4 more Dems travel to El Salvador to push for Abrego Garcia’s return to US
Four more Democratic lawmakers traveled to El Salvador to visit an illegal immigrant and suspected MS-13 gang member deported by President Donald Trump’s administration. Reps. Robert Garcia of California, Maxwell Frost of Florida, Yassamin Ansari of Arizona, and Maxine Dexter of Oregon announced in a press release Monday that they had arrived in El Salvador “to pressure the Trump Administration to abide by a Supreme Court order to facilitate the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia.” The four Democrats described Garcia as “a Maryland man with protected legal status who was unlawfully deported by the Trump Administration.” Their visit comes after Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., flew to El Salvador last week to visit Abrego Garcia, who had been transferred from the country’s notorious mega prison, Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo (CECOT), in Tecoluca to the detention facility “Centro Industrial” in Santa Ana days earlier. DEPORTED ILLEGAL ALIEN AND SUSPECTED MS-13 GANG MEMBER TRANSFERRED FROM NOTORIOUS EL SALVADORAN MEGA-PRISON In their press release, the four Democrats said their trip was not being financed by taxpayer dollars after House Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., denied Garcia and Frost’s request for an official congressional member delegation (CODEL). They argued the Trump administration’s removal of Garcia constituted “kidnapping” or him being “disappeared” – a term used to describe abducted and murdered prisoners and dissidents during Argentina’s “Dirty War.” Meanwhile, Trump weighed in on Abrego Garcia’s case in another TRUTH Social post on Sunday. “Radical Lunatic Democrats and their Comrades in the Fake News Media are falsely making Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia out to be a very sweet and innocent person, which is a total, blatant, and dangerous LIE,” Trump wrote. “Garcia has been found by two separate Courts to be a member of the violent, killer gang MS-13, was in our Country illegally, and is under a Deportation Order.” “It is despicable and unAmerican for Liberals and the Mainstream Media to hate our Country so much, and be obsessed with protecting criminals, instead of working to keep our Border, streets, and families safe,” he added. “Those lying to the American People on behalf of violent criminals have to be held responsible by the Agencies and the Courts. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” The four Democrats demanded the Trump administration bring Abrego Garcia back to the United States, arguing his deportation constituted a “constitutional crisis.” SEN. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN, DEMOCRAT AT CENTER OF KILMAR ABREGO GARCIA SAGA, RESPONDS TO GRIEVING ANGEL MOM’S CRITICISM “While Donald Trump continues to defy the Supreme Court, Kilmar Abrego Garcia is being held illegally in El Salvador after being wrongfully deported,” Garcia said. “That is why we’re here – to remind the American people that kidnapping immigrants and deporting them without due process is not how we do things in America. We are demanding the Trump Administration abide by the Supreme Court decision and give Kilmar and the other migrants mistakenly sent to El Salvador due process in the United States.” “Donald Trump and his Administration are running a government-funded kidnapping program – illegally arresting, jailing, and deporting innocent people with zero due process. Kilmar Abrego Garcia is Trump’s latest victim,” Frost said in a statement. “As Members of Congress it is our responsibility to hold the President and Administration accountable for defying the constitution of the United States. Donald Trump and ICE are not above the law. Today it’s Kilmar, but tomorrow it could be anyone else. We cannot and will not let Donald Trump get away with this.” “My parents fled an authoritarian regime in Iran where people were ‘disappeared’ – I refuse to sit back and watch it happen here, too. Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s illegal abduction and President Trump’s complete disregard of due process and a unanimous Supreme Court ruling are deeply disturbing. We should all be appalled by this treatment by the United States government,” Ansari said. “What happened to Kilmar Abrego Garcia is not just one family’s nightmare – it is a constitutional crisis that should outrage every single one of us,” Dexter said. “We will not rest while due process is discarded, and our constitutional rights are ignored.” The Trump administration deported Abrego Garcia, 29, to El Salvador in what it described in court filings as an “administrative error,” and has since said that it is up to El Salvador whether Abrego Garcia returns to the U.S. Meanwhile, a federal court and the Supreme Court have instructed the Trump administration to coordinate Abrego Garcia’s return so that proper deportation hearings can occur. The Justice Department unveiled documents on Wednesday detailing domestic violence allegations that Abrego Garcia’s wife, Jennifer Vasquez, included in a court filing in 2021. Vasquez alleged in the filing that Abrego Garcia beat her and that she had documentation of the bruises he left on her. Additionally, a 2022 Homeland Security Investigations report obtained by Fox News claims that Abrego Garcia was suspected of partaking in labor and human trafficking. The report said a Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper pulled Abrego Garcia over in 2022 after swerving. The patrol officer found eight other individuals in the car with Abrego Garcia, who had just begun driving three days prior. The officer originally believed the incident qualified as a human trafficking case because no luggage was found in the car, but the officer ultimately only wrote up Abrego Garcia for driving with an expired license. Fox News’ Diana Stancy, David Spunt, Rachel Wolf and Greg Norman contributed to this report.
Scoop: Anti-Chinese government group launches plan to track CCP-backed legislation in statehouses
EXCLUSIVE: State Armor Action is releasing a new tool that will allow people to track anti-Chinese Communist Party (CCP) legislation across the country. “China’s communist government targets American state governments in order to undermine our homeland security. Protecting the United States from the Chinese Communist Party requires working on the front lines in statehouses across the country to combat CCP aggression and oppression,” Michael Lucci, the founder and CEO of State Armor Action, told Fox News Digital. The comment comes as Lucci’s organization, which aims to help U.S. states confront emerging global security threats, releases a new tracker that allows users to see all the legislation regarding China currently making its way through state legislatures. TRUMP: CHINA CALLING ‘A LOT’ SINCE LAST WEEK’S TARIFF INCREASE, DEAL COULD HAPPEN AS SOON AS 3 WEEKS According to the tracker, their organization is currently keeping tabs on 461 bills across the country aimed at addressing the threat posed by the CCP. The tracker also keeps tabs on where those bills stand, with a graphic showing that 11 of the bills have been killed, 43 have been adopted, 25 have passed both chambers, 43 have crossed over from one chamber to another, and 339 have been introduced. “State Armor Action’s legislation tracker will serve as a crucial tool in the fight against Communist China and its nefarious partners,” Lucci said. “The tracker will help educate policy leaders and inform the American public about the legislation that will stop the CCP across the country, and it will help spread legislative concepts between states.” GORDON CHANG: TRUMP TARIFFING CHINA AT THE WORST POSSIBLE TIME FOR XI JINPING The tracker contains graphics that track the party in control of each state government where bills have been introduced or enacted, while also displaying a U.S. map showing which states have the highest concentration of anti-CCP bills. While the threat posed by China may traditionally be seen as in the sphere of the federal government’s control, Alex Gray, deputy assistant to the president and chief of staff of the White House National Security Council, told Fox News Digital that it is critical that states also set themselves up to combat China. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “The Chinese Communist Party has its sights set on the states,” Gray said. “Now more than ever, we need state leaders to step up and harden themselves against Communist China. State Armor Action’s new China legislation tracker will help inform and educate leaders on legislation across the country, allow them to monitor progress, and make it easier to join the fight against the CCP’s encroachment in our homeland. State and local leaders can use the tracker to model their legislation based on other successful counter-CCP bills around the country. I urge all leaders to use this tool and help counter China’s malign influence.”
White House rips alleged Pentagon leakers’ ‘shattered egos,’ brushes off Hegseth second Signal chat report
The White House hit back at recent news reports detailing Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s reported involvement in a second Signal group chat where he discussed military strikes on Yemen as a “nonstory” while also slamming recently fired Department of Defense staffers. “No matter how many times the legacy media tries to resurrect the same nonstory, they can’t change the fact that no classified information was shared,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told Fox News Digital Monday morning. “Recently fired ‘leakers’ are continuing to misrepresent the truth to soothe their shattered egos and undermine the President’s agenda, but the administration will continue to hold them accountable.” Kelly’s response followed Fox News Digital inquiring about media reports Sunday reporting that Hegseth was part of another Signal group chat that allegedly included his wife, personal attorney and brother where he discussed upcoming military strikes on Yemen. The chat was reportedly created by Hegseth, the New York Times reported Sunday, citing four people will knowledge of the chat. The White House “stands strongly” behind Hegseth, according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, despite a week of dramatic high-level firings in addition to Signal chat reports. “The President stands strongly behind Secretary Hegseth, who is doing a phenomenal job leading the Pentagon,” Leavitt said on Fox News Monday. “This is what happens when the entire Pentagon is working against you and working against the monumental change that you are trying to implement.” Hegseth also brushed off the reporting on the Signal chat Monday, blaming it on “disgruntled employees” and “anonymous smears.” PENTAGON’S WEEK OF POWER STRUGGLES: LEAK FALLOUT AND SHOUTING MATCHES HIT HEGSETH’S INNER CIRCLE “This is why we’re fighting the fake news media,” he said when pressed on the chat by reporters at the White House Easter Egg roll. “This group right here is full of hoaxsters.” Hegseth gestured to his wife and children and said he was there to enjoy the day with them. He added that he had spoken to Trump and planned to keep fighting all the way. The Trump administration came under scrutiny from Democrats and other critics after the Atlantic’s editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, revealed in an article published March 24 that he was added to a Signal group chat with top national security leaders, including Hegseth, national security advisor Mike Waltz and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, discussing upcoming military strikes in Yemen. PENTAGON FIRES GREENLAND US BASE COMMANDER WHO ‘UNDERMINED’ JD VANCE AFTER PITUFFIK VISIT Signal is an encrypted messaging app that operates similarly to texting or making phone calls, but with additional security measures that help ensure communications are kept private to those included in the correspondence. The Atlantic’s report characterized the Trump administration as texting “war plans” regarding a planned strike on Houthi rebels in Yemen. The Trump administration has maintained, however, that no classified material was transmitted in the chat, with Trump repeatedly defending Waltz amid the fallout. The strikes on Houthi rebels unfolded on March 15. Leavitt told the media in March that the White House considered the Signal group chat leak case “closed” while continuing to offer support to Waltz, whose office allegedly mistakenly added the journalist to the chat. THIRD TOP PENTAGON AIDE COLIN CARROLL ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE OVER LEAKS PROBE “As the president has made it very clear, Mike Waltz continues to be an important part of his national security team,” Leavitt told the media in brief remarks during a gaggle outside of the White House’s press room March 31. “And this case has been closed here at the White House, as far as we are concerned.” “There have been steps made to ensure that something like that can obviously never happen again,” she continued. “And we’re moving forward. And the president and Mike Waltz and his entire national security team have been working together very well, if you look at how much safer the United States of America is because of the leadership of this team.” PENTAGON DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF IS SECOND HEGSETH ADVISOR REMOVED AMID DOD LEAK PROBE Reports of a second Signal chat involving Hegseth follows highly publicized departures at the Pentagon last week following leaks. Top aides to Hegseth were placed on leave and escorted out of the building as the Pentagon probed unauthorized leaks: senior advisor Dan Caldwell, deputy chief of staff Darin Selnick and Colin Carroll, chief of staff to Deputy Secretary of Defense Stephen Feinberg. On Friday evening, those three employees were fired, two defense officials confirmed to Fox News Digital, along with chief of staff Joe Kasper. Another press aide, John Ullyot, parted ways with the Pentagon because he did not want to be second-in-command of the communications shop. Officials denied that the three men were placed on leave because of their foreign policy views and said they saw no connection to their positions on Iran and Israel — even as reports surfaced that President Donald Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the Pentagon would not intervene if Israel attacked Iran. Ullyot notably published a scathing opinion piece in Politico Sunday predicting Hegseth would not remain as secretary of defense. “It’s been a month of total chaos at the Pentagon,” he wrote. “From leaks of sensitive operational plans to mass firings, the dysfunction is now a major distraction for the president — who deserves better from his senior leadership.” “Trump has a strong record of holding his top officials to account,” he wrote. “Given that, it’s hard to see Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth remaining in his role for much longer.”
Hegseth shared details of Yemen strikes in second Signal chat: report
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth shared details of a March military airstrike against the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen in another Signal message chat that included his wife and brother, according to a report. The New York Times first reported the revelation of a second Signal chat surrounding the military strike on Sunday. Those same attack plans had also been shared in another chat with top Trump administration leaders and only came to light last month because Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, was mistakenly added to the group. The Pentagon pushed back on the story, and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told “FOX & Friends” that President Donald Trump stands by Hegseth. The second chat had the same warplane launch times that were included in the first chat, operational details that, if shared before a strike, could have put pilots in danger, multiple former and current officials have said. Four people with knowledge of the second chat told the paper that Hegseth’s wife, Jennifer, a former Fox News producer, his brother Phil and his personal lawyer, Tim Parlatore, were included in the chat. NSA MIKE WALTZ TAKES RESPONSIBILITY FOR SIGNAL CHAT LEAK Jennifer Hegseth is not a Defense Department employee, though she has traveled with her husband overseas to meetings with foreign leaders. Phil Hegseth and Parlatore are both employed by the Pentagon. It is unclear why any of them would need to be informed of any upcoming military strikes. The second chat included 13 people, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. They also confirmed the chat was dubbed “Defense ‘ Team Huddle.” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell dismissed the reporting as “another old story—back from the dead.” “The Trump-hating media continues to be obsessed with destroying anyone committed to President Trump’s agenda,” Parnell said. “This time, the New York Times — and all other Fake News that repeat their garbage — are enthusiastically taking the grievances of disgruntled former employees as the sole sources for their article.” AXED PENTAGON AIDES CLAIM THEIR CHARACTER WAS ‘SLANDERED,’ LITTLE DETAILS WERE SHARED ABOUT LEAK INVESTIGATION Parnell claimed that The Times’ sources were people fired from the Pentagon last week who “appear to have a motive to sabotage the Secretary and the President’s agenda.” Parnell contended that there was no classified information in any Signal chat, a response that Hegseth previously asserted regarding the first chat. The White House late Sunday similarly dismissed the report as a “non-story,” suggesting that disgruntled former Pentagon employees were spreading false claims. “No matter how many times the legacy media tries to resurrect the same non-story, they can’t change the fact that no classified information was shared,” said Anna Kelly, White House deputy press secretary. “Recently-fired ‘leakers’ are continuing to misrepresent the truth to soothe their shattered egos and undermine the President’s agenda, but the administration will continue to hold them accountable.” PENTAGON’S WEEK OF POWER STRUGGLES: LEAK FALLOUT AND SHOUTING MATCHES HIT HEGSETH’S INNER CIRCLE Former Pentagon spokesman John Ullyot, who announced he was resigning last week unrelated to the leaks, penned an op-ed published in Politico on Sunday that detailed what he called “the Month from Hell” inside the agency. “President Donald Trump has a strong record of holding his top officials to account. Given that, it’s hard to see Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth remaining in his role for much longer,” Ullyot wrote. He wrote that “the building is in disarray under Hegseth’s leadership” after the defense secretary “followed horrible crisis-communications advice from his new public affairs team” regarding the first Signal chat. Ullyot wrote that Trump “deserves better from his senior leadership.” The first chat, set up by national security adviser Mike Waltz, included several Cabinet members. The contents of that chat, which The Atlantic published, shows that Hegseth listed weapons systems and a timeline for the attack on Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen last month. The revelation of the second chat group brought fresh criticism against Hegseth and President Donald Trump’s wider administration after it failed to take action against the top national security officials who discussed plans for the military strike in Signal. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Trump’s 14th week will be dominated by crucial trade talks
President Donald Trump’s post-Easter work week is set to include ongoing Easter celebrations, including hosting the White House’s famed Easter Egg Roll, as well as continuing trade negotiations following the reciprocal tariff pause earlier this month. Families, children and members of the Trump Cabinet will flock to the White House’s South Lawn on Monday, when first lady Melania Trump will host the annual Easter Egg Roll. “As families across the nation gather to celebrate Easter,” Melania Trump shared in a message on Good Friday. “I extend my gratitude to the dedicated East Wing Staff for their tireless effort in preparing the upcoming White House Easter Egg Roll.” FIRST LADY MELANIA TRUMP SHARES GOOD FRIDAY MESSAGE AHEAD OF EASTER “This cherished tradition, rooted in history since 1878, brings joy, storytelling and laughter to America’s children,” she continued. TRUMP SHREDS BIDEN, ‘RADICAL LEFT LUNATICS’ IN EASTER MESSAGE The event, in its 147th year, dates back to Rutherford B. Hayes’ presidency in 1878, according to the White House website. This year’s event will feature thousands of eggs donated by American farmers. The Trump administration is expected to meet with South Korean officials in Washington, D.C., this week as the nation looks to strike a tariff deal with Trump after the country was hit with a 25% reciprocal tariff during Trump’s April 2 “Liberation Day” announcement. “We’re working on the big 15 economies first, we had a fantastic meeting with Japan yesterday. I believe there have been calls with the EU already. And then we have, South Korea coming in next week. And I believe India is also, talking. That’s moving very quickly,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said of the negotiations last week. WHAT THE FINANCIAL MARKETS ARE SCREAMING ABOUT TRUMP’S TARIFFS Trump put a 90-day pause on reciprocal, customized tariffs he had imposed on dozens of nations on April 9, which was an abrupt change of course after saying there would not be a pause to the tariffs, just negotiations. Simultaneously, the Trump administration upped the ante on its tariff on China to 125%. Now, the administration, including Trump, is diving into negotiations with foreign nations to strike deals that are beneficial to the U.S. and lower the country’s chronic trade deficit. South Korea confirmed on Sunday that officials would visit Washington, D.C., later this week. South Korean Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok and Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun are slated to meet specifically with Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, Reuters reported. TRUMP SAYS THERE’S A ‘REAL CHANCE’ TARIFFS COULD REPLACE INCOME TAX Trump signed an executive order last week intended to bolster the U.S. fishing industry and “restore American seafood competitiveness” by prioritizing commercial fishing while cutting red tape that handcuffs where fishermen cast their nets. Trump previewed that an executive action related specifically to Maine’s lobster industry will land on his desk this week. MAINE LOBSTERMEN CATCH BIG COURT VICTORY AGAINST BIDEN ADMINISTRATION’S ‘EGREGIOUS’ REGULATIONS “I did it last time in Maine and they [the Biden administration] undid it. That’s why we have to stay president for a long time,” Trump said from the Oval Office last week, previewing his next executive action related to fishing will focus on Maine’s lobster industry. Under his first administration, Trump cut Obama-era regulations that prevented lobsterman from fishing in certain areas, including 5,000 square miles of federally protected waters off the coast of Cape Cod. Trump has signed 130 executive orders since he took office on Jan. 20, dwarfing his predecessors’ EO counts by dozens of actions. Trump’s 14th week back in the Oval comes just ahead of his 100th day as president on April 30.
Vance was one of Pope Francis’ last visitors
Vice President JD Vance was one of the last visitors of Pope Francis before the first Jesuit to lead the Catholic Church died at age 88. Vance met with Francis briefly on Sunday to exchange Easter greetings in one of the reception rooms of the Vatican hotel where he’d been living since being released from Rome’s Gemmlli Hospital on March 23. The pope had been hospitalized for five weeks after surviving a severe case of pneumonia. The 88-year-old pope on Sunday offered the Catholic vice president three big chocolate Easter eggs for Vance’s three young children, who did not attend, as well as a Vatican tie and rosaries. PHOTO GALLERY: POPE FRANCIS THROUGH THE YEARS “I know you have not been feeling great, but it’s good to see you in better health,” Vance told the pope. “Thank you for seeing me.” Vance acknowledged news of the pope’s death early Monday. “I just learned of the passing of Pope Francis,” the vice president wrote on X. “My heart goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him. I was happy to see him yesterday, though he was obviously very ill. But I’ll always remember him for the below homily he gave in the very early days of COVID. It was really quite beautiful. May God rest his soul.” Vance shared a link to the Vatican’s transcript of the March 27, 2020, homily delivered by Francis from St. Peter’s Basilica five years ago. In part, the pope said, “Embracing his cross means finding the courage to embrace all the hardships of the present time, abandoning for a moment our eagerness for power and possessions in order to make room for the creativity that only the Spirit is capable of inspiring.” “Rest in Peace, Pope Francis,” the White House also wrote on X. Vance’s motorcade entered Vatican City on Sunday through a side gate while Easter Mass was being celebrated in St. Peter’s Square. Francis had delegated the celebration of the Mass to another cardinal. The Vatican said they met for a few minutes at the Domus Santa Marta “to exchange Easter greetings.” Vance’s office said the vice president “expressed his gratitude to Pope Francis for inviting him to meet on Easter Sunday and for the hospitality the Vatican has extended to his family.” “I pray for you every day,” Vance said as he bid Francis farewell. “God bless you.” POPE FRANCIS DEAD AT 88, VATICAN SAYS In all, Vance’s motorcade was on Vatican territory for 17 minutes, according to the Associated Press. The vice president later joined his family for Easter Mass at St. Paul Outside the Walls, one of the four pontifical basilicas in Rome. The Vances visited the tomb of the apostle St. Paul, who is said to be located there. Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, and the pope have tangled sharply over migration and the Trump administration’s mass deportation plans. Just days before he was hospitalized in February, Francis said the Trump administration’s plans would deprive migrants of their inherent dignity. In a letter to U.S. bishops, Francis also appeared to respond to Vance directly for having claimed that Catholic doctrine justified such policies. Vance has acknowledged Francis’ criticism but has said he will continue to defend his views. During a Feb. 28 appearance at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast in Washington, Vance didn’t address the issue specifically but called himself a “baby Catholic” and acknowledged there are “things about the faith that I don’t know.” Vance met Saturday with the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and foreign minister, Archbishop Paul Gallagher. Vance’s office said he and Parolin “discussed their shared religious faith, Catholicism in the United States, the plight of persecuted Christian communities around the world, and President Trump’s commitment to restoring world peace.” The Vatican, for its part, said there was an “exchange of opinions,” including over migrants and refugees and current conflicts. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
California mayor wants to give homeless people ‘all the fentanyl they want’: ‘Need to purge these people’
A Southern California mayor said he wants to eliminate his city’s homeless population by “giving them all the fentanyl they want,” a controversial comment he doubled down on by saying he supports a federal “purge” of homeless people. Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris, a Republican, made the comments during a city council meeting on Feb. 25 when a resident questioned him about the city’s plan to address the homeless crisis by “enclosing” the homeless population in a single encampment in an abandoned golf course near a residential neighborhood. “What I want to do is give them free fentanyl. That’s what I want to do,” Parris responded. “I want to give them all the fentanyl they want,” he reiterated. NECKTIES IN DRESS CODES MAY BE NEXT TO FACE A BAN IN CALIFORNIA, IF MAYOR’S PROPOSAL GAINS TRACTION The resident replied that the mayor’s approach “was not kind.” The mayor is now facing a recall effort following his comments at the city council meeting, although it has only collected 6% of its goal of 20,000 signatures. He has faced past scrutiny over his controversial moves, including his decision to extend mayoral terms from two years to four. “For too long, Mayor R. Rex Parris has prioritized personal gain over the well-being of residents. His administration has been marked by mismanagement, controversial policies, and a disregard for transparency,” a recall petition reads. “Lancaster deserves leadership that listens, serves, and uplifts the community – not one that divides and exploits it,” it adds. But Parris has reaffirmed his position about wanting to give homeless people the illicit drug that kills thousands of Californians per year. He told Fox 11 on Friday that he has no regrets about his remarks and that he was referring to homeless criminals who “refuse” to seek help. “I made it very clear I was talking about the criminal element that were let out of the prisons that have now become 40 to 45% of what’s referred to as the homeless population,” Parris said. “They are responsible for most of our robberies, most of our rapes, and at least half of our murders,” he continued. “There’s nothing that we can do for these people.” The mayor did not provide data to back up his claims about the number of crimes homeless people are responsible for. Parris said he did not expect his comments to be taken “literally,” telling the outlet that fentanyl is “so easy” to obtain on the streets that it would not make a difference if the city offered the opioid to homeless people for free. The mayor sought to credit Lancaster for providing more “innovative” solutions to the homeless crisis than other U.S. cities and floated the idea of a federal “purge” to cut down on the homeless population. HOMELESS MAN WINS $1 MILLION ON LOTTERY SCRATCHER FROM CALIFORNIA LIQUOR STORE: REPORT “Quite frankly, I wish that the president would give us a purge. Because we do need to purge these people,” Parris said. “Now, is it harsh? Of course, it is harsh,” he continued. “But it’s my obligation as the mayor of the city of Lancaster to protect the hardworking families that live there, and I am no longer able to do it… It’s an untenable situation, and I’m open to any solution… I want these people out of our city.” Parris, who has been mayor since 2008 and won re-election last year, also made a controversial move in 2018 when he proposed banning workplace dress codes that require wearing neckties over claims that they restrict blood flow to the brain.
Biden green energy project halted by Trump admin relied on rushed, bad science, study finds
A $5 billion green energy project touted by the Biden administration and Democrats was rushed and relied on faulty science that could have resulted in severe negative environmental impacts, a new study found. The Empire Wind Project, which was being developed by energy company “Equinor” and was slated to see the construction of 147 ocean wind turbines off the coasts of New York and New Jersey, was halted by the Trump Department of the Interior in a move announced this week. The project was estimated to cost a total of $5 billion and was being developed under contract with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. On Wednesday, Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum said the project would remain halted pending “further review of information that suggests the Biden administration rushed through its approval without sufficient analysis.” COAL IS A ‘TRIPLE WIN’ AND TRUMP UNDERSTANDS THAT, DOUG BURGUM SAYS A review by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) appears to back up the Trump administration’s concerns. The agency found the Empire Wind approval process relied on rushed, outdated and incomplete scientific and environmental analysis, leading to project leaders making decisions not based on the best available information. The NOAA said that “monitoring plans to assess project effects on fisheries and habitat resources were inadequate, and existing compensation mechanisms fell short due to flawed scientific methodologies.” Ultimately, these deficiencies “limited the ability to avoid and minimize conflicts between development and marine resources at both stages.” REPUBLICANS SEEK TO END TAXPAYER FUNDING OF ‘GREEN ENERGY BOONDOGGLES’ ON AGRICULTURAL LANDS The result was that several sensitive habitats, spawning grounds, and important regional commercial and recreational fishing areas were included within the wind farm area. “Critical areas that support commercial and recreational fisheries were not excluded from leasing, and proposals that emphasized maximum development scenarios further restricted opportunities to reduce impacts on fisheries and important habitats,” the NOAA’s study found. In total, approximately 139 acres of seabed would have been permanently altered by wind turbine generators and equipment and an additional 1,554 acres would have been altered by the installation of a submarine cable connecting the turbines to the land. Additionally, the project did not account for new information about adverse construction impacts of other ocean wind farms, such as the catastrophic turbine blade failures that occurred in 2024 at another Biden wind farm off the coast of Massachusetts, as well as problems with persistent fish kills associated with the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project. BIDEN ADMIN QUIETLY RELEASED STUDY SHOWING GREEN ENERGY RECEIVES FAR MORE SUBSIDIES THAN FOSSIL FUELS Despite these concerns, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, has vowed to fight the Trump administration’s decision to halt the project. After Burgum announced the project was being halted, Hochul slammed the decision, saying, “Permits secured. Shovels in the ground. 1,000 union workers earning a paycheck. Now the federal government wants to kill Empire Wind 1, putting jobs, affordable energy, and our economic future at risk.” Hochul pledged to “fight them every step of the way.” A Thursday statement by Equinor said that Empire is complying with the government’s order to halt construction but noted it is “engaging with relevant authorities to clarify this matter and is considering its legal remedies, including appealing the order.”
Trump administration plans to pull $1 billion in funding from Harvard amid clash with university: report
President Donald Trump is reportedly planning to pull an additional $1 billion in federal funding from Harvard University amid his public battle with the institution, according to a report published Sunday. The Wall Street Journal reported that the $1 billion is related to the elite Massachusetts Ivy League school’s health research funding, according to sources familiar with the matter. The latest report comes just days after the White House asked the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to revoke Harvard’s tax-exempt status over its alleged failure to address antisemitism on campus. In March, the Justice Department began a “comprehensive review” of the school’s federal contracts and government-funded grants. Last week, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) canceled $2.7 million in DHS grants to the university. HARVARD UNDER FIRE AS DHS SECRETARY CUTS $2.7M IN GRANTS, DEMANDS VISA RECORDS In a recent social media post, Trump claimed that Harvard had “lost its way” and didn’t deserve federal funding. “Harvard has been hiring almost all woke, Radical Left, idiots and ‘birdbrains’ who are only capable of teaching FAILURE to students and so-called ‘future leaders,’” Trump wrote. “Look just to the recent past at their plagiarizing President, who so greatly embarrassed Harvard before the United States Congress. “Harvard is a JOKE, teaches Hate and Stupidity, and should no longer receive Federal Funds.” Earlier last week, Fox News Digital spoke with students at Harvard about Trump’s recent measures – and got mixed results. TRUMP ANNOUNCES PLAN TO CHOP DOWN MAGNOLIA TREE PURPORTEDLY PLANTED BY ANDREW JACKSON: ‘MUST COME TO AN END’ “In my personal opinion, it’s that Harvard kind of deserves everything that’s happened, everything that is coming to it,” Carter Stewart, a classics major and campus Republican, said. “I think Harvard is faced with a choice, and it seems like they’re making the wrong choice, which is to double down on these crazy ideas that most Americans don’t agree with and to pay the price for that.” “So, I think it’s a good thing that Harvard’s being forced to put its money where its mouth is,” Stewart added. Ryan Enos, a Harvard professor of government, offered a different take, and said that he supported the school’s defiance against the federal government. “You shouldn’t have the government coming in and telling a private institution what it can do in its internal affairs like that,” Enos said. “People have a right to protest whatever they want. I think we need to be really careful not to conflate those two things, because otherwise we have a danger of doing things like shutting down free speech.” Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and Harvard for comment, but did not immediately hear back. Fox News Digital’s Kaylee Holland and Albas Cubas-Fantauzzi contributed to this report.
Trump hopeful Russia and Ukraine can make a deal after temporary Easter ceasefire ends
President Donald Trump is “hopeful” Russia and Ukraine can make a deal this week after a temporary Easter ceasefire between the two countries ended. “Hopefully Russia and Ukraine will make a deal this week,” Trump posted on his social media platform, Truth Social. “Both will then start to do big business with the United States of America, which is thriving, and make a fortune!” The war between the two countries has raged for more than three years and has cost the lives of tens of thousands of people on both sides. PUTIN ANNOUNCES TEMPORARY EASTER CEASEFIRE IN UKRAINE WAR Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of breaking their ceasefire agreement and said “the Russian army has violated Putin’s ceasefire more than two thousand times.” “The total number of violations by the Russian army of Russia’s own ceasefire promise throughout the day reached 2,935. The highest number of shellings and assaults occurred in the Pokrovsk,” Zelenskyy wrote. Zelenskyy added that Ukraine will remain a mirror-image and “will respond to silence with silence our strikes in defense of Russian strikes.” “Actions are always more eloquent than words,” Zelenskyy said. PUTIN CONSCRIPTS 160K MEN AS RUSSIA EYES UKRAINE OFFENSIVE Putin ordered his forces to stop all military activity along the front line in the temporary Easter ceasefire until midnight, Moscow time, on Sunday. Zelenskyy previously said that if the Easter ceasefire actually held up, he would propose extending it longer. “That is what will reveal Russia’s true intentions – because 30 hours is enough to make headlines, but not for genuine confidence-building measures,” he said. “Thirty days could give peace a chance.” Zelenskyy added that “there is no trust in words coming from Moscow” after one of his military leaders reported that Russia had seemed to break their truce. “We know all too well how Moscow manipulates, and we are prepared for anything. Ukraine’s Defense Forces will act rationally – responding in kind. Every Russian strike will be met with an appropriate response,” Zelenskyy said. ZELENSKYY SENSATIONALLY PREDICTS PUTIN ‘WILL DIE SOON’ Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., echoed Zelenskyy and said on “Face the Nation” on CBS that the likelihood of Russia upholding the deal is “entirely up to Vladimir Putin.” “The man has never kept his word, ever, in any context, as far as I’m aware,” Fitzpatrick said. “So we have to know what we’re dealing with. Our government, I hope, knows who they’re dealing with Vladimir Putin. He’s not a man of his word. He’s not interested in peace. I hope he gets there.” Fitzpatrick added that he felt like Secretary of State Marco Rubio is “doing a great job and understands Putin.” “He understands the dynamic of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the history there. And I have full faith in his ability to barter a just and fair agreement,” Fitzpatrick explained. “But it’s important to remember, and this applies to all agreements where we facilitate as a nation, that it’s ultimately up to the nations to accept and abide by those conditions.” “President Zelensky, the Ukrainian people desperately want peace. They’ve always wanted peace. They were a peaceful nation before Russia wrongfully invaded them, and they want to get it back. But it has got to be a just and lasting peace,” he said. The temporary ceasefire came after Trump on Thursday said an 80-page minerals deal will be signed with Ukraine in one week. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent later said it would likely be signed on April 26. Details on the agreement remain relatively unknown, though recent reporting by Bloomberg has suggested the U.S. has eased back its demands for repayment for its aid in Ukraine’s fight against Russia from $300 billion to $100 billion. Fox News Digital’s Michael Dorgan and the Associated Press contributed to this report.