Melania Trump to speak for the first time on Capitol Hill in roundtable focused on punishing revenge porn
First lady Melania Trump will speak on Capitol Hill Monday for the first time since returning to the White House, participating in a roundtable with lawmakers from both chambers of Congress focused on punishing online abuse and revenge pornography. The roundtable discussion will focus on online protection and the “Take it Down Act,” a bill introduced in the Senate by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., that would make it a federal crime to publish, or threaten to publish, nonconsensual intimate imagery, including “digital forgeries” crafted by artificial intelligence. The bill also would require social media companies and similar websites to put procedures in place to remove such content within 48 hours of notice from the victim. MELANIA TRUMP ANNOUNCES RETURN OF WHITE HOUSE EASTER EGG ROLL The bill would protect victims of digital exploitation and hold internet platforms accountable by requiring them to remove such imagery. Reps. Maria Salazar, R-Fla., and Madeleine Dean, D-Penn., introduced the legislation in the House in January. That measure is under consideration in the House Energy and Commerce Committees before consideration on the House floor. The law also would require penalties of up to three years in prison for sharing nonconsensual intimate images — authentic or AI-generated — involving minors and two years in prison for those images involving adults. It also would require penalties of up to two and a half years in prison for threat offenses involving minors, and one and a half years in prison for threats involving adults. FIRST LADY MELANIA TRUMP ANNOUNCES REOPENING OF PUBLIC WHITE HOUSE TOURS AI-generated images known as “deepfakes” often involve editing videos or photos of people to make them look like someone else by using artifical intelligence. Deepfakes hit the public’s radar in 2017 after a Reddit user posted realistic-looking pornography of celebrities to the platform, opening the floodgates to users employing AI to make images look more convincing and widely shared in the following years. Nearly every U.S. state has a law protecting people from nonconsensual intimate image violations, but the laws vary in classification of crime and penalty. MELANIA TRUMP’S ‘SOFT POWER’ ON DISPLAY IN THE WHITE HOUSE: SEE THE PHOTOS The event Monday is the first where the first lady is giving public remarks since President Donald Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration. During the first Trump administration, Melania Trump hosted virtual roundtables on foster care as part of her “Be Best” initiative and focused on strengthening the child welfare system. The “Be Best” initiative also focused on online safety. During her husband’s first term as president, she also worked with members of Congress on legislation that secured funding for grants awarded to youth and young adults currently or formerly in foster care to help pay for college, career school or training. The bill ultimately was signed by the president in December 2020. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, House Republican Conference Chair Lisa McClain, Reps. Maria Salazar, R-Fla., Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., Kevin Hern, R-Okla., and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, will attend Monday’s event. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
European Union spent more on Russian fossil fuels than Ukraine aid in 2024
Despite a raft of sanctions and tough talk against Russian President Vladimir Putin, Europe could not seem to kick its dependence on Russian fuel last year. The European Union (EU) spent $23 billion on Russian oil and gas in the third year of the war on Ukraine, more than the $19.6 billion in financial aid it offered to the war-ravaged nation last year, according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air. Russia’s stronghold over non-EU markets also increased – China purchased $82 billion in Russian fuel, India bought $51 billion and Turkey bought $36 billion. Russia earned $254 billion from fossil fuel exports last year, a 3% drop over the previous year. UK PRIME MINISTER LAYS OUT UKRAINE PEACE DEAL FRAMEWORK AS ZELENSKYY RESPONDS TO RESIGNATION CALLS Despite Western bans on Russian crude and refined products, Russian oil exports are down a mere 8% since before the invasion of Ukraine. The Kremlin has made close to $1 trillion from oil exports since February 2022. Russia relied on its “shadow” fleet of 585 oil tankers to transport many of its exports, intended to mask their origins. Russia purchases aging ships from European owners, frequently reflags the ships and uses shell companies to obscure their Russian origins. Russia also exports oil to third-party states that have not placed sanctions on Moscow, who in turn sell it to the West. CREA’s analysis found that tighter sanctions could slash Kremlin revenues by as much as 20%. Last week, the EU adopted its 16th package of sanctions against Russia in an effort to crack down on Russia’s shadow vessels. ZELENSKYY SPEAKS OUT AFTER PUBLIC SPAT WITH TRUMP, VANCE, SAYS DUSTUP ‘BAD FOR BOTH SIDES’ Russian prices are still lower than buying fuel elsewhere, according to Jonathan Bass, founder of Argent LNG. “Russian pipeline gas has been cheaper than LNG prices, even with the geopolitical risk, the European buyers still find Russian gas economical.” Europe’s Russian fuel dependence, in large part, is due to the Biden administration’s restrictions on liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports, according to Bass. President Donald Trump lifted that pause in a day-one executive order. After the invasion, “Europeans went in and said, ‘okay, we’re gonna rely on American LNG.’ But then Biden pauses it… That made the Europeans afraid of relying on America’s political swings,” Bass said. Cutting off Russian gas has been difficult for landlocked European nations like Austria, which until recently relied on importing fuel by pipeline. A pipeline that fueled Russia by passing through Ukraine and Slovakia stopped flowing at the beginning of this year. “The re-gasification and distribution infrastructure isn’t optimized for importing from elsewhere. They rely on pipelines [that originate] from Russia,” Bass said. In January, then-President Joe Biden imposed the toughest sanctions package yet on Russia’s oil industry, targeting 161 Kremlin-linked tankers. Last week, European leaders issued a unified display of support for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after his spat with Trump in the Oval Office that prompted an abrupt halt to peace talks. European leaders held emergency talks on Sunday in London to take the reins of peace talks while Trump and Zelenskyy were at odds. Bass, meanwhile, said oil and gas firms are calling for direction from the Trump administration on how big a priority U.S. exports will be to decrease the global dependence on Russian fuel. “The President’s got to say more than ‘drill, baby drill.’ Because he said ‘drill baby drill,’ and then his actions are, go to Russia.” “What we need to be we really need assurance of direction and supply of what the administration wants us in the gas LNG business to do,” he went on. “Don’t do a Biden on us. If you want them to be supplied out of Russia, that’s the intent then we’ll find other markets. But we don’t need more flip-flopping – Biden set this whole Russia-Ukraine war up when he stopped dependence on American energy.”
Mexico, Canada say prepared as Trump’s tariff deadline looms
Mexico’s president says country is ready for anything ahead of Tuesday deadline, as Canadian officials warn retaliation. A day before US President’s Donald Trump’s tariffs are expected to go into effect, Mexico and Canada say they have plans in place for how to respond. Trump is expected to decide on Monday what levels of tariffs he will impose early on Tuesday on Canada and Mexico amid last-minute negotiations over border security and efforts to halt the inflow of fentanyl opioids. Trump has vowed to impose 25 percent tariffs on all imports from Canada and Mexico, with 10 percent for Canadian energy. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Monday that Mexico had made a strong case for staving off the tariffs, but that it would be up to Trump and the US government to decide how they will proceed. “So whatever his decision is, we will make our decisions and there is a plan and there is unity in Mexico,” Sheinbaum said during her daily news conference. Speaking on CNBC on Monday, Canadian Energy Minister Jonathan Wilkinson again vowed retaliatory measures if Trump went ahead with the tariffs. Canadian officials had previously drawn up a plan to target imports produced in stronghold’s of Trump’s Republican party before the tariffs were first averted last month. It was not clear if they would take a similar approach this time around. Advertisement CEOs and economists say the action, covering more than $900bn worth of annual US imports from its southern and northern neighbours, would deal a serious setback to the highly integrated North American economy. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Sunday signalled that Trump may not impose the full amount of tariffs, saying that the president would determine their exact levels. Mexico and Canada have “done a reasonable job” of securing their US borders and Trump is considering what the final tariff levels should be, Lutnick told Fox News. “He’s sort of thinking about right now how exactly he wants to play with Mexico and Canada, and that is a fluid situation,” he said. “There are going to be tariffs on Tuesday on Mexico and Canada. Exactly what they are, we’re going to leave that for the president and his team to negotiate.” ‘The path that he’s chosen’ Trump has broadly vowed to reshape nearly all trade relations since taking office, claiming the US was being treated unfairly in its constellation of agreements across the world. That has sparked fears of overlapping trade wars that could disrupt the global economy. But Trump’s emphasis on Mexico and Canada has been particularly surprising, given the deeply intertwined nature of the three countries’ industries and economies. In response to the threat, both Mexico and Canada last month announced a series of initiatives to meet Trump’s demands related to migration and drug trafficking. That has included Mexico sending 10,000 National Guard troops to its shared border with the US. Last week, Mexico also extradited 29 drug cartel members to the US. Advertisement Among other measures, Canada has appointed a so-called “fentanyl czar”, despite US authorities seizing less than 20kg (44 pounds) of the opioid smuggled from Canada from October 2023 to September 2024. Senior Canadian and Mexican officials also met with Trump cabinet members on Friday to discuss their response. Trump adviser Peter Navarro said it was unlikely that Trump would waiver, despite concerns over domestic economic blowback. “This is the path that he’s chosen,” he told CNBC. Adblock test (Why?)
Israeli anger at ceasefire delay focused on captives, not Gaza’s aid crisis
As the Israeli government stalls on the Gaza ceasefire deal agreed between it and the Palestinian group Hamas, delaying progression to phase two of the agreement, protesters gathered outside of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s residence on Sunday night. Yes, they were angry at his decision to unilaterally extend phase one of the deal, and frustrated at his delays in fully implementing the agreement, brokered in January. But their banners and slogans had no references to the suffering of Palestinian civilians in Gaza, after Israel on Sunday blocked the entry of humanitarian aid into the enclave. Instead, the focus was on the Israeli captives left behind in Gaza as Netanyahu drags his feet, seemingly focused on finding a way to avoid ending the war. The Israeli government’s actions on Sunday seemed to point in the direction of an end to the ceasefire and a resumption of all-out war on Gaza, even as the captives remain there. Although phase one of the ceasefire expired on Saturday, the agreement had stipulated that the terms of the truce – including the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza – would continue while negotiations for phase two continued. Advertisement However, Israel announced on Sunday the emergence of a “Witkoff plan” – referring to United States Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff – that would see half of the captives released immediately and the other half after an agreement on a permanent ceasefire, essentially throwing away the original ceasefire deal. Israel used the opportunity of the deal – which neither the US nor Witkoff himself have confirmed the existence of – to reinstate its blockade of Gaza, sending food prices skyrocketing there. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned that the aid blockade carried “devastating consequences” for children and families in Gaza battered by 16 months of war. Collective punishment is prohibited under the Geneva Conventions, Professor Gerry Simpson of the London School of Economics told Al Jazeera, irrespective of who was enforcing it. “The fact that it is being phrased as a form of punishment suggests a certain disregard for the laws of war, but that disregard does not render these laws null or unimportant,” he said. In addition to the suspension of aid, the Israeli government is also mulling approval of a bill that would allow it to call up 400,000 of its reserve soldiers in anticipation of renewed conflict in Gaza. In the wake of the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, 300,000 reserve soldiers were called up, the largest mobilisation in Israel’s history at the time. Angry families While Israeli public anger towards Netanyahu over the current breakdown in negotiations is not yet widespread, former ambassador and consul general of Israel in New York, Alon Pinkas, told Al Jazeera that it was likely to grow if the impasse continued, until it became “clear that he’s [Netanyahu] looking for a pretext to break the ceasefire and thus condemn hostages to death”. Advertisement The fate of the 251 or so captives taken prisoner during the October 7 attack has represented a throughline in Israeli public criticism of its prime minister. However, recent weeks – where images of captives returning to their families have dominated the media – have in turn elevated the voices of their families, who are often critical of Netanyahu. Those protesting outside of Netanyahu’s residence on Sunday night, led by the families of the captives, made it clear that they felt the prime minister was to blame for the impasse in completing the ceasefire agreement. At a press conference held by a number of the captives’ families earlier the same day, Lishay Miran-Lavi, whose husband Omri Miran remains in Gaza, rejected the claims by some members of Israel’s cabinet, including Netanyahu, that no agreement is possible while Hamas remains in existence, telling reporters, “Hostages immediately, Hamas afterwards”. “Netanyahu knows he doesn’t have a monopoly over the narrative right now,” Israeli political analyst Ori Goldberg said, “so there’s a risk that, with this delay, he could find himself under increased fire from the hostages’ families, which have a lot of public sympathy”. Goldberg suggested that this, among other factors tied directly to Netanyahu’s political survival, may limit how long the current impasse can continue. Bad faith Scepticism over Netanyahu’s commitment to the ceasefire agreement is not new. Since its inception, the prime minister has hinted at his willingness to break the agreement in order to placate its critics, while also using the ceasefire’s existence to reassure the captives’ families and their supporters. Advertisement In January, Netanyahu signalled his intention to break the agreement when negotiating with his hardline Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to remain in the cabinet and not join fellow far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir in resigning his post over the prospect of reaching a ceasefire deal with Hamas. As part of his deal with Smotrich, Netanyahu was reported to have assured the finance minister that the ceasefire was temporary and that military operations in Gaza would resume aimed at dismantling Hamas’s military and governing capabilities once the “temporary” truce was over. Negotiations on a permanent ceasefire were slated to be included in the second stage. “People don’t really trust Netanyahu,” analyst Nimrod Flashenberg said from Tel Aviv. “A lot of the public doubted that the ceasefire would hold from the start, but we really don’t know what will happen next. A lot of that depends upon the [US President Donald] Trump administration.” For many observers, everything from the delay in progressing to the second stage of the ceasefire deal to the ambiguity over who suggested its suspension was typical of a prime minister who had profited from sowing confusion among his critics for years. “This is what he does,” Goldberg said. “It’s what everyone in Israel expects of him. Politically, there’s no reason for it. He has no political rivals; he has the settlers on [his] side. It’s just what he does.” “For Netanyahu, these byzantine schemes are essential to keeping the Israeli ship of state on course,” he
UK says several Ukraine truce options on table after France floats plan
The United Kingdom has said there are several proposals for a potential Ukraine ceasefire after French President Emmanuel Macron proposed a limited initial one-month truce, as Kyiv reiterated its need for security guarantees as part of any agreement. European countries, led by the UK and France, are looking at options for a proposal to halt Russia’s war on Ukraine after last week’s Oval Office rupture between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer hosted a summit of European leaders in London on Sunday and said they had agreed to draw up a Ukraine peace plan to present to the US. In an interview given on his way to the summit, Macron raised the possibility of a one-month ceasefire, although so far there has been no public endorsement from other allies. “Such a truce on air, sea and energy infrastructure would allow us to determine whether Russian President Vladimir Putin is acting in good faith when he commits to a truce,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said of Macron’s proposal. Advertisement “And that’s when real peace negotiations could start.” Starmer’s spokesperson on Monday said there are “clearly a number of options” on the table. “I’m just not getting into a running commentary on the options,” he added. UK Defence Minister Luke Pollard told Times Radio that no agreement has been made on “what a truce looks like”. “But we are working with France and European allies for a lasting peace,” Pollard said. Asked if he was aware of the plan raised by Macron, Zelenskyy said: “I’m aware of everything.” In comments on Monday, Zelenskyy accused Russia of not being serious about peace and said tough security guarantees were the only way to end more than three years of conflict in Ukraine. He called for “effective security guarantees that will make it impossible for Russian aggression to return” after predicting that Moscow would break any deal. “Anyone who wants to negotiate does not deliberately hit people with ballistic missiles,” he said in his statement. Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022, dismissed the Ukraine leader’s comments, accusing him of not wanting peace, echoing US criticisms after Zelenskyy was shouted down in the White House last week. “What happened at the White House on Friday, of course, demonstrated how difficult it will be to reach a settlement trajectory around Ukraine,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said. “The Kyiv regime and Zelenskyy do not want peace. They want the war to continue. It is very important that someone forces Zelenskyy himself to change his position. Someone has to make Zelenskyy want peace. If the Europeans can do it, they should be honoured and praised.” Advertisement European countries are adjusting to what some leaders describe as the biggest policy reversal since World War II from Washington – especially after Friday’s bust-up, when Zelenskyy left the White House abruptly after a dressing down in front of cameras by Trump and US Vice President JD Vance. The Ukrainian leader had been in Washington to sign a deal to give the United States access to Ukrainian minerals, but left without signing it. Speaking to Fox News, US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz said Zelenskyy should apologise. “What we need to hear from President Zelenskiy is that he has regret for what happened, he’s ready to sign this minerals deal and that he’s ready to engage in peace talks,” Waltz said. “I don’t think that’s too much to ask. We’ll see what happens in the next 48 hours, but we are certainly looking to move forward in a positive way.” European leaders have agreed they must spend more on defence to show Trump the continent can protect itself. The European Union is due to hold an emergency summit on Thursday. Reporting from the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, Al Jazeera’s Charles Stratford said that Ukrainians are bracing for uncertain times ahead. “They would have been buoyed by the level of support expressed by European leaders in London yesterday, but they are also aware there are a whole lot of hurdles yet that need to be overcome before we see anything real and concrete in terms of stopping the fighting in Ukraine,” Stratford said. “It’s all key on whether the US will agree to security guarantees both around this plan that Europe has and with respect to the minerals deal as well,” he added. Advertisement Adblock test (Why?)
FLASHBACK: Dem senator embroiled in conflict of interest row targeted SCOTUS in ethics crusade
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-RI, is in the spotlight over a new ethics complaint about votes that ultimately yielded millions for a green nonprofit that pays his wife’s consulting firm. Before that, he led an aggressive campaign alleging ethical violations of conservative Supreme Court justices. The Democratic senator took particular aim at conservative Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas after several instances of undisclosed travel and trips were reported in 2023. “The Supreme Court justices are so deeply ensconced in a cocoon of special interest money that they can no longer be trusted to police themselves without proper process,” Whitehouse claimed at the time. ‘UTTER DISASTER’: LINDSEY GRAHAM CALLS FOR ZELENSKYY RESIGNATION AFTER WHITE HOUSE THROWDOWN This history of acting as a judicial ethics watchdog for conservative justices has left some calling the latest ethics complaint against Whitehouse from the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT) ironic. “The irony here absolutely takes my breath away,” Thomas Jipping, senior legal fellow with the Edwin Meese III Center for Legal and Judicial Studies at the Heritage Foundation, previously told Fox News Digital. Whitehouse’s office provided a letter to Fox News Digital from the Senate Select Committee on Ethics last year informing another watchdog group, Judicial Watch, that the senator’s actions did not violate “federal laws, Senate rules, or other standards of conduct.” The group had filed a similar ethics complaint to FACT. “This is a repeat dark money performance, and the previous attempt by a dark money group to plant these same smears was roundly dismissed by Senate Ethics,” Whitehouse spokesperson Stephen DeLeo told Fox News Digital in a statement. “The billionaires and Supreme Court capture operatives behind FACT would like to try to stop Senator Whitehouse from shining a light on what they’ve done to deprive regular people of a fair shake before the Court. But false accusations from far-right special interests and billionaires will not impede the Senator’s pursuit of an accountable, ethical government that responds to Americans’ needs.” SEE THE STAR-STUDDED LIST OF TRUMP ALLIES DESCENDING ON DC TO CHART FURTHER 100-DAY WINS The gifts accepted by Thomas from GOP donor Harlan Crow came under severe scrutiny by Democrats, but experts are still at odds over whether they violated the law. The post-Watergate-era 1978 Ethics in Government Act dictates that government officials, judges included, should report all gifts over a certain dollar amount that are “received from any source other than a relative.” There are exceptions for “food, lodging, or entertainment received as personal hospitality of an individual.” Thomas did ultimately revise his disclosure to include trips from 2019 with Crowe. FURIOUS DEMS ATTACK TRUMP, VANCE AFTER EXPLOSIVE OVAL OFFICE MEETING WITH ZELENSKYY: ‘SIDING WITH DICTATORS’ Following the report on his undisclosed trips, Thomas said he had been advised they did not need to be reported. “Early in my tenure at the court, I sought guidance from my colleagues and others in the judiciary, and was advised that this sort of personal hospitality from close personal friends, who did not have business before the court, was not reportable,” he said in a statement released by the Supreme Court at the time. “I have endeavored to follow that counsel throughout my tenure, and have always sought to comply with the disclosure guidelines.” Whitehouse asked that the Department of Justice (DOJ) open a criminal investigation into Thomas, which the U.S. Judicial Conference formally declined to refer to the DOJ in January. Thomas was not the only conservative justice to face Whitehouse’s ire; he also targeted Justice Samuel Alito for alleged ethical misconduct. Last year, reports emerged about an upside-down American flag at Alito’s home following the 2020 election and an “Appeal to Heaven” flag flying outside his vacation home in New Jersey. Critics quickly jumped on the opportunity to pressure the justice to recuse himself from crucial upcoming decisions regarding then-presidential candidate Donald Trump’s criminal cases. Alito attributed the upside-down flag to his wife and neighborhood drama. The “Appeal to Heaven” flag is popular among conservatives and is notably featured outside many congressional offices in the U.S. Capitol. GABBARD SAYS BIDEN ADMIN IGNORED ‘HIGHLY INAPPROPRIATE’ CHATS HAPPENING AT NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCIES In an interview at the time, Whitehouse said the flag ordeal “demonstrates why the Supreme Court needs an enforceable code of conduct,” for which he has notably introduced a bill. However, many have pushed back on the idea that the legislature can or should regulate the court. Alito himself weighed in during an interview for the Wall Street Journal last year. “I know this is a controversial view, but I’m willing to say it. No provision in the Constitution gives them the authority to regulate the Supreme Court—period,” he said. Whitehouse again took him to task for the “improper” interview. “From the outside, it looks like the attorney recruited you to prop up his legal case against our investigation, using the interview to advance the argument he and several colleagues were making,” he claimed, referring to attorney David Rivkin, who interviewed Alito alongside Wall Street Journal editorial features editor James Taranto. Most recently, the senator attacked Alito over a phone call with Trump regarding a former clerk being considered for his administration. The phone call came as cases involving Trump’s administration were pending in court. “This contact could potentially implicate provisions of the Supreme Court’s new code of conduct and of federal law… We humbly suggest that this incident provides yet another reason for the Judicial Conference and the Court to agree on some sort of neutral fact-finding when a justice’s conduct is questioned,” Whitehouse wrote in a January letter to Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts and the Judicial Conference. “William Levi, one of my former law clerks, asked me to take a call from President-elect Trump regarding his qualifications to serve in a government position. I agreed to discuss this matter with President-elect Trump, and he called me yesterday afternoon,” Alito told Fox News’ Shannon Bream.
Skyrocketing healthcare costs for illegal immigrants sparks border state outcry
An Arizona proposal seeks to investigate the healthcare costs of illegal immigrants as the impact on taxpayers and hospitals recently rocked California. State Senate Bill 1268 would make it state law to ask somebody for their immigration or citizenship status on hospital forms, including if they are in the country illegally. In addition, it would have hospitals and the state government keep track of costs that may have to be covered by taxpayers because of somebody’s immigration status. “This is a bill that I have run to promote accountability. It in no way compromises a person’s ability to be served and treated at a hospital,” Republican state Sen. Wendy Rogers, the bill’s sponsor, said last week during a floor speech. CALIFORNIA COAST GUARD CAPTAIN SOUNDS ALARM AS MIGRANTS FROM ADVERSARY COUNTRIES INUNDATE PACIFIC WATERS “The information does not get passed to other agencies, and if they show up in need of care irrespective, they will be treated. This bill is to enable Americans to know where their tax dollars are going,” she continued. However, critics of the bill believe it will act as a deterrent for some seeking medical care and could have broader negative impacts. “Anytime that we are asking people to disclose their immigration status, we know that that is going to make people reluctant to go into those settings,” Democratic state Sen. Eva Burch said while explaining her vote against the legislation. “It’s bad for public health in general when people are not seeking care,” she added, arguing that the cost concerns are unfounded because many people in the country unlawfully still pay for public healthcare costs through taxes. The bill passed the state Senate 17-12 along party lines, and it is now in the hands of the Republican-majority House. If it passes that chamber, it will then end up on Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs’ desk for final approval or veto. MEXICO BROKE INTERNATIONAL LAW WITH THE CARTELS AND AMERICANS SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE The proposal comes as California is facing scrutiny for spending $9.5 billion on Medicare for illegal immigrants, which critics argue is a waste of money. The spending is based on a California law that started in January 2024 to ensure immigration status is irrelevant when applying for public benefits. “Here’s yet another example of California Democrats’ totally wrong priorities. They have nearly doubled the state budget in the last 10 years, yet over a third of Californians cannot meet their basic needs,” Fox News contributor and “Golden Together” founder Steve Hilton told Fox News Digital at the time. “We have the highest poverty rate in America. We pay the highest taxes and get the worst results. People are asking, ‘Where did all our money go?’ And here’s the answer: ideological obsessions like this — free healthcare for people who are here illegally. People have had enough of all this. There’s going to be change in California sooner than people think.” TRUMP REPORTS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ENCOUNTERS AT HISTORIC LOWS DURING FIRST FULL MONTH IN OFFICE The influx of people entering the country illegally through the southern border has greatly reduced in recent weeks with the return of the Trump administration, as just over 8,300 migrant encounters made by United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in February. “Under the leadership of [President Donald Trump] & [Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem], Feb 2025 saw just 8,326 encounters at the Southwest border—the lowest documented by U.S. Border Patrol,” CBP posted Saturday. “The mission is clear: secure the border, enforce the law, and protect American sovereignty.”
Trump hits Zelenskyy for ‘worst statement’ on war with Russia, says US ‘will not put up with it’ much longer
President Donald Trump once again attacked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday after the Ukrainian leader suggested the end of its war with Russia remains “very, very far away.” Trump made the statement on social media, reacting to news reports of Zelenskyy’s comments. The White House has said it wants a public apology from Zelenskyy for a contentious meeting with Trump and Vice President JD Vance on Friday. “This is the worst statement that could have been made by Zelenskyy, and America will not put up with it for much longer! It is what I was saying. This guy doesn’t want there to be Peace as long as he has America’s backing,” Trump wrote. “Europe, in the meeting they had with Zelenskyy, stated flatly that they cannot do the job without the U.S. – Probably not a great statement to have been made in terms of a show of strength against Russia. What are they thinking?” he added. ZELENSKYY MEETS WITH BRITISH PRIME MINISTER KEIR STARMER IN LONDON FOLLOWING TRUMP OVAL OFFICE CLASH Trump’s statement comes after Zelenskyy met with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron, among other European leaders. Ukraine’s leader had been scheduled to visit the White House last week to sign a rare earth minerals agreement with the Trump administration, but he was kicked out before signing the deal. While Zelenskyy says he is still willing to sign the deal, Trump’s White House says they now expect a public apology. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., called on the Ukrainian leader to resign on Sunday. “He either needs to resign and send somebody over that we can do business with, or he needs to change,” Graham said after Friday’s meeting. TRUMP SAYS ZELENSKYY CAN ‘COME BACK WHEN HE IS READY FOR PEACE’ AFTER FIERY WHITE HOUSE EXCHANGE Zelenskyy retorted that Graham could weigh in on Ukrainian leadership when he became a Ukrainian citizen, to which Graham responded: “Unfortunately, until there is an election, no one has a voice in Ukraine.” According to the senator, he doesn’t think Americans see the Ukrainian president as someone they feel comfortable going “into business with” following the televised dispute. Graham also stressed that the Ukrainian-American relationship is “vitally important.” However, he cast doubt on whether Zelenskyy could ever “do a deal with the United States.” Fox News’ Peter Doocy contributed to this report.
Who was Kusuma Nain, woman who became most feared in UP village 41 years ago?
Kusuma Nain was still a dreaded name in a village in UP till recently who died from tuberculosis on Saturday. There was a time when the mention of her name would send shivers down the spines of residents.
Former Rep Lincoln Diaz-Balart, brother of sitting congressman, dead at 70
Former Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., has died at the age of 70, his brother and current House member Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., announced. “Defender of the silenced and oppressed, author of the democracy requirement for the lifting of U.S. sanctions against the Cuban dictatorship, and the author of the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act (NACARA). Lincoln’s legacy of achievements will endure for generations, and continues the work of the Congressional Hispalic Leadership Institute (CHLI) which he co-founded in 2003,” Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart said in a statement about his brother. Lincoln Diaz-Balart served Floridians as a member of the Republican Party. The Cuban refugee first got into politics by “leading the Florida Young Democrats and running an unsuccessful campaign for the Florida legislature as a Democrat in 1982,” his congressional biography states. He formally switched his party allegiance in 1985 and was elected to the Florida legislature in 1986. Then, he “sponsored laws strengthening sentences for crimes against law enforcement officers, increasing penalties for drug-related money laundering, providing low-interest loans for home construction, creating a statewide program to combat substance abuse, and establishing disclosure rules for Florida companies doing business with Cuba,” according to the biography. WHITE HOUSE WILL NOT RELEASE VISITOR LOGS DURING TRUMP’S SECOND TERM He was sworn into Congress in January 1993 and served until his retirement in 2010. That same year, his brother Mario won the election to succeed him in the 21st Congressional District. Diaz-Balart leaves behind his wife of 48 years, Cristina; his son Daniel; two grandsons and three brothers. He was preceded in death by his first son, Lincoln Gabriel. RUBIO SIGNS DECLARATION TO EXPEDITE $4B IN ARMS TO ISRAEL ‘WRONGLY WITHHELD’ BY BIDEN “Lincoln’s profound love for the United States, and his relentless commitment to the cause of a free Cuba, guided him throughout his life and his 24 years in elected public service, including 18 years in the U.S. House of Representatives,” Mario’s announcement said. “We will miss him infinitely.”