Federal appeals court blocks mailing of abortion pills in ruling with nationwide effect
A federal appeals court on Friday blocked the mailing of the abortion pill mifepristone under current Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rules, a move the court acknowledged would, “as a practical matter, have a nationwide effect,” one that sets up a likely Supreme Court battle over abortion access. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling could restrict abortion pill access across the country, restoring rules supporters say protect patient safety and state authority, while critics warn it will make access harder even in states where abortion remains legal. The decision means women will now have to see a medical professional to obtain a mifepristone prescription, restoring a requirement that had been lifted during the COVID-19 pandemic under former President Joe Biden. Mifepristone is one of two drugs commonly used in medication abortions and accounts for a majority of abortions in the U.S., according to research from the Guttmacher Institute. ABORTION PILL MIFEPRISTONE STAYS AVAILABLE BY MAIL FOR NOW AS FDA FACES 6-MONTH REVIEW DEADLINE The court’s order blocks mail-order distribution of the drug and effectively halts pharmacy-based dispensing allowed under recent FDA rule changes, requiring it to be dispensed in person under earlier safety protocols. “It is true, as the district court noted, that a § 705 stay ‘would, as a practical matter, have a nationwide effect.’” the court wrote, putting in plain terms the sweeping implications of the decision. Judges sharply criticized the FDA’s handling of the drug’s safety data, saying the agency had “previously eliminated the requirement to report mifepristone’s adverse events,” and calling it “unreasonable” to remove reporting requirements and then rely on the resulting lack of data to justify expanded access. The ruling also sided with arguments from pro-life states, including Louisiana, which said federal policy undermined their abortion laws. “Every abortion facilitated by FDA’s action cancels Louisiana’s ban,” the court wrote, adding that the state’s policy recognizes “every unborn child is [a] human being … from the moment of conception. REPUBLICAN SENATORS BLAST FDA FOR EXPANDING ABORTION PILL ACCESS “Once lost, that sovereign prerogative of protecting unborn life cannot be regained.” The ruling marks a major escalation in the legal fight over abortion drugs, pitting federal regulators against states seeking to enforce stricter abortion laws after the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade. Pro-life groups quickly praised the decision. “This is a win we’ve been waiting for, and we pray it holds,” Students for Life President Kristan Hawkins said. “We can’t remain the United States of America if abortion-loving states allow criminal enterprises to be set up, breaking the laws of their pro-life neighbors.” NEW YORK DOCTOR INDICTED FOR ALLEGEDLY PRESCRIBING ABORTION PILL TO PATIENT VIA TELEMEDICINE IN LOUISIANA Family Research Council President Tony Perkins called the ruling “great news for the unborn,” adding that the issue “should be before the U.S. Supreme Court soon.” Pro-choice advocates sharply criticized the decision. New York Attorney General Letitia James said mifepristone is “safe, effective and essential,” calling the ruling “yet another cruel attack on abortion access.” “Restrictions on abortion care are restrictions on life-saving health care,” she added. As Fox News Digital previously reported, a federal judge had allowed mifepristone to remain available by mail on a temporary basis last month while legal challenges and federal review efforts continued. PRO-LIFE MOVEMENT CONFRONTS HIGH ABORTION RATES THREE YEARS AFTER DOBBS Judge David C. Joseph previously cautioned against “government by lawsuit,” emphasizing that the FDA’s ongoing safety review, not litigation, should determine long-term policy. That review remains underway, with the Department of Health and Human Services and the FDA tasked with examining safety data, adverse events and the regulatory framework on mifepristone. Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill had argued the policy caused “irreparable harm every day” it remained in place, warning expanded access was designed to “reach into jurisdictions like Louisiana” despite state-level abortion restrictions. Friday’s ruling now sets up a likely appeal to the Supreme Court, where a new challenge to federal authority over abortion drug regulation could take center stage. The Associated Press contributed to this reporting.
Trump aims to reset war powers clock with controversial bid to bypass Congress
President Donald Trump informed Congress Friday that a ceasefire with Iran has ended hostilities and reset the clock on congressional war powers limits, but legal experts say ongoing military operations complicate that claim. “For War Powers Resolution purposes, the hostilities that began on Saturday, February 28 have terminated,” a senior administration official told Fox News Digital. “Both parties agreed to a 2-week ceasefire on Tuesday, April 7 that has since been extended,” the official went on. “There has been no exchange of fire between U.S. Armed Forces and Iran since Tuesday, April 7.” The White House formally notified Congress in a letter Friday under the War Powers Resolution that it considers hostilities to have ended following the ceasefire. LIVE UPDATES: IRAN THREATENS ‘LONG AND PAINFUL STRIKES’ ON US POSITIONS AS TRUMP FACES WAR POWERS DEADLINE “Despite the success of United States operations against the Iranian regime and continued efforts to secure a lasting peace, the threat posed by Iran and its proxy forces remains significant. Accordingly, the Department of War continues to update its force posture in the AOR in select areas to counter Iranian proxy forces’ threats and to protect the United States and its allies and partners,” Trump wrote in a letter to Congress Friday. “As the situation evolves, I will continue to update the Congress on noteworthy changes in the United States Armed Forces presence, consistent with the War Powers Resolution.” For decades, presidents of both parties have pushed the limits of the War Powers Resolution, seeking flexibility to conduct military operations without being hindered by a congressional vote. The law requires the president to end the use of U.S. forces within 60 days of entering hostilities unless Congress authorizes the operation, with a limited extension allowed for withdrawal. The more than two-month conflict has exposed sharply different interpretations of the law and whether the White House must seek congressional approval. Bombing ceased on April 7, but U.S. forces continue enforcing a naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz — an operation widely considered an act of war. “A ceasefire does not automatically suspend the War Powers 60-day clock,” said John Bellinger, who served as legal adviser to the State Department and National Security Council under President George W. Bush. He pointed to the continued presence of U.S. warships and thousands of troops enforcing a blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, arguing American forces “are clearly still conducting military operations and are in potential danger.” U.S. forces have continued boarding and seizing vessels suspected of violating the blockade, at times using force to disable ships before Marines conduct inspections. Stephen Pomper, policy chief at the International Crisis Group and a former senior National Security Council official, was more direct. “I don’t think it’s a very credible interpretation. It’s certainly not based on the text of the statute,” Pomper said. “There’s still an enormous American deployment. There’s an active blockade, which is an act of war.” Trump is far from the first president to test the limits of the War Powers resolution, experts noted. During the late 1980s “Tanker War” with Iran, the George H.W. Bush administration argued that individual naval engagements did not amount to sustained hostilities. In 1999, the Clinton administration maintained that congressional funding for the Kosovo campaign effectively constituted authorization. More recently, the Obama administration argued that U.S. involvement in Libya did not rise to the level of “hostilities” under the War Powers Resolution, even as American forces supported air operations. The Biden administration made similar arguments in defending certain U.S. deployments tied to Yemen. “We have seen Republican and Democratic administrations alike bypass the act in creative ways,” Nicholas Creel, Associate Prof. of Business Law at Georgia College and State University told Fox News Digital. PELOSI’S WAR POWERS FLIP-FLOP EXPOSED IN RESURFACED OBAMA-ERA CLIP CONTRADICTS TRUMP CRITICISM ON IRAN Congress has periodically challenged similar interpretations in past conflicts but has rarely forced a withdrawal of U.S. forces. Courts have also largely stayed out of War Powers disputes, leaving presidents with significant latitude to define the scope of hostilities. If Congress does not act, the administration could continue operations without new authorization. “It’s really up to Congress, and as often as not, Congress doesn’t want to push back,” Pomper said. Matt Zierler, an international relations professor at Michigan State University, told Fox News Digital that Congress likely does not have the “real will” to fully execute the War Powers Act because other powers, such as passing appropriation bills that would restrict defense spending, would be more effective. Even so, Zierler said sequestration measures could come at a political loss. “It’s a big political loss, potentially for Congress, if they start cutting off funding,” Zierler said, suggesting that the president could claim the cut in funds by Congress is hurting troops and national security. “It is a political or symbolic game, but it’s not necessarily something that most members of Congress want to play, because, you know, they don’t have all the intelligence,” Zierler said. “They don’t know what’s going on, and it can get really messy.” Asked about the 60-day clock on Thursday, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., told reporters: “I have not spent a great deal of time worrying about that.”
Trump jokes about security concerns, mic problems and Dr Oz during freewheeling Florida speech
President Donald Trump turned a microphone problem into a comic riff during remarks at The Villages in Florida, asking staff to “turn the mic up please” before joking he was “screaming my a– off because the mic is no good.” The moment came during a wide-ranging, joke-heavy speech before the Florida retirement community, where Trump bounced between policy remarks, crowd work and off-the-cuff riffs, and, at one point, quipping, “What’s more secure than The Villages?” as he played to the audience. Trump first flagged the audio issue while discussing immigration and inflation under former President Joe Biden. “Tell them to turn up the microphone,” Trump said. “Will you please turn up the mic?” TRUMP HIT IN THE FACE WITH MICROPHONE, QUIPS OPERATOR ‘BECAME A BIG STORY’ “You pay these guys a lot of money, and then you get up, and the mic isn’t on properly. And then they want their money,” he continued. “And I don’t believe in paying people to do a bad job. “I’m screaming my a– off because the mic is no good,” he added. “Turn the mic up please.” Trump opened the speech by joking about why he chose to appear at The Villages despite recent security concerns after the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) dinner shooting Saturday night. TRUMP JOKES HE’D LOOK ’20 POUNDS HEAVIER’ IN A BULLETPROOF VEST, SAYS HE DOESN’T THINK ABOUT THREATS “They say on my life I should be indoors at a secure facility where I can quietly, beautifully and safely play out my term,” Trump said. “I said, what’s more secure than The Villages?” He also praised the Florida community as “the single largest community of seniors anywhere in the world,” before joking about the size of the overflow crowd. “They have an overflow room that’s bigger than this,” Trump said. “Why the h— didn’t I go there? To start off.” He repeatedly teased the crowd about age while arguing his administration had delivered for seniors. “I don’t happen to be a senior,” Trump said. “I’m much younger than you. I’m a much younger man than you. Look at you old guys. “But I feel I can relate to you anyway.” TRUMP SAYS ‘LEGENDARY’ CROWD REACTION AT UFC 314 SHOWS THE ADMINISTRATION IS ‘DOING A GOOD JOB’ Trump also singled out his regular rally supporters near the stage, calling them “front row Joes.” “They’re all over. I can’t get rid of them,” Trump said. “They are sick individuals, but we love them.” At another point, Trump defended what he calls “the weave,” his term for jumping between topics mid-speech. “I love the weave because the weave is great,” Trump said. “Someday, I won’t come back, and they’ll say, ‘all right, he shot.’ That’s the weave. I call it the weave because you get a lot of stories into one little sentence.” Trump later joked about traveling with Dr. Mehmet Oz while discussing Medicare and Medicaid. TRUMP CLAIMS WHITE HOUSE DOCTORS REPORT HIM IN ‘PERFECT HEALTH,’ SAYS HE ‘ACED’ THIRD STRAIGHT COGNITIVE EXAM “We have a man here who knows more about Medicaid, Medicare, medical crap than any human being,” Trump said. “It’s the most boring trip I’ve ever made,” he added. “He’s telling me about Medicare, Medicaid. All I want to do is take care of you. I don’t care, I said, ‘You work out the details.’” While discussing prescription drug costs, Trump also recounted a conversation with what he described as a wealthy friend seeking cheaper weight loss medication overseas. “He called it the fat shot,” Trump said. “I’ve given it that name, the fat shot.” The microphone complaint was ultimately one of several unscripted moments as Trump moved between policy and personal banter, delivering a speech that, at times, resembled a stand-up-style riff more than a traditional political address.
Black conservative unleashes on Obama for ‘constantly whining’ after SCOTUS voting rights decision
Tahrohon Wayne (T.W.) Shannon, who was Oklahoma’s first African American speaker of the House, is pushing back on President Barack Obama’s pessimistic outlook for minority voters following the Supreme Court’s Wednesday ruling reshaping the landmark 1965 Voting Rights Act. Where Obama saw the court “abandoning” principles of equal participation, Shannon believes the ruling further pushes race out of American politics, highlighting his own story as evidence that minorities don’t need special treatment to win office. “This idea that you must have a racially drawn district in order to win and compete is just nonsense,” Shannon, who is currently running for lieutenant governor, said. In its 6-3 decision delivered along ideological lines on Wednesday, the court struck down Louisiana’s 6th Congressional District, which was redrawn in 2024 to have a predominantly black electorate. The court also ruled that states may not use race to either draw districts that disenfranchise voters or help minority communities support their preferred candidates. BLACK REPUBLICAN CALLS FOR TOTAL, PERMANENT ABOLITION OF DEI: ‘I WANT TO EARN EVERY OPPORTUNITY ON MERIT’ Obama, reacting to the decision on X, called the ruling disastrous for minorities. “It serves as just one more example of how a majority of the current Court seems intent on abandoning its vital role in ensuring equal participation in our democracy and protecting the rights of minority groups against majority overreach,” Obama wrote. Shannon disagreed fiercely, arguing that the former president’s framing would only inflame “racial division.” “What the Supreme Court really did is say that you can’t fix discrimination by discriminating against people. Race should not be a deciding factor when it comes to redistricting,” Shannon told Fox News Digital. “The entire country is just kind of tired and disappointed in the Obamas and their constantly whining about how awful and racist America is,” Shannon added. CHICAGO’S SOUTH SIDE IS DROWNING IN EXCUSES, DEPENDENCY AND DECAY While Democrats argue the ruling could be abused to dilute minority voting power under the pretext of nonracial factors, Shannon says his experience shows candidates can succeed regardless of how districts are drawn. “When I was elected, I was 27 years old, to the Oklahoma House of Representatives, I was elected in a majority-white district. They elected me overwhelmingly. I was the first Republican to win my district,” Shannon said. “And then when I got to the legislature, a predominantly white legislature elected me to be the leader of the Oklahoma State House of Representatives.” FEDERAL JUDGE SCORCHES DEMS FOR PANDERING TO LATINOS WITH CALIFORNIA MAP IN FIERY DISSENT Shannon noted that he still believes racism exists in America, calling it “sin” that is tied to the human condition. “The things that made this country great are three. I call them the three C’s. It’s capitalism, it’s the Constitution, and it’s Christianity. The way you fix racism is by having more believers exercising the freedom that exists within Jesus Christ. That’s the only way I know to fix racism,” Shannon said.
Pope Leo places former illegal immigrant in charge of red state diocese
A large Roman Catholic diocese pushed back at criticism Friday after Pope Leo XIV appointed a former illegal immigrant as a bishop amid heightened tensions between the Vatican and Washington over refugees and ICE enforcement. Leo nominated Bishop Evelio Menjivar-Ayala as bishop of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, which covers all of West Virginia. Menjivar-Ayala originally arrived in San Ysidro, California, smuggled in a car trunk after making several prior attempts as a teenager to flee guerrilla war-torn El Salvador. The bishop has also been critical of increased immigration enforcement measures, calling them a human rights concern and responding directly to critiques of the church from fellow Catholics in the Trump administration like border czar Thomas Homan. After commentary piled up on social media Friday, Wheeling diocese spokesman Tim Bishop told Fox News Digital Menjivar-Ayala’s appointment is a blessing to West Virginians, praising the clergyman’s pastoral work and service. POPE LEO SAYS COUNTRIES HAVE RIGHT TO CONTROL THEIR BORDERS, ADVOCATES FOR HUMANE TREATMENT OF MIGRANTS “Bishop Evelio came [to America] some time ago looking for a better life and better opportunities, and thank God he did because he will shepherd the faith of our diocese,” Bishop said. “Any insinuation that the Holy Father made this or any other appointment in any way to increase vitriol or insinuate that it gets back at the president of the United States is absurd,” Bishop added, noting he was not speaking for Leo. The Roman Catholic Church “worries about the lamb, not the elephant or the donkey,” he said. Meanwhile, “Letters from Leo” publisher and former DNC delegate Christopher Hale tweeted the bishop is a “remarkable choice” by Leo to lead a “state that is over 90% White and voted for President Trump by 42 points.” Media outlets in the United States and France highlighted the appointment in light of Leo’s reported aversion to Trump’s immigration enforcement policies. At a 2025 forum, Menjivar-Ayala said criticism of the Catholic Church’s stance toward immigration enforcement is not a question for him to answer but for those officials to discern how they are living the Gospel after he was asked about Homan’s comments that bishops at a national conference in Baltimore were “wrong” in rebuking illegal immigration enforcement. US CATHOLIC BISHOPS PRESIDENT SAYS DEPORTATIONS INSTILLING ‘FEAR’ IN ‘WIDESPREAD MANNER’: ‘CONCERNS US ALL’ “The question is for them, for those who claim to be Catholic but are not seeing the face of Christ in the migrants,” Menjivar-Ayala said, according to World Catholic Report, which also said the newly minted West Virginian advised caution about characterizing illegal immigration as similar to murder and theft. Menjivar-Ayala tried as many as three times as a teenager to flee to the U.S. but was caught each time, including once by Mexican authorities who imprisoned him. Amid guerrilla warfare and extreme poverty in his home country in the 1980s, Menjivar-Ayala was first deported to Guatemala by Mexican authorities who caught him in the border town of Tijuana, according to an interview with U.S. Catholic. He then attempted to travel through the Guatemalan jungle on a second attempt but returned home on his own. MIAMI CATHOLIC CHARITIES LOSES $11M CONTRACT PROVIDING CARE FOR MIGRANT CHILDREN UNDER TRUMP ADMINISTRATION Finally, Menjivar-Ayala was successful after a bribe was paid to secure his release from a Mexican prison in Chiapas, and an elderly American smuggled him and three others through the San Ysidro border checkpoint while they were crammed in the trunk of the man’s car, according to The Washington Post. Menjivar-Ayala told U.S. Catholic he found odd janitorial jobs but eventually relocated to Hyattsville, Maryland, near extended family, where he cleaned a UPS site. It was there in Prince George’s County where he first began working as a youth minister and was able to obtain a green card for legal residence through what he said was an extant religious visa policy. The Washington Post characterized Leo’s move Friday as another effort to “elevate” American clergy relevant to tension points with the Trump administration. President Donald Trump has lambasted Leo — born Robert Prevost in Illinois — and quipped that he much prefers his “brother [Louis who] is MAGA all the way.” Trump has said he has “nothing against” Leo, who has a right to disagree on subjects like the legitimacy and human rights aspects of the Iran conflict and illegal immigration crisis. POPE LEO XIV STRONGLY SUPPORTS US BISHOPS’ CONDEMNATION OF TRUMP IMMIGRATION RAIDS: ‘EXTREMELY DISRESPECTFUL’ In 2025, Menjivar-Ayala criticized Trump’s immigration enforcement push in a Catholic Standard column, “This Ordeal is the Passion,” which featured an image of a suspect being detained by federal authorities. “The Church remembers Christ’s suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus in a spiritual and sacramental way during Holy Week and the Easter Triduum, but some people actually experience the Passion in a tangible and personal way in their very lives. Among them are members of the immigrant and refugee communities today,” Menjivar-Ayala wrote, referring to the Passion of Christ, Jesus’ crucifixion, death and resurrection. “Yet, while redemptive suffering is a grace, it would be better still if these injustices and infamies did not happen at all,” the bishop later added, calling for people to speak up in the style of martyred St. Oscar Romero. He went on to say that the “dark side of anti-immigrant animus” cannot be allowed to take hold and called some recent enforcement behavior a “violation of fundamental human rights,” while also appearing to reference actions taken against the Catholic Church in that regard. Trump’s Department of Health & Human Services Office of Refugee Resettlement recently canceled an $11 million contract with Catholic Charities of Miami that had aided in housing unaccompanied minors, according to the Miami Herald. While Trump has not yet been able to meet with Leo, the first American pope has held audiences with Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Obama confidant David Axelrod. Fox News Digital reached out to the Vatican, White House and DHS for additional comment.
Fox News Campus Radicals Newsletter: Educators disciplined after lamenting Trump survival, university sued
PINK SLIPS COMING: Educators fired or suspended after lamenting Trump survived dinner shooting FREE SPEECH FIGHT: University sued for allegedly stonewalling probe into violent protest at TPUSA event POISON LECTURE: Ex-professor canned for supporting terrorists now touring colleges with talks TOXIC CULTURE: Board member claims he was ousted for reporting misconduct at major Arab advocacy org DOUBLE STANDARD: University dean warned conservative group it would face discipline for naming protesters SIGN UP TO GET THE CAMPUS RADICALS NEWSLETTER REVERSED COURSE: College reinstates Students for Justice in Palestine after suspension over antisemitism PROBLEMS AHEAD: Education on verge of being completely upended if Mamdani gets his way, expert warns TABLES TURNED: Private Catholic school buckles on conservative club it once rejected as conflicting CAUGHT ON CAMERA: Teacher fired over video seeming to wish Trump was killed in shooting
Trump signs stopgap FISA extension after Senate blocks long-term renewal
President Donald Trump signed a 45-day extension for Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Thursday night after the Senate rejected the three-year extension passed by the House, the White House confirmed to Fox News Digital. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., warned House leaders Tuesday that including a provision in the FISA extension to permanently ban the Federal Reserve from issuing central bank digital currencies (CBDC) would make it “dead on arrival” in the Senate. As Thune suggested, the three-year extension ultimately failed to pass the Senate due to opposition from Democrats. As a temporary measure, the Senate approved a 45-day extension of the controversial national security law by unanimous consent. Trump subsequently approved the short-term renewal. TRUMP-APPROVED PLAN TO AVERT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN SCUTTLED BY SENATE Once the 45-day period ends, Congress will be forced to begin the FISA extension process all over again. FISA allows the federal government to compel phone and internet providers to provide information about foreigners using their platforms without a warrant, including communications with American citizens. Civil libertarians long have argued that the law undermines the privacy of Americans and potentially violates the Fourth Amendment. Those working in law enforcement and intelligence agencies, meanwhile, maintain that FISA is an indispensable tool in thwarting terrorism, drug trafficking and ransomware attacks. HOUSE PASSES FISA RENEWAL IN BIPARTISAN VOTE, PUTTING PRESSURE ON SENATE BEFORE LOOMING DEADLINE More than 20 Republicans maintained their opposition to the FISA extension, even with the CBDC ban attached. HOUSE CONSERVATIVES ERUPT OVER SENATE GOP, WHITE HOUSE DEAL AMID SAVE ACT FIGHT “We should all be standing up for the Fourth Amendment,” Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, said during a debate over the extension Tuesday. Republican leadership included the CBDC ban to appease conservative holdouts concerned that a government-issued digital dollar could expand federal visibility into Americans’ transactions.
Democrat Tina Shah calls transgender healthcare for children a ‘no-brainer’ in competitive NJ House race
A progressive candidate aiming to unseat a vulnerable Republican in a battleground House district is leaning into a politically fraught issue that has dogged the Democratic Party. Tina Shah, an ER physician and former Biden administration official, appeared to back taxpayer-funded sex change procedures for minors in a video obtained by Fox News Digital. When asked whether children should have the “right to transgender healthcare,” Shah replied, “This is a no-brainer.” “Healthcare is a right, period,” the New Jersey Democrat added. “It includes transgender children.” MODERATE DEM’S TOP AIDE RESIGNS AFTER LAWMAKER’S COMMENTS ON ‘FORMERLY MALE’ ATHLETES Shah is one of four relatively well-funded Democrats vying to take on Rep. Tom Kean Jr., R-N.J., in November’s midterm elections. Kean’s suburban swing seat is considered one of the most competitive House districts in the country. Shah’s apparent embrace of “transgender healthcare” for minors aligns with the views of her former boss, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, who denounced Republican-led states cracking down on child sex-change procedures during the Biden administration. Shah served as a senior advisor to Murthy in 2021 and 2022. The National Republican Congressional Committee, House Republicans’ campaign arm, sharply criticized Shah’s support for “transgender healthcare” for children in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Radical Democrat Tina Shah said it loud and clear: She’d be a vote for radical policies like sex changes for minors and taxpayer-funded drag queens,” NRCC spokeswoman Maureen O’Toole said. “Shah is completely out of step with Garden State families.” Fox News Digital reached out to Shah’s campaign prior to publication. Shah’s remarks come as some Democrats have blamed the party’s lurch to the left on the issue for its poor performance in the 2024 election. Major medical groups, which previously offered full-throated support for child sex changes, have also largely retreated from the issue, with the American Medical Association in February saying those procedures should be generally postponed to adulthood. Still, Democrats in Congress have not made a clear attempt to calibrate on transgender issues. Just a handful of Democrats crossed party lines in 2025 to vote for GOP-authored legislation that would have criminalized child sex changes. Kean was among nearly all Republicans who supported the bill. TOP SCHOOL DISTRICT PUT ON NOTICE AS WATCHDOG GROUP THREATENS LEGAL ACTION OVER GENDER POLICY The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates Kean’s re-election bid a “toss-up.” The election prognosticator downgraded the race for Republicans last year after Gov. Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J., carried the swing district by two points. Shah entered April with nearly $1.4 million in the bank, according to recent Federal Election Commission filings. Navy veteran Rebecca Bennett and businessman Brian Valera, who are also vying for the Democratic nomination ahead of the June primary, have posted similar fundraising numbers. Kean’s campaign notably dwarfs the field with roughly $3.4 million cash on hand. The GOP incumbent, who fended off a competitive Democratic challenge in 2024, has come under recent scrutiny for a prolonged absence from Congress due to an unspecified health issue. Kean has missed 52 roll call votes in the House since March 17, amounting to a 100% absence rate, according to GovTrack, a website that monitors congressional activities. “My doctors continue to assure me that my recovery will be complete and that I will be back to the job I love very soon,” he said in a statement last week. “I expect to return to a full schedule and be at 100 percent.”
Food stamp fraud crackdown at USDA would end loophole that lets Ferrari, Lamborghini owners get benefits
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is ramping up efforts to crack down on food stamp fraud nationwide, targeting what officials say is a loophole allowing some wealthy individuals to qualify for government benefits. Secretary Brooke Rollins posted on X this week that a single state has 14,000 individuals on SNAP benefits who also drive luxury vehicles like Ferraris, Bentleys and Lamborghinis. She warned fraudsters the USDA is working to close a loophole under the Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility policy used to qualify for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits despite having the financial means to purchase cars for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Rollins told Fox Business this week that the department is “getting very, very close to being able to fix that” loophole. FOOD-STAMP FRAUD NUMBERS EXPOSE WHICH STATES ARE DRAINING THE MOST TAXPAYER DOLLARS SNAP, the largest federal anti-hunger program in the United States, has long been a target of conservatives pushing for reforms, and Rollins spoke to “The Ingraham Angle” on Thursday night to shed light on just how widespread some of the issues are. “We’ve found 500,000 people getting more than one benefit illegally. We found 244,000 dead people. This is just the red states,” Rollins said about what she’s discovered going through the data from the states that have agreed to provide it since her first day on the job. “We have arrested 895 different people in the last year for illegally using the food stamp system and, of course, now we’re talking about what is happening with that money.” USDA data shows 4.2 million fewer food stamp recipients during President Trump’s first year in office as the administration continues to crack down amid reports from all across the country that food stamps are being misused. NEW SNAP WORK REQUIREMENTS TAKE EFFECT IN MORE STATES UNDER TRUMP-BACKED LAW “Food stamp waste and fraud is out of control,” Republican congressional candidate in Orange County and CAL DOGE Director Jenny Rae Le Roux told Fox News Digital. “California alone loses nearly $14 million every day from SNAP to EBT skimming, out-of-state and country beneficiaries and eligibility lapses at a time when technology exists to close every gap, quickly.” In March, Fox News Digital reported on a Minnesota man, Rob Undersander, who said that despite being a millionaire, he was able to qualify for food stamps. Undersander has been sounding the alarm on the issue ever since and has testified on the issue in Minnesota and before Congress. “Reintroducing basic guardrails like an asset test is a commonsense step to restore integrity, ensure benefits go to those who truly need them and protect the long-term viability of the program,” America First Policy Institute Health & Harvest Campaign Director Matt Schmid said in March. “This isn’t about taking help away. It’s about making sure SNAP works the way it was intended to.” Additionally, the USDA issued a press release Thursday outlining the “reorganization” plan Rollins has within the SNAP program, which includes moving food nutrition resources and staff out of Washington, D.C. to other cities like Indianapolis, Dallas, Denver and Kansas City. A USDA spokesperson told Fox News Digital Friday the announcement “aligns with the Food and Nutrition Administration’s mission, to nourish those in need through financially sound programs that promote health and work, as well as champion the productivity of American agriculture.” “As the Food and Nutrition Administration begins its refocusing of operations, all 16 federal nutrition programs will continue without disruption. Pertaining to Indianapolis, it has a lower cost of living, one of the top airports in the country, and has excelled at innovative program delivery.” Ultimately, the administration says the reforms will end up helping the people who depend on the assistance the most. “Since its inception, SNAP has helped our most vulnerable citizens afford the essential and nutritious food they need,” Rollins and Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wrote in a Fox News op-ed in March. “At least, that is what the program is supposed to do. “Over time, however, SNAP has been taken advantage of, allowing many to game the system and leaving millions of vulnerable Americans without healthy, nutrient-dense food options.” Fox News Digital’s Katelyn Caralle contributed to this report.
Van Hollen backs embattled Dem with Nazi-linked tattoo, says ‘second chances’ matter
Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., pushed back against criticism of U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner over his “Nazi tattoo” and past online comments, arguing that Platner’s behavior may be linked to PTSD stemming from his deployment to Afghanistan and that he deserves a second chance. Platner, an Army and Marine Corps veteran, is vying to unseat Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine. Now that Maine Gov. Janet Mills suspended her Senate campaign Thursday, Platner has become the leading Democratic candidate in Maine’s U.S. Senate race. In an interview with Punchbowl News’ Jake Sherman and Anna Palmer, Van Hollen described Platner as a candidate that “can beat Susan Collins” and appeal to a broad coalition of supporters, particularly blue-collar workers, labor groups and Native American tribes. Van Hollen said although Platner has had his “ups and downs,” he has proven able to connect with voters. SEE IT: BILLBOARDS EMERGE AS GOP CAMPAIGN TROLLS ‘FAKE INDEPENDENT’ SENATE CANDIDATE WITH SOCIALIST THEME “The dude has a Nazi tattoo,” Sherman asked. “How do you view that?” He went on to suggest that would be “disqualifying” to run for office. “Let’s take a couple issues, including the comments he’s made in the past,” Van Hollen said. “I mean, he’s been very clear that he went into combat on behalf of the United States. He went through a really rough period, a PTSD-type period.” “He himself said there are lots of things he’s done and said that he completely regrets, and I do believe people should have second chances and that people can learn from their mistakes, and I think he’s been doing that,” Van Hollen continued. In October, Platner told reporters that a tattoo on his chest resembling the Totenkopf, a skull-and-crossbones symbol associated with Nazi police, had been covered. In past Reddit posts, Platner said he was a “communist,” accused rural White Americans of being racist and stupid, and said police officers were “bastards.” Platner said he was seeking “to get a rise out of people” with his Reddit posts. Platner has received the endorsement of Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and shares his vision of implementing socialist policies like “Medicare-for-all” and dismantling the billionaire class.