The Trump administration scored a major victory in the Supreme Court Thursday as the justices, in a 5-4 order, cleared his administration to slash more than $783 million in National Institutes of Health (NIH) research grants tied to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, LGBTQ issues and other hot-button topics.

The unsigned majority order said NIH ‘may proceed with terminating existing grants’ while leaving in place a partial block on issuing new directives. 

The move delivers a political win for Trump’s broader push to roll back DEI programs across the federal government.

The decision overturns rulings by lower courts that had blocked the cuts. In June, U.S. District Judge Angel Kelley of Massachusetts called the administration’s actions ‘arbitrary and capricious’ and said NIH had ‘failed to provide a reasoned explanation’ for cutting grants midstream. The 1st Circuit upheld her injunction in July, setting up Trump’s emergency appeal to the Supreme Court.

The Justice Department argued in its July 24 filing that leaving the injunction in place ‘forces NIH to continue funding projects inconsistent with agency priorities’ and warned the order ‘intrudes on NIH’s core discretion to decide how best to allocate limited research funds.’

Opponents framed the cuts as ideological. The American Public Health Association warned that ‘halting these grants would devastate biomedical research across the country, disrupting clinical trials and delaying urgently needed discoveries’ and said ‘the administration has offered no scientific basis for these cancellations — only ideology.’ 

A coalition of Democrat-led states led by Massachusetts argued that ‘patients should not be collateral damage in a political fight.’

News outlets stressed the stakes of Thursday’s decision. 

The Associated Press described the ruling as the court letting Trump cut $783 million in research funding ‘in an anti-DEI push.’ 

Reuters reported that ‘the Supreme Court in a 5–4 order cleared the way for the Trump administration to cut diversity-related NIH grants, though it left in place part of the ruling blocking new restrictions.’

Research groups warned of the cuts’ fallout. The Association of American Universities said the cuts ‘risk chilling scientific inquiry by discouraging researchers from pursuing politically sensitive topics.’ 

Scientists cautioned the decision could derail progress on diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer’s, even as the broader legal fight continues in the 1st Circuit and may return to the Supreme Court.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he wants a ‘strong reaction’ from the U.S. government if Russian President Vladimir Putin does not sit down with him for a bilateral meeting.

This comes as U.S. President Donald Trump is seeking to broker a peace agreement between the two countries that have been at war since Moscow’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, although Trump has conceded that Putin may not be prepared to make a deal.

Zelenskyy has said he has already agreed to a proposed meeting with Putin.

‘I responded immediately to the proposal for a bilateral meeting: we are ready. But what if the Russians are not ready?’ Zelenskiy said at a news briefing in Kyiv on Wednesday.

‘If the Russians are not ready, we would like to see a strong reaction from the United States,’ he added.

Trump separately met with both leaders in the past week, with Zelenskyy visiting the White House along with other European leaders earlier this week and the U.S. president meeting Putin in Alaska last week.

The White House has said Putin was willing to meet with his Ukrainian foe after a phone call this week with Trump.

‘President Trump spoke with President Putin by phone, and he agreed to begin the next phase of the peace process, a meeting between President Putin and President Zelenskyy, which would be followed, if necessary, by a trilateral meeting between President Putin, President Zelensky and President Trump,’ White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Tuesday.

The path toward peace between the two sides remains uncertain despite U.S. efforts for diplomacy, as the U.S. government and its allies attempt to work out potential security guarantees for Ukraine.

Zelenskyy said it was unclear what concessions about territory Russia was willing to make to end the conflict. Trump has previously said Kyiv and Moscow would both need to cede territory.

‘To discuss what Ukraine is willing to do, let’s first hear what Russia is willing to do,’ Zelenskyy said. ‘We do not know that.’

Reuters contributed to this report.

The Pentagon has created a new medal for service members who’ve deployed to the southern border to assist federal law enforcement with President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration. 

The Pentagon unveiled plans for a Mexican Border Defense Medal for U.S. troops serving with Joint Task Force Southern Border, according to a new memo the Pentagon released Aug.13 that was shared on social media. 

A U.S. defense official confirmed the authenticity of the memo to Fox News Digital Wednesday. 

Now, service members will receive the Mexican Border Defense Medal (MBDM) instead of the Armed Forces Service Medal (AFSM) like they previously earned for supporting Customs and Border Protection at the border, the memo said. 

The Armed Forces Service Medal, originally created in 1996 by former President Bill Clinton, is awarded to troops who have participated in a military operation with ‘significant activity,’ but didn’t encounter foreign armed opposition or imminent hostile action, according to a U.S. Army description of the medal. 

The Pentagon said in July that approximately 8,500 military personnel are assigned to Joint Task Force Southern Border, and have been tasked with responding to security threats there. The task force got underway in March and completed approximately 3,500 patrols between then and July, according to the Pentagon. 

Those eligible for the award must have deployed since Jan. 20 to support Customs and Border Protection, and served within 100-nautical miles from the international border shared with Mexico in either Texas, New Mexico, Arizona or California. 

Those who’ve also served in adjacent waters up to 24 nautical miles away from the border also are eligible. 

‘Service members must have been permanently assigned, attached, or detailed to a unit that deployed to participate in a designated DoD military operation supporting CBP within the (area of eligibility) during the (period of award) for 30 consecutive or nonconsecutive days,’ the memo said. 

Those who already have received the Armed Forces Service Medal for service at the southern border may appeal to receive the new award but are ineligible to receive both, according to the Pentagon. 

‘Service members and Veterans previously awarded the AFSM for DoD support to CBP may apply to their respective Military Service for award of the MBDM in lieu of the AFSM previously awarded to recognize such service; however, no Service member or Veteran may be awarded both the AFSM and the MBDM for the same period of qualifying service,’ the memo said. 

The Pentagon, per the direction of the president, has established four national defense areas along the border, bolstering U.S. troops’ capacity to assist Customs and Border Protection under the task force. 

The national defense areas operate under military jurisdiction, paving the way for U.S. troops to detain trespassers. Without placing these stretches of land under military jurisdiction, U.S. troops were barred from doing so under existing federal law. 

‘Through these enhanced authorities, U.S. Northern Command will ensure those who illegally trespass in the New Mexico National Defense Area are handed over to Customs and Border Protection or our other law enforcement partners,’ Air Force Gen. Gregory Guillot, commander of U.S. Northern Command, said in an April statement. ‘Joint Task Force Southern Border will conduct enhanced detection and monitoring, which will include vehicle and foot patrols, rotary wing and fixed surveillance site operations.’

The Department of Justice (DOJ) is set to begin turning over documents related to Jeffrey Epstein to the House Oversight Committee Friday.

Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., told reporters Thursday that he had no timeline for when materials would be sent over, but confirmed he still expected files Friday.

Comer suggested that documents would be made public at some point after being assessed by the committee.

‘We’ll work as quickly as we can…this is sensitive information,’ the Kentucky Republican said in response to Fox News Digital asking about a timeline for a wide release. 

‘We want to make sure we don’t do anything to harm or jeopardize any victims that were involved in this. But we’re going to be transparent. We’re doing what we said we would do. We’re getting the documents. And, I believe the White House will work with us.’

Comer was directed to subpoena the DOJ for materials related to Epstein’s case via a bipartisan vote by committee members last month.

The subpoena deadline, originally set for earlier this week, was moved to Friday in an effort to accommodate the Trump administration – which Comer said was complying with his request.

‘There are many records in DOJ’s custody, and it will take the Department time to produce all the records and ensure the identification of victims and any child sexual abuse material are redacted,’ Comer said on Tuesday. ‘I appreciate the Trump administration’s commitment to transparency and efforts to provide the American people with information about this matter.’

He told reporters Thursday that he believed there were ‘hundreds and hundreds of pages’ of documents in existence.

‘It’s just a matter of getting it together and reviewing it, which I’m sure the Department of Justice is doing as we speak,’ Comer said.

Requested materials included all documents and communications in the DOJ’s possession relating to both Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, as well as files ‘further relating or referring to human trafficking, exploitation of minors, sexual abuse, or related activity,’ according to a subpoena viewed by Fox News Digital.

Documents relating specifically to the DOJ’s prosecutions of Epstein and Maxwell, Epstein’s 2007 non-prosecution agreement with federal prosecutors in Florida, and any materials related to Epstein’s death were requested.

Renewed furor over Epstein’s case engulfed Capitol Hill after intra-GOP fallout over the Trump administration’s handling of the matter.

The DOJ effectively declared the case closed after an ‘exhaustive review,’ revealing Epstein had no ‘client list,’ did not blackmail ‘prominent individuals,’ and confirmed he did die by suicide in a New York City jail while awaiting prosecution.

In response to the backlash by some on the right, President Donald Trump and his DOJ have sought to take steps to make more information public.

Democrats seized on the backlash with newfound calls for transparency in Epstein’s case, prompting some on the right to accuse them of hypocrisy for not pushing the matter earlier.

When asked about that divide, House Oversight Committee member Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, told reporters that Epstein’s case was not a priority for Democrats in the same way it was seen by the GOP.

‘I can tell you that Democrats, when they went out there and campaigned, they campaigned on costs, whether it was housing costs, whether it was food costs or whether they were campaigning on children, being able to get the education that they deserve in this country. This wasn’t a promise that we made. So this was not something that was front and center,’ Crockett said. 

‘I don’t see anything wrong with the fact that we were trying to do everything that we could to prevent our economy from being where it is right now. But ultimately, when people voted, they’re telling us that they voted for this particular reason. It’s important that we follow up.’

Fox News Digital reached out to the DOJ for comment but did not hear back by press time.

The White House made headlines this week by finally joining TikTok. As someone who has been urging Republican leadership to modernize our outreach to young people for years, I believe this is a long-overdue step in the right direction. But joining TikTok isn’t enough on its own. To win over the next generation of voters, this White House must go further — and faster.

President Trump’s political comeback in 2024 wasn’t a fluke. It was built on connecting with youth voters in ways no Republican had ever tried before. When he tapped me to come on as chair of the RNC’s inaugural Youth Advisory Council in 2023, I told party leaders bluntly that the days of relying on a Sunday newspaper ad to deliver the GOP’s message were over. My generation doesn’t read the classifieds — we scroll feeds. We share memes. We stream podcasts. We are digital natives, and any party serious about winning our support has to meet us where we are.

That’s exactly what President Trump did. He embraced new platforms, leaned into long-form podcasts, and even launched a TikTok account that quickly became the fastest-growing account in the platform’s history. The results spoke for themselves. Nationally, 46% of Gen Z backed Trump in 2024, a 10-point surge from 2020. In Wisconsin, Republican support among 18-to-29-year-olds jumped from 36% in 2020 to 48% in 2024. That is a generational shift in motion.

But the work is far from over. The GOP holds the House at 218 seats — a razor-thin margin — and the results showed clear divides among young voters. Young men trended right while young women leaned left, especially on issues like abortion. The takeaway is obvious: Republicans can’t take their foot off the gas when it comes to modern youth outreach. 

And here’s the truth: if Republicans don’t stay in the game, others will. My peers are not only watching President Trump — they’re also listening to progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. and even far-left figures like democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani, who could soon be mayor of New York City. 

Many in Gen Z are flirting with socialism because those voices are showing up online and on campus in ways conservatives too often don’t. If the White House and the GOP want to cement Gen Z gains, they need to get in the game now — not two years from now.

Here are three ways the White House can seize this moment:

1. Launch a White House Podcast — The Modern Fireside Chat

One of the biggest turning points in 2023 came when Trump started appearing on popular podcasts. These weren’t 7-minute cable news hits clipped for social media. They were long, unfiltered, authentic conversations lasting up to three hours. And they reached tens — sometimes hundreds — of millions of people, many of them first-time voters.

Young Americans are drowning in student debt, struggling to afford eggs, and working two jobs. They’re not paying for cable bundles. They’re streaming on YouTube and Spotify. That’s why podcasts were so effective — because they met people where they already were.

Now that he’s back in the Oval Office, President Trump should take it further by hosting a monthly White House podcast. Thirty minutes, once a month. It would be the modern equivalent of FDR’s fireside chats: a direct, unfiltered line from the president to the people. That kind of accessibility would deepen his connection with young voters and bypass the hostile filter of legacy media.

2. Take a Campus Speaking Tour

This May, just before he walked on stage to deliver the commencement address at the University of Alabama, I had the opportunity to meet with President Trump one-on-one. I told him directly: my peers don’t just want to see their president online — they want to see him on campus.

The impact of a campus speaking tour would be enormous. Universities are the beating heart of Gen Z political culture. Too often, conservatives have ceded that ground to the Left. But when Trump goes into these spaces — whether it’s a stadium filled with graduates in Alabama or a rally near a college town — students show up. And they listen.

The Kamala Harris campaign’s approach to keeping their monopoly on Gen Z last November was a political consultant’s fever dream: using trendy phrases like ‘joy’ in messaging, posting TikTok trends, and bringing our A-List celebrities. Up until that point, they executed the perfect made-in-a-lab playbook to win over my peers, but there was just one problem: she screamed at us instead of talking to us. 

There’s a difference between standing on stage next to Beyoncé and thinking that’s all you have to do to win over America’s youngest voters, and actually taking the time to fly to college campuses and throw out hot dogs in the student section like President Trump did in Tuscaloosa last October.

Remember when the world was shocked when Trump descended on the Bronx for a rally in a territory Republicans never talked about much less visited? That same feeling of excitement–of an unseen community being seen–could happen again if the president held a speech on Harvard’s campus. 

Imagine a presidential speaking tour that takes him to major universities across the country, not just red states but swing states where young voters could decide the balance of power in 2026. Hearing directly from the president of the United States, not filtered through CNN or MSNBC, would cut through the noise and give students a chance to engage with conservative ideas firsthand.

3. Keep the TikTok Account Active

Trump’s TikTok account broke records as the fastest-growing in the platform’s history. That momentum cannot go to waste now that the campaign is over. TikTok is where millions of young Americans spend their time, and the White House should treat it as a permanent tool for outreach, not just a campaign gimmick.

Behind-the-scenes videos, short policy explainers, and even lighter content showing the human side of the presidency would reach audiences that traditional news outlets will never touch. TikTok’s algorithm thrives on authenticity, and the White House has the chance to use it as a window into The People’s House — not just a political stage.

President Trump’s youth outreach strategy helped rewrite the rules of American politics. It showed Republicans that Gen Z isn’t a lost cause. In fact, we are trending conservative faster than any recent generation. But winning our support takes effort. It takes consistency. And it takes meeting us where we live — online and on campus.

Joining TikTok is a good move, but it must be the beginning, not the end. A monthly White House podcast, a presidential campus tour and a daily energetic presence on TikTok would send a clear message: this president isn’t just talking at young people — he’s talking with us. That’s how you prevent Gen Z from drifting toward AOC or Zohran Mamdani and instead lock in a generation for the conservative movement.