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Pahalgam Terrorist Attack: Will Amarnath yatra be affected after fear among tourists? Know how are security arrangements

Pahalgam Terrorist Attack: Will Amarnath yatra be affected after fear among tourists? Know how are security arrangements

The Kashmir Valley reverberated with the sounds of gunshots which will forever haunt the survivors of the Pahalgam terrorist attack and their relatives back home. The inhumane and gruesome terrorist attack in Kashmir not only killed many people but has instilled a lasting fear among tourists, and a certain section of the society across India. While various organisations called for a Jammu and Kashmir Bandh, shops, fuel stations, businesses and all govt and private schools have also been closed, and concerns have been raised regarding the Amarnath Yatra 2025.

Federal judge alleges ‘willful and bad faith refusal’ to comply in Abrego Garcia deportation case

Federal judge alleges ‘willful and bad faith refusal’ to comply in Abrego Garcia deportation case

A federal judge in Maryland accused the Trump administration of “willful and bad faith refusal” to comply with court orders in the case of illegal immigrant and suspected MS-13 gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s deportation to El Salvador. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis – who was nominated to the bench by former President Barack Obama – accused the Trump administration of obstructing the legal process and refusing to provide information about the steps they have taken, if any, to free Abrego Garcia from Salvadorian custody and return him to the United States.  “For weeks, Defendants have sought refuge behind vague and unsubstantiated assertions of privilege, using them as a shield to obstruct discovery and evade compliance with this Court’s orders,” Xinis wrote in an eight-page order Tuesday. “Defendants have known, at least since last week, that this Court requires specific legal and factual showings to support any claim of privilege. Yet they have continued to rely on boilerplate assertions. That ends now.” 4 MORE DEMS TRAVEL TO EL SALVADOR TO PUSH FOR ABREGO GARCIA’S RETURN TO US “If Defendants want to preserve their privilege claims, they must support them with the required detail. Otherwise, they will lose the protections they failed to properly invoke,” the judge added.  She gave the administration until 6 p.m. Wednesday to provide those details. President Donald Trump on Tuesday posted a photo to TRUTH Social of himself in the Oval Office holding up a photo of the gang-affiliated tattoos etched on Abrego Garcia’s knuckles.  “This is the man, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, that the Courts are trying to save from being deported?” Trump wrote. “He was supposed to be, according to the Judge and the Democrats, a wonderful father from Maryland, but then they noticed he had “MS-13″ tattooed onto his knuckles (and lots of really bad stories about his past!). This is the gang that is, perhaps, the worst of them all. What is wrong with our Country?”  The Trump administration deported Abrego Garcia, 29, to El Salvador in what it described in court filings as an “administrative error,” and has since said that it is up to El Salvador whether Abrego Garcia returns to the U.S.  DEPORTED ILLEGAL ALIEN AND SUSPECTED MS-13 GANG MEMBER TRANSFERRED FROM NOTORIOUS EL SALVADORAN MEGA-PRISON The U.S. Supreme Court ordered the Trump administration nearly two weeks ago to facilitate Abrego Garcia’s return to the U.S., so that court proceedings could continue, rejecting the White House’s claim that it couldn’t retrieve him.  Trump administration officials have pushed back, arguing that it is up to El Salvador — though the president of El Salvador has also said he lacks the power to return Abrego Garcia. The administration has also argued that information about any steps it has taken or could take to return Abrego Garcia is protected by attorney-client privilege laws, state secret laws, general “government privilege” or other secrecy rules. But Xinis said those claims, without any facts to back them up, reflected a “willful and bad faith refusal to comply with discovery obligations.” A three-judge panel on the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals scolded the administration last week, saying its claim that it can’t do anything to free Abrego Garcia “should be shocking.”  The Justice Department unveiled documents last week detailing domestic violence allegations that Abrego Garcia’s wife, Jennifer Vasquez, included in a court filing in 2021. Vasquez alleged in the filing that Abrego Garcia beat her and that she had documentation of the bruises he left on her. Additionally, a 2022 Homeland Security Investigations report obtained by Fox News claims that Abrego Garcia was suspected of partaking in labor and human trafficking. The report said a Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper pulled Abrego Garcia over in 2022 after swerving. The patrol officer found eight other individuals in the car with Abrego Garcia, who had just begun driving three days prior.  The officer originally believed the incident qualified as a human trafficking case because no luggage was found in the car, but the officer ultimately only wrote up Abrego Garcia for driving with an expired license.  Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser, Diana Stancy, David Spunt, Rachel Wolf, Greg Norman and the Associated Press contributed to this report. 

25 ‘vulnerable’ House Dems targeted by GOP ad blitz offering airfare to El Salvador

25 ‘vulnerable’ House Dems targeted by GOP ad blitz offering airfare to El Salvador

FIRST ON FOX: The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) is targeting a list of 25 “vulnerable” Democrats in the House of Representatives, with a digital ad blitz offering to buy them plane tickets to El Salvador on the condition they “livestream the whole thing and snap plenty of selfies with their MS-13 buddies.” The ad campaign follows a Monday press release by the NRCC offering to foot the bill for any future trips by Democrat lawmakers to El Salvador, after several progressive lawmakers traveled to the South American country in protest of the Trump administration’s deportation policies.    “We’ll pay for the plane tickets, they just can’t forget to smile for the camera while they sell out their constituents,” NRCC spokesman Mike Marinella said Tuesday. “If out-of-touch House Democrats are so desperate to cozy up to violent gang members, the least they can do is let Americans watch the show.” 4 MORE DEMS TRAVEL TO EL SALVADOR TO PUSH FOR ABREGO GARCIA’S RETURN TO US The Democrats targeted by the House Republican arm’s ad blitz herald from states including California, New York, Nevada, Ohio, Florida, Texas and a few others. They are: Josh Harder, D-Calif.; Adam Gray, D-Calif.; George Whitesides, D-Calif.; Derek Tran, D-Calif.; Dave Min, D-Calif.; Darren Soto, D-Fla.; Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla.; Frank Mrvan, D-Ind.; Jared Golden, D-Maine; Kristen McDonald Rivet, D-Mich.; Don Davis, D-N.C.; Nellie Pou, D-N.J.; Gabe Vasquez, D-N.M.; Dina Titus, D-Nev.; Susie Lee, D-Nev.; Steven Horsford, D-Nev.; Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y.; Laura Gillen, D-N.Y.; Josh Riley, D-N.Y.; Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio; Emilia Sykes, D-Ohio; Henry Cuellar, D-Texas; Vicente Gonzalez, D-Texas; Eugene Vindman, D-Va.; Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash. REP. MAXWELL FROST EXPLAINS WHY HE AND OTHER DEMOCRATS ARE IN EL SALVADOR Progressive Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., traveled to El Salvador last week in a highly publicized trip to visit Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an illegal immigrant deported with a slew of other Venezuelan gang members and whom Democrats have said was illegally deported by the Trump administration.  Van Hollen’s visit was followed up by another visit to El Salvador on Sunday by four far-left Democratic lawmakers: Reps. Yassamin Ansari of Arizona, Maxine Dexter of Oregon, Maxwell Frost of Florida and Robert Garcia of California. Republicans, meanwhile, have been eager to tie Democrats to suspected criminals being deported to El Salvador. The NRCC’s counterpart for the U.S. Senate, the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), released a new digital ad this week as well that mocked Van Hollen’s recent meeting with alleged MS-13 gang member Abrego Garcia.  “¡Bienvenidos a El Salvador Senate Dems! Democrats should feel free to make their trip to hang out with MS-13 gangbangers one-way,” the NRSC wrote in a post on X unveiling the new ad. HOUSE DEMS DEMAND ‘PROOF OF LIFE; OF ABREGO GARCIA AFTER BEING DENIED MEETING IN EL SALVADOR CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Welcome to El Salvador. Home to breathtaking sunsets, world class surf breaks and gang banger Kilmar Abrego Garcia,” a narrator from the video can be heard saying as well. “El Salvador is the destination for Democrats seeking the thrill of bringing violent, criminal, illegal aliens back to America,” the ad continues, noting El Salvador was a good destination for travelers to “witness Trump Derangement Syndrome in its purest form.”

Is REAL ID really necessary? What authorities are saying

Is REAL ID really necessary? What authorities are saying

The Department of Homeland Security in May will begin implementing REAL ID requirements for U.S. travelers for the first time, a move that comes as the administration looks to act on some of President Donald Trump’s top policy priorities, including its crackdown on illegal immigration and border security. The enhanced ID requirements are slated to take effect May 7 and will apply to all U.S. travelers over the age of 18.  The law establishing REAL IDs isn’t new: Congress first passed the REAL ID Act in 2005 in an effort to crack down on identity verification in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and set “minimum security standards” for state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards.  But after 20 years of slow-walking the law’s enforcement, the abrupt timing of the May 7 enforcement is likely to catch many Americans flat-footed. Just how necessary is obtaining a “REAL ID”? We broke down the changes coming next month and what’s at stake for those who don’t comply. Here’s what you need to know in the final weeks before the new rules take force. SUPREME COURT TO HEAR ORAL ARGUMENTS IN BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP CASE Beginning May 7, all federal agencies, including DHS and TSA, are required to accept only state-issued driver’s licenses and state identification cards that comply with the updated identity verification standards. The goal of the REAL ID Act is “to make state driver’s licenses and ID cards (which are identification cards that states issue to non-drivers) more secure, less susceptible to fraud, and more reliable as a form of identification,” Magdalena Krajewska, an associate political science professor, wrote in a 2020 article for the Oxford Academic. (The government has for years tried to stand up the REAL ID requirements, most recently in the months before the COVID-19 pandemic.) The law seeks to add another layer of security to various forms of identification and to make it harder to counterfeit state IDs. FEDERAL JUDGE ORDERS HALT TO TRUMP ADMIN’S CFPB TERMINATIONS  The short answer: It depends. In order to obtain this enhanced form of ID, individuals must present to their local DMV valid proof of identity; proof of their Social Security number and date of birth, and two additional documents that prove they live in the state. This varies from state to state, though updated guidance can be found here. The good news is that individuals can obtain one of the enhanced IDs at any time. All 50 states, D.C., and five U.S. territories are now issuing REAL ID-compliant driver’s licenses and ID cards, according to the DHS.  The REAL ID requirements are a “coordinated effort by the federal government to improve the reliability and accuracy of driver’s licenses and identification cards for individuals across the federal government,” Bart Johnson, TSA’s federal security director for upstate New York, told reporters this month.  Every adult in the U.S., if they want to travel by plane or enter government facilities. “Every air traveler 18 years of age and older must have a REAL ID-compliant ID, which is a state-issued driver’s license, state-issued identification card, or another acceptable form of ID, such as a U.S. passport” before the May 7 deadline, the Transportation Security Administration said in a statement. Though the other IDs are not rendered obsolete, the TSA said Americans will need to present these new IDs every time they board a commercial flight, even when traveling on a domestic trip. They will also need this updated ID to access federal facilities or be granted access to federal buildings. No, not everyone needs to get a new ID. In fact, certain states have required REAL ID verification from residents for years, meaning individuals living in those states and with active forms of identification need not hustle to the local DMV. Enhanced and “REAL ID-compliant” identification cards are marked with a seal, often a star in the top right-hand corner, according to DHS.  The abrupt enforcement timeline could catch many Americans flat-footed, especially ahead of what is predicted to be a busy summer travel season. While legacy IDs are still valid for travel, including driving, airline passengers who present noncompliant forms of ID before boarding, and without another acceptable alternative, such as a passport, “can expect to face delays, additional screening and the possibility of not being permitted into the security checkpoint,” DHS officials said.

Jackson, Mississippi, mayor facing federal bribery charges trails challenger in mayoral election results

Jackson, Mississippi, mayor facing federal bribery charges trails challenger in mayoral election results

The federally indicted mayor of Jackson, Mississippi, is trailing his opponent in the city’s Democratic primary runoff.  Unofficial vote totals show state Sen. John Horhn leading two-term Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba 18,493 to 6,246, according to the city clerk’s office. Although absentee votes have not yet been counted, Horhn declared victory in the race.  Lumumba, Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens II and Jackson City Councilman Aaron Banks are facing charges of conspiracy to commit federal program bribery, honest services wire fraud and money laundering, the Justice Department announced last November. All three have pleaded not guilty.  An indictment alleged the three Democrats accepted payments, including $50,000 for the mayor’s reelection campaign, from two people they thought were real estate developers looking to build a hotel near the city’s downtown convention center. It turns out they worked for the FBI.  ‘MISSISSIPPI MUSK’: STATE AUDITOR’S MOGE REPORT FINDS $400 MILLION IN GOVERNMENT WASTE “Residents have been, you know, told a narrative that should – that should give them every reason for us not to be here, right? And we’re trying to make it clear that that’s not who we are,” Lumumba said Friday, according to the Associated Press.  Lumumba and Horhn faced off in a Democratic mayoral primary once before in 2017. In that race, Lumumba defeated Horhn outright, earning 55% of the vote.  The winner of this race will advance to the June 3 general election.  “People are ready for something different,” Horhn recently said. “They are ready for change; they’re ready for leadership; they’re ready for better streets; they’re ready for less crime; they’re ready for more opportunities.”  Lumumba, son of the late Republic of New Afrika leader Chokwe Lumumba, released a video statement last year denying ever accepting a bribe and calling the indictment a “political prosecution” intended to “destroy [his] . . . reputation.”  CAPITAL CITY DEMOCRATIC MAYOR, PROSECUTOR INDICTED IN UNDERCOVER BRIBERY STING  “Jackson residents, it is with great disappointment that I come before you. My legal team has informed me that federal prosecutors have, in fact, indicted me on bribery and related charges,” he said.   “There is no coincidence, and its timing being just before the upcoming mayoral race. My legal team will vigorously defend me against these charges. Again, while I am disappointed, I am not deterred, so I ask for your patience and your prayers during this process. Thank you.”  The three officials were in a bugged room on a yacht in Broward County, Florida, negotiating what they believed to be the developers’ payments when they were caught, according to the local Mississippi Clarion-Ledger.  One undercover agent reportedly asked the officials to move forward a deadline for an “SOQ,” or statement of qualifications, required for the planned hotel development, and Lumumba reportedly went ahead and made a phone call.  Another agent then handed the mayor five checks worth $50,000 total. After returning to Mississippi, the funds were reportedly deposited in the mayor’s campaign account, according to the paper.  Fox News Digitals’ Charles Creitz and the Associated Press contributed to this report. 

EPA fires or reassigns hundreds working on ‘environmental justice’

EPA fires or reassigns hundreds working on ‘environmental justice’

President Donald Trump’s administration is firing or reassigning over 450 employees at the Environmental Protection Agency as part of a larger push to eliminate “environmental justice” programs. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the employee moves on Monday, saying 280 staffers were being fired, and 175 others would be reassigned. The cut roles were in the Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights, the Office of Inclusive Excellence, and EPA regional offices. “EPA is taking the next step to terminate the Biden-Harris Administration’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Environmental Justice arms of the agency,” a spokesperson told Axios. Zeldin explained at a Monday press conference that tax dollars put toward environmental justice issues were widely misspent. MEXICO IS POISONING SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA IN A BORDER CRISIS ALMOST NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT “The problem is that, in the name of environmental justice, a dollar will get secured and not get spent on remediating that environmental issue,” he said. The firings come the same week that Zeldin launched talks with Mexico about eliminating sewage contamination that flows over the border from Tijuana to pollute California’s coastlines. MEXICAN SEWAGE GUSHING INTO NAVY SEAL TRAINING WATERS IS US’ ‘NEXT CAMP LEJEUNE,’ VETS WARN Zeldin visited San Diego to discuss the issue on Tuesday, noting that one of the affected areas is the training grounds for Navy SEALs. “The Americans on our side of the border who have been dealing with this… for decades, are out of patience,” Zeldin said Tuesday. “There’s no way that we are going to stand before the people of California and ask them to have more patience and just bear with all of us as we go through the next 10 or 20 or 30 years of being stuck in 12 feet of raw sewage and not getting anywhere.” EPA CHIEF TAKES ON MEXICAN ‘SEWAGE CRISIS’ FLOWING INTO US WATERS WHERE NAVY SEALS TRAIN “So we are all out of patience,” he continued. “There’s a very limited opportunity. We’re in good faith, both on the American side and also on the Mexican side, what’s being communicated by the new Mexican president is an intense desire to fully resolve this situation.”  Zeldin said that he met with Mexican officials for about 90 minutes Monday night to discuss the sewage spewing into U.S. waters — and relayed that the Mexican environmental secretary wants to have a “strong collaborative relationship” with the U.S. to end the pollution.  “I will be speaking with the chief of staff to the Mexican environmental secretary to ensure that over the course of the coming days, over the course of the next couple weeks, that we are able to put together a specific statement from both countries on a mutual understanding of what Mexico is going to do to help resolve this issue,” he said. Fox News’ Emma Colton contributed to this report.