Judge blocks Trump admin from firing federal probationary workers in 19 states and DC
A federal judge blocked President Donald Trump’s administration from firing federal probationary workers in 19 states and Washington, D.C., on Wednesday.
U.S. District Court Judge James Bredar’s order directs 18 federal agencies to “undo” the “purported terminations” of thousands of probationary federal workers before Tuesday, April 8th, though the order only applies to states whose attorneys general brought the case.
The states impacted by Wednesday’s ruling include Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia.
Bredar’s order is only the latest move by federal courts to hamper Trump’s agenda, though it falls short of the nationwide injunctions used in other instances.
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Since Trump entered office, he has faced a slew of nationwide injunctions to halt actions of his administration. So far in his new term, the courts have hit him with roughly 15 wide-ranging orders, more than former Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Joe Biden received during their entire tenures.
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Some of those who have ordered the Trump administration to halt certain actions are U.S. District Judges James Boasberg, Amir Ali, Loren AliKhan, William Alsup, Deborah Boardman, John Coughenour, Paul A. Engelmayer, Amy Berman Jackson, Angel Kelley, Brendan A. Hurson, Royce Lamberth, Joseph Laplante, John McConnell and Leo Sorokin.
Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich condemned the wave of injunctions as a “judicial coup d’etat” during testimony before a House Judiciary subcommittee on Tuesday.
The former lawmaker highlighted that the vast majority of judges filing injunctions or restraining orders against Trump’s executive actions have been appointed by Democrats.
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“If you look at the recent reports from various polling firms, clearly a majority of Americans believe that no single district judge should be able to issue a nationwide injunction,” Gingrich responded.
“Look, my judgment is as a historian. This is clearly a judicial coup d’etat. You don’t have this many different judges issue this many different nationwide injunctions – all of them coming from the same ideological and political background – and just assume it’s all random efforts of justice,” he continued.
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“This is a clear effort to stop the scale of change that President Trump represents,” he added.
Judge makes long-awaited ruling in historic corruption case against NYC mayor
A judge on Wednesday dismissed the corruption indictment against New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
U.S. District Judge Dale E. Ho of the Southern District of New York dismissed the case against Adams with prejudice, meaning it can’t be brought back again.
The Biden Justice Department alleged that Adams inappropriately used his position as mayor to solicit illegal campaign contributions and luxury travel from foreign nationals from Turkey, businessmen and others.
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The DOJ, now under President Donald Trump, urged the judge to drop the case, but Ho said last month he would take time to consider the motion.
“The case against Eric Adams should have never been brought in the first place – and finally today that case is gone forever,” Adams’ attorney, Alex Spiro, said in a statement to Fox News. “From Day 1, the mayor has maintained his innocence and now justice for Eric Adams and New Yorkers has prevailed.”
In his first public remarks since the judge’s decision, Adams did not address the dismissal Wednesday morning and instead stayed on script at an event discussing efforts to combat retail theft. He walked off the stage afterward and took no questions.
The DOJ motion notably asked the judge to dismiss the case without prejudice, arguing that “continuing these proceedings would interfere with” the mayor’s ability to govern, thereby threatening “federal immigration initiatives and policies.”
“In light of DOJ’s rationales, dismissing the case without prejudice would create the unavoidable perception that the Mayor’s freedom depends on his ability to carry out the immigration enforcement priorities of the administration, and that he might be more beholden to the demands of the federal government than to the wishes of his own constituents,” Ho wrote in his decision Wednesday. “That appearance is inevitable, and it counsels in favor of dismissal with prejudice.”
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The judge noted that Adams submitted a motion of his own seeking dismissal with prejudice and the DOJ did not oppose that motion, effectively waiving any objection to permanent dismissal of this case.
Ho also pushed back on the Trump administration’s argument that the case had been tainted by “appearances of impropriety.”
“There is no evidence – zero – that they had any improper motives,” Ho wrote in defense of the prosecutors.
Adams faces a competitive mayoral primary contest this summer, as former Gov. Andrew Cuomo entered the contest this month and has already announced an eye-popping $1.51 million in fundraising.
The case against Adams was brought nine months before the 2025 mayoral primary election, but Ho asserted that the timing was “entirely consistent with prior public corruption prosecutions.”
The judge rejected that DOJ argument that the case amounted to “election interference” and slammed the Trump administration’s rationale that the case would get in the way of immigration enforcement. Ho noted that Adams announced that he would allow U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to operate at the Riker’s Island jail shortly after the Justice Department sought to have the case against him dismissed and while the indictment was still pending.
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“In other words, the record does not show that this case has impaired Mayor Adams in his immigration enforcement efforts. Instead, it shows that after DOJ decided to seek dismissal of his case, the Mayor took at least one new immigration-related action consistent with the preferences of the new administration,” Hoe wrote. “Everything here smacks of a bargain: dismissal of the indictment in exchange for immigration policy concessions. Taking a step back from the particulars of this case, DOJ’s immigration enforcement rationale is both unprecedented and breathtaking in its sweep.”
‘Pawn Stars’ boss Rick Harrison has message for fentanyl sellers after son’s death
Rick Harrison found hope in the Trump administration after losing his son, Adam, to a fentanyl overdose one year ago.
The “Pawn Stars” boss praised President Donald Trump for taking steps to shut down the border and prevent criminal activity. Two days after Trump took his second oath of office, the president issued an executive order suspending migrants from crossing the southern border.
Adam Harrison died in January 2024 due to “fentanyl and methamphetamine toxicity,” Clark County, Nevada, coroners confirmed to Fox News Digital at the time. His manner of death was ruled an accident. He was 39.
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“Closing the border was absolutely amazing,” Harrison exclusively told Fox News Digital. “That’s where … that’s where it’s all coming from.”
Harrison also issued a stern warning to perpetrators caught selling the narcotic. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine, according to the California Department of Public Health.
“Closing the border was absolutely amazing.”
Fentanyl can be sold alone or combined with other drugs to make them cheaper.
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“I want anyone selling fentanyl to go to jail for the rest of their life,” Harrison said. “They’re selling poison. They’re killing people. I think it’s every 11 minutes someone dies from fentanyl in this country.”
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He added, “It’s just horrific, and something has to be done about it. If you make the punishment for selling it so bad, it’ll probably still be out there to some degree, but a lot of it’ll go away. Close up the borders, you know, really start cracking down on these countries that are letting people manufacture it there.”
“I want anyone selling fentanyl to go to jail for the rest of their life. They’re selling poison. They’re killing people.”
After Adam’s death, Harrison remembered Trump calling to offer his condolences.
“I was kind of a train wreck at the time. I’ll be completely honest,” Harrison said. “I don’t remember the conversation that well. I mean, I was really bad for a week.”
The reality star recalled Trump telling him that his administration was going to “do what we can” to stop the fentanyl crisis.
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“I believed him – just look at the border now,” Harrison said. “Border crossings are down 98% or something like that. It was just coming across the border like crazy, and like, we just need to crack down.”
The longtime TV star has thwarted his own political ambitions, but he admitted he might be ready for a new gig.
“I keep on thinking about it,” he said of the idea of running for office. “Eventually, probably, I will. But I’m really enjoying life right now.”
The reality star proposed to fiancée Angie Polushkin in March after dating for more than a year.
He added, “I can’t change the world, but maybe I can make it a little bit better. And so I do a lot of charity work, things like that. But maybe I’ll run for office.”
In an incident report obtained by the New York Post, Adam had reportedly been behind bars for months before moving into a guesthouse in the Las Vegas area, where he was found dead.
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While Adam was not featured on “Pawn Stars,” he reportedly worked at the shop and in the family business.
“Pawn Stars” debuted in 2009 and still airs today. The premiere date for season 23 has yet to be released.
Vacation abroad turns tragic for American nurse after accident leaves her ‘all metal’
Warning, graphic content
An American ICU nurse had a harrowing brush with death after her rental moped crashed during a vacation to Thailand, leaving her with a brain bleed, a broken collarbone and shattered teeth.
Sierra Fairhurst, 23, arrived at Boston Logan International Airport in Massachusetts on March 27 after two weeks in Thailand. According to a GoFundMe, Fairhurst was in a moped crash during a vacation in Thailand.
“Despite the long road ahead for her, this could have been completely different, and I’m so grateful to have her here, alive and her brain in working order,” Zoe Rose, Fairhurst’s mother, said in the most recent GoFundMe update.
“Her face can be fixed, her wounds will heal, bones can be repaired,” Rose said. “She has the strength to overcome all of this.”
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Fairhurst rented a moped during her travels in the Southeast Asian country. She told Boston 25 that at one moment they were on the road, and the next they weren’t.
She awoke in a foreign hospital with devastating injuries.
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“I remember going to see the elephants, and we went zip-lining and all the excursions that we did, but that’s it,” she said. “My eye socket is broken, I almost lost my eye, my cheek bones and nose were broken, so that’s all metal now.”
After the accident, the 23-year-old nurse was taken to Krabi, on southern Thailand’s west coast, for treatment. She was eventually transferred to a facility in Bangkok before returning home, according to GoFundMe.
Rose and Fairhurst’s brother, J, arrived in Thailand after the accident to help her. Her identification was lost in the aftermath of the accident, which complicated the process.
“In the confusion of the accident and her friends packing luggage to transfer with her to the next hospital, all of Sierra’s identification is missing,” Rose said. “She has no ID, social security card, or passport. It is imperative that once she is stable she gets to come home to Boston and receive the best care and recover at home with her family.”
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With the help of the U.S. State Department, Fairhurst was given proper documentation to travel back to the U.S.
“I know she’s very self-conscious in regard to the scarring on her face and missing teeth, but she still came out of this alive, and her brain is healing and doing well, and she’s still beautiful,” she told Boston 25.
When she returned from her trip, Fairhurst went directly to a Boston hospital to be evaluated, and it was determined she did not need inpatient care.
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Fairhurst visited the wound clinic and oral maxillofacial surgeon and has appointments scheduled with her primary care provider, neurologist, ocular plastic surgeon, orthopedic surgeon and cosmetic dentist, according to the GoFundMe.
Country star Morgan Wallen capitalizes off controversial exit from ‘SNL’
Morgan Wallen is making lemonade out of lemons.
The “Last Night” singer shared on his Instagram story on Tuesday that he is selling new merchandise, including T-shirts and baseball caps with the words “Get me to God’s Country” written on them.
The announcement comes a few days after the country star was featured as the musical guest on the March 29 episode of “Saturday Night Live,” when he performed two songs from his upcoming album, including “Just in Case” and “I’m the Problem.”
His appearance on the show caused a stir, as the singer walked off the stage after the host, Mikey Madison, thanked him for his performance, choosing not to join the rest of the cast members as they hugged and celebrated the end of the show together.
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Shortly after the show was over, Wallen shared that he was excited to be going home, later writing “Get me to God’s country,” on Instagram stories underneath a photo of an airplane.
He has now taken the phrase and turned it into a money-making opportunity, making the most of his controversial “SNL” appearance.
While many found the singer’s exit to be abrupt, sources told Fox News Digital there is no bad blood between Wallen and the popular late-night show, calling his walk-off an “oops” moment.
“That was the way he entered and exited the studio all week during rehearsal and camera blocking, so he just walked that way after hugging Mikey,” an insider shared.
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This was Wallen’s first appearance on the show in five years. He also caused some controversy the first time he was scheduled to perform in 2020, when fans took issue with the fact that he was out at an Alabama football game and later a crowded bar, without a mask on.
He was immediately removed from the scheduled “SNL” appearance. Wallen apologized in a video shared online.
“I’m in New York City in a hotel room, I was getting ready for ‘SNL’ this Saturday, and I got a call from the show letting me know that I will no longer be able to play,” he said. “That’s because of COVID protocols, which I understand.”
Adrienne Uthe, founder of Kronus Communications, told Fox News Digital his recent misstep on “SNL” just goes to show Wallen is a “good ol’ (imperfect) American boy who’s most interested in living a life on his terms,” and no one elses.
“Morgan Wallen does what Morgan Wallen does – like the rest of us, he’s unfiltered, unrehearsed, and couldn’t care less about surface-level showbiz etiquette,” Uthe said. “Country stars have always been the last frontier of real in a polished industry – they write music for everyday Americans, not for headlines.”
His upcoming album, “I’m The Problem,” is set to be released in May, and among the many new songs, will include a new song titled “Superman.” In the lyrics of the song, which he dedicated to his son, Wallen will discuss his April 2024 arrest in Nashville, Tennessee, after he threw a chair off a rooftop bar.
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Tell-all reveals how Obama backstabbed Harris behind the scenes after Biden’s exit
Reporter and author Jonathan Allen said Tuesday that former President Barack Obama was working against Vice President Kamala Harris after President Joe Biden dropped out, advocating for an open primary because he didn’t think Harris could win.
“President Obama absolutely did not think that Joe Biden should continue, according to our sources close to President Obama,” Allen told MSNBC. “And he also didn’t want Kamala Harris to be the replacement for Biden. He didn’t think that she was the best choice for Democrats, and he worked really behind the scenes for a long time to try to have a mini-primary, or an open convention, or a mini-primary leading to an open convention, did not have faith in her ability to win the election.”
Allen, a senior politics reporter at NBC News, and Amie Parnes, a senior political correspondent for The Hill, joined MSNBC to discuss their new book set to be released this month, titled, “FIGHT: Inside the Wildest Battle for the White House.”
“As it turned out, she didn’t win, but he was really working against her,” Allen continued.
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Allen also said Obama was not willing to endorse Harris when he talked to the vice president on the day Biden dropped out.
Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama did eventually endorse Harris, but their support came five days after the president announced he was dropping out and endorsed Harris himself.
“In one moment, he had set up a phone call with Congressman [James] Clyburn from South Carolina on the day that Joe Biden handed off the baton to Kamala Harris, and Obama had set up a call with Clyburn for like 5:30 that afternoon. And Clyburn thought to himself, this guy is going to try to rope me into the open convention thing, I better get my endorsement of Harris out there fast, so this is a short conversation,” Allen said.
Obama and Harris’ offices did not immediately return requests for comment.
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The book, according to an excerpt published by The Hill, also details how Biden repeatedly urged Harris not to break with him publicly on his administration’s policies.
“But the day of the debate Biden called to give Harris an unusual kind of pep talk — and another reminder about the loyalty he demanded. No longer able to defend his own record, he expected Harris to protect his legacy,” authors Allen and Parnes wrote. “Whether she won or lost the election, he thought, she would only harm him by publicly distancing herself from him — especially during a debate that would be watched by millions of Americans. To the extent that she wanted to forge her own path, Biden had no interest in giving her room to do so.”
Biden told Harris, “No daylight, kid,” during their phone call ahead of the debate, according to the book excerpt.
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Harris was criticized throughout her campaign for not breaking with the president on more issues after she took his spot at the top of the Democratic ticket. At one point, she told “The View” that she couldn’t think of anything she would have done differently than Biden during his first term.
Pro-Trump writer pours cold water on VP’s chances of succeeding president
Pro-Trump writer Batya Ungar-Sargon offered some skepticism that Vice President JD Vance will take on the MAGA mantle from President Donald Trump, suggesting a “gap” between the two of them on policy could be a hurdle for the VP down the road.
“I don’t think it’s JD. I know everybody else does. I’m just not sure,” Ungar-Sargon told Fox News Digital in an interview.
“I don’t like to make predictions because I’m always wrong,” she said. “And I’m for sure wrong about this because everybody else thinks that he’s going to be a shoo-in. But I really think that there are certain issues where it’s very clear that he and President Trump are not on the same page. And I just wonder if those gaps are going to become, you know, smaller or wider.”
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Ungar-Sargon pointed to Trump’s own comments during his sit-down with Fox News’ Bret Baier during the Super Bowl interview last month when he was asked whether he viewed Vance as his successor in 2028.
“No, but he’s very capable,” Trump responded to Baier. “I think you have a lot of capable people. So far, I think he’s doing a fantastic job. It’s too early. We’re just starting.”
“I think the fact that President Trump has been unwilling to say, ‘Yes, he is my heir apparent’ despite choosing him as VP when he was asked point blank, he said no… but I guess we’ll see,” Ungar-Sargon reacted.
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The journalist praised the GOP’s “deep bench” of potential candidates, particularly the “young talent,” including 40-year-old Vance.
“I think JD is totally brilliant and I think he has a very bright future ahead of him. I’m just not sure if he is the inheritor of this movement,” Ungar-Sargon said.
When asked what issues she thought Vance and Trump weren’t aligned on, Ungar-Sargon called abortion the most significant one that Vance needs to pivot towards his boss.
“I saw [Vance] giving a speech… and he kept talking about the unborn,” Ungar-Sargon recalled. “I know that there’s a huge segment of the right who really identifies with that issue. And I, of course, admire and respect that. I just think that that’s not enough to win. And I think that there’s a lot of Americans kind of much more in the middle on this issue who really appreciate President Trump’s approach.”
The Free Press columnist credited Trump for having “neutralized” abortion as a political issue during the 2024 election, citing a recent poll showing Americans not listing abortion among top issues.
“And people will say, ‘Oh, that’s because it’s not an important issue to Americans.’ And I would say to them, no. It’s because President Trump neutralized it, because he told Americans, ‘I feel about it the way that you do,'” she said. “That’s a real danger zone for the GOP going forward.”
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Vance’s standing appears to be strong among the GOP base. As Ungar-Sargon noted, he trounced all other Republicans in the straw poll conducted at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) last month, earning a whopping 61% support among attendees.
That said, she speculated that a member of Trump’s cabinet could emerge as a “dark horse,” including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was notably a former GOP rival of Trump’s during the 2016 election, as well as Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.
‘Batman’ and ‘Top Gun’ star Val Kilmer dead at 65 after long health battle
Actor Val Kilmer, who starred in many high-profile films, including “Top Gun,” “Batman Forever” and “Tombstone,” died Tuesday. He was 65.
The Associated Press reported that Kilmer died of pneumonia.
Kilmer, who played Tom “Iceman” Kazansky in the original “Top Gun” in 1986, died in Los Angeles, according to his daughter, Mercedes Kilmer.
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The actor was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2015, but recovered, she said.
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Josh Brolin paid tribute on Instagram to the Mark Twain fanatic, who played the writer twice on screen and also in the “Citizen Twain” theater production.
“See ya, pal. I’m going to miss you,” Brolin wrote. “You were a smart, challenging, brave, uber-creative firecracker. There’s not a lot left of those. I hope to see you up there in the heavens when I eventually get there. Until then, amazing memories, lovely thoughts. #valkilmer #marktwain.”
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Kilmer most recently appeared in “Top Gun: Maverick” in 2022 to reprise his infamous role as Iceman.
Although he could portray his character, he still had difficulty due to damage from a tracheostomy. Kilmer required the use of a breathing tube.
“I can’t speak without plugging this hole [in his throat]. You have to make the choice to breathe or to eat,” he told People Magazine in 2021. “It’s an obstacle that is very present with whoever sees me.”
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When Kilmer and Cruise reunited for “Maverick,” nearly 30 years after the original “Top Gun” was released, it was like the pilots had never left each other’s sides.
“It was like no time had passed at all,” Kilmer shared with Entertainment Weekly. “We blew a lot of takes laughing so much. It was really fun … special.”
In recent years, Kilmer spent time painting and was described as “a talented and prolific artist in a variety of mediums” on his website.
Kilmer was born and raised in Los Angeles, and attended Julliard School in New York City. He made his film debut in the 1984 comedy, “Top Secret!”
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His breakthrough role, though, was playing Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone’s 1991 rock docudrama, “The Doors.”
He then portrayed Doc Holliday in “Tombstone,” and Elvis Presley’s spirit in “True Romance,” before taking on the role of a caped crusader in “Batman Forever.”
Kilmer was known for roles in “Heat,” “The Saint,” “The Salton Sea,” “Alexander,” “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang,” and “Conspiracy.”
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He showed off comedic chops in the “Macgruber” comedy, and voiced K.I.T.T. in a number of “Knight Rider” episodes.
The “Thunderheart” actor married fellow “Willow” star Joanne Whalley in 1988 after meeting on the set of the film. They divorced in 1996.
Kilmer is survived by his two children, Mercedes and Jack.