The historic Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) organization denied a motion by local members to restrict biological males who identify as transgender from joining its ranks over the weekend. 

The DAR, which currently allows natal males to join its chapters across the country, has pointed to the policy as a necessity for DAR to maintain its tax-exempt status. A local chapter in Texas challenged that premise with the help of the Center for American Liberty (CAL), but the DAR National Board of Management (NBOM) rejected the proposal to national bylaws in a vote on Saturday.  

Laura McDonald, member of the Martha Laird DAR Chapter which proposed the change, told Fox News Digital that she is disappointed, but not discouraged.

"The rejection by the National Board of Management of our proposal to define a woman in our bylaws sadly confirms what we knew all along – that leadership is taking a political stance which is not based on fears of the loss of 501(c)(3) nonprofit status," she said. "We are indebted to The Center for American Liberty for their help in exposing this truth. We will continue fighting for the Truth."

In January, CAL drafted a letter to DAR leadership, arguing that the policy to exclude natal men, including natal men who identify as women, from membership eligibility is both lawful and would not jeopardize the DAR’s status as a tax-exempt nonprofit, according to a memorandum reviewed by Fox News Digital. In September 2024, the Martha Laird Chapter, along with the endorsement of 11 other chapters, submitted a proposed bylaw amendment to prohibit all men, including trans-identifying men, from DAR membership eligibility. 

TRUMP ORDER RESTRICTING SEX-CHANGE PROCEDURES FOR MINORS IN LINE WITH ‘DO NO HARM,’ DOCTOR SAYS 

"A woman is defined as a biological female at conception, having naturally occurring X chromosomes, exclusive of Y chromosomes, and certified as female or girl on the original birth certificate," the proposed bylaw read. "NSDAR and its chapters may not discriminate against an eligible applicant."

McDonald said her chapter has another proposal ready that they will vote on at their next meeting in March. 

"The language of the new proposal will accommodate the concerns the NBOM addressed in their rejection letter," she said. "We are looking forward to this process again in the coming year – our goal is to Restore our Iconic, Historic and once prestigious American Institution founded by women, for women and we intend to see it through."

According to a copy of the rejection letter shared with Fox News Digital, the NBOM found the proposed amendments "not to be suitable for inclusion in the bylaws and not to be in the best interests of the Society," adding that it "rejected the proposed amendments in their entirety" and that they will not be forwarded to the 134th Continental Congress.

The letter also said the DAR will continue to rely on its "long-standing policy" to accept state-certified birth certificates and will not introduce requirements for chromosomal DNA tests to establish an applicant's sex.

"We will continue doing this every year until we at least get a vote at the Continental Congress," McDonald previously told Fox News Digital. "That's the only fair and transparent way to handle this."

CAL argued, on behalf of the Martha Laird DAR Chapter in Texas, that members of the organization have a First Amendment right to exclude trans-identifying men from eligibility. 

"To the extent state and local public accommodation statutes may be interpreted to require the DAR to admit trans-identifying men, such a requirement would likely violate the DAR’s First Amendment rights if the DAR determined that such a requirement would interfere with its ability to advance its intended message," the memorandum reads. 

HEGSETH BANS FUTURE TRANS SOLDIERS, MAKES SWEEPING CHANGES FOR CURRENT ONES

Additionally, they argue that while nonprofits run the risk of losing their nonprofit status if they act in a way that is illegal or contrary to "national public policy," it is unlikely that the DAR, a genealogical association that limits membership to natal females, violates national public policy.

"To the best of our knowledge, the IRS has never revoked a sex-based organization’s nonprofit status based on the fact that the organization excluded trans-identifying men from membership eligibility," the memorandum reads. "Moreover, the DAR currently excludes men who do not identify as transgender from eligibility." 

The DAR was founded in 1890 as a place for women who share a commitment to honoring Revolutionary War patriots and promoting historical preservation, as they couldn't join their male counterparts in the Sons of the American Revolution. Members famously must trace their lineage to those who helped fight in the war for American independence. 

"The fact that we've excluded men since our founding… we should have lost our nonprofit status a long time ago or never even obtained it to begin with," McDonald said. 

In June 2024, former DAR member Brenda Becker spoke with Fox News Digital about her resignation from the organization in protest following the bylaw amendment that said chapters cannot "discriminate against an eligible applicant based on race, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law," leading to criticism that biological men identifying as transgender women could be part of the group. But the DAR has claimed that was already the case. 

"This literally is the epitome of gaslighting because, first of all, they tell members that nothing has changed in their admissions process from the beginning when we were founded in 1890, that only women are eligible for membership," McDonald said. "But, then they go on to say that a man who claims he's a woman is a woman, and therefore he's eligible for membership. But if you are a man that doesn't claim to be a woman, you're not eligible for membership." 

TOP INTERNATIONAL CHESS FEDERATION BARS TRANSGENDER FEMALES FROM COMPETING IN WOMEN'S EVENTS

The updated language was criticized for its vagueness, with some members expressing confusion last year over whether this would mean transgender women could join. In a document titled "Answers to Frequently Asked Member Questions Regarding Transgender Women in DAR," which was shared with Fox News Digital, the organization's leadership affirmed that transgender members were permitted to join.

Since the organization announced the amendment during DAR’s 2023 Continental Congress, over 500 members and former members of the DAR have sent nearly 3,000 messages to DAR leadership expressing discontent with the bylaw change, according to the New Tolerance Campaign (NTC). Members against the change argue that unless the bylaws are reversed, they will be forced to share changing rooms, restrooms and hotel rooms with biological males.

Becker told Fox News Digital she and other women feel like they are being deceived, and added it was ironic that one can join the DAR using an altered birth certificate when membership is contingent on accurate biographical records. McDonald added that this was especially important because the organization hasn't typically allowed any altered birth certificates to act as verification for admission. 

"If I were to adopt a little girl right now, she could not use her altered birth certificate to get into the DAR, using my line, my biological line," McDonald explained. "She would have to go dig up her original birth certificate and jump through all these other hoops that other applicants don't, to prove her biological line."

Fox News Digital reached out to DAR for comment. 

CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Rep. Morgan Luttrell, R-Texas, is joining GOP colleagues in the Senate by introducing legislation to protect unaccompanied migrant children from human traffickers.

"Over 300,000 unaccompanied migrant children effectively disappeared under the Biden administration, leaving them vulnerable to trafficking, abuse, and exploitation. Instead of ensuring their safety, these children are released with no follow-up, falling into the hands of cartels and criminals," Luttrell said in a release announcing the Stop Human Trafficking of Unaccompanied Migrant Children Act of 2024.

Luttrell's legislation is a companion to a bill introduced in the Senate by senators Rick Scott, R-Fla., and Ron Johnson, R-Wis., and aims to prevent further trafficking of migrant children by implementing proper vetting for adults who sponsor a child in the United States, including vetting for parents, immediate relatives and unrelated adults.

MIGRANT SEX TRAFFICKING SURVIVOR SPEAKS OUT: 'I SAW GOOD PEOPLE DIE'

The bill will also require that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) take steps to vet all adults who will live in the home of a migrant child.

"It is terrifying to think that over 300,000 young, innocent children have been brought into this nation, potentially forced into unsafe conditions and at risk for human trafficking," Scott said in the release. "As a parent or grandparent, it’s unimaginable to think what might happen to these children and that former President Joe Biden allowed this to happen by completely dismantling our immigration system and opening our southern border, completely ignoring the consequences or the tolls on human life."

JUDGE APPROVES EMERGENCY ORDER TO CLOSE MIGRANT GANG-INFESTED AURORA, COLORADO, APARTMENT COMPLEX

The bill aims to put multiple steps in place to prevent trafficking of children, including a prohibition on children being released to a sponsor who is in the U.S. illegally, unless the sponsor is the child's legal guardian or a relative. The bill will also require authorities to complete a home visit prior to a child being released to the sponsor and calls for at least five additional unannounced home visits during the child's first year in the country.

The legislation will also require reporting to Congress on actions being taken to account for current missing children, according to the release.

"HHS must implement thorough vetting to ensure these children are placed with responsible adults — not predators," Luttrell said. "President Biden’s border policies failed everyone, and this legislation will support the Trump administration’s efforts to course correct the disaster we were left with."

Texas law enforcement issued a word of warning to Ford F-series truck owners after they broke up an organized crime ring targeting the popular vehicle model.

Three Texas men are facing charges for allegedly stripping the taillights off dozens of high-end Ford trucks, indicating a new trend of vehicle thefts that has owners on high alert. 

Jimmy Dean Miller, Jaleel D. Fasion and Sergio Giovanni Sanfilippo are charged with engaging in organized criminal activity after police say the trio stole over $92,000 worth of taillights. 

The ring operated between September 2024 and January 2025, targeting 34 victims, according to the Webster Police Department. 

FORD SPOTLIGHTS A NEW LINEUP OF POPULAR TRUCKS

Miller, Fasion and Sanfilippo traveled throughout the I-45 highway corridor between Houston and Galveston, according to authorities. Officers relied on surveillance to track the suspects as they entered high-traffic areas, ultimately establishing probable cause for the arrests. 

Most of the vehicles targeted by the three men were F-350s, according to police. The latest models of the trucks can cost more than $100,000. 

"We found that taillights from luxury Ford vehicles were being stolen," Webster Police Chief Pete Bacon told Fox News Digital. "We believe the reason is that these taillights contain specific sensors, and these sensors are part of the entire [luxury] system and cost a lot of money." 

Once thieves have access to the tailgate of a vehicle, they can remove the lights by simply unscrewing them from the truck, making off with the loot within a matter of seconds. 

"If they have two or three guys working in conjunction, they can get these lights removed in under a minute," Bacon told Fox News Digital. 

MAN NAMED ‘OPTIMUS PRIME’ ARRESTED FOR AUTO THEFT: TEXAS POLICE

Bacon believes that the taillights were being sold online to truck owners who are looking for replacements but may not want to pay retail price. The investigation revealed that the trio sold the stolen parts on sites such as Facebook Marketplace, with one victim possibly purchasing his own headlights back, police said.

Bacon encourages drivers to take precautions to protect their vehicles.

Drivers can purchase aftermarket tailgate locks or scratch a series of numbers into the inside of their taillights, making them identifiable if they are stolen, according to Bacon. Truck owners should consult their truck’s dealership to ensure any security measures do not impact their warranty. 

FLORIDA AUTHORITIES ARREST ALLEGED RETAIL THEFT RING MEMBERS ACCUSED OF STEALING $90K WORTH OF GOODS

Ford did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. 

Court records indicate that the three men are facing criminal charges for the thefts. Fasion is charged but has been released from custody and Sanfilippo is currently out on bond. 

A magistrate judge ruled that no probable cause was found in Miller’s case, but prosecutors are planning to refile the charges through a grand jury, the district attorney’s office told Fox News Digital. 

The Webster Police Department worked with the Galveston County Auto Crimes Task Force, League City Police Department and Seabrook Police Department to apprehend the suspects.

Bacon warns that although this began as a regional issue, there is a likelihood of copycat criminals and truck owners should take precautions to protect their vehicles. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

"Once a group of thieves figures out what kind of niche they're going after, then we'll probably have more," Bacon said. "There's going to be other rings out there targeting taillights. I don't think with these three arrests, that this problem is going to end."

Demonstrators flocked to the streets of major cities across the country on Wednesday, in protest of President Donald Trump’s aggressive agenda on topics like the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), immigration, tariffs, gender, labor and more.

Since his return to the Oval Office on Jan. 20, Trump has pressed forward with an agenda that puts America first at all costs, whether it is deporting dangerous criminals living in the U.S. illegally or offering buyouts to federal employees with an ultimatum to either return to the office or search for work.

But with what critics say is a harsh approach to leading the country, Trump has ruffled a few feathers, causing people to protest around the country.

The Associated Press reported that the protests were the result of a movement that has organized online under the hashtags #buildtheresistance and #50501, which stands for 50 protests, 50 states, one day. Websites and accounts across social media called for action with messages like, "reject fascism" and "defend our democracy."

LA FREEWAY BLOCKED BY ANTI-DEPORTATION PROTESTERS IN RESPONSE TO TRUMP'S CRACKDOWN ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

In Austin, Texas, hundreds of protesters took to the streets after protesting on the steps of the state Capitol building.

As the protesters marched, they held signs that read, "Fight, our lives depend on it," "Impeach the b- - - -," and "Texas deserves better," while donning an LGBTQ+ flag and chanting, "Si Se Puede," or in English, "Yes we can."

Protesters also held signs objecting to any influence billionaire Elon Musk may have on the presidency.

BORDER CZAR TOM HOMAN SENDS MESSAGE TO FAR-LEFT OFFICIALS PUSHING BACK AGAINST MASS DEPORTATIONS: 'GAME ON'

About 80 miles south in San Antonio, Texas, hundreds of students from the city’s independent school district walked out in protest of U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and mass deportations.

Video posted to social media shows protesters holding signs that said, "This country was made by immigrants," and "The People United Will Defend Immigrant Families," and "The People will Defeat Trump’s Extreme-Right Agenda," while holding flags with Che Guevara, a Cuban revolutionary leader and Marxist who was born in Argentina and became a left-wing hero.

The scenes were similar around the country.

'DEPORTATION FLIGHTS HAVE BEGUN' AS TRUMP SENDS 'STRONG AND CLEAR MESSAGE,' WHITE HOUSE SAYS

In Los Angeles, students walked out of class and gathered in front of city hall to protest against ICE and for the rights of immigrants.

Protesters in Sacramento appeared in droves at the state capitol, shouting rhetoric against Trump and Musk.

And in Phoenix, people protested Trump’s agenda, particularly things like his stance on there only being two genders, as well as tariffs on Canada and Mexico.

TRUMP GOES TOE-TO-TOE WITH SANCTUARY CITIES OVER DEPORTATION AS ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN SET TO BEGIN

While protesters had their voices heard on similar topics at the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., another group protested at the U.S. Department of Labor.

Those at the Department of Labor were heard chanting, "Workers United, We’ll Never Be Divided," in protest of the Trump administration’s push to get federal workers back in the office.

Last week, the Trump administration gave nearly 2 million federal employees the option of taking a buyout and getting paid through Sept. 30, but the deadline to take the deal expires on Feb. 6.

Multiple labor unions have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration regarding the buyouts, mainly on the basis that the funds to continue to pay the employees should they take the offer have not been appropriated by Congress for that purpose.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recently apprehended an illegal immigrant in Texas, who was wanted for murder in Guatemala.

Dennis Alexander Valenzuela, 37, was arrested on Jan. 31 at his home in Fort Worth, Texas, according to a statement from ICE.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT SEXUALLY ABUSED CHILD IN THE US AFTER BEING REMOVED FROM THE COUNTRY FIVE TIMES 

"Our officers pursue criminal aliens who attempt to hide in the shadows of our communities daily," said acting ICE Dallas field office director Joshua Johnson. "The apprehension and pending removal of this individual underscores our dedication to upholding the laws of our country and safeguarding our communities."

Valenzuela, who is from Guatemala, entered the United States at or near Hidalgo, Texas on June 16, 2021, without an immigration inspection, admission, or parole by an immigration officer, according to ICE.

US MILITARY FLYING SURVEILLANCE AIRCRAFT FOR RECONNAISSANCE MISSIONS ALONG SOUTHERN BORDER WITH MEXICO 

U.S. Border Patrol agents encountered Valenzuela on the same day and served him a Notice to Appear, pursuant to the Immigration and Nationality Act, officials noted.

Valenzuela will be housed at the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas, pending removal proceedings, according to the statement.

A Texas man convicted of killing a pastor in his own church during a robbery, days after being released from a court-order anger-management program, is slated to be executed Wednesday. 

Steven Lawayne Nelson was sentenced to death for the 2011 murder of Rev. Clint Dobson, 28, who was beaten, strangled and suffocated with a plastic bag inside NorthPointe Baptist Church in Arlington. Nelson allegedly suffocated Dobson by putting a plastic bag over his head as he was sitting in his office writing a sermon. 

He was captured after going on a shopping spree using the victims’ stolen credit cards, Fox Dallas reported.

TEXAN LEADS CITIZEN CHARGE TO BOOST POLICE, TIE OFFICIAL’S PAY TO PERFORMANCE IN FIGHT FOR ACCOUNTABILITY

"It is hard for me to fathom that you did what you did for a car and a laptop and a phone," Dobson's father-in-law, Phillip Rozeman, said in a statement after the sentencing. "The world is going to miss a leader. It's sad to know all the people that won't be helped because Clint is not here."

Nelson is expected to receive a lethal injection Wednesday evening at the state penitentiary in Huntsville.

Three days before the killing, Nelson was released from a court-ordered anger-management program as part of a deal with Dallas County prosecutors after he was arrested for aggravated assault on his girlfriend. 

Nelson previously served prison time for theft, and spent much of his teen years in juvenile facilities after committing various crimes.

After the sentencing for Dobson's killing, he was accused of angrily breaking a sprinkler head in his holding cell, which flooded the courtroom.

DNA SAMPLE TIES ELDERLY MAN TO 40-YEAR-OLD COLD CASE MURDER OF TEXAS WOMAN

He also regularly unshackled his handcuffs and ankle restraints by using a key he was hiding in his genitals.

In addition, while awaiting trial, he was indicted for allegedly killing another inmate. He was never charged after receiving the death sentence for the Dobson murder. 

During his murder trial, Nelson testified that he waited outside the church for about 25 minutes before going in and seeing that Dobson and Judy Elliott had been beaten. He insisted Dobson was still alive. 

Nelson said he took Dobson’s laptop and that one of the other two men who participated in the robbery gave him Elliott’s car keys and credit cards.

The victims were later found by Elliott’s husband, the church’s part-time music minister, who didn’t immediately recognize her because she had been so severely beaten.

Despite his insistence that he merely acted as lookout, prosecutors presented evidence of Nelson’s fingerprints and pieces of his broken belt at the crime scene and drops of the victims’ blood on his sneakers.

His attorneys appealed the conviction, claiming he had bad legal representation at his trial, saying they failed to challenge the alibis of the two other men and didn't present mitigating evidence of a troubled childhood in Oklahoma and Texas.

Democratic Rep. Al Green, the Houston, Texas, congressman who made three attempts to impeach President Donald Trump during his first term, initiated his first impeachment effort in 2025.

Green rose to address the House on Wednesday and said "ethnic cleansing in Gaza is not a joke, especially when it emanates from the President of the United States."

"And [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu] should be ashamed, knowing the history of his people, to stand there and allow such things to be said."

Green went on to say his formal impeachment articles are for "dastardly deeds proposed and dastardly deeds done."

REP. AL GREEN SAYS PRESIDENT IS 'NO BETTER THAN' KKK IN WAKE OF 'LYNCHING' TWEET

Trump had announced Tuesday the U.S. would "take over" war-torn Gaza and allow Palestinians to relocate while it is being essentially repaired.

"I also rise to say that the impeachment movement is going to be a grass up movement, not a top down… I did it before, I laid the foundation for impeachment, and it was done. Nobody knows more about it than I," Green went on.

"And I know that it time for us to lay the foundation again. On some issues, it is better to stand alone than not stand at all on this issue. I stand alone. But I stand for justice."

Other Democrats appeared lukewarm to Green’s current bid.

"It’s not a focus of our caucus," said House Democratic Caucus Chair Peter Aguilar, D-Calif. 

Green’s previous attempts were separate from those successful impeachments forwarded by now-California Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff and others – which related to Trump’s 2019 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the 2021 Capitol riot.

One Green resolution centered on 2019 Trump tweets deriding members of the left-wing Squad, wherein the president remarked "they [should] go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came."

During a House Judiciary Committee hearing at the time of one of Green’s previous impeachment attempts, Republican staff posted a banner of the Democrat’s own words:

"I’m concerned that if we don’t impeach this president, he will get re-elected," Green had said.

Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins – then the panel’s ranking member – listed Green’s comments as one of several in remarks criticizing Democrats for trying to usurp the power of the voting booth through political maneuvering.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

"For Democrats, it has been and will always be, to paraphrase Lewis Carroll: ‘Sentence first, verdict later,’" Collins said at the time.

During the Obama administration, the late Rep. Walter Jones Jr., R-N.C., similarly repeatedly called for President Barack Obama’s impeachment over issues ranging from the use of drones to troop casualties in Syria.

Fox News Digital reached out to Green’s office and was told "it is a matter of time" when the articles would be filed.

Fox News' Chad Pergram and Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.

The spread of DOGE-centric legislation and bureaucracies has taken off like a SpaceX rocket in several states across the country since Elon Musk and lawmakers like Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, and Rep. Aaron Bean, R-Fla., began their work this year.

Bean, chair of the bipartisan DOGE Caucus, was asked about copycat initiatives popping up around the country and remarked, "America has DOGE fever."

"As elected officials, we must ensure we are good stewards of taxpayer dollars. This means we must identify, investigate and eliminate wasteful spending."

With a governor’s race in November and President Donald Trump only losing their state by a historically small margin, Garden State Republicans appeared bullish this week as they put forth a proposal to "bring DOGE to New Jersey."

‘DOGE MEETS CONGRESS’: LAWMAKER LAUNCHES NEW PANEL ON GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY

GOP Assemblymen Alex Sauickie and Christopher DePhillips recently introduced Resolution 213 to create the NJ Delegation on Government Efficiency within the Treasury Department.

Sauickie quoted former President Ronald Reagan’s 1985 retort that "government is like a baby – an alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no responsibility at the other."

"Except babies, if raised and disciplined rightly, grow into adults who usually become productive members of society. Those adopting our state budgets show no such discipline," Sauickie said, adding that it is time for "grownups to take responsibility and say ‘no’" to reckless spending.

Some Trenton lawmakers have painted New Jersey’s financial outlook as a "fiscal cliff," and DePhillips blamed outgoing Gov. Phil Murphy for claiming he inherited the problem from Republican Gov. Chris Christie.

"Taxpayers want accountability for how their hard-earned money is spent," DePhillips said.

He also called on Murphy to "stop fighting Trump" and lower New Jersey’s business taxes before the third-founded state in the union "loses out" on the potential upswing of the new administration.

Republican state Sen. Joe Pennacchio added in a recent Fox News Digital interview that he would be forming a DOGE committee in the state legislature.

"We're mirroring what the federal government and what [Musk is] doing," said Pennacchio.

TOP DOGE LAWMAKER SAYS TRUMP ALREADY RACKING UP WINS

This week, Kentucky lawmakers also prioritized government efficiency measures, with Republican state Rep. Jared Bauman forwarding a bill to establish a working group to help the state treasury modernize its tax collections and accounting.

In Texas, lawmakers in both the state Senate and House are working on DOGE-centric initiatives.

Senate President Pro-Tempore Brandon Creighton, a Republican, first oversaw the passage of the strongest DEI ban in the U.S. during the 2023 session, which eliminated billions in taxpayer-funded waste and refocused public universities on education over social issues.

After DOGE formed at the federal level, Creighton said Texas is already a model for how a jurisdiction that prioritizes government efficiency will work.

"Seeing the swift action by President Trump and Elon Musk with DOGE is a welcome and necessary new era in Washington, D.C. – and I know they are just getting started," Creighton told Fox News Digital on Wednesday.

"Many have said that Washington should take notes from Texas – because the Texas economic engine is proof that when government is committed to efficiency, accountability and conservative results, taxpayers win."

Meanwhile, Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, officially the president of the Senate, announced a bill late last month called "Texas DOGE – Improving Government Efficiency," according to Bloomberg.

Another reported bill by Republican state Sen. Bryan Hughes would form a DOGE office in the executive branch.

Meanwhile, the Texas House is considering forming a DOGE committee to analyze government efficiency through a 13-member panel.

It would investigate fraud claims, inefficient use of tax dollars, and the use of AI, according to FOX-7.

In Missouri, Republican state Rep. Ben Baker told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that Missourians believe the state government is not as efficient or responsive as it should be.

"We want to look into that," said Baker.

Baker recently announced he was named to lead the state’s new DOGE Standing Committee, adding his work will "align with federal efforts."

In New Hampshire, newly-inaugurated Gov. Kelly Ayotte’s first executive order created a 15-member Commission on Government Efficiency (COGE).

"COGE will make us smarter than ever before when it comes to saving taxpayer dollars and finding better ways to serve the people of our state," she said in her inaugural address.

It will be led by former Gov. Craig Benson and businessman Andy Crews.

North Carolina also sought to get in on the DOGE trend.

Republican House Speaker Destin Hall unveiled the new NC Select Committee on Government Efficiency.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

State Reps. Keith Kidwell and John Torbett, both Republicans, will lead the initiative, looking into waste, duplication, mismanagement and constitutional violations.

"As the new Trump administration rightfully takes aim at Washington D.C.’s wasteful spending and inefficient bureaucracy, it is time for us in Raleigh to do the same," Kidwell said in a statement.

Bean, the U.S. House’s DOGE leader, further remarked on the collective efforts: 

"It’s exciting to see states pick up the DOGE baton, and I applaud their efforts to improve government efficiency and stop the abuse of taxpayer dollars."

Some in Congress, however, have cast doubt on DOGE. Rep. Seth Magaziner, D-R.I., said at an anti-DOGE rally that some of the actions at the federal level are "completely illegal."

After drone video footage surfaced of an apparent cartel-on-cartel gunfight just south of the U.S. border with Mexico, Republican Congressman Chip Roy of Texas is calling attention to the danger still present at the border.

The footage, which Roy obtained from sources on the border, was taken by a cartel drone and shows two sets of vehicles exchanging gunfire near the U.S. border. Video taken by the drone shows the operator eventually drop some type of missile, seeming to eliminate shooters on one side.

Speaking with Fox News Digital, Roy said that the knowledge that cartels own drones with weapon capabilities "open[s] up a whole other frontier that we've got to manage and deal with border security."

"Seeing that and adding it into what we know about the extent to which the cartels are heavily armed and have significant resources… it is indicative of the kind of danger that we're talking about," said Roy.

MEXICAN CARTELS TARGETING BORDER PATROL AGENTS WITH KAMIKAZE DRONES, EXPLOSIVES AMID TRUMP CRACKDOWN: REPORT

This comes just days after U.S. Border Patrol agents exchanged gunfire with suspected cartel members near the U.S.-Mexican border in Fronton, Texas.

"We're seeing more of that," said Roy.

He noted that as President Donald Trump and his administration take major steps to crack down on illegal immigration and migrant crime within the U.S., he "would expect the cartels to flex more muscle in Mexico," requiring the U.S. to work more closely with Mexican authorities to quash any increase in violence.

"They recognize now that they've got a United States of America that is serious," he said. "My guess is they're not stupid enough to have the kind of overt aggression across our border… I’d speculate that they're going to try to manipulate a great deal of the police and military forces in Mexico."

HEGSETH, HOMAN TOUR BORDER AS MILITARY HELPS WITH DEPORTATION FLIGHTS, OPS AGAINST CARTELS

In response, Roy said he expects Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio will move to "work in good faith with Mexico to strengthen their ability to have the rule of law and root out cartels."

The congressman, who has introduced legislation to designate cartels "foreign terrorist organizations," said that Trump’s executive order to do the same is an important step to rooting out the cartel problem both in the U.S. and Mexico.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE

"This administration has already had more presence at the border than the entirety of the four years of the Biden administration… The cartels now know that you have a president in the country that means business, and they’re probably trying to figure out what their positioning needs to be."

ICE ARRESTS UNDER PRESIDENT TRUMP CONTINUE IN MIGRANT ‘SANCTUARY’ CITIES

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) declined to comment on the drone footage. 

A CBP spokesperson told Fox News Digital that "threats and assaults against CBP personnel are taken very seriously." 

"We remain vigilant and stand ready to ensure the safety of our personnel, aliens, and local communities, and the security of our borders," said the spokesperson. 

President Donald Trump's administration has reached a deal to grant the Texas National Guard new authority to make immigration arrests this weekend.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott referenced the deal on social media, saying it would "boost manpower for border security." Under the agreement, Texas National Guard troops would be able to arrest illegal immigrants so long as there is a U.S. immigration officer or Border Patrol agent present. U.S. Customs and Border Protection did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

Abbott said the deal was "effective immediately" as of Sunday night.

The deal is only the latest front in Trump's nationwide blitz against illegal immigration. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other border security groups have leaned into their deportation efforts since Trump gained office.

TRUMP FOE LETITIA JAMES SLAMMED FOR POST-NYC ICE RAID COMMENTS: ‘GET ON THE SAME PAGE’

Trump's 2024 campaign promised to curb illegal immigration that flourished under the Biden administration. The 47th President promised to deport migrants, including those who had long rap sheets or ties to gangs or terrorist organizations.

On the first day of his second term, Trump issued ten executive orders aimed at overhauling U.S. immigration law and policy. Less than a week back in the Oval Office, Trump touted that he is keeping his promises.

"Within hours of taking the oath of office, I declared a national emergency at our southern border. I sent active duty troops on the border to help repel the invasion. Tom Homan is leading the charge. You know that. We like Tom Homan. Doing a great job," Trump said at a recent rally.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE

"We immediately halted all illegal entry and began sending every border trespasser and violator back to the places from which they came. I signed an order that will designate the cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. It's a big deal, it's a big deal. Biden didn't want to do that," he added. "Biden didn't know he was alive. He didn't want to do it."

Federal officials deported some 7,300 illegal immigrants in the opening week of Trump's administration alone.

Fox News' Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report

The death of a 28-year-old Jefferies Group investment banker in Dallas, Texas, has prompted a police investigation into the "unexplained death."

The body of McIntosh, who was assigned to the firm's team covering technology, media and telecommunications companies, was found in a residential apartment building on Jan. 27, according to records from the Dallas County Medical Examiner's office. It was not immediately clear whether the apartment was McIntosh's.

"Based on the date, approximate time and location, this incident is being investigated as an unexplained death," Dallas police officer Michael Dennis, a public information officer for the department, told Fox News Digital.

JPMORGAN CHASE STARTS SUING CUSTOMERS WHO ALLEGEDLY STOLE FUNDS IN ATM GLITCH SCAM THAT WENT VIRAL

Medical documents reviewed by Fox News Digital showed that McIntosh was found around 11 a.m. at the Dallas apartment complex. The cause of death is still not known.

Jefferies Group CEO Richard Handler, along with the firm's president Brian Friedman, confirmed McIntosh's death in a message sent to employees Tuesday. 

"It is with tremendous sadness that we report we learned yesterday that Carter McIntosh, one of our talented associates in Dallas, has passed away," a copy of the memo obtained by Business Insider said. "Our most sincere condolences go out to his family, friends, and colleagues. We are in touch with Carter's family, who know we stand ready to support them in any way we can."

CONVICTED SOUTH CAROLINA BANK KILLER ASKS FOR ‘COMPASSIONATE RELEASE’ DAYS AFTER BIDEN COMMUTED DEATH SENTENCE

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Jefferies Group for comment.

Prior to joining Jefferies, McIntosh worked as an analyst for multiple companies, including Goldman Sachs, beginning in August 2018, according to his LinkedIn profile. He graduated from Seton Hall University, a private Catholic college in New Jersey, in 2018 with a bachelor's degree in finance.

McIntosh was at least the third young banker to die in the last 12 months. 

Adnan Deumic, a 25-year-old Bank of America trader, unexpectedly died in May 2024 while playing soccer. 

BANK OF AMERICA EMPLOYEE, 25, DIES SUDDENLY WEEKS AFTER 35-YEAR-OLD COLLEAGUE'S DEATH

Deumic was based in the United Kingdom and had been with the organization as a credit portfolio and algorithmic trader since July 2022, according to his LinkedIn profile. 

His death came just a couple of weeks after Leo Lukenas, 35, who was in the bank’s investment banking group in New York City, died of an acute coronary artery thrombus, according to the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. 

Lukenas had been working more than 100 hours a week and wanted to leave his job at the time of his death, a recruiter who had talked to him about a new job told Reuters. 

The three deaths have brought into focus the grueling hours that bank workers are known for putting in, but none of their deaths has been officially linked to working long hours.

Fox News Digital's Brie Stimpson contributed to this report. 

A school official in a Texas school district has been seen advising parents of transgender students to hide their trans kids from officials.

The post School Official Appears to Advise Parents of Trans Athletes to Change Birth Certificates to Play Girls’ Sports appeared first on Breitbart.

Texas natives Matthew McConaughey, Woody Harrelson, Renee Zellweger, and Dennis Quaid appear in a new video titled "True to Texas" in which they make the case for Hollywood to pick up stakes and move to the land of cowboys and oilfields.

The post Watch: Matthew McConaughey, Woody Harrelson, Billy Bob Thornton Push Hollywood to Leave California for Texas appeared first on Breitbart.

A Texas school district has acknowledged footage of one of its administrators telling an undercover journalist posing as a parent to change a transgender child's birth certificate to compete in girls sports. 

The Irving Independent School District in Irving, Texas, has provided a statement to Fox News Digital addressing the recent video of Reny Lizardo, the executive director of campus operations, giving this guidance, which was obtained by Accuracy in Media. 

The statement indicates Lizardo has resigned from his position. 

"In Irving ISD, we are committed to upholding the requirements of state and federal laws, especially as it pertains to ensuring the safety and well-being of our students, and we will cooperate with any investigation initiated by relevant authorities," the statement said. 

SIGN UP FOR TUBI AND STREAM SUPER BOWL LIX FOR FREE

"We are aware of the unauthorized video footage circulating on social media of an individual connected with Irving ISD. The videos were obtained under false pretenses by an individual who posed as a concerned parent and additional individuals who posed as family friends of the employee pictured. 

"The individuals also held themselves out as members of the media, but were not credentialed as such, constituting a breach of security. In addition, the footage has been edited and is an incomplete representation of the entire conversation, making it difficult to properly assess its probative value."

In the footage, Lizardo said, "It’s not illegal if you don’t get caught," with regard to changing the gender on a child's birth certificate, and "if you can get that done, and you turn us a birth certificate that says ‘this gender,’ that's the gender we go with." 

While discussing potential repercussions of the discussion, Lizardo suggested pleading plausible deniability.  

The district insists Lizardo's handling of the situation does not reflect the values and protocols of the school district. 

Fox News Digital has reached out to Lizardo for comment.

HOW TRANSGENDERISM IN SPORTS SHIFTED THE 2024 ELECTION AND IGNITED A NATIONAL COUNTERCULTURE

"We want to reiterate that Irving ISD complies with all state and federal laws, and all employees are expected to adhere to any and all legal and ethical standards. The message conveyed in the video, as presented, does not reflect the views nor policies of the district," the statement said. 

"Individual employees do not speak on behalf of the district. The individual identified was acting outside of his role as it relates to legal and regulatory expertise. While the matter continues to be under investigation, the individual identified in the video has tendered his resignation." 

The district's statement concludes by claiming all of its athletes participate in the proper gender category. 

"We can also confirm that all Irving ISD student-athletes are participating in their sport in accordance with the sex they were assigned at birth," the district said. "Irving ISD is unwavering in our commitment to the safety and well-being of all of our students and staff. We remain focused on our primary function to maintain educational excellence and foster the full potential of our students." 

Texas is one of 25 states in the U.S. with a law that prevents or restricts transgender athletes from competing against girls and women. In June 2023, the state passed the Save Women's Sports Act that prohibits transgender athletes from competing in girls and women's sports and only allows students to compete in the gender category listed on their birth certificate. 

The law only allows schools to recognize changes made to birth certificates that were made to correct a clerical error.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott addressed the footage involving Lizardo in a post on X and called for him to be fired and investigated. 

"This Irving ISD Administrator should be fired on the spot. Both criminal & civil investigations must be taken against both the Administrator & Irving ISD," Abbott wrote. "Has Irving ISD and its employees been involved in a fraudulent breach of state laws & a cover up? We must get the facts."

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.