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A recent webinar hosted by some of the top teachers’ unions in the United States that pushed a curriculum focused on the upcoming May Day protests is prompting education experts and watchdogs to sound the alarm about alleged political indoctrination inside classrooms.

The Chicago Teachers’ Union and the National Education Association collaborated with the Zinn Education Project on an April 2nd seminar referred to as a “curriculum build” to “bring “social justice into the classroom” ahead of May Day, the traditional May 1st holiday that has long been embraced by communist and socialist movements as a day of mass political action.

“There’s probably gonna be a lot worse things that Trump does, and so May Day is a dress rehearsal for maybe there’s a random day in, you know, June that we all are, like, no work, no school, no shopping, because of something Pete just did, right?” Dave Stieber, a history teacher in Chicago Public Schools, said during the presentation. 

“So this is a continuation and a buildup of that.”

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The webinar also included guidance on how educators could bring activism into the classroom, including with very young students, with speakers who encouraged lessons centered on activism for children as young as three, presenting such engagement as a way to build early awareness and participation. 

“I did want to say I really encourage teachers of young children not to feel like this is stuff that’s way beyond their students, not to be afraid of raising up social justice issues, including workers’ rights, anti-racism, pro LGBT, LGBTQIA plus issues, immigration and immigrants rights,” Kirstin Roberts, a pre-school teacher in Chicago Public Schools, says in the seminar. 

The North American Values Institute (NAVI), who first posted the seminar online, argues that the unions are attempting to “groom” students to push social justice platforms in protests across the United States including on May Day.

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“The webinar demonstrates clearly that our teacher unions view students as foot soldiers in their political and ideological battles and the classroom as an appropriate venue to wage their war,” Mika Hackner, director of research at NAVI, told Fox News Digital. 

During the seminar, one of the lessons on “May Day curriculum building” focuses on making the upcoming protest look less “scary” to children. 

“In this lesson, we really want to introduce the idea that there’s going to be marches and protests on Mayday,” Roberts says.

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“Sometimes those are made to look really scary on the news and so we, or in social media, and so we want to share images with our children of protests that lifts up the beauty and the humanity of the people involved.”

The Chicago Teachers’ Union, which has been pushing for schools to be closed on May Day, has long faced criticism for pushing far-left political agenda items in the classroom and encouraging teachers to take to the streets in opposition to the Trump administration. 

Earlier this year, Fox News Digital reported that CTU appears poised to spend a substantial amount of money on “political activities” to the tune of $3.1 million dollars.

In January, CTU members filmed themselves protesting federal immigration enforcement and anti-DEI measures at a local Target, sparking criticism both online and from experts.

“It’s very clear that teachers unions seek to destroy our country by turning our students against it,” Teacher Freedom Alliance CEO Ryan Walters told Fox News Digital.

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 “The Chicago Teachers Union is one of the worst. The fact that they are targeting students as young as 3 years old with this anti-American propaganda should be criminal. The teachers unions will continue to use students as Marxist pawns until we have driven them out of our schools.” 

The NEA has found itself facing criticism over political activism in recent months as well which Fox News Digital has extensively reported on, including federal labor filings in January that showed the nation’s largest teacher’s union funneling millions to far-left activist groups, ballot initiatives and social justice organizations.

“They don’t care about the students, they care about pushing these leftist, liberal Democrat people [politicians] so that they can get more money and just fund all these stupid initiatives,” an NEA whistleblower told Fox News Digital in January.

Fox News Digital reached out to the NEA, CTU, Chicago Public Schools, and Zinn Project for comment.

Relief is on the way for House Speaker Mike Johnson, as the GOP clings to a razor-thin majority in the House of Representatives.

Republican Rep.-elect Clay Fuller of Georgia is expected to be sworn in by Johnson on Tuesday, one week after Fuller defeated Democrat Shawn Harris in a special election to fill the vacant U.S. House seat in Georgia’s 14th Congressional District, in the crucial southeastern battleground state.

The seat, in northwest Georgia, was left vacant when MAGA firebrand Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene stepped down at the beginning of January. Greene quit Congress with a year left in her term, after a bitter falling out with Trump.

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The special election came as Republicans clung to a fragile four-seat majority in the House. The GOP was under the gun to make sure the Democrats didn’t pull off an upset in a district that President Donald Trump carried by a whopping 37 points in his 2024 presidential victory. Fuller ended up topping Harris by 12 points.

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Pointing to Fuller, Johnson in a statement to Fox News Digital said, “We look forward to welcoming him to our House Republican Conference and adding another strong member to our small but consequential majority.”

And the Speaker described Fuller, who was a local district attorney and a lieutenant colonel in the Air National Guard who’s served in the Air Force since 2009, as “a principled leader who is laser-focused on delivering results for Georgia.”

Fuller, in an interview last week with Fox News Digital minutes after winning the runoff election, described himself as a “reinforcement” for Johnson and said his victory was “extremely crucial.”

And referring to Washington, D.C., he said he was looking “forward to getting up there as soon as possible…to being up there and fighting.”

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When Fuller is sworn in, the House Republican conference will stand at 219, which includes Republican-turned-independent Rep. Kevin Kiley of California, who caucuses with the GOP.

But the Democrats may soon boost their ranks by one to 215.

Democratic congressional candidate Analilia Mejia is favored in Thursday’s special election in New Jersey’s left-leaning 11th Congressional District, in the race to fill the seat left vacant when then Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill stepped down late last year after winning election as governor.

There’s one more vacant seat in Congress, in California’s 1st Congressional District, following the unexpected death in early January of Republican Rep. Doug LaMalfa.

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A primary in the race to fill LaMalfa’s seat will be held on June 2, which is primary day in California. And the special general election will be held on Aug. 4.

The district, in northeastern California, is solidly Republican.

A leading nonpartisan political handicapper predicts that the Democrats’ path to winning back the Senate majority in this year’s midterm elections is getting wider thanks to a rough political climate for the GOP, but that capturing control of the chamber remains a “tall order.”

The Cook Political Report on Monday shifted the ratings in four key Senate races in favor of the Democrats, but added that Republicans “remain the narrowing favorites to retain the upper chamber.”

Republicans currently control the Senate 53-47 but are battling stiff political headwinds, as the party in power in the nation’s capital traditionally loses seats in the midterms. The GOP faces a rough political climate fueled by economic concerns amid persistent inflation, as well as rising gas prices tied to what polls show is an unpopular war with Iran and President Donald Trump‘s underwater approval ratings.

“Right now, we see the likeliest outcome is a one to three seat Democratic pickup — still just out of reach of the four seats the party needs to reclaim the majority,” Cook Report Senate and Governors Editor Jessica Taylor said in a release.

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The Cook Report shifted the race to succeed retiring GOP Sen. Thom Tillis in battleground North Carolina from toss-up to lean Democrat. Former two-term Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper is facing off against former Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley in what will likely be one of the most expensive and competitive Senate showdowns in the nation this autumn.

In battleground Georgia, where Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff is running for a second six-year term, the Cook Report also moved the race from toss-up to lean Democrat. Republicans view Ossoff as the most vulnerable Senate Democrat seeking re-election this year, but he has built a massive war chest while the GOP faces a three-way primary battle for its nomination.

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In red-leaning Ohio, where appointed Republican Sen. Jon Husted will face off in November against former longtime Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, the Cook Report shifted their ranking from lean Republican to toss up, noting that “even recent GOP polling” has indicated the race is all knotted up.

The Cook Report also shifted Nebraska, a red state where GOP Sen. Pete Ricketts will face a general election challenge from independent candidate Dan Osborn, from solid Republican to likely Republican.

“We concede that these ratings changes are coming as Trump is at a new polling low and still navigating a yet-to-be-resolved war in Iran. So it’s possible things could rebound for his party or that they could find a rallying cry to get his base out in November — a summer Supreme Court retirement certainly wouldn’t hurt,” Taylor noted.

And she pointed out that “Democrats are still contending with messy primary fights in Maine, Michigan, Minnesota and Iowa, where Republicans are rooting for flawed or bruised nominees to emerge. And Republicans will have a significant institutional financial advantage.”

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National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Chair Sen. Tim Scott acknowledged in a Fox News Digital interview last month that “there’s no doubt the climate has gotten more and more difficult by the day, it seems like at times.”

But Scott added that he remains “incredibly optimistic” the GOP can not only hold but expand its current majority.

The rival Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), in an email to supporters titled “Democratic Odds of Taking the Senate Increase as Four Ratings Shift in Their Favor,” spotlighted the Cook Report’s ratings shift.

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Earlier this year, DSCC Chair Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand told Fox News Digital she was “very optimistic that with the quality of candidates that we have, with the recruiting failures and the poor candidates the Republicans have, and this very harmful climate that President Trump is creating, we have all the makings of a blue wave.”

President Donald Trump turned a McDonald’s delivery into a Tax Day pitch Monday, bringing a DoorDash driver to the White House to tout the elimination of taxes on gratuities — and then surprising her with a cash tip from his pocket. 

Trump welcomed Arkansas native Sharon Simmons to the White House on Monday, where the DoorDash delivery driver handed off two bags of the president’s favorite fast food while promoting Trump’s “no tax on tips” policy ahead of Tax Day. As he gaggled with reporters and Simmons, the “DoorDash Grandma” was asked about tips received at the White House. 

“Are the White House good tippers?” a member of the media asked Simmons. 

“Wait,” Trump said before reaching into his pocket to whip out what appeared to be a $100 bill and hand it to Simmons.

BESSENT BLASTS DEMOCRAT-LED STATES FOR BLOCKING TRUMP TAX RELIEF IN OBBBA

“You reminded me,” he continued. 

After accepting the tip, Simmons responded that the White House has “very” good tippers. 

VANCE WARNS OF ‘PENALTY’ FOR DEMS WHO OPPOSED THE ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL, BILL’ AHEAD OF 2026 MIDTERMS

Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, tip earners may make up to $25,000 in tax-deductible income from 2025 through 2028, according to the Tax Foundation, a think tank that studies tax policy.

“I heard you picked up an extra $11,000 that you wouldn’t get because the tax bill was so big, the refund was the biggest you’ve ever had,” Trump said while speaking with Simmons. 

Simmons, a grandmother of 10, has completed over 14,000 deliveries since she began in 2022, according to a DoorDash press release.

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“Since No Tax on Tips was enacted, we estimate Dashers have saved hundreds of millions of dollars,” the release read.

Max Rettig, DoorDash global head of public policy, said in the release that this moment marks a win for millions of Dashers nationwide, who can now keep more of their earnings when filing their taxes this year.

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“DoorDash is proud to advocate on behalf of Dashers like Sharon and push for policies like No Tax on Tips because they deliver real impact to so many hardworking people and their families,” said Rettig.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for additional comment.

Fox News Digital’s Leo Briceno contributed to this report.

Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, abruptly announced his decision to resign from Congress Monday evening amid calls for him to step aside after admitting to sexual misconduct with a staffer earlier this year.

The embattled lawmaker is facing an anticipated expulsion vote that could occur as early as this week. 

“There is a season for everything and God has a plan for us all. When Congress returns tomorrow, I will file my retirement from office,” Gonzales wrote on social media. “It has been my privilege to serve the great people of Texas.”

It is currently unclear when Gonzales will formally resign. A spokesperson for Gonzales did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

SWALWELL ANNOUNCES RESIGNATION FROM CONGRESS AFTER SEXUAL MISCONDUCT ALLEGATIONS TORPEDOED GUBERNATORIAL BID

Gonzales has come under bipartisan pressure to immediately step aside or face expulsion following his acknowledgment of an affair with his former staffer, Regina Santos-Aviles, who later died by setting herself on fire.

Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez, D-N.M., has vowed to move forward with her expulsion resolution if Gonzales does not quickly resign.

“He has until 2PM tomorrow—when we will file his expulsion. He better write that resignation “effective immediately,” Leger Fernandez wrote on social media.

He first admitted to an affair with Santos-Aviles during a radio interview in March after repeatedly denying the existence of a sexual relationship.

“I made a mistake, and I had a lapse in judgment, and there was a lack of faith, and I take full responsibility for those actions,” Gonzales told conservative radio host Joe Pags during the interview. “Since then, I’ve reconciled with my wife, Angel. I’ve asked God to forgive me, which he has, and my faith is as strong as ever.” 

Gonzales, who is married and has six children, has not acknowledged a second accusation of sexual misconduct with a former aide reported by The San Antonio-Express News.

Lawmakers are prohibited from engaging in sexual relationships with staffers, per House rules. 

His announcement came just an hour after Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., said he planned to resign from the lower chamber amid serious allegations of sexual misconduct and rape. The California Democrat has not specified the particular day he plans to leave office.

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Swalwell, too, was facing a potential expulsion vote that Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., was pressuring House GOP leadership to bring to the floor by Wednesday.

“The actions of these two Members reflect poorly on every single one of us,” Luna wrote in a letter to colleagues on Monday that was reviewed by Fox News Digital. “We as Members of Congress need to stand together in publicly condemning this behavior and restore the trust we have lost with the American people. 

“We are the company we keep,” she added.

It takes a two-thirds majority to expel a lawmaker from Congress.

Gonzales, a three-term lawmaker, suspended his reelection campaign in March after House GOP leadership called on him to exit the race.

President Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., then switched their endorsements to conservative activist Brandon Herrera, who was competing in a run-off against Gonzales for the GOP nomination. 

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Both Gonzales and Swalwell were under investigation by the House Ethics Committee. However, the committee is expected to suspend its investigation into both members when they officially step aside.

Johnson had urged lawmakers to allow the ethics panel’s investigation into Gonzales to be completed before the consideration of drastic measures, such as expulsion. 

The dual resignation announcements could impact House Republicans’ razor-thin majority. If the lawmakers both officially resign tomorrow, then each party will have one fewer lawmaker. 

However, Congressman-elect Clay Fuller, R-Ga., who won a special election last week to fill former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s seat, R-Ga., is expected to be sworn in on Tuesday.

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard released newly declassified testimony that she alleges shows a “coordinated effort” by the intelligence community to “manufacture a conspiracy” used as the basis of President Donald Trump first impeachment.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence on Monday released two declassified transcripts from closed-door House Intelligence Committee hearings that Gabbard’s office says show former Intelligence Community Inspector General Michael Atkinson advanced as credible a whistleblower complaint based on secondhand information from an individual who had previously worked with then-Vice President Joe Biden in Ukraine. Gabbard’s office argued that, based on this and other testimony, Atkinson’s actions “weaponize[d] the whistleblower process and exceed[ed] his statutory jurisdiction.”

Atkinson’s investigation helped trigger the first impeachment of Trump by advancing what he deemed a “credible” whistleblower complaint regarding a July 2019 phone call between the president and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Former Intelligence Community Inspector General Michael Atkinson “did not follow standard IG procedures and relied upon politicized, manufactured narratives” while investigating the whistleblower claim that ultimately led to Trump’s 2019 impeachment, Gabbard’s office said Monday.

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Gabbard, citing previously classified House testimony by Atkinson, said the former inspector general “aggressively advanced” his preliminary probe while relying on secondhand testimony and what she described as politicized witnesses. Gabbard’s office also charged that Atkinson “never conducted a formal or complete investigation.”

“In his own words, IC IG Atkinson recognizes that his conclusions were based on a ‘preliminary investigation,’ noting that ‘I haven’t done an investigation to determine whether they actually, in fact, took place … that all of the alleged actions actually took place,’” according to the statement from Gabbard. 

Under federal law, the inspector general’s preliminary role is to determine whether a whistle-blower complaint “appears credible,” rather than to fully investigate or substantiate the underlying allegations. Atkinson did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

The testimony reveals that Atkinson was aware that the primary whistleblower, whose identity has still not been officially disclosed, was a “registered Democrat” and had alerted staff on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence before submitting their “Disclosure of Urgent Concern” form, Gabbard’s office said.

The whistleblower also admitted having “worked closely with Vice President Biden” and “travelled with Biden to Ukraine and was part of conversations where LUTSENKO corruption was discussed,” according to the DNI release. Yuriy Lutsenko, Ukraine’s prosecutor general from 2016 to 2019, was the official who inherited and closed the Burisma investigation and was subsequently courted by Hunter Biden-linked lobbyists seeking to facilitate connections between the Ukrainian government and Democratic political circles, Fox News Digital previously reported. 

Gabbard also accused Atkinson of ignoring any bias, highlighting testimony in which he said, “I also want to make it clear that I never considered the whistleblower to be politically biased.”

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The office said that on the initial form submitted by the whistleblower, they admitted, “I do not have direct knowledge of private comments or communications” by Trump. Notably, whistleblower laws do not require a whistleblower to provide first-hand information, according to the National Whistleblower Center.

Gabbard’s office said one of the “key” witnesses Atkinson relied on to corroborate the whistleblower’s report during his preliminary investigation was also a co-author of the controversial 2017 intelligence community assessment on Russian collusion that Gabbard has previously said was instigated at the direction of former President Barack Obama.

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Gabbard, herself a former Democrat, accused Atkinson of having “failed to uphold his responsibility to the American people, putting political motivations over the truth.”

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“Deep state actors within the Intelligence Community concocted a false narrative that was used by Congress to usurp the will of the American people and impeach the duly-elected President of the United States,” said Gabbard. “And this, along with the politicization of the whistleblower process by a former CIA employee who was working hand in glove with Democrats in Congress, are egregious examples of the deep state playbook on how to weaponize the Intelligence Community.”

She added that “exposing these tactics and showing how they undermine the fabric of our democratic republic furthers the critical cause of transparency and accountability and will help prevent future abuse of power.”

Democratic lawmakers largely dismissed the disclosures from Gabbard, framing the declassification as an attempt by the DNI to win favor from Trump. 

“This is a nothingburger — just another sad attempt by Tulsi Gabbard to get in Donald Trump’s good graces,” Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., the ranking member on the Senate Intelligence Committee, told Politico’s NatSec Daily newsletter. 

Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., ranking member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, also criticized the declassification on X. 

“Everyone can read the transcript of Trump’s phone call to extort President Zelenskyy for dirt on Biden. That was an impeachable offense, and no amount of dust kicking and sycophancy can obscure it,” Himes wrote. “Had Joe Biden made that call, Republicans would have burned the place down.” 

Fox News Digital reached out to House and Senate Intelligence Committee Democrats for additional comment. 

Sharron Simmons, the first DoorDash employee to ever deliver a meal to the White House, said she hopes that the benefits she’s reaping from President Donald Trump’s no-tax-on-tips policy will extend past its current 2028 lifespan.

“Well, obviously, we would like for it to continue, but I’m going to enjoy it while I’ve got it. And, you know, it’s not for me to decide that,” she told Fox News Digital during a Monday interview shortly after delivering a McDonald’s order to Trump.

Overall, Simmons says she believes she’s taking home more than $11,000 in extra income.

“I figure that I’m probably going to be saving about $3,000 to $4,000,” Simmons said.

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Simmons’ story is one of the many ways the White House has attempted to highlight its work through Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, the president’s signature tax and border security package.

Alongside tax breaks for tips, that bill also temporarily eliminated tax obligations for overtime pay, increased the senior deduction to $12,000 and upped the child tax credit by $200 per child.

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Critics of the package have argued that the tax breaks are cutting down the country’s revenue and contributing to the national deficit, while its supporters contend it will grow the economy by putting more back in the hands of consumers.

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Simmons originally joined DoorDash as a way to generate a little extra revenue on the side, stating that she began her partnership with DoorDash because of its flexibility after the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I’ve been doing DoorDash since 2022. And I just got into it because it was something that after COVID and everything, I didn’t have to go into an office. And I kind of felt like by doing this, I would be able to help other people,” Simmons explained.

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Despite the future uncertainty of the policy’s current timeline, Simmons said she would focus on the present moment.

“[In] younger years, I didn’t feel like my voice could be heard. And I feel now like we are heard,” Simmons said.

Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., announced he would resign his congressional seat on Monday on the heels of multiple bombshell reports last Friday that forced him to drop out of a bid to become the next governor of California.

“I am deeply sorry to my family, staff, and constituents for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past,” Swalwell said ina statement. “I will fight the serious, false allegation made against me. However, I must take responsibility and ownership for the mistakes I did make.”

“I am aware of efforts to bring an immediate expulsion vote against me and other members. Expelling anyone in Congress without due process, within days of an allegation being made, is wrong,” he continued. “But it’s also wrong for my constituents to have me distracted from my duties. Therefore, I plan to resign my seat in Congress.”

While Democrats fell short of calling on Swalwell to resign his seat, the Chronicle’s scathing reporting left a wave of Swalwell’s colleagues rescinding their support for his campaign — including former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

Pelosi urged that consideration of the accusations against Swalwell take place outside of the context of his campaign.

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“The young woman who has made serious allegations against Congressman Swalwell must be respected and heard. This extremely sensitive matter must be appropriately investigated with full transparency and accountability. As I discussed with Congressman Swalwell, it is clear that this is best done outside of a gubernatorial campaign,” Pelosi said in statements given to NBC.

A number of other Democrats soon joined the former speaker’s calls, with a handful rescinding previous endorsements of the campaign.

“I’ve read the San Francisco Chronicle’s reporting, and I take it seriously,” Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., said in a post to X.

“What is described is indefensible. Women who come forward with accounts like this deserve to be heard with respect, not questioned or dismissed,” he added.

Swalwell first became a member of the House of Representatives in 2013. Before his time in Congress, Swalwell served as a prosecutor in the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office before becoming a city councilmember in Dublin, California, in 2010.

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As a member of the House, Swalwell helped spearhead impeachment efforts against President Donald Trump in 2019 and, before that, led inquiries on whether Russian interference had meaningfully impacted the 2016 presidential election.

It’s unclear if Swalwell’s resignation marks an end to his political career.

In its Friday report, the San Francisco Chronicle detailed graphic accounts from a woman accusing Swalwell of pursuing intoxicated women, pressuring employees into intimate situations and asking for explicit images from female contacts.

Rumblings of misconduct from Swalwell first emerged earlier this month when Cheyenne Hunt, a former Capitol Hill staffer and a political media personality, began circulating testimony from women who said they had been sexually assaulted by the congressman.

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“The Democratic candidate currently leading in the California governor’s race has a known history of being predatory towards women,” Hunt claimed in a post to social media.

Despite initially remaining moot on the allegations, Swalwell’s office broke its silence on the matter in comments made to the New York Post earlier this week.

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“This false, outrageous rumor is being spread 27 days before an election begins by flailing opponents who have sadly teamed up with MAGA conspiracy theorists because they know Eric Swalwell is the frontrunner in this race,” Micah Beasley, a spokesperson for Swalwell, said.

Swalwell’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

President Donald Trump warned China it would face “big problems” if it supplies air defense systems to Tehran as Iran remains locked in a conflict with the United States and Israel. 

“If China does that, China is gonna have big problems, OK?” Trump told reporters Saturday.

The warning comes as U.S. intelligence assessments indicate China may be preparing to supply, or already could have moved to supply, shoulder-fired air defense systems to Iran, according to multiple news outlets reporting on intelligence assessments, though officials caution the information is not definitive and there is no evidence the weapons have been used against U.S. or Israeli forces. 

Trump’s warning also comes ahead of a high-stakes meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, with the two leaders expected to hold a summit in Beijing in May after it was postponed due to the ongoing conflict. The talks are likely to cover a range of issues, including trade tensions, Taiwan and the war involving Iran, placing additional pressure on U.S.-China relations as concerns mount over Beijing’s potential role in the conflict.

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The potential transfer of Chinese-supplied air defenses could increase risks to U.S. aircraft operating in the region, particularly low-flying missions already vulnerable to shoulder-fired missiles.

China also has played a role in recent ceasefire efforts, pressing Iran to engage in talks with the United States and Israel through diplomatic outreach and coordination with regional partners, even as it denies providing military support to Tehran.

Officials familiar with the intelligence say the systems in question include man-portable air defense systems, or MANPADS, which are capable of targeting low-flying aircraft and have already posed a threat to U.S. assets in the region during the conflict.

MANPADS are shoulder-fired, heat-seeking missiles designed to target low-flying aircraft. U.S. officials believe a similar type of weapon was likely used to bring down an American F-15E fighter jet over Iran earlier in April, marking the first loss of a manned U.S. aircraft in Iran in the conflict. 

Trump said at the time the jet was hit by a “shoulder-fired missile.”

It remains unclear whether any such systems have been transferred or are currently inside Iran, but the possibility has raised concerns among U.S. officials that additional air defenses could complicate future operations and increase risks to American pilots.

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China has denied the reports, with its embassy in Washington saying it “never provides weapons to any party to the conflict” and calling the allegations untrue.

The reports come amid heightened tensions over China’s growing alignment with Iran, with U.S. officials increasingly warning that Beijing could play a more direct role in supporting Tehran as the conflict continues.

China has long played a role in supporting Iran’s military capabilities, supplying components used in ballistic missiles and drones as well as surveillance and targeting technologies, according to defense analysts. In recent years, Iran also has explored acquiring more advanced Chinese systems, including anti-ship missiles and air defense platforms, as it seeks to rebuild capabilities damaged in previous strikes.

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Separate from the reports on potential air defense transfers, investigations using satellite imagery and maritime tracking data have identified Iranian vessels departing Chinese ports carrying cargo believed to include sodium perchlorate, a key ingredient in ballistic missile fuel, according to a Washington Post report. Other reporting citing Western intelligence and shipping data indicates multiple such shipments have reached Iran during the conflict, raising concerns Beijing may be helping Tehran replenish missile capabilities even as it publicly calls for de-escalation.

The Iranian mission to the United Nations could not immediately be reached for comment. 

A federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., on Saturday cleared the way for President Donald Trump to temporarily resume construction of his planned White House ballroom, granting a near-term win to the administration as it pushes forward with the nearly $400 million project. 

The case stems from a lawsuit filed late last year by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which sought to block the construction. The group argued that the project violates multiple federal laws, including the Administrative Procedure Act and the National Environmental Policy Act, and charged that the plans amounted to executive overreach without required approval from Congress and federal planning bodies.

A lower court judge last month put the project on hold, triggering the administration’s appeal.

TRUMP ADMIN FIGHTS IN COURT TO KEEP WHITE HOUSE EAST WING DEMOLITION, $300M BALLROOM BUILD ON TRACK

U.S. District Judge Richard Leon, a George W. Bush appointee, in March issued a preliminary injunction blocking construction of the ballroom, finding the Trump administration likely lacked the legal authority to proceed without congressional approval. He said the government had not shown it had clear authorization to replace parts of the East Wing with a privately funded structure.

Leon’s order paused most construction work on the ballroom, though he allowed activity tied to White House security concerns, and briefly delayed enforcement of his ruling until mid-April, to give the administration time to appeal the case to a higher court.

The Trump administration quickly asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to intervene, arguing that the project is critical to the safety and security of the “president, his family, and White House staff.”

The 2-1 ruling from the circuit court did not immediately side with the Trump administration, but gave it temporary relief.

A majority of judges on the panel said the court needed more explanation from Leon before deciding whether construction should remain blocked. 

Specifically, the judges asked Leon to clarify whether stopping the project would harm national security, as the Trump administration claims.

US APPEALS COURT HALTS TRUMP CONTEMPT PROBE ORDERED BY BOASBERG, FOR NOW

The appeals court also paused Leon’s order through April 17, giving the Trump administration time to ask the Supreme Court for emergency intervention if it chooses.

For now, the case will return to the district court for further explanation.

Trump first announced plans for the 90,000-square-foot ballroom in July, initially estimating the cost at around $200 million. He has said the project would be funded “100% by me and some friends of mine.”

Lawyers for the administration have pushed back on the lawsuit, arguing the president has authority over White House construction decisions and that Congress does not need to approve the project.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ASKS SUPREME COURT TO REVIEW EL SALVADOR DEPORTATION FLIGHT CASE

“No taxpayer dollars are being used for the funding of this beautiful, desperately needed, and completely secure… ballroom,” Justice Department lawyers said in court filings.

They added that past White House expansions, including the East and West Wings, did not require congressional involvement in their design or construction.

The National Trust, meanwhile, maintains the project cannot move forward without complying with federal law and proper review processes.

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The Justice Department declined to comment on the ongoing litigation or whether it plans to seek Supreme Court intervention.

EXCLUSIVE: One of the Democratic Party’s top rising stars, Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger, is coming under increasing fire as critics accuse her of pulling a “bait and switch” on voters by abandoning her affordability promises in favor of tax increases on “just about anything that moves.”

A new ad released by Unleash Prosperity on Monday slammed Spanberger over her affordability promises as Virginia Democrats propose new taxes on everyday expenses like dry cleaning, gym memberships and pet care. Unleash Prosperity’s ad puts it bluntly, saying, “Virginia can’t afford this.”

The governor has not publicly supported or signed the measures. A statement by the governor’s office sent to Fox News Digital on Monday emphasized that Spanberger did not sign the tax bills into law “because the General Assembly never passed them, and the bills never reached her desk.” The statement said that Spanberger has “remained laser-focused on addressing high costs for Virginians.”

However, Spanberger has supported a broader set of revenue measures since taking office, including proposals targeting digital services and business activity, as part of an effort to fund priorities such as education and health care.

TRUMP BLASTS SPANBERGER AHEAD OF VIRGINIA MEETINGS, SAYS STATE FACES TAX BASE EXODUS LIKE NEW YORK, CALIFORNIA

Steve Moore, an economist who co-founded Unleash Prosperity, told Fox News Digital that while Spanberger cashed in on Virginians’ worries over prices, she “raced out of the gate with all of these very liberal policies, including tax increases on just about anything that moves in Virginia.”

Moore said that Democrats across the country should take Spanberger’s decline as a “warning” ahead of 2028.

There has been much buzz around Spanberger and her gubernatorial victory last year, which resulted in Republicans being ousted from power in Virginia. The Democratic Party selected her to give its response to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union, further evidencing her stardom.

Yet, despite the Democrats elevating her and even floating her as a presidential or vice-presidential pick, Moore said that Virginians have been “shocked about that,” explaining why her approval ratings have “absolutely plummeted.”

“She has seen one of the swiftest declines in her popularity in the first six months in office that I’ve seen in many years of politics,” Moore said.

Forty-six percent of Virginians disapprove of her job performance, while 47% approve, according to a recent Washington Post-Schar School poll. Compared with Virginia governors from both parties since 1994, Spanberger has the highest disapproval rating at this point in her term.

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

Moore called Spanberger’s tumbling ratings “the price for her bait and switch tax hike on Virginia residents and small businesses.”

DEMS WHO RAN ON AFFORDABILITY NOW FACE BACKLASH AS COSTS CLIMB IN NY, VIRGINIA

“She campaigned on affordability, and nearly on day one in office, she and Virginia Democrats in Richmond endorsed a catalog of left-wing tax increase proposals on everything from dry cleaners to dog groomers, which make Virginia look like California,” he said.

“Spanberger promised to be a pro-business moderate Democrat,” he went on, quipping, “Maybe she should be known as ‘Scam-Berger.’”

Moore said that Spanberger’s quick decline in the polls does not bode well for the Democratic Party’s hopes of taking back the White House in 2028.

“Spanberger is not alone,” he explained. “We’re seeing that with a lot of Democrats around the country; they run as moderates and as soon as they get in, they move to the extreme left.”

“You’re seeing Democrats who are governors and mayors across the country who are advancing very liberal pro-tax policies that are anti-business. And I think it’s a very tough agenda for Democrats to run with in 2028 on the national picture,” he went on.

“That should be a warning signal to Democrats across the country.”

VIRGINIA DEMS TAKE TAX HIKES INTO OVERTIME, TARGET FANTASY FOOTBALL LEAGUES 

Last week Trump took a similar line of criticism against Spanberger ahead of meetings in the state. He warned in a Truth Social post that her policies are triggering a tax base exodus similar to New York and California.

“She is adding so many Taxes, a Food and Beverage Tax, Digital Services Tax, Utilities Tax, and more,” Trump wrote. “It has lost its Energy, Vitality, and Strength. People are leaving that would never have even thought of doing so!”

In a statement shared with Fox News Digital, Spanberger’s office slammed criticisms of the governor raising taxes as “misinformation.”

“The volume of misinformation — spread across social media and repeated in press coverage — made a clarification necessary. The facts are straightforward,” the statement said. “Governor Abigail Spanberger did not sign dozens of tax bills into law — because the General Assembly never passed them, and the bills never reached her desk.”

The office added that “in the opening months of her administration, Governor Spanberger has remained laser-focused on addressing high costs for Virginians” and is “also working alongside legislators and local communities to attract new capital investment.”

Spanberger has also pushed back on the criticism herself. In a post on X, she said Trump and his allies were mischaracterizing her policies.

“The president and his allies are talking about taxes that our state legislature never even voted on and I certainly didn’t sign,” she wrote. “Why? Because if they don’t flood the zone with fake news about fake taxes, people might hear about the bills I am signing to lower energy costs, strengthen our schools, make housing more affordable, and bring billions of dollars of business investment to Virginia.”

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A Spanberger spokesperson added that businesses have announced “more than $500 million in new investment in the commonwealth since Governor Spanberger took office in January,” while accusing Trump of focusing on politics instead of economic stability.

“The ballgame changed when the President — whose been busy raising costs for Virginians by starting a reckless war that has skyrocketed inflation and driven gas prices up to $4 — strong-armed states into drawing more Republican congressional seats that he asserted he was ‘entitled’ to before the midterms,” the governor’s spokesperson said. “As prices rise in Trump’s economy, Governor Spanberger will continue her work with both parties to address the high housing, healthcare and energy costs that Virginians are feeling.”

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

Steve Descano, the George Soros-backed prosecutor in Fairfax County, Virginia, will make his first Capitol Hill appearance next month as House Republicans press him on the county’s immigration policies following a murder tied to a repeat illegal immigrant offender.

​​Descano and Fairfax County Sheriff Stacey Kincaid are set to appear May 14 before the House Judiciary Committee’s immigration subcommittee, according to letters provided to Fox News Digital confirming their participation. The hearing, titled “Fairfax County, Virginia: The Dangerous Consequences of Sanctuary Policies,” will examine whether the county’s policy limiting cooperation with federal immigration authorities threatens public safety.

The hearing will put new federal scrutiny on Descano and Fairfax County’s limits on cooperation with immigration authorities as Republicans argue the county’s policies and prosecutorial decisions helped allow accused killer Abdul Jalloh — whom the Department of Homeland Security says had been arrested 30 times — to remain free before Stephanie Minter’s fatal stabbing.

Minter’s case spurred the federal oversight and calls for legislative reforms, and Minter’s family is now also backing a recall effort against Descano that could threaten his tenure, according to local reporting.

ANGEL MOM, GOP BLAME SPANBERGER AFTER ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT WITH 30 ARRESTS CHARGED IN KILLING 

Descano has previously testified in state-level legislative hearings, including before the Virginia Senate Judiciary Committee, but the May 14 hearing would mark his first known appearance before a congressional committee.

“CA Descano is looking forward to the opportunity to discuss Fairfax’s record as one of the safest large jurisdictions in the country,” Descano’s office told Fox News Digital on Monday when asked about his upcoming testimony. 

Upon first announcing the hearing in April, prior to the committee confirming Descano’s attendance and a finalized date, Republican leaders said Descano’s testimony would help inform possible reforms targeting sanctuary jurisdictions.

The scrutiny was driven largely by the murder of Minter, a Fredericksburg mother who was stabbed to death at a Fairfax County bus stop earlier this year. Jalloh, her alleged killer and a Sierra Leone national, is an illegal immigrant with a lengthy criminal history whose prior encounters with law enforcement had raised concerns. 

Fairfax County police had previously warned Descano’s office multiple times, including last year, about Jalloh’s potential for violence, including one officer who cautioned in an email that it was “not a question of if, but rather when he will maliciously wound (or worse) again.”

Despite those warnings, prosecutors dropped multiple charges against Jalloh, allowing him to remain free. DHS authorities said Jalloh had been arrested 30 times, including for violent offenses, before targeting Minter.

ILLEGAL ALIEN MURDER SUSPECT AVOIDED SYSTEM AS ICE PUSHES DEM GOVERNOR TO KEEP HIM LOCKED UP

Descano has also faced criticism for his broader posture on immigration after campaigning on what he said was a two-tiered justice system that disadvantaged noncitizens, who could also see deportation as a consequence for their crimes.

Descano, for his part, has received more than $600,000 in campaign support from the Justice and Public Safety PAC, a committee primarily funded by Democratic megadonor George Soros that supports progressive prosecutors, according to public records.

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DHS and House Republicans have also pointed to Fairfax County plea deals involving noncitizens, including a high-profile 2024 murder case where two defendants received five-year sentences, which they linked to Descano’s avoidance of immigration-related outcomes.

Kincaid, who will also testify, has drawn separate scrutiny for declining to honor Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainers and instead requiring judicial warrants before transferring inmates to federal custody once they leave local jails, a policy federal officials have said conflicts with how ICE operates.

Obama-era CIA Director John Brennan called for President Donald Trump to be removed from office, joining a growing list of Democrats who say Trump’s Truth Social posts threatening Iran were unlawful.

Brennan, who is currently under investigation by the Justice Department, appeared on MS NOW for an interview with Ali Velshi. He said that the 25th Amendment, which establishes the protocol to remove the president, “was written with Donald Trump in mind.”

“Allowing someone like this to continue to be the commander-in-chief and to control the tremendous capabilities of the U.S. military, including our nuclear weapons capability, which he seemed to allude to when he said he’s going to just eliminate a entire civilization,” Brennan said. “Again, we really are in very, very troubling times.”

More than 70 lawmakers are calling for the 25th Amendment to be invoked against Trump following a slew of threats he made on Truth Social toward Iran regarding reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

TRUMP IRAN THREAT SPARKS CALLS FOR HIS OUSTER, BUT ONE DEM SAYS EFFORT ‘NOT REALISTIC’

The president made his first threat on Easter Sunday, giving Iran a deadline of Tuesday, April 7, at 8 p.m. Hours before the deadline, Trump posted on Truth Social that “a whole civilization will die tonight.”

“I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Right before the deadline, Trump announced that the United States and Iran had reached a two-week ceasefire agreement. But after negotiations in Pakistan this weekend, Trump announced on Truth Social Sunday that the U.S. Navy will begin to block all ships entering and exiting the Strait of Hormuz beginning Monday.

Since the start of the Iran war, Brennan has been publicly outspoken in his criticism of Trump’s handling of the conflict. He’s been a regular on MSNOW, suggesting a month ago that Trump is “flailing” and “clueless” about handling the war.

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Notably, the Justice Department launched an investigation into Brennan in July 2025, stemming from allegations that Brennan improperly handled a 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment, which found that Russia was seeking to influence the 2016 presidential election in Trump’s favor. 

The 2017 ICA included the Steele dossier, a debunked collection of memos alleging Trump colluded with Russia, but Brennan testified before Congress that the document “was not in any way used as a basis for the Intelligence Community assessment that was done.” House Republicans alleged that Brennan had lied in his 2023 Judiciary Committee testimony by denying that the CIA used the Steele dossier in preparing the assessment. The DOJ investigation is ongoing. 

Lawyers for Brennan said they have been informed he is a target of the investigation but have not been told of any “legally justifiable basis for undertaking this investigation,” according to the Associated Press.

Brennan also previously pushed back on the allegations of wrongdoing, including claims from Trump and his allies that Brennan helped promote a “contrived narrative” that Russia interfered in the 2016 election to benefit Trump, which became central to the FBI’s Russia collusion investigation of Trump’s 2016 campaign. 

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, told Fox News that the DOJ probe is “heating up” last month in an appearance on “Hannity,” and predicted that Brennan would soon face “accountability.” 

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Taylor Penley contributed to this report.

Senate Republicans are moving to fast-track funding for immigration enforcement without any Democrat support as a partial Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown stretches into its second month.

The upper chamber returns to Washington, D.C., on Monday, and the GOP already has its plan in motion to bypass Democrats’ blockade of funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

With President Donald Trump’s blessing, they are using the budget reconciliation process to front-load funding for immigration enforcement for the remainder of his presidency. Taking that route doesn’t require any Democratic votes, but Republicans will have to put aside any differences they have if they want the legislation to work.

SENATE GOP VOWS TO ‘GO IT ALONE’ ON ICE FUNDING AS DEMS DOUBLE DOWN ON SHUTDOWN

Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who chairs the committee that will launch the reconciliation process in the Senate, met with Trump on Friday to lay the groundwork for the package.

Trump said on Truth Social shortly afterward that “Reconciliation is ON TRACK, and we are moving FAST and FOCUSED.”

“Radical Left Democrats like Cryin’ Chuck Schumer, and Hakeem ‘High-Tax’ Jeffries, will do their best to stop us, but we don’t need their votes on this Bill, as long as Republicans UNIFY, and stick together,” the president said.

“I am calling for the Bill to be done no later than June 1st, and on my desk,” he continued. “The Department cannot wait any longer for full funding. We must beat the Radical Left Democrats at their own game.”

Trump’s push for a focused package is what Senate Republicans had been hoping for, given that several other items, like the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act, making their way into the bill could slow down work or get nixed by the rules that reinforce the process.

GRAHAM EYES ‘DOWN PAYMENT’ ON TRUMP-BACKED SAVE ACT WITHOUT DEMOCRATIC SUPPORT

“The reconciliation train is on the tracks,” Graham said on “Special Report.” “We’re gonna have a very specific bill coming out before June 1st that will fund the border patrol and ice for the entire presidency, the three years left of President Trump.”

Keeping both chambers in alignment will be key, too, given that reconciliation will officially start in the House.

The whole reason Republicans are coalescing behind a reconciliation strategy is because of the ongoing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown. The Senate, before leaving Washington for a two-week break, again passed a funding bill that carves out spending for ICE and parts of CBP.

It remains unclear when the House, which returns on Tuesday, will vote on the Senate-passed DHS funding bill.

House Republicans are frustrated that after passing their own 60-day extension to reopen the agency they again have to consider the Senate bill.

GOP INFIGHTING REPLACES CLASH WITH DEMS, DERAILS PATH TO END HISTORIC DHS SHUTDOWN

Many in the conference want to see the Senate make actual progress on a reconciliation bill before voting to fund DHS, while others on House Speaker Mike Johnson’s, R-La., right flank would rather fund the entirety of Homeland Security through reconciliation.

And a source familiar told Fox News Digital that House GOP leadership is waiting to see the upper chamber take concrete steps on a reconciliation package funding ICE and the Border Patrol before holding a lower chamber vote on the Senate bill.

Resistance in the House would guarantee that the partial shutdown, which hit 58 days on Monday, will continue.

Barrasso urged House Speaker Mike Johnson to pass the bill quickly to fund the rest of DHS, including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and others.

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“I would recommend that the Speaker of the House take it up and pass it as soon as possible,” Barrasso said on “The Faulkner Focus.”

Meanwhile, he noted that Senate Republicans have already been working on their budget resolution, which will kick off the reconciliation process in the upper chamber, for the last two weeks, and blasted Democrats for spending weeks blocking DHS funding.

“It’s critical to get FEMA up again,” Barrasso said. “The Coast Guard, cyber security, all those things are necessary. The Democrats are against the security of this homeland, and it is just wrong, and we’re gonna put an end to it using reconciliation.”

Fox News Digital’s Adam Pack contributed to this report.

The push to forcibly remove multiple scandal-ridden members of Congress is picking up steam with several potential expulsion votes on deck this week.

Reps. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., and Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, are expected to face an immediate expulsion threat when the House returns from a two-week recess on Tuesday. 

Swalwell, who dropped out of California’s 2026 gubernatorial race Sunday, is facing multiple sexual assault and misconduct allegations, including at least one involving a former staffer. The Manhattan district attorney’s office has also opened a criminal investigation into an incident that allegedly occurred in New York City.

Swalwell has repeatedly characterized the allegations as “false,” though he acknowledged a lack of judgment on Sunday. He has pledged to vigorously defend himself.

TWO DEMOCRATIC REPS CALL FOR SWALWELL TO EXIT CONGRESS AS CONTROVERSY SWIRLS AROUND HIS BID FOR CA GOVERNOR

Gonzales, who has admitted to having an affair with a staff member who later died by setting herself on fire, dropped his re-election bid in March after House GOP leadership called on him to suspend his campaign. He is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., said over the weekend that she would introduce a resolution to expel Swalwell from the chamber if he does not resign. Meanwhile, Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez, D-N.M., is vowing to draft a measure that would expel Gonzales.

The female lawmakers have said they support expelling both men from the House of Representatives. A growing share of lawmakers in both parties appear to share that view.

“That vote comes to the floor, I will be voting yes on both measures,” Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday. “These allegations are despicable, and they demean the integrity of Congress. These things are just completely unacceptable. And as far as I’m concerned, both gentlemen need to go home.”

“I think that this is very important that we believe women and that we show people across the Capitol and across the country that we will not accept this kind of behavior,” Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., also said.

PELOSI, CALIFORNIA DEMS SLAM SWALWELL OVER BOMBSHELL SEXUAL ASSAULT ALLEGATIONS: ‘INDEFENSIBLE’

Expelling a member of Congress is an incredibly high bar, and it is currently unclear whether both expulsion resolutions can obtain the two-thirds majority required to pass. To be successful, a significant portion of lawmakers will have to vote in favor of removing a member of their own party.

Former Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., who was removed from the House in 2023, is the most recent member to be expelled. President Donald Trump pardoned Santos in 2025 after he was convicted of wire fraud and identity theft and sentenced to more than seven years in prison.

Both House Republican and Democratic leadership have yet to comment on rank-and-file efforts to expel Swalwell and Gonzales.

Reps. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla., and Cory Mills, R-Fla., could also become potential targets of expulsion resolutions, though just a handful of members have thus far signaled they would support the removal of the lawmaker from their own party.

“They should resign IMMEDIATELY. If they don’t, we should expel all of them,” Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., wrote on social media Sunday, referring to Swalwell and Gonzales, too. 

Cherfilus-McCormick is facing more than five decades in prison after allegedly funneling more than $5 million in disaster relief money to fund her congressional campaign and personal lifestyle.

A House Ethics adjudicatory subcommittee in March found her guilty of more than two dozen violations as part of an investigation separate from the federal criminal indictment. The panel is expected to formally recommend its suggested punishment later this month, which could be as severe as expulsion. 

House Democratic leadership has indicated they will withhold judgment on Cherfilus-McCormick until the ethics panel announces its decision.

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Mills, a former Army combat veteran, has faced myriad controversies, including allegedly misrepresenting his military service, domestic violence and threatening to release sexually explicit photos of a former girlfriend, and abusing his committee assignments to benefit defense contracting firms he owns. He is also the target of a House Ethics Committee investigation.

Both lawmakers have denied any wrongdoing and are running for re-election.

It’s April 13, and if you haven’t filed your taxes yet, you’re not alone — but waiting until the last minute could be one of the most expensive financial habits you have.

The difference comes down to timing. Early filers tend to receive refunds weeks sooner and are less likely to rush into errors or miss out on credits. That extra time — and cash — can be used to pay off bills, build savings or earn returns, creating small financial gains that add up significantly over the course of a lifetime.

“I would simply say your tax return is your single largest financial transaction each year, and you’ll be developing it for the next 30, 40, 50 and in some cases 60 or more years,” Mark Steber, chief tax officer at Jackson Hewitt Tax Services, told Fox News Digital.

TAX DAY IS THIS WEEK: AVOID THESE 5 COMMON MISTAKES THAT CAN COST YOU MONEY

“It’s probably a good idea to start to develop some best practices, one of which is not to wait to the last minute to start trying to do your tax return,” he added.

Filing early won’t change how much you owe, but it can shape what you do with your money next. Getting a refund sooner gives taxpayers more time to pay down high-interest debt, build emergency savings or invest — moves that can compound over time.

AVERAGE TAX REFUND TOPS $3,700, TREASURY SAYS, TOUTING NEW TRUMP TAX BREAKS

The IRS issues more than 100 million refunds each year, totaling over $400 billion, underscoring how significant that money can be — and how much timing matters for those who receive it.

It can be even more important for those who owe money to the IRS.

“If you’re gonna owe, you should have found that out several months ago, so you can start allocating money aside, and you won’t run the risk of refund shock or disappointment or balance due trauma,” Steber said.

Filing early can also help protect taxpayers from fraud. Once a return is submitted, it becomes much harder for identity thieves to file a fraudulent return in someone else’s name.

“You file early you get your money early, but more important than getting your refund early. You lock up your data, you lock up your personal information with the IRS and your state. That protects you from ID thieves, from refund thieves and a whole lot of other bad things that creep into the system,” Steber added.

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Last-minute filers are also more likely to rush, increasing the chances of errors or missed deductions and credits — mistakes that can directly reduce a refund or increase what’s owed.

“Give some attention to your tax return each and every year. Can’t really do it this year at the last hour, but some best practices will save you money, lower your stress and put more tax refund dollars in your pocket over time,” Steber said.

The U.S. conducted two deadly strikes on Saturday against “vessels operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations,” according to U.S. Southern Command.

“Applying total systemic friction on the cartels,” a Sunday night post on SOUTHCOM’s X account declares.

“On April 11, at the direction of #SOUTHCOM commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted two lethal kinetic strikes on two vessels operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations,” the post continued.

COAST GUARD SEIZES OVER 4,500 POUNDS OF COCAINE WORTH $34M FROM SUSPECTED NARCO-TERRORIST VESSEL ON EASTER

“Intelligence confirmed the vessels were transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and were engaged in narco-trafficking operations,” SOUTHCOM asserted.

The post noted that one individual survived one of the strikes.

ALLEGED NARCO-TERRORISTS KILLED AS US FORCES STRIKE SUSPECTED DRUG-TRAFFICKING VESSEL IN CARIBBEAN

“Two male narco-terrorists were killed, and one narco-terrorist survived the first strike. Three male narco-terrorists were killed during the second strike. Following the engagements, USSOUTHCOM immediately notified U.S. Coast Guard to activate the Search and Rescue system for the survivor. No U.S. military forces were harmed,” the post stated.

War Secretary Pete Hegseth shared SOUTHCOM’S post about the strikes on his personal X account.

CARTELS FEAR US RETALIATION AS TRUMP-ERA PRESSURE RESHAPES STRATEGY: ‘THEY FEAR THE UNITED STATES’

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President Donald Trump’s administration has controversially carried out scads of such deadly attacks against alleged narcoterrorists.

Pope Leo XIV fired back after President Donald Trump attacked him on social media, saying his calls for peace are rooted in the Gospel and should not be treated as a political argument with the White House.

“I have no fear of the Trump administration,” the pope told reporters aboard the papal plane Monday en route to Algeria.

“The message of the church, my message, the message of the Gospel: Blessed are the Peacemakers. I do not look at my role as being political, a politician,” he added.

Trump had criticized the pope’s positions on Sunday in a scathing rebuke on Truth Social.

POPE LEO URGES WAR LEADERS TO HALT FIGHTING AFTER DEADLY STRIKE ON SCHOOL SPARKS OUTRAGE

“Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy,” Trump began in a lengthy post.

“Leo should get his act together as Pope, use Common Sense, stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician. It’s hurting him very badly and, more importantly, it’s hurting the Catholic Church,” he concluded.

The pope responded Monday, despite saying, “I will not enter into debate.”

POPE LEO XIV TO VISIT FASTEST-GROWING CATHOLIC CONTINENT DURING 4-NATION AFRICA TRIP

“The things that I say are certainly not meant as attacks on anyone,” he said, speaking in English, adding, “I don’t think that the message of the Gospel is meant to be abused in the way that some people are doing. I will continue to speak out loudly against war, looking to promote peace, promoting dialogue and multilateral relationships among the states to look for just solutions to problems.”

“Too many people are suffering in the world today,” Leo added. “Too many innocent people are being killed. And I think someone has to stand up and say there’s a better way.”

VATICAN DECLINES TO JOIN TRUMP’S GAZA ‘BOARD OF PEACE,’ CALLS FOR UN LEADERSHIP

The pope’s stance against Trump’s peace efforts in the Middle East came after the president’s Sunday night Air Force One tarmac comments.

“We don’t like a pope that’s going to say that it’s okay to have a nuclear weapon,” Trump told reporters, echoing remarks from the Truth Social post. “We don’t want a pope that says crime is okay in our cities. I don’t like it.”

“I’m not a big fan of Pope Leo. He’s a very liberal person, and he’s a man that doesn’t believe in stopping crime,” Trump added. “He’s a man that doesn’t think that we should be toying with a country that wants a nuclear weapon so they can blow up the world.”

POPE WARNS ESCALATING IRAN CONFLICT COULD TIP MIDDLE EAST INTO ‘IRREPARABLE ABYSS’

Leo claimed he was speaking for the church and not himself or Iran.

“To put my message on the same plane as what the president has attempted to do here, I think is not understanding what the message of the Gospel is,” Leo said. “And I’m sorry to hear that but I will continue on what I believe is the mission of the church in the world today.”

Trump claimed Leo has him to thank for being elevated to pope, the first American pope.

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“I like his brother Louis much better than I like him, because Louis is all MAGA,” Trump wrote in his Truth Social post. “He gets it, and Leo doesn’t.”

“If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican,” Trump said.

First Lady Melania Trump’s call for public hearings for Jeffrey Epstein’s victims is piling fresh pressure on Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who only days earlier signaled the administration wanted to move past the saga even as bipartisan lawmakers and survivors continue demanding more files, testimony and prosecutions.

While the first lady called on Congress to take additional steps to let Epstein “survivors” tell their stories, Epstein victims and members of Congress themselves argued that the onus is with the Trump administration, not Congress. 

“First Lady asks Congress to bring Epstein survivors in for testimony. With all due respect, that’s Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche’s job!” Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who has been at odds with the president and his administration over how it has handled the Epstein case, said after the First Lady’s remarks. “Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and I already gave brave survivors a chance to tell their horrific stories on Capitol Hill. Pam Bondi wouldn’t even acknowledge them. PROSECUTE!”

“Actually, Congress did act,” added Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., in response to the First Lady’s Thursday night remarks calling on Congress to do more. “But Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche is violating the law and refusing to release the Epstein files as required by law.”

WHY MELANIA TRUMP IS DENYING ALLEGED SMEARS RELATED TO JEFFREY EPSTEIN–AND WANTS VICTIMS TO TESTIFY

Meanwhile, in a letter released by over a dozen alleged Epstein victims, survivors also put pressure on the Justice Department to do more.

“First Lady Melania Trump is now shifting the burden onto survivors under politicized conditions that protect those with power: the Department of Justice, law enforcement, prosecutors, and the Trump administration, which has still not fully complied with the Epstein Files Transparency Act,” a letter allegedly signed by 15 Epstein victims, posted to social media by Rep. Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M., stated. “It also diverts attention from Pam Bondi, who must answer for withheld files and the exposure of survivors’ identities. Those failures continue to put lives at risk while shielding enablers.”

“Survivors have done their part. Now it’s time for those in power to do theirs,” the letter concluded.

MELANIA TRUMP’S FORCEFUL EPSTEIN DENIAL DRAWS BIPARTISAN SUPPORT FROM LAWMAKERS

Fox News Digital reached out to the Department of Justice and White House for comment on the First Lady’s remarks and remarks from victims and members of Congress calling on the Trump administration to do more, but did not hear back. 

However, in a statement to NPR following the First Lady’s remarks, the Department of Justice said: “As we have always stated, we encourage any victims of Jeffrey Epstein — who wish to speak — to contact the FBI. Any survivor who has information on an abuser is encouraged to contact federal law enforcement.”

Not long after taking the reins from former U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, Blanche insisted it was time for the Justice Department to move on from the Epstein case. 

“I think that to the extent that the Epstein files was a part of the past year of this Justice Department, it … should not be a part of anything going forward,” Blanche said Thursday in an interview with Fox News host Jesse Watters. He added that the DOJ “has now released all the files with respect to the Epstein saga.”

Still, several members of Congress think there is more to be done on the matter. 

Following the first lady’s remarks, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., indicated that House Oversight chairman, Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., agreed to call four named co-conspirators to testify. 

“And they won’t be the only ones,” the congresswoman added in a post on X. 

“There are a number of doctors we also have questions for, and the list continues to grow,” the Florida congresswoman continued. “I am calling on the DOJ to prosecute individuals who took plea deals under civil rights violations, and to consider additional charges where appropriate. If you traffic a young girl(s), you don’t get to pretend to be a victim. There is a massive difference.”

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Meanwhile, Khanna also demanded the first lady come testify in front of Congress, arguing her remarks show she is privy to “relevant” information, while Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., said following the first lady’s Thursday night remarks that he and his colleagues still want to see Bondi testify to Congress. 

“Pam Bondi knows more about this cover-up and why the botched release of the files happened the way they did in doxxing survivors and putting their information out there, not protecting their identities. Pam Bondi must testify, that is her legal obligation.”

“I think there’s enough Republicans that also agree — she has been subpoenaed — they had a legal subpoena,” Garcia told CNN. “The DOJ and Todd Blanche continue to cover up for Donald Trump, continue to want this to go away, but we are going to continue to push every single day.”

President Donald Trump‘s overall poll numbers are sliding, but among Republicans, the president’s approval ratings remain sky-high.

Trump’s grip on a Republican Party he reshaped over the past decade remains extremely firm, and his endorsements in GOP primaries are highly influential.

“The Trump endorsement is king in any primary,” longtime Republican strategist and communicator Jesse Hunt told Fox News Digital. Veteran GOP consultant Matt Gorman highlighted that a “Trump endorsement is extremely powerful… it’s an undeniable force.”

So what should a Republican running for re-election who is facing primary challenge from a Trump-backed candidate do to survive?

REPUBLICANS WIN BUT DEMOCRATS ALSO CLAIM VICTORY WITH BALLOT BOX SURGE IN TRUMP TERRITORY

In two high-profile cases this year, incumbents fighting for their political lives are trying to make it appear the president is supporting them anyway.

Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana is facing primary challenges from two Republicans in next month’s primary: Rep. Julia Letlow and former Rep. John Fleming, who is currently the state treasurer. Trump earlier this year weighed into the race by endorsing Letlow.

Cassidy was one of only seven Senate Republicans who voted in early 2021 to convict Trump after he was impeached by the House for his role in the violent Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters who aimed to upend congressional certification of former President Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory. Trump was acquitted by the Senate.

But since the start of Trump’s second term 15 months ago, Cassidy has been supportive of the president’s agenda and his nominees.

In his first campaign commercial after Trump endorsed Letlow, Cassidy, a doctor, highlighted a bill he authored that passed into law and increases penalties for criminals convicted of manufacturing and distributing fentanyl.

“President Trump said it was the most important legislation he would sign this year,” the senator said in the spot under pictures of Trump.

In another spot, the narrator highlights that “Cassidy worked with President Trump to pass tax cuts,” under pictures of the president and the senator and the words “Trump & Cassidy” repeatedly flashing on the screen.

MIDTERM ALARM BELLS: TRUMP’S APPROVAL RATINGS KEEP SLIDING BUT DEMOCRATS’ BRAND IN TOILET

In Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District, Rep. Thomas Massie is facing a challenge from Trump-backed Ed Gallrein in next month’s primary.

Massie has long been one of Trump’s most vocal GOP critics in Congress, repeatedly taking aim at the president over the Epstein files and foreign policy.

Trump allies have spent big bucks to boost Gallrein, a former Navy SEAL, and to take aim at Massie.

Massie spotlighted an old picture of himself and Trump smiling together at the top of a campaign ad last month.

In Texas, longtime GOP Sen. John Cornyn is fighting for his political life as he faces off in a late May primary runoff election against state Attorney General John Paxton, who is a MAGA firebrand and major Trump supporter.

While Trump has stayed neutral in the showdown between the two Texas Republican titans, Cornyn has repeatedly spotlighted his support for Trump in his statements and on the campaign trail. He has also figuratively hugged the president tight in his ads.

COMBUSTIBLE REPUBLICAN SENATE PRIMARY IN TEXAS HEADING INTO OVERTIME

The narrator in a recent spot noted that Cornyn “had his back” as it showed a picture of Trump and the senator standing next to each other giving the thumbs up sign.

“We’re especially grateful to your wonderful senators,” Trump says in an old clip used in the ad, as the president referred to Cornyn and fellow Republican Sen. Ted Cruz.

While Cornyn’s ads aren’t a total stretch, since neither he nor Paxton has landed Trump’s endorsement, the messaging from Cassidy and Massie does not mention that their rivals are backed by the president.

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Hunt warns that could backfire by earning Trump’s wrath.

“If you haven’t earned it but portray as though you have, it could be the end of your campaign,” Hunt said. “That’s if the President decides to take issue with it.”