Happy New Year 2025

Tag: State

Red state AG promises legal fight with ICE-resisting local governments

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita is threatening to sue two local jurisdictions in his state that are refusing to comply with President Donald Trump’s mass deportation program of illegal immigrants.

“Now that’s a problem in Indiana, particularly because there’s an Indiana state statute that I enforce that says what you have got to give, whatever level of cooperation is allowed by federal law, you shall give it as a state or local law enforcement official,” Rokita told Fox News Digital in an interview Friday.

“And, so, that’s what’s happening here. That defiance I need to look into now.”

The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) and Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) have indicated they would not cooperate with federal immigration enforcement, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids.

‘DEI ACTIVISM’: REPUBLICAN AGS PRAISE TRUMP SEC MOVE TO REVERSE BIDEN CLIMATE RULE THEY FOUGHT IN COURT

ICE agents arrested seven illegal immigrants during a workforce operation raid. (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

IMPD Chief Chris Bailey said local police have no authority to enforce federal immigration law and have no plans to participate in immigration sweeps. Similarly, IPS officials announced the district would not allow ICE agents onto school grounds without a criminal warrant.

“We still have pockets of either elected officials or those that work for elected officials, or some just on their own, that have their own ideas of what the law should be — that is to say not following the law,” Rokita said.

Rokita urged IPS and IMPD this week to cooperate with ICE or face legal consequences from his office. And it wouldn’t be the first time he’s sued a jurisdiction in his state for not cooperating with federal officials.

REPUBLICAN STATE AGS BACK TRUMP BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP ORDER IN COURT FILING: ‘TAXPAYERS ARE ON THE HOOK’

State AG Todd Rokita says Indiana law requires state and local officials to fully cooperate with federal authorities and that he will require compliance from local jurisdictions looking to evade cooperation. (AG Todd Rokita/X)

Rokita filed a lawsuit against the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department and its sheriff, William Redman, last month, alleging a persistent refusal to comply with federal immigration detainer requests. The lawsuit claims that, between March and September 2024, nine detainer requests from ICE were not honored, hindering ICE’s efforts to apprehend illegal immigrants in the county.

Indiana University and the local sheriff’s office have refused to cooperate with federal immigration laws, Rokita said, “so we’re going to be in court, and I’m planning to get an injunction against their bad behavior.”

TRUMP ADMIN HITS BACK AS ACLU LAUNCHES LAWSUIT ON BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP: ‘READY TO FACE THEM’

President-elect Donald Trump arrives before his inauguration at the United States Capitol Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Melina Mara/Pool/Getty Images)

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President Donald Trump’s ICE raids continue across the country, and the agency detained 700 illegal immigrants last weekend, 500 of whom had prior convictions or charges, according to a senior official from the Trump administration who previously shared the details with Fox News Digital.

Fox News Digital has reached out to IPS and IMPD for comment.

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

February 15, 2025
Blue state AGs accuse Vance of spreading ‘dangerous lie’ following VP’s online criticism of judges

Blue state attorneys general accused Vice President JD Vance of attempting to spread a “dangerous lie” after he criticized judges blocking President Donald Trump’s agenda.

“The Vice President’s statement is as wrong as it is reckless. As chief law enforcement officers representing the people of 17 states, we unequivocally reject the Vice President’s attempt to spread this dangerous lie,” the statement reads.

Seventeen state attorneys general, including those from California, Connecticut, Arizona, Massachusetts and Washington, signed the statement released Friday after Vance sent the internet into a frenzy, saying, “Judges aren’t allowed to control the executive’s legitimate power.”

AG PAM BONDI VOWS TO ‘FIGHT BACK’ AGAINST JUDGES BLOCKING TRUMP’S ANTI-CORRUPTION AGENDA

“Americans understand the principle of checks and balances,” the AGs wrote. “The judiciary is a check on unlawful action by the executive and legislative branches of government. Generals, prosecutors, and all public officials are subject to checks and balances. No one is above the law.”

Blue state attorneys general accused Vice President JD Vance of attempting to spread a “dangerous lie” after he criticized judges blocking President Donald Trump’s agenda. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Vance’s comments were made after a court blocked the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing personal data. The Trump administration has become the target of more than 50 lawsuits since Trump began his second term in mid-January. Judges in various states across the country, including Washington, Rhode Island and New York, have continuously blocked the administration’s efforts to implement its agenda.

“If a judge tried to tell a general how to conduct a military operation, that would be illegal,” Vance posted on X. “If a judge tried to command the attorney general in how to use her discretion as a prosecutor, that’s also illegal. Judges aren’t allowed to control the executive’s legitimate power.”

LAWSUIT TRACKER: NEW RESISTANCE BATTLING TRUMP’S SECOND TERM THROUGH ONSLAUGHT OF LAWSUITS TAKING AIM AT EOS

The statement from the AGs said that they would “carefully scrutinize each and every action taken by this administration.” They also made clear that if the administration violated the Constitution or federal law, they would “not hesitate to act.”

“Judges granted our motions and issued restraining orders to protect the American people, democracy, and the rule of law. That is and has always been their job,” the AGs wrote. “That job is the very core of our legal system. And in this critical moment, we will stand our ground to defend it.”

Seventeen state attorneys general, including California AG Rob Bonta, signed the statement released Friday. (Loren Elliott/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi recently pledged her support for Trump’s efforts, vowing to challenge “unelected” judges obstructing his administration’s agenda.

“We have so many un-elected judges who are trying to control government spending. And there is a clear separation of powers,” Bondi said during an appearance on “America’s Newsroom.” “What they’re doing to [DOGE leader Elon Musk], to our country, is outrageous. You know, people work their whole lives and pay taxes, yet they find out that they’ve been giving $2 million to Guatemala for sex changes. It’s outrageous. And it’s going to stop.”

6 TIMES JUDGES BLOCKED TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDERS

Since Inauguration Day, dozens of activist and legal groups, elected officials and local jurisdictions, as well as individuals, have launched a myriad of lawsuits in response to the president’s executive orders and directives. Notably, Trump’s executive order on birthright citizenship, his immigration policies, directives on federal funding, and the implementation of DOGE have all come under fire.

The Trump administration has proceeded to appeal many of these rulings to the appellate courts. In a recent development, the Trump administration appealed an order from a Rhode Island judge to unfreeze federal funds. The order claimed the administration did not adhere to a previous order to do so.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi recently pledged her support for Trump’s efforts, vowing to challenge “unelected” judges obstructing his administration’s agenda. (AP)

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The Trump administration appealed the order to the First Circuit shortly thereafter, which was ultimately denied.

Upon Trump’s historic win in November, Democratic AGs, including New York Attorney General Letitia James, publicly said they would be ready to engage in any legal battles against the Trump administration for actions they view as illegal or negatively impacting residents.

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

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

February 14, 2025
CA lawmakers introduce bill protecting girls from trans athletes after state refuses to follow Trump’s order

After California took a stance refusing to follow President Donald Trump’s executive order banning trans athletes from girls’ and women’s sports, state Republicans are taking matters into their own hands.

On Friday, California lawmakers introduced three bills in the state legislature aimed to combat trans inclusion. One bill, which was introduced by Assemblymember Bill Essayli, focused specifically on sports. His bill would require that students use all school facilities only play on sports teams based on their biological sex and not their gender identity.

“We know the state of California is going to do everything it can to resist and avoid compliance with federal law, so it’s our role to try to force change at the state and local level,” Essayli said at a press conference outside the state capital building in Sacramento Friday.

Former San Jose State University volleyball coach, who was suspended and then let go from the program after filing a Title IX complaint over the school’s handling of a trans player last season, spoke at Friday’s press conference just days after her home was shot at. Batie-Smoose told Fox News Digital she believes she was “targetted.” Police have not determined a suspect or motive.

“We need to make sure there’s DNA testing and moving forward there’s only women playing in women’s sports,” Batie-Smoose said at the press conference. “We definitely need to continue this fight and make sure that laws and legislation is changed so that we can have safe spaces for women and women in sports.”

Essayli’s bill would reverse a current law in California that protects trans athletes in girls’ and women’s sports.

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A law called AB 1266 has been in effect since 2014, and gives California students at scholastic and collegiate levels the right to “participate in sex-segregated school programs and activities, including athletic teams and competitions, and use facilities consistent with his or her gender identity, irrespective of the gender listed on the pupil’s records.”

The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) said it will continue to follow that law, even after Trump’s executive order went into effect, in a previous statement provided to Fox News Digital.

The U.S. Department of Education announced earlier this week that it is launching a Title IX investigation into the CIF over potential Title IX violations for its refusal to comply with Trump’s order.

In addition, residents have held protests and threatened lawsuits in response to the CIF’s current stance.

Essayli’s bill is the second proposal that California has seen to address the issue in 2025 alone.

California State Assembly member Kate Sanchez announced on Jan. 7 that she is introducing a bill to ban trans athletes from competing in girls’ and women’s sports.

Sanchez will propose the Protect Girls’ Sports Act to the state legislature. Currently, 25 states have similar laws in effect.

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

“Young women who have spent years training and sacrificing to compete at the highest level are now forced to compete against individuals with undeniable biological advantages. It’s not just unfair – it’s disheartening and dangerous,” Sanchez said in a statement announcing the bill.

California’s enabling of trans athletes to compete with girls and women in the state has resulted in multiple controversies over the issue over the last year alone. Martin Luther King High School in Riverside, California, is currently embroiled in one of the most contentious local controversies on the issue.

A school board meeting by the Riverside Unified School District on Dec. 19 featured a parade of parents berating the board for allowing a trans athlete on the Martin Luther King girls’ cross-country team. A lawsuit filed by two girls on the team alleges that their T-shirts in protest of that player were compared to swastikas simply because they said “Save Girls Sports.”

The father of a girl who lost her varsity spot to the trans athlete previously told Fox News Digital that his daughter and other girls at the school were told “transgenders have more rights than cisgenders” by school administrators when they protested the athlete’s participation.

In San Diego, a middle school was recently thrust into local controversy because of a transgender student using the girls’ locker room. San Elijo Middle School previously provided a statement to Fox News Digital, crediting its enabling of the transgender student to access the girls’ locker room to the school’s obligation of following state law.

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted against a measure to carry out the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, which would prevent trans athletes from competing in girls’ sports or entering girls’ locker rooms, despite pleas from multiple parents at the meeting to take action to protect the girls at the school.

Meanwhile, Stone Ridge Christian High School’s girls’ volleyball team was scheduled to face San Francisco Waldorf in the Northern California Division 6 tournament but forfeited in an announcement just before the match over the presence of a trans athlete on the team.

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Transgender athlete supporter Kyle Harp, left, of Riverside holds the progress pride flag as “Save Girls Sports” supporters Lori Lopez and her dad Pete Pickering, both of Riverside, listen to the debate as they join the overflow crowd converging outside the Riverside Unified School District meeting Thursday night to debate the rights of transgender athletes to compete in high school sports Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Before that, a transgender volleyball player was booed and harassed at an Oct. 12 match between Notre Dame Belmont in Belmont, California, against Half Moon Bay High School, according to ABC 7. Half Moon Bay rostered the transgender athlete.

The two other bills that were introduced Friday, by Essayli and freshman Assemblymember Leticia Castillo, focus on empowering parents to remove their children from settings and situations that promote transgender ideology in public schools.

“Reestablishing the primacy of parental rights over dangerous indoctrination is a critical first step in reestablishing trust in our schools and educators,” Castillo said Friday.

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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 14, 2025
NYSE coming to Texas coming as Lone Star State continues to attract businesses

Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, explains how a Republican leadership in government can unleash prosperity, how the federal budget can be cut, and discusses former President Trump’s tax proposals.

Texas has in recent years become a significant home for companies looking to relocate, including the latest — the New York Stock Exchange’s “fully electronic equities change” NYSE Texas in Dallas.

The NYSE revealed Wednesday that it plans to add operations in Dallas by reincorporating its NYSE Chicago as NYSE Texas in the Lone Star State, saying the “fully electronic equities exchange” will “provide public companies with a listing and trading venue centered within the vibrant economy of the southwestern U.S.” once it goes live in the future.

NYSE Group President Lynn Martin said the exchange is “delighted to expand our presence in the Lone Star State,” touting Texas as the state “with the largest number of NYSE listings” and a “market leader in fostering a pro-business atmosphere.”

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange November 28, 2011. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid (UNITED STATES – Tags: BUSINESS) ( REUTERS/Brendan McDermid / Reuters Photos)

NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE PLANS EXCHANGE IN ‘PRO-BUSINESS’ TEXAS

A report released last year by the Federal Reserve Bank for Dallas found a net of over 7,300 firms moved into Texas between 2010 and 2019, putting it among the top states for business relocations.

The state has notched more firms moving into it than out of it since 2000, the report also said.

University of Texas at Dallas Accounting Assistant Professor Kirti Sinha told FOX Business said “several factors” have drawn companies to the Lone Star State.

“The first is, of course, the taxes. There is no personal income tax and corporate income taxes in Texas in general,” she said. “Then, second, I think our regulatory environment is, I would say, much more relaxed compared to some other states.”

“We have lower disclosure or regulatory oversight compared to other states, and I think also the way, for example, the governor has been signalling ‘come here, make this your home, and I’m here for you,’ those kind of give signal to companies that whatever the situation in terms of regulations right now, it’s going to stay like this in the future,” Sinha added. “That kind of gives them confidence.”

A Texas flag and American flag flown together on a building in Austin, Texas, March 11, 2023. (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images) (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images / Getty Images)

The space that Texas has for manufacturing facilities and warehouses and its wage rates have also appealed to businesses, according to Sinha.

“Texas has been working for decades to establish itself as the best place in America to do business. With one of the fastest-growing populations in the country, the highest number of Tier 1 research universities of any state in the country, and a business and regulatory environment that make it easy for companies to succeed, Texas is unmatched as a place to do business,” Nate Sharp, the dean of the Mays Business School at Texas A&M, told FOX Business.

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Among some of the big-name companies that moved their headquarters to Texas in recent years are Tesla, Fisher Investments and Hewlett Packard Enterprise.

Fisher Investments announced its move to the Lone Star State in 2023. The relocation was prompted by the Washington State Supreme Court upholding the state’s capital gains tax.

Hewlett Packard Enterprises in 2020 pointed to “opportunities for cost savings, and team members’ preferences about the future for work” for its own move to Texas.

In a more recent example, energy giant Chevron said in fall 2024 that it would be moving its headquarters to Texas from California. Andy Walz, Chevron’s president of America products, said California being a “tough place” to do business and “recruit people” played a part in its relocation decision, as well as the company looking to “drive better business outcomes.”

Sharp said the launch of NYSE Texas “will accelerate the growth of business” in the state and make it “even more attractive.”

Skyline of downtown Dallas, TX on a partly cloudy day. (Photo by: HUM Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) (HUM Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images / Getty Images)

Nasdaq, another major stock exchange, also has a presence in Texas, and the TXSE Group is working to set up the Texas Stock Exchange in the state as well, filing its Form 1 registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission late last month.

THESE ARE THE BEST FIVE STATES TO START A BUSINESS IN 2025

“The whole listing process has become very complicated over the years, and having a physical office helps them talk to these companies more directly and gives them direct access,” Sinha told FOX Business.

She also said exchanges being in Texas “gives signals to investors that they can trust the system here, and so I think it is a very self-fulfilling kind of cycle, like ‘oh so the companies were coming, the New York Stock Exchange came’ and then that will bring in more investors and more companies.”

February 14, 2025
Plane carrying Sec. of State Rubio turns around after experiencing mechanical issue

A plane carrying Secretary of State Marco Rubio was diverted back to Joint Base Andrews on Thursday night due to a mechanical issue.

Rubio was on his way to Munich, Germany from Washington, D.C. on Thursday night when the plane experienced a mechanical issue, according to spokesperson Tammy Bruce.

RUBIO SAYS AMERICAN MARC FOGEL FREED FROM RUSSIA DUE TO ‘STRENGTH’ OF TRUMP

TOPSHOT – US Secretary of State Marco Rubio boards a plane en route to El Salvador at Panama Pacifico International Airport in Panama City on February 3, 2025. Rubio is in Panama on a two-day official visit. (MARK SCHIEFELBEIN/Pool AP/AFP via Getty Images)

The plane has since turned around and was returning to Joint Base Andrews.

Bruce said Rubio intends to continue his travel to Germany and the Middle East on a different aircraft.

This is a developing story.

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.

February 14, 2025
State Department omits ‘armored Tesla’ mention from 2025 budget procurement

President Donald Trump and Elon Musk unpack the goal of the Department of Government Efficiency live from the Oval Office.

As Tesla, SpaceX and now Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) leader Elon Musk has faced recent criticism for his role in the Trump administration, one of his top-earning companies seems to have been scrubbed from the State Department’s budget forecast.

The State Department released an updated version of its “Procurement Forecast Fiscal Year 2025” this week, noting that there’s a “new” requirement for “armored electric vehicles” set to receive between $100 million to $500 million in investments.

Multiple news organizations have reported that a December version of the document had the line item listed as “armored Teslas,” valued at $400 million with a five-year contract. That requirement description has since been changed.

The original line item additionally did not specify what kind of armored Tesla models would be purchased.

MUSK CLAIMS THERE ARE 150-YEAR-OLDS RECEIVING SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS

In response to the news, Musk posted on X Thursday: “I’m pretty sure Tesla isn’t getting $400M. No one mentioned it to me, at least.”

The State Department confirmed to Fox News Digital that neither Tesla nor any other automaker has been awarded a government contract for “armored electric vehicles.” (Getty Images)

A State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the original generic entry should have read “electric vehicle manufacturer,” and that no government contract has been awarded to Tesla or any other automaker.

The spokesperson also said that the previous administration asked the State Department to explore interest from private companies to produce armored electric vehicles. In response to that request, a public request for information was issued to solicit interest and they received notice from only one company at that time.

As a next step in that process, the State Department spokesperson added that official solicitation would be sent out to automakers for bidding. However, the solicitation is “on hold and there are no current plans to issue it.”

According to its website, the State Department forecast is updated annually in the first quarter of the fiscal year.

Democratic Party leaders have launched profanity-laced attacks against Musk and his actions under the DOGE chair title. The budget-slashing department has targeted multiple federal agencies within the first two months of President Donald Trump taking office, including the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., shares his take on the Democratic Party’s ongoing meltdown over DOGE on ‘The Evening Edit.’

Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., said, “Elon Musk is a Nazi nepo baby, a godless lawless billionaire, who no one elected,” at a rally outside the Treasury Department, where protesters were speaking out against DOGE.

“Elon, this is the American people. This is not your trashy Cybertruck that you can just dismantle, pick apart, and sell the pieces of,” she continued.

“We are gonna be in your face, we are gonna be on your a–es, and we are going to make sure you understand what democracy looks like, and this ain’t it,” Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, said at the same rally.

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Dominari Financial CEO Kyle Wool analyzes Tesla and provides his outlook for Big Tech earnings on ‘Varney & Co.’

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., was also in attendance and told the crowd that Musk’s DOGE efforts are “taking away everything we have.”

On Wednesday, Musk visited the Oval Office to speak with members of the press and answer questions around DOGE, where he reiterated his belief that it’s not “optional” but “essential” to cut federal spending.

READ MORE FROM FOX BUSINESS

Fox News’ Deirdre Heavey contributed to this report.

February 13, 2025
‘I will not rest’: Border state gubernatorial hopeful launches campaign weeks after Trump backed her

FIRST ON FOX: Arizona Republican Karrin Taylor Robson launched her comeback gubernatorial bid on Wednesday, setting up a likely showdown between her and another pro-Trump Republican running to take on the incumbent Democrat governor next year.

Robson, a small business owner and lawyer, launched her campaign with a new ad centered on President Donald Trump’s return to the White House and her desire to help take back her state from incumbent Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs.

Robson lost her primary bid in 2022 to Trump-backed Republican nominee Kari Lake, who would go on to narrowly lose the gubernatorial race to Hobbs. However, Robson garnered early support from Trump less than two months ago during his visit to Arizona as president-elect.

TRUMP’S HOUSE ALLIES UNVIEL BILL ‘HAND IN HAND’ WITH DOGE CRACKDOWN

President Donald Trump said less than two months ago that Karrin Taylor Robson would have his “support” if she ran for governor. (Fox News)

“I thank President Trump for his strong endorsement and look forward to working with him to secure our border and make Arizona safe again,” Robson said in a statement first obtained by Fox News Digital. “Katie Hobbs has made it harder to live, work, and raise a family safely in this state. Like President Trump, I know how to create jobs. And like President Trump, I will not rest until our border is secure and Arizona families are safe,” she continued.

“Katie Hobbs and Joe Biden’s insane agenda has made life more expensive and dangerous,” Robson stated. “I will fight every day alongside President Trump for stronger borders, a stronger economy, and a stronger Arizona.

President Trump said Robson would have his support if she ran for governor while he was delivering remarks at Turning Point Action’s AmericaFest in December.

“Are you running for governor? I think so, Karrin, ’cause if you do you’re gonna have my support, OK?” Trump said at the time.

TRUMP BUDGET CHIEF VOUGHT TELLS GOP SENATORS $175B NEEDED ‘IMMEDIATELY’ FOR BORDER SECURITY

This undated photo provided by the Karrin for Arizona Campaign, shows Karrin Taylor Robson. (Karrin For Arizona Campaign via AP)

Cook Political Report ranks the general election race as a “toss-up,” likely making it one of the most competitive races in the upcoming midterms. Border security and the economy are expected to be among the top issues in the state, as the Grand Canyon State is on the frontlines of the major policy changes of the new White House.

Despite a bitter primary battle in 2022, Robson ultimately endorsed Lake and Trump in their general election campaigns in 2024.

However, supporters of Rep. Andy Biggs hope that the president will shift gears and back his campaign instead, given his strong political agreements with him.

The congressman, who helped lead the removal of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, has so far gained the endorsements of Reps. Lauren Boebert, Paul Gosar and Eli Crane.

“Andy Biggs is the greatest thing since sliced bread,” Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, said on X last week. “Arizonans, do yourselves a big favor and elect this man as your next governor!”

Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., speaks at a press conference on the debt limit and the Freedom Caucus’s plan for spending reduction at the U.S. Capitol on March 28, 2023 in Washington, D.C. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

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Meanwhile, the “Building A Better Arizona PAC” launched last month backing Robson, who formerly served on the Arizona Board of Regents. Former Arizona Republican Party Chairman Robert Graham and former Arizona Senate President Karen Fann created the group.

The primary is Aug. 4, 2026. It’s unclear if Hobbs will face a major challenger in the Democratic primary.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment, but they did not respond in time for publication.

February 12, 2025
Ex-Ohio State star has 2-word reaction to Jim Tressel being nominated as Ohio’s lieutenant governor

Jim Tressel was nominated as the next lieutenant governor of Ohio on Monday, and it drew a reaction from one of his former star players while he coached at Ohio State.

Terrelle Pryor, who was the quarterback for the Buckeyes from 2008 to 2010, had a two-word show of support for Tressel.

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Former head coach Jim Tressel watches a scoreboard tribute for the 2002 national championship team during the game between Notre Dame and Ohio State, Sept. 3, 2022, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/David Dermer, File)

“My guy,” he wrote in a post on his Instagram Stories on Monday.

Pryor passed for 2,772 yards and 27 touchdowns in his final season with the Buckeyes in 2010. It proved to be Tressel’s last season with the Buckeyes as well.

Tressel and Pryor were both caught up in an improper benefits scandal. The NCAA, after an investigation with the FBI and the Justice Department, determined Tressel, Pryor and other Buckeyes players violated the organization’s policies over impermissible benefits. Players were accused of receiving tattoos or cash for autographs.

Tressel was accused of withholding information in the investigation and resigned before the start of the 2011 season. Pryor left the school before his final year.

COLORADO’S DEION SANDERS EXPLAINS AVERSION TO COACHING IN NFL

Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Terrelle Pryor is embraced by coach Jim Tressel after the Rose Bowl against the Oregon Ducks on Jan. 1, 2010, in Pasadena, California. (Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA Today Sports)

Pryor went on to play wide receiver in the NFL and put together a solid career. Tressel never coached in the collegiate ranks again. Instead, he served as Youngstown State University’s president from 2014 to 2023.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine nominated Tressel for lieutenant governor after Jon Husted replaced Vice President JD Vance in the U.S. Senate.

“Jim Tressel is Ohio values. He’s a hard worker and shares that vision (I have) for the future of Ohio,” the Republican governor said Monday at a news conference. “He has the ability to pull people together. He has the ability to lead. He will enable me to be assured that if something happens to me, he can walk in and be governor that day and that would be seamless.”

Tressel expressed his admiration for DeWine.

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Coach Jim Tressel, quarterback Terrelle Pryor, second from left, and teammates after beating Ohio University on Sept. 18, 2010. (The Columbus Dispatch photo by Neal C. Lauron)

“I want to study a little bit about what Jon Husted has going on, and so I want to learn the business, if you will,” he said. “And then it’s up to when you sit down with the team and the staff and everyone else trying to figure out who plays what position best. And I’d be more than happy to help wherever I can.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.

February 11, 2025
NY Democrats blink as controversial state election bill affecting Rep. Stefanik seat declared dead: reports

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect reporting that New York Democrats have decided not to move ahead with the legislation.

A controversial New York state election bill will no longer come to fruition, as multiple reports said the bill was put on hold at the behest of Gov. Kathy Hochul.

Sources separately told the New York Post and City & State New York that Hochul asked the Democrat-majority legislature not to take any action on the legislation – which would give the governor more power to decide when special elections can be held and potentially delay the filling of U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik’s deep-red upstate seat once the Republican is confirmed as U.N. Ambassador.

The Post reported some of the reasoning stemmed from negotiations between Hochul and the Trump administration as to the longevity of the state-operated MTA’s “Congestion Pricing” tolling program in New York City – which the president has opposed.

City & State reported state Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, D-Bronx, declared the bill at least temporarily a non-starter at an afternoon meeting.

Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay, R-Oswego, also confirmed the bill is “no longer moving forward.”

“It was a terrible piece of legislation in policy & principle. Thanks to strong pushback from Republican legislators & North Country residents, the bill has been halted,” Barclay wrote on X.

State Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt, R-Niagara Falls, added in a statement to Fox News Digital that while the bill “appears to be defeated for now, we will remain vigilant against any effort to bring it back.”

The reform bill had been set to come up for a vote Monday.

Critics called it a naked attempt to keep Stefanik’s North Country congressional district without a representative until November, while Democratic sponsors say it will save local and taxpayer resources.

The bill, which would allow Hochul to postpone elections or combine them with upcoming general elections, was marketed by Democrats as a cost-saving measure that helps ensure more voters will cast ballots in specials.

However, Ortt said that for all Democrats’ claims about President Donald Trump being a threat to democracy, the truth is belied in their own legislation.

“It’s all about the outcome, not process, democracy, voter participation – they could give a s—. They could give a s—,” Ortt said.

TOUGH DECISIONS FOR SANCTUARY CITIES AFTER BONDI’S FUND-WITHHOLDING ORDER

“I can’t shame them; they have none… 800,000 folks [in Stefanik’s soon-to-be-former district] will not have a representative in Congress ‘til November. That’s a disgrace for a party that says it cares about democracy,” he said, predicting Hochul will use the law to its maximum extent when enacted.

Ortt said the bill has two different provisions – one for federal elections and one for state legislative elections and ruminated how they could benefit Democrats.

He pointed out that state Sen. Simcha Felder, D-Brooklyn, is likely to seek an open seat on New York City Council in the politically-moderate, majority-Jewish Borough Park area.

Felder caucused with Senate Republicans from 2013-18, which gave the GOP a slim, technical majority in Albany for part of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s term.

Ortt said Democrats stand to potentially lose Felder’s Senate seat, which explains the reported two-tiered changes in the bill.

Meanwhile, Barclay said 44% of New York state voted for Trump and the legislation shows his opposition is still smarting about it.

GOP RIPS HOCHUL’S INFLATION REFUNDS

Senate GOP Leader Rob Ortt (Reuters)

“No, they don’t accept that result,” said Barclay.

“So they’re going to do everything they can, including depriving 800,000 people of a say in the budget [or] the SALT (tax deduction for high-taxed states) bill.”

Barclay noted that if Stefanik’s seat remains vacant when the Farm Bill is voted on later this year, a significant portion of New York’s agricultural lands will lack representation.

But Democrats remained united, with Senate President Andrea Stewart-Cousins saying in a statement that New Yorkers currently face “unprecedented challenges, including the strain on our democracy and our high cost of living.”

“[T]his legislation is a common-sense approach that saves taxpayer dollars while maximizing voter turnout,” said Stewart-Cousins, D-Yonkers.

Currently, Hochul has 90 days to call a special election once Stefanik, or Felder, resigns.

The bill’s text suggested the current special elections’ framework in Albany is an operational and financial drag on counties and taxpayers – additionally citing “voter confusion and fatigue.”

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Therefore, giving the governor the power to potentially consolidate elections is pertinent.

As NY1 reported, the bill also does not mandate Hochul – or any governor – to combine special and general or primary elections, but now gives her the power to do so.

Some in Stefanik’s district, however, believe Ortt’s claims may have substance.

“By holding up a special election, they’re keeping the North Country from having congressional representation at a critical moment,” state Sen. Dan Stec, R-Queensbury, told Plattsburgh’s NBC affiliate.

Stec is one of several Republicans vying for the seat, along with Sticker Mule CEO Anthony Constantino, Assemblyman Chris Tague of Schoharie, and author Liz Joy, who previously ran against Democratic Rep. Paul Tonko in the neighboring Capital Region district.

Tague told Fox News Digital that Hochul’s political career began via a special election using the same laws Democrats are seeking to change.

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“She’s tossing them aside to cut backroom deals … leaving the people of Upstate and the North Country without a voice,” Tague said.

A spokesman for Stewart-Cousins told NY1 that state Democrats will not “be lectured to by a party that openly celebrated the release of violent felons that attempted to overthrow a presidential election and have opposed every single voting reform that increases voter participation.”

Charles Creitz is a reporter for Fox News Digital.

He joined Fox News in 2013 as a writer and production assistant.

Charles covers media, politics and culture for Fox News Digital.

Charles is a Pennsylvania native and graduated from Temple University with a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism. Story tips can be sent to [email protected].

February 11, 2025
Maryland lawmakers consider bill to roll back sanctuary policies in blue state

Lawmakers in Democrat-run Maryland are considering a bill to roll back sanctuary policies and increase cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in certain scenarios.

Maryland’s Senate Bill 387, or the Protecting Marylanders From Violent Offenders Act of 2025, would require local law enforcement and correction officers to turn over illegal immigrants to ICE if the individual was convicted of a violent crime, terrorism, participation in a criminal street gang, or an aggravated felony such as trafficking drugs or firearms.

Republican Sen. William Folden, the bill’s author, told FOX45 Baltimore that the bill is “only for the most violent offenders.”

“This isn’t about trying to turn any communities against each other,” Folden said. “This is about keeping our communities safe from these repeat violent offenders that some jurisdictions keep putting back out into the community and that’s not safe for anyone.”

SANCTUARY CITY MAYORS TO TESTIFY AT HOUSE OVERSIGHT AFTER AG BONDI CUTS THEM OFF FROM FEDERAL FUNDS

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Baltimore Field Officer director Matt Elliston listens during a briefing, Monday, Jan. 27, 2025, in Silver Spring, Maryland. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Critics of the bill, however, say the legislation threatens constitutional rights.

Sanctuary policies in Howard and Prince George’s County currently prohibit local authorities from cooperating with ICE agents.

Maryland’s attorney general has also issued guidance to local authorities on immigration detainers in a 2025 memorandum, stating detainers “are requests only; local officers are not obligated to honor them, and, in fact, risk violating constitutional rights by doing so.”

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers wait to detain a person, Monday, Jan. 27, 2025, in Silver Spring, Md. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

The Maryland bill, which is currently under committee consideration in the state Senate, would take effect on Oct. 1, 2025, if enacted.

TRUMP DOJ SLAPS ILLINOIS, CHICAGO WITH LAWSUIT OVER SANCTUARY LAWS

Since taking office last month, President Donald Trump has conducted a sweeping crackdown on illegal immigration, with ICE officials making several criminal arrests over the last weeks in many left-leaning “sanctuary” cities, including Philadelphia, Boston, Denver, and Washington, D.C.

While leaders in some sanctuary cities have refused to cooperate with ICE as immigration raids continue, Trump border czar Tom Homan delivered a bold message to those cities: “We’re going to keep coming” no matter what.

“They’re not going to stop us,” he said Sunday, stressing that criminal illegal immigrant gang members such as Tren de Aragua have “no safe haven” from the rule of law.

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“We’re going to find them. We’re going to arrest them, and take them off the streets,” Homan said, referring to the criminal gang members.

Fox News Digital’s Peter Pinedo and Taylor Penley contributed to this report.

February 10, 2025