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EXCLUSIVE: A key lawmaker charged with oversight of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) believes President Donald Trump’s new plan addressing the partial Department of Homeland Security shutdown will reduce hours-long airport delays nationwide.

“I think it will help and it’ll speed up the process greatly,” Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., chair of the House Homeland Security Committee’s subcommittee on transportation, told Fox News Digital.

“Right now, we’re losing TSA agents not only due to sickness, but some of them are actually getting up, you know, basically saying, ‘That’s it, I’ve had enough. Every six months I’ve got to put up with this stuff.’ And they say, ‘This is not for me.’ We need to stop this.”

Trump announced Sunday that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents would be deployed to airports across the country to help ease travel chaos brought on by the ongoing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown, which is now in its 37th day.

TRUMP SAYS ICE WILL DEPLOY TO AIRPORTS MONDAY TO ASSIST TSA AMID FUNDING STANDOFF

A top House Republican says President Donald Trump’s plan to have ICE at airports will cut down on the ongoing travel chaos caused by the DHS shutdown.(Shawn Thew/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images; Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)

“On Monday, ICE will be going to airports to help our wonderful TSA Agents who have stayed on the job despite the fact that the Radical Left Democrats, who are only focused on protecting hard line criminals who have entered our Country illegally, are endangering the USA by holding back the money that was long ago agreed to with signed and sealed contracts, and all,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

He followed it with another post Monday calling on ICE agents working at airports to do so without wearing face coverings. Masks have been a point of fierce contention in DHS funding talks, with Democrats demanding that they conduct immigration enforcement operations without them while Republicans insist they are critical to agents’ safety.

“I started out in the private sector. And in the private sector, the customer is always right. …The U.S. citizen is our customer, and so we can’t allow them to go through these long waits because we have less and less TSA agents,” Gimenez said.

FLIGHT PASSENGERS ARE WARNED THINGS COULD GET WORSE AMID DHS SHUTDOWN, DELAYS AND CALLOUTS

“In light of the fact that the Democrats will not do the right thing and fund DHS, then I think you have to do what you have to do. And if their plan is to use ICE agents in order to supplant and speed up the lines at the airports, I’m fine with that.”

Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla, speaks during the Congressional Hispanic Conference press conference in the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, March 25, 2025.(Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Tens of thousands of TSA agents have been forced to work without pay for weeks as the shutdown draws on with no end in sight. It’s led to hours-long delays at airports in Houston, New Jersey, New York, and Louisiana, among other major hubs.

While they’re guaranteed to get back pay when the shutdown is over, the current lack of regular paychecks has forced scores of agents to call out sick and find other means of making ends meet.

Democrats have balked at Trump’s plan given ICE’s controversial tactics on immigration in the past. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., for example, called it “unacceptable morally, legally, politically” in a statement on X.

But Gimenez pointed out that DHS, and therefore ICE, will be under new leadership soon, with Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., poised to replace Kristi Noem as Cabinet secretary.

He also said he was “heartened” about ICE’s direction after a recent conversation with border czar Tom Homan.

“I think you’re going to see a different emphasis by ICE when they are helping TSA agents,” Gimenez said. “If [Democrats] are worried about ICE agents now at TSA facilities, why don’t you just fund DHS and then you don’t have to worry about having ICE agents at TSA facilities?”

ICE agents arrive at JFK airport in New York City, N.Y., Monday, March 23, 2026. The agents are being brought in to assist TSA agents amid staffing shortages due to the government shutdown.(David Dee Delgado for Fox News)

The government was plunged into a partial shutdown earlier this year after Democrats walked away en masse from a bipartisan deal to fund DHS in protest of Trump’s immigration crackdown in Minneapolis and other parts of the country. They’ve insisted on stricter guardrails on federal agents conducting immigration enforcement, several of which the GOP has dismissed as non-starters.

The president himself later threw a wrench into negotiations for a new deal, urging Republicans to reject any plan until Democrats pass an unrelated election integrity bill called the SAVE America Act.

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Republicans have also rejected Democrats’ demand to fund all of DHS excluding agencies responsible for immigration enforcement.

Unlike last year’s full government shutdown, the longest in U.S. history, the current shutdown solely affects DHS — a wide-ranging department that includes a variety of agencies including ICE, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the TSA, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.

Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to elizabeth.elkind@fox.com

The cost of owning a pet has skyrocketed. Here are some tips to trim rising expenses

March 23, 2026 / 12:45 PM EDT / CBS News

The cost of caring for your pet is skyrocketing. One in five pet owners carries at least $2,000 in pet-related debt, according to a study from MetLife Pet Insurance.

For Jeanne Warsaw, who has two cats named Idris and Elba, a regular vet visit that used to cost $50 is now double that.

“If you do get one that does — at an early age develop issues like Elba has — which she has seizures, so she’s epileptic, and she has some skin conditions, I would say that the first month that we adopted her we did spend close to $1,000,” she said.

Warsaw said that, in addition to health care for her cats, food costs have increased.

“Food has gone up because today there’s so many varieties of more healthy options,” she said. “There’s a lot of specific diet options too if your cat has kidney disease, thyroid, diabetes.”

According to the company Rover, pet ownership costs over the past year have increased by up to 10% — with an estimated $32,000 for the lifetime care of a cat and $35,000 for a dog.

Paula Fasseas, the co-founder of Paws Chicago — a nonprofit animal welfare group that operates one of the largest no-kill animal shelters and veterinary clinics in the United States — worries the increased cost of having a pet is forcing more pet owners to surrender animals they can’t afford.

“Ownership relinquishment at animal care and control has been going up 20% every year,” she said.

So far this year, Paws Chicago has seen a 28% increase in pet relinquishments.

Fasseas attributes medical costs to the rising price of being a pet owner.

“The whole business model has changed and now it’s big corporations buying these vet clinics out and it’s just different pricing,” she said.

Tips for cutting down on costs

But there are ways to cut down on pet-related expenses.

Fasseas suggests that pet owners who are struggling financially look online for resources.

“As far as vaccinations, make sure you’re just doing the mandatory ones — you don’t always have to do everything,” she said. “So, we always have supplies available for people that need help.”

She also said that for spaying or neutering, many community clinics, including Paws Chicago, will do it for free or at a low cost.

“When you adopt from a shelter, you’re getting all the medical, the vaccinations, it’s spayed and neutered,” Fasseas said. “Right there you’ve saved thousands of dollars.”

Preventative care, including dental cleanings, annual checkups and vaccines, can help avoid more costly procedures down the road. Another option to consider is pet insurance. However, it can be expensive and often comes with loopholes. Pre-existing conditions are generally not covered.

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/the-cost-to-care-for-your-pet-is-skyrocketing-here-are-ways-to-cut-down-on-expenses/

The man demanded that President Trump pardon him and threatened to kill him if he didn’t.

By Elaine Mallon
Fox News

Published March 23, 2026 3:13pm EDT

Fox News contributor Jonathan Turley speaks on how a jury unanimously convicted Ryan Routh on all counts in the attempted assassination of then-candidate Donald Trump on ‘America Reports.’

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An Oregon man is back in police custody after threatening to “kill the president” in a slew of text messages to his probation officer.

Diedrich Holgate, 47, was convicted and sentenced last July after making threats on social media and placing several direct calls to the U.S. Secret Service Washington Field Office, threatening to kill then-presidential candidate Donald Trump and then-President Joe Biden.

In a June 2024 call to the Secret Service, Holgate said, “I have the right to kill the president.”

“I will kill everyone,” Holgate said, according to the federal indictment. “The president is going to die. I don’t care if it is Trump or Biden. I will hang everyone for treason.”

[MAN ACCUSED OF PLOTTING TRUMP ASSASSINATION CLAIMS IRAN FORCED HIM TO]

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters before boarding Air Force One at Palm Beach International Airport. Trump is traveling to Tennessee before returning to Washington. This occurred in West Palm Beach, Florida, on March 23, 2026.(Roberto Schmidt / Getty Images)

Two months later, Holgate called the field office again, threatening to “hang his a** for treason” and saying that no one was safe from him, including the First Lady and Supreme Court justices.

Holgate was released from custody on January 21 and was ordered to live in a halfway house.

Just weeks after being released from prison, Holgate’s probation officer filed a petition to revoke his probation for several violations, including continued death threats toward the president.

[NEW MEXICO MAN JAILED FOR THREATENING TRUMP ON SOCIAL MEDIA]

Former President Joe Biden speaks to the South Carolina Democratic Party on Friday, Feb. 27, 2026, in Columbia, S.C.(AP Photo/Matt Kelley)

“Holgate has made multiple threatening statements via text message to his probation officer,” the petition alleged. “Probable cause has been established that a violation of supervised release has been committed.”

Holgate sent his probation officer several text messages that included “Trump’s gonna fkn pardon me or I’ll kill him!!!!”

“You’re with me or You’re a traitor & infidel that’s taken the Mark of the beast. & Hell? That won’t last forever. Second death. You’ll be erased,” Holgate wrote in another message to his probation officer.

A magistrate judge ruled in a preliminary hearing that there was probable cause to believe Holgate violated the conditions of his release. In addition to making threats, Holgate failed to report to a meeting with his probation officer and left the halfway house. He also violated house rules by smoking a vape.

U.S. President Donald Trump walks through the Cross Hall as he arrives for a ceremony to present the Commander-in-Chief Trophy to the Navy Midshipmen football team of the United States Naval Academy in the East Room of the White House. This occurred in Washington, District of Columbia, on March 20, 2026.(Brendan Smialowski / AFP via Getty Images)

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Holgate will remain in custody until his next hearing is scheduled on March 26.

He was previously convicted in 2018 for sending threatening voicemails to two Texas judges in Travis County.

Elaine Mallon is a writer for Fox News Digital.

As airport delays continue, can enrolling in TSA PreCheck save you time?

2026-03-23T14:29:00-0400 / CBS News

As many travelers continue to face long security lines at major airports across the country, enrolling in TSA PreCheck remains one option for getting to their departure gate more quickly.

The U.S. government-run program allows travelers to bypass standard security lines and instead undergo an expedited screening process that normally takes 10 minutes, according to TSA.

Julian Kheel, CEO and founder of Points Path, a flight awards search engine, said TSA PreCheck is helpful for travelers looking to get through airport security faster, both for flights in the coming weeks and beyond.

“TSA PreCheck will likely help you, even now with the long lines we’re seeing at checkpoints,” he told CBS News. “But once this is over, TSA PreCheck is an absolute asset to any traveler.”

Hundreds of TSA officers have quit during the ongoing and latest partial government shutdown, while thousands have called out. Faced with staff shortages, the Trump administration on Monday deployed Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to more than a dozen airports to assist with security.

How quickly can I get approved for TSA PreCheck?

Enrolling in TSA PreCheck is relatively simple, involving filling out an online application and attending an in-person appointment. Still, travelers should be prepared to wait at least a week before getting approved, according to Kheel.

One potential hiccup, he noted — some airports may not be operating TSA PreCheck lines due to reduced staff.

“If you are traveling tomorrow, you’re probably not going to be able to get TSA PreCheck for that trip,” he said. “But if you’re traveling seven to 10 days from now, there’s a good chance you’ll be able to get approved in time.”

TSA and the Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

How do I apply for TSA PreCheck?

All three authorized TSA PreCheck providers — Clear, Idemia and Telos — offer the same online application for TSA PreCheck, which takes around five minutes to complete.

The next step is to arrange an in-person appointment at an authorized enrollment center. These are located at airports across the U.S., as well as at stores including CVS, Office Depot and Staples (See TSA’s website.) You can either schedule an appointment online or walk in.

“The TSA PreCheck interview does not have to happen at an airport,” Kheel explained. “There are enrollment centers in your neighborhood, so it should actually be fairly easy to get an appointment because there are so many options.”

During the appointment, which takes approximately 10 minutes, the enrollment provider will confirm your identity by collecting biometric data, such as fingerprints, and verifying your documentation. It will also collect the enrollment fee, which varies based on the provider. Enrolling through Clear costs $79.95, while Idemia and Telos charge $76.75 $85, respectively.

After the appointment is complete, the final stage is waiting for a so-called Known Traveler Number, or KTN. Most travelers get their KTN in three to five days, although it can take up to 60, according to TSA. In order to move through the TSA PreCheck line, travelers must enter the number when they make their reservation so it appears on their boarding pass.

“If you have a frequent flyer account with your airline, you can store that number, and then it will be added to your ticket automatically,” Kheel said.

TSA PreCheck lasts five years, after which travelers have to pay a renewal fee.

The travel analyst suggested that people check the benefits of their travel credit cards, as many offer a TSA PreCheck fee waiver.

What else can I do to save time at the airport?

Once enrolled in TSA PreCheck, travelers can further speed up their trips by enrolling in the agency’s Touchless ID program, which uses facial identification technology at security checkpoints across 65 airports. Flyers can opt into the program through one of the five participating airlines: Alaska, American, Delta, Southwest or United.

Another option is to sign up for Clear, a program run by a private company that contracts with TSA and operates its own lines at the airport. The service costs $209 annually and can be used in conjunction with TSA PreCheck.

For those who travel internationally, the Global Entry program, which includes TSA PreCheck, can also cut down on security wait times, Kheel said.

“Global Entry is a more expensive process and takes longer to get. It is also something where you can only generally do your interview at airports,” he told CBS News. “But once you have Global Entry, you then have access to expedited re-entry into the United States through immigration and customs.”

How Iran conflict and Xi meeting delay could reshape US-China leverage | Fox News

Fox News – March 23, 2026

President Donald Trump’s decision to delay a planned meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping as the U.S.’ conflict with Iran unfolds is raising a new question in Washington: whether pressure on global oil flows is factoring into U.S. leverage with Beijing.

The summit originally had been planned for March 31 to April 2, but Trump said on March 16 that he had asked China to delay it by “a month or so,” explaining, “We got a war going on. I think it’s important that I be here.”

The following day, Trump said the meeting would instead take place in “about five or six weeks,” adding, “We’re working with China — they were fine with it.”

“The president has some things here at home in May that he has to attend to,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters March 16, adding that the two sides would set a date “as soon as we can.”

US INTEL SOFTENS ON CHINA THREAT, SAYS NO TAIWAN INVASION PLANNED BY 2027 DESPITE MILITARY BUILDUP

At the same time, U.S. strikes on Iran — and earlier pressure on Venezuela — have been affecting countries central to China’s energy supply, disrupting shipping and raising costs without fully cutting off flows.

China remains the largest buyer of Iranian oil, and shipments are still moving despite the conflict. But increased risk, higher prices and logistical disruptions are squeezing one of Beijing’s most important energy lifelines — raising the prospect of Washington gaining leverage by driving up the cost and risk of the oil China depends on.

Pressure on China’s energy and influence

In recent months, U.S. actions have hit two countries where China has built deep economic ties — Venezuela and Iran, both tied to Beijing through oil and investment.

In 2023, China helped broker a deal restoring relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran, a move widely seen as a sign of Beijing’s growing influence in the Middle East. That détente is now under strain as the conflict escalates, exposing the limits of China’s ability to sustain stability once fighting begins.

Those developments point to China’s position more clearly: a global power with significant economic reach, but limited willingness — and potentially limited ability — to shield its partners when conflict escalates.

“It is very much connected,” said Brent Sadler of the conservative Heritage Foundation Washington think tank. “It’s all connected to China at the end of it.”

For Beijing, the stakes are primarily economic. China is the world’s largest oil importer, and disruptions to Iranian supply can raise costs, complicate logistics and reduce access to discounted crude that has helped fuel its economy.

At the same time, the conflict itself is rooted in long-running tensions with Iran, including its nuclear program, missile capabilities and support for regional proxy groups.

“It’s not all about China,” said Piero Tozzi of the America First Policy Institute. “It’s primarily about Iran.”

That distinction — between what is driving the conflict and what it affects — has shaped the debate in Washington over how much the fallout could influence broader U.S.-China dynamics.

The delay adds another layer to that dynamic, coming as energy markets tighten and U.S.-China discussions continue.

Oil flows disrupted — but still moving

China’s dependence on Iranian oil remains a central vulnerability, even as the conflict disrupts shipping lanes and raises risks in the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly half of China’s seaborne oil imports pass.

Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has dropped sharply and become far more volatile, with only limited oil shipments still getting through under heightened risk.

Iran accounts for roughly 13% of China’s crude imports, while China remains Tehran’s largest customer, purchasing an estimated 80–90% of its exports.

Much of that oil is sold at a discount — often $8 per barrel to $10 per barrel — giving Chinese refiners access to cheaper crude that is difficult to replace elsewhere.

US DESTROYS 16 IRANIAN MINE BOATS AS STRAIT OF HORMUZ OIL SHOWDOWN ESCALATES

Much of the trade is handled by smaller independent “teapot” refineries, allowing Beijing to maintain imports while limiting exposure of its state-owned energy companies to U.S. sanctions.

In many cases, those transactions are conducted in yuan rather than dollars, with proceeds often recycled into Chinese goods and infrastructure projects.

“One of China’s long-term objectives is challenging the supremacy of the dollar,” Tozzi said.

TRUMP ORDERS WAR DEPT TO POSTPONE STRIKES ON IRANIAN ENERGY SITES, CITING ‘PRODUCTIVE’ TALKS TO END WAR

“It’s going to be hard to turn off the supplier side of this,” Sadler said, pointing to the entrenched networks that keep crude moving despite sanctions and conflict.

Those networks — built over years of sanctions — allow Iranian oil to be rerouted through indirect channels, often using tankers that operate outside traditional tracking systems.

For China, that means continued access to supply, but at higher cost and greater risk, as shipments become more difficult to move and insure.

The result is sustained pressure rather than a cutoff: fewer shipments, higher prices and increased uncertainty around a supply line Beijing has come to rely on.

The Trump administration also has taken an unusual step to stabilize energy markets, temporarily easing sanctions on Iranian oil already loaded on tankers to allow those barrels to be sold. The short-term waiver, covering an estimated 140 million barrels, is aimed at easing supply disruptions caused by the conflict.

But it also widens access to oil that had largely been flowing to China, increasing competition for those barrels rather than allowing Beijing to remain the dominant buyer.

The U.S. also has eased some restrictions on Russian oil in recent weeks, allowing additional supply to flow to Asia. Taken together, the moves are reshaping global oil flows — forcing China to compete more directly for supply rather than relying as heavily on discounted crude.

U.S. intelligence assessments reflect similar limits, describing the China-Iran relationship as economically significant but largely transactional rather than a coordinated strategic bloc.

Combat experience — and a strain on stockpiles

The Iran conflict is giving U.S. forces real-world experience that cannot be replicated in training environments, allowing different branches of the military to operate together under live conditions and test how their systems perform.

“There’s a lot of real-world experience getting gained,” Sadler said. “We are refining our capabilities in a massive way.”

But those gains come with costs.

“We’re also wearing down our sailors, as well as the material, the aircraft and the ships.”

The same stockpiles being used in the Middle East would be needed to deter any conflict in the Indo-Pacific.

“We don’t produce munitions at the speed and capacity that we should be. It’s not a new problem,” Sadler said. “We’re going to go through a lot of our interceptor missiles very quickly.”

He warned that at current production rates, inventories could last only “maybe a week or two,” assuming they are used judiciously.

As of late 2025, the U.S. had roughly 414 SM-3 interceptors and 534 Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THADD) interceptors, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies. THAAD is one of the U.S. military’s primary systems for intercepting ballistic missiles in their final phase of flight.

Those systems have been used heavily in recent Middle East operations, and they also would be central in any potential conflict with China, particularly in defending U.S. forces and allies in the Indo-Pacific from missile attacks.

Drawing down those stockpiles now raises a practical concern: the more the U.S. uses these interceptors in the Middle East, the fewer are immediately available for a high-end conflict with Beijing.

China keeps its distance

Beijing has avoided direct involvement in the U.S.–Israel conflict in Iran, focusing on diplomacy, with its deep oil reserves as a fallback.

“They’re all very opportunistic,” Sadler said. “They don’t want to take any undue risk.”

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“The more diplomatic noise they make, the more it draws attention from their incapacity to stand up for their partners,” he said.

The conflict’s effects extend beyond the region, testing China’s role as a global power while forcing the United States to weigh immediate military demands against its longer-term competition with Beijing.

Chinese officials said they were “highly concerned” by the escalation and urged an immediate halt to military operations, while Foreign Minister Wang Yi described the strikes as “unacceptable.”

The Chinese embassy could not immediately be reached for comment.

https://www.foxnews.com/video/6391181865112

Trump tells Republicans to pass voting law ‘for Jesus’

By Reuters

March 23, 2026 5:40 PM UTC Updated 36 mins ago

MEMPHIS, Tennessee, March 23 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump evoked Jesus on Monday to urge Republicans in Congress to work through the ​upcoming Easter holiday in a bid to pass a voter identification ‌bill that Democrats strongly oppose.

Trump said the voting bill should be included in any agreement to fund the Homeland Security department, which has been partially shut down ​since February 13 after Democrats demanded reforms to immigration enforcement.

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“I’m requesting ​that the Republican senators do that immediately. You don’t have ⁠to take a fast vote. Don’t worry about Easter, going home. In ​fact, make this one for Jesus,” Trump told a roundtable event in ​Memphis, Tennessee.

Lawmakers are due to take a two-week Easter recess starting at the end of this week.

U.S. President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth attend a roundtable on public safety at Memphis Air National Guard Base in Memphis, Tennessee, U.S., March 23, 2026. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque [Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab]

However, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a Republican, told reporters that the ​Senate should deal with Department of Homeland Security funding as the most ​pressing matter.

Amid Trump’s demands for Senate passage of the “SAVE America” bill that would significantly ‌change ⁠the way federal elections are conducted by states, Thune has noted the difficulty in getting enough support in the Senate to pass that measure.

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He also has resisted Trump’s calls for eliminating the “filibuster” rule in the Senate so ​that Republicans can ​advance legislation without ⁠any support from Democrats.

The lack of DHS funds means tens of thousands of Transportation Security Administration personnel have ​worked without pay for five weeks, leading some airport ​security workers ⁠to call in sick or quit entirely.

The voting bill would require voters to provide proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote and a photo ID for casting ballots. ⁠The bill ​currently lacks the 60 votes needed to ​overcome Democratic opposition in the 100-member Senate, where Republicans hold 53 seats.

Reporting by Bo Erickson, ​Ryan Patrick Jones and Richard Cowan; Editing by David Ljunggren and Alistair Bell

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What is Elon Musk’s Terafab chip project? Here are his

Preservation groups sue Trump to block Kennedy Center overhaul | Reuters

By Mike Scarcella
March 23, 2026 4:00 PM UTC Updated 2 hours ago

节点运行失败
Item 1 of 2 U.S. President Donald Trump, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA), Dan DeVos, Pamella Roland DeVos, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, outgoing President of the Kennedy Center Richard Grenell and Vice President of facilities operations at the Kennedy Center Matt Floca, who is set to become the new President of the Kennedy Center, attend a lunch with the Kennedy Center board members in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 16, 2026. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

[1/2]U.S. President Donald Trump, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA), Dan DeVos, Pamella Roland DeVos, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, outgoing President of the Kennedy Center Richard Grenell and Vice President of facilities operations at the Kennedy… Read more

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WASHINGTON, March 23 (Reuters) – A coalition of U.S. historic preservation and architectural organizations sued President Donald Trump and the Kennedy Center’s board on Monday, seeking ​to block a major reconstruction of the Washington performing arts complex.

The National Trust for ‌Historic Preservation in the United States, the American Institute of Architects and six other groups alleged in a lawsuit in federal court in Washington that the Trump administration launched the project without required congressional approval and bypassed mandatory ​federal reviews.

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The organizations contend the planned project, which will require the closure of the building ​for two years, goes beyond what the Kennedy Center’s governing law permits.

According to ⁠the lawsuit, that law limits the board’s authority to repairs and improvements necessary to maintain the ​building’s basic functionality.

“The Kennedy Center is not a personal project of any president,” Rebecca Miller, executive ​director of the DC Preservation League, said in a statement. “It is a national cultural monument built to honor John F. Kennedy and to serve the American people.”

‘FINEST PERFORMING ARTS FACILITY IN THE WORLD’

A White House spokesperson on Monday ​said: “President Trump is committed to making the Trump-Kennedy Center the finest performing arts facility in the ​world. We look forward to ultimate victory on the issue.”

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The Kennedy Center did not immediately respond to a ‌request for ⁠comment.

The Kennedy Center overhaul is part of Trump’s ambitious effort to remake Washington, including the planned construction of a 90,000-square-foot ballroom on the site of the White House’s East Wing that Trump demolished last year.

A federal judge in Washington is expected to rule this month whether to freeze work on the ​ballroom project, in a ​separate lawsuit brought by ⁠the National Trust.

The Kennedy Center opened in 1971 as a living memorial to the late President John F. Kennedy.

Monday’s lawsuit alleges the Trump administration already ​caused unlawful damage to the building by repainting its 200 gold columns ​white and ⁠adding new exterior signage placing Trump’s name above Kennedy’s.

Further renovations on the building are set to begin after the July 4 Independence Day holiday.

Trump has defended his plans to close the Kennedy Center for two ⁠years of ​renovation, saying it was necessary to complete the overhaul quickly.

“When ​you do marbles, you can’t have people walking over the marble every night, as it’s drying and setting, and going ​to a play,” he said.

Reporting by Mike Scarcella; Editing by David Bario, Peter Graff and Jan Harvey

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Trump turns 2020 statue wars on their head with Columbus monument revival

The 13-foot, one-ton replica now stands on White House grounds as part of Trump’s America250 celebrations.

By Kiera McDonald, Emma Colton
Fox News

Published March 23, 2026 3:24pm EDT

The White House has installed a 13-foot statue of Christopher Columbus after the monument was torn down by rioters and tossed in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor nearly six years ago amid the 2020 riots.

“As we celebrate our Nation’s 250th anniversary of independence, the White House is proud to honor Christopher Columbus’s legendary life and legacy with a well-deserved statue on the White House grounds,” White House spokesperson Davis Ingle told Fox News Digital on Monday of the new addition to the White House’s grounds.

The one-ton statue, spearheaded by the Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations, is part of the Trump administration’s America250 celebrations and sits on the north side of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.

WASHINGTON MONUMENT TO BECOME ‘BIRTHDAY CANDLE’ AS US MARKS START OF 250TH YEAR

The 13-foot, one-ton replica now stands on White House grounds as part of Trump’s America250 celebrations.(Fox News)

Rebuilt in part from salvaged pieces, the statue was installed at the White House on Sunday after Baltimore officials declined to restore it to the city’s Little Italy neighborhood, according to COPOMIAO, which is a national coalition of Italian American groups that advocate for their communities.

President Donald Trump sent a letter thanking COPOMIAO President Basil M. Russo for the statue. He said the tall figure was placed next to another piece of art called Freedom’s Charge, which he said is “a life-size sculpture representing the revolutionary struggle to win America’s independence.”

“These statues represent the inspiring historical progression of the American story and will stand as an eternal memorial to courage, adventure, and the noblest aspirations of the human spirit as well as the extraordinary pride of our wonderful Italian American community,” he said.

In the letter, President Trump also praised Columbus’ role in shaping the nation’s history.

WHITE HOUSE FIRES BACK AT CRITICS CALLING TRUMP’S MASSIVE ARCH ‘TOO BIG’

The Christopher Columbus replica statue replaces the monument rioters tossed into Baltimore’s Inner Harbor in 2020.(Fox News)

“Christopher Columbus was the original American hero and one of the most gallant and visionary men to ever walk the face of the Earth,” he said. “Guided by steadfast prayer and unwavering fortitude and resolve, Columbus’ voyage in 1492 carried thousands of years of wisdom, philosophy, reason, and culture across the Atlantic into the Americas—paving the way for the ultimate triumph of Western civilization less than three centuries later on July 4, 1776.”

“I am truly honored that this magnificent statue will now sit on the grounds of the White House,” he added.

In the wake of George Floyd’s death in May 2020, statues and monuments identified by rioters as “racist” were vandalized, toppled, and destroyed across the country. A George Washington statue in Portland, Oregon, was toppled and set on fire, while Confederate monuments in Richmond, Virginia, including those of Jefferson Davis and Williams Carter Wickham, were also targeted during the protests.

Russo, in coordination with the Italian American Organizations United, led the months-long project to honor “Italian American history and culture.” The original statue, unveiled in 1984 by Former President Ronald Reagan, was torn down decades later on Independence Day amid criticism over Columbus’ 1492 arrival and the deaths of millions of Indigenous people.

WHITE HOUSE TOUTS TRUMP’S ‘BOLD VISION’ FOR TOWERING INDEPENDENCE ARCH FOR AMERICA 250

Remains of the Christopher Columbus statue near Little Italy after it was ripped from its pedestal and dragged into the Jones Falls by protesters in Baltimore on Saturday, July 4, 2020.(Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

“Columbus statues have long stood as symbols of pride and cultural identity for more than 18 million Americans of Italian descent,” Russo said. “For over a century, Columbus’s legacy helped Italian immigrants navigate prejudice and hardship, serving as a source of unity and belonging as they built new lives in this country. Columbus Day itself emerged in the aftermath of the 1891 New Orleans lynching, when 11 Italian immigrants were killed by a mob of thousands, an event that prompted a national effort to promote the acceptance and assimilation of Italian Americans. This history remains central to why these monuments matter.”

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Ingle added that the administration will continue its efforts to preserve Columbus’ legacy.

“President Trump has rightly hailed Christopher Columbus as ‘the original American hero, a giant of Western civilization, and one of the most gallant and visionary men to ever walk the face of the Earth,’” he said. “In this White House, Christopher Columbus is a hero, and President Trump will ensure he’s honored as such for generations to come.”

Kiera McDonald is a Production Assistant for Fox News Digital.

Judge appoints new top prosecutor in New Jersey after Justice Department picks were twice determined unlawful | CNN Politics

PUBLISHED Mar 23, 2026, 2:56 PM ET

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[Kara Scannell]

22 min ago

PUBLISHED Mar 23, 2026, 2:56 PM ET

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The US Courthouse in Camden, New Jersey, in April 2022.

Matt Rourke/AP/File

The chief district judge in New Jersey appointed Robert Frazer, a career prosecutor, to serve as US attorney for the state, ending for now a dispute over the legality of the office’s leadership that threatened to derail criminal investigations.

Frazer is a [longtime prosecutor] who has worked on violent crime organized crime cases.

Federal Judge Matthew Brann ruled last summer that Alina Habba — President Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer — was illegally appointed as the acting US attorney in the District of New Jersey. The Third Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed that decision.

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Attorney General Pam Bondi later appointed a trio of attorneys to split Habba’s role: Philip Lamparello, Jordan Fox and Ari Fontecchio.

Earlier this month, Brann found Bondi didn’t have the ability to create an alternative leadership structure in that way.

Chief Judge for the District of New Jersey Renee Marie Bumb signed the order appointing Frazer to the role.

Mark Coyne, chief of the appeals division at the US attorney’s office in New Jersey, informed Brann on Monday in a case used to challenge the previous leadership structure that Frazer’s appointment “followed consultations between the District Court and the Department of Justice’s senior leadership.”

Frazer, he said, has served as a prosecutor for more than 20 years and was most recently senior trial counsel.

Habba, who resigned as acting US attorney under after a federal appeals court found her appointment unlawful, praised Frazer’s appointment. She is now a senior adviser to Bondi.

“New Jersey deserves a great chief federal law enforcement official who is in line with President Trump’s agenda of making this country safe and NJ great! I know Rob well and he will be a great champion of this state and mission of the @TheJusticeDept,” Habba said on X. She praised the collaboration between judges, Bondi, and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.

This story is developing and will be updated.

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