Happy New Year 2025

Tag: order

Trans athlete Sadie Schreiner not competing for RIT women’s track team after Trump’s executive order

Transgender track and field runner Sadie Schreiner is not competing in future events for Rochester Institute of Technology’s (RIT) women’s track and field team amid the NCAA changing its gender eligibility policy.

An RIT spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the program is complying with the NCAA’s new policy that reflects President Donald Trump’s recent executive order that bans trans athletes from women’s sports.

“We continue to follow the NCAA participation policy for transgender student-athletes following the Trump administration’s executive order. Sadie is not participating in the next meet,” the spokesperson said.

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Sadie Schreiner puts a transgender flag in her hair before heading to the awards stand at the NCAA DIII outdoor track and field championships on May 25, 2024, in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. (Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

The NCAA officially changed its gender eligibility policies to ban all biological males from women’s sports on Feb. 6, one day after Trump signed the order.

“A student-athlete assigned male at birth may not compete on a women’s team,” the new policy reads.

However, the policy also states that a biological male can still practice on a women’s team and “receive benefits.”

“A student-athlete assigned male at birth may practice on an NCAA women’s team and receive all other benefits applicable to student-athletes,” the policy reads.

RIT has not confirmed to Fox News Digital whether Schreiner has been removed from the roster and is no longer practicing with the team. Schreiner still has a player profile page on the team’s official website.

Schreiner has been a controversial figure in women’s track and field this year after an appearance at the 2024 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championship in May.

There, Schreiner finished last in the 400 meter, but still occupied a spot in the competition that could have gone to a biological female.

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

Earlier that month, Schreiner competed at the Liberty League Championship, and won both the women’s 200- and 400-meter, breaking the 400-meter record in the process. Schreiner would have finished last by more than two seconds if the athlete put up the same performance in the men’s competition.

Recently, in late January, Schreiner bragged after winning an event against female opponents.

“Not the race I was looking for at all this week, my spikes nearly fell off on the turn and with a poor start my time wasn’t nearly what I wanted,” the RIT runner wrote in an Instagram post.

“The good news is that the season just started, and I’m going to leave everything on the track at nationals,” Schreiner added with a transgender pride flag emoji.

Schreiner also made it a point to speak out against states and colleges that were not offering the trans athlete a full scholarship when Schreiner wanted to transfer, in December. The athlete blamed laws in 25 states that prohibit trans athletes from competing with girls and women.

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Sadie Schreiner races to qualify in the 400m race at the NCAA DIII outdoor track and field championships on May 24, 2024, in Myrtle Beach. (Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

“Among all the hurdles transfers usually have, there is an extra layer because it is trans, 50% of the country banned me from participating and that meant I couldn’t attend any of those colleges even if they reached out to me with a full ride,” Schreiner said.

“It also became clear that states that did, no matter how adamant the coaches were to have me on their teams, the college administrations would usually stop them from allowing me to participate.”

Now, Schreiner likely won’t be able to compete on any women’s college teams throughout the country with the NCAA’s new policy in place.

However, Schreiner would be able to compete on a men’s team, per the new policy.

“Regardless of sex assigned at birth or gender identity, a student-athlete may participate (practice and competition) in NCAA men’s sports, assuming they meet all other NCAA eligibility requirements,” the new policy reads.

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

February 13, 2025
High school trans athletes fighting Trump’s executive order protecting girls’ sports in court

The families of two transgender high school athletes in New Hampshire have added President Donald Trump’s administration to a lawsuit challenging laws that prevent the athletes from competing in girls’ sports.

The teenage plaintiffs, Parker Tirrell and Iris Turmelle, originally filed the lawsuit last year to challenge a current New Hampshire state law prohibiting trans athletes from participating in girls’ sports. On Wednesday, a federal judge granted a request to add the Trump administration to the list of defendants over the president’s recent executive order.

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Trump signed the “No Men in Women’s Sports” executive order on Feb. 5, which prohibited any federal funding for educational institutions that allow biological males to compete on women’s or girls’ sports teams.

New Hampshire was already one of 25 states with a law in place to enforce similar bans on trans inclusion, but Tirrell and Turmelle have been allowed to compete on girls’ teams anyway, thanks to the ruling of a federal judge in their state.

“The systematic targeting of transgender people across American institutions is chilling, but targeting young people in schools, denying them support and essential opportunities during their most vulnerable years, is especially cruel,” Chris Erchull, a GLAD attorney, said.

The lawyers claimed Trump’s executive order, along with parts of a Jan. 20 executive order that forbids federal money from being used to “promote gender ideology,” subjects the teens and all transgender girls to discrimination in violation of federal equal protection guarantees and their rights under Title IX.

NYC OFFICIAL REMOVES POST SUPPORTING TRUMP’S TRANS ATHLETE ORDER AFTER ‘GUIDANCE’ FROM MAYOR’S CHIEF OF STAFF

The lawyers also claimed the executive orders unlawfully subject the teens’ schools to the threat of losing federal funding for allowing them to play sports.

The situation involving the two trans athletes has also prompted a second lawsuit after parents wore wristbands that read “XX” in reference to the biological female chromosomes, and were allegedly banned from school grounds for wearing them.

Plaintiffs Kyle Fellers and Anthony Foote sued the Bow School District after being banned from school grounds for wearing the wristbands at their daughters’ soccer game in September.

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In the lawsuit filed by Fellers and Foote, they alleged they were told by school officials to remove the armbands or they would have to leave the game.

Both of the fathers say the intention of the armband was not to protest Tirrell, but to support their own daughters in a game that featured a biological male.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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

February 13, 2025
Trump Education Department launches Title IX probes into 2 blue states allegedly ignoring trans athlete order

The United States Department of Education has launched Title IX investigations into athletic associations in California and Minnesota after they said they would ignore President Donald Trump’s executive order to keep transgender athletes out of girls and women’s sports.

The Minnesota State High School League announced Thursday it will continue to allow transgender athletes to compete against girls despite Trump’s executive order to probibit them from doing so.

That came just days after the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) said it will continue to follow the state’s law that allows athletes to participate as whichever gender they identify as.

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Donald Trump (Sean Rayford/Getty Images)

“The Minnesota State High School League and the California Interscholastic Federation are free to engage in all the meaningless virtue-signaling that they want, but at the end of the day they must abide by federal law,” said Craig Trainor, acting assistant secretary for civil rights.

“(The Office of Civil Rights’) Chicago and San Francisco regional offices will conduct directed investigations into both organizations to ensure that female athletes in these states are treated with the dignity, respect and equality that the Trump administration demands. I would remind these organizations that history does not look kindly on entities and states that actively opposed the enforcement of federal civil rights laws that protect women and girls from discrimination and harassment.”

The Department of Education added that state laws do not override federal anti-discrimination laws, so the associations are subject to investigations.

Trump signed the executive order on National Girls and Women in Sports Day, which celebrates female athletes in women’s sports and those committed to providing equal access to sports for all females.

President Donald Trump signs the No Men in Women’s Sports executive order into law in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., Feb. 5, 2025. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP)

The order states that “it is the policy of the United States to rescind all funds from educational programs that deprive women and girls of fair athletic opportunities” and to take “all appropriate action to affirmatively protect all-female athletic opportunities and all-female locker rooms and thereby provide the equal opportunity guaranteed by Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972.”

Prior to Trump signing the order Wednesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said part of the motivation behind Trump’s executive order would be to create a “pressure campaign” for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and NCAA to follow and prevent transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports.

In response to Trump’s order, the NCAA changed its policy, in place since 2010, to disallow transgender athletes from competing against women, requiring them to compete based on their birth gender.

During Trump’s ceremony at the White House to sign the executive order, he announced that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem will prohibit any transgender athletes attempting to compete as women from entering the country for the Olympics in 2028.

Former President Donald Trump is joined onstage by Riley Gaines at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Dallas, Texas, Aug. 6, 2022. (Reuters/Brian Snyder)

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The United Nations released study findings saying nearly 900 biological females have fallen short of winning medals because they lost to transgender athletes.

Minnesota, governed by Kamala Harris’ running mate, Tim Walz, was home to a Supreme Court case in which a transgender powerlifter was continuing in a fight to compete against biological women.

Fox News’ Jackson Thompson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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February 13, 2025
Tim Walz’s daughter rants against Trump’s transgender athlete executive order

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s daughter, Hope Walz, went viral this week for a series of TikToks criticizing President Donald Trump’s executive order banning transgender athletes from women’s and girls’ sports.

Walz posted her first video about the issue Saturday, when she called the order “a dangerous precedent.”

“It is dangerous for the trans community, women, minorities, anyone who is not a straight white man,” she said in the video. “We are talking about human beings, and the president of the United States is targeting them because he thinks it will gain him political points or whatever.”

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Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, wife Gwen Walz, son Gus and daughter Hope stand onstage at the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago Aug. 21, 2024. (Reuters/Mike Segar)

She suggested the issue of trans athletes in women’s and girls sports “is not real.”

“I have never felt unsafe around a trans person. I have felt unsafe around men. So, maybe let’s deal with that,” she said.

Walz posted a follow-up TikTok addressing the issue Wednesday. In that video, she suggested Trump’s Cabinet members have “allegations.” She also made claims that more of Trump’s 15 Cabinet members have “credible allegations” than there are trans athletes in high school sports. Walz did not clarify which members or which allegations she was referring to.

“Transphobia and transphobes are so crazy to me because, like, the whole argument is, ‘Oh, we’re protecting women. We need to protect women.’ But then they turn around and vote for a literal felon, who, he himself as well as many of the people closest to him have credible allegations,” she said. “Like, the amount of people with credible allegations in the Cabinet is more than trans kids trying to play high school sports.”

HOW TRANSGENDERISM IN SPORTS SHIFTED THE 2024 ELECTION AND IGNITED A NATIONAL COUNTERCULTURE

However, the United Nations released study findings saying that nearly 900 biological females have fallen short of victories because they have been defeated by transgender athletes.

The study, “Violence against women and girls in sports,” said more than 600 athletes did not medal in more than 400 competitions in 29 different sports, totaling over 890 medals, according to information obtained up to March 30.

“The replacement of the female sports category with a mixed-sex category has resulted in an increasing number of female athletes losing opportunities, including medals, when competing against males,” the report said.

Tim Walz was a vocal advocate for transgender and LGBTQ+ rights as Kamala Harris’ running mate in the 2024 election.

The issue of transgender athletes competing with girls and women proved to be an issue that affected the outcome of an election in which Harris and Walz lost in a landslide.

Shortly after November’s election, a national exit poll conducted by the Concerned Women for America legislative action committee found that 70% of moderate voters saw the issue of “Donald Trump’s opposition to transgender boys and men playing girls’ and women’s sports and of transgender boys and men using girls’ and women’s bathrooms” as important to them.

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And 6% said it was the most important issue of all, while 44% said it was “very important.”

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.

Walz’s home state of Minnesota is one of the states that has refused to comply with Trump’s executive order.

The Minnesota State High School League announced Thursday it will continue to allow transgender athletes to compete against girls despite Trump’s executive order to ban them from doing so.

The Minnesota organization said in an email to member schools that participation by, and eligibility of, transgender athletes is controlled by the Minnesota Human Rights Act, which includes protections for LGBTQ+ people, and the Minnesota Constitution.

“The Minnesota State High School League, similar to other youth sports organizations, is subject to state anti-discrimination laws, which prohibit discrimination based on gender identity,” the organization said in a statement. “Therefore, students in Minnesota are allowed to participate consistent with their gender identity.”

California is another state that has refused to comply with Trump’s order.

The decision by California not to comply with Trump’s order has prompted backlash and even protests and threats of lawsuits.

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

February 13, 2025
No longer taken advantage of: Trump signs order prioritizing ‘unified’ US foreign policy front

President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed an executive order reinforcing a “unified” voice for U.S. foreign policy that prioritizes his “America First” agenda.

The executive order emphasizes the State Department’s responsibility to uphold the Trump administration’s foreign policy priorities, and that the agency has the proper channels to ensure that “officers and employees faithfully implement the President’s policies,” according to a White House fact sheet.

Additionally, the executive order instructs Secretary of State Marco Rubio to execute reforms to recruitment, evaluation, performance and retention standards to ensure that the State Department employs the most qualified individuals to represent the U.S., according to the fact sheet.

Likewise, Rubio has the authority under the order to update the Foreign Affairs Manual or other procedural documents pertaining to foreign service.

TRUMP MEETS WITH JORDAN’S KING AMID TENSE TALKS ABOUT RESETTLING PALESTINIANS

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has the authority under the order to update the Foreign Affairs Manual or other procedural documents pertaining to foreign service. (Mark Schiefelbein/The Associated Press)

“President Trump is committed to safeguarding the integrity of U.S. foreign policy by ensuring that America’s interests are prioritized through a unified diplomatic voice, with related personnel held accountable to the President’s vision,” the White House said in the fact sheet.

“No longer will America be taken advantage of by foreign nations or by rogue actors who undermine our sovereignty or security.”

The executive order expands upon Trump’s America First policy directive that he signed after his inauguration, which states that “the foreign policy of the United States shall champion core American interests.”

The Trump administration has put forward some bold foreign policy proposals during his second term, including unveiling an effort to shutter the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), a group that works to deliver aid to impoverished countries and development assistance.

Rubio, now acting director of the independent agency, said on Feb. 3 that USAID was not “functioning” and that the organization isn’t a “global charity.”

TRUMP NOT COMMITTING TO PUTTING US TROOPS ON THE GROUND IN GAZA, WHITE HOUSE SAYS

President Donald Trump announces plans to “take over” the Gaza Strip in a “long-term ownership position” to deliver stability to the region during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, on Feb. 4. (Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“It needs to be aligned with the national interest of the U.S.,” Rubio said. “They’re not a global charity, these are taxpayer dollars. People are asking simple questions. What are they doing with the money? We are spending taxpayers’ money. We owe the taxpayers assurances that it furthers our national interest.”

Likewise, Trump also announced plans on Feb. 4 to “take over” the Gaza Strip in a “long-term ownership position” to deliver stability to the region during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

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The proposal prompted swift backlash from Arab countries, including Jordan, and Egypt announced plans on Sunday for an emergency Arab Summit to discuss “new and dangerous developments” regarding the resettling of Palestinians on Feb. 27.

Trump met with Jordan’s King Abdullah II on Tuesday, who said he would wait for the Egyptians to take the lead on a proposal moving forward as they negotiate with the U.S. on plans to take over Gaza. However, Abdullah did reveal plans to accept 2,000 sick Palestinian children to Jordan.

“I think let’s wait until the Egyptians can come and present it to the president and not get ahead of us,” Abdullah said.

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

February 13, 2025
California families celebrate Trump administration’s probe into state’s refusal to follow trans athlete order

President Donald Trump’s Department of Education plans to investigate California’s public school athletic association, the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), for not complying with his executive order to ban transgender athletes from girls sports.

The California Family Council (CFC) praised the decision.

“The California Family Council celebrates the U.S. Department of Education’s decision to launch a Title IX investigation into the CIF for its role in allowing males to compete in girls sports,” the statement said.

“For too long, CIF has turned a blind eye to the concerns of female athletes, parents and coaches, prioritizing radical gender ideology over fairness, safety and the integrity of women’s athletics. This investigation is a crucial step toward restoring justice in high school sports.”

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Students at Martin Luther King High School in Riverside, Calif., wear T-shirts that say “Save Girls Sports” to protest a transgender athlete on the cross-country team. (Courtesy of Sophia Lorey)

CFC Outreach Director Sophia Lorey said the Trump administration’s intervention has made her cry “tears of joy.”

“As a four-year CIF varsity athlete and a three-year captain, I have been fighting for all girls to have the same athletic opportunities I had,” Lorey said. “CIF’s policies have undermined decades of hard-fought victories for female athletes, and it’s time for them to answer for the harm they’ve caused. CIF has ignored these injustices for too long, and we hope this investigation will finally force them to put the safety and fairness of girls over the feelings of confused boys.”

Lorey has advocated for girls affected by transgender athlete inclusion in California for three years.

Lorey intervened at Martin Luther King High School in Riverside, California, in the fall, when a national controversy erupted over a transgender athlete who took a varsity spot from a girls’ cross-country runner.

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

That girl, Taylor Starling, then took matters into her own hands when she and teammate Kaitlyn Slavin made T-shirts that said “Save GIrls Sports” and started wearing them to school. They then filed a lawsuit against the school district when administrators allegedly scolded them for wearing the shirts and compared them to swastikas.

Starling’s father, Ryan Starling, expressed his gratitude to the Trump administration for taking action to investigate the state’s defiance of the recent executive order.

“Our family can’t thank President Trump enough. We are so excited to see common sense prevailing. This has been a long-fought battle for so many people on so many fronts. The battle is not over in the state of California, but each day we are moving a step closer because of so many courageous people like Taylor and Kaitlyn,” Ryan Starling told Fox News Digital.

Even school administrators who work within the jurisdiction of the CIF are celebrating the DOE’s investigation.

Transgender athlete supporter Kyle Harp, left, of Riverside, holds a pride flag as “Save Girls Sports” supporters Lori Lopez and her father, Pete Pickering, listen to debate over the rights of transgender athletes outside the Riverside Unified School District Dec. 19, 2024. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

Chino Unified School Board President Sonja Shaw told Fox News Digital she is calling for consequences for all the institutions that have allowed transgender athletes to participate in girls sports.

“As a mother of two CIF athletes, school board president and advocate for children, I have seen firsthand the devastating impact of these policies. Girls are being pushed aside, their safety is compromised and their opportunities are being stolen,” Shaw said.

“This investigation is a critical step in the right direction, but we need real, decisive action. CIF — and any entity that violates Title IX — must face consequences, including the withdrawal of funding.

“We warned you, CIF. Now, face the consequences.”

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Amber French, a women’s swimmer at California Baptist University, argued the CIF allowing transgender athletes to compete with girls will deprive biological female athletes of college opportunities and jeopardizes their safety.

“If you allow males to compete in female sports, less females will have the opportunity to go to CIF and swim in front of college coaches to get recruited,” French told Fox News Digital. “Allowing males who do not want to compete against their sex compete in female races takes away from all the hard-working female athletes. There are separate categories for a reason.

“This investigation is the first step to protect the integrity, safety and opportunities of female sports.”

The CIF told Fox News Digital it has been notified of the forthcoming investigation.

“While the CIF has been notified of the investigation, we do not comment on pending investigations,” a CIF spokesperson said.

Trump’s DOE will also be investigating Minnesota’s high school athletics association for refusing to comply with the executive order.

The DOE is also investigating San Jose State University, the University of Pennsylvania and the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association for separate incidents involving transgender athletes competing on a women’s or girls sports team.

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.

February 13, 2025
Trump to sign order instructing DOGE to massively cut federal workforce

Democrats take aim at DOGE and Elon Musk

Fox News senior congressional correspondent Chad Pergram reports on Democratic pushback on the Department of Government Efficiency and its proposed cuts to government spending.

President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order Tuesday instructing the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to coordinate with federal agencies and execute massive cuts in federal government staffing numbers.

The order will instruct DOGE and federal agencies to work together to “significantly” shrink the size of the federal government and limit hiring new employees, according to a White House fact sheet on the order. Specifically, agencies must not hire more than one employee for every four that leave their federal post.

Agencies will also be instructed to “undertake plans for large-scale reductions in force” and evaluate ways to eliminate or combine agency functions that aren’t legally required.

DOGE Chair Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, told reporters Tuesday in the Oval Office that the American people voted for “major” government reform and that the Trump administration would deliver.

Trump voiced similar sentiments about providing voters what they wanted – to tackle “all of this “horrible stuff going on” – and told reporters that he hoped the court system would cooperate.

“I hope that the court system is going to allow us to do what we have to do,” Trump said, who also said he would always abide by a court’s ruling but will be prepared to appeal.

The order builds on another directive Trump signed after his inauguration implementing a federal hiring freeze, as well as an initiative from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) offering more than 2 million federal civilian employees buyouts if they leave their jobs or return to work in-person. A federal judge has temporarily blocked the administration’s plan from advancing amid challenges from union groups.

Trump’s executive order aligns with DOGE’s “workforce optimization initiative” and would impose restrictions to hire only for “essential positions” as agencies brace for significant cuts to their workforce, according to the White House fact sheet.

DC FEDERAL WORKERS IN A ‘PANIC’ OVER NOVEL EXPERIENCE OF JOB INSECURITY WITH JOB CUTS

Elon Musk, the chair of DOGE, has been leading an investigation into USAID’s spending practices as the agency comes to a standstill. (Getty Images)

The executive order will leave just a few areas of the federal government unscathed, including positions affiliated with law enforcement, national security and immigration enforcement.

DOGE is focused on eliminating wasteful government spending and streamlining efficiency and operations, and it is expected to influence White House policy on budget matters. The group has been tasked with cutting $2 trillion from the federal government budget through efforts to slash spending, government programs and the federal workforce.

The White House said on Feb. 4 that it predicted a “spike” in resignations close to the original Feb. 6 deadline for the buyout offer, which would allow employees to retain all pay and benefits and be exempt from in-person work until Sep. 30.

“The number of deferred resignations is rapidly growing, and we’re expecting the largest spike 24 to 48 hours before the deadline,” a White House official told Fox News Digital on Feb. 4.

JUDGE EXTENDS INJUCTION ORDER TO BAN TRUMP ADMIN BUYOUT OFFER TO FEDERAL WORKERS

President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order instructing the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to coordinate with federal agencies to execute massive cuts in federal government staffing numbers. (Reuters)

So far, approximately 65,000 federal employees have accepted the buyout offer, but a federal judge has issued a pause on the deadline for when employees must submit their resignations.

U.S. District Judge George O’Toole indefinitely extended a temporary restraining order Monday, pausing the deadline as he evaluates a preliminary injunction request stemming from cases against the buyout program filed by union groups including the American Federation of Government Employees.

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When asked about the buyout, Trump said that there are empty office spaces and that his administration is attempting to reduce the size of government.

“We have too many people. We have office spaces occupied by 4% — nobody showing up to work because they were told not to,” Trump said.

DOGE has moved to slash other areas of the federal government as well.

Other recent initiatives by DOGE have included launching an effort to shutter the U.S. Agency for International Development, a group that works to deliver aid to impoverished countries and development assistance.

The group has come under scrutiny from DOGE amid concerns about wasteful government spending and poor leadership, as well as questionable funding, including an Iraqi version of “Sesame Street” and reportedly providing millions of dollars in funding to extremist groups tied to designated terrorist organizations and their allies.

“It’s been run by a bunch of radical lunatics, and we’re getting them out,” Trump told reporters on Feb. 2.

Fox News’ Brooke Singman, Emma Colton and Louis Casiano contributed to this report.

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

February 11, 2025
NYC official removes post supporting Trump’s trans athlete order after ‘guidance’ from mayor’s chief of staff

As some states have refused to comply with President Donald Trump’s recent executive order that bans trans athletes in girls’ and women’s sports, New York is at an impasse over the issue.

The New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) provided a statement to Fox News Digital saying it has advised schools to comply with current state law that allows trans athletes to compete with girls, but is gathering public input before making a final decision.

“While we await further clarification, I strongly advise that NYSPHSAA member schools continue to adhere to current New York state anti-discrimination laws, which allow students to participate on interscholastic teams that best align with their gender identity,” NYSPHSAA Executive Director Dr. Robert J. Zayas said.

“I am actively working with state officials to assess the implications of this executive order and determine appropriate next steps. Yesterday, I spoke with Dr. Betty Rosa, commissioner of the New York State Education Department (NYSED), regarding this matter. She has requested that I collect any questions or concerns from the field, which she will then discuss with the Attorney General’s Office to provide us with guidance and direction.”

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

However, as Zayas advised New York schools to continue enabling trans inclusion, an official in New York City spoke out about her support for Trump’s executive order.

Director of New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ Office of Sports, Wellness and Recreation Jasmine Ray stated her position in favor of following Trump’s order on her Instagram Stories over the weekend, via Gothamist.

“To those asking about my position, as Director of NYC Sports & Rec, I stand with the recent executive order reinforcing the importance of fairness in women’s sports,” she wrote.

However, the outlet reported Ray later took down her story and says she deleted it at the “guidance” of the mayor’s chief of staff, Camille Joseph Varlack.

“I take full responsibility for the error in judgment,” Ray told Gothamist. “I am committed to maintaining the separation between my personal beliefs and my professional responsibilities.”

Fox News Digital has reached out to Adams’ office for comment.

Since Trump’s order went into effect last Wednesday, multiple states and high school athletic associations have made it clear that they won’t enforce it, and will continue protecting trans athletes in girls’ sports.

HOW TRANSGENDERISM IN SPORTS SHIFTED THE 2024 ELECTION AND IGNITED A NATIONAL COUNTERCULTURE

California is the most prominent.

The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) said it will continue to follow the state’s law that allows athletes to participate as whichever gender they identify as, a spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

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

The decision has prompted backlash and even protests and threats of lawsuits by California residents.

Minnesota and Massachusetts are among the other states that have indicated they will continue protecting trans athletes in girls’ sports.

A recent New York Times/Ipsos survey found the vast majority of Americans, including a majority of Democrats, do not 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.

Democratic opposition to GOP efforts to restrict trans inclusion has alienated some longtime Democrat voters. In January, when the U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, all but two Democratic House members voted against it.

Prominent Democrats, including House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Vt., Rep. Suzanne Bonamic, D-Ore., Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., and Rep. Whip Clark, D-Mass., argued that the bill would “empower” child predators to give genital examinations to young girls. There was no language in the bill that suggested genital examinations would be necessary.

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The argument alienated some of the party’s loyal voters, who have unregistered as Democrats in response.

“That just made me very upset because it screamed out lack of integrity, lack of honesty,” prominent law professor and lifelong Democrat Gary Francione told Fox News Digital “This is the way you fight battles? By trying to insult other people who oppose you and disagree with and insinuate that they’re child molesters or pedophiles? It seems to me you’ve lost the game… I don’t know how they’re ever going to come back from this.”

Francione has a lifelong network of other Democrats in the field of law and other industries, and says many of them share his beliefs and will also be unregistering from the party.

“I can say confidently of the people I know who are Democrats who I’ve spoken to, the vast majority of them are very unhappy about all of this stuff and feel that the party has lost its way,” Francione said. “I know a couple who said they are going to [unregister].”

Other Democratic lawmakers have also spoken out against the party’s platform of enabling trans athletes to compete against girls and women. They include Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, Reps. Colin Allred, Vicente Gonzalez and Henry Cuellar, of Texas, Rep. Mary Peltola, of Alaska, and Rep. Tom Suozzi, of New York.

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.

February 11, 2025
Judge modifies order allowing Senate-confirmed political appointees access to payment systems

‘The Big Money Show’ panel weighs in on Democrats’ pushing back on DOGE’s efforts as they rail against Elon Musk’s role in Trump’s presidency.

A New York federal judge modified a temporary restraining order Tuesday that prevented President Donald Trump and the Treasury Department from granting political appointees and special government employees access to the department’s payment systems.

The amended order was issued by U.S District Judge Jeannette Vargas on Tuesday.

U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer, an Obama appointee, previously issued a temporary restraining order Saturday that sided with 19 Democratic state attorneys general who claimed that giving DOGE “full access” to the Treasury’s payment systems violates the law.

The lawsuit was spearheaded by New York Attorney General Letitia James.

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

Special government employees, including Elon Musk, are still barred from accessing the Treasury Department’s payment system. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images / Getty Images)

“This morning, we won a court order blocking Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, from accessing Americans’ private data,” James wrote on X at the time. “Musk and his DOGE employees must destroy all records they’ve obtained. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: no one is above the law.”

The Trump administration filed an emergency motion Sunday, saying the order “unnecessarily restricts Federal Reserve employees and outside contractors” from accessing the payment systems “to perform necessary routine processes and maintenance and provide operational support.”

Both parties were ordered to meet that evening in an attempt to come to an agreement. Both sides ultimately agreed to modify the order, with the plaintiffs opposing any modification to the provision that barred political appointees’ access to the systems.

TRUMP, ELON MUSK BOND OVER PLASTIC STRAWS

The amended order now gives Senate-confirmed political appointees access to the information. Special government employees, including Elon Musk, are still barred from accessing the Treasury Department’s payment system.

Hauppauge, N.Y.: New York Attorney General Letitia James speaks at a press conference in Hauppauge, New York on June 12, 2024. (ohn Paraskevas/Newsday RM via Getty Images / Getty Images)

“These unlawful injunctions are a continuation of the weaponization of justice against President Trump,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News Digital in a statement. “The White House will continue to fight these battles in court, and we expect to be vindicated. The President has every right to exercise his executive authority on behalf of the American people, who gave him a historic mandate to govern on November 5th.”

Shortly after the initial order was handed down, Trump called the order “crazy” in an interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier.

ELON MUSK WARNS FEDERAL RESERVE MAY FACE DOGE AUDIT

“Nineteen states attorneys general filed a lawsuit, and early Saturday a judge agreed with them to restrict Elon Musk and his government efficiency team, DOGE, from accessing Treasury Department payment and data systems. They said there was a risk of ‘irreparable harm.’ What do you make of that? And does that slow you down and what you want to do?” Baier asked Trump in the interview clip.

President Trump called the order “crazy” in an interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier. (Bill Pugliano/Getty Images / Getty Images)

“No, I disagree with it 100%. I think it’s crazy. And we have to solve the efficiency problem. We have to solve the fraud, waste, abuse, all the things that have gone into the government. You take a look at the USAID, the kind of fraud in there,” Trump responded.

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The parties are expected to reconvene Friday to revisit the matter.

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

February 11, 2025
Trump signs executive order pausing the enforcement of foreign bribery laws

President Donald Trump has paused the enforcement of a law that criminalizes American businesses that bribe foreign officials in an executive order signed on Monday.

The order, which directs the Department of Justice (DOJ) to stop enforcing the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), is intended to further American economic growth by eliminating excessive barriers to American commerce abroad.

“It sounds good on paper, but in practicality, it’s a disaster,” Trump said about the FCPA.

“It means that if an American goes over to a foreign country and starts doing business over there illegally, legitimately or otherwise, it’s almost a guaranteed investigation indictment. And nobody wants to do business with the Americans because of it,” Trump continued.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION APPEALS RULING BLOCKING BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP ORDER

President Donald Trump holds up a signed executive order pausing the FCPA on Feb. 10, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Reuters)

According to the DOJ, the FCPA was enacted in 1977 to make it “unlawful for certain classes of persons and entities to make payments to foreign government officials to assist in obtaining or retaining business.”

However, the act has been “stretched beyond proper bounds and abused in a manner that harms the interests of the United States.” Enforcing the FCPA also “actively harms American economic competitiveness and, therefore, national security,” the order states.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order pausing the FCPA on Monday, in order to further American economic and national security. (Reuters)

TRUMP ANNOUNCES EXECUTIVE ORDER CREATING TASK FORCE TO ‘ERADICATE ANTI-CHRISTIAN BIAS’

In an effort to eliminate excessive barriers to American businesses overseas, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has also been directed, through the executive order, to review the FCPA for the following 180 days and revise reasonable enforcement guidelines.

The Department of Justice headquarters can no longer enforce the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act under a new executive order President Donald Trump signed on Monday. (Drew Angerer)

“President Trump is stopping excessive, unpredictable FCPA enforcement that makes American companies less competitive,” a White House fact sheet stated. “U.S. companies are harmed by FCPA overenforcement because they are prohibited from engaging in practices common among international competitors, creating an uneven playing field.”

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“The title is so lovely, but it’s an absolutely horror show for America,” Trump said. “So we’re signing it because that’s what we have to do to make it good… It’s going to mean a lot more business for America.”

Bonny Chu is a Digital Production Assistant at Fox News Digital.

February 11, 2025