Trump could sell Nancy Pelosi Federal Building ‘at fair market value’ under new GOP bill
FIRST ON FOX: A House GOP lawmaker wants to clear the path for President Donald Trump to sell off a federal building named after former Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The Stop Wasteful Allocations of Money for Pelosi (SWAMP) Act, led by Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., would direct the General Services Administration (GSA) to “dispose of the property” or sell it “at fair market value and for the highest and best use,” according to bill text obtained by Fox News Digital. It is the latest effort by House Republicans to enact Trump’s agenda through legislative means amid a flurry of bills seeking to codify the president’s executive orders. TRUDEAU SAYS CANADA WILL ISSUE 25% TARIFFS ON $155 BILLION OF AMERICAN GOODS “We are over $36 trillion in debt. Instead of maintaining expensive, underutilized vanity projects for liberal politicians, the federal government should be focused on efficiency and fiscal responsibility,” Carter told Fox News Digital. “Selling the Speaker Nancy Pelosi Federal Building is part of a broader effort to rein in federal overreaches, reduce our debt, and put American taxpayers first.” The Nancy Pelosi Federal Building is an 18-story structure in San Francisco that is home to several aspects of the U.S. government, including Pelosi’s own district office. It also houses offices for the Department of Labor, Department of Health and Human Services, and the Social Security Administration, among others. The San Francisco Chronicle reported last month that Trump was looking at selling the building named after his chief Democratic rival. However, the GSA denied it was politically motivated in a statement to Fox News Digital sent last week. “GSA is prioritizing the reduction of deferred liability costs across our real estate portfolio, including the potential sale of buildings in need of extensive repair. Any suggestion that our planning is driven by politics is absurd,” a GSA spokesperson said. “GSA is actively working with our tenant agencies to assess their space needs, and we’ll share more information on specific savings and facilities as soon as we’re able.” ‘GREEN’ FEDERAL BUILDING ONCE RIDICULED BY TRUMP BEING DEDICATED TO NANCY PELOSI The building was built with environmental impacts in mind. However, the area surrounding the facility has fallen prey to illicit activities. A 2020 executive order that Trump signed during his first term, aimed at revitalizing federal buildings, referred to the building as “one of the ugliest structures” in San Francisco. Fox News Digital reached out to a Pelosi spokesperson for comment but did not immediately hear back.
GOP lawmaker credits Trump’s business prowess for major investment in state: ‘Knows how to make deals’
The recent announcement by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) to pour another $100 billion into the United States will have a direct impact on Arizona, but the debate on the future of the semiconductor industry persists after President Donald Trump’s address on Tuesday night. Rep. Abe Hamadeh, R-Ariz., said that Trump’s influence played a critical role in the company building on their existing investment in the Grand Canyon State, as the announcement happened at the White House earlier this week. “He knows how to make deals and having foreign companies come in the United States. That’s the best of all worlds because they’re abandoning the policies over there to come to United States to benefit from our lower regulation, our less taxes,” the congressman, whose district houses the TSMC facility, said in an interview with Fox News Digital on Monday, prior to Trump’s speech. TRUMP CALLS FOR END TO CHIPS ACT IN ADDRESS TO CONGRESS “It’s gonna be great. And for my constituents, again, we’re pushing hard to make sure that they focus on hiring Americans and veterans,” he added. Hamadeh’s staff met with TSMC last month, according to a news release. The announcement comes as the president calls for the repeal of the CHIPS and Science Act, a bill that provided direct financial incentives to grow the semiconductor industry supply chain. “Your CHIPS Act is a horrible, horrible thing. We give hundreds of billions of dollars and it doesn’t mean a thing. They take our money and they don’t spend it,” Trump said on Tuesday night. TOP 5 MOMENTS FROM TRUMP’S ADDRESS TO JOINT SESSION OF CONGRESS The debate about the semiconductor industry’s success with the act largely centers around whether companies are coming to the U.S. because of a preferable business environment or because of grant and loan deals. The legislation, which passed with some bipartisan support in 2022, came under direct scrutiny last year as Intel had major layoffs despite being cleared for $8.5 billion in federal funding. “The CHIPS Act is what helped get TSMC to the US and Arizona. And it brought their $100 billion announcement that came earlier this week—at the White House. Getting rid of the CHIPS Act would hurt the entire American microchip industry, including suppliers, American companies, and more,” Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., posted to X on Tuesday night, as the repeal effort was mentioned in Trump’s Joint Address to Congress. “Plus, it unravels the years of bipartisan work it took to bring these investments to Arizona. We can’t let politics get in the way of that,” the senator added. When it comes to TSMC in particular, the effort to woo the large chip producer was well underway during the first Trump administration – before the act became law under former President Joe Biden, but the company did enter preliminary agreements for financial incentives under the program. CHIP GIANT TSMC TO INVEST $100B IN US MANUFACTURING “It was actually President Trump, Ric Grinnell, Wilbur Ross, that brought [TSMC] into the United States,” Hamadeh said. The freshman Republican lawmaker added that the president’s tariff policies, which include Mexico and Canada, will help boost American manufacturing. “I think tariffs is excellent, because you’re already seeing the results of it so quickly. These companies, they understand they could hire Americans, they could manufacture in America. Right now, there’s just an incentive for them not to,” he said. “And now what President Trump has removed that incentive by a lot, by imposing these tariffs. So clearly his policies are working.” The bulk of the semiconductor industry rests in Taiwan, which has raised national security concerns given the high tensions between China and the U.S. Chips play a critical role in operating everyday technology, including consumer electronics like phones and computers.
‘Star Trek shield’ technology gets $250M boost to knock drone swarms from the sky with high-powered microwave
A new high-powered microwave system that can knock swarms of drones out of the sky at once is going to “touch every aspect of warfare,” according to Epirus founder, Joe Lonsdale. “It’s kind of like a Star Trek shield,” Lonsdale, founder of Epirus and a co-founder of fast-rising defense technology company Palantir, explained of its Leonidas counter-drone system. “It’s able to turn them off from very far away.” “This is going to touch every aspect of warfare over the next decade,” said Lonsdale. “We can knock down some pretty advanced drones.” Defense tech startup Epirus secured another $250 million in a Series D funding round, which was announced Wednesday, bringing its total venture funding to over $550 million. VANCE VISITS CAPITOL HILL TO URGE SENATORS TO CONFIRM ELBRIDGE COLBY FOR PENTAGON NO. 3 POST Epirus’ Leonidas system is a ground-based, directed energy weapon that fires off an electromagnetic pulse to disable swarms of drones, or it can neutralize precision targets. The company aims to help the military shift away from a “1 to 1 mindset to a ‘1 to many’ way of thinking for short-range defense,” according to CEO Andy Lowery. Drone swarms have been a key frontline tactic in the Russia-Ukraine war because most defense systems are designed to take out one unmanned vehicle at a time. Additionally, in the Middle East, the U.S. has been using multimillion-dollar missiles to shoot down Houthi drones that are built for around $2,000 or less. “Swarms of drones is where war is going, and currently you have swarms of drones that are very expensive and very difficult to stop,” said Lonsdale. “It’s not just drones, they’re all sorts of different types of uses for this,” he added, predicting that one day the technology might be deployed to freeze up planes in the sky and protect satellites. The technology has already been successful in Defense Department tests on boat motors and other electronics, according to the company. “This is just it’s just going to touch every aspect of warfare in the next decade.” Rep. Rob Wittman, vice chair of the House Armed Services Committee, warned that the U.S. needs to “run to play catchup” with its adversaries in the counter-UAS space. “We are not doing what we need to do,” he told Fox News Digital on the sidelines of the National Security Innovation Base Summit in Washington, D.C. “We have failed miserably at counter-UAS. We do okay in CENTCOM [Central Command], but … in places like Langley Air Force Base, we are not where we need to be.” Dozens of drones hovered over Langley for over two weeks in 2023, and lawmakers say they still have not been provided with an explanation. COUNTER-DRUG SEA DRONES UTILIZED BY NAVY AS TRUMP RAMPS UP MILITARY RESOURCES AT THE BORDER Epirus won a $66 million contract in 2023 to supply its Leonidas to the U.S. Army, and the technology is believed to be in the testing phase by Central Command, which oversees the Middle East, according to comments that Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George made to Congress last year. The rapid rise of unmanned aerial vehicles in war has prompted a defensive race to develop systems to counter them, like high-energy lasers and high-power microwaves. “We have a lot of people who are, you know, coming into the [Defense Department]wanting to embrace new technologies,” said Lonsdale. “They’re really excited about this.” The defense entrepreneur suggested there is “tons of waste” in the Pentagon that could be repurposed for new technologies. “There’s a ton of cronyism. We’re seeing tens or even hundreds of billions of dollars you could pull out, depending [on] how aggressive you want to be. And these should be put into cutting-edge technologies that actually deter enemies.” Epirus was valued at $1.35 billion when it raised $200 million in Series C funding, but the company did not disclose its valuation for this round. The California-based company will use the new cash influx to expand into international and commercial markets and expand manufacturing in the U.S. The company is also planning to open a new simulation center in Oklahoma to train soldiers in counter-drone warfare.
GOP rep says she’ll refer sanctuary city mayors for criminal prosecution
A Republican congresswoman said she is referring the Democratic sanctuary city mayors who testified before Congress on Wednesday to the Justice Department for criminal prosecution. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., said that the mayors who testified during a House Oversight Committee hearing on sanctuary cities were in violation of Title 8, U.S. Code § 1324, a federal law that makes it illegal to bring in and harbor unauthorized aliens. It also prohibits the unlawful employment of aliens. “I just referred the sanctuary city mayors to the Department of Justice for CRIMINAL investigations based on evidence from their own comments and policies, proving that they were breaking federal law,” Luna wrote on X with a video accompanying her announcement. “Open borders ideologies hurt people on both sides. If you hold federal office and are breaking the law, you’ll be criminally investigated by the DOJ.” ANNA PAULINA LUNA TO LEAD TASK FORCE ON DECLASSIFICATION OF JFK ASSASSINATION RECORDS, EPSTEIN CLIENT LIST Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, New York City Mayor Eric Adams, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu all defended their respective city’s sanctuary policies at the fiery hearing. They defended their communities as welcoming and called on Congress to pass immigration reform. Republican members of Congress hammered the mayors for their sanctuary city policies, accusing them of endangering Americans and threatening to prosecute local officials. Luna told the mayors that their policies were hurting citizens as well as migrants. DENVER MAYOR GRILLED OVER AREA’S TREN DE ARAGUA PROBLEM AS GOP LAWMAKER SAYS POLICIES TO BLAME “I do not think you guys are bad people, but I do think you are ideologically misled,” Luna said. “Which is why, unfortunately, based on your responses, I’m going to be criminally referring you all to the Department of Justice for investigation,” she said, holding up copies of the referrals. “As soon as I leave here, these will be going over to [Attorney General] Pam Bondi.” A congressional criminal referral does not require the DOJ to initiate a prosecution and does not hold as much weight as a referral from an entire chamber. Republicans, the mayors said, were trying to paint their cities as overrun by criminal immigrants even as crime was falling. The mayors said a key to safety is creating cities where residents feel comfortable reporting crimes and working with police. Illegal immigration was a key plank of Trump’s presidential campaign, and he has repeatedly pressed on the theme since coming to office, including a Tuesday night speech to Congress where he vowed to “complete the largest deportation operation in American history.” Luna, a member of the House Freedom Caucus, also leads the House Oversight Committee’s Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets, a new task force focused on the declassification of federal secrets – including records related to the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and other documents in the public interest. She has also been pressing the Justice Department for the release of classified records related to sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Democrats turn on each other over Trump address stunts
Democrats displayed their internal party divisions in the wake of President Donald Trump’s first address to Congress. Democrats who are a part of leadership or more aligned with the establishment are clashing with progressives, many of whom heckled Trump throughout his more than 90-minute speech on Tuesday. The party is facing pressure from grassroots organizations to take a more combative approach – in lieu of decorum – to the Trump administration’s dismantling of the federal bureaucracy. While moderate Democrats are frustrated over the progressives’ disruptions, progressives complained about a lack of direction and clear strategy ahead of Trump’s first joint session address to Congress since he began his second term. “People are pissed at leadership too,” one senior House Democrat told Axios. “Everyone is mad at everyone.” TOP 5 MOMENTS FROM TRUMP’S ADDRESS TO JOINT SESSION OF CONGRESS Rep. George Latimer, D-N.Y., told Axios he believed the outbursts were “inappropriate.” “When a president — my president, your president — is speaking, we don’t interrupt, we don’t pull those stunts,” he said. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., had Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, escorted out of the chamber after the Democrat repeatedly jeered at Trump, waving his cane during the speech. Some Democrats had warned their colleagues against protesting Trump, with former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., saying they should let him “stew in his own juice.” Democrats protested nonetheless, including remaining seated as Trump celebrated his policies, and held up signs reading “false,” “lies,” “Musk steals,” and “Save Medicaid.” Some female Democratic lawmakers wore pink suits in protest of policies they claim are anti-woman, while other Democrats were heard jeering Trump throughout the speech. A centrist, Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, told Axios, “I didn’t take that approach myself, so obviously I don’t condone it.” “If anyone is thinking that it was an effective strategy, they’re probably in an echo chamber,” Golden added. “My take is that the average American thought the optics were pretty bad. “I think it was a big mistake,” Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., told Axios of the disruptions. “I’m an old school traditional type guy, I think we should be treating the president with deference. So I think it was inappropriate.” Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., took to X to condemn the “sad cavalcade of self owns and unhinged petulance.” ‘HE’S BACK’: TRUMP’S JOINT ADDRESS TO CONGRESS TO BE BLANKETED WITH 6-FIGURE AD BUY TOUTING TAX PLAN “It only makes Trump look more presidential and restrained,” he wrote of the Democrats’ outbursts. “We’re becoming the metaphorical car alarms that nobody pays attention to – and it may not be the winning message.” “I don’t think that’s the way forward,” Fetterman added to Axios. DJ Daniel, a 13-year-old boy who survived cancer, stole the show Tuesday evening when Trump introduced him to the audience and officially swore him in as a member of the Secret Service. Daniel received a standing ovation from a majority of the crowd, although some Democrats were seen sitting at various times while Trump was speaking about the 13-year-old. “Not standing for Trump would have been a fine strategy, but you need to separate him from the kid with cancer,” another centrist House Democrat told Axios, condemning his party’s messaging. “It would be a compliment to call it a strategy,” the lawmaker added, noting the progressives’ signs were edited online to read “TDS,” referring to the term known as “Trump Derangement Syndrome.” Progressives, meanwhile, argued that a lack of direction from leadership forced them to develop their own approach. “There was definitely frustration about lack of guidance [or a] plan,” one progressive member of Congress told Axios. “People are super pissed that we didn’t get more direction from leadership,” another progressive added. Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., is planning on bringing a resolution Thursday to censure Green for “breach of proper conduct,” and some Democrats, including Golden and Rep. Don Davis, D-N.C., have not ruled out supporting it, Axios reported. “What [Green] did was inappropriate — and he became the story, not the price of eggs,” a centrist House Democrat told Axios. Fox News’ Emma Colton contributed to this report.
GOP fights back against ‘Trump-proof’ sanctuary jurisdictions
Republicans are pushing back against so-called sanctuary cities and jurisdictions as President Donald Trump ramps up plans for mass deportations. “All of the mayors here today are actively working to harm the American people you represent,” Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., told the mayors of four sanctuary cities during a House Oversight Committee hearing on Wednesday. “You all have blood on your hands.” The comments, which were addressed to Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and New York City Mayor Eric Adams, come as the Trump administration continues to push the speedy deportations of illegal immigrants that the president promised on the campaign trail. But those efforts have been hindered by sanctuary jurisdictions, which have passed rules that limit their cooperation with federal immigration authorities, most notably by not honoring U.S. Immigration Customs and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) detainer requests. ‘SANCTUARY’ CITY MAYOR CONFRONTED AFTER GANG MEMBER ALLEGEDLY ASSAULTS FEDERAL OFFICERS The four mayors who testified at Wednesday’s hearing represented some of the largest sanctuary jurisdictions in the country, a policy that has generated controversy amid multiple high-profile crimes that have been committed by illegal immigrants. “Sanctuary mayors owe the American people an explanation for city policies that jeopardize public safety and violate federal immigration law by releasing dangerous criminal illegal aliens back onto the streets,” House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chair James Comer, R-Ky., said in a press release before the hearing. One sanctuary jurisdiction that was not represented at the Wednesday hearing was California, which in 2018 passed “Trump-proof” legislation aimed at protecting the state’s illegal residents from federal immigration authorities. San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond told Fox News Digital that the law, SB 54, has severely limited what local California jurisdictions can do to fight back against illegal immigration. “They can’t do anything about it,” Desmond said of the state’s local law enforcement agencies under SB 54, adding that even if officers see suspected illegal immigrants coming ashore in boats, they are forbidden from helping enforce federal immigration laws. RED STATE LEADER CALLS FOR STATES TO STAND BEHIND TRUMP’S BAN ON FUNDING ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION “That’s been hindering California as far as law enforcement and immigration enforcement,” Desmond said. Desmond noted that some California jurisdictions have even gone further than SB 54, putting additional barriers in place to hinder immigration enforcement. “My colleagues in December voted to not allow our law enforcement in our jails to be able to notify ICE directly that this person who has been convicted and tried and sentenced and now in our jails is here illegally,” Desmond said. “They now have to get a warrant from a state or federal judge to turn anybody over to ICE,” he added, noting that the rule is “just another obstacle blocking law enforcement.” “My Democratic colleagues are trying to put more obstacles in the way of actually reporting criminals to ICE,” Desmond said. Nevertheless, Trump border czar Tom Homan has vowed to fight back against sanctuary cities, saying last month that federal authorities are “going to keep coming” no matter what road blocks are put in the administration’s way. “They’re not going to stop us,” he said during an appearance on Fox News. “It’s less efficient to arrest a bad guy in public where he’s hiding from us, and we’re trying to arrest him on his turf rather than arrest them in a county jail, which is where we should be arresting them. It takes one agent to arrest the bad guy in the county jail. It takes a whole team to find somebody that doesn’t want to be found in the neighborhoods, but we’re going to keep doing this.” That effort is being boosted by Trump’s GOP allies in Congress, who on Wednesday sought to highlight the dangers posed by sanctuary policies. “Every crime committed by someone in the United States illegally is a crime that would not have been committed. Laken Riley, Ruby Garcia, Rachel Morin, Jocelyn Nungaray, the woman set on fire in the New York subway, these are all assaults, rapes, murders and other crimes that would not have taken the lives of these people if those people were not here illegally,” Rep. Gary Palmer, R-Ala., told the four mayors. “They were given safe harbor.”
Federal appeals court sides with Trump on firing head of watchdog agency
A federal appeals court cleared the way for President Donald Trump to fire Hampton Dellinger, the head of the Office of Special Counsel, on Wednesday. Dellinger, appointed to the role by former President Joe Biden, sued the Trump administration in Washington, D.C., federal court after his Feb. 7 firing. D.C. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson had argued in a filing last month that Dellinger’s firing was “unlawful.” The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia sided with the Trump administration in a Wednesday ruling, however. Dellinger is likely to appeal the case to the Supreme Court. SUPREME COURT PAUSES TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S EFFORT TO FIRE HEAD OF WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTION AGENCY FEDERAL JUDGE HINTS SHE WILL CONTINUE BLOCKING TRUMP FROM FIRING HEAD OF WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTION AGENCY Jackson claimed that the court “finds that the elimination of the restrictions on plaintiff’s removal would be fatal to the defining and essential feature of the Office of Special Counsel as it was conceived by Congress and signed into law by the President: its independence. The Court concludes that they must stand.” Dellinger has maintained the argument that, by law, he can only be dismissed from his position for job performance problems, which were not cited in an email dismissing him from his post. Earlier in February, liberal Supreme Court justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson voted to outright deny the administration’s request to approve the firing. Conservative justices Neil Gorsuch and Samuel Alito dissented, saying the lower court overstepped. They also cast doubt on whether courts have the authority to restore to office someone the president has fired. While acknowledging that some officials appointed by the president have contested their removal, Gorsuch wrote in his opinion that “those officials have generally sought remedies like backpay, not injunctive relief like reinstatement.”
Fetterman calls out Dems’ ‘unhinged petulance’ after Trump speech: ‘We’re becoming the metaphorical car alarm’
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., called out his own party the day after President Donald Trump’s address before a joint session of Congress, warning that the Democrats are becoming like a blaring car alarm that people ignore. “A sad cavalcade of self owns and unhinged petulance. It only makes Trump look more presidential and restrained. We’re becoming the metaphorical car alarms that nobody pays attention to—and it may not be the winning message,” the senator said in a post on X. Some lawmakers held signs up during Trump’s speech with messages including “FALSE,” “SAVE MEDICAID,” “PROTECT VETERANS” and “MUSK STEALS.” ‘COULDN’T CLAP FOR A 13-YEAR-OLD BOY’: GOP SLAM ‘CHILDISH’ DEM SILENCE ON SUPPORTING CANCER SURVIVOR Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, was removed from the chamber after being disruptive. Some Democrats opted not to attend the address and a few others who did attend chose to walk out. “The Democrats should lose the Midterms based on their behavior at last night’s Joint Address to Congress,” Trump declared in a Wednesday post on Truth Social. Trump declared that “Republicans should utilize the footage provided on the total disrespect they showed to all of those that were honored that night, including young ladies who were killed by illegal migrants, people with terminal cancer, etc. They didn’t even have the common courtesy to stand, smile, or applaud. This could be, on analyzing the full tape of this Historic Event, your full CAMPAIGN TO VICTORY! In other words, Republicans can take what happened last night, and win any Race in the Country.” BILL TO PREVENT MALES FROM WOMEN’S SPORTS RECEIVES NO SUPPORT FROM SENATE DEMS: WHO WERE THEY? Fetterman on Wednesday agreed with Trump’s strong warning toward the terror group Hamas. “You can choose. Release all of the Hostages now, not later, and immediately return all of the dead bodies of the people you murdered, or it is OVER for you,” Trump declared on Truth Social. “I am sending Israel everything it needs to finish the job, not a single Hamas member will be safe if you don’t do as I say.” “This is your last warning! For the leadership, now is the time to leave Gaza, while you still have a chance. Also, to the People of Gaza: A beautiful Future awaits, but not if you hold Hostages. If you do, you are DEAD! Make a SMART decision. RELEASE THE HOSTAGES NOW, OR THERE WILL BE HELL TO PAY LATER!” Fetterman, a staunch supporter of Israel, approved of Trump’s warning. “Free all the hostages or start killing Hamas members again. I fully agree with @POTUS,” the senator tweeted. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP An agreement between the terror group and Israel called for negotiations regarding a second phase during which hostages would be freed in exchange for additional Palestinian prisoners, a permanent ceasefire and Israel pulling out of Gaza, according to the Associated Press. Hamas spokesperson Abdel-Latif Al-Qanoua said that the “best path to free the remaining Israeli hostages” is via negotiations regarding that phase, the AP reported.
Casey DeSantis calls CDC ‘utter disgrace’ for keeping COVID-19 vaccine on its recommended list for children
Casey DeSantis, wife of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, called out the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Wednesday for continuing to recommend the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine for babies and children, describing it as an “utter disgrace.” DeSantis, who has three young children, was advocating for the state legislature to pass a permanent ban on COVID-19 vaccine mandates in Florida, as some of the current protections are set to expire in June. “It is absolutely ridiculous and unconscionable that at this point, with what we know about the mRNA COVID vaccine, and frankly, what we don’t know about the COVID mRNA vaccine, that the CDC would still put this on … the shot, still on their recommended vaccine list for our children,” she said. According to the CDC’s recommended schedule on its website, babies are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine at 6 months old. The World Health Organization updated its guidance about 16 months ago and listed healthy children aged 6 months to 17 years old as “low-priority” targets for the vaccine. RAND PAUL HITS ‘BIDEN/HARRIS CDC’ OVER COVID-19 VACCINE GUIDANCE FOR 6 MONTH OLDS “Modelling shows that the public health benefit of vaccination is lowest for healthy children and adolescents,” the WHO said in a study on the vaccine, which also noted that the initial push to vaccinate healthy children was to “avoid school closures.” The first lady of Florida said vaccine recommendations should be “evidence-based, not agenda-driven.” “The CDC loses further credibility when their recommendations are not justified by all of the available evidence that we are seeing,” DeSantis said. WHO UPDATES COVID VACCINE RECOMMENDATIONS, DEEMS HEALTHY KIDS A LOW PRIORITY She also said she would like to see vaccine status not being used “as a way to discriminate against our fellow Floridians,” describing instances of mothers being kicked out of pediatricians’ offices and medical patients being denied care over COVID-19 vaccinations. Her remarks came during a news conference in Tampa where Gov. DeSantis was endorsing legislation that would make vaccine mandate protections permeant in Florida. “I’m here as governor endorsing making these protections permanent,” the governor said. “You should not be forced to take an mRNA shot against your will, and that should be the right of every Floridian.” The governor also thanked his wife for standing with him in seeking permanent protections against vaccine mandates and for “her righteous anger at the CDC pushing the mRNA shots on our kids.” Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo, who has advocated for halting the use of the COVID-19 vaccine, was also present at the conference, as well as a young man negatively impacted by the vaccine.
Trump says DC Mayor Bowser ‘must clean up’ homeless encampments in the capital
President Donald Trump said he has notified Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser that she needs to “clean up all of the unsightly homeless encampments” within the city or the federal government “will be forced to do it for her.” In a Truth Social post on Wednesday, the president specifically referenced areas near the State Department and the White House that are populated with homeless encampments that need to be removed, adding that the nation’s capital “must become CLEAN and SAFE!” “If she is not capable of doing so, we will be forced to do it for her!” Trump wrote, in part. “We want to be proud of our Great Capital again. Thank you Mayor Bowser for your efforts on behalf of the Citizens of our Country. Hopefully you will be successful!” TRUMP THROWS SUPPORT BEHIND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TAKING OVER DC Trump has previously stated that he supports the federal government taking over the nation’s capital if it cannot be managed correctly, adding that the city cannot remain as it is when foreign leaders come to town. “They’re not doing the job,” Trump said last month, arguing that there is “too much crime” and “too many tents on the lawns – these magnificent lawns.” Despite his criticism of the city, Trump has said he likes the Democratic mayor personally. The two met in December to discuss their shared priorities for Washington, D.C., a moment that was described by Bowser as a “great meeting.” “President Trump and I both want Washington, DC to be the best, most beautiful city in the world and we want the capital city to reflect the strength of our nation,” Bowser said in December. DC BLACK LIVES MATTER PLAZA TO GET NEW LOOK, REPLACE STREET MURAL AS PART OF ‘EVOLUTION’ Trump’s social media post on Wednesday also comes one day after Bowser announced the city will be replacing its controversial Black Lives Matter Plaza with murals by students and artists as part of DC’s America 250 project ahead of the country’s 250th anniversary next year. When the plaza was constructed in 2021, Bowser said it would be a permanent installation. “The mural inspired millions of people and helped our city through a painful period, but now we can’t afford to be distracted by meaningless congressional interference,” Bowser’s statement said, referencing a recently-introduced bill that calls for changing the plaza. “The devastating impacts of the federal job cuts must be our number one concern.” Details surrounding a date for the plaza’s transformation were not given.