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The Biden administration finalized revised environmental regulations impacting bodies of water Tuesday in response to a Supreme Court decision in May upending the original version. In a joint announcement, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers unveiled the new so-called Waters of the United States (WOTUS) regulations. The agencies added they remain committed to following the law and implementing the Clean Water Act to protect American water sources from pollution and degradation. "While I am disappointed by the Supreme Court’s decision in the Sackett case, EPA and Army have an obligation to apply this decision alongside our state co-regulators, Tribes, and partners," EPA Administrator Michael Regan said in a statement. "We’ve moved quickly to finalize amendments to the definition of ‘waters of the United States’ to provide a clear path forward that adheres to the Supreme Court’s ruling."  "EPA will never waver from our responsibility to ensure clean water for all," Regan added. "Moving forward, we will do everything we can with our existing authorities and resources to help communities, states, and Tribes protect the clean water upon which we all depend." NEARLY 200 GOP LAWMAKERS BLAST BIDEN'S EPA FOR TARGETING FARMERS, RANCHERS: 'EGREGIOUS FEDERAL OVERREACH' On May 25, the Supreme Court struck down the EPA's original finalized WOTUS regulations, ruling that the Biden administration had moved forward with a definition of waters that was too broad. The ruling ultimately held that the federal government's WOTUS definition must be restricted to a water source with a "continuous surface connection" to major bodies of water. The high court's decision — which was widely cheered by landowners, industry groups and Republican lawmakers — came months after the EPA and Army approved the original WOTUS regulation. The administration said that rulemaking would be implemented beginning in March. The rule opened the door for the federal government to regulate wetlands, lakes, ponds, streams and "relatively permanent" waterways, largely mimicking a pre-2015 environmental rule set during the Obama administration, which implemented the changes in an effort to curb water pollution. The regulation was the broadest interpretation to date of which water sources require protection under the CWA. BIDEN ADMIN HIT WITH LAWSUIT OVER ECO ACTIONS THAT INDUSTRY SAYS COULD COST MILLION JOBS Industry groups, Republican lawmakers in Congress and multiple states blasted the regulation as an example of federal overreach and demanded that it be rescinded. In April, a federal judge granted a request from 24 states and several trade groups to pause implementation of the regulation. The House and Senate both approved a bill rejecting the regulation. And the EPA's WOTUS rule came while the case Sackett v. EPA was before the Supreme Court. That case centered on Michael and Chantell Sackett, two Idaho residents whom the EPA prohibited from building a home near a wetland years ago, citing the Clean Water Act.  Once the court ruled in favor of the Sacketts, the EPA was forced to revise the regulations. However, in response to WOTUS revision Tuesday, the EPA is facing additional criticism for not going far enough to conform its regulations to the Supreme Court ruling. "Despite our warnings that the Biden WOTUS rule was clear regulatory overreach and the Supreme Court soundly rejecting its 'waters of the United States' definition, the administration continues to take an unserious approach to issuing a durable rule that provides stability to millions of Americans," said Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., the ranking member of the Environment and Public Works Committee. "I’m disappointed this rushed rule lacks public outreach and real transparency, results in a definition that is at odds with the law, and will likely be rejected once again in the courts," she added. The Waters Advocacy Coalition, a group that represents small businesses, farmers and ranchers, homebuilders and manufacturers, echoed Capito's comments. "This revised rule does not adequately comply with Supreme Court precedent and with the limits on regulatory jurisdiction set forth in the Clean Water Act," Waters Advocacy Coalition Chair Courtney Briggs said in a statement. "Even worse, the agencies blocked public input and engagement in the revision process." "This is unfortunate as clean water is a public health and economic priority for our nation’s businesses, their employees, customers and the communities in which they operate," Briggs continued. "The administration is proving again that it does not understand that categorizing land or water features as non-federal waters does not mean that they are unprotected and that it intends to broaden the scope of the federal government’s power — even if it defies the law."

The University of Michigan has been without full internet access for two days after staff shut the school's connections down in response to a "significant [cyber]security concern" on the eve of the new school year.

Last year, Eddie Peterson lost consciousness at his home in Memphis and stopped breathing.

The Biden administration says it has made a number of recommendations this week as to how New York City can improve its handling of the influx of migrants it has seen into the "sanctuary" city, but local officials have called for an emergency declaration and work authorizations from the federal government. The Department of Homeland Security confirmed to Fox News Digital that it had made recommendations formed by an assessment team sent by Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to assess NYC’s migrant operations. The recommendations were first reported by Politico. "The team was impressed with the exceptional efforts by New York officials under the ongoing strain of accepting a large number of migrants and has provided recommendations for improvements, including data collection, case management, and increased communication with migrants on work authorizations," a spokesperson said.  NYC MIGRANT CRISIS COSTS COULD HIT $12 BILLION, MAYOR ADAMS URGES FEDERAL EMERGENCY DECLARATION "DHS continues to collaborate with city and state officials, along with our federal partners, to identify ways we can maximize the value of our continued partnership to address, in a humane and orderly manner, the needs of migrants who have arrived in New York," they said. The city has seen approximately 100,00 migrants arrive in the city since last year. While only a small fraction of the millions that have hit the southern border, state and city officials have said the crisis is overwhelming and called for more federal aid, warning it could cost the city $12 billion by 2025. NEW YORK GOV. KATHY HOCHUL SLAMS MAYOR ADAMS' MIGRANT RESPONSE IN 12-PAGE LETTER Both New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul have called for a federal emergency declaration, greater funding and greater access to work authorizations for migrants, and have stressed that the burden lies at the feet of the federal government. The recommendations from DHS to NYC include increasing information collection at intake centers, overall communication to move migrants through the system, a greater focus on case management — including legal services — and more information on work authorization and asylum applications. The administration says it also identified 11 federal sites across New York State where migrants could potentially be housed, and has provided the City access to a hanger at JFK Airport, which is being used to house hundreds of migrants. The agency has also backed the city and state with more than $140 million in federal funding, and officials noted they have continued to push Congress to pass immigration reforms. Adams said on Tuesday that "we appreciate their observation" and "we’re happy they really engage in these conversations" but was dismissive of the recommendations from the administration, which he said were not dealing with the flow of migrants to New York City. BORDER PATROL SECTORS NEAR OR OVER CAPACITY AS MIGRANT NUMBERS SURGE AT THE BORDER "So each time we open a new space that's not an answer. It's not sustainable. If you average 10,000 people a month and if the national plan is to have New York City continue to find spaces, that is not an answer. And if the national plan is that slowly see if New York move more on the waiting list to get work authorization, that's not an answer," he told reporters. "We need people to have the right to work, which is an American tradition. We need an emergency declaration. We need locations to deal with the overflow right now and we need funding. And so when you look at an analysis that was given, it answered none of those prevention... this is the intervention, what you saw. How do we stop this flow?" he asked. Meanwhile, there has been no sign of the migrant flow stopping at the southern border. Numbers increased to approximately 180,000 encounters in July, up from the around 144,000 seen in June. Fox News reported earlier this month that major Border Patrol sectors have been full or nearing full capacity as agents work to deal with the numbers coming in.

A jury handed five pro-life activists a guilty verdict Tuesday on charges of conspiracy against rights and violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE Act) stemming from a 2020 "rescue action" at a D.C.-based clinic.  Lauren Handy, Will Goodman, John Hinshaw, Heather Idoni, and Herb Geraghty were all found guilty on both charges after they were indicted for participating in a mission in October 2020 at the Washington Surgi-Clinic (WSC), which is headed by Cesare Santangelo. Two defendants, Handy and Geraghty, referenced pro-life organization Live Action's "Inhuman: Undercover in America's Late-Term Abortion Industry" video as influencing their decision to participate in the blockade. One part of the video, released a decade ago, shows Santangelo telling an undercover woman if she went into labor and delivered before the "termination part of the procedure" was carried out, "then we would not help it." TEXAS JUDGE RULES STATE'S ABORTION LAW IS TOO RESTRICTIVE FOR WOMEN WITH PREGNANCY COMPLICATIONS "We wouldn’t intubate, let’s say," Santengelo said.  Judge Kollar-Kotelly, one of former President Bill Clinton’s nominees, did not permit Live Action’s video to be played in court, reportedly calling it "heavily edited" and "gossip from propagandists."  "From the beginning, this trial has been a sham with a completely biased pro-abortion judge who has made a mockery of our justice system. This decision will be appealed, and we demand it be overturned," Live Action founder Lila Rose said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. "Their acts of bravery to protect innocent human life from notorious D.C. abortionist Cesare Santangelo have been punished by the corrupt DOJ." Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America said in a statement to Fox News Digital Tuesday’s verdict is "a shameful day for a nation founded on unalienable rights, first and foremost including life." "Pro-life advocates like Lauren Handy have put their freedom on the line – peacefully and bravely – to protect babies and women from the brutality of abortion. They have done a vital public service in exposing the horrors of late-term abortion taking place in D.C., where there are no limits on abortion up to birth, and across the country," the statement read.  PSAKI REPEATS CLAIM THAT DEMS DON'T SUPPORT ABORTION UNTIL BIRTH: 'ENTIRELY MISLEADING' Prosecutors described Handy as the leader of the "rescue action" to reportedly block patients from the WSC to get an abortion procedure.  According to the October 2022 indictment, using a fabricated identity, Handy secured an appointment at the clinic, and as a clinic staff member opened the door, pro-life activists emerged from the building’s emergency stairwell and invaded the facility. The incident resulted in an altercation that led to a clinic employee being hospitalized for an ankle injury. Prosecutors argued the pro-life activists violated the 1994 FACE Act, a federal law that prohibits physical force, threats of force, or intentionally damaging property to prevent someone from obtaining or providing abortion services.  Handy’s attorney, Martin Cannon senior counsel for pro-life law firm the Thomas More Society, argued during trial Handy didn’t physically block anyone nor violate the FACE Act.  Body-worn camera footage presented as evidence to the jury reportedly showed Handy telling police the group was there to "block the facility to prevent abortions."  Some activists didn’t want to "risk the ordinance," Handy said in the bodycam footage, and would be praying outside the clinic. The blockade persisted for over three hours until authorities successfully cleared the activists from the facility. ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR. STATES HE MISUNDERSTOOD ABORTION QUESTION, DOES NOT SUPPORT ANY FEDERAL BAN Kotelly reportedly termed the defendants’ defense "vigilante" during the trial when the activists cited First Amendment protection, or a third-person defense for their case.  According to a transcript posted by the Thomas More Society, Cannon said in his closing statements to the jurors: "In order to be guilty of conspiracy, you can’t just plan an event. You have to have an agreement that involves breaking the law. How can we have a conspiracy to violate FACE when most of the parties to the so-called agreement aren’t going to do it?" "They’re going to do conventional sit-in kind of stuff – just like Martin Luther King has a federal holiday for – that doesn’t necessarily break FACE," he said.

While much of the oxygen in the US political conversation is sucked up by former President Donald Trump's forthcoming trials, there is other news to report.

The Super PAC backing Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie released a campaign ad that features Donald Trump's mug shot. CNN's Eva McKend has the report.

District Attorney Fani Willis filed a motion Tuesday afternoon asking the Fulton County, Georgia, judge presiding over the case against former President Donald Trump and 18 others to expedite the trial. All 19 defendants – Trump, former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, his former attorneys Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, Jenna Ellis, Kenneth Chesebro, and others – are being tried together on charges related to Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.  Willis’ motion asks that the defendants be given a deadline to be able to sever themselves from the larger case. GEORGIA INDICTMENT: FIRST TRUMP CO-DEFENDANT PLEADS ‘NOT GUILTY’ "The State of Georgia further respectfully requests that the Court set a deadline for any Defendant wishing to file a motion to sever, allow the parties, including the State of Georgia, sufficient time to brief the severance issue, and hold a hearing on any filed motion to sever so that the Court may consider the factors set forth in Cain and its progeny, as required by Georgia law," the motion states. Willis’ motion Tuesday came after Chesebro requested a speedy trial, and Judge Scott McAfee set his trial date for Oct. 23. Powell asked for a speedy trial shortly after, prompting Willis’ response. "The State maintains its position that severance is improper at this juncture and that all Defendants should be tried together, but at an absolute minimum, the Court should set Defendant Powell’s trial and that of any other defendant who may file a speedy trial demand on the same date as Defendant Chesebro’s," the motion states. All 19 defendants surrendered to the Fulton County Jail and were booked ahead of deadline last week. In addition to alleged RICO violations, the charges include Solicitation of Violation of Oath by a Public Officer; Conspiracy to Commit Impersonating a Public Officer; Conspiracy to Commit Forgery in the First Degree; Conspiracy to Commit False Statements and Writings; Conspiracy to Commit Filing False Documents; Conspiracy to Commit Forgery in the First Degree; Filing False Documents; and Solicitation of Violation of Oath by a Public Officer.  Not everyone faces the same charges. The former president, specifically, was charged in Fulton County with 13 counts: One count of violation of the Georgia RICO Act, three counts of criminal solicitation, six counts of criminal conspiracy, one count of filing false documents and two counts of making false statements. McAfee set bond for the former president, and current 2024 GOP presidential frontrunner, at $200,000. It’s the fourth criminal case against Trump since March. Fox News’ Chris Pandolfo, Brooke Singman and Claudia Kelly-Bazan contributed to this report.

The Muslim call to prayer will ring out more freely in New York City under guidelines announced Tuesday by Mayor Eric Adams, which he said should foster a spirit of inclusivity. Under the new rules, Adams said, mosques will not need a special permit to publicly broadcast the Islamic call to prayer, or adhan, on Fridays and at sundown during the holy month of Ramadan. Friday is the traditional Islamic holy day, and Muslims break their fast at sunset during Ramadan. The police department’s community affairs bureau will work with mosques to communicate the new guidelines and ensure that devices used to broadcast the adhan are set to appropriate decibel levels, Adams said. NYC MAYOR ADAMS RESPONDS TO GOV. HOCHUL'S FEDERAL FUNDING PUSH, CLAIMS CITY'S HANDLED MIGRANT CRISIS 'ALONE' "For too long, there has been a feeling that our communities were not allowed to amplify their calls to prayer," Adams said. "Today, we are cutting red tape and saying clearly that mosques and houses of worship are free to amplify their call to prayer on Fridays and during Ramadan without a permit necessary." Flanked by Muslim leaders at a City Hall news conference, Adams said Muslim New Yorkers "will not live in the shadows of the American dream while I am the mayor of the city of New York." The adhan is a familiar sound in majority-Muslim countries but is heard less frequently in the United States. Officials in Minneapolis made news last year when they moved to allow mosques to broadcast the adhan publicly. The adhan declares that God is great and proclaims the Prophet Muhammad as his messenger. It exhorts men — women are not required — to go to the closest mosque five times a day for prayer, which is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. Somaia Ferozi, principal of the Ideal Islamic School in Queens, said New York City's new rules send a positive message to her students. "Our children are reminded of who they are when they hear the adhan," said Ferozi, who attended Adams' news conference. "Having that echo in a New York City neighborhood will make them feel part of a community that acknowledges them." NYC MAYOR GIVES EYEBROW-RAISING RETORT AFTER PROTESTER SCREAMS, 'F--- YOU, A--HOLE' Adams, a Democrat, enjoys close relationships with faith leaders from various traditions and has promoted the role of religion in public life. He has at times alarmed civil libertarians by saying he doesn't believe in the separation of church and state. "State is the body. Church is the heart," Adams said at an interfaith breakfast earlier this year. "You take the heart out of the body, the body dies." A spokesperson for the mayor said at the time that Adams merely meant that faith guides his actions.

South Carolina voters are divided on whether former President Donald Trump should have been charged in Georgia as he accelerates his 2024 campaign. Trump, along with 18 co-defendants, was indicted by District Attorney Fani Willis on 13 charges relating to his alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia. The former president turned himself in Thursday and was booked into the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta. "I felt like it was very political," a South Carolinian told Fox News Digital when asked about Trump's controversial indictment. "Yes, there is precedent for wrongdoing, but instead of actually doing it the proper way, they're using it as a political tool rather than doing the right thing." DONALD TRUMP MUGSHOT RELEASED AFTER GEORGIA BOOKING, FIRST EVER FOR A FORMER PRESIDENT "Nobody should be above the law," another individual told Fox. "I'm neither a Democrat nor Republican. But if you decide that somebody's not supposed to (do something), just like me — a normal citizen — I would go to jail. So if he'd done something wrong, and he's convicted, that's where he needs to go." Other potential voters in Columbia, South Carolina, believe the charges to be politically driven. CONSERVATIVES UNLOAD AFTER TRUMP BOOKED INTO GEORGIA JAIL IN 4TH INDICTMENT: ‘SICKENING’ "The grounds that they're using to indict him is ridiculous," someone said of the charges. "He's entitled to his opinion on the 12th Amendment. And you have Stacey Abrams that denied the election and still denies the election, but yet Trump denies it and they indict him. And it's just political interference." "How do you indict him for asking questions?" another individual said, defending the former president. "I mean, what is America going to come to if a guy that's running for president, and he's leading the opposition party, and he gets indicted? I don't think that's very fair. I don't. I hate that America has come to that. That scares me." "I think it's a distraction. I think that they don't want him to run again," another said, referring to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign. The first-ever mugshot of a former president was captured of Trump after he turned himself in, and one person spoke of getting the image "framed and put it up in the house." The charges in Georgia mark the fourth indictment against the former president since he launched his 2024 presidential campaign. "This is all about election interference," Trump told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview after the mugshot was released. "It all comes through Washington and the DOJ and Crooked Joe Biden. Nothing like this has ever happened in our country before."  Fox News' Aubrie Spady, Brandon Gillespie, and Brooke Singman contributed to this report.

House Republicans are extending an investigation into Attorney General Merrick Garland’s appointment of Special Counsel David Weiss to oversee Hunter Biden’s federal case.  A joint letter sent by the chairmen of the Oversight, Judiciary and Ways and Means Committees said Weiss’s elevation from Delaware U.S. Attorney to special counsel "raises numerous concerns," claiming it undercuts Garland and Weiss’s previous insistence that the prosecutor was already operating independently without political pressure. "Given the extremely serious nature of these issues, the Committees expect unfettered cooperation with our oversight from both you and the Department," the letter said.  They questioned why Weiss opened the investigation in 2018, after being appointed by former President Donald Trump, but was only made special counsel this summer. HUNTER BIDEN TRAVELED TO AT LEAST 15 COUNTRIES WITH VP DAD: ‘I CAN CATCH A RIDE WITH HIM' "It is not clear why you have only now, after the investigation has been going on for five years, opted to appoint Mr. Weiss as special counsel, especially after you and the Department represented that Mr. Weiss already had ‘ultimate’ authority over the case," the lawmakers said. "Indeed, the only explanation you have offered is that ‘extraordinary circumstances’ require the appointment. The order appointing Mr. Weiss as special counsel is similarly lacking in any meaningful explanation." COMER DEMANDS NATIONAL ARCHIVES FORK OVER UNREDACTED EMAILS INVOLVING HUNTER BIDEN, UKRAINE, BURISMA The Republicans’ letter primarily cited the whistleblower testimony of IRS agent Gary Shapley, who was on the Hunter Biden investigation for a time and who told lawmakers on Capitol Hill that Weiss’s investigation was intentionally stymied by the Biden administration.  He and fellow IRS agent Joseph Ziegler testified before Congress last month that they believe investigators were blocked from probing any potential ties between Hunter Biden’s alleged misdeeds and his father, President Joe Biden. They also accused the Justice Department of limiting their investigation outside of the normal boundaries of procedure.  Republicans also attacked Weiss in the wake of a now-defunct plea agreement between the Justice Department and Hunter Biden that they categorized as a "sweetheart deal." Weiss was appointed as special counsel just weeks after the deal fell apart and the president’s son pleaded "not guilty" to two federal tax charges in late July. HOUSE GOP RELEASES BANK RECORDS ON HUNTER BIDEN PAYMENTS FROM RUSSIAN, KAZAKH OLIGARCHS, TOTAL CLEARS $20M "The Department pulled punches in this investigation, handicapping veteran investigators and preventing them from freely pursuing the facts," the Monday letter said. "Now you have appointed as special counsel an individual who oversaw all the investigation’s irregularities, who spent the past two months claiming that he did not need special counsel status, and who was responsible for the plea agreement that collapsed in court and is widely viewed as an embarrassment for the Department. In light of Mr. Weiss’s record leading this investigation, we have concerns with his appointment as special counsel." Garland said when he named Weiss as special counsel that the prosecutor had asked for the title himself. The House Republicans are now calling on him to hand over all communications and documents related to Weiss’s special counsel appointment from when Biden took over the White House until now, with a deadline of Sept. 11. The letter was signed by Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith, R-Mo., Oversight Chair James Comer, R-Ky., and Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan, R-Ohio.

New lawsuit accuses ballot board of presenting voters with a confusing summary on November ballot about access to abortion Abortion rights advocates in Ohio filed a lawsuit on Monday, claiming that state Republican leaders are trying to confuse voters on a ballot measure about access to reproductive healthcare. Last week, the Ohio ballot board – led by the Republican secretary of state, Frank LaRose – approved the wording of Issue 1, a November ballot measure that will ask voters if the state constitution should guarantee a right to abortion, contraception, fertility treatment and miscarriage care. Continue reading...

Wisconsin zoos could escape state oversight if the operations earn accreditation from an organization that animal rights advocates have blasted for having what they argue are weak animal treatment standards under a Republican bill heard Tuesday. Currently in Wisconsin, zoos that earn accreditation from the American Zoo and Aquarium Association, or AZA, are exempt from state Department of Natural Resources license requirements. Under Sen. Van Wanggaard and Rep. Alex Dallman's bill, zoos that earn accreditation from the Zoological Association of America, or ZAA, would also be exempt from license requirements. Wanggaard told a Senate committee on Tuesday that the proposal would create "parity and consistency" for zoos. A STAR IN STRIPES: BABY ZEBRA IS BORN AT CHICAGO ZOO "It simply doesn't make sense for the state to require different licenses because it (a zoo) uses different accreditation," Wanggaard said. "This is a common-sense bill that will simplify state license requirements." But animal rights activists countered that the AZA's standards are far superior to the ZAA and that group has been trying to convince legislatures around the country to exempt its members from government oversight. Similar bills failed in Minnesota last year and in Michigan in 2013. "The ZAA is a made-up accrediting organization for roadside zoos to dupe the unsuspecting public that the zoo they're visiting actually helps animals," Bethanie Gengler, director of Roadside Zoo News, a website that posts news articles about animal abuse at roadside zoos, told the committee. "The point is to remove DNR oversight." Zoos in the United States are regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as well as state government entities. Wisconsin DNR zoo license holders must follow multiple requirements, including building pens to state specifications, providing an enriching environment for the animals and submitting quarterly and annual reports. But accredited AZA members don't need DNR licenses. The organization has operated for nearly 100 years and has been accrediting zoos since 1974. According to the organization's website, the accreditation process involves a comprehensive review of a facility's operation, including animal welfare, veterinary services, guest services, finances and staffing. The association boasts about 240 members, including Disney’s Animal Kingdom; SeaWorld in Florida and Texas; Atlantis, aquariums in Dubai and Bermuda; and the Milwaukee County Zoo. The ZAA launched in 2005. Its website calls accreditation a multi-phase process that can take months and includes reviews of animal care, nutrition and facility aesthetics. "We focus on the safety of the animal and (zoo) professionals and visitors," ZAA Executive Director Kelly George told the committee. The organization has more than 60 members. The Wildwood Wildlife Park and Zoo in Minocqua is the only member in Wisconsin. Matt Schoebel, who runs Animal Entertainment Inc., told the committee that he is trying to earn ZAA accreditation. The DNR cited Animal Entertainment Inc. three times this year for record-keeping violations, although two citations were dismissed. If the bill passes and Schoebel wins ZAA accreditation he would no longer be subject to the DNR's record-keeping requirements. The company's Timbavati Wildlife Park in Wisconsin Dells is the only entity registered in favor of the bill, according to state ethics records. FAMOUS ELEPHANT CELEBRATES HIS 15TH BIRTHDAY WITH POOL PARTY AT OREGON ZOO: SEE THE ADORABLE PHOTOS The ZAA is extremely strict, down to demanding zoo operators repair chipped paint, he told the committee. Megan Nicholson, the Humane Society of the United States' Wisconsin director, told the committee the USDA launched enforcement actions against 26 ZAA-accredited facilities between 2010 and 2022. She said people have been hurt by an elephant, an orangutan, a tiger, a bear and lion cubs at ZAA-accredited facilities. "Rather than exempt a subpar zoo trade organization, we suggest making all things equal by removing exemptions for both AZA and ZAA," Nicholson said in written remarks submitted to the committee. "If creating a level playing field is truly the intent of this legislation, holding all facilities accountable to state oversight, regardless of accreditation status, would resolve the issue." The bill must pass the Senate and Assembly, both controlled by Republicans, before it would go to Democratic Gov. Tony Evers. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu didn't immediately respond to messages inquiring about the bill's prospects.

The White House said Tuesday that "there is no yes or no answer" when asked whether it is fair that transgender athletes take part in sports designated for biological females — an issue the Biden administration labeled as a "complicated" one that contains a "wide range of views." The comments came after White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked by Fox Business correspondent Hillary Vaughn whether President Biden agrees with GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley that biological boys participating in female sports is the "women's issue of our time," and whether he believes the matter is a "women's rights issue." "So we've talked about this many times. This is the Title XI, specifically. Look, and again, we've talked about this multiple times. It's a complicated issue, and there are a wide range of views on this. The Department of Education proposed a rule, as you know, that gives schools the flexibility to establish their own athletics policies, and so while establishing guardrails, right, to prevent discrimination against transgender kids," Jean-Pierre responded. "That is something that is incredibly important, that the president wants to make sure that we also do that as well. So I'm just not going to get ahead of that." MOST AMERICANS BELIEVE TRANS ATHLETES SHOULD COMPETE AGAINST THOSE WITH SAME BIOLOGICAL GENDER: POLL Pushing her on the subject by reminding Jean-Pierre of the president's granddaughters, Vaughn asked if Biden cares whether "girls are allowed to compete in sports without fear of injury" or whether he believes it's "fair for girls to have to compete against biological males." Refusing to comment on whether the Biden believes the issue is about fairness for biological females, Jean-Pierre put emphasis on the fact that the Biden administration aims to "prevent discrimination" against transgender kids. "I just answered the question. It is a complicated issue. It is truly a complicated issue with a wide range of views, a wide range of views. There is no yes or no answer to this. It is complicated. There's a rule that the Department of Education has put forward, and we're going to let that process move forward," Jean-Pierre said. "Again, we want to make sure that while we establish guardrails with this rule that we also prevent discrimination, as well, against transgender kids. But again, a complicated issue with a wide range of views, and we respect that." Jean-Pierre's comments about the matter being a "complicated issue" mirrored similar remarks she made in June, when she accused a reporter of characterizing transgender people as "dangerous" during a line of questioning about the safety concerns surrounding the participation of transgender athletes in women's sports. Jean-Pierre's comments at the time came after EWTN White House correspondent Owen Jensen asked her about the mounting concerns among parents of female athletes who are being forced to compete against biologically male competitors. Jensen began his question by reading aloud a tweet from Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., who wrote that allowing biological males to compete in women's sports is "unfair, unsafe and wrong." He also cited a letter signed by 72 "elite female athletes" who argued that forcing them to compete against biological males is "not only unfair, but discriminatory and illegal." KJP CLAIMS IT IS 'DANGEROUS' TO QUESTION SAFETY OF FEMALE ATHLETES COMPETING AGAINST MALES IN TESTY EXCHANGE "What would the president say to parents out there who have daughters, let's say in high school, for example, who are worried that their daughter may have to compete against a male, a person born male and they could be a direct and physically athletic competition, and worry about their daughter's safety?" he continued. Referring to the issue as "complicated" earlier on in the press briefing at the time, Jean-Pierre accused the reporter of characterizing transgender athletes as "dangerous." "What you're alluding to is basically saying that transgender kids are dangerous. ... It sounds like that's what you're saying," she retorted. Jensen tried to push back against the assertion, interjecting, "I didn't say that. This is strictly a safety question." "Well, you're saying that their safety is at risk," Jean-Pierre responded. "You're laying out a kind of broad example or explanation of what could be potentially happening. That is dangerous. That is a dangerous thing to say that essentially transgender kids are dangerous. "And so that’s something that I have to call out. That is irresponsible," she continued. "I had just laid out how complicated this issue is. I had just laid out why it’s complicated, and so anything that you have any additional questions, I refer you to the Department of Education. I’m gonna move on." Transgender participation in sports has become a flashpoint in the sports world and in the political arena as women sports advocates cite unfair biological advantages that help males dominate their female competitors. The issue has also raised safety concerns among parents of female athletes, who fear their children could sustain lasting physical injuries if forced to compete against stronger biological males. In April, the Biden administration proposed new Title IX regulations on transgender people in schools. Under the department’s proposed rule, no school or college that receives federal funding would be allowed to impose a "one-size-fits-all" policy that categorically bans transgender students from playing on sports teams consistent with their gender identity. Such policies would be considered a violation of Title IX. Fox News' Yael Halon and Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Deanne Criswell suggested Tuesday that recent storms, including the devastating fires in Hawaii, were caused by climate change. During a White House briefing Tuesday afternoon, Criswell said extreme storms were part of a "new normal" Americans face after a reporter asked her whether such storms are out of the norm and whether there have been "more intense events than before." The FEMA administrator added the nation should invest in mitigation and resilience measures to combat future storms. "What I can say is that we don't have a typical operational season like we've had in the past," Criswell remarked. "We would normally prepare our staff to be extra alert during the peak of hurricane season, which is where we find ourselves right now. But our operational tempo has been year round. We started with atmospheric rivers in California in January, extreme tornadoes in the spring to the wildfires. "Now, we are in peak hurricane season, and we have had an unprecedented number of disaster requests from governors because of the extreme weather that they're experiencing. EXPERTS THROW COLD WATER ON DEM CLAIMS THAT HAWAII WILDFIRES CAUSED BY CLIMATE CHANGE "This is our new normal. This is the operational tempo that we find ourselves in. We have to continue to invest in mitigation and resilience to help these communities reduce the impact from these storms." Democratic lawmakers and climate activists have similarly argued that recent deadly storms have been triggered by man-made global warming. They have called for policies to curb carbon emissions by massively reducing reliance on fossil fuels and for President Biden to declare a climate emergency. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., said the Hawaii fires proved "climate chaos wreaking havoc on ecosystems everywhere is the new norm," and Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., warned the fires were a "devastating view of our planet as we fail to adequately address the climate crisis." ENVIRONMENTALISTS ARE BLOCKING FOREST MANAGEMENT METHODS SAVING ICONIC SEQUOIAS AMID YOSEMITE WILDFIRE In a lawsuit filed Thursday, the government of Maui County, Hawaii, alleged Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO) and its subsidiaries failed to properly power down live electrical equipment amid a red flag windstorm earlier this month. As a result, the suit adds, downed power lines sparked a series of fires on the island, leading to more than a hundred deaths and mass devastation. "The lawsuit alleges that the Defendants acted negligently by failing to power down their electrical equipment despite a National Weather Service Red Flag Warning on August 7th," Maui County said in a release announcing its lawsuit.  "The lawsuit further alleges HECO’s energized and downed power lines ignited dry fuel such as grass and brush, causing the fires," the announcement added. "The lawsuit also alleges failure to maintain the system and power grid, which caused the systemic failures starting three different fires on August 8th." The county further stated in its lawsuit that HECO has a duty "to properly maintain and repair the electric transmission lines, and other equipment including utility poles associated with their transmission of electricity, and to keep vegetation properly trimmed and maintained so as to prevent contact with overhead power lines and other electric equipment." In response to the lawsuit, HECO pushed back on allegations its power lines caused the fires. The company said it de-energized power lines in western Maui, where much of the damage occurred Aug. 8. "We were surprised and disappointed that the County of Maui rushed to court even before completing its own investigation," Shelee Kimura, the president and CEO of Hawaiian Electric, said in a statement Sunday.  "We believe the complaint is factually and legally irresponsible. It is inconsistent with the path that we believe we should pursue as a resilient community committed and accountable to each other as well as to Hawaii's future." In addition, experts have thrown cold water on claims that climate change triggered the Maui fires even before the lawsuit. Instead, they said the event was largely a result of years of poor forest and brush management, in addition to declining agriculture. Such conditions, they said, allow fires to spread rapidly and make fires harder to contain. "Blaming this on weather and climate is misleading," said Clay Trauernicht, a University of Hawaii at Manoa professor and environmental management expert. "Hawaii's fire problem is due to the vast areas of unmanaged, nonnative grasslands from decades of declining agriculture." "These savannas now cover about a million acres across the main Hawaiian Islands, mostly the legacy of land clearing for plantation agriculture and ranching in the late 1800s/early 1900s," he added. "The transformation to savanna makes the landscape way more sensitive to bad 'fire weather' — hot, dry, windy conditions. It also means we get huge buildups of fuels during rainy periods." HECO didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

A new political advertisement aimed at promoting Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., links the conservative Democratic senator to former President Donald Trump.  Manchin is up for re-election in 2024. Though he has not formally disclosed his planned political future, he is already expected to face one of the toughest Senate fights of his career in deep-red West Virginia if he seeks re-election. The state’s popular governor, Jim Justice, and House GOP Rep. Alex Mooney, R-W.Va., are both running in the GOP primary to face him. But a new six-figure ad campaign by Duty and Honor PAC, which is affiliated with the Democrat-linked Senate Majority PAC, is capitalizing on Manchin’s victories for coal miners and features at least one other popular Republican to West Virginians – Trump.  "When miners’ pension checks were being chipped away, Joe Manchin protected our hard-earned benefits, and worked with President Trump to protect over 100,000 miners’ pensions," a voiceover said in one 30-second ad spot. DEMOCRATS GROW WORRIED ABOUT POTENTIAL MANCHIN THIRD PARTY 2024 PRESIDENTIAL BID "And when gridlock in Washington threatened to take away our health care, Sen. Manchin made sure nobody touched our benefits and helped secure health insurance for 22,000 miners. That's the West Virginia way. Tell Manchin to keep fighting for West Virginia." Shorter versions of the ad are also being rolled out, Fox News Digital was told.  MANCHIN BACKTRACKS, DOWNPLAYS INVOLVEMENT IN INFLATION REDUCTION ACT AFTER CLAIMING HE ‘WROTE’ IT Manchin is the only statewide elected Democrat left in West Virginia, which Trump carried by nearly 40 points over President Biden in the 2020 race. Trump is running for a second term as president in 2024. But Manchin said in a radio interview recently that he is "seriously" considering leaving the Democratic Party altogether. "I have to have peace of mind, basically. The brand has become so bad, the ‘D’ brand and ‘R’ brand," Manchin told West Virginia Metro News' "Talkline" host Hoppy Kercheval. "In West Virginia, the ‘D’ brand because it’s [the] national brand. It’s not the Democrats in West Virginia, it’s the Democrats in Washington." MANCHIN ON POTENTIAL THIRD-PARTY 2024 PRESIDENTIAL RUN: 'IF I GET IN THE RACE, I’M GOING TO WIN' At the same time, Manchin has generated speculation as a top prospect for a presidential ticket under the new third-party group No Labels, after he appeared at an event it hosted in New Hampshire and refused to rule out a White House bid there. Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr., attacked Manchin on social media over the new ad linking the Democrat to his father. "Don't be fooled – There's no bigger fraud in the US Senate than Joe Manchin," he said on Twitter, formerly X. "He pretends to be a Pro-Trump moderate whenever he has an election coming up in West Virginia, but when it actually matters, he always does exactly what Chuck Schumer and the Dems tell him to do in DC!!"

Congress has never been in session when various grand juries around the nation have indicted former President Trump on a host of charges.  It doesn’t matter whether it was New York, Miami, Washington or Atlanta. Lawmakers have never been at the Capitol when a grand jury handed up the historic indictments for the former president. Why does it matter whether Mr. Trump received word of an indictment when Congress was out of session? That means there weren’t hordes of Capitol Hill reporters roaming the congressional complex in search of reaction and commentary from GOP lawmakers. Congressional Republicans – whether they embraced the former president or not – abhorred the incessant questioning by reporters about his tweets, antics, criticisms and other commentary. Some GOPers tried to ignore this. But in the two-and-a-half-years since Mr. Trump left the White House, those lawmakers who are Trump loyalists are more apt to go to the mat to defend him. Many now openly question whether President Biden and Democrats are trying to "steal" the election by prosecuting their political opponents. THE SPEAKER’S LOBBY: ELECTION STRATEGY IF 2024 IS A TRUMP VS. BIDEN REMATCH This is a new dynamic on Capitol Hill heading into the presidential election of 2024. This talk from Republicans certainly builds up the GOP base and voters aligned with Mr. Trump. However, it puts other Republicans who want to build real estate between themselves, the party or their brand in a bad spot. The four court cases moving ahead are going to be long and tedious. It’s going to be impossible for Republicans to ignore questions this time around regarding legal jeopardy. Moreover, many of the questions tied to the Georgia prosecution will focus on efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Many rank-and-file Republicans don’t want to endure a relitigation of the Capitol riot or purported election fraud – repeatedly proven false. And this is the conundrum facing congressional Republicans as we head into 2024. Yet again, how do they deal with former President Trump potentially at the top of the ticket? That’s to say nothing of the heartburn some Republicans anticipate if Mr. Trump costs GOPers races down ballot as he did in 2018, 2020 and 2022. Lawmakers who support Mr. Trump will resort to what they’ve done for a while. They’ll vocally support the former president. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and members of the Freedom Caucus will do all they can to throw shade at the Biden administration, Special Counsel Jack Smith and Fulton County, Georgia, District Attorney Fani Willis. DEMOCRATS CELEBRATE, BIDEN FUNDRAISES OFF TRUMP ARREST But that doesn’t do much for Republican lawmakers who want a clean break from the former president. That’s to say nothing of those who – at best – are willing to go along simply because this is where the Republican Party stands at the moment. So how do GOP lawmakers who are wary of the former resident finesse this gauntlet in 2023 and 2024? Republicans have struggled with this question since Trump hit the national stage in 2015. It’s not even clear if some Republicans want to address the question. It’s more an air of resignation. Many Republicans are willing to just go along to get along. Some are scared to speak frankly about the former president, lest they draw his ire or the wrath of his advocates. But other Republicans who represent battleground districts or states face another 15 months – or more – of having to wrestle with the "Trump question" on Capitol Hill. Some of these inquiries about the former president and his legal troubles will naturally permeate the halls of Congress as lawmakers return to session in the coming weeks. The "Trump question" is just too big to duck this time. GOP LAWMAKER UNVEILS PUSH TO BLOCK FUNDING FOR TRUMP PROSECUTIONS However… The various Trump trials may have another impact. It’s possible they could consume so much news oxygen that Republicans who are leery of the former president don’t have to comment much at all. There is a finite amount of news bandwidth. Running to lawmakers with questions about a motion in a given trial, testimony or new piece of evidence might not resonate on Capitol Hill. Much of the press corps will focus their attention strictly on the courtroom. Congressional reaction may be a secondary or tertiary angle at best. That’s not to say that reporters will give GOPers a pass. Particularly revealing testimony could make it a challenge for even some Trump loyalists to continue to defend him so vehemently. Watch to see if the former president’s approval ratings start to slip in polls as the trials progress. That could alter the entire calculus. The toughest questions for lawmakers tied to Mr. Trump will center on the Capitol riot and evidence to overturn the election. That will hinge on evidence and testimony presented in the courtroom. There may be an inherent advantage for Republicans who try to keep Mr. Trump at arms length. They appear more justified in the minds of some voters – and particularly swing voters – for mounting opposition to the former president. AUGUST IS OFTEN THE STRANGEST MONTH IN POLITICS, AND THIS YEAR IS NO DIFFERENT Mild as it may be. Let’s look at this from an historic perspective. Some presidential contests have played out on Capitol Hill. Many of the candidates in a given year may have come from Congress. Think 2008 when everyone from Barack Obama (then a senator) to Joe Biden (then a senator) to Hillary Clinton (then a senator) to Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., was running. Consider battles over legislation dictating the contours of a presidential contest. Republicans tried to run against President Obama in 2012 after the 2010 passage of ObamaCare. Democrats thought that Republicans were damaged in 1988 after the Iran-Contra hearings of 1987. It’s doubtful that the 2024 presidential campaign landscape is on Capitol Hill. It’s in the courtroom – wherever a trial or a hearing involving former President Trump is underway. It may have mattered before whether or not Congress was in session when the indictments appeared for Mr. Trump. There wasn’t as much to say if lawmakers weren’t in Washington. But this is a different paradigm. It won’t matter whether Congress is in session or not when news hits about the former president’s legal woes. That’s because when it comes to Donald Trump, he’s always in session.

New York City has struggled to house nearly 60,000 migrants, setting up makeshift shelters at hotels, tent facilities and an airport hangar to house the new arrivals.

Sidney Powell, an attorney involved in Donald Trump's post-election legal challenges, entered a not guilty plea and said she would waive her arraignment in the case in Fulton County, according to a new court filing.

It's a coincidence of the 2024 calendar and US history.

"Some defendants have stated they assisted my personnel on January 6. This is the same tactic used as domestic violence perpetrators -- beat the victim unconscious and then attempt to render aid."

Attorneys for former President Donald Trump have previewed that they will be seeking to launch several legal maneuvers to gum up the federal election subversion case that has been brought against him by special counsel Jack Smith.

Twelve Republicans announced their candidacies for president. And President Biden announced in April that he'd run for reelection.

House Republican leaders are hoping to press forward with plans for an impeachment inquiry against President Biden next month, sources told Fox News Digital on Tuesday.  Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., told GOP lawmakers in a members-only conference call on Monday night that an impeachment inquiry is "the natural progression from our investigations that have been going on," one Republican who has been granted anonymity to discuss the call said.  The lawmaker said Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan, R-Ohio., informed members on an earlier call that McCarthy suggested the House would vote on opening an impeachment inquiry next month. "What Jim Jordan said was that McCarthy told him that it was…coming to the floor in September," the lawmaker said. BIDEN SOCIAL MEDIA BLUNDER EARNS ‘COMMUNITY NOTES’ FACT CHECK AND MOCKERY FROM CRITICS A source familiar with the discussions similarly told Fox News Digital that McCarthy expressed to several conference members that Congress’ probes have enough momentum to push for an impeachment inquiry in the fall, after lawmakers return from August recess. The president and his son Hunter Biden are under scrutiny by three separate House GOP-led committees over allegations of bribery and other corruption in the latter’s foreign business dealings. They are also looking into a plea deal nearly struck between Hunter Biden and the Justice Department in a years-long investigation into the First Son’s taxes – though that deal has since fallen apart. CNN'S JAKE TAPPER CHALKS UP BIDEN FAMILY MONEY REVELATIONS AS ‘SLEAZY’ BUT NOT CRIMINAL DURING COMER CLASH McCarthy himself told Fox Business’ "Mornings With Maria" on Sunday that an impeachment inquiry was a "natural step forward" in the investigations, though he did not directly address when it could occur.  But not all Republicans are confident that the effort will succeed.  "I don't think they have the votes to get it," the GOP lawmaker who spoke with Fox News Digital said. A source familiar with the discussions also said there was some argument that a vote is not needed to authorize an impeachment inquiry.  During former President Trump’s first impeachment, House Democrats held a vote on a resolution to formalize the rules for the public phase of his inquiry. It was largely an endorsement of the process which had already begun behind closed doors. DOJ, FBI, IRS INTERFERED WITH HUNTER BIDEN PROBE, ACCORDING TO WHISTLEBLOWER TESTIMONY RELEASED BY GOP But the GOP lawmaker suggested McCarthy would only ultimately move forward on his plan next month with overwhelming support – and not risk endangering vulnerable Republicans. "I think they would be very reluctant to make the moderates walk the plank on that boat," the lawmaker said. "I think McCarthy will only bring it to the floor for a vote if he thinks that he has the votes to do it." The lawmaker also said they believe it’s being set up for next month to appease conservatives who are warily watching McCarthy to see whether he works with Democrats to strike a deal to fund the government next year.  CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP "He's using impeachment to distract from the issues that he has with the appropriations bills," the GOP lawmaker said. The House of Representatives is coming back from its six-week August recess on Sept. 12, at which point the impeachment inquiry will likely take a backseat to Congress’ race to strike a deal on funding the government by Sept. 30 – otherwise risking a partial government shutdown. McCarthy and Jordan’s office did not respond to an on-the-record request for comment from Fox News Digital.

Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., is calling for Staten Island to break away from the rest of New York City over Democrat Mayor Eric Adams’ handling of the migrant crisis.  "What we’re simply asking is, for common sense. We want the mayor to end this. Stop doing what you're doing and listen. Secure the damn border. We do not have a border. We do not have a nation," Malliotakis said during a protest at a former Catholic school turned migrant shelter in the borough. "If you're not going to do your job, mayor, then let Staten Island secede."  The call was met with cheers and applause from the hundreds of attendees. Staten Island makes up a large part of Malliotakis’ district, which also includes part of Brooklyn. It’s a district that mostly voted for former President Donald Trump in 2020 despite New York City’s blue stronghold status. FORMER NEW YORK CITY GOP MAYORAL CANDIDATE CURTIS SLIWA ARRESTED DURING QUEENS PROTEST: REPORT "We didn’t vote for your policies. We should not be subjected to your policies. We’re going to keep on turning out. Let Staten Island secede," Malliotakis said of state- and citywide Democrats. The protest was not organized by Malliotakis or her staff, her office told Fox News Digital Tuesday. Her office also noted that the push for Staten Island to break away from the other four boroughs has been ongoing for decades. NYC MAYOR ADAMS ANNOUNCES NEW TAXPAYER-FUNDED MIGRANT TENT CITY The two-term GOP lawmaker has led Republican pushback to New York City officials’ handling of the worsening migrant crisis.  She spoke with Fox News Digital earlier this month after several people were arrested while protesting reported plans to convert a nursing home into an overflow shelter for undocumented migrants. She called for the protesters to be let go and compared it to how she believed Black Lives Matter protesters were treated in 2020. LONG ISLAND LEADER REFUSES TO LET NYC MOVE MIGRANTS INTO FORMER NHL ARENA "Arrests were made at the direction of the mayor, obviously. And it's frustrating because, you know, the summer of 2020, we had rioters who assaulted police officers, who looted, who created all sorts of disruption, and all their charges were dropped. So, I'm calling for equal treatment," Malliotakis said at the time.  Officials from both parties in New York have repeatedly called on the federal government to provide more aid as migrants continue arriving to the city, many of whom have been sleeping on the streets.  But the Biden administration replied Monday in a pair of letters to Adams and New York state Gov. Kathy Hochul from Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. In the letters, obtained by several news outlets, Mayorkas both defended Biden officials’ response and fired off a list of "structural issues" the state had in managing the crisis.