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DOJ continues Biden autopen probe despite former president unlikely to face charges

Investigation focuses on whether Biden personally approved each pardon and commutation in final months of his administration

By Greg Wehner, David Spunt
Fox News
Published March 5, 2026 8:25pm EST

The Department of Justice (DOJ) is continuing its investigation into former President Joe Biden’s use of an autopen in the final months of his administration — focusing on pardons and commutations — though a senior official said Biden is unlikely to face criminal exposure.

A senior DOJ official told Fox News the autopen investigation is ongoing and not closed, adding investigators are reviewing clemency actions taken in the final months of the Biden administration.

The official also pointed out, however, that the use of an autopen by a sitting president is “established law.”

The issue under review is whether the autopen was used in violation of the law, specifically, whether Biden personally approved each name included on pardon and commutation lists.

“These types of cases are tough. Executive privilege issues come into play,” the official said.

What is also clear, the official indicated, is that the target of any potential prosecution would not likely be Biden.

“It’s hard to imagine how [Biden] could be criminally liable for pardon power,” the senior DOJ official said.

The official noted that one reason the former president would be unlikely to face charges stems from a 2024 Supreme Court ruling that originally involved current President Donald Trump but would also apply to Biden.

“We conclude that under our constitutional structure of separated powers, the nature of Presidential power requires that a former President have some immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts during his tenure in office,” the Supreme Court ruled in Trump v. United States in 2024.

“At least with respect to the President’s exercise of his core constitutional powers, this immunity must be absolute.”

Sources familiar with the matter told Fox News Digital that U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s team continues to review the Biden White House’s reliance on an autopen, contradicting a recent New York Times report that indicated the investigation had been paused.

Trump has pushed for consequences over the autopen controversy, alleging on social media that aides acted unlawfully in its use and raising the prospect of perjury charges against Biden.

Biden has rejected those claims, saying in a statement last year he personally directed the decisions in question.

“Let me be clear: I made the decisions during my presidency,” Biden said. “I made the decisions about the pardons, executive orders, legislation and proclamations. Any suggestion that I didn’t is ridiculous and false.”

The House Oversight Committee has homed in on Biden’s clemency actions, including five controversial pardons for family members in the final days of his presidency, citing what it described as a lack of “contemporaneous documentation” confirming that Biden directly ordered the pardons.

The committee asked the DOJ to investigate “all of former President Biden’s executive actions, particularly clemency actions, to assess whether legal action must be taken to void any action that the former president did not, in fact, take himself.”

Fox News Digital’s Ashley Oliver contributed to this report.

https://www.foxnews.com/video/6386159125112

U.S., Venezuela agree to establish diplomatic relations for first time since 2019

March 5, 2026 / 8:50 PM EST / CBS/AP

The United States and Venezuela agreed to reestablish diplomatic relations in a major shift in a historically adversarial relationship, the State Department said on Thursday.

“The United States and Venezuela’s interim authorities have agreed to re-establish diplomatic and consular relations,” the State Department said in a statement. “This step will facilitate our joint efforts to promote stability, support economic recovery, and advance political reconciliation in Venezuela.”

The move comes after Trump administration officials have made several visits the South American nation following a U.S. military operation that deposed former President Nicolás Maduro in January, the latest by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum this week. The Trump administration has been stepping up pressure on Maduro loyalists now in power to accept its vision for the oil-rich nation.

Acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez and the U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum speak at the Miraflores Palace in Caracas, Venezuela, on March 4, 2026. Julio Urribarri/Anadolu via Getty Images

Relations between the two countries were cut off in 2019, during the first Trump administration, in a decision by Maduro. They closed their embassies mutually after President Trump gave public support to Venezuelan opposition lawmaker Juan Guaidó, who claimed to be the nation’s interim president in January 2019. That same month, amid Venezuelan political unrest and violence, the Trump administration ordered all non-essential American diplomatic staff and government personnel to leave Venezuela.

Since then, the U.S. has operated its consular services out of Bogota, Colombia. In January, following Maduro’s capture, the Trump administration notified Congress that it would begin steps to eventually reopen its embassy in Venezuela.

The State Department in its statement said that talks between the countries were “focused on helping the Venezuelan people move forward through a phased process that creates the conditions for a peaceful transition to a democratically elected government.”

The announcement was made at the end of a two-day visit by Burgum to Venezuela. The visit largely focused on the country’s mining sector. It followed a February visit by Energy Secretary Chris Wright that centered on Venezuela’s oil potential. Both secretaries are aiming to shore up foreign investment to advance the administration’s phased plan to turn around the crisis-wracked nation.

Acting President Delcy Rodríguez, formerly Maduro’s vice president, said on state televisions that such steps “will strengthen relations between our two countries.”

Rodríguez’s government in a statement later expressed confidence that reestablishing diplomatic relations “will contribute to strengthening understanding and opening opportunities for a positive and mutually beneficial relationship.”

“These relations ought to result in the social and economic happiness of the Venezuelan people,” she said.

Since the unprecedented U.S. offensive in Venezuela, the Trump administration has pushed the government to make sweeping changes, including opening its oil sector to foreign companies.

“We told all the companies that we met with the last two days, if they were having any issues with getting material or people through visas or capital into the country, talk to us because we want to help those that want to come here to do constructive work with high integrity. We want to clear the path for them to get here and start working,” Burgum told reporters Thursday.

Rodríguez’s government also approved an amnesty law that has enabled the release of politicians, activists, lawyers and many others, effectively acknowledging that the government has held hundreds of people in prison for political motivations.

Mr. Trump stunned Venezuelans in and outside their home country with his decision to work with Rodríguez, instead of the political opposition, following Maduro’s ouster. On Sunday, Venezuela’s top opposition leader and winner of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize María Corina Machado said that she will return to Venezuela in the coming weeks and that elections will be held in Venezuela.

美伊冲突推高油价 纽约原油创六年最大涨幅

2026年3月6日 11:53 / 联合早报

美伊冲突持续不确定性推高油价，纽约原油或破95美元（约121新元）。 （路透社）

由于市场担忧中东地区冲突持续及原油市场供应受阻，纽约原油期货价格星期四（3月5日）大幅上涨，创下近六年来最大单日涨幅。

新华社报道，截至当天收盘，纽约商品交易所4月交货的轻质原油期货价格上涨6.35美元（约8.10新元），收于每桶81.01美元，涨幅为8.51%，为2020年5月初以来最大单日涨幅；5月交货的伦敦布伦特原油期货价格上涨4.01美元，收于每桶85.41美元，涨幅为4.93%。

美国和以色列对伊朗发动的军事打击星期四进入第六天。伊朗伊斯兰革命卫队5日说，伊朗战时有权控制霍尔木兹海峡的通行和航行，美国、以色列和欧洲国家船只被禁止通行。伊朗伊斯兰革命卫队还说，伊朗海军战斗机当天清晨击中一艘美国油轮。

美国里特布施同仁公司认为，由于冲突何时结束尚不明朗，国际市场原油价格似乎还有进一步走强的可能。如果冲突持续至下周，纽约原油期货价格有突破每桶95美元的可能性。

德国金融科技企业NAGA集团市场分析师瓦尔鲍姆认为，冲突持续时间的不确定性正推动油价上涨，“任何实质性的市场回调都可能依赖于地缘政治局势缓和的明确迹象，或商业油轮运输的持续恢复”。

瑞典北欧斯安银行首席大宗商品分析师希尔德罗普说，冲突对油价的冲击将显著依赖于其持续时间的长短。如果超过7至12天，油价可能迎来“更重要的时刻”。

战事升级导致原油价格上涨，美国国内汽油价格也水涨船高。美国汽车协会5日发布消息说，美国全国每加仑普通汽油均价自上周以来已上涨近27美分。

由于需求升高等因素，汽油价格通常在春季走高。美国普通汽油均价上次出现类似周度大幅上涨是2022年3月俄乌冲突爆发之初。

美伊冲突推高油价 纽约原油创六年最大涨幅

2026年3月6日 11:53 联合早报

美伊冲突持续不确定性推高油价，纽约原油或破95美元（约121新元）。 （路透社）

由于市场担忧中东地区冲突持续及原油市场供应受阻，纽约原油期货价格星期四（3月5日）大幅上涨，创下近六年来最大单日涨幅。

新华社报道，截至当天收盘，纽约商品交易所4月交货的轻质原油期货价格上涨6.35美元（约8.10新元），收于每桶81.01美元，涨幅为8.51%，为2020年5月初以来最大单日涨幅；5月交货的伦敦布伦特原油期货价格上涨4.01美元，收于每桶85.41美元，涨幅为4.93%。

美国和以色列对伊朗发动的军事打击星期四进入第六天。伊朗伊斯兰革命卫队5日说，伊朗战时有权控制霍尔木兹海峡的通行和航行，美国、以色列和欧洲国家船只被禁止通行。伊朗伊斯兰革命卫队还说，伊朗海军战斗机当天清晨击中一艘美国油轮。

美国里特布施同仁公司认为，由于冲突何时结束尚不明朗，国际市场原油价格似乎还有进一步走强的可能。如果冲突持续至下周，纽约原油期货价格有突破每桶95美元的可能性。

德国金融科技企业NAGA集团市场分析师瓦尔鲍姆认为，冲突持续时间的不确定性正推动油价上涨，“任何实质性的市场回调都可能依赖于地缘政治局势缓和的明确迹象，或商业油轮运输的持续恢复”。

瑞典北欧斯安银行首席大宗商品分析师希尔德罗普说，冲突对油价的冲击将显著依赖于其持续时间的长短。如果超过7至12天，油价可能迎来“更重要的时刻”。

战事升级导致原油价格上涨，美国国内汽油价格也水涨船高。美国汽车协会5日发布消息说，美国全国每加仑普通汽油均价自上周以来已上涨近27美分。

由于需求升高等因素，汽油价格通常在春季走高。美国普通汽油均价上次出现类似周度大幅上涨是2022年3月俄乌冲突爆发之初。

Trump can suspend refugee admissions, US appeals court rules

March 5, 2026 8:28 PM UTC / Reuters

Summary

• Lower court had ruled against refugee suspension
• Appeals court acknowledges impact on 100,000 refugees
• Policy is part of Trump’s hardline immigration approach

March 5 (Reuters) – President Donald Trump has the authority to indefinitely suspend admissions of foreign nationals seeking to enter the United States under the U.S. refugee resettlement program, a federal appeals court ruled on Thursday, backing a key element of his hardline approach toward immigration.

A California-based three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reached that conclusion as it overturned most of the injunctions issued by a judge in Seattle last year against Trump’s halt on refugee admissions and related actions.

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The 9th Circuit last year allowed Trump’s policy to proceed, pausing most of U.S. District Judge Jamal Whitehead’s decisions in favor of the plaintiffs while the U.S. Justice Department’s appeal played out.

The Republican president froze refugee resettlement after taking office in January 2025, saying the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, or USRAP, must ensure that refugees admitted to the U.S.

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Trump’s tariff refunds may total up to $182 billion, estimates find

March 5, 2026 11:32 PM UTC / Reuters

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Shipping containers are stacked up at the port of Oakland, in Oakland, California, U.S., February 24, 2026. REUTERS/Carlos Barria Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

WASHINGTON, March 5 (Reuters) – A federal judge on Wednesday ordered the U.S. government to begin paying refunds of President Donald Trump’s emergency tariffs that the U.S. Supreme Court deemed illegal in late February. This could ultimately return $168 billion to $182 billion to importers, budget ​analysts estimate.

The mechanism for doing that is far from clear, but Court of International Trade Senior Judge Richard ‌Eaton ordered the Customs and Border Protection agency to report on Friday its initial ideas for a refund plan that would avoid thousands of individual lawsuits.

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“I want to make it clear to the customs service that they have to refund any money that was unlawfully collected,” Eaton told a hearing ​on Wednesday.

Here is a look at estimates and official data on tariff collections:

PENN WHARTON BUDGET MODEL

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Economists at this University of ​Pennsylvania fiscal research group estimate that CBP has collected up to $182 billion in gross revenue from ⁠tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act between February 4, 2025 and February 23, 2026.

The estimate, produced at Reuters’ ​request, is derived from a ground-up forecasting model that cross-references tariffs on about 11,000 product categories across 233 countries.

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Penn-Wharton used an alternative ​method to reach a second estimate of about $177 billion in IEEPA tariff revenues. Economists arrived at that figure by calculating the percentage of total U.S. Treasury customs receipts that were IEEPA tariffs through December 14, then applying that same share to later customs receipts.

CBP last reported $133.5 billion in IEEPA tariff ​assessments on December 14.

BUDGET LAB AT YALE UNIVERSITY

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IEEPA tariff revenue through February 19 totaled $168 billion, opens new tab, based on forward projections of the CBP ​assessments data through December 14, putting the Yale group slightly lower than the PWBM estimates.

The Yale group estimated that as of January 2026, all ‌tariffs imposed ⁠by Trump in 2025 raised the average inflation-adjusted customs revenue by $194.8 billion above the 2022-2024 average. This includes an increase of $174.7 billion over the course of 2025 and $20.1 billion in January 2026.

The Yale lab said that it had calculated a 9.9% effective U.S. tariff rate prior to the Supreme Court ruling against the IEEPA tariffs.

ESTIMATES OF TEMPORARY TARIFF REVENUE

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After the Supreme Court ruling, the Trump administration ​imposed a temporary 10% global ​tariff under Section 122 of ⁠the Trade Act of 1974 and announced it would rise to 15%.

The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimated that the 10% tariff would generate about $35 billion of net new revenue over the ​150 days it is allowed to be in effect under the law, rising to about $50 ​billion at a ⁠15% rate.

Congress would have to approve any extension, but if it did so, or the revenue was replicated through other tariff authorities, CRFB estimates the revenue over the next decade would exceed $900 billion at 10% or $1.3 trillion at 15%.

While in effect, the Section 122 tariffs would ⁠replace over ​half the revenue lost due to the Supreme Court ruling at 10% and ​over three-quarters at 15%, CRFB said.

Penn Wharton estimates the 10-year total revenue from Section 122 duties somewhat higher, at $1.51 trillion assuming a 15% rate. It estimates that ​2026 revenue from these duties could total $136 billion if left in place for a year.

Reporting by David Lawder; Editing by Cynthia Osterman

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FAA seeking steeper cuts in flights at Chicago O’Hare airport, sources say

By Reuters
March 5, 2026 11:13 PM UTC Updated 23 mins ago

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Travelers walk through Chicago O’Hare International Airport, in Chicago, Illinois, U.S. November 27, 2024. REUTERS/Vincent Alban//File Photo [Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab]

WASHINGTON, March 5 (Reuters) – The Federal Aviation Administration told airlines ​it wants to potentially ‌cut a few hundred additional flights at Chicago ​O’Hare airport this summer ​over what it initially ⁠outlined last week, sources ​told Reuters on Thursday.

Last ​week, the FAA proposed a 2,800 per day limit, down ​from the 3,080 ​daily operations announced for the summer, ‌but ⁠above last summer’s 2,680 daily flights, citing concerns about delays and airline ​over ​scheduling. ⁠The FAA told airlines this week ​it wants to ​limit ⁠flights to around 2,500 per day, but that ⁠number ​remains under discussion, ​the sources added.

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Reporting by David Shepardson; ​Editing by Chris Reese

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House Democrats vote to continue DHS shutdown despite Iran threat, Noem’s ouster

House Democrats rejected Republicans’ pressure strategy on DHS funding as terror threat grows

By Elizabeth Elkind
Fox News

Published March 5, 2026 4:51pm EST

House Democrats largely voted to allow the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown to keep going on Thursday, shrugging off Republicans’ concerns about the increased domestic terror threat amid the U.S.-Israeli operation in Iran.

It comes hours after President Donald Trump shocked Capitol Hill by ousting DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and appointing Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., as his replacement.

But that did not stop the vast majority of Democrats from voting against a bipartisan DHS funding bill aimed at funding the cabinet agency through Sept. 30, the end of the fiscal year.

The bill did pass the House in a 221 to 209 vote, with all but four House Democrats voting against it — a significant indicator that Noem’s firing is not enough to tip the scales in the ongoing standoff. The Democrats who voted in favor of the funding bill are Reps. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, Jared Golden, D-Maine, Marie Gluesenkamp-Perez, D-Wash., and Don Davis, D-N.C.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries speaks during a press conference on Capitol Hill on Nov. 3, 2025.(Roberto Schmidt/Getty Images)

Nearly identical legislation already passed the House in January, but House GOP leaders wanted to force the vote again in light of heightened national security concerns within the country’s borders.

While largely symbolic, it shows Republicans’ pressure strategy is falling on deaf ears as the left continues to protest President Donald Trump’s strategy to combat illegal immigration.

The bill was the product of original bipartisan negotiations that followed the longest-ever full government shutdown in U.S. history, which ended in November after 43 days.

It would fully fund all aspects of DHS while also including new guardrails on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) demanded by Democrats, like a body-worn camera mandate and new required training on public engagement and de-escalation.

But Democrats walked away from the deal en masse amid fallout from Trump’s immigration crackdown in Minnesota, which saw two U.S. citizens shot and killed by federal agents during anti-ICE demonstrations there. The operation has since ended.

Democratic leaders are still insisting on withholding their caucus’ support, however, until further restrictions are put on ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents on the ground in various cities.

A person holds an image of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as Iranian demonstrators protest against the U.S.-Israeli strikes, in Tehran, Iran, Feb. 28, 2026.(Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters)

And House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., signaled to reporters that Noem’s ouster was not enough.

“It’s not like Kristi Noem was the one who was involved in negotiating anything. She was a corrupt lackey. So we were dealing with the White House before, and we’re going to continue to deal with the White House at this point,” he said.

Meanwhile, the resulting DHS shutdown has taken on new significance as the U.S. continues its campaign to take out Iran’s top leadership and its military sites.

Republican leaders are warning that keeping DHS in a shutdown state is dangerous for national security, given its jurisdiction over agencies that monitor threats from home and abroad.

“Now is the time to be vigilant at home and to ensure that all of our doors are locked, so to speak,” Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said during a press conference Wednesday. “And yet, as all this is happening, we have Democrats running around here playing political games in Congress. It’s infuriating. They’ve shut down the very agency that is responsible for securing the homeland.”

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., pauses for questions from reporters as he arrives for a Republican Conference meeting at the Capitol in Washington, Feb. 3, 2026.(J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo)

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., called Republicans’ argument “insane” when asked by Fox News Digital earlier this week.

“Donald Trump launches an unauthorized war in the Middle East. … He decides that he wants to spend billions of dollars to bomb Iran, rather than spend taxpayer dollars to lower the grocery bills that are crushing the American people, and then wants to use his unauthorized war as an excuse to continue spending taxpayer dollars to brutalize or kill American citizens by continuing to unleash ICE without restriction on the American people?” Jeffries posed. “I think it’s ridiculous.”

It’s the Senate, however, where passing that DHS funding bill is actually key to ending the shutdown. The upper chamber voted again Thursday on the original legislation that passed the House in January, but it failed to reach the 60 votes necessary to overcome a filibuster.

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

US proposes to loosen bonding requirements for offshore oil, gas companies

March 5, 2026 9:21 PM UTC / Reuters

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An offshore platform is pictured after Tropical Storm Gordon in Dauphin Island, Alabama, U.S., September 5, 2018. REUTERS/Jonathan Bachman [Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab]

March 5 (Reuters) – The Trump administration said on Thursday it would replace a Biden-era rule that ​required some oil and gas companies ‌to set aside billions of dollars in extra funds for decommissioning oil platforms if they go ​out of business.

The new rule will ​save the industry $484 million a year in ⁠compliance costs, the U.S. Interior Department ​said in a statement, a move aligned with ​U.S. President Donald Trump’s efforts to loosen regulations on industry.

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Here are more details:

• The Biden administration’s 2024 rule required ​oil and gas companies to provide $6.9 ​billion in new bonds or other financial assurances to ‌protect ⁠taxpayers from cleanup costs in the event of bankruptcy.
• Trump’s Interior Department said the costs fell on small businesses and changes would ​free up funds ​for ⁠investment and job growth.
• The proposal will be published in the Federal ​Register and be available for public ​comment ⁠for 60 days.
• A 2024 Government Accountability Office report found the government was exposed to ⁠billions in ​financial risks if offshore ​oil and gas companies failed to meet their decommissioning ​obligations.

Reporting by Nichola Groom; editing by Diane Craft

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Fetterman breaks with Democrats, backs Trump pick Mullin for DHS secretary role | Fox News

Democrat Sen John Fetterman has called for Noem’s ouster and believes Mullin already has votes to win confirmation

By Adam Pack
Fox News

Published March 5, 2026 4:33pm EST

President Donald Trump fires DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and names Sen. Markwayne Mullin as her replacement after he was reportedly unhappy with her testimony regarding a $220 million ad campaign.

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Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., will have at least one Democratic “yes” vote in support of his nomination to become President Donald Trump’s next Department of Homeland Security (DHS) secretary.

Trump announced Thursday afternoon that he tapped Mullin to replace outgoing DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, who will leave the agency March 31. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., immediately threw his support behind Mullin’s nomination, dubbing the Oklahoma lawmaker a “nice upgrade” compared to Noem.

Fetterman repeatedly called for Noem’s ouster and said Thursday he was pleased with Trump’s decision.

“We’re in a different party, but this is the choice. I want to work together for making our America more secure,” he said.

Fetterman also said that he strongly believes Mullin already has the votes to win confirmation. Senate Republicans are widely expected to back Mullin’s nomination, and the jovial Oklahoma lawmaker could win over some Democrats. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, who has voted against some Trump nominees, said she has a “great deal of respect” for Mullin and is “OK” with his nomination.

Under Senate rules, Cabinet nominations are set at a 51-vote threshold.

However, many of Fetterman’s Democratic colleagues were either noncommittal about Mullin’s nomination or suggested they would not support him.

“Whoever follows Kristi Noem is going to have to be totally and radically different in their approach to running this agency,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said Thursday. “Changing the person at the top is no substitute for changing the practices and the power structure of a department that is out of control.”

Blumenthal added that Mullin would have to commit to Democrats’ various reforms seeking to rein in immigration enforcement in order to win his vote.

Mullin has repeatedly criticized Democrats’ proposal to prohibit federal immigration officers from wearing masks and requiring judicial warrants during enforcement operations.

“I like him personally,” Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, a member of Senate Democratic leadership, said of Mullin before adding that it was too early to debate his nomination.

Sens. Jack Reed, D-R.I., and Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., told Fox News Digital that they would not yet weigh in on Mullin’s nomination. Slotkin notably voted for Noem’s confirmation despite later souring on the secretary.

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Mullin appeared somewhat taken aback by the news of his nomination when talking with reporters outside the U.S. Capitol on Thursday afternoon.

“No, the president and I still have to communicate, so we’ll talk about it moving forward,” Mullin said. “The president and I have already talked… I’ll talk to you all [later].”

Fetterman has been the lone Democrat to advance a DHS spending measure amid a funding standoff over the agency’s appropriations that has no clear end in sight.

He poured cold water on the prospect of his Democratic colleagues reversing course to support funding DHS in response to Mullin’s nomination, telling reporters he expected “no change” with the partial shutdown.

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