A Texas school leader says material about diversity in state-approved textbooks violated the law.
The decision to strip chapters from books that had already won the approval of the state’s Republican-controlled board of education represents an escalation in how local school boards run by ideological conservatives influence what children learn.
Trump pressures 4 GOP senators ahead of anti-Canadian tariff vote, accusing them of ‘TDS’
President Donald Trump called out GOP Sens. Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul of Kentucky, Susan Collins of Maine, and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, in an effort to apply public pressure before the Senate votes on a measure to scuttle his Canadian tariff policy. The joint resolution would terminate the national emergency Trump declared regarding illicit drugs and Canada — in his executive order, Trump called for slapping tariffs on America’s northern neighbor. In s lengthy Truth Social post shortly before 1 a.m. on Wednesday, the president suggested that the four GOP senators have “Trump Derangement Syndrome.” “Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Rand Paul, also of Kentucky, will hopefully get on the Republican bandwagon, for a change, and fight the Democrats wild and flagrant push to not penalize Canada for the sale, into our Country, of large amounts of Fentanyl, by Tariffing the value of this horrible and deadly drug in order to make it more costly to distribute and buy,” Trump declared. TRUMP’S 11TH WEEK IN OFFICE SET TO FOCUS ON TARIFFS AS PRESIDENT TOUTS ‘LIBERATION DAY’ “They are playing with the lives of the American people, and right into the hands of the Radical Left Democrats and Drug Cartels. The Senate Bill is just a ploy of the Dems to show and expose the weakness of certain Republicans, namely these four, in that it is not going anywhere because the House will never approve it and I, as your President, will never sign it. Why are they allowing Fentanyl to pour into our Country unchecked, and without penalty,” he continued. Trump blasted the four lawmakers as “disloyal” to the GOP. “What is wrong with them, other than suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome, commonly known as TDS? Who can want this to happen to our beautiful families, and why? To the people of the Great States of Kentucky, Alaska, and Maine, please contact these Senators and get them to FINALLY adhere to Republican Values and Ideals. They have been extremely difficult to deal with and, unbelievably disloyal to hardworking Majority Leader John Thune, and the Republican Party itself. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER MARK CARNEY SAYS ‘OLD RELATIONSHIP’ WITH US ‘IS OVER’ AMID TENSION OVER TRUMP TARIFFS Paul is a cosponsor of the joint resolution. Murkowski reportedly informed Politico’s Lisa Kashinsky that she will vote for the resolution, while Collins has said she is “very likely” to back it, according to the outlet. RAND PAUL ENDORSES TRUMP 3 MONTHS AFTER ELECTION DAY, ADMITS ‘I WAS WRONG’ CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP McConnell declared in an op-ed earlier this year that “tariffs are bad policy.”
Lawmakers take action after report shows Biden-era SBA failed to probe 2 million alleged COVID aid fraudsters
EXCLUSIVE: The respective chairs of the Small Business Committee in both chambers of Congress are unveiling a plan to address the roughly 2 million “likely fraudulent” pandemic aid applications flagged in a recent government report. Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa and Rep. Roger Williams of Texas, both Republicans, plan to introduce the SBA Fraud Enforcement Extension Act on Wednesday in hopes of corralling the alleged scofflaws who they say broke the law and prevented untold numbers of legitimate U.S. small businesses from receiving crucial aid. The bill extends the statute of limitations to 10 years for fraud surrounding the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) and the Restaurant Revitalization Fund relief programs instituted in 2020. In 2022, Williams, Ernst and other lawmakers sought to do the same to identify potential scofflaw violators of the Paycheck Protection Program. HOUSE SMALL BUSINESS COMMITTEE RELEASES REPORT ON BIDEN-ERA ELECTIONEERING A report from the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that the Biden-era Small Business Administration (SBA) either signed or guaranteed more than $1 trillion in loans to more than 10 million small businesses. While it had instituted a four-step process to manage fraud, that plan reportedly faltered when the SBA inspector general was unable to fully probe two-thirds of the risk referrals because the agency didn’t provide either correct or complete information about those cases. The GAO then made a formal recommendation to the SBA, which, according to the public watchdog’s website, remains “open” – and it appeared no action had at least been recorded. The GAO also found that the fraud prevention process had not been fully implemented until “more than half” of aid programs’ funding had been approved. LAWMAKERS SLAM SBA ‘STONEWALLING’ OVER MICHIGAN VOTER MEMO AS ELECTIONEERING CLAIMS SURFACE “I will not allow criminals to run out the clock and escape justice simply because the Biden administration was asleep at the wheel,” Ernst told Fox News Digital on Tuesday. “Thousands of hardworking small businesses were deprived of desperately needed relief because swindlers, gang members, and felons cashing in on COVID drained the programs. Every single con artist who stole from taxpayers will be held accountable.” In Ernst’s home state, 1,800 restaurants reportedly qualified for SBA aid but never received it, prompting critics to question how much funding was diverted to fraudulent applicants instead of family-run eateries. In Williams’ Lone Star State, federal aid allowed tens of thousands of restaurants to stay in business, but others told outlets like Houston PBS that such funding ran out before many could get back on their financial feet. LAWMAKERS DEMAND ANSWERS FROM TOP MICHIGAN OFFICIAL OVER ALLEGED ‘WEAPONIZATION’ OF TAXPAYER FUNDS FOR ELECTIONEERING The Texas Restaurant Association told the station that 12,000 restaurants found themselves in danger of closing by 2022. Hollywood celebrities had also received some of the SVOG funds and spent them on private jets and parties or cash for themselves, Business Insider reported. “The SBA distributes millions of dollars to small businesses in need every year. However, where small business owners found the capital needed to stay afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic, bad actors saw the opportunity to defraud the government,” Williams told Fox News Digital. “It is imperative that every fraudster who stole and exploited taxpayer dollars during our nation’s utmost hour of need be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP He added that as March marked five years after the first COVID lockdowns, an extension of the SBA and law enforcement’s ability to pursue fraudsters must be realized. Fox News Digital reached out to the SBA for comment. When asked about the discrepancies found in the GAO report, an SBA spokesperson told Fox News Digital that Administrator Kelly Loeffler has already taken action to enhance fraud prevention efforts. “The SBA fully supports all efforts to crack down on fraud within its loan programs – in stark contrast to the last administration, which failed to investigate or address more than $200B in estimated pandemic-era fraud,” Caitlin O’Dea said. “[SBA] will continue working to hold pandemic-era fraudsters accountable.”
Biden-appointed judge blocks Trump admin from terminating legal aid for unaccompanied migrant children
A federal judge in California has blocked the Trump administration from terminating funding for legal counsel for unaccompanied migrant minors. Appointed by former President Joe Biden, U.S. District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín of San Francisco issued a temporary restraining order on Tuesday that will stop the Trump administration from ending the funding while the merits of the underlying case play out. The Trump administration on March 21 terminated a contract with the Acacia Center for Justice, which provides legal services for unaccompanied migrant children under 18 through a network of legal aid groups that subcontract with the center. Eleven subcontractor groups sued, saying that 26,000 children were at risk of losing their attorneys; Acacia is not a plaintiff. Those groups argued that the government has an obligation under a 2008 anti-trafficking law to provide vulnerable children with legal counsel. TRUMP AGENDA UPENDED AFTER GOP REBELLION SHUTS DOWN HOUSE FLOOR In her Tuesday order, Martínez-Olguín said that advocates had raised legitimate questions about whether the administration violated the 2008 law, warranting a return to the status quo while the case continues. “The Court additionally finds that the continued funding of legal representation for unaccompanied children promotes efficiency and fairness within the immigration system,” she wrote. It is the third legal setback in less than a week for the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, though all may prove temporary as the lawsuits advance. The Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 created special protections for migrant children who cannot navigate a complex immigration system on their own. Plaintiffs said some of their clients are too young to speak and others are too traumatized and do not know English. CBP RELEASES MARCH BORDER CROSSING NUMBERS, MARKING LOWEST TO DATE EVER RECORDED Defendants, which include the Department of Health and Human Services and its Office of Refugee Resettlement, said that taxpayers have no obligation to pay the cost of direct legal aid to migrant children at a time when the government is trying to save money. Acacia is under a new contract with the government to provide legal orientations, including “know your rights” clinics. The plaintiffs said they are not asking for the contract to be restored but instead want a return to the status quo – which is spending $5 billion that Congress appropriated so children have representation, Karen Tumlin with the Justice Action Center said at a court hearing Tuesday. Jonathan Ross with the Department of Justice said the government is still funding legally required activities, such as the “know your rights” clinics, and that legal clinics can offer their services without charge. “They’re still free to provide those services on a pro bono basis,” he said. Martinez-Olguin’s order takes effect Wednesday morning and will last until at least April 16.
District judges’ orders blocking Trump agenda face hearing in top Senate committee
The Senate Judiciary Committee is holding a hearing to examine the influx of nationwide orders against the Trump administration by federal district judges. Last week, Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, revealed the details of the event, set one day after the House committee’s hearing on the same subject. “Since the courts and the executive branch are on an unsustainable collision course, Congress must step in and provide clarity,” he said in a statement last week. “Our hearings will explore legislative solutions to bring the balance of power back in check.” WHITE HOUSE WARNS OF TRUMP VETO IF TIM KAINE ‘STUNT’ VOTE TO CANCEL TARIFFS PASSES SENATE The hearing, titled, “Rule by District Judges II: Exploring Legislative Solutions to the Bipartisan Problem of Universal Injunctions,” will feature testimony from John N. Matthews Professor of Law at Notre Dame Samuel Bray, partner at Boies Schiller Flexner Jesse Panuccio, who was previously the acting associate attorney general at the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the chairman of the DOJ’s Regulatory Reform Task Force and vice chairman of the DOJ’s Task Force on Market Integrity and Consumer Fraud, as well as Agnes Williams Sesquicentennial Professor of Federal Courts at Georgetown University Law Center Stephen I. Vladeck. After revealing details of the hearing, Grassley rolled out his own bill to tackle the issue. CORY BOOKER STAFFER ARRESTED FOR ALLEGEDLY CARRYING PISTOL WITHOUT LICENSE AT CAPITOL “These nationwide injunctions have become a favorite tool for those seeking to obstruct Mr. Trump’s agenda,” he wrote in an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal. “More than two-thirds of all universal injunctions issued over the past 25 years were levied against the first Trump administration. In the past two months alone, judges have issued at least 15 universal injunctions against the administration—surpassing the 14 President Biden faced throughout his four-year term.” Grassley’s legislation would restrain the lower courts’ ability to issue nationwide orders, and they would no longer be able to stop “legitimate executive action” by granting orders to entities or individuals who are not parties to the lawsuit. While similar bills have been introduced by Grassley’s GOP colleagues in both the Senate and House, it is unclear whether the issue will get floor votes, as it would need to amass more than 60 votes in the upper chamber to beat the filibuster. HAWLEY OFFICIALLY A YES ON DR. OZ AFTER SECURING COMMITMENTS ON TRANSGENDER, ABORTION ISSUES Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has not elaborated much on the issue and, when asked about it, he told reporters, “At the end of the day, there is a process, and there’s an appeals process. And, you know, I suspect that’s ultimately how it’s going to be ended.” President Donald Trump has made his frustration with nationwide injunctions clear, urging action on them publicly. ‘BLINDSIDED’: HOW STEFANIK’S TRUMP NOMINATION AS UN AMBASSADOR IMPLODED “Unlawful Nationwide Injunctions by Radical Left Judges could very well lead to the destruction of our Country!” the president said in a recent Truth Social post. “These people are Lunatics, who do not care, even a little bit, about the repercussions from their very dangerous and incorrect Decisions and Rulings.” “If Justice Roberts and the United States Supreme Court do not fix this toxic and unprecedented situation IMMEDIATELY, our Country is in very serious trouble!” he continued.
Delhi-NCR traffic woes to end? Noida to build 2nd Noida-Greater Noida Expressway
Noida is moving forward with plans for a second expressway along River Yamuna after the Noida authority approved the project in a recent board meeting.
Waqf Amendment Bill tabled in Lok Sabha: Om Birla asks Kiren Rijiju to introduce Waqf Bill in Parliament
Waqf Amendment Bill tabled in Lok Sabha: Kiren Rijiju introduces Waqf Amendment Bill in Lok Sabha
Dems say Wisconsin voters ‘decisively’ rejected Trump, Musk after liberal wins state Supreme Court seat
Democrats across the country celebrated after the liberal-leaning candidate won a high-profile election on Tuesday for a seat on Wisconsin’s Supreme Court, protecting the liberal majority on the bench. Dane County Circuit Court Judge Susan Crawford defeated conservative-leaning Brad Schimel, a former state attorney general who currently serves as a state circuit court judge in Waukesha County. Schimel was endorsed by President Donald Trump, and the president’s billionaire senior advisor, Elon Musk, spent millions of dollars to oppose Crawford’s candidacy. After a massive infusion of money from Democrat-aligned and Republican-aligned groups from outside Wisconsin, which turned the race into the most expensive judicial election in the nation’s history, the election partially transformed into a referendum on Trump’s action during the early months of his second term in the White House. Following Crawford’s victory, Democrats said voters in Wisconsin, a battleground state, sent a clear message to reject Trump, Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency — which is led by Musk — as well as the Republican Party’s agenda. LIBERAL WINS FIRST MAJOR 2025 STATEWIDE BATTLEGROUND ELECTION IN RACE TURNED INTO TRUMP-MUSK REFERENDUM Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers wrote: “Wisconsinites proved we will not be bought — not by the richest or most powerful people in the world or anyone else.” Musk had handed out $1 million checks at a rally in Green Bay on Sunday evening to two Wisconsin voters who had already cast ballots in the contest and had signed a petition to stop “activist judges.” Wisconsin’s Democrat state attorney general sued to block the payments, but the state Supreme Court refused to weigh in. “This election was about the resilience of the Wisconsin and American values that define and unite us,” Wisconsin’s governor said in a statement. “This election was about doing what’s best for our kids, protecting constitutional checks and balances, reaffirming our faith in the courts and the judiciary, and defending against attacks on the basic rights, freedoms, and institutions we hold dear.” “For anyone who mistakenly believes actions and decisions in Washington are neither seen nor heard here in Wisconsin or states across our country, the people of Wisconsin responded tonight,” he added. Sen. Tammy Balwin, D-Wisc., said Wisconsin voters “showed tonight that their votes are not for sale!” WISCONSIN VOTERS DECIDE TO ENSHRINE VOTER ID LAW IN STATE CONSTITUTION: ‘BIG WIN FOR REPUBLICANS’ “Judge Crawford is a common sense judge who has always been guided by the same basic values she learned growing up in Chippewa Falls,” Baldwin said on X. “She believes in doing the right thing, she has fought to protect our rights and freedoms, and she will be a fair and impartial Justice on the WI State Supreme Court!” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said that “[a]nyone who counted Democrats out was dead wrong.” “Wisconsin voters tonight sent a decisive message to Elon Musk, Donald Trump, and DOGE by rejecting an extreme Republican for their Supreme Court: our Democracy is not for sale,” he said in a statement. “Democrats are in the fight to keep our country.” “Elon Musk spent millions in a failed scheme to buy a Wisconsin Supreme Court seat,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., wrote on X. “Voters decisively rejected Donald Trump, Musk and the rapidly deteriorating Republican brand. Back up off the American people.” Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., wrote on X: “Congratulations to Wisconsin’s newest Supreme Court Justice, Susan Crawford! The voters spoke loud and clear: Wisconsin is not for sale.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Wisconsin beat the billionaire,” Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said on X, referring to Musk. California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Crawford’s victory was an “amazing win for Wisconsin and the entire country.” Wisconsin’s high court is likely to rule on crucial issues like congressional redistricting, voting and labor rights and abortion. Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser and Charles Creitz contributed to this report.
Kunal Kamra continues no-show as police issue third summons to stand up comedian over derogatory remarks on Maharashtra Dy CM Eknath Shinde
Kunal Kamra (36) has been asked to appear before officials of the Khar Police Station in suburban Mumbai, where the first FIR against him was registered last month, they said.
Maryland reparations bill advances, Gov. Wes Moore dodges questions on whether he supports the measure
A Maryland bill to establish a commission to study reparations – including financial restitution – is moving forward, as it is expected to clear its final hurdle in the House of Delegates, while the governor attempts to dodge questions about whether he supports the proposal. The bill, a priority for the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland, passed the Senate in the middle of last month before Crossover Day, which marks the unofficial deadline for legislative leaders in the General Assembly to move bills to the other legislative chamber that they plan to send to the governor for final approval. The bill received a favorable vote in its assigned House committee on Friday, WBFF reported. It is expected to be voted on in the full House before the legislative session adjourns next week. Senate Minority Whip Justin Ready, a Republican, told WBFF he does not understand why the reparations bill is being advanced as the state faces a $3.3 billion deficit, which is expected to increase even more to $6.7 billion by fiscal year 2028. NTSB SAYS LACK OF ‘VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT’ BY MARYLAND OFFICIALS PRECEDED DEADLY KEY BRIDGE COLLAPSE “We don’t have the money right now to be exploring these options, period,” Ready told the outlet. “[T]he issue of reparations, I’m sure elicits strong opinions, but the fact is, it’s just something that’s not financially feasible, whether you think it’s a good idea or not.” “I question whether using taxpayer money would ever be appropriate in this context,” he added. “Even going back to when reparations were paid to survivors of the Holocaust, they went after companies that were involved. Not after taxpayers.” The proposed commission is expected to initially cost Maryland taxpayers $54,500 annually, according to the nonpartisan Maryland Department of Legislative Services. Similar reparations commissions have been created by state governments in California, Colorado, Massachusetts, New York and Illinois. DEM GOV SAYS MD, WITH $3B DEFICIT, HAS BEEN DOING DOGE ‘BEFORE ANYONE KNEW WHAT [IT] WAS’ Last year, the California Reparations Task Force released a report following a two-year study in which the state was called on to issue a formal apology for slavery and other racial injustices and to offer financial payouts. The report recommended a financial restitution formula that would provide eligible recipients with up to $1.2 million each, although state lawmakers have not yet held a vote to authorize the first payments. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat, has dodged questions about his state’s bill since it was introduced in January. He was asked at the time if he supported the measure, but turned his focus to economic priorities. “Nah, we are going to work with the Maryland General Assembly on a whole collection of different issues,” Moore told WBFF at the time. “Our focus is economic advancement; our focus is economic growth. It’s making sure we can really meet people where they are, make life more affordable. That we are modernizing of state government.” The governor was asked again about the issue during his visit to celebrate the Baltimore Orioles’ home opener on Monday afternoon at Pickles Pub. WBFF attempted to speak with him, but the requests were denied. The outlet reached out to the governor’s office after his appearance at the pub, but his spokesperson’s response did not address the questions about the reparations bill. Ready told WBFF that the bill could harm the national attention Moore has received over the past year. “I don’t think Gov. Moore would want this on his desk because I think it is a distraction to trying to get real problems solved,” Ready said. “[T]here may be some people it motivates, in some way, but a lot of those are kind of on the fringes.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP If the law is enacted in its current form, the commission must provide its preliminary report by January 1, 2027, and a final report by November 1, 2027.