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Alleged accomplice in former Olympian’s cocaine ring to face charges in US

An accused accomplice in a $1 billion drug ring allegedly led by former Canadian Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding has been brought to the U.S. from Mexico to face federal charges, the U.S. Justice Department announced Friday in a release provided to Fox News Digital.

Andrew Clark, 34, a Canadian citizen who was living in Mexico, was arrested by Mexican authorities in October 2024 and is scheduled to be arraigned Monday in U.S. District Court in Arizona.

“The defendant, as described in the superseding indictment, played a key role in running a violent, international drug trafficking organization that was responsible for multiple murders,” Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph T. McNally said in Friday’s announcement.

“We are grateful to have him in the United States where he will face justice. When law enforcement officials around the globe work together, there is nowhere criminals can hide.”

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An image of former Canadian Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding, 43, who is a fugitive and has been charged with running and participating in a transnational drug trafficking operation, is displayed on a video monitor along with bricks of cocaine, foreground, during a news conference at the FBI offices in Los Angeles Oct. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Clark’s aliases include “The Dictator,” and he allegedly controlled a $1 billion drug enterprise with supply routes that transported tons of cocaine from Colombia to Canada by way of Mexico and Southern California.

CHARGERS’ JIM HARBAUGH ON CONTROVERSIAL TUSH PUSH: ‘GET GOOD AT IT OR STOP IT’

Cocaine (Marcus Brandt/picture alliance via Getty Images)

Wedding, who competed in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City for Canada, faces drug trafficking charges in Canada that date back to 2015, Royal Canadian Mounted Police Chief Superintendent Chris Leather said.

Wedding was previously convicted in the U.S. of conspiracy to distribute cocaine, and he was sentenced to prison in 2010, according to federal records.

According to the superseding indictment, Wedding and Clark allegedly directed the murders of two individuals and the attempted murder of a third victim in Ontario, Canada, in November 2023. Wedding and Clark also allegedly ordered the murder of a fourth individual in May 2024.

Clark and another co-defendant are also charged with the murder of a fifth individual in Ontario, Canada, in April 2024.

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Canada’s Ryan Wedding in the 2002 Olympics. (Tony Marshall/EMPICS via Getty Images)

From March 2024 to August 2024, Wedding and Clark allegedly conspired with others to distribute more than 1,800 kilograms of cocaine. Wedding, Clark, and their co-conspirators also allegedly transferred approximately a quarter of a billion dollars from April 2024 to September 2024. Investigators seized more than $3 million from one cryptocurrency wallet in a single day.

Clark is the second named defendant in the superseding indictment that charges a total of 16 defendants. With Clark’s expected court appearance, a total of eight defendants will have been arraigned in this case. The trial of Clark’s alleged co-conspirators is scheduled to begin May 6.

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Jackson Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital. He previously worked for ESPN and Business Insider. Jackson has covered the Super Bowl and NBA Finals, and has interviewed iconic figures Usain Bolt, Rob Gronkowski, Jerry Rice, Troy Aikman, Mike Trout, David Ortiz and Roger Clemens.

March 1, 2025
CA Christian girls’ team forced to face trans athlete in playoff basketball game

As California continues to defy President Donald Trump’s recent executive order forbidding trans athletes from competing in girls’ sports, the state’s residents will see the ramifications of that decision play out on a basketball court this week.

An upcoming high school girls’ basketball playoff game will feature an openly transgender athlete playing for San Francisco Waldorf against Cornerstone Christian on Saturday. The same trans athlete played for Waldorf’s girls’ volleyball team this past fall, prompting Stone Ridge Christian to forfeit a playoff match on Nov. 16.

However, Cornerstone Christian currently intends to play its upcoming game against the trans athlete.

“As long as the parents are on board with playing the game, we will support the girls’ hard work this season and play the game,” Cornerstone Christian athletic director Madison Alexander told Fox News Digital.

The team came to this decision after a meeting on Tuesday afternoon.

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The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) is currently under investigation by Trump’s Department of Education (DOE) and Office of Civil Rights (OCR) for its defiance in following the president’s executive order as it continues to instruct schools to allow trans athletes to compete as women.

The DOE’s deputy general counsel, Candice Jackson, told Fox News Digital that the department will be monitoring the state’s girls’ basketball playoffs as it conducts its investigation.

“CIF sets the parameters under which schools compete in these playoffs, and they have responsibility as recipients of federal funds to comply with Title IX. OCR’s investigation into CIF is continuing as it appears that CIF’s disregard for Title IX is continuing,” Jackson said.

The CIF has not responded to a request for comment on the situation involving the upcoming playoff game. The CIF previously told Fox News Digital that it will continue to follow state legislation on the issue of trans athletes that has been in effect since 2014.

“The CIF provides students with the opportunity to belong, connect, and compete in education-based experiences in compliance with California law [Education Code section 221.5. (f)] which permits students to participate in school programs and activities, including athletic teams and competitions, consistent with the student’s gender identity, irrespective of the gender listed on the student’s records,” the statement reads.

TEEN GIRLS OPEN UP ON TRANS ATHLETE SCANDAL THAT TURNED THEIR HIGH SCHOOL INTO A CULTURE WAR BATTLEGROUND

A law called AB 1266 has been in effect since 2014 and gives California students at scholastic and collegiate levels the right to “participate in sex-segregated school programs and activities, including athletic teams and competitions, and use facilities consistent with his or her gender identity, irrespective of the gender listed on the pupil’s records.”

Many California residents have protested and threatened lawsuits against the state for its refusal to comply with Trump’s order.

On Friday, California lawmakers introduced three bills in the state legislature aimed to combat trans inclusion. One bill, which was introduced by Assemblymember Bill Essayli, focused specifically on sports. His bill would require that students use all school facilities to only play on sports teams based on their biological sex and not their gender identity, reversing AB 1266.

“We know the state of California is going to do everything it can to resist and avoid compliance with federal law, so it’s our role to try to force change at the state and local level,” Essayli said at a press conference outside the state Capitol building in Sacramento on Friday.

California State Assembly member Kate Sanchez previously announced on Jan. 7 that she is introducing her own bill to ban trans athletes from competing in girls’ and women’s sports.

California’s enabling of trans athletes to compete with girls and women in the state has resulted in multiple controversies over the last year alone, as one lawsuit has already been filed against California Attorney General Rob Bonta.

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Parents at Martin Luther King High School in Riverside, California, expanded their lawsuit to include Bonta after a girls’ cross-country runner lost her varsity spot to a trans athlete, and then the school administrators allegedly compared the girls’ “Save Girls’ Sports” T-shirts to swastikas.

In San Diego, a middle school was recently thrust into local controversy because of a transgender student using the girls’ locker room. San Elijo Middle School provided a statement to Fox News Digital, crediting its enabling of the transgender student to access the girls’ locker room to the school’s obligation of following state law.

San Francisco Waldorf found itself in a national controversy over the subject after the volleyball playoffs back in November when Stone Ridge Christian forfeited. Former NCAA swimmer and OutKick contributor Riley Gaines then honored Stone Ridge Christian for its decision to forfeit with a ceremony at their high school in early December.

Trump’s executive order vows to cut federal funding for any institution that enables trans athletes to compete against girls and women. According to USA Facts, California public schools receive about $16.8 billion per year, which is 13.9% or one in every seven dollars of public school funding, which is well above the national average.

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Jackson Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital. He previously worked for ESPN and Business Insider. Jackson has covered the Super Bowl and NBA Finals, and has interviewed iconic figures Usain Bolt, Rob Gronkowski, Jerry Rice, Troy Aikman, Mike Trout, David Ortiz and Roger Clemens.

February 19, 2025
The most dangerous threats CBP agents face as Trump increases enforcement

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As President Donald Trump steps up border security and deportation efforts, agents with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are finding themselves under alarmingly sophisticated threats to their safety, an expert tells Fox News Digital.

“The cartels are losing business. The encounters at the border are the lowest they’ve been in decades, and the cartels are not just going to give up that business quietly,” Lora Ries, director of the Heritage Foundation’s Border Security and Immigration Center, told Fox News Digital.

The comments come after it was reported over the weekend that CBP agents will no longer wear body cameras during field operations, a response to a post on Reddit that claimed it could help people track agents wearing the cameras with an application called BLE Radar, which uses Bluetooth to scan for such devices within a 100-yard radius.

BORDER PATROL AGENTS TO STOP WEARING BODY CAMERAS AFTER SOCIAL MEDIA POST REVEALS ‘SECURITY RISK’

This split shows President Trump and Border Patrol. (Qian Weizhong/VCG via Getty Images and Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)

“Pending completion of investigation and risk mitigation, all Agents will stand down the use of their BWCs [body worn cameras] until further notice. Additional guidance and information will be disseminated as it is received,” a directive over the weekend announced.

While the tracking of agents was presented as a way to help immigrants find soft spots on the border, it also opened up agents to threats to their safety, including from improvised explosive devices.

Cartels could also make use of the tracking information to threaten the lives of agents, Ries noted.

“It is possible that they could use the cameras… the low-level frequency interception to track the agents, harm the agents, and attack the agents,” Ries said.

Ries also noted that the cameras played an important role in protecting field agents from false claims of abuse, providing key evidence they now won’t have after encounters with migrants.

DAILY AVERAGE OF KNOWN GOTAWAYS AT SOUTHERN BORDER PLUMMETS, DOWN 93% FROM BIDEN ADMINISTRATION HIGHS

An ICE agent monitors hundreds of asylum seekers being processed upon entering the Jacob K. Javits Federal Building on June 6, 2023, in New York City. (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)

“I anticipate the number of claims of abuse are about to jump to exploit this lack of camera use,” Ries said.

When it comes to cartels, Ries noted that there have been warnings sent out that cartels could use shooters on the other side of the border to target agents.

“I just saw a memo about potentially using a shooter on the Mexican side to shoot at our agents and our military, so we have to assume that’s being planned and use countermeasures against it,” Ries said.

Ries also noted that cartels have in the past effectively used drones to track CBP agents, though that threat could now be lower with the increased military presence at the border.

Aside from the threats from cartels, CBP and ICE agents also face dangers from inside the borders of the U.S., Ries noted, pointing to leaks of ICE raids as an example of something that has recently endangered agents.

A U.S. Border Patrol agent stands on a cliff looking for migrants crossing the border wall near Sasabe, Arizona. (Salwan Georges/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

“That subjects ICE agents to an ambush,” Ries said. “It’s one thing for aliens to flee, so when ICE shows up there’s no one there… worse would be if aliens stay here and attack ICE agents, that is a risk.”

Such leaks of planned operations and technological vulnerabilities could continue to be a threat to the safety of agents as those opposed to Trump’s enforcement-driven agenda seek to undermine those plans, Ries said.

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Countering such threats will not only take awareness and smart tactics during operations, but also help from Congress in order to secure funding to equip agents with enough resources to combat the dangers.

“It’s technology, it’s equipment, it’s intel, and personnel… they can’t be out patrolling alone, they need to work together,” Ries said. “Congress is working, although too slowly, getting resources to CBP and ICE to continue to carry out these mass deportations. Congress needs to hurry up.”

February 18, 2025
4 Nations Face-Off: Team USA falls to Sweden; set to face Canada in title game

Team USA lost its first game in the 4 Nations Face-Off on Monday night, falling to Sweden, 2-1, at the TD Garden in Boston.

However, despite the blemish on the record, they will still be playing in the championship game on Thursday night in the same arena against Canada, who they defeated, 3-1, on Saturday.

Team USA wasn’t at full strength in this matchup, as Matthew Tkachuk was absent from the bench with a lower-body injury. Auston Matthews also took the night off to battle an illness.

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Team Sweden forward Adrian Kempe (10) and Team USA defenseman Zach Werenski (8) battle for the puck in front of goalie Jake Ottinger (30) during the second in a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game at TD Garden. (Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images)

Also, his brother, Brady, was injured early in the first period during an attack in Sweden’s zone, which is worth monitoring heading into that title game against Canada.

Still, it was the U.S. getting on the board first thanks to Chris Kreider, the New York Rangers star, who scored his first goal of the tournament.

Kreider hadn’t played yet in the tournament, but was needed with the number of forwards out. And he wasted no time getting involved, scoring before one minute ticked off the first period clock.

BOSTON CROWD BOOS CANADIAN NATIONAL ANTHEM AFTER TEAM USA HEARD SAME JEERS DURING 4 NATIONS FACE-OFF

Zach Werenski had gotten a pass from Jack Eichel and took a shot on net that was saved by Samuel Ersson, but the deflection went right to Kreider’s stick. Kreider didn’t waste any time, one-timing the deflection to find the back of the net.

But Sweden made sure to take the lead into the locker room after the first period after Jesper Bratt sniped his first goal of the tournament with just 56 seconds left to play.

That goal gave Sweden the lead after Gustav Nyquist tied things up earlier with his first goal of the tournament as well.

The second and third periods both went scoreless, but Team USA was threatening late in the third when Jake Oettinger was called back to the bench to allow an extra U.S. attacker on the ice.

Team Sweden forward Jesper Bratt (63) is congratulated by his teammates after scoring a goal during the first period in a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game against Team USA at TD Garden. (Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images)

Multiple chances were seen with the 6-on-5, but Sweden was able to thwart any comeback from the U.S. to come away with its first win of the tournament.

Prior to this matchup, Sweden had lost to both Canada and Finland in overtime, which gave them two points total.

It may be a loss, but Team USA will be pitted against Team Canada in what’s expected to be another fiery clash after what transpired over the weekend.

Three fights broke out in nine seconds, as United States players took exception to the Montreal crowd booing during “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Canada got on the scoreboard first thanks to Connor McDavid, but Team USA responded with three unanswered goals to win the rivalry game.

Team Sweden forward Leo Carlsson (91) controls the park while Team USA defenseman Brock Faber (14) defends during the second period in a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game at TD Garden. (Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images)

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Now, the scene will be Boston for this championship bout, and Canada, who defeated Finland, 5-3, earlier on Sunday, will be looking for some revenge and the ultimate bragging rights before the second half of the NHL season kicks off.

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Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.

February 18, 2025
2025 4 Nations Face-Off: Canada to face USA in championship game

Canada was back on the ice on Monday in the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off following the loss to USA, and they took care of business against Finland in a 5-3 victory.

While USA’s six points already puts them in the championship game on Feb. 20, making Monday night’s matchup against Sweden a formality, Canada and Finland both came into this game with two points (both 1-1 for the tournament).

Sweden, despite being 0-2, lost both of their matchups in overtime, giving them two points as well.

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Team Canada forward Mark Stone celebrates after a goal during the 4 Nations Face-Off game against Team Finland at TD Garden. (Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images)

So, Canada knew a revenge championship game against USA would require a win over Finland, and the stars showed up to make sure that was the case.

Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid both scored two goals for Canada to lead the way to victory.

Brayden Point also scored in Canada’s three-goals-to-none first period performance, while Sidney Crosby buried an empty net goal after Finland’s desperation charge was thwarted.

TEAM USA’S 4 NATIONS GM TALKS ‘POLITICAL FLARE’ TO FIGHT IN GAME VS CANADA, SENDS MESSAGE TO TRUMP

It was McDavid who got Canada on the board first, which is what he did against the U.S. on Saturday night.

Team Canada forward Sidney Crosby celebrates a goal by forward Nathan MacKinnon during the game against Team Finland at TD Garden. (Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images)

The goal was unassisted, as McDavid surveyed the ice before turning toward goal and sniping a low wrist shot past Finland’s Juuse Saros, who was taken out of the game early in the second period in favor of Kevin Lankinen after MacKinnon’s third goal of the tournament, and second of the night, made it 4-0.

The third period, though, saw some fight out of Finland, as Esa Lindell’s first goal of the tournament finally got them on the board. It seemed too little, too late for them, however, as the goal came with 6:41 left in the game.

But Mikael Granlund scored two goals in 23 seconds with an extra man on the ice for Finland due to an empty net. That made it 4-3, and despite dominating the entire game, Canada found themselves needing to bunker down.

Team Canada forward Connor McDavid celebrates his goal against Finland with his line mates at TD Garden. (Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images)

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Just seconds after Granlund’s second goal, Crosby, the stalwart Canadian winger, buried an empty net wrister to seal victory and allow the team their potential revenge game against USA on Thursday night.

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Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.

February 17, 2025
World Whale Day 2025 Date: Know History and Significance of the Day That Raises Awareness About the Importance of Whales and the Threats They Face

Every year, World Whale Day is celebrated on the third Sunday of February to raise awareness about the importance of whales. This means World Whale Day falls on a different date every year. The annual event that is celebrated across the world aims to educate people about the threats whales face, such as climate change, habitat destruction, and hunting. World Whale Day 2025 falls on Sunday, February 16. The event was first established in 1980 in Maui, Hawaii, to honour humpback whales, which migrate to the Hawaiian waters during winter. Will We Ever Speak with Whales?

Whales can pass on ‘culture’ to other whales in the form of behaviours and songs. There are two different types of whales – Baleen whales filter krill and plankton from the water while toothed whales eat larger animals such as fish and squid. In this article, let’s know more about World Whale Day 2025 date and the significance of the annual event. Humpback Whale Briefly Swallows Kayaker off Chilean Coast Before Quickly Releasing Him Unharmed, Frightening Moment Caught on Camera (Watch Video).

World Whale Day 2025 Date

World Whale Day 2025 falls on Sunday, February 16.

World Whale Day History

World Whale Day was initially created in Hawaii to celebrate the native humpback whales in 1980. Over the last 40 years, the annual event has become an international day to celebrate all whales. The day also aims to raise awareness of the risks whales face worldwide. Since 1980, the annual event has grown into a global occasion, promoting whale conservation and appreciation through events, educational programs, and eco-friendly initiatives.

World Whale Day Significance

World Whale Day serves as an excellent opportunity to highlight their plight and the threats they face due to rising ocean temperatures, plastic pollution, habitat destruction and more. Whales play a crucial role in maintaining the health of marine ecosystems. As apex predators, whales help maintain balance by controlling the populations of prey species such as krill and fish. They absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it in their bodies. When they die, their carcasses sink to the ocean floor, locking away carbon for centuries.

The major threats that whales face around the world are all directly linked to human behaviour. Commercial whaling in the twentieth century killed three million whales, massively reducing whale populations until it was largely banned in 1986.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 15, 2025 10:37 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).

February 15, 2025
‘Try and save face’: Top CFPB officials dismissed despite telling media they resigned, agency says

Three leaders at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) were placed on administrative leave Tuesday, Fox News Digital confirmed.

The Office of Management and Budget’s Chief Legal Officer Mark Paoletta placed Lorelei Salas, the CFPB’s supervision director, and Eric Halperin, the agency’s enforcement chief, and Zixta Martinez, the agency’s deputy director, on administrative leave, a CFPB spokesperson told Fox News Digital Tuesday.

The resignations come after acting director of the Office of Management and Budget, Russ Vought, told employees of CFPB on Monday to not report to work and to “get approval in writing before performing any work tasks.” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent briefly served as acting CFPB director before Vought earlier in February, and had also told staffers to halt their work “unless expressly approved by the Acting Director or required by law.”

The CFPB spokesperson told Fox News Digital that Halperin defied Bessent’s order and resigned in response to being placed on leave Tuesday. Halperin was made aware of his leave via an email and responded six minutes later that he was resigning, the New York Post reported earlier Tuesday.

RUSS VOUGHT, TAPPED AS CFPB’S ACTING DIRECTOR, DIRECTS BUREAU TO ISSUE NO NEW RULES, STOP NEW INVESTIGATIONS

A view of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) headquarters building in Washington, DC, on Feb. 10, 2025. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

“I write to provide notice of my resignation… Since the building is closed, please provide instructions on how to return my equipment,” Halperin reportedly responded to the email. “Thank you for the opportunity to serve. It was an honor.”

Salas also “sent out an email blast” in response to the notification she also was placed on leave, but did not officially file her resignation, the spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

RUSSELL VOUGHT CONFIRMED TO HEAD GOVERNMENT’S LEADING BUDGET OFFICE AFTER DEMS HOLD 30-HOUR PROTEST

The pair is claiming to reporters that they resigned, as opposed to being placed on leave, to “try and save face,” the spox added.

When approached for comment, a spokesperson for Salas told Fox Digital that the Trump administration was working to “sideline” government employees.

“As we’ve seen many times already, Trump and Musk are trying to sideline dedicated public servants who won’t go along with their plans to break the law,” the spokesperson said. “CFPB staff have a responsibility to protect consumers, and that includes upholding longstanding laws on the books.”

Fox News Digital attempted to reach Halperin via social media on Tuesday evening for comment, but did not immediately receive a reply.

Three leaders at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) were placed on administrative leave Tuesday, Fox News Digital confirmed. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

Both Halperin and Salas have ties to left-wing billionaire George Soros’ nonprofit, the Open Society Foundation, a CFPB press release from 2021 shows. Halperin served as a senior advisor to Open Society Foundations’ U.S. Program, his biography in a CFPB press release states, while Salas received a government fellowship from the Open Society Foundations.

FEDERAL WORKERS’ UNION FILES LAWSUITS TO STOP VOUGHT, DOGE ACTIVITY AT CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION BUREAU

The CFPB is an independent government agency charged with protecting consumers from unfair financial practices in the private sector. It was created in 2010 under the Obama administration following the financial crash in 2008.

Elon Musk is leading the Department of Government Efficiency. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

The Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk, has been investigating various federal agencies in February in search of finding and eliminating government overspending, fraud and corruption.

On Friday, Musk posted a message on X, reading, “CFPB RIP,” building anticipation that the agency was the next to face investigation.

Protests have since been staged outside of the of CFPB headquarters in Washington, including Democratic Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who originally proposed the agency, declaring on the streets, “We are here to fight back.”

Protests have since been staged outside of the of CFPB headquarters in Washington, including Democratic Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who originally proposed the agency, declaring on the streets, “We are here to fight back.” (Jemal Countess/Getty Images for MoveOn)

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“This is like a bank robber trying to fire the cops and turn off the alarm just before he strolls into the lobby,” Warren told the crowd on Monday.

“The financial cops, the CFPB, are there to make sure that Elon’s new project can’t scam you or steal your sensitive personal data,” Warren said. “So Elon’s solution, get rid of the cops, kill the CFPB.”

February 12, 2025
Elon Musk warns Federal Reserve may face DOGE audit

Varney & Co. host Stuart Varney reacts to Democrats attacks on Elon Musk over his federal budget cost-cutting efforts.

Billionaire Elon Musk on Sunday signaled that the Federal Reserve could face scrutiny as Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) continues to audit federal agencies and spending.

Musk wrote on X in response to a user’s post about the billionaire’s support for an audit of the Fed that the central bank isn’t above scrutiny from DOGE.

“All aspects of the government must be fully transparent and accountable to the people. No exceptions, including, if not especially, the Federal Reserve,” Musk wrote.

Musk is a longtime critic of the central bank and has called out its decisions on monetary policy as well as claiming the Fed’s workforce is bloated.

POWELL PUSHES BACK ON MUSK’S CLAIM FED IS ‘ABSURDLY OVERSTAFFED’

Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) leader Elon Musk warned the Federal Reserve could face an audit. (om Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images / Getty Images)

In May 2024, Musk posted that the “Fed has a crazy high number of employees.”

The billionaire CEO of Tesla and SpaceX also said last summer the Fed was too slow in cutting interest rates, writing on X in August that the Fed “needs to drop rates” and has been “foolish not to have done so already.”

The Fed would go on to cut rates in September in line with the market’s expectations, which it followed with further cuts in November and December.

FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS ELON MUSK’S DOGE FROM ACCESSING TREASURY RECORDS AFTER DEMOCRATIC AGS FILE LAWSUIT

Fed Chairman Jerome Powell pushed back on Musk’s claim that the central bank is “absurdly overstaffed.” (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images / Getty Images)

Fed Chair Jerome Powell was asked about Musk’s recent claim that the central bank’s workforce is “absurdly overstaffed” at a press conference last month following the central bank’s decision to leave rates steady at the current range of 4.25% to 4.5%.

“We run a very careful budget process where we’re fully aware. We owe that to the public, and we believe we do that. I’ve got no further comment on that, thanks,” Powell responded to FOX Business’ Edward Lawrence.

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February 10, 2025
‘Losing their minds’: Dem lawmakers face backlash for invoking ‘unhinged’ violent rhetoric against Musk

Several Democratic lawmakers drew the ire of conservatives on social media after showing up at a rally against Elon Musk’s DOGE efforts and riling up the crowd with disparaging comments about the Tesla CEO, including calling him a Nazi.

“Elon Musk is a Nazi nepo baby, a godless lawless billionaire, who no one elected,” Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., said at a rally outside the Treasury Department where protesters were speaking out against DOGE.

“Elon, this is the American people. This is not your trashy Cybertruck that you can just dismantle, pick apart, and sell the pieces of.”

At one point during her remarks, Pressley said, “We will see you in the court, in Congress, in the streets.”

MEET THE YOUNG TEAM OF SOFTWARE ENGINEERS SLASHING GOVERNMENT WASTE AT DOGE: REPORT

Democrats rallied against DOGE and Elon Musk on Tuesday. (Getty/AP)

“Elon Musk is seizing the power that belongs to the American people,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., said while shaking her fist alongside Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif. “We are here to fight back.”

“We are gonna be in your face, we are gonna be on your a–es, and we are going to make sure you understand what democracy looks like, and this ain’t it,” Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, said at the rally.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., was also in attendance and told the crowd that Musk’s DOGE efforts are “taking away everything we have.”

“God d—it shut down the Senate!” Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., said. “WE ARE AT WAR!”

Conservatives on social media quickly pushed back on the comments, with some accusing Pressley of inciting violence.

“These people are totally sane…,” Greg Price, Trump ’24 deputy rapid response director, sarcastically posted on X along with a supercut of clips from the rally.

FEDERAL PROSECUTOR VOWS TO PROTECT DOGE STAFFERS FROM ANY ‘THREATS, CONFRONTATIONS’ TARGETING MUSK TEAM

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, with Rep. Maxine Waters, speaks during a rally at the Treasury Department on Feb. 4, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Jemal Countess/Getty Images for MoveOn)

“THIS IS A CALL FOR VIOLENCE!” video journalist Nick Sortor posted on X in response to Pressley. “The DOJ MUST investigate this!”

“Rep Ayanna Pressley just called on her followers to agitate in the streets,” LibsofTikTok posted on X. “Typical Democrat doing what they do best: Calling for violence and chaos.”

“Democrat lawmakers are losing their minds now that their USAID scam is exposed,” conservative influencer Paul Szypula posted on X. “Pressley needs to be censured for inciting violence.”

“Making Jasmine Crockett the face of your party is certainly a choice and one I highly encourage,” Red State writer Bonchie posted on X.

“Rep. Jasmine Crockett is totally unhinged,” conservative commentator Ben Kew posted on X.

“A screeching Elizabeth ‘Pocahontas’ Warren says Elon Musk is ‘seizing power from the American people’ by not allowing congress members to waste taxpayer money,” Collin Rugg, co-owner of Trending Politics, posted on X. “I knew Trump’s 2nd presidency would be good but didn’t realize it would be this good.”

“This sounds like a call for insurrection to me,” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., posted on X in response to McIver. “CC: @TheJusticeDept @FBI.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the office of Reps. Pressley, Crockett and McIver.

The Democrat lawmakers have come out against Musk after he was granted access to a Treasury department called the Bureau of the Fiscal Service, which disburses trillions in payments each year, including Social Security checks and federal salaries, through DOGE, which is tasked with reducing federal spending.

Elon Musk is leading the Department of Government Efficiency. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

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“The @DOGE team discovered, among other things, that payment approval officers at Treasury were instructed always to approve payments, even to known fraudulent or terrorist groups,” Musk wrote on X in defense of his actions. “They literally never denied a payment in their entire career. Not even once.”

In a letter Tuesday to federal lawmakers, a Treasury Department official said a tech executive working with Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency will have “read-only access” to the government’s payment system.

Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano contributed to this report

Andrew Mark Miller is a reporter at Fox News. Find him on Twitter @andymarkmiller and email tips to [email protected].

February 5, 2025
RFK Jr. to face key committee vote that could determine confirmation fate

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will face a pivotal test on Tuesday morning as the Senate Finance Committee votes on his nomination to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

At 10 a.m., the committee will meet to consider President Donald Trump’s HHS pick, following his hearing last week.

The 27-member committee is composed of 14 Republican members and 13 Democrats. Kennedy will need a majority of the votes in order to advance out of the committee.

RFK JR SPENT WEEKEND TALKING TO KEY SENATOR WHO COULD MAKE OR BREAK HIS CONFIRMATION

Kennedy is Trump’s pick to lead HHS. (Getty Images)

He will likely need the support of every committee Republican, assuming no Democratic senators get behind him. No Democrats on the committee have said they plan to vote to advance Kennedy.

The HHS nominee has managed to get the support of two sometimes hesitant Republicans in Sens. Todd Young, R-Ind., and Thom Tillis, R-N.C., already.

SEN. TILLIS OPENS UP ABOUT ROLE IN PETE HEGSETH’S CONFIRMATION AFTER HEGSETH’S EX-SISTER-IN-LAW’S ALLEGATIONS

Tillis said he will vote to advance Kennedy. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

However, he will still need the vote of Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., a doctor who has expressed concerns over Kennedy’s claims about vaccines.

Kennedy spoke with Cassidy over the weekend, as the senator had foreshadowed during one of his hearings. Representatives for each did not divulge details of the last-minute conversations.

DEMS DISMISS CALLS FOR APOLOGY AFTER JEFFRIES VOWS ‘FIGHT’ AGAINST TRUMP AGENDA ‘IN THE STREETS’

Cassidy and Kennedy spoke over the weekend ahead of his crucial committee vote. (Reuters/Getty Images)

If Trump’s nominee isn’t advanced out of the committee, it’s unlikely that it will make it to the Senate floor for a vote.

Kennedy would become the first Trump nominee this term to hit such an obstacle, as the president’s other choices have been moving through the upper chamber and several have been confirmed and sworn in. Even Trump’s controversial Defense secretary pick, Pete Hegseth, made it past committee and ultimately was confirmed with Vice President JD Vance casting the tie-breaking vote.

ELIZABETH WARREN GRILLED RFK JR ON DRUG COMPANY MONEY, BUT RECEIVED OVER $5M FROM HEALTH INDUSTRY

Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard appears before the Senate Intelligence Committee for her confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025. (AP)

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However, if he does fail to clear the committee, he may not be the only Trump pick to hit such a roadblock.

In fact, on the same day, Trump’s choice to be Director of National Intelligence (DNI), Tulsi Gabbard, also faces the possibility of failing to get past her respective committee.

Julia Johnson is a politics writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business, leading coverage of the U.S. Senate. She was previously a politics reporter at the Washington Examiner.

Follow Julia’s reporting on X at @JuliaaJohnson_ and send tips to [email protected].

February 4, 2025