President Donald Trump said the U.S. will be "flooded with jobs" as foreign trading partners move industries to American soil to avoid tariffs. 

"They can build a factory here, a plant or whatever it may be, here," Trump said Thursday afternoon from the Oval Office. "And that includes the medical, that includes cars, that includes chips and semiconductors. That includes everything. If you build here, you have no tariffs whatsoever. And I think that's what's going to happen. I think our country is going to be flooded with jobs."

Trump said U.S. consumers could see prices rise in the "short term" due to the tariffs, but that prices will lower and that industries across the board would benefit. 

"And I think the farmers are going to be helped by this very much because product is being dumped into our country and our farmers are getting hurt very badly by the last administration," Trump said. "The last administration hated our farmers, like, at a level that I've never seen before. I think our farmers are going to be helped. Jobs are going to be helped. But our farmers are going to be helped, our manufacturers are going to be helped." 

TRUMP SIGNS 'RECIPROCAL' TARIFF PLAN FOR COUNTRIES THAT TAX US GOODS

"And again, if somebody wants to come in, including the car companies, if they want to come in and build car plants, they'll do it without tariffs. And therefore, prices won't go up. There could be some short-term disturbance, but long term, it's going to it's going to make our country a fortune," he added. 

FENTANYL'S FINANCIAL GRIP ON US SKYROCKETED TO $2.7T AT HEIGHT OF BIDEN ADMIN: STUDY

Trump announced on Thursday that he will impose "fair and reciprocal" tariffs on all major U.S. trading partners. 

The plan includes tapping Howard Lutnick, Trump's nominee for commerce secretary, to produce a report on reciprocal trade relations within 180 days. Lutnik said Thursday that he will have the report ready for Trump by April 1. 

"On trade I have decided for purposes of fairness, that I will charge a reciprocal tariff – meaning whatever countries charge the United States of America, we will charge them no more, no less. In other words, they charge us a tax or tariff and we charge them the exact same tax or tariff. Very simple," Trump said at the White House of the tariff plan. 

Trump's reciprocal tariff announcement follows him leveraging tariffs against Mexico, Canada and China earlier in February. The tariffs were created in light of "extraordinary" threats stemming from "illegal aliens and drugs, including deadly fentanyl," according to Trump's executive order authorizing the tariffs. 

Trump's order authorized tariffs through the new International Emergency Economic Powers Act. It included 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico and a 10% tariff on imports from China. Energy resources from Canada would have a lower 10% tariff.

TRUMP IMPOSES TARIFFS ON IMPORTS FROM CANADA, MEXICO AND CHINA: 'NATIONAL EMERGENCY'

Both Canada and Mexico agreed to concessions with Trump the day before the tariffs were set to take effect, pledging to send additional security personnel to their respective borders with the U.S. Trump agreed to pause the tariffs on the two nations for one month in light of the border security concessions. 

China, on the other hand, imposed tariffs on some U.S. imports in response to Trump's tariffs. 

Fox News Digital's Greg Norman contributed to this report. 

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said that as the U.S. aims to "revive the warrior ethos," European members of NATO also should follow suit and bolster defense efforts. 

"NATO should pursue these goals as well," Hegseth told NATO members in Brussels on Thursday. "NATO is a great alliance, the most successful defense alliance in history, but to endure for the future, our partners must do far more for Europe’s defense."  

"We must make NATO great again," he said.  

As of 2023, the U.S. spent 3.3% of its GDP on defense spending — totaling $880 billion, according to the nonpartisan Washington, D.C.-based Peterson Institute for International Economics. More than 50% of NATO funding comes from the U.S., while other allies, like the United Kingdom, France and Germany, have contributed between 4% and 8% to NATO funding in recent years. 

Hegseth urged European allies to bolster defense spending from 2% to 5% of gross domestic product, as President Donald Trump has long advocated. 

NATO comprises more than 30 countries and was originally formed in 1949 to halt the spread of the Soviet Union. 

Hegseth pointed to former President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who advocated for a strong relationship with European allies. But he noted that eventually Eisenhower felt that the U.S. was bearing the burden of deploying U.S. troops to Europe in 1959, according to the State Department’s Office of the Historian. Eisenhower reportedly told two of his generals that the Europeans were "making a sucker out of Uncle Sam." 

Hegseth said that he and Trump share sentiments similar to Eisenhower's. 

PUTIN VIEWED AS ‘GREAT COMPETITOR’ BUT STILL A US ‘ADVERSARY’ AS UKRAINE NEGOTIATIONS LOOM, LEAVITT SAYS 

"This administration believes in alliances, deeply believes in alliances, but make no mistake, President Trump will not allow anyone to turn Uncle Sam into Uncle Sucker," Hegseth said.

"We can talk all we want about values," Hegseth said. "Values are important, but you can’t shoot values, you can’t shoot flags, and you can’t shoot strong speeches. There is no replacement for hard power. As much as we may not want to like the world we live in, in some cases, there’s nothing like hard power."

Hegseth’s comments come as the Trump administration navigates negotiations with Russia and Ukraine to end the conflict between the two countries. On Wednesday, Trump called both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent traveled to Kyiv.

OBAMA OFFICIALS, TRUMP CRITICS TARGET HEGSETH'S ‘CONCESSIONS’ AS ‘BIGGEST GIFT’ TO RUSSIA 

Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are slated to meet with Zelenskyy Friday at the Munich Security Conference.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration has come under scrutiny for the negotiations, fielding criticism that Ukraine is being pressured to give in to concessions after Hegseth said on Wednesday that it isn’t realistic for Ukraine to regain its pre-war borders with Russia. 

"Putin is gonna pocket this and ask for more," Brett Bruen, director of global engagement under former President Barack Obama, told Fox News Digital. 

Michael McFaul, ambassador to Russia under the Obama administration, also shared concerns in a social media post on X on Wednesday, claiming that Trump was delivering Russia a "gift." 

But Hegseth said he rejected similar accusations. 

"Any suggestion that President Trump is doing anything other than negotiating from a position of strength is, on its face, ahistorical and false," Hegseth said Thursday. 

Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, and Trump vowed on the campaign trail in 2024 that he would work to end the conflict if elected again. 

Fox News’ Emma Colton and Morgan Phillips contributed to this report. 

President Donald Trump met with Marc Fogel’s mother on July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pennsylvania, and vowed to bring her son home if elected, just before an assassination attempt nearly took his life. 

Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Pa., was there for the meeting between Trump and Malphine Fogel before the president took the stage. 

"The president survived the assassination attempt on July 13 in Butler, and he fulfilled his commitment to Mrs. Fogel that he would get her son home," Kelly told Fox News Digital. "It is an incredible, providential story." 

MOTHER OF FREED AMERICAN HOSTAGE MARC FOGEL THANKS PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: 'HE KEPT HIS PROMISE'

During the rally, after his meeting with Fogel's mother, Trump was showing off a chart highlighting how illegal immigration skyrocketed under the Biden-Harris administration. As he turned toward the chart, he was hit by a bullet that pierced the upper part of his right ear by the now-deceased would-be-assassin, Thomas Matthew Crooks. Trump credits the chart for saving his life. 

Kelly likened the situation to the classic movie "It’s a Wonderful Life." 

"The theme of the movie was that George Bailey was very frustrated, but he was given a glimpse of life and what would have happened if he hadn’t been there – if he hadn’t been born," Kelly recalled. "And if I go back to July 13, this is all providential." 

"Mrs. Fogel has a chance to talk to the president, and she talks about what is happening to Marc. The president vows to get him home," Kelly continued. "It is a take-off of ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ and the opportunity, or the dilemma, that if you were never born, what would the consequences have been?" 

"If President Trump did not survive the assassination attempt on July 13, Marc Fogel wouldn’t be home today," Kelly said.  

Fogel, an American teacher from Western Pennsylvania, returned to the United States late Tuesday, after Trump secured his release. Fogel was arrested in 2021 at an airport in Russia for possession of medical marijuana and was sentenced to 14 years in a Russian prison. 

AMERICAN MARC FOGEL RELEASED FROM RUSSIAN CUSTODY

Kelly told Fox News Digital that "it is all about faith." 

"Having been there and witnessed it, I think to myself, ‘Oh my goodness, that tiny fraction of an inch, or whatever it was, is the difference between Marc Fogel being home and Marc Fogel not being home,’" he said. "Between making a promise to his mother and being able to keep it, as opposed to making a promise and never getting a chance to fulfill it." 

Malphine Fogel recalled the Butler meeting with Trump on Fox News Channel's "America Newsroom." 

"I met with President Trump, and he was just as cordial as he could be," she said. "He told me three different times, 'If I get in,' he said, 'I'll get him out' and I really think he's been instrumental." 

Malphine Fogel told Fox News that "it was a total surprise" when she heard from her son from the Moscow airport. 

"So, that meant that (they) had taken him out of the prison to Moscow.... The last week or so, for some crazy reason, I had a better feeling about things, but I hadn't heard from him in a week, so I thought that was odd and when he called…  it was just a total shock," she said. 

Meanwhile, Kelly told Fox News Digital, "There is a certain time in people’s lives where you realize you don’t have forever, you have right now, and you need to get it done." 

"Politically, there is no one on either side of the aisle that could look at what happened with Marc Fogel and not somehow say, this is truly providential – this is not a political move," Kelly said. "This doesn’t do anything for the president. He's already elected. He did this to keep a promise to a mother in her mid 90s – the only thing she wanted to see before she died was her son one more time." 

Kelly added: "This is a promise made. Promise kept. It is truly providential. It is. It is a wonderful life." 

FIRST ON FOX: Europe must reinstate harsh United Nations sanctions on Iran, U.S. lawmakers insisted in a new resolution that accused Tehran of repeated violations of the 2015 nuclear deal brokered by the Obama administration.  

The bipartisan legislation calls on the U.K., France and Germany to invoke "snapback" sanctions on Iran through the UN Security Council immediately – and follow the U.S.’s lead under President Donald Trump’s "maximum pressure" executive order to isolate Iran over its nuclear activity. 

"Iran is the leading state sponsor of terrorism, and their actions have led to the murder of American servicemembers," said Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., the number two Republican on Senate Foreign Relations Committee and lead sponsor of the bill, which has 11 cosponsors in the Senate. 

"Iran’s possession of a nuclear weapon would threaten our security and the security of our allies. Snapback sanctions are key to ensuring that President Trump’s maximum pressure campaign is successful." 

IRAN'S COVERT NUCLEAR AGENCY FOUND OPERATING OUT OF TOP SPACE PROGRAM LAUNCH SITES

Reps. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., and Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., issued companion legislation in the House. 

Under the 2015 Iran deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Iran evaded U.N., U.S. and E.U. sanctions in exchange for promises not to pursue a nuclear weapon. But Iran eventually cut off independent inspectors' access to its sites and resumed nuclear activities. 

A "snapback" provision of the agreement said that any of the nations privy to the deal – China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, U.S. or Germany – could demand the export controls, travel bans and asset freezes be reimposed. 

But the U.S. pulled out of the nuclear deal entirely under President Donald Trump’s first administration and imposed its own "maximum pressure" sanctions regime. The Biden administration subsequently issued sanctions waivers and toyed with the idea of returning to a nuclear deal with Iran, but ultimately those efforts faltered.

Tenney urged the European nations to invoke the snapback sanctions before the deal expires in October 2025. 

"Invoking snapback sanctions will restore all the UN sanctions on Iran that were lifted by the Obama administration’s failed Iran nuclear deal," she said. 

Iran is "dramatically" accelerating enrichment of uranium to up to 60% purity, below the 90% needed for a nuclear weapon, according to U.N. nuclear watchdog Rafael Grossi. Western states have said there is no civilian use for 60% uranium. 

TRUMP REINSTATES ‘MAXIMUM PRESSURE’ CAMPAIGN AGAINST IRAN

Britain, France and Germany told the U.N. Security Council in December they were ready to trigger the snapback of all international sanctions on Iran if necessary. 

Trump himself said he was "torn" over a recent executive order that triggered harsh sanctions on Iran’s oil sector, adding that he was "unhappy to do it."

"Hopefully, we're not going to have to use it very much," Trump told reporters.

But he reiterated, "We're not going to let them get a nuclear weapon."

Trump suggested first trying a "verified nuclear peace agreement" over military escalation. "I would much rather do a deal that’s not gonna hurt them," the president told Fox News on Monday, adding that "I’d love to make a deal with them without bombing them."

Iran viewed the president’s remarks as a threat and took negotiations off the table. 

​​"No problem will be solved by negotiating with America," said Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khameni, citing past "experience." 

He called for the country to further develop its military capabilities. 

"We cannot be satisfied," Khamenei said. "Say that we previously set a limit for the accuracy of our missiles, but we now feel this limit is no longer enough. We have to go forward."

"Today, our defensive power is well known, our enemies are afraid of this. This is very important for our country," he said.

President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Small Business Administration, former Sen. Kelly Loeffler, passed a key procedural vote in the Senate on Thursday, clearing the path for her final confirmation vote. 

The Senate’s vote this afternoon to invoke cloture ended the debate on the Georgia Republican’s nomination, as she now moves on to the confirmation stage.

The final cloture vote was 51-43 in favor of invoking cloture.

"Like President Trump, Senator Loeffler left behind a successful career in the private sector to advance the America First agenda," Loeffler spokeswoman Caitlin O'Dea told Fox News on Jan. 28. 

TRUMP'S COMMERCE NOMINEE PASSES KEY HURDLE

"Should she be confirmed, she will continue the practice of donating her federal salary to charities and nonprofits across the country — and put her full focus on working to make the Small Business Administration a gateway to the American Dream for entrepreneurs across the country." 

Loeffler, whose net worth is estimated at roughly $1 billion, previously donated her annual Senate salary of $174,000 between 2019 and 2021 to more than 40 Georgia charities and nonprofits. 

Those organizations included food banks, faith groups and organizations opposed to abortion, foster care/adoption groups as well as organizations promoting health care, agriculture, education, law enforcement and disaster relief. 

Loeffler previously worked at several top financial firms, including Intercontinental Exchange. Her husband, Jeffrey Sprecher, whom she met at ICE, is the current chairman of the New York Stock Exchange.

Loeffler also previously bought a minority stake in the WNBA Atlanta Dream, but is reportedly no longer associated with the team.

Loeffler also sparred with Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass, during her confirmation hearing over the Trump administration’s announcement that it would freeze federal funds and grants. 

TRUMP LANDS KEY TULSI GABBARD CONFIRMATION FOLLOWING UPHILL SENATE BATTLE

After Trump fired SBA inspector general Hannibal Ware in January, Markey -- the top Democrat on the Senate Small Business & Entrepreneurship Committee – expressed anger and called for a pause on Loeffler’s confirmation consideration.

Markey said the process should be halted "either until Inspector General Ware is reinstated or until a qualified and impartial nominee to replace him is confirmed by the Senate."

Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, the committee’s chairwoman, called Loeffler the "perfect person for the job" in an Osceola Sentinel-Tribune column.

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"Throughout her career, she rose through the ranks at multiple companies due to her determination and grit. She also started many businesses and knows what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur," said Ernst.

"Most importantly, she knows what it means to be overrun by Washington’s bureaucratic overreach — and that the government must instead get out of the way so businesses can thrive."

Fox News Digital's Diana Stancy and Deidre Heavey contributed to this report

Sen. Tina Smith of Minnesota announced Thursday she won't seek re-election in 2026, forcing the Democratic Party to defend another open seat in next year's midterms and making more difficult their goal of regaining the Senate majority.

"I’ve decided not to run for re-election to the Senate in 2026," Smith said in a social media post. "This job has been the honor of a lifetime. For the rest of my term, I’ll work as hard as I can for Minnesotans and our country. Thank you so much, Minnesota."

Smith was appointed to the Senate in 2018 to succeed former Sen. Al Franken after his resignation over sexual misconduct allegations. She won a special election later that year to serve out Franken's term and was re-elected in 2020 to a full six-year term.

TOP POLITICAL HANDICAPPER REVEALS DEMOCRATS CHANCES OF WINNING BACK THE SENATE MAJORITY

Senate Republicans vowed to try and flip Smith's seat in blue-leaning Minnesota.

"Minnesota is in play, and we play to win. Minnesotans deserve a senator who will fight for lower taxes, economic opportunity and safer communities," National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Chair Sen. Tim Scott said in a statement to Fox News. 

But the Senate Democrats' campaign arm quickly pledged to keep the seat in party hands.

FIRST ON FOX: SENATE GOP CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE SPOTLIGHTS ‘TEAM EFFORT’

"No Republican has won a Minnesota Senate race in over 20 years, and Democrats will continue to hold this seat in 2026," Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) spokesperson David Bergstein emphasized in a statement to Fox News.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, the top Democrat in the chamber, praised Smith as "a remarkable senator — smart, compassionate, and tireless in her commitment to Minnesota and the country."

"While I will deeply miss her leadership and friendship in the Senate, I have no doubt that her legacy of service will continue to inspire. We have a strong bench in Minnesota, and I’m confident that we’ll keep her seat blue," Schumer predicted.

Smith became the second Democrat in the Senate to announce she would forgo running for re-election in the midterms, following Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan, a key Midwestern battleground state.

SENATE REPUBLICANS JUMP OUT TO FAST START IN THIS KEY CAMPAIGN METRIC

Senate Republicans enjoyed a favorable map in the 2024 cycle as they flipped four seats from blue to red and won a 53-47 majority in the chamber.

The party in power - which is clearly the Republicans right now - traditionally faces political headwinds in the midterm elections. And while an early read of the 2026 map shows the GOP will be forced to play defense in some states, they'll also go on offense in others.

Besides the open seat in Michigan, the GOP will target first-term Sen. Jon Ossoff in battleground Georgia and longtime Sen. Jeanne Shaheen in swing state New Hampshire.

Now the Democrats will have to pay attention to Minnesota, which the Cook Report, a top nonpartisan political handicapper, this week rated as "Likely Democrat," as it unveiled its first read on the battle for the Senate majority in the 2026 cycle.

However, Democrats aim to go on offense in blue-leaning Maine, where GOP Sen. Susan Collins is up for re-election, as well as in battleground North Carolina, where Republican Sen. Thom Tillis is also up in 2026.

TRUMP-BACKED 2024 GOP SENATE NOMINEE IN KEY BATTLEGROUND STATE MOVING TOWARD ANOTHER RUN IN 2026

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who served as Vice President Kamala Harris' running mate on the Democrats' 2024 national ticket, took to social media soon after Smith's news.

"Tina has always done the work to improve people’s lives: lowering the price of insulin, improving access to mental health services, passing historic climate legislation, and our party’s champion for reproductive freedom. Minnesotans will miss having her in the Senate," Walz wrote.

There is speculation Walz, who is eligible to run for re-election in 2026 for a third four-year term as Minnesota governor, may now have an interest in his state's open Senate seat.

Smith, in a video announcement she posted on social media, noted that Democrats "have a deep bench of political talent in Minnesota. A group of leaders that are more than ready to pick up the work and carry it forward. And I'm excited to make room for them to move forward."

Lt. Gov Peggy Flanagan moved toward launching a campaign, saying in a social media post, "I love Minnesota, and my intention is to run for United States Senate and continue to serve the people of this state. I’ll make a formal announcement later this month."

There's also speculation that Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, a member of the so-called Squad, may make a move to run for the Senate.

Fox News' Julia Johnson and Chad Pergram contributed to this report

A D.C. federal judge sided with USAID workers Thursday, granting their request to extend a restraining order that prevents the Trump administration from effectively shutting down the foreign aid agency. 

U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, a Trump appointee, said he would extend by one week the temporary restraining order, with plans to issue a final decision on a request to block President Donald Trump's action on Feb. 21. 

His new order instructs the government to reinstate any USAID employees put on administrative leave and forbids the Trump administration from implementing any new administrative leave on USAID employees.

The hearing Thursday centered on the level of "irreparable harm" alleged against Trump's executive action in court. Nichols asked plaintiff's attorneys detailed questions about the impact of a stop work order that placed virtually every USAID employee on leave. 

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

Karla Gilbride, representing the American Foreign Service Association and the American Federation of Government Employees, told the judge that USAID employees had suffered harm both due to their own safety concerns and concerns for their well-being.

"These are not a few isolated incidents, this is an unprecedented dismantling of a congressionally created agency," she said. Plaintiffs "are being harmed by actions that are unconstitutional… This is a coordinated and unconstitutional effort to dismantle the agency."

Meanwhile, the Justice Department attorney, Eric Hamilton told Nichols that the USAID grievances are a matter of "personnel nature," arguing that they should be handled via the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) appeals process, rather than the federal court system.

HOUSE COMMITTEE HOLDS HEARING ON ‘THE USAID BETRAYAL’

Hamilton also pushed back on the claims of "irreparable harm," telling Nichols that the government is "committed to their safety."

"98% of those placed on administrative leave were in the US and the remaining were in developed nations like the UK," Hamilton said. 

He pointed to a Wednesday night ruling from U.S. District Judge George O'Toole in Massachusetts allowing the Trump administration’s deferred resignation program – colloquially known as the "fork in the road" resignation offer – to stand, arguing that this action is similar.

Last week, Nichols granted a request from U.S. Agency for International Development employees to temporarily block the Trump administration's order, which would have placed some 2,200 USAID employees on leave as of last Friday, and given all employees living abroad just 30 days to return to U.S. soil at government expense. 

The order also temporarily reinstated some 500 employees that had been placed on administrative leave by Trump. 

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Nichols said in his decision last week that, barring court intervention, the abrupt order would cause "irreparable harm" to employees affected by the withdrawal orders. 

He had paused the Trump administration's plans through Friday, Feb. 14, which Nichols said would allow for "expedited" arguments to help the court determine the legality of the actions. 

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., penned a letter to newly sworn-in Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, warning that the United Kingdom's reported new order demanding backdoor Apple data jeopardizes Americans.

The letter, obtained by Fox News Digital, referenced recent press reports that the U.K.’s home secretary "served Apple with a secret order last month, directing the company to weaken the security of its iCloud backup service to facilitate government spying." The directive reportedly requires the company to weaken the encryption of its iCloud backup service, giving the U.K. government the "blanket capability" to access customers’ encrypted files. 

Reports further state that the order was issued under the U.K.’s Investigatory Powers Act 2016, commonly known as the "Snoopers’ Charter," which does not require a judge’s approval. 

"Apple is reportedly gagged from acknowledging that it received such an order, and the company faces criminal penalties that prevent it from even confirming to the U.S. Congress the accuracy of these press reports," Wyden and Biggs note. 

TULSI GABBARD SWORN IN AT WHITE HOUSE HOURS AFTER SENATE CONFIRMATION

The United Kingdom has been increasingly cracking down on British citizens for opposition commentary, especially online posts and memes opposing mass migration. As riots broke out in the U.K. last August after a mass stabbing at a Taylor Swift-themed dance event left three girls dead and others wounded, London's Metropolitan Police chief warned that officials could also extradite and jail U.S. citizens for online posts about the unrest. 

The letter, however, described the threat of China, Russia and other adversaries spying on Americans.

Wyden, who sits on the Senate Intelligence Committee, and Biggs, who chairs a House Judiciary subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance, asked Gabbard to "act decisively to protect the security of Americans’ communications from dangerous, shortsighted efforts by the United Kingdom (U.K.) that will undermine Americans’ privacy rights and expose them to espionage by China, Russia and other adversaries." 

The Washington Post was among the outlets to report about the U.K. order. 

"These reported actions seriously threaten the privacy and security of both the American people and the U.S. government," Wyden and Biggs wrote. "Apple does not make different versions of its encryption software for each market; Apple customers in the U.K. use the same software as Americans. If Apple is forced to build a backdoor in its products, that backdoor will end up in Americans’ phones, tablets, and computers, undermining the security of Americans’ data, as well as of the countless federal, state and local government agencies that entrust sensitive data to Apple products." 

The letter also references a Chinese hacking operation known as "Salt Typhoon." Last year, the Biden White House admitted the Chinese hacked at least nine U.S. telecommunications companies. 

"The Salt Typhoon hack of U.S. telephone carriers’ wiretapping systems last year – in which President Trump and Vice President Vance’s calls were tapped by China – provides a perfect example of the dangers of surveillance backdoors," the letter says. "They will inevitably be compromised by sophisticated foreign adversaries and exploited in ways harmful to U.S. national security. As the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the FBI confirmed last November, People’s Republic of China (PRC)-affiliated actors were involved in ‘copying of certain information that was subject to U.S. law enforcement requests pursuant to court orders.’" 

TRUMP LANDS KEY TULSI GABBARD CONFIRMATION FOLLOWING UPHILL SENATE BATTLE

"While the U.K has been a trusted ally, the U.S. government must not permit what is effectively a foreign cyberattack waged through political means. If the U.K. does not immediately reverse this dangerous effort, we urge you to reevaluate U.S.-U.K. cybersecurity arrangements and programs as well as U.S. intelligence sharing with the U.K.," the letter says.

Citing a December 2023 report by the U.K. Parliament’s intelligence oversight committee, the letter states that the U.K. benefits greatly from a "mutual presumption towards unrestricted sharing of [Signals Intelligence]" between the U.S. and U.K. and that "[t]he weight of advantage in the partnership with the [National Security Agency] is overwhelmingly in [the U.K.’s] favour." 

"The bilateral U.S.-U.K. relationship must be built on trust. If the U.K. is secretly undermining one of the foundations of U.S. cybersecurity, that trust has been profoundly breached," Wyden and Biggs wrote. 

At her confirmation hearing, Gabbard stated that "backdoors lead down a dangerous path that can undermine Americans' Fourth Amendment rights and civil liberties." In written responses to senators' questions, she also said, "mandating mechanisms to bypass encryption or privacy technologies undermines user security, privacy, and trust and poses significant risks of exploitation by malicious actors."

"We urge you to put those words into action by giving the U.K. an ultimatum: back down from this dangerous attack on U.S. cybersecurity, or face serious consequences," Wyden and Biggs wrote.

The letter asks Gabbard specifically whether the Trump administration was made aware of the reported order, either by the U.K. or Apple, prior to the press reports and, if so, when and by whom. They also ask what the Trump administration's understanding is of U.K. law "and the bilateral CLOUD Act agreement with regard to an exception to gag orders for notice to the U.S. government." Wyden and Biggs asked what the Trump administration's understanding is "of its obligation to inform Congress and the American public about foreign government demands for U.S. companies to weaken the security of their products, pursuant to the CLOUD Act?" The letter asked that unclassified answers be provided by March 3. 

Fox News Digital reached out to Apple and the White House regarding the letter, but neither immediately responded.

President Donald Trump’s nominee for U.S. Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnick, passed a key procedural vote in the Senate on Thursday, clearing the path for his final confirmation vote. 

The Senate’s vote this afternoon to invoke cloture ended the debate on Lutnick’s nomination and paved the way for his confirmation as Commerce secretary. Senators advanced his nomination by a 52-45 vote. Republicans control the Senate by a 53-47 majority. 

Lutnick, Chairman and CEO of the investment firm Cantor Fitzgerald and a co-chair of Trump’s 2024 presidential transition team, needed a majority vote to bring his final confirmation vote to the Senate floor. 

The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee voted 16-12 on February 5 to advance Lutnick to the procedural vote. Lutnick testified for over three hours before the Senate Commerce Committee on January 29. 

TRUMP LANDS KEY TULSI GABBARD CONFIRMATION FOLLOWING UPHILL SENATE BATTLE

If confirmed, Lutnick will become one of the wealthiest people to serve in a presidential administration, along with Elon Musk and Trump himself. During Lutnick’s confirmation hearing, he committed to selling all of his interests and assets if confirmed. 

TULSI GABBARD SWORN IN AT WHITE HOUSE HOURS AFTER SENATE CONFIRMATION

"My plan is to only serve the American people. So I will divest — meaning I will sell all of my interests, all of my business interests, all of my assets, everything," Lutnick said. "I've worked together with the Office of Government Ethics, and we've reached agreement on how to do that, and I will be divesting within 90 days upon my confirmation."

Lutnick said selling his businesses would prevent a conflict of interest. 

"Upon confirmation, my businesses will be for sale and someone else will lead them going forward," Lutnick added. 

Trump announced Lutnick’s nomination two weeks after he was elected president. 

"I am thrilled to announce that Howard Lutnick, Chairman & CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, will join my Administration as the United States Secretary of Commerce. He will lead our Tariff and Trade agenda, with additional direct responsibility for the Office of the United States Trade Representative," Trump said. 

Trump applauded Lutnick’s leadership during the presidential transition, saying he "created the most sophisticated process and system to assist us in creating the greatest Administration America has ever seen."

With Lutnick teed up to lead Trump’s "Tariff and Trade agenda," he faced questions during his confirmation hearing about tariff policy. Lutnick said the argument that tariffs create inflation is "nonsense." 

"We are treated horribly by the global trading environment. They all have higher tariffs, non-tariff trade barriers and subsidies. They treat us poorly. We need to be treated better. We can use tariffs to create reciprocity," Lutnick said.

Lutnick testified that he shares Trump’s stance on tariffs, adding he prefers an "across-the-board" strategy to "country-by-country" tariffs. 

Trump on Monday announced a 25% tariff on all steel and aluminum imports from all countries, adding up to a 35% tariff for Chinese steel and aluminum imports. The tariffs are set to go into effect on March 12. 

Rick Warren faced a raft of backlash on X in response to a post in which he referred to the two thieves who were crucified on either side of Jesus, and declared, "If you’re looking for the #realJesus, not a caricature disfigured by partisan motivations, you’ll find him in the middle, not on either side."

Warren, the author of the popular book "The Purpose Driven Life," founded Saddleback Church with his wife Kay in 1980, according to pastorrick.com.

His Feb. 11 post has earned thousands of replies and more than 3 million views.

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

Seth Dillon, the CEO of the satire site the Babylon Bee, sarcastically quipped, "Yeah, because if there's one thing Jesus was known for, it was his desire to meet in the middle and compromise on the issues that matter most." 

"This is possibly the worst Biblical interpretation I’ve ever seen, and that’s really saying something," conservative commentator Allie Beth Stuckey declared. "Jesus is not ‘in the middle’ on the murder of children, gender deception, the definition of marriage, or anything else, for that matter. In fact, I seem to remember Him having a particular disdain for the lukewarm."

CANDACE CAMERON BURE FEELS PEOPLE ARE ‘LESS AFRAID OF BEING CANCELED’ IN HOLLYWOOD FOR THEIR FAITH

"What happens when the authorial intent of a biblical text is discarded? The text becomes a wax nose, bent according to our own intent. Case in point," Brad Klassen, a professor at The Master's Seminary, wrote regarding Warren's post.

David Limbaugh, the brother of the late conservative radio icon Rush Limbaugh, tweeted, "Meaningless mush," adding, "with all due respect."

SOUTHERN BAPTISTS REJECT RICK WARREN-FOUNDED CHURCH'S APPEAL OF OUSTER OVER FEMALE PASTORS

In his most recent tweet prior to the one that came under so much scrutiny, Warren had written, "Jesus: "Whoever #serves me must #FOLLOW me." Jn 12:26," adding, "Seems obvious, right? But while serving Jesus in ministry, we can stop #following Him! Instead, we start following politicians, podcasters, or peers-and our vision, values & priorities come from social media, not Jesus. #bad"

Roughly 75,000 federal employees have accepted President Donald Trump’s deferred resignation program, after the U.S. Office of Personnel Management offered more than two million federal civilian employees buyouts in January to leave their jobs or be forced to return to work in person.

Employees who accepted the so-called "fork in the road" offer will retain all pay and benefits and be exempt from in-person work until Sept. 30, a move that's part of a broader attempt by the Trump administration to downsize the federal government. 

"We have too many people," Trump told reporters Tuesday in a press briefing. "We have office spaces occupied by 4% — nobody showing up to work because they were told not to." 

The White House confirmed to Fox News Digital that numbers had climbed to 75,000 as of Thursday morning. 

It previously said it expected 200,000 people to accept the offer.

JUDGE RESTORES TRUMP ADMINISTRATION'S BUYOUT OFFER TO FEDERAL WORKERS

The Trump administration’s offer faced scrutiny, and a federal judge temporarily blocked the administration's plan from advancing amid challenges from labor union groups who voiced concerns that the law didn’t require the Trump administration to hold up its end of the deal.

However, U.S. District Judge George O’Toole of Massachusetts ruled in favor of the White House Wednesday evening, asserting the plaintiffs in the case aren’t directly impacted by the Trump administration’s offer. 

They "allege that the directive subjects them to upstream effects including a diversion of resources to answer members’ questions about the directive, a potential loss of membership, and possible reputational harm," O'Toole wrote.

"The unions do not have the required direct stake in the Fork Directive, but are challenging a policy that affects others, specifically executive branch employees," O’Toole wrote. "This is not sufficient."

The Trump administration praised the court’s decision, and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt described it as "the first of many legal wins for the president." 

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

"The court dissolved the injunction due to a lack of standing," Leavitt said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "This goes to show that lawfare will not ultimately prevail over the will of 77 million Americans who supported President Trump and his priorities."

The buyout program is one of several initiatives the Trump administration has unveiled to cut down the federal workforce. On Tuesday, Trump also signed an executive order instructing the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to coordinate with federal agencies and execute massive cuts in federal workforce staffing numbers. 

The order instructs DOGE and federal agencies to work together to "significantly" shrink the size of the federal government and limit hiring new employees, according to a White House fact sheet on the order. Specifically, agencies must not hire more than one employee for every four that leave their federal post. 

Agencies also are instructed to "undertake plans for large-scale reductions in force" and evaluate ways to eliminate or combine agency functions that aren't legally required, the fact sheet said. 

Fox News' Andrea Margolis, Jake Gibson, Jacqui Heinrich and Patrick Ward contributed to this report. 

FIRST ON FOX: Republican lawmakers are mounting a massive effort to repeal the federal inheritance tax, colloquially known as the "death tax."

Rep. Randy Feenstra, R-Iowa, is leading more than 170 House Republicans on the "Death Tax Repeal Act," which is also backed by the House’s top tax writer, Ways & Means Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo.

An inheritance or estate tax is levied upon the beneficiary who receives assets upon a person's death. Republicans have long criticized the estate tax as a needless financial burden on grieving families, particularly hitting small family-owned businesses.

It comes as Republicans work on extending President Donald Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, whose provisions expire at the end of this year. Among the measures sunsetting in 2026 is a doubling of the estate tax exemption.

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

Supporters of the federal estate tax point out that it affects a relatively small number of estates. Penalties are triggered for estates worth roughly $13.9 million at the time of death, according to the latest IRS data.

A counterpart bill in the Senate is being led by Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and is backed by 44 senators. 

Both Feenstra and Thune argued it was an unnecessary tax that unfairly affected family farms and small businesses in their home states of Iowa, South Dakota and elsewhere.

BLACK CAUCUS CHAIR ACCUSES TRUMP OF 'PURGE' OF 'MINORITY' FEDERAL WORKERS

"The death tax is an egregious double tax that unfairly targets American family farms and small businesses and directly threatens long-held farming traditions in rural Iowa and across the country," Feenstra told Fox News Digital. "It is ridiculous that the federal government sends grieving families a massive tax bill when a loved one passes away."

He said it amounted to "double taxation."

"Family farms and ranches play a vital role in our economy and are the lifeblood of rural communities in South Dakota," Thune told Fox News Digital.

"Losing even one of them to the death tax is one too many. It’s time to put an end to this punishing, burdensome tax once and for all so that family farms, ranches and small businesses can grow and thrive without costly estate planning or massive tax burdens that can threaten their viability."

If Republicans fail to extend Trump’s tax cuts before the end of this year, the estate tax would affect any estates worth roughly $7 million or more, according to Modern Wealth Law.

House Ways & Means Committee Republicans shared a memo late last year that said everyday American households could see taxes rise by over 20% if the tax cuts expired.

Feenstra and Thune’s bill would abolish the tax altogether, however.

Alabama Republican Gov. Kay Ivey has signed a new bill that she says answers a simple question: What is a woman?

The bill from state Rep. Susan DuBose, R-Leeds, and Sen. April Weaver, R-Alabaster, would adjust state law to explicitly define "man," "woman," "boy," "girl," "father," "mother," "male," female" and "sex."

It cleared the legislature in Montgomery on Wednesday.

"If the Good Lord made you a boy, you’re a boy. And if He made you a girl, you’re a girl," Ivey said in a signing statement from the Capitol.

"In Alabama, we believe there are two genders: Male and female. There is nothing complicated or controversial about it."

KETANJI BROWN JACKSON REFUSES TO DEFINE THE WORD 'WOMAN'

"Today, I was proud to officially answer the question "What is a Woman?" with my signature on Senate Bill 79. It did not take a biologist to figure it out."

In comments to Fox News Digital, Ivey said prior to the signing: "In Alabama, it does not take a biologist to answer the question: What is a woman?"

During Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation hearing, the jurist told Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn she could not define the term "woman." "In this context – I’m not a biologist," Brown Jackson said. 

"There are only two genders: Male and female," Ivey told Fox News Digital.

The law would require the government to collect vital statistics to identify a person's sex at birth and "delete obsolete or unnecessary definitions and make nonsubstantive, technical revisions to update the existing code language to current style."

"For purposes of state law, a ‘female’ is an individual whose biological reproductive system is designed to produce ova, and a ‘male’ is an individual whose biological reproductive system is designed to fertilize the ova of a female," a draft of the bill published on a government site read.

WOMANHOOD IS NOT A GAME OF SEMANTICS, ATTORNEY SAYS

Alabama House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter told Fox News Digital on Thursday the Yellowhammer State is one that "refuses to back down from commonsense conservative values."

"We believe boys should play against boys and girls should play against girls. We believe that men have no business using the girls’ restroom," said Ledbetter, R-Rainsville.

Ledbetter said every human is made in the image of God and their gender is defined by Him.

"I am proud that the House has passed Rep. Susan DuBose’s ‘What Is a Woman Act’ and look forward to Governor Ivey signing it into law," he said.

DuBose told Fox News Digital she is grateful to know that her children and future generations in Alabama will not have to worry about losing opportunities to men:

"I couldn’t be more thrilled to see this bill pass the legislature," DuBose said. 

"Alabamians know what a woman is, and we have fought hard to ensure our laws do too. I am grateful to all my colleagues for their support in finally getting this bill to Governor Ivey’s desk, and I look forward to watching her sign it into law."

The bill does have its opponents, including the ACLU of Alabama.

"We oppose House Bill 405. The ‘What is a Woman’ Act seeks to answer a question that is contextualized by far more than biological gender norms that this bill seeks to codify," a statement from the group read.

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"The bill establishes a stringent assertion of the definition of a man or woman that completely cuts transgender people out of the picture. This bill attempts to place antiquated gender assumptions as a rule of law."

The group added that the legislation will make it more difficult for transgender people to "authentically" live life.

Democrats, including state Reps. Barbara Drummond of Mobile and Napoleon Bracy of Pritchard, also objected to the bill only being slated for 10 minutes of floor debate.

The Blackburn-Jackson incident and ensuing public debate also led conservative commentator Matt Walsh to produce a documentary on the matter called "What is a Woman?"

When the issue first came up in the Jackson hearing, Blackburn said the jurist being unable to give a "straight answer" about "something as fundamental as what a woman is" underscores the dangers of progressive education.

Blackburn suggested that biological male athletes should not be allowed to compete against women.

Democratic lawmakers on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee sparred with President Donald Trump's Department of Education nominee Linda McMahon on Thursday over cost-cutting efforts underway by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an agency led by tech billionaire Elon Musk.

"I believe the American people spoke loudly in the election last November to say that they want to look at waste, fraud and abuse in our government," said McMahon, the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).

Pressed by Democrats, including Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, if she would follow through with cuts suggested by the "DOGE brothers," McMahon said she can be counted on to follow congressional statute "because that's the law."

TRUMP EDUCATION NOMINEE LINDA MCMAHON SAYS SHUTTING DOWN DOE WOULD 'REQUIRE CONGRESSIONAL ACTION'

Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., also asked if McMahon believes DOGE should have access to "private student data," suggesting that their probes "should frighten everyone."

"It is my understanding that those employees have been onboarded as employees of the Department of Education, and therefore, they operate under the restraints of utilizing access of information," McMahon said.

"That's not my understanding," Murray shot back.

"That's my understanding," McMahon responded.

Murray said it was "deeply disturbing" that DOGE staffers aren't "held accountable" and that it should "frighten everyone" if they have access to students' private information.

INTO THE RING: TRUMP EDUCATION CHIEF PICK MCMAHON TO TESTIFY ON CUTTING 'RED TAPE' AMID DOGE SWEEPS

The Department of Education canceled over $100 million in grants for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training as part of a broader cost-cutting effort led by DOGE, Fox News Digital previously reported. DOGE announced the termination of 89 DOE contracts, totaling $881 million, including $101 million allocated for DEI programs focused on educating educators about oppression, privilege and power, in a post Monday on X.

"Your tax dollars were spent on this," Musk wrote of the DOE spending.

DOGE reported that the Department of Education spent an additional $1.5 million on a contractor to "observe mailing and clerical operations" at a mail center, a contract that was also terminated in the dramatic spending audit. 

At one point, moderate Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine raised the terminated contracts as she asked about fears from some educators that grants for tutoring might be on the chopping block. 

"There are many worthwhile programs that we should keep," McMahon said in response to Collins. "But I'm not yet apprised of them. I want to study them. I'd like to get back and talk to you more and to work with you."

DOGE has been on a tirade to cut spending within the DOE, including terminating three grants in early February, one of which funded an institution that had hosted faculty workshops on "Decolonizing the Curriculum." Trump's early executive orders launched a federal review of DEI practices in federally funded educational institutions.

McMahon testified during Thursday's hearing that she has "not" had any conversation with Musk about the Department of Education. 

FIRST ON FOX: President Donald Trump will sign an executive order on Thursday establishing the Make America Healthy Again Commission, which will be led by newly confirmed Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Fox News Digital exclusively learned. 

The commission will be chaired by Kennedy and will be "tasked with investigating and addressing the root causes of America’s escalating health crisis, with an initial focus on childhood chronic diseases," the White House explained to Fox News Digital.

Kennedy was confirmed as the nation's leader of the U.S. Health and Human Services on Thursday and was expected to be sworn in later in the afternoon. His commission will work to "restore trust in medical and scientific institutions and hold public hearings, meetings, roundtables" to receive input from health leaders. 

The commission, Fox Digital learned, will focus on four policy directives to reverse chronic disease, including providing Americans transparency on health data to "avoid conflicts of interest in all federally funded health research;" prioritizing "gold-standard research on why Americans are getting sick" in all federally-funded health research; working with farmers to ensure food is healthy, as well as affordable; and expanding health coverage and treatment options "for beneficial lifestyle changes and disease prevention."

The commission initially will focus on childhood chronic diseases, such as autism and fatty liver disease, and also investigate adult chronic diseases, such as asthma and the U.S. average life expectancy compared to other nations. 

RFK JR. VOWS HE WON'T TAKE CHEESEBURGERS AWAY, JUST HIGHLIGHT HEALTH ISSUES: 'MY BOSS LOVES' THEM

Within 100 days of the commission's founding, it is expected to publish "an assessment that summarizes what is known and what questions remain regarding the childhood chronic disease crisis, and include international comparisons." Within 180 days, it is expected to "produce a strategy, based on the findings of the assessment, to improve the health of America’s children," Fox Digital learned. 

SENATE CONFIRMS ROBERT F KENNEDY JR. TO SERVE AS TRUMP'S HEALTH SECRETARY

Kennedy and Trump vowed on the campaign trail to "Make America Healthy Again," including directing their focus on autism among youths in recent years. The commission will investigate chronic conditions for both adults and children, including those related to autism, which the White House said affects one in 36 children.

TRUMP HEALTH SECRETARY NOMINEE RFK JR. SURVIVES HEATED HEARINGS

Trump, in recent months, has cited autism stats while previewing his second administration, balking at the number of children currently diagnosed compared to just 25 years ago. 

"When you look at, like, autism from 25 years ago, and you look at it now, something's going on," Trump said in December ahead of his inauguration. "Think of this: 25 years ago, autism, 1 in 10,000 children. Today it's 1 in 36 children. Is something wrong? I think so, and Robert and I, we're going to figure it out." 

Trump also vowed while on the campaign trail in June that he would "establish a special Presidential Commission of independent minds who are not bought and paid for by Big Pharma, and I will charge them with investigating what is causing the decades-long increase in chronic illnesses." 

TRUMP INNER CIRCLE SHARES MCDONALD’S MEAL AS DONALD JR. JOKES 'MAKE AMERICA HEALTHY AGAIN STARTS TOMORROW’

The Republican-controlled Senate voted 52–48 on Thursday to confirm Kennedy. His confirmation hearings before the Senate in late January included a few outbursts from protesters, as well as Democrats grilling him over his vaccine stances. 

Kennedy, who ran for president as a Democrat in the 2024 cycle before ultimately dropping out and endorsing Trump, clarified to the Senate that he is not "anti-vaccine." 

"I worked for years to raise awareness about the mercury and toxic chemicals in fish. And nobody called me anti-fish. And I believe that… that vaccines play a critical role in healthcare. All of my kids are vaccinated. I've read many books on vaccines. My first book in 2014, a first line of it is ‘I am not anti-vaccine’ and last line is ‘I am not anti-vaccine.’ Nor am I the enemy of food producers. American farms are the bedrock of our culture, of our politics, of our national security," Kennedy said during his hearing before the Senate Finance Committee in January. 

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro sued President Donald Trump's administration on Thursday to unfreeze federal funds. Pennsylvania is now one of at least 24 states and the District of Columbia with lawsuits challenging Trump's allegedly "unconstitutional" federal funding freeze. 

The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) directed agencies to halt federal funding on January 27. Pennsylvania state agencies have been unable to access $1.2 billion in federal funds with an additional $900 million requiring federal review, according to the lawsuit. Shapiro is seeking to unfreeze those funds. 

The lawsuit names Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, Energy Secretary Chris Wright, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and OMB Director Russell Vought in their respective capacities. 

"The federal government has entered into a contract with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, promising to provide billions of dollars in Congressionally approved funding that we have committed to serious needs – like protecting public health, cutting energy costs, providing safe, clean drinking water, and creating jobs in rural communities. With this funding freeze, the Trump Administration is breaking that contract – and it’s my job as Governor to protect Pennsylvania’s interests," Shapiro said.  

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION APPEALS FEDERAL JUDGE'S ORDER TO UNFREEZE FEDERAL FUNDS

The Trump administration has called the legal challenges to Trump’s executive orders "an attempt to undermine the will of the American people." The White House on Thursday dismissed Shapiro’s lawsuit as an extension of the "Left’s resistance." 

"Radical Leftists can either choose to swim against the tide and reject the overwhelming will of the people, or they can get on board and work with President Trump to advance his wildly popular agenda. These lawsuits are nothing more than an extension of the Left’s resistance — and the Trump Administration is ready to face them in court," White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Harrison Fields said. 

WHITE HOUSE STILL COMMITTED TO FREEZING ‘WOKE’ FUNDS DESPITE RESCINDING OMB MEMO

Shapiro said federal funding could jeopardize Pennsylvania projects, including "reclaiming abandoned mine land, capping and plugging orphan wells, and lowering consumer costs." Meanwhile, the Commonwealth is incurring debt on federally approved projects. 

Pennsylvania has joined at least 23 states and Washington, D.C., who have sued the Trump administration to unfreeze federal funds. Federal judges have issued a temporary restraining order to block the funding freeze in states with litigation against the Trump administration. Because Pennsylvania did not sue the Trump administration to unfreeze funds, they were not impacted by the order releasing funds. 

"While multiple federal judges have ordered the Trump Administration to unfreeze this funding, access has not been restored, leaving my Administration with no choice but to pursue legal action to protect the interests of the Commonwealth and its residents," Shapiro said. 

Shapiro is suing the Trump administration to reap the benefit of the federal judge’s order. 

Democratic groups quickly came out in support of Shapiro's lawsuit. 

"We strongly support Governor Shapiro’s action to protect Pennsylvanians, support communities and cut costs by challenging this funding freeze. Blocking these critical funds is an unacceptable attack on Pennsylvania families, communities and economic stability. These funds were legally approved by Congress and are crucial to supporting working families, rural communities and public safety initiatives across the commonwealth," the Pennsylvania House Democrats said in a statement. 

Evergreen Action, a progressive climate action organization, applauded Shapiro for standing up for Pennsylvanians. 

"Pennsylvania and its communities, businesses, and local governments must regain access to their funds immediately and be freed from this chaos and uncertainty. We are grateful for the governor’s leadership and hope these critical funds are soon able to reach the people who need them most," Evergreen Action Deputy State Policy Director, Julia Kortrey, said. 

Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., is threatening to file articles of impeachment against a federal judge who blocked President Donald Trump's federal funding freeze.

"I’m drafting articles of impeachment for U.S. District Judge John McConnell Jr.," Clyde wrote on X.

"He’s a partisan activist weaponizing our judicial system to stop President Trump’s funding freeze on woke and wasteful government spending. We must end this abusive overreach. Stay tuned."

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

U.S. District Judge John McConnell filed a new motion Monday ordering the Trump administration to comply with a restraining order issued Jan. 31, temporarily blocking the administration’s efforts to pause federal grants and loans. 

McConnell’s original restraining order came after 22 states and the District of Columbia challenged the Trump administration’s actions to hold up funds for grants, such as the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant and other Environmental Protection Agency programs. However, the states said Friday that the administration is not following through and funds are still tied up.  

A three-judge panel on the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the Trump administration’s appeal of the order on Tuesday.

McConnell has come under fire by Trump supporters and conservatives who have accused him of being a liberal activist. 

Clyde and others have cited a video of McConnell in 2021 saying courts must "stand and enforce the rule of law, that is, against arbitrary and capricious actions by what could be a tyrant or could be whatnot."

"You have to take a moment and realize that this, you know, middle-class, white, male, privileged person needs to understand the human being that comes before us that may be a woman, may be Black, may be transgender, may be poor, may be rich, may be — whatever," McConnell said in the video, according to WPRI.

Elon Musk wrote on X in response, "Impeach this activist posing as a judge! Such a person does great discredit to the American justice system."

BLACK CAUCUS CHAIR ACCUSES TRUMP OF 'PURGE' OF 'MINORITY' FEDERAL WORKERS

Clyde confirmed he was preparing articles of impeachment when asked by Fox News Digital on Thursday.

"For a federal judge to deny the executive their legitimate right to exercise their authority is wrong," Clyde told Fox News Digital. "This type of judge, this political activist – this radical political activist – should be removed from the bench."

When reached for a response to Clyde's threat, the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island said McConnell "often sits down with members of the media upon request" but did not comment on pending cases.

Trump’s allies have been hammering the judges who have issued a series of decisions curbing the president’s executive orders.

Rep. Eli Crane, R-Ariz., threatened to prepare impeachment articles against another judge earlier this week, U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer of the U.S. Southern District of New York, for blocking Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency from accessing Treasury records.

A member of North Carolina’s largest school district’s board slammed critics of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and said the term is being bandied about by people who are racist in place of the "n-word."

Wake County Schools board member Sam Hershey began his remarks at last week’s meeting in Raleigh by saying that if people are "searching for truth, we’re going to have to wait about four more years for that because, man, I’ve never seen someone lie so much as that person," in an apparent reference to President Donald Trump.

Hershey, who is White, said that in recognition of Black History Month, he wanted to make some remarks about DEI in a meeting video posted to YouTube.

"I really want to highlight, as Dr. Ng mentioned, we're celebrating 250 [years of America] next year that … it’s really important to talk about people being hired based on their skin color. And for 250 years, it has been mediocre White men who have been hired based on their skin color."

DOGE SLASHES $100M IN DEI FUNDING AT US DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

"And those are facts. – I've heard people say DEI is racist. If that's what you believe, you know nothing about diversity, equity, inclusion, and you know nothing about racism. And that speaks to you as a human being."

Speaking about Wake County as a whole, which includes Raleigh as well as Fuquay-Varina and Zebulon, Hershey said DEI ensures kids who need more educational help receive it without lowering standards.

"That's the thing that drives me nuts the most," Hershey said. "That's being real. And I've said this before: People who throw around ‘DEI hire,’ they're just replacing the n-word with ‘DEI hire.’ That's what they want to say. We get it. You guys are all losers."

BALTIMORE SUES TRUMP FOR DITCHING DEI

He referenced the recent helicopter-plane collision above Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Virginia, where some pundits were hypothesizing about the personal identifiers of the pilots involved.

"Should I see a Black pilot or do I think they're a DEI hire? No, that's racism to think that way."

In Wake County Schools, he said, candidates are hired based on their qualifications and that it would be insulting not to do so.

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"We’ve got vacancies, so we're not turning away people because they're White," he said.

A communications official for Wake County Schools told Fox News Digital, "I don't have any information to share with you," when reached on Thursday.

Superintendent Robert Taylor did not respond to multiple requests for comment, and several assistant superintendents, as well as Hershey, did not respond to emailed inquiries whether any reprimand or other action was being considered because of his remarks.

On X, formerly Twitter, Hershey's comments led to criticism, including one user who asked if he had ever listened to speeches from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

"What happened to a world where one is not judged by the color of his skin (or other immutable outward characteristics for that matter?). Why should anyone consider skin color in hiring?"

"Sam Hershey has decades of experience in 'white man mediocrity," another user wrote. "Not exactly the best and brightest Wake County has to offer."

An anti-Israel student group at Georgetown University's law school planned to hold an event on campus headlined by a Palestinian terror group member convicted for his role in the killing of a 17-year-old Israeli girl.

But the event was postponed by the university. Now, a Jewish legal advocacy group is calling on the law school to formally cancel the event. 

Flyers on campus, captured in images taken by a Georgetown law student and shared with Fox News Digital, show that Georgetown Law Students for Justice in Palestine organized an event with Ribhi Karajah for Feb. 11. 

"Palestinian Prisoners, an evening with Ribhi Karajah, student activist and former political prisoner," the flyer states, adding that Karajah will speak to students about his "arrest, detention, and torture in the Israeli military judicial system." 

TRUMP MOVES TO DEPORT HAMAS-SYMPATHIZING STUDENTS

Karajah, a U.S. citizen, was arrested, along with two members of the U.S.-designated terror group the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), and spent 3½ years in prison for his involvement in an August 2019 roadside bombing that killed a young Israeli named Rina Shnerb and seriously injured her father and brother. Karajh was informed of intimate details of the attack by associates within the PFLP and subsequently admitted in a plea agreement he did nothing to stop it. 

JEWISH STUDENTS AT GEORGETOWN LAW FEAR VIOLENCE AMID HEATED RHETORIC FROM CLASSMATES AND ANTI-ISRAEL GROUPS

Karajah also spent several months in an Israeli prison in 2017 while attending Birzeit University, a school known to be a hotbed for terrorist sympathizers. According to Jewish activist Adar Rubin, the director of mobilization at End Jew Hatred, Karajah has promoted PFLP leadership on social media and spoken at PFLP-sponsored events. 

While the student group cited inclement weather on social media as the reason for postponing Karajah's event, it said in a statement that, two days before the event, the law school instructed the student group to postpone the event so that the university "could conduct a thorough investigation into serious safety and security concerns that had arisen in connection with the event." 

Now, The Lawfare Project, a legal advocacy group that supports students facing antisemitism on campus, is calling on the university to cancel the event. In a letter sent to the dean and vice dean of Georgetown's law school Wednesday, The Lawfare Project cited federal law against providing material support for terrorism.

"Under 18 U.S.C. § 2339A, the term ‘material support or resources’ includes, but is not limited to, expert advice or assistance, lodging, training, personnel, and services. The U.S. Supreme Court, in Holder v. Humanitarian Law Project (2010), upheld a broad interpretation of this statute, ruling that even seemingly benign support, such as providing a platform to an FTO member, can further terrorism and violate federal law," The Lawfare Project said in its letter to the dean of Georgetown's law school, William Treanor. 

"By permitting Karajah to speak on its campus, GULC risks providing material support to a known terrorist operative. … The fact that this event was organized by a recognized student group does not absolve the university of liability."

BLUE STATE DEMOCRATS SPEARHEAD BILLS TO CRACK DOWN ON CAMPUS ANTISEMITISM

The Lawfare Project is also calling for Georgetown to reveal whether any law school administrators were aware of Karajah's affiliation with the PFLP before approving the event. As of Thursday, the group told Fox News Digital it had not heard back from the university. 

During Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's recent trip to the nation's capital, he met with several U.S. college students and recent graduates who have been at the front of rising anti-Israel sentiment on college campuses. During the discussion with these students, Netanyahu was told about the event by Julia Wax Vanderwiel, founder and president of Georgetown Law Zionists. 

"[Netanyahu] had a very visceral reaction to my speech," she told Jewish Insider. "He’s appalled [about the upcoming event]. He said he knows exactly who [the murdered 17-year-old] is. He’s met the family. He said that we need to stay strong. He genuinely listened, cared and wants something done."

Vanderweil added in comments to Jewish Insider that Karajah's "presence on our campus threatens the security of all Jewish students."    

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday rejected Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill's motion to extradite the New York doctor who allegedly prescribed and mailed an abortion pill to a Louisiana mother. 

"The governor of Louisiana sent an extradition request demanding New York turn over a physician who provided reproductive healthcare. New York is rejecting that request," Hochul said.

Murrill announced on Wednesday she had filed a motion to extradite Dr. Margaret Carpenter, who was indicted by a Louisiana grand jury last month for knowingly providing a pregnant woman in Louisiana with an abortion drug. 

"We will take any and all legal actions to enforce the criminal laws of this State," Murrill said. 

BONDI ANNOUNCES NEW LAWSUITS AGAINST STATES ALLEGEDLY FAILING TO COMPLY WITH IMMIGRATION ACTIONS: ‘A NEW DOJ’

"We have sent out a law enforcement notice that certain out-of-state warrants are not enforceable in the state of New York," Hochul replied Thursday. "So anyone who possibly pulls over an individual or is involved in a situation for a doctor who is protected under our laws is told, ‘You are not to cooperate and enforce this extradition.’ So I want to be clear that we have taken all the steps we can to protect this doctor."

Since the indictment, Hochul has said she would not comply with extradition and signed a law allowing doctors to request their names be omitted from abortion pill prescriptions.

"I will never, under any circumstances, turn this doctor over to the state of Louisiana under any extradition request," Hochul said.

NEW YORK GOV HOCHUL SIGNS LAW PROTECTING ABORTION PILL PRESCRIBERS AFTER DOCTOR INDICTED IN LOUISIANA

Murill said Hochul does not have the authority to resist extradition. 

"New York officials, including the governor, are not at liberty to ignore interstate compacts and laws regarding extradition. As to the new law, a doctor prescribing these drugs and delivering them in our state is committing a crime. Masking their identity on a prescription bottle will not protect them," Murrill said.

Murill warned Carpenter to be careful with her travel plans with a warrant out for her arrest. 

"There's an arrest warrant in the NCIC system. The doctor could be arrested in other places. If New York won't cooperate, there are other states that will," Murill said. 

After the indictment, Hochul doubled down on her commitment to protecting reproductive access in New York from "anti-abortion politicians."

"We always knew that overturning Roe v. Wade wasn’t the end of the road for anti-abortion politicians. That’s why I worked with the legislature to pass nation-leading laws to protect providers and patients. It’s more critical than ever for states to step up and protect reproductive freedom, and I’ll never back down from this fight," Hochul said.

The case represents the first known criminal indictment of a doctor charged with prescribing abortion medication across state lines.

Louisiana has one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country. Abortion has been illegal in Louisiana since Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022. The only exceptions are for non-viable pregnancies and the life of the mother.

New York has moved in the opposite direction since the Dobbs decision. The blue state enshrined abortion access into its constitution this year under Hochul's leadership.

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"Louisiana has changed their laws, but that has no bearing on the laws here in the state of New York. Doctors take an oath to protect their patients. I took an oath of office to protect all New Yorkers, and I will uphold not only our constitution but also the laws of our land. And I will not be signing an extradition order that came from the governor of Louisiana, not now, not ever," Hochul said Thursday.