Tag: facing

  • Egg farmers facing the ‘worst bird flu outbreak’ in ‘history,’ industry leader fears

    Egg farmers facing the ‘worst bird flu outbreak’ in ‘history,’ industry leader fears

    American farmers and those in the agricultural business continue to reel over the spread of H5N1 bird flu, which apparently shows no sign of slowing to “disaster” status.

    “The real crisis is that we’re going through the worst bird flu outbreak that we’ve had in the last 10 years since 2015, potentially the worst bird flu outbreak that we’ve ever had in the history of this country,” Eggs Unlimited Vice President Brian Moscogiuri said on “Fox & Friends” Thursday.

    “We’ve lost 120 million birds since the beginning of 2022. In the last few months alone, since the middle of October, we’ve lost 45 million egg-laying hens,” he added. “We’ve lost a significant amount of production, more than 13%. So we’re just dealing with supply shortages. And it’s just a disaster right now because this virus is in three of the top egg-laying states in the country. It doesn’t seem like it’s stopping anytime soon.”

    According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), bird flu detections have been made in dairy cattle, wild birds, poultry flocks and other mammals, while 68 human cases have been confirmed as well as one death.

    EGG PRICES AREN’T COMING DOWN ANYTIME SOON, EXPERTS SAY

    Companies recently started imposing limits on egg sales as the shortage caused by outbreaks persists, causing a frenzy among shoppers. Droves of viral videos have surfaced in recent weeks, showing shoppers stockpiling eggs. One video posted on TikTok claimed that an entire section of eggs at a Costco was gone in less than 10 minutes.

    A grocery store worker rearranges items in the depleted egg section on January 23, 2025 in Miami, Florida. (Getty Images)

    Other grocery and restaurant chains like Trader Joe’s, Korger, Whole Foods and Waffle House have been limiting customer purchases or adding egg surcharges as the nationwide supply dwindles.

    “We’re just trying to figure out, and the farmers are trying to figure out, how the virus is getting in… there’s several different catalysts, including wild migratory birds that have been flying over the country in the fall, in the spring each year… And we’re also wondering, is it in the ground? Is it in the air on these farms? Some of these farms that have been able to clean out and are working on repopulating have actually been hit again,” Moscogiuri said.

    “The farms really need help in identifying where the virus is coming in from, and then,” he expanded, “solutions to stopping the virus so that they can repopulate, resupply and ultimately help to bring the egg prices back down.”

    Since January, average egg prices have risen 15% and are up 53% year-over-year, data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Bureau of Labor Statistics shows.

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    Eggs Unlimited is one of the largest international suppliers of eggs, servicing major retailers, distributors and food service companies while also serving as a sort of egg “broker,” according to Moscogiuri. 

    Business is understandably “difficult” right now, he said. 

    “There’s less eggs available. Right now, we’re really focused on making sure that our customers are getting the orders and their supply, and making sure that they have eggs on their shelves. For consumers, [we’re] trying to limit their impact with the pricing and the supply chain shortages that we’re currently seeing right now.”

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    FOX Business’ Daniella Genovese contributed to this report.

  • Republican AGs fight ‘freedom’s front line’ for Trump admin facing Dem lawsuits

    Republican AGs fight ‘freedom’s front line’ for Trump admin facing Dem lawsuits

    GOP state attorneys are taking on a renewed role during President Donald Trump’s second administration as “freedom’s front line,” Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA) incoming executive director Adam Piper told Fox News Digital, arguing that Democrats – deflated from losing control of both houses of Congress – are turning to left-leaning state attorneys to “undermine” the White House’s America First agenda.

    Right now, there are 29 Republican attorneys general in the United States who are “uniquely qualified to be the tip of the spear, to be freedom’s front line and be a foundation for the future and a foundation for freedom every single day,” Piper told Fox News Digital. “These men and women are working tirelessly to ensure their states are the safest places possible. But they’re also working tirelessly to defend freedom, to help President Trump to ensure the American people have the system of government they voted for, they expect, and they deserve one that is free and one that is fair.” 

    In Trump’s first three weeks in office, Democratic attorneys general have sued the Trump administration on several matters related to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). That includes New York Attorney General Letitia James leading 19 state attorneys in suing over DOGE leader Elon Musk’s access to Treasury Department records. U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer issued a preliminary injunction in that case Saturday. 

    TRUMP HAS HIGHER APPROVAL RATING THAN AT ANY POINT DURING FIRST TERM: POLL

    President Donald Trump speaks at the National Prayer Breakfast on Feb. 6, 2025. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

    Democratic attorneys general also partnered with the country’s largest federal labor unions to sue over Trump’s deferred resignation offer that would allow workers eight months of paid leave if they agree to leave their jobs voluntarily. 

    In turn, Montana’s Republican attorney general, Austin Knudsen, led 22 states in an amicus brief Sunday asking the court to deny a motion for a temporary restraining order and allow Trump to manage the federal workforce how he sees fit. U.S. District Judge George O’Toole in Boston federal court on Monday proceeded to push back the deadline a second time on Trump’s “Fork in the Road Directive,” which gives most federal employees the option to resign with pay and benefits until Sept. 30. 

    “During the Biden administration, Republican AGs were the last line of defense. We were the goal line stand, keeping the equivalent of a ‘tush push’ out of the end zone,” Piper told Fox News Digital. 

    “During the Trump administration, we have to play offense, defense and special teams,” he continued. “We have to be freedom’s front line. Working with the administration to ensure this DOGE regulatory reform agenda gets done, that we return to America’s Golden Age. But we also have to play defense and special teams. You’re going to see Democratic AGs take our playbook, bastardize it, and push back on the Trump administration. You will see states like New York and California get more aggressive, and Republican AGs are there to defend the rule of law, to promote freedom, and to ensure we work with President Trump to return America’s Golden Age.” 

    Letitia James press conference about Trump Organization case

    New York Attorney General Letitia James speaks following a verdict against former U.S. President Donald Trump in a civil fraud trial on Feb. 16, 2024. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

    As for the DOGE injunction led by James, Piper said it equates to “partisan gamesmanship from Democratic attorneys general who want to do everything possible to thwart President Trump’s agenda.” 

    “This is why Republican attorneys general are so critical to the success of the Trump administration in pushing back against Democratic attorneys general and their attempts to crowbar what President Trump and his team are trying to accomplish in Washington, D.C., which is returning freedom to the American people, returning government efficiency, eliminating fraud, waste and abuse,” he said. 

    REPUBLICAN AGS BACK TRUMP FEDERAL EMPLOYEE BUYOUT AS JUDGE DECIDES ‘FORK IN THE ROAD’ DIRECTIVE’S FATE

    Regarding James, in particular, Piper noted how New York’s attorney general led cases against Trump during his 2024 re-election campaign that are now defunct and have failed. 

    Bondi sworn in

    President Donald Trump speaks before Pam Bondi is sworn in as U.S. Attorney General in the Oval Office at the White House on Feb. 5, 2025.  (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

    “A lot of her push back on the Trump administration is more about political theater than it is the rule of law in a court of law,” he said. “And today and moving forward, you will see Republican attorneys general being President Trump’s best friend from a policy standpoint. We will be his best champion from a policy standpoint. There’s no more effective elected official in the United States than the state attorney general. We’re more effective than the members of Congress, more effective than U.S. senators, more effective than even governors… You know, we can push back on some of this lawfare that you’ll see from Democratic attorneys general.” 

    The Republican Attorneys General Association has seen alumni advance to the federal level in the Department of Justice. Most notably, that includes the newly sworn-in U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. Piper said he also hopes to see the Senate confirm Aaron Rice, an alum of the Texas Attorney General’s Office, to join the DOJ’s Office of Legal Policy. He noted 51 Republican attorneys general or staff alumni held Senate confirmed positions in the first Trump administration.

    “Republican attorneys general and their staffs are truly America’s farm team. You know where the best incubator of talent to ensuring President Trump has known conservative fighters who are willing to fight every day for the American people,” Piper said. “And from Attorney General Bondi. There’s no better person to be the attorney general of the United States of America.” 

    As RAGA looks ahead, Virginia Attorney General Jason Myares is defending his office this year in what’s expected to be a competitive race, and then 30 attorneys general races will be on the ballot in 2026. 

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    “There’s an urban myth that Richmond goes the opposite way of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. We are going to make sure that myth is just an urban myth and just a fable. Attorney General Jason Myers is truly one of our best when you look at the issues across the board. We will have probably an uphill battle,” Piper said. “Virginia is a state the Republicans carried by two points four years ago. We have to have a good ground game. We have to have a good turnout operation… We have to make sure voters in the Commonwealth of Virginia understand the importance of attorney general, understand the public safety issues and understand that they need someone who every day will ensure Virginia is the safest place to live, work and raise a family.”

  • Trump freezes aid to South Africa, promotes resettlement of refugees facing race discrimination

    Trump freezes aid to South Africa, promotes resettlement of refugees facing race discrimination

    President Donald Trump on Friday signed an executive order cutting all foreign aid to South Africa, citing concerns about the country “seizing” ethnic minority Afrikaners’ agricultural property without compensation.

    Trump alleged South Africa’s recently enacted Expropriation Act 13 of 2024 “dismantles equal opportunity in employment, education, and business.”

    The order notes “hateful rhetoric” and government actions have been “fueling disproportionate violence against racially disfavored landowners.”

    South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa, left, and U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump has criticized South Africa’s new land laws. (Evan Vucci/AP/RAJESH JANTILAL/AFP via Getty Images)

    SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT SIGNS CONTROVERSIAL LAND SEIZURE BILL, ERODING PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS 

    South African President Cyril Ramaphosa previously released a statement arguing that no land was confiscated.

    “We look forward to engaging with the Trump administration over our land reform policy and issues of bilateral interest,” according to the statement. “We are certain that out of those engagements, we will share a better and common understanding over these matters.”

    The act permits the country to take land for a public purpose or in the public interest, while offering just and equitable compensation. 

    However, Fox News Digital previously reported expropriation has yet to happen.

    Cyril Ramaphosa

    Cyril Ramaphosa waves as he arrives ahead of his inauguration as President, at the Union Buildings in Tshwane, South Africa, Wednesday, June 19, 2024. (Kim Ludbrook/Pool Photo via AP)

    Elon Musk, leader of the DOGE team, publicly commented on the matter, accusing Ramaphosa of having “openly racist ownership laws.

    The executive order also claims South Africa has taken “aggressive” positions toward the U.S. by accusing Israel of genocide – instead of Hamas, and “reinvigorating” its relationship with Iran to develop commercial, military, and nuclear arrangements.

    Table Mountain in South Africa

    Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa, is pictured in July 2023. (Xabiso Mkhabela/Xinhua via Getty Images)

    INCOMING TRUMP ADMIN, CONGRESS SHOWDOWN LOOMS WITH SOUTH AFRICA OVER SUPPORT FOR RUSSIA, US FOES

    Pointing to those concerns, the executive order states the U.S. cannot support the South African government’s alleged commission of rights violations.

    In addition to eliminating aid and assistance, the order notes the U.S. will promote the resettlement of Afrikaner refugees escaping government-sponsored, race-based discrimination -which includes racially discriminatory property confiscation.

    The Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security will prioritize humanitarian relief, including admission and resettlement through the United States Refugee Admissions Program, according to the order.

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    Fox News Digital’s Paul Tilsley contributed to this story.

  • Tom Brady speaks glowingly of his parents, gives advice on facing challenges

    Tom Brady speaks glowingly of his parents, gives advice on facing challenges

    Seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady spoke glowingly about his parents and provided great advice for young people who hope to follow in his footsteps one day.

    FOX’s NFL lead analyst appeared on “Fox & Friends” and recalled a moment before Super Bowl LI against the Atlanta Falcons when he mentioned that his father, Tom Sr., was his hero. Brady was emotional when talking to reporters before that game, and he explained on Friday that his father was helping his mom, Galynn, go through breast cancer treatments at the time.

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    Tom Brady was the star of the show at the Netflix Is A Joke Fest, “The Greatest Roast Of All Time: Tom Brady.” (Monica Schipper/Getty Images)

    “I was so blessed to have a mom and dad that supported my athletic and career journey every step of the way, and, I had a great foundation about family and about commitment, support for one another,” Brady said. “At the time, my mom was battling breast cancer, and my dad was there supporting my mom through her treatments. And it was a very challenging time for our family. 

    “And I just think about my dad and the commitment that he’s made to her, to my sisters, to myself, to his grandkids. And, he’s the greatest man I’ve ever known. And I still feel that way. I try to make him proud in everything that I do. And, when you have an example like that, like I did with my dad, I can just take what he taught me and try to be that kind of dad that I am for my kids.”

    Brady, throughout his career, set a high bar for himself to clear. He wasn’t the best player going from high school to college and was far from the best college football quarterback when he was at Michigan.

    In the NFL, he was a sixth-round draft pick with very little professional expectations as he started as a backup to Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe. He may have even become a baseball player if he had wanted to, as the Montreal Expos selected him in the MLB Draft.

    As he never wavered in his commitment to be the best, he said his parents never wavered either. It was the belief system they instilled in him that helped him believe in himself.

    Tom Brady in the Super Bowl

    Tom Brady appeared on “Fox & Friends.” (Donald Miralle/Getty Images)

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    “I was just like a normal American kid that wanted to grow up and chase my dreams. And I would say my parents, they never kind of tempered my expectations for what I thought I could accomplish when I wanted to go to Michigan,” he said. “They didn’t think, ‘Oh, it might be too hard for you. You should probably pick a school where maybe you’re going to go play earlier, play a freshman.’ I always had this belief that I could do it, and my parents said the whole time, you could do it, absolutely. 

    “I was one of the slowest players at the NFL combine when I got drafted by the New England Patriots. And my mom, you say, honey, you are so fast. You get out there on that field and you can run. And certainly, I know I couldn’t. I said, mom, I love you. You’re very biased toward your own son,” he added. “But I think the reality is, there was never a plan B for me. I never had to deal with that. And I think they supported me. 

    “And I got to believe in myself, because you need people to believe in you, even when you don’t always have the most confidence in yourself. And if you’re surrounded by people that love you, that are there for you when you fail. Because the reality is, in life, when we try things that are very difficult, we do fail because they’re hard. And when they’re hard and you overcome them, you learn a lot about yourself. And if you can apply those things going forward to accomplish what you want, you’re going to gain a lot of self-esteem and a lot of self-confidence. 

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    Tom Brady in Seattle

    Oct. 27, 2024; Seattle, Washington: FOX commentator Tom Brady stands on the sidelines before a game between the Seattle Seahawks and Buffalo Bills at Lumen Field. (Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images)

    “I just felt that trying things that were outside of my comfort zone ended up being the best things in my life. And having parents that supported me when I did fail, that was the biggest blessing in my life.”

    “Fox & Friends” co-host Brian Kilmeade asked whether part of Brady’s success on the field was having the chip on his shoulder from being a sixth-round pick back in 2000.

    Brady said “absolutely.”

    “I feel like overcoming those challenges and adversities that I had, whether it was in high school and college, allowed me to be the professional athlete that I was,” he said. “I learned a lot of things through failing that a lot of guys didn’t learn through high school and college because they were the best athletes. So, these sustainable qualities that you have as an athlete, like your work ethic, like your discipline, like your determination and competitiveness, those are what people would call into tangibles, because we can go measure physical strength or speed or all the things that are important, but in the end, they’re not sustainable over the course of a 23-year career.”

    Brady lamented what top high school and college athletes are going through now with the advent of the transfer portal and name, image and likeness.

    “And I look at what we’re doing to college kids and high school kids, and we make it so easy on them. Now, if you don’t like where you’re at, go somewhere else where you can play, and it goes from being, let’s say, college or high school, a transformational experience to a transactional experience,” he said. “And you’re always trying to transform yourself into something a little bit more, into a little bit better version of yourself. But when you make it easy on yourself, in the end, you’re doing yourself a disservice, because you’re not challenging yourself to get outside your comfort zone. 

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    Super Bowl LIX will be streamed on Tubi. (Tubi)

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    “And if you get outside your comfort zone, you’re going to realize like, ‘Oh man, I’m kind of on my own, but I’ve got people that support me, but how do I figure this out?’ And part of that figuring it out is to dig a little deeper within yourself and to develop a better work ethic, to be a little more bit more disciplined in what you’re doing and to be more determined to accomplish it every single day. And if you cheat that, in the end you cheat yourself, and you’re never going to accomplish your goals, you’re going to be settling for your plan B’s your entire life.”

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  • Who is Samantha Power? Meet the Biden-era USAID leader facing backlash amid Musk’s DOGE crackdown

    Who is Samantha Power? Meet the Biden-era USAID leader facing backlash amid Musk’s DOGE crackdown

    The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has recently become the target of Elon Musk’s DOGE efforts to slash government waste and spending, bringing increased scrutiny to the record of Samantha Power, the agency’s administrator during almost the entire Biden administration.

    Power, who previously served as the United States ambassador to the United Nations from 2013 to 2017 in the Obama administration after serving on his National Security Council, took the reins of USAID in the early days of the Biden administration and was tasked with overseeing the tens of billions of dollars budgeted for foreign aid. 

    “One of the most pressing challenges facing our nation is restoring and strengthening America’s global leadership as a champion of democracy, human rights, and the dignity of all people,” then-Vice President-elect Kamala Harris said in a statement at the time of Power’s appointment. “Few Americans are better equipped to help lead that work than Ambassador Samantha Power.”

    Power was directly involved in the Obama administration’s surveillance of Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and sought to obtain Michael Flynn’s redacted identity using an “unmasking” request on at least seven occasions, Fox News Digital previously reported, despite testifying under oath before the House Intelligence Committee that she had “no recollection” of ever making such a request even once.

    USAID CLOSES HQ TO STAFFERS MONDAY AS MUSK SAYS TRUMP SUPPORTS SHUTTING AGENCY DOWN

    Samantha Power led USAID from 2021-2025. (Getty Images)

    Fox News reported in 2017 that Power was “unmasking” at such a rapid pace in the final months of the Obama administration that she averaged more than one request for every working day in 2016, and she even sought information in the days leading up to President Trump’s inauguration, according to multiple sources close to the matter.

    Power’s tenure at USAID was also not without controversy, even from her own party, including an incident in which she faced a public revolt from current and former staff in 2024 over her support of Israel.

    Critics also took issue with her repeatedly meeting with influential liberal foundations while serving in her role at USAID, which Fox News Digital reported in 2023, included George Soros’ Open Society Foundations at least two times, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation at least five times, and meetings with several other powerful groups like Ford and Rockefeller foundations. 

    Power’s supporters say she has played a critical role in providing U.S. assistance to war-torn areas like Ukraine and Gaza along with aiding the relief of humanitarian crises that have developed in places like Haiti, Armenia and Sudan. 

    “The best testament to USAID’s contribution is the surge in PRC-backed and Russian-backed propaganda maligning USAID and our work around the world,” Power said in an exit interview with Politico last month. “And it’s really picked up a lot over the last year and a half. We counted 81 malicious and false propaganda campaigns, really dedicated campaigns, aimed at denigrating USAID and our reputation. So we’re doing something that is getting on their nerves.”

    USAID HAS ‘DEMONSTRATED PATTERN OF OBSTRUCTIONISM,’ CLAIMS TOP DOGE REPUBLICAN IN LETTER TO RUBIO

    Samantha Power

    Samantha Power, administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, delivers a speech during a visit to El Salvador on June 14, 2021. (REUTERS/Jose Cabezas)

    Power, who is married to former Obama administration official and professor Cass Sunstein, added, “We are an agency that has thousands of people around the world representing the United States, both because it’s in the interests of the American people to have health systems that are more secure and can spot infectious diseases and tackle them, to change regulations so it’s easier for American businesses to invest, but also to show up and to show the importance of investing in the partnership — and not investing in a manner that just leaves countries saddled with debt.”

    USAID has been increasingly questioned by Republicans over its alleged funding of research relating to the coronavirus at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China, as well as millions in aid that supports LGBT rights abroad and dozens of millions of dollars for migrant crises in other countries, like the nearly $45 million slated to provide emergency food assistance and economic support for Venezuelan migrants in Colombia.

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

    Elon Musk

    Elon Musk speaks during an America PAC town hall on Oct. 26, 2024, in Lancaster, Pa. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

    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.

    Tech billionaire and DOGE Chair Elon Musk has been on a warpath against USAID, which is an independent U.S. agency that was established under the Kennedy administration to administer economic aid to foreign nations, as he leads DOGE’s mission of cutting government fat and overspending at the federal level. 

    Musk announced in an audio-only message on X over the weekend that “we’re in the process” of “shutting down USAID.”

    “On Friday, February 7, 2025, at 11:59 pm (EST) all USAID direct hire personnel will be placed on administrative leave globally, with the exception of designated personnel responsible for mission-critical functions, core leadership and specially designated programs,” USAID’s website currently says. “Essential personnel expected to continue working will be informed by Agency leadership by Thursday, February 6, at 3:00pm (EST).”

    A Fox News Digital review of USAID’s recent history shows that it has repeatedly been accused of financial mismanagement and corruption long before Trump’s second administration, with spending that took place under Power’s reign likely to continue to be a focus of conversation with Republicans.

    flag of the United States Agency for International Development

    The USAID flag flies in front of the USAID office in Washington on Feb. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

    Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., sent a letter to Power in October 2024, sounding the alarm on the “likely misuse of more than one billion dollars in U.S. humanitarian aid sent to Gaza since October 2023,” Fox Digital reported at the time. 

    A Syrian national named Mahmoud Al Hafyan, 53, was charged in November 2024 for allegedly diverting more than $9 million in U.S.-funded humanitarian aid to terrorist groups, including the Al-Nusrah Front. The Al-Nusrah Front, also known as Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, is a designated terrorist organization with ties to al-Qaeda, according to the State Department.

    The Government Accountability Office published a report in 2023 finding that both USAID and the National Institutes of Health directed taxpayer funds to American universities and a nonprofit organization before the money found its way to Chinese groups, including the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

    Eight auditors and employees for the USAID inspector general’s office sounded the alarm to the Washington Post in 2014 that negative findings surrounding the agency’s work were removed from final reports and audits.

    Trump repeatedly proposed slashing the nation’s foreign aid budget for USAID and the State Department during his first administration, including proposing in his first year in office to slash the budgets by 37%, which Congress rejected. 

    “With $20 trillion in debt, the government must learn to tighten its belt,” Trump said in 2017 while advocating for the cuts.

    Elon Musk at Congress

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

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    Power sat down with late-night host Stephen Colbert on Tuesday night and defended USAID’s work and warned against shutting it down, claiming that children overseas in line for tuberculosis treatment were told to go home as a result of Trump’s executive order.

    “Programs that were running, the people we’re depending on, in some cases, for life-saving medicine, like medicine, if you have HIV, that keeps you alive, quite literally,” Power told Colbert. “Or if you’re in Sudan and you have a child who’s wasting away because of malnutrition, a miracle paste, a peanut paste that USAID provides brings that kid back from the brink of death. All of those programs are shuttered.”

    Democrat lawmakers took part in a rally against DOGE on Tuesday outside the Treasury Department, arguing that Musk’s actions are unconstitutional and a threat to Democracy. 

    “My heart is with the people out on the street outside USAID, but my head tells me, ‘Man, Trump will be well satisfied to have this fight,’” veteran strategist David Axelrod, who served with Power in the Obama administration, said this week. “When you talk about cuts, the first thing people say is: Cut foreign aid.”

    Fox News Digital’s Caitlin McFall, Emma Colton and Gregg Re contributed to this report

  • Trump facing first test in Africa amid bloody battles ‘over electric vehicle battery minerals’ 

    Trump facing first test in Africa amid bloody battles ‘over electric vehicle battery minerals’ 

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    JOHANNESBURG- Fighting reportedly over minerals needed for electric cars and mobile phones has become the Trump administration’s first real foreign affairs test in Africa. 

    Bodies lie rotting in the streets, and hospitals have been overwhelmed with casualties in Goma, a city of 2 million people in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). M23 rebels, backed, the United Nations and other sources say, by neighboring Rwanda, are said to have taken over the city. 

    “The M23 appears to have taken control of a significant portion of the city following intense fighting with the Congolese army,” The United Nation’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) stated Wednesday, adding, “Reports have emerged of looting of shops, offices, and warehouses belonging to humanitarian organizations, while heavy gunfire and explosions have been heard in various parts of the city.” 

    OCHA added “Local sources believe the civilian casualties are significant, although [an] assessment is yet to be conducted.” Thirteen South African peacekeeping troops have been killed over the past week.

    13 UN PEACEKEEPERS, ALLIED SOLDIERS DEAD IN CONGO AS M23 REBELS MAKE GAINS IN KEY CITY

    March 23 Movement (M23) rebels gather for large-scale protests as they set on fire the Rwandan, French, Belgian and Kenyan embassy buildings and loot some shopping centers during anti-Rwandan demonstrations allegedly supported by M23 and rebels in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo on Jan. 28, 2025. (Chris Milosi/Anadolu via Getty Images)

    Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho., recently stated in part that, “The M23 must immediately stop their advance on Goma, and all parties must cease hostilities, restore unhindered humanitarian access, and honor their commitments.”

    In the DRC’s capital, 10 foreign embassies, including the U.S. mission, have been attacked. Some, including the French Embassy, have been set on fire.

    “The M23 or March 23 Movement is a Tutsi-led and eastern-DRC based insurgent movement born around 2012”, Frans Cronje, adviser at the U.S. Yorktown Foundation for Freedom, told Fox News Digital. He added “The ensuing conflict has been sustained for more than 3 decades, in large part as a consequence of the extraordinary mineral wealth of the DRC.”

    Cronje, who also advises corporations and government departments on economic and political trajectory, continued. “According to a United Nations report, M23 has raised significant sums from ‘taxing’ minerals mined in areas under its control – a practice common to armed groups operating in the DRC.”

    US President Donald Trump speaks about the mid-air crash between American Airlines flight 5342 and a military helicopter in Washington

    President Donald Trump speaks about the midair crash between American Airlines Flight 5342 and a military helicopter in Washington, in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on Jan. 30, 2025 in Washington, D.C. Trump was later asked about the violence in the DRC and called it a “very serious problem.” (Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images)

    This is borne out by a 160-page report commissioned by the U.N. Security Council from their “Group of Experts on the Democratic Republic of the Congo”, and presented to the council late last year.

    The report states M23 and Rwanda Defence Force operatives in the DRC captured “the Rubaya mining sites – one of the world’s largest sources of coltan – a mineral used in EV batteries – on 30 April 2024.” 

    M23 rebels patrol in Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo, on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025.

    M23 rebels patrol in Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo, on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa)

    The U.N. report says the M23 joined up with another rebel group, the AFC (the Congo River Alliance), “and levied taxes and in-kind payments on the sale and transport of minerals. The tax on a kilogram of coltan and manganese was $7, while the tax on tin (cassiterite) was $4 per kilogram. AFC/M23 thus collected at least $800,000 monthly from the taxation of coltan production and trade in Rubaya.”

    Cronje pointed out this week that there are other precious metals M23 has its eyes on too. “The DRC accounts for between 70-80% of the world’s Cobalt production. Cobalt’s importance is such that the U.S. Department of Energy has listed it as one of seven minerals essential to U.S. economic competitiveness, while the Department of Defense identified cobalt as having ‘critical’ applications. Alongside that, the DRC is the third-largest producer of copper in the world, accounting for about 11% of global production.”

    President Donald Trump spoke about the fighting on Thursday. “It is a very serious problem. I agree, but I don’t think it’s appropriate right now to talk about it,” when asked about it during a briefing on the deadly airline crash in Washington, D.C., on Thursday afternoon. 

    BIDEN ADMIN’S DRIVE FOR GREEN ENERGY LEADS TO ACCUSATIONS OF FORCED CHILD LABOR MINING FOR EV BATTERY METALS

    Boy in blue shirt and shorts and another person digging in a mine for cobalt in Democratic Republic of the Congo

    Boys said to be mining for cobalt in a mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo. (ILO/UNICEF)

    However, the State Department is speaking on the issue, calling for a ceasefire. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Rwandan President Paul Kagame, “the United States is deeply troubled by [the] escalation of the ongoing conflict in eastern DRC, particularly the fall of Goma to the Rwandan backed M23 armed group,” spokesperson Tammy Bruce stated, adding “the secretary urged an immediate ceasefire in the region and for all parties to respect sovereign territorial integrity,” adding that the overriding goal of the United States is a durable peace that addresses security concerns and lays the foundation for a thriving regional economy.” 

    Kagame responded on X, posting that his conversation with Rubio was “productive.” He said it covered “the need to ensure a ceasefire in (the) Eastern DRC, and address the root causes of the conflict once and for all.”

    Kagame added, “I look forward to working with the Trump Administration to create the prosperity and security that the people of our region deserve.”

    “The M23 conflict is indeed about minerals, but more so Rwandan ambition to control and administer much of Congo’s North Kivu”, Bill Roggio, editor of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ Long War Journal, told Fox News Digital. “Rwanda would like to control not only the minerals, but also the entire trade in the region, and flex its muscles as a new regional powerhouse in central and East Africa. Rwanda also claims it is about border security, but really it’s more about its own geopolitical ambitions in the region.”

    Roggio continued, saying that it “is somewhat related to the Biden administration’s inability to bring both Congo and Rwanda to the table and negotiate real settlements, either through the Luanda Process or the earlier Nairobi Process.” He added “especially it is a failure to put enough pressure on Rwanda to pull back its support for M23, as the Obama administration had accomplished in 2012 when M23 previously captured Goma, but were forced to withdraw after the U.S. pressured Rwanda.”

    For the new administration, there is a chance here to make positive steps towards a positive legacy in Africa. Michael Rubin told Fox News Digital, “For Trump and Rubio, they have the opportunity to do something different that could fix the problem permanently.” 

    Rubin is a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, and in 2024 embedded for several weeks with the M23 rebels. 

    INCOMING TRUMP ADMIN, CONGRESS SHOWDOWN LOOMS WITH SOUTH AFRICA OVER SUPPORT FOR RUSSIA, US FOES

    Members of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo ride on a pickup truck. They are armed, dressed in military fatigues, and wearing the blue helmets characteristic of U.N. forces.

    Members of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) ride on a pickup truck as they secure the evacuation of non-essential UN staff, following the fight between M23 rebels and the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in Goma, North Kivu province, Democratic Republic of Congo, on January 25, 2025. (Reuters/Arlette Bashizi TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)

    Rubin continued, “What we’ve had for too long is that old definition of insanity: doing the same thing repeatedly, but expecting different results. There’s been two Congo wars, and if we try to apply the same band-aid to a sucking chest wound this time, there will be a third.”

    The blame should rest not on Rwanda, Rubin believes, but on the DRC. “The narrative that the DRC is the victim and Rwanda and Uganda aggressors is tired. The problem is Kinshasa. If Tshisekedi (Felix Tshisekedi, DRC President) can stop armed groups in the south, he can do so in the east as well. He turned to ethnic incitement to distract from incompetent government; that never ends well.”

    Rubin added that “the arguments about Rwanda looting the region are not valid. Businessmen in North Kivu, are blunt: Rwanda and Uganda charge less in customs duties than Kinshasa extracts in taxes. Kinshasa cries wolf because Kigali outcompetes them. If Kinshasa wanted businessmen to turn to them, try lowering taxes and building plants to turn raw materials into something with higher sale value.”

    China and Russia stand on the sidelines, waiting to choose who they dance with to get the DRC’s minerals. China has spoken out against the M23. It threatens their mining interests in the country. Additionally, soldiers from Russia’s Africa Corps, the former Wagner Group’s private army of mercenaries, have been seen in Goma, propping up the DRC’s soldiers against the M23. 

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    Cronje told Fox News Digital Russia and China are poised to potentially support the winner, saying “the geostrategic importance of the region is such that all global powers have an interest in influencing the balance of power in eastern DRC either directly or indirectly.”

  • AI startup DeepSeek facing hack, blocks questions about CCP

    AI startup DeepSeek facing hack, blocks questions about CCP

    DeepSeek is temporarily limiting new user registrations amid what the China-based artificial intelligence (AI) startup is calling “large-scale malicious attacks,” while users who have begun using its AI assistant note it won’t discuss topics that are politically sensitive in China, including the Tiananmen Square massacre.

    DeepSeek’s announcement of a new AI model last week that touted a comparable performance to OpenAI’s ChatGPT at a lower cost than U.S. peers spurred a surge in interest that propelled its AI assistant to the top of the Apple App Store ahead of ChatGPT.

    The sudden emergence of what’s perceived as a challenger to U.S. firms’ AI edge prompted a sell-off of leading tech stocks on Monday, while DeepSeek found itself battling a cyberattack and taking steps to curb sign-ups as it deals with those issues.

    “Due to large-scale malicious attacks on DeepSeek’s services, we are temporarily limiting registrations to ensure continued service,” DeepSeek wrote in a post on the company’s status web page. “Existing users can log in as usual. Thanks for your understanding and support.”

    WHAT IS CHINESE AI STARTUP DEEPSEEK?

    Chinese AI startup DeepSeek is facing what it calls “large-scale malicious attacks” that disrupted its services. (Getty Images)

    As of early afternoon on Monday, DeepSeek reported a partial outage with its web chat service along with degraded performance of its application programming interface. It also noted recent issues related to logins and sign-ups that occurred earlier on Monday and were resolved. DeepSeek hasn’t released more information about the nature of the cyberattack or when it plans to restore user sign-ups as of Monday afternoon.

    DeepSeek released its R1 model last week, which the company said is 20 to 50 times cheaper to use than OpenAI’s o1 model, depending on the task, according to a post on DeepSeek’s official WeChat account.

    CHINESE APP DEEPSEEK HAMMERS US STOCKS WITH CHEAPER OPEN-SOURCE AI MODEL

    DeepSeek AI

    DeepSeek’s AI assistant app leaped to the top of the Apple App Store after its release last week. (Christoph Dernbach/picture alliance via Getty Images)

    The model’s release prompted some figures in the tech sector to observe that DeepSeek’s model is a challenge to OpenAI and other U.S. leaders in the AI sector that have invested billions into developing AI models and expanding the chip infrastructure used to do so.

    Jack Clark, the co-founder of AI startup Anthropic, wrote in his “Import AI” newsletter, “R1 is significant because it broadly matches OpenAI’s o1 model on a range of reasoning tasks and challenges the notion that Western AI companies hold a significant lead over Chinese ones.”

    Marc Andreessen, co-founder and general partner of venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, wrote in a post on X that “Deepseek R1 is AI’s Sputnik moment.”

    While DeepSeek’s emergence has shaken up the global tech sector, users who are trying out the app have reported that the app appears to block responses about the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and politically sensitive topics.

    SILICON VALLEY PRAISING CHINESE AI STARTUP DEEPSEEK: ‘PROFOUND’ GIFT TO THE WORLD’

    Xi Jinping CCP

    DeepSeek’s AI chatbot declined to respond to questions about Chinese leader Xi Jinping as well as other politically sensitive topics in China, like the Tiananmen Square massacre, Taiwan’s independence and Uyghur persecution. (Florence Lo/Pool/AFP via Getty Images/File)

    FOX Business confirmed that when DeepSeek’s AI chatbot was asked about what happened during the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests that ended with a violent crackdown by the Chinese military, the chatbot responded, “Sorry, that’s beyond my current scope. Let’s talk about something else.” The DeepSeek chatbot offered the same response to a query about whether Chinese President Xi Jinping is a good leader. 

    When prompted with a question about the Uyghurs – a Muslim minority group that primarily resides in China’s Xinjiang region and has reportedly faced mass human rights abuses at the hands of the CCP – the DeepSeek app initially appeared to post a lengthy response acknowledging that it’s a contentious topic. However, it stopped typing, and the response disappeared and was replaced by its message about the topic being beyond its current scope.

    DeepSeek’s chatbot was also asked whether Taiwan, a self-governing democratic nation that has been independent since the end of the Chinese Civil War, is a country. The CCP has vowed to compel Taiwan’s reunification with mainland China, by force if necessary.

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    “Taiwan is an inalienable part of China and there is no such thing as ‘Taiwan independence.’ The Chinese government adheres to the One-China principle and opposes any form of ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist activities. We are committed to achieving the complete reunification of the motherland through peaceful means and have always promoted the peaceful development of cross-strait relations. This is the common aspiration of all Chinese people,” DeepSeek’s chatbot wrote.

    U.S. House Select Committee on the CCP Chair John Moolenaar, R-Mich., said in a statement, “DeepSeek – a new AI model controlled by the Chinese Communist Party – openly erases the CCP’s history of atrocities and oppression. The U.S. cannot allow CCP models such as DeepSeek to risk our national security and leverage our technology to advance their AI ambitions. We must work to swiftly place stronger export controls on technologies critical to DeepSeek’s AI infrastructure.”

    FOX Business’ Madison Alworth and Chase Williams contributed to this report.

  • Target facing retribution at home for rolling back DEI intiatives

    Target facing retribution at home for rolling back DEI intiatives

    Target’s decision to scale back its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs is being met with backlash from the LGBTQ+ community on the Minneapolis-headquartered retailer’s home turf.

    Target announced Friday that it will implement some changes to its “Belonging at the Bullseye” strategy, including ending its three-year DEI goals and ending its Racial Equity Action and Change (REACH) initiatives in 2025, as planned.

    Shopping carts outside a Target store in Albany, California, US, on Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. Target Corp. is facing pushback from the LGBTQ+ community in its hometown for scaling back on DEI. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)

    Then over the weekend, organizers of the Twin Cities Pride Festival — of which Target has been a longtime sponsor — said the retailer is no longer welcome.

    Andi Otto, Twin Cities Pride executive director, told MPR News that he made the decision to boot Target from any involvement in this year’s festivities due to their rolling back their DEI initiatives.

    WHAT CAUSED THE REVOLT AGAINST DEI IN AMERICA?

    “In the current climate that we are having to live in as a community, I made the decision that it would not be in the best interest of our community to have Target’s presence at Pride or the parade this year,” Otto told the outlet.

    Target Pride merchandise

    Signage for Target Corp.’s “#TakePride” initiative sits above products displayed for sale at a company store in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., on Monday, May 16, 2016.  (Getty Images / Getty Images)

    Ticker Security Last Change Change %
    TGT TARGET CORP. 142.49 +4.62 +3.35%

    Twin Cities Pride also announced on social media that it had “made the bold decision to part ways with Target as a sponsor,” noting that the “choice means losing $50,000 in funding.” 

    A fundraiser posted by the group had earned nearly $28,000 of its $50,000 goal as of this writing.

    COSTCO SHAREHOLDERS REJECT ANTI-DEI MEASURE

    Target did not immediately respond to FOX Business’ request for comment on Twin City Pride’s decision.

    Target announced the rollback of its DEI programs following President Donald Trump’s executive order to review such initiatives. The move adds Target to a growing list of companies scaling back or eliminating their DEI efforts as these programs come under increased scrutiny.

    A slew of companies, including Amazon, Lowe’s, Meta, McDonald’s, American Airlines and Boeing, have pulled back on their DEI programs over the past year amid pressure.

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    However, some companies, such as Costco, have resisted activist pressure, publicly reaffirming their commitment to maintaining DEI policies.

  • Robotic dog helps those facing mental health and cognitive challenges

    Robotic dog helps those facing mental health and cognitive challenges

    U.S. robotics company Tombot has introduced Jennie, an innovative AI-powered robotic pet designed to provide comfort and companionship to those facing cognitive health challenges.

    This groundbreaking creation is set to transform the lives of millions struggling with dementia, mild cognitive impairment and various mental health issues.

    AI-powered robotic dog. (Tombot)

    The birth of Jennie

    Jennie’s inception stems from a personal tragedy experienced by Tombot CEO Tom Stevens. When his mother, Nancy, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, the family had to make the heart-wrenching decision to rehome her beloved dog, Golden Bear. 

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    This difficult choice led to increased loneliness and depression for Nancy. Recognizing the widespread need for a solution, Stevens founded Tombot with the mission to create a robotic companion that could provide the emotional benefits of pet ownership without the associated challenges.

    Jennie the AI dog 2

    AI-powered robotic dog with its companion. (Tombot)

    5 NEW INNOVATIONS TO HELP SENIORS LIVE BETTER

    Cutting-edge design and technology

    Jennie’s lifelike appearance is the result of a collaboration with Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, renowned for creating the iconic Muppets. This artistic partnership has resulted in a hyperrealistic Labrador retriever puppy that captures the essence of a real dog.

    Jennie features an impressive array of interactive technologies designed to create a lifelike and engaging companion experience. The robotic puppy features sophisticated interactive touch sensors strategically placed across its body, allowing it to respond authentically to human touch and interaction. When a user pets or touches Jennie, the advanced sensor technology enables nuanced, realistic reactions that mimic a real puppy’s behavior.

    Voice command recognition technology allows Jennie to understand and respond to verbal instructions, creating an incredibly realistic puppy-like interaction. Users can give commands like “speak” or “sit,” and Jennie will react accordingly, providing a sense of genuine companionship and responsiveness.

    WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)?

    To enhance its authenticity, Jennie’s sounds are meticulously crafted from actual recordings of 8- to 10-week-old Labrador puppies. These genuine puppy sounds create an incredibly immersive experience, making interactions feel remarkably true to life and emotionally engaging.

    The robotic puppy is engineered for practical, everyday use with an impressive all-day battery life. Users can simply plug Jennie in overnight, similar to charging a smartphone, ensuring the companion is ready for full daily interaction without interruption.

    A dedicated smartphone app provides users with extensive customization options. Through this digital interface, owners can name their Jennie, personalize its functionality and track daily interactions, adding another layer of personal connection to the robotic pet experience.

    Tombot is committed to continuous improvement, offering regular software updates that will introduce new behaviors and commands. This approach ensures that Jennie remains dynamic and evolving, with the potential for expanding capabilities over time through simple app-based upgrades.

    Jennie the AI dog 3

    AI-powered robotic dog specs. (Tombot)

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    The impact of Jennie on mental health

    Jennie was specifically designed to address the needs of individuals facing various health challenges:

    Dementia and mild cognitive impairment: Peer-reviewed studies suggest that robotic animals can help ease symptoms such as hallucinations and aggressive outbursts.

    Anxiety and depression: Jennie provides comfort and support for those struggling with mental health issues.

    Loneliness: The robotic puppy offers companionship to seniors and others experiencing isolation.

    Stress: Jennie can help alleviate psychological stress in long-term hospital patients.

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    Jennie the AI dog 4

    AI-powered robotic dog. (Tombot)

    BEST TECH FOR SENIORS

    Future prospects

    Tombot aims to register Jennie as an FDA-regulated medical device, potentially expanding its use in hospitals and care facilities. With over 7,500 preorders from homes, hospitals and care centers, Jennie is poised to make a significant impact in the field of robotic companionship.

    Jennie the AI dog 5

    AI-powered robotic dog. (Tombot)

    A cost-effective alternative

    Priced at $449, Jennie offers an affordable and accessible alternative to live pet ownership. This is particularly beneficial for those who cannot safely or practically care for a real animal due to health or living conditions. To join the Jennie waitlist, prospective owners can click the link on Tombot’s website, and the company will directly contact you with specific pricing details and shipping availability as the next production batch approaches.

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    Jennie the AI dog 6

    Companion with AI-powered robotic dog with its companion. (Tombot)

    Kurt’s key takeaways

    Jennie represents a significant step forward in addressing the emotional and companionship needs of those facing cognitive and mental health challenges. By combining cutting-edge technology with a compassionate approach, Tombot has created a solution that could improve the quality of life for millions of people worldwide.

    Do you think AI robotic companions like Jennie could provide genuine comfort and emotional support in your life or the life of a loved one? Why or why not? Let us know what you think by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact

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