NationalWatch

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani released his “Preliminary Citywide Racial Equity Plan” on Monday, which quickly prompted pushback from conservatives online and skepticism from President Donald Trump’s Justice Department, with one top official saying she will “review” the move. 

Mamdani’s office explained in a press release that the preliminary report, which the mayor had promised to release within 100 days in office, shows racial disparities in areas like housing, education, and income, and the new plan aims to “establish a new framework for how New York City measures affordability, understands inequity and plans for a more equitable future.”

“The True Cost of Living Measure offers an honest account of what it actually costs to live in this city — and who is being left behind. It shows that this is not a crisis affecting a small minority of New Yorkers. It is a crisis touching the vast majority of our city, in every borough and every neighborhood,” Mamdani said in the press release.

“But we know this crisis is not felt equally. Black and Latino New Yorkers — who have been pushed out of this city for decades — are bearing the brunt. The Preliminary Racial Equity Plan is where we begin to reverse that pattern. These reports make one thing clear: we cannot tackle systemic racial inequity without confronting the affordability crisis head-on, and we cannot solve the cost-of-living crisis without dismantling systemic racial inequity.”

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Mamdani’s announcement quickly sparked pushback from conservatives, as well as from the Trump administration, expressing concerns about race-based initiatives and spending which the administration has been working to undo since taking power last year.

“Sounds fishy/illegal,” DOJ Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon posted on X. “Will review!”

“Straight-up racism against White people,” conservative influencer account Libs of TikTok posted on X. 

“The reality is Mamdani is implementing blatantly racist policies that reward and punish people based on their skin color,” conservative commentator Paul A. Szypula posted on X.

The city billed the racial equity plan as the “first time any New York City administration has required major city agencies to examine their work through a racial equity lens and identify and eliminate disparities” and said the plan sets goals across seven domains that include: “Children, Youth, Older Adults and Families; Economy; Housing and Preservation; Infrastructure and Environment; Health and Wellbeing; Community Safety, Rights and Accountability; and Good Governance and Inclusive Decision-Making.”

The report cites a sizable gap in the median net worth of white households compared to Black households while reporting that Black New Yorkers also have a lower life expectancy and suggests the way to address those gaps is an expansive framework featuring more than 200 agency-level goals, over 800 proposed strategies, and roughly 600 performance indicators intended to track progress over time.

“Inequity has been embedded in the foundation of our city and nation since their inception; dismantling it requires a collective effort,” NYC Chief Equity Officer and NYC Mayor’s Office of Equity & Racial Justice Commissioner Afua Atta-Mensah said in Monday’s press release.

NYC LANDLORDS FIRE BACK AT ‘RACIST’ MAMDANI AIDE’S CLAIM THAT TIES HOMEOWNERSHIP TO ‘WHITE SUPREMACY’

“The NYC Preliminary Citywide Racial Equity Plan reflects the city’s commitment to systemic transformation—turning our values into actions. From housing and healthcare to education and infrastructure, every agency plays a pivotal role in reshaping how government serves New Yorkers. This plan outlines measurable goals and actionable strategies to advance racial equity, promote justice and create lasting change.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani’s office and the DOJ for comment.

Dating back to his mayoral campaign, Mamdani has faced intense criticism for his focus on race and “equity, including a policy proposal, “Stop the Squeeze on NYC Homeowners,” that outlined his plans to “shift the tax burden from overtaxed homeowners in the outer boroughs to more expensive homes in richer and Whiter neighborhoods.” 

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In February, Mamdani faced criticism over his budget plan that stated the Office of Racial Equity would receive $5.6 million annually, while the Commission on Racial Equity would be allocated $4.6 million, a combined total of $10.2 million. The new figure represents roughly a $3 million increase — or about a 42% jump — from the approximately $7.2 million allocated last year.

Fox News Digital’s Amanda Macias contributed to this report.

The Obama Presidential Center is facing a wave of backlash ahead of its opening, with critics blasting its admission policies and raising broader concerns about the project’s cost and management.

Conservative commentators on social media are taking aim at the center’s requirement that Illinois residents show valid identification to receive free admission on certain days, arguing it contrasts with Democratic opposition to voter ID laws.

“They’re making you show ID… to visit the Obama Library… in Chicago. You can’t make this stuff up!” one social media user wrote.

“The Obama Presidential Library is making people show an ID for proof of Illinois residency to get in for free,” another posted. “So residents have to prove who they are for this, but not to vote?”

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Others echoed the sentiment more bluntly, with one account writing: “It turns out Democrats support requiring ID… but only for free admission into Obama’s library.”

Obama’s website clearly states that Illinois residents “must be able to provide proof of residency. Be prepared to show proof of residency at the Museum with a valid photo ID, Illinois driver’s license, state ID, or city-issued ID.”

Critics have also pointed to reported restrictions tied to early ticket giveaways, including claims that some promotions are limited to U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents.

The latest controversy builds on a string of prior criticisms surrounding the $850 million project.

OBAMA PRESIDENTIAL CENTER SLAMMED FOR PROMOTING ‘FAR-LEFT’ AGENDA ON PUBLIC LAND

Earlier this year, the Obama Foundation drew backlash after seeking 75 to 100 unpaid volunteers, dubbed “ambassadors,” to help operate the center, even as top executives collect substantial salaries. Federal filings show CEO Valerie Jarrett has earned roughly $740,000 annually in recent years, while overall compensation at the foundation has climbed significantly.

The project has also faced mounting scrutiny over its financial impact on taxpayers.

Former President Barack Obama once described the center as a “gift” to Chicago, emphasizing it would be privately funded. While construction of the 19.3-acre campus is being financed through private donations, the surrounding infrastructure needed to support the site, including road redesigns, utility relocations and drainage systems, is being paid for with public funds.

Early estimates put those infrastructure costs at roughly $350 million, split between the city and state. But more recent figures show Illinois alone has committed approximately $229 million, while Chicago has allocated more than $200 million in related improvements — though officials have not provided a clear, consolidated total of taxpayer spending tied to the project.

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“No single agency appears to oversee the full scope” of the infrastructure work, and critics say the lack of transparency has made it difficult to determine the true public cost.

Illinois Republican Party Chair Kathy Salvi criticized the project, saying taxpayers are being left “on the hook for hundreds of millions of dollars” while accusing state leaders of mismanagement.

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The controversy is further fueled by the nature of the site itself. The center sits on nearly 20 acres of historic Jackson Park land transferred under a long-term agreement, with significant roadway changes, including the removal of a major thoroughfare, and utility overhauls required to accommodate the campus.

Foundation officials have defended the project, saying the center is funded by $850 million in private investment and will serve as an economic catalyst for Chicago’s South Side, generating jobs, community programs and public amenities.

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Despite the backlash, the center is pressing ahead with its long-awaited debut.

Tickets for the museum will go on sale April 21 for “Founding Members,” with general public sales beginning May 6. Visitors can reserve timed-entry tickets for dates between June 19 and November 30.

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Admission is set at $30 for adults and $23 for children ages 3 to 11, with discounted rates available for Illinois residents who provide proof of residency. Children 2 and under can enter for free, and Illinois residents will be eligible for free admission on Tuesdays.

All entries will be timed, with officials urging guests to arrive within 10 minutes of their scheduled slot. The museum will feature four levels of exhibits, including a replica Oval Office and the Sky Room.

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Much of the surrounding campus, including gardens, walking trails, a playground, a Chicago Public Library branch and dozens of newly commissioned artworks, will be free and open to the public.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Obama Foundation and the Barack Obama Presidential Library for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Michael Dorgan contributed to this report. 

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger was swept into the governor’s mansion on a deep blue wave last November, but has seen her popularity plummet after less than 3 months in office.

Forty-six percent of Virginians disapprove of her job performance, while 47% approve. Compared to Virginia governors from both sides of the aisle since 1994, Spanberger has the highest disapproval rating at this point in her term.

In contrast, predecessor Gov. Glenn Youngkin saw a 54-39 job approval at this point in his term, with the highest favorability going to Democrat Mark Warner – now Virginia’s senior senator – with a 78-20 rating.

ICE PRESSURES SPANBERGER AS FAIRFAX MURDER SUSPECTS TRIGGER NEW DETAINERS IN ‘SANCTUARY’ CLASH

Warner’s current counterpart, Sen. Tim Kaine, was at 62-31, GOP Gov. Jim Gilmore III at 63-30, Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell at 59-39 and Democrats Terry McAuliffe and Ralph Northam at 52-30 and 48-37 respectively.

RNC SUES TO STOP DEMOCRATS’ VIRGINIA REDISTRICTING PUSH

Spanberger defeated then-Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears by 15 points in November and completely flipped statewide offices to Democrats Ghazala Hashmi for lieutenant governor and Jay Jones for attorney general.

The Post pointed out that while Spanberger’s favorability was narrow, her win dwarfed that of Youngkin’s over McAuliffe in 2021 – and the Falls Church business executive’s favorability was several points higher than hers.

George Mason University Policy & Government Dean Mark Rozell, a co-sponsor of the poll, told the Post that while some bit of political polarization is “baked in,” it was “unusual” to see such a result for Spanberger this early in her term after a campaign on a “centrist image.”

PRIMARY PAUSE, POLITICAL FIRESTORM: HIGH-STAKES ELECTIONS THIS MONTH TAKE CENTER STAGE

Seven percent of Virginians, however, by contrast, cite her tenure as “too conservative.”

Spanberger’s shift on gerrymandering was recently evinced through redistricting referendum critics citing her own 2019 words back to her in recent mailers, according to reports.

“Gerrymandering is detrimental to our democracy and it weakens the individual voices that form our electorates. Opposing gerrymandering should be a bipartisan priority,” Spanberger tweeted six years ago when Virginia considered its ultimately successful bid to remove map-redrawing power from the partisan legislature.

INSURGENT VIRGINIA DEMOCRAT SAYS HIS PARTY IS ‘COMPLETELY WRONG’ ON GUN RIGHTS AND GERRYMANDERING

However, Spanberger’s office recently denied claims that there had been any internal deals made involving her personally to help get more Democrats elected, particularly in the case of the Second Congressional District in Hampton Roads and the Eastern Shore.

Spanberger has also received criticism for appearing to pivot on gun control, from a moderate stance while in Congress favoring commonsense reforms and citing her resume as a former gun-toting CIA agent and postal inspector, to a governor poised to sign sweeping gun bans drafted by far-left Fairfax Democrats.

“I’m a mother of three girls in Virginia Public Schools. I’m also a former federal agent who carried a gun every single day for my job,” she said at a 2025 rally. “So I come at this issue as someone who cares deeply about the safety of our kids and as someone who understands the responsibilities of owning and of carrying a firearm.”

The redistricting referendum has been criticized for unfairly empowering Spanberger’s base counties, as five newly-drawn districts would originate in Fairfax and envelop – and critics say overpower – the voices of rural central and Western Virginia.

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One such district in particular, unfavorably shaped like a lobster according to critics, already has three notable Democratic candidates – gun control bill sponsor State Del. Dan Helmer of Fairfax, former first lady Dorothy McAuliffe, and former Jack Smith deputy JP Cooney – despite the referendum not being officially decided by the voters until April 21.

Fox News Digital reached out to Spanberger for comment.

FIRST ON FOX: Fresh off a string of primary wins, a major super PAC network aiming to elect AI-friendly candidates to Congress is intervening in several GOP primaries ahead of November’s midterm elections.

Leading the Future, a pro-AI group backed by industry executives with a sizable war chest, is pledging to spend $1.5 million supporting Jim Kingston in Georgia’s 1st Congressional District, Aaron Flint in Montana’s 1st Congressional District and Chris McGowan in Iowa’s 4th Congressional District.

The GOP-held districts are reliably Republican, but all three candidates face primary challengers where an outside spending group’s contributions could prove decisive. President Donald Trump has endorsed Flint and McGowan, but has yet to weigh in on the Georgia seat vacated by Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., who is running for Senate.

The super PAC network’s new round of spending comes after it claimed victories in North Carolina, Texas and Illinois, where it poured money into key primaries to elect candidates in both parties who oppose a patchwork of state AI regulations and are more supportive of the industry.

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“Our recent success across other primaries has allowed us to expand our footprint and continue supporting pro-innovation candidates who understand the need for a national regulatory framework on AI,” Zac Moffatt, Leading the Future co-strategist, told Fox News Digital in a statement. “We believe the candidates we’re backing will help deliver real results for a stronger, more prosperous future.” 

The pro-AI group spent more than $1 million to help Democratic Illinois House candidate Melissa Bean defeat several far-left opponents, while its six-figure ad buy put Republican North Carolina House candidate Laurie Buckhout over a crowded field of challengers. 

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In Texas, Leading the Future spent a combined $1.4 million in support of Republican candidates Jace Yarbrough, Jessica Steinmann, Chris Gober and Tom Sell, who all won or advanced to the runoff in their respective primaries.

The group’s aggressive midterm presence comes as the Trump administration is pushing for a single federal AI framework and the buildout of supporting infrastructure, including data centers.

The outside spending network is powered by donors including Greg Brockman, president of OpenAI, and his wife Anna, in addition to venture capitalists Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz.

Leading the Future raised more than $125 million in 2025 and reported more than $70 million in the bank at the beginning of this year.

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Leading the Future has also targeted candidates who support more guardrails on the industry, which critics argue could stifle innovation and cede growth to China. The group is pledging to spend millions to shut out Democratic New York state legislator Alex Boros from Congress.

The group’s latest spending supporting Kingston, Flint and McGowan includes ads running on broadcast, cable and digital, as well as direct mail.

FIRST ON FOX: Montana will again have a new face coming to the Senate, with Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., bowing out. His chosen successor knows he was picked to stop Democrats from taking the seat.

Former U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme was handpicked by Daines at the last minute to replace him, and he has no qualms about it as Republicans try to maintain their majority in the upper chamber in a midterm election cycle that is historically a referendum on the party — and president — in control.

“Knowing how important it was for Republicans to hold the Senate, I told him if he decided to retire, I would be interested,” Alme told Fox News Digital in an interview.

TOP TRUMP ALLY STEVE DAINES EXITS MONTANA SENATE RACE, PLANS TO RETIRE

Daines, who was seeking a third term in the Senate, dropped out of the race in early March, withdrawing his name just as the registration deadline in Montana was approaching. As he bowed out, Alme leapt in.

The move drew heavy criticism from Daines’ opponents in the state and from Democrats in Washington, D.C., but Alme described the plan as one geared toward maintaining the balance of power in the upper chamber.

Seth Bodnar, the former University of Montana president who jumped into the race as an independent hours before Daines’ exit, said on X that the lawmaker had “so little respect for Montana Republicans that he withdrew at the last minute to coronate his handpicked successor instead of giving them a voice at the ballot box.”

“This is the disgusting arrogance of Washington politicians and their party bosses who trade power back and forth like candy while Montanans are crushed under higher costs and fewer opportunities,” Bodnar said.

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It’s a move fitting for Daines, given that he has become one of Washington’s savviest political operators and played a key role in clinching Republicans’ Senate majority while serving as National Republican Senatorial Committee chair during the 2024 election cycle.

“The way it happened was Senator Daines called me a few days before the filing deadline, and he said he wanted to retire, but he didn’t want to lose the seat and the Senate to the Democrats,” Alme said. “He said he’d only retire if he knew someone like me would step up and keep the seat in Republican hands.”

“So then, the morning of the filing deadline, he let me know that he would withdraw if I stepped up. So I resigned as U.S. attorney and entered the race, and now, with President Trump’s endorsement, we’re moving forward full speed with the election,” he continued.

Alme quickly racked up endorsements from President Donald Trump, Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte and his possible future colleague Sen. Tim Sheehy, R-Mont. It’s no surprise, considering Trump twice tapped Alme to serve as U.S. attorney in the Treasure State and that he previously served as Gianforte’s budget director.

Trump said on Truth Social that “if Kurt didn’t have the highest level of aptitude and talent, Steve would have remained exactly where he is.”

SCHUMER, JEFFRIES SUE TRUMP, ACCUSE HIM OF TRYING TO ‘RIG’ MAIL-IN VOTING

“But Kurt is exceptional, and I will be giving him, based on Steve’s strongest recommendation, my Complete and Total Endorsement,” Trump said.

Though Trump won Montana by nearly 20 points in 2024 and has consistently notched double-digit wins in his three bids for the White House, Alme’s ascension to the upper chamber isn’t guaranteed.

He’ll have to prevail in a three-way statewide contest against Bodnar, the independent, and the expected Democratic nominee, former Montana state Rep. Reilly Neill, who believes Daines’ exit will give her a boost.

“His stepping down opens the field for the United States Senate, and this is a good development for Montana,” Neill said.

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Still, Alme is leaning into his bona fides in his pitch to Montana voters, particularly when it comes to bringing back “fiscal discipline” and continuing the Trump administration’s crackdown on crime.

“I’ve got to go out and prove who I am, and I’m going to have to earn people’s votes,” Alme said.

“We think that the Republican platform — and certainly President Trump’s approach to governing — is a winner in Montana,” he continued. “And we think that if we stick to our conservative roots, we’re going to perform well against anyone.”

President Donald Trump joked that he might run for president of Venezuela, claiming he polls higher than any other politician in the South American country.

Trump made those remarks during a Monday press conference centered on the rescue mission of an Air Force officer who had gone missing after a fighter jet was shot down over Iran.

“The people of Venezuela, they say, if I ran for president of Venezuela, I’m polling higher than anybody has ever polled in Venezuela, so after I’m finished with this, I can go to Venezuela,” Trump said. “I will quickly learn Spanish. It won’t take too long. I’m good at language and I will go to Venezuela. I’m going to run for president. But we’re very happy with the president-elect that we have right now.”

TRUMP TOUTS AIRMAN RESCUE MISSION, BOASTS IRAN COULD BE ‘TAKEN OUT IN 1 NIGHT’ 

Trump mentioned Venezuela on several occasions during the press conference. He compared the Easter weekend rescue mission’s success to the Pentagon’s capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. He also suggested that the outcome in Iran would be similar to Venezuela. He described the conflict with Venezuela as being “over in 45 minutes,” and boasted that the United States has now taken hundreds of millions of barrels of oil from the country.

During a cabinet meeting late last month, Trump joked that he “may run” for president against acting President Delcy Rodriguez, whom he installed as the leader after Maduro was captured.

TRUMP TEASES VENEZUELA AS 51ST STATE AFTER TEAM ADVANCES TO WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC FINAL

“The people — actually, I’m the highest polling person. In other words, after the presidency, I think I may go to Venezuela and run for president,” Trump said.

Trump described the prospect as a “wonderful option” for him.

While Trump boasted his “good” language skills at Monday’s press conference, last month he told Latin American leaders at the inaugural Shield of the Americas Summit that he would not learn a new language.

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During his address, Trump praised Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who, as the son of Cuban immigrants, speaks fluent Spanish.

“He’s got a language advantage over me, ‘cause I’m not learning your damn language,” Trump said. “I don’t have time. I was okay with languages but I’m not gonna spend time learning your language. That much I won’t do.”

Democratic leaders in Virginia’s most populous county are facing criticism over an ongoing “epidemic” of violence by illegal immigrants that has left 13 dead in a major American suburb near the nation’s capital.

Seven illegal immigrants have been arrested in Fairfax County, a suburb of Washington, D.C., in recent years for violent attacks ranging from infanticide to a machete killing and gang activity.

Despite these arrests, critics of Fairfax County leaders say they are prioritizing criminal illegal immigrants over Americans’ safety by maintaining sanctuary-type policies that limit cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Virginia’s new Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger is also facing criticism for a day-one executive order that reversed the state’s policy of cooperating with ICE.

One critic, Katie Gorka, chair of the Fairfax County GOP, referred to the spate of violence as an “epidemic” ravaging her community. She blamed local Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano and the Democratic-controlled Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.

‘VIRGINIA FATHER’ CHARGED WITH MURDERING INFANT DAUGHTER IS ILLEGAL ALIEN, SAYS DHS

Meet the illegal immigrants behind the ongoing spate of violence in Fairfax County.

Misael Lopez Gomez – Infant murder

ICE has lodged a detainer, or request to hold, with the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office for Misael Lopez Gomez, 28, who is charged with murder and felony child abuse for allegedly killing his three-month-old daughter.

According to the Fairfax County Police Department, the three-month-old was in the care of Lopez Gomez at the time of the incident at a home in Bailey’s Crossroads, Virginia. The department said that during the investigation, detectives and hospital staff observed evidence consistent with abuse. Preliminary results from an autopsy by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined the cause of death to be blunt force trauma.

Lauren Bis, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, called Lopez Gomez a “cold blooded killer” and “monster.” DHS said that Lopez Gomez crossed the border into the country illegally in New Mexico in July 2023, under the Biden administration.

Anibal Armando Chavarria Muy – Stabbing

The same week, ICE lodged a detainer request asking Fairfax County not to release Anibal Armando Chavarria Muy, 38, following his arrest in connection with a fatal stabbing the prior weekend.

ICE PRESSURES SPANBERGER AS FAIRFAX MURDER SUSPECTS TRIGGER NEW DETAINERS IN ‘SANCTUARY’ CLASH

Chavarria Muy is charged with second-degree murder in connection with the stabbing, which also took place in a home in Bailey’s Crossroads. Local outlet WUSA9 reported that officers responding to the scene found a man with multiple stab wounds inside the home. The man was later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.

According to DHS, Chavarria Muy is in the U.S. illegally and entered the country at an unknown place and time.

Abdul Jalloh – Repeat offender stabbing

A month before Chavarria Muy’s arrest, Fairfax County Police arrested and charged Abdul Jalloh, 32, with second-degree murder in connection with the fatal stabbing of a 41-year-old Virginia woman named Stephanie Minter.

Officers responding to the incident, which took place at a bus stop in the Hybla Valley neighborhood in Fairfax County, found her with multiple stab wounds in her upper body. She was pronounced dead at the scene on Feb. 23.

Surveillance footage captured Jalloh and Minter exiting a bus at the stop where she was killed, and Fairfax County detectives determined Jalloh was allegedly responsible for the stabbing. He is charged with second-degree murder. He is also charged with larceny that occurred the day after the fatal stabbing.

According to DHS, Jalloh is an illegal alien from Sierra Leone who entered the U.S. illegally under the Obama administration in 2012.

DHS said that before his arrest for murder, Jalloh had been arrested more than 30 times and faced charges including rape, malicious wounding, assault, drug possession, identity theft, trespassing, larceny, firing a weapon, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and pickpocketing.

Marvin Fernando Morales Ortez – Fatal shooting

On Dec. 19, DHS said that it “vehemently condemns Fairfax County’s sanctuary policies” after Salvadoran illegal immigrant Marvin Fernando Morales Ortez, 23, was charged with second-degree murder for a fatal shooting the day after the agency said local authorities released him after declining to honor a detainer request.

DHS said that ICE had lodged a detainer request for Morales Ortez after he was arrested for assault and brandishing a firearm on Sept. 14. Morales Ortez had prior arrests for aggravated assault of a police officer, larceny and disorderly conduct, according to DHS.

Morales Ortez was charged with second-degree murder in connection with a fatal shooting at a home in Reston, Virginia, which is in Fairfax County.

He illegally entered the U.S. in Sept. 2016 near Hidalgo, Texas. DHS said he was released into the country by the Obama administration and that in 2022, the Biden administration dismissed his immigration proceedings and marked him as a non-enforcement priority.

Maldin Anibal Guzman – Mob murder

Maldin Anibal Guzman, 27, a Honduran illegal immigrant, was convicted of second-degree murder by mob in connection with a July 2024 killing in Oakton, within Fairfax County.

Local outlet ABC7 reported that Guzman was given a plea deal by Descano’s office, allowing him to serve only five years in prison. Local affiliate Fox 5 reported that Guzman entered the country illegally through the Texas border under the first Trump administration in 2018. The outlet said that ICE lodged multiple detainers for Guzman with the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office that were not honored, allowing Guzman back into the community before the mob murder.

Elmer De Jesus Alas Candray – MS-13 executions  

Elmer De Jesus Alas Candray, 28–29, a Salvadoran illegal immigrant and member of the MS-13 gang, was convicted of six murders, including conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise; five counts each of conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering and murder in aid of racketeering; and three counts of using a firearm during a violent crime resulting in death.

Five of the murders took place in Fairfax County from 2018 to 2022. The killings were carried out by Candray and co-conspirators using pistols and machetes. One of the killings, which took place in Reston in 2020, involved Candray and co-conspirators luring a young woman under false pretenses and taking turns shooting her in the face.

Jose Iraheta Palacios – Triple murder suicide

In Herndon, a community in Fairfax County, Jose Iraheta Palacios, another Salvadoran illegal immigrant MS-13 member nicknamed “Little Crazy,” murdered his girlfriend, Claudia Menjivar, and two children, ages 9 and 10, before jumping to his own death in June 2021.

Palacios had previously pleaded guilty in Fairfax County Circuit Court in 2015 to human trafficking, gang recruitment of a juvenile and three counts of gang participation and was sentenced to nine years. That sentence would have kept him behind bars until 2024, but a judge suspended the sentence, allowing Iraheta Palacios to serve just two years in state prison. He was deported, though later made it back into the U.S.

ILLEGAL MIGRANT CHARGED IN DEADLY 124 MPH CHASE THAT KILLED PREGNANT TEEN, UNBORN CHILD

Officers next encountered Iraheta Palacios around 6 a.m. Saturday, sitting on top of a parking garage on Democracy Drive in Reston Town Center in Herndon, Va., and threatening to jump. An affidavit and police radio transmission revealed he told officers he killed his girlfriend, Claudia Menjivar, and her children after arguing over infidelity.

Officers attempted to talk Iraheta Palacios off the ledge for nearly an hour before he ultimately jumped and died from the fall.

Community ‘epidemic’

Commenting on a post showing the mugshots of the illegal immigrant murderers, the Virginia GOP wrote, “These are the criminals that Virginia Democrats care about more than your family’s safety.”

Gorka, who leads the local Fairfax County Republican committee, asserted that the county is “experiencing an epidemic of crime because of Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano’s unwillingness to prosecute violent offenders.”

“Under Descano, felony convictions, trials, and guilty verdicts have dropped sharply, which means repeat offenders are out on our streets,” she said, adding, “This is compounded by the fact that Fairfax County’s ‘Public Trust and Confidentiality Policy,’ adopted by the Democratic-majority Board of Supervisors, functionally makes Fairfax a sanctuary county.”

According to Gorka, the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office under Democratic Sheriff Stacey Kincaid has declined more than 1,150 detainers in roughly two and a half years.

She said that former Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, had “partially addressed” the problem through an executive order requiring law enforcement cooperation with ICE before Spanberger rescinded the order.

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“Virginia Democrats prioritize criminals over victims, illegal aliens over citizens, and Fairfax County citizens have had enough,” Gorka told Fox News Digital.

Fox News Digital reached out to Spanberger, Descano, Kincaid, and the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner and Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.

In a scene that unfolded like a Hollywood script, hundreds of American troops descended into the rugged mountains of southwestern Iran Saturday to rescue a wounded airman who spent nearly two days hiding from Iranian forces. 

What followed was a high-stakes combat search-and-rescue mission deep inside Iran, with U.S. forces racing to locate and extract the wounded officer before Iranian troops could reach him, deploying a large contingent of special operations forces and aircraft into hostile territory.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe compared the mission to find the downed airmen to finding “a grain of sand in the desert” in a news briefing Monday.

In total, the U.S. sent in more than 150 aircraft, President Donald Trump said Monday, which took on “very, very heavy enemy fire” during the rescue operation. Several different teams also took part: Navy SEALs, Air Force Special Operations, Army Special Operations Aviation, search and rescue and combat medics. 

US PILOT RESCUED FROM DOWNED F-15E FIGHTER JET IN IRAN, SEARCH FOR SECOND CREW MEMBER ONGOING

“This was an incredibly dangerous mission, an incredibly dangerous undertaking,” Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, said Monday at the White House press briefing. 

One of the two crew members was flown to Landstuhl regional medical center in Germany, typically the first stop for U.S. soldiers wounded in combat zones, and the other is being flown there Monday, a senior U.S. defense official told Fox News.

As the rescue unfolded Easter Sunday, the pilot radioed a brief message to help U.S. forces identify him: “God is good,” officials said.

Here’s a look at how the scene unfolded. 

Friday — The shoot down and the first rescue 

A U.S. F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet was shot down over Iran Friday, according to U.S. officials. Both the pilot and the weapon systems officer ejected from the aircraft. 

The aircraft was operating as part of ongoing U.S. combat operations over Iran when it was shot down.

While details of the incident were not immediately clear, Iranian state media released images of an ejection seat and debris that appeared consistent with an F-15E. Iran initially claimed it had downed a more advanced F-35 stealth fighter, but U.S. officials later confirmed the aircraft was an F-15 Strike Eagle. 

The F-15E Strike Eagle is a two-seat fighter jet flown by a pilot and a weapon systems officer, who manages targeting, sensors and weapons. The aircraft is designed for both air-to-air combat and deep strike missions against ground targets, allowing it to operate far inside enemy territory.

After the crew ejected and aircraft went down, rescue beacons went off, which send out a radio or GPS signal, officials said Monday at the press briefing, and U.S. forces quickly launched a combat search-and-rescue mission, deploying rescue helicopters into Iranian territory to recover the downed pilot. 

“We flew for seven hours in daylight over Iran to get the first pilot, and we flew seven hours in the middle of the night to get the second,” War Secretary Pete Hegseth said Monday. 

The pilot was rescued later that day, within hours of the shoot-down, in what Trump described as a daylight operation.

Rescue helicopters, including HH-60W Jolly Green II aircraft, came under Iranian small-arms fire as they moved in to extract the pilot, according to U.S. officials. Crew members aboard the helicopter carrying the pilot were injured, but the aircraft was able to fly safely out of Iranian territory.

An A-10 Thunderbolt II providing close air support for the rescue effort was also hit by enemy fire, according to U.S. officials. The aircraft was damaged, and the pilot later ejected over Kuwaiti airspace and was recovered.

Caine said the A-10s were flying in the “Sandy” role — a mission focused on protecting downed airmen and guiding rescue forces into hostile territory. 

“A Sandy has one mission: get to the survivor, bring the rescue force forward and put themselves between that survivor on the ground and the enemy,” Caine said Monday. 

“While this was ongoing and out in front of them, the Sandy flight of A-10s and other remotely piloted aircraft, drones and other tactical aircraft were violently suppressing and engaging the enemy in a close-in gunfight to keep the objective area,” he said. 

Saturday — The hunt for the weapon systems officer 

While the Pentagon remained tight-lipped about the mission, Iranian state media blasted images from the crash and called on civilians to join in the search for the second crew member, an Air Force colonel, according to Trump.  

The Pentagon has not publicly released the names of the crew members, a standard practice while operations are ongoing. Both airmen have been recovered and are receiving medical care at a U.S. military facility, according to officials. 

Iranian state media urged civilians to help locate the missing crew member and offered a reward for his capture, while Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) forces launched a search in the region.

The weapon systems officer, a colonel with SERE training, was using his survival and evasion training to stay one step ahead of Iranian forces. He reportedly climbed 7,000 feet up a ridge and remained hidden there for nearly 48 hours, a senior defense official told Fox News. 

“He was injured quite badly,” Trump said during a news briefing Monday. “He scaled cliff faces, bleeding rather profusely, treated his own wounds.”

The colonel hid in a mountain crevice while the CIA launched a deception campaign to convince the Iranian regime they had already located him and were moving him to the ground for exfiltration. While the Iranians were confused and uncertain of what was happening, the agency used its specialized capabilities to locate the American airman, a senior administration official told Fox News.

AIRMAN RESCUE SHOWS U.S. CAN PENETRATE ENEMY TERRITORY ‘ANYWHERE’ IN IRAN, FORMER PENTAGON OFFICIAL WARNS

Trump said the American aviator was being “hunted down” by enemies who were “getting closer and closer by the hour.” 

The U.S. used MQ-9 Reaper drones to protect the area around where the U.S. believed the airman was hiding and fired on anything that came close to that area and any area where U.S. forces were operating, an administration official told Fox News. 

“At the president’s direction, we deployed both human assets and exquisite technologies,” Ratcliffe said, calling it “a daunting challenge, comparable to hunting for a single grain of sand in the middle of a desert.”

At the same time, the U.S. launched strikes on nearby areas to keep Iranian forces away.

“We executed multiple large-scale strikes in the surrounding area using every tactical jet in the U.S. inventory plus B-1 Bombers to keep him safe,” a senior U.S. official said. 

In between the rescue of the pilot and the rescue of the weapons officer, U.S. forces flying B2 bombers from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri dropped “bunker buster” massive ordnance penetration bombs on an IRGC headquarters, a senior defense official told Fox News.

Sunday — The final rescue

At the right moment, Trump said, he directed the military to send dozens of heavily armed aircraft to rescue the crew member, who the president said is “seriously wounded” but will recover. 

When the colonel finally made radio contact to coordinate the pickup, he sent the message: “God is good.” 

U.S. officials were not sure if it was him at first. Trump told Axios they feared it was a trap. 

But those who knew the colonel said he was a man of deep faith. 

Rescue helicopters, including HH-60 Pave Hawk aircraft, came under Iranian small-arms fire during the extraction, sources told Air and Space Forces magazine. 

U.S. forces established a remote airstrip inside Iran to support the rescue. 

“This was not much of a runway,” Trump said. “This was a farm, not a runway.” 

Problems with two other transport planes prompted U.S. forces to blow them up rather than leave them behind in Iran, according to The Associated Press.

“The fact that we were able to pull off both of these operations, without a SINGLE American killed, or even wounded, just proves once again, that we have achieved overwhelming Air Dominance and Superiority over the Iranian skies,” Trump said on social media.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A custody hearing in Ada, Oklahoma, last month took a turn for the unexpected — and the incredibly loud — after an attorney who identified himself as transgender was arrested and dragged from the courtroom where he had appeared to represent his client just minutes before.

The exchange occurred during a custody hearing in Pontotoc County, Oklahoma, some 90 minutes southeast of Oklahoma City. The attorney, Rob Hopkins, was jailed for contempt after sparring repeatedly with the judge, Lori Jackson, during an otherwise unremarkable proceeding.

Surveillance footage, audio, and body camera footage reviewed by Fox News Digital has shed new light on the extraordinary confrontation, in which Hopkins can be seen actively resisting arrest by bailiffs. At one point, Hopkins can be seen splaying his body across the judge’s bench, resulting in a pile of documents being swept off its finely polished wood surface. 

“You’re HURTING ME!” Hopkins bellowed, as bystanders looked on. “I can’t BREATHE!” he shrieked again, louder.

Attendees in the courtroom could be seen looking on quietly as Hopkins twisted, turned, and contorted his body to evade the handcuffs that officers used to restrain him.

“I felt very threatened by this person,” one individual could be heard telling the judge.

SHELTERS, JESUS, AND MISS PAC-MAN: US JUDGE GRILLS DOJ OVER TRANS POLICY IN DIZZYING LINE OF QUESTIONING

The meltdown in question, and the arrest, occurred during a custody hearing punctuated by repeated interruptions from Hopkins and warnings from Jackson that he would be held in contempt. 

Hopkins then suggested she was discriminating against him for his transgender status, escalating tensions inside the courtroom. 

“It’s because I’m a transgender attorney practicing all over the state,” Hopkins leveled sharply, to which Jackson shot back: “I don’t know what you are.” 

“I don’t know you from Adam,” Jackson said later, describing his conduct as “entirely inappropriate.”

Shortly after, bailiffs entered the courtroom, prompting the hearing to descend into complete chaos.

 “Do NOT HURT ME!” Hopkins yelled at the officers. 

“I’m being thrown down!” he bellowed, as he threw himself on the bench before the officers eventually forced him onto the floor.

‘BLANKIES,’ ICE TACTICS AND LUXURY JETS: TOP MOMENTS FROM NOEM’S HOUSE TESTIMONY

More officers streamed in to help restrain Hopkins, whose uproarious exclamations had, at that point, drawn a crowd — not only in the courtroom, but also in the hallways surrounding it, as the body camera footage shows. 

“Get a female officer, now!” Hopkins demanded. “Call 911!” he shrieked, as the officers attempted to place him in handcuffs. 

“I can’t breathe! I can’t breathe!” he declared.

From the floor of the court, Hopkins accused the officers of “throwing his glasses” onto the floor — a claim that surveillance footage reviewed by Fox News Digital appears to refute — and ordered the officers to place them back on his face. 

“Put them on my face,” Hopkins demanded repeatedly, as the officers attempted to place Hopkins into a seated position and escort him from the court. “PUT THEM ON MY FACE!” Hopkins screamed once more, the volume and urgency unchanged from his request for emergency services just seconds before.

‘YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED!’: PROTESTER DRAGGED FROM KRISTI NOEM’S SENATE HEARING

Hopkins said he has since shuttered his law firm following the contempt charge and fallout from the hearing.

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He did not respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment regarding either the proceedings in question or the reason for his firm’s closure.

President Donald Trump touted the “historic” rescue of the downed F-15E airmen behind enemy lines and issued a warning to Iran to make a deal before Tuesday night’s 8 p.m. ET deadline or face being “taken out.”

“This is a rescue that’s very historic,” Trump told the White House press corps in a Monday news conference. “It’ll go down to the books.”

“Late Thursday night, an American F-15 fighter jet went down deep inside enemy territory in Iran while participating in Operation Epic Fury, where we’re doing unbelievably well. Well, at a level that nobody’s ever seen before.”

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Trump quickly paused his hailing of the rescue to add a warning for Iran to come to peace.

“The entire country can be taken out in one night, and that night might be tomorrow night,” Trump said.

This is a breaking news update. Check back for more on this story.

President Donald Trump said Iran negotiators made “a significant proposal, a significant step,” following the ultimatum he issued on Easter Sunday, but it is not “good enough.”

“They made a proposal, and it’s a significant proposal, a significant step,” Trump told reporters at the Easter Egg Roll on Monday, a White House tradition that comes amid the backdrop of war.

“It’s not good enough, but it’s a very significant step,” Trump continued. “They are negotiating now. And they have made a very significant step. We’ll see what happens.”

Trump’s media gaggle offered previews of Monday’s 1 p.m. news conference detailing the rescue of the downed airmen behind Iran’s enemies lines, saying the airmen “are both recovering very well” and Iran “got lucky” in downing their F-15e jet.

TRUMP PAUSES IRAN ENERGY PLANT STRIKES FOR 10 DAYS AS TALKS ‘GOING VERY WELL’

“You know what? When you do thousands and thousands of flights, and you have one plane shot down and not mortally, the two pilots got out – they got a little bit lucky,” Trump said. “And you know what? In a way you need a little bit of luck. Also, they got a little bit lucky. That’s all they got.”

Trump is warning some unspecificied consequences for refusing to “cry uncle” and come to heel and reopen the Strait of Hormuz to global oil trade.

“We are obliterating that country, and I hate to do it, but we’re obliterating, and they just don’t want to say uncle – they don’t want to cry, as the expression goes, uncle, but they will,” Trump said. “And if they don’t, they’ll have no bridges, they’ll have no power plants. They’ll have no anything.

TRUMP SAYS IRAN ‘NO LONGER A THREAT’ AFTER 32 DAYS — OUTLINES NEXT PHASE OF US WAR

“I won’t go further, because there are other things that are worse than those two.”

Trump did not rule out taking over Iran’s oil.

“If I had my choice, what would I like to do? Take the oil, because it’s there for the taking; there’s not a thing they can do about it,” Trump continued. “Unfortunately, the American people would like to see us come home. If it were up to me, I’d take the oil. I’d keep the oil.

WHY TRUMP FACES AN AGONIZING DECISION ON OBLITERATING IRAN’S OIL SUPPLY IF HE CAN’T GET A DEAL

“I would make plenty of money, and I’d also take care of the people of Iran much better than they’ve been taken care of. It’s been horrible.”

Trump pointed to the arrangement with Venezuela as a potential model for the next phase once Iran comes to heel, including the “lunatics” needing to give up their nuclear weapons aspirations.

“Hopefully it could be over with quickly,” Trump concluded before returning to the traditional White House Easter Egg Roll. “Again, there are lots of different alternatives. We have many alternatives.

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“We could leave right now, and it would take them 15 years to rebuild what they have. We could leave right now, but I want to finish it up.”

President Donald Trump says the war with Iran is “nearing completion,” but a looming deadline could determine whether the conflict is actually ending — or about to escalate.

“We are going to finish the job, and we’re going to finish it very fast. We’re getting very close,” Trump said Wednesday night, adding that U.S. forces will “hit them extremely hard over the next two to three weeks” and “bring them back to the Stone Ages, where they belong.”

As the war enters what analysts describe as its final phase, the administration is signaling a shift from broad military gains to a narrower endgame — raising questions about what “finishing the job” actually means militarily and politically.

Trump gave Iran until Tuesday to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, warning that failure to comply could trigger sweeping strikes on the country’s energy infrastructure.

TRUMP PAUSES IRAN ENERGY PLANT STRIKES FOR 10 DAYS AS TALKS ‘GOING VERY WELL’

“If no deal is made … we are going to hit each and every one of their electric-generating plants, very hard and probably simultaneously,” he said.

“With a little more time, we can easily OPEN THE HORMUZ STRAIT, TAKE THE OIL, & MAKE A FORTUNE. IT WOULD BE A ‘GUSHER’ FOR THE WORLD???” he said on Truth Social Friday. 

The U.S. has already begun expanding its target set to include major infrastructure. This week, American strikes hit one of Iran’s largest bridges — a critical transportation artery — signaling that mixed-use infrastructure supporting military logistics is now firmly on the table.

“The biggest bridge in Iran comes tumbling down, never to be used again — Much more to follow!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “IT IS TIME FOR IRAN TO MAKE A DEAL BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.”

That raises a central question heading into the final weeks: what, exactly, would “finishing the job” look like?

Military analysts say it is unlikely to be a single decisive strike. Instead, the endgame may unfold as a series of escalating options — from intensified attacks on Iran’s remaining missile and drone network, to broader strikes on infrastructure designed to force the regime into a deal, or a longer-term strategy of containing Iran’s capabilities from above.

“We will continue to see very aggressive attrition of offensive and defensive targets, as well as infrastructure targets,” said RP Newman, a retired Marine ground combat veteran and counterterrorism consultant.

Some critics doubt that Trump has a clear exit strategy. 

Trump’s public address Wednesday “was a summary, somewhat in chronological order, of things he’s already said on social media for the last month — and that, in and of itself, reveals that he doesn’t have a plan,” said Trita Parsi, a geopolitical analyst with the Quincy Institute, on X. “I think he wants to get out of this war. I just don’t think he knows how.”

Rather than winding down, Newman said, the U.S. may still be expanding its options. “That gives the President more options, and it gives the enemy an additional problem set to ponder.”

He also cautioned that Iran retains significant capability despite weeks of strikes.

“Iran likely has more missiles and drones remaining in their inventory than some people in organizations think or are claiming,” Newman said.

Recent U.S. intelligence assessments cited by CNN suggest that roughly half of Iran’s missile launchers remain intact and thousands of drones are still in its arsenal.

Behnam Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said the likely objective now is to “degrade and defang the regime of its long-range strike capabilities and prevent it from being able to pose a threat abroad.”

That effort, he said, would focus not just on weapons, but on the systems that sustain them.

“The regime’s bases that house these missiles and drones need to be targeted and collapsed … as well as the domestic supply chain and defense industrial base that supports these projectiles,” Taleblu said.

At the same time, the administration appears to be signaling limits to how far it will go.

Trump has suggested the U.S. may rely on continuous surveillance of Iran’s nuclear sites rather than launching new strikes or sending in ground forces to seize enriched uranium — a strategy Taleblu described as “watching them like a hawk.”

WHY TRUMP’S WAR SPEECH FAILED: DECLARING VICTORY BUT STILL BOMBING IRAN BACK TO THE ‘STONE AGES’

The influx of thousands of new troops from Marine Expeditionary Units and the 82nd Airborne Division in recent weeks has fueled speculation that the U.S. may be eyeing a ground operation to seize Kharg Island or recover Iran’s nuclear stockpile — estimated at more than 400 kilograms of highly enriched uranium — believed to be entombed deep within the Isfahan tunnel complex since the U.S. first collapsed its entrances in June 2025.

That approach could allow Washington to step back militarily while maintaining pressure, but it risks leaving key elements of Iran’s nuclear program intact.

“Keeping this material relatively accessible for the regime will mean that this will be a problem that the U.S. will be coming back to,” Taleblu said.

Trump also has signaled that, even as the U.S. pressures Iran to reopen the Strait in the short term, it may not pay a role in securing global energy flows, shifting more responsibility to allies.

“To those countries that can’t get fuel… go to the Strait and just take it. Protect it. Use it for yourselves,” he said.

Still, whether the war can truly be “finished” within Trump’s timeline remains uncertain.

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Iran is believed to retain portions of its missile and drone arsenal, and analysts warn that even a degraded regime could continue to pose a threat — particularly if key capabilities survive the current campaign.

What happens next may depend on whether the pressure applied in the coming days — especially ahead of the April 6 deadline — is enough to force an outcome.

The ballot box battle for the House majority resumes this week.

Special U.S. House contests in Georgia and New Jersey and a Virginia referendum that is the latest face-off between President Donald Trump and Republicans and Democrats in the high-stakes congressional redistricting wars — with the House majority on the line — will all draw national attention this month.

Also on tap in April: a state Supreme Court election in battleground Wisconsin.

The consequential elections come as the 2026 primary calendar, which kicked off in March, takes a break this month before returning with a vengeance in May.

TRUMP-BACKED FULLER ADVANCES IN RACE TO FILL MTG’S CONGRESSIONAL SEAT

Here’s a closer look at the four ballot box showdowns.

April 7 — GA-14 special election

Trump-backed Republican House candidate Clay Fuller faces off with Democratic candidate Shawn Harris to fill a vacant congressional district in solidly red northwest Georgia that was once held by MAGA firebrand Marjorie Taylor Greene.

Harris, a retired brigadier general and cattle farmer, and Fuller, a local prosecutor and Air National Guard member, were the top two finishers in a field of 17 candidates, including 12 Republicans, in the early March special election. With no candidate topping 50%, Harris and Fuller advanced to a runoff.

SPECIAL ELECTION TO FILL MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE’S OLD SEAT IN CONGRESS HEADS INTO OVERTIME

The special election comes as Republicans cling to a razor-thin 218–214 majority in the House. That means the GOP cannot afford any surprises or allow Democrats to pull an upset in a district that extends from Atlanta’s northwest exurbs to Georgia’s northwestern border with Alabama and northern border with Tennessee, which Trump carried by 37 points in his 2024 presidential victory.

Fuller, who is expected to consolidate the Republican vote that was divided in the first round, is considered the clear frontrunner in the race. But if Harris holds Fuller’s margin to the mid-teens or less, national Democrats will argue the election is the latest in the 14 months since Trump returned to the White House in which they’ve overperformed.

The congressional seat was left vacant when Greene stepped down at the beginning of January. Greene quit Congress with a year left in her term, after a very public falling out with Trump mostly over her push to release the Jeffrey Epstein files.

April 7 — Wisconsin Supreme Court election

While officially a non-partisan contest, state Supreme Court elections in the Midwestern battleground have become extremely partisan in recent years.

HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL

With the court’s majority on the line in last year’s contests, outside money poured in and out-of-state door knockers blanketed Wisconsin. One of the biggest spenders was Trump ally Elon Musk, who headlined a rally days before the election and donned a cheesehead hat worn by fans of the Green Bay Packers.

Democrats won that election by a larger-than-expected margin and currently hold a 4-3 majority on Wisconsin’s highest court.

With a conservative justice retiring, the majority isn’t at stake in this year’s election, although liberals with a win could expand their majority to 5-2.

But if the conservative candidate wins, or keeps it close, the GOP may claim a moral victory.

April 16 — NJ-11 special election

Republican Joe Hathaway, a local mayor, is hoping to pull off an upset in the special election to fill the congressional seat left vacant after now-Gov. Mikie Sherrill stepped down after winning last November’s gubernatorial election.

Hathaway, who was unopposed in February’s primary, faces off in the election against Democrat Analilia Mejia, a progressive organizer backed by left-wing champions Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Mejia pulled off an upset, narrowly edging out front-runner former Rep. Tom Malinowski in a field of 11 candidates. The face-off was one of the latest between progressives and more mainstream Democrats.

The 11th Congressional District in northern New Jersey‘s New York City suburbs was once the kind of seat where Republicans excelled at the ballot box. Hathaway, who has pointed out his differences with Trump, is the type of Republican who could attract crossover voters.

Add in that Mejia may be too far to the left for some voters in the district, and there’s a chance for some intrigue on Election Day.

April 21 — Virginia redistricting referendum

Voters in Virginia are casting ballots on a Democrat-pushed referendum that would give the competitive state up to four more left-leaning U.S. House districts in time for this year’s midterm elections.

That could result in a 10-1 advantage for Democrats in the state’s U.S. House delegation, up from their current 6-5 edge. 

With two weeks until Election Day, early voting is surging, according to officials, with turnout outpacing early voting from last autumn’s general election. Despite being vastly outraised by Democrats, Republicans see positive signs in early turnout.

Republicans call the Democrats’ redistricting effort an “unconstitutional power grab.” Democrats counter that it’s a necessary step to balance out partisan gerrymandering already implemented in other states by the GOP.

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Virginia is the latest redistricting battleground, with Florida on deck, to alter congressional maps ahead of November’s elections.

Republicans are defending their razor-thin House majority in the midterms, and Democrats need a net gain of just three seats to win back control of the chamber. That means the redistricting efforts in Virginia and other states may very well decide which party controls the House next year.

California’s delayed, over-budget high-speed train from Los Angeles to San Francisco is running fast only in one direction: Rising costs to even get rolling, which are now estimated to be $126 billion.

“Today, we estimate with the right optimization just over $125 billion,” California High Speed Rail Authority board member Anthony Williams told CBS’s “60 Minutes” on Sunday. “I think $126 billion is the current estimate for that.”

That is nearly four times the $33 billion price tag presented to voters in 2008, making the long-delayed project a black eye for Democrat-run California, derided as the latest political example of “waste” in deep-blue America and a “train to nowhere.”

“We’re now in 2026: There are no trains; there’s no track laid; it was a complete bait and switch,” Rep. Vince Fong, R-Calif., told “60 Minutes,” saying the project “needs to stop.”

NEWSOM TOUTS CALIFORNIA’S NUMEROUS LEGAL FIGHTS WITH TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IN FINAL STATE OF THE STATE

“The California High-Speed Rail nightmare is the probably quintessential example of government waste and mismanagement.”

California’s long-troubled high-speed rail project is facing renewed scrutiny after state Transportation Secretary Toks Omishakin acknowledged that many of its critics have a point.

“There were mistakes made,” Omishakin told CBS. “Some of the criticism on this project I think are very fair.”

TRUMP ADMIN UNCOVERS ‘STAGGERING’ $8.6 BILLION IN SUSPECTED CALIFORNIA SMALL BUSINESS FRAUD

“I don’t think the voters fully understood and neither did we in the public sector what it was going to take to actually get this project delivered,” Omishakin added.

Taking aim at California Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom, President Donald Trump called California’s project “the worst cost overrun, I’ve ever seen,” a statement he he has in the past reserved for Federal Reserve Board Chair Jerome Powell’s Federal Reserve Building in Washington, D.C.

“This administration is working to usher in a Golden Age of Transportation,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told CBS in a statement. “That vision includes high speed rail and we’re exploring opportunities to efficiently build that infrastructure in America.

NEWSOM’S FAILED LEADERSHIP HAS LET CALIFORNIA BECOME A LAND OF FRAUD AND SCAMS

“What this administration won’t stand for is boondoggle projects like Newsom’s Train to Nowhere that wasted billions in taxpayer dollars yet delivered nothing to the American people,” Duffy said. “Under President Trump, America is building again. We defunded Newsom’s disaster and created the first Trump Infrastructure Dividend. Those dollars will now actually fund critical projects that enhance safety on rail networks across America.”

Newsom himself cast doubt on the full San Francisco-to-Los Angeles plan in 2019, and the project now faces a funding gap of roughly $90 billion.

“For $10 billion, Elon Musk put 300 rockets in orbit; for $11 billion, the state of California has built 1,600 feet of elevated rail with no rail,” Palantir CTO Shyam Sankar said in 2024.

State officials say they remain confident more money can be found to dump into the project, but for now California’s high-speed rail stands as a costly symbol of ambition, delay, and deep public skepticism.

‘THE DAILY SHOW’ ROASTS GAVIN NEWSOM ON HOMELESSNESS, HIGH-SPEED RAIL IN SATIRICAL ‘LEADING MAN’ VIDEO

“The ultimate 494 miles of building this out without the federal government’s help will be challenging: There’s no doubt about that,” Omishakin said.

Nearly two decades since the start of the project, no track has been laid, and the only major visible progress is on a Central Valley segment between Bakersfield and Merced, according to the report.

The project’s earliest projected opening is now 2033, far later than originally promised. Critics, including Bakersfield’s Fong, a member of the House Transportation Committee.

CALIFORNIA IS BROKE, BUT IT’S NOT TOO LATE FOR THE REST OF US

“The business plan that was put out in 2008 was very theoretical,” Fong said. “You know, ‘This is what we think is gonna happen.’

“And it became very clear that they didn’t have the specifics worked out.”

Fong has sought oversight and accountability on the waste, including 597 change orders that have cost more than $2.3 billion alone as of November 2025, which is nearly 7% of the initial $33 billion project estimate.

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“Taxpayers deserve full transparency and accountability,” Fong wrote in a statement in February. “The high-speed rail nightmare is a glaring example of structural mismanagement.

“Reckless, repeated contract amendments have squandered resources and precious tax dollars. Hardworking California taxpayers cannot afford to let this continue. This project should be canceled before even more money and time are wasted.”

President Donald Trump has endorsed Steve Hilton in the California gubernatorial race.

“I have known and respected Steve Hilton, who is running for Governor of California, for many years. He is a truly fine man, one who has watched as this once great State has gone to Hell,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post about Hilton, a former Fox News host, on Monday.

“Gavin Newscum and the Democrats have done an absolutely horrendous job. People are fleeing, crime is increasing, and Taxes are the highest of any State in the Country, maybe the World. Steve can turn it around, before it is too late, and, as President, I will help him to do so! With Federal help, and a Great Governor, like Steve Hilton, California can be better than ever before! Steve Hilton has my COMPLETE & TOTAL ENDORSEMENT. He will be a GREAT Governor and, importantly, WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!!!” the president declared in the post.

VANCE ANTI-FRAUD TASK FORCE SUSPENDS 221 CALIFORNIA HOSPICE AND HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS SO FAR

Fox News Digital reached out to Hilton’s campaign and to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office on Monday.

Hilton, a Republican, is running in a crowded jungle primary that includes candidates from both sides of the political aisle. 

The top two candidates in the June 2, 2026, primary will advance to the general election.

Some of the Democratic candidates seeking the governorship include Biden-era Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becera, Rep. Eric Swalwell and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. 

MEDIA PERSONALITY STEVE HILTON ENTERS CALIFORNIA GUBERNATORIAL RACE

Trump’s full-throated endorsement of Hilton may hurt Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, who is one of the other Republicans running for the role. 

Hilton and Bianco had been the top two contenders in some public opinion polls, giving Republicans hope that no Democrat would finish in the primary’s top two positions.

That scenario may be less likely now, as Hilton’s support is likely to rise and Bianco’s drop in light of the president’s endorsement. 

“Trump kills any GOP hopes of an R vs R runoff in the California governor’s race,” Rob Pyers of California Target Book wrote in a post on X regarding the president’s endorsement of Hilton. 

“Trump’s endorsement of Steve Hilton likely frees up tens of millions of dollars for Democratic groups who would have otherwise had to spend heavily to elevate one of the two leading GOP gubernatorial candidates to avoid a Democratic lockout,” Pyers wrote in another post.

BIANCO SAYS ‘DEMOCRAT POLICY IS INDEFENSIBLE’ AS GOP CANDIDATES TOP CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR POLLING

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Hilton became a U.S. citizen in 2021, and renounced his U.K. citizenship in 2025, he noted during an interview with GB News.

ST. PAUL, Minn. – When anti-Trump protesters took to the streets across the country in late March for rallies branded as “No Kings,” CNN reported that anti-Trump protests had “popped up” nationwide, including at the Minnesota State Capitol.

But a Fox News Digital investigation reveals that nine vendors were paid an estimated $250,000 to build a professionally-sophisticated protest infrastructure behind the “flagship” event held in St. Paul, and a former Obama and Biden administration political and communications strategist, Roger Fisk, took credit for being the “Senior Advisor to the #NoKings flagship event,” fine-tuning the “art and science” of throwing the protest, along with two other “No Kings” protests last year.

The machine behind the protest included deploying about 30 semi-trucks to deliver concert-level equipment, a massive mobile stage, nearly a mile of heavy-duty feeder cable used to distribute electricity throughout the rally site, scores of porta-toilets and folding chairs, eight jumbo screens, high-speed internet and bike-rack barriers to keep the crowds away from the stage, filled with bold-faced celebrities including rock star Bruce Springsteen, actress Jane Fonda and singer Joan Baez. 

The operation amounted to a massive buildout that resembled the setup for an outdoor music festival or Def Leppard concert, according to the event’s vendors, most of whom requested anonymity.

The logistical details behind the event illustrate how modern protests increasingly resemble professionally produced public events rather than spontaneous grassroots demonstrations. The investigation reveals a rare behind-the-scenes view of the infrastructure, funding and logistics that power the modern day protest industry, details organizers rarely disclose.

500 GROUPS WITH $3B IN REVENUES ARE BEHIND THE #NOKINGS PROTESTS AND COMMUNIST CALL FOR ‘REVOLUTION’

As Fox News Digital previously reported, about 500 organizations with an estimated $3 billion in annual revenues sponsored, endorsed and participated in the nationwide protest. The network includes stalwart Democratic nonprofits including Indivisible, MoveOn and the ACLU, which have received millions of dollars over the years from billionaire George Soros and his Open Society philanthropies.

Another network tied to the protests includes pro-communist groups, like the People’s Forum, CodePink, the ANSWER Coalition and the Party for Socialism and Liberation, backed by American-born tech tycoon Neville Roy Singham, who lives in Shanghai, promoting messaging aligned with the Chinese Communist Party, President Xi Jinping and the People’s Republic of China. Notably, anti-American rhetoric from China labeling the United States as “fascist,” “rogue,” and “autocratic” has been parroted by these groups and surfaced as a recurring theme in the St. Paul protest, where communist and socialist organizations flew the flags of Iran, Venezuela and Cuba. Singham didn’t respond to a request for comment.

POWER COUPLE OF CHAOS: HOW A TYCOON AND ACTIVIST BUILT A ‘REVOLUTIONARY BASE’ AT THE HOUSE OF SINGHAM

It’s understood that Indivisible footed most of the bill for the St. Paul protest, sources said.

Nancy Snow, author of the book, “Propaganda and Persuasion,” told Fox News Digital that it’s important to follow the money on all aspects of political communication, including protests.

“We are in an age of cognitive warfare, in which there is a competition to shape how people think, and it’s always important to follow the money because it tells you who is setting the agenda and amplifying the message,” she said. “Following the money doesn’t automatically invalidate the grievances of citizens who show up for a protest. Both things can be true at once.”

About 24 hours before demonstrators arrived with signs calling the U.S. a “fascist” nation, a different scene unfolded on the Capitol grounds, with semi-trucks loaded with equipment rolling into the State Capitol.

‘NO KINGS’ CALLS ITSELF LEADERLESS, BUT ITS OWN INTERNAL DOCUMENTS TELL A VERY DIFFERENT STORY

“You need a platform for people to stand on and a way for people to be seen and heard in order to reach everybody,” Matt Svobodny, a production manager with Slamhammer Sound & Roadcase Co., a live-event production company based in nearby St. Louis Park, Minn., told Fox News Digital. 

“And, in order to do that, you need professionals that know what they’re doing and are going to do it also safe for all the people…,” he said. “So you can’t just have people with good intentions and no idea what they’re doing.”

A longtime professional, Svobodny provided a rare warehouse tour of the elements required to make the protest happen.

Svobodny said crews began physical setup around 8 a.m. Friday and continued working until after midnight, returning in early morning. Along with the mobile concert stage and cable, the system they assembled included about 100 speakers and extensive lighting equipment. Three vendors supplied eight large video screens across the Capitol grounds so people far from the stage at the far end near Martin Luther King Boulevard could see the speakers.

Additional delay speakers were positioned farther back from the stage so that speeches would remain synchronized across the large audience area, he said. For security reasons, the stage was partially fitted with ballistic bullet-resistant glass to protect the speakers.

“It has all the elements and infrastructure of a music festival,” Svobodny said.

Permit records, obtained by Fox News Digital, identify the organizing entity for the event as the “No Kings Coalition and Indivisible Twin Cities.” Indivisible is the brand name for several powerful Democratic groups: Indivisible Action, a political action committee; Indivisible Project, a 501(c)(4) with $10.4 million in revenues; and Indivisible Action, a 501(c)(3) with $5.2 million in revenues.

The permit application listed a local leader, Kris Ragozzino, as the applicant and described the rally as a program including “speakers, artists and musicians.” The production itself relied on a network of specialized vendors, each responsible for a different component of the rally’s infrastructure. 

1. Slamhammer Sound & Roadcase Co., based in St. Louis Park, Minn., was the main event vendor, handling the Stageline SL320 40-foot mobile stage, sound system with 100 speakers, lighting, 1,700-feet of 220-volt feeder cable and ballistic bullet-resistant barriers, while coordinating the overall production setup and contracting with subvendors. Estimated cost: $100,000
2. Fire Up Video supplied four large video screens placed along Martin Luther King Boulevard at the far end away from the protest. Estimated cost: $20,000
3. Algorithm, an audiovisual production company based in Minnesota, provided two additional jumbo screens positioned on the sides of the rally. On its Instagram page, Algorithm featured its screens, hauled to the protest by massive trucks, in a video from the day with the message, “Can you feel it?” Estimated cost: $25,000
4. Common World Productions Inc. provided two more LED jumbo video screens mounted directly on the stage. Estimated cost: $10,000
5. Warning Lites of Minnesota, a Minneapolis company that provides traffic control and event safety equipment, supplied crowd-control bike-rack barricades separating the stage from the crowd. Estimated cost: $15,000
6. E5 Energy, based in Savage, Minn., provided electrical power to the stage and screens with generators and distribution equipment. It also installed cable ramps to cover the high-voltage power lines as pedestrians crossed over them. Estimated cost: $15,000
7. Ultimate Events, based in Plymouth, Minn., supplied an estimated 10 large high-peak tents for staging areas and operations. It also provided “black plastic frame folding chairs,” typically priced at $2.80 per chair on its website, and tables. Estimated cost: $30,000
8. On Site Companies, based in St. Paul, provided about 300 porta-toilets. Estimated cost: $25,000
9. Fast Kat Connects, based in Minneapolis, provided high-speed internet connection for the organizers. Estimated cost: $10,000

The estimated total for the logistical expenses was $250,000, sources said.

Svobodny said he worked mostly with Ragozzino and Roger Fisk, a former advance man for presidential trips in the Obama and Biden administrations. In a post on LinkedIn after the protest, Fisk described himself as a “Senior Advisor to the #NoKings flagship event.” 

In the post, Fisk recalled the “complexity” of organizing the event, noting, “Add to that satellite trucks, cable runs, ballistic glass, road closures, most of the bike rack [sic] in North America, risk monitoring and threat analysis, bridge construction, Springsteen, a kaleidoscope of law enforcement, and staffs of elected officials, security details, and other celebrities that require specific care and respect. The final week was 4 am to 9-10-11 pm…”

Fisk added that “we have learned so much together in developing the art and science of these massive pro-democracy public engagements.” Ragozzino, Fisk and Indivisible co-founders Ezra Levin and Leah Greenberg didn’t respond to requests for comment.

Fisk bluntly acknowledged the protests were staged for the cameras for maximum media coverage, which public relations officials call “earned media,” a buzzword for free press coverage. “Earned media is my main metric,” Fisk wrote, “and our content reached between a quarter and a half billion impressions in the 24 hours after the events, with our flagship event leading the way.”

In his LinkedIn profile, Fisk writes that he worked this past year as a consultant to  Indivisible and its three earlier “No Kings” protests, saying he “developed thematic strategies and program frameworks for Indivisible’s three pro-democracy mobilizations, engaging 15 million people across every state and 22 countries coordinating messaging across messaging networks.” He didn’t disclose how much he had been paid.

COMMUNISTS, DEMOCRATS USE #NOKINGS RALLY TO CALL FOR MAY DAY STRIKE: ‘SHUT IT DOWN’

Snow, the former director of the New Hampshire chapter of Common Cause, a progressive group, said that “sunshine is the best disinfectant” and encourages organizations to be more transparent about the obvious logistical heavy-lifting it takes to throw a protest.

In his company’s warehouse, as crews cleaned the stage, Svobodny considered the event a success, in part because the vendors went unnoticed by the media. “Hopefully, most people didn’t even think about us,” he said. 

“I mean, in some ways, kind of, the goal of us or myself is to, like, not even be noticed.”

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Hannah Brennan contributed to this report.

A party-line tactic to ram legislation through Congress and bypass the Senate filibuster has become a dumping ground for Republicans’ legislative priorities throughout the year.

Now, as Democrats refuse to fund immigration operations, Republicans are once again readying a budget reconciliation package. The hard part will be getting enough of the GOP on the same page to craft a bill that can pass and survive the strict rules underpinning the process.

Republicans used the same process to pass President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” last year. It’s a time-consuming, labor-intensive legislative maneuver that nearly blew up and could fail unless both the Senate and House align on what exactly they want to include.

SENATE PASSES BILL TO FUND MOST OF DHS AFTER HOUSE GOP CAVES

Trump officially backed using reconciliation again this week as a way to skirt Democrats’ refusal to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), as Congress inches closer to ending the ongoing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown.

Trump demanded that Republicans get the bill on his desk by June 1.

“We are going to work as fast and as focused as possible to replenish funding for our Border and ICE agents, and the Radical Left Democrats won’t be able to stop us,” Trump said on Truth Social.

Still, Republicans have viewed reconciliation as a vehicle to tackle fraud, affordability, Trump’s tariff authorities, additional tax provisions, healthcare, funding for the Iran war, supplemental agriculture spending, and election integrity measures in the months since passing the “big, beautiful bill.”

DHS SHUTDOWN BREAKTHROUGH COMES AT COST FOR REPUBLICANS AS FUNDING FIGHTS NEARS END

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has warned that if reconciliation is going to work — especially given the limited timeframe lawmakers have to start and finish the process — Republicans need to “keep our expectations realistic.”

“Our theory of the case behind all this was to keep that thing as narrow and focused as possible, and that maximizes the speed at which we can do it and the support for it,” Thune said.

“There will probably be some attempts to add things,” he continued. “There are things out there that, obviously, many of us are interested in. But on a reconciliation vehicle like this — which we need to move with haste, as the president has pointed out — it’s probably not a likely magnet for all these other issues.”

Senate Budget Committee Chair Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told voters at an event this week in South Carolina that he is eyeing two new reconciliation packages, which could ease concerns about cramming all the GOP’s priorities into one massive bill.

GOP RAILS AGAINST ‘S— SANDWICH’ DEAL AS ALL EYES TURN TO HOUSE TO END DHS SHUTDOWN

“We want to do it quick — ICE, Border Patrol — fund it as much as you can, multi-year,” Graham said. “Then there’s another one coming. I just made news. There’s another one coming in the fall, and that’s going to be about going after fraud.”

House Republicans spent their recent policy retreat earlier this year pushing a so-called “reconciliation 2.0,” gearing up to load the package with several provisions that could drain time and struggle to earn support in the Senate — where strict guidelines could kill proposals entirely if they don’t comply with the rules.

The Republican Study Committee (RSC), which has long called for a second reconciliation bill, also wants to add proposals addressing affordability concerns.

“We support pursuing funding for military readiness and Homeland Security through this legislative process, while simultaneously codifying the president’s agenda to deliver lower costs for working families,” the RSC Steering Committee said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

Some Republicans are also pushing to include the latest policy fight: the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act. The voter ID and citizenship verification legislation has no chance of passing the Senate given unified Democratic opposition.

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It’s also unlikely to survive the Senate’s reconciliation rules, which allow only provisions that directly impact spending.

“I think we have to set our sights a little bit lower on this reconciliation bill,” Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., told Fox News Digital. “It’s got to be targeted to fund ICE for 10 years — I think that’s the number one thing for us. If we can nibble at the edges of the SAVE Act, that would be great, but the parliamentarian is not going to let us do the SAVE Act. That’s just an impossibility.”

Some of the loudest proponents of the bill in the House GOP acknowledge that adding the SAVE Act to reconciliation would be a challenge — largely because they would prefer to keep the bill intact and push it through the Senate.

“Look, it’s time for them to do a walk-and-talk and filibuster, and let’s make this thing happen,” Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., said. “The American people are watching — piecing it together just to try to get a piece.”

Few places on the planet matter more to the global economy than the Strait of Hormuz.

That’s why President Donald Trump has given Iran until Tuesday to allow all vessels through the key waterway — or face strikes on critical infrastructure, as fuel costs climb worldwide.

In a profanity-laced post on Truth Social, Trump wrote on Sunday: “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the F—–’ Strait, you crazy b——-, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah.”

“Tuesday, 8:00 P.M. Eastern Time!” he wrote in a second post.

Trump also said he will hold a press conference at the White House on Monday alongside military officials.

SAN FRANCISCO BECOMES FIRST US CITY WHERE DIESEL PRICES TOP $8 A GALLON
 

At just 21 miles wide at its narrowest point, the waterway between Iran, Oman and the United Arab Emirates is one of the world’s most critical energy choke points. It carries roughly 20 million barrels of oil a day, along with about one-fifth of global liquefied natural gas.

It’s also a key artery for refined fuels. The Middle East exports about 1.1 million barrels per day of jet fuel — roughly 15% to 17% of global consumption — according to Jaime Brito, executive director of refining and oil products at OPIS. Much of that supply moves through the Strait of Hormuz.

The escalation is already sending oil, gasoline, diesel and jet fuel prices sharply higher worldwide.

As of April 5, the national average for regular gasoline stood at $4.11 per gallon, according to AAA — up 86 cents from a month earlier. On the West Coast, drivers are seeing the highest costs, with prices reaching $5.92 per gallon in California and $5.37 in Washington. 

WHERE GAS PRICES ARE RISING FASTEST AS TRUMP ISSUES FRESH WARNING TO IRAN

On the East Coast, gas prices are exceeding $4 in several areas, including $4.27 in Washington, D.C., and $4.06 in New York. 

In the Midwest, Illinois stands out at $4.29 per gallon, while much of the region remains in the mid-$3 range. Southern states remain cheaper overall, though prices are rising. Texas and South Carolina are averaging $3.82, while Florida is higher at $4.20.

Diesel has climbed to $5.61, up about $1.45 over the past month. As a key fuel for freight, shipping and public transportation, it is especially sensitive to supply disruptions.

In San Francisco, prices have surged even higher. For the first time on record, average diesel costs have surpassed $8 per gallon, according to GasBuddy — an unprecedented milestone for any U.S. city.

Additionally, jet fuel prices in the U.S. have more than doubled in a matter of weeks as Middle East tensions squeeze supply.

THE UNLIKELY TOOL TRUMP IS EYEING TO TACKLE RISING OIL PRICES AMID THE IRAN CONFLICT

Prices jumped from about $2.11 in January to $4.88 per gallon by April 2, according to the Argus U.S. Jet Fuel Index, a daily benchmark tracking prices in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles and New York.

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Jet fuel — one of airlines’ largest expenses — is especially volatile due to thin inventories, specialized storage and limited spot trading. That can amplify price swings when supply tightens.

Airlines have warned that inventories could run dry within weeks, raising the risk of higher airfares and flight cancellations.

Reps. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., and Jonathan Jackson, D-Ill., said after a congressional delegation returned from Cuba that U.S. economic restrictions on the island represented an “illegal U.S. blockade of fuel” and “effectively an economic bombing of the infrastructure of the country.”

The lawmakers, following their five-day delegation to Cuba, spoke out against what they described as a humanitarian crisis on the island that they argue is linked to the U.S. embargo. 

“The illegal U.S. blockade of fuel to Cuba—90 miles south of the United States—adds to the longest embargo in world history and is causing untold suffering to the Cuban people,” the lawmakers said in a statement on Sunday. “The United States prevented a single drop of oil from entering Cuba for over three months. This is cruel collective punishment—effectively an economic bombing of the infrastructure of the country—that has produced permanent damage. It must stop immediately.”

US ALLOWS RUSSIAN OIL TANKER TO REACH CUBA AMID BLOCKADE AS TRUMP SAYS ISLAND ‘HAS TO SURVIVE’

“We witnessed firsthand premature babies in incubators, weighing just two pounds, who are at tremendous risk because their ventilators and incubators cannot function without electricity,” they continued. “Children cannot attend school because there is no fuel for them or their teachers to travel. Cancer patients cannot receive lifesaving treatments because of lack of medications. There is a water shortage because there is little electricity to pump water. Businesses have closed. Families cannot keep food refrigerated, and food production on the island has dropped to just 10 percent of the people’s needs.”

This comes as U.S. President Donald Trump has escalated his pressure campaign on Cuba in recent weeks, calling the island a “failed nation” and suggesting that “Cuba is next” following recent U.S. military actions in Venezuela and Iran.

The trip came after Jayapal and Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., introduced legislation to block federal funds for military action against Cuba without congressional approval.

Jayapal and Jackson said they spoke with families, religious leaders, entrepreneurs, civil society organizations, the Cuban government, Latin American and African ambassadors, humanitarian aid organizations and Cubans across the political spectrum, including dissidents.

“Across all sectors, there is agreement: this illegal blockade must end immediately. We do not believe that the majority of Americans would want this kind of cruelty and inhumanity to continue in our name,” the lawmakers said.

The pair added that the Cuban government “has sent many signals that this is a new moment for the country.”

“While we were there, President Diaz-Canel released over 2,000 prisoners. The Cuban government has begun to liberalize its economy with significant reforms, including allowing Cuban American entrepreneurs to invest in private businesses in Cuba. Entrepreneurship has grown substantially, with small- and medium-sized private businesses now comprising large parts of the economy,” the statement said.

CUBA RELEASES 2,000 PRISONERS AMID TRUMP PRESSURE, ENERGY CRISIS

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“Significantly, the Cuban government has invited in the FBI to conduct an independent investigation of a lethal speedboat shooting,” it continued. “The remaining obstacles to progress in Cuba now rest with the United States changing our outdated, Cold War-era policy of coercive economic measures and military pressures against Cuba.”

Jayapal and Jackson went on to say that “true reform will only come from charting a new course.”

“The United States and Cuba must immediately enter into real negotiations that provide for the dignity and freedom of the Cuban people and the tremendous benefits to the American people that will accrue from a real collaboration between our two countries,” they concluded.

Tax season is stressful enough, but avoidable mistakes can turn a routine filing into an expensive headache.

With Tax Day just 10 days away, even small errors can mean the difference between a smooth refund and frustrating delays. In some cases, they can even trigger IRS notices or unexpected penalties.

Here are five common filing missteps to watch out for and how to avoid them:

1. Choosing the wrong filing status

Your filing status is one of the most important choices on your tax return because it helps determine your tax rate, your standard deduction and which credits you may be eligible to claim. Pick the wrong one, and you could end up paying more than you owe, getting a smaller refund or triggering delays if the IRS flags the return for review.

For many taxpayers, the confusion comes from life changes that happened during the year, like getting married or divorced, having a child, moving in with a partner, supporting an aging parent or sharing custody. Even if your situation feels straightforward, the IRS rules can be less intuitive, especially for taxpayers who aren’t sure whether they qualify as “head of household” or whether they can still file as “qualifying surviving spouse” after a spouse has died.

RETIRED? HERE’S WHEN THE IRS MIGHT TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT YOUR FINANCES

Head of household, in particular, can be costly to get wrong. It typically comes with a larger standard deduction and more favorable tax brackets than filing as single – but it has strict requirements tied to paying more than half the cost of keeping up a home and having a qualifying dependent. If you don’t meet the rules and claim it anyway, you may have to pay back tax benefits later, plus penalties and interest.

When in doubt, the IRS has an online filing-status tool, and many tax software programs will walk you through the questions to help you choose the right category.

2. Leaving credits on the table

One of the biggest and most expensive tax-season mistakes is failing to claim every credit or deduction you qualify for. That can mean a smaller refund or a higher bill.

“I think the top mistake people make is not fully understanding or taking the time to really research what are all the different deductions and the ways that you can put a little bit of extra money in your pocket that are available to you,” said Bill Sweeney, senior vice president of government affairs at AARP.

AVERAGE TAX REFUND TOPS $3,700 MIDWAY THROUGH FILING SEASON, TREASURY SAYS

Sweeney also warned taxpayers not to rely on last year’s return as a blueprint for filing because of recent changes to the tax code from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. 

“This would be a good year given that there are these changes to the tax code, to make sure not to assume that what you did last year will convey over to this year. Really take a fresh look at your tax situation and see if there’s money that you’re leaving on the table,” he said.

3. Missing key deadlines

An extension can buy you time to file your paperwork, but it doesn’t give you extra time to pay. For most taxpayers, the IRS deadline to pay what you owe is April 15, 2026 – even if you request an extension to file later.

“Remember that even if you claim an extension, the money is owed on April 15,” said Mike Faulkender, co-chair of American Prosperity at the America First Policy Institute.

WHAT TRUMP’S NEXT PICK TO LEAD THE FEDERAL RESERVE MEANS FOR YOUR WALLET

Faulkender, a former Treasury official and IRS commissioner, said taxpayers who need more time should still estimate their bill and pay by the filing deadline to help avoid added costs.

“You have to actually send in a check or have the payment deducted from your account by the filing deadline,” he said.

If you can’t pay in full by April 15, pay what you can to help limit penalties and interest on top of your tax bill.

4. Entering bank account details incorrectly

If you choose direct deposit for your refund, the IRS relies on the routing and account numbers you provide. One wrong digit can lead to delays. 

If you pay what you owe by direct debit, incorrect banking details can also lead to a rejected payment and potentially result in penalties and interest.

5. Filing before all your tax forms arrive

Timing matters when it comes to filing your taxes. Submitting your return before you’ve received all your key paperwork, like W-2s or 1099s, can lead to errors, missing income or a return you have to amend later.

Faulkender said there’s a simple way to double-check what’s been reported under your name before you file. 

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“One of the things that I learned last year when I was IRS commissioner, was that if you create an account on irs.gov, you can see everything that’s been filed under your tax ID,” he said. 

“We’re supposed to receive all of our W-2s and our 1099 forms in the mail in January and February. But if you’re missing one, or you misplaced it rather than requesting it again, you can actually go and see what was filed under your taxpayer identification number if you create an account on IRS.gov.” 

Filing late can also cost you extra money, especially if you owe. The goal is to wait until you have what you need, then file as soon as you’re ready.