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Trump Admin Asks SCOTUS To Block Lower Court Injunction On Military ‘Trans’ Policy

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The Trump administration asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday to stay a lower court’s nationwide injunction blocking enforcement of its policy disqualifying trans-identifying troops from serving in the military.

In the application filed by the Justice Department, U.S. Solicitor General John Sauer requested that the high court stay a universal injunction by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. Issued by a Bush-appointed judge, the injunction is one of several orders put forward by lower court judges attempting to prevent the administration’s policy — which largely disqualifies individuals with gender dysphoria from military service — from going into effect.

As noted in the application, the first Trump administration’s military “trans” policy, which was adopted in 2018 under then-Secretary of Defense James Mattis, “generally disqualified individuals with gender dysphoria from military service.” While “district courts enjoined the policy on a universal basis” following challenges from various plaintiffs, the Supreme Court “stayed those injunctions,” thus allowing it to take effect.

Military specialists have long highlighted how authorizing Americans who identify as “transgender” to serve negatively affects military readiness.

The Trump administration had previously filed an emergency request to stay the injunction with the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. A three-judge panel on the court declined to lift the injunction last week, claiming in a one-page order that the administration did “not demonstrate[] that they will suffer irreparable harm absent a stay.” (Read more from “Trump Admin Asks SCOTUS To Block Lower Court Injunction On Military ‘Trans’ Policy” HERE)

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Trump Admin Freezes Additional $1 Billion In NIH Grants To Harvard University

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The Trump administration is pausing more than 500 grants worth an additional $1 billion from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to Harvard University, senior HHS officials told the Daily Caller.

Senior Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) officials told the Caller that the decision to pause the funds is because the institution has been “intransigent with respect to obligations to protect students on this campus from the effects of insidious antisemitism.” The grants include those that were funding the institution’s training of its scientists and other non-clinical trial grants, the officials told the Caller. The frozen grants will not effect the care of any children, the officials added.

“Harvard needs to fully come into compliance with Title IV of the 1964 Civil Rights Act,” a senior HHS official told the Caller regarding what the university needs to do to have the funds unfrozen. “They need to remedy the violations of Title IV with respect to Jewish students on campus, they need to make sure that the not violating title six with respect to their admissions practices, and they need to provide sufficient guarantees that this conduct is not going to repeat itself.”

The Trump administration previously sent a list of demands to the institution, asking for several audits on their response to anti-Israel protests on campus and their admissions process. The institution released a public letter defying the administration’s requests. From there, the Trump administration moved to freeze $2.2 billion to the university. Monday’s action, shared with the Caller by senior HHS officials, is in addition to the $2.2 billion frozen.

“[Harvard’s public letter] clearly demonstrates that the university can, when motivated, respond quickly, but we’ve seen them go 18 months without apparently being sufficiently motivated to address the rampant antisemitism on this campus,” one senior HHS official told the Caller. (Read more from “Trump Admin Freezes Additional $1 Billion In NIH Grants To Harvard University” HERE)

EPA’s Zeldin Demands End to Mexican Sewage Flooding Across Border: ‘It’s Been Going on for Too Long’

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The Trump administration is tackling a different border flow after illegal crossings plunged to record lows.

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin embarked Monday on a mission to halt the flow of Mexican sewage into the US from Tijuana.

“EPA is going to be on the border with Mexico,” Zeldin told reporters Monday before flying to San Diego.

“There, for decades, has been raw sewage that’s been traveling across the border, and Americans are very concerned with regards to beach closures, degradation of the Tijuana River Valley and concerns of public health, air quality,” Zeldin said.

“It’s been going on for too long, and we have to urgently and deliberately pursue and implement a solution that permanently ends this, and that is an important focus of ours.”

Zeldin will meet Tuesday with Mexican Environmental Secretary Alicia Bárcena before highlighting the impact on local military operations. (Read more from “EPA’s Zeldin Demands End to Mexican Sewage Flooding Across Border: ‘It’s Been Going on for Too Long’” HERE)

Trump Launches Investigation Into Colleges Over Transgender Fencing Scandal

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A special administration task force formed by President Donald Trump has launched investigations into the University of Maryland and Wagner College after they failed to protect a female athlete penalized for refusing to compete against a male who identifies as a female, The Daily Wire can first report.

The Title IX Special Investigations Team — a joint Education Department and Justice Department project — launched a directed investigation Monday into the University of Maryland over allegations that it not only allowed a male athlete to compete in the women’s category of the USA Fencing Tournament, but also allowed that male athlete to use women’s-only intimate facilities.

The Special Investigations Team is also investigating Wagner College for its own practices and polices that allegedly allowed that male to compete in female sports and to use female intimate spaces.

Both colleges received letters from the Title IX Special Investigations Team on Monday, The Daily Wire has learned.

Officials black-carded and booted 31-year-old Stephanie Turner from a tournament at the University of Maryland for refusing to compete against Redmond Sullivan, a male who identifies as a woman and who formerly competed against males. USA Fencing allowed Sullivan, who competes for Wagner College, to compete in the women’s tournament, the organization confirmed to The Daily Wire. (Read more from “Trump Launches Investigation Into Colleges Over Transgender Fencing Scandal” HERE)

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Top Trump Adviser Reveals Administration’s ‘Red Line’ Ahead of Iran Talks

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Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff was adamant Friday that the Trump administration will not allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon, describing the provocative action as a “red line” — but said that the US would still be open to compromise ahead of talks with the adversary.

“I think our position begins with dismantlement of your program. That is our position today,” Witkoff told the Wall Street Journal, explaining what he plans on telling Iranian officials on Saturday in Oman.

“That doesn’t mean, by the way, that at the margin we’re not going to find other ways to find compromise between the two countries,” the special envoy added, suggesting there are some accommodations the Trump administration might be willing to provide the theocratic regime in order to get it to scrap possible nuclear ambitions.

“Where our red line will be, there can’t be weaponization of your nuclear capability,” Witkoff asserted. (Read more from “Top Trump Adviser Reveals Administration’s ‘Red Line’ Ahead of Iran Talks” HERE)

Pete Hegseth Says Panama Accepted Agreement on Warship Canal Passage After China Accused the U.S. of ‘Blackmail’

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U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said that the nation of Panama agreed to allow warship passage through the canal after Chinese officials accused the U.S. of trying to use blackmail to further its interests.

Hegseth said that the two nations had signed a memorandum of understanding to allow U.S. warships to pass through the canal without paying a toll. The agreement for security cooperation also includes auxiliary vessels.

When asked about the accusation, Hegseth fired back at China.

“I don’t know anything about blackmail,” he responded, “but I do know about strength, peace through strength, and deterrence.”

On Wednesday a Chinese official had more fiery rhetoric against the U.S. as a trade war escalated between President Donald Trump and the communist-governed nation.

“Everyone knows who wants to control the Panama Canal,” said ministry spokesperson Lin Jian to reporters. “The U.S. side should take a look in the mirror to see who really threatens the sovereignty, security, and development of other countries.” (Read more from “Pete Hegseth Says Panama Accepted Agreement on Warship Canal Passage After China Accused the U.S. of ‘Blackmail’” HERE)

Why Comparing Trump’s Tariffs To The Smoot-Hawley Act Is Dishonest

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Trump’s tariffs are not designed to encourage Americans to borrow money and maximize their consumption. Nor are they designed to encourage participation in speculative stock market or real estate bubbles. America’s free trade policies encouraged such excesses after the end of the Cold War, and we can’t stand a repeat of the folly. While his critics wrongly invoke the Smoot-Hawley tariff failures of 1930, Trump’s emerging tariff policies, particularly if combined with the appropriate monetary policy, will have much better results and Make America Great Again.

As Trump’s tariffs are implemented, they will generate revenue for the federal government and encourage investment in atrophied as well as cutting-edge sectors of the American economy. In addition, they will increase the quantity and quality of jobs available for Americans as a whole, will persuade (and are already persuading) our trading partners to adopt fairer and less predatory trading regimes, will arrest a possible slide into recession, and will get our economy moving toward our long-term growth potential of 3 percent (or more) GDP growth per year.

President Trump says “tariff” is one of his favorite words, and historical evidence indicates tariffs work. They worked for the Chinese this century, they worked for the Japanese after World War II, and they worked for the U.S. and Germany in the late 19th century. Back then, American and German growth rates and economic vibrancy radically outstripped the growth rates and economic vibrancy of a free-trading Britain, which, after abandoning its early 19th-century tariffs, adopted the free trade nostrums of David Ricardo and slipped into decline.

One of the few instances when tariffs failed was during the Smoot-Hawley tariff episode at the beginning of the Great Depression. But there are special circumstances surrounding the imposition of the Smoot-Hawley tariffs that the free-traders hesitate to mention. When the United States raised the Smoot-Hawley tariffs, the U.S. was the world’s greatest creditor, and by raising the tariffs, we prevented others from selling us things so they could make money and pay us back. When they didn’t pay us back, it collapsed the global financial system and helped usher in the Great Depression.

Obviously, today the circumstances are reversed. The United States is now the world’s largest debtor. If we can’t pay back our debts, the global financial system will collapse, which would be disastrous for the entire world. (Read more from “Why Comparing Trump’s Tariffs To The Smoot-Hawley Act Is Dishonest” HERE)

Federal Judge Orders White House to Lift Ban on AP

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A federal judge on Tuesday ruled it was unconstitutional for the White House to bar the Associated Press from Oval Office events.

U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden said the move violated the First Amendment.

“The Government offers no other plausible explanation for its treatment of the AP. The Constitution forbids viewpoint discrimination, even in a nonpublic forum like the Oval Office,” wrote McFadden, a Trump appointee.

“Under the First Amendment, if the Government opens its doors to some journalists—be it to the Oval Office, the East Room, or elsewhere—it cannot then shut those doors to other journalists because of their viewpoints,” he continued. “The Constitution requires no less.”

(Read more from “Federal Judge Orders White House to Lift Ban on AP” HERE)

Dramatic Selloff Of U.S. Bonds Hits, Investors Worried About U.S. Economy

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On Wednesday, in an apparent response to the latest tariff increase by President Donald Trump on China to 104%, the yield – or interest rate – on the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury bond rose again, possibly spurring a cut in interest rates by the Federal Reserve.

“The exodus from longer-dated US Treasuries accelerated, fueling the biggest selloff since 2020 in what are supposed to be the world’s safest assets,” Yahoo Finance reported. U.S. Bonds are backed by the government, and the U.S. economy has been the strongest in the world for decades, so investors think the government will not default on them, making them a safe proposition. But they become less valuable as inflation rises, and some investors have been voicing concern that inflation may well result if President Trump’s tariffs are too harsh and are left in place.

On Monday, JP Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon warned of inflationary pressure, saying, “Whatever you think of the legitimate reasons for the newly announced tariffs — and, of course, there are some — or the long-term effect, good or bad, there are likely to be important short-term effects. We are likely to see inflationary outcomes, not only on imported goods but on domestic prices, as input costs rise and demand increases for domestic products. Whether or not the menu of tariffs causes a recession remains in question, but it will slow down growth.”

“This is a fire sale of Treasuries,” Calvin Yeoh of Blue Edge Advisors said. “I haven’t seen moves or volatility of this size since the chaos of the pandemic.” (Read more from “Dramatic Selloff Of U.S. Bonds Hits, Investors Worried About U.S. Economy” HERE)

Tariffic: 50 Countries Already Coming to the Table; India, Taiwan Bend Knee

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Agricultural Secretary Brooke Rollins said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union” that the Trump administration’s tariffs are already making countries negotiate.

Rollins said, “I think it’s really important to realize that last Wednesday was when the president announced this new american order, the new american economic plan. We’re now two days in, right? You’ve got two days of data.”

She added, “This whole concept is about rebuilding an American economy around American goods, around American industry. We do already live under a tariff regime in this country, but it’s the tariff regime of China, of Mexico, of Brazil, of Australia, of countries that Mexico won’t take our corn, Australia won’t take our beef. The country of Honduras takes more pork than the entire European Union does, American pork, I should say. So, from our farming and ranching perspective, which is what I’m focused on, but happy to talk about anything that it has to, it is time for a change. That’s what this president evoked last Wednesday.” (Read more from “Tariffic: 50 Countries Already Coming to the Table; India, Taiwan Bend Knee” HERE)

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