Pope Francis, who changed the face of the papacy, was broadly popular with the more than 60 million U.S. Catholics, according to recent public opinion polling.

Seventy-eight percent of American Catholics expressed a favorable opinion of the pope in a Pew Poll conducted in early February, shortly before Francis’ lengthy hospitalization for a case of double pneumonia. The 88-year-old pope died on Monday 

Francis’ popularity among American Catholics was constant throughout his dozen-year tenure as pope, with his favorability peaking at 90% in a February 2015 poll by Pew.

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“Pope Francis enjoyed broad support among American Catholics – certainly exceeding the popularity of any elected officials in the U.S.,” veteran political scientist Wayne Lesperance, the president of New England College, told Fox News.

U.S. Catholics also generally viewed Francis more positively than his immediate predecessor in the Vatican, Pope Benedict XVI. 

FIVE WAYS POPE FRANCIS IMPACTED THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

Benedict’s favorability ratings ranged between 67% and 83% in Pew polling during his eight years as pope.

While popular with many Catholics, Francis’ attempts to make the church more inclusive made him an enemy to some in the conservative wing of the church. And there was plenty of pushback against the pope’s moves to overhaul a very divided church.

Those divisions may have contributed to a partisan divide when it comes to U.S. Catholics’ views of Francis.

According to the February Pew Poll, 88% of U.S. Catholics who identified as Democrats or leaned toward the Democratic Party had a positive view of the pope. But favorable opinions of Francis dropped to 69% among U.S. Catholics who said they were Republicans or leaned toward the GOP.

“His reform agenda, emphasizing values that sought to lift up the poorest, most marginalized individuals in the world, played better with Catholic Democrats than Republicans,” Lesperance noted.

 “And despite being critical of the current administration’s position on building the wall, mass deportations, and migrants, the late pope enjoyed the support of nearly two-thirds of Catholic Republicans. His legacy will be one of reform and social justice for Catholics across the globe.”

The State Department is pushing back against criticism of its changes to the process of reporting human rights abuses. 

NPR reported last week that the Trump administration was scaling back annual reports meant to inform congressional decisions on allocating foreign aid to countries, claiming the State Department was “changing its mind on what it calls human rights.” 

Fox News Digital is told the 2024 Human Rights Report has been restructured to remove redundancy, increase readability, and return the focus to human rights abuses – instead of a “laundry list of politically biased demands and assertions.” 

RUBIO ANNOUNCES CLOSURE OF STATE DEPARTMENT EFFORT THAT ‘WAS SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD ALREADY’

“NPR’s report that the State Department is scaling back the Human Rights Report is misleading and misguided,” a senior State Department official told Fox News Digital. “This year’s modifications are critical for removing report redundancy, increasing readability, maintaining consistency to U.S. statutes, and returning focus to human rights issues rather than political bias.”

Fox News Digital is told the restructuring of the reports “will be more responsive to legislative mandates that underpin the report” and “does not reflect a change in U.S. policy on promoting respect for human rights around the globe or in any particular country.” The State Department notably has attempted to streamline the reports to better align with statutory requirements under both Republican and Democratic administrations.

NPR and Politico reported on an internal memo that purportedly showed the 2024 Human Rights Report, which was finished in January but has been adjusted under the new administration, will no longer include references to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) or sections on discrimination or abuse against the LGBTQ+ community. 

STATE DEPARTMENT’S ‘GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT CENTER’ ACCUSED OF CENSORING AMERICANS SHUTS ITS DOORS

The annual reports – known as “Country Reports on Human Rights Practices” – normally come out in March or April. NPR said sections that called out countries for “forcibly returning a refugee or asylum-seeker to a home country” or the “serious harassment of human rights organizations” would be absent this year. NPR also stressed that prior reports had sections detailing countries’ “involuntary or coercive medical or psychological practices,” “arbitrary or unlawful interference with privacy,” “serious restrictions to internet freedom,” “extensive gender-based violence,” and “violence or threats of violence targeting people with disabilities,” but the new report would not.

Paul O’Brien, executive director of Amnesty International, USA, criticized the changes under the Trump administration. He told NPR: “What this is, is a signal that the United States is no longer going to [pressure] other countries to uphold those rights that guarantee civic and political freedoms – the ability to speak, to express yourself, to gather, to protest, to organize.” 

During President Donald Trump’s first term, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo cited what he categorized as a “proliferation of human rights” on the global stage. 

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“We wanted to go back to first principles, back to our founding documents, our Declaration of Independence, our Bill of Rights to focus on those things that are central to the understanding of rights here in America,” he said in July 2020. 

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is overseeing changes at the department during Trump’s second term. Last week, he announced the closure of the State Department’s Counter Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (R/FIMI), formerly known as the Global Engagement Center (GEC), which he accused of costing taxpayers more than $50 million per year and spending “millions of dollars to actively silence and censor the voices of Americans they were supposed to be serving.” 

EXCLUSIVE: The California 2026 gubernatorial race just got a major shakeup with Republican Steve Hilton entering the race to be Gov. Gavin Newsom’s successor. 

The former Fox News contributor and author of “Califailure” said he’s hoping to “Make California Golden Again,” especially for the “working people” of the state.

“A big decision that I’ve made, which I can now share with you, that I am, in fact, going to be running for governor of California for 2026. I love this state. It’s the best place in the world as far as I’m concerned,” Hilton told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview.

THIS IS HOW WE’LL KNOW IF CALIFORNIA GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM’S EPIPHANY ON ‘LIBERAL GOVERNANCE’ IS REAL

“But after 15 years of one-party rule, this state is barely recognizable. And I honestly think that the 2026 election in California is a life-or-death moment because if we continue with this one-party rule by the Democrats, things are just gonna really start to deteriorate very rapidly,” he added.

Hilton was born in the U.K. and graduated from New College at Oxford. He served as a senior advisor to former British Prime Minister David Cameron, who was the leader of the Conservative Party. 

“[California] really reminds me of Britain in the 1970s. The UK was called the ‘sick man of Europe’, Hilton explained in a campaign announcement video obtained by Fox News Digital. “There’s no other way of looking at California today than the ‘sick man of America’.”

After moving to California in 2012, Hilton embraced the American entrepreneurial spirit and co-founded Crowdpac.com, a Silicon Valley tech start-up company.

Hilton’s contribution to the conservative media across various outlets throughout his time in the U.S. landed him his own show, ‘The Next Revolution’, on Fox News Channel. The Sunday night program aired weekly from 2017 to 2023.

Newsom is termed out, and candidates are lining up for a shot for his spot in Sacramento. On the Democratic side, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, former Health and Human Secretary Xavier Becerra, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and former Rep. Katie Porter are among the long list of names seeking the job. On the Republican side, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco has been on the campaign trail for the job. 

Although Democrats have a supermajority in the legislature, a recent poll of likely California voters indicated that 48% would consider backing a Republican for governor, according to the Sacramento Bee. 

“We have a combination of idiots and ideologues who’ve been running this state into the ground, ruining what I consider to be the greatest state and the greatest nation on earth, and it’s time for change,” Hilton said.

FOR KAMALA HARRIS, CHANCES OF A POLITICAL COMEBACK MAY BE BLEAK

Most notably, former Vice President Kamala Harris is weighing a run following her 2024 presidential loss. Harris would quickly be considered the Democratic front-runner if she were to decide to join in.

The Golden State is facing serious questions about its future in the wake of not only the fires that ripped through Los Angeles County, but as it navigates issues such as crime, homelessness, and fiscal management for programs like Medi-Cal. Hundreds of thousands of Californians have moved out of the state each year at an accelerated rate after the pandemic, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.

The cost of living for many Californians is higher than in the rest of the nation, including when it comes to taxation and gas prices.

LOS ANGELES ISSUES ONLY 4 PERMITS TO REBUILD HOMES AFTER DEVASTATING PALISADES FIRE: REPORT

“We have the highest taxes in the country, but also the highest rate of poverty. You have one-third of Californians who can’t meet their basic needs. We have the highest housing costs. It’s the number one reason people are leaving the state,” Hilton said.

The Republican said that the Golden State was once known for “upward mobility” and being the land of opportunity, but it’s become much more difficult to survive.

“California represented the best of America. I think for many people, when they thought of the American dream, they thought of California and the California Dream,” he added. 

Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem’s announcement that REAL IDs will be required to fly starting May 7 has forced Americans to finally get compliant – 20 years after Congress passed the law. 

On May 11, 2005, President George W. Bush signed the REAL ID Act into law to enhance national security in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Passed by the U.S. Congress, the act set federal standards for issuing identification cards, like driver’s licenses.

Starting next month, REAL ID will be required to access federal facilities, enter nuclear power plants and board commercial aircraft. REAL ID’s rollout has faced nearly two decades of political pushback, setbacks and delays. 

In the two years after it was passed, the National Governors Association (NGA), the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) and the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) called for delaying its implementation, citing logistical concerns. 

‘MASS SURVEILLANCE’: CONSERVATIVES SOUND ALARM OVER TRUMP ADMIN’S REAL ID ROLLOUT

Since its passing, states and advocacy groups have rejected its implementation. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) – a longtime opponent of REAL ID implementation – called it “discriminatory, expensive, burdensome, invasive, and ultimately counterproductive” in 2007 as disapproval grew nationwide. By 2009, at least 25 states had enacted legislation opposing the REAL ID Act.

TOP TRUMP AGENCY REVEALS KEY REASON WHY REAL ID WILL BE ENFORCED

States rejected REAL ID for a range of reasons, including costs, states’ rights and privacy concerns. Three years after the law was passed, REAL ID’s first deadline was set for May 11, 2008. But in the face of opposition, DHS extended the deadline to May 11, 2011, under President Barack Obama’s administration. 

DHS later implemented a four-phase plan that extended beyond the 2011 deadline. By 2016, 23 states were fully compliant with the REAL ID Act, 27 states and territories were granted extensions, and six were noncompliant without extensions, according to a DHS letter. 

By Jan. 22, 2018, travelers would no longer be allowed to use a state-issued ID for domestic travel, and by Oct. 1, 2020, REAL ID “or another acceptable form of identification” would be required for domestic air travel. 

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, President Donald Trump extended the REAL ID deadline to Oct. 1, 2021. That deadline was later extended to May 3, 2023, by President Joe Biden’s administration “due to circumstances resulting from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.”

The Biden administration finally extended the deadline to May 7, 2025, to give states “additional time to ensure their residents have driver’s licenses and identification cards that meet the security standards established by the REAL ID Act.”

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Noem announced the May 7, 2025, deadline would hold as the Trump administration seeks to prevent illegal immigrants from traveling within the United States.

“Starting May 7, you will need a REAL ID to fly. REAL IDs make identification harder to forge, thwarting criminals and terrorists. If you plan to fly, make sure you get a REAL ID so you won’t be denied from your flight or face travel delays!” Noem said. 

U.S. presidents mourned the death of Pope Francis, who served as the leader of the Catholic Church for 12 years, on Monday following the Vatican’s announcement of the pope’s passing. 

“Rest in Peace Pope Francis!” President Donald Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Monday. “May God Bless him and all who loved him!”

The College of Cardinals elected Pope Francis, 88, to serve as the pope following Pope Benedict XVI in March 2013. His election marked the first time a non-European served as pope in more than 1,000 years. Pope Francis, born with the name Jorge Mario Bergoglio, originally hailed from Argentina. 

Pope Francis, who was hospitalized in February due to complications stemming from bronchitis and pneumonia, died Monday at the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta. 

Vice President JD Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, met with Pope Francis on Sunday in one of the reception rooms of the Vatican hotel just hours before the pope’s death. Vance acknowledged the visit in a post on X Monday while expressing his condolences to Christians who loved the pope, and shared a link to the transcript of one of the pope’s 2020 homilies. 

POPE FRANCIS DEAD AT 88, VATICAN SAYS

“My heart goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him. I was happy to see him yesterday, though he was obviously very ill,” Vance said in a post on X on Monday. “But I’ll always remember him for the below homily he gave in the very early days of COVID. It was really quite beautiful. May God rest his soul.”

Trump also signed an executive order Monday ordering all U.S. flags be flown at half-staff on all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels to remember Francis. The order also applies to all U.S. embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including military facilities and naval vessels and stations.

Here’s a look at Pope Francis’ legacy with other U.S. leaders:

Pope Francis met with former President Barack Obama at the Vatican in March 2014. The two met again in September of the following year during Pope Francis’ visit to the White House, where the pope delivered a statement urging action on climate change. Following his visit to the White House, Francis also visited New York City and Philadelphia. 

Obama issued a statement Monday morning lauding the pope for his leadership. 

POPE FRANCIS EXPOSES CONFIDENTIAL DETAILS ABOUT HIS ELECTION AND RELATIONSHIPS IN LENGTHY INTERVIEW 

“In his humility and his gestures at once simple and profound – embracing the sick, ministering to the homeless, washing the feet of young prisoners – he shook us out of our complacency and reminded us that we are all bound by moral obligations to God and one another,” Obama said in a post on X Monday morning. 

“Today, Michelle and I mourn with everyone around the world – Catholic and non-Catholic alike – who drew strength and inspiration from the Pope’s example,” Obama said. “May we continue to heed his call to ‘never remain on the sidelines of this march of living hope.’”

Trump met with Pope Francis in 2017 during a trip to the Vatican, and told reporters later that they had a “fantastic meeting.” However, the two remained at odds with one another over Trump’s border policies for the last decade. 

“A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian,” Pope Francis said in February 2016 amid Trump’s push on the campaign trail to build a border wall and crack down on illegal immigration. 

In response, Trump said: “For a religious leader to question a person’s faith is disgraceful.”

Pope Francis routinely issued similar statements, and in February penned a letter to U.S. Catholic bishops and voiced concern about the Trump administration’s mass deportation plans. 

“The act of deporting people who in many cases have left their own land for reasons of extreme poverty, insecurity, exploitation, persecution or serious deterioration of the environment, damages the dignity of many men and women, and of entire families, and places them in a state of particular vulnerability and defenselessness,” Pope Francis said in the letter. 

Former President Joe Biden, the second Catholic U.S. president, visited the Vatican in October 2021, where he and Pope Francis met to discuss topics including climate change and advocacy for the poor, according to a readout of the meeting. 

Biden had previously met Pope Francis on several other occasions, including during the pope’s visit to the U.S. in 2015. 

Biden also met with Pope Francis in June at the G7 Leaders’ Summit in Apulia, Italy, where the two discussed the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, according to a readout of the meeting. 

Biden, who awarded Pope Francis the Presidential Medal of Freedom in January, described him as a “consequential” leader on Monday who was a “Pope for everyone.” 

“He was unlike any who came before him,” Biden said in a post on X Monday morning. “Pope Francis will be remembered as one of the most consequential leaders of our time and I am better for having known him. For decades, he served the most vulnerable across Argentina and his mission of serving the poor never ceased. As Pope, he was a loving pastor and challenging teacher who reached out to different faiths.”

Fox News’ Emma Colton contributed to this report. 

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments later this month over what would be the first religious public charter school in the United States, in a case that finds Republican Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond at odds with his own party. 

While Drummond argues a “state-sponsored and taxpayer-funded religious public charter school” is unconstitutional, conservatives have rallied in support of St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School. 

“It’s no secret that parents want to educate their children in line with their values. And a public good shouldn’t be denied to anyone based on their religion. The outcome of this case will be revolutionary for religious liberty and education freedom, and Oklahoma is at the forefront,” a spokesperson for Gov. Kevin Stitt, R-Okla., told Fox News Digital in a statement. 

As Stitt champions Oklahoma’s leadership in creating the first religious public charter school, Drummond has been steadfast in rejecting taxpayer funding for St. Isidore, arguing for the separation of church and state as outlined in the First Amendment. 

LGBTQ CHRISTIANS CRUSADE AGAINST TRUMP’S RELIGIOUSLY ‘HOSTILE’ POLICIES DURING HOLY WEEK

Last month, Stitt joined over 50 elected officials in affirming his support for the Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board and St. Isidore, two cases that have been consolidated by the U.S. Supreme Court for review.  

SUPREME COURT POISED TO MAKE MAJOR DECISION THAT COULD SET LIMITS ON THE POWER OF DISTRICT JUDGES

Sens. James Lankford, R-Okla., Josh Hawley, R-Mo., Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., Ted Budd, R-N.C., and Ted Cruz, R-Texas, filed an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court. In the brief, the Republican senators flipped Drummond’s First Amendment argument on the attorney general, arguing Oklahoma violated the First Amendment by denying St. Isidore a charter because it’s a religious school. 

“Upholding the Oklahoma Charter Schools Act with the included exclusion of religious organizations would set a dangerous precedent, signaling that religious organizations are not welcome in public projects. This would not only violate the First Amendment, but it would also deprive society of the valuable contributions that these organizations make,” the Republican senators wrote. 

When asked by Fox News Digital why Drummond, who is campaigning to be the next governor of deep-red Oklahoma, is at odds with conservatives on the issue, Drummond’s communications director, Phil Bacharach, told Fox News Digital, in part: “AG Drummond doesn’t make decisions based on what other politicians think.”

“Attorney General Drummond isn’t guided by political pressure – he’s guided by the law,” Drummond’s gubernatorial campaign manager, Stephanie Alexander, added in a statement to Fox News Digital. “His constitutional duty is to defend Oklahoma statutes, and state law is clear: public funds cannot be used for religious indoctrination. As the state’s top legal officer, he’s fulfilling his obligation, and will ultimately abide by whatever decision the U.S. Supreme Court makes.”

The debate began in June 2023, when the Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board approved St. Isidore’s contract request, which would have allowed public funding for the religious charter school for the first time. Drummond filed a lawsuit against the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board that October, and his position was later affirmed by the Oklahoma Supreme Court. 

Stitt and Drummond have once again found themselves feuding over this landmark case, as the two continue a long-standing clash over policy and politics in Oklahoma, including debates over constitutional authority and local policy initiatives. 

Stitt, who serves as vice chair of the National Governors Association (NGA), is term-limited as Oklahoma governor in 2026. Earlier this year, Drummond announced his campaign for governor, running a conservative platform touting his leadership as attorney general against the “Biden Administration’s radical overreach” and promising to stand “strong with President Trump.”

A recently departed top Pentagon aide goaded President Donald Trump to remove Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth from his Cabinet, describing “total chaos” and “dysfunction” within the top brass of the military. 

“The dysfunction is now a major distraction for the president – who deserves better from his senior leadership,” John Ullyot, a former senior communications official for the Pentagon, wrote in an op-ed for Politico published on Sunday. 

“Trump has a strong record of holding his top officials to account. Given that, it’s hard to see Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth remaining in his role for much longer.”

Ullyot departed the Pentagon’s public affairs office last week because he did not want to be second-in-command to chief spokesperson Sean Parnell. 

AXED PENTAGON AIDES CLAIM THEIR CHARACTER WAS ‘SLANDERED,’ LITTLE DETAILS WERE SHARED ABOUT LEAK INVESTIGATION

On Friday, the Pentagon fired three Hegseth aides – Dan Caldwell, Colin Carroll and Darin Selnick – three of the secretary’s “most loyal” advisers, according to Ullyot. He called the purge “strange” and “baffling.”

Following them out the door is chief of staff Joe Kasper, who the three men frequently found themselves at odds with, three defense officials confirmed to Fox News Digital. 

“In short, the building is in disarray under Hegseth’s leadership.”

He called himself a “strong backer” of Hegseth, but admitted: “The last month has been a full-blown meltdown at the Pentagon – and it’s becoming a real problem for the administration.”

The shake-ups came just as reports broke about a second Signal chat where Hegseth discussed plans to strike Houthis in Yemen, this one allegedly including his wife, brother and personal lawyer.

That chat reportedly discussed flight schedules for the F/A-18 Hornets targeting the Houthis in Yemen – similar information to that shared in the chat of Trump Cabinet members where national security advisor Mike Waltz unintentionally added The Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg. 

“Another day, another old story,” Parnell said in a statement after the latest Signal chat reporting. “There was no classified information in any Signal chat, no matter how many ways they try to write the story.”

PENTAGON’S WEEK OF POWER STRUGGLES: LEAK FALLOUT AND SHOUTING MATCHES HIT HEGSETH’S INNER CIRCLE

“Unfortunately, after a terrible month, the Pentagon focus is no longer on warfighting, but on endless drama,” Ullyot wrote. 

“The president deserves better than the current mishegoss at the Pentagon. Given his record of holding prior Cabinet leaders accountable, many in the secretary’s own inner circle will applaud quietly if Trump chooses to do the same in short order at the top of the Defense Department.”

Trump allies eviscerated Ullyot on social media after the op-ed was published. 

“This guy is not America First,” Donald Trump Jr. wrote on X. “I’ve been hearing for years that he works his ass off to subvert my father’s agenda. That ends today. He’s officially exiled from our movement.”

“If you’re echoing Democrat talking points, you no longer support President Trump or his administration. There’s no gray area here,” added Trump advisor Jason Miller. 

The White House, meanwhile, “stands strongly” behind Hegseth, press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News on Monday. 

“The President stands strongly behind Secretary Hegseth, who is doing a phenomenal job leading the Pentagon,” she said. This is what happens when the entire Pentagon is working against you and working against the monumental change that you are trying to implement.”

Hegseth also brushed off the reporting on the Signal chat Monday, blaming it on “disgruntled employees” and “anonymous smears.”

“This is why we’re fighting the fake news media,” he said when pressed on the chat by reporters at the White House Easter Egg roll. “This group right here is full of hoaxsters.”

President Donald Trump is turning his attention to the U.S. shipbuilding industry, which is leagues behind its near-peer competitor China, and recently signed an executive order designed to reinvigorate it. 

Trump’s April 10 order instructs agencies to develop a Maritime Action Plan and orders the U.S. trade representative to compile a list of recommendations to address China’s “anticompetitive actions within the shipbuilding industry,” among other things.

Additionally, the executive order instructs a series of assessments regarding how the government could bolster financial support through the Defense Production Act, the Department of Defense Office of Strategic Capital, a new Maritime Security Trust Fund, investment from shipbuilders from allied countries and other grant programs. 

But simply throwing money at the shipbuilding industry won’t solve the problem, according to Bryan Clark, director of the Hudson Institute think tank’s Center for Defense Concepts and Technology.

“It is unlikely that just putting more money into U.S. shipbuilding – even with foreign technical assistance – will make U.S. commercial shipbuilders competitive with experienced and highly-subsidized shipyards in China, Korea, or Japan,” Clark said in a Monday email to Fox News Digital. “In the near to mid-term, the government will need to also drive higher demand for U.S.-built ships.”

US RISKS PUSHING EUROPEAN ALLIES INTO CHINA’S ARMS WITH NEW TARIFFS, EXPERTS WARN 

Clark also said the executive orders appear to complement the SHIPS for America Act, a series of legislative measures introduced in December 2024 in both the House and Senate aimed at fostering growth within the U.S. shipbuilding industry and strengthening the U.S. Merchant Marine fleet that is capable of transporting military materials during times of conflict. 

Specifically, the SHIPS Act includes provisions establishing a Strategic Commercial Fleet Program, which would seek to develop merchant vessels that could operate internationally, but are American-built, owned and operated. The legislation would also seek to beef up the U.S.-flag international fleet by roughly 250 ships in 10 years. 

“If we implement the EO and the SHIPS Act together, the government would create incentives to flag and build ships in the U.S. and provide capital to the shipbuilding industry so it could meet the increased demand with greater efficiency and lower costs,” Clark said. “This will not result in the U.S. surpassing China, Korea or Japan as shipbuilders, but it would provide the U.S. more resilience.”

The U.S. is drastically behind near-peer competitors like China in shipbuilding. China is responsible for more than 50% of global shipbuilding, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, compared to just 0.1% from the U.S. 

However, Trump has indicated interest in working with other nations on shipbuilding, and suggested working with Congress to pass legislation authorizing the purchase of ships from foreign countries when signing the orders. Specifics were not provided. 

US RISKS PUSHING EUROPEAN ALLIES INTO CHINA’S ARMS WITH NEW TARIFFS, EXPERTS WARN 

But doing so could upend a century-old law known as the Jones Act – a controversial law fundamental to the current U.S. shipbuilding environment that requires that only U.S. ships carry cargo between U.S. ports and stipulates that at least 75% of the crew members are American citizens. It also requires that these ships are built in the U.S. and that U.S. citizens own them.

Proponents of the Jones Act assert it is key to national security and prevents foreigners from gaining entry to the U.S. But experts claim the law has significantly hampered U.S. shipbuilding, and is undercutting competition while keeping shipbuilding costs high. 

Efforts to repeal the legislation have failed amid bipartisan support in Congress. But some experts claim eradicating the law is a first step in changing the shipbuilding industry in the U.S. 

“Anyone who is serious about reviving the shipping industry should basically start by getting rid of the Jones Act,” Veronique de Rugy, a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, told Fox News Digital Thursday. “It’s not everything, but it’s a start.” 

Colin Grabow, an associate director at the Cato Institute’s Center for Trade Policy Studies, said shipbuilding issues in the U.S. are multifaceted, but the Jones Act is a major part of the problem. Still, he doubts efforts to repeal it will prove successful. 

“I think the bar has been set so low, it is hard not to think that, absent the Jones Act, that we’d be doing any worse,” Grabow said. “And in fact, I think we’d do better. And why do I think we’d do better? It’s because… fundamentally, I think an industry that doesn’t have to compete will become uncompetitive. I think it’s just kind of axiomatic.” 

More than half a million immigrants failed to show up for their immigration court hearings under former President Joe Biden.

Between Fiscal Year 2022, the first full year of the Biden administration, and the end of December 2024, immigration judges issued more than 507,000 in absentia removal orders, or removal orders for those who failed to show up for their immigration hearings, according to an analysis by the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS).

The number represented a 45% increase in such cases compared to the previous seven years under former President Barack Obama and President Donald Trump’s first term, the analysis found, despite that period being more than double the timeframe.

ALITO BLASTS ‘UNPRECEDENTED’ SCOTUS MOVE TO HALT TRUMP’S VENEZUELAN DEPORTATIONS: ‘LEGALLY QUESTIONABLE’

“Those 500,000-plus no-shows are a symptom of the Biden administration’s effort to deliberately break our immigration system, and it will now take years to get that system back on track,” said CIS’s Andrew R. Arthur in the report.

At issue, according to Arthur, was the Biden administration’s “refusal” to detain illegal immigrants when they were initially encountered at the border by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), releasing the “vast majority” of them with a Notice To Appear in immigration court.

But such migrants are the most likely to skip out on court proceedings, Arthur argued.

“It is axiomatic under immigration law that aliens who aren’t likely to merit relief are less likely to appear in court if they are released — which is why Congress required DHS to detain the ones encountered by CBP at the border and the ports,” Arthur said.

ACLU APPEALS TO SUPREME COURT TO STOP VENEZUELAN DEPORTATIONS; BOASBERG HOLDS EMERGENCY HEARING FRIDAY NIGHT

Under current immigration law, immigrants encountered by CBP officers and Border Patrol agents that do not have proper admission documents are subject to expedited removal, which does entitle those immigrants to a hearing in front of an immigration judge, unless they show a credible fear of harm if they were to be returned to their country of origin, the CIS report notes.

Those subject to expedited removal are required to be detained by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the report adds, something that was not happening under the Biden administration.

Such disregard for that rule led to “inevitable” results, Arthur argued, including the massive number of missed immigration court hearings.

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“The half-million-plus aliens who failed to appear in immigration court over the past four years are just one more inevitable result of the Biden administration’s refusal to comply with our immigration laws,” Arthur said. “They are a symptom of a deliberately broken system, one that will linger on the courts’ dockets for years to come.”

EXCLUSIVE: State Armor Action is releasing a new tool that will allow people to track anti-Chinese Communist Party (CCP) legislation across the country.

“China’s communist government targets American state governments in order to undermine our homeland security. Protecting the United States from the Chinese Communist Party requires working on the front lines in statehouses across the country to combat CCP aggression and oppression,” Michael Lucci, the founder and CEO of State Armor Action, told Fox News Digital.

The comment comes as Lucci’s organization, which aims to help U.S. states confront emerging global security threats, releases a new tracker that allows users to see all the legislation regarding China currently making its way through state legislatures.

TRUMP: CHINA CALLING ‘A LOT’ SINCE LAST WEEK’S TARIFF INCREASE, DEAL COULD HAPPEN AS SOON AS 3 WEEKS

According to the tracker, their organization is currently keeping tabs on 461 bills across the country aimed at addressing the threat posed by the CCP.

The tracker also keeps tabs on where those bills stand, with a graphic showing that 11 of the bills have been killed, 43 have been adopted, 25 have passed both chambers, 43 have crossed over from one chamber to another, and 339 have been introduced.

“State Armor Action’s legislation tracker will serve as a crucial tool in the fight against Communist China and its nefarious partners,” Lucci said. “The tracker will help educate policy leaders and inform the American public about the legislation that will stop the CCP across the country, and it will help spread legislative concepts between states.”

GORDON CHANG: TRUMP TARIFFING CHINA AT THE WORST POSSIBLE TIME FOR XI JINPING

The tracker contains graphics that track the party in control of each state government where bills have been introduced or enacted, while also displaying a U.S. map showing which states have the highest concentration of anti-CCP bills.

While the threat posed by China may traditionally be seen as in the sphere of the federal government’s control, Alex Gray, deputy assistant to the president and chief of staff of the White House National Security Council, told Fox News Digital that it is critical that states also set themselves up to combat China.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“The Chinese Communist Party has its sights set on the states,” Gray said. “Now more than ever, we need state leaders to step up and harden themselves against Communist China. State Armor Action’s new China legislation tracker will help inform and educate leaders on legislation across the country, allow them to monitor progress, and make it easier to join the fight against the CCP’s encroachment in our homeland. State and local leaders can use the tracker to model their legislation based on other successful counter-CCP bills around the country. I urge all leaders to use this tool and help counter China’s malign influence.”

Four more Democratic lawmakers traveled to El Salvador to visit an illegal immigrant and suspected MS-13 gang member deported by President Donald Trump’s administration. 

Reps. Robert Garcia of California, Maxwell Frost of Florida, Yassamin Ansari of Arizona, and Maxine Dexter of Oregon announced in a press release Monday that they had arrived in El Salvador “to pressure the Trump Administration to abide by a Supreme Court order to facilitate the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia.” The four Democrats described Garcia as “a Maryland man with protected legal status who was unlawfully deported by the Trump Administration.” 

Their visit comes after Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., flew to El Salvador last week to visit Abrego Garcia, who had been transferred from the country’s notorious mega prison, Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo (CECOT), in Tecoluca to the detention facility “Centro Industrial” in Santa Ana days earlier. 

DEPORTED ILLEGAL ALIEN AND SUSPECTED MS-13 GANG MEMBER TRANSFERRED FROM NOTORIOUS EL SALVADORAN MEGA-PRISON

In their press release, the four Democrats said their trip was not being financed by taxpayer dollars after House Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., denied Garcia and Frost’s request for an official congressional member delegation (CODEL). They argued the Trump administration’s removal of Garcia constituted “kidnapping” or him being “disappeared” – a term used to describe abducted and murdered prisoners and dissidents during Argentina’s “Dirty War.” 

Meanwhile, Trump weighed in on Abrego Garcia’s case in another TRUTH Social post on Sunday.

“Radical Lunatic Democrats and their Comrades in the Fake News Media are falsely making Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia out to be a very sweet and innocent person, which is a total, blatant, and dangerous LIE,” Trump wrote. “Garcia has been found by two separate Courts to be a member of the violent, killer gang MS-13, was in our Country illegally, and is under a Deportation Order.”

“It is despicable and unAmerican for Liberals and the Mainstream Media to hate our Country so much, and be obsessed with protecting criminals, instead of working to keep our Border, streets, and families safe,” he added. “Those lying to the American People on behalf of violent criminals have to be held responsible by the Agencies and the Courts. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

The four Democrats demanded the Trump administration bring Abrego Garcia back to the United States, arguing his deportation constituted a “constitutional crisis.” 

SEN. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN, DEMOCRAT AT CENTER OF KILMAR ABREGO GARCIA SAGA, RESPONDS TO GRIEVING ANGEL MOM’S CRITICISM

“While Donald Trump continues to defy the Supreme Court, Kilmar Abrego Garcia is being held illegally in El Salvador after being wrongfully deported,”  Garcia said. “That is why we’re here – to remind the American people that kidnapping immigrants and deporting them without due process is not how we do things in America. We are demanding the Trump Administration abide by the Supreme Court decision and give Kilmar and the other migrants mistakenly sent to El Salvador due process in the United States.”

“Donald Trump and his Administration are running a government-funded kidnapping program – illegally arresting, jailing, and deporting innocent people with zero due process. Kilmar Abrego Garcia is Trump’s latest victim,” Frost said in a statement. “As Members of Congress it is our responsibility to hold the President and Administration accountable for defying the constitution of the United States. Donald Trump and ICE are not above the law. Today it’s Kilmar, but tomorrow it could be anyone else. We cannot and will not let Donald Trump get away with this.” 

“My parents fled an authoritarian regime in Iran where people were ‘disappeared’ – I refuse to sit back and watch it happen here, too. Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s illegal abduction and President Trump’s complete disregard of due process and a unanimous Supreme Court ruling are deeply disturbing. We should all be appalled by this treatment by the United States government,” Ansari said.

“What happened to Kilmar Abrego Garcia is not just one family’s nightmare – it is a constitutional crisis that should outrage every single one of us,” Dexter said. “We will not rest while due process is discarded, and our constitutional rights are ignored.”

The Trump administration deported Abrego Garcia, 29, to El Salvador in what it described in court filings as an “administrative error,” and has since said that it is up to El Salvador whether Abrego Garcia returns to the U.S. Meanwhile, a federal court and the Supreme Court have instructed the Trump administration to coordinate Abrego Garcia’s return so that proper deportation hearings can occur. 

The Justice Department unveiled documents on Wednesday detailing domestic violence allegations that Abrego Garcia’s wife, Jennifer Vasquez, included in a court filing in 2021. Vasquez alleged in the filing that Abrego Garcia beat her and that she had documentation of the bruises he left on her.

Additionally, a 2022 Homeland Security Investigations report obtained by Fox News claims that Abrego Garcia was suspected of partaking in labor and human trafficking. The report said a Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper pulled Abrego Garcia over in 2022 after swerving. The patrol officer found eight other individuals in the car with Abrego Garcia, who had just begun driving three days prior. 

The officer originally believed the incident qualified as a human trafficking case because no luggage was found in the car, but the officer ultimately only wrote up Abrego Garcia for driving with an expired license. 

Fox News’ Diana Stancy, David Spunt, Rachel Wolf and Greg Norman contributed to this report. 

The White House hit back at recent news reports detailing Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s reported involvement in a second Signal group chat where he discussed military strikes on Yemen as a “nonstory” while also slamming recently fired Department of Defense staffers. 

“No matter how many times the legacy media tries to resurrect the same nonstory, they can’t change the fact that no classified information was shared,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told Fox News Digital Monday morning. “Recently fired ‘leakers’ are continuing to misrepresent the truth to soothe their shattered egos and undermine the President’s agenda, but the administration will continue to hold them accountable.” 

Kelly’s response followed Fox News Digital inquiring about media reports Sunday reporting that Hegseth was part of another Signal group chat that allegedly included his wife, personal attorney and brother where he discussed upcoming military strikes on Yemen. The chat was reportedly created by Hegseth, the New York Times reported Sunday, citing four people will knowledge of the chat.

The White House “stands strongly” behind Hegseth, according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, despite a week of dramatic high-level firings in addition to Signal chat reports. 

“The President stands strongly behind Secretary Hegseth, who is doing a phenomenal job leading the Pentagon,” Leavitt said on Fox News Monday. 

“This is what happens when the entire Pentagon is working against you and working against the monumental change that you are trying to implement.”

Hegseth also brushed off the reporting on the Signal chat Monday, blaming it on “disgruntled employees” and “anonymous smears.”

PENTAGON’S WEEK OF POWER STRUGGLES: LEAK FALLOUT AND SHOUTING MATCHES HIT HEGSETH’S INNER CIRCLE

“This is why we’re fighting the fake news media,” he said when pressed on the chat by reporters at the White House Easter Egg roll. “This group right here is full of hoaxsters.”

Hegseth gestured to his wife and children and said he was there to enjoy the day with them. He added that he had spoken to Trump and planned to keep fighting all the way.

The Trump administration came under scrutiny from Democrats and other critics after the Atlantic’s editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, revealed in an article published March 24 that he was added to a Signal group chat with top national security leaders, including Hegseth, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, discussing upcoming military strikes in Yemen. 

PENTAGON FIRES GREENLAND US BASE COMMANDER WHO ‘UNDERMINED’ JD VANCE AFTER PITUFFIK VISIT

Signal is an encrypted messaging app that operates similarly to texting or making phone calls, but with additional security measures that help ensure communications are kept private to those included in the correspondence. 

The Atlantic’s report characterized the Trump administration as texting “war plans” regarding a planned strike on Houthi rebels in Yemen. 

The Trump administration has maintained, however, that no classified material was transmitted in the chat, with Trump repeatedly defending Waltz amid the fallout. The strikes on Houthi rebels unfolded on March 15. 

Leavitt told the media in March that the White House considered the Signal group chat leak case “closed” while continuing to offer support to Waltz, whose office allegedly mistakenly added the journalist to the chat. 

THIRD TOP PENTAGON AIDE COLIN CARROLL ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE OVER LEAKS PROBE

“As the president has made it very clear, Mike Waltz continues to be an important part of his national security team,” Leavitt told the media in brief remarks during a gaggle outside of the White House’s press room March 31. “And this case has been closed here at the White House, as far as we are concerned.” 

“There have been steps made to ensure that something like that can obviously never happen again,” she continued. “And we’re moving forward. And the president and Mike Waltz and his entire national security team have been working together very well, if you look at how much safer the United States of America is because of the leadership of this team.” 

PENTAGON DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF IS SECOND HEGSETH ADVISOR REMOVED AMID DOD LEAK PROBE

Reports of a second Signal chat involving Hegseth follows highly publicized departures at the Pentagon last week following leaks. 

Top aides to Hegseth were placed on leave and escorted out of the building as the Pentagon probed unauthorized leaks: Senior Advisor Dan Caldwell, Deputy Chief of Staff Darin Selnick and Colin Carroll, chief of staff to Deputy Secretary of Defense Stephen Feinberg.

On Friday evening, those three employees were fired, two defense officials confirmed to Fox News Digital, along with Chief of Staff Joe Kasper. 

Another press aide, John Ullyot, parted ways with the Pentagon because he did not want to be second-in-command of the communications shop. 

Officials denied that the three men were placed on leave because of their foreign policy views and said they saw no connection to their positions on Iran and Israel — even as reports surfaced that President Donald Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the Pentagon would not intervene if Israel attacked Iran.

Ullyot notably published a scathing opinion piece in Politico Sunday predicting Hegseth would not remain as secretary of defense. 

“It’s been a month of total chaos at the Pentagon,” he wrote. “From leaks of sensitive operational plans to mass firings, the dysfunction is now a major distraction for the president — who deserves better from his senior leadership.”

“Trump has a strong record of holding his top officials to account,” he wrote. “Given that, it’s hard to see Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth remaining in his role for much longer.”

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth shared details of a March military airstrike against the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen in another Signal message chat that included his wife and brother, according to a report.

The New York Times first reported the revelation of a second Signal chat surrounding the military strike on Sunday. Those same attack plans had also been shared in another chat with top Trump administration leaders and only came to light last month because Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, was mistakenly added to the group.

The Pentagon pushed back on the story, and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told “FOX & Friends” that President Donald Trump stands by Hegseth.

The second chat had the same warplane launch times that were included in the first chat, operational details that, if shared before a strike, could have put pilots in danger, multiple former and current officials have said.

Four people with knowledge of the second chat told the paper that Hegseth’s wife, Jennifer, a former Fox News producer, his brother Phil and his personal lawyer, Tim Parlatore, were included in the chat.

NSA MIKE WALTZ TAKES RESPONSIBILITY FOR SIGNAL CHAT LEAK

Jennifer Hegseth is not a Defense Department employee, though she has traveled with her husband overseas to meetings with foreign leaders. Phil Hegseth and Parlatore are both employed by the Pentagon. It is unclear why any of them would need to be informed of any upcoming military strikes.

The second chat included 13 people, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. They also confirmed the chat was dubbed “Defense ‘ Team Huddle.”

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell dismissed the reporting as “another old story—back from the dead.”

“The Trump-hating media continues to be obsessed with destroying anyone committed to President Trump’s agenda,” Parnell said. “This time, the New York Times — and all other Fake News that repeat their garbage — are enthusiastically taking the grievances of disgruntled former employees as the sole sources for their article.”

AXED PENTAGON AIDES CLAIM THEIR CHARACTER WAS ‘SLANDERED,’ LITTLE DETAILS WERE SHARED ABOUT LEAK INVESTIGATION

Parnell claimed that The Times’ sources were people fired from the Pentagon last week who “appear to have a motive to sabotage the Secretary and the President’s agenda.”

Parnell contended that there was no classified information in any Signal chat, a response that Hegseth previously asserted regarding the first chat.

The White House late Sunday similarly dismissed the report as a “non-story,” suggesting that disgruntled former Pentagon employees were spreading false claims.

“No matter how many times the legacy media tries to resurrect the same non-story, they can’t change the fact that no classified information was shared,” said Anna Kelly, White House deputy press secretary. “Recently-fired ‘leakers’ are continuing to misrepresent the truth to soothe their shattered egos and undermine the President’s agenda, but the administration will continue to hold them accountable.”

PENTAGON’S WEEK OF POWER STRUGGLES: LEAK FALLOUT AND SHOUTING MATCHES HIT HEGSETH’S INNER CIRCLE

Former Pentagon spokesman John Ullyot, who announced he was resigning last week unrelated to the leaks, penned an op-ed published in Politico on Sunday that detailed what he called “the Month from Hell” inside the agency.

“President Donald Trump has a strong record of holding his top officials to account. Given that, it’s hard to see Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth remaining in his role for much longer,” Ullyot wrote.

He wrote that “the building is in disarray under Hegseth’s leadership” after the defense secretary “followed horrible crisis-communications advice from his new public affairs team” regarding the first Signal chat.

Ullyot wrote that Trump “deserves better from his senior leadership.”

The first chat, set up by national security adviser Mike Waltz, included several Cabinet members. The contents of that chat, which The Atlantic published, shows that Hegseth listed weapons systems and a timeline for the attack on Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen last month.

The revelation of the second chat group brought fresh criticism against Hegseth and President Donald Trump’s wider administration after it failed to take action against the top national security officials who discussed plans for the military strike in Signal.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Vice President JD Vance was one of the last visitors of Pope Francis before the first Jesuit to lead the Catholic Church died at age 88. 

Vance met with Francis briefly on Sunday to exchange Easter greetings in one of the reception rooms of the Vatican hotel where he’d been living since being released from Rome’s Gemmlli Hospital on March 23. 

The pope had been hospitalized for five weeks after surviving a severe case of pneumonia. 

The 88-year-old pope on Sunday offered the Catholic vice president three big chocolate Easter eggs for Vance’s three young children, who did not attend, as well as a Vatican tie and rosaries.

PHOTO GALLERY: POPE FRANCIS THROUGH THE YEARS

“I know you have not been feeling great, but it’s good to see you in better health,” Vance told the pope. “Thank you for seeing me.”

Vance acknowledged news of the pope’s death early Monday. 

“I just learned of the passing of Pope Francis,” the vice president wrote on X. “My heart goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him. I was happy to see him yesterday, though he was obviously very ill. But I’ll always remember him for the below homily he gave in the very early days of COVID. It was really quite beautiful. May God rest his soul.” 

Vance shared a link to the Vatican’s transcript of the March 27, 2020, homily delivered by Francis from St. Peter’s Basilica five years ago. In part, the pope said, “Embracing his cross means finding the courage to embrace all the hardships of the present time, abandoning for a moment our eagerness for power and possessions in order to make room for the creativity that only the Spirit is capable of inspiring.”

“Rest in Peace, Pope Francis,” the White House also wrote on X. 

Vance’s motorcade entered Vatican City on Sunday through a side gate while Easter Mass was being celebrated in St. Peter’s Square. Francis had delegated the celebration of the Mass to another cardinal.

The Vatican said they met for a few minutes at the Domus Santa Marta “to exchange Easter greetings.”

Vance’s office said the vice president “expressed his gratitude to Pope Francis for inviting him to meet on Easter Sunday and for the hospitality the Vatican has extended to his family.”

“I pray for you every day,” Vance said as he bid Francis farewell. “God bless you.”

POPE FRANCIS DEAD AT 88, VATICAN SAYS

In all, Vance’s motorcade was on Vatican territory for 17 minutes, according to the Associated Press. The vice president later joined his family for Easter Mass at St. Paul Outside the Walls, one of the four pontifical basilicas in Rome. The Vances visited the tomb of the apostle St. Paul, who is said to be located there.

Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, and the pope have tangled sharply over migration and the Trump administration’s mass deportation plans.

Just days before he was hospitalized in February, Francis said the Trump administration’s plans would deprive migrants of their inherent dignity. In a letter to U.S. bishops, Francis also appeared to respond to Vance directly for having claimed that Catholic doctrine justified such policies.

Vance has acknowledged Francis’ criticism but has said he will continue to defend his views. During a Feb. 28 appearance at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast in Washington, Vance didn’t address the issue specifically but called himself a “baby Catholic” and acknowledged there are “things about the faith that I don’t know.”

Vance met Saturday with the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and foreign minister, Archbishop Paul Gallagher.

Vance’s office said he and Parolin “discussed their shared religious faith, Catholicism in the United States, the plight of persecuted Christian communities around the world, and President Trump’s commitment to restoring world peace.”

The Vatican, for its part, said there was an “exchange of opinions,” including over migrants and refugees and current conflicts.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

President Donald Trump’s post-Easter work week is set to include ongoing Easter celebrations, including hosting the White House’s famed Easter Egg Roll, as well as continuing trade negotiations following the reciprocal tariff pause earlier this month.

Families, children and members of the Trump Cabinet will flock to the White House’s South Lawn on Monday, when first lady Melania Trump will host the annual Easter Egg Roll. 

“As families across the nation gather to celebrate Easter,” Melania Trump shared in a message on Good Friday. “I extend my gratitude to the dedicated East Wing Staff for their tireless effort in preparing the upcoming White House Easter Egg Roll.” 

FIRST LADY MELANIA TRUMP SHARES GOOD FRIDAY MESSAGE AHEAD OF EASTER

“This cherished tradition, rooted in history since 1878, brings joy, storytelling and laughter to America’s children,” she continued. 

TRUMP SHREDS BIDEN, ‘RADICAL LEFT LUNATICS’ IN EASTER MESSAGE

The event, in its 147th year, dates back to Rutherford B. Hayes’ presidency in 1878, according to the White House website. This year’s event will feature thousands of eggs donated by American farmers. 

The Trump administration is expected to meet with South Korean officials in Washington, D.C., this week as the nation looks to strike a tariff deal with Trump after the country was hit with a 25% reciprocal tariff during Trump’s April 2 “Liberation Day” announcement. 

“We’re working on the big 15 economies first, we had a fantastic meeting with Japan yesterday. I believe there have been calls with the EU already. And then we have, South Korea coming in next week. And I believe India is also, talking. That’s moving very quickly,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said of the negotiations last week. 

WHAT THE FINANCIAL MARKETS ARE SCREAMING ABOUT TRUMP’S TARIFFS

Trump put a 90-day pause on reciprocal, customized tariffs he had imposed on dozens of nations on April 9, which was an abrupt change of course after saying there would not be a pause to the tariffs, just negotiations. Simultaneously, the Trump administration upped the ante on its tariff on China to 125%. 

Now, the administration, including Trump, is diving into negotiations with foreign nations to strike deals that are beneficial to the U.S. and lower the country’s chronic trade deficit. 

South Korea confirmed on Sunday that officials would visit Washington, D.C., later this week. South Korean Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok and Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun are slated to meet specifically with Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, Reuters reported. 

TRUMP SAYS THERE’S A ‘REAL CHANCE’ TARIFFS COULD REPLACE INCOME TAX

Trump signed an executive order last week intended to bolster the U.S. fishing industry and “restore American seafood competitiveness” by prioritizing commercial fishing while cutting red tape that handcuffs where fishermen cast their nets. 

Trump previewed that an executive action related specifically to Maine’s lobster industry will land on his desk this week. 

MAINE LOBSTERMEN CATCH BIG COURT VICTORY AGAINST BIDEN ADMINISTRATION’S ‘EGREGIOUS’ REGULATIONS

“I did it last time in Maine and they [the Biden administration] undid it. That’s why we have to stay president for a long time,” Trump said from the Oval Office last week, previewing his next executive action related to fishing will focus on Maine’s lobster industry. 

Under his first administration, Trump cut Obama-era regulations that prevented lobsterman from fishing in certain areas, including 5,000 square miles of federally protected waters off the coast of Cape Cod. 

Trump has signed 130 executive orders since he took office on Jan. 20, dwarfing his predecessors’ EO counts by dozens of actions. 

Trump’s 14th week back in the Oval comes just ahead of his 100th day as president on April 30. 

A $5 billion green energy project touted by the Biden administration and Democrats was rushed and relied on faulty science that could have resulted in severe negative environmental impacts, a new study found.

The Empire Wind Project, which was being developed by energy company “Equinor” and was slated to see the construction of 147 ocean wind turbines off the coasts of New York and New Jersey, was halted by the Trump Department of the Interior in a move announced this week.

The project was estimated to cost a total of $5 billion and was being developed under contract with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.

On Wednesday, Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum said the project would remain halted pending “further review of information that suggests the Biden administration rushed through its approval without sufficient analysis.”

COAL IS A ‘TRIPLE WIN’ AND TRUMP UNDERSTANDS THAT, DOUG BURGUM SAYS

A review by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) appears to back up the Trump administration’s concerns.

The agency found the Empire Wind approval process relied on rushed, outdated and incomplete scientific and environmental analysis, leading to project leaders making decisions not based on the best available information.

The NOAA said that “monitoring plans to assess project effects on fisheries and habitat resources were inadequate, and existing compensation mechanisms fell short due to flawed scientific methodologies.”

Ultimately, these deficiencies “limited the ability to avoid and minimize conflicts between development and marine resources at both stages.”

REPUBLICANS SEEK TO END TAXPAYER FUNDING OF ‘GREEN ENERGY BOONDOGGLES’ ON AGRICULTURAL LANDS

The result was that several sensitive habitats, spawning grounds, and important regional commercial and recreational fishing areas were included within the wind farm area.

“Critical areas that support commercial and recreational fisheries were not excluded from leasing, and proposals that emphasized maximum development scenarios further restricted opportunities to reduce impacts on fisheries and important habitats,” the NOAA’s study found.  

In total, approximately 139 acres of seabed would have been permanently altered by wind turbine generators and equipment and an additional 1,554 acres would have been altered by the installation of a submarine cable connecting the turbines to the land.

Additionally, the project did not account for new information about adverse construction impacts of other ocean wind farms, such as the catastrophic turbine blade failures that occurred in 2024 at another Biden wind farm off the coast of Massachusetts, as well as problems with persistent fish kills associated with the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project.

BIDEN ADMIN QUIETLY RELEASED STUDY SHOWING GREEN ENERGY RECEIVES FAR MORE SUBSIDIES THAN FOSSIL FUELS

Despite these concerns, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, has vowed to fight the Trump administration’s decision to halt the project.

After Burgum announced the project was being halted, Hochul slammed the decision, saying, “Permits secured. Shovels in the ground. 1,000 union workers earning a paycheck. Now the federal government wants to kill Empire Wind 1, putting jobs, affordable energy, and our economic future at risk.” 

Hochul pledged to “fight them every step of the way.”

A Thursday statement by Equinor said that Empire is complying with the government’s order to halt construction but noted it is “engaging with relevant authorities to clarify this matter and is considering its legal remedies, including appealing the order.”

A Southern California mayor said he wants to eliminate his city’s homeless population by “giving them all the fentanyl they want,” a controversial comment he doubled down on by saying he supports a federal “purge” of homeless people.

Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris, a Republican, made the comments during a city council meeting on Feb. 25 when a resident questioned him about the city’s plan to address the homeless crisis by “enclosing” the homeless population in a single encampment in an abandoned golf course near a residential neighborhood.

“What I want to do is give them free fentanyl. That’s what I want to do,” Parris responded.

“I want to give them all the fentanyl they want,” he reiterated.

NECKTIES IN DRESS CODES MAY BE NEXT TO FACE A BAN IN CALIFORNIA, IF MAYOR’S PROPOSAL GAINS TRACTION

The resident replied that the mayor’s approach “was not kind.”

The mayor is now facing a recall effort following his comments at the city council meeting, although it has only collected 6% of its goal of 20,000 signatures. He has faced past scrutiny over his controversial moves, including his decision to extend mayoral terms from two years to four.

“For too long, Mayor R. Rex Parris has prioritized personal gain over the well-being of residents. His administration has been marked by mismanagement, controversial policies, and a disregard for transparency,” a recall petition reads. 

“Lancaster deserves leadership that listens, serves, and uplifts the community – not one that divides and exploits it,” it adds.

But Parris has reaffirmed his position about wanting to give homeless people the illicit drug that kills thousands of Californians per year. He told Fox 11 on Friday that he has no regrets about his remarks and that he was referring to homeless criminals who “refuse” to seek help.

“I made it very clear I was talking about the criminal element that were let out of the prisons that have now become 40 to 45% of what’s referred to as the homeless population,” Parris said.

“They are responsible for most of our robberies, most of our rapes, and at least half of our murders,” he continued. “There’s nothing that we can do for these people.”

The mayor did not provide data to back up his claims about the number of crimes homeless people are responsible for.

Parris said he did not expect his comments to be taken “literally,” telling the outlet that fentanyl is “so easy” to obtain on the streets that it would not make a difference if the city offered the opioid to homeless people for free.

The mayor sought to credit Lancaster for providing more “innovative” solutions to the homeless crisis than other U.S. cities and floated the idea of a federal “purge” to cut down on the homeless population.

HOMELESS MAN WINS $1 MILLION ON LOTTERY SCRATCHER FROM CALIFORNIA LIQUOR STORE: REPORT

“Quite frankly, I wish that the president would give us a purge. Because we do need to purge these people,” Parris said.

“Now, is it harsh? Of course, it is harsh,” he continued. “But it’s my obligation as the mayor of the city of Lancaster to protect the hardworking families that live there, and I am no longer able to do it… It’s an untenable situation, and I’m open to any solution… I want these people out of our city.”

Parris, who has been mayor since 2008 and won re-election last year, also made a controversial move in 2018 when he proposed banning workplace dress codes that require wearing neckties over claims that they restrict blood flow to the brain.

President Donald Trump is reportedly planning to pull an additional $1 billion in federal funding from Harvard University amid his public battle with the institution, according to a report published Sunday.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the $1 billion is related to the elite Massachusetts Ivy League school’s health research funding, according to sources familiar with the matter.

The latest report comes just days after the White House asked the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to revoke Harvard’s tax-exempt status over its alleged failure to address antisemitism on campus. 

In March, the Justice Department began a “comprehensive review” of the school’s federal contracts and government-funded grants. Last week, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) canceled $2.7 million in DHS grants to the university.

HARVARD UNDER FIRE AS DHS SECRETARY CUTS $2.7M IN GRANTS, DEMANDS VISA RECORDS

In a recent social media post, Trump claimed that Harvard had “lost its way” and didn’t deserve federal funding.

“Harvard has been hiring almost all woke, Radical Left, idiots and ‘birdbrains’ who are only capable of teaching FAILURE to students and so-called ‘future leaders,'” Trump wrote. “Look just to the recent past at their plagiarizing President, who so greatly embarrassed Harvard before the United States Congress.

“Harvard is a JOKE, teaches Hate and Stupidity, and should no longer receive Federal Funds.”

Earlier last week, Fox News Digital spoke with students at Harvard about Trump’s recent measures – and got mixed results.

TRUMP ANNOUNCES PLAN TO CHOP DOWN MAGNOLIA TREE PURPORTEDLY PLANTED BY ANDREW JACKSON: ‘MUST COME TO AN END’

“In my personal opinion, it’s that Harvard kind of deserves everything that’s happened, everything that is coming to it,” Carter Stewart, a classics major and campus Republican, said. “I think Harvard is faced with a choice, and it seems like they’re making the wrong choice, which is to double down on these crazy ideas that most Americans don’t agree with and to pay the price for that.”

“So, I think it’s a good thing that Harvard’s being forced to put its money where its mouth is,” Stewart added.

Ryan Enos, a Harvard professor of government, offered a different take, and said that he supported the school’s defiance against the federal government.

“You shouldn’t have the government coming in and telling a private institution what it can do in its internal affairs like that,” Enos said. “People have a right to protest whatever they want. I think we need to be really careful not to conflate those two things, because otherwise we have a danger of doing things like shutting down free speech.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and Harvard for comment, but did not immediately hear back.

Fox News Digital’s Kaylee Holland and Albas Cubas-Fantauzzi contributed to this report.

Democratic National Committee (DNC) Vice Chair David Hogg recently gave $100,000 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) shortly after his plans to shake up the Democratic Party with new leadership angered party insiders.

The news, which was first reported by Politico and Axios, was confirmed by Hogg in an X post on Friday, where he asserted that he wasn’t “playing nice” by handing the six-figure donation over to the DCCC.

“This is not me playing nice. It is demonstrating my commitment to winning back the house and making Hakeem Jeffries the Speaker, which is an absolute imperative,” Hogg wrote in the post.

“But we need a better democratic party and need to get rid of the democrats in safe seats who do not understand what is at stake right now, who are asleep at the wheel, not meeting the moment, and are a liability now and to the future of our party.”

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The 25-year-old activist added that the path forward “requires us to do both things.”

“We absolutely cannot wait for people to retire at their own leisure or to let them sit there and do nothing while the country is burning,” Hogg concluded.

Hogg originally announced that his organization, Leaders We Deserve, planned to dedicate $20 million to electing younger primary candidates against older incumbents. The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting survivor predicted that “some incumbents will rise to the challenge and emerge stronger” due to the initiative.

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“Others will demonstrate why they should be replaced,” he said. “Either way, we all win. Especially when we are not challenging frontline Democratic incumbents — we all want the House back.”

The initiative was blasted by veteran strategist James Carville, who called the plan “the most insane thing” he’d ever heard.

“He is an officer of the Democratic National Committee… And so he has a fiduciary duty to the Democratic Party, and he’s going to raise $20 million and primary Democrats?” Carville questioned.

“Does he really think the problem that we‘re facing in the United States today is because we got 65-year-old Democrats in office? Why don’t you take on a Republican? That‘s your job,” he continued.

Fox News Digital reached out to Hogg for additional comment.

Fox News Digital’s Marc Tamasco contributed to this report.