The Trump administration's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) formally withdrew a proposed rule seeking to ban menthol cigarettes, after the Biden administration said it intended to make the ban become a reality after years of advocacy from anti-smoking groups.

Efforts to ban menthol cigarettes have been ongoing for multiple administrations, but, in April 2021, the Biden administration's FDA announced plans to finalize the rule. The move was met with praise from anti-smoking advocates, such as the Truth Initiative, which argue that menthol in cigarettes makes them more addictive and disproportionately impacts minority communities.

The Biden administration subsequently delayed implementation of the rule out of concern that more time was needed to consider public comments and concerns.

DIET AND NUTRITION EXPERTS WEIGH IN ON HOW RFK JR'S NOMINATION COULD IMPACT HOW WE EAT 

But a regulatory filing from President Donald Trump's Office of Management and Budget, which oversees the federal rulemaking process, slashed any hopes that the ban might come back any time soon. According to the filing, Trump moved to rescind the proposed rule during his first day in office.

When reached for comment, the FDA cited an ongoing communications freeze imposed on all Health and Human Services Department sub-agencies.

HHS WILL REEVALUATE PROGRAMS, REGULATIONS TO ENSURE TAXPAYER FUNDS ARE NOT PAYING FOR ELECTIVE ABORTIONS

"It is deeply disappointing that the FDA’s rule to prohibit menthol cigarettes was not finalized in a timely manner and has now been withdrawn," the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids said in a statement. "We strongly support eliminating menthol cigarettes to end the tobacco industry’s decades-long, predatory marketing of these deadly products to kids, Black Americans and other communities."

The campaign said it will remain committed to building support to eliminate menthol cigarettes nationwide, noting "it is more critical than ever that states and cities step up their efforts to end the sale of menthol cigarettes and other flavored tobacco products."

Those challenging a menthol cigarette ban, meanwhile, argue the move could create a massive black market for cigarettes. People against the ban also fear the impact it could have on policing in minority communities.

THE YEAR IN CANCER: ADVANCES MADE IN 2024, PREDICTIONS FOR 2025

"Remember Eric Garner? New York City’s exorbitant taxes on cigarette packages generated an underground market in untaxed individual cigarettes, called ‘loosies.’ In 2014, police infamously encountered 43-​year-​old Eric Garner selling loosies on a street corner, and a policeman’s chokehold led to his death as he repeated ‘I can’t breathe.’ And this happened without a menthol ban," Jeffrey Singer, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute's Department of Health Studies, wrote after the Biden administration moved to finalize the ban. 

"With menthol cigarettes more prevalent among Black and Hispanic Americans, expect police to focus their attention on minority communities. This might make inequities in criminal justice even worse."

While Trump signaled he is against banning menthol cigarettes, the president did act during his first term to ban most flavored e-cigarette pods used in disposable nicotine vapes. However, while the ban prohibited future sales of sweet- and fruit-flavored nicotine cartridges, it permitted continued sales of pods that are either menthol or tobacco flavored.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment but did not receive a response by publication time.

The Trump administration is offering buyouts for nearly all federal employees, including those who work remotely, as part of President Donald Trump’s efforts to get employees back into the office, but they only have until Feb. 6 to opt-in.

During Trump’s first week in office, he issued several directives to the federal workforce, including a requirement that remote employees must return to in-person work.

"After four years of incompetence and failure, President Donald Trump is committed to making our government efficient and productive again," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement on Tuesday. "American taxpayers pay for the salaries of federal government employees and therefore deserve employees working on their behalf who actually show up to work in our wonderful federal buildings, also paid for by taxpayers.

"If they don’t want to work in the office and contribute to making America great again, then they are free to choose a different line of work, and the Trump Administration will provide a very generous payout of eight months," she added.

HOUSE OVERSIGHT REPORT SAYS TELEWORK IS ‘WASTING BILLIONS’ IN TAXPAYER CASH AHEAD OF 1ST HEARING

On Tuesday, a government-wide email was sent out to ensure all federal workers were on board with the Trump administration’s plan.

The email pointed to four pillars that Trump set forth, to bring accountability back to the federal government, including a return to in-person work, restored accountability for employees who have policy-making authority, restored accountability for senior executives, and a reformed federal hiring process based on merit.

"The government-wide email being sent today is to make sure that all federal workers are on board with the new administration’s plan to have federal employees in office and adhering to higher standards," a senior administration official said. "We’re five years past COVID and just 6 percent of federal employees work full-time in office. That is unacceptable."

'GET BACK TO WORK': HOUSE OVERSIGHT TO TAKE ON GOVERNMENT TELEWORK IN 1ST HEARING OF NEW CONGRESS

The email noted that the majority of federal employees who have worked remotely since COVID will be required to return to their physical offices five days a week.

"Going forward, we also expect our physical offices to undergo meaningful consolidation and divestitures, potentially resulting in physical office relocations for a number of federal workers," the email read.

For those who returned to office, the Trump administration thanked them for their "renewed focus" on serving the American people. But the future of their position could not be guaranteed, according to the email.

SENATE DOGE LEADER ERNST TO TAKE ON GOVERNMENT TELEWORK ABUSE AT FIRST MEETING WITH MUSK, RAMASWAMY

For those who do not want to continue in their role with the federal workforce, the Trump administration thanked them for their services, informing them they will be provided with a "dignified, fair departure from the federal government utilizing a deferred resignation program."

The program begins on Jan. 28 and will be available until Feb. 6, and should a federal employee choose to resign under the program, they will retain all pay and benefits, regardless of workload, and will be exempt from their in-person work requirements until Sep. 30, 2025.

The buyouts do not apply to military personnel of the armed forces, the U.S. Postal Services, positions related to immigration enforcement and national security, and any other positions specifically excluded by the agency the federal workers are employed by.

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"To be clear, as it was with President Trump’s executive order on Day One, implementation of return-to-work policies will be done by each individual agency in accordance with applicable law," the senior administration official said. "We expect 5 to 10 percent of federal employees to quit, and it could lead to $100 billion annually in savings for federal taxpayers."

Freshman GOP Rep. Gabe Evans spoke to Fox News Digital about the critical need for new energy policies in the United States and how he plans to push forward to overcome harmful green energy mandates like the ones in his home state of Colorado. 

"We know that we need more energy, not less, for our modern lifestyle, and all of the different emerging technologies, for example, United Power, they're actually my local electric co-op that supplies my energy, and United Power is forecasting a double to triple increase in the amount of power that they're going to need over the next 10 to 20 years, driven not only by population growth, but driven also by a lot of the new technologies that we're seeing," Evans told Fox News Digital. 

"Everybody knows about electric vehicles and the power that's required there, and so whether that's, you know, the switch to electric vehicles is driven by the free market or whether it's driven by some heavy-handed government mandates, if you plug in something into the power grid, we need more power, and we need to make sure that we have a more robust power grid to deliver that and that all ties back to baseline energy generation," he continued.

Evans explained that "there's also mandates in Colorado around things like electrifying drill rigs for a lot of the oil and gas, which is going to consume massive amounts of energy."

AMERICA'S ENERGY CRISIS IS HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT AND IT'S WORSE THAN YOU KNOW

"So we have massive new demands for electricity around AI or computing, and these are things that are of critical national security importance, because if we're not making sure that we're the dominant power in AI and a lot of this advanced computing, a lot of our international competitors are going to move into the first place position in those spaces. And so really, our entire modern way of life revolves around energy and having more energy."

Evans told Fox News Digital that the United States, particularly Colorado’s 8th Congressional District which he represents, makes "some of the cleanest and most environmentally responsible energy anywhere on the planet."

"So being able to advocate for that, all of the above approach to meet the demands that we have for our modern way of life is something that I'm super excited to work on and on," Evans said.

ENERGY EXPERTS WEIGH IN AFTER CANADIAN PREMIER SAYS SHE WANTS TO DISCUSS KEYSTONE PIPELINE 2.0 WITH TRUMP

Evans told Fox News Digital that Democrat-led energy policies in Colorado, along with other places, are actually causing a larger carbon footprint from green energy policies.

"Follow the science," Evans said. "So we've talked a lot about electricity. The question that often doesn't come up in the space of electricity is what is the carbon footprint required to produce electricity? And in Colorado right now, the carbon footprint of our electrical grid is actually about 40% higher than the carbon footprint for pure natural gas," Evans explained.

"So if there is a natural gas school bus versus an electric school bus, if there's a natural gas RTD as in our local mass transit system in the Denver metro area, if we have a natural gas RTD bus versus an electric bus, the electric buses are actually contributing 40% more carbon to the atmosphere because of the carbon footprint required to generate and transmit that electricity than just pure natural gas."

Evans told Fox News Digital it is imperative that Republicans work hand in hand with the Republican secretary nominees, who are yet to be confirmed, at the Department of Energy, Department of the Interior, and Environmental Protection Agency.

"Chris Wright is the energy nominee, he's also from Colorado, and so we have a preexisting relationship based on my time in the state legislature where I was the ranking member on our State Energy and Environment Committee," Evans said. "But we really do have to work hand-in-hand together, and I think the American people understand that, which is why the American people gave majorities in the House and the Senate and then obviously the presidency to my party, because they understand that we need to have a full court press to be able to deliver these solutions."

Evans continued, "And it's not just the House or the Senate or the presidency and the administration. We all have to be able to work together. And so being able to continue, you know, specifically in the energy space, the existing relationship that I have with some of these nominees is going to be critically important to achieving that ultimate goal of empowering energy producers, getting the good jobs that come from that industry, protecting our environment by actually producing responsible energy and then ultimately providing the good paying jobs that are so critical to solving the affordability crisis that we have right now."

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

Here's what's happening…

-FBI director nominee Kash Patel broke hostage rescue protocol: whistleblower

-Freshman GOP lawmaker rallies behind Trump's rapid illegal immigration crackdown: 'No time to waste'

-The JFK files: Here's what's happened since their original planned release

Dozens of senior officials in the U.S. agency that administers foreign aid were reportedly placed on leave Monday amid an investigation into alleged resistance to President Donald Trump's orders.

At least 56 U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) officials were placed on administrative leave with full pay and benefits, Politico first reported. Several hundred contractors based in Washington and elsewhere were also laid off, a current and a former official told the Associated Press. 

These actions come after Secretary of State Marco Rubio, acting on Trump's executive order, paused all U.S. foreign assistance funded by or through the State Department and USAID. The 90-day pause has halted thousands of U.S.-funded humanitarian, development and security programs worldwide and forced aid organizations to lay off hundreds of employees because they can't make payroll…Read more

FUNDING ON HOLD: Trump admin to pause financial assistance programs…Read more

REFOCUSING THE FORCES: Trump signs executive orders banning 'radical gender ideology,' DEI initiatives in the military…Read more

END THE 'WEAPONIZATION OF GOVERNMENT': Trump admin pauses federal grants, demands return to office details in memo blitz…Read more

BEAT THE PRESS: Trump White House press secretary mixes it up with reporters…Read more

'WE ARE UNWAVERING': Rubio's State Dept caps migration-heavy first week with Colombia deportation win…Read more

NATIONAL SECURITY RISK?: China’s influence on Panama Canal poses ‘acute' danger to US interests, Cruz warns…Read more

'SAFEGUARDING THE INNOCENT': Ogles and other Republicans push federal ban on chemical abortions…Read more

KEEP 'EM ROLLING: Sean Duffy latest Trump Cabinet to pass Senate on bipartisan vote…Read more

BATTLEGROUND SHOCKER: Gary Peters, Democratic senator from Trump state, won't seek re-election…Read more

SENATOR PETE?:  Buttigieg giving 'serious look' to 2026 run in state Trump carried…Read more

NEW DIRECTION: Ratcliffe, allies promise workforce changes at CIA….Read more

RESISTANCE IS FUTILE: USAID workers put on leave as Trump officials investigate resistance…Read more

DC CORRUPTION?: Councilmember faces expulsion hearing over federal bribery charge…Read more

SANCTUARY STORM: Kristi Noem joins immigration raid to catch ‘dirtbags’ in Democrat-run city…Read more

NEW GIG: Kamala Harris' husband Doug Emhoff lands private sector job days after leaving DC…Read more 

BOTTOMS UP: Former Atlanta mayor mulls Georgia gubernatorial run…Read more

WILDFIRES: Trump claims military entered California to release water flow, but state says that did not happen…Read more

'COMPLETELY IMPROPER': 'Non-sanctuary' coastal enclave sues CA for right to enforce its own laws…Read more

NEW GUIDANCE: HHS will reevaluate programs, regulations to ensure taxpayer money not paying for elective abortions…Read more

'JUST LIKE TRUMP':  ISIS murder victim Kayla Mueller's parents endorse Patel for FBI…Read more

'SYSTEMATIC EFFORT': Illinois 'super mayor' conducted cover-up of excessive spending, Lightfoot investigation finds…Read more

'CLEAR EYES AND NO BIAS': Dozens of former intel officials urge senators to confirm Tulsi Gabbard as DNI…Read more

'UNLAWFULLY TRANSFERRED': Trans inmate's lawsuit challenges Trump 'two-sexes' order cutting off tax money for gender therapy…Read more

'UNDO THE DAMAGE': Texas lawmaker launches strategy to help ICE amid Trump deportation blitz…Read more

BACKING THE BLUE: 'Defund the police' movement turned on its head as sheriff touts achievements in state's 'murder capital'…Read more

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

New York political leaders are split over the recent increase in ICE deportation and removal operations of illegal immigrants under the Trump administration, with Republicans praising the crackdown and Democrats stressing authorities respect local migrant "sanctuary" policies.

ICE agents and federal authorities have been spotted in New York City and throughout the surrounding area, carrying out arrests of illegal immigrants. 

Among those arrested on Tuesday was a 25-year-old Venezuelan migrant named Anderson Zambrano-Pacheco, who is a member of the violent criminal group Tren de Aragua. Zambrano-Pacheco is charged with kidnapping, assault and burglary.

New York Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat, said Tuesday afternoon that the New York City Police Department had supported federal authorities carrying out the criminal raid.

CHICAGO MAYOR RIPS ICE OPERATIONS, SAYS TRUMP 'IS ATTEMPTING TO GET US TO SURRENDER OUR HUMANITY'

"Early this morning — as it regularly does as part of a multi-agency task force — our city coordinated with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on a federal criminal investigation involving a suspect hiding in New York City," said Adams. "Beforehand, I directed the NYPD to coordinate with DHS’ Homeland Security Investigations and other federal law enforcement agencies — as allowed by law — to conduct a targeted operation to arrest an individual connected with multiple violent crimes, both here in New York and in Aurora, Colorado, including burglary, kidnapping, extortion, firearms possession, menacing with a firearm, crime of violence, and other charges."

"As I have repeatedly said," Adams went on, "we will not hesitate to partner with federal authorities to bring violent criminals to justice — just as we have done for years. Our commitment to protecting our city’s law-abiding residents, both citizens and immigrants, remains unwavering." 

New York Governor Kathy Hochul took a similar tone, saying: "My understanding is that they had specific names of people who committed crimes, serious offenders, and those are exactly the people that we want removed from the state of New York."

"I want to be clear," she said, "there has always been ICE raids in the state of New York, even in the past, and this is not a new dynamic."

WH PRESS SECRETARY CAROLYN LEAVITT ANSWERS QUESTION ON HOW MANY ILLEGAL ALIENS ARE CRIMINALS

New York Attorney General Letitia James, meanwhile, issued an apparent warning to state and local law enforcement cooperating with federal authorities, saying in a Tuesday X post that she would be monitoring the situation closely to ensure that state sanctuary policies are not violated.

"My office is aware of the increased presence of ICE across New York City," she said. "I am monitoring the situation to ensure our laws are being respected and people's rights are not being violated. We have sent guidance to law enforcement, and it must be followed."

ICE SNAGS CRIMINAL ALIEN PAROLED 17 YEARS INTO LIFE SENTENCE FOR PREGNANT WOMAN'S MURDER

For its part, a spokesperson for the New York City Police Department clarified that the NYPD does not engage or assist in any manner with civil immigration enforcement, but rather does "work daily with federal law enforcement agencies in connection with a wide range of criminal investigations."

The spokesperson told Fox News that "in particular, the Department participates in task forces with a variety of federal law enforcement agencies investigating violations of federal criminal law."

New York Republicans, on the other hand, were quick to express their relief over the ICE raids.

U.S. Rep Nicole Malliotakis, whose district includes portions of Staten Island and Brooklyn, issued a statement saying: "I thank President Donald Trump, Border Czar Tom Homan, and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristy Noem for their leadership and wasting no time to initiate the removal of dangerous, violent foreign criminals and gangs from New York City streets—groups that have wreaked havoc in our city over the past four years and have committed thousands of crimes including robberies, sex crimes, assaulting NYPD officers, and even murder."

CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE

"The mass illegal migration crisis created by the Biden Administration cost American lives and New York’s taxpayers billions of dollars," Malliotakis went on. "New York City must fully cooperate with ICE to rid our city of this criminal activity. No local or state elected official or government agency should stand in the way as federal authorities enforce our nation’s immigration laws to ensure the safety of all Americans."

'ON NOTICE': EX-VENEZUELAN MILITARY OFFICIAL APPLAUDS TRUMP'S 'FIRST GOOD STEP' TARGETING BLOODTHIRSTY GANG

Rep. Claudia Tenney, a Republican who represents parts of Upstate New York, called the raids "tremendous" and said they demonstrate "true leadership" from the Trump administration.

"This is tremendous. … I am so happy to see this," Tenney said on the Fox News Business Channel. "All I’ve heard from especially a lot of senior citizens and others is how thrilled they are that we’re seeing these absolutely violent criminal illegal immigrants that are being harbored by these sanctuary cities being taken out of our communities and making our communities safer. This is a huge win for the Trump administration. It shows that we have decisive leadership. We do not have the paralysis of analysis."

Alexis McAdams and Stephen Sorace contributed to this report. 

New Jersey Gov. Philip Murphy announced the Garden State updated its lawsuit against the federal government over the Biden-era approval of New York’s "congestion pricing" that the Democrat claims is burdening working-class residents.

The news comes days after Murphy wrote a letter to President Donald Trump seeking assistance and "common ground" on an issue the Republican also railed against.

Approved in the waning days of the Biden administration, a $9 fee is charged for vehicles traversing below Central Park, or 60th Street, by the state-owned MTA. 

NJ RESIDENTS HIT WITH DOUBLED BILLS AS LAWMAKERS FUME AT MURPHY'S ‘ENERGY DISASTER PLAN’, DEMAND HEARINGS

Murphy said the Federal Highway Administration [FHWA] wrongly "fast-tracked" approval of the tolling plan that New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and MTA Chairman Janno Lieber said would reduce gridlock, improve the environment and erase red ink on the New York City transit ledger.

"The decision by the federal government and the MTA to fast-track a proposal that solely benefits New York’s transportation system at the expense of hardworking New Jerseyites must be reevaluated and rescinded," Murphy said in a statement, adding the "scheme" is causing "financial strain" on his constituents.

New Jersey officials said the tolls are affecting commuters both financially and geographically.

While drivers entering Manhattan via the Holland and Lincoln tunnels receive a small "rebate" on the driving tax, those who cut through Staten Island or cross the George Washington Bridge (GWB) receive no benefit.

In its amended complaint, New Jersey alleged the FHWA appeared to miss the effects that added traffic at the world's busiest bridge would have on urban Bergen County communities already facing unfavorable air quality.

"Fort Lee has pre-existing pollution and chronic disease burdens at the 90th percentile. Under the congestion pricing scheme, Fort Lee is one of the communities with the ‘highest propensity for truck diversion if the proposed action is implemented,'" the lawsuit said, describing the city on the Jersey side of the GWB.

Murphy said the feds cannot "continue to turn a blind eye to the significant environmental impacts that congestion pricing will have on New Jersey, favoring New York at the expense of its neighbors."

As Hochul and Lieber continue full steam ahead with the tax, suburban drivers have expressed outrage, including those from Long Island, who, because of the placement of toll gantries, cannot leave Manhattan without paying even if they do not intend to drive into the business district. 

NJ GOV SAYS HE'LL ‘FIGHT TO THE DEATH’ AGAINST TRUMP ACTIONS CONTRARY TO ‘VALUES'

The tax is compounded by the $19 charged by the Port Authority to leave New Jersey eastward across water.

Last week, Murphy demanded that the bi-state agency’s chairman — Chris Christie appointee Kevin O’Toole — provide monthly data on revenue from changes in driving patterns for those trying to avoid New York’s new fees.

"The statistical information we are requesting will help us advocate for our commuters and the broader region as we fight this unfair policy," Murphy said.

While Murphy previously pledged to "fight to the death" against White House attacks on New Jersey "values" and communities, he also said he would work with the administration when finding common ground.

In a letter to Trump, Murphy noted the president pledged to "terminate congestion pricing in [his] first week in office" as a "massive business-killer" and had knocked Hochul for devising the "worst plan in the history of womankind."

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"I am open to congestion pricing in concept, but New York’s scheme has never been well-designed or adequately studied," Murphy wrote, asking Trump for assistance and noting Hochul’s "indefinite pause" on the program only lasted until it was clear former Vice President Kamala Harris would not win the election last November. 

N.J. Assembly Transportation Committee member Christopher DePhillips offered bipartisan support for Murphy's position, telling Fox News Digital that while he backs the governor's goal of ending the "scheme," it will take Trump to "kill it."

"I would also like [Murphy] to apply the same effort he puts forth to stop the congestion pricing to help the mass transit riders at home. Drivers shouldn’t have to pay more to cross into Manhattan, and [NJ Transit riders] shouldn’t have to pay 15% higher fares," said DePhillips, R-Wyckoff.

Hochul recently said she has tried to work with New Jersey to avoid ongoing litigation.

She said Albany offered a "generous" nine-figure settlement that Trenton rejected.

"We've made multiple offers to settle this lawsuit. I wish I could describe them to you because you would say they're generous. I'm not at liberty to do that," she told New York Streetsblog.

Members of Congress from Big Apple suburbs called for Lieber’s ouster after he held a ceremony to unveil tolling signs on Broadway.

"Imagine being such an a--hole as to celebrate screwing New Yorkers out of their hard-earned money just for the privilege to drive to work," Rep. Michael Lawler, R-Nyack, said.

MTA executive John McCarthy said in response that Lieber has overseen better service and on-time performance and that "out-of-touch politicians" are simply "bloviating."

The FHWA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

President Donald Trump’s White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt urged members of Congress to confirm Trump's nominees to address problems like the U.S. egg shortage and the cost of living crisis. 

"This is an example of why it's so incredibly important that the Senate moves swiftly to confirm all of President Trump's nominees, including his nominee for the United States Department of Agriculture, Brooke Rollins, who is already speaking with Kevin Hassett, who's leading the economic team here at the White House, on how we can address the egg shortage in this country," Leavitt told reporters Tuesday at her first White House press briefing. 

"We also have seen the cost of everything, not just eggs, bacon, groceries, gasoline, have increased because of the inflationary policies of the last administration," Leavitt said. 

Leavitt's comments came directly after Democrats took several jabs at Trump’s handling of the cost of living crisis just days after his inauguration, citing rising prices for eggs amid larger conversations about the price of groceries and cost of living as a whole. 

While the consumer price index shows consumer prices increased roughly 20% under former President Joe Biden’s administration, Democrats remain skeptical that Trump’s economic proposals will prove effective. 

"The price of eggs and the cost of living was supposed to go down. Not up," House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said in a post on X on Friday. 

SHELLING OUT: EGG PRICES RISE NEARLY 37 PERCENT

"Trump’s ‘concepts of a plan’ at work," Suhas Subramanyam, D-Va., said in a post on X on Friday, pointing to a photo claiming a dozen eggs cost nearly $9. It’s unclear where the photo originated or its authenticity. 

Subramanyam’s post referenced Trump’s comments that he had "concepts of a plan" to replace the Affordable Care Act, during a September 2024 presidential debate with former Vice President Kamala Harris. 

Meanwhile, the consumer price index shows egg prices have soared nearly 37% in the past year. For example, a dozen Grade A large eggs cost an average of $4.15 in December — up from $2.51 in December 2023, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

In some states like California, those numbers have gone up to nearly $9 per dozen in certain areas. California, like other states including Arizona, Massachusetts and Michigan, requires all eggs sold in the state to come from cage-free hens, which typically are more expensive. 

The rise in egg prices comes amid high demand and a massive outbreak of avian flu, known as the highly pathogenic avian influenza, which the U.S. Department of Agriculture attributes to killing more than 20 million egg-laying hens in the last quarter of 2024. All birds from an infected flock are culled, exacerbating the impact of the flu. 

Leavitt on Tuesday blamed this killing policy for contributing to the egg shortage. 

"The Biden Administration’s slow and ineffective response to the avian influenza outbreak, which began in 2022, has negatively impacted U.S. poultry producers, and his USDA forced farmers to massively cut their livestock populations," Anna Kelly, White House deputy press secretary, said in a Monday statement to Fox News Digital. 

As a result, Kelly said Trump and Rollins would take "bold, decisive action" to address problems related to the avian flu, and direct the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to refocus on the health of animals and plants. 

Democrats previously have questioned Trump’s ability to reduce grocery prices, and Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., said in early January that "Trump has no idea" how to cut down such prices. 

SWALWELL SLAMMED ON SOCIAL MEDIA FOR QUESTIONING HOW TRUMP WILL LOWER GROCERY PRICES 

"I don’t care if Donald Trump wants to buy Greenland. I just want to know what he’s going to do to lower the cost of groceries," Rep. Swalwell wrote on X on Jan. 7. 

Vice President JD Vance addressed the cost of groceries in an interview Sunday with CBS’ Margaret Brennan, citing several executive orders that Trump signed his first week in office focused on the economy and reducing energy prices. Among those orders was a directive instructing every department and agency to address the cost of living crisis.

VICE PRESIDENT JD VANCE PRESSED ON WHEN GROCERY PRICES WILL COME DOWN: ‘WHICH ONE LOWERS PRICES?'

"Prices are going to come down, but it's going to take a little bit of time, right?" Vance said. "The president has been president for all of five days. I think that, in those five days, he's accomplished more than Joe Biden did in four years." 

The state of the economy ranked as the top issue in the 2024 election, according to a Gallup poll conducted in September 2024.

Voters also believed Trump better equipped to address the economy than his opponent, Harris. While 54% of American voters claimed Trump could better handle the economy, only 45% backed Kamala, the poll found. 

Fox Business’ Alexandra Koch and Hanna Panreck contributed to this report. 

EXCLUSIVE: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will announce he is "immediately pulling" retired Gen. Mark Milley's personal security detail and security clearance, multiple senior administration officials tell Fox News. 

The secretary is also directing the new acting Inspector General to conduct a review board to determine if enough evidence exists for Gen. Milley to be stripped of a star in retirement based on his actions to "undermine the chain of command" during President Donald Trump's first term, officials say. 

The Pentagon will also be removing a second portrait of Gen. Milley inside the Pentagon. This one is from the Army's Marshall Corridor on the third floor honoring his service as chief-of-staff of the Army. Fox is told the removal of this second portrait will take place as soon as tonight. This means there will be no more portraits of Gen. Milley inside the Pentagon. 

The first portrait of Gen. Milley, from his time as the U.S. military's top officer, was removed from the Pentagon last week on Inauguration Day less than two hours after President Trump was sworn into office. 

TRUMP REVOKES SECURITY CLEARANCES OF 51 INTEL OFFICIALS WHO SIGNED DISCREDITED HUNTER BIDEN LAPTOP LETTER

The now retired Gen. Milley and other former senior Trump aides had been assigned personal security details ever since Iran vowed revenge for the killing of Qasem Soleimani in a drone strike in 2020 ordered by Trump in his first term.

On "Fox News Sunday," the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Tom Cotton said he hoped President Trump would "revisit" the decision to pull the protective security details from John Bolton, Mike Pompeo and Brian Hook who previously served under Trump.

Asked why these actions were being taken, a senior administration official who requested anonymity replied, "There is a new era of accountability in the Defense Department under President Trump's leadership—and that's exactly what the American people expect."

Gen. Milley served as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 2019 to 2023 under both Presidents Trump and Biden.

BIDEN PARDONS MARK MILLEY, ANTHONY FAUCI, J6 COMMITTEE MEMBERS

He served as the Army's chief of staff, the service's top officer, from 2015-2019. 

In his new book "War," Bob Woodward writes Gen. Milley told him at a reception at the Willard Hotel in Washington, D.C. on March 6, 2023, that he believed Trump was "fascist to the core!"

Gen. Milley was still serving in uniform as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff when he reportedly made the remark.

Woodward wrote that Gen. Milley, "shared with me his worries about Trump's mental stability and control of nuclear weapons," in a previous book.

When the leader of ISIS was killed in a daring raid carried out by U.S. Special Operations Forces in Syria in October 2019, President Trump praised Milley. 

"I want to thank General Mark Milley and our Joint Chiefs of Staff, and I also want to thank our professionals who work in other agencies of the United States government and were critical to the mission’s unbelievable success."

Before leaving office, President Joe Biden pardoned Gen. Milley. 

In their book, "Peril," Bob Woodward and Robert Costa wrote that Gen. Milley called his Chinese counterpart on two occasions in the final months of Trump's first term, warning him the U.S. military had no plans to strike China in a bid to avert tensions between nuclear-armed countries. 

DORAL, Fla. — Vice President JD Vance urged Republicans to stick together during a closed-door meeting at the House GOP annual issues conference on Tuesday, as tensions simmer over some lawmakers' decisions to skip the multi-day event.

House Republicans are at President Donald Trump's golf course and resort in Doral, Florida, for three days of discussions on how to execute his legislative agenda. 

Vance addressed the gathering on Tuesday in a speech that acknowledged the differences of opinion across the Republican conference, while imploring them to find a way to overcome those divisions and "be good" to one another, two lawmakers in the room told Fox News Digital.

Those fractures flared up a short while later, however, when two lawmakers stood up to criticize colleagues who were not attending the event during the question and answer portion of Vance's appearance, two other sources said.

TRUMP DHS REPEALS KEY MAYORKAS MEMO LIMITING ICE AGENTS, ORDERS PAROLE REVIEW

It comes after Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, posted on X that he was not attending the retreat, arguing it was a waste of time.

"It is being reported I am not at the so-called Republican retreat in Florida. I am not," Roy wrote. "I am in Texas, with my family & meeting with constituents, rather than spending $2K to hear more excuses for increasing deficits & not being in DC to deliver Trump's border security [funding] ASAP."

Roy told Fox News that he could not speak for fellow members of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus who were missing from the retreat, adding, "We all have things that we've got to deal with."

"If you're asking me to go spend money to go sit in a resort rather than doing our damn job… no, I'm not going to do that," he said.

Others argued that Roy and others' absence was actively undermining attempts to unify behind a legislative roadmap.

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"Sadly enough, we have people sitting at home complaining about the meeting on Twitter, and they're the ones who'd rather complain, attack, argue, than be part of the solution," Rep. Greg Murphy, R-N.C., told Fox News Digital. "We know who they are. We just have to deal with it."

With a razor-thin margin in the House, Republicans must vote in virtual lockstep to pass any legislation without Democratic support.

One lawmaker said Vance embraced a "team message" during his speech and "recognizes there will be differences, but we must come together once debate is over."

Vance also told Republicans that Trump wants to raise the debt limit, something he will have to contend with this year, without support from or leverage by Democrats, Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., told reporters after the meeting. 

Other Republicans who spoke with Fox News Digital while leaving the event also embraced the Ohio Republican's message and him as a messenger.

"He's saying the things about fiscal sanity that we need to hear," Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, said.

"He's smart as hell, he's eloquent," Murphy said. "Trump really nailed it on that one – he was a great pick."

EXCLUSIVE: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will announce he is "immediately pulling" retired Gen. Mark Milley's personal security detail and security clearance, multiple senior administration officials tell Fox News. 

The secretary is also directing the new acting Inspector General to conduct a review board to determine if enough evidence exists for Gen. Milley to be stripped of a star in retirement based on his actions to "undermine the chain of command" during President Donald Trump's first term, officials say. 

The Pentagon will also be removing a second portrait of Gen. Milley inside the Pentagon. This one is from the Army's Marshall Corridor on the third floor honoring his service as chief-of-staff of the Army. Fox is told the removal of this second portrait will take place as soon as tonight. This means there will be no more portraits of Gen. Milley inside the Pentagon. 

The first portrait of Gen. Milley, from his time as the U.S. military's top officer, was removed from the Pentagon last week on Inauguration Day less than two hours after President Trump was sworn into office. 

TRUMP REVOKES SECURITY CLEARANCES OF 51 INTEL OFFICIALS WHO SIGNED DISCREDITED HUNTER BIDEN LAPTOP LETTER

The now retired Gen. Milley and other former senior Trump aides had been assigned personal security details ever since Iran vowed revenge for the killing of Qasem Soleimani in a drone strike in 2020 ordered by Trump in his first term.

On "Fox News Sunday," the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Tom Cotton said he hoped President Trump would "revisit" the decision to pull the protective security details from John Bolton, Mike Pompeo and Brian Hook who previously served under Trump.

Asked why these actions were being taken, a senior administration official who requested anonymity replied, "There is a new era of accountability in the Defense Department under President Trump's leadership—and that's exactly what the American people expect."

Gen. Milley served as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 2019 to 2023 under both Presidents Trump and Biden.

BIDEN PARDONS MARK MILLEY, ANTHONY FAUCI, J6 COMMITTEE MEMBERS

He served as the Army's chief of staff, the service's top officer, from 2015-2019. 

In his new book "War," Bob Woodward writes Gen. Milley told him at a reception at the Willard Hotel in Washington, D.C. on March 6, 2023, that he believed Trump was "fascist to the core!"

Gen. Milley was still serving in uniform as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff when he reportedly made the remark.

Woodward wrote that Gen. Milley, "shared with me his worries about Trump's mental stability and control of nuclear weapons," in a previous book.

When the leader of ISIS was killed in a daring raid carried out by U.S. Special Operations Forces in Syria in October 2019, President Trump praised Milley. 

"I want to thank General Mark Milley and our Joint Chiefs of Staff, and I also want to thank our professionals who work in other agencies of the United States government and were critical to the mission’s unbelievable success."

Before leaving office, President Joe Biden pardoned Gen. Milley. 

In their book, "Peril," Bob Woodward and Robert Costa wrote that Gen. Milley called his Chinese counterpart on two occasions in the final months of Trump's first term, warning him the U.S. military had no plans to strike China in a bid to avert tensions between nuclear-armed countries. 

A handful of non-profit organizations and health associations, including an LGBTQ+ advocacy group, filed a lawsuit Tuesday over the Trump administration's directive to freeze federal aid. 

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday afternoon in Washington, D.C., federal court, was launched by the National Council of Nonprofits, the American Public Health Association, the Main Street Alliance, and SAGE against the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and acting director of OMB, Matthew Vaeth.

The parties are asking the court to impose a temporary restraining order "to maintain the status quo until the Court has an opportunity to more fully consider the illegality of OMB’s actions."

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS PLACES 60 DEI EMPLOYEES ON LEAVE WITH SALARIES TOTALING MORE THAN $8M

The suit was filed after the Trump administration went on a memo blitz Monday, sending at least three letters to federal agency leaders on directives covering topics including return to office instructions and pausing federal grants. Fox News Digital obtained copies of the memos.

One specific memo issued by OMB pauses all federal grants and loans in an effort to end "'wokeness' and the weaponization of government," and to promote "efficiency in government."

"Federal agencies must temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all Federal financial assistance, and other relevant agency activities that may be implicated by the executive orders, including, but not limited to, financial assistance for foreign aid, nongovernmental organizations, DEI, woke gender ideology, and the green new deal," the memo reads. 

TRUMP'S FEDERAL DEI PURGE PUTS HUNDREDS ON LEAVE, NIXES $420M IN CONTRACTS

The pause takes effect at 5 p.m. ET on Tuesday. 

The lawsuit argues that the parties will suffer harm as a result of the federal aid freeze given their reliance on federal funding. 

SAGE's CEO, Michael Adams — whose organization describes itself as "dedicated to improving the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender adults," per the court filing — told Fox News Digital in a statement that the freeze "would devastate the lives of older Americans — including LGBTQ+ elders who already face unique challenges."

TRUMP DEI CRACKDOWNS LAUDED FOR BRINGING MERIT BACK TO MEDICINE: 'MAKE HEALTHCARE GREAT AGAIN'

"This reckless decision puts entire communities at risk. We must work together now to protect our older neighbors, friends, and loved ones before it's too late," Adams said.

Small Business Majority Founder & CEO John Arensmeyer said the federal grant freeze "will have a devastating impact on small businesses nationwide" and called the move a "Draconian shuttering of the federal purse."

Diane Yentel, President & CEO of the National Council of Nonprofits called the directive a "reckless action" by the Trump administration that would prove to be "catastrophic for nonprofit organizations and the people and communities they serve." 

"From pausing research on cures for childhood cancer to halting housing and food assistance, shuttering domestic violence and homeless shelters, and closing suicide hotlines, the impact of even a short pause in funding could be devastating and cost lives," Yentel said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. "This order must be halted immediately before such avoidable harm is done."

TRUMP TARGETS CULTURE WAR LIGHTNING RODS IN EARLY SLATE OF EXECUTIVE ORDERS

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

The memo explained that out of the $10 trillion spent by the federal government in fiscal year 2024, $3 trillion of that total was allocated to "federal financial assistance, such as grants and loans."

Vaeth sent the memo to all heads of executive departments and agencies. 

Trump also signed two executive orders Monday taking aim at Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the federal government. 

The orders, titled "Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness" and "Restoring America's Fighting Force," should be in the process of being implemented by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the secretary of Homeland Security within 30 days.

Fox News Digital's Emma Colton and Elizabeth Pritchett contributed to this report. 

One of the top officials in Texas says he is on board with President Donald Trump's aggressive plan to expand the AI and crypto capabilities of the United States.

"There’s no daylight between President Trump and I on this issue," Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick told Fox News Digital this week. "

"I totally support the president and his Stargate Plan. We are completely aligned in our desire to see Texas and America lead in AI, data centers and crypto. These industries understand they will have to supply their own power needs and are diligently working toward that goal so costs are not disproportionally shifted onto residential and small businesses customers."

Patrick, long considered a loyal ally of Trump, raised eyebrows last year when he warned of the burden that crypto mining and data centers could put on the state's electrical grid. However, he repeatedly emphasized that there is "no daylight" between him and Trump on these issues.

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"We need to take a close look at those two industries," Patrick posted on X in June 2024 while expressing concerns that data centers and crypto mining expansion add more to the grid than they pay off in jobs. 

"They produce very few jobs compared to the incredible demands they place on our grid. Crypto mining may actually make more money selling electricity back to the grid than from their crypto mining operations... Texans will ultimately pay the price. I’m more interested in building the grid to service customers in their homes, apartments, and normal businesses and keeping costs as low as possible for them instead of for very niche industries that have massive power demands and produce few jobs."

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Crypto mining and data center expansion have been dominant themes of the Presidential Transition’s economic messaging, including earlier this month when Trump announced a new $20 billion foreign investment for the expansion of data centers across several U.S. states, including Texas. The announcement drew praise from many conservatives, including Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas.

Trump has also garnered significant support from the crypto community and raised large chunks of money from the industry along with his promotion of a message emphasizing energy independence, economic growth and framing the expansion of crypto mining as an essential tool toward ensuring the U.S. leads the industry. 

"The need to quickly scale data center capacity to support the 21st-century economy continues to increase, given the growing demand for AI and other digital services by individuals, households, businesses, government, and organizations of all sizes," Dan Diorio, senior director of state policy at the Data Center Coalition, told Fox News Digital. 

"The data center industry appreciates President Trump highlighting the essential role of the data center industry in advancing America’s national security and global economic competitiveness. We also appreciate his commitment to promoting the rapid development of additional data center and energy capacity to support the nation’s leadership in AI," Diorio continued. "Texas is uniquely poised to benefit from this. With continued support for data centers, Texas can continue to drive innovation and investment while promoting American economic leadership and national security today and into the future."

Last week, Trump announced Stargate, a joint venture of OpenAI, SoftBank and Oracle that will invest up to $500 billion in AI-related infrastructure.

Texas will serve as ground zero, with 10 data centers by the venture already under construction in the state, 10 more on the way and the first project based in Abilene, Oracle CEO Larry Ellison said. Each building will occupy half a million square feet.

Patrick said in a statement last week to The Texas Tribune that he believes Texas should be the "world leader in AI, data center and crypto. The key is to ensure they have the power they need without a major impact to our electrical grid. The industries understand that and they are working on solutions."

Texas’ main grid operator predicts power demand will nearly double by 2030, in part due to more requests to plug into the grid from large users like data centers, crypto mining facilities, hydrogen production plants, and oil and gas companies.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

California authorities on Tuesday announced an end to their nearly decade-long criminal prosecution of an independent journalist and an anti-abortion activist who secretly recorded videos showing Planned Parenthood allegedly selling aborted fetal tissue.

The pair at the center of the legal fight, founder of the Center for Medical Progress David Daleiden and journalist Sandra Merritt, agreed to a "no-contest" plea deal on a single charge, resulting in no fines or prison sentences. California prosecutors had at one point pursued up to 15 felony counts in a case Daleiden said was politically motivated "lawfare."

"My case is the first and only one that was ever criminally charged by the state attorney general's office, and it was because of Planned Parenthood's demand to cover up the information that was on those video recordings about how they're using partial birth abortions to sell late-term aborted baby body parts at their taxpayer funded mega clinics across the state of California and across the country," Daleiden told Fox News Digital in an interview on Tuesday. 

"I'm no expert, but I definitely think that the election has something to do with it," Daleiden said when asked why he thinks prosecutors dropped the charges all these years later. Daleiden dubbed the litigation "lawfare," in a post on X.

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In a statement provided to Fox News Digital, California State Attorney General Rob Bonta said, "While the Trump Administration is issuing pardons to individuals convicted of harming reproductive health clinics and providers, my office is securing criminal convictions to ensure that Californians can exercise their constitutional rights to reproductive healthcare."

"We will not hesitate to continue taking action against those who threaten access to abortion care — whether by recording confidential conversations or other means," he said.

Daleiden and Merritt's plea agreement requires no contact with victims, no public identification of them, and compliance with all laws, including restrictions on recording, according to Bonta's office.

As the then-California Attorney General, Kamala Harris initiated an investigation into Daleiden's Center for Medical Progress, focusing on the legality of their undercover methods and a narrow application of the state's eavesdropping law following the release of undercover footage. In 2016, a Texas grand jury indicted Daleiden and Merritt on felony charges related to the creation of fake IDs and offering to purchase fetal tissue. These charges, however, were later dismissed. 

In April 2016, under then-AG Harris, California authorities raided Daleiden's home for evidence, prompting questions about her relationship with Planned Parenthood, which has donated to her campaigns and many other Democrats. 

Harris was elected to the U.S. Senate months later and resigned as state attorney general in January 2017.

In 2017, California prosecutors under Harris' successor Xavier Becerra charged Daleiden and Merritt with 15 felony counts, including criminal conspiracy and invasion of privacy, for recording individuals without consent.

"They pursued this case viciously for nine years, because it was such a priority for national Planned Parenthood," Daleiden said. "But ultimately, it's a totally weaponized political prosecution. They're totally wrong on the facts and the law of undercover video reporting in California, all the conversations that me and my team recorded were in public areas where other people could overhear."

"For the Attorney General's Office of California to come this far after nine years, and essentially walk away with nothing… just shows this entire case was an exercise in grotesquely political weaponization of government."

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When the recordings were released, Planned Parenthood maintained it strictly donates the specimens, charging only for transportation and storage costs. 

Some of the videos were recorded in 2015 during meetings between Daleiden's operatives, posing as representatives of a fetal tissue procurement company, and various Planned Parenthood staff members. The hours-long footage published online showed conversations in which Planned Parenthood providers and executives appeared to negotiate prices for fetal tissue and discuss under-the-table procedures for obtaining it.

Merritt was involved in the undercover operation as one of the key figures behind the release of the footage alongside Daleiden. 

"Sandra Merritt did nothing wrong," Merritt's attorneys at the Christian law firm Liberty Counsel said in a statement Monday. "She did the right thing by exposing the depravity of the abortion industry."

According to a 2015 Guardian report, Planned Parenthood stopped accepting reimbursements for its fetal tissue donation program following state and federal probes after Daleiden's undercover videos.

TRUMP'S 'TWO SEXES' EXECUTIVE ORDER COMES ON HEELS OF SCOTUS ACCEPTING ANOTHER CHALLENGE TO LGBT AGENDA

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Friday, "to end the use of federal taxpayer dollars to fund or promote elective abortion," reinforcing the Hyde Amendment. As a result, organizations like Planned Parenthood, which provide abortion services, may face funding challenges depending on how the organization receives its funds for elective abortions. 

According to a blog post by the organization's political action fund, "60% of Planned Parenthood patients rely on public health programs like Medicaid and Title X."

Fox News Digital has reached out to Harris and Planned Parenthood for comment. 

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt warned that foreign nationals attempting to enter the U.S. illegally are not welcome under President Donald Trump’s administration. 

"So to foreign nationals who are thinking about trying to illegally enter the United States, think again," Leavitt told reporters Tuesday at the White House press briefing. "Under this president, you will be detained and you will be deported. Every day, Americans are safer because of the violent criminals that President Trump's administration is removing from our communities."

Specifically, Leavitt pointed to recent arrests that Immigration and Customs Enforcement has conducted in January, including arresting a Honduras citizen convicted of rape and a Dominican Republic citizen with a criminal conviction for second degree murder.

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"These are the heinous individuals that this administration is removing from American communities every single day, and to the brave state and local law enforcement officers, [U.S. Customs and Border Protection] and ICE agents who are helping in the facilitation of this deportation operation, President Trump has your back, and he is grateful for your hard work," Leavitt said. 

Trump has vowed to crack down on illegal immigration during his campaign and declared a national emergency at the southern border following his inauguration. He also immediately ordered the expulsion of migrants without the possibility of asylum. 

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Leavitt also defended the Trump administration’s decision to issue a freeze on federal grants and loans on Monday — a move that prompted backlash from Democrats. Leavitt issued reassurance that those who receive individual federal assistance will not be impacted by the pause. 

"I have now been asked and answered this question four times," Leavitt said. "To individuals at home who receive direct assistance from the federal government: You will not be impacted by this federal freeze." 

Programs including Social Security benefits, Medicare, food stamps, welfare benefits and other assistance going directly to individuals will still continue under the pause, according to Leavitt. However, she said she would "check back" regarding the status of Medicaid. 

INDIVIDUALS RECEIVING DIRECT ASSISTANCE WON'T BE IMPACTED BY FEDERAL FUNDING FREEZE, PRESS SECRETARY SAYS 

Democrats including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., claim the decision is an overreach of power and said it is an attempt to circumvent Congress and withhold congressionally approved funds. 

"More lawlessness and chaos in America as Donald Trump’s Administration blatantly disobeys the law by holding up virtually all vital funds that support programs in every community across the country," Schumer said in a statement. "If this continues, the American people will pay an awful price."

"They say this is only temporary, but no one should believe that," Schumer said. "Donald Trump must direct his Administration to reverse course immediately and the taxpayers’ money should be distributed to the people."

Leavitt also unveiled major changes to White House press access, and announced that the Trump administration would restore the press passes for 440 journalists whose passes she said "were wrongly revoked" by the Biden administration.

"In keeping with this revolutionary media approach that President Trump deployed during the campaign, the Trump White House will speak to all media outlets and personalities, not just the legacy media who are seated in this room," Leavitt said. 

Fox News’ Adam Shaw and Kristine Parks contributed to this report. 

National Institutes of Health (NIH) Acting Director Matthew Memoli sought to clarify the extent of the Trump administration's freeze on communications and other functions within the Health and Human Services Department, which has raised concern among agency officials and lawmakers.

Memoli's memo, sent Monday to leaders across the NIH's more than two dozen centers and institutions, said the freeze had been issued to "allow the new team to set up a process for review and prioritization," but noted that due to "confusion on the scope of the pause" he wanted to provide additional guidance.

The internal memo was first reported by STAT News .The NIH did not respond to repeated requests for comment. 

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Last week, the new Trump administration abruptly paused external communications at HHS through the first of next month. In addition to halting announcements, press releases, website and social media posts, new guidance, and new regulations, the freeze also halted public appearances and travel by agency officials, and prohibited new purchases or service requests related to agency work.

The move caused anger and confusion among both HHS officials and those in the broader medical community. Following the directive, scientific meetings and grant reviews were canceled, raising significant concerns about the impact on research.

"We write to express our grave concerns about actions that have taken place in recent days that potentially disrupt lifesaving research being conducted and supported by the National Institutes of Health," a trio of Democratic lawmakers from Maryland said in a Monday letter to HHS's Acting Secretary Dr. Dorothy Fink. "Without quick corrective action, the consequences of further disruption could be disastrous."

According to Memoli's memo, while agency officials are not permitted to begin new research while the pause is in effect, any research or clinical trials initiated before Jan. 20 can keep going "so that this work can continue, and we do not lose our investment in these studies." Officials working on these studies may also purchase any "necessary supplies" and conduct meetings related to such work. Although new research projects are still prohibited, NIH staff can continue submitting papers to medical journals and can communicate with those journals about submitted work.

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The freeze on purchases was further clarified by Memoli's memo, which indicated that while the pause remains, purchases "directly related to human safety, human or animal healthcare, security, biosafety, biosecurity, or IT security," can continue. Travel and hiring for such work can continue as well, Memoli indicated, but his office must grant specific exemptions for new hires as President Donald Trump also initiated a freeze on the hiring of new federal civilian employees across all agencies during his first week in office.

Routine travel planned for after Feb. 1 "does not need to be canceled at this time," Memoli added. Patients receiving treatment at NIH facilities can also continue to do so.

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Meanwhile, external communications will continue to be prohibited except for "announcements that HHS divisions believe are mission critical." On Monday, amid the freeze, Fink announced that HHS would begin evaluating its current practices to ensure they meet federal requirements under the Hyde Amendment, a law prohibiting the use of federal funds for non-medically necessary, elective abortions.  

One subject area that was notably absent from Memoli's memo to federal health leaders was clarifications around grant review meetings. However, the acting director's memo concluded by indicating that further guidance is expected to be made available later this week.

While the pause at HHS has caused a firestorm of concern and criticism, a former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention scientist who is now the dean of the University of Nebraska's school of public health, Dr. Ali Khan, told the Associated Press that such pauses are not unusual. Khan said concern is only warranted if the pause was aimed at "silencing the agencies around a political narrative."

"I think the intention of such a chaotic freezing of communications was to scare us, to demoralize us, and to set science back a bit in an effort to make us look bad," said a long-time NIH staffer who spoke to Forbes on the condition of anonymity. "We are by no means perfect, but, ffs, our job is literally to enable research to save lives, what the heck?"

The White House on Tuesday clarified that all the illegal immigrants arrested by federal immigration authorities in recent days "are criminals," as far as the Trump administration is concerned. 

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was taking questions during her first press briefing since President Donald Trump returned to the White House last week when she was asked about the mass arrests. 

"The 3,500 arrests that ICE (U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement) has made so far since President Trump came back into office. Can you just tell us the numbers? How many have a criminal record versus those who are just in the country illegally," one reporter asked. 

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"All of them, because they illegally broke our nation's laws, and therefore, they are criminals as far as this administration goes," Leavitt replied. "I know the last administration didn't see it that way. So it's a big culture shift in our nation to view someone who breaks our immigration laws as a criminal, but that's exactly what they are."

The reporter then asked if they all have criminal records. 

"If they broke our nation's laws, yes, they are a criminal," Leavitt said. 

TRUMP'S ICE RACKS UP HUNDREDS OF ARRESTS, INCLUDING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ARRESTED FOR HORROR CRIMES

Federal immigration authorities have arrested thousands of illegal immigrants, mainly targeting those with criminal records, since Trump took office. 

On Sunday alone, ICE arrested 1,000 people and lodged 554 detainers. 

Border Czar Tom Homan warned that daily deportation numbers will rise in coming weeks as the administration expands its operations.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Tuesday defended the legality of President Donald Trump's abrupt firing of at least 17 inspectors general, telling reporters that the administration is confident that the oustings, ordered across nearly every major federal agency, would survive any potential challenges in court.

Speaking to reporters for the first time from the podium of the James S. Brady briefing room, Leavitt defended Trump's decision to fire, without warning, the inspectors general of nearly every Cabinet-level agency— an abrupt and unprecedented purge that shocked many outside observers.

Asked about the terminations Tuesday, Leavitt doubled down on Trump's argument that the president is well within his power to fire the independent watchdogs, regardless of their Senate-confirmed status. 

Trump's firings of the inspectors general included watchdogs for the Departments of Defense, State, Transportation, Labor, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Energy, Commerce, as well as the EPA, among others. 

"It is the belief of this White House and the White House counsel's office that the president was within his executive authority" to do so, Leavitt said Tuesday.

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Trump, she added, "is the executive of the executive branch, and therefore he has the power to fire anyone within the executive branch that he wishes to."

Leavitt then referenced a 2020 Supreme Court decision, Seila Law LLC v. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which ruled that the CFPB's agency structure violates the separation of powers under the U.S. Constitution.

"I would advise you to look at that case, and that's the legality that this White House was resting on," Leavitt said. 

Asked by the reporter whether the Trump administration believed its order would survive a lawsuit or court challenge from the former inspectors general, Leavitt responded affirmatively.

 "We will win in court," she said decisively, before moving on. 

The remarks come as Trump's Friday night terminations have sparked deep concern from lawmakers. The terminations were criticized by Republicans and Democrats in Congress, who noted that the role of the independent watchdogs was created for the express purpose of identifying and rooting out government waste, fraud, abuse, and misconduct. 

Many of the individuals fired were also installed during Trump's first term. 

Lawmakers have noted that Trump ordered the terminations without notifying Congress of his intent to do so at least 30 days in advance, as required for the Senate-confirmed roles.

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A group of House Democrats criticized the action in a letter this week as "unethical," arbitrary, and illegal .

"Firing inspectors general without due cause is antithetical to good government, undermines the proper stewardship of taxpayer dollars, and degrades the federal government’s ability to function effectively and efficiently," reads the letter, signed by Reps. Jamie Raskin, Maxine Waters, Adam Smith, Bennie Thompson, and Gregory Meeks, among others.

Tuesday's briefing is the first conducted by Leavitt as White House press secretary. At 27, she is the youngest person in White House history to serve in the role.

It is unclear how often Leavitt will hold press briefings. 

Her role was announced by Trump in November, who praised the "phenomenal job" she did as his campaign and transition spokesperson.

"Karoline is smart, tough, and has proven to be a highly effective communicator," Trump said in a statement announcing her role. "I have the utmost confidence she will excel at the podium, and help deliver our message to the American People as we Make America Great Again."

Trump's first term saw a revolving door of White House advisers and communications aides, who struggled at times to communicate the views of a president who frequently opted to share his views directly via public rallies, briefings, and via social media posts.

This prompted high-profile clashes with the individuals tasked with officially communicating his views. 

 Trump's most recent White House press secretary, Stephanie Grisham, did not hold a single press briefing during her time in office. Famously, former White House communications aide Anthony Scaramucci served in his post for a tenure of just 11 days.

Conservatives on social media praised newly minted White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt's performance in her first press conference on Tuesday and made the case that she is a welcome change from the previous administration.

Leavitt stepped to the White House press room podium on Tuesday and answered questions from over a dozen reporters with various political affiliations. She spoke for almost an hour.

As Leavitt addressed the media, conservatives on social media reacted with positive reviews on her handling of the questions and the variety of reporters she called on. 

"Karoline Leavitt is a rock star," actor James Woods posted on X. "These next four years are going to be sublime."

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"Well @karolineleavitt is certainly up for the job," Fox News contributor Joe Jones posted on X. "Impressive, but not surprising."

"Both KJP and Jen Psaki were extremely dependent on their oversized binders jam-packed with scripted talking points," talk show host Addison Smith posted on X. "Today, @karolineleavitt took to the podium for the first time with a couple sheets of paper that she barely even glanced at. Competence is back."

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"Damn White House press secretary @karolineleavitt absolutely smoking left wing reporters," Outkick founder and radio host Clay Travis posted on X. 

"This Press Secretary - Karoline Leavitt - is so refreshingly clear in the positions she articulates," Rush Limbaugh's longtime friend and producer James Golden posted on X. "No dancing around facts, no avoidance of questions, in contrast to the previous Press Secretary."

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"Karoline Leavitt is 30 minutes into a Press Briefing and she hasn't looked up a single answer yet," Fox News contributor and comedian Jimmy Faila posted on X. "KJP would have gone through three binders and a Magic 8 Ball by now. THIS is why people wanna ditch DEI for Meritocracy."

"How refreshing to have a Press Sec at the podium who can answer questions directly and without reading word for word from a script," Coign Vice President Cassie Smedile Docksey posted on X. "We are so back."

Leavitt, 27, is the youngest press secretary in the nation's history – unseating President Richard Nixon’s press secretary Ron Ziegler, who was 29 when he took the same position in 1969. Leavitt was a fierce defender of Trump throughout his hard-fought campaign against former Vice President Kamala Harris, and also made her own political mark with a congressional run in 2022. 

Leavitt served in Trump’s first administration as assistant press secretary before working as New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik’s communications director following the 2020 election. She launched a congressional campaign in her home state of New Hampshire during the 2022 cycle, winning her primary but losing the election to a Democrat. 

Leavitt picked up the torch of press secretary from the Biden administration's chief spokesperson, Karine Jean-Pierre. 

Fox News Digital's Emma Colton contributed to this report

President Trump is facing pushback from conservatives on social media, as well as an education activist who spoke to Fox News Digital, over his nomination of Dr. Penny Schwinn for deputy secretary at the Department of Education. 

"Being from Tennessee and being under Schwinn and her Berkeley-educated, radical views, I was actually shocked when I heard that she was being nominated by President Trump because she is the most unlike President Trump, and her policies are not the same," Laurie Cardoza Moore, member of the Tennessee Textbook and Instructional Materials Quality Commission and founder of Proclaiming Justice To the Nations, told Fox News Digital about Trump’s nomination of Schwinn.

Trump announced his nomination of Schwinn, the former commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Education, in a recent Truth Social post, saying that she is "committed to delivering the American Dream to the next Generation by returning Education BACK TO THE STATES."

Moore told Fox News Digital that Schwinn’s record is not compatible with the agenda Trump is trying to implement and fears that someone recommended Schwinn to Trump without fully explaining her background. 

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"I decided to call on President Trump to rescind his nomination of Penny Schwinn for the deputy secretary of Education appointment because of the policies that she implemented here in the state of Tennessee. You know, I fought for a couple of years for Gov. Lee to call for her resignation because of her, her policies, her values," Moore said. 

"But under her leadership, and this is what's important for the audience to understand, the children in Tennessee — and this is not just Tennessee because she's been to Texas and Florida — but our kids were subjected to pornographic and anti-Semitic content in library books, for example, ‘Me and Earl and the Dying Girl’ was one of them. She exposed Tennessee children to dark content like the Wit and Wisdom curriculum, all of which violate child indecency laws and obscenity laws here in the state of Tennessee, which is really troubling to me. She developed a plan to conduct child welfare checks on Tennessee children from birth to 18 to make sure they had their vaccinations."

Moore expressed concerns that the Berkeley-educated Schwinn hired a math expert in Tennessee, Rachael Maves, who promoted "math equity" in California, along with Schwinn's support of the Wit and Wisdom program, which critics say is a mask for CRT.

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Schwinn was grilled by Tennessee lawmakers in 2020 over her handling of textbooks and contracts but defended her actions taken as education commissioner. 

Schwinn was hired by former University of Florida President Ben Sasse, a vocal Trump critic, in 2023 and was one of several employees to face criticism for racking up thousands in travel costs in order to work from home before she was fired in 2024, WUSF reported.

While Trump has garnered widespread praise from conservatives for the majority of his appointments, many conservatives on social media echoed Moore’s concerns about Schwinn.

"President Trump needs the full story on Penny Schwinn’s education history in TN," conservative commentator Robby Starbuck posted on X. "I really hope he reconsiders her nomination."

"Penny says her core value is ‘Equity for all… no matter what.’ On her watch TN’s Department of Education even embraced DEI for hiring teachers. She may be a very nice person but naming her Under Secretary of Education at this critical juncture isn’t a good idea when she’s been a believer in this toxic DEI ideology."

"Anytime someone claims their desired outcome is equity, understand they’re pushing a communist agenda," former NCAA swimmer and conservative commentator Riley Gaines posted on X. "NO to Penny Schwinn."

Country music star John Rich also criticized Schwinn in a post on X, saying that Trump's decision needs to be "reversed."

Other conservatives came to Schwinn's defense, including journalist Chris Rufo, who is considered the most effective critic of Critical Race Theory in many conservative circles.

"President Trump and Secretary McMahon selected Penny for a reason, and we should all work together to make sure she is successful," Rufo wrote on X.

Schwinn's appointment also earned praise from GOP Sen. Tim Scott, who posted on X, "The closest thing to magic in America is a quality education. With @realDonaldTrump, @Linda_McMahon, and Penny Schwinn leading our education policy, we will empower parents and prioritize students."

"God does not give brains out based on zip code or income. Let’s unleash school choice so all students can thrive."

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders posted on X that McMahon and Schwinn are "both champions on parental empowerment and education freedom through universal school choice we’re implementing in Arkansas."

Many conservatives have made the case that Trump has a "mandate" from the voters to appoint whoever he sees fit to these high-profile positions, but Moore called Schwinn a "red flag" who will not adhere to Trump's agenda in the department, specifically his plan to downsize or even eliminate the department. 

"Somehow somebody has put the bug in Trump's ear that he should nominate her," Moore told Fox News Digital. "But President Trump, you know, I know that he's very concerned about the future and the state of education, and Penny Schwinn is the last person. She would embarrass him ultimately down the road because she would implement her left policies, her Berkeley-educated policies, and introduce them to the whole country. Very dangerous."

Speaking to Republican Party members in Denton County Monday night, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a longtime ally of President Donald Trump, listed several Republicans he plans to purge from the Texas GOP for being insufficiently conservative. 

Among those on Paxton’s list was Texas’ senior U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, one of the most powerful members of the Senate GOP.

The crowd erupted into loud applause as Paxton said, "The second thing we need to do, and I might play a role in this, is replace John Cornyn in the U.S. Senate."

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The attorney general, who worked with the Trump team to file a lawsuit in December that successfully secured a court order stopping the Biden administration from continuing sales of border wall materials, has long hinted at a potential run to replace Cornyn.

"I can’t think of a single thing he’s accomplished for our state or even for the country," Paxton said in a September 2023 interview on the Fox News Channel. And pointing to a possible Senate run in 2026, Paxton said, "Somebody needs to step up and run against this guy," adding, "everything’s on the table for me."

In an interview with Fox News Digital, Paxton gave more credence to the rumors, saying despite "loving what I’m doing … I’m looking potentially at the U.S. Senate."

He shared that he is in talks with groups in Texas about a possible 2026 Senate run and will likely decide in the "next couple of months."

Paxton claimed Cornyn does not represent the conservative values of Texans and accused him of not being an ally of Trump.

He has also regularly labeled Cornyn a "RINO," a "Republican in name only" and an insult MAGA and "America First" Republicans have regularly used to criticize more mainstream or establishment members of the GOP.

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Another source close to Paxton told Fox News Digital the attorney general "plans to spend the next few months meeting with voters, donors and grassroots activists across the state to gauge interest and decide how he can serve Texas best."

The attorney general has faced his own set of challenges. In 2022, he defeated a primary effort by former Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush amid charges of bribery and corruption. In 2023, the Texas House of Representatives voted to impeach Paxton, but he was eventually acquitted of all charges by the state senate. 

For his part, Cornyn, who has served in the Senate since 2002, has no intention of leaving the Senate. After serving in key GOP leadership positions, including chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, from 2009-2013, and Senate majority whip, from 2015-2019, he threw his hat in the ring to become the Senate majority leader in 2024, though he ultimately lost to South Dakota Sen. John Thune.

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Cornyn, meanwhile, has said he will "absolutely" run again in 2026.

In recent months, he has also been a vocal supporter of Trump’s Cabinet picks and has slammed Democrats for delaying confirmations for key positions. In a speech on the Senate floor earlier this month, he said, "Our first and most urgent task is to confirm President Trump's nominees for his Cabinet."

With both considered leading Republicans and both holding significant support, any potential primary race between the two in the Lone Star State promises to be a dramatic — perhaps messy — showdown.

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One of the primary questions that remains is whether the president would support his longtime ally Paxton or if he would, in the interest of preserving party unity, support a GOP establishment that has previously been criticized as "weak" and "ineffective."

"The big question is whether Trump would support Paxton over Cornyn in a primary challenge," Matt Mackowiak, a veteran Republican strategist and communications consultant based in Texas and Washington, D.C., told Fox News Digital.

"Cornyn’s never lost a race. Cornyn has a lot of support around the state. He’s traveled all corners of the state for a long time and is very well known and very well liked," said Mackowiak. "We haven’t had a Republican senator lose a primary since Richard Lugar in 2004. 

"As much as people sometimes think it’s doable, think it’s easy, think it’s inevitable, it really just doesn’t happen. But I’m not saying it can’t happen. I’m not saying that Paxton can’t win. I think he certainly has a decent chance."

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Mackowiak added that if Paxton runs, it "would be a massive race with national consequences."

"You’d have national activists and money involved on both sides," he said. "It could end up being one of the biggest primaries of the cycle and probably the most significant statewide primary in Texas since Dewhurst-Cruz [when former Texas Solicitor General Ted Cruz defeated Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst for the GOP Senate nomination in 2012 en route to winning his first U.S. Senate election] or it may not materialize at all. And I think it’s going to be several months before we know."