Happy New Year 2025

Tag: tells

NAACP tells black consumers to stay away from companies without DEI commitments

The NAACP is calling on Black consumers to direct their nearly $2 trillion in buying power toward companies that have kept their commitments to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

In a “Black Consumer Advisory” memo released Saturday, the NAACP said that Black consumers have purchasing power exceeding $1.8 trillion annually. The memo included a “Call To Action” for these consumers to begin steering that power away from specific companies that have begun cutting back on DEI-related positions, programs, investments and hiring practices. According to the group, such rollbacks “reinforce historical barriers to progress under the guise of protecting ‘meritocracy,’” which they said was “a concept often used to justify exclusion.”

Some of the companies the group is urging Black consumers to steer clear of are listed on its website and include Walmart, Meta and McDonald’s. Others were reportedly referenced in a separate buying guide provided exclusively to The Associated Press, which listed Lowe’s, Amazon, Tractor Supply and Target as others to avoid.

Delta Air Lines, Apple and Ben & Jerry’s are some of the companies the NAACP listed on its website as having “recommitted to DEI.” Meanwhile, e.l.f. Cosmetics, JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Costco are other companies the NAACP is suggesting are wise for consumers to support because they have kept strong to their DEI commitments, according to The Associated Press.

WALMART FACING BACKLASH OVER DEI POLICY REVERSAL AS SHAREHOLDERS AND DEM OFFICIALS URGE THEM TO RECONSIDER

The effort to steer consumers away from these companies comes amid pressure from the Trump administration and GOP officials to peel back DEI commitments in both the public and private sectors. In addition to an executive order from President Donald Trump calling for an end to “Illegal DEI and DEIA policies,” which he says violate currently established civil rights law, newly appointed Attorney General Pam Bondi sent a memo earlier this month to all Justice Department employees, indicating the agency would be investigating, eliminating and penalizing DEI preferences, mandates, policies and programs occurring in the private sector and at educational institutions.

Missouri filed a lawsuit earlier this month challenging Starbucks’ DEI policies. (Fox News Digital)

Recently, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr ordered an investigation into Comcast’s DEI practices, while the state of Missouri filed a lawsuit earlier this month challenging Starbucks’ DEI policies, as well.

OBAMA LIBRARY, BEGUN WITH LOFTY DEI GOALS, NOW PLAGUED BY $40M RACIALLY CHARGED SUIT, BALLOONING COSTS

“The NAACP recognizes that the rollback of DEI initiatives is a direct attack on Black economic progress, civil rights, and the principles of equity and fairness,” the Saturday consumer advisory memo stated. “These actions are part of a broader effort to reverse gains made in civil rights and social justice. We urge Black consumers to remain vigilant, informed, and intentional in their economic decisions, using their collective power to demand accountability from corporations and institutions.”

The consumer guidance provided by the NAACP will reportedly be amended as companies make changes to their DEI commitments, according to The Associated Press, and the group is currently in discussions with executives at companies that have reversed their DEI pledges.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Fox News Digital reached out to the NAACP for comment and to receive a full list of companies it was urging Black consumers to steer cleer of but did not receive a response by publication time.

“We have the power to choose where we spend our money,” NAACP CEO and President Derrick Johnson said in a statement posted on X. “I am confident that this framework will support our community as we make difficult decisions on where to spend our hard-earned money.”

February 17, 2025
Israeli hostage’s mom tells Trump, Netanyahu her son could die if war resumes

Idit Ohel, the mother of Israeli hostage Alon Ohel, urgently pleaded for President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to secure the release of the remaining Oct. 7 captives held by Hamas amid fears the current ceasefire deal is disintegrating.

“They have no more time. And please don’t go back to war. Please. Because if that happens, if we go back to war, the hostages could die. The hostages that are alive could die,” she told Fox News Digital. “That’s what happened last time. Last time we saw that after the hostages came out and war started, so many hostages died and were murdered by Hamas. So we cannot let this happen. Please do everything in your power and do something for my son. He’s in the tunnels. He’s crying for help.”

Idit Ohel said she received confirmation that her son is still alive from released hostages Eli Sharabi and Or Levy, two of the three gaunt, frail-looking Israelis forced to speak Saturday during a Hamas hand-over ceremony in Gaza.

The mother said the released hostages, who were held with her son for part of their nearly 500 days in captivity, told her that Alon Ohel is unable to see out of an eye after being struck by shrapnel when Hamas was closing in on Oct. 7, 2023. Alon Ohel, a civilian, was attending the Nova music festival when terrorists attacked, and he took cover in a bomb shelter. Hamas pounded the shelter with grenades and gunfire, and he “was taken, wounded, with blood all over him,” Idit Ohel said.

ISRAEL SLAMS PALESTINIAN ‘DECEPTION SCHEME’ OVER CLAIM IT HALTED TERROR REWARDS PROGRAM

A placard of Alon Ohel seen during a rally marking his 24th birthday in Tel Aviv. (Eyal Warshavsky/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Alon Ohel’s ancestors survived the Holocaust, including his great-grandfather who weighed just 30 kilos [about 66 pounds] when he was released from the Auschwitz concentration camp, Idit Ohel said. “So if he was alive today, he would probably die instantly just knowing that his great-grandson in the year of 2025 is starving,” she said. “Alon has these genes. So he’s fighting. He’s fighting for his life every day.”

Under the deal, another three hostages were due to be released by next Saturday, but Hamas said Monday that the group would not let them go, accusing Israel of violating terms of the ceasefire agreement.

Concerns that fighting will resume are rising. Trump has since said that Hamas must release all remaining 76 hostages by noon Saturday, or he would demand the ceasefire deal be canceled and “let all hell break out.” Netanyahu backed the demand.

Israeli media is reporting that Trump’s envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, is being dispatched to Israel and Qatar this week to prevent the ceasefire deal from unraveling. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected in Israel on Saturday.

To Trump and Netayanhu directly, Idit Ohel said, “Do something and bring them home. Please. Please.”

Idit Ohel speaks to the crowd during a Tel Aviv rally marking the 24th Birthday of her son Alon Ohel who is held hostage by Hamas. (Eyal Warshavsky/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

“Give him a chance. It’s unbearable. Something has to change. You have to do everything in your power to bring him home to me, to his family,” she said. “There’s still hostages alive. There’s still hostages alive. Please. Please, do something.”

Idit Ohel said she learned her son is being held in tunnels without medical attention and little food and has been “tortured, chained and starved.”

“It’s not humane. There’s so much food getting into Gaza, and he’s not getting any of it,” she said.

HAMAS SAYS IT’S DELAYING NEXT HOSTAGE RELEASE, CLAIMING CEASEFIRE VIOLATIONS

“Alon, right now as we speak, is still being not fed, sleeping on the floor, being chained, constrained. So he cannot move for 494 days,” Idit Ohel said. “My son is important. My son is only an innocent civilian. He went to the Nova festival to have fun. He’s a pianist. He loves music. He did nothing wrong to nobody. We need to get him out now. He cannot continue. This is humanitarian.”

Days before Trump took office, Israel and Hamas reached a ceasefire agreement. Former President Joe Biden said at the time that the first phase involved a “surge of humanitarian assistance into Gaza” – something Idit Ohel stressed her son is not getting.

She said the International Committee of the Red Cross “have never seen Alon and have never seen any of the hostages – [he] didn’t get any treatment.”

Israelis stand under placards with photos of hostages during a rally in Tel Aviv marking the 24th Birthday of Alon Ohel, who is held by Hamas in Gaza. (Eyal Warshavsky/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

“Where is he? Why is he not coming?” Idit Ohel added. “I do not understand it. I will never understand it. This is wrong. This is not moral.”

Ohel rallied thousands in Tel Aviv over the weekend on her son’s 24th birthday – the second birthday he has spent in captivity since the Oct. 7 attacks.

“I wanted to say happy birthday to my son. I couldn’t even talk [to him] and see and hear his voice,” she said. “When I heard about his condition, I fainted … I haven’t been sleeping for days … I cannot control what Hamas is doing to my son.”

“Every mother in this world. Think just for a second. If there’s one night that your son or daughter doesn’t eat, you can’t even live with yourself,” Ohel added. “My son has not been getting food for 494 days.”

The mother also delivered a message directly to her son.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“If you’re listening to me, you know I love you and your father loves you. And we’re doing everything in our power to make sure that you’re home alive. You’re coming home. And there’s so many people all over the world and in Israel that are with you and are praying for you,” Ohel said, asking fellow musicians to play songs in her son’s honor in the coming days. “And you are not alone, Alon. You are not alone.”

Danielle Wallace is a breaking news and politics reporter at Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to [email protected] and on X: @danimwallace.

February 13, 2025
Investor tells CNBC the time of ‘white flag’ GOP is over as DOGE targets wasteful spending

Investor and Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale defended the Department of Government Efficiency, arguing it brings much-needed tech sector sensibility to the American government.

Investor and Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale defended the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) hasty process to overhaul government spending, arguing that a few mistakes are all part of the process.

Lonsdale was interviewed on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” on Wednesday, where he touted the success of DOGE targeting wasteful or frivolous government spending, arguing that, “in 20 days, we’ve done what we couldn’t do in multiple generations.”

The entrepreneur suggested that previous efforts by lawmakers in the Reagan era to curb spending failed because they were not tech experts like those at DOGE, “and so when they went to the bureaucracy, and they asked questions, there’s so many ways of obscuring and blocking and deterring, and so what Elon did is he got root access, and he went to the tech systems themselves.”

CNBC co-host Rebecca Quick warned that as much as she agrees with cutting waste in theory, cancer payments and legitimate aid to those starving in Africa may be affected amid DOGE’s efforts.

Investor and Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale defended DOGE’s approach during a lengthy interview on CNBC’s “Squawk Box.” (CNBC)

DOGE SLASHES OVER $100M IN DEI FUNDING AT EDUCATION DEPARTMENT: ‘WIN FOR EVERY STUDENT’

“I think the legitimate stuff needs to be turned back on,” Lonsdale agreed, but argued, “I do think Africa can now pay for more of this themselves. South Africa is spending money suing Israel. They’re spending money supporting political parties calling for the death for White people. Maybe they should redirect that money to pay for their own clinics.”

“I just think there’s a question about how careful either Elon or others need to be,” co-host Andrew Sorkin said.

Another co-host of the show, Joe Kernen, replied, “Slash and burn a lot of this stuff.”

Lonsdale argued, however, that changing times call for new tactics.

“Andrew, we’ve been careful for 50 years, right? You have a bunch of white flag Republicans, you have a bunch of people on the left making money off of it, people on the right making money off it too. Everyone wants to be careful and keep it going. You’re not going to get perfect answers in life. I think this is by far the best thing for our civilization is to very boldly confront this,” he said. “And this is more, I guess, of a tech world way than a D.C. way.”

Elon Musk arrives on Capitol Hill on December 5, 2024, in Washington, D.C. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images / Getty Images)

PALANTIR CEO TOUTS ELON MUSK’S DOGE, ABILITY TO HOLD ‘SACRED COW OF THE DEEP STATE’ ACCOUNTABLE

“You’re probably right that there are going to be some things that need to be turned back on. There’s going to be some things that were mislabeled that no one knew what they were. But it’s a mess. And so, it’s a mess. And it’s such a mess that I think being bold is the right answer. I get it’s going to have a few mistakes, but I’d rather have those few mistakes and fix it.

He later appeared to reference Musk’s SpaceX ambitions and quipped, “Being careful and slow isn’t how we get to Mars.”

DOGE Caucus founder Rep. Aaron Bean, R-Fla., on Elon Musk’s efforts to curtail government spending and a discovery regarding social security.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

February 13, 2025
Vance tells world leaders AI must be ‘free from ideological bias,’ American tech won’t be censorship tool

Vice President JD Vance told world leaders in Paris that AI must be free from ideological bias, and that American tech wont be a censorship tool. (Credit: Reuters)

Vice President JD Vance told world leaders in Paris on Tuesday that the United States intends to remain the dominant force in artificial intelligence (AI) and warned that the European Union’s far tougher regulatory approach to the technology could cripple it.

Vance warned that the technology should be free from ideological bias and that President Donald Trump’s administration would ensure that the most powerful artificial intelligence systems would be built in the United States. He added that Washington wanted to partner with the world in the industry.

“We feel very strongly that AI must remain free from ideological bias and that American AI will not be co-opted into a tool for authoritarian censorship,” said Vance, at his first scheduled trip abroad since taking office.

Vice President JD Vance told world leaders in Paris that the United States intends to remain the dominant force in AI and warned that the EU’s far tougher regulatory approach to the technology could cripple it. (REUTERS/Benoit Tessier / Reuters)

MUSK-LED GROUP OF INVESTORS SUBMIT UNSOLICITED BID OF $97.4B TO TAKE OVER OPENAI: REPORT

“We believe that excessive regulation of the AI sector could kill a transformative industry just as it’s taking off, and we’ll make every effort to encourage pro-growth AI policies and I’d like to see that deregulatory flavor making its way into a lot of the conversations at this conference.”

Vance was speaking at the AI Action Summit where world leaders, top tech executives and policymakers gathered to discuss the technology’s impact on global security, economics and governance. French President Emmanuel Macron, Indian Prime Minister Shri Modi and Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing were among those in attendance.

The summit comes weeks after Trump announced a new $500 billion AI infrastructure project called Stargate.

Vance said that Europe’s online privacy rules, known by the acronym GDPR, meant endless legal compliance costs for smaller firms.

European lawmakers last year approved the bloc’s AI Act, the world’s first comprehensive set of rules governing the technology. Tech giants and some capitals are pushing for it to be enforced leniently.

Vice President JD Vance speaking at the summit on Tuesday. (LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)

ELON MUSK AND TECH LEADER SAM ALTMAN GET INTO WAR OF WORDS OVER AI INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT

Vance has previously suggested the U.S. should reconsider its NATO commitments if European governments impose restrictions on Elon Musk’s social media platform, X.

“Many of our most productive tech companies are forced to deal with the EU’s Digital Services Act and the mass of regulations it created about taking down content and policing so-called misinformation,” Vance said.

“And of course, we want to ensure that the internet is a safe place, but it is one thing to prevent a predator from preying on a child on the internet, and it is something quite different to prevent a grown man or woman from accessing an opinion that the government thinks is misinformation.

Vance said that hostile foreign adversaries have weaponized AI software to rewrite history, surveil users, censor speech and undermine other nations’ national security. He said the Trump administration will work to safeguard American AI and chip technologies from theft and misuse.

He also said American workers will be central to the United States’ policies on AI.

Vance said American workers will be central to the United States’ policies on AI. (iStock / iStock)

“We believe – and we will fight for policies that ensure – that AI is going to make our workers productive, and we expect that they will reap the rewards, with higher wages, better benefits and safer and more prosperous communities,” Vance said. “From law to medicine, manufacturing, the most immediate applications of AI almost all involved supplementing – not replacing – the work being done by Americans.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The U.S. and the U.K. did not sign the Paris AI Summit’s declaration entitled “Statement on Inclusive and Sustainable Artificial Intelligence.”

The communiqué prioritizes “ensuring AI is open, inclusive, transparent, ethical, safe, secure and trustworthy, taking into account international frameworks for all” and “making AI sustainable for people and the planet.”

It wasn’t immediately clear why the U.S. and the U.K. did not sign up.

Reuters contributed to this report.

February 11, 2025
Brazil’s president tells country not to buy expensive groceries as food prices rise

Brazil’s leftist president recently told the country’s citizens not to purchase expensive grocery items in an effort to combat soaring food prices.

In a video being shared online, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva urged Brazilians to be frugal when grocery shopping.

“If you go to the supermarket in Salvador and you suspect that a certain product is expensive, don’t buy it,” he said. “Look, if everyone thought like that and didn’t buy things they thought were expensive, whoever is selling is going to have to lower the price in order to sell it.

HOW BRAZILIAN POLICE SAY BOLSONARO PLOTTED A COUP TO STAY IN OFFICE

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva speaks during the national technology conference in Brasilia, Brazil, July 30 2024. (Reuters/Adriano Machado//File Photo)

“Because if they don’t, it’s going to spoil.”

On Thursday, da Silva said he was worried about rising food prices but projected the increases would slow and voiced an optimistic tone about the economy.

“The Brazilian economy is living its best moment,” Lula said during an interview with radio stations, Reuters reported.

The leftist leader noted that Brazil’s real was still at a low level against the U.S. dollar but sees the rate “adjusting,” according to Reuters.

BERING AIR PLANE VANISHES IN ALASKA WHILE CARRYING 10 PEOPLE

A salesman at a vegetable stand at a supply center in Brasilia, Brazil, May 9, 2023. (Reuters)

In January, Brazilian Finance Minister Fernando Haddad said he expected food prices to decline this year due to strong agricultural production.

Prices tend to stay at high levels until food production “corrects this price distortion to an adequate level,” he told a local news outlet.

Haddad added that officials predict Brazil’s economy will grow 2.5% in 2025, slowing from an expected 3.5% last year.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva attends a ministerial meeting on plans to support Rio Grande do Sul state, which was affected by floods, at the presidential palace in Brasilia, Brazil, May 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“I believe we have room to grow 2.5% by reducing inflation,” he told RedeTV, according to Reuters.

February 7, 2025
Sean Duffy tells Hillary Clinton to ‘sit this one out’ after she chimes in on his DOGE announcement

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) will work on upgrading the aviation system, and then fired back at former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton after she weighed in.

“Big News – Talked to the DOGE team. They are going to plug in to help upgrade our aviation system,” Duffy noted in a post on X.

Clinton chimed in, tweeting, “They have no relevant experience. Most of them aren’t old enough to rent a car. And you’re going to let them mess with airline safety that’s already deteriorated on your watch?”

TRANSPORTATION SEC SEAN DUFFY SAYS FAA SYSTEMS ARE ‘ANTIQUATED,’ CALLS FOR MORE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS

Left: Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy speaks to reporters about the collision of an American Airlines flight with a military Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan National Airport, in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on Jan. 30, 2025 in Washington, D.C.; Right: Hillary Clinton at the Navalny Screening held at the Museum of Modern Art on Jan. 30, 2025 in New York, N.Y. (Left: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images; Right: Lexie Moreland/WWD via Getty Images)

Duffy fired back at Clinton, the Democrat who lost the 2016 presidential election to Donald Trump.

“Madam Secretary, with all due respect, ‘experienced’ Washington bureaucrats are the reason our nation’s infrastructure is crumbling. You need to sit this one out,” Duffy declared.

Business tycoon Elon Musk — who is spearheading the DOGE effort to uncover government waste, fraud, and abuse — indicated that the team will seek to swiftly implement “safety upgrades to the air traffic control system.”

“With the support of President @realDonaldTrump, the @DOGE team will aim to make rapid safety upgrades to the air traffic control system. Just a few days ago, the FAA’s primary aircraft safety notification system failed for several hours!” he noted in a post when responding to Duffy’s announcement.

‘SQUAD’ DEM AYANNA PRESSLEY TRASHES ELON MUSK, CALLING HIM A ‘NAZI NEPO BABY’

Someone replied to Musk, noting, “My brother first developed the method of accurately navigating airlines by GPS, 45 years ago. He expected an automated air traffic system long ago. It’s time to do it now. Get rid of 75-year-old ATC radar. Put all the planes on a 3-D map. All paths straight to landing.”

Musk replied, noting that he agrees.

DOGE TARGETS MEDICARE AGENCY, LOOKING FOR FRAUD

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The exchange comes after back-to-back fatal aviation incidents in the U.S. last week, including the collision between a military helicopter and a passenger jet near the Ronald Reagan Washington National airport (DCA) and a Learjet 55 medevac jet that crashed in Philadelphia, killing at least seven people.

Alex Nitzberg is a writer for Fox News Digital.

February 6, 2025
FBI agents group tells Congress to take urgent action to protect against politicization

FIRST ON FOX— The Federal Bureau of Investigation Agent’s Association (FBIAA) sent a letter to House and Senate leaders Monday raising “urgent concerns” over recent actions taken by acting DOJ and FBI personnel, which they say threatens careers of thousands of employees and risks disrupting the bureau’s essential work.

The FBIAA, a voluntary professional association representing more than 14,000 active and retired FBI special agents, cited in particular the order from acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove to terminate the entire FBI senior leadership team, and the assistant director in charge of the Washington Field Office, as well as the order for bureau employees to compile lists of all current and former personnel who worked on investigations related to January 6, 2021, and a Hamas-related case.

The lists, the group said, “will be used to determine whether those individuals should face additional personnel actions.”

“Put simply, Special Agents who risk their lives protecting this country from criminals and terrorists are now being placed on lists and having their careers jeopardized for carrying out the orders they were given by their superiors in the FBI,” the group said, saying the actions both lack “transparency and due process,” and “are creating dangerous distractions, imperiling ongoing investigations, and undermining the Bureau’s ability to work with state, local, and international partners to make America safe again.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

This is a breaking news story. Check back soon for updates.

Breanne Deppisch is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital covering the 2024 election and other national news.

February 3, 2025
NJ gov says he’s housing migrant, tells feds ‘good luck’ getting her

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy revealed he is housing a immigrant at his home and dared the Trump administration to do something about it.

Murphy made the admission during an interview this past weekend with Blue Wave New Jersey, a progressive grassroots organization.

“Tammy [Murphy] and I were talking about – I don’t want to get into too much detail, but there is someone in our broader universe whose immigration status is not yet at the point that they are trying to get it to. And we said, you know what? Let’s have her live at our house above our garage,” the Democrat governor said.

“And good luck to the feds coming in to try to get her,” Murphy added, seemingly hinting that the person may be an illegal immigrant. Fox News Digital reached out to Murphy’s office for more information, but they did not immediately respond.

DEMOCRATS RAIL AGAINST ‘EGREGIOUS’ ICE RAID IN NEW JERSEY AFTER MILITARY VETERAN QUESTIONED

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said he is housing at his home “someone in our broader universe whose immigration status is not yet at the point that they are trying to get it to.” (Jeenah Moon/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The revelation comes as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been conducting operations in New Jersey, most notably with a raid in Newark in late January.

TRUMP SHARES UPDATE ON DRONES SEEN FLYING OVER NEW JERSEY

ICE recently conducted a worksite raid at a car wash in Philadelphia, arresting seven individuals, with six being from Mexico and one from the Dominican Republic. (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

“Public trust is essential to public safety. Our office has requested more information from the Trump Administration about the recent immigration enforcement action in Newark so we have a clear understanding of the facts of this case,” a spokesperson for Murphy told PIX11 following that operation.

New Jersey first lady Tammy Murphy and Gov. Phil Murphy speak at the 15th Annual Induction Ceremony for the New Jersey Hall of Fame on Oct. 29, 2023 in Newark, New Jersey. Gov. Murphy recently said he and his wife are letting an immigrant live on their property. (Bryan Bedder/Variety via Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

ICE did not immediately respond Monday to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

Trump border czar Tom Homan told Fox News in December that knowingly harboring and concealing an illegal immigrant from ICE is a “violation of the law.”

Greg Norman is a reporter at Fox News Digital.

February 3, 2025
LARRY KUDLOW: Trump tells Mexico and Canada — America First!

If President Donald Trump believes that Mexico and Canada are damaging America’s national security by failing to sufficiently help us on the border to prevent illegal crossings and the influx of fentanyl and other drugs, or not helping us defeat the Mexican cartels – then I believe he is absolutely right to use his tough tariff diplomacy by slapping 25% tariffs on both countries.

And that includes the 10% tariff hike on China, which is supplying the fentanyl drug components that are then manufactured in Mexico and sent across the U.S. line. China is also subverting the USMCA North American free trade deal by building plants in Mexico and then dumping cheap cars into the U.S., without adhering to U.S. domestic content and other rules.

With today’s announcement by Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt that President Trump has made up his mind and will impose these tariffs tomorrow, it’s very clear that that is the President’s conclusion.

Whether he has any specific metrics in mind regarding illegal border crossings or drugs, or sex trafficking, remains to be seen. Whether he will engage in additional negotiations with Canada and Mexico remains to be seen.

But he has laid down the law. Tariffs are a legitimate tool to engage in national security policy as well as economic policy.

Presumably, if Mexico and Canada meet Mr. Trump’s requirements, then the tariffs could be lifted. But we don’t know that. And we await some sort of statement from the President himself, perhaps tonight or tomorrow.

‘Kudlow’ panelists Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., and Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., analyze President Donald Trump’s foreign economic policies.

By the way, Mexico’s ties to China have become a major problem. Mexican imports from China have increased 50% over the last 5 years. And Chinese investment in Mexico is up the same 50%. USMCA rules must be changed to place explicit limitations on Chinese content.

Right now, the U.S. is running a $170 billion trade deficit with Mexico, sustained across numerous product groups.

Canada is a different story. The U.S. is running a $60 to $70 billion trade deficit with them, but if energy is removed we actually have a surplus with Canada – including auto and manufacturing goods. 60% of U.S. oil imports come from Canada.

But Canadian oil companies provide us with a 20% discount because their heavy crude has to be refined into gasoline and diesel fuels. As some oil experts point out, a 25% tariff wipes out the 20% discount. And they fear that gasoline prices in the Midwest and the northern states could jump by 40 to 75 cents. So, the oil industry is hoping for a carve-out from the 25% tariff.

On the tariff news announced by Mrs. Leavitt, the Dow Jones fell 330 points. Wall Street continues to believe that tariffs are inflationary.

As I’ve suggested before, they are not.

‘Kudlow’ panelists Taylor Riggs, Steve Forbes and John Carney unpack President-elect Donald Trump’s economic policies.

Sure, there might be some minor one-time product price increases. But exporters to the U.S. will bear 50% or more of the tariff increase by lowering their prices in order to sell to American consumers and businesses. That was our experience with China during Trump’s first term.

The only way inflation is going to pick up in any sustained fashion is if the Federal Reserve keeps the printing presses wide open.

In Mr. Trump’s Truth Social post on Wednesday, he criticized the Fed for failing to stop the massive Bidenflation that ruined blue-collar affordability with a 20%-plus price hike over the past four years.

But Mr. Trump’s economic program of lower tax rates, deregulation, unleashing energy production, large reductions in federal spending and the DC bureaucracy, is itself profoundly counter-inflationary and pro-growth. That is why inflation is not the issue.

And, yesterday, Mr. Trump posted on Truth Social that he will not tolerate any replacement of the mighty U.S. dollar in international trade. He threatened 100% tariffs on the so-called BRICS countries — Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. King Dollar is also counter inflationary.

Instead, Mr. Trump’s tariff diplomacy is geared toward protecting America’s national security – and its economic security.

And he insists… that America comes first.

January 31, 2025
RFK Jr tells lawmakers that ‘every abortion is a tragedy’ at confirmation hearing

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

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

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

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

MULTIPLE OUTBURTS ERUPT AT RFK JR HEARING: ‘YOU ARE’

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

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

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

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

RFK JR RIPS DEM SENATOR FOR PUSHING ‘DISHONEST’ NARRATIVE ON PAST VACCINE COMMENTS: ‘CORRECTED IT MANY TIMES’

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

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

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

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

RFK JR. LIKELY TO BE CONFIRMED AS HEALTH SECRETARY, DR. SIEGEL SAYS

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

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

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

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

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

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

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

January 29, 2025