalists, and losers."

However, Trump and McIntosh made peace about a year ago, with Trump saying in March 2024, as he was wrapping up the GOP presidential nomination, that they were "back in love" after the protracted falling out.

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"I think you’ll see Club for Growth PACs work closely with President Trump, his political team," McIntosh told Fox News. "We’re definitely going to be working closely with his policy team to get the tax bill through, a lot of the legislation that we both agree is really important for turning things around in the country."

Club officials say that they are planning an eight-figure federal advocacy campaign to support what they call the pro-growth, free-market initiatives proposed by the Trump administration. A top item their campaign will spotlight is the push to expand and permanently codify the Trump tax cuts passed during his first term in the White House.

The group is also advocating for federal school freedom legislation, which would allow parents "to use federal tax dollars to send their students to the public, private, charter, or homeschool that best fits their learning needs."

Club for Growth Action last year teamed up with allied groups to target and defeat 10 GOP incumbent state lawmakers in Texas who had opposed the so-called school choice legislation. The group also spent big bucks in Tennessee on a similar mission, and this year is continuing its crusade in five other states where school choice bills are being considered.

The Club on Thursday kicks off its annual donor retreat for top-dollar contributors, which is held each year at an exclusive beachfront resort in the upper crust seaside community of Palm Beach, Florida.

Some of the best-known names on the right will be speaking at the confab, as they mingle with big-pocketed donors.

Among the politicians attending are Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas, Mike Lee of Utah, Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Rand Paul of Kentucky, Tim Scott of South Carolina (who is the chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the Senate GOP's campaign arm), Rick Scott of Florida and freshman lawmaker Bernie Moreno of Ohio.

Among the House members attending are House Speaker Mike Johnson and Reps. Byron Donalds, who is moving towards a 2026 run for governor in Florida, and Nancy Mace of South Carolina, who is also mulling a gubernatorial bid.

Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida is also attending, as is Vivek Ramaswamy, who earlier this week launched a 2026 campaign for Ohio governor.

The sheer scale of cuts the Trump administration is looking to carry out at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has been revealed, with nearly 15,000 grants worth $60 billion set to be eliminated, according to internal documents.

The grants amount to about 90% of foreign aid contracts and come after a review on spending by the State Department. 

USAID aid became an early target of the Trump administration, with the president being a longtime critic of overseas spending, arguing that it does not benefit the American taxpayer and going so far as to call those who run the top agency "radical lunatics."

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Republicans argue it is wasteful, promotes liberal agendas and should be enfolded into the State Department, while Democrats say it saves lives abroad and helps U.S. interests by stabilizing other countries and economies.

In all, the Trump administration said it will eliminate 5,800 of 6,200 multi-year USAID contract awards, for a cut of $54 billion. Another 4,100 of 9,100 State Department grants were being eliminated, for a cut of $4.4 billion, according to a State Department memo reviewed by the Associated Press.

The State Department memo described the administration as spurred by a federal court order that gave officials until the end of the day Wednesday to lift the Trump administration’s monthlong block on foreign aid funding.

"In response, State and USAID moved rapidly," targeting USAID and State Department foreign aid programs in vast numbers for contract terminations, the memo said.

The memo said officials were "clearing significant waste stemming from decades of institutional drift." More changes are planned in how USAID and the State Department deliver foreign assistance, it said, "to use taxpayer dollars wisely to advance American interests."

U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Roberts on Wednesday paused a federal judge’s order that required the Trump administration to pay around $2 billion in foreign aid funds to contractors by midnight. 

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The ruling comes after the Trump administration asked the Supreme Court for an emergency order to block the release of U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) funding, which the federal judge had required by midnight. Officials had said they would not be able to comply with the judge’s order.

USAID was set up in the early 1960s to act on behalf of the U.S. to deliver aid across the globe, particularly in impoverished and underdeveloped regions. The agency now operates out of 60 nations and employs some 10,000 people, two-thirds of whom work overseas – though most of the on-the-ground work is contracted out to third-party organizations funded by USAID, according to a BBC report.

But the agency has come in for considerable criticism as Trump and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) look to root out waste, fraud and abuse in the federal government. 

Musk likened the agency to "not an apple with a worm in it," but "just a ball of worms." 

"You’ve got to basically get rid of the whole thing. It’s beyond repair., Musk wrote on X earlier this month.

Trump has moved to gut the agency after imposing a 90-day pause on foreign aid. The Trump administration plans to gut the agency and intends to leave fewer than 300 staffers on the job out of the current 8,000 direct hires and contractors. He has also appointed Secretary of State Marco Rubio as the acting director of USAID.

The news comes as thousands of staffers were notified weeks ago about pending dismissals. Some were seen leaving Washington, D.C., offices for the last time on Friday carrying boxes scrawled with messages that seemed to be directed at President Donald Trump.

Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, the Senate DOGE Caucus Chairwoman, recently published a list of questionable projects and programs she says USAID has helped fund over the years, including $20 million to produce a Sesame Street show in Iraq. 

Several more examples of questionable spending have been uncovered at USAID, including more than $900,000 to a "Gaza-based terror charity" called Bayader Association for Environment and Development and a $1.5 million program slated to "advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in Serbia's workplaces and business communities."

Fox News’ Bill Mears, Andrew Mark Miller, Aubrie Spady, Deirdre Heavey, Caitlin McFall, Morgan Phillips and Emma Colton as well as Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Cheshire MP Mike Amesbury, convicted of a street assault, was originally sent straight to jail.

More than 108,000 people claimed asylum in the UK in 2024, according to new statistics.

The prime minister announced the UK will reallocate aid funds to boost military spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027.

David Lammy says the UK "a shared military and intelligence interest" with the US in the territory.

The latest figure of 987,000 16-24-year-olds not in work, education or training has risen by 110,000 in a year.

Sir Sadiq Khan launches a growth plan to increase productivity and create jobs in London.

President Donald Trump’s plan to offer a "gold card" visa to those willing to shell out $5 million could raise new fraud and national security risks, according to one expert.

"Any immigration benefit draws fraud … people are willing to do anything and say just about anything to come to the U.S.," Lora Ries, director of the Heritage Foundation's Border Security and Immigration Center, told Fox News Digital.

The comments come after Trump announced Tuesday a plan that would give those willing to pay $5 million for a "gold card" lawful permanent U.S. residency status and a pathway to citizenship, which the president argued would lead to several economic benefits.

"They’ll be wealthy, and they’ll be successful," Trump told reporters from the Oval Office on Tuesday. "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 TO INTRODUCE 'GOLD CARD' VISA FOR WEALTHY INVESTORS WITH $5 MILLION PRICE TAG: 'ROUTE TO CITIZENSHIP'

Trump doubled down on those comments Wednesday while also telling reporters that the program would be a way to pay down some of the national debt.

"Companies can go and buy a gold card, and they can use it as a matter of recruitment," Trump said. "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."

But while Ries acknowledged that she understands the goals behind the program, she expressed skepticism that applicants could be vetted well enough to prevent the kind of fraud currently seen in the similar EB-5 visa program, which Trump’s gold card would replace.

"Fraud is rarely detected, let alone enforced … so it’s low risk, high reward to commit immigration benefit fraud," Ries said, adding that even Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick admitted to the widespread fraud plaguing the EB-5 program.

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"So the question is: How is this going to be different," Ries said. "It raised the price from a million to 5 million, but how are we going to prevent the fraud? Are you just inviting wealthier fraudsters and corrupt people to exploit this?"

Ries also raised concerns about the potential national security implications of the program, arguing that many of the applications are likely to originate from countries that are not exactly friendly to the United States.

"Who can afford this? What countries have many people who can afford this," Ries said. "Russia, China … you’re going to get Gulf countries, but China is not exactly our ally – some Russians, the same boat."

Ries said the key will be the system used to vet potential applicants, details of which have yet to be revealed by the Trump administration.

"It’s going to need thorough vetting for national security concerns, espionage and corruption," Ries said. "That’s going to be very, very important."

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

FIRST ON FOX: In a Jan. 29 executive order, President Donald Trump directed additional measures to fight antisemitism, noting that Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, terror attacks in Israel spawned "an unprecedented wave of vile anti-Semitic discrimination, vandalism, and violence against our citizens, especially in our schools and on our campuses."

Leo Terrell, senior counsel to the assistant attorney general for civil rights who is heading up a new Justice Department Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, told Fox News Digital that the president has directed his task force "to use every tool in our toolbox as Department of Justice to stop this antisemitic behavior."

He added that Attorney General Pam Bondi "has been following President Trump’s directive. … She has given me the green light to do everything possible and use the power of the federal government to stop this."

Terrell said that since Oct. 7, the country "has turned its back on Jewish Americans at schools in day-to-day life," with Jewish Americans not being "protected like other citizens," including at colleges and in K-12 schools.

Antisemitic prejudice appears to be thriving within New York City Public Schools. A pressure group called the New York Public Schools Alliance, a network of concerned teachers, students and administrators led by co-founder Karen Feldman, undertook an investigation into alleged anti-Jewish, anti-Israel and anti-American prejudice within the city's public schools in October 2024.

The group said its findings demonstrate a failure to protect teachers and students against discrimination, the presence of implicitly and explicitly biased materials in education and curriculum development, and an atmosphere of political activism in schools that has "deepened divisions."

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Multiple sources who spoke to Fox News Digital noted with particular concern the atmosphere of antisemitism at the Susan E. Wagner High School in Staten Island, which was the subject of a Fox News Digital report last spring.

New York City Council member David Carr told Fox News Digital that many parents of Susan E. Wagner students contacted him with concerns about what they perceived as hatred on display at the school’s International Festival in January. Carr said the event is typically a "wonderful celebration" by the school’s "incredibly diverse student body," but this year there were people in the audience who shouted "Free Palestine" as the Israeli Student Club finished each of its three performances.

Carr said there were additional antisemitic remarks made about the students before they took the stage during their final performance. Carr said the spectators "were escorted out of the venue and ... have been banned from returning for future events."

A student from Susan E. Wagner High School who spoke on condition of anonymity told Fox News Digital that the students who were removed from the building called out "stinky Jews" as dancers with the Israeli Club made their way to the stage. The student was not aware of the repercussions for the audience members but said that school personnel apologized to offending audience members while escorting them from the facility.

Carr said he has "spoken to the school leadership, and we’re going to be talking again" with the goal of creating "an atmosphere where everybody feels comfortable." He added that "it clearly needs to be an ongoing conversation."

"It’s unacceptable that students be subjected to hate speech," Carr said. "Antisemitism is the most pernicious form of hate, I think, in human history," he explained. "It needs to be stood up to whenever it rears its ugly head."

The Susan E. Wagner student who shared their concerns with Fox News Digital said students have not only endured hate speech in their school, but multiple staff members have worn pro-Palestine paraphernalia. Though some teachers "never said anything" discriminatory, the student said that "you still know what they think." 

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Wagner administrators have also allegedly participated in programming that promotes a one-sided interpretation of the Israel-Gaza conflict. In April 2024, the Wagner Arab Student Association posted on Instagram that it hosted a "survivor of the ongoing genocide in Gaza" to speak to students, with teachers and Principal David Cugini present.

The student said that in an environment of anti-Israel sentiment, "[N]obody wants to say anything, because they’re so sure that nothing will get done. That’s what the school has done. It has pretty much shown these kids that no matter what you do … Jewish kids are just going to be at the bottom of the food chain."

Part of this silencing also appears to involve mislabeling reported incidents of antisemitic hate.

The New York City Public School Alliance showed Fox News Digital five New York City school occurrence reports that described acts of alleged anti-Israel or antisemitic hate reported by staff and students at a variety of public schools. Each was recorded as not being bias-related. 

Fox News Digital asked interim Superintendent Roderick Palton and Cugini about a number of the aforementioned incidents, the methods of recording antisemitic incidents and whether Jewish students have a safe learning environment at the Susan E. Wagner High School. They did not respond.

A New York City Department of Education spokesperson told Fox News Digital that New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) were taking part in training and workshops to "foster respectful and empathetic classroom conversation on difficult topics." The spokesperson mentioned that "our Hidden Voices curricular resources highlight the diverse communities and experiences of New Yorkers, including the AAPI community, LGBTQ community, Americans with Disabilities, and the Global African Diaspora. To meet this moment across our city, we are currently expanding Hidden Voices to include both the Jewish American and Muslim American communities."

The NYCPS Alliance report cites the Hidden Voices curriculum as containing lessons that "emphasize resistance to colonialism, oppression, and marginalization." The report says "the tendency to present incomplete or one-sided narratives may contribute to biased worldviews, potentially fostering a hostile learning environment for Jewish students. These materials raise concerns about whether the school is meeting its obligations to provide a harassment-free and inclusive environment for all students."

According to the schools' spokesperson, "[R]eligious bias incidents in our schools [are] down by 46% so far this year." The spokesperson explained that "we are working closely with this school to ensure that reports of anti-Semitism or other bias are swiftly investigated and consequences are imposed for any violations of our policies so that every student feels safe and respected in their school."

Feldman questioned the findings. "I find it interesting how they could assess [a] 46% decrease when they're not even logging the incidents of Jewish hate properly. They're not even logging it as biased incidents," she told Fox News Digital.

Feldman also expressed alarm at the environment at Susan E. Wagner, where administrators are "witness to the indoctrination and the twist of history" and the "fear, intimidation, [and] silencing tactics" that allow incidents to "go unreported or unresolved." 

"These kids are being guided poorly by their school. They’re not being supported. They feel alienated. They feel threatened," she said. While "it’s showing up as antisemitism now," Feldman warned that anti-Jewish prejudice is "an alarm system. It’s a warning sign that something is rotten in society."

Terrell noted several coming changes that will protect Jewish students and teachers who feel they are not being heard by their own schools. These include a "complaint number that is going to come directly to the task force" for victims of antisemitic prejudice.

"Help is on its way," Terrell said.

Fox News Digital reached out to New York City Mayor Eric Adams about the atmosphere of antisemitism in the city's public schools but received no reply.

The Department of Justice has dismissed Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) lawsuits brought against various police and fire departments across the country under the Biden administration, which deemed aptitude tests in certain cases as discriminatory.

The lawsuits, which the DOJ said did not show evidence of intentional discrimination, were filed in efforts to require race-based hiring after statistical disparities between applicants of different races and genders.

"American communities deserve firefighters and police officers to be chosen for their skill and dedication to public safety – not to meet DEI quotas," Attorney General Pam Bondi said.

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Typically acknowledged in the proposed consent decrees, the departments used neutral selection tools, such as credit checks, exams and physical exercises, to choose candidates for the open positions, and White men tended to score or perform better.

For example, a case filed in October against the City of Durham (North Carolina), alleged "unintentional" discrimination against Black applicants because they did not pass the written test with a score of 70% or better as often as White candidates did, which resulted in fewer Black employees.

The complaint proposed getting rid of the neutral written test and "back pay and/or preferential hiring to Black candidates who were not hired because of the written exam" as solutions. The cost would have been around $980,000 in monetary relief, according to the case.

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In a different case filed against Maryland State Police in October 2024, it was suggested that the agency not use its current selection tools, which consisted of a written test with a score of 70% or better and a physical test that involved push-ups, sit-ups, a flexibility reach, a trigger pull and a 1.5-mile run.

"Because Black applicants passed the test less often than White applicants and because women passed the physical test less often than men, the Civil Rights Division concluded that Maryland was illegally discriminating against Black applicants and women," the case said.

The suggested changes involved ditching the prior selection tools and providing a total of $2.75 million in monetary relief to Black candidates who were not hired because of written test results and women who were not hired because of physical test results.

The DOJ said similar cases were also brought against the cities of South Bend, Indiana, and Cobb County in Georgia.

Cases dismissed on Wednesday marked "an early step toward eradicating illegal DEI preferences across the government and in the private sector," the DOJ said.

Rep. Joe Wilson, R- S.C., announced that he plans to put forward a proposal for the development of a $250 bill that features President Donald Trump.

"Grateful to announce that I am drafting legislation to direct the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to design a $250 bill featuring Donald J. Trump," the congressman declared in a post on X.

"Bidenflation has destroyed the economy forcing American families to carry more cash. Most valuable bill for most valuable President!" he added.

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Current U.S. law indicates that only the portrait of a dead person may appear on U.S. currency and securities.

Wilson, who has served in the House of Representatives for more than two decades, is not the only GOP lawmaker who wants to honor the current president.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., put forward a measure last month that calls for Trump's likeness to be added to Mount Rushmore.

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"The Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the National Park Service, shall arrange for the carving of the figure of President Donald J. Trump on Mount Rushmore National Memorial," the text of her proposal reads.

The four presidents featured on Mount Rushmore include George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln.

"President Trump’s bold leadership and steadfast dedication to America’s greatness have cemented his place in history. Mount Rushmore, a timeless symbol of our nation’s freedom and strength, deserves to reflect his towering legacy—a legacy further solidified by the powerful start to his second term," Luna said, according to a press release. 

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"He will be forever remembered among the great like Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt," she declared.

All 58 recommendations of the Grenfell Tower public inquiry will be enacted, government says.

President Donald Trump's nominee for labor secretary is expected to pass a key vote before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) on Thursday after picking up Democrat support from Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H. 

Lori Chavez-DeRemer's past support for the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act jeopardized her confirmation last week, when Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said he would not vote for her if she continued to support the PRO Act. Paul's reluctance meant Chavez-DeRemer would likely need a Democrat's vote to pass a key confirmation hurdle. 

Hassan's support, as a Democrat on the HELP Committee, all but confirms Chavez-DeRemer will pass through her committee vote.

"The Department of Labor plays an integral role in supporting workers and small businesses alike, and after hearing significant support from constituents, including members of labor unions in New Hampshire, I will support Representative Chavez-DeRemer's nomination as Secretary of Labor," Hassan shared in a statement to Fox News Digital. 

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Hassan admitted that she "may not agree on everything" with Chavez-DeRemer, but she is "qualified" to serve and earned "significant support" from New Hampshire voters.

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"Though we may not agree on everything, after meeting with Representative Chavez-DeRemer and listening to her testimony during her confirmation hearing, I believe that she is qualified to serve as the next secretary of labor, and I look forward to working with her to support New Hampshire's workers and small businesses," Hassan added. 

Chavez-DeRemer supported the PRO Act as a representative for Oregon’s 5th Congressional District but told senators during her confirmation hearing that she no longer supports overturning Republican-supported right-to-work laws under the PRO Act.

The PRO Act would effectively kill state-level laws that prevent employers and unions from requiring workers to pay union dues as a condition of their employment. Republicans oppose the PRO Act for overturning right-to-work laws. 

Chavez-DeRemer could still earn back Paul's vote after she distanced herself from the PRO Act during her Senate hearing. With Hassan's support, Chavez-DeRemer is no longer reliant on Paul for confirmation. 

"If she wanted to make a public statement saying that her support for the PRO Act was incorrect and she no longer does, then I'd think about her nomination," Paul told Fox News Digital in a statement ahead of Chavez-DeRemer’s hearing. 

"So you no longer support the aspect of the PRO Act that would have overturned state right-to-work laws?" Paul asked during the hearing. 

"Yes, sir," she replied. 

Paul's office did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment on how he will vote in committee today.

Chavez-DeRemer testified before the HELP Committee on Feb. 19. If the committee votes to send Chavez-DeRemer's nomination before the full Senate, Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., can file a motion to end Senate floor debate on the nominee, triggering a cloture vote to halt deliberations. Once debate closes, senators cast their final confirmation vote. 

During her hearing, Chavez-DeRemer advocated for trade school investments to expand "educational pathways beyond the traditional four-year degree" to strengthen the American workforce. She said she is committed to leveling the playing field for American businesses, workers and unions. 

Chavez-DeRemer also thanked Trump and credited him with the "single greatest political achievement of our time" in building a "new coalition of working-class Americans."

"President Trump has united a new coalition of working-class Americans like never before. With 59.6% of Teamsters backing him, historic support from African-American and Latino voters, and record-breaking turnout in once-solid blue cities and states, Americans are speaking loud and clear. They are calling for action, progress and leadership that puts the American worker first," Chavez-DeRemer said.

Trump nominated Chavez-DeRemer for secretary of labor less than three weeks after he was elected president.

"Lori has worked tirelessly with both Business and Labor to build America’s workforce, and support the hardworking men and women of America," Trump wrote.

"I look forward to working with her to create tremendous opportunity for American Workers, to expand training and apprenticeships, to grow wages and improve working conditions, to bring back our manufacturing jobs. Together, we will achieve historic cooperation between Business and Labor that will restore the American Dream for Working Families," he added.