Happy New Year 2025

Tag: admins

Hassett to serve as Trump admin’s contact with the Federal Reserve

Speaking before the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Trump said he’ll call for interest rates to be lower than current levels. A possible sign he is setting up a possible battle with the Federal Reserve.

Kevin Hassett, the director of the National Economic Council, is set to serve as the Trump administration’s key point of contact with the Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell as the fight against inflation continues.

Hassett appeared on CBS News’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday and told host Margaret Brennan that he is planning to hold regular lunch meetings with Powell and other central bank policymakers.

“I, just this weekend, have arranged to begin, once again, regular lunches with Jay Powell at the Federal Reserve,” Hassett said. “Jay and I have a long and collegial relationship, and I’m going to go over there with him and the other governors.”

“So, we’re going to talk about our views about what’s going on, and listen to his and that collegiality has been going on for four years when I was here before, and the president very much values that,” he said.

TARIFFS COULD FACTOR INTO FED’S RATE-CUT PLANS AMID INFLATION CONCERNS, EXPERTS SAY

Kevin Hassett, the director of the National Economic Council, will serve as a key point of contact for the Trump administration with the Federal Reserve. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images / Getty Images)

Brennan began to ask Hassett whether those meetings are aimed at influencing the Federal Reserve’s decisions on monetary policy when he replied that “Jay is an independent person” and that the independence of the Fed is respected.

“The point is, the president’s opinion… can be heard. He’s the president of the United States. But here’s the thing that I think is interesting, that if we get inflation under control, then that takes pressure off the Fed,” Hassett said.

“One way to tell whether markets think, ‘are we getting inflation under control,’ is to look at longer term interest rates that the Fed doesn’t affect directly. And if you look at it, the 10-year Treasury rate has dropped about 40 basis points over the last couple of weeks while we announced our plan to control inflation. That saved the American people about $40 billion… just from talking about the stuff that we’re about to do,” he added.

INFLATION RISES 3% IN JANUARY, HOTTER THAN EXPECTED

Fed Chair Jerome Powell has signaled the Fed isn’t in a hurry to cut interest rates and will continue to evaluate fresh economic data. (Alex Wong/Getty Images / Getty Images)

President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized Powell and called for the Fed to lower interest rates. While Powell was testifying before Congress about monetary policy, Trump once again posted that the central bank should lower interest rates.

“Interest Rates should be lowered, something which would go hand in hand with upcoming Tariffs!!!” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “Lets Rock and Roll, America!!!”

Powell’s testimony reiterated his stance that the Fed doesn’t need to “hurry” to lower interest rates as it waits for more data showing that inflation is trending back toward its 2% target rate as the central bank pursues its dual mandate of stable prices and maximum employment.

TRUMP SAYS HE WON’T FIRE FED CHAIR JEROME POWELL

President Donald Trump nominated Jerome Powell to serve as Federal Reserve chair in 2017. (SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)

“We do not need to be in a hurry to adjust our policy stance,” Powell told the Senate Banking Committee on Tuesday. “We know that reducing policy restraint too fast or too much could hinder progress on inflation. At the same time, reducing policy restraint too slowly or too little could unduly weaken economic activity and employment.”

The Fed left interest rates unchanged at its most recent policy meeting in January amid stubborn inflation and a resilient labor market, with policymakers saying they are waiting for data showing inflation is trending lower.

The consumer price index (CPI) – a popular inflation gauge – came in hotter than expected last week at an annual rate of 3% for January. That figure was up from 2.9% a month ago, though it’s down from 3.1% in January 2024.

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Core CPI also ticked higher by 0.1 percentage from last month to 3.3% on an annual basis. That metric was 3.9% in January 2024.

February 17, 2025
FCC chair brings receipts on Biden admin’s ‘expertise in incompetence’ in blistering message to Buttigieg

Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr slammed former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg for claiming Trump administration “incompetence” is putting Americans “at risk,” pointing to a multi-billion dollar project under the Biden administration that he said yielded no results.

“You worked for an Administration that got $42 billion to connect millions of Americans to the Internet,” Carr said in an X post on Saturday responding to Buttigieg. “1,163 days later, that Admin exited without connecting even 1 person & without turning even 1 shovel worth of dirt.”

“If we need expertise in incompetence, will reach out,” he added, accompanied by the peace sign emoji.

Carr was responding to a message Buttigieg posted on Friday that took issue with the Department of Government Efficiency, which has become a common target of Democrats as Elon Musk and the DOGE team work through federal government agencies in its quest of extinguishing government fraud and overspending.

FCC COMMISSIONER HITS BIDEN ADMIN FOR $42 BILLION IN UNSPENT HIGH SPEED INTERNET FUNDS

Federal Communication Commission chairman Brendan Carr has opened an investigation into radio station controlled by left-wing billionaire George Soros. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

“Incompetence in Washington puts every American at risk, no matter how you voted. No one should be happy that the DOGE team – the same folks who randomly published classified U.S. security information online today – wants access to your bank account & Social Security numbers,” Buttigieg posted to X on Friday, referring to accusations DOGE posted classified information to its website, which the White House has refuted.

FCC LAUNCHES PROBE INTO NBC NEWS PARENT COMCAST ‘TO ROOT OUT INVIDIOUS FORMS OF DEI DISCRIMINATION’

The Biden administration in 2021 approved a $42.5 billion provision in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that was directed to a program intended to deliver internet to underserved and rural areas of the nation. Four years later, however, the program has not connected users to the internet, the Washington Policy Center found in a report last year.

Former President Biden, FCC chair Brendan Carr, and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. (Getty Images)

States were required to submit plans to the federal government by 2023 related to the investment and deployment of the internet services. Former President Joe Biden, upon the states submitting their plans, celebrated the internet initiative as similar to former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s 1936 Rural Electrification Act, which brought electricity to homes nationwide.

“What we’re doing is, as I said, not unlike what Franklin Delano Roosevelt did when he brought electricity to nearly every American home and farm in our nation. Today, Kamala and I are making an equally historic investment to connect everyone in America — everyone in America to high-speed Internet by — and affordable high-speed Internet — by 2030,” Biden said at the White House in June of 2023.

Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg speaks during a press conference on June 28, 2021, in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

Carr has frequently taken issue with the $42.5 billion program, including citing it in X posts before President Donald Trump’s election win in November, and the president subsequently appointing the Republican FCC commissioner as chair of the government agency.

FCC CHAIR SAYS IT’S ‘REALLY CONCERNING’ THAT A SOROS-BACKED RADIO STATION EXPOSED UNDERCOVER ICE AGENTS

“In 2021, the Biden Administration got $42.45 billion from Congress to deploy high-speed Internet to millions of Americans,” wrote on X back in June “Years later, it has not connected even 1 person with those funds. In fact, it now says that no construction projects will even start until 2025 at earliest.”

President Joe Biden speaks about his administration on Dec. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Carr explained to Fox Business back in June that while the funds were allocated to states to deliver internet services through the program, the Biden administration was at fault for the lack of progress.

“There’s no question that the 2021 law put some process in place, but the Biden administration decided to layer on top of that a Byzantine additional set of hoops that states have to go through before the administration will approve them to actually get these funds and start completing the builds,” Carr told FOX Business in an interview in June.

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He added that while some high-speed internet projects had connected people during the Biden administration, none were funded through the $42.5 billion allocation from the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program.

Fox News Digital’s Breck Dumas contributed to this report.

February 17, 2025
Court blocks Biden admin’s airline fee transparency rule

Erin Witte, director of consumer protection for the Consumer Federation of America, explains why a federal court halted the airline junk fee transparency rule.

A rule that would have required the country’s biggest airlines to disclose any service fees – such as extra baggage charges or reservation change fees – was blocked by a federal appellate court, threatening its chances of taking effect.

The Department of Transportation (DOT), which argued that travelers were overpaying for their fares due to the so-called “junk fees,” claimed in a report that the rule would have saved consumers more than $500 million annually. In contrast, the trade group for the country’s largest airlines contended that there was nothing in the department’s findings that proved the rule would help consumers, even saying that it would interfere with airlines’ efforts to meet customer needs.

The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit didn’t side with either argument. Instead, it ruled that the DOT “failed to fully comply with the requirements” under the Administrative Procedure Act, which governs the process by which federal agencies develop and issue regulations. The court still upheld the department’s right to impose such rules and instead sent the matter back to the DOT so airlines and others could comment on the cost savings that the department estimated would benefit passengers by making certain fees more transparent.

Under the Biden administration’s rule, airlines would be required to list out any fee associated with purchasing a ticket, otherwise known in the industry as “ancillary fees.” The DOT – then led by Pete Buttigieg – spent years fighting for this rule, claiming that airlines were pocketing billions of dollars from unexpected baggage, seating, change and cancelation fees. During Buttigieg’s tenure, the DOT issued more than $164 million in penalties against airlines for consumer protection violations.

EXPERT PUTS ONUS ON FAA FOR AMERICAN AIRLINES, HELICOPTER CRASH: ‘BAD MANAGEMENT’ IS ‘PUTTING US AT RISK’

Travelers gather with their luggage in the international terminal at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) ahead of the July 4th holiday travel period on June 25, 2024, in Los Angeles, California. (Mario Tama/Getty Images / Viral Press)

Airlines for America, the trade group representing major U.S. carriers such as American Airlines, JetBlue and Alaska Airlines, was pleased with the ruling, saying the court recognized that the department “relied on information which the public and airlines were never given an opportunity to evaluate or comment on.”

The group argued that a lawful comment process would have revealed that the rule would “interfere with airlines’ longstanding efforts to meet customers’ needs.” It also said the carriers invest in user-friendly websites and apps that offer transparent pricing and that this “rule embodies regulatory overreach that would confuse consumers who would be inundated with information that would only serve to complicate the buying process.”

Erin Witte, director of Consumer Protection for the Consumer Federation of America, said that this wasn’t a “total win” for the airline industry.

“What they were actually seeking was to completely undo the DOT’s authority to ever issue rules based on unfair and deceptive conduct,” Witte said. “And the Fifth Circuit actually drew the line and said, ‘No, we’re not going to go that far.’”

While the court’s action could end up being the catalyst for killing the rule, she said it’s important to note that the court didn’t permanently block the rule, either.

This means the current administration could implement a similar rule, as long as the department follows the proper procedure. However, Witte isn’t confident that will happen.

Ryan Bourne, an economist at the Cato Institute, told FOX Business that he doubts this matter will be a priority for President Donald Trump, who launched a massive deregulation initiative upon taking office. Bourne isn’t in favor of the move, saying the “rule was always unnecessary red tape.” He also agreed with the airlines that the rule would only confuse passengers.

BUDGET AIRLINE FLIGHT MAKES EMERGENCY STOP AFTER PILOT COLLAPSES: ‘ROUGH AND SCARY’

Travelers wait to board a Boeing 737 Max 8 plane operated by United Airlines at Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, New Jersey, on March 13, 2024. (Bing Guan/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)

“Most passengers are sufficiently familiar with booking flights and know you can pay extra fees for services like checking bags or having flights you can cancel anytime,” he said. “To require airlines to state total bundled prices for all these services upfront would be confusing to customers and harm competition by misrepresenting the opportunities for low-cost travel on budget airlines.”

Bill McGee, senior fellow for Aviation at the American Economic Liberties Project, strongly criticized the argument that this would overburden consumers, calling it one of the “weakest” arguments he has ever seen. McGee argued that if airlines can quickly implement fees – sometimes overnight – then they should also be able to inform customers about them.

“There’s sticker shock in the airlines . . . that’s what this is all about,” McGee said. “It’s a really very simple premise. . . . Before you book, you should know your bottom line total price. And the airlines fight tooth and nail against that.”

Passengers and flight attendants aboard a flight from LaGuardia Airport bound for Kansas City International Airport on May 4, 2022, in Queens, New York. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images / Getty Images)

Witte also questioned the pushback from the airlines, given that the rule didn’t talk about an all-out ban on junk fees, either.

“It didn’t even prohibit airlines from charging them. I think that voters probably would have supported that kind of rule,” she said. “All the rule did was say, tell people, tell them upfront, make it easier for them to figure out how much it will cost for them to fly from A to B and bring a bag.”

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McGee still considers the ruling a “huge victory” as some people were concerned that the “court was going to say the DOT never had the authority to do this in the first place.”

February 14, 2025
Judge orders temporary reversal of Trump admin’s freeze on foreign aid

A federal judge late Thursday issued an order compelling the Trump administration to lift its three-week funding freeze on U.S. foreign aid.

Judge Amir Ali issued the order Thursday in U.S. district court in Washington in a lawsuit brought by two health organizations that receive U.S. funding for programs abroad.

In his order, Ali noted that the Trump administration argued it had to shut down funding for the thousands of U.S. Agency for International Development aid programs abroad to conduct a thorough review of each program and whether it should be eliminated.

TRUMP TEMPORARILY THWARTED IN DOGE MISSION TO END USAID

A bouquet of white flowers placed outside the headquarters of the United States Agency for International Development, or USAID, is pictured, Friday, Feb. 7, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

But the judge said that Trump officials failed to explain why a “blanket suspension” of foreign aid programs was necessary before the programs were more thoroughly reviewed.

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USAID was established in 1961 under the Kennedy administration, operating as an independent agency that works closely with the State Department to allocate civilian foreign aid. Under Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the agency could be abolished after its reorganization over the coming days, he said in a letter to bipartisan lawmakers on Feb. 3.

Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Bradford Betz is a Fox News Digital breaking reporter covering crime, political issues, and much more.

February 14, 2025
USAID staffers stunned, angered by Trump admin’s DOGE shutdown of $40B agency

Staffers and contractors who work with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) were stunned and angered after President Donald Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) – the government accountability unit headed by billionaire Elon Musk – effectively shut down the $40 billion agency on Monday.

One USAID staffer who wished to remain anonymous told Fox News Digital that 80% of staff across its bureaus learned they lost access to the agency’s systems on Monday morning, including travel, communications, classified information and databases – leading to questions about how to repatriate American citizens in some of the most dangerous places in the world should the need arise.

Staffers also feel they were “left high and dry” and “have no idea what to do or where to turn” after being “abandoned by Congress and the government,” the source said, adding they felt the agency was “hostilely taken over by DOGE.”

“The richest man in the world is taking this away from the poorest people in the world,” the source said of Musk.

WHAT IS USAID AND WHY IS IT IN TRUMP’S CROSSHAIRS?

The flag of the U.S. Agency for International Development in front of its office in Washington, D.C., on Monday. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

USAID was set up in the early 1960s to act on behalf of the U.S. to deliver aid across the globe, particularly in impoverished and underdeveloped regions. The Trump administration alleges that much of the spending has been wasteful, promoting a liberal agenda around the world.

DOGE has particularly criticized a $1.5 million program slated to “advance diversity, equity and inclusion in Serbia’s workplaces and business communities” and a $70,000 program for a “DEI musical” in Ireland.

Democrats counter that the agency plays a vital role in U.S. national security interests and say it should remain independent. They point to the work USAID did to counter Soviet influence during the Cold War – a sphere of influence that could remain a concern amid China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

“It’s not a generosity project,” the source said of USAID, “this is a national security agency and effort at its core” that “protects borders and cuts threats off,” such as working to contain Ebola and dispersing COVID vaccines to keep such threats outside the U.S.

Trump and Elon Musk attend the launch of a SpaceX Starship rocket on Nov. 19, 2024, in Brownsville, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Musk has said that both he and Trump “agreed” that the agency should be “shut down.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has been named acting director of the independent agency, on Monday echoed the sentiment, telling reporters, “USAID is not functioning.”

“It needs to be aligned with the national interest of the U.S. They’re not a global charity, these are taxpayer dollars. People are asking simple questions. What are they doing with the money?” Rubio continued. “We are spending taxpayers’ money. We owe the taxpayers assurances that it furthers our national interest.”

MUSK’S DOGE TAKES AIM AT ‘VIPER’S NEST’ FEDERAL AGENCY WITH GLOBAL FOOTPRINT

The scope of work overseen by USAID is vast and ranges from administering foreign aid through humanitarian efforts like famine relief, clean water distribution programs, and medical services, including administering polio vaccines, HIV/AIDS relief and prevention work. It also bolsters democracy, human rights and governance initiatives.

The source said the stop work order has left medications for HIV and even vaccines meant for distribution in overseas regions sitting on shelves, saying, “It has all stopped.”

Steve Schmida, who runs global consulting firm Resonance, which competes for contracts with USAID, told Fox News Digital that the shutdown is impacting contractors in the form of layoffs, furloughs and a reduction in hours. He also said the stop-work order has prevented his employees from getting paid for work they’ve already done.

Schmida said DOGE is “controlling payments” by taking over the payment system. He accused the Musk-led agency of “intentionally defrauding us.”

“If not stopped, it will spread to the rest of the government,” Schmida said, adding that the Trump administration’s DOGE could use its takeover of the payment system as “a weapon against American citizens, denying Social Security and Medicare if they step out of line.”

Schmida said the foreign assistance community recognizes and shares the desire to reform the system, stating it “could work a lot better,” though he urged the government to work toward improvement rather than the destruction of an agency whose work has been built up over seven decades.

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Fox News’ Caitlin McFall contributed to this report.

February 5, 2025
Trump handed opportunity ‘to save Medicare’ after Biden admin’s final blow to seniors: expert

President Donald Trump was handed the “opportunity to save Medicare” after the Biden administration rolled out its final Medicare Advantage proposal early in January that experts say underfunds the insurance plan after already facing rate cuts in previous years.

“This is Trump’s opportunity to save Medicare,” former Republican New York Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle, who is also a former nurse and was chairwoman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission until 2019, told Fox News Digital in January.

“Medicare Advantage is Medicare for 34 million Americans who choose it. Those seniors are experiencing disruption with their healthcare as a result of two years of cuts — if Trump ensures MA gets funded in line with projected medical cost trends in 2026, he’ll be fixing Joe Biden’s mistake and giving seniors the healthcare they deserve right before the GOP’s midterm elections.”

Medicare Advantage plans are private health insurance plans that contract with Medicare and are used by roughly 34 million Americans. The program mostly enrolls adults older than the age of 65, but also offers benefits to people of all ages with disabilities. Traditional Medicare, conversely, is a federal health insurance program for adults older than the age of 65, as well as younger individuals with disabilities.

The Biden administration previously had made cuts to Medicare Advantage rates, including in April 2024, when experts said enrollees would face an additional $33 a month for out-of-pocket costs, or $396 a year, due to the cuts. Critics at the time said the cuts would be especially devastating to seniors living on fixed incomes who are already coping with ongoing inflation issues.

DON’T LET BIDEN SNEAK IN MORE MEDICARE CUTS ON HIS WAY OUT THE DOOR

The Biden administration previously had made cuts to Medicare Advantage rates, including in April 2024, when experts said enrollees would face an additional $33 a month for out-of-pocket costs, or $396 a year, due to the cuts. (Yuri Gripas/Abaca/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Roughly two weeks before leaving office, the Biden administration rolled out its final regulation affecting Medicare Advantage, which did not outright cut rates as it did for 2024 and 2025, but increased the average benchmark payment to Medicare Advantage plans by 2.2%.

The proposal, however, seemingly works as another cut and underfunds Medicare Advantage because the proposed rates are still lower than the current rate of inflation, Buerkle said, with the consumer price index showing a 12-month inflation rate of 2.7%. The proposal also comes on the heels of the Biden administration finalizing a 1.12% cut for fiscal year 2024 and a 0.16% cut for fiscal year 2025.

TRUMP PUTS BIDEN ON DEFENSE FOR MEDICARE ADVANTAGE CUTS

“Underfunding for Medicare Advantage will result in higher premiums, more out-of-pocket costs, and higher deductibles for the 34 million Americans who choose Medicare Advantage,” Buerkle told Fox News Digital. “This, on top of the inflation that the Biden Administration caused by their flagrant spending creates a difficult situation for those seniors on a fixed income.”

The Trump administration has until April 7 to finalize its policy for fiscal year 2026. (Evan Vucci/The Associated Press)

The proposal is not yet locked in, as the newly minted Trump administration has until April 7 to finalize its policy for fiscal year 2026.

“Medicare Advantage saved the federal government $144 billion over the last decade,” Buerkle said.

That is because Medicare Advantage plans “use taxpayer dollars more efficiently than traditional Medicare,” she said. “By managing the care for 34 million seniors, MA plans are able to offer more benefits for the same price as original Medicare. Senior satisfaction rate is high, too, with 96% of seniors reporting their satisfaction with their MA plan. So, making sure MA is funded appropriately is a gift to taxpayers,” Buerkle said.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services touted the proposal when it was released in early January, saying the health plan will continue providing affordable care, while “being a good steward of taxpayer dollars.”

The agency “has worked to ensure that people with Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D have access to stable and affordable offerings,” said Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure. “Today’s Advance Notice continues CMS’ efforts to provide access to affordable, high-quality care in Medicare Advantage while being a good steward of taxpayer dollars. We are also continuing implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act, ensuring people with Medicare Part D have more affordable coverage for their medications.”

A Trump administration official told Fox Digital that staffers are reviewing Biden administration proposals and polices skeptically, but that no policy has been set in stone related to Medicare Advantage. (Getty Images)

Former Republican Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindall, who served as an advisor to the U.S. secretary of Health and Human Services under President George W. Bush’s administration, published an op-ed for Fox Digital in December 2024, warning against the Biden administration issuing any last-minute Medicare Advantage cuts ahead of Trump taking back the Oval Office.

“Over the past two years, the administration has implemented a series of changes that have effectively reduced funding for Medicare Advantage,” he wrote. “These cuts are disguised as ‘payment adjustments,’ but the reality is clear: they are cutting funding for a program that seniors overwhelmingly support. The results? Higher premiums, reduced benefits, and narrower provider networks for many Medicare Advantage enrollees.”

Jindall added that Medicare Advantage can be improved to better serve seniors and other enrollees, but he argued “the left” has resisted improving the system in favor of promoting a government-focused program.

“Members in both parties have called for modifying the calculation of risk adjustments, to improve a system that can be gamed and often rewards companies for documenting patient acuity rather than actually improving outcomes,” he wrote. “But, the left does not want to improve Medicare Advantage — they want to undermine the program to advance their long-term goal of centralizing more health care under the government’s control.”

A Trump administration official told Fox Digital that staffers are reviewing Biden administration proposals and polices skeptically but that no policy has been set in stone related to Medicare Advantage.

Trump joined House Republican lawmakers in Florida on Jan. 27, when he vowed not to cut Medicare or Social Security.

“I will not sign any bill that cuts even a single penny from Medicare or Social Security for our great seniors. We don’t have to do that. We don’t have to do that. We’ll not touch those benefits in any way, shape or form. I want to use that because during the campaign, they had these fake ads that Trump is going to cut Social Security,” he said.

BIDEN-HARRIS MEDICARE CUTS ARE HARMING SENIORS WITH COVERAGE LOSSES, PREMIUM HIKES: FORMER CONGRESSWOMAN

President Donald Trump, left, joined House Republican lawmakers in Florida on Jan. 27, when he vowed not to cut Medicare or Social Security. Roughly two weeks before leaving office, the administration of former President Joe Biden, right, rolled out its final regulation affecting Medicare Advantage. (Getty Images)

Buerkle previously spoke to Fox News Digital that the Biden administration’s cuts for 2024–2025 served as a backdoor attempt to gut Medicare Advantage in an effort to promote “Medicare for All,” a government-focused health system that has long been on a policy wishlist for left-wing lawmakers.

Buerkle said the Biden admin’s latest and last policy proposal on Medicare Advantage “absolutely” serves as another backdoor attempt to push Medicare for All.

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“Medicare for All advocates despise the success of Medicare Advantage because it reveals the flaws in a government-run managed care system,” she said. “The goal is simple: destroy MA as a means to get to Medicare for All.”

February 4, 2025
Trump takes swipe at past admins’ Afghanistan handling as he praises Panthers team owner

President Donald Trump took a shot at past administrations’ handling of Afghanistan as he welcomed the Florida Panthers to the White House to celebrate their Stanley Cup title.

The Panthers were the first team to visit the White House in Trump’s second term as president.

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President Donald Trump speaks as Vincent Viola, team owner of the 2024 NHL Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers hockey team, left, listens during a ceremony to honor the team in the East Room of the White House, Monday, Feb. 3, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

The president spoke highly of team owner Vincent Viola before he let him say a few words about his team that won the Stanley Cup in an epic seven-game series against the Edmonton Oilers. Trump called Viola a “real champion” who loves the military.

“He’s a real champion in everything he’s ever done. Loves the military,” Trump said. “First thing he did, I see him, ‘You gotta do this with the Army. You gotta move them here. You gotta put…’ He’s giving me all the instructions. You love the military.

“You know, we shoulda had you in Afghanistan instead of the characters we had. It would’ve turned out a little bit different.”

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President Donald Trump shakes hands with team captain Aleksander Barkov during a ceremony with the Florida Panthers NHL hockey team to celebrate their 2024 Stanley Cup win, in the East Room of the White House, Monday, Feb. 3, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

The U.S. invaded Afghanistan in 2001 following the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks in hopes of toppling the Taliban and finding Usama bin Laden.

As the U.S. finalized its pull out from Afghanistan, suicide bombers launched an attack at Hamid Karzai International Airport’s Abbey Gate. Thirteen American servicemembers were killed along with 170 Afghan civilians.

In Trump’s first administration, Viola was in the running for U.S. Army secretary before he withdrew from consideration. The billionaire businessman attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and eventually served with the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell.

Always Dreaming owner Vinnie Viola holds the trophy after winning the 2017 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. (Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports)

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Viola bought the team in 2013 and the team has made the playoff six times, including five straight from the 2019-20 season to the 2023-24 season. The team made the Stanley Cup Final in 2023 only to lose to the Vegas Golden Knights in five games.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.

February 4, 2025
‘We stopped that’: Noem cancels Biden admin’s 11th hour deportation shield for Venezuelan migrants

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Wednesday announced that her agency had canceled a Biden-era extension of deportation protections for Venezuelan migrants — accusing her predecessor of tying the hands of the Trump administration.

In a notice, DHS announced that it has vacated a Jan. 10 decision by then-DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to extend a Temporary Protected Status designation to Venezuelan nationals by 18 months.

“Before he left town, Mayorkas signed an order that said for 18 months they were going to extend this protection to people that are in Temporary Protected Status, which meant they were going to be able to stay here and violate our laws for another 18 months,” Noem said, announcing the move on “Fox and Friends.” “And we stopped that today.”

MAYORKAS EXTENDS DEPORTATION SHIELD FOR EYE-POPPING NUMBER OF IMMIGRANTS AHEAD OF TRUMP ADMIN

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem testifies during a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing on her nomination to be Secretary of Homeland Security, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on January 17, 2025. (SAUL LOEB / AFP)

TPS grants protection from deportation and allows work permits for nationals living in the U.S. from countries deemed unsafe for them to be returned. Mayorkas announced extensions for TPS for Venezuela, as well as El Salvador, Sudan and Ukraine for an additional 18 months.

Venezuela’s extension applied to approximately 600,000 nationals already covered by TPS, but would not allow new applications. The extension would have further complicated the Trump administration’s efforts to deport illegal immigrants from Venezuela, which has been a focus given the rise of Tren de Aragua — a bloodthirsty street gang from Venezuela.

TRUMP-ERA SOUTHERN BORDER SEES MIGRANT ENCOUNTERS PLUMMET BY OVER 60% AS NEW POLICIES KICK IN

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas speaks to Senior Writer at Politico Magazine Ankush Khardori during Politico’s annual AI and Tech Summit on Sept. 17, 2024 in Washington, D.C. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

“We signed an executive order within the Department of Homeland Security in a direction that we were not going to follow through on what [Mayorkas] did to tie our hands, that we are going to follow the process, evaluate all of these individuals that are in our country, including the Venezuelans that are here and members of TDA,” she said.

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The announcement came a day after Noem oversaw an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation in New York City, where officers have been targeting criminal illegal immigrants. That operation is part of a broader nationwide effort to deport illegal immigrants throughout the U.S. DHS has made a flurry of moves to empower ICE officers, including taking Biden-era limits off expedited removal powers and canceling the use of parole. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, signed a slew of executive orders concerning border security and illegal immigration.

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“Listen, I was in New York City yesterday, and the people of this country want these dirtbags out. They want their communities to be safe. It was so amazing to me to see people walk by us on the street early in the morning and just say, ‘Thank you. Thank you for being here,’” Noem said. “So this is part of our plan to make sure that we’re protecting America, keeping it safe again just like President Trump promised.”

Adam Shaw is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital, primarily covering immigration and border security.

He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter.

January 29, 2025
White House says Biden admin’s killing 100M chickens contributed to high egg prices

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Tuesday that the high prices of eggs is directly related to a lack of chicken supply which the Biden administration contributed to.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed the high cost of eggs while speaking to reporters on Tuesday, saying the Biden administration contributed to the supply shortage by directing the killing of over 100 million chickens.

Leavitt held her first White House press briefing on Tuesday afternoon, when one of the reporters asked about the price of eggs skyrocketing since President Donald Trump took office.

She told reporters there is a lot of reporting that is putting the onus on the current administration for the rising cost of eggs.

“I would like to point out to each and every one of you, that in 2024, when Joe Biden was in the Oval Office or upstairs in the residence sleeping, I’m not so sure, egg prices increased 65% in this country,” Leavitt said, noting that the costs of bacon, groceries and gasoline have increased because of the “inflationary” policies of the Biden administration.

HERE’S WHY GROCERS ARE REALLY RAISING PRICES

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt holds her first news conference at the White House on Jan. 28, 2025. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images / Getty Images)

“As far as the egg shortage, what’s also contributing to that is that the Biden administration and the Department of Agriculture directed the mass killing of more than 100 million chickens, which has led to a lack of chicken supply in this country, therefore, a lack of egg supply, which is leading to the shortage,” she said. “So, I will leave you with this point: This is an example of why it’s so incredibly important that the Senate moves swiftly to confirm all of President Trump’s nominees, including his nominee for the United States Department of Agriculture, Brooke Rollins, who is already speaking with Kevin Hassett, who’s leading the economic team here at the White House, on how we can address the egg shortage in this country.”

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that the average price of a dozen Grade A large eggs was $4.15 during the month of December, which shows an increase from $2.51 in December 2023.

One of the largest reasons for the increase is the recent bird flu outbreak.

SHELLING OUT: EGG PRICES RISE NEARLY 37 PERCENT

Cases of cage-free eggs for sale at a Costco store in Florida. (Lindsey Nicholson/UCG/Universal Images Group via / Getty Images)

The Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) was either directly or indirectly responsible for killing more than 20 million egg-laying hens in the last quarter of 2024, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported.

Some estimations indicate the average price of a dozen large eggs could be nearly $5 by the end of 2025, which would be the highest average price for a dozen eggs ever recorded.

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Still, the price of eggs in California has already surpassed that, reaching nearly $9 per dozen in some areas.

Fox News Digital’s Alexandra Koch contributed to this report.

January 28, 2025