Texas creates its own version of DOGE as Gov. Greg Abbott says regulatory environment is ‘too burdensome’
It’s DOGE, Texas style. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday signed a bill to create the state’s own version of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in an effort to get rid of unnecessary rules and slash regulations. In Austin, Abbott signed SB 14, which would create the Texas Regulatory Efficiency Office and streamline the way state agencies establish and enforce regulations. “The regulatory environment in Texas is getting too burdensome,” Abbott said before putting pen to paper. “The regulatory environment in Texas is well-known for being good, but it seems like it’s not as easy to navigate as it once was.” TEXAS POISED TO CREATE ITS OWN VERSION OF DOGE AS BILL PASSES BOTH CHAMBERS An advisory panel would be created to work with the governor’s office to streamline processes. It would be made up of business owners, researchers, state agencies and the public. The bill also aims to create an accessible online portal, so the public can look up state regulations. DOGE REVEALS WHAT YOU GET FOR THE HALF MILLION YOU’LL PAY IN TAXES OVER YOUR LIFETIME “Texas businesses, Texas citizens, they deserve regulations that are in plain English that you can understand what they mean,” said Dustin Burrows, the Republican speaker of the Texas House. “They deserve to know what they actually do, and they deserve to make sure they’re consistent and as few as possible.” The legislation was authored by state Republican Sen. Phil King and backed by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. It passed the Texas House with a 97-51 vote and the Senate 26-5. The bill is similar to what the Trump administration has aimed to do with DOGE by getting rid of unnecessary rules, as well as rooting out fraud and wasteful spending. Abbott said DOGE “crystalized” what Texas lawmakers were seeking to achieve. “It gave strategies to it,” he said. “Texas DOGE will lead to spending cuts, regulation cuts and a more user-friendly government.”
Snapchat ‘openly defying’ law, allowing kids access to harmful, addictive content: Florida AG
Florida’s Attorney General James Uthmeier filed a lawsuit Monday against Snap Inc., the parent company of Snapchat, alleging the popular platform has been “openly defying” state law aimed at protecting young minors from addictive social media features and obscene and dangerous content. Attorney General Uthmeier, who was recently appointed by Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis, alleged in a circuit court complaint filed Monday that Snapchat utilizes addictive features to attract minors under the age of 13, who companies like Snapchat aren’t even allowed to provide accounts to under state law H.B. 3 in Florida. The suit also alleges Snapchat does not adequately verify its users’ ages, noting parental consent is required in Florida for Snapchat users who are under 16, and has been deceptive about its identification of content that is not supposed to be accessible to minors. “Snap’s conduct is particularly egregious because it continues to market Snapchat in Florida as safe for users as young as 13 even though it knows that Snapchat can be easily used to access pornography and buy drugs, among many other dangers,” Uthmeier’s complaint states. “Rather than obeying Florida law by removing 13-year-old users from the platform and seeking parental consent for 14- and 15-year-old users, Snap is actively deceiving Florida parents about the risks of allowing their teens to access this platform.” META’S ANTITRUST TRIAL KICKS OFF CHALLENGING THE COMPANY’S SOCIAL MEDIA DOMINANCE Uthmeier argued in his suit that Snapchat’s current age ratings for content are “highly deceptive and unfair,” pointing to a Washington Post columnist who tested Snapchat’s AI chatbot feature and was able to get it to provide instructions to a 13-year-old on how to mask the smell of pot and alcohol. He pointed to Snapchat’s “Find Friends” feature as well, among others, which Uthmeier alleged has “connected minors with adult strangers seeking to groom, harass, exploit, and even assault them, or to sell them illegal drugs.” According to Uthmeier, Snapchat has recognized in other litigation that it is subject to the provisions under Florida’s H.B. 3, leading him to assert in the Monday complaint that the platform is “openly defying this important public health measure.” However, Snap Inc. argues that the underlying premise of Uthmeier’s complaint, that Snapchat is violating H.B. 3, is flawed because the law infringes on the First Amendment rights of adults and young people. Simultaneously, Snap Inc. said, H.B. 3 fails to adequately address age verification and opens up Floridians to data protection and privacy issues. TEENS ARE TURNING TO SNAPCHAT’S ‘MY AI’ FOR MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT – WHICH DOCTORS WARN AGAINST “We believe there are more privacy-conscious solutions to online safety and managing age verification, including at the operating system, app store, or device level,” a Snap Inc. spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “In addition, there is a current challenge to the constitutionality of this law pending in Florida federal court, and we hoped that the state would allow this challenge to proceed through the proper legal process. Unfortunately, they’ve decided to file a complaint in state court in an attempt to bypass the issues that are already being heard in federal court.” H.B. 3 has been challenged by industry groups in a lawsuit last year arguing the state law violated First Amendment rights. The plaintiff’s in that suit, the Computer & Communications Industry Association and NetChoice, which collectively represent numerous major social media platforms including Snapchat, have also challenged other state laws aimed at protecting minors from harmful social media features and content on the grounds they violate the First Amendment. The law prohibits social media apps that utilize certain addictive features, such as push notifications, autoplay features, infinity scrolling, and more, from allowing users under the age of 13 to open an account. For users under 16, parental notification must be obtained. The bill also requires companies like Snapchat that knowingly publish adult content on their platforms to take steps to prohibit access to such material by any users under 18. SNAPCHAT AI CHATBOT ALLEGEDLY GAVE ADVICE TO 13-YEAR-OLD GIRL ON RELATIONSHIP WITH 31-YEAR-OLD MAN, HAVING SEX According to the law, any platforms that knowingly or recklessly violate H.B. 3’s requirements can be subject to enforcement under the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act, which can result in fines of up to $50,000 per incident. Meanwhile, account holders who are minors may also pursue up to $10,000 in damages. “We’re actively challenging Florida’s law because it violates the First Amendment,” Paul Taske, NetChoice Associate Director of Litigation, told Fox News Digital. “We’re confident we will be successful.” Nonprofits that promote parental rights, including the American Parents Coalition and the International Center for Missing and Exploited Children, expressed support for Uthmeier’s suit, pointing out that social media use among minors can have detrimental impacts to their mental fitness and overall well-being later in life. “It is indisputable that social media is hurting our kids’ mental and physical health,” Alleigh Marré, Executive Director of American Parents Coalition, told Fox News Digital. “Beyond the broad challenges young people face with the intentionally addictive nature of the platforms, Snapchat has allowed poor safety measures and inadequate parental controls to put our kids at risk. From sexual predators to drug dealers, to pornography, Snapchat’s leadership is aware of the risks associated with the platform, especially for young people, but they’ve put profit ahead of protection.” “Attorney General Uthmeier recognizes that Florida’s children are the future of our community and our most precious asset. General Uthmeier’s focus on protecting children from inappropriate content and the threats posed by child predators demonstrates a profound understanding of their vulnerability and the imperative need to keep them safe online,” added Bob Cunningham, Director of Policy Engagement for the International Center for Missing and Exploited Children. “By prioritizing their protection, he is not only enhancing our current legislative landscape but also setting a vital example for others to follow.”
‘Be gone’: Republicans target sexually violent illegal immigrants in new bill
EXCLUSIVE: Bicameral lawmakers are putting forward a bill Wednesday to strengthen penalties against illegal immigrants convicted of sex crimes. The Better Enforcement of Grievous Offenses by Unnaturalized Emigrants (BE GONE) Act will codify key parts of President Donald Trump’s “zero-tolerance” border crackdown. It is also timed in recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, according to the bill’s sponsors: Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, and Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas. In September, Gonzales’ office obtained data from ICE showing 15,811 illegal immigrants on their “non-detained docket” have sexual assault convictions, out of 425,431 convicted criminals on the list overall. ICE NON-DETAINED DOCKET EXPLODES TO 7.4M CASES The BE GONE Act formally expands the definition of “aggravated felonies” under the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, also known as Title 8. “President Trump and his team have hit the ground running, reversing the damage from the last four years, but we must ensure that every last sexual predator let in by Joe Biden is deported,” Ernst told Fox News Digital on Wednesday. “The health and safety of our citizens must always come first, and I am proud to continue working with President Trump to protect the American people,” she added. “These violent, criminal illegal aliens need to BE GONE!” Gonzales, who represents the largest Mexican-border district in the House, said the illegal immigration epicenters of Eagle Pass and Del Rio are both in his jurisdiction. DEMOCRATS’ EL SALVADOR TRIP LAMPOONED BY SENATE GOP GROUP IN FAUX-TOURISM AD: BIENVENIDOS He told Fox News his district witnessed pre-Trump “tying [of] the hands of our Border Patrol agents and ignoring warnings from law enforcement that illegal aliens with violent criminal charges were entering our country.” “Thousands of these criminal illegal aliens had a sexual violence charge on their record.” Gonzales added that the BE GONE Act would give Homeland Security officers more tools to identify and deport sexually violent illegal immigrants. “I look forward to joining forces with my colleagues in the House and Senator Joni Ernst to move this critical legislation across the finish line,” he said. The bill also received support from “sensible immigration” group NumbersUSA. “This is common sense legislation, following up on the Laken Riley Act, that Congress passed this year to protect Americans from criminal illegal aliens,” Michael Hough, its director of federal affairs, said. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Joe Chatham, an official at the Federation for American Immigration Reform, added that Congress should pass the change to Title 8 swiftly. “FAIR is proud to support the BE GONE Act and protecting American communities from illegal alien crime,” said Chatham. “Under the Biden administration’s policies, tens of thousands of criminal aliens were apprehended attempting to enter illegally, with shocking data last year showing that there were at least 16,320 aliens in the U.S. convicted of sexual assault.” Co-sponsor Ernst also notably spearheaded Sarah’s Law — signed by Trump earlier this year. That bill was named for Sarah Root, who was killed by an illegal immigrant in 2016, and for whose family Ernst fought for nearly a decade to get justice.
Newsom’s office reveals blue state will comply with ICE after illegal immigrant’s early release plans exposed
The state of California plans to comply with Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s detainer after an illegal immigrant convicted of vehicular manslaughter was set to be released on July 19 – over six years before his full sentence is up. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s press office announced he would be brought into federal custody ahead of the July release date. Fox News reported earlier that the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation tends to follow ICE detainer orders, but there were concerns that the state’s sanctuary policies could have played a role in letting him be released back into the community. “After being deported in 2013, this individual unlawfully re-entered the US & committed heinous crimes. A GOP DA then gave him a plea deal instead of pursuing 2nd-degree murder. CDCR will again coordinate with ICE—as they have w/ 10,000+ inmates—to transfer him before release,” the governor’s press account tweeted on Wednesday afternoon. EXCLUSIVE: FOX TOURS ICE DETENTION FACILITY; MANAGER HOPES TO ‘DISPEL’ ‘FALSE NARRATIVES’ Oscar Eduardo Ortega-Anguiano was driving drunk, high, and speeding at nearly 100mph on the 405 freeway in Orange County in November 2021, when he crashed into a car being driven by a young couple, 19-year-old Anya Varfolomeev and Nicholay Osokin, which killed them both as they burned alive. In spring 2022, he was convicted of two counts of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated. Fox News reported on Wednesday morning that Ortega-Anguiano will be released by the California state government on July 19 after serving just 3.5 years, and the victim’s families were notified on Easter Sunday. After the report came out, the Department of Justice said they would be prosecuting Ortega-Anguiano on federal charges in order to keep him behind bars longer. ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CONVICTED OF KILLING TEENS IN HIGH-SPEED CRASH TO BE RELEASED EARLY: ‘IT’S DISGUSTING’ “My office has filed a felony immigration charge against this defendant. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison if convicted for 8 USC 1326. If the State of California will not seek the full measure of justice against this individual, the [DOJ] will,” Bill Essayli, United States Attorney for the Central District of California, tweeted. Border czar Tom Homan said ICE planned on quickly arresting and deporting him if he was released by the Golden State. “I will work with [Homeland Security] Secretary Noem on this case, and I guarantee you, if they don’t honor the detainer, we’ll have ICE agents outside that facility to take custody of this individual and deport him,” Homan said Wednesday on “America’s Newsroom.” TOP TRUMP OFFICIALS FILE CHARGES AGAINST ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT AFTER FOX NEWS EXPOSES EARLY RELEASE PLANS CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP ICE told Fox News that he had entered the country illegally twice before and had a prior criminal background before the two teens were killed in the fatal crash. “His previous criminal convictions include burglary in 2005; vehicle theft in 2007; and battery on spouse with kidnapping in 2014,” ICE stated. “An immigration judge ordered Ortega removed Nov. 3, 2014; he filed several unsuccessful appeals and was taken into ICE custody Dec. 2, 2016, and removed to Mexico the same day. Ortega attempted to reenter the United States Feb. 2, 2018, near Otay Mesa, California by presenting a counterfeit document; he was paroled into the U.S. pending criminal prosecution for illegal reentry after removal. An immigration official issued Ortega an expedited removal order and removed him June 1, 2018, to Mexico; after his latest removal, he again illegally reentered the U.S. on an unknown date and location. ICE issued a detainer with the Orange County Jail, California, Nov. 27, 2021, where he was being held on vehicular manslaughter charges at the time,” the statement continued.
Mexican police bring in major cartel boss in ICE-assisted raid: ‘Major milestone’
ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) partnered with a special law enforcement unit of the government of Mexico to arrest a criminal boss affiliated with the Sinaloa Cartel known simply as “440.” This comes after the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration said last year that the U.S. is facing the “most dangerous and deadly drug crisis” in its history, with fentanyl and methamphetamine flowing across the border — and that the “Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels are at the heart of this crisis.” The Sinaloa Cartel, which operates a drug trafficking empire out of western Mexico, was recently designated a foreign terrorist organization by the Trump State Department. The administration has also designated several other Mexican cartels, the Salvadoran gang MS-13 and the Venezuelan criminal group Tren de Aragua, as foreign terrorist organizations as well. TRUMP ADMIN FILES FIRST RACKETEERING CHARGES AGAINST MASSIVE MIGRANT TERRORIST GROUP PRESENT IN US The man arrested by Mexican authorities, Ivan Fernando Zepeda Leyva, is an associate of the Sinaloa Cartel, a member of the “Los Demonios” criminal group and the leader of the drug plazas in Nogales and Imuris in the Mexican state of Sonora, which spans the entire U.S.-Mexico border with Arizona. According to a statement posted on social media by ICE, Zepeda Leyva was arrested by a specially vetted team with the Mexican Secretariat of Security and Civilian Protection and Secretariat of the Navy in collaboration with HSI on April 19. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE ICE said Zepeda Leyva’s arrest marked a “major milestone in combating illegal drug trafficking and racketeering through U.S.-Mexican law enforcement cooperation.” The Trump administration has promised to be “ruthlessly aggressive” in responding to cartel threats to American citizens. PRESIDENT TRUMP BLASTS COURTS FOR GETTING IN THE WAY OF DEPORTATION AGENDA In late March, the Trump administration announced a barrage of sanctions against the Sinaloa Cartel. The Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated six individuals and seven entities involved in a money-laundering network supporting the Sinaloa Cartel for sanctions. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said at the time that his department “proudly leveled new sanctions against financiers of the criminal Sinaloa drug cartel,” which he said has “flooded our borders with fentanyl and senselessly murdered innocent American citizens.” “This ends under President Trump’s leadership,” said Bessent. Fox News Digital’s Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.
‘Squad’ Dem says Trump may jail people ‘for practicing diversity’ after visiting ICE-detained students
A Democrat in the House of Representatives’ progressive “Squad” is arguing that the Trump administration could soon jail people in the U.S. for a variety of non-criminal reasons, seemingly regardless of their legal status. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., made the comments after visiting college students Rumeysa Ozturk and Mahmoud Khalil. Both are being held at an Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility after being accused of espousing pro-Hamas beliefs. Neither are U.S. citizens, though both are in the country legally; Khalil is a legal permanent resident, and Ozturk is on a student visa. “If people are tempted to marginalize and ‘other’ who this could happen to, again, in Donald Trump’s America, this could be you. This could be you, for some, for a miscarriage. This could be you for practicing diversity, equity and inclusion. This could be you for reading a banned book,” Pressley said in a press conference after the event. “It is acutely about Mahmood and Rumeysa, because those are some of the most high-profile cases, but it has implications for every single person who calls this country home.” Pressley traveled to a Louisiana ICE facility alongside fellow Massachusetts Democrats, Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., and Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass. VIDEO SHOWS ARREST OF TUFTS UNIVERSITY STUDENT FOR ALLEGEDLY SUPPORTING HAMAS She alleged that Khalil and Ozturk are being put through significant strain at the hands of the authorities there. “This is torture. They are sleep-deprived. They are being denied the basic essentials. Their humanity completely erased,” Pressley said. “And every person of conscience — this is not about Democrat or Republican right now. This is about right and wrong, good and evil. And people of Congress need to join us, apply pressure, continue to say their names to demand their freedom, due process, justice, and to demand that Rumeysa’s visa is reinstated.” Pressley also claimed that Ozturk “had her hijab removed” by “one of the nurses” at the facility. COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY STUDENT PROTESTER SUES TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TO PREVENT DEPORTATION “So religious accommodation not being honored. Basic human needs not being met. She talked about a culture of intimidation where they often chide her for being an educated woman and a troublemaker. And yet, even in the face, in the midst of all of that, she is still doing her research. She is still advocating for the women alongside her,” Pressley said. Meanwhile, like Pressley, McGovern told reporters, “If the government can imprison people, like them, who dissent, without due process — in this instance, there is nothing to stop the government from going after you, too.” A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) called the allegations about Ozturk’s detention “unequivocally false.” Both Ozturk and Khalil have been accused by the Trump administration of making pro-Hamas statements while enrolled at Tufts University and Columbia University respectively. The Massachusetts progressives’ trip comes after several Democrats traveled to El Salvador in a bid to secure the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a deported illegal immigrant married to a U.S. citizen who the Trump administration accused of having ties to MS-13. The Supreme Court found Abrego Garcia to have been wrongfully deported and ordered the U.S. government to facilitate his release, though El Salvador has no plans to return him. A DHS spokesperson told Fox News Digital when reached for comment, “Ms. Ozturk was in communication with legal counsel within hours of her arrival at the facility in Basile. On the day of her arrival, one of her attorneys contacted the facility and was informed that she was already engaged in a meeting with her other attorney. Since then, she has had four attorney visits. Her dormitory has not exceeded capacity.” “Daily inspections are conducted by the facility administrator, and there have been no reports or documented complaints of rodent activity. In accordance with the Performance-Based National Detention Standards (PBNDS), the facility maintains regular pest control services. ICE has also provided Ms. Ozturk with prompt medical care and services, and she has not filed any grievances regarding delayed medical care. Being granted a visa to live and study in the United States is a privilege, not a right. The State Department makes specific determinations about visa revocations when an individual poses a threat to national security,” the spokesperson said. When reached for comment on Pressley’s remarks on Trump, White House spokesperson Kush Desai responded, “”Wow, Democrats being hysterical about President Trump. What else is new?”
Florida Rep Byron Donalds vows ‘I’m not going to be intimidated’ after tense town hall
Florida Rep. Byron Donalds vowed to Fox News that he is “not going to be intimidated by any of these protesters” after he was captured on video shutting down a woman yelling about Israel during a town hall he hosted this week. Footage showed the individual being escorted away by security at Estero High School in Florida on Monday night. Donalds, a staunch ally of President Donald Trump, is running to succeed term-limited Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. “This is why Donald Trump supports me to be Florida’s next governor. Because I will take the message of common sense and conservatism anywhere, any place, any time, in any audience. I’m not going to be intimidated by any of these protesters,” Donalds said during an appearance on “Hannity.” “Members of Congress should not be intimidated by these people. They want to shout you down to try to deflect and distract from their terrible policy and how they left America really at the bottom in the pit because of the terrible presidency of Joe Biden,” he continued. “We shouldn’t put up with it. We should confront it head-on, and if they are going to be rude and disrespectful, then kick them out of the room, it’s that simple.” FLORIDA PROTESTER SCREAMS AT REP BYRON DONALDS DURING TENSE TOWN HALL Donalds also said, “Local Democrats are being organized about coming into congressional town halls” and that he has never seen so many show up at his events. HOW DEMOCRATS INFILTRATED ‘THUNDEROUS’ GOP TOWN HALLS “That’s OK. If they want to show up now, you are going to hear the truth, you are going to hear the facts. You are not going to hear Democrat talking points. You are not going to hear spin, and they want to yell and be upset because they want you, quite frankly, to reverse course, reverse your positions, stand against things that are right, stand against deporting illegal aliens, stand against Israel,” he added. “That is what they want you to do.” “But when you don’t bend to their will, then they yell and they get upset like they did last night,” Donalds said. Donalds later shared the Fox News segment on his X account, writing that “ALL REPUBLICAN MEMBERS should hold Town Halls to confront them DIRECTLY.”
Supreme Court likely to side with parents in letting them opt out of LGBTQ storybooks, expert says
Several Supreme Court justices signaled sympathy Tuesday toward Maryland parents who are seeking to opt their children out of LGBTQ-themed classroom materials. One education expert said the case could lead to a ruling that expands parental rights in public schools nationwide. “This looks pretty promising for the parent petitioners in this case,” said Sarah Parshall Perry, vice president and legal fellow of the grassroots organization Defending Education. “I heard a lot of very aggressive questioning from the three liberal justices, but no matter how you slice this apple, it looks to be a very clear violation of the First Amendment, as exercised through the 14th Amendment’s right to direct a child’s religious upbringing.” Perry previously served as the lead lawyer to the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Education from 2020 to 2021, where she drafted the Office for Civil Rights’ (OCR) annual report to Congress. THE SUPREME COURT APPEARS TO SIDE WITH PARENTS IN RELIGIOUS LIBERTY DISPUTE OVER STORYBOOKS “They’re very malleable,” Perry said of the 4-and 5-year-olds in the case. “They’re very much shaped by their environment, by what they’re exposed to, and they don’t have the meaningful agency to be able to opt out or object or push back. And so these individuals are learning their own familial values while being exposed to material that is, as Justice [Amy Coney] Barrett and Justice [Neil] Gorsuch pointed out, designed to influence their thinking.” At the heart of Mahmoud v. Taylor is a lawsuit brought by religious parents—Muslim, Roman Catholic, and Ukrainian Orthodox—who argue that the school district’s policy violates their First Amendment rights by forcing their children to engage with instruction that contradicts their faith. The Fourth Circuit Court, a federal appeals court, ruled last year that there was no violation of religious exercise rights, stating that the policy did not force parents to change their religious beliefs or conduct and that parents could still teach their children outside of school. Several conservative justices, including Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, appeared sympathetic to the parents’ concerns during the two-and-a-half-hour oral debate. Alito questioned the moral messages conveyed by books like “Uncle Bobby’s Wedding,” suggesting that such content might conflict with deeply held religious beliefs. Justice Brett Kavanaugh also pressed the school district’s attorneys on why opt-out provisions, similar to those in sex education, could not be extended to these storybooks. PARENTS TELL SCOTUS: LGBTQ STORYBOOKS IN CLASSROOMS CLASH WITH OUR FAITH Meanwhile, the liberal justices argued that mere exposure to these books may not constitute coercion or a violation of religious freedoms. The school district contended that the policy promotes inclusivity and exposure to LGBTQ viewpoints does not equate to forced belief changes. “I think it was highly sort of predictable,” Perry said of the liberal justices’ arguments. “They are trying to prove that there is going to be too much of a burden on the school district to allow these children to opt out because the consequences could, for example, be catastrophic for the ability of a public school to manage its own affairs.” “The reason we see an issue like this at the Supreme Court is because these are issues directly related to religious liberty and directly related to the very early cognitive stages of development for minor children,” Perry said. “And it’s very clear … that a burden of religious liberty within public education has to be treated quite seriously by the court and deference must be given to religious parents if the burden is very clear.” “I think in this instance, it is indeed crystal clear,” she added. LAWSUIT TRACKER: NEW RESISTANCE BATTLING TRUMP’S SECOND TERM THROUGH ONSLAUGHT OF LAWSUITS TAKING AIM AT EOS Among the storybooks at the center of the case is “Prince & Knight,” a modern fairy tale aimed at children ages 4 to 8, which tells the story of two men who fall in love after joining forces to defeat a dragon and later marry. Another book frequently referenced during oral arguments was “Uncle Bobby’s Wedding,” which follows a young girl processing her favorite uncle’s decision to marry another man. “Because parental rights have become sort of the cultural zeitgeist for where we are in this political day and age, I think we are certain to see more litigation, not less, and more pushback,” Perry said. The Supreme Court is expected to issue a ruling in the case by late June.
Venezuelan government uses Tren de Aragua as proxies to undermine US public safety, FBI assessment finds
EXCLUSIVE: The FBI assesses that some Venezuelan government officials “likely facilitate” the migration of members of the violent gang Tren de Aragua from Venezuela to the United States to advance the Maduro regime’s objective of undermining public safety in the U.S., Fox News Digital has learned. A senior administration official exclusively shared with Fox News Digital Wednesday unclassified portions of the FBI’s classified intelligence assessment of the Venezuelan government’s relationship with Tren de Aragua. TRUMP ISSUES WARNING TO MADURO AS VENEZUELAN LEADER ENTERS THIRD TERM, US EXPANDS SANCTIONS President Donald Trump, upon taking office, designated Tren de Aragua, as well as several other migrant gangs present throughout the U.S., as a foreign terrorist organization. Fox News Digital has learned that the FBI assesses that some Venezuelan government officials are likely using Tren de Aragua members as proxies for the Maduro regime in an effort to destabilize Chile, Ecuador, Peru, Colombia and the United States. The official said the FBI assesses that this demonstrates Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s willingness to violate the territorial sovereignty of Venezuela’s neighbors to advance his regime’s policies. The FBI assesses that in the next six to 18 months, Venezuelan government officials likely will attempt to leverage Tren de Aragua members in the United States as proxy actors to threaten, abduct and kill members of the Venezuelan diaspora in the United States who are vocal critics of Maduro and his regime. The FBI expects an expansion of similar activities throughout South America. TRUMP ADMIN FILES FIRST RACKETEERING CHARGES AGAINST MASSIVE MIGRANT TERRORIST GROUP PRESENT IN US “These findings should shock Americans but not the law enforcement community,” a senior administration official told Fox News Digital. “They reflect the sentiments of numerous other intelligence assessments across multiple agencies.” Any further details or specific examples remain classified. “Nicholas Maduro is a Marxist dictator who hijacked a once-prosperous Venezuela and brought in nothing but total economic collapse and gang takeover,” the official said. “He crumbled Caracas, now overrun with drugs and violence, and wants to do the same across the United States by sending his most violent and dangerous criminals into our communities.” The Venezuelan leader, deemed a “dictator” by American lawmakers, is set to hold office until 2031. “The Trump administration will continue to use every authority in our power to make sure these TdA terrorists, who are some of the worst in the world, are kept out of our country,” the U.S. official said. “The American people voted overwhelmingly to make America safe again, and that is exactly what we will do.” Fox News Digital also spoke to an official from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence Wednesday, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The ODNI official told Fox News Digital that the FBI’s assessment is based on its domestic law enforcement operations against Tren de Aragua in America. “This information and intelligence are the most robust and accurate given their focus on domestic security and crimes, versus limited intelligence assessments from other intelligence elements who by law focus solely on foreign intelligence collection and who, until President Trump took office, had very limited resources focused on TdA,” the official said. Meanwhile, the ODNI official briefed Fox News Digital on unclassified information from its assessment on Tren de Aragua’s relationship with the Venezuelan government. The official said ODNI assesses that Tren de Aragua leaders historically have been “located and broadly benefited from conditions in Venezuela created by the Venezuelan government.” “The Venezuelan government gives sanctuary to TdA, aiding and abetting their crimes and terrorist activities against the United States by enabling them to thrive,” the ODNI told Fox News Digital. The official said that unlike most countries, the Maduro regime has “been eager to welcome violent TdA criminals back to Venezuela, providing further proof they see them as allies. Again, this mirrors the behavior of the Taliban in Afghanistan and other Middle Eastern failed states like Syria and Libya that have welcomed terrorists with open arms.” The Associated Press recently reported on a classified assessment from the National Intelligence Council, citing anonymous sources, that its assessment found no coordination between Tren de Aragua and the Venezuelan government. But Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard blasted the report, saying the officials who illegally shared the classified information weaponized the intelligence to undermine Trump. “The weaponization of intelligence to undermine the President’s agenda is an assault on democracy,” Gabbard said. “Those behind this illegal leak of classified intelligence, twisted and manipulated to convey the exact opposite finding, will be accountable under the full force of the law.” The ODNI official said the unclassified assessment information shared with Fox News Digital Wednesday “are facts based on intelligence that the illegal leakers and propaganda media conveniently did not include because it gets in the way of their biased narrative and attempt to deceive the American people.” The release of the unclassified information to Fox News Digital comes after the Trump administration filed its first racketeering charges — also known as RICO charges, which include conspiring to commit murder, sex-trafficking, assault, dealing drugs and more — against Tren de Aragua members and its associates in New York Tuesday. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE That case was part of “Operation Take Back America,” which it said is a “nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Justice Department to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.” The charges filed against 27 alleged current and former Tren de Aragua members include human smuggling, sex trafficking and murder. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York said that 21 of the 27 alleged gang members and associates are currently in federal custody. The statement said that 16 were already in federal criminal, immigration or state custody, and five were arrested in the past couple of days. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi commented on the RICO charges, saying: “Today’s indictments and arrests
Trump says ‘inflammatory’ Zelenskyy statement on Crimea prolongs war with Russia
President Donald Trump slammed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s statement on Crimea, saying it was “very harmful” to peacemaking efforts. “It’s inflammatory statements like Zelenskyy’s that make it so difficult to settle this war,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. “He has nothing to boast about! The situation for Ukraine is dire — He can have peace or, he can fight for another three years before losing the whole country.” Trump also rejected Zelenskyy’s red line in the Truth Social post, saying it was “not even a point of discussion,” as the territory was “lost years ago” under then-President Barack Obama. VANCE ISSUES ULTIMATUM TO RUSSIA, UKRAINE ON PEACE NEGOTIATIONS American officials have apparently floated the idea of recognizing Russia’s control of Crimea, a territory that Russia seized in 2014, as part of a ceasefire proposal. This would also involve the freezing of current frontlines. In 2022, Zelenskyy said that the “Russian war against Ukraine and against the entire free Europe began with Crimea and must end with Crimea — and its liberation,” Axios reported. He reiterated this stance on Tuesday, shutting down the idea that Ukraine would recognize Russian control of Crimea. “Ukraine will not legally recognize the occupation of Crimea,” Zelenskyy said at a press conference here on Tuesday, according to the Wall Street Journal. “There’s nothing to talk about here. This is against our constitution.” NIKKI HALEY ON RUSSIA AND UKRAINE SAYS US SHOULD ‘WANT TO BE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF HISTORY’ This is not the first time Trump has criticized Zelenskyy’s statements about the war. During their infamous meeting in the Oval Office on Feb. 28, Trump said that Zelenskyy’s “hatred” of Russian President Vladimir Putin was making it “very tough” to make a deal. “You see the hatred he’s got for Putin, it’s very tough for me to make a deal with that kind of hate, he’s got tremendous hatred,” Trump told reporters. “And I understand that, but I can tell you the other side isn’t exactly in love with, you know, him either.” TRUMP INSISTS UKRAINE-RUSSIA PEACE DEAL IS CLOSE, BUT MISTRUST IN PUTIN LEAVES EXPERTS SKEPTICAL Trump appeared to allude to the Oval Office meeting in his Truth Social post, calling Zelenskyy “the man with no cards to play.” This echoed Trump’s remark during the tense February meeting in which he said that Zelenskyy didn’t “have the cards” to make major demands in peace talks. While Zelenskyy has made his demands clear, it remains uncertain what might persuade Putin to agree to a ceasefire. Although Trump administration officials have stated that they have had productive conversations with Putin, they have yet to get Russia to agree to a ceasefire proposal. Earlier on Wednesday, Vice President JD Vance suggested that the U.S. was prepared to walk away from peace talks if Ukraine and Russia did not reach a deal soon.