The head of the Food and Drug Administration’s food division resigned on Monday after stating widespread cuts across the agency will make it challenging to meet the Trump administration’s desired changes, according to a report.
Jim Jones cited the termination of 89 staffers in the food division, criticizing the layoffs over the weekend as “indiscriminate,” Bloomberg News reported Monday evening.
“I was looking forward to working to pursue the department’s agenda of improving the health of Americans by reducing diet-related chronic disease and risks from chemicals in food,” he wrote in his resignation letter to Acting FDA Commissioner Sara Brenner, according to the outlet.
FDA BANS ARTIFICIAL RED DYE: WHAT THIS MEANS FOR CONSUMERS
The head of the FDA’s food division, Jim Jones, resigned on Monday following layoffs within the division that he argues were “indiscriminate.” (FDA / Fox News)
Jones said it would be “fruitless for me to continue in this role” because of the Trump administration’s “disdain for the very people” needed to make the changes it wants.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt responded to Jones’ resignation, saying some “bureaucrats” are resistant to the “mandate delivered by the American people” in an email to Bloomberg News.
“President Trump is only interested in the best and most qualified people who are also willing to implement his America First Agenda on behalf of the American people,” she told the outlet. “It’s not for everyone, and that’s okay.”
Jim Jones allegedly said it would be “fruitless” for him to continue working as the head of the FDA’s food division because of the Trump administration’s “disdain” for the people needed to make its desired changes possible. (Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images / Getty Images)
The staffers who lost their jobs over the weekend include employees with “highly technical expertise in nutrition, infant formula, food safety response,” Jones said in his letter, noting that 10 terminated staffers were responsible for reviewing potentially unsafe ingredients in food.
Jones led a successful push to ban red dye No. 3, which had its authorization revoked by the FDA last month while former President Joe Biden was still in office.
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Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will lead the Department of Health and Human Services under President Donald Trump. (iStock / iStock)
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Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was sworn in as the Health and Human Services secretary on Thursday after running a “Make America Healthy Again” campaign with Trump.
Trump has nominated Johns Hopkins surgeon Marty Makary to lead the FDA, although he has not yet been confirmed.
As President Donald Trump’s administration continues to form and top officials are confirmed, questions remain about the future of a highly publicized and pending Biden administration lawsuit against Georgia’s election laws that then-President Joe Biden famously referred to as “Jim Crow 2.0.”
The Biden administration sued Georgia in 2021 over its election integrity laws, arguing that it contains “racially discriminatory provisions” that were “adopted with the purpose of denying or abridging the right to vote on account of race” and “particularly” harmed Black voters.
“The right of all eligible citizens to vote is the central pillar of our democracy, the right from which all other rights ultimately flow,” then-Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a press release at the time.
“This lawsuit is the first step of many we are taking to ensure that all eligible voters can cast a vote; that all lawful votes are counted; and that every voter has access to accurate information.”
LAWMAKERS DEMAND BONDI’S DOJ INVESTIGATE BIDEN’S POST-ELECTION DAY DISMISSAL OF GREEN ENERGY FRAUD LAWSUIT
The Biden administration sued Georgia in 2021 over its election integrity laws, arguing that it contains “racially discriminatory provisions” (Getty)
In October 2021, Biden described the law as “Jim Crow in the 21st Century” and later repeated that claim by calling the law “Jim Crow 2.0.”
Since that lawsuit, which court filings show is currently on appeal in the 11th Circuit, Georgia has experienced record voter registration and turnout in several elections.
“The Trump administration should immediately dismiss this lawsuit,” the Heritage Foundation’s Meese Center for Legal and Judicial Studies Hans von Spakovsky told Fox News Digital.
“It had no merit and there was no evidence justifying its filing. Events since then, including record registration and turnout in the 2022 and 2024 elections, with all of the reforms in place that DOJ was attacking, prove what a sham this lawsuit is. DOJ filed it for political reasons because Joe Biden was calling the commonsense Georgia reforms ‘Jim Crow 2.0,’ an outrageous claim that was clearly wrong and simply made to try to scare voters.”
FEDERAL APPEALS COURT DISMISSES CLASSIFIED RECORDS CASE AGAINST FORMER TRUMP CO-DEFENDANTS
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger(AP Photo/Patrick Semansky/File)
Last week, Georgia’s secretary of state called for the lawsuit to be dropped.
“The Biden Administration and Stacey Abrams created a false narrative regarding Georgia’s elections,” Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said in a press release.
“The DOJ should never be leveraged for political purposes, and I hope Attorney General Bondi will join us in ending this frivolous lawsuit against the state of Georgia, and release documents exposing the coordination between the Biden DOJ and the liberal left.”
Raffensperger’s press release came days before Trump’s Justice Department dropped another high-profile Biden-era investigation into New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
The Justice Department declined to comment when contacted by Fox News Digital.
Democrat criticism of the law from Biden, former gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams and others resulted in a negative economic effect on Georgia residents after Major League Baseball announced it was moving its the All-Star Game from Atlanta in response to the law.
That move cost the majority-Black city an estimated $70 million or more in revenue, Fox Business previously reported. Major League Baseball later decided to hold the game in Atlanta in 2025 where the election law remains the same as when the game was pulled.
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Joe Biden(Susan Walsh/AP)
“Opponents of SB 202 previously called for economic boycotts against Georgia, most notably the relocation of Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game following advocacy efforts led by Stacey Abrams,” Raffensperger’s press release stated. “Despite these efforts, Georgia’s voting laws remain unchanged, and the 2025 MLB All-Star Game is set to return to Atlanta.”
“Recent data underscores the effectiveness of Georgia’s election reforms. A 2022 University of Georgia poll found that 99% of voters reported no issues casting their ballots, and a follow-up poll in 2024 reflected a similarly high satisfaction rate, with 98% of voters experiencing no problems at the polls.”
Andrew Mark Miller is a reporter at Fox News. Find him on Twitter @andymarkmiller and email tips to [email protected].
Jim Tressel was nominated as the next lieutenant governor of Ohio on Monday, and it drew a reaction from one of his former star players while he coached at Ohio State.
Terrelle Pryor, who was the quarterback for the Buckeyes from 2008 to 2010, had a two-word show of support for Tressel.
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Former head coach Jim Tressel watches a scoreboard tribute for the 2002 national championship team during the game between Notre Dame and Ohio State, Sept. 3, 2022, in Columbus, Ohio.(AP Photo/David Dermer, File)
“My guy,” he wrote in a post on his Instagram Stories on Monday.
Pryor passed for 2,772 yards and 27 touchdowns in his final season with the Buckeyes in 2010. It proved to be Tressel’s last season with the Buckeyes as well.
Tressel and Pryor were both caught up in an improper benefits scandal. The NCAA, after an investigation with the FBI and the Justice Department, determined Tressel, Pryor and other Buckeyes players violated the organization’s policies over impermissible benefits. Players were accused of receiving tattoos or cash for autographs.
Tressel was accused of withholding information in the investigation and resigned before the start of the 2011 season. Pryor left the school before his final year.
COLORADO’S DEION SANDERS EXPLAINS AVERSION TO COACHING IN NFL
Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Terrelle Pryor is embraced by coach Jim Tressel after the Rose Bowl against the Oregon Ducks on Jan. 1, 2010, in Pasadena, California.(Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA Today Sports)
Pryor went on to play wide receiver in the NFL and put together a solid career. Tressel never coached in the collegiate ranks again. Instead, he served as Youngstown State University’s president from 2014 to 2023.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine nominated Tressel for lieutenant governor after Jon Husted replaced Vice President JD Vance in the U.S. Senate.
“Jim Tressel is Ohio values. He’s a hard worker and shares that vision (I have) for the future of Ohio,” the Republican governor said Monday at a news conference. “He has the ability to pull people together. He has the ability to lead. He will enable me to be assured that if something happens to me, he can walk in and be governor that day and that would be seamless.”
Tressel expressed his admiration for DeWine.
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Coach Jim Tressel, quarterback Terrelle Pryor, second from left, and teammates after beating Ohio University on Sept. 18, 2010.(The Columbus Dispatch photo by Neal C. Lauron)
“I want to study a little bit about what Jon Husted has going on, and so I want to learn the business, if you will,” he said. “And then it’s up to when you sit down with the team and the staff and everyone else trying to figure out who plays what position best. And I’d be more than happy to help wherever I can.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.
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Across all sports, every new class in their respective Hall of Fame brings about spirited debate. This year for the Pro Football Hall of Fame is no different.
But for one finalist, the circumstances surrounding his place in Canton are more than just a case of championships and stats. His place in the Hall of Fame will likely come down to a tragic case of a murder-suicide.
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There are five total finalists for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame senior class, including a coach and a contributor. The players up for vote are Maxie Baughan, Sterling Sharpe and Jim Tyrer.
Of the three, the biggest questions surround Tyrer.
Who is Jim Tyrer?
Kansas City Chiefs tackle Jim Tyrer and Miami Dolphins defensive end Mel Branch in action at the Orange Bowl on Sept. 28, 1968.(Rod Hanna-USA Today Sports)
Born in Newark, Ohio, on Feb. 25, 1939, Jim Tyrer is largely considered one of the most dominant offensive tackles of his era.
After playing football at Ohio State, where he was an All-America choice, Tyrer began his 14-year playing career with the Dallas Texans of the American Football League in 1961. His sheer size and strength at left tackle translated to early success on the field, which carried over with the team’s move to Kansas City and the eventual merger with the NFL.
Tyrer was a three-time AFL champion and nine-time AFL All-Star, and he helped the Chiefs win the franchise’s first Super Bowl in 1970. He was a starter in each of his 13 seasons with Chiefs, playing in 180 consecutive games for the third-longest streak in team history.
Tyrer was selected as a member of the AFL’s All-Decade Team of the 1960s and is in the Chiefs’ Hall of Fame. He played his final season for Washington in 1974.
It’s no doubt that Tyrer’s career is worthy of consideration for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but the tragic events that took place on Sept. 15, 1980, have kept his name off the ballot for more than 40 years.
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Tyrer’s death
Offensive lineman Jim Tyrer of the Kansas City Chiefs on the sidelines during a game on Sept. 28, 1970, against the Colts at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore.(Diamond Images/Getty Images)
Tyrer was a finalist for the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility and was largely expected to be selected. But in the fall of 1980, that would change.
According to KCTV’s reporting at the time, Tyrer shot his wife, Martha, dead just after 4 a.m. in the bedroom of their home while their four children slept before eventually taking his own life. He was 41 and Martha was 40.
While those closest to the family, including teammates, were shocked by the news, reports would soon surface that there were issues.
ESPN reporter Mark Fainaru-Wada told NPR last week that Tyrer had struggled to find work after his playing career had ended and that the family was experiencing financial struggles. There were also rumors that Tyrer had been dealing with “depression” and “paranoia.”
But in the nearly 45 years that have passed and with the development of science with regard to the long-term effects of playing in contact sports, many argue that Tyrer likely suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
Dr. Doug Paone, who treated Tyrer days before the murder-suicide, told the Kansas City Star’s Vahe Gregorian in December that he is confident that Tyrer had CTE.
“If it walks like a duck, it quacks, it has webbed feet and water goes off its back, it’s not a zebra: It’s CTE,” he said. “(Tyrer) would be the poster child for CTE.”
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What the voters say
Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackle Jim Tyrer on the sidelines of a game on Oct. 2, 1971.(Denver Post via Getty Images)
At least three of the five senior finalists will be elected to the Pro Football Hall. They will need 80% of the votes from the Selection Committee, who will be allowed to vote for three finalists. If none receive that percentage, then the sole finalist with the most votes will be inducted into the 2025 class.
For Tyrer, the voters appear divided. ESPN spoke to some last month when Tyrer was named a finalist.
“It’s morally abhorrent and unacceptable to put a murderer in the Hall of Fame if you have the power to do otherwise,” longtime voter Jason Cole told the outlet, adding that he has “incredible compassion for the family.”
Cole noted that considering CTE would be “opening up a giant can of worms.”
Opposite of that, Gregorian told ESPN that CTE could be used to explain the tragedy that led to Tyrer and his wife’s untimely death.
“I think when you see that this is a man, who had for decades lived a life that was admired by many, that this change in him was caused by [CTE],” Gregorian said, “… I think to me, it says this was because of severe brain damage, not being of a willful act by this person. I don’t know, that makes me look at it differently.”
The bylaws of the selection process instruct voters not to consider any off-the-field contributions – good or bad – in their decision-making. The class of 2025 will be announced next Thursday at the NFL Honors in New Orleans ahead of Super Bowl LIX.
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