Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced plans to bolster airport air traffic control systems with the latest technology over the next four years, while also using artificial intelligence (AI) to identify "hot spots" where close encounters between aircraft occur frequently.

The announcement came after an update on an investigation into a crash near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, when a U.S. Army helicopter and an American Airlines-operated passenger jet collided over the Potomac River Jan. 29.

"We’re here because 67 souls lost their lives on Jan. 29," Duffy told reporters Tuesday, noting that the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) unveiled its preliminary findings into the crash earlier in the day.

The findings noted that, over the last 2½ years, there have been 85 near misses or close calls at Reagan National. Close calls were identified as incidents when there are less than 200 feet of vertical separation and 1,500 feet of lateral separation between aircraft.

VP VANCE CALLS ON US ‘TO DO A BETTER JOB’ WITH AVIATION SAFETY AFTER ‘INCREDIBLY HEARTBREAKING’ DC PLANE CRASH

Appearing shocked at the findings, Duffy questioned how the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) did not know about the "hot spot," where near misses happen frequently.

"We’re having near misses, and if we don’t change our way, we’re going to lose lives," he said. "That wasn’t done. Maybe there was a focus on something other than safety, but in this administration, we are focusing on safety."

The FAA has deployed AI tools to sift through data and find additional hot spots in U.S. airspace near airports to find similar situations to what has been happening at Reagan National.

REAGAN NATIONAL AIRPORT CRASH: MILITARY BLACK HAWK HELICOPTER COLLIDES MIDAIR WITH AMERICAN AIRLINES JET

Once the hot spots are identified, Duffy’s team will implement changes to reduce the close encounters between aircraft.

Duffy also said he has learned that air traffic control systems across the country are 25 to 30 years old, and some of them even use floppy disks as if they were stuck in the 1980s.

While the system is antiquated, the secretary stressed it was safe. Despite the system being safe, Duffy said it needs to be upgraded.

"This should have happened four years ago, 10 years ago, 15 years ago," he said. "But, right now, we’re at a point where we can actually do it. And we can do it really fast."

NTSB CALLS FOR BAN ON SOME HELICOPTER ROUTES NEAR REAGAN AIRPORT AFTER MIDAIR COLLISION THAT KILLED 67 PEOPLE

Duffy said the task could take up to four years to complete.

The job entails bringing in a brand-new air traffic control system, switching from copper wires to a combination of fiber, wireless and satellite systems.

The current radar system from the 1970s or early 1980s works, but Duffy wants to put state-of-the-art radar in place and terminals with the right screens and the best technology.

'GATE LICE' RUN-INS HAVE FLYERS DEMANDING MORE AIRLINES 'CRACK DOWN' ON PESKY TRAVEL TREND

"We’re going to deploy resources for runway safety — new technology that will allow our air traffic controllers not to use binoculars in the tower to see where aircraft are at, but to actually have ground radar sensors at our airports that will allow air traffic controllers to see where airplanes are at," he said. 

"We've heard a lot of new stories of just near misses on the tarmac. And how do you alleviate that? Take away the binoculars and give them technology so they can see on their screens where every aircraft is located.

"By doing this, we are going to greatly improve our safety in the system." 

Technology, on the other hand, is not cheap, which the secretary acknowledged.

In an environment in which the Department of Government Efficiency is looking for ways to cut costs and save money, Duffy explained making upgrades in the name of safety is worth the investment.

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Over the next couple of weeks, Duffy said, he plans to introduce his plan to Congress and take in their feedback.

Once he goes through the feedback, Duffy said he plans to return to Congress and ask for the money up front to expedite the process of upgrading the air traffic control systems.

"It’s not that the FAA didn’t want to do the upgrades," he said. "It just takes too long. So, they have to give us the money. We’re going to later lay out our plan to actually do it really quickly."

President Donald Trump announced his nomination of Michael George DeSombre to serve as the next U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and the Pacific.

Trump made the announcement on Tuesday, posting on Truth Social that DeSombre served during the president’s first term as the ambassador to the Kingdom of Thailand.

DeSombre is a partner at Sullivan Cromwell, where he leads mergers and acquisitions in Asia.

He also graduated from Harvard Law School. Additionally, DeSombre attended Stanford University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in quantitative economics, and master’s degree in East Asian Studies.

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"I know Michael will work incredibly hard for our country," Trump wrote.

The president also announced that he has tapped Paolo Zampolli to serve as special envoy for global partnerships.

Trump said Zampolli’s extensive experience working with the United Nations, Kennedy Center, and various international initiatives will help the Trump administration advance America’s interests on the global stage.

TRUMP ANNOUNCES US AMBASSADOR NOMINATIONS THAT INCLUDE MAYOR OF MICHIGAN CITY

Trump announced that he has chosen Dearborn Heights, Michigan, Mayor Bill Bazzi to serve as the U.S. ambassador to the Republic of Tunisia, as well.

Bazzi, Trump wrote, is a decorated U.S. Marine who served the country for 21 years.

He also worked as a quality manager at Boeing and a product development engineer at Ford Motor Company.

NEW BOOK DETAILS SECURITY LAPSES AHEAD OF TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT: 'CLEAR THERE WAS A PROBLEM'

After working at Ford for 22 years, Bazzi took an early retirement to serve as the mayor of Dearborn Heights.

"Bazzi worked hard during the 2024 Presidential Election to help us secure our Historic Victory, and I look forward to seeing the great things he will accomplish for our Nation," Trump wrote on Truth. "Congratulations Bill!"

In one more post, Trump announced that Dr. Anji Sinha is his pick to serve as the U.S. ambassador to Singapore, calling her "a highly respected entrepreneur with an incredible family."

"The United States’ relationship with Singapore is vital, and I have no doubt that Anji will strongly represent our Nation’s Interests, and put America First," the president wrote on Truth. "Congratulations Anji!"

California's Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom claimed that his office had never used the term "Latinx" during a recent interview, but a Fox News Digital review found this claim to be false.

"By the way, not one person ever in my office has ever used the word Latinx," Newsom said in his viral podcast episode with Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk. 

"I just didn’t even know where it came from. What are people talking about?" he added.

But posts from the governor and official documentation from his office pour cold water on this claim.

DYLAN MULVANEY REACTS TO GAVIN NEWSOM'S REMARKS ON TRANS ATHLETES PARTICIPATING IN WOMEN'S SPORTS

In an X post from 2019, Newsom tweeted the term in reference to a study on childhood poverty on his official government account.

On his personal account, the California Democrat used the term when discussing the COVID-19 pandemic.

"#COVID19 disproportionately impacts the Latinx community," he tweeted. "Rising rates in the Central Valley are concerning. CA is making $52M available to increase testing, contact tracing and quarantine efforts, and sending strike teams to 4 counties with increased cases and hospitalizations."

In 2023, he said that the Republican Party has "politicians that are banning not assault rifles, but the word Latinx."

Brooks Allen, Education Policy Advisor to the Governor, used "Latinx" in a 2023 letter about the state's Ethnic Studies model.

"The model is grounded in the foundational curricular areas of the ethnic studies tradition – African American Studies, Native American Studies, Asian/Pacific Islander American Studies, and Latinx American Studies," he wrote at the time.

NEWSOM CHANGES TONE ON TRUMP FROM CAMPAIGN RHETORIC WITH FEDERAL WILDFIRE RECOVERY FUNDS AT STAKE

The term has also come up in official press releases and documentation from Newsom’s office. In Oct. 2020, it was used to promote a conversation the governor had with singer Becky G about the "youth vote" that was posted to the official governor’s office website. 

A month prior, it was used in a news release on bills related to small businesses in the midst of the pandemic.

"Minority-owned businesses are disproportionately impacted: the number of active businesses owned by African-Americans dropped by 41%, Latinx by 32%, Asians by 25%, and immigrants by 36%," the release stated.

The term was used again in 2021 when it came to addressing learning gaps related to pandemic school closures.

"The campaign will reach out to parents in areas hardest hit by the pandemic – especially Latinx, African American, Asian American and Pacific Islander parents of school-aged children – with $25 million from AB 86 to support the safe opening of schools during the next fiscal year," it stated.

NEWSOM'S 'UNFAIR' REMARK ON GIRLS' SPORTS BELIES RECORD AS GOVERNOR: 'ABSOLUTE BULLS---'

It’s also used on the governor’s web page for First Partner Jennifer Seibel Newsom’s "Farm to School" effort.

"Today, over 2 million children in California do not have access to healthy, whole foods, with Black and Latinx children reporting food insecurity twice that of children in white households," the website states.

On the Governor’s Council for Career Education website, it uses the term on its "Research Findings Summary" page. A former education policy associate for Newsom, who currently serves as his assistant deputy cabinet secretary, said "Latinx" in a 2021 X post.

"Economic recovery with higher education that is more equitable, resilient and coordinated to improve outcomes for Black, Latinx, API, Indigenous and Adult learner students who disproportionately are denied access and impacted by the pandemic," Michael Wiafe said.

A spokesperson for Newsom's office told Fox News Digital that "Latinx" is "not a term that is widely used in his Administration. Some staff have used it from time to time."

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The term is considered widely unpopular among Latinos and Hispanics and even offensive in some cases, according to NBC News. 

A Pew Research Center study from 2024 determined that 51% of Hispanic American adults were unfamiliar with the term "Latinx" and only 4% actually say the term, which proponents say is meant to be a gender-neutral alternative to Latino.

Democratic New York Rep. Tom Suozzi said Tuesday that there is a catastrophe brewing for the country's aging population, and he wants to do something about it.

Alongside Republican Rep. John Moolenaar, Suozzi introduced the "Well-Being Insurance for Seniors to be at Home Act" on Tuesday, which seeks to help more of the country's increasingly older population obtain long-term home care insurance.

"Currently, 10,000 Americans every day are turning 65-years-old," Suozzi told reporters during a press call on Tuesday, and, in five years, 6,000 Americans will turn 85 every day. Suozzi also noted that right now, only about 4% of seniors are covered by long-term care insurance.

AGING MAY SPEED UP IN AREAS WITH EXTREME HEAT, RESEARCH SUGGESTS

"One of the main causes of people becoming homeless — new homeless people — is turning 80 years old, because a lot of people are becoming destitute as they get old, and they face what are called, ‘Their inability to conduct daily activities of living,'" Suozzi said. "And right now, very few people have long-term care insurance, and people will end up going into nursing homes. And not only can the nursing homes not handle this volume of people, but the Medicaid system will go bust, and two thirds of the people in America that are in nursing homes are paid for with Medicaid."

In addition to the increasingly growing senior population in the U.S., Suozzi also cited societal factors that are making it harder for aging and disabled seniors to receive the at-home care they need. One is the fact that Americans are having fewer kids, so there will be fewer of them to take care of their aging or disabled parents. Another was the fact that kids are increasingly moving to other parts of the country away from their parents, again increasing the burden for seniors to figure things out on their own.

"There's a lot of people becoming senior citizens right now because the baby boomers, there's less kids available to take care of them, and the kids that are alive don't necessarily live where their parents live. So we've got this big perfect storm brewing, and Medicaid will never be able to solve this problem," according to Suozzi. "And nursing homes — there's just not enough nursing homes. There's not enough money to pay for the nursing homes for all these people. So my legislation is designed to try and encourage the private sector to create long-term care insurance that is affordable."

DEMS WEAPONIZE MEDICAID ANXIETY IN BID TO TAKE DOWN TRUMP-BACKED FEDERAL FUNDING PLAN

Known by its acronym, WISH, Suozzi and Moolenaar's new bill seeks to create a federal "Catastrophic Care Fund" that will help cover some of the cost-burden of long-term care. The goal is to encourage private insurers to develop and market affordable and accessible long-term care insurance, which, overtime, they have ceased providing more broadly. The reason, Suozzi said, is it was just not profitable enough for them, as most seniors with long-term care insurance were outliving their expected life terms and costing insurance companies a lot of money as a result.

Suozzi likened his new plan to Medicare Part B, another similar cost-sharing program that has pushed insurers to incentivize customers to enroll. Seniors would be able to benefit from the newly created fund on a tiered basis, according to each person's income level.

MEASLES MORE LIKELY TO BE SEVERE AMONG MALNOURISHED, RFK SAYS

The Democrat lawmaker pointed out how the WISH Act will help reduce the cost burden of federal healthcare programs like Medicare and Medicaid, which can help pay for the fund. He also suggested a payment plan involving an increased income tax shared by both employees and employers, but Suozzi noted that plan was unlikely to get the GOP support necessary. Another potential payment option for the new long-term care fund could stem from reforms to Social Security, the congressman added.

Besides the "perfect storm" that is brewing for seniors, a second storm is also brewing on Capitol Hill right now in regard to how to fund the federal government. Republicans are ramping up reconciliation efforts and, as part of that framework, they are looking for roughly $800 billion in Medicaid cuts. While the Wish Act could help lower the amount of necessary cuts during reconciliation, Suozzi said he feared it was too tight of a window to get enough lawmakers on board. 

"I guess there's an argument that it could go in there, if we could demonstrate between now and then that it'll be a big savings in Medicaid," Suozzi told reporters. "I see this is taking the full term of getting people educated about the issue, getting more people interested in the issue, and getting senior advocacy groups and private insurers to advocate on behalf of this idea. So it's not going to happen on its own. It will have to be part of something bigger, but not, I think, until we've educated people about the seriousness of the issue."

EXCLUSIVE: Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears released the first ad directly confronting her Democratic opponent, former U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, Tuesday.

The ad intends to link Spanberger, who formerly represented Washington exurbs around Fredericksburg, Culpeper and King George, to an uptick in violent crimes committed by illegal immigrants in an otherwise safe region.

The ad opens with TV news clips reporting the arrest of a Honduran national charged with "abduction with intent to defile and rape," after he allegedly robbed and assaulted a woman on the popular W&OD Rail Trail near John Foster Dulles International Airport.

"He was found guilty of a separate sex crime just days earlier, but he was released 25 days early," one reporter is heard saying.

SEARS ANNOUNCES GOV BID TO BUILD ON YOUNGKIN RECORD: ‘IT’S ALL ABOUT BUSINESS'

The ad then plays a montage of clips and commentary on similar incidents in Loudoun, Fairfax and Arlington counties from reporters, including Fox News’ Laura Ingraham.

The ad then shifts to focusing on Spanberger, depicting former President Joe Biden, whom Republicans accuse of engineering a lax border policy, calling her "a friend."

A clip of CNN Capitol Hill reporter Manu Raju appears, with the reporter saying Spanberger "seems to be to the left of Joe Biden."

"I consider myself to be a progressive," Spanberger says in a clip.

"No, I do not support the border wall," she says in another.

Earle-Sears said Spanberger "voted for open borders, voted for sanctuary cities, voted our schools to be turned into shelters for these illegal criminal elements, and we’re not having that."

A Spanberger spokesperson called the ad a "distraction attempt" that is coming from a "campaign facing a heated, messy Republican primary."

Earle-Sears faces former state Del. David LaRock of Berryville and former state Sen. Amanda Chase of Colonial Heights in the GOP primary.

VA LT GOV DENOUNCES RACIALLY-CHARGED AP TEST QUESTIONS

"Abigail is a former CIA case officer and federal law enforcement officer who has defended our country from terrorism, tracked cartels and arrested criminals," the spokesperson said. 

"And as a member of Congress, she led bipartisan bills that were signed into law by both President Trump and President Biden to disrupt fentanyl trafficking at our ports of entry, combat Mexican cartels and secure our borders," the spokesperson added. "She understands the security threats facing Virginia families. And as the next governor of Virginia, she will use her experience to help keep Virginians safe and crack down on violent offenders."

Peyton Vogel, a spokesperson for Earle-Sears, countered that Spanberger supported "reckless immigration policies that have made Virginia less safe."

"She voted against deporting illegal immigrants convicted of violent crimes, putting politics ahead of public safety. The consequences of her decisions are devastating — real families, real victims and real tragedies that could have been prevented," Vogel said.

A pollster recently interviewed by the Washington Examiner about what is one of only two governors races this year — the other being New Jersey — indicated Earle-Sears is faring better among Republicans than Spanberger is among Democrats.

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The pollster, Brett Buchanan of Cygnal, also told the outlet President Donald Trump’s return to office is influencing the race.

Since Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s unexpected victory over former Gov. Terry McAuliffe in 2021, Virginia voters have consistently favored Democrats in every major race.

The left now narrowly controls the Richmond legislature by a two-vote margin in each chamber, and Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine soundly defeated Republican challenger Hung Cao in November statewide.

Trump also lost Virginia by about six points, but supporters have said he successfully narrowed the typical gap in both "blue" 2025 gubernatorial contest states, a purported sign of GOP resurgence.

Youngkin’s win was influenced by the public safety issue, especially in the Northern Virginia counties Earle-Sears highlighted in her ad. 

Youngkin also spent a lot of time campaigning 400 to 500 miles on the other side of the commonwealth in its southwestern counties, like Lee, Dickenson and Wise, which are sparsely populated but heavily Republican.

An illegal immigrant from Lebanon who admitted to being a member of the Hezbollah terror group network is slated to be deported a year after being caught and released into the country under former President Joe Biden's watch.

Basel Bassel Ebbadi, 22, was captured by border agents in El Paso, Texas, on March 9, 2024 and immediately held in federal custody. He reportedly told investigators he was going to travel to New York and make a bomb and that his training with the Iran-backed terror network was focused on "jihad" and "killing people that was not Muslim."

Ebbadi apparently told investigators he had an interest in leaving the group because he "didn’t want to kill people," though he added that "once you’re in, you can never get out."

NOEM SENDS MESSAGE TO THOSE CONSIDERING ENTERING US ILLEGALLY: ‘DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT'

Nevertheless, Ebbadi was placed in isolation and referred to the Tactical Terrorism Response Team (TTRT) after allegedly making "terroristic threats to personnel."

"If an individual poses a potential threat to national security or public safety, we deny admission, detain, remove, or refer them to other federal agencies for further vetting, investigation and/or prosecution as appropriate," a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol spokesperson told Fox News Digital at the time. 

After illegally entering the United States, Ebbadi was convicted of entering the country illegally and sentenced to five months in federal prison on April 26, the New York Post reported. 

DHS SECRETARY NOEM APPEARS TO ACCUSE ‘CORRUPT’ FBI OF LEAKING LA ICE RAIDS

He was finally ordered deported by an immigration judge on Jan. 13 after serving his sentence. Upon entering the U.S., he claimed his documents were stolen somewhere in Costa Rica. 

Under the Biden administration, border authorities released 400 suspected terrorists crossing into the U.S. illegally through the southern border, according to the Post. In January 2024, ICE arrested a member of the Somali al-Shabaab terrorist group.

The unidentified suspect entered the U.S. illegally before being caught and released by border authorities in California. The person lived free for nearly a year before being caught in Minnesota. 

Among the measures implemented to strengthen the border, the Trump administration has halted the catch-and-release policy that allowed millions of illegal immigrants into the country under Biden's watch. 

Washington Attorney General Nick Brown is suing a county sheriff’s office in his state for "illegally collaborating" with federal officials and the Trump administration to enforce immigration law.

Brown’s lawsuit, which was filed in Spokane County Superior Court, claims that the Adams County Sheriff’s Office’s holding of illegal immigrants in custody based on their immigration status, helping federal agents question people in custody and "routinely" sharing personal confidential information of Washington residents with federal officials "expressly violates state law."

The suit cites a 2019 law called the Keep Washington Working Act, which prohibits law enforcement in the state from providing aid in immigration enforcement. Brown is asking the court to force the Adams County Sheriff’s Office, led by Sheriff Dale Wagner, to comply with the Keep Washington Working Act.

"Washington has the right and the responsibility to decide for itself how to use its own resources to keep residents safe and the economy strong," the lawsuit says. "The State cannot stand by when elected officials publicly boast that they are breaking state law and putting their own communities at risk."

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In a statement released by Brown’s office on Monday, the office said that almost all the sheriffs’ departments in the state are complying with the Keep Washington Working Act, except for a very select few.

"The Adams County Sheriff’s Office is illegally collaborating with federal immigration officials and aiding the Trump administration’s efforts to enlist local officials for federal civil immigration work," the office said. "The lawsuit is to enforce the Keep Washington Working Act. The act is based on a simple premise that it is not the job of state law enforcement, county sheriffs, or local police departments in Washington to enforce federal immigration law."

CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE

Brown claimed in the statement that "late last year Adams County was engaged in good faith settlement negotiations with our office," but "after the inauguration of Donald Trump, the county and its Sheriff’s Office suddenly hardened their stance, broke off settlement talks, and aligned themselves with an organization founded by a top Trump aide who is among the most virulent anti-immigrant voices in the administration."

YOUNG FATHER KILLED BY ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT HIGHLIGHTS 'BETRAYAL' OF SANCTUARY CITIES, SAYS REPUBLICAN

Said organization – a group called "America First Legal" – is a conservative law firm founded by Stephen Miller, a senior adviser to President Donald Trump during his first term.

In a Feb. 26 statement released by America First Legal, the law firm said it was "taking action to defend Adams County, Washington, against the unlawful and abusive effort by Washington state officials to enforce illegal and dangerous sanctuary laws and policies and compel Adams County to violate federal immigration laws."

"Federal law is clear: it is a crime to conceal, harbor, or shield illegal aliens, and it is a crime to prevent federal officials from discharging their duties. It is also against federal law to prevent local officials from communicating with DHS about the immigration status of individuals," said America First Legal Senior Counsel James Rogers.

"Our nation’s immigration laws reflect the democratic will of the people, and it is outrageous that the State of Washington has been working to subvert it while at the same time facilitating the invasion of our country," he went on. "It is even more disgraceful that the State of Washington would target one of its own counties because the officials there have the courage to follow the law and have been cooperating with ICE to help keep our country safe." 

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

Here's what's happening…

-AOC slapped with ethics complaint over 'troubling expenses' made to dance company

-US judge orders Trump administration to pay 'unlawfully' restricted USAID funds

-The Hitchhiker's Guide to the House voting to avoid a government shutdown today

Vice President JD Vance told House Republicans that putting a government funding bill up for a vote today was critical to President Donald Trump keeping the lights on for his border security goals and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Two lawmakers present at the closed-door meeting on Tuesday morning said DOGE and the border were part of Vance's pitch to Republicans who were still undecided about the bill.

One lawmaker said Vance also signaled that future federal spending cuts could be on the table at a later date, a similar pitch House Freedom Caucus leaders have been making to fellow fiscal conservatives…Read more

TRUMP VS COURTS: Who is Judge Amir Ali? The Biden-appointed federal judge at the center of Trump's USAID battle 

'BACK TO BASICS': Top Trump agency scraps memos pushing 'equity initiatives'

'SWIFT AND UNRELENTING': Trump's top accomplishments 50 days into his return to the Oval Office

'PSYCHICAL PHENOMENON': Trump energy chief declares climate change a 'global physical phenomenon' amid reversal of Biden-era policies

'GREAT AMERICAN': Trump says he will buy a Tesla to support Elon Musk and his 'baby'

BIG CHANGE$: China 'ripping off' American businesses — but the DOJ can fight them, GOP lawmaker says

GOING BACK TO RUSSIA: Trump envoy heading to Russia for second time later this week, source says

'COMMUNIST REGIME': Romania's now-barred presidential frontrunner Călin Georgescu claims he is facing Trump-like charges

FIRST ON FOX: U.S. continues to share data to protect Ukrainians against Russian strikes, despite intel pause: sources

LAND LINE: Dem seeks to halt Trump from 'invading' Greenland, Canada and Panama

SCOOP: Key House Freedom Caucus member 'seriously considering' run for governor in 2026

'DEFENDING FREEDOM': Mark Kelly accuses Trump of 'trying to weaken Ukraine's hand,' responds to Elon Musk branding him a 'traitor'

HEATING UP: GOP lawmakers take crucial step to 'unlock' American energy to reverse Biden-era 'disaster'

'RACIST AND DEROGATORY': House Dem pushes to censure Boebert over TV interview about Al Green

FLIP FLOP: Video of Dems railing against past shutdowns unveiled by GOP

'HE SHOULD BE PRIMARIED': Trump pledges to 'lead the charge' against Rep. Massie, likens him to Liz Cheney

BAD DOGE: Dems threatening government shutdown over Elon Musk hate, Republicans say

NOT PLAYING GAMES: Risch, GOP lawmakers demand Olympic committee comply with Trump order to ban trans athletes in women's sports

MAGA FOR MEDICAID?: Trump voter dons MAGA hat in warning to House Republicans against Medicaid cuts

'ABSOLUTE BULLS---': Newsom's 'unfair' remark on girls' sports belies record as governor

CHIPS ACT: Kamala Harris roasted for trying to tie love of Doritos to Big Tech innovation during AI conference

MAJOR ENDORSEMENT: Top conservative group aligns with Trump as it makes major endorsement in high-profile race

PULLING THE PLUG: DOGE and agencies cancel 200,000 federal government credit cards

DOGE IN THE DISTRICT: GOP spending bill would force DC to cut $1B from city government, officials say

'UNUSUAL SECRECY': Judge rules DOGE likely subject to public records requests, says department operating in 'unusual secrecy'

'JUST THE BEGINNING': Abbey Gate terrorist, human smuggling ring leaders, cartel bosses among Bondi DOJ's first-month successes

SACRAMENTO SWEEPS: Former Rep. Katie Porter joins crowded California governor's race

FOLLOW THE MONEY: 'He cannot buy an election here in Wisconsin': Sanders slams Musk in state Trump won by less than 1%

NATIONAL SECURITY CONCERN: Rubio reserves the right to revoke green card or visa of anti-Israel activist Mahmoud Khalil

NON-ESSENTIAL': Pentagon gives civilian employees a $1 limit on their travel credit cards

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

FIRST ON FOX: The House Freedom Caucus could force a vote on a bill to strip Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, of his committee assignments if Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., does not announce a punishment for the Democrat that conservatives see as sufficient.

"He will see what he deems appropriate, and then if that's adequate, that's fine," House Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris, D-Md., told Fox News Digital. "If not, then we likely will file our privileged resolution to strip him of his committees."

Freedom Caucus members told Fox News Digital that the group was in touch with Johnson's office about the issue.

The conservative caucus threatened to file a resolution to remove Green from all committees last week after his disruption during President Donald Trump's speech to Congress. 

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The protest got the Texas Democrat thrown out of the House chamber minutes after the address began.

"We're gonna ask what Mike Johnson wants to do moving forward. We talked about a lot of things, but different people had different thoughts. But I guess what weighed on our minds is, he said he's going to do it again," Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., told Fox News Digital. "My one thing, that kind of action needs consequences."

Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., said, "There's all sorts of options, and I don't think any of them have been decided upon yet."

Green was censured in a 224 to 198 vote on Thursday morning after repeatedly disrupting the beginning of Trump's primetime speech.

He shouted, "You have no mandate to cut Medicaid!" at Trump and shook his cane in the air as the president touted Republican victories in the House, Senate and White House. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., after giving a warning, had Green removed from the chamber

The 77-year-old Democrat was unrepentant, posting on X on Thursday afternoon, "Today, the House GOP censured me for speaking out for the American people against [Trump's] plan to cut Medicaid. I accept the consequences of my actions, but I refuse to stay silent in the face of injustice."

But members of the House Freedom Caucus want to go further, floating everything from fining Green to making good on their resolution threat.

Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., told Fox News Digital he didn't want to give the Green issue "any more oxygen" but suggested a suitable punishment would be stripping the Texas lawmaker of any seniority privileges. 

"No seniority on offices, no seniority on parking spots, on committees – all of that," Burlison described.

TOP 5 MOMENTS FROM TRUMP'S ADDRESS TO JOINT SESSION OF CONGRESS

Meanwhile, Green's House Democratic allies briefly plunged the House floor into chaos after the censure vote. They crowded Green as he stood ready for Johnson to read out the censure, another formal part of the process, and sang "We shall overcome."

Johnson was forced to pause House floor proceedings after trying and failing multiple times to call the Democrats to order.,

Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., another Freedom Caucus member, filed a resolution in response to strip all the offending Democrats from their committees.

Harris and Clyde signaled the current discussions with leadership were focused on Green alone, however.

"No one [else] waved a cane at the president and didn't accept…having a censure resolution read without interruption," Harris said.

Clyde added, "And nobody else had to be thrown out."

Johnson, for his part, confirmed in an interview on Fox News on Friday that he was in talks with the House Freedom Caucus on a punishment for Green.

"I talked to Freedom Caucus members and other Republicans who are deeply concerned about this," Johnson told "Outnumbered." "They say we have to restore control one way or the other and there need to be real consequences, and it's something that we'll be looking at early next week."

Green currently serves on the House Financial Services Committee, where he is the top Democrat on the subcommittee for oversight.

Fox News Digital reached out to representatives for Johnson and Green for comment but did not immediately hear back.

House Republicans passed a federal funding bill backed by President Donald Trump largely on their own Tuesday.

It also marked one of the rare occasions in recent memory that a majority of House Democrats voted against a bill that would prevent a government shutdown.

The bill passed largely along partisan lines. 

The measure, a short-term extension of fiscal year (FY) 2024 funding known as a continuing resolution (CR), will now head to the Senate. It must pass there and get to Trump's desk before the end of Friday, March 14, to avert a partial shutdown.

DEMOCRATS PRIVATELY REBUKE PARTY MEMBERS WHO JEERED TRUMP DURING SPEECH TO CONGRESS: REPORT

In a major victory for Trump and House GOP leaders, however, several House Republicans who professed to never have voted for a CR supported the current bill.

Among them was Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., who fully credited Trump with his decision to "barely" support the bill.

"The ‘barely’ is Donald Trump," Burlison said. "He is the difference maker. I would never support this language, but I do trust Donald Trump."

Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., was in a similar boat. He told reporters, "I'll be the first guy to tell you I don't like CRs. I've never voted for one."

"But the Democrats aren't going to help us. And the Democrats are just going to put any shutdown on the president, which obviously isn't good for for the party," Steube said. "So I think it's important that we give the party, the president and the conference time to come up with a good budget."

It includes an additional $8 billion in defense dollars in an apparent bid to ease national security hawks' concerns, while non-defense spending that Congress annually appropriates would decrease by about $13 billion.

There's also an added $6 billion for healthcare for veterans.

TOP CONSERVATIVE GROUP VOWS TO WORK CLOSELY WITH PRESIDENT AFTER PAST CLASHES WITH TRUMP

The White House has requested additional spending in areas that were not present in the last government funding extension, known as "anomalies."

Among the anomalies are some added funding for the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) federal benefits program, and nearly $1 billion to aid with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportations.

There is also some added funding for defense in a bid to ease national security hawks' concerns, and about $13 billion in cuts to non-defense spending.

Protesters against Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency rallied outside the Department of Education Tuesday and held a moment of appreciation and applause for the federal agency, which is rumored to be next on the chopping block.

The protesters, many of them former Education Department officials, chanted, "This is what democracy looks like" and held signs saying, "Boycott Tesla!," "Elon don’t rob kids" and "No DOGE no kings."  

After the protest, FOX Business Senior Correspondent Charles Gasparino posted on X that he had reviewed an email from education department officials telling employees they would have to vacate the agency's offices by 6 p.m. Tuesday and that the offices would remain closed Wednesday. 

He also reported that "employees have been receiving multiple emails alerting them of massive cuts in the workforce and opportunities to tap into buyouts and severance."

LAWSUIT TRACKER: NEW RESISTANCE BATTLING TRUMP'S SECOND TERM THROUGH ONSLAUGHT OF LAWSUITS TAKING AIM AT EOS

Rally speakers railed against the Trump administration’s planned cuts to the department and instead called for more funding. At one point, organizers had attendees turn to face the department building and clap for the federal workers inside.

President Donald Trump is expected to issue an executive order directing Education Secretary Linda McMahon to "take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Education Department" based on "the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law," according to a draft of the order reported by The Wall Street Journal.

The draft order says the "the experiment of controlling American education through Federal programs and dollars — and the unaccountable bureaucrats those programs and dollars support — has failed our children, our teachers, and our families."

Trump has long talked about dismantling the Department of Education, saying it has failed America's students. 

"It’s a big con job," the president said in November. "They ranked the top countries in the world. We’re ranked No. 40, but we’re ranked No. 1 in one department, cost per pupil. So, we spend more per pupil than any other country in the world, but we’re ranked No. 40."

SC SUPERINTENDENT BACKS TRUMP EDUCATION PLAN: 'FEDERAL SHACKLES FOR FAR TOO LONG'

However, the protesters, who stood outside the Education Department headquarters in Washington, D.C., claimed dismantling the agency "will lead to children and families being hurt."

"This cut in funding is the opposite of what we should be doing. We should be providing more federal funding for these services for these kids, not less," one protester, a former Education Department employee, told Fox News Digital.

She said her biggest worry was that DOGE cuts would make students "suffer" and also affect after-school programs such as special programs and English courses for immigrant children. 

"We're going to be going back to the 1800s, the early 1900s, when special ed kids can't get services, when English learners can't learn English. This is an outrage," she said.

LOUISIANA SURGES 11 SPOTS ON NATION'S REPORT CARD FOR GAINS IN READING, MATH SCORES

Another former federal employee at the rally told Fox News Digital that "seeing all these employees laid off right now breaks our heart," and "we really have to speak up for what's been done to the federal government."

One of the rally speakers, Rebecca Pringle, president of the National Education Association, pointed out that, on its own, the Trump administration does not have the authority to close the Education Department. Fully abolishing the department would require 60 votes in the Senate, requiring cooperation from Democrats.

Pringle told Fox News Digital her group is organizing a series of national walk-in protests for March 19 to hold Congress members "accountable."

HOUSE EDUCATION CHAIR BACKS TRUMP MOVE TO ABOLISH FEDERAL AGENCY

"Educators all over this country are rising up, and they're saying, no. … We will not stand by while this administration focuses on giving tax cuts to billionaires who already have more, when we know our students need more," said Pringle. 

Speaking directly to Trump and Musk, Katie Gates, an activist with the political activism group Voters of Tomorrow, told Fox News Digital her message to the administration is, "Please stop. Just don’t do it."

"You might think that you're making government more efficient, or you're getting rid of the deep state or whatever. But, like I said, this has far-ranging impacts on kids, on parents, on communities, on schools," she said. "Sometimes efficiency isn’t the highest value. Sometimes it's support. Sometimes it's learning."

Fox News Digital reporter Louis Casiano contributed to this report.

Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins has been steadfast in his commitment to shake up the department. And, despite firing at least 2,400 employees, Collins pledges to maintain the VA’s commitment to preserving and improving healthcare benefits for veterans. 

"VA's biggest problem is that its bureaucracy and inefficiencies are getting in the way of customer convenience and service to veterans. As I have said before, we owe American veterans and hundreds of thousands of amazing employees solutions. And mark my words, that is what we will deliver," Collins said in a video posted on X last week. 

Collins said the VA dismissals are part of President Donald Trump’s commitment to making government more efficient and effective, in conjunction with Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The VA announced that last month's personnel moves will save more than $83 million annually, and they will "redirect all of those resources back toward health care, benefits and services for VA beneficiaries."

Collins, who has faced criticism for his proposed 15% workforce reduction, confirmed the VA’s goal to cut 80,000 jobs during a "Fox & Friends" interview with Brian Kilmeade on Monday. 

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS CUTTING MORE THAN 1,400 EMPLOYEES IN ANOTHER ROUND OF DISMISSALS

"Please, before Democrats or anybody else start on this path, this is going to be a deliberative process that's going to take some time that's going to include career VA employees. It's going to include senior executives. It's going to include all across, even bringing in people if need be, to take a look at: are we being efficient?" Collins told Kilmeade. 

MARK KELLY ACCUSES TRUMP OF 'TRYING TO WEAKEN' UKRAINE, FIRES BACK AT ELON MUSK FOR BRANDING HIM A 'TRAITOR'

Collins has shut down criticism from the mainstream media and Democrats who have slammed VA cuts, reminding Kilmeade on Monday that operational issues have long plagued the VA. 

"Let's all agree on something that for the past 10 years, the GAO has reported that the VA healthcare has been at a high-risk. In other words, they're on the high-risk list for not only the possibility of fraud, waste and abuse, but also in patient quality, patient care. This has been going on for 10 years. It's interesting to me that they're looking at wait times. These are things that have preceded me coming in. I've been here for weeks, but it's interesting that there's no solutions being proposed," Collins said. 

Veterans have reported poor healthcare conditions at the VA for decades, including long wait times, delayed care, slow processing times and corruption. While the Trump administration’s VA has only investigated 2% of their contracts so far, Collins said they have already identified 600 non-mission-critical or duplicate agreements to save almost $1 billion. Collins said that money can be re-invested into making "changes that actually help our veterans."

"The money we're saving by eliminating non-mission critical and duplicative contracts is money we're going to redirect to veterans facing healthcare benefits and services, resulting in massive improvements in customer service and convenience. Improving services to the veterans is exactly why the VA exists. That is what everyone – Congress, the media and VA employees – should be focused on," Collins said. 

Collins has emphasized there will be no cuts to healthcare or benefits for veterans. 

"We're going to accomplish this without making cuts to healthcare or benefits to veterans and VA beneficiaries. VA will always fulfill its duty to provide veterans, families, caregivers and survivors the healthcare and benefits they have earned. That's a promise. And while we conduct our review, VA will continue to hire for more than 300,000 mission-critical positions to ensure healthcare and benefits for VA beneficiaries are not impacted," Collins said. 

Despite Collins’ reassurances, Democrats have slammed the Trump administration and DOGE for VA cuts. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., led a press conference with fellow Democrats on the issue last week at the U.S. Capitol. 

"Why lay off veterans? I mean, 30% of the federal workforce is veterans, including a lot of people who've been laid off at the CFPB. Can you at least show some compassion to veterans?" Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., told Fox News Digital following a meeting with Consumer Financial Protection Bureau employees who were impacted by federal workforce reductions. 

"They're going to gut the Department of Veterans Affairs, jeopardizing the health and well-being of millions of veterans," Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said at a rally in Wisconsin on Friday. 

"Cutting the VA and some of the proposals I've seen are going to hurt service to veterans. So let's agree that that's a bad idea. Bipartisan. It's a bad idea to do that," Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., told NBC’s "Meet the Press" on Sunday. 

"I go to the VA myself, so I see every day the waiting lists, the long lines to get care, how long it takes to get an appointment. All of that is going to get worse," Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., told MSNBC on Saturday. 

Veterans have been speaking out against the proposed VA cuts as well. Veterans are organizing a protest against VA cuts and "Project 2025" on Friday, March 14, in Washington, D.C., and at state capitals across the country. 

VoteVets, a progressive political action committee, released a memo last week outlining the "extensive damage in the department’s ability to process and pay out benefits." However, Collins said firing nonessential employees and reevaluating contracts is how the Trump administration is "finally going to give the veterans what they want."

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"The VA has been a punching bag among veterans, Congress and the media for decades. Things need to change. We owe America's veterans and the hundreds and thousands of excellent VA employees solutions. For many years, veterans have been asking for a more efficient, accountable and transparent VA. This administration is finally going to give the veterans what they want," Collins said. 

Department of Education staff are slated to receive "reduction in force" notices Tuesday ahead of nearly half of its staff getting terminated, Fox News Digital learned. 

Personnel with the Education Department are set to receive "reduction in force" notices Tuesday evening, a source familiar told Fox News Digital Tuesday afternoon. The department will see nearly half of its staff eliminated. 

Earlier Tuesday, a memo was sent to all Education Department employees informing them that Department of Education offices will be closed Tuesday evening through Wednesday due to "security reasons." Employees were instructed to leave the offices by 6 p.m. Eastern Time Tuesday. 

President Donald Trump repeatedly has said he would like to see the states hold control over individual education systems, including campaigning on the issue ahead of the 2024 election. 

DRAFT OF TRUMP ORDER SEEKS TO ELIMINATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION: REPORT

"I want to close up Department of Education, move education back to the states," Trump said in August 2024, while noting left-wing states such as California could struggle if he does eliminate the Department of Education. "Of the 50 (states), I would bet that 35 would do great. And 15 of them, or, you know, 20 of them, will be as good as Norway. You know, Norway is considered great." 

RANDI WEINGARTEN SAYS QUIET PART OUT LOUD: FEARS ED DEPT CLOSURE WILL BOOST SCHOOL CHOICE FUNDS

The expected "reduction in force" notices come after reports spread in recent days that Trump was readying to sign an executive order to abolish the federal agency.

The Wall Street Journal recently reported it had reviewed a copy of a draft executive order that would order Education Secretary Linda McMahon to "take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Education Department" based on "the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law." 

"The experiment of controlling American education through Federal programs and dollars—and the unaccountable bureaucrats those programs and dollars support—has failed our children, our teachers, and our families," the draft order read, according to WSJ. 

McMahon additionally sent a letter to all staff on her first day on the job earlier in March that she will lead a "momentous final mission" to send education back to the states. 

 TRUMP ADMIN TACKLING BIDEN ‘BACKLOG’ OF CAMPUS ANTISEMITISM COMPLAINTS: ‘IMMEDIATE PRIORITY’ 

"Our job is to respect the will of the American people and the President they elected, who has tasked us with accomplishing the elimination of bureaucratic bloat here at the Department of Education—a momentous final mission—quickly and responsibly," McMahon wrote to employees in the letter that was shared first with Fox News Digital.

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The secretary said that the reconstruction of the department will "profoundly" impact staff, budgets and agency operations. 

Fox News Digital's Aubrie Spady and Louis Casiano contributed to this report. 

President Donald Trump announced Monday that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested anti-Israel activist Mahmoud Khalil — and cautioned that other "terrorist sympathizers" would meet a similar fate.

ICE agents arrested Khalil — who is a Palestinian raised in Syria and a permanent U.S. resident — from his university-owned apartment on the city’s Upper West Side Saturday and told him they were revoking his green card and student visa, according to Khalil's attorney, Amy Greer.

The Department of Homeland Security said in an X post that it conducted the arrest to protect U.S. national security, and claimed that Khalil "led activities aligned to Hamas, a designated terrorist organization."

Khalil played a major role in the protests against Israel at Columbia University and met with university officials on behalf of Columbia University Apartheid Divest, a group of student groups urging the university to divest from Israel, according to CNN. 

ICE AGENTS ARREST ANTI-ISRAEL ACTIVIST WHO LED PROTESTS ON COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY FOR MONTHS 

The groups’ main goal is to "challenge the settler-colonial violence that Israel perpetrates with the support of the United States and its allies," according to an op-ed published in the Columbia Spectator in Nov. 2023.

"We reject the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency’s weaponizing of the United States’ racist immigration laws to prevent our international comrades and peers from speaking up," the group wrote. "We reject the violence of the Israel Defense Forces-trained, police-industrial complex that chokes our communities and disproportionately enacts brutality against people of color."

Khalil’s LinkedIn profile says he studied computer science at the Lebanese American University in Beirut before starting his master’s degree at Columbia in public administration in January 2023. His profile says he graduated in December 2024, although Columbia’s media affairs would not confirm Khalil’s status at the university to Fox News Digital. 

Other work experience listed on Khalil’s LinkedIn profile includes completing an internship with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), which assists Palestinian refugees and descendants. 

UNRWA has faced scrutiny after a U.N. investigation found that UNRWA employees may have been involved in Palestinian-militant group Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. The U.S. temporarily halted funding for UNRWA in January 2024 in response to the report.

The Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice and State Department are investigating Khalil as a possible national security threat, according to White House officials. The investigation so far has unearthed "antisemitic and hateful" posts on Khalil’s social media, and determined he organized multiple antisemitic protests on Columbia’s campus, according to the officials. 

Even so, Khalil previously has made public statements backing the liberation of both the Palestinian and Jewish people, and spoke out against antisemitism. 

"There is, of course, no place for antisemitism," Khalil told CNN in April 2024. "What we are witnessing is anti-Palestinian sentiment that’s taking different forms, and antisemitism, Islamophobia, racism (are) some of these forms."

Trump unveiled Khalil’s arrest Monday, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the administration would revoke the green cards of any Hamas supporters in the U.S. and deport them.

FEDERAL AGENCIES TO REVIEW COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY'S CONTRACTS, GRANTS AFTER 'FAILURE' TO PROTECT JEWISH STUDENTS

"Following my previously signed executive orders, ICE proudly apprehended and detained Mahmoud Khalil, a radical foreign pro-Hamas Student on the campus of Columbia University," Trump posted Monday on Truth Social. "This is the first arrest of many to come."

"We will find, apprehend and deport these terrorist sympathizers from our country — never to return again," Trump stated. "If you support terrorism, including the slaughtering of innocent men, women and children, your presence is contrary to our national and foreign policy interests and you are not welcome here."

In response, Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee labeled the move as "straight up authoritarianism" in a post on X.

Additionally, Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., spearheaded a letter to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem urging the Trump administration to release Khalil immediately. Tlaib is the first Palestinian–American woman to serve in Congress. 

"Khalil has not been charged or convicted of any crime," Tlaib and other Democratic lawmakers wrote in a letter released Tuesday. "We must be extremely clear: this is an attempt to criminalize political protest and is a direct assault on the freedom of speech of everyone in this country." 

Meanwhile, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the Trump administration's decision to arrest Khalil and claimed that he distributed pro-Hamas propaganda fliers on campus. 

"This administration is not going to tolerate individuals having the privilege of studying in our country and then siding with pro-terrorist organizations that have killed Americans," Leavitt told reporters Tuesday at a White House press briefing, noting that on her desk were the "pro-Hamas propaganda fliers with the logo of Hamas" on them that Khalil allegedly was distributing. "We have a zero tolerance policy for siding with terrorists period."

ANTISEMITIC RIOT AT COLUMBIA REACHES BOILING POINT AS AGITATORS TAKE OVER ACADEMIC BUILDING, BARRICADE DOORS

She also defended Rubio's right to revoke Khalil's green card. 

"Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, the secretary of state has the right to revoke a green card or a visa for individuals who serve or are adversarial to the foreign policy and national security interests of the United States of America," Leavitt said Tuesday. 

Khalil is being held at a detention facility in central Louisiana. However, a federal judge in New York blocked the Trump administration from deporting him while legal proceedings remain active. 

District Judge Jesse Furman from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York is slated to hear Khalil’s case Wednesday. His attorneys have filed motions asserting that ICE violated Khalil’s constitutional rights and are also requesting his return to New York. Khalil's wife is currently eight months pregnant, according to his lawyer. 

"We will vigorously be pursuing Mahmoud’s rights in court, and will continue our efforts to right this terrible and inexcusable — and calculated — wrong committed against him," Greer said.

Fox News’ Alexis McAdams and Stephany Price contributed to this report.

European defense leaders are meeting in Paris this week to discuss their plans to provide Ukraine with security guarantees as the continent steps up after decades of relying on the U.S.

French President Emmanuel Macron led with an address to the Tuesday gathering of defense chiefs from 30 European and NATO countries after the U.S.’ new "America first" policy direction jolted the Europeans into action. 

Macron said it was time to "move from concept to plan," and told French newspaper Le Figaro that France would boost its defense spending from 2% to 3.5% of GDP, amounting to around €30 billion annually. 

Details of any peacekeeping force are still widely in flux, but some officials said to expect a targeted deterrence force aimed at protecting key infrastructure rather than a wide blockade of the front lines. 

LITHUANIAN DEFENSE MINISTER: ONLY WAY TO NEGOTIATE WITH RUSSIA IS WITH A 'GUN ON THE TABLE'

Europeans were dismayed last week when the U.S. announced it would pause all aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine, but that pause was lifted Tuesday after Ukraine agreed to a 30-day ceasefire. All eyes are now on Russia to see if Russian President Vladimir Putin accepts the deal, which came after U.S.-brokered talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday. 

The U.S. has insisted that it is Europe’s responsibility to offer military resources to help Ukraine deter Russia from invading again once a ceasefire is reached. President Donald Trump has flirted with the idea of not protecting European nations under NATO’s Article 5 if they refuse to meet their defense spending obligations under the treaty.

The new call for Europe's defense was a welcome development for NATO’s eastern flank, where tiny nations have for years beaten out their larger European counterparts in defense spending as a percentage of their GDP. 

"We should not be panicking about [Trump statements]," said Giedrimas Jeglinskas, chairman of the Lithuanian parliament’s national security committee.

"Europeans need to think about what sort of troops to put in Ukraine," he told Fox News Digital. "Europeans need to hold most of [our security] now. We need to show good will. Next to good will, you need to show numbers. How many troops can we generate, what sort of troops can we generate, what support we’re going to need from the U.S." 

"I’m not going to provide security guarantees beyond very much," Trump had said at his first Cabinet meeting on Feb. 26. "We’re going to have Europe do that."

The United States – NATO’s most militarily powerful member – wasn’t invited to the Paris talks because European nations wanted to show that they are able to shoulder a large part of the job of safeguarding Ukraine once a truce is in effect, a French military official told the Associated Press.

But Jeglinskas said Europe should acquiesce to U.S. demands to pour more into its own defenses as it needs the U.S. for air defenses like the Patriot missile. 

"People who are complaining about the U.S. – there's an abundance of that in Europe – yeah, show me the alternative. There’s nothing." 

Over the weekend, top Trump advisor Elon Musk posted on X that the U.S. "really should" leave NATO. "Doesn’t make sense for America to pay for the defense of Europe," he wrote. 

TRUMP SAYS INTEL PAUSE ON UKRAINE HAS BEEN 'JUST ABOUT' LIFTED; SAYS TARIFFS WILL MAKE AMERICA RICH

"It’s common sense, right," Trump told reporters of the NATO alliance last week. "If they don’t pay, I’m not going to defend them. No, I’m not going to defend them."

Jeglinskas said that in his meetings behind closed doors, U.S. officials have expressed America’s commitment to Article 5 is "as strong as ever." 

"Sometimes Trump goes way over to get people to come to a position of reality," said Jonathan Bass, foreign affairs expert and Argent LNG CEO. "The fact that he went so far to what they considered crazy, [the Europeans] actually took him seriously and did what they needed to do."

Lithuania is currently spending 4% on defense and plans to bump that figure to 5-6% next year, which is why Defense Minister Dovile Šakalienė told reporters her nation plans to pay U.S. defense manufacturers "at least $8 billion" more in "the coming years" to boost defenses. 

Russian aggression that could extend beyond Ukraine, including potentially into Baltic States like Lithuania, "worries us," she said.

"That’s why we are really pushing forward with our military capability plans, with our defense capacity-building, infrastructure and personnel and acquisitions, from weapons to ammo, building factories, defense industries."

Europe has offered Ukraine around $139 billion in aid since the start of the war, while the U.S. has offered around $128 billion. 

But the European Union last week proposed an $841 billion plan to "rearm Europe," which included a $158 billion emergency loan proposal to arm European capacities in vulnerable areas like air defense and ammunition. The plan also calls for relaxing strict debt ceilings agreed to by the bloc for defense spending. 

"This is a moment for Europe, and we are ready to step up," said European Commissioner Ursula von der Leyen last week. 

Šakalienė said "strengthening the northeastern flank" of Europe was the "joint goal," which could mean stationing hypersonic missiles aimed at Russia in Baltic states like Lithuania.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin was ripped by conservatives on social media on Tuesday after an interview where she likened President Donald Trump's election to the "angry teenage years" of the United States where voter brains are still being formed. 

"Representing a state here, people voted for Trump and voted for me, I have a responsibility to represent my entire state," Slotkin said on ABC’s "The View."  "But I don't think there's anyone who feels like what's going on right now is normal. Even if you voted for Trump, right?"

"I think there is a feeling in the country, and I often say this, you know, we're about to turn 250 years old, right? We're still pretty young for a country. These are, like, our angry teenage years. We are going through this push and pull where we're happy, we're sad. We want this, we want that, and what do you do when you have a teenager threatening themselves and others? You just try to get them through this period alive so that their brain can fully form and you can come back to kind of what," Slotkin said before being cut off by Joy Behar.

"Are you talking about Trump?" Behar asked.

'MODERATE' DEM GIVING REBUTTAL TO TRUMP'S JOINT ADDRESS PROMOTED STAFFER WHO BOOSTED FARRAKHAN

"No, I'm talking about our country," Slotkin said. "We're a pendulum swinging. We are a pendulum swinging. I don't think there is an American that thinks this is normal."

Slotkin’s comments were widely interpreted by conservatives on social media as a slight to Trump voters. 

"Ah yes, we've reached the point post-election loss where Democrats just revert to calling Americans stupid for voting against them," Abigail Jackson, communications director for Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., posted on X. "Not a single ounce of self-awareness to be found."

"Slotkin says this while literally sounding like a teenager…" Fox News contributor Joe Concha posted on X.

DEMOCRATIC SENATOR SAYS PARTY IS LACKING LEADERSHIP, STRATEGY FOLLOWING DEFEAT TO TRUMP

"This is supposedly their smart, reasonable messenger?" Fox News contributor Guy Benson posted on X.

"Interesting to compare this to their arguments on transitioning teenagers," Spectator contributing editor Stephen L. Miller posted on X.

"Wow!" Red State writer Bonchie posted on X. "What a fresh, novel take. No one has ever said this before. Elissa Slotkin is truly the future of the Democratic Party."

"This is monumentally insulting to the millions of Americans that voted for a change last November," Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., posted on X.

Slotkin, elected as a Democrat to the Senate in Michigan in November despite Trump carrying the state, was selected to give the party's response to Trump's recent joint address to Congress.

In a Sunday interview with "Meet the Press," Slotkin acknowledged that the Democratic Party has been "on their heels" since Trump's election. 

"I don’t think that’s something hidden," she said of the Democratic Party's loss of confidence following its defeat to Trump. "I think it’s on us to be clear about not only leadership – and there’s lots of leaders in both parties – but also a strategy. I think that’s something that, as Trump has been successful in flooding the zone and, like every day, 15 things happening, we are still finding our footing, and I think you can’t get better until you admit you have a problem." 

Slotkin's office pointed to her full remarks when Fox News Digital reached out for comment.

Fox News Digital's Jeffrey Clark contributed to this report

FIRST ON FOX: Rep. Ashley Hinson and Sen. Pete Ricketts are rolling out a bicameral bill with bipartisan support that would secure agriculture supply chains in the United States from vulnerabilities and potential Chinese Communist Party exploitation, Fox News Digital has learned. 

Hinson, R-Iowa, will introduce the Securing American Agriculture Act in the House of Representatives, while Ricketts, R-Neb., will introduce the measure in the Senate. 

FLASHBACK: HOUSE DEMS, REPUBLICANS TEAM UP TO BLOCK CCP ENCROACHMENT ON US FOOD SUPPLY

The Securing American Agriculture Act would require the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to conduct an annual assessment to identify supply chain vulnerabilities, domestic production gaps and potential CCP exploitation. 

It also would direct the secretary of Agriculture to recommend ways to strengthen U.S. reliance and reduce China’s influence in the industry to mitigate potential threats. 

The bill would ensure that the USDA accurately accounts for U.S. dependence on China for critical agricultural inputs and guarantee access for American producers. 

"China has intentionally captured a significant market share of America’s agricultural inputs — which is vital to our food supply chain — ceding leverage to our top adversary," Hinson told Fox News Digital Tuesday. "Iowa farmers have told me firsthand that if China decides to shut off U.S. access to these critical inputs, our food production would be in jeopardy. I’m proud to reintroduce this bipartisan bill that exposes and counters China’s grip on agricultural inputs to strengthen domestic manufacturing and food security." 

Hinson added: "Plain and simple: We should bring our agriculture supply chain home." 

And Ricketts told Fox News Digital Tuesday that "Communist China’s strategic control over crucial sectors of our food and agricultural supply chains poses a serious national security threat."

CHINA THREATENS OUR FARMERS AND FOOD SUPPLY. STATES NEED TO STEP UP

"Losing access to key inputs could reduce productivity, increase food prices and undermine food security," Ricketts told Fox News Digital. "My bill will bolster and protect these supply chains and reduce our reliance on foreign adversaries."

The bill is also supported by House China Committee Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., who said the bipartisan bill is "a critical step forward in protecting our nation’s food supply and farmers from foreign adversaries, including the Chinese Communist Party, who threaten our agricultural security." 

"America’s farmers are the backbone of our economy, and we must ensure they have the resources and safeguards needed to compete on a level playing field while securing our nation’s agricultural supply chains," Krishnamoorthi told Fox News Digital.

The bill is also supported by House China Committee Chairman John Moolenaar, R-Mich.; Rep, Jill Tokuda, D-Hawaii; Rep. Sharice Davids, D-Kansas; and Rep. Scott Franklin, R-Fla., among others. 

In the Senate, Democrat Sen. Elissa Slotkin; Republican Sens. James Risch, R-Idaho; Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.V.; Eric Schmitt, R-Mo.; Mike Crapo, R-Idaho; Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo.; Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb.; and Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., also support the bill. 

Slotkin told Fox News Digital that "food security is national security." 

"We need to treat threats to our food supply chain just like any other security risk," Slotkin said. "This legislation requires us to assess those risks so we can protect our food supply. Bottom line: We need to make sure America’s agriculture supply chain is secure and stays right here at home." 

A federal district judge in Indiana has once again ordered the state Department of Correction (IDOC) to arrange a sex reassignment surgery for a transgender inmate convicted of reckless homicide of a baby, marking the latest development in the ongoing legal saga challenging an Indiana law banning the procedure.

The case, now in its second year, involves inmate Autumn Cordellioné's request for sex reassignment surgery. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) first filed the lawsuit against the Indiana Department of Corrections in 2023 on behalf of Cordellioné, challenging an Indiana law that prohibits the Department of Corrections from using taxpayer funds to cover sex reassignment surgeries for inmates. The ACLU argues the law is a violation of the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition of "cruel and unusual punishment."

"The court ordered that the Commissioner of the Indiana Department of Correction should be preliminarily enjoined to take all reasonable actions to secure Ms. Cordellioné gender-affirming surgery at the earliest opportunity," Judge Richard Young, a Clinton appointee, wrote in a March 5 filing. "Ms. Cordellioné seeks to extend the injunction for the second time. For the reasons that follow, her motion to renew or extend preliminary injunction… is granted."

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

Cordellioné, born Jonathan Richardson, sought out another injunction as the one issued in December last year expired on March 6, court documents show.

"In its Order granting the motion for preliminary injunction, the court acknowledged that 'surgery may take time as it will be provided by a surgeon who is not affiliated with either IDOC or its contracted medical provider. It is therefore the court's intention… to renew this preliminary injunction every 90 days until the surgery is provided,'" the document states.

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita has been defending the state's law and submitted a brief in January to a court of appeals defending Indiana’s law barring sex-change operations for inmates. The attorney general argued that the Eighth Amendment doesn’t require the state "to provide experimental treatments generally, and it certainly doesn’t here, when multiple doctors have said this inmate is a poor candidate for surgery," a spokesperson told Fox News Digital. 

The brief also contends that the Indiana law, which went into effect in 2023, is not "sex discrimination" under the 14th Amendment's equal protection clause because it bans sexual reassignment surgeries across the board. 

"Convicted murderers don't get to demand that taxpayers foot the bill for expensive and controversial sex-change operations," Rokita told Fox News Digital. "It lacks all common sense. We won’t stop defending our state’s ban on using taxpayer funds to provide sex-change surgeries to prisoners."

ACLU SUES INDIANA OVER DENIAL OF SEX REASSIGNMENT SURGERY FOR INMATE WHO STRANGLED 11-MONTH-OLD TO DEATH

In the ongoing case, a key issue was the evaluation by psychologist Kelsey Beers, who was tasked with assessing Cordellioné’s eligibility for sex-change surgery. 

Beers concluded that Cordellioné was not a suitable candidate for the surgery, stating that Cordellioné’s distress was not due to gender dysphoria but rather stemmed from her diagnoses of antisocial personality disorder and borderline personality disorder. 

Beers further noted that Cordellioné "displays an established pattern of attention-seeking behavior." 

Despite Beers' conclusions, the court ruled that her report did not justify reconsidering its decision and questioned Beers’ qualifications.

"In summary, the court finds that Dr. Beers' report does not present a significant factual development that would cause it to reconsider its grant of injunctive relief as to Ms. Cordellioné's Eighth Amendment claim," Young wrote. 

TRANS INMATE WHO KILLED BABY AND IDENTIFIES AS MUSLIM WOMAN SUES CHAPLAIN FOR ALLEGEDLY NOT ALLOWING HIJAB

The ACLU’s original lawsuit on behalf of Cordellioné asserts that the inmate was diagnosed with gender dysphoria in 2020, and has been prescribed female hormones and testosterone blockers, which Cordellioné has "consistently taken since that time." 

The lawsuit further claims that Cordellioné has been provided with accommodations such as "panties, makeup, and form-fitting clothing" while incarcerated.

The lawsuit states that gender-affirming surgery is now necessary for Cordellioné to alleviate the gender dysphoria. 

"She believes that the only remedy for her persistent gender dysphoria, and the serious harm it causes her, is to receive gender-affirming surgery, specifically an orchiectomy and vaginoplasty," the filing explains.

According to the ACLU, Cordellioné, who has identified as a woman since age 6, is "a woman trapped in a man's body." 

In 2001, Cordellioné was convicted of strangling his then-wife’s 11-month-old daughter to death while she was at work. During an initial interview with police, Cordellioné was described as "calm and unemotional" while recounting the incident, according to court documents from Indiana's Court of Appeals.

Fox News Digital has reached out to IDOC for comment.

FIRST ON FOX: Rep. Ashley Hinson and Sen. Pete Ricketts are rolling out a bicameral bill with bipartisan support that would secure agriculture supply chains in the United States from vulnerabilities and potential Chinese Communist Party exploitation, Fox News Digital has learned. 

Hinson, R-Iowa, will introduce the Securing American Agriculture Act in the House of Representatives, while Ricketts, R-Neb., will introduce the measure in the Senate. 

FLASHBACK: HOUSE DEMS, REPUBLICANS TEAM UP TO BLOCK CCP ENCROACHMENT ON US FOOD SUPPLY

The Securing American Agriculture Act would require the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to conduct an annual assessment to identify supply chain vulnerabilities, domestic production gaps and potential CCP exploitation. 

It also would direct the secretary of Agriculture to recommend ways to strengthen U.S. reliance and reduce China’s influence in the industry to mitigate potential threats. 

The bill would ensure that the USDA accurately accounts for U.S. dependence on China for critical agricultural inputs and guarantee access for American producers. 

"China has intentionally captured a significant market share of America’s agricultural inputs — which is vital to our food supply chain — ceding leverage to our top adversary," Hinson told Fox News Digital Tuesday. "Iowa farmers have told me firsthand that if China decides to shut off U.S. access to these critical inputs, our food production would be in jeopardy. I’m proud to reintroduce this bipartisan bill that exposes and counters China’s grip on agricultural inputs to strengthen domestic manufacturing and food security." 

Hinson added: "Plain and simple: We should bring our agriculture supply chain home." 

And Ricketts told Fox News Digital Tuesday that "Communist China’s strategic control over crucial sectors of our food and agricultural supply chains poses a serious national security threat."

CHINA THREATENS OUR FARMERS AND FOOD SUPPLY. STATES NEED TO STEP UP

"Losing access to key inputs could reduce productivity, increase food prices and undermine food security," Ricketts told Fox News Digital. "My bill will bolster and protect these supply chains and reduce our reliance on foreign adversaries."

The bill is also supported by House China Committee Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., who said the bipartisan bill is "a critical step forward in protecting our nation’s food supply and farmers from foreign adversaries, including the Chinese Communist Party, who threaten our agricultural security." 

"America’s farmers are the backbone of our economy, and we must ensure they have the resources and safeguards needed to compete on a level playing field while securing our nation’s agricultural supply chains," Krishnamoorthi told Fox News Digital.

The bill is also supported by House China Committee Chairman John Moolenaar, R-Mich.; Rep, Jill Tokuda, D-Hawaii; Rep. Sharice Davids, D-Kansas; and Rep. Scott Franklin, R-Fla., among others. 

In the Senate, Democrat Sen. Elissa Slotkin; Republican Sens. James Risch, R-Idaho; Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.V.; Eric Schmitt, R-Mo.; Mike Crapo, R-Idaho; Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo.; Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb.; and Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., also support the bill. 

Slotkin told Fox News Digital that "food security is national security." 

"We need to treat threats to our food supply chain just like any other security risk," Slotkin said. "This legislation requires us to assess those risks so we can protect our food supply. Bottom line: We need to make sure America’s agriculture supply chain is secure and stays right here at home." 

Democratic former Rep. Katie Porter announced her bid for governor of California on Tuesday via an Instagram video saying the Golden State needs "a little bit of hope and a whole lot of grit, fresh blood and new ideas [and] leaders with the backbone to fight for what’s right."

Porter, 51, served three terms in Congress – winning her Orange County seat by upsetting GOP Rep. Mimi Walters in 2018. She ran unsuccessfully for the Senate seat now held by Sen. Adam Schiff, D–Calif. – and her district is now represented by Dave Min, a Democrat. 

The former congresswoman was born in Fort Dodge, Iowa, and grew up on a farm before moving to the Pacific coast.

Gov. Gavin Newsom is term-limited, though all eyes in California are on whether former Vice President Kamala Harris also jumps into the race.

PORTER DENIES FIRING STAFFER FOR CATCHING COVID-19 AS TEXT MESSAGES SURFACE AND GO VIRAL

Porter told the Los Angeles Times that a Harris bid could clear the left flank of those assembled thus far.

"If Vice President Harris were to choose to run, I am certain that that would have a near field-clearing effect on the Democratic side," Porter said.

Harris is said to be seriously considering a run in Sacramento after losing the 2024 sweeps. A source close to Harris previously told Fox News Digital the ex-veep has told allies she will decide by the end of summer on whether to launch a gubernatorial campaign.

The Times also described Porter as a prolific fundraiser, while the former lawmaker’s gregarious nature was projected to make inroads among Californians upset at President Donald Trump’s election.

In her announcement, Porter referenced Trump and alleged he would seek to enrich himself and his circle while in the White House.

California has a unique "jungle primary" system where the two top vote-getters, regardless of party, will face off in the general. Sometimes that results in two Democrats competing in November. In Schiff’s case, former MLB star Steve Garvey gained enough Republican support to challenge the Burbank Democrat—only to strike out in the end.

Porter’s entry also brings with it her colorful history in the House of Representatives. 

Sasha Georgiades, a Wounded Warrior fellow who had worked in Porter’s office, alleged she had made rude and racist comments to staff and "ridiculed people for reporting sexual harassment."

KATIE PORTER USED ‘RACIST LANGUAGE’, RIDICULED PEOPLE FOR REPORTING SEXUAL HARASSMENT, EX-STAFFER CLAIMS

Georgiades also said that Porter ridiculed people after they had reported sexual harassment in her office as well as "made fun of individuals whose parents passed away from COVID."

"Basically told the individual to grow up," Georgiades said regarding the case of a staffer who had reported sexual harassment in Porter’s office.

Reports also surfaced in late 2022 that Porter "made multiple staffers cry" and that one staffer was allegedly fired after she and the lawmaker caught COVID-19. 

"Sasha— I cannot allow you back in the office, given your failure to follow office policies," Porter wrote the next day on July 9, in texts shared on a "Dear White Staffers" X page and previously reported by Fox News Digital. 

"Cody will be in touch about having your personal effects shipped or delivered to your home, and will lay out your remote work schedule and responsibilities for your last few weeks."

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Porter reportedly denied the allegations at the time.

Porter also wore a "Batgirl" costume to the House of Representatives while lawmakers were voting on Trump’s first impeachment on Oct. 31, 2019 – Halloween.

Other top names include Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on the Democratic side and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco as the first major Republican -- amid a dozen or so candidates total.

When reached for comment, the Porter campaign directed Fox News Digital to its previous statements on the matter.

Fox News Digital's Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.