Cory Booker staffer arrested for allegedly carrying pistol without license at Capitol
A congressional staffer was arrested for carrying a pistol without a license after being escorted into the U.S. Capitol by a member of Congress, police said Tuesday. The United States Capitol Police said in a statement, “Yesterday afternoon, a Member of Congress led an ID’ed staff member around security screening at the Hart Senate Office Building. “Later that evening, outside the Senate Galleries, the IDed staff member — who is a retired law enforcement officer — told our officers he was armed. HAWLEY OFFICIALLY A YES ON DR. OZ AFTER SECURING COMMITMENTS ON TRANSGENDER, ABORTION ISSUES “The staff member, 59-year-old Kevin A. Batts of New Jersey, was arrested for Carrying a Pistol Without a License. All weapons are prohibited from Capitol Grounds, even if you are a retired law enforcement officer, or have a permit to carry in another state or the District of Columbia,” the statement continued. Batts is listed as a “special assistant” to Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., on Legistorm, a research entity that routinely updates salaries and information about lawmakers and their staffs. In a statement to Fox News Digital, Booker spokesperson Jeff Giertz said, “Sen. Booker’s office employs a retired Newark police detective as a New Jersey-based driver who often accompanies him to events. We are working to better understand the circumstances around this.” ‘BLINDSIDED’: HOW STEFANIK’S TRUMP NOMINATION AS UN AMBASSADOR IMPLODED In 2016, Booker shared a video of Batts on social media, identifying Batts as a former detective in Newark. At the time, Batts said he had worked for either the city of Newark or Booker’s office for 28 years. “Kevin Batts has been a friend and team member since 2006 when I became mayor and even before,” the senator wrote on Instagram. “I so deeply appreciate his steadfast friendship, incredible dedication to Newark and now his service to the state. Kevin was raised in Columbus Homes projects in Newark, then spent 6 years in the United States army reserves and then joined the Newark Police Department and became a detective in 2004. “In 2006, he joined my security detail as a member of Newark’s executive protection unit. In 2013 he joined my Senate staff. I am truly blessed by his friendship and loyal hard work.” HOW TRUMP-BLOCKING JUDGES MANAGED TO GET PAST SENATE JUDICIARY HAWKS Booker also mentioned Batts in a 2017 commencement speech at the University of Pennsylvania. “And as I told my driver, an incredible officer named Kevin Batts, retired from the Newark Police Department, joined my staff because of our friendship and our bond, I said to him, “Kev, we’re almost home but do you mind? We have to swing through the drive-thru,” he said. Batts’ arrest comes as Booker continues to break records for one of the longest floor speeches in American Senate history. The senator, who began speaking Monday night, now holds the fourth-longest Senate floor speeches, recently surpassing Sen. Robert La Follette, R-Wis., who spoke for 18 hours and 23 minutes in 1908. JOSH HAWLEY BELIEVES HIS BILL CAN STOP ‘RESISTANCE’ JUDGES FROM ‘PROVOKING A CRISIS’ Next up is the record held by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, whose speech against Obamacare in 2013 went on for 21 hours and 19 minutes. The record holder is Sen. Strom Thurmond, R-S.C., who spoke for 24 hours and 18 minutes against a civil rights bill in 1957. If Booker continues to speak, he will break Thurmond’s record around 7:19 pm Eastern time on Tuesday night.
Germany and Italy arrest more than 30 in Mafia food fraud sweep
German police officer among those held in raids against the ‘Ndrangheta over sales of expensive food and equipment. German and Italian authorities have arrested dozens of suspects, including a policeman, in raids against the ‘Ndrangheta criminal organisation over fraud involving the sale of expensive food and pizza-making equipment. The ‘Ndrangheta is considered Italy’s wealthiest and most powerful Mafia and is also heavily involved in drug trafficking, controlling the bulk of cocaine flowing into Europe. Hundreds of law enforcement officials carried out about 40 searches in four German states and several areas of Italy as part of a five-year investigation that involved cooperation from the international police organisation Interpol. Fourteen suspects, including a 46-year-old police officer accused of supporting the gang, were arrested in western Germany, and 20 were detained in Italy, German police said on Tuesday. They are accused of “an elaborate fraud with high-value food products, such as expensive cheeses and olive oil, as well as kitchen equipment for pizza production”, said Eurojust, the European Union’s judicial agency, which coordinated the raids. Advertisement The suspects are also accused of other crimes, including arson, drug trafficking and tax evasion. The alleged food fraud took place in and around Stuttgart, Germany, and involved suspects posing as representatives of German food companies who then targeted Italian firms, according to German prosecutor Joachim Dittrich. They ordered large quantities of food and equipment in the name of a fake company but did not pay, leading to losses of hundreds of thousands of euros to the suppliers, he said. The suspects then allegedly pressured Italian restaurants in and around the German city to buy the supplies, and the businesses agreed to avoid possible reprisals. Italian prosecutors said the victims were Italians from Calabria, the southern region of the country where the ‘Ndrangheta is based. The arrested police officer is accused of disclosing confidential information to help the suspects. Adblock test (Why?)
Wave of court orders blocking Trump’s agenda are a ‘judicial coup d’etat,’ Gingrich says
Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich condemned the wave of federal judges blocking President Donald Trump’s agenda as a “judicial coup d’etat” on Tuesday. Gingrich made the comments while testifying at a House Judiciary subcommittee hearing focused on “judicial overreach” by U.S. district court judges across the country. The former lawmaker highlighted that the vast majority of judges filing injunctions or restraining orders against Trump’s executive actions have been appointed by Democrats. “Mr. Gingrich, I’m told that 92% of the judges who have issued blanket injunctions against the administration have been appointed by Democrats. That at least suggests a partisan tilt to all of this… doesn’t that undermine public confidence in our courts?” Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., asked at the hearing. “If you look at the recent reports from various polling firms, clearly a majority of Americans believe that no single district judge should be able to issue a nationwide injunction,” Gingrich responded. “Look, my judgment is as a historian. This is clearly a judicial coup d’etat. You don’t have this many different judges issue this many different nationwide injunctions – all of them coming from the same ideological and political background – and just assume it’s all random efforts of justice,” he continued. WHO IS JAMES BOASBERG, THE US JUDGE AT THE CENTER OF TRUMP’S DEPORTATION EFFORTS? “This is a clear effort to stop the scale of change that President Trump represents,” he added. ‘WOEFULLY INSUFFICIENT’: US JUDGE REAMS TRUMP ADMIN FOR DAYS-LATE DEPORTATION INFO Gingrich went on to argue that it is unacceptable for “random” judges to micromanage the president of the United States. “They put both Americans and the nation at risk when they intervene to become basically alternative presidents. You now have potentially 677 alternative presidents, none of whom won an election,” he said. The best solution for the wave of injunctions is for Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts to intervene, Gingrich said. Roberts could ensure that any such rulings from lower federal courts could move straight up to the Supreme Court. At the center of the court controversy is District Judge James Boasberg, who attempted to block the Trump administration from deporting members of the Tren de Aragua gang to El Salvador. Other judges have placed injunctions on Trump’s efforts to trim down the federal government. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., met privately with Republican judiciary committee members last week for what sources called a “brainstorming” session on how to respond to judges like Boasberg. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Ideas raised by lawmakers included a fast-tracked appeals process, wielding Congress’ spending power over the judiciary, and limiting the ability to “judge shop.” And some conservatives are eager to target specific judges they believe are abusing their power via the impeachment process, but House Republican leaders are wary of that route and believe it to be less effective than other legislative avenues. Fox News’ Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.
Musk says Social Security scammer who allegedly ripped off 400K Americans faces imminent arrest
Elon Musk said that an alleged scammer who reportedly ripped off 400,000 Americans by selling their Social Security numbers is facing imminent arrest. “I believe someone is going to be arrested tomorrow, because there’s someone who actually stole 400,000 Social Security numbers and personal information from the Social Security database,” Musk said during a tele-town hall with Wisconsin voters Monday evening. Wisconsin is holding a high-stakes state Supreme Court election Tuesday that will determine if the state’s highest court will hold a liberal or conservative majority by filing a retiring justice’s seat. The person was “selling Social Security numbers and all the identification information in order for people to basically steal money from Social Security,” he continued. Musk was responding to a phone call from a Wisconsin voter who asked if Attorney General Pam Bondi had plans to investigate and prosecute fraud surrounding Social Security. Musk is helping lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is working to uncover government overspending and fraud, and reported in March that “there’s a massive amount of fraud” related to alleged scammers submitting phony Social Security numbers in an attempt to receive federal benefits. MUSK SHARES ‘MIND BLOWING’ CHART SHOWING MILLIONS OF ‘NONCITIZENS’ GIVEN SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS UNDER BIDEN Musk did not provide any additional details on the alleged scammer during the call. Fox News Digital reached out to the Department of Justice inquiring about any investigations into Social Security fraud claims and if the department was preparing to make arrests, but did not immediately receive a reply. Musk continued in the phone conversation Monday that potential fraud related to Social Security leaves the system vulnerable to illegal immigrants fraudulently obtaining identification numbers. EXPERT TURNS TABLES ON DEM CRITICS AFTER MUSK ACCUSES SOCIAL SECURITY OF BEING ‘PONZI SCHEME’ “A particular avenue of fraud for like illegal immigrants and for voter fraud, because the main way that identification is established in the United States is via Social Security,” he said. “So, if you compromise a Social Security system, you can basically get people to get de facto registered to vote, even if they’re not citizens, and to get a bunch of benefits.” Musk and members of his DOGE team joined Fox News at the end of March to discuss their operation and what they have uncovered since they began investigating federal agencies in the search of fraud and mismanagement. Musk identified Social Security as reportedly chronically vulnerable to fraud. ELON MUSK IS CORRECT THAT SOCIAL SECURITY OPERATES LIKE A ‘PONZI SCHEME’: EXPERT “They steal people’s Social Security, is what happens,” Musk said in a Thursday exclusive interview on Fox News’ “Special Report with Bret Baier.” “They call in, they claim to be a retiree, and they convince the Social Security person on the phone to change where the money is flowing. It actually goes to some fraudster. This is happening all day, every day. And then somebody doesn’t receive their Social Security, it’s because of all the fraud loopholes in the Social Security system.” DOGE engineer Aram Moghaddassi added in the interview, “At Social Security, one of the first things that we learned is that they get phone calls every day of people trying to change direct deposit information.” “So when you want to change your bank account, you can call Social Security. We learned 40% of the calls that they get are from fraudsters.” Amid DOGE’s investigation into the Social Security Administration, President Donald Trump has vowed not to cut Medicare or Social Security benefits for Americans.
Trump’s transgender military ban dealt legal blow after appeals court ruling
A U.S. appeals court on Monday rejected the Trump administration’s request to pause a lower court ruling that temporarily blocked its ban on transgender military service members – a near-term blow as the administration signals it may take the case to the Supreme Court. The three-judge panel on the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals denied the administration’s request for an administrative stay, which would have allowed it to enforce the ban while a lower court weighs the case. Instead, the appellate court decision leaves in place, for now, a preliminary injunction handed down late last month by U.S. District Judge Benjamin Settle. That decision blocked the Trump administration from identifying and removing transgender service members for the near-term while the case proceeds in lower court. “The Department of Justice has vigorously defended President Trump’s executive actions, including the Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness Executive Order, and will continue to do so,” a spokesperson for the Justice Department told Fox News Digital. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ASKS SUPREME COURT TO REVIEW EL SALVADOR DEPORTATION FLIGHT CASE The Trump administration filed its appeal to the 9th Circuit last week, seeking to overturn Judge Settle’s preliminary injunction. In court filings, the government argued that the transgender military policy “furthers the government’s important interests in military readiness, unit cohesion, good order and discipline, and avoiding disproportionate costs.” However, the policy has already faced a wave of early legal challenges. Settle, who is based in Tacoma, Washington, is not the only federal judge to block the Trump administration’s transgender military ban this year. Last month, U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes also temporarily blocked Trump’s ban, citing what she described as a lack of evidence to support the administration’s stated rationale for the policy. Reyes vehemently contested the government’s assertion that being transgender is “not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member.” JUDGES V TRUMP: HERE ARE THE KEY COURT BATTLES HALTING THE WHITE HOUSE AGENDA Reyes noted in a scathing, 79-page ruling that transgender service members have provided a combined total of “over 130 years of military service,” have been deployed around the globe, including currently in an active combat zone, and together have earned more than 80 commendations and medals for their service. The three-judge panel for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit broke with Reyes’s order, however – agreeing to grant the Trump administration an administrative stay. Still, the judges stressed that the stay “should not be construed in any way as a ruling on the merits” of the case. The panel also said they reserve the right to reconsider the administrative stay if the military is found to have taken adverse action against passenger service members. President Donald Trump ordered the ban in question shortly after taking office in a January executive order. The order states that the “adoption of a gender identity inconsistent with an individual’s sex conflicts with a soldier’s commitment to an honorable, truthful, and disciplined lifestyle, even in one’s personal life” – which plaintiffs have vigorously contested. The case is one of many that will likely be kicked up to the Supreme Court.
Trump pick for Joint Chiefs chair tells Senate ‘element of surprise’ should be guarded amid Signal chat leak
Lt. Gen. Daniel “Razin” Caine, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be the U.S. top military officer, side-stepped questions from Senate Democrats about his view on the recent Signal leak controversy roiling the Trump administration, but he did say the “element of surprise” should be safeguarded as a result of the incident. Democrats, including Sens. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Jack Reed, D-R.I., and Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, repeatedly asked Caine about how he would respond to hypothetical scenarios regarding the leak, during a Thursday confirmation hearing in front of the Senate Armed Services Committee. Caine, careful with his responses, repeatedly stressed the importance of “preserv[ing] the element of surprise,” adding that he has “always” communicated sensitive information using the proper channels. Blumenthal charged that the “element of surprise was very likely lost” as a result of the leak. TRUMP’S PICK FOR JOINT CHIEFS CHAIR DANIEL ‘RAZIN’ CAINE SET FOR SENATE GRILLING While the Trump administration and its supporters have denied that anything discussed in the Signal chat amounted to war plans, critics have disagreed, citing the fact the chats included a detailed timeline about a U.S. attack on Houthi rebels in Yemen. “Because of your extraordinary service, general, I can’t imagine anyone better qualified to answer this question,” Blumenthal said to Caine. “Knowing what you do, about the substance of that conversation, how would you feel?” “Well, Senator, I stand by what I said before. I think we all can agree that we need to always protect the element of surprise,” Caine said. “And that element of surprise was very likely lost, if there had been any intercept by one of our enemies or adversaries that could be conveyed to the Houthis. Correct?” Blumenthal asked. “That’s a little bit of a hypothetical question, but, I am thankful, as always, that we we protect our servicemen and women who are going into combat operation,” Caine replied. TRUMP NOMINATES AIR FORCE LT. GEN. DAN ‘RAZIN’ CAINE FOR JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF CHAIRMAN Hirono questioned Caine with a similar hypothetical but went a step further and asked if he would “just let this matter drop,” as she claimed the Trump administration is doing. “It’s really not a hypothetical. It is what is confronting this administration,” Hirono said. “Given the fact that the chairman and ranking member have asked for an investigation, I don’t want to comment on the particulars,” Caine relented as Hirono hounded for an answer. “I do want to stay at the strategic altitude and say that we should always preserve the element of surprise.” Reed proceeded to ask Ciane if he “were on that conversation” would he have “objected to the fact that it was being conducted on Signal?” “Well, Senator, you know, I was not in that chat,” Caine responded. “I know that that’s why I asked if you were,” Reed said. Caine asserted that he has “always communicated proper information in the proper channels.” Caine was tapped by Trump to replace Biden-appointed Gen. Charles Q. “C.Q.” Brown Jr. after he was fired in February. VANCE VISITS CAPITOL HILL TO URGE SENATORS TO CONFIRM ELBRIDGE COLBY FOR PENTAGON NO. 3 POST The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) is a group of senior military officials who advise the president, the Secretary of Defense and the National Security Council on military matters. The JCS consists of the highest-ranking officers from the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and National Guard, with the chairman serving as the highest principal military advisor. The chairman is typically required to have served as a four-star general in charge of a military service branch or as a combatant commander, qualifications Caine does not possess. However, the president has the authority to waive these requirements if deemed necessary for national interests. Caine’s extensive Air Force military background includes serving as a decorated F-16 combat pilot and playing critical roles in special intelligence operations. Given the slim Republican majority, his full Senate confirmation would require near-unanimous support from Republican senators.
Yemen chat leak: What does it tell us about Trump’s administration?
US officials downplay a journalist being included in Yemen attack chats, but it sheds light on workings of the White House. If the sharing of private chats of top United States intelligence officials with a reporter “were a part of an episode of Veep [a satirical US TV series], I wouldn’t have believed it”, former Pentagon official Alex Wagner says. The chats touched on Yemen, Europe, and other foreign and domestic policy concerns. Wagner and military affairs journalist Kevin Baron tell host Steve Clemons that the inadvertent inclusion of the journalist in the Signal group chats indicates a level of “carelessness” that is more insidious than the Trump administration cares to admit. Despite the gravity of the mistake, no one expects any accountability for the officials involved. Adblock test (Why?)
Russia’s Putin hosts Chinese Foreign Minister Wang for talks in Moscow
The allies discussed developments of the ongoing war in Ukraine as well as relations between the two countries. China and Russia are “friends forever, never enemies”, Chinese’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said in remarks in a visit to Moscow during which he has held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and his counterpart Sergey Lavrov. Wang on Tuesday also welcomed signs of normalising ties between Washington and Moscow. “The principle of ‘friends forever, never enemies’ … serves as a solid legal basis for advancing strategic cooperation at a higher level,” Wang told Russia’s RIA state news agency in an interview. Wang is on a three-day visit to Moscow for strategic cooperation talks, a trip overshadowed by uncertainty around talks to secure a ceasefire in Ukraine and US President Donald Trump’s criticism of the Russian and Ukrainian leaders. China and Russia declared a “no limits” strategic partnership days before Putin sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in February 2022. Chinese President Xi Jinping has met Putin more than 40 times over the past decade, and the two leaders have agreed to deepen ties and cooperate on issues such as Taiwan, Ukraine and their mutual rival the United States. Advertisement Wang said China is ready to play a “constructive role” in ending the conflict in Ukraine, but will back Russia to defend its “interests”. At the start of talks with Lavrov, Wang added: “We will work together to make new contributions to the cause of peace and development for humanity.” Putin later expressed to Wang his “satisfaction with the way our relationship is developing” while Wang talked up strengthening ties and said the two countries were pursuing their common global and regional interests. Putin also said Russia was preparing a “good, full programme” for Xi’s symbolic and significant visit to Moscow for the Victory Parade in May – a sacrosanct day that marks the Soviet Union’s defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. It is the 80th anniversary this year. Vladimir Putin watches honour guards passing by during a flower-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Victory Day last year [Maxim Blinov/Sputnik via Reuters] Wang said current global conditions obliged big powers to act as stabilising factors, so it was encouraging that Russia and the US had moved to improve relations. His remarks came a day after the Kremlin said that Russia and the US were working on ideas for a possible peace settlement in Ukraine and on building bilateral ties. Since taking office in January, Trump has initially shifted the US to a more conciliatory stance towards Russia, but he expressed anger in recent days at Putin’s questioning of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s legitimacy and his discussion of the prospect of a new leadership in Ukraine. Advertisement Wang dismissed the notion that Trump is trying to support Russia in order to set it against China, condemning such ideas as a “relapse of obsolete confrontational and bloc thinking”. Wang said recent Ukraine ceasefire talks had already brought some results and should continue, despite diverging views and the difficult situation on the battlefield. “The step towards peace, although not that big, is constructive – it’s worth building on it,” Wang said. “With peace, it is no pain, no gain. You need to work hard to achieve it.” Xi has been pushing for a greater involvement of China in peace talks since the early days of the war, which marked its third anniversary in February. China presents itself as a neutral party in the conflict and says it is not sending lethal assistance to either side, unlike the US and other Western nations. But it is a close political and economic ally of Russia, and NATO members have branded Beijing a “decisive enabler” of Moscow’s offensive – which it has never condemned. Beijing has proposed on its own, and together with Brazil, general principles to end the conflict, but its ideas have received a tepid reception. Adblock test (Why?)
Crete hit hardest among Greek islands battered by storms, flooding
Bad weather also impacts islands in the Cyclades chain in the central Aegean Sea popular with tourists. Ferocious storms have battered islands in Greece for a second day, hurling cars into the sea and flooding homes and businesses with water and mud with Crete experiencing the heaviest rainfall and flooding. Authorities on the islands of Paros and Mykonos in the Aegean Sea worked to clear overturned cars and debris after hailstorms and torrential downpours on Tuesday. Emergency government assistance has been requested by those islands to address road and infrastructure damage. Rescue crews on Crete helped free seven people in vehicles trapped by floodwaters while rockslides and road closures were reported on the island after the bad weather pushed overnight towards the southeast. The highest rainfall in the 24 hours through Tuesday afternoon was recorded near the Cretan port of Chania, according to the National Observatory of Athens. Rhodes faced gale-force winds that toppled trees and damaged vehicles. Schools were preventively shut on Tuesday on the islands of Paros, Mykonos, Rhodes, Kos, Kalymnos, Symi and Tilos. Advertisement The storms primarily impacted islands in the Cyclades chain in the central Aegean, a popular holiday destination known for its beaches and whitewashed houses, and they struck just weeks after a rare earthquake swarm forced thousands of people to flee Santorini and the nearby islands of Ios, Amorgos and Anafi. The storms in Paros sent cars floating into the sea and flooded homes and businesses [Stathis Roussos/AP] Adblock test (Why?)
Watch: Chile’s President Gabriel Boric stops during walk to ask PM Modi about Ashoka Chakra on…
Chilean President Gabriel Boric asks PM Modi about the Ashoka Chakra’s significance during his state visit to India.