A new report from the far-left Human Rights Campaign shows a remarkable shift: a 65% drop in Fortune 500 companies publicly communicating commitments to diversity and inclusion initiatives. Just a few years ago, corporations raced to outdo one another with ever-expanding DEI pledges. Today, many are quietly stepping back.

This is not a retreat from fairness. It is a return to sanity.

For years, corporate America embraced an ideological experiment that blurred the line between equal opportunity and preferential treatment. What began as a push for broader inclusion morphed into quota-driven mandates, demographic scorecards and internal political signaling exercises that often had little to do with business performance.

Now, the legal system — and increasingly federal regulators — are pushing back.

Consider the recent lawsuit against Starbucks, where Missouri’s attorney general alleged ‘systemic discrimination’ in hiring and promotion practices tied to DEI goals. While a federal judge dismissed the case on procedural grounds, the filing itself signaled growing scrutiny over whether corporate diversity initiatives cross into unlawful discrimination.

Nike is currently facing a federal investigation by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission over allegations that certain DEI-related employment practices may have resulted in race-based discrimination against White employees. Whether the agency ultimately finds wrongdoing or not, the investigation underscores a new reality: DEI programs are no longer insulated from legal challenge.

And JPMorgan Chase has been sued over allegations of ‘systemic’ race bias, including claims that the bank conducted ‘fake interviews’ to satisfy internal diversity targets. That allegation — that a company might go through the motions of interviewing candidates solely to hit demographic benchmarks — illustrates how performative compliance can undermine both fairness and trust.

But the scrutiny does not stop at employment law.

In recent weeks, the Federal Trade Commission reportedly sent letters to 42 of the largest and most profitable law firms in the United States, warning that racially discriminatory hiring practices — even if adopted under the banner of DEI — could constitute unfair or anti-competitive conduct. According to reporting, the firms were participating in a program overseen by the Diversity Lab that required at least 30% of leadership candidates to come from underrepresented groups.

That kind of industry-wide coordination raises serious questions.

First, there is the obvious Civil Rights Act concern: employment decisions cannot be made on the basis of race, period. But there is also a broader antitrust dimension. When competitors collectively adopt demographic quotas or coordinated hiring mandates, they may be engaging in collusive conduct — effectively setting industry standards through cooperation rather than competing freely for the best talent.

This theory is not new. Federal antitrust authorities have previously warned climate and ESG coalitions that there is no ‘ESG exception’ to the antitrust laws. As former FTC Chair Lina Khan stated plainly: competitors are not permitted to coordinate with one another simply because the coordination is framed as socially beneficial. The same logic applies here. There is no DEI exception to the Sherman Antitrust Act.

For years, corporate America embraced an ideological experiment that blurred the line between equal opportunity and preferential treatment. 

The implications are enormous.

Retailers such as Nordstrom, Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, Ulta and Sephora signed the ‘Fifteen Percent Pledge,’ committing to reserve 15% of shelf space exclusively for Black-owned brands. More than seventy major corporations — including competitors like Nike, Levi Strauss, Ralph Lauren and American Eagle — signed the ‘Count Us In’ pledge, coordinating around policies that include funding transgender surgeries for employees and engaging in shared lobbying efforts.

The legal question is no longer just whether these initiatives are politically popular. It is whether they create exposure under antitrust law by reducing competition or creating coordinated market standards among competitors.

Corporate America is beginning to recognize the risk.

Public companies exist to create shareholder value — not to serve as enforcement arms for shifting social movements. When executives adopted DEI mandates that required race-based hiring targets, demographic quotas, or coordinated pledges with competitors, they exposed their companies to multi-front liability: discrimination claims from employees, regulatory investigations, shareholder lawsuits and now potential antitrust scrutiny.

The 65% drop in DEI messaging suggests something important: boards and CEOs are recalibrating.

That recalibration is healthy. 

There is nothing wrong with expanding opportunity, recruiting broadly, or fostering a respectful workplace culture. But the law demands equal treatment — not equal outcomes engineered through quotas or industry collusion. When companies forget that distinction, they risk violating both civil rights statutes and competition laws designed to protect markets.

Markets function best when companies compete — for customers, for innovation, and, yes, for talent. The moment competitors coordinate around hiring mandates or collective pledges, they drift away from competition and toward centralized standard-setting. That is precisely what antitrust law exists to prevent.

The pendulum is swinging back toward merit.

Employees want to know they were hired because of their ability. Shareholders want disciplined capital allocation. Customers want quality products at fair prices. None of those priorities require demographic quotas or public virtue declarations.

The retrenchment we are witnessing is not an attack on diversity. It is a rejection of coercion and coordination masquerading as virtue. It is a reminder that equal opportunity under the law applies to everyone — White, Black, male, female — and that industry competitors are not allowed to suspend antitrust principles simply because the goal sounds noble.

Corporate America is finally rediscovering a simple truth: treat people equally, compete vigorously, and let merit determine outcomes.

That is not only legally sound. It is economically sound. And it is long overdue.

Taiwan’s foreign minister says China has ‘clearly become a troublemaker that is maliciously attempting to disrupt the cross-strait status quo and intimidate peaceful countries.’

In exclusive comments to Fox News Digital, Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung said China’s intensifying ‘authoritarian expansionism not only directly threatens Taiwan’s security and democratic system but also poses significant challenges to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region and around the world.’

‘Last June,’ Lin said, ‘[Chinese] aircraft carriers Liaoning and Shandong maneuvered beyond the second island chain, marking China’s first simultaneous, dual-carrier deployment into the Western Pacific. These developments demonstrate that Beijing’s expansionist ambitions extend far beyond Taiwan and pose an increasingly serious threat to the security and stability of the Indo-Pacific region and the world.’

Communist China was founded in 1949 and has not ruled Taiwan for a single day. Officially known as the Republic of China (ROC), Taiwan is currently recognized by eleven small countries, plus the Holy See. Beijing nonetheless rejects the reality of nearly 80 years of separate rule, describing Taiwan as a ‘sacred and inseparable part of China’s territory.’

China’s posture toward independently ruled Taiwan has hardened in recent years as President Xi Jinping removed term limits and consolidated near-total power. While earlier Chinese statements included talk of ‘peaceful unification,’ Beijing now openly threatens to use force. 

In 2024, Xi directed the Chinese military to complete preparations for a Taiwan operation by 2027. Most defense analysts agree that an invasion would be costly, bloody and highly risky for China, Taiwan and any countries that come to Taiwan’s aid, such as the United States or Japan.

Lin echoed those warnings that a conflict in the Taiwan Strait would reverberate worldwide. ‘Peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait are vital to global security and prosperity,’ Lin said, noting that approximately 90% of the world’s most advanced semiconductors are produced in Taiwan and that roughly 50% of global commercial shipping passes through the strait. He added that Taiwan is grateful to the United States and other partners for resisting China’s efforts to unilaterally alter the status quo.

The foreign minister said Taiwan’s central role in geopolitics, technology and supply chains ensures that Washington places a high priority on cross-strait stability. He said U.S. policymakers understand that Taiwan’s semiconductor industry and related supply chains are critical to American economic security.

‘There is clear strategic continuity between the policies of President Trump’s first and second terms,’ said Lin, adding that Taiwan’s government will seek ways to coordinate with the United States ‘through values-based, alliance and economic diplomacy.’

Commenting on Washington’s Indo-Pacific strategy, Lin said, ‘The Trump administration and U.S. Congress continue to demonstrate a steadfast commitment to safeguarding peace and security across the Indo-Pacific region,’ Lin said, ‘which was emphasized in the 2025 National Security Strategy (NSS).’ The foreign minister also noted that ‘the recent NSS released by the Trump administration underscored Taiwan’s geopolitical importance as a link between the Northeast and Southeast Asian theaters.’

Lin said Taiwan is working to rebalance trade with the United States while strengthening strategic cooperation on AI. ‘The Trump administration’s AI Action Plan,’ he said, ‘underscores the importance of innovation, infrastructure and international cooperation for AI development.’ 

He also touted Taiwan’s growing investments in the U.S., including a $165 billion commitment by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) in Arizona, and said Taipei is working to make it easier for Taiwanese companies trying to invest in the U.S.. ‘Against the backdrop of U.S.-China strategic competition and the restructuring of global supply chains,’ said Lin, ‘Taiwan’s enterprises understand the remarkable potential of investing in the United States.’

The foreign minister said Taiwan appreciates increasing American military support, highlighting that ‘Last December, the United States approved an arms sales package to Taiwan totaling $11 billion as well as signing the Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act and the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026. These measures underscore the firm bipartisan support for Taiwan in the U.S. government.’

But he stressed that Taiwan is accelerating its own defense investments. ‘Last year, [Taiwan] President Lai Ching-te announced that Taiwan’s defense budget would increase to over 3% of GDP by 2026 and rise to 5% by 2030,’ he said. While parts of that plan have faced resistance in the opposition-led legislature, both major parties have publicly backed closer security cooperation with the United States and a stronger deterrence posture.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio signed a civil nuclear cooperation agreement involving the U.S. and Hungary on Monday.

During remarks at the signing ceremony, Rubio indicated that the U.S.-Hungary relationship, and the relationship between President Donald Trump and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, is very close.

The American diplomat described the relationship between the two nations as being ‘as close as I can possibly imagine it being.’

Rubio, during remarks delivered alongside Orbán, asserted, ‘Your success is our success.’ 

He noted that if Hungary ever faces financial problems, impediments to growth or threats to national stability, he knows ‘President Trump will be very interested’ in ‘finding ways’ to help.

Trump has praised Orbán and backed him for re-election.

‘Highly Respected Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orbán, is a truly strong and powerful Leader, with a proven track record of delivering phenomenal results. He fights tirelessly for, and loves, his Great Country and People, just like I do for the United States of America. Viktor works hard to Protect Hungary, Grow the Economy, Create Jobs, Promote Trade, Stop Illegal Immigration, and Ensure LAW AND ORDER!’ Trump declared on Truth Social this month. 

‘Relations between Hungary and the United States have reached new heights of cooperation and spectacular achievement under my Administration, thanks largely to Prime Minister Orbán. I look forward to continuing working closely with him so that both of our Countries can further advance this tremendous path to SUCCESS and cooperation. I was proud to ENDORSE Viktor for Re-Election in 2022, and am honored to do so again. Viktor Orbán is a true friend, fighter, and WINNER, and has my Complete and Total Endorsement for Re-Election as Prime Minister of Hungary — HE WILL NEVER LET THE GREAT PEOPLE OF HUNGARY DOWN!’ Trump added.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., is making a push to have the Pride flag considered on the same level as the U.S. flag in the eyes of the federal government.

Schumer announced plans to introduce legislation that would make the flag, a symbol of the LGBTQ movement, a congressionally authorized flag. The distinction would enshrine the flag with similar protections as the U.S. flag, military flags, POW/MIA flags and others recognized by Congress.

His move comes after the Trump administration removed a Pride flag from a national monument outside the Stonewall Inn earlier this month. A clash between police and patrons at a gay bar in the 1960s is widely considered the birth of the gay rights movement.

‘Stonewall is sacred ground and Congress must act now to permanently protect the Pride flag and what it stands for,’ Schumer said. ‘Trump’s hateful crusade must end.’

The flag has since been reinstalled atop the pole outside the Stonewall Inn, and Schumer’s legislative push would prevent it from being taken down in the future.

President Donald Trump has not explicitly targeted the Pride flag but previously signed an executive order restricting what types of flags may be displayed on federal property to ensure only the U.S. flag is prominently flown.

The Pride flag was taken down from the monument following an internal memo from the Department of the Interior ordering ‘non-agency’ flags at national parks be removed.

The directive, signed by National Park Service Acting Director Jessica Bowron in late January, included certain exceptions to the rule, including historical flags, military flags and federally recognized flags from tribal nations.

The Stonewall National Monument, first designated by former President Barack Obama in 2016, falls under the agency’s supervision. The Pride flag atop a large flagpole outside the famous gay bar did not fall under the list of protected flags and pennants.

‘The very core of American identity is liberty and justice for all — and that is what this legislation would protect: each national park’s ability to make its own decision about what flag can be flown,’ Schumer said. ‘Attempts to hurt New York and the LGBTQ community simply won’t fly, but the Stonewall Pride flag always will.’

Attorney General Pam Bondi announced in a letter on Saturday that ‘all’ Epstein files have been released consistent with Section 3 of the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

The letter addressed to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, Ranking Member Dick Durbin, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, and Ranking Member Jamie Raskin was obtained by Fox News Digital.

‘In accordance with the requirements of the Act, and as described in various Department submissions to the courts of the Southern District of New York assigned to the Epstein and Maxwell prosecutions and related orders, the Department released all ‘records, documents, communications and investigative materials in the possession of the Department’ that ‘relate to’ any of nine different categories,’ the letter read.

The letter includes a list of more than 300 high-profile names, including President Donald Trump, Barack and Michelle Obama, Prince Harry, Bill Gates, Woody Allen, Kim Kardashian, Kurt Cobain, Mark Zuckerberg and Bruce Springsteen.

The letter adds, ‘No records were withheld or redacted ‘on the basis of embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity, including to any government official, public figure, or foreign dignitary.”

The document outlines the broad range of Epstein-related materials the Justice Department says are encompassed, including records concerning Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell; references to individuals—up to and including government officials—connected to Epstein’s activities; and documents tied to civil settlements and legal resolutions such as immunity deals, plea agreements, non-prosecution agreements, and sealed arrangements. 

It also includes information on organizations and networks allegedly linked to Epstein’s trafficking and financial operations across corporate, nonprofit, academic, and governmental spheres, as well as internal DOJ emails, memos, and meeting notes reflecting decisions about whether to charge, decline, or pursue investigations.

The documents also cover records addressing potential destruction or concealment of relevant material and documentation surrounding Epstein’s detention and death, including incident reports, witness interviews, and medical examiner/autopsy-related records.

The letter adds, ‘No records were withheld or redacted ‘on the basis of embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity, including to any government official, public figure, or foreign dignitary.”

‘Any omissions from the list are unintentional and, as explained in the previous letters to Congress, a result of the volume and speed with which the Department complied with the Act,’ the letter states. ‘Individuals whose names were redacted for law-enforcement sensitive purposes are not included.’

The letter says the redaction process was ‘extensive’ including consultation with victims and victim counsel, to redact ‘segregable portions’ that contain information identifiable to victims, such as medical files that could jeopardize an active federal investigation or ongoing prosecution, or depict/contain images of death, physical abuse, or injury. 

‘Any omissions from the list are unintentional and, as explained in the previous letters to Congress, a result of the volume and speed with which the Department complied with the Act,’ the letter states. ‘Individuals whose names were redacted for law-enforcement sensitive purposes are not included.’ 

Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the U.S. capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Sunday, going on to call out a reporter for supposedly trying to stir up tension during a press conference.

Rubio made the statement during a joint appearance with Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico. A reporter referenced Fico’s previous criticism of the U.S. operation against Maduro and asked whether he stood by it, leading Rubio to address the issue first while he was answering other questions from the same reporter.

‘I think you asked him a question in order to, like, see if you can get him against us, or something… A lot of countries didn’t like what we did in Venezuela. That’s okay. That was in our national interest,’ Rubio said. 

‘I’m sure there’s something you may do one day that we don’t like, and we’ll say we didn’t like that you did this,’ Rubio continued, while turning to Fico. ‘So what? That doesn’t mean we’re not going to be friends, we’re not going to be partners,’ Rubio said.

‘We have very close allies that didn’t like what we did in that regard. I can tell you what, it was successful. It was necessary, because the guy was a narco-terrorist, and we made him a bunch of offers,’ the secretary continued. 

‘And look what’s happened in Venezuela in the six weeks since he’s been gone,’ Rubio said acknowledging that the country still has ‘a long way to go.’

‘There’s still much work that needs to be done, but I can tell you Venezuela is much better off today than it was six weeks ago. So we’re very proud of that project. And I know some will disagree … I think everyone can now agree that Venezuela has an opportunity at a new future that wasn’t there six weeks ago,’ he added.

Rubio’s statement comes days after President Donald Trump recounted the military’s strength during the operation to capture Maduro. Trump, speaking in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, honored U.S. special forces and their families for their roles in the operation.

‘It was in a matter of minutes before (Maduro) was on a helicopter being taken out of there. They had to go through steel doors,’ Trump said Friday afternoon. ‘The steels were like it was like paper-maché. You know what paper-maché is? That’s weak paper.’

U.S. special operations forces carried out the successful capture of Maduro and his wife on sweeping narcotics charges. Trump celebrated that there wasn’t single U.S. casualty during the operation, despite Maduro being housed on a heavily-armed military base.

‘These guys blasted through every door,’ Trump continued Friday. ‘They got up to him before he got to the big safe. But that wouldn’t have worked either, because they had equipment that was going to knock that out in a matter of minutes, but he never got there. It went so fast.’

Maduro was whisked off on a helicopter, before he was brought to the U.S., where he faces federal charges, including narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine-trafficking conspiracy and weapons-related offenses. He is being held in federal custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in New York City. 

Fox News’ Emma Colton contributed to this report.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz is calling for sweeping reform at the world body, placing the fight against antisemitism at the top of the agenda as the Trump administration pushes for changes across the institution.

In an exclusive on-camera interview, Waltz argued that confronting antisemitism should be a central pillar of any overhaul of the U.N., alongside a broader return to what he described as the organization’s core mission of peace and security.

‘The U.N. has an atrocious history and record when it comes to antisemitism. Number one, it’s a cesspool for antisemitism in many ways,’ Waltz said. ‘This administration is determined to fight it.’

He framed the issue as both urgent and historic, linking rising global antisemitism and the aftermath of the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attacks to what he said must be a renewed commitment inside international institutions.

‘We have to live up to the mantra of never again,’ Waltz said. ‘As we see antisemitism on the rise around the world… after October 7th, in particular, we have to live up to that mantra.’

Waltz pointed to Holocaust remembrance and survivor testimony as essential tools in combating denial and historical revisionism, saying education must be central to any U.N. response.

‘It’s about education. It’s about fighting back on these ridiculous denials of the Holocaust,’ he said. ‘But most importantly, while we still have them, it’s about hearing from the survivors and hearing their personal stories.’

He added that U.N. forums should elevate survivor testimony rather than political messaging.

‘My recommendation to the U.N. is, get the diplomats and the politicians out of the way, let’s just hear from the survivors because their stories are compelling, they are tragic, they need to be heard and documented, and they certainly can’t ever be denied,’ Waltz said.

The ambassador’s remarks come as the administration calls for broader structural reform at the United Nations, including changes to how it approaches development aid, humanitarian operations and leadership.

Waltz said Washington wants to see a more focused institution centered on conflict prevention and peacekeeping, with less reliance on traditional aid frameworks.

‘I see, and I think what the president sees, is a much more focused U.N. that we have taken back to the basics of promoting peace and security around the world and enforcing peace when conflict breaks out through its peacekeeping forces,’ he said.

The push for reform comes against the backdrop of longstanding criticism from U.S. officials and watchdog groups over how Israel is treated within the U.N. system and concerns about antisemitism linked to some U.N.-affiliated bodies.

UNRWA, the U.N. agency responsible for Palestinian refugees, has faced mounting scrutiny in recent years. Reports by education monitoring organizations documented content in materials used in UNRWA-linked classrooms that delegitimizes Israel or includes antisemitic themes.

Media investigations after Oct. 7 further intensified attention on the agency, with allegations involving staff and militant ties triggering donor freezes and internal probes.

An independent review commissioned by the United Nations acknowledged neutrality challenges and recommended stronger oversight and vetting mechanisms.

Beyond UNRWA, critics have pointed to structural patterns across the U.N. system. Israel remains the only country assigned a permanent agenda item at the U.N. Human Rights Council, mandating discussion at every session.

At the General Assembly, Israel has frequently been the subject of more country-specific resolutions than any other state in many annual sessions.

Successive U.S. administrations have described that focus as disproportionate.

U.N. officials reject the characterization of institutional antisemitism, arguing that scrutiny reflects the scale and duration of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and humanitarian concerns, and pointing to reforms underway within agencies including UNRWA.

Waltz said confronting antisemitism must remain a priority as the U.N. prepares for leadership changes and debates over its future direction. He placed combating antisemitism within that broader reform push, alongside other policy priorities and future leadership decisions at the world body.

‘So those are just some of the things in addition to… taking on antisemitism… getting… good, strong leadership in the U.N. going forward that we hope to get done during our time here.’