Happy New Year 2025

Tag: federal

Non-profits, health and LGBTQ advocacy groups sue Trump admin over federal aid freeze

A handful of non-profit organizations and health associations, including an LGBTQ+ advocacy group, filed a lawsuit Tuesday over the Trump administration’s directive to freeze federal aid.

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday afternoon in Washington, D.C., federal court, was launched by the National Council of Nonprofits, the American Public Health Association, the Main Street Alliance, and SAGE against the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and acting director of OMB, Matthew Vaeth.

The parties are asking the court to impose a temporary restraining order “to maintain the status quo until the Court has an opportunity to more fully consider the illegality of OMB’s actions.”

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS PLACES 60 DEI EMPLOYEES ON LEAVE WITH SALARIES TOTALING MORE THAN $8M

The suit was filed after the Trump administration went on a memo blitz Monday, sending at least three letters to federal agency leaders on directives covering topics including return to office instructions and pausing federal grants. Fox News Digital obtained copies of the memos.

One specific memo issued by OMB pauses all federal grants and loans in an effort to end “‘wokeness’ and the weaponization of government,” and to promote “efficiency in government.”

Trump signed two executive orders Monday taking aim at Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the federal government. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

“Federal agencies must temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all Federal financial assistance, and other relevant agency activities that may be implicated by the executive orders, including, but not limited to, financial assistance for foreign aid, nongovernmental organizations, DEI, woke gender ideology, and the green new deal,” the memo reads.

TRUMP’S FEDERAL DEI PURGE PUTS HUNDREDS ON LEAVE, NIXES $420M IN CONTRACTS

The pause takes effect at 5 p.m. ET on Tuesday.

The lawsuit argues that the parties will suffer harm as a result of the federal aid freeze given their reliance on federal funding.

A handful of non-profit organizations and health associations, including an LGBTQ+ advocacy group, filed a lawsuit Tuesday over the Trump administration’s directive to freeze federal aid. (Joan Slatkin/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

SAGE’s CEO, Michael Adams — whose organization describes itself as “dedicated to improving the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender adults,” per the court filing — told Fox News Digital in a statement that the freeze “would devastate the lives of older Americans — including LGBTQ+ elders who already face unique challenges.”

TRUMP DEI CRACKDOWNS LAUDED FOR BRINGING MERIT BACK TO MEDICINE: ‘MAKE HEALTHCARE GREAT AGAIN’

“This reckless decision puts entire communities at risk. We must work together now to protect our older neighbors, friends, and loved ones before it’s too late,” Adams said.

Small Business Majority Founder & CEO John Arensmeyer said the federal grant freeze “will have a devastating impact on small businesses nationwide” and called the move a “Draconian shuttering of the federal purse.”

A handful of non-profit organizations and health associations, including an LGBTQ+ advocacy group, filed a lawsuit Tuesday over the Trump administration’s directive to freeze federal aid. (AP/Mark Schiefelbein)

Diane Yentel, President & CEO of the National Council of Nonprofits called the directive a “reckless action” by the Trump administration that would prove to be “catastrophic for nonprofit organizations and the people and communities they serve.”

“From pausing research on cures for childhood cancer to halting housing and food assistance, shuttering domestic violence and homeless shelters, and closing suicide hotlines, the impact of even a short pause in funding could be devastating and cost lives,” Yentel said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. “This order must be halted immediately before such avoidable harm is done.”

TRUMP TARGETS CULTURE WAR LIGHTNING RODS IN EARLY SLATE OF EXECUTIVE ORDERS

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment.

The memo explained that out of the $10 trillion spent by the federal government in fiscal year 2024, $3 trillion of that total was allocated to “federal financial assistance, such as grants and loans.”

Vaeth sent the memo to all heads of executive departments and agencies.

Trump also signed two executive orders Monday taking aim at Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the federal government.

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The orders, titled “Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness” and “Restoring America’s Fighting Force,” should be in the process of being implemented by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the secretary of Homeland Security within 30 days.

Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton and Elizabeth Pritchett contributed to this report.

Haley Chi-Sing is a Writer for Fox News Digital. You can reach her at @haleychising on X.

January 28, 2025
Individuals receiving direct assistance won’t be impacted by federal funding freeze, press secretary says

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President Donald Trump’s White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that federal individual assistance will not be affected by a freeze on federal grants and loans.

“I have now been asked and answered this question four times,” Leavitt told reporters Tuesday during her first White House press briefing on Tuesday. “To individuals at home who receive direct assistance from the federal government: You will not be impacted by this federal freeze.”

Programs including Social Security benefits, Medicare, food stamps, welfare benefits and other assistance going directly to individuals will not be impacted under the pause, according to Leavitt.

TRUMP DHS REPEALS KEY MAYORKAS MEMO LIMITING ICE AGENTS, ORDERS PAROLE REVIEW

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks to members of the press in the grounds of the White House in Washington, D.C., on January 22, 2025. (Getty)

“There is no uncertainty in this building … this is not a blanket pause on federal assistance and grant programs from the Trump administration,” Leavitt said.

The Office of Management and Budget issued a memo on Monday issuing a pause on all federal grants and loans aiming to eradicate “wokeness” and the “weaponization of government” to improve government efficiency.

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“Federal agencies must temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all Federal financial assistance, and other relevant agency activities that may be implicated by the executive orders, including, but not limited to, financial assistance for foreign aid, nongovernmental organizations, DEI, woke gender ideology, and the green new deal,” the memo, obtained by Fox Digital, reads.

The pause takes effect at 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Tuesday.

Fox News’ Emma Colton contributed to this report.

January 28, 2025
Trump admin goes on memo blitz to agency chiefs ordering pause to federal grants, return to office details

The Trump administration’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and Office of Personnel Management (OPM) went on a memo blitz Monday, sending at least three letters to federal agency leaders on directives stretching from return to office instructions to pausing federal grants, copies of the memos obtained by Fox News Digital show.

President Donald Trump’s administration already has issued a handful of directives aimed at federal agency heads since he took office Jan. 20, including ordering agency chiefs to shutter diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) offices, which was followed by another memo to begin terminating DEI chiefs.

On Monday, the OMB, an executive office that evaluates agency programs and handles the president’s budget, and OPM, an independent agency that serves as the federal government’s human resources department, issued memos on Monday to further move federal agencies in line with the president’s vision of government.

TRUMP ADMIN TO PAUSE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS: REPORT

Then-former President Donald Trump arrives at an election night watch party at the Palm Beach Convention Center on Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Evan Vucci/AP)

Return to office plans

A joint OMB and OPM memo sent Monday regarding return to office plans outlined that agency heads have until Feb. 7 to provide a plan on returning staff schedules to full-time in-person work.

Agencies must “prepare plans to expeditiously implement” the memo and submit their plans “for review and approval by no later than Friday, February 7th at 5:00pm EST,” the memo, obtained by Fox News Digital, states.

TRUMP’S FEDERAL DEI PURGE PUTS HUNDREDS ON LEAVE, NIXES $420M IN CONTRACTS

The directive, addressed to “heads of executive departments and agencies,” detailed that agency chiefs must craft plans that include details such as how they will “revise telework agreements for all eligible employees,” as well as “provide timelines for the return of all eligible employees to in-person work as expeditiously as possible, including the date that the agency will be in full compliance,” and “describe agency’s process for determining exceptions based on disability, qualifying medical condition, and or other compelling reason.”

Both the acting director of OMB, Matthew J. Vaeth, and OPM acting director, Charles Ezell, issued the memo.

The directive comes after Trump railed against federal employees working from home years after the pandemic and social distancing mandates ended. On his first day in office, Trump issued a presidential action calling on federal agencies to terminate remote work.

TRUMP DHS MAKES KEY MOVE AGAINST MIGRANTS ALLOWED IN VIA CONTROVERSIAL BIDEN PAROLE PROGRAMS

Executive branch department and agency heads “shall, as soon as practicable, take all necessary steps to terminate remote work arrangements and require employees to return to work in-person at their respective duty stations on a full-time basis, provided that the department and agency heads shall make exemptions they deem necessary,” the Jan. 20 presidential action read.

Pausing federal grants and loans in effort to end ‘wokeness’

The OMB issued another memo on Monday that pauses all federal grants and loans, out of an effort to end “‘wokeness’ and the weaponization of government,” and to promote “efficiency in government.”

“Federal agencies must temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all Federal financial assistance, and other relevant agency activities that may be implicated by the executive orders, including, but not limited to, financial assistance for foreign aid, nongovernmental organizations, DEI, woke gender ideology, and the green new deal,” the memo, obtained by Fox Digital reads.

The pause takes effect at 5 p.m. ET on Tuesday.

The memo explained that out of the $10 trillion spent by the federal government in fiscal year 2024, $3 trillion was allocated to “federal financial assistance, such as grants and loans.”

“Career and political appointees in the Executive Branch have a duty to align Federal spending and action with the will of the American people as expressed through Presidential priorities,” the memo states. “Financial assistance should be dedicated to advancing Administration priorities, focusing taxpayer dollars to advance a stronger and safer America, eliminating the financial burden of inflation for citizens, unleashing American energy and manufacturing, ending ‘wokeness’ and the weaponization of government, promoting efficiency in government, and Making America Healthy Again.”

The memo was sent to all heads of executive departments and agencies by Vaeth.

“The use of Federal resources to advance Marxist equity, transgenderism, and green new deal social engineering policies is a waste of taxpayer dollars that does not improve the day-to-day lives of those we serve,” it adds.

Agency chiefs are required to submit “detailed information on any programs, projects or activities subject to this pause” to the OMB by Feb. 10 for review.

New federal employee classification

Agency leaders were directed in another memo sent Monday by OPM to review government positions that could be moved to the Trump administration’s new “schedule policy/career” federal employee classification.

Trump signed an executive order on his first day in office focused on federal employees who hold sway over policy decisions, as part of an effort to “maintain professionalism and accountability within the civil service,” which Trump’s order said was “sorely lacking.”

The executive order created a new “schedule policy/career” federal employee classification, which will work to remove civil protections from federal employees in “policy-influencing” positions, making the individuals more vulnerable for termination.

TRUMP DHS REPEALS KEY MAYORKAS MEMO LIMITING ICE AGENTS, ORDERS PAROLE REVIEW

Then-former President Donald Trump speaks at a rally in Uniondale, New York on Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. (Julia Bonavita/Fox News Digital)

Trump’s executive order creates a new classification “for positions that are of a confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy- advocating character (policy-influencing positions) and filled by individuals not normally subject to replacement or change as a result of a Presidential transition. Such career positions will be rescheduled into Schedule Policy/Career,” the memo stated.

The memo states that agency leaders have until April 20 to craft a plan on positions that would shift to the new classification. The 90-day period for review began on Jan. 20, when Trump signed the executive order.

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“Agencies have 90 days to conduct a preliminary review of positions and submit petitions, with an additional 120 days to finalize their review and submit any remaining petitions,” the memo reads. “Agencies may, and are encouraged to, submit such petitions on a rolling basis.”

January 28, 2025
DC Councilmember Trayon White faces expulsion hearing over federal bribery charge

The Washington D.C. councilmember accused by federal authorities of accepting $156,000 in bribes is facing an expulsion hearing Tuesday.

The legislative body “will hold a Public Hearing on the following Matter: Expulsion of Councilmember Trayon White, Sr. for Code of Conduct Violations” starting at noon local time, it says on its website.

Last month, Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie said an investigative report found “substantial evidence” that White’s alleged conduct connected to the bribery claims violated several provisions of the D.C. Council’s Code of Official Conduct, FOX 5 DC reported.

The Justice Department, citing a criminal complaint charging White with bribery, alleges that “beginning in June 2024, White corruptly agreed to accept $156,000 in cash payments in exchange for using his position as a D.C. Councilmember to pressure government employees at [the] Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement and [the] D.C. Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services to extend several D.C. contracts.”

DC COUNCILMAN A STEP CLOSER TO FACING EXPULSION AFTER LAW FIRM FINDS HE VIOLATED CODE OF CONDUCT

Trayon White Sr. departs the E. Barrett Prettyman Federal Courthouse on Sept. 12, in Washington, D.C. White was arraigned and pleaded not guilty in federal court on federal bribery charges following an arrest by the FBI on Aug. 18. (Michael A. McCoy for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

White, who has pleaded not guilty to those allegations, reportedly faces up to 15 years in prison if he is convicted. A jury trial in that case is set for January 2026.

In November, he easily won re-election to his seat.

“I feel confident that the people of Ward 8 have spoken. I feel like I’m going to win by a landslide but I’m still humbled and prayerful. I hope [it] sends a loud message to the DC Council about keeping the decisions in the hands of the people.” White told WJLA on Election Day.

DC COUNCILMEMBER FACING FEDERAL BRIBERY CHARGES WINS LANDSLIDE RE-ELECTION

A photo from court documents allegedly shows Trayon White Sr. receiving an envelope containing a payment of $5,000. (US Department of Justice)

At today’s hearing, White will hear evidence against him and have an opportunity to defend himself, according to WTOP.

“White may be represented by a person of his choice, whether or not the person is an attorney, and may have that representative speak or question witnesses on his behalf,” the station cited D.C. Council documents as saying.

For White to be expelled, 11 of the council’s 13 members would need to vote in favor of doing so, WTOP added.

DC Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White is shown speaking in Washington, D.C. in November 2024. (Craig Hudson for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

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The station said that the vote is set for Tuesday, Feb. 4.

Greg Norman is a reporter at Fox News Digital.

January 28, 2025
Ogles and other Republicans push federal ban on chemical abortions

Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., and more than a dozen other House Republicans are pushing a proposal to ban the provision of chemical abortion drugs.

The congressman reintroduced the proposal that he previously put forward in 2023, according to a press release, which provides a link to the text of the 2023 version.

“Notwithstanding any other provision of law, whoever prescribes, dispenses, distributes, or sells, any drug, medication, or chemical for the purpose of procuring or performing an abortion on any woman, shall be imprisoned for not more than 25 years, fined under this title, or both,” the text reads.

MANY WOMEN ‘UNPREPARED’ FOR INTENSITY OF PAIN FROM CHEMICAL ABORTION, STUDY FINDS

Rep. Andy Ogles at event about The Ending Chemical Abortion Act in Capitol Hill of Washington D.C., on Sept. 28, 2023 (Celal Gunes/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

The ban would not apply to the provision “of any contraceptive agent administered before conception or before pregnancy can be confirmed through conventional testing,” or to “treatment of a miscarriage,” or to situations “where a woman suffers from a physical disorder, physical injury, or physical illness, including a life-endangering physical condition caused by or arising from the pregnancy itself, that would, as certified by a physician, place the woman in danger of death.”

The proposal also stipulates that a woman who receives a chemical abortion may not be prosecuted criminally.

ABORTION SURVIVORS SLAM DEMS FOR BLOCKING ‘BORN-ALIVE’ ABORTION BILL: ‘WE ARE NOT TREATED AS HUMAN BEINGS’

“Chemical abortions not only end a human life but pose a serious risk to the lives of the mothers,” Ogles noted, according to both the 2023 and 2025 press releases about the proposal.

“I’m taking a stand against the irresponsibility of the Democrats and working to protect women and girls across America. I’m taking a stand for life because, born or unborn, every single person is uniquely and wonderfully made. It’s not merely a political issue; it’s a moral duty to uphold the sanctity of life. I am committed to safeguarding the innocent and voiceless in our society,” he noted.

Cosponsors include Republican Reps. Mary Miller of Illinois, Trent Kelly of Mississippi, Mike Bost of Illinois, Ben Cline of Virginia, Josh Brecheen of Oklahoma, Rick Allen of Georgia, Randy Weber of Texas, Dan Crenshaw of Texas, Elijah Crane of Arizona, Mark Green of Tennessee, Andrew Clyde of Georgia, Andy Biggs of Arizona, Doug LaMalfa of California, Paul Gosar of Arizona, Barry Moore of Alabama, Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Glenn Grothman of Wisconsin, and Mike Ezell of Mississippi.

LAWMAKER UNVEILS CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO GIVE TRUMP THIRD TERM

Left: Rep.-elect Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, is seen after the freshman class photo on the East Front of the Capitol on Nov. 14, 2018; Center: Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., is seen outside the U.S. Capitol during House votes on Friday, April 12, 2022; Right: Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., arrives to a Republican caucus meeting at the U.S. Capitol Building on Sept. 13, 2023 in Washington, D.C. (Left: Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call; Center: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images; Right: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

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Ogles recently proposed a Constitutional amendment that would alter presidential term limits in a manner that would allow President Donald Trump to seek a third term in office.

The proposal reads, “No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than three times, nor be elected to any additional term after being elected to two consecutive terms, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.”

Alex Nitzberg is a writer for Fox News Digital.

January 28, 2025
Trump looks to enforce trans inmate crackdown as new acting federal prisons chief tapped

A new interim director has been tapped to lead the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) as President Donald Trump looks to enforce a crackdown on transgender inmates in facilities that do not match their biological sex.

William W. Lothrop was named the new BOP director after Colette Peters resigned on Inauguration Day. It’s unclear when the Trump administration will appoint someone to permanently fill the role.

“As we face ongoing challenges, including staffing shortages and operational issues, I am committed to working alongside you to find real solutions that strengthen our facilities,” Lothrop said in the statement. “We will continue collaborating with our law enforcement partners and stakeholders to maintain robust programming and support services for inmates.”

TRUMP’S ‘TWO SEXES’ EXECUTIVE ORDER COMES ON HEELS OF SCOTUS ACCEPTING ANOTHER CHALLENGE TO LGBT AGENDA

Trump signs executive order stating there are only “two-sexes.” (Getty Images)

On his first day in office, Trump announced a temporary hiring freeze for federal positions and reversed former President Joe Biden’s ban on private prisons. His executive order, “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government,” defines sex strictly as male or female, based on biological characteristics, and mandates that federal agencies adopt this definition in their policies and practices.

The order specifies that individuals should be housed in federal prisons according to their biological sex rather than their gender identity, which will apply to the 2,300 transgender inmates currently housed in federal prisons across the U.S. It also halts federal funding for transgender procedures and treatments for inmates.

“The Attorney General shall ensure that the Bureau of Prisons revises its policies concerning medical care to be consistent with this order, and shall ensure that no Federal funds are expended for any medical procedure, treatment, or drug for the purpose of conforming an inmate’s appearance to that of the opposite sex,” the order reads.

PRO-LIFE ACTIVIST PROSECUTED BY BIDEN DOJ REACTS TO TRUMP PARDON: ‘I WANT TO GIVE HIM A HUG’

During the Biden administration, several U.S. states allowed transgender inmates to be housed in facilities that align with their gender identity. (Getty Images)

During the Biden administration, several U.S. states implemented policies allowing transgender inmates to be housed in facilities that align with their gender identity. In 2021, California became the first state to enact a policy permitting transgender inmates to request housing based on their gender identity. Since then, the state has seen a significant increase in such requests, with a 234% rise in the transgender inmate population.

In January 2022, New York state revised its policies to allow transgender individuals to choose their prison housing. And Colorado reached a legal settlement to house biological men in women’s facilities last year, which was part of a case involving 400 transgender women.

Fox News Digital has previously reported multiple cases of male inmates, serving sentences for sexual assault, murder and other violent offenses, in federal prisons being transferred to women’s facilities. Many of them have received taxpayer-funded medical procedures to medically transition genders.

Lothrop, who was formerly the BOP deputy director, is replacing Peters, who was appointed by then-Attorney General Merrick Garland in 2022 and touted as a reform-minded outsider tasked with rebuilding an agency plagued for years by staff shortages, widespread corruption, misconduct and abuse.

‘SCARED’ AND ‘TRAUMATIZED’ WALZ’S SUPPORT FOR TRANS WOMEN IN MINNESOTA WOMEN’S PRISON ‘ENDANGERING’ INMATES

In January 2022, New York state revised its policies to allow transgender individuals to choose their prison housing. (Allison Dinner/AFP via Getty Images)

The agency has nearly 36,000 employees and is responsible for more than 155,000 federal inmates. The BOP director is not subject to Senate confirmation, according to the legal news service Law 360. During her tenure, Peters appeared before the House and Senate Judiciary Committees and spoke about the challenges the BOP faced, but she had trouble getting results.

During the end of Trump’s campaign, he pledged he would crack down on left-wing gender ideology and ran a successful ad campaign attacking his opponent, former Vice President Kamala Harris, for her role in ushering in sex change procedures for incarcerated people in California.

“Kamala is for they/them, President Trump is for you,” the narrator of Trump’s campaign advertisement said.

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Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House and BOP for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.

Jamie Joseph is a writer who covers politics. She leads Fox News Digital coverage of the Senate.

January 27, 2025
Cali Rep. Chu says ‘wildfires have no political affiliations’ after Trump floated conditions for federal aid

U.S. Rep. Judy Chu, D-Calif., said she does not believe conditions should be placed on federal support for wildfires sweeping through Southern California, after President Donald Trump suggested he wanted wildfire aid to be conditional.

The district Chu represents includes Altadena and northern Pasadena, which have been impacted by the deadly Eaton Fire.

“There have never been conditions laid on disaster aid in the history of America,” Chu told Inside California Politics.

“I know that I have voted for disaster aid in red states and for blue states, she continued. “I’ve never considered whether they were Republican or Democrat. And let me say, wildfires have no political affiliations. They don’t have a political party.”

TRUMP MEETS WITH CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS, FIRE AND LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS TO SEE LA WILDFIRE DAMAGE FIRST HAND

Rep. Judy Chu, D-Calif. during an Eaton Fire press conference on January 9, 2025, at Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California. (Getty Images)

This comes after Trump said on Friday that two conditions must be met in California before the federal government offers disaster relief. He said he wants lawmakers to approve voter identification legislation and that water needs to be allowed to flow across the state.

“I want to see two things in Los Angeles. Voter ID, so that the people have a chance to vote, and I want to see the water be released and come down into Los Angeles and throughout the state,” Trump told reporters in North Carolina as he was touring hurricane recovery efforts in that state. “Those are the two things. After that, I will be the greatest president that California has ever seen.”

Trump visited Los Angeles later on Friday to view damage from the wildfires and meet with local officials and residents.

US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump tour a fire-affected area in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, on January 24, 2025. (MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Chu said she wants Trump to tell the working-class victims of her district that they would only see aid to address the devastation if there are conditions.

“I want him to see how these everyday Americans are being terribly devastated and also I want him to hear from their voices,” Chu said. “I want him to look, in fact, in the victim’s eyes and say that he wouldn’t provide aid unless there were conditions.”

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, responded to Trump’s comments about conditional aid. The governor’s office said several other states — including some won by Trump — do not generally require identification at the voting polls and that California residents must provide identification when they register to vote. Newsom’s office also said the state pumps as much water as it could under policies from Trump’s first-term.

LOS ANGELES AGENCY REVEALS ESTIMATED ECONOMIC IMPACT OF DEADLY WILDFIRES AS INFERNOS STILL RAGE

A view of homes destroyed by the Eaton Fire on January 9, 2025, in Altadena, California. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

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“Conditioning aid for American citizens is wrong,” Newsom’s office said on X.

Republicans in Congress have suggested tying wildfire aid to a debt ceiling increase or changes to California’s fire-mitigation policies, but Democrats have argued against placing conditions on federal assistance to Southern California.

January 27, 2025
Trump’s federal DEI purge puts hundreds on leave, nixes $420M in contracts

FIRST ON FOX: President Donald Trump’s executive order terminating all federal diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs has already sidelined 395 government bureaucrats, a senior administration official told Fox News Digital.

Trump’s newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), headed up by Elon Musk, wrote on X Friday that approximately $420 million in current/impending contracts, mainly focused on DEI initiatives, had also been canceled.

After Trump signed the order on the day of his inauguration, the federal Office of Personnel Management (OPM) notified heads of agencies and departments that they must begin taking steps to close all DEI offices by the end of the day Wednesday, and place government workers in those offices on paid leave. It is not yet clear when or if they will be terminated.

ATF ACCUSED OF ‘CIRCUMVENTING’ TRUMP ORDER TO PLACE DEI STAFF ON PAID LEAVE

President Trump’s executive order terminating all diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in the federal government has left 395 workers on paid leave, a senior administration official told Fox News Digital on Saturday. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Acting Director of the Office of Personnel Management Charles Ezell sent a memo to heads and acting heads of departments and agencies on Tuesday evening directing them that by the end of business on Jan. 22, they were to inform all agency employees of the DEI shutdown. In addition, they were instructed to tell workers directly involved in DEI they were being placed on paid leave immediately, take down all DEI-related websites and social media accounts, cancel any related contracts or training, and ask employees to report any efforts to disguise DEI programs by using coded or imprecise language.

The memo also directed the heads of agencies and departments that by noon on Jan. 23, they were to provide OPM with lists of all DEI offices, employees, and related contracts in effect as of Nov. 5, 2024.

By Friday, Jan. 24, at 5 p.m., agency heads were required to submit to OPM a written plan for executing a reduction-in-force action regarding DEI employees and a list of all contract descriptions or personnel position descriptions that were changed since Nov. 5, 2024, to obscure their connection to DEI programs.

After Trump signed the order on the day of his inauguration, the federal Office of Personnel Management (OPM) notified heads of agencies and departments that they must begin taking steps to close all DEI offices by the end of the day on Wednesday, and place government workers in those offices on paid leave. (Fox News Digital-Hannah Grossman)

3 IN 10 VOTERS THINK ENDING DEI PROGRAMS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, POLL SHOWS, AS FEDERAL DEADLINE LOOMS

The executive order was among dozens Trump signed on his first day in office, including the government only recognizing two genders and withdrawing from the Paris climate agreement.

He also issued two other executive actions on Tuesday targeting DEI – an executive order to end discrimination in the workplace and higher education through race and sex-based preferences under the guise of DEI and a memo to eliminate a Biden administration policy that prioritized DEI hiring at the Federal Aviation Administration.

Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) said it had canceled around $420 million in DEI-related contracts this week. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

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Trump’s Monday executive order rescinded President Joe Biden’s one on promoting diversity initiatives, “Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government,” which he signed on his first day in office.

Fox News’ Brooke Singman and Landon Mion contributed to this report.

January 26, 2025
Israeli Columbia professor wants Trump to block certain institutions from receiving federal funding

Universities and colleges across the US have experienced a rise in antisemitic and anti-Israel activity since Hamas’ brutal attacks on Oct. 7. Anti-Israel agitators have staged massive protests, disrupted courses and events, and set up encampments. However, it’s not just the students who are involved, it’s also the faculty.

Columbia Business School associate professor Shai Davidai is calling on President Donald Trump to issue an executive order to stop institutions that hire professors who support US-designated terror organizations from receiving federal funds.

President Donald Trump signs documents as he issues executive orders and pardons for January 6 defendants in the Oval Office at the White House on Inauguration Day in Washington, Jan. 20, 2025. (REUTERS/Carlos Barria)

In a repost from the account Documenting Jew Hatred on Campus at ColumbiaU, Davidai urged Trump to act.

“I think it’s time for the president to sign a very simple executive order: no federal funds to private institutions that hire professors who support U.S.-designated terrorist organizations,” Davidai wrote.

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY TEMPORARILY BANS PRO-ISRAEL PROFESSOR FROM CAMPUS

Davidai believes Columbia is in violation of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and “should not receive federal funding” based on the hiring and elevating of terror group-supporting faculty.

“For the past 15 months, we have seen open support for the annihilation of the State of Israel,” Davidai told Fox News Digital. “Not just criticism of the government of Israel, but the existence of Israel and Israelis on university campus both by students but also by professors.”

Student protesters march around their encampment on the Columbia University campus, Monday, April 29, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah)

However, Davidai emphasized that this is not just an Israeli issue, it’s an American issue. He notes that the agitators often echo the rhetoric of the Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps, seeing Israel as “little Satan” and America as “big Satan.”

“This is anti-Americanism. They hate America, and they say so, it’s not me putting words in their mouths.”

Columbia University became a hotbed of anti-Israel and antisemitic activity following the Oct. 7 attacks, even drawing national attention as then-President Minouche Shafik was grilled by lawmakers about the situation. Despite a change in university leadership, anti-Israel agitators are still active on campus.

Last week, anti-Israel agitators disrupted a course called the Modern History of Israel, which was being taught by Avi Shilon, a visiting professor from Israel’s Tel-Hai Academic College. Tel-Hai has faced the threat of Hezbollah attacks due to its location near Israel’s northern border.

“Just like Hezbollah would not let him teach his class in Israel, the Hezbollah supporters here in New York City just barged into his class and would not let him teach,” Davidai said.

COLUMBIA STUDENTS CONFRONT ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTERS WHO STORMED CLASSROOM WITH ANTISEMITIC FLYERS

The passenger that accosted Adams accused him of leaving the state while anti-Israel agitators were being arrested by police at Columbia University in recent days. (Peter Gerber)

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Columbia did not respond to a request for comment. However, after the incident, interim President Katrina Armstrong issued a statement.

“Today a History of Modern Israel class was disrupted by protesters who handed out fliers. We strongly condemn this disruption, as well as the fliers that included violent imagery that is unacceptable on our campus and in our community. No group of students has a right to disrupt another group of students in a Columbia classroom. Disrupting academic activities constitutes a violation of the Rules of University conduct and the nature of the disruption may constitute violations of other University policies,” the statement reads.

“We will move quickly to investigate and address this act. We want to be absolutely clear that any act of antisemitism, or other form of discrimination, harassment, or intimidation against members of our community is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”

Rachel Wolf is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital and FOX Business.

January 25, 2025
Trump fires 17 government watchdogs at various federal agencies

President Donald Trump fired 17 independent watchdogs at various federal agencies late Friday, a Trump administration official confirmed to Fox News, as he continues to reshape the government at a blistering pace.

Trump dismissed inspector generals at agencies within the Defense Department, State Department, Energy Department, Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Department of Veterans Affairs and more, notifying them by email from the White House Presidential Personnel Office, the Washington Post first reported.

“It’s a widespread massacre,” one of the terminated inspector generals told the Post. “Whoever Trump puts in now will be viewed as loyalists, and that undermines the entire system.”

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said that Trump’s action may violate federal law that requires the president to give 30 days’ notice to Congress of his intent to fire any independent watchdog, the Associated Press reported.

‘FLOODING THE ZONE’ TRUMP HITS WARP SPEED IN FIRST WEEK BACK IN OFFICE

President Donald Trump holds up outgoing President Joe Biden’s letter as he signs executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20, 2025. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)

“There may be good reason the IGs were fired. We need to know that if so,” Grassley said in a statement. “I’d like further explanation from President Trump. Regardless, the 30 day detailed notice of removal that the law demands was not provided to Congress.”

The White House did not respond to a request for comment.

Inspector generals at federal agencies are called on to investigate government waste, fraud and abuse. They operate independently and can serve in multiple administrations.

The mass firing is Trump’s latest attempt to force the federal bureaucracy into submission after he shut down diversity, equity and inclusion programs, rescinded job offers and sidelined more than 150 national security and foreign policy officials. Trump began his second term with the intent of purging any opponents of his agenda from the government and replacing them with officials who would execute his orders without hesitation.

TRUMP TO DECLASSIFY JFK FILES: FAMED DOCTOR WHO INVESTIGATED ASSASSINATION PREDICTS WHAT AMERICANS COULD LEARN

Justice Department Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz testifies to Congress. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Among those spared from Trump’s wrath was Department of Justice inspector general Michael Horowitz, the New York Times reported. Horowitz led the investigation of the FBI’s Russian collusion probe, which exposed at least 17 “significant inaccuracies and omissions” in the FBI’s application for a FISA warrant in the Crossfire Hurricane investigation.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., slammed Trump’s firings, calling them a “purge of independent watchdogs in the middle of the night.”

TRUMP MEETS WITH CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS, FIRE AND LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS TO SEE LA WILDFIRE DAMAGE FIRST HAND

Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa., said the president’s firing of more than a dozen inspector generals did not comply with federal law requiring him to give Congress 30 days’ notice. (ALLISON BAILEY/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)

“President Trump is dismantling checks on his power and paving the way for widespread corruption,” Warren posted on X.

During his first term, Trump fired five inspectors general in less than two months in 2020. This included the State Department, whose inspector general had played a role in the president’s impeachment proceedings.

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Last year, Trump’s predecessor Joe Biden fired the inspector general of the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board, after an investigation found the official had created a hostile work environment.

In 2022, Congress passed reforms that strengthened protections for inspectors general and made it harder to replace them with political appointees, requiring the president to explain their removal.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Chris Pandolfo is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital. Send tips to [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @ChrisCPandolfo.

January 25, 2025