Nearly all the guests for late-nightcomedy shows in the first six months of 2025 have been left-leaning, according to a new study from NewsBusters at the Media Research Center.The study, published Tuesday, found that99 percent of political guests on late-night comedy shows from January 6 through June 30 were left-leaning.The study examined five daily late night comedy shows: ABCs "Jimmy Kimmel Live!," NBCs "Late Night with Seth Meyers" and "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," CBSs "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," and Comedy Centrals "The Daily Show."ABC NEWS THE VIEW HAS HAD 63 LIBERAL GUESTS IN 2025 WITHOUT A SINGLE CONSERVATIVE: STUDYThe NewsBusters study put guests into two groups, one being partisan officials and the other being journalistsand celebrities.In terms of partisan officials, the count was 30 Democrats to zeroRepublicans.According to the study, Colbert had the most with 14, "The Daily Show" held second place with 10, Kimmel came in third with four, and Meyers had two, placing fourth, while Fallon interviewed zero politicians during the time the study was conducted.Per NewsBusters, several Democratic lawmakers appeared twice, including New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth, and Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett.In terms ofjournalists and celebrities, the count was 76 liberals to one conservative, whichwas American Compasss Oren Cass.JIMMY KIMMEL BLAMES LIBERALS 'VICIOUSLY ATTACKING COMEDIANS' FOR TRUMP'S RISE TO POWERCass came on "The Daily Show" with Jon Stewart for a March 31 appearance to talk about Trump's tariffs.Coming in with the highest number of liberal guests was Colbert with 29. "The Daily Show"took second place with 22. Coming in third with 14 guests was Meyers. Kimmel had six (one happened during actor Diego Lunas week of guest hosting), and Fallon had five.NewsBusters says that they have "been tracking late-night comedy guest counts since September 2022, and the cumulative total now stands at 511 liberals and Democrats versus 14 conservatives and Republicans, or 97 percent."

A woman faces 93 counts of animal cruelty after California police discovered more than 130 emaciated cats, 28 of which were dead, crammed inside a U-Haul van over the weekend.A deputy was dispatched Sunday to a Taco Bell parking lot in Santa Nella, California, to check on the welfare of several cats in a van.Upon arrival, he could see at least 20 distressed cats through the window of the vehicle, according to an Instagram post from the Merced County Sheriff's Office.WOMAN MISSING FOR MONTHS FOUND BURIED UNDER PILES OF HOARDED TRASH IN HER OWN HOMEAnimal control officers were then called, and they discovered 106 emaciated cats and 28 dead cats inside the U-Haul van. There was no food or water inside the vehicle, the Merced County Sheriff's Office noted.CALIFORNIA NUDIST ACCUSED OF KILLING NEIGHBORS AND DROWNING THEIR DOG OVER HOT DOG 'JAB'The cats, which ranged in age from one week to 8 years old, were then taken to the Merced County Animal Shelter.The owner of the animals was identified as 69-year-old Jeannie Maxon of Long Beach who was arrested on 93 counts of animal cruelty. The investigation remains active, according to the Merced County Sheriffs Office.In a social media post, the Merced County Sheriffs Office reminded the public about the dangers of leaving animals in vehicles during the hot summer months.TEXAS WOMAN ARRESTED FOR ALLEGEDLY SMUGGLING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS HIDDEN INSIDE BOX TRUCK"On a warm day, temperatures inside a car can soar to extreme levels in just a few minutes, even with the windows open," the Merced County Sheriffs Office wrote on Instagram. "This can lead to heatstroke, dehydration, and even death of the animal left inside. Please ensure that when youre traveling with your pet, theyre provided with a cool place to stay, offering plenty of shade, lots of water and food."The rescued animals will be available for adoption once they are medically cleared.In a similar case, a New York woman was arrested and charged earlier this year with animal cruelty and other offenses after 10 dead animals and other neglected pets were found inside her home.The Merced County Sheriff's Office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk has declared Zohran Mamdani the "encampment candidate" in the New York City mayoral race.Kirk called the democratic socialist's victory in last week's Democratic primary a "wake-up call" that, despite President Donald Trump's decisive victory in the 2024 election, "the radical left is not going away.""The things he wants to do are so outrageous. They're so dangerous," Kirk told Fox News Digital in an interview Tuesday. "They are on a descent, honestly, that would make New York closer to a third world city. And that pains me because I love New York."But we must understand, though, that he fundamentally was able to build a coalition around economics. And there are a lot of people that are suffering economically right now. And when you have an economy that we inherited from Joe Biden - I believe Donald Trump is fixing it - that is not working, that is disordered, then you get radical politics as a result."MAMDANI CALLED OUT BY MSNBC GUEST FOR REFUSING TO CONDEMN GLOBALIZE THE INTIFADA PHRASEAmong the far-left stances Mamdani has campaigned on include government-run grocery stores, free childcare, fare-free buses, raising taxes on the wealthy and slashing police funding. He has also promised not to cooperate with the Trump administration's efforts by ICE to deport illegal immigrants.The conservative influencer believes Mamdani's rise was cultivated on New York's college campuses and by the unrest fueled by young voters in recent years.POLITIFACT DECLARES ZOHRAN MAMDANI IS NOT A COMMUNIST IN FACT-CHECK OF TRUMP"The sentiment towards the West is hyper-radicalized in a negative direction if you look at where a lot of these students are educated," Kirk said. "What happens on college campuses in New York will soon happen in City Hall. It's a very important thing. The college campuses are a leading indicator to City Hall. On one side, we see the Columbia protests for now nearly two years. And now all of a sudden people say, Where did this Mamdani guy come from? Well, guys, you had the Columbia protest and the NYU protest and the encampments all over New York City that is going to express itself politically. And Mamdani is the encampment candidate. He is the campus riot protest candidate.""Sometimes people think, Oh, what happens on college campuses is isolated, that it is just its own community.' No, it's a leading indicator, it's the canary in the coal mine, it's a harbinger, it is a signal of things to come."Mamdani migrated to New York City when he was seven after being born in Uganda and living in South Africa. While he didn't attend Columbia or NYU, when he attended Bowdoin College in Maine, he was the co-founder of the college's chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine.The 33-year-old New York state assembly member has been making headlines over his refusal to condemn the anti-Israel slogan "globalize the intifada" and his previous vow to have Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrested if he visits New York City.While he thinks it's too soon to brand Mamdani as the face of the Democratic Party, Kirk does believe Mamdani represents the party's "socialist" base, which he traced to the 2016 presidential run of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.COLBERT GRILLS DEM SOCIALIST NYC MAYORAL CANDIDATE ZOHRAN MAMDANI ON ISRAEL, ANTISEMITISM"We have been dealing with a corporate Democrat Party, which is still very radical. But it's nowhere near the AOCs, the Bernie Sanders, the Ilhan Omars, the Rashida Tlaibs, the Brandon Johnsons, the Karen Basses," Kirk said. "And now we are starting to see that radical base rise to the surface."You are going to see hundreds of Mamdani-type candidates throughout the country pop up on city council, in mayors races, state representatives, Congress, senators. Mamdani is a preview of more to come in the Democrat Party."

Los Angeles officials announced on Tuesday that over 40 individuals have been slapped with new charges stemming from violent riots against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement efforts last month.Of the charges, prosecutors pointed to a 17-year-old juvenile accused of attempted murder, two separate instances of protesters allegedly assaulting Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department horses and a man accused of injuring a police officer with a flagpole,LA District Attorney Nathan Hochman said in a press release."The large-scale protests may have ended for now, but our work has not," Hochman said.LA ANTI-ICE RIOTERS FACE NEW CHARGES AS VIOLENCE RAGESOne of the suspects, a 17-year-old juvenile, is charged with one felony count of attempted murder, assault upon a peace officer, vandalism and two misdemeanor counts of rioting, according to officials.Another protester, identified as 37-year-old Patrick Munoz, is accused of jabbing a flagpole at an officer as they attempted to break up a gathering outside a local hotel on June 11. If convicted, Munoz could spend up to nine years and two months in prison.Munoz's attorney did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.Additionally, prosecutors allege 49-year-old Robert Amaya approached a family as they were leaving a protest on June 10, and subsequently pulled out a knife while approaching an 11-year-old girl and making stabbing motions at her. Amaya is charged with one felony count of assault with a deadly weapon and faces up to 13 years in state prison if convicted.Fox News Digital was unable to immediately locate an attorney representing Amaya.DOZENS OF ANTI-ICE RIOTERS ARRESTED IN LA AS TRUMP SENDS IN NATIONAL GUARD TO QUELL VIOLENCEAnother suspect, 29-year-old Iran Castro, is accused of pulling the bridle of a sheriffs mounted deputies horse and grabbing the reins of another horse at a June 14 protest after being released on her own recognizance for separate felony charges, according to authorities. Castro is charged with two felony counts of assault upon a peace officer, two felony counts of animal cruelty and one felony count of resisting arrest. If convicted, she faces the possibility of up to 10 years and four months in prison.A second protester is also charged with allegedly assaulting an LASD horse in a separate incident, according to the press release. Authorities have accused 66-year-old Dana Whitson of pushing the animal "several times," before hitting the horses muzzle and pulling on its rein at a June 13 protest. Whitson faces the possibility of up to six years and four months in prison if convicted.Attorneys for both Castro and Whitson did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.LOS ANGELES DA DELIVERS SCATHING WARNING TO VIOLENT PROTESTERS CAUSING HAVOC: 'WE'RE COMING FOR YOU'The charges come after officials spent weeks battling rioters on the streets of Los Angeles, leading to hundreds of arrests as local, state and federal law enforcement officers looked to tame the chaos stemming from outcry over immigration raids throughout the sanctuary city."We are continuing to review evidence, identify suspects and file charges where the law has been broken," Hochman said. "I want to thank the team of investigators and prosecutors for their tireless efforts to ensure that those who committed criminal acts under the guise of protest are held accountable."

A Danish national was arrested in Denmark on allegations of gathering information on Jewish locations and people in Berlin for Iranian intelligence and will be extradited to Germany, German and Danish authorities announced Tuesday.The man, identified only as Ali S. under German privacy law, was arrested Thursday in the Danish city of Aarhus, according to German prosecutors.He was directed by an Iranian intelligence service earlier this year to gather information on "Jewish localities and specific Jewish individuals" in Berlin, prosecutors said.The suspect is accused of spying on three locations in June, presumably in preparation for further intelligence activities, including possible terrorist attacks on Jewish targets, prosecutors said.IRAN, FOLLOWING TRUMP STRIKES, SAYS 'THE DOORS TO DIPLOMACY WILL NEVER SLAM SHUT'Iranian Ambassador to Germany Majid Nili Ahmadabadi was summoned to the German Foreign Ministry Tuesday."If this suspicion were confirmed, it would be an outrageous incident that would once again demonstrate that Iran is a threat to Jews all over the world," German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said after visiting a Jewish synagogue in the Ukrainian city of Odesa during a visit to the country.The Iranian Embassy in Berlin denied the allegations as "unfounded and dangerous accusations" that it argued appeared to be an attempt to distract from recent Israeli attacks on Iran."Previous discussions with relevant German authorities have already highlighted that certain third parties are attempting to divert public perceptions from the actual events through artificial staging," the embassy said in a statement.German security authorities stepped up protection for Jewish and Israeli sites in response to the 12-day war last month between Israel and Iran. During the conflict, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Germany was prepared for Iran to target Israeli or Jewish targets in the country.The suspect allegedly took photos of buildings, including the headquarters of the German-Israeli Society and a building where the President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, Josef Schuster, was believed to sometimes stay, according to Der Spiegel magazine."The extended arms of Iranian terror must have no place in Germany," a statement from the German-Israeli Society said, calling on the European Union to list Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps as a terrorist organization.IRAN-LINKED HACKERS THREATEN TO RELEASE NEW TROVE OF EMAILS STOLEN FROM TRUMP'S INNER CIRCLE AFTER STRIKESSchuster added that "the German government should not only remain vigilant but also take active political action against the Iranian regime. There can be no other consequence for this allegedly planned terrorist attack."Ali S. will be moved from Denmark to Germany, where he will be brought before an investigating judge of Germany's Federal Court of Justice, prosecutors said.The suspect was remanded in custody until July 23, pending extradition to Germany, according to Denmark's national security and intelligence service.Reuters contributed to this report.

Former UFC fighter Ben Askrens wife, Amy, revealed that her husband received a double lung transplant.Askren has been in the hospital being treated with a severe case of pneumonia for several weeks. Amy Aksren wrote that her husband was on life support for some time before receiving the transplant.She wrote on Facebook Monday that, after weeks of waiting for a donor, her husband finally found one.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM"We are forever thankful to the donor and his family," Amy wrote. "This is the beginning of a new lifestyle for Ben, but every new day he has is a gift. It still doesnt feel real that he was walking around completely healthy just 5 weeks ago. So much can change so quickly."Please keep Ben in your prayers that his body welcomes the new lungs as if they were his own."JAKE PAUL FACES UNUSUAL CALL OUT FROM FORMER BOXING CHAMPIONAmy said on June 24 that Ben was placed on the transplant list.A donation page was set up to help fund Askrens treatment earlier this month, and it was updated by Amy nine days after it went live to say Ben was on a ventilator.She added that doctors were able to "wean his sedation enough for him to open his eyes and squeeze hands.""I am constantly in awe of all the people carrying us through right now," Amy continued. "I cant wait to tell Ben all about It. Im hopeful that in coming weeks Ben will be able to give the next update, but hopefully he will wait until the drugs wear off."Askren retired from mixed martial arts in 2019 after owning a 19-2 record. He only fought three times in UFC, winning just one of his bouts.In 2021, he also fought Jake Paul in a boxing match, where he was knocked out in the first round.Paul recently said that he plans on donating to Askren to help with medical bills after his recent fight against Julio Csar Chvez Jr.Askren was also a wrestler, winning two NCAA titles, while also representing the United States in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.Follow Fox News Digitalssports coverage on X, and subscribe tothe Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

It's been just over ten months since Hurricane Helene swept through western North Carolina and neighborhoods are beginning to look livable again."For months, I just looked through 2x4s intodirt," says elementary school teacher and homeowner, Vince Floriani. "And look at it now, it may not look like much to you, but its its on its way."Two people rented Floriani's duplex in the Beacon Village neighborhood in Swannanoa. He says one occupant was a disabled veteran and the other was a refugee from Nicaragua who moved into the residence in September 2024.NORTH CAROLINA MAN SLEEPING IN TENT AFTER HURRICANE HELENEBoth of the renters were home when Helene smashed through their neighborhood. John Thompson, the disabled veteran living in the duplex, said it was his dream home.Thompson said he had a pretty rough upbringing and dealt with numerous traumas before Helene's floods rushed his front door."I went out the back door and I literally swam off the back porch," Thompson said, "then I hear something beating and I turned around, and she was beating on the window, just bangin'."Thompson felt the need to help his neighbor, despite never meeting her.WNC RIVER TOWN REOPENS TO VISITORS AFTER HELENEEventually, he got his neighbor living in the duplex next door and himself, on the roof. Not long after, Thompson jumped into the raging river to find help, afraid that the home he was standing on would be washed away.Both Thompson and his neighbor survived."So he saved this womans life. John Thompson, hes a hero," says Floriani, "He would love to move back in so we would love to get this back up and running so he can maybe move back in."Floriani and volunteers are working in the humidity and heat to get the home rebuilt.In Beacon Village, you'll find dozens of volunteers working focused on reconstructing the neighborhood.One of the many organizations bringing volunteers to the neighborhood is Better Together, a coalition made to help homeowners get back on their feet."I know that Valley Hope Church has been able to do a little over 150 home repairs," said Lindsey Barnett, Valley Hope Church Director of Relief and Recovery. "And we have fully rebuilt 2 homes from the studs out, and we were able to move those families back in."CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTERBarnett said they're still getting volunteer requests to help people rebuild, adding that they "have volunteers scheduled every single week right now, all the way up to September."Floriani said he has been surprised by the outpouring of help from Americans across the country."They just want to help, no questions asked and thats really inspiring to me andits profound to me," he said.The neighborhood of Beacon Village is also raising money to help neighbors move back into their homes, through their Save Beacon Village website.HELENE-RAVAGED RIVER TOWN REOPENS FOR VISITORS: 'IT FELT LIKE VICTORY'The state's Department of Commerce said RENEW NC's single-family housing program has received 348 applications as of July 1."The program has only been open for application for a couple of weeks (since June 16) and all applications must be reviewed and properties inspected to ensure we stay in compliance with the federal requirements of the HUD grant. We expect to begin construction on the first homes later this summer."Mission Sheds, a 501c3, has delivered 52 sheds in the western North Carolina region. The sheds are 8 feet by 10 feet and are fully stocked with food, clothing and living essentials.Just four days after an EF-4 tornado hit London, Kentucky, Mission Sheds founder Ed Johnson conducted a call to action to build and deliver sheds to families in that area. This was the first of eight trips the nonprofit would make to deliver sheds.Johnson said volunteers have filed in from all over the world and continue to help them push through their mission.Businesses like Best Buy Metals, which has donated enough metal for 80 sheds, have been an important asset to Johnson's mission.

The Pentagon has frozen some shipments of critical weapons to Ukraine, including Patriot missile interceptors and 155 mm artillery shells, at a pivotal moment in Kyivs war with Russia, Fox News has confirmed.According to U.S. military officials tracking the shipments, the weapons were already staged in Poland before the order came down.The halt was driven by Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby after a review of U.S. munitions stockpiles that showed dangerously low reserves, Politico first reported."This was made to put Americas interests first," White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly said n a statement also shared with Fox News Digital. "The strength of the United States Armed Forces remains unquestioned just ask Iran."TRUMP SHARES SYMPATHETIC EXCHANGE WITH UKRAINIAN JOURNALIST WHOSE HUSBAND IS FIGHTING IN WARColby, a principal Trump defense official and architect of the 2018 National Defense Strategy, has long pushed for a hard shift toward countering China over continued involvement in Ukraine. Before rejoining the Pentagon, he led The Marathon Initiative and authored The Strategy of Denial, a widely cited blueprint for great power competition.According to Politico, the withheld arms include air defense munitions, precision-guided shells and Hellfire missiles used by Ukrainian F-16s.A senior defense official told Politico the Pentagons review revealed that stockpiles of Patriot interceptors, precision-guided 155 mm shells and other critical munitions had dropped to levels deemed insufficient to meet U.S. contingency plans.The Army has already quietly quadrupled its procurement targets for Patriot interceptors, but defense analysts say replenishment will take time.OPINION: CONTAINING IRAN MEANS CRUSHING THEIR NUCLEAR AMBITIONS BEFORE IT'S TOO LATEOver the weekend, Russia launched its largest aerial attack of the war, nearly 500 drones and 60 missiles. Ukraines air defenses, many U.S.-made, remain strained.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPAfter meeting with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy at the NATO summit, Trump said, "They do want to have the anti-missile missiles. Were going to see if we can make some available."Remaining funds from the Biden administration are expected to run out in the coming months.

President Donald Trump said Tuesday he is exploring deportation exemptions for illegal migrants working on farms or in the hospitality industry who could be swept up in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids.Trump said workers who have spent years in the U.S. labor force, particularly in the agriculture and hospitalityindustries, may be eligible for a new type of work permit that would allow them to remain in the country legally, pay taxes and continue working but without receiving citizenship.The proposed plan, which has not yet been formally announced, would create a system by which farmers and other employers take legal responsibility for longtime undocumented workers.TRUMP URGES 'TEMPORARY PASS' FROM IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN FOR KEY INDUSTRIES: 'I CHERISH OUR FARMERS'"Were going to take care of our farmers and hotel workers, but we're working on it right now. And Ron [DeSantis is] going to be involved," Trump said during a tour of a new immigration detention camp in Floridas Everglades that is surrounded by alligators, "Alligator Alcatraz.""We have a lot of cases where ICE would go into the farm, and these are guys that are working there for 10 to 15 years, no problem."The farmers know them. Its called farmer responsibility or owner responsibility, but they're going to be largely responsible for these people, and they know these people. They've worked on the farms for 15 years. We have a great feeling for the farmer and for others in the same position.TRUMP DIRECTS ICE TO EXPAND DEPORTATION EFFORTS IN AMERICA'S LARGEST CITIES"They can be here legally. They can pay taxes and everything. They're not getting citizenship, but they get other things. And the farmers need them to do the work," Trump said. "Without those people, you're not going to be able to run your farm."The future status of illegal migrants working in these sectors has been raised over the last number of weeks with Trump saying thatfarmers and hospital operators have raised concerns they may lose valuable members of their workforce should those illegal migrants be caught up in his mass deportation operations.Trumps plan may not sit well with his hardline immigration supporters as the president seeks to find middle ground between them and protecting businesses reliant on long-term immigrant labor."I won the farmers by 92%, and Im not going to be abandoning my farmers," Trump said at a roundtable discussion after the tour. "We were strong with the voters, but were also strong for the farmers and for others in the hotel industry."Theyre not going to have citizenship, but theyll be working. Theyll be paying taxes," Trump reiterated. "We need to get our farmers the people they need, otherwise the farmers arent going to be able to work their land."Trump said that during a previous mass deportation effort, California farmers were left without enough workers to harvest their crops."You know, we tried this once before, many, many years ago, when there was a very strong guy, and he got everybody out. And every farmer almost all the farmers in the country went bankrupt, and they had nobody to work. And we dont want to have that situation," Trump said without citing who he was referring to.He was likely referring to President Dwight Eisenhower's 1954 mass deportation campaign that saw the deportation of more than 1 million migrants.The president made similar comments about hotels and farms potentially running into issues as a result offederal immigration enforcement June 12."Our great Farmers and people in the Hotel and Leisure business have been stating that our very aggressive policy on immigration is taking very good, long time workers away from them, with those jobs being almost impossible to replace," Trump posted to Truth Social."In many cases the Criminals allowed into our Country by the VERY Stupid Biden Open Borders Policy are applying for those jobs. This is not good. We must protect our Farmers, but get the CRIMINALS OUT OF THE USA. Changes are coming!"On June 19,border czar Tom Homansignaled that those operations would continue, but they are not a major focus.

Alaskan Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski had a tense moment with NBC News reporter Ryan Nobles after he pressed her on the backlash she faced for her vote on the "One Big, Beautiful Bill" (OBBB) on Tuesday.Nobles caught up with Murkowski after she voted in favor of President Donald Trumps $3.3 trillion spending bill, asking her to respond to criticism from Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who claimed that she supported OBBB because it was a "bailout for Alaska at the expense of the rest of the country.""Oh my God," Murkowski mumbled angrily before looking at Nobles."Thats what Sen. Paul said," Nobles responded.REPUBLICAN SENATOR CALLS CAUCUSING WITH DEMOCRATS AN 'INTERESTING HYPOTHETICAL'She then stared at Nobles without making a response for more than ten seconds."I didnt say it, maam," Nobles reiterated. "Im just asking for your response.""My response is I have an obligation to the people of the state of Alaska, and I live up to that every single day," Murkowski answered.She added that it was "offensive" to claim that federal dollars being sent to a state is considered a "bailout.""Do I like this bill? No. Because I tried to take care of Alaska's interests, but I know that in many parts of the country there are Americans that are not going to be advantaged by this bill. I don't like that. I don't like the fact that we moved through an artificial deadline, an artificial timeline, to produce somethingto meet a deadline rather than to actually try to produce the best bill for the country," Murkowski answered. "But when I saw the direction that this is goingyou know, you can either say, 'I don't like it,' and not try to help my state, or you can roll up your sleeves.Fox News Digital reached out to Pauls office for a comment.MAGA COUNTRY VOTERS SOUND ALARM OVER RIDICULOUS NATIONAL DEBT AMID DEBATE OVER TRUMP-BACKED BILLSenate Republicans successfully passed the bill on a 51-50 vote with Vice President JD Vance casting the tiebreaking vote. Paul, along with Sens. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, were the only Republicans who voted against the bill. All Democrats voted no.Ahead of the Senate vote, several last-minute deals were made, including the doubling of the rural hospital fund to $50 billion, which was pushed by Collins, and a rollback of the start date of supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) work requirements for states with higher payment error rates, like Alaska.The bill now heads to the House, where Republican leaders are determined to have a final bill ready to be signed by Trump by Friday.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

A conservative legal group is trying to uncover whether the former Biden administration's focus on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives seeped into the nation's organ transplant system and led to prioritizing patients based on race.MAGA law group America First Legal is suing a number of federal health agencies to obtain documents related to the nation's organ transplant system.Specifically, they're targeting the Department of Health and Human Services, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Health Resources Services Administration, in an attempt to compel them to turn over documents related to the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN).In April 2023, AFL filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request seeking documents relevant to the Biden administration's efforts to infuse DEI into the organ transplant system. However, to date, AFL says it has not received any of the requested information and, as a result, decided to sue in an effort to compel the release of it."The Biden Administration infected the federal government with equity, replacing traditional principles of fairness and need with race-conscious criteria," said America First Legal Counsel Will Scolinos. "AFL is determined to uncover the complete scope of Biden-era DEI policies and will continue to take decisive action to restore colorblind healthcare."NOEM UNCOVERS AND KILLS MULTIMILLION-DOLLAR, BIDEN-ERA DEI, LGBTQ PROGRAMJust days after taking office in 2021, former President Joe Biden signed Executive Order 13985, directing all federal agencies to conduct "Equity Assessments" to determine whether "underserved communities and their members" faced systemic barriers to accessing federal programs. The order also required each agency to develop an action plan to address those barriers.As part of this effort, in December 2021, CMS issued a request to the public for comments on how the agency could "Advance Equity and Reduce Disparities in Organ Transplantation.""CMS is focused on identifying potential system-wide improvements that would increase organ donations, improve transplants, enhance the quality of care in dialysis facilities, increase access to dialysis services, and advance equity in organ donation and transplantation," the agency said at the time."Communities of color have much higher rates of high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and heart disease, all of which increase the risk for kidney disease. Black Americans are almost four times more likely, and Latinos are 1.3 times more likely, to have kidney failure compared to White Americans. Despite the higher risk, data shows that Black and Latino patients on dialysis are less likely to be placed on the transplant waitlist and have a lower likelihood of transplantation. Because of these stark inequities, CMS [Request For Information] asks the public for specific ideas on advancing equity within the organ transplantation system."BLISTERING REPORT CALLS FOR INVESTIGATION INTO 5 WOKE HOSPITALS PUSHING RADICAL AGENDA WITH TAXPAYER MONEYMeanwhile, several weeks later, the HRSA announced that the "labeling of race and ethnicity information for organ donors" would "change on a number of data reports available on the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) website." According to the HRSA, the move made the data "clearer, more consistent and easier for users to interpret," and did not impact the manner in which data is collected. OPTN collects and manages data pertaining to the patient waiting list, organ donation, matching and transplantation in the U.S.HRSA also announced a "modernization initiative" for OPTN around the same time, which included plans to strengthen "equity, and performance in the organ donation and transplantation system."In its lawsuit, AFL chronicled a series of delays, non-responses and incomplete communications following its April 2023 FOIA request. AFL is hoping to obtain a judge's order requiring the release of the records it is seeking, as well as an index of any withheld material and explanations for why it could not be provided."The last administrations pervasive directives requiring consideration of immutable characteristics like race, color, and ethnicity to make healthcare more equitable should concern all Americans," Scolinos said Tuesday. "AFL is determined to uncover the complete scope of Biden-era DEI policies and will continue to take decisive action to restore colorblind healthcare."HHS declined to comment on AFL's lawsuit.

The University of Pennsylvania agreed to a resolution with President Donald Trump's administration to keep males out of women's sports and apologize to every woman swimmer who was affected by the presence of trans athlete Lia Thomas in the 2021-22 season.However, a lawsuit against the university by three former women's swimmers over their experience in sharing a team with Thomas is still active.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COMFormer UPenn swimmers Grace Estabrook, Margot Kaczorowski and Ellen Holmquist filed their lawsuit against the university, Harvard University, the NCAA and the Ivy League back on Feb. 5. The suit alleges university officials led them to feel their concerns over being teammates with Thomas were rooted in a "psychological problem," and that by allowing Thomas to compete, the institutions "injured them and violated federal law."The activist group funding the lawsuit, the Independent Council on Women's Sports (ICONS), released a statement on Tuesday addressing UPenn's resolution."In less than three weeks, lawyers for the University of Pennsylvania will appear in federal district court in Boston, Massachusetts. They have informed the court that they will argue the university did not violate Title IX by allowing Lia Thomas to compete on the womens swim team," the statement claimed."Will UPenn now admit to the federal judgejust as they did to the Trump Administration todaythat they violated Title IX? Or will they continue fighting against accountability and against UPenns female swimmers in court?"Meanwhile, Former UPenn swimmer Paula Scanlan, who is not part of the lawsuit but was one of the first of Thomas' teammates to speak out against the situation, shared the email she received from the university apologizing.ICONS added in its statement that Tuesday's announcement should serve as a warning to other institutions."We, along with the female athletes we represent, are grateful to the Trump Administration and the Department of Education for their commitment to restoring justice in womens sports. Todays announcement, concerning one of the most notorious violations of Title IX, sends a clear message to all educational institutions: denying women equal opportunities and the right to privacy is unequivocally wrong," the statement continued.HOW TRANSGENDERISM IN SPORTS SHIFTED THE 2024 ELECTION AND IGNITED A NATIONAL COUNTERCULTURE"ICONS remains dedicated to holding organizations like the NCAA, the Ivy League, and the University of Pennsylvania accountable, ensuring that legal precedents are set so such violations can never happen again."Fox News Digital has reached out to UPenn for a response to the ICONS statement.Thomas, a biological male, previously competed for the UPenn men's swimming team from 2017-20 under the name Will Thomas. According to the lawsuit, Thomas was introduced by women's swimming head coach Mike Schnur to the women's swimmers during a team meeting in Fall 2019 as their incoming teammate.Each of the three plaintiffs claims the experience left them "repeatedly emotionally traumatized."The plaintiffs allege that the university administrators pushed pro-trans ideology onto them throughout the process of accepting Thomas on the team and in their locker room. The former swimmers say that they were led to feel their concerns over being teammates with Thomas were rooted in a "psychological problem.""The UPenn administrators told the women that if anyone was struggling with accepting Thomass participation on the UPenn Womens team, they should seek counseling and support from CAPS and the LBGTQ center," the lawsuit alleges."The administrators also invited the women to a talk titled, Trans 101. Thus, the women were led to understand that UPenns position was that if a woman on the team had any problem with a trans-identifying male being on her team that woman had a psychological problem and needed counseling."The plaintiffs also allege that the administrators warned them against speaking out against the situation publicly."The UPenn administrators went on to tell the women that if the women spoke publicly about their concerns about Thomas participation on the Womens Team, the reputation of those complaining about Thomas being on the team would be tainted with transphobia for the rest of their lives and they would probably never be able to get a job," the lawsuit alleges.The three female swimmers allege that they were made to believe they would be removed from the team if they tried to protest Thomas' participation ahead of the 2022 Ivy League championships."UPenn swim team members were told by Coach Schnur and UPenn administrators that UPenn administrators coordinated closely with the NCAA and the Ivy League to ensure that Thomas would be eligible for the 2021-2022 womens swimming season," the suit alleged."These statements about close coordination between UPenn, the Ivy League and the NCAA regarding Thomas eligibility led the UPenn Womens Team members to understand the resisting or protesting the participation of Thomas on the team or his presence in the locker room would be futile and could result in the women being removed from the team or from UPenn."The lawsuit alleges that coaches and UPenn administrators told the women's swimmers not to talk about Thomas' situation. Schnur allegedly told the women's swimmers that Thomas wouldn't be sharing a locker room with them when they asked after the initial introduction.But that allegedly changed later.Thomas officially began to practice and compete with the women's swimmers in Fall 2021.And that was when the female swimmers say they discovered that Schnur's alleged claim Thomas wouldn't share a locker room was not true."When UPenns womens swimmers returned to school in the fall of 2021 they were shocked to discover that Thomas was being allowed to use the womens locker room at UPenn and would be allowed to use the womens locker room at swim meets," the lawsuit alleges."Margot [Kaczorowski] only learned that Thomas had been authorized by UPenn to use the womens locker room when [Kaczorowski] walked in the womens locker room to find Thomas in front of her changing his clothing."Per the suit, Kaczorowski confronted Schnur in tears about her shock of discovering Thomas would now share a locker room with her. She alleges the coach responded by saying, "I know its wrong, but theres nothing I can do.""Coach Schnur told the Plaintiffs he would be fired by UPenn if he did not allow Thomas to use the womens locker room and compete on the womens swim team," the lawsuit alleges.In December 2021, another team meeting was held to discuss Thomas' presence on the team and the media attention it garnered, per the court documents. The female swimmers allege they were told that Thomas would continue to be on their team and that "Lia swimming is a non-negotiable."UPenn addressed the resolution with Trump's administration in a statement on Tuesday."The Department of Education OCR investigated the participation of one transgender athlete on the womens swimming team three years ago, during the 2021 2022 swim season. At that time, Penn was in compliance with NCAA eligibility rules and Title IX as then interpreted," the statement read."Penn has always followed and continues to follow Title IX and the applicable policy of the NCAA regarding transgender athletes. NCAA eligibility rules changed in February 2025 with Executive Orders 14168 and 14201 and Penn will continue to adhere to these new rules."Penn has never maintained a policy of its own regarding the participation of transgender athletes in intercollegiate sports. Nor do we maintain our own policies related to other NCAA rules. We adhere to NCAA and Ivy League rules that are designed to ensure fair and transparent athletic competitions for all schools and participants."Follow Fox News Digitals sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.