‘Chaos and confusion’: How Democrats infiltrated ‘thunderous’ GOP town halls
Large campaign rallies and town halls are pillars of election year politics, but two months into President Donald Trump‘s second term, town halls are erupting across the country. While Republicans have largely been told to stay home, Democrats seem to be driving the narrative for the first time since Trump returned to the White House. Democrats last week launched a coordinated effort to host “People’s Town Halls” in all 50 states after disruptive protests led Republican leadership to advise against hosting in-person town halls. The first week of town halls brought a new wave of political drama and engagement resembling that of an election year. “When folks get out of the DC bubble and into communities across the country, there is one undeniably clear trend emerging: Americans are feeling betrayed by Republicans. Across party lines, people are furious that their lives, jobs, retirement, and health care are being cast aside to enrich the already ultra-wealthy. The reception to the People’s Town Halls has been thunderous — and we’re keeping them going through all 50 states. Americans want to be heard and Democrats are listening,” DNC Chair Ken Martin told Fox News Digital in a statement. CHAOS ERUPTS AT GOP LAWMAKER’S TOWN HALL AFTER LEFT-WING GROUPS PROMOTE PROTESTS Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., rallied nearly 12,000 Arizonans in Tempe on Thursday night on the second stop of a three-state West Coast swing. Thousands of supporters have cheered on Sanders at each stop of his “Fighting Oligarchy” tour. The rallies reject Trump’s executive reach and Elon Musk’s efforts to slash federal bureaucracy through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which Sanders argues is wreaking havoc and turning the country into an oligarchy. Gov. Tim Walz, D-Minn., the former vice presidential candidate, has been crisscrossing the country himself, targeting Republican districts where he says representatives are refusing to meet with their constituents. Walz exchanged barbs with Musk this week after he joked about regularly checking Tesla’s stock for an ego boost, which was down 41.4% year-to-date as of March amidst a string of violence against Tesla. “Sometimes when I need a little boost, I look at the @JDVance portrait in the White House and thank the Lord,” Musk replied on X to Walz’s comment at the “The People vs Musk” event on Tuesday. FLORIDA DEMS STAGE TOWN HALLS IN GOP DISTRICTS FEATURING ‘MISSING’ POSTERS OF THEIR COLLEAGUES Democrats have been without a clear party leader since Trump defeated former Vice President Kamala Harris in November 2024. While Sanders’ rallies began last month, Walz launched his own town hall-style event after Politico first reported that the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) advised House Republicans against hosting in-person town halls. Progressive protest groups last month organized disruptions at Republican-held town halls and local legislative offices, effectively shutting them down. Some lawmakers, including Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., reported safety concerns following threats of violence. Many Republicans have opted for tele-town halls as a result, citing productivity in a controlled environment. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson joined the Republican town hall deterrence, telling reporters that Republicans shouldn’t give “professional protesters” a forum to sell their soundbites and make headlines. Trump called the protesters ‘paid troublemakers’ and said it was ’all part of the game for the Democrats.’ After two months of playing defense, it seems Democrats have the ball in their court. BERNIE SANDERS, AOC TAKE AIM AT TRUMP AND MUSK, AS WELL AS DEMOCRATS, AT WESTERN RALLIES Like Walz, Democrats individually capitalized on the narrative that Republicans aren’t showing up for their constituents, and town halls began popping up in red districts across the country. Following their big November losses, the Democrats’ town halls have become an opportunity for lawmakers to score points with the slew of Americans infuriated with Trump’s second term and Musk’s DOGE cuts. Last Friday, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) seized the chance to present a united front following weeks of Republican criticism that Democrats lack clear messaging during Trump’s second term. The DNC’s coordinated effort includes the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), the Association of State Democratic Committees (ASDC) and Democratic state parties to “hold vulnerable Republican members of Congress accountable for their refusal to face their constituents and answer for their votes to put billionaires above working people.” The DNC’s initial launch included at least nine town halls in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska and Pennsylvania. As of Friday, there were at least 11 more town halls scheduled this weekend and next week. The DNC and Democratic state parties have held a total of 22 events so far in 13 states, the DNC tells Fox News Digital. As Democrats’ town halls find their way to every corner of the United States, David McIntosh, president of Club for Growth, a top conservative group, is now urging Congressional Republicans to participate in town halls, Fox News confirmed. Rep. Mike Flood, R-Neb., was the only House GOP lawmaker whose office set up an in-person town hall this week while Congress is in recess. It ended in chaos on Tuesday night as angry Democratic protesters accused Republicans of trying to gut critical government programs. The audience questions accused Trump and Flood of not supporting the “rule of law.” The crowd repeatedly booed any mention of Musk or DOGE. DEM LEADER SWINGS THROUGH GOP-HELD DISTRICTS AFTER ‘CLOWN SHOW PROTESTS’ HALTED TOWN HALLS But Democrats’ town halls haven’t been without their own political theater. The Florida Democratic Party created “missing” posters of Republican representatives for their town halls. One by one in Clearwater on Saturday, Pinellas County constituents took turns addressing a “missing” poster of Rep. Ana Paulina Luna, R-Fla. Conservatives on social media slammed the “missing” posters as “nothing authentic or compelling.” “I have never seen the national Democratic Party in such chaos and confusion. Whether it’s childish stunts on the floor of Congress or performance art with their fake town halls, there is nothing authentic or compelling about their message, their tactics, or their delivery,” Republican consultant Frank
Sudan’s army seizes control of central bank amid steady gains in Khartoum
The capture of the bank comes a day after Sudanese army forces celebrated the seizure of the presidential palace. The Sudanese army claims to have seized control of the main headquarters of the country’s central bank from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) as it continues to make advances in the capital. Nabil Abdallah, an army spokesman, said in a statement to the AFP news agency on Saturday that the soldiers had “eliminated hundreds of militia members who tried to escape through pockets in central Khartoum”. The bank’s takeover comes a day after the army seized control of the presidential palace in a significant military victory. But the RSF retaliated to Friday’s takeover with a drone attack that killed three journalists and several army personnel. Army sources told AFP that RSF fighters on Friday fled into buildings in al-Mogran, an area west of the palace housing banks and business headquarters. In the area, paramilitary forces posted snipers in high-rises that overlook the city of Omdurman across the Nile River and the ministries in central Khartoum. However, the battle for the government and the financial district could strengthen the army’s hold on the capital and give it a significant advantage in the conflict. Advertisement Reporting from Khartoum, Al Jazeera’s Hiba Morgan said the army had been making “steady gains” in the past few months. “They’ve been taking ground from the Rapid Support Forces in the northern part of the capital, in the eastern part of the capital, but there are still areas where the RSF are present and these are specifically around the western part of the country,” Morgan said. “Effectively, where this leaves Sudan right now is divided into two, with the army controlling the eastern, northern and parts of the southeast, and the RSF controlling the western and southwestern parts of the country,” she added. Since April 2023, the military, led by army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has been in an ongoing conflict with the RSF, headed by Burhan’s former deputy commander, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. But the two-year-long conflict has left the country in a deep humanitarian crisis, with tens of thousands of people killed and more than 12 million people displaced. Adblock test (Why?)
Sudanese army’s advancement is a “symbolic victory”
[unable to retrieve full-text content] “The bigger picture here is that Sudan continues to be a divided country.”
Lebanon warns of ‘new war’ as Israel launches fresh deadly strikes
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has said his country is at risk of being drawn into a “new war”, as dozens of new Israeli air strikes against the Hezbollah armed group killed at least two people. Salam issued the warning on Saturday, saying Israel’s “renewed military operations on the southern border” would bring “woes to Lebanon and the Lebanese people”. At least two people are confirmed killed and eight others injured by Israeli air raids, according to reports from Lebanon’s National News Agency.Three of the victims, including one of those killed, are children, it said, citing the country’s government-run Public Health Emergency Operations Center. Earlier in the day, Israeli artillery and air strikes hit southern Lebanon, after its military claimed it had intercepted three rockets launched from a Lebanese district about 6km (4 miles) north of the border. Israel said it targeted rocket launchers it claims belong to Hezbollah, which it holds responsible for the assault. The Israeli military said earlier it had intercepted Advertisement The Lebanese group Hezbollah issued a statement denying any involvement in the series of rocket attacks on northern Israel from southern Lebanon. In its statement, Hezbollah accused Israel of creating a pretext to renew its air attacks and reiterated its commitment to the ceasefire agreement signed in November. Quoting two security sources, Israel’s Army Radio has reported that the military response in southern Lebanon has not finished. “There will be additional strikes in the coming hours,” the sources said. Protracted conflict Saturday’s reported exchange was the first since Israel abandoned a separate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip with Palestinian group Hamas. Lebanon has also blamed Israel for the protracted conflict, after failing to withdraw from all Lebanese territory since a ceasefire deal was declared in November last year. Under the deal, a January deadline was set for an Israeli withdrawal but was later extended to February 18. Since then, Israel has remained in five locations inside Lebanon, and has carried out dozens of deadly strikes against supposed Hezbollah targets. On Saturday, Salam declared that “all security and military measures must be taken to show that Lebanon decides on matters of war and peace”. In a separate statement, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned “attempts” to destabilise his country and reignite violence, as he called for action to prevent further escalation of the conflict. Israel has also justified the latest attacks on Hezbollah, saying Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s order was “in response to the rocket fire at Israel this morning”. Advertisement In a statement, Netanyahu said that he and Defence Minister Israel Katz instructed the Israeli military “to act forcefully against dozens of terror targets in Lebanon”. Netanyahu said Israel was holding Lebanon’s government responsible for “everything taking place within its territory”. Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr, reporting from Beirut, said there is “a lot of concern that the situation will spiral out of control”. “What we understand is Lebanese officials are holding talks with the US-led committee monitoring the ceasefire to try to de-escalate tensions,” she said. Gaza war spillover The conflict in Lebanon marked the deadliest spillover of the Gaza war, rumbling across the border for months before escalating into a blistering Israeli offensive that wiped out Hezbollah’s top commanders, many of its fighters and much of its arsenal. The United Nations peacekeeping force in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, said in a written statement on Saturday that it was “alarmed” by the border violence. “Any further escalation of this volatile situation could have serious consequences for the region,” it said. In an interview with Al Jazeera, political analyst Sultan Barakat of Hamad Bin Khalifa University in Doha warned that “as long as the [Israeli] occupation continues … the resistance will continue”. Adblock test (Why?)
Meerut Murder Case: Cab driver reveals shocking details, claims Muskaan and Sahil did this during their trip to Shimla, Manali
Ajab Singh, the driver who took the couple on a trip through Himachal Pradesh, said their behaviour did not indicate that they had just committed a brutal crime.
White House thanks UAE for agreeing to 10-year, $1.4 trillion investment framework
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has agreed to a 10-year, $1.4 trillion investment framework, the White House announced on Friday, saying it will “substantially increase the UAE’s existing investments in the U.S. economy.” The White House said the investments would be in AI infrastructure, semiconductors, energy, American manufacturing and more. The White House said in a press release that the UAE agreed to the framework after President Donald Trump hosted the UAE National Security Advisor, HH Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, for a meeting in the Oval Office. IRAN’S LEADER WARNS US COULD RECEIVE ‘SEVERE SLAPS’ FOLLOWING TRUMP’S THREAT TO HOUTHIS STUDENTS WHO SAW CAMPUSES DEVOLVE INTO ANTI-ISRAEL CHAOS WITNESS FIRST-HAND SUCCESSES OF ABRAHAM ACCORDS The sheikh thanked Trump for “the warm welcome and hospitality” in a post on X. He said their discussions focused on the future of U.S.-UAE relations. “The UAE remains committed to strengthening its economic ties with the U.S. by accelerating investments in artificial intelligence, advanced technology, infrastructure, energy, and healthcare – key pillars for sustainable growth and development,” Sheikh Tahnoon added. According to the White House, investments in the framework include Abu Dhabi-based MGX, BlackRock, Microsoft and Global Infrastructure Partners working with NVIDIA and xAI to support “U.S. AI leadership.” The group will mobilize up to $100 billion to support the build-out. Additionally, Emirates Global Aluminum is expected to invest in America’s first new aluminum smelter in 35 years. “These significant investments underscore the close ties between the United States and the United Arab Emirates, and the strong relationship between President Trump and President Sheikh Mohamed,” the White House wrote. While in D.C., Sheikh Tahnoon met with several members of the Trump administration, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz. TRUMP HOLDS ‘VERY GOOD’ CALL WITH ZELENSKYY FOLLOWING DEAL WITH PUTIN Trump also wrote about the meeting in a post on Truth Social, saying, “UAE and the U.S. have long been partners in the work to bring peace and security to the Middle East and the world. Discussions also included ways for our countries to increase our partnership for the advancing of our economic and technological futures.”
Trump floats idea of convicted Tesla arsonists serving sentences in El Salvador prisons: ‘Lovely conditions’
President Donald Trump suggested that convicted Tesla arsonists serve out their expected decades-long sentences in El Salvador prisons. “I look forward to watching the sick terrorist thugs get 20 year jail sentences for what they are doing to Elon Musk and Tesla,” Trump wrote Friday on TRUTH Social. “Perhaps they could serve them in the prisons of El Salvador, which have become so recently famous for such lovely conditions!” the president added. TRUMP WARNS OF JAIL TIME FOR TESLA VANDALS, ANYONE FUNDING THE ATTACKS: ‘WE ARE LOOKING FOR YOU!!!’ The message comes as the FBI is investigating an uptick in attacks against Tesla vehicles and facilities nationwide of domestic terrorism, as top Trump adviser Elon Musk’s company has become a target of protesters and arsonists. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is also facing pushback in federal court over deportation flights to El Salvador. Salvadorian President Nayib Bukele announced last week that the first 238 alleged members of the Venezuelan criminal organization, Tren de Aragua, a U.S. designated terror group, had arrived, releasing video of Salvadorian troops transferring men from planes to his Terrorism Confinement Center, known as CECOT. He said they’d stay for one year, though that was “renewable.” U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi on Thursday announced charges against three individuals accused of using Molotov cocktails to set fire to Tesla cars and charging stations. “The days of committing crimes without consequence have ended,” Bondi said in a statement. “Let this be a warning: if you join this wave of domestic terrorism against Tesla properties, the Department of Justice will put you behind bars.” The Justice Department said one defendant, also armed with a suppressed AR-15 rifle, was arrested after allegedly throwing approximately eight Molotov cocktails at a Tesla dealership located in Salem, Oregon. Another was arrested in Loveland, Colorado after allegedly attempting to light Teslas on fire with Molotov cocktails. Authorities said that defendant was later found in possession of materials used to produce additional incendiary weapons. In Charleston, South Carolina, a third defendant wrote “profane messages” against Trump around Tesla charging stations before lighting the charging stations on fire with Molotov cocktails, the Justice Department said. TESLA VEHICLES, DEALERSHIPS TARGETED WITH ARSON, GUNFIRE AND VANDALISM IN AT LEAST 9 STATES: FBI The DOJ said each defendant faces serious charges carrying a minimum penalty of five years and up to 20 years in prison. “People that get caught sabotaging Teslas will stand a very good chance of going to jail for up to twenty years, and that includes the finders,” Trump wrote on TRUTH Social Thursday, adding: “WE ARE LOOKING FOR YOU!!!” Tesla vehicles and dealerships have been subjected to arson, vandalism and gunfire in at least nine states, and some of the most prominent cases were reported in left-leaning cities in the Pacific Northwest, like Portland, Oregon, and Seattle. An Oregon man faces charges after allegedly throwing several Molotov cocktails at a Tesla store in Salem, then returning another day and shooting out windows. In the Portland suburb of Tigard, more than a dozen bullets were fired at a Tesla showroom last week, damaging vehicles and windows, the second time in a week that the store was targeted. Four Cybertrucks were set on fire in a Tesla lot in Seattle earlier this month. On Friday, witnesses reported a man poured gasoline on an unoccupied Tesla Model S and started a fire on a Seattle street. In Las Vegas, several Tesla vehicles were set ablaze early Tuesday outside a Tesla service center where the word “resist” was also painted in red across the building’s front doors. Authorities said at least one person threw Molotov cocktails — crude bombs filled with gasoline or another flammable liquid — and fired several rounds from a weapon into the vehicles. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Was this terrorism? Was it something else? It certainly has some of the hallmarks that we might think – the writing on the wall, potential political agenda, an act of violence,” Spencer Evans, the special agent in charge of the Las Vegas FBI office, said at a press conference. “None of those factors are lost on us.” The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Trump revokes security clearances of former opponents Kamala Harris, Hillary Clinton
President Donald Trump revoked the security clearances of Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, Kamala Harris, Liz Cheney and several other opponents who either severely criticized or acted against him. The White House released a memo on Friday that read: “I have determined that it is no longer in the national interest for the following individuals to access classified information: Antony Blinken, Jacob Sullivan, Lisa Monaco, Mark Zaid, Norman Eisen, Letitia James, Alvin Bragg, Andrew Weissmann, Hillary Clinton, Elizabeth Cheney, Kamala Harris, Adam Kinzinger, Fiona Hill, Alexander Vindman, Joseph R. Biden Jr., and any other member of Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s family.” TRUMP STRIPS SECURITY CLEARANCES FROM LAW FIRM TIED TO JACK SMITH CASES Earlier this month, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard announced that she had revoked the security clearances of several people listed in Trump’s memo and blocked them from having access to classified information. She said “the 51 signers of the Hunter Biden ‘disinformation’ letter” also had their clearances rescinded. “The President’s Daily Brief is no longer being provided to former President Biden.” In addition to having their security clearances revoked, the individuals listed in Trump’s memorandum have had their “unescorted access to secure United States Government facilities” rescinded. TRUMP REVOKES SECRET SERVICE PROTECTION FOR ADULT BIDEN CHILDREN HUNTER AND ASHLEY Several people listed in Trump’s memo mostly dismissed it in social media posts reacting to the news. Both Zaid and Eisen said it was “like the third time” their security clearances were revoked. Kinzinger posted a video saying that he “retired a year ago from the military” and doesn’t have a clearance before calling the president a “dumba–.” The security clearance memo comes just days after Trump announced that he was stripping Hunter and Ashley Biden of their Secret Service protection. “Hunter Biden has had Secret Service protection for an extended period of time, all paid for by the United States Taxpayer. There are as many as 18 people on this Detail, which is ridiculous!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Please be advised that, effective immediately, Hunter Biden will no longer receive Secret Service protection. Likewise, Ashley Biden who has 13 agents will be taken off the list.” While under federal law, former presidents and their spouses receive life-long Secret Service protection, but that protection ends for members of their immediate family when they leave office. According to the Associated Press, both Trump and Biden extended protection for their children before leaving office.
Here’s what happened during Trump’s ninth week in office
President Donald Trump signed more executive orders this week — including one to upend the Department of Education — battled the judicial branch, and spoke to both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. On Thursday, Trump announced plans to work with Congress to upend the Department of Education. Closing down an agency requires the approval of Congress, according to the U.S. Constitution. “We’re not doing well with the world of education in this country, and we haven’t for a long time,” Trump said Thursday before signing the executive order. A White House fact sheet on the executive order said the directive aims to “turn over education to families instead of bureaucracies” and instructs Education Secretary Linda McMahon to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return education authority to the States, while continuing to ensure the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely.” Trump said Thursday programs for Pell Grants, student loans for undergraduate students, and others that provide resources for children with special needs would continue to exist, just under different agencies. “They’re going to be preserved in full and redistributed to various other agencies and departments that will take very good care of them,” Trump said. Those in favor of shuttering the agency have pointed to the “Nation’s Report Card,” the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) released every two years, released on Jan. 27. The exam tests fourth and eighth grade students and found almost stagnant math scores for eighth graders compared to 2022. Reading scores dropped two points at both grade levels. As a result, Trump said without evidence that new efforts to upend the Department of Education would allow states like Texas to provide education comparable to countries like Norway, Denmark and Sweden. “And then you’ll have some laggards, and we’ll work with them,” Trump said. “And we can all tell you who the laggards will be, right now, probably, but let’s not get into that.” Here’s also what Trump did this week: Trump called for the impeachment of Judge James Boasberg of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia in a social media post Tuesday, prompting Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts to issue a rare statement condemning Trump’s remarks. Trump’s pushback stems from Boasberg issuing an order on Saturday halting the Trump administration from deporting migrants allegedly part of the Tren de Aragua gang under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. The law permits deportation of natives and citizens of an enemy nation without a hearing. The flights carrying the migrants continued to El Salvador, and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Sunday the order had “no lawful basis” since Boasberg issued it after the flights departed from U.S. airspace. JUDGES BLOCKING TRUMP’S ORDERS ARE ACTING ‘ERRONEOUSLY,’ WHITE HOUSE SAYS In response to Boasberg’s order, Trump said the judge should be impeached. However, Roberts said that “it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision.” Boasberg’s order is one of multiple injunctions issued against the Trump administration, blocking various executive orders he’s signed since taking office in January. The White House has accused judges of behaving as partisan activists to stop Trump’s agenda. “I would like to point out that the judges in this country are acting erroneously,” Leavitt said in a Wednesday news briefing. “We have judges who are acting as partisan activists from the bench.” Trump also announced that Boeing had won out among defense companies for a contract to build the Air Force’s next-generation fighter jet, known as the F-47. “I’m thrilled to announce that at my direction the United States Air Force is moving forward with the world’s first sixth-generation fighter jet,” Trump said Friday in the Oval Office at the White House. “Nothing in the world comes even close to it, and it’ll be called the ‘F-47,’ the generals picked that title.” BOEING TO BUILD NEXT-GEN ‘F-47’ US FIGHTER JET, TRUMP ANNOUNCES The Next Generation Air Defense initiative that the Biden administration put on the back burner will oversee the effort. The Trump administration revived the program, a move that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said Friday “sends a very direct, clear message to our allies that we’re not going anywhere, and to our enemies that we will be able to project power around the globe.” An experimental version of the jet has been covertly flying for “years,” according to Trump. “The F-47 will be the most advanced, most capable, most lethal aircraft ever built,” Trump said. Trump also spoke with both Putin and Zelenskyy this week over the phone, amid ongoing efforts to end the war in Ukraine. Following the calls, both Russia and Ukraine agreed to a limited ceasefire against energy. The next step is for respective teams to conduct meetings to navigate how to reach a full ceasefire, according to the White House. “Technical teams will meet in Saudi Arabia in the coming days to discuss broadening the ceasefire to the Black Sea on the way to a full ceasefire,” the White House said in a statement Thursday. “They agreed this could be the first step toward the full end of the war and ensuring security. President Zelenskyy was grateful for the President’s leadership in this effort and reiterated his willingness to adopt a full ceasefire.” The Associated Press and Fox News’ Rachel Wolf contributed to this report.
Odisha hits JACKPOT as massive reserves of… found across state
These discoveries could transform Odisha’s economy by attracting investments and creating jobs.