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House Republicans call for investigation into Obama-appointed judge in Trump funding case
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FIRST ON FOX: A pair of Republican oversight hawks escalated a complaint on Tuesday about a district court judge who is presiding over one of the Trump administration’s cases, alleging the judge has a financial conflict of interest.
Reps. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Darrell Issa, R-Calif., chairman and member of the House Judiciary Committee, respectively, asked the judicial council for the First Circuit Court of Appeals to investigate Judge John McConnell, according to a letter obtained by Fox News Digital.
McConnell, an Obama appointee, has been presiding over a pivotal funding freeze case in Rhode Island brought by 22 states with Democratic attorneys general. The case centers on the Office of Management and Budget’s order in January that federal agencies implement a multibillion-dollar suspension of federal benefits.
JUDGE TARGETED BY GOP FOR IMPEACHMENT DEALS BLOW TO TRUMP’S FEMA OBJECTIVES
Rep. Jim Jordan, left, speaks with Rep. Darrell Issa during a hearing in Washington, D.C., on July 13, 2023. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The states’ lawsuit argued the funding freeze was illegal because Congress had already approved the funds for use. McConnell agreed with the states and blocked the administration from suspending the funds, and the case is now sitting before the First Circuit Court of Appeals.
McConnell wrote in an order in March that the Trump administration’s funding suspension «fundamentally undermines the distinct constitutional roles of each branch of our government.»
The judge said the freeze lacked «rationality» and showed no «thoughtful consideration of practical consequences» because it threatened states’ «ability to provide vital services, including but not limited to public safety, health care, education, childcare, and transportation infrastructure.»
Issa and Jordan said McConnell’s long-standing leadership roles with Crossroads Rhode Island, a nonprofit that has received millions of dollars in federal and state grants, raised the possibility of a judicial ethics violation.
«Given Crossroads’s reliance on federal funds, Judge McConnell’s rulings had the effect of restoring funding to Crossroads, directly benefitting the organization and creating a conflict of interest,» Jordan and Issa wrote.
Their letter was directed to Judge David Barron, chief judge of the First Circuit and chair of the First Circuit Judicial Council.
FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS TRUMP ADMIN FROM DISMANTLING 3 AGENCIES
Judge John McConnell (U.S. District Court of Rhode Island)
McConnell was quick to become one of Trump’s judicial nemeses when he became involved with the funding freeze case. His initial order blocking the freeze and subsequent orders to enforce his injunction and unfreeze FEMA funds fueled criticism from Trump’s allies.
The Trump-aligned group America First Legal has been highlighting McConnell’s ties to Crossroads Rhode Island for months through its own investigation and complaint to the First Circuit.
Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., filed articles of impeachment against the judge in March, though impeachment as a solution for judges with whom Republicans take issue has not garnered widespread support among the broader Republican conference.
Rep. Andrew Clyde attends a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing in the U.S. Capitol on March 24, 2023. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Vocal Trump supporter Laura Loomer targeted the judge’s daughter on social media, and X CEO Elon Musk elevated her grievance on his platform.
One of McConnell’s local newspapers, the Providence Journal, described the judge as a man «well-known» in Democratic political circles and a major donor to Democratic politicians and organizations before he was confirmed to the bench in 2011.
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McConnell included Crossroads Rhode Island and his membership as a board member in his recent public annual financial disclosure reports. No parties in the case have actively sought his recusal at this stage.
An aide for the judge did not respond to a request for comment.
INTERNACIONAL
El Reino Unido colaborará con Jordania para la entrega de ayuda humanitaria aérea en Gaza
El Reino Unido colaborará con países como Jordania para lanzar ayuda humanitaria por vía aérea sobre Gaza y evacuar a niños que necesiten atención médica urgente, dijo este sábado el primer ministro británico, Keir Starmer.
Starmer hizo el anuncio tras mantener una conversación con el presidente francés, Emmanuel Macron, y el canciller alemán, Friedrich Merz -integrantes del grupo E3-, en la que subrayaron la necesidad de impulsar un alto el fuego inmediato en la Franja.
En ese sentido, los tres dirigentes se comprometieron a trabajar conjuntamente en un plan que convierta una tregua en una paz duradera y en una solución de dos Estados. Cuando lo tengan listo, involucrarán a otros aliados, indicó Downing Street en un comunicado.
En la misma conversación, los mandatarios trataron la guerra en Ucrania, concluyendo que hay que mantener la presión sobre el presidente ruso, Vladimir Putin, así como el apoyo militar a Kiev.
Con relación al programa nuclear iraní, coincidieron en que, si Irán no colabora con el Organismo Internacional de Energía Atómica (OIEA) ni regresa a la vía diplomática, se restablecerán las sanciones al final de agosto.
Este contacto trilateral se produce un día después de la publicación de un comunicado conjunto del grupo E3, en el que urgían a un alto el fuego en Gaza, pedían a Israel levantar las restricciones a la ayuda humanitaria y reiteraban su rechazo a cualquier posible anexión de territorios palestinos ocupados.
Tras ese comunicado, Starmer dejó claro que el Reino Unido no reconocerá aún el Estado palestino, en contraste con Francia, cuyo presidente anunció que lo hará en septiembre durante la Asamblea General de la ONU.
Más de 200 diputados británicos instaron el viernes a Starmer a reconocer a Palestina en una conferencia de Naciones Unidas auspiciada por Francia y Arabia Saudita la próxima semana en Nueva York, pero el líder laborista cree que ese reconocimiento solo será útil “como parte de un plan de paz más amplio”.
La desnutrición mató a otras cinco personas, incluido un bebé, en las últimas 24 horas en Gaza, informó el hospital Al Shifa de la franja palestina.
El bebé Hood Arafat había nacido hacía apenas unos diez días y no tuvo acceso a leche de fórmula. Su madre, también con problemas de malnutrición, no pudo amamantarlo.
El número total de víctimas por desnutrición desde el inicio de la ofensiva israelí contra la Franja se eleva a 127, de los que 85 eran niños, según cifras del departamento de Sanidad de Gaza.
La agencia de la ONU para los Refugiados Palestinos (UNRWA, por sus siglas en inglés) ya había venido advirtiendo de que la desnutrición entre los niños menores de cinco años se había duplicado entre marzo y junio, como resultado del bloqueo israelí de la Franja de Gaza.
Según el COGAT, el organismo israelí encargado de los asuntos civiles en los territorios palestinos ocupados, agencias de la ONU y otras organizaciones distribuyeron ayer cerca de 100 camiones humanitarios en la Franja sin dar más detalles, recoge el periódico israelí The Times of Israel.
Durante esta madrugada, sin embargo, disparos del Ejército mataron a unas 24 personas y dejaron a más de 300 heridos cerca del puesto militar de Zikim, al noroeste de la urbe de Beit Lahia, mientras esperaban la llegada de camiones con ayuda, informó el hospital de Al Shifa.
Por su parte, la primera ministra italiana, Giorgia Meloni, afirmó que “el reconocimiento del Estado de Palestina, sin que exista un Estado de Palestina, puede ser incluso contraproducente”, tras el anuncio del presidente francés, Emmanuel Macron, de que Francia lo reconocerá ante la Asamblea General de la ONU en septiembre.
“Así se lo he dicho a la propia autoridad palestina y también se lo he dicho a Macron“, declaró la mandataria italiana, según publicó el diario La Repubblica.
Meloni expuso que “si se reconoce sobre el papel algo que no existe, se corre el riesgo de que el problema parezca resuelto, cuando no lo está”, y agregó: “Aunque soy muy favorable al Estado de Palestina, no estoy a favor de su reconocimiento antes de que se haya iniciado un proceso para su constitución”.
En tanto, el ministro de Exteriores italiano, Antonio Tajani, señaló que “Italia apoya la solución de dos pueblos y dos Estados, pero el reconocimiento del nuevo Estado palestino debe producirse simultáneamente con el reconocimiento por parte de Italia del Estado de Israel”.
INTERNACIONAL
Texas man sues California doctor in unprecedented abortion pill case over unborn child’s alleged ‘murder’
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A Texas man has filed a landmark federal wrongful death lawsuit against a California abortion provider, alleging the physician «murdered» his unborn children by mailing abortion pills across state lines.
The case, Rodriguez v. Coeytaux, marks the first of its kind to test how far pro-life litigants can go to sidestep blue state abortion shield laws using century-old federal statutes and Texas civil code.
Filed July 20 in the Southern District of Texas, the lawsuit accuses Dr. Remy Coeytaux of aiding illegal self-managed abortions in 2024, by mailing abortion-inducing drugs to Galveston County, Texas, where they were allegedly used to end two pregnancies.
Plaintiff Jerry Rodriguez claims his girlfriend’s estranged husband purchased the pills from Coeytaux through a Venmo transaction and pressured her to take them, ending two pregnancies Rodriguez says were his.
FEDERAL JUDGE PARTIALLY BLOCKS LAW BANNING ADULTS FROM HELPING MINORS GET OUT-OF-STATE ABORTIONS
An ultrasound image from Jan. 18, 2025, allegedly shows Jerry Rodriguez’s unborn son. Filed as Exhibit 2 in Rodriguez v. Coeytaux in the Southern District of Texas. (Image filed in U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas)
At the heart of the suit is an alleged $150 Venmo payment to «Remy Coeytaux MD PC» labeled «Aed axes,» followed by his girlfriend’s name. The lawsuit states Rodriguez interprets «Aed axes» to be a phonetic spelling of «Aid Access,» a network that helps women obtain abortion pills.
Rodriguez alleges the first abortion occurred in September 2024, at the home of his girlfriend’s mother, and the second in January 2025, at the home of her estranged husband. Ultrasound images from January, attached as Exhibit 2, are offered as proof of a second pregnancy. According to the complaint, the baby was a boy.
Rodriguez is seeking over $75,000 in damages, certification of a national class of «fathers of unborn children,» and a permanent injunction barring Coeytaux from mailing abortion drugs in violation of state or federal law.
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Mifepristone (Mifeprex) and Misoprostol, are two drugs used in a medication abortion. (Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images)
The complaint’s legal foundation has drawn attention. The lawsuit revives the long-dormant Comstock Act, an 1873 federal anti-obscenity law banning the mailing of abortion-related materials. Though unenforced for over a century, the Comstock Act remains on the books.
Jonathan Mitchell, the attorney behind Texas’s heartbeat law (SB8), represents Rodriguez in the case. He argues that Dr. Remy Coeytaux violated 18 U.S.C. §§ 1461 and 1462, the federal Comstock Act, by knowingly using the mail to send abortion-inducing drugs from California to Texas.
The suit also alleges Coeytaux committed felony murder under Texas Penal Code § 19.02 by knowingly aiding an illegal abortion. It cites multiple violations of Texas law, including statutes that require abortion drugs to be administered only by in-state physicians, after informed consent and a mandatory ultrasound, and only at licensed abortion facilities. Coeytaux, who is not licensed in Texas, allegedly met none of those requirements.
PRO-LIFE MOVEMENT CONFRONTS HIGH ABORTION RATES THREE YEARS LATER AFTER DOBBS
People for and against abortion demonstrate before the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. (Allison Robbert/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
The case is already being seen as a strategic test of blue state abortion shield laws. States like California, New York, and Washington have passed measures to protect their abortion providers from legal risks when treating out-of-state patients.
But Rodriguez’s legal team avoided those roadblocks by filing a civil wrongful death suit directly in federal court, a move some legal scholars say could offer a new route for anti-abortion plaintiffs to reach providers beyond their own state’s borders.
As of Friday, court records show Coeytaux had not filed a response to the complaint, and he has not made any public statements about the case.
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Pro-abortion groups are expected to contest both the interpretation of the Comstock Act and the standing of private citizens to bring wrongful death claims tied to out-of-state telehealth prescriptions.
If the case survives early procedural hurdles, it may offer a new template for pro-life litigants to target the supply chain of abortion pills three years after Dobbs was decided at the Supreme Court.
Coeytaux did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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Hamas rejected criticism from top U.S. officials after ceasefire talks with Israel broke down earlier in the week.
«We are appalled by the statements of U.S. President Trump and earlier by U.S. special envoy Witkoff, which contradict the mediators’ assessment of Hamas’ position and are inconsistent with the actual progress of negotiations that had been acknowledged by mediators, particularly Qatar and Egypt, as they expressed satisfaction and appreciation for our serious and constructive stance,» Izzat Al-Rishq, member of Hamas Movement’s Political Bureau, said in a statement.
Al-Rishq went on to claim that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government was «the real obstructionist to all agreements,» accusing Israeli officials of continuing to «put up obstacles, deceive, and evade commitments.» He then demanded that the U.S. put more pressure on Israel «to seriously engage in ending the aggression and achieving a prisoner exchange deal,» presumably referring to the remaining hostages in Gaza and Palestinians in Israeli prisons.
U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff delivers remarks alongside President Donald Trump during the swearing-in ceremony for interim U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C. Jeanine Pirro in the Oval Office of the White House on May 28, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
US PULLS TEAM FROM CEASEFIRE TALKS IN QATAR AFTER ISRAEL DOES THE SAME, CLAIMING HAMAS IS ACTING IN BAD FAITH
The Trump administration has spent months trying to end the war between Israel and Hamas, with no resolution in sight.
Hopes for a ceasefire in Gaza dimmed further after the U.S. pulled its delegation out of Qatar. U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff said in a statement that this was because Hamas’ response to negotiations showed «a lack of desire to reach a ceasefire in Gaza.»
«While the mediators have made a great effort, Hamas does not appear to be coordinated or acting in good faith. We will now consider alternative options to bring the hostages home and try to create a more stable environment for the people of Gaza,» Witkoff said in a statement Thursday.
Witkoff added that it was a «shame» Hamas has acted in such a «selfish way» and that the U.S. stands resolute in its efforts to bring permanent peace to the region.
Palestinians walk near the rubble of buildings during the Eid al-Adha holiday, in Gaza City, June 6, 2025. (REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa)
HAMAS ‘HARDENS’ STANCE IN CEASEFIRE TALKS AS NETANYAHU RECALLS NEGOTIATION TEAM
On the same day the U.S. announced its negotiators would leave Qatar, Netanyahu’s office said the Israeli team would also withdraw, citing Hamas’ response.
President Donald Trump expressed his disappointment in Hamas’ handling of the negotiations while speaking with press outside the White House on Friday. He speculated that Hamas did not want to make a deal because «they know what happens after you get the final hostages» out of Gaza.
«Hamas didn’t really want to make a deal. I think they want to die, and it’s very, very bad,» Trump said. «It got to be to a point where you’re going to have to finish the job.»
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, hands President Donald Trump a folder during a meeting in the Blue Room of the White House, Monday, July 7, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
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Qatar and Egypt, which have acted as mediators in the talks, issued a joint statement on Friday in which the countries confirmed they would continue to work on securing a ceasefire.
«The two countries, in partnership with the United States of America, reaffirm their commitment to continuing efforts toward reaching a comprehensive agreement for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip,» Qatar and Egypt’s joint statement read.
While the breakdown of negotiations is a clear setback, talks are expected to resume next week, according to Reuters, which cited Egyptian state-affiliated Al Qahera News TV.
Fox News Digital’s Alec Schemmel contributed to this report.
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