Staffing reductions at Education Department haven’t hit FAFSA office amid Trump cuts, agency says
Staffing reductions have not hit the Department of Education’s Office of Federal Student Aid, despite orders to dramatically cut staff in half and work to dismantle the agency. The Department of Education unveiled plans on March 11 to cut its staff in half, and President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday to shutter the agency. But those handling student loan services were not let go, according to a department spokesperson. “No employees working on the FAFSA or student loan servicing were impacted by the reduction in force,” Madi Biedermann, a spokesperson for the Education Department, said in a statement to Fox News Digital. The Department of Education’s Office of Federal Student Aid processes over 17.6 million Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) forms annually with a staff of roughly 1,400 employees, according to its 2024 report. TRUMP STILL NEEDS CONGRESS’ HELP WITH PLAN TO ABOLISH EDUCATION DEPARTMENT Meanwhile, the Trump administration’s Education Department said it is further ahead processing FAFSA forms than the Biden administration at this same time last year. The agency announced on March 17 that it had already submitted and processed 8 million 2025-2026 FAFSA forms – a 50% increase in comparison to the previous year. A Gallup poll released in February shows that Americans’ satisfaction with the state of education has declined sharply over the past decade. The poll found that only 24% of Americans are satisfied with the quality of education in the U.S. as of January 2025, compared to 37% in January 2017. Trump’s order to dismantle the Education Department comes after he’s long harped against the agency, claiming on the campaign trail in September that he wanted to cut down on the federal government’s influence over education to “stop the abuse of your taxpayer dollars to indoctrinate America’s youth.” On Thursday, Trump said that despite plans to scale down the agency, functions of the department overseeing Pell Grants, student loans, and others that provide services for those with special needs would continue. However, they would move to other agencies. “They’re going to be preserved in full and redistributed to various other agencies and departments that will take very good care of them,” Trump said. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION SIGNIFICANTLY DISMANTLED IN NEW TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDER A White House fact sheet on the executive order said the directive aims to “turn over education to families instead of bureaucracies” and instructs Education Secretary Linda McMahon to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return education authority to the States, while continuing to ensure the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely.” Supporters of shutting down the agency have cited the “Nation’s Report Card,” the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress, released every two years, published Jan. 27. The exam tests fourth- and eighth-grade students and found almost stagnant math scores for eighth graders compared to 2022. Reading scores dropped two points at both grade levels. Meanwhile, the executive order is facing multiple lawsuits from unions, school districts and other groups who argue that eliminating the department is unlawful, as only Congress has the authority to shut down a federal agency. Additionally, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called on the courts to step in and block Trump’s efforts to wipe out the department. “The courts must act to uphold the rule of law and stop Donald Trump’s tyrannical power grab,” Schumer said in a statement Thursday. However, McMahon said the department would partner with Congress to move ahead with plans to close the agency. “We’re going to follow the law and eliminate the bureaucracy responsibly by working through Congress to ensure a lawful and orderly transition,” McMahon said in a statement Thursday.
Oscar-winning Palestinian director Hamdan Ballal released from detention
Hamdan Ballal, the Palestinian co-director of the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land who was detained by the Israeli army after being attacked by settlers, has been released. In a post on social media platform X on Tuesday, his fellow co-director Yuval Abraham said: “After being handcuffed all night and beaten in a military base, Hamdan Ballal is now free and is about to go home to his family.” The Associated Press news agency said its journalists had also seen Ballal and two other Palestinian people leaving the police station where they were being held in the Israeli settlement of Kiryat Arba in the occupied West Bank. Ballal had bruises on his face and blood on his clothes, the AP reported. Ballal said he was held at an army base and forced to sleep under a freezing air conditioner. “I was blindfolded for 24 hours,” he told AP. “All the night I was freezing. It was a room, I couldn’t see anything … I heard the voice of soldiers laughing about me.” Lea Tsemel, the attorney representing the three men, said that they received only minimal care for their injuries from the attack and that she had no access to them for several hours after their arrest. She had earlier said they were accused of throwing stones at a young settler, allegations they deny. Advertisement Ballal and the other directors of No Other Land, which explores the struggles of living under Israeli occupation, had mounted the stage at the 97th Academy Awards in Los Angeles earlier this month when the film won the Oscar award for Best Documentary Feature. On Monday, around two dozen settlers — some masked, some carrying guns and some in military uniforms — attacked the occupied West Bank village of Susiya in the evening as residents were breaking their fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Soldiers who arrived pointed their guns at the Palestinians, while settlers continued throwing stones, residents told the AP. Lamia Ballal, the director’s wife, said she heard her husband being beaten outside their home as she huddled inside with their three children. She heard him screaming, “I’m dying!” and calling for an ambulance. When she looked out the window, she saw three men in uniform beating Ballal with the butts of their rifles and another person in civilian clothes who appeared to be filming the violence. “Of course, after the Oscar, they have come to attack us more,” Lamia said. “I felt afraid.” Human rights group Amnesty International called for accountability for the attack. “Hamdan Billal was forcibly disappeared by Israeli soldiers after having been assaulted by Israeli settlers attacking Palestinians … He has now been released, but those who carried out the attacks must be held accountable,” it said in a post on X. Ballal said he was attacked by a well-known settler who had threatened him in the past. Advertisement The settler can be seen with other masked men in a widely circulated video from August in which they threaten Ballal. “This is my land, I was given it by God,” the settler says in the video, in which he also uses profanity and tries to get Ballal to fight him. “Next time it won’t be nice,” the settler says in the video. On Tuesday, a small bloodstain could be seen outside Ballal’s family home, and the car’s windshield and windows were shattered. Neighbours pointed to a nearby water tank with a hole in the side that they said had been punched by the settlers. Basel Adra – another of the film’s co-directors, who is a prominent Palestinian activist in the area – said there has been a massive upswing in attacks by settlers and Israeli forces since the Oscar win. “Nobody can do anything to stop the pogroms, and soldiers are only there to facilitate and help the attacks,” he said. “We’re living in dark days here, in Gaza, and all of the West Bank … Nobody’s stopping this.” The Israeli military said on Monday that it had detained three Palestinians suspected of hurling rocks at forces and one Israeli civilian involved in what it described as a violent confrontation. Adblock test (Why?)
Indonesia beat Bahrain in crucial World Cup qualifier
Indonesia move clear in fourth spot in Group C of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in Asia with 1-0 win against Bahrain. Indonesia secured a crucial 1-0 win in their Group C qualifier against Bahrain in Jakarta to increase their hopes of reaching the 2026 World Cup. It was head coach Patrick Kluivert’s first win in charge after the former Netherlands international lost his opening game 5-1 to Australia last Thursday. Ole Romeny scored the only goal of the game in the 24th minute as he latched onto Marselino Ferdinan’s pass before beating the keeper. The win moves fourth-placed Indonesia three points clear of their opponents and China, who are bottom of the six-team group with both the fifth- and sixth-placed teams holding six points. Ole Romeny, centre, of Indonesia celebrates with teammate Ragnar Oratmangoen, right, after scoring the only goal of the game [Robertus Pudyanto/Getty Images] Japan, who have already secured their qualification for next year’s tournament, were held to a 0-0 draw by third-placed Saudi Arabia. Australia comfortably won 2-0 in China to consolidate second spot, where they are three points clear of Saudi Arabia but still seven behind Japan. The top two teams qualify automatically, while third and fourth head to playoffs and fifth and sixth are eliminated from the qualification process. Second-half Indonesian substitute Tijjani Reijnders blazed a chance high and wide, which would have eased the pressure the home side felt after a much-improved second-half display from Bahrain. Advertisement It was Romeny’s cool first-time finish, after a cross from the right, that handed Indonesia the points as they bid to reach only their second World Cup finals. Their only previous appearance in global football’s showpiece event came in 1938 when they were known as the Dutch East Indies, seven years prior to their independence from the Netherlands. Adblock test (Why?)
Democrat Jasmine Crockett laughingly mocks disabled Republican: ‘Governor Hot Wheels’
Progressive Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, mocked a disabled, wheelchair-bound Republican governor, calling him “Governor Hot Wheels” during a pro-LGBTQ benefit dinner this weekend. Crockett is already in hot water over other controversial recent comments such as calling for Elon Musk to be “taken down” and for Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, to be “knocked over the head, like hard.” Speaking at a benefit for the Human Rights Campaign in Los Angeles, Crockett mocked Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, whose legs were paralyzed in a running accident in 1984. “We in these hot a– Texas streets, honey. Y’all know we got Governor Hot Wheels down there, come on now! And the only thing hot about him is that he is a hot a– mess, honey!” she said, laughing. PAM BONDI ON JASMINE CROCKETT’S COMMENTS: WORDS HAVE CONSEQUENCES | FOX NEWS VIDEO In response, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) slammed Crockett, saying she is indicative of the state of the Democratic Party today. “House Dems’ top spox Jasmine Crockett applauded after attacking Texas Governor Abbott for using a wheelchair,” the NRCC posted on X. “Recent polling shows Crazy Crockett as one of the leaders of the Democrat Party. This is who they are.” Meanwhile, Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., responded, “FYI to the new spokeswoman for the Democrat party – Greg Abbott became paralyzed after a huge oak tree fell on him, crushing his spine. But sure, go with ‘hot wheels.’” Conservative women’s sports activist Riley Gaines also chimed in, saying, “Democrats, please keep giving Jasmine Crockett the microphone We’ll never lose an election again.” JASMINE CROCKETT DESCRIBES DEMOCRATIC DONOR TALK ON SCHUMER ‘REMINISCENT’ OF BIDEN BEING TAKEN DOWN Crockett’s rhetoric has garnered significant condemnation from other leaders as well as outrage online in the last several days. On Sunday, Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a stark warning to Crockett, telling her to “tread carefully” or face possible legal repercussions. Seemingly not heeding Bondi’s warning, an interview clip surfaced on Monday of Crockett advocating for figuratively “punching” another leading Texas Republican, Cruz. In response to a question about how Democrats can win elections, specifically in the red state of Texas, Crockett said, “I think that you punch, I think you punch, I think you OK with punching.” “It’s Ted Cruz,” she went on. “I mean, like this dude has to be knocked over the head, like hard, right? Like there is no niceties with him, like at all. Like you go clean off on him.” FAR-LEFT DEMOCRAT SLAMMED FOR ‘UNHINGED’ THREAT AGAINST PROMINENT GOP SENATOR: ‘INCITING VIOLENCE’ Her latest comments to surface – this time against Abbott – were firmly condemned by Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, who pointed out her take would have caused national outrage if a Republican had said such a thing. “Crockett’s comments are disgraceful,” said Cornyn. “Can you imagine if a Republican said something like this? It would be on [the] front page of NYT [New York Times] and all over CNN.” Conservative influencer Charlie Kirk also spoke out against Crockett’s comments, saying, “Jasmine Crockett continues to embarrass herself, the state of Texas, and the US Congress by referring to Governor Greg Abbott as ‘Governor Hot Wheels.’” “Gov. Abbott was paralyzed at the age of 26 when an oak tree fell and crushed his spine while jogging. This woman is trash,” said Kirk. DEMOCRAT MAYOR BLASTED FOR VOWING TO MAKE MAJOR CITY ‘SAFE HAVEN’ FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS Abbott, who took office in 2015, is a vocal supporter of President Donald Trump and has made border security one of his top priorities as governor. He launched “Operation Lonestar” in 2021, in which he deployed state officials and the Texas National Guard to the border. His efforts to build fortifications along the border also led to several confrontations with the Biden administration, perhaps most notably including a standoff between federal and state officials at Shelby Park in Eagle Pass, Texas, in 2024. Abbott has been wheelchair-bound since he was struck by a falling tree while on a jog at age 26.
State Dept says data on Ukrainian orphans is ‘secure’ despite concerns it was lost following Trump funding cut
The State Department said Monday that data tracking tens of thousands of Ukrainian children allegedly abducted by Russian forces remains “secure,” despite concerns it had been deleted or poorly protected following funding cuts to the program by the Trump administration. The data initiative, spearheaded by the Yale School of Public Health Humanitarian Research Lab, was part of a larger program known as the Yale Conflict Observatory, which served to track various war crimes, including those committed by Russia during its war with Ukraine. Yale confirmed last week that the funding for the work it had been doing on the war in Ukraine was “discontinued.” Pages on the Conflict Observatory were removed from the State Department’s website as well. News about the Trump administration cutting funding to the program raised fears that the data had been lost, or was not being adequately protected from tampering, after the State Department indicated it was being held on a database controlled by the primary contractor for Yale’s Conflict Observatory – the MITRE Corporation. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ENDS PROGRAM TO TRACK KIDNAPPED UKRAINIAN CHILDREN IN RUSSIA, LAWMAKERS SAY “The data exists … we know it is secure,” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told reporters during a Monday briefing. “Just because something has changed – as this has – [doesn’t mean] that it disappears, or stops, or becomes something that we can’t use.” Bruce refused to comment any further about the federal government’s continued role, or lack thereof, with regard to protecting the data. “I would just remind you that there is a variety of dynamics that are occurring when it comes to the world knowing about those missing children,” she said to reporters. US PEACE TALKS WITH UKRAINE, RUSSIA GET UNDERWAY IN SAUDI ARABIA The data in question was reportedly compiled by Yale researchers to be shared with Europol and the International Criminal Court to potentially bring war crimes charges against Russia following the end of the war, according to The New York Times. About 20,000 Ukrainian children have been abducted by Russia and hidden in its adoption system, Democratic lawmakers warned in a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. They raised concerns that funding cuts to the Yale program could lead to permanent data loss. The letter also noted that since the war began, more than 700,000 people from Ukraine have been relocated to Russia. During Monday’s briefing, Bruce emphasized the president’s concern over the missing children and said their return from Russia to Ukraine has been part of ongoing U.S.-Russia discussions aimed at ending the war. TRUMP ENVOY DOESN’T BELIEVE PUTIN WANTS TO TAKE OVER EUROPE The State Department declined to provide any comment on this story, and referred all questions about the data to MITRE. In response to Fox News Digital’s questions about the data’s location, a MITRE spokesperson said that the research into Ukrainian children “is currently maintained by a former partner on [the Conflict Observatory] contract.” However, the spokesperson would not indicate which specific partner it was referring to, as there are several. The spokesperson added that, as a result of the Trump administration’s move to cut funding to the Yale program, the research being done there to track abducted Ukrainian children has been halted. “While we are not in a position to comment on the State Department’s decision, we do recognize the importance of HRL’s work and its contributions to international efforts to protect vulnerable populations, including Ukrainian children,” a Yale University spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “Yale remains supportive of its researchers pursuing work that sheds light on urgent global issues.”
A timeline of Israel’s weaponisation of aid to Gaza
Israel is again starving Palestinians in Gaza as its renewed bombardment kills hundreds, many of them children. Israel has repeatedly used food and international humanitarian aid as a tool of collective pressure against Palestinians over 17 months of its devastating war on the Gaza Strip. Civilians in the enclave have been subjected to extreme food shortages and famine-like conditions throughout the war. Dozens of children have died of starvation, and countless others have succumbed to wounds or preventable illnesses during a deteriorating man-made humanitarian disaster. Israeli authorities continue to starve Palestinians in the besieged enclave, which is home to 2.3 million people, after having blocked the entry of desperately needed humanitarian aid once again in early March. And on March 18, Israel unilaterally broke a ceasefire that had held since January, relaunching attacks across Gaza, and killing hundreds more Palestinians. The combination of the bombs and debilitating humanitarian situation is rapidly worsening conditions for the people of Gaza, but it has been a constant since the beginning of the war in October 2023. Here’s a closer look at how Israel has used aid to punish Gaza: Advertisement October 2023 October 9: Israel announces a “total blockade” on the Gaza Strip, halting the entry of all food, water, medicine, fuel and electricity. Then-Defence Minister Yoav Gallant promises action against “human animals”, and orders a “complete siege”. Thirteen months later, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issues an arrest warrant against Gallant and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on charges that include the “war crime of starvation as a method of warfare”. October 21: The first aid truck enters Gaza via a land route from Egypt as the Israeli military carries on with two weeks of deadly bombing. The Israeli military eventually allows an extremely limited number of aid trucks to enter the enclave after international pressure. November 2023 November 24: A temporary truce is reached between Israel and Hamas, allowing a slight increase in the humanitarian aid entering Gaza. The United Nations and international aid agencies report that the amount of aid entering Gaza is highly inadequate to meet the needs of the population, most of whom are children. The temporary cessation of attacks enables several limited exchanges of captives held in Gaza and Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, but there is no promise for an end to the war or for the return of Palestinians forced out of their homes as a result of the fighting. A Palestinian girl inspects damage at the site of an Israeli strike on a house in Deir el-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on March 25, 2025 [Ramadan Abed/Reuters] The Gaza truce then ends a week after it started, and relentless Israeli attacks restart, killing more civilians, journalists, aid workers and doctors along with Hamas figures. Advertisement February 2024 February 29: Israel kills at least 112 Palestinians and wounds more than 750 when it opens fire on Palestinians waiting for food aid southwest of Gaza City in what is called the “flour massacre”. The Israeli military carries out numerous similar attacks on life-saving aid convoys, often saying “terrorists” are being targeted but without providing evidence. The UN and other international agencies and aid workers repeatedly report that the Israeli authorities intentionally block many aid trucks meant to enter the enclave. Israeli attacks along with blocked aid and dire conditions created by Israeli ground offensives and destruction across Gaza also lead to aid convoys being attacked and looted. Far-right Israelis also on numerous occasions either attack aid convoys or try to stop them from entering Gaza. April 2024 April 1: Israeli drone strikes target an aid convoy with the World Central Kitchen (WCK), killing six international aid workers and a Palestinian driver. The WCK is forced to halt its humanitarian operations, similar to many other international aid organisations that temporarily or permanently stop their assistance to Palestinians. An investigation by Al Jazeera’s Sanad verification agency finds that the three WCK vehicles were intentionally hit, adding to a record death toll of hundreds of mostly Palestinian aid workers killed since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza. October 2024 October 6: The Israeli military commences a massive siege on northern Gaza, designating the entire area a combat zone and issuing forced evacuation orders to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians. Advertisement The siege on the north, which is accompanied by Israeli attacks across other parts of Gaza, lasts until a ceasefire with Hamas comes into effect on January 19, 2025. The entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza is heavily restricted by Israel throughout the winter amid low temperatures. Far-right Israeli government ministers, chief among them Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, call for the blockage of all humanitarian aid and for a military occupation of Gaza, preferring this to the option of a ceasefire. Ben-Gvir, left,, leader of the far-right Jewish Power party, and Smotrich, leader of the far-right Religious Zionist Party, have been against all ceasefire efforts and say Israeli settlements should be built in Gaza [File: Gil Cohen-Magen/AFP] January 2025 January 19: The implementation of the ceasefire allows a surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza, something relief organisations say would need to persist for a long time before life could return to any semblance of normality. Israel allows more trucks to enter Gaza in the days after the truce comes into effect, but the volume of aid is much less than what had been agreed upon in the ceasefire. As babies die from the cold, the Israeli government prevents the entry of thousands of mobile homes meant to shelter displaced Palestinians along with heavy equipment required to clear the rubble of destroyed homes and infrastructure. March 2025 March 2: For the second time since the start of the war, Israel halts the entry of all humanitarian aid into Gaza, an order that currently remains in effect. March 10: Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), warns that another hunger crisis looms in Gaza and accuses Israel of
Russia and Ukraine agree to halt Black Sea strikes, US says
Ukraine defence minister says Kyiv will view movement of Russian military vessels beyond eastern Black Sea as violation. Russia and Ukraine have agreed separately to avoid military strikes on vessels in the Black Sea, the United States has announced after talks in Saudi Arabia. In parallel statements, the White House said on Tuesday that each country “agreed to ensure safe navigation, eliminate the use of force and prevent the use of commercial vessels for military purposes in the Black Sea”. Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, who was a member of his country’s delegation in Riyadh, confirmed Kyiv had agreed to the partial ceasefire, specifying that it included attacks on Black Sea shipping and energy infrastructure. He warned in a Facebook post that Kyiv would view any movements of Russian warships “outside the eastern part” of the Black Sea as a violation of the agreement to stop the “use of force”. In such an instance, Ukraine would have the “full right to exercise right to self-defence”, he said. Umerov also called for “additional technical consultations” as soon as possible to agree on “all the details and technical aspects of the implementation, monitoring and control of the arrangements”. Advertisement There was no immediate comment from Russia. The announcement came after US negotiators held separate talks with Russian and Ukrainian teams that were primarily focused on ending attacks on Black Sea shipping with a view to usher in a broader ceasefire in the more than three-year Russia-Ukraine war. During a 12-hour session on Monday, US and Russian officials discussed the possible resumption of the 2022 Black Sea Grain Initiative, an agreement that was supposed to allow Ukraine to ship millions of tonnes of grain and other food exports from its ports. Moscow pulled out of the initiative, brokered by Turkiye and the United Nations, in 2023, accusing the West of failing to uphold its commitments to ease sanctions on Russia’s own exports of farm products and fertilisers. The US said on Tuesday that it would support the resumption of Russian fertiliser exports. “The United States will help restore Russia’s access to the world market for agricultural and fertilizer exports, lower maritime insurance costs and enhance access to ports and payment systems for such transactions,” a White House statement said. Adblock test (Why?)
Renewed fighting in DR Congo as regional powers step up ceasefire efforts
Rwanda-backed M23 rebels battle pro-government fighters in North Kivu and South Kivu province after regional mediators hold truce talks. Rwanda-backed M23 rebels and pro-government fighters have clashed in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo despite pressure from regional mediators to halt the fighting. The rebels battled pro-government fighters known as Wazalendo on Tuesday in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces, a day after 24 members of two regional blocs – the East African Community and the Southern African Development Community – held virtual talks aimed at reviving faltering ceasefire initiatives. The M23’s swift advance since January has seen it take eastern Congo’s two largest cities – Goma and Bukavu – resulting in thousands of deaths and forcing hundreds of thousands more from their homes. On Monday, the conflict flared up again, with rebels reneging on a pledge to withdraw from the strategic town of Walikale in North Kivu province. Muhindo Tafuteni, a local civil society activist, told the news agency Reuters that clashes in North Kivu were taking place on Tuesday near the banks of Lake Edward, which straddles the border between Congo and Uganda. Advertisement In South Kivu, fighting reportedly took place in several towns north of the provincial capital, Bukavu, which M23 captured in February. Corneille Nangaa, leader of the Congo River Alliance of rebel groups that includes the M23, pledged to continue fighting “like people who got nothing to lose in order to secure the future of our country”. The rebel leader also rejected the outcome of last week’s meeting between Congolese and Rwandan leaders in Qatar, saying any moves to achieve peace without his group’s involvement would fail. “Anything regarding us which are done without us, it’s against us,” Nangaa told The Associated Press news agency. Regional peacemakers Leaders from the EAC and the SADC met on Monday to advance a ceasefire plan aimed at ending the conflict, which is rooted in the long fallout from the 1994 genocide in Rwanda and competition for control of mineral riches. Congo’s mineral resources are estimated to be worth $24 trillion and are critical to much of the world’s technology. In a statement afterwards, they said they had appointed five former heads of state to facilitate the peace process. The appointees are Nigeria’s Olusegun Obasanjo, South Africa’s Kgalema Motlanthe, Ethiopia’s Sahle-Work Zewde, Kenya’s Uhuru Kenyatta and Central African Republic’s Catherine Samba Panza. Congo’s presidency said the new panel would name a mediator to replace Angolan President Joao Lourenco, who withdrew from the role on Monday following years of efforts to ease tensions between Rwanda and the DRC. Advertisement A meeting had previously been scheduled in Angola after Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi dropped his longstanding refusal to negotiate with M23, but the rebels withdrew in protest at new European Union sanctions. Tensions with Burundi As fighting continues in DRC, President Evariste Ndayishimiye of Burundi, whose troops have fought in support of DRC’s army against M23, alleged that Rwanda had a plan to attack Burundi. Burundi says it believes Rwanda is supporting the resurgent Red Tabara rebel group, claiming that it is aimed at destabilising the country in the same way M23 has sown mayhem in the DRC. “They would say it’s an internal problem when it’s Rwanda [who is] the problem,” Ndayishimiye said in an interview with the BBC. “Burundians will not accept to be killed as Congolese are being killed. Burundian people are fighters.” Rwanda’s government spokesperson Yolande Makolo expressed surprise at Ndayishimiye’s comments, saying that “Rwandan and Burundian defence and security institutions” had been meeting “to discuss how to secure our common borders”. Adblock test (Why?)
Democrat decries FBI task force to crackdown on Tesla attacks: ‘Political weaponization of the DOJ’
Rep. Daniel Goldman, D-N.Y., suggested that the FBI’s launch of a task force to crackdown on Tesla-related attacks represents “political weaponization” of the U.S. Justice Department. The FBI’s task force was created in conjunction with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) and will coordinate investigative activity. “The FBI has been investigating the increase in violent activity toward Tesla, and over the last few days, we have taken additional steps to crack down and coordinate our response,” FBI Director Kash Patel noted Monday in a post on X. “This is domestic terrorism. Those responsible will be pursued, caught, and brought to justice.” KASH PATEL SHARPENS WARNING MESSAGE FOR TESLA ‘DOMESTIC TERRORISM’ PERPETRATORS AHEAD OF ‘DAY OF ACTION’ Tesla vehicles and facilities have been targeted with vandalism, arson, and even gunshots. But amid the onslaught of crime against the popular electric vehicle manufacturer and its customers, the Rep. Goldman is suggesting that the formation of the task force represents a political maneuver. TESLA TROUBLE IN ONTARIO: DOZENS OF VEHICLES DAMAGED IN ONE LOCATION “This is the political weaponization of the DOJ. Trump uses his official authority to defend his benefactor Elon Musk. The FBI then creates a task force to use our law enforcement to ‘crack down’ on adversaries of Musk’s,” he tweeted when sharing a Fox News Digital article about the task force launch. “Where are the Republicans so opposed to ‘lawfare’?” he asked. Tesla co-founder and CEO Elon Musk, who strongly supported now-President Donald Trump last year ahead of the presidential election, is spearheading an effort to expose waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal government. He is widely criticized and vilified by the political left. SUSPECTED TESLA ARSONISTS HIT WITH FEDERAL CHARGES IN ACTS OF ‘DOMESTIC TERRORISM’: AG CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “This level of violence is insane and deeply wrong. Tesla just makes electric cars and has done nothing to deserve these evil attacks,” Musk tweeted this month when sharing a post that featured footage of vehicles ablaze in Las Vegas. Fox News Digital’s Brooke Singman contributed to this report
Trump admin cuts additional $1M in federal funding for ‘transgender animal’ experiments
First on Fox: President Donald Trump‘s National Institute of Health on Friday quietly cut over $1 million in federally funded research evaluating if rats going through hormone therapy were more likely to overdose on a popular party drug. The DEI-funded NIH grant was first exposed in December 2024 by the White Coat Waste Project, a nonprofit organization that researches and reveals the misuse of taxpayer dollars for animal testing. The nonprofit last year revealed over $10 million in taxpayer money was spent on research creating “transgender animals.” As Trump and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) expose and cut mismanaged federal funds, the Trump administration has now cut nine “transgender animal” research grants unveiled by the White Coat Waste Project. “This is a great victory for taxpayers and animals,” Anthony Bellotti, president and founder of White Coat Waste Project, said. “We’re proud that our blockbuster investigation has prompted the Trump administration to slash millions in DEI funds and other wasteful spending earmarked for creating transgender lab animals through sterilization, hormone therapies, and invasive surgeries and then subjecting them to drug overdoses, open wounds, electroshocks, and other painful and deadly experiments.” $10M IN TAXPAYER FUNDS SPENT CREATING TRANSGENDER ANIMALS: REP. NANCY MACE “Despite the mainstream media’s shameful misinformation campaign, transgender animal experiments are real – and really wasteful,” Bellotti added. “The solution is simple: Stop the money. Stop the madness!” DOGE SAYS SEVEN GRANTS FOR TRANS ANIMAL TESTING CANCELED, AUDITS EXPANDED: ‘SHADY EXPENDITURES HAPPENING’ The University of Pacific Stockton was granted over $1 million for the project, “GHB Toxicokinetics: Role of sex hormone dependent monocarboxylate transporter regulation and potential for altered overdose risk in transgender men and women,” running from April 1, 2020, through March 31, 2025. DOGE cut the program early on March 21. The grant was funded by the NIH’s Support of Competitive Research (SCORE) Program, which aims to increase research at institutions that have “an explicitly stated mission or historical track records in graduating students from groups nationally underrepresented in biomedical research.” The White Coat Waste Project obtained the project’s grant application through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), which revealed plans to castrate male rats and inject them with estrogen, remove female rats’ ovaries and inject them with testosterone, and then inject the rats with Gamma-Hydroxybutyrate (GHB). GHB is used as a recreational party drug and is associated with “chemsex” for its euphoric and sedative effects. The project set out to “characterize GHB toxicokinetics and toxicity in the absence of sex hormones and in response to sex and cross-sex hormone therapy in males and females” to determine if hormone replacement increased overdose risk in transgender men and women. The White Coat Waste Project has worked with legislators to inform the public and received recognition from the president in the process. The nonprofit testified before the House Oversight Committee last month during the hearing, “Transgender Lab Rats and Poisoned Puppies: Oversight of Taxpayer-Funded Animal Cruelty.” While delivering opening remarks on the misuse of taxpayer money funding “gender-affirming care” for animals, Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., mentioned the latest “transgender animal” research funding cut by the Trump administration. “We spent over $1 million to find out if female rats receiving testosterone therapy were more likely to overdose on a date rape drug,” Mace said last month. “At our House Oversight Committee hearing last month, we exposed cruel, taxpayer-funded transgender animal experiments,” Mace told Fox News Digital in a statement. “We uncovered how NIH wasted over a million dollars studying whether female rats – after having their ovaries removed and being injected with testosterone to mimic transgender men – were more likely to overdose on a date rape drug. President Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency are now shutting down these appalling and inhumane experiments the Biden administration chose to fund with your hard-earned tax dollars,” Mace added. Senate DOGE Caucus Chair Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, celebrated the $1 million in federal funding cut for transgender research on animals, thanking Trump and DOGE for eliminating this “wacky pseudoscience.” “Since last year, I’ve exposed how the Biden administration got caught in the woke mousetrap and wasted millions of tax dollars on transgender animal experiments,” Ernst said. “I’m grateful that President Trump and DOGE are eliminating this wacky pseudoscience. Together, we are ending the silly science and ensuring that all studies funded by tax dollars are squeaky clean.”