Diego Maradona’s medical staff go on trial for negligent homicide
[unable to retrieve full-text content] Medical staff that treated Diego Maradona have gone on trial in Argentina over what prosecutors say was negligence.
Even as US slashes jobs, ‘it is the calm before the storm’, economists warn
The first major set of economic reports last week reflect the state of the United States economy during President Donald Trump’s first full month in office. The data reveal a spike in layoffs and slower hiring growth across both the public and private sectors, with looming cuts suggesting larger economic woes in the months ahead. The US economy added 151,000 jobs, according to the Labor Department report, which came out on Friday – well short of economist expectations showing a stall in economic growth. Approximately 7.1 million Americans are currently receiving unemployment benefits compared with 6.5 million this time last year. “I think the real risk here is that if Trump doesn’t reverse course on what he’s doing, it could be his last boring report, which I think would be really damaging to the economy. If you look under the hood, I think we are starting to see pretty foreboding cracks,” Elizabeth Pancotti, the managing director of policy and advocacy at the economic think tank Groundwork Collective, told Al Jazeera. Advertisement The White House painted an alternative picture. “In one month under President Trump, the American economy is soaring back to greatness after the economic calamity left by Joe Biden,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. Former President Biden, however, was lauded as leading the best economic recovery in the world following the global economic downturn amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Mark Zandi, the chief economist at Moody’s Analytics, said that last week’s numbers are probably the best we will get in a while amid looming layoffs and tariff fears. “This is the calm before the storm, before we start to see the fallout in the job market from the trade war and the DOGE cuts, and other economic policies from Trump,” Zandi told Al Jazeera. DOGE is the newly created Department of Government Efficiency, which is led by ardent Trump supporter, billionaire Elon Musk. Those concerns, coming on the back of comments that Trump made over the weekend declining to rule out an impending US recession, reverberated through the stock market on Monday when the S&P 500 lost 155.21 points, or 2.69 percent, to end the day at 5,614.99 points. This is the first time it finished below its 200-day moving average – a closely watched support level – since November 2023. The Nasdaq Composite Index lost 726.01 points, or 3.99 percent, to 17,470.21 – its biggest single-day decline since September 2022, according to CNN. The Dow Jones Industrial Average also fell 890.63 points, or 2.08 percent, to 41,911.09. Advertisement Cuts on the horizon There are key indicators that point to this getting worse in the months to come. The index which shows how many people took on part-time work including because they were unable to find full-time work or have had their hours reduced, increased by 460,000 from the month prior, to 4.9 million people. “This is the shortest honeymoon period we’ve ever seen if you are 50 days on the job. He inherited on paper a pretty stable, pretty solid economy and it is already deteriorating after 50 days. I don’t think that that’s ever happened,” Pancotti added. Since Trump took office, DOGE has cut almost 33,000 people across the federal government, according to Layoff.fyi, which tracks federal government and tech sector layoffs. Because of ongoing court cases, the official count from the Labor Department is 10,000 jobs. The layoffs include employees at the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the National Park Service, the National Institutes of Health, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Department of Energy, among many other government agencies. The number of public sector cuts is expected to increase as many of the recent DOGE cuts came after the end of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (a division of the Labor Department) reporting period for the month closed. Earlier this month, the Trump Administration announced its plans to cut 80,000 employees from the Department of Veteran Affairs. The president has also called for the dissolution of the Department of Education, even though that can only be done by an act of Congress. Advertisement The global investment firm Apollo forecasts that when considering federal contractors on top of full-time employees, the federal workforce cuts could account for close to 1 million jobs lost. In last week’s jobs report from the Labor Department, the biggest gains were in the healthcare sector, which added 52,000 jobs. However, looming healthcare cuts could make those gains very short-lived. “If we’re looking at massive Medicaid cuts – we’re already seeing [National Institutes of Health] NIH and health research cuts – Medicare cuts are on the table. All of those really could threaten the sector that is driving a lot of those job gains,” Pancotti continued. The downstream effect has already hit the private sector, which relies on federal funds. A private sector worker in Texas, who spoke to Al Jazeera under the condition of anonymity, said that the company they worked with had clients who were largely dependent on federal funds because of which business had dried up. “We went from having a very busy-looking Q1 of 2025 to having absolutely nothing on the books within about a week of the inauguration,” the source told Al Jazeera. “Now that I am having to not spend any money whatsoever and do nothing but look for jobs, I’m not spending money in the economy. I’m not doing things like making improvements to my house. I would have paid contractors to do that. I’m within a couple of months of paying off the last of my student loans and now those are going to be paused until I find something new. Now, I have to worry if I can make the necessary trip to take my cat to the vet,” the source added. Advertisement According to data from the Commerce Department, US consumers have cut back on spending for the first time in nearly two years. Others are worried about how they’re going to get
UK crossbow killer Kyle Clifford sentenced to life for triple murder
Clifford is sentenced to life in prison for three ‘brutal and cowardly’ murders of Carol Hunt, 61, Louise Hunt, 25, and Hannah Hunt, 28. A former British soldier who used a crossbow and a knife to murder three women at their family home north of London has been sentenced to a whole-life order, meaning that he would never be released from prison. Kyle Clifford, 26, was imprisoned for life for each of the three “brutal and cowardly” murders of Carol Hunt, 61, the wife of BBC sports commentator John Hunt, and their two daughters Louise Hunt, 25, and Hannah Hunt, 28. He was convicted of three counts of murder, one of false imprisonment and two counts of possession of offensive weapons. He was also found guilty of raping Louise Hunt, his ex-partner, during the “carefully planned” attack on the family. Justice Joel Bennathan handed down the sentence in Clifford’s absence on Tuesday after he refused to attend the hearing at Cambridge Crown Court in east England. “The evidence I have heard shows you to be a jealous man soaked in self-pity – a man who holds women in utter contempt,” Bennathan said. Prosecutors said Clifford planned the murders for days after becoming enraged when an increasingly concerned Louise ended their 18-month relationship. Advertisement During the case, the jury was shown evidence that Clifford gained access to the family home in the quiet residential neighborhood of Bushey, northeast of the capital, by deceiving Carol Hunt on the pretext he was returning Louise’s belongings, before brutally stabbing her to death. Clifford “lay in wait” for an hour for Louise to enter the house, before restraining, raping and murdering her with a crossbow. He then fatally shot Hannah Hunt when she returned to the property after work. Following the murders, police launched a manhunt for the suspect before he was found injured the following day in a cemetery in Enfield, north London. Clifford had shot himself in the chest with the crossbow. He remains in a wheelchair, having been paralysed from the chest downwards. Ahead of the sentencing, John Hunt said he had wanted to deliver his victim impact statement “eye to eye with Kyle”. “When I challenged myself about how you were able to deceive us all, I simply say that you are a psychopath who, for the duration of your time together with Louise, was able to disguise yourself as an ordinary human being,” John Hunt told the court. “I hope women round the world will take Louise’s bravery as a shining beacon for their lives,” he said. Adblock test (Why?)
Mark Kelly accuses Trump of ‘trying to weaken’ Ukraine, fires back at Elon Musk for branding him a ‘traitor’
Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., fired back at Elon Musk after the billionaire business tycoon labeled the lawmaker a “traitor” in response to a tweet in which Kelly advocated U.S. support for Ukraine. “Just left Ukraine. What I saw proved to me we can’t give up on the Ukrainian people. Everyone wants this war to end, but any agreement has to protect Ukraine’s security and can’t be a giveaway to Putin. Let me tell you about my trip and why it’s important we stand with Ukraine,” Kelly noted in his post. “You are a traitor,” Musk replied. The senator fired back, “Traitor? Elon, if you don’t understand that defending freedom is a basic tenet of what makes America great and keeps us safe, maybe you should leave it to those of us who do.” The U.S. has provided Ukraine billions in aid as the Eastern European nation has been at war in response to Russia’s invasion. RUBIO SAYS MINERAL DEAL ‘NOT MAIN TOPIC ON AGENDA’ IN UKRAINE MEETING But last week, the U.S. announced that it was pausing aid. “As President Trump and Secretary Rubio have said, it is the policy of the United States that the conflict between Ukraine and Russia is unsustainable and must end. The United States will use our leverage, influence, and national power to advance peace and implement a sustainable solution to this conflict. The killing must stop,” the State Department noted. “The President has been clear that he is focused on peace. Effective March 3, 2025, we are pausing and reviewing our aid to ensure that it is contributing to a solution.” When asked last week whether America had paused intelligence sharing with Ukraine, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz stated that the U.S. was “pausing and reviewing all aspects … of this relationship.” US CONTINUES TO SHARE DATA TO PROTECT UKRAINIANS AGAINST RUSSIAN STRIKES, DESPITE INTEL PAUSE: SOURCES When President Donald Trump was asked on Sunday if he would consider lifting the intelligence pause on Ukraine, he replied, “Well, we just about have.” The president added that there is a desire to “do anything we can to get Ukraine to be serious about … getting something done.” Kelly’s initial post about Ukraine was just the beginning of a longer message on the topic. “Donald Trump is trying to weaken Ukraine’s hand and we are owed an explanation. If Putin gains ground he won’t agree to a ceasefire and will eventually threaten a NATO ally and this puts American troops and the American people at risk,” Kelly declared in one of his tweets. TRUMP SAYS INTEL PAUSE ON UKRAINE HAS BEEN ‘JUST ABOUT’ LIFTED; SAYS TARIFFS WILL MAKE AMERICA RICH CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “The world will become a very cold and lonely place if we continue this ridiculous ‘screw you, go it alone’ foreign policy. It’s dumb and it won’t age well and puts you and your kids and your grandkids at risk. America is the strongest, richest country in the world. We didn’t get there by being bullies like Putin, we got there by leading from the front and bringing our allies. That’s why I’ll continue to share with everyone who will listen why we must keep supporting Ukraine,” Kelly asserted at the conclusion of his comments.
AOC slapped with ethics complaint over ‘troubling expenses’ made to dance company
FIRST ON FOX: A government accountability nonprofit is calling on the House to launch a probe into whether Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., misappropriated her taxpayer-funded member allowance. Americans for Public Trust, a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization, sent a letter to the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) on Tuesday, questioning “several troubling expenses” from AOC’s disbursements, which they claim are “in contravention of federal law and the standards of the House of Representatives.” Each member of Congess receives a Member Representational Allowance (“MRA”), a budget for official duties that “may not be used for personal or campaign purposes,” according to the Congressional Research Service. However, the “Squad” member is being accused of using these funds for “campaign purposes.” AOC reportedly made a payment of $3,700 to a “Juan D Gonzalez” and another for $850 to “Bombazo Dance Co Inc.,” with both expenditures described as being used for “training.” AOC ‘GOING ON THE OFFENSE’ TO RALLY RED-DISTRICT VOTERS AGAINST TRUMP: REPORT The progressive congresswoman has addressed the issue on social media, claiming in a post on X responding to a claim she is “wasting tax dollars.” “100% wrong,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote. “None of this is taxpayer money, this is an FEC filing. Be loud and wrong about something else. Try again next time.” FORMER ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT AIDE TO AOC SELF-DEPORTS TO COLOMBIA AMID QUESTIONS ABOUT EMPLOYMENT: REPORT The filing states that Ocasio-Cortez’s “assertion that these expenses are ‘an FEC filing,’ and not reflective of her MRA – as well as her claim that ‘[n]one of this is taxpayer money’ – is both troubling and obviously incorrect.” “Either she does not know the difference between her campaign funds and MRA, or, more likely, she knows the highlighted expenses were not for official business and should have been paid by her campaign and reported to the FEC.” In a statement to Fox News Digital, Caitlin Sutherland, executive director of Americans for Public Trust, said, “Representative Ocasio-Cortez’s troubling payments from her taxpayer funded account for activities such as dance classes should be investigated.” “Representative Ocasio-Cortez’s troubling payments from her taxpayer funded account for activities such as dance classes should be investigated. In the era of reining in government spending, the American people deserve to know lawmakers are being good stewards of their tax dollars.” Fox News Digital reached out to Ocasio-Cortez’s office for comment. The congresswoman has faced ethics complaints in the past, including from the Heritage Foundation in 2023 accusing her of “falsely accusing” and “defaming” the creator of the Libs of TikTok Twitter account, Chaya Raichik. Ocasio-Cortez also faced an ethics probe in 2023 after being accused of accepting “impermissible gifts associated with her attendance at the Met Gala in 2021,” which may have violated House rules, standards of conduct and federal law.
Kamala Harris roasted for trying to tie love of Doritos to Big Tech innovation during AI conference
Former Vice President Kamala Harris was roasted for delivering another “word salad” on a public stage after trying to tie the “innovation” of Big Tech to her love of nacho cheese Doritos during an artificial intelligence conference. “Kamala just tried to explain innovation and it is the dumbest thing I have ever heard,” popular conservative X account End Wokeness posted to its account accompanied by a clip of Harris. Harris attended the Human[X] AI conference Sunday in Las Vegas, which was billed as Harris’ “first post-election address.” She took the stage with Nuno Sebastiao, the CEO of data science company Feedzai. Harris recounted that on the night of the Academy Awards, March 2, she had a hankering for nacho cheese Doritos chips and had them delivered to her house via DoorDash, according to clips of the interview on social media. KAMALA HARRIS MOCKED ONLINE FOR ANOTHER ‘WORD SALAD’ ABOUT ‘COMMUNITY’ DURING FIRE DEPARTMENT VISIT “We did DoorDash ’cause I wanted Doritos, and the red carpet part was about to start, and nobody wanted to leave to go to the grocery store,” Harris said. “So it was DoorDash. … So I was willing to give up whatever might be the tracking of Kamala Harris’ particular fondness for nacho cheese Doritos for the sake of getting a big bag of Doritos as I watched the Oscars.” Sebastio weighed in that Harris was providing an example of “consumer behavior” to the audience, which is how businesses study the purchasing practices of consumers and how those practices are influenced by outside factors, such as cultural or social influence. KAMALA HARRIS MOCKED OVER ‘WORD SALAD’ SPEECH TO CAST OF ‘A WONDERFUL WORLD: THE LOUIS ARMSTRONG MUSICAL’ “But here’s the thing. At what point do we also uplift and highlight the consumer’s right to also expect — and you can debate with me if it should be a right — I think it should,” she continued in the clip of the video. “To expect that the innovation would also be weighted in terms of solving their everyday problems, which are beyond my craving for Doritos, but about whatever — and I know the work is happening around — you know, scientific discoveries, for example. To cure long-standing diseases.” “But I’m going to throw out another one … I would love it if there would be an investment of resources in solving the affordable housing issue in America,” she said. “Like help me with that. Help me with that.” Fox News Digital reached out to Harris’ office for comment on the conference and social media reactions but did not immediately receive a reply. Harris’ husband, Doug Emhoff, shared a photo of Harris on the evening of the Academy Awards pouring a bag of Doritos into a bowl — ostensibly the bag she DoorDashed that evening. Conservatives and critics lambasted Harris’ recent “word salad” at the AI conference, mocking that her election loss to President Donald Trump “remains a mystery.” HARRIS RIPPED FOR ‘WORD SALAD’ AFTER HECKLER INTERRUPTION DURING CAMPAIGN SPEECH: ‘THE GIBBERISH NEVER ENDS’ Harris’ fondness for Doritos has frequently been in public view, including recounting that she ate “a family-sized bag of nacho Doritos” on election night 2016, as well as celebrating her love of the chips during a campaign stop at a Pennsylvania Sheetz convenience store in August. KAMALA HARRIS LAUGHS AT HER OWN ‘THE CONTEXT IN WHICH YOU EXIST’ WORD SALAD: ‘YEAH, I DID THAT’ “This is my go-to, the original, nacho cheese,” Harris said during the stop. The former vice president is reportedly in the midst of seriously considering a 2026 bid to run for California governor when Gov. Gavin Newsom’s tenure comes to an end, Fox News Digital previously reported. She reportedly will make a decision on a potential run by the end of the summer. Harris was repeatedly slammed by voters while in the vice president’s office and on the 2024 campaign trail for delivering “word salads” while in public settings, including phrases such as “unburdened by what has been,” “I really do, I love Venn diagrams,” and singing “The Wheels on the Bus” nursery rhyme.
Trump says imposing 50-percent tariffs on Canadian steel, aluminium
US President Donald Trump has announced he will double planned tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminium imports to 50 percent, escalating a trade war with the United States’s northern neighbour. In a social media post on Tuesday morning, Trump said the increased tariffs come in response to a decision by the province of Ontario to put a 25-percent surcharge on electricity exports to some US states. He said the increased tariffs on steel and aluminium would come into effect on Wednesday. “The only thing that makes sense is for Canada to become our cherished Fifty First State. This would make all Tariffs, and everything else, totally disappear,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. US-Canada relations have plummeted amid Trump’s push to impose steep tariffs on a range of Canadian goods and his repeated threats to annex the country. The US president has said the tariffs – some of which came into effect last week – are part of an effort to balance the countries’ trade relationship. However, the Canadian government has rejected the measures as “unjustified” and unveiled retaliatory levies. Advertisement On Monday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced that his government would impose a 25-percent surcharge on electricity exports to the US states of Michigan, Minnesota and New York. Ford – who has taken a strong line against Trump’s economic policies – told reporters that Ontario electricity powers 1.5 million American homes and businesses in those US states. The surcharge, the premier said, would cost families and businesses as much as $276,000 (400,000 Canadian dollars) per day. “Let me be clear, I will not hesitate to increase this charge. If necessary, if the United States escalates, I will not hesitate to shut the electricity off completely,” Ford said. The US stock market plunged this week amid the uncertainty around Trump’s economic and trade policies. Canada and the US are major trading partners, with the US importing $412.7bn from its northern neighbour in 2024, according to the Office of the US Trade Representative. American exports to Canada that same year totalled $349.4bn. Canada tops the list of foreign suppliers of both steel and aluminium to the US, with imports of $19.5bn last year, according to data from S&P Global. “While steel represents a significant portion of total US imports, the country depends far more on Canadian aluminum to meet domestic demand,” the Canadian Chamber of Commerce said in a recent factsheet. It said US tariffs on steel and aluminium could lead to job losses in Canada, while retaliatory measures by the Canadian government could raise prices for consumers. Advertisement Despite concerns that a prolonged trade war with Canada could raise prices for Americans and hurt the US economy, the Trump administration has defended its tariff policy as necessary to close a trade deficit between the two countries. In his Truth Social post on Tuesday, Trump warned Canada that if it did not drop its tariffs on US goods, his administration would increase planned reciprocal levies set to take effect in early April. That “will, essentially, permanently shut down the automobile manufacturing business in Canada”, Trump said. “Those cars can easily be made in the USA! Also, Canada pays very little for National Security, relying on the United States for military protection. We are subsidizing Canada to the tune of more than 200 Billion Dollars a year. WHY??? This cannot continue.” Larry Summers, a veteran economist and former US Treasury secretary, slammed the increased tariffs as Trump’s “worst trade policy yet”. “Increasing the price of key inputs for the US manufacturing industries–who employ 10 million people–is what a US adversary would do,” Summers wrote on X. “It is a self-inflicted wound to the US economy that we cannot afford, at a moment when recession risks are rising.” The Canadian government did not immediately comment on Trump’s announcement. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to formally step down in the coming days to allow the new leader of his governing Liberal Party, Mark Carney, to step in as the country’s next prime minister. Advertisement Carney has promised to take on Trump and deepen Canada’s relationships with other trading partners. “We didn’t ask for this fight, but Canadians are always ready when someone else drops the gloves,” he said during his Liberal leadership victory speech on Sunday. “So the Americans, they should make no mistake – in trade, as in hockey, Canada will win.” Adblock test (Why?)
Protesters denounce arrest of Palestinian student activist Mahmoud Khalil
NewsFeed Protesters in the US have marched to demand the release of Palestinian student activist Mahmoud Khalil after immigration forces detained him on Saturday over his role in the pro-Palestine demonstrations at Columbia University. Published On 11 Mar 202511 Mar 2025 Adblock test (Why?)
Arrested on ICC warrant: What was Duterte’s ‘war on drugs’?
Former Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity, has been flown to the Hague hours after being arrested in the capital Manila on Tuesday. The ICC warrant seen by Reuters accuses Duterte of criminal responsibility for the murder of at least 43 people between 2011 and 2019 as part of his war on drugs as mayor of the southern city of Davao and later as the president between 2016 and 2022. Duterte wanted his trial to take place in a court in the Philippines. “If I committed a sin, prosecute me in Philippine courts,” he told police officers while in custody in Manila. Here’s what we know about Duterte’s war on drugs and the reactions of families of victims. What was Duterte’s ‘war on drugs’? Rodrigo Duterte built his reputation as “the punisher” while he was the mayor of Davao for more than 20 years, though he served intermittently. During his on-and-off tenure, more than 1,000 people were killed, including suspected drug users and dealers. Rights organisations have accused Duterte of running a “death squad” as mayor, a position that he held until his last term ended in 2016. Advertisement His pledge to launch a nationwide crackdown on drug gangs became the feature of his successful presidential campaign in 2016. Just after taking oath as president on June 30, 2016, Duterte vowed to solve the country’s illegal drug problem within six months.“I don’t care about human rights, believe me,” he later declared. He also offered soldiers and police his “official and personal guarantee” of immunity from prosecution for deaths undertaken in the performance of their duties. On July 1, 2016, the first full day of Duterte’s presidency, police carried out anti-drug operations across the country, killing at least 12 people and ushering in a bloody campaign for the next six years that would leave some 7,000 people dead, including women and children. By December 2016, more than 5,000 people had been killed across the country, including 2,041 drug suspects slain in police operations, according to data gathered by Al Jazeera. The other victims were killed by unknown gunmen, some of whom would later turn out to be police officers. In Duterte’s first few months in office, many of the victims were found bound, their remains dumped in polluted creeks, garbage dump sites and grasslands. By the end of his term in 2022, human rights advocates and the ICC prosecutor estimated some 30,000 people were killed by police and unidentified individuals. But police only reported 7,000 deaths during police operations, omitting those killed by unknown perpetrators. What was the public’s reaction to the war on drugs? Throughout his presidency, Duterte enjoyed a high approval rating from the public, allowing him to push for his brutal anti-drug war agenda. Advertisement Right after he took office in 2016, he received an approval rating of 86 percent. And just before he left office in 2022, his approval rating was at 73 percent, according to a Pulse Asia survey. At every turn, Duterte’s pronouncement about his bloody war on drugs was cheered on by an adoring public. In 2017, a national assembly of city and provincial legislators roundly applauded when he said there was nothing he could do if poor people were killed in his war on drugs. He also complained that the media were “treating victims as saints” and “innocent people”. An Amnesty International report in 2017 found that most of the people who were killed were living under the poverty line. The report said that police officers also confessed to receiving reward money equivalent to $150 to $300 for every drug suspect they killed, creating an “incentive to kill”. Surviving Duterte’s war on drugs While many of the victims in the drug war met their untimely death, a few have survived to tell the tale of police executions and abuse. In September 2016, Francisco Santiago Jr told Al Jazeera that he and another man were detained by police in Manila, before they were brought to a darkened alley and shot multiple times. Santiago’s companion, George Huggins, was killed on the spot. But Santiago stumbled on the ground and played dead. He got up after journalists came to the scene, and his rescue was dramatically caught on camera. His testimony to the media was later included as evidence in the complaint filed before the ICC. Advertisement Roger Herrero met a similar fate in 2018. The young father of four from Quezon Province was shot by police at point-blank range, shattering his jaw. He was accused by police of robbery, and of attempting to flee using a motorcycle. But Herrero’s wife later told photojournalist Ezra Acayan that the victim does not even know how to ride a motorcycle. Herrero also played dead to survive, and only managed to get up and ask for help after the police left. In another case in 2017, the Commission on Human Rights found a hidden cell inside a police station in Manila with 12 detainees cramped inside. The agency said that there was no record of their arrest and the police failed to notify their families or lawyers about their disappearance. In 2021, the government dismissed the complaint against the police officers, accused of the illegal detention. Children not spared As of June 2020, four years into Duterte’s drug war, an estimated 129 children had been killed by police or allied assailants, according to a Reuters news agency report that cited an activist group. One of the youngest to have been killed was three-year-old Myca Ulpina, who was hit during a 2019 raid targeting her father in the Rizal Province just outside of Metro Manila. Police claimed that the child was used as a “shield” during the operation. On Negros Island in the central Philippines, four-year-old Althea Fhem Barbon was also killed after police fired at her and her father while they were on a motorbike. Police claimed that her father was a drug dealer. Advertisement One of the most
First on Fox: Top conservative group aligns with Trump as it makes major endorsement in high-profile race
EXCLUSIVE – A leading conservative organization that has long been a major player in GOP primary battles is putting its weight behind the candidate endorsed by President Donald Trump in the race to succeed term-limited Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida. The Club for Growth PAC, a political arm of the Club for Growth public advocacy organization, on Tuesday endorsed Rep. Byron Donalds in Florida’s 2026 gubernatorial race. The development was shared first with Fox News. Donalds, a conservative former state lawmaker who has represented Florida’s 19th Congressional District in the southwest part of the state, is currently the only major Republican to launch a campaign. The staunch Trump supporter and House ally announced his candidacy during an appearance on Fox News’ “Hannity” late last month, days after landing the president’s endorsement. TOP CONSERVATIVE GROUP VOWS TO WORK CLOSELY WITH PRESIDENT AFTER PAST CLASHES WITH TRUMP Donalds was backed by the Club when he first won the congressional seat in 2020. The Club notes that it spent $2.5 million to help Donalds narrowly emerge from a nine-way Republican primary contest en route to his general election victory. And Donalds enjoys a 100% lifetime rating by the group, which tracks how members of Congress vote on economic issues. The Club promotes a fiscally conservative agenda, including a focus on tax cuts and other economic issues. “Rep. Byron Donalds is a proven constitutional conservative who has consistently demonstrated his commitment to pro-growth economic policies, school freedom, and limited government principles,” Club for Growth PAC President David McIntosh told Fox News Digital in a statement. “Club for Growth PAC is proud to have supported Rep. Donalds since his first election to Congress in 2020, and we look forward to electing him as Florida’s next Governor.” The Club for Growth PAC is affiliated with Club for Growth Action, which describes itself as “America’s largest independent conservative Super PAC.” The Club notes that in the 2024 cycle, candidates endorsed by the PAC won 73% of their races. The endorsement of Donalds comes as Florida first lady Casey DeSantis has acknowledged she is considering a 2026 gubernatorial run to succeed her husband in Tallahassee. Trump and Florida’s first couple had breakfast together a week and a half ago at the president’s West Palm Beach golf course, and also played a round of golf. The governor shared a photo of his wife and Trump from the golf outing on social media. RON AND CASEY DESANTIS TEE OFF WITH TRUMP AS FLORIDA GOVERNOR’S RACE HEATS UP A Republican source in Florida confirmed to Fox News that the governor and first lady used their face-to-face time with Trump, in part, to appeal to the president to not further engage in the gubernatorial race beyond his initial endorsement of Donalds. The president, who moved his primary residence to Florida in 2019, took to social media last month to write that Donalds – who was a major surrogate for Trump on the 2024 campaign trail – “would be a truly Great and Powerful Governor for Florida.” Trump added that Donalds, “should he decide to run, will have my Complete and Total Endorsement. RUN, BYRON, RUN!” An internal poll conducted for Donalds’ campaign indicated the congressman edging Casey DeSantis by single digits in a hypothetical GOP primary showdown. But the survey suggested that Donalds’ lead surged to more than 20 points when respondents were informed that he is supported by Trump, whose sway over the GOP is stronger than ever. WHAT BYRON DONALDS TOLD FOX NEWS’ LARA TRUMP The Club’s endorsement of Donalds is their first effort this cycle to align with Trump in high-profile primaries. McIntosh and the Club have had an up-and-down relationship with Trump. They opposed him as he ran for the White House in 2016 before embracing him as an ally. In the 2022 cycle, Trump and the Club teamed up in some high-profile GOP primaries but clashed over combustible Senate nomination battles in Alabama, Ohio and Pennsylvania. TRUMP, CLUB FOR GROWTH, MAKE PEACE AHEAD OF 2024 ELECTIONS Additionally, the Club was on the outs with Trump as the 2024 Republican presidential nomination race got underway. Trump repeatedly criticized McIntosh and the Club, referring to them as “The Club for NO Growth,” and claimed they were “an assemblage of political misfits, globalists, and losers.” However, Trump and McIntosh made peace about a year ago, with Trump saying in March 2024, as he was wrapping up the GOP presidential nomination, that they were “back in love” after the protracted falling out. “I think you’ll see Club for Growth PACs work closely with President Trump, his political team,” McIntosh told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview last month. “We’re definitely going to be working closely with his policy team to get the tax bill through. A lot of the legislation that we both agree is really important for turning things around in the country.”