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Trump budget bill standoff prompts GOP rebels to mutiny House leaders

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The hard-line conservative House Freedom Caucus has released its own proposal to enact President Donald Trump’s agenda via the budget reconciliation process.

The plan would pair a debt ceiling increase and increased border security funding with deep spending cuts through welfare work requirements and rollbacks on progressive Biden administration initiatives.

It’s a sign that House GOP leaders have still not found consensus within the conference on a path forward, despite ambitious plans to get a bill through the chamber at the end of the month.

House and Senate Republicans are aiming to use their congressional majorities to pass a massive conservative policy overhaul via the budget reconciliation process.

SCOOP: KEY CONSERVATIVE CAUCUS DRAWS RED LINE ON HOUSE BUDGET PLAN

The House Freedom Caucus during the 118th Congress (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images)

By reducing the Senate’s threshold for passage from one-third to a simple majority, where the House already operates, Republicans will be able to enact Trump’s plans while entirely skirting Democratic opposition, provided the items included relate to budgetary and other fiscal matters.

GOP lawmakers want to include a wide swath of Trump priorities from more funding for border security to eliminating taxes on tipped and overtime wages.

But fiscal hawks have also demanded the package be deficit-neutral or deficit-reducing. Congressional leaders can afford little dissent with their razor-thin majorities and guaranteed lack of Democratic support.

The Freedom Caucus’s plan would follow through on conservatives’ pleas for deep spending cuts, pairing $200 billion in annual new spending for the border and national defense with $486 billion in spending cuts for the same 10-year period.

It would also include a $4 trillion increase in the debt ceiling, something Trump demanded be part of Republicans’ fiscal negotiations.

Spending cuts would be found in codifying rollbacks to the Biden administration’s electric vehicle mandates and imposing Clinton administration-era work requirements for certain federal benefits, among other measures.

Republicans are working to pass President Trump’s agenda via reconciliation. (ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty Images)

The legislation leaves out one critical component of Trump’s reconciliation goals – the extension of his 2017-era Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

House GOP leaders and Republicans on the Ways & Means Committee had pushed for them to be included alongside border security, debt ceiling, defense and energy measures in one massive reconciliation bill.

They argued that leaving them for a second bill, which the House Freedom Caucus plan would do, will allow Trump’s tax cuts to expire at the end of this year before Congress has time to act.

The two-track approach is also favored by Senate Republicans, who are moving forward with their own plan this week.

Conservatives on the House Budget Committee pushed back against GOP leaders’ initial proposals for baseline spending cuts to offset new spending in the reconciliation plan, forcing the House to punt on plans to advance a resolution through the House Budget Committee last week.

Senate Budget Committee Chair Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., later announced plans to advance his own proposal through his committee by Thursday.

BLACK CAUCUS CHAIR ACCUSES TRUMP OF ‘PURGE’ OF ‘MINORITY’ FEDERAL WORKERS

“”The biggest loser this weekend wasn’t at the Super Bowl, but rather the American people,” Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., told Fox News Digital. “The clock is ticking, and we are no closer to a budget deal, which is why the House Freedom Caucus released our Emergency Border Control Resolution Budget to secure our border and address Trump’s America First Agenda.”

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House Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris, R-Md., said in a statement, “Given the current delay in the House on moving a comprehensive reconciliation bill, moving a smaller targeted bill now makes the most sense to deliver a win for the President and the American people.”

Rep. Michael Cloud, R-Texas, said, “The American people voted for Donald Trump to see action – not for Congress to sit on its hands while our short window to pass his America-First agenda closes.”

Supporters of the two-bill approach have said it would secure early wins on issues Republicans agree most on while leaving more complex matters like tax cuts for the latter half of the year.

February 10, 2025
I’m a tech expert: 10 AI prompts you’ll use all the time
It’s AI this and AI that everywhere you turn. ChatGPT and DeepSeek are dominating headlines, Google slaps AI results at the top of every search, and there are smarter options in the apps and services you use every day.

Freebie alert: I’m giving away my latest ebook, “50 Smart Ways to Use AI” (a $9.95 value). Hope it helps you!

I hear from folks all the time on my national radio show who have no idea where to start. That’s why you have me. AI isn’t going away, so let’s dive into a few things you need to know and prompts to get you started.

5-MINUTE CLEANUP FOR YOUR PHONE AND COMPUTER

First, get to know the tools of the trade

There are so many options. I recommend you start with one of the big names. They’re easy to use, intuitive and have free options. I’ve been most impressed with:
- ChatGPT: It’s my go-to. Type in what you need and it can help you generate ideas, break down tasks, clean up your writing, fix your spreadsheets — whatever. Use it on the web or download it for iPhone or Android. You’ll need to create an account. The free tier works for most people.
- Perplexity: It’s built for research and learning, and it’s my go-to for questions like “How do black holes work?” or “Explain the Ninth Amendment.”
- DeepSeek: A newcomer out of China with a model that outperforms OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Meta’s Llama and Google Gemini. If you’re going to use it, make sure you’re doing so the secure, private way. Steps at the bottom.
Another AI tool worth checking out is Google NotebookLM. Upload audio, notes, documents or any other files, then you can search them, find citations (from your own docs) or even produce a snazzy podcast based on your files.

A listener, Bob, told me after he heard about it on my radio show, he used NotebookLM to create training modules for his employees.

Needless to say, AI is here to stay — and it’s everywhere. Here’s how to make the most of it. (Thomas Trutschel/Photothek via Getty Images)

How to get the best results out of AI chatbots

In reality, using AI is as simple as using Google. Still, it doesn’t hurt to know a few things about how it works. You’ll spend less time feeling like you’re fighting the algorithms and get results you want more reliably.

“Priming” is the insider term for telling a chatbot exactly what you want from it. With ChatGPT or any other, the more constraints you give, the better your answer. You might say, “Limit your response to 250 words,” “Give me the list in bullet points” or “Format the results as a table.”

Remember, AI can’t read your mind. Chatbots feed us the answers they think we want based on our prompts, how they’re trained and what they know about us. Here’s an easy way to give direction: Use “do” and “don’t” in your prompts.

Say you’re cooking for friends, and some have allergies. Say, “Create a recipe for six people. Do include protein, fruits, vegetables and carbs. Don’t include dairy products, shellfish or nuts.”

AI ISN’T GOING ANYWHERE: PROMPTS TO MAKE LIFE EASIER

10 AI prompts to try
1. “How can I make this better?” Then, add in anything you’ve written. This prompt works wonders for polishing your work and pointing out improvements.
2. “You’re an English professor. Find any typos or grammatical errors in my blog post.” Change up the persona you’re asking it to assume and the specific instructions based on what you need. You can use this formula for just about anything. Try, “You’re a life coach. Help me create a plan to achieve my goal of meditating every day for a month.”
3. “Explain this like I’m 10.” AI is surprisingly good at making complex topics simple to understand. Use it for anything from a science lesson to finances.
4. “Remember that … ” In ChatGPT, go to Settings > Personalization and toggle on Memory. The same thing is available on Google Gemini for Advanced (paid) subscribers. Tell it something like, “Remember, I’m a tea drinker, not a coffee drinker,” and it’ll save that info.
5. “Analyze this information. Explain any trends or insights you find.” Plug in a list of numbers or any other data. Uploading a picture works, too.
6. “What is missing?” This works for everything from your vacation packing list to an important work report. The more information you provide on what should be included, the better the answer you’ll get back.
7. “Who are their competitors? You’re researching a new service for your business and don’t know who to compare it to, or maybe you’re looking for new sales prospects. Take the list with a grain of salt; some results could be outdated.
8. “Give me five creative ideas for…” Stuck in a rut? Ask for new ideas for birthday gifts, business names or dinner recipes.
9. “Summarize this in three sentences.” Try it for breaking down long articles, contracts or reports into takeaways. You can also ask for bullet points if your brain processes info better that way.
10. “Explain both sides of this argument.” This works for politics, trends, personal dilemmas or anything else you can throw at a chatbot.
Want more? Get “50 Smart Ways to Use AI” free right now.

AI is a great way to brainstorm, expedite work, and even help you learn new things — however, it doesn’t come without flaws. ( Fabian Sommer/picture alliance via Getty Images)

Think of AI as your first step, not your last

AI is a fantastic tool to help you brainstorm, speed up your work and even teach you new things — but it’s not perfect. It doesn’t think for itself; it just predicts the next best response based on the data it’s been trained on.

AI tools can make mistakes, provide outdated information or totally miss the mark. Always double-check anything important, especially when it comes to work, finances or legal matters.

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Get tech-smarter on your schedule

Award-winning host Kim Komando is your secret weapon for navigating tech.

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February 3, 2025
Trump hiring freeze prompts DOJ to pull job offers in AG’s Honors Program: report

The Department of Justice is rescinding job offers for the Attorney General’s Honors Program amid President Donald Trump’s federal hiring freeze, according to a new report.

The Attorney General’s Honors Program, established in 1953, hires graduating law students or recent law school graduates from top law schools such as Harvard, Duke, Georgetown, Stanford and the University of Virginia.

But the Department of Justice notified those who had been selected for the program, which serves as a pipeline to recruit top legal talent into the public sector, that their offers were being revoked, several people familiar with the decision told the Washington Post.

CAREER JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS REASSIGNED TO DIFFERENT POSITIONS: REPORTS

A sign at the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

The Department’s Office of Attorney Recruitment and Management distributed an email to those affected via email on Wednesday.

“Pursuant to the hiring freeze announced Jan. 20, 2025, your job offer has been revoked,” said the email,” according to an email the Post obtained.

Those familiar with the program said it may take on more than 100 lawyers annually, with recent hires assigned to the antitrust, national security, criminal and other divisions.

They told the Post that the program is critical in recruiting new top talent to the Justice Department in order to replace outgoing legal talent. The two-year program places young attorneys on a career path to stay at the Department once the program concludes.

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FREEZES ALL CIVIL RIGHTS DIVISION CASES: REPORT

The seal of the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)

The Post reports that it is uncertain whether the program will resume once federal hiring starts again.

The Department of Justice did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

Trump signed a series of executive orders on Inauguration Day this week, including those initiating the federal hiring freeze as well as withdrawing the U.S. from the Paris climate agreement, and directing every department and agency to address the cost-of-living crisis.

DOJ RACING THE CLOCK TO ENSHRINE ‘WOKE’ POLICING RULES, LAWYER SAYS, AS JUDGE HEARS BREONNA TAYLOR REFORM CASE

U.S. President Donald Trump sings a second executive order during the inaugural celebration inside Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., on the first day of his second term, January 20, 2025. (REUTERS/Carlos Barria)

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“As part of this freeze, no Federal civilian position that is vacant at noon on January 20, 2025, may be filled, and no new position may be created except as otherwise provided for in this memorandum or other applicable law,” a White House memo said. “Except as provided below, this freeze applies to all executive departments and agencies regardless of their sources of operational and programmatic funding.”

Those exempt from the hiring freeze include military personnel and other federal jobs pertaining to immigration, national security or public safety.

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

January 24, 2025
Spike in earthquakes at Washington volcano prompts more monitoring from scientists

Scientists are deploying monitors at the volcanic Mount Adams in Washington State, after a spike in seismic activity.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said Mount Adams typically experiences an earthquake every two to three years, but in September, there were six earthquakes alone, marking the most in a single month since monitoring began in 1982.

The earthquakes were monitored by the USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory (CVO) and Pacific Northwest Seismic Network (PNSN) and ranged in magnitudes from 0.9 to 2.0. None of the earthquakes were felt at the surface, the USGS said.

With only one seismic station near the volcano, the USGS said monitoring capabilities are limited.

LAVA CONTINUES FLOWING FROM ICELAND VOLCANO AFTER ERUPTION

Washington, Mount Adams in the Cascade range is the second-highest mountain in the state of Washington. It is a potentially active stratovolcano in the Cascade Range. (Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

CVO and PNSN plan to install temporary seismic stations near Mount Adams to help detect smaller earthquakes while acquiring better estimates of size, location and depth. The data will help scientists assess the significance of the increased seismic activity near the volcano.

With permission from the U.S. Forest Service, CVO will place the temporary stations south and southwest of Mount Adams. Once activated, the data will be transmitted to CVO and PNSN in real-time.

LATEST ICELAND VOLCANIC ERUPTION SUBSIDES, BUT EXPERTS WARY OF MORE SOON TO COME

On October 3, 2024, scientists from the USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory and U.S. Forest Service installed new temporary seismic stations at Mount Adams volcano in south central Washington. (USGS)

Despite the spike in seismic activity, the USGS says there is no indication that there is cause for concern and the alert level and color code for Mount Adams remains at Green and Normal.

Mount Adams is located in south central Washington, nearly 50 miles west-southwest of Yakima, Washington.

INDONESIA’S RUANG VOLCANO SPITS MORE HOT ASH AFTER ERUPTION FORCES SCHOOLS AND AIRPORTS TO CLOSE

Scientist with the USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory install a temporary seismic station at Mount Adams. (USGS)

In the north-south trending Mount Adams-King Mountain volcanic field of over 120 smaller volcanos, Mount Adams is the most prominent summit. It is also the second-tallest volcano in Washington and is the state’s largest active volcano in volume and area, according to the USGS.

The agency said over the past 12,000 years, there have been four lava flows that started on the apron of the volcano and two vents along the south ridge. The flows have typically only traveled a few miles from their vents.

7.1 MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE STRIKES OFF JAPAN’S COAST, TSUNAMI ADVISORY ISSUED

On October 3, 2024, USGS and the USFS installed a new temporary seismic station Adams South Climbers Route (ASCR) at Mount Adams. (USGS)

The last time Mount Adams erupted was between 3,800 and 7,600 years ago, the USGS added.

But one of the biggest threats to people who live near the volcano are lahars, or muddy flows of rock, ash and ice that rush downstream like fast flowing concrete.

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The summit, which is covered in ice, also covers up large volumes of hydrothermally weakened rock, which, if weakened by future landslides, could generate lahars.

Greg Wehner is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital.

Story tips and ideas can be sent to [email protected] and on Twitter @GregWehner.

January 23, 2025