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Kid’s using phones during school at alarming rates as lawmakers try to clamp down

A new study shows that more than a quarter of high school-aged students’ time spent on their smartphones occurs in school. It comes as state lawmakers across the country introduce and pass legislation aimed at cracking down on student cellphone usage in schools.

The study, spearheaded by Seattle Children’s Hospital, found that among the more than 115 eighth- through 12th-grade students that it tracked, 25% of them spent more than two hours on their phones during a typical six-and-a-half hour school day. The study found that the average time spent among all the students they tracked was roughly 1.5 hours, which contributed to 27% of their average daily use.

The study’s findings come just several days after the state of Colorado introduced House Bill 1135, which would require school districts in the state to adopt policies that limit the use of cellphones by students during school hours. If passed, Colorado would join 19 other states that have adopted some type of cellphone restrictions for students, according to Democratic state Rep. Meghan Lukens.

DC COUNCIL PROPOSES BILL TO BAN CELL PHONES IN DISTRICT’S PUBLIC SCHOOLS

A placard on display during a press conference by Gov. Kathy Hochul launching her statewide push for distraction-free schools on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, at the Farnsworth Middle School in Guilderland, New York. (Jim Franco/Albany Times Union via Getty Images)

“I’m not a big fan of government controlling people’s lives, but in this context, I’m all for it,” psychotherapist Thomas Kersting told Fox News Digital. Kersting is a former school counselor who has lectured for 16 years about the adolescent impact of increased screen time. He wrote a bestselling book called “Disconnected,” which posited that increased screen time for kids is re-wiring their brains.

“I started seeing an incredible influx of kids diagnosed with attention deficit disorder (ADHD) from when I was working as a high school counselor. It did not add up,” Kersting said. “The chronic eight or nine hours a day of stimulation affects the executive functioning, executive functions of the brain, which is what you need to be able to concentrate, focus, retain, and all that stuff.”

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is often treated using stimulant medications like Adderall or Vyvanse. (iStock)

Kersting pointed out that schools and school districts are also taking the lead in implementing various ways to cut down on students using their cellphones during class time, but added that state and local legislation can have the power to push schools that may be afraid to act due to parental concerns.

COULD SMARTPHONE USE CAUSE HALLUCINATIONS?

“The phone has become the umbilical cord between parent and child,” said Kersting. “So, the idea of a parent nowadays sending their kid to school is more terrifying and schools, I believe, are probably concerned about litigation, violation of rights and things of that nature.”

Two female students writing text messages on their smartphones as they eat lunch in their school cafeteria. (Nicolas Guyonnet/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images)

But while parents may be apprehensive, taking phones out of school can help improve students’ test scores, attention spans and socialization, while reducing the need for disciplinary intervention, Kersting said.

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The study by Seattle Children’s Hospital found that, excluding web browsers, the top five apps or categories used by school-aged students were messaging, Instagram, video streaming, audio apps and email.

February 4, 2025
Washington state lawmakers propose requiring speed limiting devices in cars of drivers with speeding history

A bill introduced in the Washington state legislature would require drivers with a history of speeding to have a speed limiting device placed on their cars.

House Bill 1596 was proposed after supporters say an increase in fatal accidents was caused by speeding. The bill was heard in the House Transportation Committee on Thursday and would require an “intelligent speed assistance device” to be installed in the cars of certain drivers, according to Fox 13.

The device limits the speed of the car using GPS technology to follow the speed limit where the vehicle is being driven. These drivers could exceed the speed limit up to three times a month.

A driver would have the device on their car if they have a new restricted license established by the bill. This is similar to how ignition interlock devices are used for people with a history of drunk driving.

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A bill introduced in the Washington state legislature would require drivers with a history of speeding to have a speed limiting device placed on their cars. (iStock)

Drivers would also receive the device during the probation period after their license was suspended for racing or “excessive speeding,” which is defined as driving at least 20 miles per hour over the speed limit. Drivers could also be ordered by a court to have a speed-limiting device on their car.

“We’re losing Washingtonians and family members are losing loved ones unnecessarily, tragically and preventably,” Democrat state Rep. Mari Leavitt, a prime sponsor of the bill, said.

“These aren’t accidents,” she added. “They’re intentionally folks choosing behavior that is harming and often killing folks.”

According to data in 2023 from the Washington Traffic Safety Commission, one in three fatal crashes in the state involved a speeding driver. The total number of fatal crashes and the number involving speeding has been trending upward since 2019.

The device limits the speed of the car using GPS technology to follow the speed limit where the vehicle is being driven. (Getty Images)

“Between 2019 and 2024, tickets to speeding drivers in excess of 50 miles an hour over the speed limit increased by 200%,” the commission’s Shelly Baldwin testified. “So we know that this is an increasing problem that we’ve been dealing with.”

Republican state Rep. Gloria Mendoza questioned how the bill helps keep people safe by allowing speeders to continue driving.

“So we’re trying to help them get back their license by giving them this tool,” Mendoza said. “So how is this helping save lives?”

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A driver would have the device on their car if they have a new restricted license established by the bill. (Getty Images)

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Leavitt responded: “We want to find a way for them to be able to drive lawfully, but safely. And having them on the road in a safe manner is going to save lives, because they’re driving anyway, and they’re driving fast. And this device, these speed limiters, are going to ensure that they can’t.”

The bill has not yet been scheduled for a vote out of committee.

February 2, 2025
Reagan National Airport has bothered lawmakers for years, but quick access to power has stalled change

Ask many of Congress’ frequent fliers, and they’ll tell you Ronald Reagan National Airport has sent up red flags for years.

“I’ve long been very, very nervous about congestion at Reagan National,” said Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va.

“The congestion of the airspace around Reagan and D.C. as a whole definitely played a part in this,” said Sen. Tim Sheehy, R-Mont., a former firefighting pilot. “The sheer number of aircraft in the air is as high as it’s ever been.”

“A lot of aircraft transit up and down the Potomac,” said Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., a former Navy combat pilot and astronaut. “Getting in and out of certain areas. The Pentagon. Other military installations. Reagan right there in that highly trafficked area.”

“Whenever I’m at Reagan and I see new gates being built, the terminal getting larger, I realize that there will never be another inch of runway. The skies are pretty congested,” said Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D. “I often think there’s too much activity for this small plot of land. And I’m sure there’ll be a reevaluation of all of that.”

REAGAN NATIONAL AIRPORT CRASH: MILITARY BLACK HAWK HELICOPTER COLLIDES MIDAIR WITH AMERICAN AIRLINES JET

A JetBlue Airlines Airbus A320 jet flies past the U.S. Capitol dome as it comes in for a landing at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

The nation’s worst air disaster in nearly a quarter-century spilled into the Potomac River just short of Washington’s Reagan National Airport on Wednesday night. Sixty-seven people died after American Eagle Flight 5342 from Wichita, Kan., collided with an Army Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopter feet from the runway.

Aviation experts say flying in and out of Reagan National is one of the most complicated airports in the country. The approach from both the north and south is over water. Pilots must navigate a narrow corridor above the river – but not fly over the nearby Pentagon. That’s to say nothing of piercing Washington, D.C.’s super-protective airspace. The White House and U.S. Capitol are clearly visible when planes take off to the north.

Moreover, the airport is known for notoriously short runways. The runway on which the American Eagle flight attempted to land stretches a little more than 5,200 feet. Slightly less than a mile in length.

That’s not even the main runway. Standard commercial runways average around 13,000 feet. The longest runway at Reagan National is about 7,000 feet. Plus, all three runways cross one another. Such a configuration is rarely seen at modern airports.

DC PLANE CRASH: ATC STAFFING LEVELS UNDER SCRUTINY AS BARGES ARRIVE TO HELP SALVAGE OPS

The midair crash between an American Airlines jet and Black Hawk military helicopter near Reagan National Airport near Washington, D.C., was seen on dashcam video from Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling. (Storyful)

Last spring, there were two incidents where planes nearly crashed into one another while crossing runways.

The runways are some of the most overused in the entire American flight system. The airport was designed to handle 14 million passengers annually. But that number spiked to 25 million in 2023. The airport accommodates a staggering 800 takeoffs and landings each day.

There were efforts to close Reagan National when Dulles International Airport opened in 1962. Dulles is a monstrosity of a campus. However, it resides nearly 30 miles from Washington, D.C., proper. The nation’s movers and shakers never gravitated to Dulles when it was so easy to fly into Reagan National, deplane, catch a cab and arrive at the State Department for a meeting 15 minutes later.

Lawmakers, aviation, national security officials and the Secret Service conducted serious conversations about permanently closing the airport after 9/11. It was thought that air traffic in and out of Reagan National posed too much of a risk to the seat of government. It wouldn’t take much for hijackers to commandeer an aircraft and reroute it to Capitol Hill.

After all, one plane crashed into the Pentagon on 9/11. The fourth plane – which went down in a field near Shanksville, Penn. – was ultimately bound for the Capitol.

DC PLANE CRASH: POTOMAC RIVER DIVERS’ SEARCH FOR BODIES COMPLICATED BY CONDITIONS OUT OF THEIR CONTROL

Emergency workers recover debris from the Potomac River in the aftermath of the collision of American Eagle flight 5342 and a Black Hawk helicopter, as seen from Virginia, Jan. 30, 2025. (REUTERS/Carlos Barria)

That said, advocates for maintaining Reagan National argued it was nearly impossible to hijack a plane taking off and immediately send it barreling toward the Capitol. It takes a while to engineer a hijacking. There was simply not enough time to execute such a plan seconds after takeoff.

Still, authorities shuttered Reagan National for more than three weeks following 9/11. New safety rules were in place once the airport re-opened. Planes couldn’t have more than 156 seats. All passengers were required to be seated a half-hour before landing. Air marshals patrolled most if not all flights in and out of the airport.

The feds loosened many of those restrictions anywhere from a few months to nearly four years after 9/11. But that didn’t diminish questions about the safety of this particular airport.

VICTIMS IDENTIFIED IN DC PLANE CRASH INVOLVING AMERICAN AIRLINES JET AND MILITARY HELICOPTER

However, proponents of maintaining Reagan National had some of the most powerful allies in the nation: Members of Congress.

Lawmakers keep insane schedules. In fact, the invention of the jet airplane contributed to such bedlam. Lawmakers are in high demand in their districts or states – and on Capitol Hill. That’s to say nothing of conferences in Aspen or Halifax – and glitzy fundraisers in New York or San Francisco. So air travel, coupled with access to a nearby airport, is paramount in the modern Congress.

The importance of aviation is even incorporated into the Congressional vernacular.

Mondays or Tuesdays are often deemed “fly-in” days. The House and Senate don’t truly get going until late in the day during the first day of the week. Thus, votes on Monday might not unfold until 5:30 pm et in the Senate and 6:30 in the House. Depending on if the House (and sometimes the Senate) convenes on a Monday or Tuesday, Thursdays and Friday are considered “getaway” days. The House might cut town by late morning or noon on a getaway day. If the Senate doesn’t toil for five days (which has happened a lot this year, but not this week), the last vote often hits around 2:15 or 2:30 pm. on a Thursday.

Thus, lawmakers have a vested interest in keeping Reagan National operational. Even after 9/11.

Congress reauthorized programs for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for five years in 2024. But one of the most contentious issues in the bill was whether Congress should authorize additional daily “slots” for Reagan National. New, regular flights commence in a few weeks to Las Vegas, San Diego, Seattle, San Antonio and San Francisco. Lawmakers have blessed an increase of about 50 additional daily “slots” at Reagan National since the turn of the century.

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It’s telling that only four senators opposed the FAA bill last year. All four were the local Washington, D.C., area senators: former Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., – who just retired – along with Sens. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Mark Warner, D-Va., and Kaine.

The Senate confirmed Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on a bipartisan vote Tuesday. Duffy faced a crisis by Wednesday night. By Friday, the new secretary tightened up airspace around Reagan National for helicopters.

But like everything in Washington, the key to Reagan National is all about access. It’s hard to find any major airport on the planet located so close to the levers of power.

And as long as the White House, the U.S. Capitol, the Pentagon, a myriad of federal agencies and lobbying shops exist in Washington, it’s doubtful that Reagan National is going anywhere.

Fox News’ Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report.

Chad Pergram currently serves as a senior congressional correspondent for FOX News Channel (FNC). He joined the network in September 2007 and is based out of Washington, D.C.

February 1, 2025
Former Lia Thomas opponents share ‘abuse,’ push Georgia lawmakers to pass trans athlete in women’s sports ban

A Georgia state Senate committee passed the Fair and Safe Athletic Opportunities Act Thursday after testimony from multiple female athletes who have competed against and shared locker rooms with transgender athletes.

The bill would require athletes to participate on teams that align with their biological sex at birth. If it is signed into law, Georgia would become the 26th state in the U.S. to have a law in place to prevent or restrict transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports.

Georgia has been a prime frontier for this issue after the state hosted the 2022 NCAA women’s swimming championships, which included transgender swimmer Lia Thomas.

Two of Thomas’ former opponents testified at Thursday’s state congressional hearing.

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Riley Gaines, a spokeswoman for the Independent Women’s Forum, tied Lia Thomas for fifth place in the 200 freestyle finals at the NCAA swimming and diving championships. (Brett Davis/USA Today Sports)

Former North Carolina State women’s swimmer Kylee Alons, a 31-time All-American and two-time NCAA champion, spoke about the experience competing against and sharing a locker room with Thomas.

“We all were just guinea pigs for a giant social experiment formed by the NCAA regarding how much abuse and blatant disregard women would be forced to take in silence,” Alons said.

Alons recounted the emotions she felt sharing competitive areas with Thomas, and how much sadness she felt watching women lose out on chances to compete fairly at the event. Alons even said she wanted to cry and leave the event after seeing Thomas win the 500-meter freestyle.

“It all just felt so off and wrong,” she said.

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Things got much more difficult for Lyons after she experienced sharing a locker room with Thomas.

“I go to the locker room that day only to see Thomas and realize there is no escape from this nightmare, no matter where I go. I had no idea he was going to be allowed in the women’s locker room as we did not consent to have a man in our locker room,” Lyons said

“I am immediately on edge every time I enter that locker room afterward, knowing at any moment a man can walk in on me changing.

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Lyons added she felt so uncomfortable she resorted to abandoning the locker room altogether and instead changed in a storage closet behind the bleachers.

Former University of Kentucky swimmer Kaitlynn Wheeler joined Lyons in recounting the experience of sharing a locker room with Thomas.

“Young women, teenage girls were forced to undress next to a fully intact biological male who exposed himself to us, while we were simultaneously fully exposed,” Wheeler said. “We were never asked. We were never given a choice or another option. We were just expected to be OK with it, to shove down our discomfort, our embarrassment, our fear, because standing up for ourselves would mean being labeled as intolerant or hateful or bigoted.”

Penn Quakers swimmer Lia Thomas prepares for the 200 free at the NCAA swimming and diving championships at Georgia Tech in Atlanta March 18, 2022. (Brett Davis/USA Today Sports)

Wheeler and Lyons are plaintiffs in an ongoing lawsuit against the NCAA led by fellow former swimmer and 2022 NCAA championship competitor Riley Gaines over the NCAA’s policies on gender ideology.

Wheeler and Lyons shared their experiences with a message urging state senators at the hearing to pass the Fair and Safe Athletic Opportunities Act.

The bill drew opposition from parents, physicians and others. Dr. Jodi Greenwald, a Roswell pediatrician, told the panel that transgender girls are not predators and warned that transgender youth are more at risk of suicide.

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The bill passed by a vote of 8-3 after a nearly two-hour hearing.

Lt. Gov. Bill Jones called the vote an important step toward one of his critical goals of the session.

“Biological men do not belong in women’s sports, period,” Jones said.

“This is common sense to everyone but the most radical liberals in Georgia. The Senate has always led the way on protecting women’s sports, and with Senate Bill 1, we will continue to be on the right side of this commonsense issue.

“I will never waver in the fight to protect our sisters and our daughters participating on equal footing in Georgia sports. I look forward to Senate Bill 1 becoming law and the protection of women’s sports becoming a reality for all female athletes in Georgia.”

A federal ban on transgender inclusion in girls and women’s sports is also moving through Congress.

The House of Representatives passed the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act Jan. 14, which would cut federal funding for any public educational institution that allows transgender athletes to compete against girls and women in sports.

Every Republican U.S. representative voted in favor of the bill. Only two Democrats, Henry Cuellar and Vicente Gonzalez, both of Texas, voted to pass it. The remaining 206 House House Democrats opposed it. Rep. Don Davis, D-N.C., voted “present.”

A recent New York Times/Ipsos survey found the vast majority of Americans, including a majority of Democrats, don’t think transgender athletes should be permitted to compete in women’s sports. Of the 2,128 people polled, 79% said biological males who identify as women should not be allowed to participate in women’s sports.

Of the 1,025 people who identified as Democrats or leaning Democrat, 67% said transgender athletes should not be allowed to compete with women.

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

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

January 31, 2025
Homan, lawmakers signal cooperation on ‘overlooked’ northern border amid migrant spike: ‘Same vision’

EXCLUSIVE: Republican lawmakers representing the Northern Border Security Caucus are looking to meet with border czar Tom Homan about the “overlooked” northern border — with Homan telling Fox News Digital he is keen to work with them “ASAP.”

Reps. Mike Kelly, R-Pa., and Ryan Zinke, R-Mont., have written to Homan, congratulating him on his new role as border czar in the new Trump administration.

“As this new administration begins, we, as co-chairs of the Northern Border Security Caucus, want to highlight the importance of protecting the Northern border, which as you well know has been overlooked considering the ongoing crisis at our Southwest border,” they write to Homan, in a letter obtained by Fox News Digital.

BIDEN ANNOUNCES NEW NORTHERN BORDER DEAL, FENTANYL COALITION WITH CANADA AS IMMIGRATION CRISIS RAGES

Migrants are seen crossing the U.S. northern border. (Customs and Border Protection)

While the overall numbers of migrant encounters are vastly outnumbered by the southern border, with just under 200,000 encounters for FY 2024, it has seen a sharp increase in numbers during the Biden administration. In FY 23, there were more apprehensions than the prior 10 years combined.

“The Northern border has faced an unprecedented rise in encounters during the last administration with FY2024 encounters rising nearly 82% over FY2022. The number of unaccompanied children encountered skyrocketed 262% in the same period,” the lawmakers say. “The Swanton Sector, where a Border Patrol agent was shot and killed on January 20th, has seen an outrageous 1,720% increase in encounters from FY2022 to FY2024.”

NORTHERN BORDER SECTOR SEES 550% INCREASING IN MIGRANT APPREHENSIONS LAST FISCAL YEAR

Chairman Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Pa., leads the first public hearing of a bipartisan congressional task force investigating the assassination attempts against then-former President Donald Trump, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

Kelly and Zinke announced the reintroduction of the caucus earlier this month for the 119th Congress. The 24-member caucus calls for secure borders and looks to raise awareness of the immigration issues facing the states at the border with Canada.

Telling Homan that he has made it clear that he shares “our same vision for a more safe and secure Northern border,” they invited him to a meeting with the caucus on how “Congress and the new Administration can work together to secure the Northern Border.”

U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-MT) speaks at Montana State University on Aug. 9, 2024 in Bozeman, Montana. (Michael Ciaglo)

In response to a request for comment from Fox News Digital, Homan said he will “engage with them ASAP on ways to secure the northern border to decrease illegal crossings of aliens and narcotics and address the national security vulnerabilities.”

The caucus was founded in 2023 as numbers were spiking at the northern border, and the members have raised concerns about the number of migrants on the terror watchlist who have crossed via the border. They have noted that 87% of all terror watchlisted individuals encountered at ports of entry were apprehended at the northern border.

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In 2023, then-President Joe Biden announced a new deal with Canada that means that migrants who attempt to cross illegally between ports of entry into either country will be returned. It updated a 2004 Safe Third Country Agreement, which did not deal with illegal immigration.

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

He can be reached at adam.shaw2@fox.com or on Twitter.

January 31, 2025
American Airlines plane crash: Kansas lawmakers vow to find answers

Kansas’ entire congressional delegation is vowing to find answers for the families grieving loved ones after the deadly crash of a flight from Wichita to Washington D.C., which officials have said left no survivors.

A Black Hawk helicopter collided with an American Airlines PSA commercial jet that was moments from landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport Wednesday night, temporarily halting all flights in and out of the small but critically located airport.

“Our prayers are with the families and friends of those affected by the tragic plane crash that occurred in our nation’s capital. South Central Kansas is a close community, and it’s likely that many of us directly or indirectly know people who were on Flight 5342 on Jan. 29,” the lawmakers’ joint written statement said.

VIDEO SHOWS DC PLANE CRASH INVOLVING AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT, BLACK HAWK HELICOPTER

Rep. Ron Estes, left, and Sen. Roger Marshall, right, were part of Kansas’ congressional delegation statement on the tragic American Airlines PSA collision. (Getty Images)

“This is a sad day for Kansans and our nation, and this community, steeped in aviation and manufacturing history, will feel the pain of this catastrophe for years to come. We are grateful for the first responders and rescue crews who worked through the night.

“Our focus now is supporting the family and friends of those who perished, including the crew and military personnel, and then getting answers for the grieving individuals who have lost a loved one and making sure this doesn’t happen again.”

It was signed by GOP Kansas senators Roger Marshall and Jerry Moran, as well as Republican House representatives Ron Estes, Tracey Mann, Derek Schmidt and the delegation’s lone Democrat, Sharice Davids.

Estes represents much of Wichita, where the flight originated.

Moran said in a press conference shortly after midnight Thursday he was familiar with the flight route, having lobbied American Airlines for it to begin last year.

President Donald Trump briefed reporters on the crisis earlier Thursday, saying there were no survivors from the crash.

President Donald Trump briefed the media on the crash. (Alex Brandon/AP Photo)

Members of Trump’s new Cabinet, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, both promised to find swift answers for the families grieving loved ones after the crash.

Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., who represents Arlington County, where the airport is located, similarly said he would work toward accountability.

“As the local representative, I want the families to know that our office is available to serve you in any way that we possibly can in this time of grief and transition and loss,” Beyer said at another press conference Thursday morning.

AMERICAN AIRLINES CEO EXPRESSES ‘DEEP SORROW’ AFTER MIDAIR COLLISION

“And then, also, I’d just note that we are deeply grateful for the people who risked their lives last night on a moment’s notice and spent the whole night on the river in the ice and the wind, serving us.”

Beyer added that, through the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) probe into the crash, “we’ve got to make sure that, at the federal level and with the support of Virginia, Maryland, and D.C., we’re doing everything we can to make sure that this does not happen again.”

Six white roses and photographs of victims are displayed at The Skating Club of Boston Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, in Norwood, Mass. (Charles Krupa/AP Photo)

American Airlines has said 60 passengers and four crew members were aboard the plane, and the airline encouraged any loved ones looking for information to call the numbers on its site.

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U.S. officials are investigating why the Black Hawk helicopter flew into the path of the descending plane, Duffy told reporters.

“I would say the helicopter was aware there was a plane in the area,” he said.

Hegseth said the helicopter was manned by an experienced crew and was undergoing an “annual proficiency training flight.”

Duffy told reporters that while the collision was a highly unusual and tragic event, the two aircraft’s mutual patterns were not atypical.

Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.

Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to elizabeth.elkind@fox.com

January 30, 2025
President Trump, lawmakers react to Reagan National Airport crash

Lawmakers across the U.S. expressed sympathy and grief after a passenger plane collided with a military helicopter near Reagan National Airport in the Washington, D.C. area on Wednesday night.

A PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet operating as an American Airlines flight collided in midair with a Sikorsky H-60 helicopter approaching Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, around 9 p.m. local time, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The flight left Wichita, Kansas, earlier that day.

The passenger flight was carrying 60 people, but officials have not confirmed the exact number of injuries and fatalities. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who started work on Monday, said that he was aware of the incident in a post on X.

“DoD actively monitoring,” Hegseth’s tweet read. “Poised to assist if needed. Prayers for all involved.”

REAGAN NATIONAL AIRPORT CRASH: MILITARY BLACK HAWK HELICOPTER COLLIDES MIDAIR WITH AMERICAN AIRLINES JET

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed that he was at the FAA building and investigating the incident. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also shared a message from President Donald Trump on Wednesday night.

“I have been fully briefed on the terrible accident which just took place at Reagan National Airport,” the statement read. “May God Bless their souls. Thank you for the incredible work being done by our first responders. I am monitoring the situation and will provide more details as they arise.”

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., expressed sorrow after hearing of the crash.

“Our prayers are with all families impacted by the tragic plane crash that just took place here in DC,” Luna’s post read. “Incredibly heartbreaking.”

Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears said that she was keeping all those impacted in her prayers.

FEDERAL JUDGE PAUSES TRUMP ADMIN’S TEMPORARY FEDERAL GRANTS, LOANS FREEZE

A collision took place near Reagan National Airport on Wednesday. (Fox News Digital)

“My office is following the breaking and tragic news of a collision at @Reagan_Airport,” the lieutenant governor wrote. “We pray for the victims, first rescuers, and all those impacted.”

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem wrote on X that she was “deploying every available US Coast Guard resource for search and rescue efforts in this horrific incident at DCA.”

“We are actively monitoring the situation & stand ready to support local responders,” the former South Dakota governor wrote. “Praying for the victims and first responders.”

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, the FAA and American Airlines for more information.

An Army Black Hawk helicopter collided midair with an American Airlines jet at Reagan Washington National airport. (EarthCam)

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Authorities are actively investigating the crash.

Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner and Louis Casiano contributed to this report.

Andrea Margolis is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. Readers can send story tips to andrea.margolis@fox.com.

January 30, 2025
DeSantis threatens to veto immigration bill passed by GOP lawmakers

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis suggested Wednesday he will veto a state Republican-sponsored immigration bill he said would weaken illegal immigration enforcement.

The threat of a veto comes as DeSantis continues to feud with state Republican lawmakers, saying they passed a watered-down immigration bill.

“We must have the strongest law in the nation on immigration enforcement. We cannot be weak,” DeSantis wrote on X. “The bill that narrowly passed the Florida legislature last night fails to honor our promises to voters, fails to meet the moment, and would actually weaken state immigration enforcement.”

‘THANK YOU RON’ – TRUMP PRAISES DESANTIS IMMIGRATION PUSH IN FLORIDA

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis suggested he will veto a GOP-led immigration bill in Florida’s Legislature. (Sergio Flores/AFP via Getty Images)

This week, the GOP-dominated Florida legislature gaveled out a special session called by the two-term governor to take up a series of proposals to help with President Donald Trump‘s immigration crackdown.

Instead, state lawmakers held their own special session, where they passed other immigration bills and overrode a DeSantis budget veto, the first time in 15 years the legislature has overturned a Florida governor’s veto.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION MOVES QUICKLY ON IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT

President Donald Trump (Donald Trump/Truth Social)

Hours after lawmakers passed the Tackling and Reforming Unlawful Migration Policy Act, or TRUMP Act, DeSantis said, “The veto pen is ready.”

He called the bill a weak effort to arrest and deport illegal immigrants, specifically those with criminal records.

Nearly 1,000 people were arrested Saturday morning, according to ICE. (ICE)

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“The removal of illegal aliens residing in our state requires strong legislation that will guarantee state and local deportation assistance, end catch and release, eliminate magnets such as remittances, and adopt supporting policies that will protect Floridians from the scourge of illegal immigration,” he wrote.

January 30, 2025
RFK Jr tells lawmakers that ‘every abortion is a tragedy’ at confirmation hearing

Every abortion is a “tragedy,” President Donald Trump’s Health and Human Services nominee, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., told lawmakers Wednesday.

While Kennedy previously voiced support for abortion even in the late stages of pregnancy, Kennedy told the Senate Finance Committee Wednesday he would carry out Trump’s policy priorities concerning abortion.

“I agree with President Trump that every abortion is a tragedy,” Kennedy said at his confirmation hearing. “I agree with him that we cannot be a moral nation if we have 1.2 million abortions a year. I agree with him that the states should control abortion. President Trump has told me that he wants to end late-term abortions, and he wants to protect conscience exemptions.”

“I serve at the pleasure of the president,” Kennedy said. “I’m going to implement his policies.”

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Robert F. Kennedy Jr., partner with Morgan & Morgan PA, is sworn-in during a House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government hearing in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, July 20, 2023. (Getty)

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 625,978 abortions were reported from 48 areas in 2021.

Trump has said on multiple occasions that he supports abortion in certain instances, and said that “powerful exceptions” for abortion would remain in place under his administration.

Meanwhile, Kennedy has altered his position on abortion several times in the past year. Kennedy, a former Democrat who ran as an independent presidential candidate in the 2024 election, has historically stated that he doesn’t believe the government should step in with a woman’s choice to end a pregnancy, despite his “personally pro-life” stance.

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Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at a campaign event, Sept. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

In May, Kennedy said he supported abortions in the third trimester, although he later followed up and said he does back some restrictions.

Kennedy’s views appeared at odds with one another, and Democratic lawmakers said they were “confused” by his answers on abortion.

“Mr. Kennedy, I’m confused. You have clearly stated in the past that bodily autonomy is one of your core values. The question is, do you stand for that value or not?” Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., said during the confirmation hearing. “When was it that you decided to sell out the values you have had your whole life in order to be given power by President Trump?”

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President Donald Trump’s nominee to be Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert Kennedy Jr. sits in a meeting with Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) on Capitol Hill on January 9, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Jon Cherry/Getty Images)

Other lawmakers voiced concerns about Kennedy’s nomination, including Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island.

“Frankly, you frighten people,” Whitehouse said, after claiming that there was a measles outbreak in Rhode Island for the first time since 2013 amid a broader discussion about Kennedy’s stance on vaccines.

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Kennedy pushed back on “news reports” that he is anti-vaccine and anti-industry in his opening statements Wednesday, noting that all his children are vaccinated. He also has previously said that he isn’t interested in taking “away anybody’s vaccines.”

Fox News Digital’s Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report.

Diana Stancy is a politics reporter with Fox News Digital covering the White House.

January 29, 2025
‘Back to our roots’: Female GOP lawmakers work to win back feminism from the left

EXCLUSIVE: Female Republicans in Congress are fighting to change the decadeslong narrative that paints Democrats as the party of women, hoping it transcends to significant gains in future elections.

“We’ve got to get back to our roots of being the party of women,” Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., told Fox News Digital. “I don’t know why we ever allowed the Democrats to hijack the narrative and claim to be the party of women. That’s bull.”

Other GOP lawmakers who spoke with Fox News Digital about this story noted that cost of living, a cornerstone issue for Republicans in the last election, was as much a women’s issue as anyone else’s.

Republicans have also passed several bills since winning that election that have put women at the focus of conservative policy changes on transgender youth and border security.

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From left to right, Reps. Nancy Mace, Nicole Malliotakis, and Ashley Hinson are at the forefront of the GOP’s push to appeal to women. (Getty Images)

“You should not let the Democrat Party tell you they’re the party of women if they can’t even define what a woman is. So we are going to continue to be strong advocates for young women and girls, whether that’s in professional spaces, in bathrooms or in sports,” said Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, referencing a recently passed bill keeping biological male student athletes out of girls’ sports teams and locker rooms.

Hinson said she is “a working mom fighting for other working moms.”

“Women are oftentimes the most important decision makers in a household, for example. So, when I’m thinking about economic indicators, how are we going to get more women in the workforce? How can we empower more women and families? How can we support more women in sports?” Hinson posed.

Historically, Malliotakis pointed out, it was Republicans who led passage of the 19th Amendment that secured women the right to vote. She also pointed out that it was under President Donald Trump that a museum dedicated to women’s history was authorized.

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Rep. Nicole Malliotakis pointed out that a Smithsonian women’s museum was authorized during President Donald Trump’s first term. (Donald Trump 2024 campaign)

“President Trump authorized in 2020 the Smithsonian Women’s History Museum. And Joe Biden did nothing with it for four years,” Malliotakis said. ” “I’ve been pushing a land transfer for the Smithsonian women’s museum to be built, and I think it makes total sense that we would be the party that would do this, considering our history.”

As a voting bloc, women have favored Democrats and the left in recent history.

Democrats have also blamed Republicans for the conservative-leaning Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, a move that did appear to translate to electoral success in the 2022 midterms.

Progressives were also historically the biggest supporters of the Equal Rights Amendment, legislation that was pushed primarily during the second-wave feminist movement.

However, Republican women like Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., are now arguing that bills like hers, which would deport illegal immigrants who commit sex crimes against women and other Americans, are what it takes to protect women.

Freshman Rep. Julie Fedorchak pointed out she was the highest vote-getter in her state this past year. (AP Photo/Jack Dura)

“MAGA is the new feminist,” Mace wrote on X this month.

Additionally, Rep. Julie Fedorchak, R-N.D., one of the few Republican women in the 119th Congress’ freshmen class, pointed out that her own story was a testament to GOP meritocracy.

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“I was the largest vote-getter in my whole state out of anybody, as a woman, as the first congresswoman in our state. So I think more than anything else, people want folks who are primed for the job, who are competent and ready,” Fedorchak said.

“The cost of everything, making ends meet, helping women manage their multiple roles, getting government out of their lives, helping reinforce the role of parents…these are things that are women’s issues.”

Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.

Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to elizabeth.elkind@fox.com

January 27, 2025