Month: April 2025

A suspect has been taken into police custody after a mass shooting on Thursday at Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida.   At least two people were confirmed dead, with six others hospitalized after police responded to a shooting on the campus of FSU.

Per ABC News, the suspect is identified as 20-year-old Phoenix Ikner — a current FSU student and the son of a current Leon County sheriff’s deputy, according to Sheriff Walter McNeil. The suspect is said to have had access to one of his mother’s personal weapons, which was one of the weapons found at the scene. McNeil said that the suspect’s mother has been a deputy with the department for more than 18 years and “her service to this community has been exceptional,” adding that the suspect was also a “long-standing member” of the Leon County Sheriff’s Office’s Youth Advisory Council.

It appears that Ikner had a handgun and a shotgun with him when he allegedly opened fire near the Student Union at FSU, which prompted ambulances, fire trucks and patrol vehicles from multiple law enforcement agencies to respond after the university issued an active shooter alert midday Thursday. The university’s FSU Alert account on X said the report was made in the area of the student union: Police responded to an active shooter call from the area of the student union around 12:01 p.m., FSU said. The school’s alert warned those on campus to “seek shelter and await further instructions.” The university also cautioned students to lock and stay away from all doors and windows.

Police have not identified the two people killed, but said they were not students at FSU. Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare said it had received six patients, all currently listed in fair condition. The suspected shooter was also being treated at the hospital.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said, “My heart breaks for the students, their families, and faculty at Florida State University. There is no place in American society for violence. Our entire nation is praying for the victims and their families.”

FSU informed students that the threat to the campus has been “neutralized” but the area around the campus is still considered an active crime scene.  Per CNN, the university is cancelling classes, business operations and athletic events after the campus shooting: “All classes and business operations are canceled through Friday, April 18. Essential employees should check with their supervisors for further reporting instructions. Athletics events in Tallahassee are canceled throughout the weekend.”

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The Supreme Court announced Thursday that it will hold oral arguments next month to consider whether the Trump administration can partially implement an executive order aimed at ending birthright citizenship.

The birthright citizenship order seeks to limit automatic citizenship to children born in the U.S. to parents who are citizens or lawful permanent residents. Specifically, it excludes children born to undocumented mothers, those in the U.S. temporarily, or children whose fathers lack legal status or citizenship. Under the directive, federal agencies were instructed to stop recognizing U.S. citizenship for children born after February 19.

The high court scheduled the hearing for May 15 at 10 a.m., to hear the Justice Department’s request for emergency relief. These injunctions have so far prevented the federal government from implementing a new framework that would deny automatic citizenship to children born in the U.S. to parents without permanent legal status.

The administration is asking the Court to scale back three federal injunctions that currently prevent enforcement of President Trump’s order across the country.  If the Supreme Court grants the request, the administration would only be restricted from applying the executive order to a limited group: the individual plaintiffs, certain immigrant advocacy groups, and residents of 22 states.

The acting solicitor general wrote in the application to the Court “enough is enough,” urging the justices to limit the injunctions to the individual plaintiffs and specific group members involved in the case: “At the very least,” she added, “the Court should permit federal agencies to prepare and issue public guidance on the new policy.”

Opponents of the order have urged the Supreme Court to maintain the lower court rulings. Officials from 18 states, along with Washington, D.C., and San Francisco, argued in court filings that the administration’s request would effectively strip citizenship from potentially hundreds of thousands of children born in the U.S.

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On Wednesday, California Governor Gavin Newsom revealed plans to file a lawsuit against President Donald Trump in response to tariffs introduced earlier this month. According to The New York Times, the lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, aims to invalidate the tariffs and prevent their enforcement by federal authorities.

As the fifth largest economy globally, California faces substantial economic risk due to these tariffs, which threaten industries ranging from tech in Silicon Valley to agriculture reliant on global markets. The legal move would make California the first state to formally oppose Trump’s extensive tariff measures.

In a video shared on social media, Newsom announced that the state of California would initiate legal action, emphasizing its status as the leading manufacturing hub in the U.S. and a significant player in global trade. Newsom stated in the video: “No state stands to be more affected than California by the Trump administration’s unilateral move to impose what amounts to the biggest tax increase in recent U.S. history. President Trump does not have the legal power to enforce such sweeping tariffs without checks. We’re taking legal steps to stop him.”

Trump enacted the tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which grants the president extensive control over economic activities following a national emergency declaration. The emergency declaration was made on April 2, paving the way for the tariffs that prompted the legal challenge.

The California lawsuit will contend that Trump’s invocation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to enforce his reciprocal tariff policy is both “unlawful and unprecedented.” Officials say the tariffs pose serious and immediate harm to California’s economy, particularly as the state leads the nation in sectors like manufacturing and agriculture.

The White House pushed back regarding the lawsuit and criticized Newsom’s priorities, with spokesperson Kush Desai said: “Instead of addressing California’s spiraling crime, homelessness, and affordability issues, Gavin Newsom is trying to obstruct President Trump’s historic efforts to confront America’s chronic trade deficits.”

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The U.S. Department of Justice has initiated legal action against the state of Maine, challenging its policy that allows transgender athletes to participate in girls’ and women’s sports.

Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Wednesday that the DOJ filed a lawsuit against Maine, claiming the state is violating Title IX by opposing a presidential executive order regarding transgender participation in women’s sports. Bondi alleges that Maine is engaging in unlawful sex-based discrimination by refusing to follow a directive issued by former President Trump, which bars transgender students from joining girls’ and women’s athletic programs.

Bondi said during a press briefing on Wednesday: “We’ve pursued every other option available. This step became necessary.” Bondi made the announcement alongside Riley Gaines, a prominent critic of transgender inclusion in women’s sports, as well as several Maine parents and students who oppose the state’s current stance. She said: “the Justice Department cannot stand idly by while female athletes face discrimination. This is not just about sports—it’s about protecting these young women’s physical safety. Many of them have shared their personal experiences with me, and what they’ve endured is deeply troubling.”

According to the lawsuit: “Maine’s Department of Education is actively violating federal anti-discrimination laws by allowing policies that force girls to compete against biological males in sports specifically designated for females. By giving precedence to gender identity over biological sex, the state’s actions undermine fair competition, reduce equal opportunities for female athletes, and may result in greater risks of physical harm and emotional distress.”

In response, Maine Governor Janet Mills criticized the lawsuit, suggesting it’s a political move intended to coerce Maine into disregarding constitutional principles and state sovereignty. Mills, a Democrat, called the attempt to revoke federal funding an abuse of executive power: “throughout my career—as a district attorney, attorney general, and now governor—I have consistently advocated for women’s rights, children’s well-being, and the integrity of our state and national constitutions. We will fight back against the DOJ’s actions and defend Maine’s policies in court … This issue has never been genuinely about protecting women or ensuring fairness in school athletics. It’s about the fundamental rights of states to govern themselves and resist federal overreach.”

The executive order at the heart of the dispute refers to transgender women as “men” and threatens to withhold federal funds from educational institutions that permit transgender women to compete in women’s sports. According to the executive order: “It is the policy of the United States to withhold funding from any educational program that denies girls and women equal opportunities in sports.”

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