On Thursday, the Senate voted to confirm Brooke Rollins to lead the Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Rollins was easily confirmed by the Senate shortly after Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was confirmed as Trump’s Health secretary.
Most recently, Rollins has served as president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) think tank, which she co-founded after Trump’s first term.
In Trump’s first administration, Rollins served in the Office of American Innovation and as acting director of the Domestic Policy Council.
The newly elected president announced his selection of Rollins for USDA chief in November, recalling she did “an incredible job” during his first term.
“Brooke’s commitment to support the American Farmer, defense of American Food Self-Sufficiency, and the restoration of Agriculture-dependent American Small Towns is second to none,” he said.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
The U.S. Senate has confirmed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the next Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) following weeks of debate over his nomination.
Once again, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) stood alone as the only Republican to vote against President Trump’s nominee. McConnell opposed Tulsi Gabbard’s nomination as director of national intelligence (DNI).
🚨🚨 BREAKING: The Senate has CONFIRMED Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.
The confirmation process was marked by intense scrutiny of Kennedy’s record and policy positions. The Senate Finance Committee advanced his nomination last Tuesday with a narrow 14-13 vote.
Senator Bill Cassidy (R-La.), a physician and key swing vote, played a decisive role in moving Kennedy’s nomination forward. Cassidy, who has represented Louisiana in the Senate since 2014, broke with some in his party to support the nominee.
The full Senate advanced Kennedy’s nomination on Wednesday following a successful cloture vote of 53 to 47.
During his confirmation process, Kennedy worked to distance himself from past remarks that raised doubts about vaccine safety.
Despite the controversy, he managed to secure enough backing from Republicans to push his nomination forward.
As head of HHS, Kennedy will oversee federal health policy, including responses to public health crises, health care regulations and medical research funding. His tenure is expected to bring significant policy debates, particularly regarding vaccine policy, regulatory oversight and public health initiatives.
With Kennedy now confirmed, all eyes will be on how he navigates key health policy challenges in the months ahead.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
Governor Kathy Hochul and MTA Chair & CEO Janno Lieber make a subway safety announcement at the NYCT Rail Control Center (RCC) on Wednesday, Mar 6, 2024.
(Marc A. Hermann / MTA)
Attorney General Pam Bondi Trump filed a lawsuit Wednesday against the state of New York and its governor, Kathy Hochul, and Attorney General Letitia James, alleging a failure to comply with federal law by shielding illegal immigrants.
Bondi said Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and state DMV head Mark Schroeder treated their state’s residents like second-class citizens.
“We’re here today because we have filed charges against the state of New York,” Bondi said at a 5 p.m. ET news conference. “We have filed charges against Kathy Hochul. We have filed charges against Letitia James and Mark Schroeder, who is with DMV. This is a new DOJ, and we are taking steps to protect Americans – American citizens.”
Bondi invoked a similar suit the DOJ filed against the state of Illinois a week ago and added, “New York didn’t listen. So now, you’re next.”
“If you are a state not complying with federal law, you’re next,” she said. “Get ready. And the great men and women of law enforcement are standing behind me today. We have FBI, DEF, DEA, ATF agents. They put their lives on the line every single day to protect us.”
Bondi alleged New York had given a “green light to any illegal alien in New York where law enforcement officers cannot check their identity if they pull them over.” She concluded:
Law enforcement officers do not have access to their background, and if these great men and women pull over someone and don’t have access to their background, they have no idea who they’re dealing with, and it puts their lives on the line every single day. Violent criminals, gang members, drug traffickers, human smugglers will no longer terrorize the American people, and that is why we are here today. You will be held accountable if you do not follow federal law. It’s over, it ends, and we’re coming after you.
Republican lawmakers introduced legislation to rename Greenland this week to Red, White and Blueland.
The legislation, called the “Red, White, and Blueland Act of 2025,” directs Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to oversee the implementation of the name change and to ensure official documentation and maps refer to Greenland by its updated name.
The legislation also authorizes Trump to enter into negotiations with Denmark “to purchase or otherwise acquire Greenland.”
“America is back and will soon be bigger than ever with the addition of Red, White, and Blueland,” Carter said in a statement Tuesday, after introducing the legislation.
“President Trump has correctly identified the purchase of what is now Greenland as a national security priority, and we will proudly welcome its people to join the freest nation to ever exist when our Negotiator-in-Chief inks this monumental deal,” he added.
Trump has repeatedly expressed interest in purchasing Greenland, a semi-autonomous country that is currently under Denmark’s control. He has argued that the U.S. taking over the Arctic island is necessary for national security purposes.
Greenland and Denmark have emphatically resisted Trump’s push to acquire the country.
“We don’t want to be Danes,” Greenland Prime Minister Múte Egede previously said on Fox News. “We don’t even want to be Americans. We want to be Greenlanders.”
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has also insisted Greenland is not for sale and that it is up to Greenland to make its decision about its independence.
The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
It’s about time…
Attorney General Pam Bondi personally stripped the Justice Department’s walls of portraits of former President Joe Biden, former Vice President Kamala Harris, and her own predecessor, former Attorney General Merrick Garland, saying it was “ridiculous” for the portraits to still be hanging nearly three weeks into President Donald Trump’s tenure
Bondi’s role in personally removing the portraits, first shared on X by the New York Post’s Miranda Devine, was confirmed to Fox News Digital by a Justice Department official.
Bondi “saw portraits of Garland, Biden, Harris were still up, and she took the initiative to take them off the walls herself and stack them in the corner,” the official told Fox News.
Attorney General @PamBondi went into the DOJ in DC today and noticed that on the walls in one wing they still have big framed photos of Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and Merrick Garland. This is “ridiculous” three weeks into Donald Trump’s presidency. So she took down the photos…
The actions come after Bondi, who was sworn in earlier this month, vowed during her confirmation hearing in January not to politicize the Justice Department.
As part of the deal the U.S. is releasing Russian prisoner Alexander Vinnik, a Trump administration official told Fox News on Wednesday.
Vinnik was arrested in 2017 in Greece at the request of the U.S. on cryptocurrency fraud charges. He was later extradited to the United States where he pleaded guilty last year to conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov earlier said the Russian prisoner’s name would be revealed when he returns home.
“Recently, work has been intensified through the relevant agencies, there have been contacts,” Peskov said in a conference call with reporters, according to the Associated Press. “And these contacts have led to the release of Fogel, as well as one of the citizens of the Russian Federation, who is currently being held in custody in the United States. This citizen of the Russian Federation will also be returned to Russia in the coming days.”
Fogel, a history teacher from Pennsylvania, was serving a 14-year prison sentence after his arrest in August 2021 at a Russian airport for being in possession of drugs, which his family and supporters said were medically prescribed marijuana.
Anne Fogel, his sister, told “Fox & Friends” on Wednesday that she is “so happy to have this massive boulder” lifted off her shoulders with her brother’s release.
“I am so incredibly grateful to the president,” she added. “Just amazing.”
Fogel said her brother’s situation has “taken a toll” on her family but they “can’t even believe that he is safe and at home and can get medical attention.”
Marc Fogel literally kissed the ground upon returning to the U.S. after three years of being wrongfully imprisoned in Russia. pic.twitter.com/8srBFK0Iq0
“I feel like the luckiest man on earth right now,” Fogel said alongside Trump. “I want you to know that I am not a hero in this at all and President Trump is a hero. These men that came from the diplomatic service are heroes. The senators and representatives that passed legislation in my honor to get me home are heroes. I am in awe of what they all did.”
Trump spoke about his meeting with Malphine at his July rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where he told her he would do everything he could to free her son.
“When I saw the mother at a rally, she said, ‘If you win, will you get my son out?’ And I promised—she’s 95-years-old—and I said, ‘We’ll get him out,’ and we got him out pretty quickly. She made quite an impression.”
By Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America - Karrin Taylor Robson, CC BY-SA 2.0,
On Wednesday, Arizona Republican Karrin Taylor Robson launched her comeback gubernatorial bid.
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 Democrat Gov. Katie Hobbs.
Robson lost her primary bid in 2022 to Trump-backed Republican nominee Kari Lake.
Robson scored early support from Trump less than two months ago during his visit to Arizona as president-elect.
“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.
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.
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.
Robson will likely face off against another pro-Trump Republican during the primaries. 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 has already 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. “Arizonans, do yourselves a big favor and elect this man as your next governor!”
On Wednesday, Tulsi Gabbard was officially approved by the Senate to become his Director of National Intelligence (DNI).
She became his 14th Cabinet confirmation following the Wednesday vote.
The 52-48 vote caps two months of deliberations in the Senate over whether Gabbard, a former House Democrat from Hawaii, is qualified to lead the nation’s 18 intelligence agencies and prepare President Trump’s daily intelligence brief.
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) was the only GOP “no” vote.
Some concerns that followed Gabbard through her confirmation hearing were her past meeting with former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, her previous FISA Section 702 stance and her past support for NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden.
Trump announced his selection of Gabbard for DNI in November shortly after being elected. “I am pleased to announce that former Congresswoman, Lieutenant Colonel Tulsi Gabbard, will serve as Director of National Intelligence (DNI),” he said in a statement at the time.
“For over two decades, Tulsi has fought for our Country and the Freedoms of all Americans. As a former Candidate for the Democrat Presidential Nomination, she has broad support in both Parties – She is now a proud Republican! I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community, championing our Constitutional Rights, and securing Peace through Strength. Tulsi will make us all proud!”
Gabbard left the Democrat Party and subsequently endorsed Trump in the 2024 election.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
Thor Brødreskift / Nordiske Mediedager, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Steve Bannon, the former chief strategist for the Trump White House, pleaded guilty to defrauding donors who thought they were giving money to help build a wall at the United States’ southern border on Tuesday.
Bannon had faced five felony counts and up to fifteen years in prison. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Bannon pled guilty to one count and received a three-year conditional discharge. He will face no jail time so long as he does not re-offend.
The longtime ally of President Donald Trump had previously faced federal charges pertaining to the same scheme. In an indictment unsealed in 2020, Bannon was accused of soliciting millions of dollars to build the wall and the funneling the money to himself and his associates.
Audrey Strauss, the acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York at the time, said in a statement that Bannon and his co-conspirators had “defrauded hundreds of thousands of donors, capitalizing on their interest in funding a border wall to raise millions of dollars, under the false pretense that all of that money would be spent on construction.”
Bannon received a presidential pardon from Trump on Tuesday, January 19, 2021, the final full day of Trump’s first term in office. In 2022, the Manhattan district attorney’s office charged him over the same scheme.
Last month, Bannon openly declared war on billionaire businessman Elon Musk ahead of Trump’s second inauguration.
In an interview with Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, as highlighted by Mediaite, Bannon sharply criticized Musk, who was tapped by Trump to co-lead the “Department of Government Efficiency.”
“I will have Elon Musk run out of here by Inauguration Day,” Bannon said. “He is a truly evil guy, a very bad guy. I made it my personal thing to take this guy down.”
A federal appeals court dismissed the appeal charges brought against President Donald Trump aides Waltine Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira by former Special Counsel Jack Smith in his classified documents case, Fox News Digital reports.
The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed the case against Nauta and De Oliveira on Tuesday morning, two weeks after the Justice Department moved to drop the charges.
Nauta, Trump’s valet, and De Oliveira, the property manager of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, had pleaded not guilty to federal charges alleging they conspired to obstruct the FBI investigation into classified documents found at Mar-a-Lago.
The Justice Department had filed a motion in January to drop all criminal proceedings against Nauta and De Oliveira, putting an end to Smith’s probe more than two years after it began.
The classified records case was dismissed in July 2024 by U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida Judge Aileen Cannon, who ruled that Special Counsel Jack Smith was unlawfully appointed as special counsel.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
