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Alito gives lawyers plain-English lesson on meaning of ‘day’ as Supreme Court weighs late-ballot fight

Alito says the phrase ‘Election Day’ implies ‘the day in which everything is going to take place’

By Ashley Oliver
Fox News

Published March 23, 2026 4:36pm EDT

Justice Samuel Alito emphasized the literal meaning of the word “day” as the Supreme Court heard arguments Monday about whether states can legally accept late-arriving ballots that are postmarked by Election Day.

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Justice Samuel Alito emphasized the literal meaning of the word “day” as the Supreme Court heard arguments Monday about whether states can legally accept late-arriving ballots that are postmarked by Election Day.

“We have lots of phrases that involve two words, the last of which, the second of which is ‘day,’ Labor Day, Memorial Day, George Washington’s birthday, Independence Day, birthday and Election Day, and they’re all particular days,” Alito, an appointee of former President George W. Bush, said.

Alito added, “If we start with that, if I have nothing more to look at than the phrase ‘Election Day,’ I think this is the day in which everything is going to take place, or almost everything.”

The justice’s remarks came after the Republican National Committee sued over a Mississippi law that allows mail ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted if they are received five days after that day. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit sided with the RNC in the case in 2024, leading Mississippi to ask the Supreme Court to weigh in.

ELECTION INTEGRITY GROUPS PRESS SUPREME COURT TO REQUIRE BALLOTS BY ELECTION DAY

U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel Alito on Oct. 7, 2022, in Washington, D.C.(Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Alito was among multiple conservative justices on Monday who appeared skeptical of Mississippi’s law and intent on striking it down. A decision is expected by the summer and would likely affect more than a dozen states that accept postmarked ballots after Election Day.

While some of the justices seemed persuaded that Election Day should be viewed as a single and final day in an election cycle, Chief Justice John Roberts, a George W. Bush appointee, and Justice Elena Kagan, an Obama appointee, raised concerns that if the interpretation of Election Day was strictly upheld by the court, then early voting might also be affected.

“If ‘day’ includes a period after a particular day of the election, does it include a particular day before the day of the election?” Roberts asked Mississippi Solicitor General Scott Stewart. “Or does your logic require a different consideration?”

Former U.S. Solicitor General Paul Clement, a prominent conservative lawyer, argued in support of the RNC, saying the original meaning of an election involved the “combined action” of offering up a vote and an election official receiving the vote.

RNC GETS DAY AT SUPREME COURT TO CHALLENGE LATE-ARRIVING MAIL BALLOTS

The facade of the U.S. Supreme Court building is seen in October 2024.(Valerie Plesch/picture alliance via Getty Images)

“All agree that elections for federal office have to end on the day of the election specified by Congress, and all agree that you can’t have an election unless you receive ballots, and there must be some deadline for ballot receipt,” Clement said. “Nonetheless, Mississippi insists that ballots can trickle in days or even weeks after Election Day. That position is wrong as a matter of text, precedent, history and common sense.”

The case comes as President Donald Trump has made election security a top focus. The RNC and several election integrity groups that weighed in on the case argued that the Supreme Court should ban late-arriving ballots, except for military ballots, because they sow distrust in elections.

“Today’s oral arguments in Watson v. RNC clearly show where the Supreme Court should come down: state laws that count ballots received after Election Day violate federal law, expose elections to delays, invite fraud, and fuel public doubt in the democratic process,” Jason Snead, executive director of the Honest Elections Project, said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital.

Allegheny County workers scan mail-in and absentee ballots at the Allegheny County Election Division Elections warehouse in Pittsburgh, Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022.(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

At least 14 states and Washington, D.C., currently count ballots received after Election Day if postmarked on time.

A ruling upholding the 5th Circuit could invalidate those policies and require ballots to be in election officials’ hands by the close of polls, a decision that is expected to affect the 2026 midterms. Critics say election officials could still be counting mail ballots in some states even if the ballots are all received by Election Day because of states’ individual tabulating processes.

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Military and overseas ballots, which are governed by the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, would likely remain unaffected.

Since the 2024 midterm elections, four Republican-controlled states, Kansas, Ohio, Utah and North Dakota, have moved to require receipt by Election Day.

Fox News’ Bill Mears contributed to this report.

Ashley Oliver is a reporter for Fox News Digital and FOX Business, covering the Justice Department and legal affairs. Email story tips to ashley.oliver@fox.com.

NTSB probes controller as part of broader investigation into LaGuardia airport collision | Reuters

By David Shepardson, Allison Lampert and Dan Catchpole
March 23, 2026 11:48 PM UTC Updated 2 mins ago

Summary
Companies

Air Canada Express jet collision with truck kills two pilots
US transportation secretary said LaGuardia Airport well staffed
US safety experts said investigation likely to look at controller’s work and sleep schedules

NEW YORK/MONTREAL, March 23 (Reuters) – Investigators probing the deadly collision of an Air Canada Express jet with a fire truck at New York’s LaGuardia airport said on Monday they wanted to interview an air traffic controller who was juggling another emergency in the run-up to the crash.

National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy told reporters at LaGuardia that the controller would be one part of the investigation by the independent federal agency, which would

How Trump shifted from threatening Iran’s power plants to touting peace talks

Published Mar 23, 2026, 6:08 PM ET / Source: CNN

By Kevin Liptak, Kylie Atwood, Zachary Cohen, Jennifer Hansler
1 hr 51 min ago

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters before boarding Air Force One at Palm Beach International Airport on Monday in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Roberto Schmidt/Getty Images

As President Donald Trump was departing Washington last week for Florida, ending the war with Iran appeared the last thing on his mind.

“You don’t do a ceasefire when you’re literally obliterating the other side,” he said Friday from the White House South Lawn before getting in his helicopter and flying away.

Three days, one ultimatum and — in his telling — a few conversations with a mystery official in Tehran later, Trump had adopted a different view.

“They want to settle, and we’re going to get it done,” he declared before a crowd in Memphis, Tennessee, on Monday, before touring Elvis’ Graceland.

The sudden turnabout and, according to Trump, rapidly advancing peace talks made for an abrupt shift in the administration’s approach to the war after the president threatened Saturday evening to hit Iran’s power plants if the Strait of Hormuz wasn’t opened in 48 hours.

And now there is an even a proposal for Pakistan to host a meeting between the US and Iran later this week, which Vice President JD Vance could attend, two sources said. CNN has reached out to Vance’s office.

The change in US posture came after warnings from Gulf allies that the striking civilian power sites in Iran could lead to disastrous escalation, according to people familiar with the conversations. And the announcement of talks, made two hours before the open of US trading on Monday, resulted in a rally on Wall Street and a sharp slide in the price of Brent crude — both areas that had been causing heartburn for Trump and his advisers.

Who, exactly, is doing the talking — or even whether they were talking at all — instantly became a matter of dispute. Trump, who refused to name the Iranian interlocutor his envoys were engaging, provided few details beyond describing the official as “respected.” And even as the president was speaking, additional Marine units were heading toward the Middle East, fueling skepticism about how real the talks are.

For its part, Tehran denied any talks and claimed Trump had backed down from his threat because he was afraid of Iranian retaliation.

“No negotiations have been held with the US,” Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who was rumored to be the official Trump was referring to, wrote on X. He said the US’ postponement of power plant strikes was meant to “escape the quagmire in which the US and Israel are trapped.”

Still, the denials were carefully worded and did not refute that messages had been passed back and forth testing the waters for a potential resumption of talks.

Multiple intermediaries between US and Iran

Multiple countries are now actively working to mediate a deal between the US and Iran as the impacts of the war reverberate across the world, five sources familiar with the matter told CNN. The sources were not aware of any direct negotiations between the US and Iran since the outbreak of the war, despite Trump’s claims.

The White House refused to elaborate on the discussions, which Trump said were led by his envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

“These are sensitive diplomatic discussions and the U.S. will not negotiate through the press. This is a fluid situation, and speculation about meetings should not be deemed as final until they are formally announced by the White House,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.

Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt and Oman are involved in negotiation efforts, the sources familiar said. The diplomatic efforts are aimed at both reaching a ceasefire and securing safe passage for ships through the Strait of Hormuz, they said.

Two regional sources said the US had shared a 15-point list of expectations for the Iranians via Pakistan, but it was unclear whether Iran had agreed to any of the terms. One source said several of the points would be “next to impossible” for Iran to accept, and the other source said it mirrored the points the US tabled with Iran in discussions last year. Trump on Monday also referenced a 15-point proposal when he claimed the US and Iran had reached “major points of agreement.”

The Pakistanis are working on a proposal and mediation efforts, and the Omanis have also sent messages back and forth between the US and Iran regarding the Strait of Hormuz, sources said. The Egyptians are also engaged in what sources described as active diplomatic efforts, sources said.

Pakistan has developed a strong relationship with the Trump administration over the last year, and has long maintained discussions with the Iranian regime. The country shares a long border with Iran and gets about 90% of its oil through the Strait of Hormuz, so the conflict has directly impacted the country, one source pointed out.

On the Pakistani side, the Intelligence Chief Lt. Gen. Asim Malik is one of the officials now engaging with Witkoff and Kushner, one source said.

“If both sides agree, Pakistan is always ready to host talks,” Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi told CNN on Monday.

And there has been a flurry of calls between Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and counterparts, including Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, one source said. Fidan also spoke with Witkoff on Sunday.

One of the regional sources theorized the administration is reaching out to Iran through multiple countries to ensure its messages are being received by all relevant figures in Tehran. There is an understanding, this source said, that a sustained end to the war will likely be a longer process.

“Diplomacy is being conducted as we speak, there are multiple proposals in play. The nature of diplomacy is that it’s a free-flowing discussion,” said a source familiar with the discussions. “None of the proposals discussed have reached a stage of maturing or general acceptance.”

Other governments said they were aware of ongoing talks. “We, the UK, were aware that that was happening,” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who spoke by telephone with Trump on Sunday evening, said a day later.

Senior members of the Trump administration, including the president and Vance, also worked Monday to ensure Israel was aware of the developments, sources said. Both Trump and Vance spoke to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose war objectives have appeared to diverge from the United States’ in recent days.

President Donald Trump participates in a roundtable discussion on public safety at a Tennessee Air National Guard Base, on Monday, in Memphis, Tennessee.
Mark Schiefelbein/AP

A sudden openness to talking

On Monday, as he touted the supposed talks, Trump detailed several of the specifics among the 15-point proposal — many of which sounded similar to US demands before the war.

“They’re not going to have a nuclear weapon. That’s number one. That’s number one, two and three,” he said of the list. “They will never have a nuclear weapon.”

He also said the US would insist on taking possession of Iran’s highly enriched uranium, believed to be buried deep underneath the Isfahan nuclear site, which the US destroyed during a bombing run in June. “We want the nuclear dust. We’re going to want that, and I think we’re going to get that,” Trump said.

Among the other points on the table: limits on Tehran’s defense capabilities, a cessation of support for proxies and an acknowledgment of Israel’s right to exist, the two regional sources said.

Trump’s comments Monday were a departure for the president, who for weeks had shrugged off even the idea of restarting discussions with Tehran, suggesting the regime was neither serious about making the requisite concessions nor its leadership intact enough to act as a reliable negotiating partner.

“All of their leaders are dead, as far as we know. But they’re all dead. We don’t know who we’re dealing with,” he said last week.

On Friday evening, as he said he was uninterested in brokering a truce, Trump still said he would be open to talking. “We could have dialogue, but I don’t want to do a ceasefire,” he said on the South Lawn.

An hour later, as he was jetting toward Palm Beach aboard Air Force One, Trump wrote on social media he was considering “winding down” the war as it entered its fourth week.

But by the next evening, in between dancing for guests in his ballroom and conferring with national security advisers, it had become clearer than ever that his efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz — a key waterway for 20% of the world’s oil — had fallen short. He set a 48-hour clock before vowing to “obliterate” Iran’s power plants.

By Trump’s own narrative, the talks with Iran commenced around the same time Saturday evening he issued his threat. Administration officials appearing on Sunday morning talk shows gave little indication that secret talks were underway that might convince the president to back off.

“Sometimes you have to escalate to de-escalate,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on NBC.

Yet the threat against Iran’s civilian infrastructure alarmed officials in the Gulf, who rushed to warn the US administration that doing so would amount to many steps up the escalation ladder, according to people familiar with the conversations.

Iran appeared to confirm those fears, warning it would retaliate by targeting energy sites and other infrastructure among the US’ Middle Eastern allies, including desalination plants, which many countries in the region rely on for nearly all their fresh water.

And some US partners conveyed a view that destroying power infrastructure in Iran could devastate the country, and preclude efforts to rebuild once the war ends.

But amid new talk of talking, it’s unclear who would give final sign-off for Iran on a deal.

The health status of new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is unknown. His inexperience in high-level diplomacy also begs questions about his involvement. And Araghchi, the foreign minister, is engaged with the Omanis, but it’s not clear that he is also the point person on the Iranian side for messages other countries are sending between the two sides, sources said.

“We have not heard from the son,” Trump said Monday.

However, he appeared optimistic his efforts could result in a quick resolution to the war.

“You have to understand, my whole life has been a negotiation,” the president told his audience in Memphis. “But with Iran, we’ve been negotiating for a long time. And this time, they mean business.”

美媒：五角大楼考虑调3000空降兵支援对伊朗战事

2026年3月24日 07:51 / 联合早报

《纽约时报》引述五角大楼官员称，军方考虑的另一个方案，是由第31海军陆战队远征队约2500人发起进攻哈尔克岛。 （路透社）

美国官员透露，五角大楼正考虑从陆军第82空降师抽调一个约3000人的作战旅，支援对伊朗军事行动，可能会用于夺取伊朗石油出口枢纽哈尔克岛。

《纽约时报》星期一（3月23日）引述五角大楼官员说，这支部队将来自第82空降师下辖的“即时反应部队”，具备在18小时内部署至全球任何地点的能力。

官员说，美国军方还在考虑另一项夺取哈尔克岛的方案，由正在开赴中东地区的第31海军陆战队远征队约2500人发起进攻。对哈尔克岛发起首轮攻击之后，来自第82空降师的作战旅可用于接替和轮换。

报道说，五角大楼和美军中央司令部尚未就夺岛下达任何相关命令。

据美国广播公司（ABC）等美国媒体20日报道，包括拳师号两栖攻击舰在内的3艘军舰和约2200名海军陆战队员在内的第11海军陆战队远征队，已从加利福尼亚州港城圣迭戈启程，预计抵达中东至少需要三周。数天前，五角大楼已从日本调派美军的黎波里号两栖攻击舰运载第31海军陆战队远征队前往中东，预计本周晚些时候抵达。

哈尔克岛位于波斯湾西北部，距离伊朗海岸大约25公里，长约6公里、宽约3公里，是伊朗最大原油出口基地，伊朗90%的原油都从这里出口。美军13日对岛上军事目标实施了打击。

U.S. sent Iran a message through mediators as Trump signals he’s open to a deal, Iranian official says

March 23, 2026 / 7:32 PM EDT / CBS News

Iran has received a message from the United States through mediators as a potential precursor to talks between the two warring countries, a senior Iranian Foreign Ministry official told CBS News on Monday, after President Trump suggested a deal is possible.

The Iranian official said “we received points from the U.S. through mediators and they are being reviewed.”

Earlier Monday, Mr. Trump announced on social media that the U.S. and Iran had “very good and productive conversations regarding a complete and total resolution of our hostilities” in recent days. He later told reporters the two sides had about 15 points of agreement and Iranian officials had expressed that “they want peace,” predicting: “I think there’s a very good chance we’re going to end up in a deal.”

The president also backed off an ultimatum issued over the weekend for Iran to either reopen the Strait of Hormuz — a key oil industry chokepoint — or face strikes on its power plants. He said the U.S. military would hold off on bombing Iran’s energy infrastructure for five days, “subject to the success of the ongoing meetings and discussions.”

Iran’s Foreign Ministry initially denied that talks were taking place. But Mr. Trump’s comments buoyed hopes that the 23-day-long conflict could be nearing a resolution. The international oil price benchmark, Brent Crude, plunged 10% on the news Monday, and the S&P 500 rallied 1.15%.

Iran and the U.S. do not have formal diplomatic relations and have historically communicated with each other indirectly, with other countries in the region serving as mediators. Pakistan has sought to position itself as a potential mediator, CBS News reported earlier Monday. Oman has also frequently served as a mediator between the two countries, most recently brokering several rounds of nuclear talks earlier this year.

Mr. Trump told reporters on Monday that the U.S. was communicating with a “top person” in Iran, but not the new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei. He declined to name the person “because I don’t want him to be killed.”

The contours of any potential deal are not clear. The president told reporters Monday that Iran had “agreed they will not have a nuclear weapon,” which was one of the war aims that he laid out at the start of the conflict, along with degrading Iran’s conventional military.

Iran has long denied any interest in building a nuclear weapon. But the two sides were unable to reach a deal over Iran’s nuclear program earlier this year, with Mr. Trump pushing for Iran to give up all uranium enrichment — a demand that Iran has long rejected.

It’s also unclear whether Israel would be part of any possible U.S.-Iran deal. The U.S. and Israel began striking Iran jointly in late February, but the two allies have occasionally disagreed on how extensively to target the country, with Mr. Trump saying last week that he disapproved of Israeli strikes on a major Iranian natural gas field.

CBS News has reached out to the White House for comment.

Trump administration launches more probes into Harvard | Reuters

By Reuters
March 23, 2026 7:42 PM UTC Updated 28 mins ago

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A building of Harvard University is pictured in Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S., November 19, 2025. REUTERS/Reba Saldanha Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

WASHINGTON, March 23 (Reuters) – President Donald Trump’s administration said on ‌Monday it had launched two more probes against Harvard University, marking its latest crackdown against ​top U.S. educational institutions.

The U.S. Education ​Department said its civil rights office “opened ⁠two new investigations into Harvard University ​amid allegations that it continues to discriminate ​against students on the basis of race, color, and national origin” in violation of federal law.

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The ​latest probes will look into whether ​Harvard uses race-based preferences in admissions after the U.S. ‌Supreme ⁠Court’s 2023 ruling that ended affirmative action in higher education and into allegations of antisemitism on Harvard’s campus, the Education Department ​said.

Harvard, which ​did ⁠not immediately respond to a request for comment, has previously condemned ​all forms of discrimination and ​said ⁠it aims to combat bigotry. Harvard task forces released reports last year saying Jewish and ⁠Muslim ​students at the university ​had faced bigotry and abuse.

Reporting by Kanishka Singh and ​Daphne Psaledakis in Washington; Editing by David Ljunggren

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US judge blocks Trump administration from detaining thousands of refugees | Reuters

By Reuters
March 23, 2026 7:33 PM UTC Updated 37 mins ago

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The U.S. Department of Homeland Security seal is displayed ahead of an expected press conference held by U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem at the FEMA National Response Coordination Center in Washington, D.C., U.S., January 24, 2026. REUTERS/Nathan Howard. Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

BOSTON, March 23 (Reuters) – A federal judge on Monday ​blocked U.S. President ‌Donald Trump’s administration from enforcing a new ​policy that would ​subject thousands of refugees ⁠to arrest and ​detention if after a ​year in the United States they had yet ​to obtain green ​cards.

U.S. District Judge Richard Stearns ‌in ⁠Boston acted at the request of six refugees and ​two advocacy ​groups ⁠who argued the U.S. Department ​of Homeland Security’s ​new ⁠policy was an unlawful departure from ⁠decades ​of practice.

The Reuters Iran Briefing newsletter keeps you informed with the latest developments and analysis of the Iran war. Sign up here.

Reporting ​by Nate Raymond in Boston, ​Editing by Franklin Paul

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House GOP targeting vulnerable Dems over DHS shutdown, TSA chaos

By Eric Mack
Fox News
Published March 23, 2026 2:20pm EDT

House Republicans are targeting vulnerable districts in the 2026 midterms over the Department of Homeland Security shutdown and burgeoning Transportation Security Administration security chaos.

“House Democrats shut down Homeland Security while TSA agents work for free and Americans sit in hours-long security lines,” National Republican Congressional Committee spokesperson Mike Marinella wrote Monday in a statement, announcing the targeting of Democrats in 28 districts most impacted by TSA security checkpoint delays.

The NRCC launched a paid ad campaign, focusing on Democrats it accuses of shutting down DHS and forcing TSA agents to work without pay as travelers face long security lines.

“Democrats are being blamed by the American people for the catastrophe going on right now at our airports and at other points of transportation and beyond,” President Donald Trump told a Monday gathering on addressing crime in Memphis, Tennessee.

MINNEAPOLIS MAYOR CLAIMS TRUMP CAN JUST ‘HIRE OUT MORE TSA AGENTS’ DESPITE DHS SHUTDOWN

And we want the public to know we’re not going to let them out of this trap that they created for themselves.

The NRCC airport-focused campaign ad targets a list of battleground and open-seat districts across California, Florida, Indiana, Maine, Michigan, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Texas, Virginia and Washington.

The targeting comes as Trump has sent Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to airports with long TSA security lines that have forced Americans to show up to check in up to five hours in advance or potentially missing their flights over the first weekend of spring travel – one of the busier times of the year.

TSA OFFICIAL WARNS SMALLER AIRPORTS COULD SHUT DOWN AMID DHS FUNDING CRISIS

“We’re not going to have the Democrats destroy our country,” Trump told reporters in an under-wing gaggle before boarding Air Force One on Monday morning in West Palm Beach, Florida. “These people are the most destructive sick people, the Democrats.”

Airports in the Northeast were also hit by a shutdown at LaGuardia Airport in New York City, where an Air Canada jet crashed trying to avoid a Port Authority Police Department fire truck that was cleared to cross the runway as the jet was landing.

The LaGuardia ground stop forced travelers to other New York City and New Jersey airports and led to cancellations and delays around the country that was relying on the availability of those jets grounded.

SCHUMER KNOCKS TRUMP ON IRAN, PLAN TO SEND ICE TO AIRPORTS: ‘ASKING FOR TROUBLE’

“In addition, after the appalling lines and massive disruptions at major airports nationwide last weekend, I am again demanding that Democrats in Congress immediately end their disgraceful shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security and restore the full funding for airport security and the TSA,” Trump told the Memphis event.

“They are holding it up because they want to take care of illegal immigrants coming into our country. They want to take care of criminals that are in sanctuary cities.”

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On the proverbial political tarmac, House Republicans are clinging to a narrow 217-214 majority. That tally includes one newly designated independent – Rep. Kevin Kiley, I-Calif., who vowed to continue to caucus with Republicans.

There are three outstanding vacancies yet to be filled after the resignations of former Reps. Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J., and Marjorie Taylor Greene-R-Ga., and the Jan. 6 death of late Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Calif.

Eric Mack is a writer for Fox News Digital covering breaking news.

https://www.foxnews.com/video/6391459631112
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6391461001112
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During a Memphis roundtable Monday, President Donald Trump called for Republicans not to agree to a Department of Homeland Security funding deal unless it includes the SAVE America Act.

President Donald Trump on Monday said he wants to tie the SAVE America Act to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding as the stalemate between lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle continues.

Speaking at a roundtable in Memphis, Tennessee, to tout the Memphis Safe Task Force (MSTF), a multi-agency, federal-led law enforcement initiative launched in late 2025 to combat violent crime in the city, Trump spoke of the chaos unfolding at airports across the country amid a lapse in DHS funding.

He also called for the passage of the SAVE America Act, which would require proof of citizenship to vote.

“We want voter ID, we want proof of citizenship as part of our funding,” he said. “We want to merge them so that we can get the great, big, beautiful bill in action.”

SEN KENNEDY SAYS HE WOULD ACCEPT DEMOCRATS’ OFFER TO ‘OPEN UP EVERYTHING’ BUT ICE

[image_1]

President Donald Trump participates in a roundtable discussion on public safety at a Tennessee Air National Guard Base on , March in Memphis, Tenn. Trump said the SAVE America Act should be tied in with the funding for the Department of Homeland Security.(AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

“I’m suggesting very strongly that [the Republicans], in going for the SAVE America Act, that you welded into exactly this because voter ID is part of Homeland Security,” he added. “Think of it. We’re talking about two separate items, but they’re really the same. Voter ID is part of Homeland Security and citizenship. Proof of citizenship is part of homeland security. So I think it should be welded in. I think it should be together.”

Trump urged Republicans to put the pressure on Democrats to include voter ID requirements with legislation to reopen the DHS.

“I’m suggesting strongly to the Republican Party, don’t make any deal on anything,” he said. “The most important thing we can have is what’s called the SAVE America Act. Don’t make any deal on anything unless you include voter ID, and you have to be a citizen to vote.”

GOP TRIGGERS MARATHON SENATE FIGHT TO EXPOSE DEMS’ OPPOSITION TO TRUMP-BACKED VOTER ID BILL

[image_2]

President Donald Trump arrives to participate in a roundtable discussion on public safety at a Tennessee Air National Guard Base on Monday in Memphis, Tenn., with from left, Gov. Bill Lee, R-Tenn., Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Trump, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Gady Serralta, Director of the U.S. Marshals Service.(AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Republicans have pushed for voter ID in an effort to shore up the federal election system. Democrats remain opposed, saying the requirement would disenfranchise millions of voters.

Meanwhile, many airports across the country have seen long security lines after Congress failed to reach an agreement on DHS funding.

While most other federal agencies are fully funded and open, DHS has been operating without a budget for more than one month. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers have not been paid, leading to increased callouts and longer security lines, sometimes up to three hours in major hubs.

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On Monday, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents were deployed to airports to assist the TSA with managing crowds and other duties.

“We’re trying to release TSA resources to get into positions where they really have expertise,” he said on “Fox News Sunday.” “We’re going to relieve TSA and augment TSA… and hopefully it will move the lines quicker.”

Louis Casiano is a reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to louis.casiano@fox.com.

EU blocks U.S. resolution to define gender as men and women at UN | Fox News

The United States stood alone at the United Nations in early March after a European-led procedural move blocked a vote on defining gender in biological terms at one of the world’s leading forums on women’s rights.

At the conclusion of the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women, the U.S. was the only country to oppose the body’s annual “Agreed Conclusions,” citing concerns that the language departs from biological definitions of women and girls. No other member state voted with the United States.

At the center of the dispute is how the United Nations defines “gender.” Current U.N. frameworks, rooted in the 1995 Beijing Declaration, do not provide a fixed definition and instead rely on evolving interpretations tied to broader concepts of gender identity, according to EU officials.

The U.S. proposal sought to anchor the term explicitly in biological sex.

UPROAR AFTER IRAN NAMED VICE-CHAIR OF UN BODY PROMOTING DEMOCRACY, WOMEN’S RIGHTS

The U.S. introduced a resolution titled “Protection of women and girls through appropriate terminology,” which sought to clarify how gender is understood across U.N. policy.

The draft states that the term “gender” should be interpreted “according to its ordinary, generally accepted usage, as referring to men and women.”

The proposal never reached a vote. Belgium, speaking on behalf of the European Union, introduced a “no action motion,” a procedural tool that blocks debate and prevents a proposal from being considered.

The motion passed, halting the U.S. resolution before it reached the floor.

That distinction carries practical implications. U.N. language shapes global standards tied to development funding, humanitarian programs, education policy and anti-discrimination frameworks.

Bethany Kozma, director of global affairs at the Department of Health and Human Services, told Fox News Digital the move reflects a broader effort to shut down debate at the U.N.

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“While our redlines were ignored, the United States Government will not stand by and watch as malicious forces misuse multilateral organizations to promote their ideologies and social agendas, obstructing nations’ abilities to exercise their national sovereignty,” Kozma said. “We will always protect women and girls from dangerous gender ideology and affirm biological truth.”

She added that the decision to block the vote was driven by political calculation.

“The EU blocked our resolution to define gender to mean men and women at the U.N. because they feared we would win and they would lose,” Kozma said. “We will not give up on doing what is right for women and girls. Even if we stand alone like we did at the U.N. last week, we will always stand to protect women and girls from dangerous radical gender ideology and always affirm biological truth.”

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A State Department official, speaking on background, described the move as part of a broader coordinated effort led by European countries.

“These are procedural games that these countries are not prepared for,” the official said, referring to smaller delegations that may lack guidance on complex procedural votes.

The official said the maneuver allowed opponents to block a vote despite what the U.S. believed was growing support. These claims could not be independently verified.

The European Union rejected the U.S. criticism, saying the proposal was flawed and rushed.

“The draft resolution presented by the U.S. was factually incorrect,” said David Jordens, spokesperson for Belgium’s foreign ministry, adding that it “misquotes and contradicts” language agreed to in the 1995 Beijing Declaration.

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“While the EU respects member states’ prerogative to put forward new initiatives for consideration, CSW members should not be forced to rush a decision on an issue of this importance by the unilateral initiative of one member state, without any prior consultations or negotiations,” Jordens said.

He added that “there is no universally agreed definition of the term ‘gender’. As reflected in the outcome of the Fourth World Conference on Women, the term was understood in accordance with its ordinary and generally accepted usage, without establishing a fixed or exhaustive definition. The United Nations should continue to approach gender equality in an inclusive and forward-looking manner, respectful of diversity. Any effort to revisit or reinterpret internationally agreed language must take place through broad, transparent consultations with the full membership.”

Efrat Lachter is a foreign correspondent for Fox News Digital covering international affairs and the United Nations. Follow her on X @efratlachter. Stories can be sent to efrat.lachter@fox.com.