The White House has agreed to keep funding AIDS treatments in foreign countries after pushback in Congress.
President Trump's budget director Russ Vought said the administration is fine with the Senate's amended $9 billion rescissions package. The amendment removes cuts to the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which was established by President George W. Bush.
“America remains the most generous country in the world because President Trump has a humanitarian heart, and we urge other nations to dramatically increase their humanitarian efforts," a senior official told Breitbart News.
PEPFAR has long enjoyed bi-partisan backing, with supporters crediting it with saving millions of lives in developing countries. The program provides
Trump has effectively dismantled America's foreign aid organization, USAID, which is mainly responsible for managing PEPFAR.
The Trump administration pushed for $400 million in cuts to PEPFAR in a rescissions package, which if approved, would cancel billions in spending that Congress authorized in the past, including funding for left-leaning public broadcasters like NPR.
During a congressional hearing in June, Vought, a budget hardliner, said the administration expected Africa to take on a larger burden with HIV/AIDS prevention.
"It is something that our budget will be very trim on because we believe that many of these nonprofits are not geared toward the viewpoints of the administration, and we’re $37 trillion in debt,” Vought said. "So, at some point, the continent of Africa needs to absorb more of the burden of providing this health care.”
The administration's PEPFAR plans faced backlash from some Republicans, leading to a compromise.
Vought argues the bill is "substantially the same package," and indeed, it still totals roughly $9 billion in funding cuts.
The administration also downplayed its reversal and dismissed the suggestion that Trump planned to take away life-saving care from anyone.
The State Department issued a "limited waiver" in February that allowed "life-saving" HIV services to continue despite Trump's pause on foreign aid.
“PEPFAR continues to support lifesaving HIV testing, care and treatment, and prevention of mother-to-child transmission services approved by the Secretary of State,” the administration official told Breitbart. “An estimated 86 percent of beneficiaries could be receiving lifesaving treatment and prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) services based on the full operational capacity of all active awards.”
The rescissions package advanced Tuesday, with Vice President J.D. Vance breaking a tie in the Senate.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
John MacArthur, founder of Grace to You and long the pastor of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, has died at the age of 86.
He spent more than 50 years preaching and only relinquished the pulpit this year because of health challenges. He recently had contracted pneumonia.
"Our hearts are heavy, yet rejoicing, as we share the news that our beloved pastor and teacher John MacArthur has entered into the presence of the Savior. This evening, his faith became sight. He faithfully endured until his race was run," his ministry, Grace to You, posted.
Tom Patton, staff minister at Grace Community told members of the congregation on Sunday, "You need to know that this week, Pastor John contracted pneumonia. He was admitted in a hospital, and may be in the presence of the Lord soon.
"We place our dear pastor at the feet of the glorious Savior whom he has served so faithfully for so many years and now awaits his final comment to be in his presence forever."
CBN reported H.B. Charles Jr., pastor-teacher at the Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church of Jacksonville, Florida, filled in for MacArthur during Sunday's service and told the congregation that his ministry was a direct result of MacArthur's teaching.
MacArthur became a pastor-teacher in 1969 and has preached more than 3,000 sermons.
Grace to You reaches thousands through radio and digital media, and his books, dozens of theological tomes and biblical commentaries, reach thousands more.
He made headlines in 2020 when a judge allowed him to continue holding in-person church services despite orders from leftist Gov. Gavin Newsom to shut down church events during COVID-19.
This year, he addressed the congregation, explaining, "I'm not ill at all… my heart is probably stronger now than it's been in the last decade of my life. I'm just thankful I see the good and gracious and kind and providential hand of God in every vicissitude in my life."
Greg Laurie, senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship, wrote, "John leaves behind a powerful legacy: his beloved family, his faithful congregation, his far-reaching media ministry, and of course, his epic library of biblical commentaries that will continue to impact generations. But above all his greatest legacy is this—he lived a life well-lived. He was faithful to the very end. He will be deeply missed, but I'm confident he has already heard those words we all long to hear: 'Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Lord.' (Matt. 25:23)."
Prestonwood Baptist senior pastor Jack Graham said, "Well done, good and faithful servant. John MacArthur inspired millions with his clear proclamation of the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus."
The Supreme Court has ruled that the Trump administration may cut thousands of employees from the Department of Health and Human Services, CNN reported. The employees were notified by email on Monday that it was their last day on the job.
President Donald Trump's HHS, under the guidance of Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., initially notified affected employees throughout its agencies on April 1. However, a court battle ensued but eventually ended at the U.S. Supreme Court last week.
On July 8, the high court ruled in favor of the HHS and said it "is now permitted to move forward with a portion of its [reduction in force]." The decision was then relayed to workers who were let go as originally planned before the challenge.
"You are hereby notified that you are officially separated from HHS at the close of business on July 14, 2025. Thank you for your service to the American people," Monday's email informed them.
The plan to eliminate 20,000 HHS employees was announced on March 27 and made Democrats apoplectic. The employees would be cut from agencies including the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Food and Drug Administration.
"This will be a painful period for HHS as we downsize from 82,000 workers to 62,000," Kennedy said when announcing the plan. "But we are keenly focused on paring down the number of administrators while increasing the number of scientists and frontline health providers."
🚨 RFK JR ANNOUNCES MAJOR CUTS TO HHS: “THIS WILL BE PAINFUL”
20,000 HHS workers are about to get the boot:
“This will be a painful period for HHS as we downsize from 82,000 workers to 62,000,” he noted.
“But we are keenly focused on pairing down the number of… pic.twitter.com/OE6oJaYDK3
— Lauren Lee (@sheislaurenlee) March 27, 2025
While some of those have been restored to employment, Monday's decision impacts thousands of employees, according to a spokesperson for the HHS. However, this may not be the final word, even for all those who were cut, as a portion of employees are still protected under New York v. Kennedy, not addressed in Monday's ruling.
HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon celebrated the decision that will allow the administration to proceed with its stated goals. "HHS previously announced our plans to transform this department to Make America Healthy Again and we intend to do just that," Nixon told CNN in an email statement.
The Trump administration may also proceed with layoffs at the Department of Education thanks to another Supreme Court ruling Monday. Just two hours after the high court decision, the administration offered an Aug. 1 termination date to some 1,400 employees.
National Education Association President Becky Pringle bristled at this move, Fox News reported. "Everyone who cares about America’s students and public schools should be appalled by the Supreme Court’s premature intervention in this case today, which stays preliminary relief ordered by the lower courts," Pringle claimed.
"Today’s decision does not resolve the underlying merits of Trump’s unlawful plan to eliminate the Department of Education," she added. Pringle promised a fight, which Trump is undoubtedly ready for, even as Democrats rage against him.
"Parents, educators, and community leaders won’t be silent as Trump and his allies take a wrecking ball to public schools and the futures of the 50 million students in rural, suburban, and urban communities across America. We will continue to organize, advocate, and mobilize until all students have the opportunity to attend the well-resourced public schools where they can thrive," Pringle said.
The federal government is bloated and inefficient, and it's time for that to change. These workers don't want to lose their taxpayer-funded, cushy jobs, but it's well past time to address this issue, and Trump is eager to fulfill his promise to get it done.
A federal appeals court has temporarily blocked the Trump administration's move to end protected status for Afghan migrants, Breitbart reported. The Biden era policy gave thousands of migrants from Afghanistan de facto amnesty.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security released a statement about the decision. "Temporary Protected Status was designed to be just that—TEMPORARY. Granted for 18 months under extraordinary circumstances," the official account posted to X, formerly Twitter.
"It was never meant to last a quarter of a century. For many of these countries, TPS was granted in the 90's after natural disasters. Now that conditions have improved, it is time to return home. President Trump and Secretary Noem are restoring integrity to our immigration system and ensuring that TPS remains TEMPORARY," the post Tuesday said.
Temporary Protected Status was designed to be just that—TEMPORARY. Granted for 18 months under extraordinary circumstances. It was never meant to last a quarter of a century.
For many of these countries, TPS was granted in the 90's after natural disasters. Now that conditions… pic.twitter.com/x7LY1xbGcd
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) July 15, 2025
Then-President Joe Biden resettled Afghan migrants in the U.S. under Temporary Protected Status. As part of President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown, his U.S. Department of Homeland Security sought to end TPS for thousands of migrants after then-President Biden resettled them into the U.S.
On Monday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit put a stay on the administration's plan to end the loophole for some 75,000 people from Afghanistan resettled under Biden. As DHS said, this was supposed to be a temporary measure set to expire on July 12.
However, the appeals court has put the brakes on any abolishment for now after the pro-immigration organization CASA, Inc. filed a lawsuit. Unfortunately, this comes amid reports of fraud in the program that could expose Americans to danger.
Even before TPS was an official policy, it was known that Afghans resettled in the U.S. had problematic ties. Unfortunately, of the 31 who were designated with "derogatory information," only three could be located within the U.S. in 2021.
That same year, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) requested information about Afghans on the "No Fly List" who tried to enter the U.S. However, the Biden administration was cagey about the data and refused to report the exact count of such immigrants.
Even after TPS for Afghans was formalized in 2022, the issues persisted. In February 2022, the Department of Defense found that the Afghans imported under Biden's plan were not sufficiently vetted before being settled in communities throughout the U.S.
That early report found that 50 Afghans with "significant security concerns" were allowed into the U.S. through the resettlement program without much scrutiny. In February 2022, an Inspector General's report called out the Biden administration for its lack of vetting and warned it would "pose a national security risk."
A former Department of Defense official disclosed in 2023 that some of the Afghans given access to the U.S. had been involved in placing improvised explosive devices in Afghanistan. These roadside bombs were used to kill American service members in Afghanistan.
Just last year, a 27-year-old Afghan who was brought to the U.S. as part of Biden's plan was allegedly planning a terrorist attack on Election Day. He was arrested in Oklahoma before he could carry out his diabolical agenda.
Unfortunately, Biden and his cronies in the court system are perfectly willing to risk American lives to continue with the open borders policies that got us here. Trump has been blindsided by the court's reluctance to allow him to protect the U.S. by keeping unvetted people out, but his administration will not stop fighting it.
Democratic Minnesota state Sen. Nicole Mitchell’s trial for the 2024 burglary of her stepmother’s home began this week, and the details are a frightening combination of delusion and entitlement.
Mitchell was arrested by the Detroit Lakes police in April of 2024 after Carol Mitchell called for help upon discovering someone in her home.
Included in the case proceedings was body cam footage from officers who confronted Nicole Mitchell, who stood in her stepmother’s living room dressed in black.
JUST IN: Dem Senator ARRESTED - Cops SWARM After...
Bodycam footage of Sen. Nicole Mitchell's arrest was shown during her burglary trial today.
Mitchell faces charges of first-degree burglary and possession of burglary tools for allegedly breaking into her stepmother's Detroit Lakes home.
The prosecution claims Mitchell… pic.twitter.com/KLWtdsGZ9w
— FOX 9 (@FOX9) July 15, 2025
The Democrat state senator’s stepmother, Carol Mitchell, 75, took the witness stand, saying she felt “extremely violated” when she discovered her stepdaughter in her basement.
The defense brought up the assertion that she was just there to check on her aging relative, saying that what she did shortly after being found tells the story.
“A burglar runs,” said Bruce Ringstrom Jr., one of Nicole Mitchell’s attorneys, during opening statements. “A concerned child stays.”
The events took such a toll on Carol that she moved away from the home and into a high-security building for senior citizens over the age of 55: “I didn’t dare stay there … And I’ve only now moved back into my home after putting in a security system.”
But the Becker County Attorney Brian McDonald dismissed the claim, saying, “No amount of grief or frustration can justify a home burglary.”
McDonald firmly stated that Nicole Mitchell was “caught red-handed,” and was wearing all black, which included a black stocking cap.
She also allegedly took off her shoes to be more “stealthy,” according to McDonald. He also pointed to the fact that she entered through a basement window to support his case.
But despite all that she still woke up Carol Mitchell, who stepped on Nicole lying beside the bed at 4 a.m., causing the septagenarian to call 911 and report a break-in.
In January of this year, Mitchell’s co-workers at the state capitol moved, without success, to expel her from her position in the state Senate.
The measure was introduced by Sen. Jordan Rasmusson, who argued lawmakers didn’t “need the results of a criminal trial” to determine Mitchell was no longer fit to serve her constituents.
“We shouldn’t be complicit in delaying justice for the victim of a crime by allowing Sen. Mitchell to use her membership in this body to shield herself from criminal consequences,” said Rasmusson.
Barack Obama gave Democrats a pep talk at a fundraiser, stepping into a leadership void left open by Vice President Kamala Harris' crushing defeat to President Trump.
Months after Trump's historic comeback, Democrats are still adrift - and the party's paralysis has left Obama frustrated. He ordered Democrats to stop "navel-gazing" and "toughen up."
“I think it’s going to require a little bit less navel-gazing and a little less whining and being in fetal positions. And it’s going to require Democrats to just toughen up,” he said.
Obama's post-presidency has centered on lucrative media ventures and speaking gigs, but the former president has remained semi-active in political affairs, often taking it upon himself to dispense lectures about "our democracy" and the supposed threat posed by Trump.
With Trump running roughshod over U.S. institutions that have been traditionally aligned with the left, including top universities and law firms, Obama turned to address his own party.
Without naming names, Obama expressed disappointment in liberal elites who have been capitulating to pressure from Trump.
"Don’t say that you care deeply about free speech and then you’re quiet. No, you stand up for free speech when it’s hard. When somebody says something that you don’t like, but you still say, ‘You know what, that person has the right to speak.’ … What’s needed now is courage," he said.
Obama, who owns several mansions, criticized prestigious law firms that fear they might "lose a few clients and might not be able to finish that kitchen rehab at their Hampton house."
"I’m not impressed," he snapped.
Trump's historic victory was widely seen as a crushing verdict on the "woke" Democratic party and its drift from ordinary people and their concerns. Obama, although a strident progressive himself, rebuked ideologues in the party who fail to address everyday problems like the cost-of-living.
“I don’t care how much you love working people. They can’t afford a house because all the rules in your state make it prohibitive to build. And zoning prevents multifamily structures because of NIMBY,” he said.
“I don’t want to know your ideology, because you can’t build anything. It does not matter.”
Obama warned that Democrats should stop expecting a "quick fix" to their woes. He pointed to governor's races in Virginia and New Jersey as opportunities for the party to find new confidence and momentum.
“Stop looking for the quick fix. Stop looking for the messiah. You have great candidates running races right now. Support those candidates,” Obama said.
In a startling confession, former President Biden admitted to the New York Times that he did not approve many of the controversial pardons that he nominally signed at the end of his term.
Biden defended his administration's frequent use of an autopen as perfectly "legal," and insisted that he made "every decision." But he also conceded that he delegated the details of the pardon process to his staff because there were too many to sign.
"We’re talking about a whole lot of people," he said.
Biden's frequent use of the autopen has fueled doubts about his authority over the White House and the legitimacy of the actions he took as president, especially the controversial pardon spree of his final days in power.
Biden granted clemency to 4,000 inmates, including nearly every federal prisoner on death row, and he gave pre-emptive pardons to members of his own family.
According to the Times, Biden "did not individually approve each name for the categorical pardons that applied to large numbers of people, he and aides confirmed."
Biden only approved the basic criteria that were used for three sets of mass pardons, the Times reported. A fourth set of pardons involved high-profile Trump critics like Mark Milley and Anthony Fauci, and Biden insisted he discussed their cases individually.
“We know how vindictive Trump is, and I’ve no doubt they would have gone after Mark for no good reason,” Biden said.
“The general, you know. So they may read off his name — what’d I want? I told them I wanted to make sure he had a pardon because I knew exactly what Trump would do — without any merit, I might add.”
The White House used a multi-step process to record the proof of Biden's involvement.
Senior advisers like chief of staff Jeff Zients would relay Biden's decisions to assistants to be written down. The assistants, who were not present for Biden's meetings, would then send their notes back to Biden's advisers for approval before sending them off to staff secretary Stefanie Feldman, who had the autopen.
If revisions were made to the pardon list, staff would run the final versions through the autopen without asking Biden to sign again.
On the final night of his presidency, Biden made the decision to pre-emptively pardon his family members, but Zients had the final sign-off.
In an e-mail at 10:31 p.m. on January 19, he wrote, "I approve the use of the autopen for the execution of all of the following pardons."
President Trump can go ahead with mass layoffs at the Department of Education, the Supreme Court has ruled.
The decision is the latest in a streak of court victories for Trump, who is pursuing an aggressive effort to dismantle the Department and much of the federal bureaucracy.
The justices provided no explanation for the move, which reversed a lower court ruling that ordered Trump to reinstate 1,400 employees - roughly half the agency's workforce.
Trump has pledged to end the Department of Education, citing low academic performance in American public schools.
The Department handles roles like tracking student progress, overseeing financial aid, including student loans, and enforcing federal civil rights law. Since the agency can only be abolished by an act of Congress, Trump has tried to tear it down piecemeal.
A federal judge appointed by President Biden, Judge Myong J. Joun, had blocked Trump in May from firing 1,400 employees, ruling the mass layoffs amounted to an illegal effort to bypass Congress.
The Supreme Court's reversal is the latest Trump victory to come from the so-called emergency docket. Such rulings often come with little explanation and without a full briefing.
The court's ruling prompted a furious dissent from the liberal justices, who have vocally criticized recent Supreme Court rulings in Trump's favor.
The Supreme Court "hands the Executive the power to repeal statutes by firing all those necessary to carry them out," liberal Sonia Sotomayor wrote.
"The majority is either willfully blind to the implications of its ruling or naive, but either way the threat to our Constitution’s separation of powers is grave."
The ruling allows Trump to proceed with layoffs while the legal battle continues.
While liberals responded with predictable alarmism, the Trump administration hailed the Supreme Court's decision as a necessary rebuke of judicial activism coming from lower courts.
White House spokeswoman, Liz Huston, said in a statement that the court had “once again recognized what radical district court judges refuse to accept — President Trump, as head of the executive branch, has absolute constitutional authority to direct and manage its agencies and officers.”
In a separate decision last week, the Supreme Court cleared Trump to lay off thousands of employees at different federal agencies, reversing a district court that tried to block the plan.
Within days of the Supreme Court's reversal, the State Department fired 1,300 staffers.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
PALM BEACH, Florida – Jeffrey Epstein's accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell is reportedly ready to testify before the U.S. Congress, potentially exposing the depths of the sordid pedophile network the pair ran.
According to Britain's Daily Mail, the 63-year-old Maxwell who is the only person behind bars in connection with the Epstein's network of underage girls, "is willing to speak in front of Congress."
A source told the paper: "Despite the rumors, Ghislaine was never offered any kind of plea deal. She would be more than happy to sit before Congress and tell her story.
"No one from the government has ever asked her to share what she knows. She remains the only person to be jailed in connection to Epstein and she would welcome the chance to tell the American public the truth."
Maxwell is currently incarcerated in Tallahassee State Prison in Florida, serving 20 years for child sex trafficking as she groomed underage girls for both Epstein and his group of powerful elites, though to date not a single purported client of the former Palm Beach resident has faced criminal charges.
The Daily Mail reported:
A source close to Maxwell told Daily Mail that the former girlfriend of Epstein – who continues to protest her innocence – would "welcome the chance to sit in front of Congress and tell her story."
The source said: "Congressional hearings have been held into everything from JFK's assassination to 9/11. The Epstein Files rank up there with those cases. Ghislaine would be willing to speak before Congress and tell her story."
Maxwell is also fighting to have her appeal heard by the Supreme Court. On July 14, lawyers for the U.S. government will submit their response to her plea for the Supreme Court to take up her case.
President Trump's former "First Buddy" Elon Musk sensationally claimed there is a cover-up because Trump is mentioned in the Epstein Files, something sources close to Maxwell say "is a false flag."
"President Trump was photographed with Epstein several times and they ran in the same circles but Trump was one of the first to break all contact with Epstein because they fell out over a business deal and Epstein's treatment of women," the informed source said.
"There are no big shocks about President Trump in the Epstein Files. But there are a lot of powerful men involved and a lot of money and it will come down to following the money."
Over the weekend, as WorldNetDaily reported, President Donald Trump voiced his extreme displeasure with ongoing controversy over Attorney General Pam Bondi's refusal to release files on the convicted pedophile, amid rumors FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino may resign over the issue.
In a lengthy post Saturday on Truth Social, Trump said: "What's going on with my 'boys' and, in some cases, 'gals?' They're all going after Attorney General Pam Bondi, who is doing a FANTASTIC JOB! We're on one Team, MAGA, and I don't like what's happening.
"We have a PERFECT Administration, THE TALK OF THE WORLD, and 'selfish people' are trying to hurt it, all over a guy who never dies, Jeffrey Epstein. For years, it's Epstein, over and over again."
Investigative journalist Alex Jones on Sunday said the Trump administration's reversal on releasing the Epstein files is "the mother of all scandals."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Lara Trump, President Donald Trump's daughter-in-law and a potential candidate for the Senate from North Carolina, says eventually more details about Jeffrey Epstein will be released by the administration.
Her comments came in a podcast with Benny Johnson amid a firestorm now engulfing MAGA, President Trump and Republicans after the Department of Justice issued a statement that Epstein died of suicide and there aren't more details coming out.
At issue are suspicions of his alleged operations providing young girls to a number of acquaintances including political figures and celebrities – whether those claims are true and if so, who was involved.
She explained President Trump is listening to his base on the issue and knows how "important" it is and he will "set things right."
"There needs to be more transparency. I think that will happen. I know this is important to the President. He is frustrated," she said. "He is going to want to set things right. I believe there will be more coming and anything they are able to release they will try to get out. They hear it and understand it. … To anyone worked up out there, there is no plot to keep this information away. I'm sure we will know down the line … ."
A report at Just the News explained her remarks come amid calls from some for Attorney General Pam Bondi to resign over her handling of the situation.
Meanwhile, the GOP is awaiting word from her whether she will enter the race for the North Carolina Senate seat, following the decision from Sen. Thom Tillis, a Republican, to not seek re-election.