Former President Donald Trump's defense attorney repeatedly speculated as a legal pundit that Trump's alleged affair with Stormy Daniels likely happened and that the $130,000 payment made to Daniels days before the 2016 election could be seen as an in-kind campaign contribution, contradicting his recent legal and public defense of Trump.

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Manuel Oliver, the father of Parkland shooting victim Joaquin Oliver, was arrested during a House committee hearing on gun laws. He speaks with CNN's Alisyn Camerota about the experience.

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Timothy Parlatore, an attorney for former President Donald Trump, said Thursday that he testified before a grand jury investigating classified documents found at Mar-a-Lago for several hours in December 2022 about additional searches for classified documents at Trump properties.

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The new cold war is not playing out over a wall that divides a continent but in the pockets of millions of Americans.

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As he gears up for a likely reelection campaign, President Joe Biden on Tuesday will kick off a three-week tour to highlight the impact of his signature legislative accomplishments as the impacts of those laws begin to be felt around the country, according to a White House official.

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Former President Donald Trump's defense attorney repeatedly speculated as a legal pundit that Trump's alleged affair with Stormy Daniels likely happened and that the $130,000 payment made to Daniels days before the 2016 election could be seen as an in-kind campaign contribution, contradicting his recent legal and public defense of Trump.

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The House voted Friday to pass a controversial bill that aims to increase so-called parental rights in the classroom, as House Republicans spotlight an issue that has emerged as a key party priority.

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The Manhattan grand jury investigating former President Donald Trump is not concluding this week, with questions swirling over how close the grand jury is to bringing an indictment -- or if it actually will at all.

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Prosecutors in Brazil have agreed to a deal with Rep. George Santos in a case in which he is accused of defrauding a Rio de Janeiro area clerk of $1,300 over clothes and shoes in 2008, documents obtained by CNN show.

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New York City Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh was hit with an age discrimination lawsuit that alleges she targeted older top staffers with demotions, retaliation and forced retirements.

Several high-level FDNY staffers in their late 50s and early 60s sued Kavanagh, the city's first female fire commissioner, for unspecified damages, back pay and the return of job titles under the state’s human rights laws, according to a 53-page lawsuit filed in the Brooklyn state Supreme Court first published by the New York Post.

The lawsuit claimed staff members were forced to work in a hostile and retaliatory work environment. 

Kavanagh, according to the lawsuit, "sought not just to end, but literally to destroy, their long and distinguished careers" and attempted to "replace Plaintiffs and other senior employees with younger personnel."

CHRISTIE BRINKLEY SPEAKS OUT AGAINST AGEISM: IT ‘GNAWS AWAY AT ONE’S CONFIDENCE’

"The victims were targeted because they were at or near the age of 60," the lawsuit states.

The suit was filed by 61-year-old ex-FDNY Assistant Chief of Fire Prevention Joe Jardin, 62-year-old assistant Chief of Operations Michael Gala and 59-year-old Chief of Uniformed Personnel Michael Massucci.

NEW YORK CHILDREN RESCUED AFTER CALLING 911 TO REPORT THEY WERE 'STUCK IN THE SEWER'

The complaint follows a 36-page lawsuit filed in February, accusing Kavanagh of acting like a "political operative" by demoting and reassigning staff chiefs at the expense of public safety.

The filing cites a Feb. 6 New York Daily News article quoting anonymous sources claiming that Schaaf "resisted transferring and disciplining some firefighters" when "allegations of racism" were made in a Queens firehouse, Jardin was the subject of "a series of complaints with the city’s Office of Equal Employment Opportunity" for his "tough-guy management style," and Gala was considered a "divisive element in the department."

'WHITE FRAGILITY' AUTHOR WARNS PEOPLE OF COLOR TO 'GET AWAY FROM WHITE PEOPLE'

The lawsuit states that before joining the FDNY in 2014, Kavanagh worked as a "political operative" on campaigns and never spent a "day as a firefighter."

"Respondent Kavanagh has no experience fighting fires and worked only on the civilian side of the FDNY before ascending to Commissioner."

ERIC ADAMS WANTS NYC TO BE 'PLACE OF GOD' AFTER PREDECESSOR TARGETED RELIGION THROUGHOUT PANDEMIC

Kavanagh was appointed commissioner of the FDNY by Mayor Eric Adams in October 2022. 

Before the lawsuit was filed, Kavanagh defended herself from criticism over demoting some of the department’s top brass in an interview with Spectrum News.

"I think sometimes people forget I am new because I was at the department for almost a decade, but I am just a few months into my tenure, and I want to have my own team," the commissioner said.

"Every commissioner has changed their team over, so it's been a while. Commissioner [Daniel] Nigro was there for almost eight years, so I think maybe that's why it seems new, but it's really not."

"We will review the case once served," a city law department spokesperson told Fox News Digital. Mayor Adams did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Fox News' Danielle Wallace contributed to this report
 

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Emergency personnel have responded after a package with suspicious powder was delivered to the New York City building housing the Manhattan District Attorney's office, according to police. 

The New York Police Department said the package was delivered by USPS on Friday. No injuries were reported, and as of yet no one has been ordered to evacuate.

Police responded to the scene shortly after 12 p.m.

District Attorney Alvin Bragg is currently weighing whether to proceed with an indictment against former President Donald Trump for alleged hush money payments made to porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

 

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Democratic and Republican leaders took turns accusing the other party of being "extreme" on Friday after the House of Representatives passed the Parents Bill of Rights Act mostly along party lines.

In the lead-up to the vote, Democrats accused the bill of promoting "fascism" and said it was "extreme," claiming it will lead to banning books and outing LGBTQ+ students. No Democrats voted for the legislation, and after it passed, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., told reporters the GOP was attempting to "jam their right-wing ideology down the throats of students, teachers and parents throughout America."

"Extreme MAGA Republicans want to ban books on the Holocaust. Ban books on the Holocaust. Extreme MAGA Republicans want to ban books on Martin Luther King Jr. Extreme MAGA Republicans want to ban books on the LGBTQ journey in the United States of America. Extreme MAGA Republicans even want to ban a book on Roberto Clemente and baseball," Jeffries claimed at the weekly Democratic press conference Friday. "That's their educational agenda."

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., also led a news conference with members of his party, returning fire at the Democrats for opposing the bill.

‘PARENTS BILL OF RIGHTS’ WINS ZERO VOTES FROM DEMS WHO ATTACK IT AS ‘FACISM,’ ‘EXTREME’ ATTACK ON SCHOOLS

"We have such an extreme minority party that they couldn't even denounce socialism," McCarthy said, referring to a House resolution condemning socialism that Democrats opposed. "Such an extreme minority party that thinks you should decriminalize carjacking and even some forms of murder. Such an extreme minority party, in the Democrats, that they think parents shouldn't have a say in their kids' education." 

Republicans say their legislation channels growing anger from parents across the country about access to information on everything from school curricula to safety and mask policies to the prevalence of gender ideology and critical race theory in the classroom. 

The Parents Bill of Rights Act would require school districts to give parents access to curriculum and reading lists and would require schools to inform parents if school staff begin encouraging or promoting their child’s gender transition.

GOP SETS UP VOTE ON PARENTS BILL OF RIGHTS TO STOP PUBLIC SCHOOL ‘INSANITY’

Democrats view it as an attack on LGBTQ+ people. They argued that informing parents if their child uses different pronouns or expresses as a different gender at school would "out" them before they are ready, inflicting harm.

The bill says parents have "the right to know if a school employee or contractor acts to… change a minor child’s gender markers, pronouns, or preferred name; or… allow a child to change the child’s sex-based accommodations, including locker rooms or bathrooms."

HAKEEM JEFFRIES BLASTED FOR CLAIM THAT GOP DOESN'T WANT KIDS ‘TO LEARN ABOUT THE HOLOCAUST’: ‘DISGUSTING LIE’

As for book bans, the bill text states that parents would have a right to "a list of the books and other reading materials available in the library of their child's school" and may "inspect such books or other reading materials." There is no legislative language that instructs schools to remove books from the library or create a list of banned books. 

House Republicans argue the books under attack in some states and communities are those that include explicit sexual content that they say is not appropriate for certain ages and isn’t a core educational requirement. Democrats insist those arguments are a pretext to target LGBTQ+ content in schools, motivated by bigotry and hate. 

The Parents Bill of Rights Act now heads to the Senate, where Democrats hold a majority. In the unlikely event the bill gets a vote and passes there, President Biden would almost surely side with his fellow Democrats and veto it. 

Fox News' Peter Kasperowicz contributed to this report.

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A bipartisan pair of senators have revived the bid to cap insulin prices at $35 for all Americans who need it, a similar measure to one that narrowly failed as an amendment to President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act last year.

The new legislation, if passed, would guarantee that even those who are uninsured would not pay more than $35 per month for the vital diabetes medication.

The bill was introduced on Thursday by Sens. John Kennedy, R-La., and Raphael Warnock, D-Ga.

"By making preventative care accessible, this bill would reduce long-term health care costs for individual patients, avoid devastating complications from diabetes and take pressure off the entire health care system," Kennedy said in a statement.

ELI LILLY CAPS OUT-OF-POCKET COSTS FOR INSULIN EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY

Warnock said he was "thrilled to work with" his "colleague and friend, Senator Kennedy, to finally make insulin affordable for everyone who needs it."

"Insulin was a 100-year-old drug that was sold for $1. No one should feel forced to put their health or life in danger because they can’t afford their insulin. We have the momentum – let's get this done," the Georgia Democrat said.

HOUSE PASSES BILL CAPPING INSULIN AT $35 A MONTH FOR PATIENTS WITH INSURANCE

In the last Congress, Kennedy introduced an amendment to Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act that would have capped the cost of insulin at $35 for low and middle-income Americans, which did not pass.

However, the Senate did approve an amendment spearheaded by Warnock that maxed out the medication’s price at the same level for all Medicare recipients.

STATE OF THE UNION: BIDEN LAYS OUT ECONOMIC PLAN, CALLS FOR BIPARTISANSHIP BUT REPEATEDLY CHIDES REPUBLICANS

It is not immediately clear how much support the new bipartisan bill will have in the Senate and the GOP-controlled House of Representatives, but it is an initiative that the White House has gotten behind as well. Biden’s budget proposal for the next fiscal year includes a proposal to make insulin $35 per month for everyone.

This month, pharma giant Eli Lily announced it would put in place its own insulin price cap, making the drug available to all patients at just $35 out of pocket.

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Kentucky's Democratic governor issued an election-year veto Friday of a Republican bill aimed at regulating the lives of transgender youths that includes banning access to gender-affirming health care and restricting the bathrooms they can use.

The bill also bans discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in schools and allows teachers to refuse to refer to transgender students by the pronouns they use. It easily passed the GOP-led legislature with veto-proof margins, and lawmakers will reconvene next week for the final two days of this year's session, when they could vote to override the veto.

Gov. Andy Beshear said in a written veto message that the bill allows "too much government interference in personal healthcare issues and rips away the freedom of parents to make medial decisions for their children."

In his message, he warned that the bill's repercussions would include an increase in youth suicides. The governor said, "My faith teaches me that all children are children of God and Senate Bill 150 will endanger the children of Kentucky."

KENTUCKY GOV. ANDY BESHEAR STOPS SALE OF DRUG KNOWN AS 'GAS STATION HEROIN'

Beshear's veto comes as he seeks reelection to a second term this year in Republican-trending Kentucky, and his veto could reverberate through the November election.

The legislation in Kentucky is part of a national movement, with state lawmakers approving extensive measures that restrict the rights of LGBTQ+ people this year, from bills targeting trans athletes and drag performers to measures limiting gender-affirming care.

In Kentucky, the expanded version that reached Beshear's desk was rushed through both legislative chambers in a matter of hours March 16 before lawmakers began an extended break. The fast-track work enabled lawmakers to retain their ability to override the governor's veto. The action triggered outrage and tears among opponents unable to stop the legislation.

The bill’s supporters say they are trying to protect children from undertaking gender-affirming treatments that they might regret as adults. Research shows such regret is rare.

LOUISVILLE EXPANDING YEAR-OLD 911 POLICE DIVERSION PROGRAM

The repackaged measure would ban gender-affirming care for transgender minors. It would outlaw gender reassignment surgery for anyone under 18, as well as the use of puberty blockers and hormones, and inpatient and outpatient gender-affirming hospital services.

Doctors would have to set a timeline to "detransition" children already taking puberty blockers or undergoing hormone therapy. They could continue offering care as they taper a youngster’s treatments, if removing them from the treatment immediately could harm the child.

Such treatments have long been available in the United States and are endorsed by major medical associations.

"The American Medical Association reports that receipt of care dramatically reduces the rates of suicide attempts, decreases feelings of depression and anxiety and reduces substance abuse," Beshear said in his veto message.

The bill would not allow schools to discuss sexual orientation or gender identity with students of any age.

Another key provision would require school districts to devise bathroom policies that, "at a minimum," would not allow transgender children to use the bathroom aligned with their gender identities.

It also would allow teachers to refuse to refer to transgender students by the pronouns they use and would require schools to notify parents when lessons related to human sexuality are going to be taught.

Beshear said in his veto message that the bill would turn educators and administrators into "investigators that must listen in on student conversations and then knock on doors to confront and question parents and families about how students behave and/or refer to themselves or others."

After the bill passed the legislature, the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky warned that it "stands ready" to challenge the measure in court if it becomes law.

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Rep. Jamaal Bowman has recently positioned himself as one of the most ardent defenders of TikTok, which critics have alleged is a Chinese spyware app. The New York Democrat, meanwhile, is tied to a foundation that received a $150,000 donation from TikTok's parent company late last year.

Bowman, an avid TikTok user, held a Wednesday press conference on Capitol Hill defending the popular social media app alongside two other Democratic lawmakers and so-called TikTok influencers. 

During the presser, the "Squad" member claimed that politicians are hypocrites for singling out the app when its American-owned counterparts have allowed Russia, for example, "to interfere with our 2016 election" and have "allowed lies and misinformation to live on their platforms."

Bowman further suggested that TikTok's opposition stems from racism. "Let's not have a dishonest conversation," he said. "Let's not be racist towards China and express our xenophobia when it comes to TikTok, because American companies have done tremendous harm to American people."

FBI DIRECTOR CHRIS WRAY TESTIFIES CHINESE-OWNED TIKTOK HAS POWER TO 'DRIVE NARRATIVES,' 'DIVIDE AMERICANS'

Bowman is a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, whose affiliated nonprofit, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, in December received a $150,000 donation from ByteDance, TikTok's parent company. The donation went towards honoring members of the caucus.

ByteDance also funneled a $150,000 donation that same month to the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, a nonprofit affiliated with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. The donation also honored members of its respective congressional caucus. 

A member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, California Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia, joined Bowman at the TikTok press conference to oppose a ban on the app. Democratic Rep. Mark Pocan was also in attendance. 

DESANTIS SAYS HE WOULD BAN TIKTOK NATIONWIDE IF GIVEN THE AUTHORITY: 'I DON'T WANT OUR KIDS ON' THIS STUFF

ByteDance moved the money while facing national security concerns and ban threats in the United States. Critics argue that the Chinese government could access user data, such as browsing history and location, and push communist propaganda through the app. The donations also occurred as the company and its subsidiaries spent $5.4 million on lobbying activities in the U.S., its highest yearly amount yet.

ByteDance's donations to the Congressional Black Caucus and Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute were its largest reported in lobbying filings last year. Reps. Bowman and Garcia's offices did not respond to a Fox News Digital inquiry by the time of publication. ByteDance did not respond to a previous request for comment on its contributions to the nonprofits.

Fears surrounding the popular social media site grew following a report last year that showed a TikTok team in China accessed data of U.S. TikTok users, including two journalists. ByteDance fired four employees over the matter.

TIKTOK ALGORITHM MYSTERY: WHAT WE KNOW, AND DON'T KNOW, ABOUT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT'S CONTROL OF THE APP

"The evidence that China is using TikTok to spy on and influence American citizens is clear, and it only keeps mounting as time goes on," Republican Florida Sen. Marco Rubio wrote in a Fox News Digital op-ed.

"Moreover, Beijing's influence on ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, is undeniable. Not only does Chinese law compel ByteDance to hand over data at a moment's notice, but the Chinese government also holds an ownership stake in the tech giant's key domestic subsidiary."

On Thursday, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew testified before the House Energy and Commerce Committee. During the hearing, Republican Florida Rep. Neal Dunn asked whether ByteDance had ever spied on American citizens.

"I don't think that spying is the right way to describe it," Zi responded.

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Democratic Gov. Tony Evers' $3.8 billion proposed spending on state building projects got the thumbs down from Republicans as expected on Thursday, sending the final decision on funding to the GOP-controlled Legislature's budget committee.

Republicans on the state building commission voted against Evers' proposal, just as they have for his prior two budgets. That means it will be up to the Legislature's Joint Finance Committee to make the final call.

That committee begins taking testimony from state agencies about the Evers budget on Tuesday. It will build the budget based off the current one, not what Evers proposed in February. The Legislature is expected to pass its plan sometime in June, sending it to Evers who can make changes with his line-item veto power.

WISCONSIN GOV. EVERS LIKELY TO VETO BUDGET UNLESS IT INCLUDES CERTAIN PAY HIKES

Two years ago, Republicans approved spending $1.5 billion on building projects out of the $2.4 billion that Evers proposed. In 2019, Evers’ first budget, Republicans approved $1.9 billion out of $2.5 billion that Evers wanted.

Evers has called for tapping the state's projected $7 billion budget surplus to pay for building projects in cash, rather than more borrowing. But Republicans have criticized his plan as being too costly and have promised to cut it back.

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Elon Musk and Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO), battled on Twitter over the potential dangers of a sweeping, legally binding global agreement under discussion to combat future pandemics.

"Countries should not cede authority to WHO," Musk tweeted Thursday in response to a video of Australian Senator Malcolm Roberts criticizing the United Nations' health agency and what both supporters and opponents informally call a "pandemic treaty" that has been in the works.

Ghebreyesus quickly responded to Musk, the billionaire owner of Twitter, rejecting the notion that a pandemic treaty would undermine national sovereignty and centralize too much power in the hands of the WHO, as critics allege.

"Countries aren't ceding sovereignty to [the WHO]," tweeted Ghebreyesus. "The pandemic accord won't change that. The accord will help countries better guard against pandemics. It will help us to better protect people regardless of whether they live in countries that are rich or poor."

At the WHO's weekly news conference later on Thursday, Ghebreyesus dismissed claims that the pandemic treaty would have countries cede power to the WHO as "quite simply false" and "fake news," in an apparent reference to Musk's comments.

"If any politician or businessperson, or anyone at all is confused about what the pandemic accord is and isn't, we would be more than happy to discuss it and explain it," said Ghebreyesus.

The WHO director added that countries will decide what the global pandemic accord says and implement its measures "in line with their own national laws."

Supporters argue a pandemic treaty can address the holes exposed by the world's response to the COVID pandemic. Ghebreyesus has criticized countries for adopting "me-first" approaches that, he argues, stymie the global solidarity needed to deal with threats like COVID.

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION'S SHORT PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR PANDEMIC TREATY RECEIVES BACKLASH

Georgetown University Professor of Global Health Law Lawrence Gostin, director of the WHO's Collaborating Center on National and Global Health Law, has similarly condemned "nationalistic leaders" for "taking a stance of 'my country first.'"

An early draft of the treaty reportedly included a measure for governments to reserve 20% of any tests, vaccines, or treatments developed for the WHO to distribute in poorer countries. The draft also appeared to push for intellectual property rights to be waived during pandemics, which advocates say would allow for wider access to life-saving drugs and vaccines more quickly.

An initial "zero draft" from last year outlining ideas for how the WHO can strengthen its preparedness and response to health emergencies called on the global body to establish a "new global system for surveillance" and "to deploy proactive countermeasures against misinformation and social media attacks."

GOP FIRES WARNING SHOT AT BIDEN OVER ‘DEEPLY FLAWED’ WHO TREATY ON PANDEMIC RESPONSE

Critics say the treaty would vastly expand the authority and resources of the WHO, which would be given greater control to dictate how nations respond to future pandemics — power, they argue, that isn't deserved in light of the global body's handling of COVID.

Republicans in Congress have warned they will oppose any attempt by the Biden administration to adhere to a global pandemic treaty unless the agreement first wins Senate approval.

In December 2021, the 194 member countries of the World Health Assembly, the WHO's decision-making body, agreed to "kickstart a global process to draft and negotiate a convention, agreement, or other international instrument under the Constitution of the World Health Organization to strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response."

The decision established an intergovernmental negotiating body to draft an international pandemic treaty. Talks on the treaty are underway. The goal is to deliver a progress report to the World Health Assembly this year and to adopt the treaty next year.

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Majority Democrats in the Maine Legislature are pushing through a "baseline budget" to ensure government operations continue in the new fiscal year while leaving the door open to discussions on new spending initiatives in a supplemental budget to be addressed later.

The advancement of a pared-down budget to be adopted by the end of next week, the deadline for a simple majority-approved bill to go into effect on July 1, prevents Republicans from using a state government shutdown as an 11th-hour negotiating tactic but preserves their negotiating clout for proposals to be considered later.

The proposal emerged Thursday after closed-door negotiations between the parties and Democratic Gov. Janet Mills over her proposed $10.3 billion, two-year budget.

MAINE CHIEF JUSTICE SAYS CASE BACKLOGS 'HURT HER HEART'

Sen. Peggy Rotundo, a committee co-chair, said that splitting up the budget into two parts provides stability for families, schools, municipalities and businesses while allowing both parties "to continue working in a collaborative and productive manner on any new initiatives and programs in the coming months."

"We pledge to continue this work with our colleagues and will do so with our ongoing commitment to improving the lives of all Mainers," added Rep. Melanie Sachs, a Democrat from Freeport, the other committee co-chair.

MAINE COURT ORDERS STATE REPHRASE POTENTIALLY 'MISLEADING' BALLOT QUESTION

The process mirrors what happened in 2021, when Democrats passed a majority budget over the objection of Republicans. A bipartisan revision was later adopted.

If lawmakers were to wait until later in the session to approve the budget, then a two-thirds majority would be required for provisions to go into effect in time for the new fiscal year.

In 2017, House Republicans aligned with then-GOP Gov. Paul LePage torpedoed a compromise budget, forcing a partial shutdown of state government for several days. That forced frenzied negotiations on a new spending bill that could reach the two-thirds threshold.

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EXCLUSIVE: Republican lawmakers on a key House Financial Services Committee panel are probing the Biden administration's efforts to impose its climate agenda on insurance companies.

In a letter Friday to Federal Insurance Office (FIO) Director Steven Seitz, every Republican member of the House and Insurance Subcommittee, led by Chairman Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, expressed concern about the agency's recent actions to collect climate-related data from property and casualty insurers. 

The lawmakers argued such actions were limited to state insurance regulators, not the FIO which is a subagency of the Treasury Department. The letter to Seitz also noted that while the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 authorizes the agency to collect certain data, it limits such actions to traditional regulation and mandates consultation with state insurance regulators.

"Climate alarmists and activists are abusing the Federal Insurance Office by overstepping state regulators to collect climate data," Davidson told Fox News Digital in a statement. "The FIO’s lack of good faith to coordinate with state insurance regulators sets a dangerous precedent that could ultimately undermine Congress’s intent under the Dodd-Frank consumer protection law."

BIDEN CONSIDERING TEARING DOWN KEY GREEN ENERGY SOURCE OVER ECO CONCERNS

According to the Cornell Legal Information Institute, the Dodd-Frank Act established the FIO to monitor the U.S. insurance industry to identify issues or gaps that could result in crises. However, the statute specifically requires the office to "consult with the states regarding insurance matters of national or international importance."

Davidson and his fellow Republican subcommittee members wrote in their letter that the FIO's recent actions deviate from "the letter and spirit of Dodd-Frank."

"Requiring FIO to coordinate with state insurance regulators is critical to ensuring that FIO can conduct relevant activities to achieve its goals while also maintaining the proven state-based regulation of insurance," they wrote. "However, we believe that FIO has knowingly sidestepped this requirement to advance its own agenda."

REPUBLICANS DEMAND BIDEN'S ENERGY SECRETARY RETRACT 'UNSERIOUS' COMMENTS PRAISING CHINA

In August 2021, the FIO released a request for information on a proposal to obtain climate-related financial risk data from the insurance sector. Then, in October, the FIO issued a proposed data collection, asking for public comments by the middle of December. The action would require 213 insurance companies to share data from every U.S. zip code.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said at the time that the action was "an important step in determining how Americans are being affected by the increasing costs of climate change." She noted the devastation caused by Hurricane Ian in Florida as an example of why the agency needed to move forward with the action.

However, while the action was lauded by left-wing groups like Center for American Progress and Public Citizen, it was blasted by both the insurance industry and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), a group representing state regulators. 

"As the primary regulators of this sector, state insurance regulators are on the frontlines of natural catastrophe preparedness and response, protecting policyholders and maintaining well-functioning insurance markets," NAIC officials wrote to the Treasury Department in November. "State insurance regulators, through the NAIC, have had a climate-specific working group for more than a decade."

"It is unclear how FIO will use the data they intend to collect, and it is likely that any analysis will be misinterpreted and produce fallacious results in trying to identify climate risk," they continued. "Treasury is requesting property insurance market data at a granular level, but it is unclear how that data will be married with other information to illustrate climate risk specifically."

In addition to Davidson, Reps. Bill Posey, R-Fla., Blaine Luetkemeyer, R-Mo., Ralph Norman, R-S.C., Scott Fitzgerald, R-Wisc., Andrew Garbarino, R-N.Y., Mike Flood, R-Neb., Michael Lawler, R-N.Y., Monica De La Cruz, R-Texas, and Erin Houchin, R-Ind., signed the letter to Seitz.

The FIO didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

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Gov. Andy Beshear, a Democrat, said the bill "rips away the freedom of parents to make medical decisions for their children."

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After TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew was grilled by lawmakers on Thursday, the platform's users shared their support the way they know best — through thirsty fan edits.

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Xcel Energy, the owner, said it will temporarily power down the Monticello facility Friday to repair a recurring leak of radioactive water discovered this week.

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Former President Donald Trump warned of "potential death and destruction" if he is charged in the Manhattan district attorney's probe into a hush money payment made during his 2016 campaign.

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Aiden Fucci was sentenced Friday to life in prison for fatally stabbing Florida cheerleader Tristyn Bailey 114 times.

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Former President Trump warned in a post on his Truth Social page that there could be "potential death and destruction" if he is charged in connection with a New York grand jury's probe into hush money payments. NBC's Gabe Gutierrez reports.

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Four of five former Memphis police officers charged with murder in the beating death of Tyre Nichols cannot work as law enforcement officers again in Tennessee, a state panel decided Friday.

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The House passed a GOP bill requiring schools to provide information about curricula and activities, which Biden and Democrats oppose as politicizing education.

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Ukraine's ambassador to the U.S., Oksana Markarova, visited Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s office as Republicans split on sending more aid for the war with Russia.

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President Joe Biden’s order that federal employees get vaccinated against Covid was blocked Thursday by a federal appeals court.

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Disabled voters who need assistance submitting absentee ballots say local election leaders across Wisconsin are not following federal law during early voting in the high-stakes state Supreme Court race

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A federal judge is threatening to report two attorneys for disciplinary action for delaying the trial of a man jailed on charges he assaulted police officers during the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riot

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Irma Reyes feels like she can't wake up from a nightmare

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President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau are set to announce an agreement that aims to stem the flow of asylum seekers at unofficial crossings on the countries’ border

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A judge has ruled that parents cannot be required to pull their children from private schools in New York that don't meet certain state standards

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The National Hockey League's Pride nights are in the spotlight after some high-profile incidents

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The immigration deal expected to be announced by U.S. President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau would end a legal process that has enabled tens of thousands of immigrants from across the world to move between the countries and purs...

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California Gov. Gavin Newsom has ended some of the state water restrictions

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The measure was aimed at regulating the lives of transgender youths.

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House Republicans have narrowly passed legislation that would fulfill a campaign promise to give parents a role in what’s taught in public schools

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Erin Perrine is joining the "Never Back Down" super PAC supporting a DeSantis 2024 run, CBS News is first to report.

Politics - CBSNews.com

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer promised the legislation faces a "dead end" in the Senate.

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Evan Corcoran's appearance comes a day after another attorney for the former president confirmed he, too, testified in the special counsel's investigation.

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The two leaders are meeting in Ottawa on Friday, where the president is also addressing the Canadian Parliament.

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Beshear, a Democrat, has vetoed a sweeping Republican measure aimed at regulating the lives of transgender young people.

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The future of the popular mobile app, used by 150 million Americans, has never been more uncertain. Here's what to know.

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"I've never seen anything like that," Brendan Carr said on "CBS Mornings."

Politics - CBSNews.com

The top Democrat on the "weaponization of government" select subcommittee is accusing Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan of trying to intimidate Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg.

Politics - CBSNews.com

The ruling maintains the status quo, upholding a preliminary injunction blocking the mandate issued by a federal judge. The issue has drawn many conflicting judicial opinions.

Politics - CBSNews.com

The ethics panel found that the South Carolina Republican improperly solicited contributions from inside a federal building.

Politics - CBSNews.com

Biden’s first trip to Canada as president aims to bolster a close alliance and tackle issues such as immigration and trade.

Politics

Barr's arguments often gloss over the particulars of the case and the ways in which experts say defamation can be proved.

Politics

Barr's arguments often gloss over the particulars of the case and the ways in which experts say defamation can be proved.

Politics

Groups that pay attention to political news are often those who benefit from politics.

Politics

Trump lawyer Evan Corcoran goes before a federal grand jury in Washington Friday, after losing a fight to keep his notes and other papers away from prosecutors.

Politics

The Parents Bill of Rights Act serves as a message for Republicans, who believe voters agree with their position that parents don’t have enough input in schools.

Politics

The post-midnight posting on Truth Social, Trump’s social media platform, was his latest — and most explicit — allusion to violence that could follow an indictment.

Politics

Elected officials in Florida and Texas are using control of schools to make the lives of gay Americans more difficult.

Politics

Graham (R-S.C.) solicited campaign contributions for former Georgia Senate candidate Herschel Walker during a Fox News interview.

Politics

In a series of social-media posts, Trump criticized calls for peace and cited potential for “catastrophic” "death & destruction” if he’s charged. His words are in keeping with a long history of allusions to violence by his supporters.

Politics

On the bus, off the bus and all over Capitol Hill with creators turned temporary lobbyists. Wait, does anybody need a bathroom break?

NYT > U.S. > Politics

Despite Pentagon resistance, a bipartisan group stressed that Congress had voted to legalize support for the court’s Ukraine war investigations.

NYT > U.S. > Politics

The most recent informant to emerge from the trial is a Texas-based activist who became uncommonly close to some of the defendants, their lawyers and relatives.

NYT > U.S. > Politics

The expulsion of Rahul Gandhi is a devastating blow to the once-powerful Indian National Congress party. He and several other politicians are now in jeopardy through India’s legal system.

NYT > U.S. > Politics

A bill advanced by state legislators would exempt the governor, as well as other officials, their families and staff members, from having records of their trips released to the public.

NYT > U.S. > Politics

American officials are investigating why the system was not fully operational and what difference that made in defending the coalition military base in northeast Syria.

NYT > U.S. > Politics

A deal on migration and turmoil in Haiti are likely to be two key talking points between the leaders of the neighboring countries.

NYT > U.S. > Politics

The legislation would require schools to obtain parental consent to honor a student’s request to change gender-identifying pronouns. Democrats said it would bring the conflicts over social issues to the classroom.

NYT > U.S. > Politics

A marker of just how much American politics has changed over the last eight years.

NYT > U.S. > Politics

Investment plans for U.S. battery production have increased since President Biden signed a law that offers generous incentives for electric cars and green energy.

NYT > U.S. > Politics

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) led a delegation of House members to inspect the alleged mistreatment of Trump supporters connected to Jan. 6, 2021.

Politics - U.S. Political News, Opinion and Analysis

The bill would prevent state officials from having to comply with other states' anti-LGBTQ legal requests.

Politics - U.S. Political News, Opinion and Analysis

Kentucky’s Democratic governor has vetoed a sweeping Republican measure aimed at regulating the lives of transgender youths.

Politics - U.S. Political News, Opinion and Analysis

The Fox News host's wacky self-own proved that irony has been "found dead in a ditch," a commenter said on Twitter.

Politics - U.S. Political News, Opinion and Analysis

In a typo-laden post on his social media site, Trump claimed "it is known by all that NO Crime has been committed."

Politics - U.S. Political News, Opinion and Analysis

The judge cited “a very strong risk” the jurors would otherwise face threats and more.

Politics - U.S. Political News, Opinion and Analysis

It’s a buyer’s market for political job seekers, but dozens of GOP operatives have chosen instead to try to put a 'despicable' ex-president back in the White House.

Politics - U.S. Political News, Opinion and Analysis

The Florida governor addressed whether he'd be Trump's 2024 vice-presidential running mate.

Politics - U.S. Political News, Opinion and Analysis

The GOP state representative fell for the sophomoric prank and recited a few made-up names at a civil justice hearing.

Politics - U.S. Political News, Opinion and Analysis

State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh vowed to do whatever it took to stop an anti-trans bill from advancing — and she kept her word.

Politics - U.S. Political News, Opinion and Analysis

Chinese-owned TikTok reportedly paid for the transportation of popular influencers on its platform to appear in Washington as the company's CEO appeared before congress.

Breitbart News

Ford Motor Company says its electric vehicle (EV) unit, "Ford Model e," is losing billions of dollars, and should be viewed as a startup company.

Breitbart News

UFC fighter Jorge Masvidal bashed left-wing calls to "Defund the Police," saying it will lead to a spike in crime.

Breitbart News

Former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey's payment processing firm Block suffered a stock price drop of 15 percent this week after claims by Hindenburg Research that the company has facilitated fraud and inflated its user numbers. Researchers were reportedly able to set up a Cash App account in the name of former President Donald Trump, and even secure a Cash App card with his name on it.

Breitbart News

Popular model Blac Chyna has quit the "degrading" sex-site OnlyFans and reversed her surgical body enhancements after her baptism.

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Five people have been arrested by French police after the doors to the city hall of Bordeaux were set on fire on Thursday evening amid ongoing country-wide protests against increasing the state pension age.

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Georgetown University is set to require "social justice" courses on the school's history of racism and slavery for its undergraduate students, starting next semester.

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New polling suggests that a majority of Americans believe a looming indictment of former President Donald Trump from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg will backfire and either not hurt him or actually help him in his quest to retake the White House.

Breitbart News

The popular free streaming platform Tubi has officially released the award-winning religious tech thriller EXEMPLUM. 

Breitbart News

Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi attacked San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone Thursday, calling him an “extreme” opponent of the LGBTQ community.

Breitbart News