Judge slams brakes on city’s homelessness crackdown, halting ban on encampments

An Oregon judge has issued a preliminary injunction blocking a rural city at the center of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on homeless encampments from enforcing camping restrictions unless certain conditions are met.

Josephine County Circuit Court Judge Sarah McGlaughlin ruled Friday that the city of Grants Pass must increase capacity at locations the city approved for camping and ensure the sites are physically accessible to people with disabilities.

If the city fails to meet those conditions, the judge’s order prohibits the city from citing, arresting or fining people for camping on public property. It also prevents the city from forcing people to leave campsites, from removing campsites that are not clearly abandoned or from prohibiting camping in most city parks.

The city may still enforce rules banning sleeping on sidewalks and streets or in alleys and doorways.

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Mayor Clint Scherf told The Associated Press he was “disheartened” by the judge’s order. The city’s information coordinator, Mike Zacchino, told the outlet that the city was “reviewing all aspects to ensure we make the best decision for our community.”

The lawsuit that ignited the case, filed by Disability Rights Oregon, argued that the city was discriminating against people with disabilities and violating a state law requiring cities’ camping regulations to be “objectively reasonable.” Five homeless people in Grants Pass were among the plaintiffs.

Grants Pass has struggled for years to handle the homelessness crisis and has become symbolic of the national debate over how to respond to the issue. Many of the city’s parks, in particular, saw encampments impacted by drug use and litter.

Fremont, California — another city seeking to deal with the homelessness crisis — passed one of the nation’s strictest anti-homeless encampment ordinances last month, banning camping on any public property and subjecting anyone “causing, permitting, aiding, abetting or concealing” encampments to either a $1,000 fine or up to six months in jail.

Last summer, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a case brought by the city that communities can ban sleeping outside and fine people who violate the ban, including when there are not enough shelter beds.

The Supreme Court ruling overturned an appeals court decision that camping bans enforced when shelter space is insufficient amounted to cruel and unusual punishment under the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

Following the high court ruling, Grants Pass banned camping on all city property except sites designated by the City Council, which established two locations for the hundreds of homeless people in an effort to remove them from the parks.

After taking office this year, the new mayor and new council members moved to close the larger of the two sites, which housed roughly 120 tents, the lawsuit said. The smaller site’s hours of operation were also reduced to between 5 p.m. and 7 a.m.

Both sites were often crowded, with poor conditions and inaccessible to people with disabilities because of loose gravel, according to the complaint.

“It is unconscionable to me to allow people to live there like that,” City Council member Indra Nicholas said before the vote to close the larger site.

CALIFORNIA CITY PASSES SWEEPING HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT BAN ON ALL PUBLIC PROPERTY

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After the lawsuit was filed, the city reopened a second, smaller site and extended the time people could remain at the location to four days.

McGlaughin’s order states that the city must increase capacity to what it was before the larger site was closed.

Tom Stenson, deputy legal director for Disability Rights Oregon, praised the ruling.

“This is not a radical solution. The court is basically saying, ‘Go back to the amount of space and places for people who are homeless that you had just three months ago,'” he told The Associated Press.

Hegseth announces major plan with key ally to deter China, potential ‘military aggression’

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced Sunday a plan to upgrade the U.S. military command in Japan, a country he described as indispensable in combating Chinese aggression.

“We share a warrior ethos that defines our forces,” Hegseth told Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani in Tokyo, adding that Japan is “our indispensable partner” in “deterring communist Chinese military aggression,” including across the Taiwan Strait.

Hegseth said Japan is a “cornerstone of peace and security in the Indo-Pacific” and that the Trump administration would continue to work closely with the Asian country.

HEGSETH SAYS US TO BOOST TIES WITH PHILIPPINES AS DETERRENCE AGAINST CHINA: ‘PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH’

Last year, then-President Joe Biden’s administration announced a major restructuring of the U.S. military command in Japan to deepen coordination with the country’s forces, as the two allied countries called China their “greatest strategic challenge.”

The change will place a combined operational commander in Japan, who would be a counterpart to the head of a joint operations command established last week by Japan’s Self-Defense Forces.

Hegseth’s high praise for Japan contrasts with his criticism of European allies in February, telling them they should not assume the U.S. presence in the region would last forever.

U.S. President Donald Trump has complained that the bilateral defense treaty in which the U.S. government vows to defend Japan is not reciprocal. In his first term, Trump said Japan should fork over more money to host U.S. troops.

Japan hosts 50,000 U.S. military personnel, squadrons of fighter jets and America’s only forward-deployed aircraft carrier strike group along a 1,900-mile East Asian archipelago that hems in Chinese military power.

This comes as Japan doubles military spending, including money to purchase longer-range missiles. But the operational scope of its forces is limited by its U.S.-authored constitution – adopted after its defeat in World War Two – which renounces the right to start war.

REPORTERS SAY THEY FOUND WALTZ, GABBARD, HEGSETH PRIVATE INFO ONLINE

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Hegseth and Nakatani agreed to accelerate a plan to jointly produce beyond-visual-range air-to-air AMRAAM missiles and to consider working together on the production of SM-6 surface-to-air defense missiles to support a shortage of munitions, Nakatani said.

The Pentagon chief said he asked Nakatani for greater access to Japan’s strategic southwest islands, along the edge of the contested East China Sea near Taiwan.

In his first official visit to Asia, Hegseth traveled to Japan from the Philippines.

On Saturday, he attended a memorial service on Iwo Jima, the site of fighting between U.S. and Japanese forces 80 years ago.

Canada’s new prime minister rocked by academic scandal weeks before election

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is facing allegations that he copied parts of his 1995 doctoral thesis at Oxford University without proper credit. The report comes as he’s seeking election to remain the country’s PM next month, when Canadian voters head to the polls on April 28.

The National Post reviewed Carney’s thesis, “The Dynamic Advantage of Competition,” with three university experts, who found at least 10 instances of apparent plagiarism. 

The experts told the National Post that Carney copied full quotes, paraphrased ideas, and slightly modified sentences from four different sources without giving proper credit.

CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER MARK CARNEY SAYS ‘OLD RELATIONSHIP’ WITH US ‘IS OVER’ AMID TENSION OVER TRUMP TARIFFS

“He’s just directly repeating without quotations. That’s plagiarism,” said Geoffrey Sigalet, a professor at the University of British Columbia who helps handle academic misconduct cases, told the National Post.

Carney’s campaign responded to the National Post with a statement from his former Oxford supervisor, Margaret Meyer, who dismissed the allegations. “I see no evidence of plagiarism in the thesis,” she said. “Mark’s work was thoroughly researched and approved by a faculty committee.”

Meyer also told the National Post that “it is typical that overlapping language appears” if sources are regularly referenced.

Oxford University defines plagiarism as “presenting work or ideas from another source as your own without full acknowledgment.” Another professor, speaking anonymously to the National Post, said Carney’s thesis appears to meet that definition.

Carney’s campaign spokesperson, Isabella Orozco-Madison, called the accusations an “irresponsible mischaracterization” of his work.

CANADA’S NEW PM AND TRUMP CRITIC MARK CARNEY ACCUSED OF BEING OUT OF TOUCH WITH THE ‘COMMON MAN’

One of the key examples from the National Post’s report shows Carney closely copying a passage from economist Michael E. Porter’s 1990 book, “The Competitive Advantage of Nations.” On page 206 of his thesis, Carney wrote: “First, government intervention can impede international competition and artificially support domestic profits.” This is nearly identical to Porter’s original wording.

Carney also reportedly copied sections from Jeremy C. Stein’s 1989 article in The Quarterly Journal of Economics and H.S. Shin’s 1994 article in The RAND Journal of Economics, with only minor wording changes.

The possible plagiarism appears throughout the thesis. “It’s all over the dissertation, not just one part,” said Sigalet. Even small wording changes without proper citation are still considered plagiarism.

Oxford University warns that plagiarism is a serious offense that can lead to penalties, including expulsion. “Even when you reword something, you still need to cite the source,” Sigalet added.

Carney, a former Bank of Canada and Bank of England governor, has had a high-profile career, including top roles at Goldman Sachs and Brookfield Asset Management. He has faced criticism for his elite background and globalist tendencies.

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However, plagiarism allegations have led to resignations and revoked degrees for politicians and academics in the past.

Last year, Harvard University’s president Claudine Gay stepped down amid plagiarism claims, though she denied wrongdoing.

Carney is an outspoken critic of President Trump amid ongoing tariff battles between Canada and the U.S.

Susie Wiles gives Americans a rare peek into inner workings of the White House under Trump

President Donald Trump’s second administration has “hit the ground running” in its first 100 days, said White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles in her debut interview, noting she is a critical part of “keeping the trains on the tracks.”

Wiles was tapped to become the first female chief of staff just days after Trump won the 2024 election. She is a longtime GOP operative who was widely credited for running what was lauded as Trump’s most disciplined and well-executed campaign. 

“I see my job as just sort of keeping the trains on the tracks and running on time here, so that the subject-matter experts — and particularly the president and the vice president — can do what they need to do to fix the country,” she said Saturday on “My View with Lara Trump.”

She added Trump was “ready to hit the ground running” after having four years to consider his agenda between his first and second terms. 

TRUMP CHARGES AHEAD WITH AGENDA IN WEEK 10 AS JUDGES TRY TO BLOCK HIS EXECUTIVE ORDERS

Although she made history with her position in the second Trump administration, Wiles said “it doesn’t feel any different to me than anything else.”

“I don’t think I was the first woman to lead a Republican presidential campaign. I don’t think I was, and when the president asked me to be his chief of staff, I didn’t know that would be the case here. I just keep doing what I think is right. Keep working as hard as I can, and it’s working for me.”

Wiles told Fox News host Lara Trump that she had “no” reservations about taking the job, but added one “wouldn’t be human if you didn’t say you didn’t have a little fear.”

Largely avoiding the spotlight, Wiles has been in the political world since the 1980s, and her political career has jumped to new heights since meeting Trump in 2015. Wiles touted the duo’s “good dynamic.”

HERE’S WHAT HAPPENED DURING TRUMP’S NINTH WEEK IN OFFICE

“I’ve been with him long enough that we have a pretty good, easy thing going, but that doesn’t mean I don’t wake up every single day and be a little bit on edge to make sure I keep that up and do it right every day, because that’s what he deserves and that’s what the country deserves from us,” she said, arguing Trump is a “better leader now” than during his first term. 

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With just over a month left in the first 100 days, Wiles affirmed the administration’s focus. 

“We’re very invested and involved in a trade conversation. He’s trying to settle a war. These are heady, big things that are important not for now, but for the future. Rebuilding the American economy; getting all these criminals out of our country; peace in the world,” she said.

“The first month we were here, everybody was so thrilled to be here — euphoric about where we were and having won the election and having the president back. Now we’re into the time where it’s real work. It’s really long hours. It’s a slog to get his agenda accomplished.” 

Trump unveils how his tariffs could revitalize automakers right here in America

President Donald Trump said Saturday that he “couldn’t care less” if automakers raise prices due to the impact of his upcoming tariffs on foreign-made cars, arguing that the move will lead to more purchases of cars produced in the U.S.

“I couldn’t care less if they raise prices, because people are going to start buying American-made cars,” Trump told NBC News. “I hope they raise their prices, because if they do, people are gonna buy American-made cars. We have plenty.” 

The president also said he did not warn auto companies against raising costs in response to the tariffs – pushing back on reports that he made the threats as a way to control the price of cars.

TRUMP’S 25% AUTO IMPORT TARIFFS: THESE ARE THE MOST IMPACTED MANUFACTURERS

This comes after Trump announced 25% tariffs on foreign-made cars and auto parts, sparking concerns about potential price hikes that would impact consumers. The tariffs are part of the president’s efforts to promote American manufacturing, as he has argued that tariffs would lead foreign auto producers to move production into the U.S. and boost American jobs.

The tariffs, which are slated to go into effect on Wednesday, would be permanent, the president said.

“Absolutely, they’re permanent, sure. The world has been ripping off the United States for the last 40 years and more,” Trump said.

“And all we’re doing is being fair, and frankly, I’m being very generous,” he added.

If the taxes are fully passed onto consumers, the average auto price on an imported vehicle could spike by $12,500, which could impact overall inflation, according to The Associated Press.

Trump said he would only consider negotiating with countries to lower the tariffs “if people are willing to give us something of great value.”

TRUMP’S AUTO TARIFFS COULD BE BOON FOR RENTAL CAR COMPANIES

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Despite skepticism from economists about the tariffs benefiting America and criticisms from foreign leaders, Trump maintains that the U.S. will enjoy long-term growth as a result.

“For the most part, I think it’s going to lead cars to be made in one location,” Trump told reporters on Wednesday.

Rob Lowe, now in his 60s, shares priceless advice on aging he got from acting icon

Flight passenger recounts wild moment on plane that sparked internet backlash: ‘It was nuts’

An air traveler took to Reddit to share a flying experience that involved a fellow passenger invading her personal space.

Posted in the “r/delta” forum, the user wrote in the title that she “had to push someone’s feet back.”

“They decided halfway into the flight to start kicking/pushing on my calves with their feet/shoes,” the user wrote.

FLIGHT PASSENGER SAYS TRAVELER SENT $150 OVER VENMO IN SWAP FOR AISLE SEAT

The user also said the male passenger stuck his “whole foot” and shoe underneath the seat and over the bar, stretching into her personal area.

“I could see at least half his shoe before I did the shove and I should have taken a pic, it was nuts – almost his entire foot/shoe was where MY FEET should be,” the post said.

FLIGHT PASSENGER ‘FINALLY’ REJECTS SEAT-SWAP REQUEST, TRIGGERS SOCIAL MEDIA DEBATE

“DO NOT do this to the person in front of you. EVERYONE is uncomfortable- not just you,” the user added, saying it was the first time she has ever encountered this.

Users took to the comments section to share similar experiences and their thoughts on the interaction. 

“Kudos to you for pushing back. Guy sounds like he was raised in a barnyard,” said one user. 

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A Redditor commented, “Feet over bar? Stand up with heels on front of feet.”

“I wish the shoes had laces. Wonder if you could tie them to the bar,” another joked.

“I’d dump a drink on their feet. Oops,” a user commented.

“Definitely push FA  [flight attendant] call button,” said another.

 “I just threw up a little….on your behalf. Ew,” one person wrote.

“When something similar happened to me I turned around and said “Will you please stop touching my body? I don’t want a leg massage.” And luckily that was enough to put a lid on it for the rest of the flight,” commented another.

A user wondered, “Can people get any more entitled.”

Jacqueline Whitmore, a longtime etiquette expert based in Florida, told Fox News Digital proper airline behavior means that you “keep your arms and legs to yourself.”

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“The seats may be getting smaller by the day, but that doesn’t give you the right to spill over into someone else’s space or put your head on another person’s shoulder — unless, of course, you know that person well,” Whitmore said.

Maine lawmaker reacts after state refuses to ban trans athletes from girls’ sports

The state of Maine could face consequences from the Department of Justice for its continued refusal to ban trans athletes from girls sports, and the lawmaker who brought awareness to the issue in the state weighed in. 

After the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) said it referred Maine’s “noncompliance” with Title IX rules to the Justice Department Friday, Maine Republican state Rep. Laurel Libby placed blame on Gov. Janet Mills and the state’s Democratic lawmakers.

“Governor Mills and the Democrat majority refusal to comply with federal Title IX protections has now resulted in Maine being officially referred to the Department of Justice. This is a direct consequence of their radical policies that put ideology ahead of fairness and safety for Maine girls and the education of our students,” Libby told Fox News Digital.

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“Mainers believe in common sense, fairness and protecting the rights of women and girls in sports and spaces. While this extreme stance does not reflect the values of our state, it is ultimately Maine’s schools, students and taxpayers who will suffer the consequences of their reckless decisions and ongoing feud with biological reality.”

Libby brought national attention to her state’s issue of trans inclusion in girls sports with a social media post revealing a transgender track and field athlete at Greely High School had taken first place at a Maine girls pole vault competition after competing as a boy just one year earlier.

TRUMP ADMIN RESPONDS TO MAINE’S RELUCTANCE TO BAN TRANS ATHLETES FROM GIRLS SPORTS

Libby’s revelation of the trans athlete ignited national conversation and coverage of the state’s policy on trans inclusion after Maine announced it would not comply with President Donald Trump’s recent “No Men in Women’s Sports” executive order. 

Trump then vowed to cut funding to the state for refusing to follow his order during a gathering of governors at the White House Feb. 20. 

The next day, Mills’ office responded with a statement threatening legal action against the Trump administration if it did withhold federal funding from the state. Then, Trump and Mills verbally sparred in a widely publicized argument at the White House during a bipartisan meeting of governors. 

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Just hours after that dispute, the U.S. Department of Education announced it would be investigating the state for allowing trans athletes to compete in girls sports and potential Title IX violations. 

Police protection was later assigned to the high school attended by the trans athlete Libby identified in her Facebook post. 

Libby was then censured for her Facebook post by Maine’s Democratic majority because she posted a photo of a minor. 

She has since filed a lawsuit seeking to have her censure overturned.