Federal judge rips DOJ lawyers, demands written retraction from Hegseth over transgender military policy post
A federal judge tore into lawyers from the Justice Department on Wednesday, homing in on a retweet from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth about disqualifying transgender troops from service “without an exemption.” U.S. District Court Judge Ana Reyes, a Biden appointee who previously stated that the idea of only two sexes is not “biologically correct,” heard arguments on the Pentagon’s attempt to ban transgender individuals from serving in the military as trans rights groups seek a preliminary injunction to halt the policy entirely. During the hearing, Reyes pointed to a post on X in which Hegseth quoted, “Pentagon says transgender troops are disqualified from service without an exemption.” The post in question linked to a Fox News Digital article about an internal Pentagon memo. The memo, revealed in a court filing late last month, says U.S. service members who are transgender or otherwise exhibit gender dysphoria are prohibited from military service unless they obtain an exemption. SHELTERS, JESUS, AND MISS PAC-MAN: US JUDGE GRILLS DOJ OVER TRANS POLICY IN DIZZYING LINE OF QUESTIONING When Reyes questioned government lawyers that Hegseth’s repost made it appear that all transgender troops would be disqualified from service, DOJ lawyer Jason Manion argued that Hegseth was only using “shorthand” for the broader policy. “Look at the words in the policy,” said Manion. “No!” said Reyes. “Do you really think you can do that, say one thing in public and then come here to court and say something else entirely?” Reyes then said that Manion had until Monday to deliver a declaration from Hegseth that he didn’t actually mean all transgender people. “His words are that this covers all transgender people. I’m not going to speculate that he was just being sloppy,” Reyes said of Hegseth. DOJ ISSUES COMPLAINT ABOUT FEDERAL JUDGE’S ‘MISCONDUCT’ WHILE PRESIDING OVER MILITARY TRANS BAN COURT CASE President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Jan. 27 that requires the Defense Department to update its guidance regarding “trans-identifying medical standards for military service” and to “rescind guidance inconsistent with military readiness.” Government lawyers have argued that Trump and Hegseth have broad authority to set policies for national defense. As of December, around 4,240 active duty, guard, and reserve service members have been diagnosed with gender dysphoria.
Biden’s ‘Woke Green Agenda’ on chopping block as EPA announces ‘most consequential day of deregulation’
FIRST ON FOX: The Environmental Protection Agency announced the “most consequential day of deregulation” in U.S. history Wednesday, as it put the Biden administration’s Clean Power Plan 2.0 — which cracked down on power plants — on the chopping block. “President Trump promised to kill the Clean Power Plan in his first term, and we continue to build on that progress now,” EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said in an announcement, first obtained by Fox News Digital. “In reconsidering the Biden-Harris rule that ran afoul of Supreme Court case law, we are seeking to ensure that the agency follows the rule of law while providing all Americans with access to reliable and affordable energy.” The Biden administration finalized its Clean Power Plan 2.0 in April 2024, cracking down on existing and future fossil fuel-fired power plants as part of the previous administration’s sweeping climate agenda. The plan required existing coal-fired power plants and new baseload natural gas-fired power plants to install carbon capture technology by 2032 in an effort to effectively eliminate carbon emissions by 2050. The 2.0 plan was touted in 2024 as one of the Biden administration’s most “aggressive” climate policies, while conservative lawmakers slammed it as one that could have a “catastrophic” impact on the nation’s electric grid. EPA TERMINATES BIDEN ADMIN’S GREEN GRANTS WORTH $20B, ZELDIN SAYS The Clean Power 2.0 plan followed the 2015 Clean Power Plan under the Obama administration, which worked to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from existing power plants and set national standards for carbon emissions. The Supreme Court in 2022, however, struck down the Clean Power Plan in the case West Virginia v. EPA, curbing the agency’s ability to broadly regulate carbon emissions. “The U.S. Supreme Court struck down the 2015 Clean Power Plan in West Virginia v. EPA, holding that the major questions doctrine barred EPA from misusing the Clean Air Act to manipulate Americans’ energy choices and shift the balance of the nation’s electrical fuel mix,” the EPA noted in its press release. “The Biden Administration issued its own rule in 2024 which many critics say is just another attempt to achieve the unlawful fuel-shifting goals of the Clean Power Plan.” The EPA continued in its press release that the Trump administration’s executive orders and actions to “Power the Great American Comeback,” combined with the announcement putting the Biden administration’s “Woke Green Agenda” under reconsideration, marks the “most consequential day of deregulation in U.S. history.” BIDEN SENT $2 BILLION TO STACEY ABRAMS-LINKED GROUP IN GREEN ENERGY ‘SCHEME,’ EPA SAYS “These announcements represent the greatest and most consequential day of deregulation in the history of the United States,” the press release stated. “While accomplishing EPA’s core mission of protecting the environment, the agency is committed to fulfilling President Trump’s promise to unleash American energy, lower costs for Americans, revitalize the American auto industry, restore the rule of law, and give power back to states to make their own decisions.” Zeldin posted a video announcing the EPA is taking 31 actions on Wednesday to “advance President Trump’s Day 1” executive orders to “Power the Great American Comeback.” “I’m pleased to make the largest deregulatory announcement in U.S. history. The Environmental Protection Agency is initiating 31 historic actions to fulfill President Trump‘s promise to unleash American energy, revitalize our auto industry, restore the rule of law and give power back to the States. EPA will be reconsidering many suffocating rules that restrict nearly every sector of our economy and cost Americans trillions of dollars,” he said in the video, announcing that the Clean Power Plan 2.0 is on the chopping block. Zeldin went on to say that the EPA is reconsidering rules on Mercury and Air Toxic Standards, as well as reconsidering rules on light, medium and heavy, cars and trucks, and “so-called social cost of carbon.” Zeldin has been on a warpath against corruption and mismanagement within the EPA in recent weeks, including making waves Tuesday evening when he announced the agency was terminating $20 billion in grants awarded by the Biden administration for climate and clean-energy projects. STACEY ABRAMS SLAMMED AFTER DEFENDING $2 BILLION IN BIDEN-ERA EPA FUNDS TO BUY GREEN ENERGY APPLIANCES Eight nonprofits had been awarded the funds, according to Zeldin, including the Coalition for Green Capital, Climate United Fund, Power Forward Communities, Opportunity Finance Network, Inclusiv and the Justice Climate Fund. These organizations have partnered with various groups, including Rewiring America, Habitat for Humanity and the Community Preservation Corporation. “This termination is based on substantial concerns regarding program integrity, objections to the award process, programmatic fraud, waste and abuse and misalignment with the agency’s priorities, which collectively undermine the fundamental goals and statutory objectives of the awards,” Zeldin said in a video announcement Tuesday. “The EPA will once again be an exceptional steward of your tax dollars,” Zeldin said. “I will have it no other way.” Fox News Digital’s Charles Creitz and Landon Mion contributed to this report.
Trump says Schumer ‘has become a Palestinian’: ‘He’s not Jewish anymore’
President Donald Trump said during a meeting with the Irish prime minister in the Oval Office on Wednesday that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., “has become a Palestinian.” “Schumer is a Palestinian as far as I’m concerned. You know, he’s become a Palestinian. He used to be Jewish. He’s not Jewish anymore. He’s a Palestinian,” Trump said. Schumer is the highest-ranking Jewish elected official in American history. Trump made the remark after a reporter asked him about lowering taxes. CONSERVATIVES FLIP SCRIPT ON SENATE DEMS PUSHING IDENTICAL TALKING POINTS AGAINST TRUMP: ‘LIKE ROBOTS’ “We are planning to lower taxes. Yeah. If the Democrats behave,” Trump said, before condemning outbursts and other disruptive behavior from Democrats during his first address to Congress last week. Trump particularly took issue with Democrats’ behavior when he recognized the mothers of two women murdered by illegal immigrants, as well as when Trump celebrated a boy with cancer becoming an honorary Secret Service agent. DEMS CLAIM TRUMP KILLED IMMIGRATION BILL BUT HIS SUCCESS ON THE BORDER PROVES HE HAD THE RIGHT IDEA: EXPERT “The only thing they liked is when they heard about the death taking place with Ukraine, that they were happy about,” Trump said of Democrats. “Pocahontas was very happy,” Trump said, using his term for Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., who falsely claimed to be of Native American heritage while considering a Democratic presidential run years ago. “These people are sick. They don’t know what’s happening in the real world. The Democrats have to get their act together, and if they don’t vote, then what?” Trump said. “You’re going to have taxes that are going to go through the roof. You’re going to have a very bad time. You’re going to have some very bad things happen and people are going to blame the Democrats.”
With an ailing economy, is China a stable global player?
Chinese leaders have unveiled their plans to revive the economy during the National People’s Congress. Confidence in the economy and projecting China as a stable global player, despite serious economic problems, were the messages delivered by the nation’s top leaders during the National People’s Congress. Beijing is asking consumers to spend more to hit a growth target of 5 percent and telling the US it is no longer relying on exports to power its slowing economy as a trade war with Washington escalates. China’s leaders also aim to transform the nation into a technological superpower to rival the US. The EU wants to spend big on defence. Plus, Trump’s strategic Bitcoin reserve. Adblock test (Why?)
Bank of Canada cuts interest rates, warned country faces ‘new crisis’
BoC also said it would ‘proceed carefully with any further changes’ to rates given inflationary pressures from tariffs. The Bank of Canada has trimmed its key policy rate by 25 basis points to 2.75 percent and raised concerns about inflationary pressures and weaker growth stemming from trade uncertainty and President Donald Trump’s tariffs. The bank on Wednesday also said it would “proceed carefully with any further changes” to rates given the need to assess both the upward pressures on inflation from higher costs and the downward pressures from weaker demand. The bank’s stance, which some economists said could be a signal that rates will not fall further, comes after months of inflation sitting at or around its 2 percent target. “We’re focused on weighing those downward pressures and those upward pressures. Our job is to maintain price stability, and that’s what we’re focused on,” Governor Tiff Macklem told a news conference. But he declined to give any forward guidance in terms of where rates might go. The cut marked the seventh consecutive time the central bank has eased monetary policy, shrinking the key rate by a total of 225 basis points in a space of nine months and making it one of the most aggressive central banks globally. Advertisement “We ended 2024 on a solid economic footing. But we’re now facing a new crisis,” he said in opening remarks to a news conference. Trump’s stop-start tariff policies and threats to a wide range of Canadian products have alarmed companies, shaken consumer confidence and hurt business investment. Trump imposed a 25 percent tariff on all steel and aluminium products on Wednesday and Canada said it will impose 29.8 billion Canadian dollars ($20.68bn) in retaliatory tariffs on the US effective Thursday. The bank said a protracted tariff war would lead to poor GDP growth and high prices, a challenging mix that makes it tough to decide on whether to raise or cut rates. The rate-setting Governing Council will focus on assessing the timing and strength of both the downward pressure on inflation from a weaker economy and the upward pressure from higher costs, Macklem said. The trade conflict would slow first-quarter GDP and could possibly disrupt the recovery in the jobs market, he said, adding that the fear of the impact of tariffs on prices had already pushed up short-term inflation expectations. Inflation is expected to be approximately 2.5 percent in March, up from 1.9 percent in January, as a short-term sales-tax break ends. The Canadian dollar extended gains after the decision and was trading stronger by 0.2 percent to 1.44 to the US dollar. Currency markets are betting that the chances of another rate cut of 25 basis points at the bank’s next announcement on April 16 are near 45 percent. Advertisement “The focus on rising inflation expectations in today’s release is somewhat hawkish,” said Royce Mendes, head of macro strategy for Desjardins Group. Slowdown The US is Canada’s biggest trading partner and takes almost 75 percent of all Canadian exports. A separate special bank survey of businesses and households conducted from late January until the end of February showed that many households were concerned about job security, especially in sectors exposed to US trade. The tariff threat has forced businesses to lower their sales outlook. Some businesses are finding it hard to get credit, and a weaker currency has made imports expensive, the survey pointed out. This means that firms are pulling back their hiring and investment plans, it said. The recent shift in consumer and business intentions is expected to translate into a marked slowing in domestic demand in the first quarter, Macklem said in his remarks. “Monetary policy cannot offset the impacts of a trade war. What it can and must do is ensure that higher prices do not lead to ongoing inflation,” he said. Adblock test (Why?)
Balochistan train hijacking: situation still “very complex”
Masood Akhtar, a national security analyst from Pakistan, examines the Balochistan train hijacking and its implications. Masood Akhtar, a Pakistan national security analyst, discusses the Balochistan train hijacking – what happened and what’s next. Adblock test (Why?)
Noida news: Thar driver held after his video of rash driving on busy road goes viral
The accused, who is from New Delhi, was seen in the video recklessly driving through the market.
Casinos and sports betting won’t win approval in Texas House, group of GOP members say
Gambling critics hope the net loss of more than a dozen votes for sports betting — and 10 votes for casinos — will be enough to block any action in the Texas House.
NM lawmakers warn sweeping gun control bill primed for passage shows Dems ‘are dead-set on disarming us’
New Mexico Republicans are warning the likely passage of a semiautomatic firearms prohibition law in Santa Fe will turn law-abiding citizens into potential criminals, citing the types of guns targeted and a new registry provision. The Gas-Operated Semi-Automatic Firearms Exclusion Act, or SB 279, will prohibit the import, sale and possession of such guns, as well as “large-capacity ammunition-feeding devices,” in the Land of Enchantment – and require certification of semi-auto weapons and “providing penalties.” A source familiar with the legislation also said the focus on gas-operated firearms allows proponents to target the AR-15 without naming it. The source added that “gas power” appeared intended to suggest added lethality when in reality it refers to the use of spent gas from a casing to reset the gun’s bolt for the next firing. One of the most vocal opponents of the bill told Fox News Digital that the bill is the hallmark of the “radical agenda of New Mexico Democrats” and that the left is “ignoring practical realities and constitutional protections given to all of us.” NEW MEXICO ADULT DIES OF MEASLES AMID OUTBREAK State Rep. Stefani Lord, R-Sandia Park, said the bill slaps a ban on typical magazines and arms already owned by many New Mexicans and that Democrats, including Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, are trying to “trample the Second Amendment under the guise of public safety.” “The ambiguous wording of the bill risks turning law-abiding gun owners into felons overnight,” Lord said. “It is clear this isn’t just about safety – it’s about control, driven by a liberal tide that’s swept through Santa Fe with unprecedented force in 2025.” The governor, however, defended the bill, telling Fox News Digital it is not an attack on Second Amendment rights but a responsible move to protect the populace. “It simply regulates the most dangerous firearms and accessories that are disproportionately used in mass shootings,” Lujan Grisham said. “The vast majority of handguns – what the Supreme Court has called the ‘quintessential self-defense weapon’ – aren’t regulated under this act. Current owners can keep their regulated gas-operated semiautomatic firearms and large-capacity magazines by filing a simple form with local dealers – not a ‘gun registry’ as critics have falsely claimed.” Lujan Grisham added that other laws around the country similar to the one matriculating through the Roundhouse in Santa Fe have been upheld by judges of all political inclinations. NM, AZ, CA UNITED AGAINST TRUMP DEPORTING DREAMERS, OFFICIAL SAYS “We are confident this legislation is likewise constitutional and necessary to protect New Mexicans,” she said. State Rep. John Block, R-Alamogordo, was unconvinced. Block said the gun control bill is par for the course in what he called the “most liberal legislative session this state has ever seen.” “This ban on gas-operated semiautomatic firearms is wrapped in vague language that hands unelected officials way too much power to decide which guns get outlawed,” he said. Block, who, along with Lord, unsuccessfully sought to impeach Lujan Grisham in 2024 when she enacted a temporary public health order restricting open carrying of firearms after a spate of Albuquerque gun violence, said the bill reminds him of that situation. “It is clear [Democrats] are dead-set on disarming all New Mexicans,” Block said. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Matthew Mammoser, an official with the National Association for Gun Rights, posted a video last week of himself delivering several Xerox-type boxes he said were full of “thousands” of petitions from New Mexicans opposed to the bill. Meanwhile, New Mexico House Minority Leader Gail Armstrong, R-Socorro, said her caucus was and is open to working with Democrats on “real solutions” to gun violence and other concerns the bill seeks to address. “This session, rather than take violent offenders off our streets, address our healthcare shortage and work on the unaffordability crisis our state is facing, Democrats have opted to pursue a radical agenda at the expense of our constitutional rights,” she said. Fox News Digital reached out for comment from the bill’s top-listed sponsor, state Sen. Micaelita O’Malley, D-Bernalillo, but did not receive a reply by press time.
Ohio college ‘illegally forcing students’ to share bathrooms with opposite sex: watchdog
A conservative legal watchdog group is urging both the Trump administration and the state of Ohio to investigate Kenyon College, which they allege is breaking the state’s recently passed bathroom bill categorizing restrooms by biological sex. America First Legal sent letters to Craig Trainor, the Department of Education‘s acting assistant secretary in the Office for Civil Rights, and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost Thursday morning urging the agencies to open an investigation of the college. “Ohio law is clear: multi-occupancy restrooms must be designated for either men or women,” Will Scolinos, AFL legal counsel said. “Schools of higher education should focus more on educating students rather than re-educating them into radical gender policies that require students, men and women, to share the same restrooms. It is not normal.” In a statement to Fox News Digital, a spokesperson for the college said, “Kenyon fully complies with all state and federal laws.” OHIO TRANSGENDER BATHROOM LAW TAKES EFFECT AS TOP PROPONENT CALLS IT ‘VICTORY FOR SAFETY & COMMON SENSE’ “We are committed to ensuring that women on Kenyon’s campus do not experience discrimination or harassment of any kind, just as we do for all students and the faculty and staff who support them,” the spokesperson said. “We look forward to working with the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights and the Ohio Attorney General to address any concerns they may have.” Kenyon College is being accused of violating Ohio law by allowing multi-occupancy restrooms in its administrative and academic buildings to avoid sex-based requirements. The law, which went into effect in February, designates student restrooms, locker rooms and shower facilities by biological sex. According to its policy update, Kenyon justifies its administrative multi-occupancy restrooms by stating that the restrooms are “not, and cannot be, designated for use exclusively by students” and students “are permitted to use these restrooms if they choose to do so, but the student restroom requirements outlined above do not apply to these facilities.” However, Ohio law states that any “restroom… accessible to multiple individuals at the same time” must adhere to sex-based entry restrictions, AFL argues. SPEAKER JOHNSON ANNOUNCES NEW CAPITOL BATHROOM POLICY IN RESPONSE TO DELAWARE LAWMAKER CONTROVERSY The letter points out that other Ohio schools comply by applying these restrictions to all multi-occupancy restrooms. AFL also alleges the policy doesn’t align with President Donald Trump’s executive order, “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.” “The order establishes that it is the official policy of the United States to recognize two sexes, male and female, defining ‘sex’ as ‘an individual’s immutable biological classification as either male or female [and] is not a synonym for and does not include the concept of ‘gender identity,’” AFL’s letter to the DOE states. “Furthermore, Kenyon’s failure to provide separate restrooms for men and women in academic and administrative buildings appears to violate Title IX,” the letter reads. The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights is already investigating Denver Public Schools, a school district, for potentially violating Title IX by installing multi-stall, all-gender restrooms. “Let me be clear: it is a new day in America, and under President Trump, OCR will not tolerate discrimination of any kind,” Trainor said in a news release last month. TRANS INMATE IN PRISON FOR KILLING BABY MUST GET GENDER SURGERY AT ‘EARLIEST OPPORTUNITY’: JUDGE Kenyon, a private university, encouraged its students affected by the new law to “seek support” from its civil rights office, college chaplains, campus safety, the counseling center and its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) office. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The Department of Education, which Trump has indicated he wants to fully dismantle and where workforce reductions are already underway, is a key battleground in the new administration for overturning Biden-era DEI and woke policies. It also launched an investigation into 60 universities due to allegations of antisemitism and violence against Jewish students since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel.