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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.”

President Donald Trump on Sunday accused Pope Leo XIV of being “terrible” on foreign policy as the pontiff continues to criticize the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran and call for peace.

In a Truth Social post, Trump said Leo is “weak on crime” and “terrible” for foreign policy over his anti-war comments in recent weeks following the start of the war in the Middle East.

“He talks about ‘fear’ of the Trump Administration, but doesn’t mention the FEAR that the Catholic Church, and all other Christian Organizations, had during COVID when they were arresting priests, ministers, and everybody else, for holding Church Services, even when going outside, and being ten and even twenty feet apart,” Trump wrote. “I like his brother Louis much better than I like him, because Louis is all MAGA. He gets it, and Leo doesn’t!”

“I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon,” he continued. “I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s terrible that America attacked Venezuela, a Country that was sending massive amounts of Drugs into the United States and, even worse, emptying their prisons, including murderers, drug dealers, and killers, into our Country. And I don’t want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because I’m doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do, setting Record Low Numbers in Crime, and creating the Greatest Stock Market in History.”

The president went on to say that the pope “should be thankful because, as everyone knows, he was a shocking surprise.”

“He wasn’t on any list to be Pope, and was only put there by the Church because he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump,” he wrote. “If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican.”

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“Unfortunately, Leo’s Weak on Crime, Weak on Nuclear Weapons, does not sit well with me, nor does the fact that he meets with Obama Sympathizers like David Axelrod, a LOSER from the Left, who is one of those who wanted churchgoers and clerics to be arrested. 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 added.

President Donald Trump addressed several pressing international conflicts after stepping off Air Force One in Maryland on Sunday, declaring that Iranian naval forces had been destroyed ahead of a planned energy blockade and expressing sharp disapproval of NATO for its perceived lack of support. 

“Their military is destroyed,” Trump said. “Their whole Navy is underwater. You know that 158 ships are gone. Their navy is gone. Most of their mine droppers are gone.”

“At 10 tomorrow, we have a blockade going into effect,” Trump added. “Other nations are working so that Iran will not be able to sell oil.” 

Trump further underscored the United States’ energy independence, asserting that international vessels are bypassing traditional routes in favor of purchasing American oil.

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“There are many boats heading toward our country to fill up with oil and then go and take it,” he said. 

The president then expressed sharp disapproval of NATO countries, indicating that America’s financial commitment to support the alliance is going to be under “very serious” examination. 

“But I’m very disappointed in NATO,” he said. “They weren’t there for us. We pay trillions of dollars for NATO, and they weren’t there for us.”

While NATO countries are now stepping up to assist the U.S., Trump described the effort as too late.

“Now they want to come up, but there’s no real threat anymore,” he said.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates

Rep. Eric Swalwell said he is suspending his campaign for California governor, citing personal issues and ongoing allegations in a statement posted on X.

“I am suspending my campaign for Governor,” Swalwell wrote. “To my family, staff, friends, and supporters, I am deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past. 

“I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made — but that’s my fight, not a campaign’s,” he added.

The decision comes as pressure mounted over sexual assault allegations published in a bombshell report from the San Francisco Chronicle on Friday, with lawmakers from both parties calling on him to drop out of the race and resign from Congress. 

HOUSE REPUBLICAN PLANS MOTION TO OUST SWALWELL FROM CONGRESS AMID SEXUAL ASSAULT ALLEGATIONS

Figures calling on Swalwell to step aside included former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

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

“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 a statement given to NBC.

MISCONDUCT ALLEGATIONS DOG SWALWELL AS DEM RIVALS SEIZE OPENING IN CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR’S RACE

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.

Rep. Ted Lieu, who sits on the House Judiciary Committee, also said he would pull his endorsement.

SWALWELL’S ‘I SHOULD BE WORKING’ GYM, POOL VIDEOS RESURFACE AS DEM RIVAL HAMMERS HIS MISSED HOUSE VOTES

“In light of the recent allegations against Representative Eric Swalwell, I am withdrawing my endorsement of his campaign for Governor,” Lieu said in his own post.

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.

“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.

“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.

With Swalwell exiting the race, the battle to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom becomes even more uncertain and turbulent ahead of the June 2 primary. Early voting will begin on May 4.

Public opinion surveys indicated that Swalwell was the top polling Democrat in the race, ahead of former Rep. Katie Porter and billionaire Tom Steyer, who’s flooded the airwaves with ads since declaring his candidacy in November. Both Porter and Steyer on Friday had called on Swalwell to suspend his gubernatorial campaign and resign from Congress.

The crowded field of Democrats also includes former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

There are two major Republicans in the race: conservative commentator and former Fox News host Steve Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco.

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President Donald Trump endorsed Hilton last weekend, which appears to be boosting his support. But Trump’s backing wasn’t enough to put Hilton over the top this weekend at the California GOP annual convention. Neither Hilton or Bianco was able to top the 60% support of delegates threshold needed to earn the state party’s endorsement.

Democrats and Republicans appear on the same ballot in the June primary, with the top two finishers advancing to November’s general election.

WASHINGTON, DC – Vice President JD Vance returned to Washington after peace negotiations with Iranian leaders fell short in Islamabad, Pakistan over the weekend.

Vance touched down at Joint Base Andrews at roughly 5 p.m. Sunday afternoon after 34 hours of total roundtrip travel and more than 16 hours of negotiations in just under three days.

The trip ended with no peace deal secured, leaving questions as to what comes next between the U.S., Iran and their respective allies in the air. President Donald Trump posted to Truth Social Sunday morning that the Navy will begin blockading the Strait of Hormuz, which was a pivotal term in negotiations between Vance and Iran.  

“Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump posted to Truth Social. “At some point, we will reach an ‘ALL BEING ALLOWED TO GO IN, ALL BEING ALLOWED TO GO OUT’ basis, but Iran has not allowed that to happen by merely saying, ‘There may be a mine out there somewhere,’ that nobody knows about but them.”

VANCE SAYS US-IRAN TALKS END WITHOUT DEAL AFTER 21 HOURS OF NEGOTIATIONS

The vice president said he was “constantly in communication” with Trump and other top cabinet members throughout negotiations in Islamabad.  

The vice president delivered the news after more than 16-hours of discussions that ultimately resulted in Iranians leaders rejecting an offer from the U.S. that could have created a longer-lasting peace agreement between the two countries, potentially stabilizing the region.

In response to a question posed by Fox News Digital during a press conference at the Serena Hotel in Islamabad, Vance said the negotiation team was “constantly” in contact with Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent, and other top officials throughout overnight talks.

“So, look, we were constantly in communication with the team because we were negotiating in good faith,” Vance said. “And we leave here with a very simple proposal, a method of understanding that is our final and best offer. We’ll see if the Iranians accept it.”

Vance said they were leaving the country after their final offer was rejected by Iranian leaders.

The negotiation marathon began just hours after an 18-hour Air Force Two flight from Joint Base Andrews in Washington, D.C., to Islamabad via a refueling stop in Paris, spanning Friday into Saturday.

U.S. Special Envoy for Peace Missions Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, accompanied Vance for the discussions. The two did not fly on board Air Force Two with the vice president but connected with Vance upon his arrival in Pakistan.

TRUMP’S IRAN CEASEFIRE ROCKED WITHIN HOURS AMID REPORTED MISSILE, DRONE ATTACKS

Top Pakistani officials issued a warm welcome, greeting Vance on a rolled out red carpet surrounded by an honor guard soldiers and a bouquet of flowers.

Pakistan’s Chief of Defense Forces Syed Asim Munir, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, and Pakistan’s Minister for the Interior Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi were among those who met Vance on arrival at the Pakistani air force base.

Vance seemed energetic and eager to take on the talks after Trump tasked him with leading the initiative following weeks of fighting between U.S.-Israeli forces and Iran. The negotiations took place amid an agreed two-week ceasefire following Trump’s threat to decimate Iran if a long-term deal wasn’t reached.

The vice president traveled from the air base to the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, where streets were lined with signs highlighting the talks and displaying U.S., Pakistani and Iranian flags.

Vance left the embassy and headed for the Serena Hotel Islamabad, the site where he would soon be spending a sleepless 16 hours of negotiations.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who were the key negotiators for Iran, met with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the prime minister’s residence, before Vance, Witkoff and Kushner met with the prime minister at the Serena Hotel.

Shortly after both parties met separately with Sharif, negotiations began.

Vance, Witkoff and Kushner were joined by Deputy National Security Advisor to the President Dr. Andrew Baker, Special Advisor to the Vice President for Asian Affairs Michael Vance and a full suite of U.S. experts on relevant subject areas in Islamabad for the talks.

WHITE HOUSE WARNS IRAN AGAINST BALKING AT DEAL: TRUMP READY TO ‘UNLEASH HELL’

Aside from a White House official confirming the conversations were in person and face-to face, little is known about how the negotiations actually took place.

Some officials in Washington, D.C., were unaware of the exact details of discussion, and nearly a full day of talks were conducted behind closed doors.

In the end, Vance relayed the results as “bad news,” giving minimal insight into what provisions and terms ultimately squashed a potential deal.

“The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement,” Vance said at the press conference in Islamabad. “And I think that’s bad news for Iran much more than it’s bad news for the United States of America.”

“So we go back to the United States, having not come to an agreement. We’ve made very clear what our red lines are, what things we’re willing to accommodate them on and what things we’re not willing to accommodate them on,” Vance added. “And we’ve made that as clear as we possibly could, and they have chosen not to accept our terms.”

Vance’s “final offer” to Iran included six “red lines,” according to two U.S. officials.

The demands included an end all uranium enrichment, dismantling all major nuclear facilities and retrieving highly enriched uranium.

The fourth was to accept a broader regional peace and de-escalation framework that includes regional allies. This was followed by stopping funding proxy groups including Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis.

The sixth demand was to fully open the Strait of Hormuz, charging no tolls for passage.

Trump posted to Truth Social that Vance, Witkoff, and Kushner became “friendly” with Iranian officials “as all of this time went by” during discussions.

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“My three Representatives, as all of this time went by, became, not surprisingly, very friendly and respectful of Iran’s Representatives, Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, Abbas Araghchi, and Ali Bagheri, but that doesn’t matter because they were very unyielding as to the single most important issue and, as I have always said, right from the beginning, and many years ago, IRAN WILL NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON,” Trump posted to Truth.

Within an hour after announcement, a U.S. official confirmed that all U.S.-based parties involved with discussions, including Witkoff and Kushner, left Pakistan.

Fox News’ Lucas Tomlinson and Fox News Digital’s Emma Bussey contributed to this report.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is pointing to stark racial wealth disparities — including a gap of more than $180,000 between White and Black households — to justify expanding diversity initiatives, raising taxes and cutting police positions.

Mamdani last week released a 375-page “Preliminary Racial Equity Plan” that argues systemic racism is a key driver of those disparities, with White households holding more than $200,000 in median wealth compared to less than $20,000 for Black households.

MAMDANI PLAN POURS MILLIONS INTO ‘RACIAL EQUITY’ OFFICES AND SIX-FIGURE DIVERSITY JOBS, CUTS 5,000 NYPD JOBS

The Mamdani administration says the report will serve as a roadmap for future policy, including restoring diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs and directing resources toward closing racial gaps in income, housing and education.

The push aligns with Mamdani’s broader $127 billion agenda, which includes higher taxes on wealthy residents and corporations, a potential 9.5% property tax increase if state lawmakers do not act, and a reduction of roughly 5,000 NYPD officers.

MAMDANI UNVEILS NEW ‘RACIAL EQUITY PLAN’ FOR MORE ‘EQUITABLE FUTURE’ THAT PROMPTS QUICK DOJ PUSHBACK

“This is not an indictment of any one New Yorker,” Mamdani said during a Tuesday press conference. “It is an indictment, however, of policies and politics that have persisted for far too long.”

City officials described the plan as the first time a New York City administration has required major agencies to evaluate their work through a racial equity lens and identify disparities. The plan sets goals across seven areas, including the economy, housing, public safety, health and infrastructure.

The report traces racial disparities in the city back centuries, citing historical factors including colonization and slavery.

FROM FREE BUSES TO CITY-OWNED GROCERY STORES, HERE ARE MAMDANI’S KEY ECONOMIC PROMISES

The rollout quickly sparked pushback from conservatives and the Trump administration, which has sought to roll back race-based initiatives 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,” the conservative influencer account Libs of TikTok posted on X.

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“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 has opened a 30-day public comment period as officials consider next steps.

Mamdani’s office did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

With Tax Day arriving this week, millions of filers are rushing to submit returns—often increasing the chances of simple but costly mistakes. Even minor errors, like incorrect personal details or overlooked income, can delay refunds, trigger IRS notices, or lead to penalties that take time and money to fix.

The good news is that most of these issues are entirely avoidable with both extra attention and preparation.

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

1. Selecting 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 a “qualifying surviving spouse” after a spouse has died.

BEWARE OF THESE TAX SCAMS AS THE FILING DEADLINE APPROACHES, CONGRESS WARNS

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. 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.

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

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 that accrue on top of your tax bill.

3. 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.

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

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.

4. 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.”

5. 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.

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, without rushing prematurely.

Peace negotiations with Iran fell apart after Tehran severely misjudged what kind of leverage the regime believed it held, a U.S. official told Fox News Digital on Sunday.

While Vice President JD Vance left Islamabad, Pakistan, without a deal between the U.S. and Iran, the official said Vance used the talks to measure the Iranians own assessment of their position in the negotiations.

Vance found that Tehran thought they held a strong hand going into negotiations, according to the official, who added that no deal can be achieved when one party deludes itself into believing they have leverage that, in reality, they do not have.

GEN JACK KEANE ‘SKEPTICAL’ THAT IRAN CEASEFIRE WILL HOLD, WARNS TEHRAN WILL ‘DELAY AND OBFUSCATE’

The U.S. official described the talks to Fox News Digital as starting out tough, though developing into a more friendly and productive dialogue over the duration of the 21-hour-long negotiations.

The high-stakes talks between the U.S. and Iran ended without a deal after Iranian officials refused to accept American terms, Vance said earlier Sunday during a press conference from the Serena Hotel in Islamabad, Pakistan.

“So we go back to the United States, having not come to an agreement. We’ve made very clear what our red lines are, what things we’re willing to accommodate them on and what things we’re not willing to accommodate them on,” Vance said at the time. “And we’ve made that as clear as we possibly could, and they have chosen not to accept our terms.”

TRUMP REVEALS IRAN MADE ‘SIGNIFICANT PROPOSAL’ AFTER ULTIMATUM, BUT ‘NOT GOOD ENOUGH’

The U.S. official said that over the course of the discussions, the Washington delegation determined it was clear that the Iranians did not comprehend that the core of any peace deal hinges on Iran never obtaining a nuclear weapon.

While that point remains the main objective of any potential peace deal, the U.S. has other red lines that it will not compromise on.

The official said that the U.S. and Iran failed to reach an agreement on all of Washington’s red lines, which include: Iran ending all uranium enrichment; the dismantling of all Iran’s major nuclear enrichment facilities; the retrieval of highly enriched uranium; the acceptance of a broader peace, security and de-escalation framework that includes regional allies; an end to the funding of Iran’s terrorist proxies Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis; and Iran fully opening the Strait of Hormuz with no tolls for passage.

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The official added that Vance has underscored that while a deal remains on the table, it is up to Tehran to accept the terms.

“And we leave here with a very simple proposal, a method of understanding that is our final and best offer,” Vance said during the earlier press conference before departing Pakistan. “We’ll see if the Iranians accept it.”

FIRST ON FOX: A conservative nonprofit is launching a $5 million nationwide ad blitz pressuring the Senate to pass voter ID legislation as Republicans move to advance parts of the SAVE America Act through Congress in coming months.

Restoration of America (ROA) told Fox News Digital the campaign begins Monday, and includes a $3.1 million national television buy, with a digital push targeting selected swing states.

The group pointed to polling it says shows 83% of Americans support requiring a photo ID to vote, arguing the issue is “overwhelmingly supported by everyday Americans.”

The effort comes as Senate Republicans signal they are prepared to bypass Democrats and move key priorities through reconciliation.

OBAMA-APPOINTED JUDGE REVERSES COURSE, RULES VOTER ID LAW ISN’T DISCRIMINATORY IN GOP WIN

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., has said Republicans plan to include elements of the SAVE America Act in a broader legislative package later this year, describing it as a “down payment” on the measure.

Meanwhile, Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., has said Republicans are prepared to “go it alone” using reconciliation — a process that allows them to bypass Democrats — as lawmakers work under a tight timeline set by President Donald Trump, who has pushed for legislation to reach his desk by June 1.

The group said its campaign is aimed at forcing the Senate to act on voter ID legislation.

TRUMP SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDER OVERHAULING MAIL-IN VOTING IN MAJOR ELECTION INTEGRITY PUSH

The centerpiece of the effort is a 30-second ad titled “Save America,” which is set to air on national news shows “both conservative and liberal,” according to the group.

“As Americans, we’re fair and logical,” the ad says. “83% of us favor requiring a photo ID to vote.”

The ad goes on to argue that voter ID is standard elsewhere.

TWO DOZEN HOUSE REPUBLICANS GO TO WAR WITH SENATE GOP OVER SAVE AMERICA ACT

“In fact, most of the civilized world requires it, but not us,” the ad says. “We need to be able to trust that only eligible Americans are casting ballots.”

The spot also takes aim at both parties in Washington, not just Democrats, for the stall.

“Democrats oppose voter ID for no coherent reason. Republicans favor it, but haven’t acted. What are they waiting for?” the ad says.

It closes with a direct call to action: “Call your United States senators and tell them to pass the Save America Act today.”

Restoration of America founder and CEO Doug Truax said the campaign is meant to restore trust in elections.

“There’s nothing more important right now than restoring confidence in our elections,” Truax said. “We can’t have a country where people are dubious about the accuracy and fairness of our elections. The Senate needs to do whatever it takes to pass this law.”

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Restoration of America described itself as the umbrella for a network of conservative organizations focused on policy and voter-related issues, including the Voter Reference Foundation.

The ads go live Monday, coinciding with a congressional recess that will put senators back in their home states, where the campaign is designed to reach them directly.

Fox News Digital’s Alex Miller contributed to this reporting.

President Donald Trump said the U.S. Navy will begin a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and interdict vessels that have paid a toll to Iran, after U.S. peace talks with Tehran ended in a stalemate.

“Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all ships trying to enter or leave the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “At some point, we will reach an ‘ALL BEING ALLOWED TO GO IN, ALL BEING ALLOWED TO GO OUT’ basis, but Iran has not allowed that to happen… THIS IS WORLD EXTORTION.”

He said the U.S. would deny safe passage to vessels that paid the toll and begin clearing mines.

“I have also instructed our Navy to seek and interdict every vessel in international waters that has paid a toll to Iran,” he wrote. “No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage… We will also begin destroying the mines… Any Iranian who fires at us… will be BLOWN TO HELL!”

WHY THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ MATTERS AS TRUMP ISSUES FRESH ULTIMATUM TO IRAN

Iran’s closure of the strait has triggered global economic turmoil, and reopening it was a key condition in U.S. efforts to reach a deal.

In a second post, Trump reiterated the demand: “They better begin… getting this INTERNATIONAL WATERWAY OPEN AND FAST!”

Trump’s warning raises the stakes in the narrow but vital waterway, a critical artery for global energy supplies.

The strait, which lies between Iran, Oman and the United Arab Emirates, is one of the world’s most critical energy choke points, carrying roughly 20 million barrels of oil a day along with about one-fifth of global liquefied natural gas.

The strait is also a vital artery for refined fuels, including products like jet fuel.

The latest threat builds on a pattern of deadlines Trump has imposed on Tehran over the strait. Here is a timeline of those demands:

March 21

In a Truth Social post, Trump declared that if Iran did not “FULLY OPEN” the strait within 48 hours, the United States would “obliterate their various POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE FIRST!”

Ali Mousavi, Iran’s permanent representative to the International Maritime Organization, responded by saying that the Strait of Hormuz was “open to everyone” except Tehran’s enemies. Meanwhile, other Iranian officials warned that attacks on energy infrastructure would amount to an attack on the Iranian people and would be met with retaliation.

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

March 23

Two days later, Trump wrote in a Truth Social post that the U.S. had had “productive” conversations with Iran and that he had ordered the Pentagon to delay any strikes on Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure for five days.

Iranian officials publicly denied that any talks were taking place.

March 26

Trump again extended his deadline — this time by 10 days, to April 6 at 8 p.m. Eastern — saying in a social media post that he was “pausing the period of Energy Plant destruction” at the Iranian government’s request.

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

March 30

Trump wrote in a Truth Social post that “great progress” had been made in negotiations to end the conflict. At the same time, he warned that if a deal was not reached and the Strait of Hormuz was not “immediately” opened, the United States would destroy Iran’s power plants, oil wells, Kharg Island — the country’s main oil export hub — and “possibly all” desalination plants.

April 1

Trump said Iran requested a ceasefire, a claim Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson called “false and baseless,” according to the state news agency IRIB.

In a social media post, Trump said the United States would consider a ceasefire only once the strait was “open, free and clear,” adding: “Until then, we are blasting Iran into oblivion or, as they say, back to the Stone Ages!!!”

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

April 4

Trump warned in a Truth Social post that “time is running out — 48 hours before all Hell will reign down on them.” 

The post followed several conflicting statements in previous days, in which he alternately criticized allies for not acting to reopen the strait and suggested it would reopen on its own.

April 5

In a profanity-laced post on Truth Social on Sunday, Trump wrote: “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.

April 7

Two days later, Trump issued a fresh ultimatum to Iran, demanding that it allow all vessels to transit the Strait of Hormuz or face strikes on critical infrastructure. The warning came after weeks of escalating threats and missed deadlines.

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“A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. “We will find out tonight — one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the world,” he added, referencing his 8 p.m. ET deadline for Iran to agree to a ceasefire and reopen the strait.

A ceasefire was called a few hours before the 8 p.m. deadline.

President Donald Trump’s $400 million White House ballroom construction will be able to continue for at least a little while longer, after an federal appeals court instructed a District Court judge to reconsider the situation.

A three-judge panel for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled Saturday that construction can proceed until Friday, April 17, giving the president time to seek a Supreme Court review as the Trump administration is claiming delaying the prospect leaves the construction site exposed and risks the security of the president and his staff.

The panel instructed U.S. District Judge Richard Leon to clarify whether — and how — his injunction interferes with the administration’s claims over safety and security.

Government lawyers argued that the project includes critical security features to guard against a range of possible threats, such as drones, ballistic missiles and biohazards and that holding up construction “would imperil the president and others who live and work in the White House.”

DEMS MOVE TO SET LIMITS ON TRUMP’S DONOR-FUNDED WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM, CLAIMING ‘BRIBERY IN PLAIN SIGHT’

Trump had also made the case that the U.S. military was installing a “heavily fortified” facility under the ballroom, including bomb shelters and a medical facility.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP) sued in December, a week after the White House finished demolishing the East Wing for a 90,000-square-foot (8,400-square-meter) ballroom.

The group claimed Trump exceeded his authority when he demolished the dated East Wing — built in 1902 during Theodore Roosevelt’s presidency and expanded in 1942 — arguing the president needed congressional authorization.

TRUMP SAYS IT ‘IS TOO LATE’ TO STOP THE WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM CONSTRUCTION AMID LAWSUIT

Trump has said the president has historically had say over the White House remodeling, and has long noted Congress does not have to pay for the privately funded project.

A lower court had issued a March 31 injunction to halt ballroom construction, but it also paused that injunction to allow for an appeal.

The White House has argued that the injunction left the White House “open and exposed,” threatening security for the building, the president and his family and staff.

TRUMP UNVEILS NEW RENDERING OF SPRAWLING WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM PROJECT

NTHP CEO Carol Quillen said in a statement that the organization awaited further clarification from the district court.

She said the group was committed “to honoring the historic significance of the White House, advocating for our collective role as stewards, and demonstrating how broad consultation, including with the American people, results in a better overall outcome.”

Judge Leon exempted any construction work necessary to ensure the safety and security of the White House, but said he reviewed material the government privately submitted before determining that a halt would not jeopardize national security.

“We cannot fairly determine, on this hurried record, whether and to what extent the district court’s ‘necessary for safety and security’ exception addresses Defendants’ claims of irreparable harm, insofar as it may accommodate the Defendants’ asserted safety and security need for the ballroom itself or other temporary measures to secure the safety and security of the White House, the President, staff, and visitors while this appeal proceeds,” the D.C. Circuit said in its ruling.

WARREN-LED INQUIRY DRAWS NEW DETAILS ON TRUMP BALLROOM DONATIONS FROM MAJOR CORPORATIONS

The appeals panel noted that much of the government’s concerns focused on that below-ground security work, which the White House argued was “distinct from construction of the ballroom itself and could proceed independently.”

The White House is making the case now that those security upgrades are “inseparable” from the project as a whole, the appeals court said, making it unclear “whether and to what extent” moving forward with certain aspects of the ballroom is necessary for the safety and security of those upgrades.

TRUMP PUSHES BACK AFTER MICHELLE OBAMA KNOCKS EAST WING RENOVATION, CALLING OLD ARRANGEMENT ‘A DISASTER’

Although Trump’s project is funded by private donations, public money is paying for construction of underground bunkers and security upgrades.

The three-judge appeals court panel was made up of Judges Patricia Millett, Neomi Rao and Bradley Garcia. Millett was nominated by former President Barack Obama, Rao by Trump and Garcia by President Joe Biden.

Rao wrote a dissenting opinion, which cited a statute that allows the president to undertake improvements to the White House.

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“Importantly, the government has presented credible evidence of ongoing security vulnerabilities at the White House that would be prolonged by halting construction,” Rao wrote, adding that such concerns outweigh the “generalized aesthetic harms” presented in the lawsuit.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney defended his country’s NATO commitments after being pressed over alliance spending by President Donald Trump, insisting Ottawa meets the benchmark – even though Canada only reached the 2% defense target in 2025.

Speaking recently at a press conference in Monteregie, Quebec, Carney said Iran remains a “grave threat” to the Middle East and beyond and argued Canada is meeting its obligations to the alliance.

But Canada only reached NATO’s 2% defense spending benchmark in 2025, after spending years well below the target. Carney acknowledged Ottawa had not hit that mark since the Cold War, underscoring the vulnerability in his pushback to Trump.

“I’ll underscore that just a few weeks ago that we’ve met for the first time since the fall of the Berlin Wall our NATO commitments in terms of 2% defense spending,” Carney added. 

ECONOMIST EDITOR SAYS EUROPEAN LEADERS NOW FEAR A TRUE NATO ‘DIVORCE’ AFTER TRUMP PULLOUT THREAT

Trump has blasted some NATO allies over what he sees as weak support during the Iran conflict, warning on Truth Social that the alliance “wasn’t there when we needed them and they won’t be there if we need them again.”

When a reporter pressed that Trump threatened to punish NATO, including conflict-averse members Germany and Spain, Carney boasted that Canada “meet[s] its NATO commitments.”

NATO’s 2014-2025 defense expenditure report estimated Canada’s defense spending at 1.01% of GDP in 2014, and below 1.5% through 2024 before reaching 2.01% in 2025.

NATO CHIEF SAYS WORLD IS ‘ABSOLUTELY’ SAFER UNDER TRUMP

Meanwhile, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has praised Trump for pushing allies to meet the 2% benchmark, as several Eastern Bloc nations have noticeably increased their tithes.

Over the past decade, U.S. defense spending has averaged roughly 3.3% of GDP, compared with about 1.3% for Canada. The U.S. GDP is also a higher gross figure than all other NATO members in dollars.

MORE KEY US ALLIES BLOCK MILITARY FLIGHTS AS IRAN WAR RIFT WIDENS WITH TRUMP 

Greece and the U.K. have been the top two countries consistently contributing to NATO’s funding, while Canada, Spain, Belgium, the Czech Republic and Hungary all sit in the lower tier on average. The only outlier below them is Luxembourg, which contributes an average 0.6% of GDP to NATO, according to calculations made from the report’s figures.

TRUMP LASHES OUT AT ‘SICK’ IRANIAN LEADERS, CONFIRMS ESTIMATED TIMELINE FOR ENDING WAR

Rutte previously made waves for appearing to refer to Trump as “daddy,” but said this week the Dutch-to-English translation was flawed and that he meant to refer to the president as a strong disciplinarian-like figure at a time when Trump was angry at both Israel and Iran.

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“In Dutch, you would say the translation of your father is ‘daddy’ and I would say hey, yeah, some time, Daddy has to be angry, so I wasn’t going to say [he’s my] daddy,” he said of a meeting between the two men in The Hague last June.

Rutte issued the response after being pressed on whether he still viewed Trump as “Daddy” or an ally amid the president’s issues with some member-nations.

As the debate over birthright citizenship is debated in the Supreme Court, resurfaced videos of top Democrats echoing the argument of the Trump administration sparked a conservative uproar on social media.

“If making it easy to be an illegal alien isn’t enough, how about offering a reward for being an illegal immigrant?” Former U.S. Senator Harry Reid said on the Senate floor in 1993. 

“No sane country would do that. Right? Guess again. If you break our laws by entering this country without permission and give birth to a child, we reward that child with U.S. citizenship and [a] guarantee of full access to all public and social services this society provides — and that’s a lot of services.”

Reid, who served in the Senate as a Democrat for 30 years and was Senate Majority Leader for 8 years, was speaking about the Immigration Stabilization Act of 1993 which he introduced. The legislation was a broad immigration reform package that included a provision to deny birthright citizenship to children born in the U.S. to mothers who were neither U.S. citizens nor lawful permanent residents.

CHINESE ELITES EXPLOITING US BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP AT ‘INDUSTRIAL SCALE,’ EXPERT WARNS

Reid, who died in 2021 at the age of 82, ultimately changed his tune on the legislation and said in 2018 that the bill was a “mistake.”

Many on social media quickly pointed to Reid’s lofty stature within the Democratic Party and wondered aloud why he is not labeled “racist” the same way Republicans who oppose birthright citizenship often are.

“WOW,” conservative influencer Libs of TikTok posted on X. “Senator Harry Reid, a DEMOCRAT, introduced a bill in 1993 to END birthright citizenship for illegal aliens .But if Trump wants to do it, Democrats call it ‘rAcIsT.’”

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE SUPREME COURT’S BLOCKBUSTER BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP CASE

“Lots of Democrats supported him,” actor Kevin Sorbo posted on X. “They change their minds to fit whatever narrative suits them. That’s why they can’t be trusted.”

“Democrats once said ‘no sane country’ would give birthright citizenship to illegal aliens,” Rep. Lance Gooden (R-Texas) posted on X. “Now, breaking our laws is rewarded with full US citizenship and access to every government benefit. SCOTUS should END this exploitation once and for all!”

“Harry Reid was right,” Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, posted on X.

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 Another Democrat, the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein from California, also became fodder on social media in recent days over similar comments on immigration that were viewed over 8 million times after being posted by MAZE, a conservative influencer account on X. 

“Should you have a system where people can come to this country, even if they’re well-to-do?” Feinstein said in 1993.  Get on Medicaid and give birth to a baby, then go back. The answer is no! And we know that Medicaid laws are being used and abused to do just this in the state of California. I’d like to see that stop.”

The resurfaced posts come as the Trump administration argues at the Supreme Court in favor of an executive order signed on the president’s first day back in office, which seeks to end automatic citizenship for nearly all persons born in the U.S. to undocumented parents, or to parents with temporary non-immigrant visas in the U.S.

The high-stakes case brought into focus more than a century of executive branch action, Supreme Court precedent, and the text of the Constitution itself — or, more specifically, the Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment — which the administration argues has been misinterpreted in the more than 100 years since its passage.

Fox News Digital’s Breanne Deppisch contributed to this report.

If you thought the Congressional appropriations process couldn’t get any worse, I present you with 2026. And perhaps beyond.

The Department of Homeland Security remains shut down, running on pocket lint, nickels lost between the couch cushions and faded S&H Green Stamps (look ‘em up, kids). Congress hasn’t funded DHS for two months. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., torqued himself into a political pretzel – opposing, then supporting, then not acting on – a Senate-approved package to fund most of DHS.

As we always say, it’s about the math, and when it comes to DHS money, it appears that lawmakers have locked a box to which they lack the combination. There is apparently no sequence of votes in the House and Senate which can crack the DHS safe as a traditional, standalone appropriations bill. 

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: WHY TRUMP MAY NOT BE ABLE TO FORCE CONGRESS BACK OVER THE DHS SHUTDOWN

Now, Congressional Republicans and President Donald Trump are turning to one of the few methods which might work to fund DHS – something called budget reconciliation.

The Congressional budget reconciliation process is not customarily used for appropriations bills – although lawmakers can plug the measure with money to spend on federal programs. However, reconciliation is inoculated from filibusters. Thus, Republicans don’t need 60 votes. They can – ostensibly – pass a DHS bill on its own without help from Democrats if they hold their narrow coalitions together in both the House and Senate.

Congressional Republicans intend to stuff this reconciliation package with only money for ICE and Customs and Border Patrol. Nothing for disaster aid. Nothing for farmers. Nothing about the SAVE America Act. The president agrees. The goal is to finish this by June 1 – months after the latest DHS funding lapse.

But it’s more complicated than that. 

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

The House and Senate must take a number of steps to approve a shell of a budget resolution in order to have the filibuster-proof reconciliation tool available to them. Republicans undertook a similar endeavor last winter and spring. It was absolutely harrowing and consumed months before finally approving the One, Big, Beautiful Bill, via reconciliation. Republicans don’t have that kind of time now. Then again, DHS has either been unfunded or held together by interim spending bills since last October.

We haven’t even mentioned how Trump is using a somewhat dubious authority to pay TSA workers and others from other funds – without Congressional approval.

That leaves some to question why the administration didn’t do this to start with. But the bigger issue is an alarming pattern of Congress ceding its most precious prerogative – the power of the purse – to the executive branch. That’s to say nothing as to whether Trump’s gambit to pay workers is even Constitutional. And, it establishes a precedent which may be hard to ignore during other funding impasses.

However, here’s the bigger problem: the Congressional paralysis to pass appropriations bills on a timely basis. That’s been an issue for years now.

Historically, Congress has missed the Oct. 1 fiscal deadline, relying on “Continuing Resolutions” (CR’s) which simply renew all funding on a temporary basis. Or, lawmakers cobble together a set of the 12 annual spending bills in a “minibus” appropriations package. Lawmakers who might oppose an individual bill are willing to support a group of bills – because there’s something in there which they like or support.

But turning to reconciliation as a way out of the appropriations box canyon is also another precedent which likely agitates Congressional appropriators. Sure. They’ve done that before. And in this instance, it might finally get DHS funded. But what does this mean for the future?

Which brings us to Oct. 1, 2026. That’s when the federal government pivots from Fiscal Year 2026 to start Fiscal Year 2027. 

Congress has struggled to fund the federal government since early 2025, when it began work on appropriations bills for this year. The FY ’26 funding crisis – which spawned the record-breaking, 43-day, government-wide shutdown in the fall, another partial government shutdown last winter and the current DHS stalemate – has been an issue since lawmakers were working on bills for this cycle around this time LAST spring. So how pray tell is Congress going to avoid a shutdown THIS autumn for FY ’27?

In fact, few are even speaking about that possible peril – because no one can wrap their heads around the present appropriations saga. And it’s possible that this fall’s problems could be worse than last fall’s impasse. The reason? The midterm elections hit in November. It’s doubtful that either side will be willing to make much of a deal right before voters head to the polls.

The scenarios are frightening to fathom, so people are just kind of ignoring them.

SEE IT: LAWMAKERS CAUGHT ON VACATION AMID RECORD-BREAKING SHUTDOWN WHILE DHS WORKERS GO UNPAID

We have entered a new period of semi-perpetual funding standoffs – exacerbated by mistrust between the sides, narrow Congressional margins in both the House and Senate, parliamentary mathematical equations which don’t balance and an unwillingness by Trump to broker deals or even negotiate with Democrats.

Yes. They have options to cover DHS into next year, but it’s the other 11 spending bills which could be problematic.

Imagine trying to pass a defense spending bill which has a price tag 44% higher than the one last year? Or tacks a bunch of money on for the war in Iran?

Where’s the vote combination to approve a CR, let alone an individual bill? Will Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., be willing to help Republicans hit the 60 vote threshold to fund things? Especially if he sees the possibility of emerging again as Majority Leader? Probably not.

And let’s say Democrats win the House, Senate or both in the fall? Do you really think these spending standoffs get better over the final two years of Trump’s term?

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Back to Chevy Chase and Clark Griswold. There’s a second part to that iconic quotation from Christmas Vacation: “We’re at the threshold of hell!” he declares.

Pretty funny, but not if you’re trying to keep the government open after the adventures of the past year. This is not hilarious to millions of federal workers who suffer from paycheck PTSD. Another round of spending mayhem could only erode further trust between federal workers and their employers. It will damage morale – which is already subterranean. That’s to say nothing of courting people to work for the government.

Yes. Things can get a lot worse. The political schisms are deep and the vote matrices to pass the bills simply don’t exist.

It may be spring, but the Christmas Vacation movie provides insight into where we stand with the Congressional appropriations bills: “It’s Christmas and we’re all in misery,” declares Ellen Griswold, played by Beverly D’Angelo.

Yeah. And wait to see what Congress has in store for THIS Christmas.

Vice President JD Vance said Sunday that high-stakes talks between the U.S. and Iran ended without a deal after Iranian officials refused to accept American terms.

Speaking during a press conference from the Serena Hotel in Islamabad, Pakistan, Vance said Iran has “chosen not to accept our terms.”

“The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement,” Vance said. “And I think that’s bad news for Iran much more than it’s bad news for the United States of America.”

The vice president said talks with Iranian officials lasted 21 hours, describing them as “substantive discussions,” but adding the U.S. was unwilling to compromise on its “red lines.”

VANCE WARNS IRAN WILL ‘FIND OUT’ TRUMP IS ‘NOT ONE TO MESS AROUND’ IF CEASEFIRE DEAL FALLS APART

“So we go back to the United States, having not come to an agreement. We’ve made very clear what our red lines are, what things we’re willing to accommodate them on and what things we’re not willing to accommodate them on,” Vance added. “And we’ve made that as clear as we possibly could, and they have chosen not to accept our terms.”

Fox News Digital’s Preston Mizell asked Vance if he had been in contact with President Donald Trump during the talks, and the vice president said he had been “consistently.”

“I don’t know how many times we talked to him — a half dozen times, a dozen times over the past 21 hours,” Vance said, adding that the U.S. team was also communicating with other members of the Trump administration, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.

GEN JACK KEANE ‘SKEPTICAL’ THAT IRAN CEASEFIRE WILL HOLD, WARNS TEHRAN WILL ‘DELAY AND OBFUSCATE’

“So, look, we were constantly in communication with the team because we were negotiating in good faith,” Vance said. “And we leave here with a very simple proposal, a method of understanding that is our final and best offer. We’ll see if the Iranians accept it.”

Vance arrived in Pakistan early Saturday to lead high-stakes negotiations with Iran aimed at preserving a fragile ceasefire announced by Trump earlier this week and preventing a broader regional war.

Vance was joined by U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, as part of a senior delegation engaging Iranian officials in Islamabad.

TRUMP AGREES TO 2-WEEK CEASEFIRE IF IRAN OPENS STRAIT OF HORMUZ

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf were negotiating for Iran. 

While Vance declined to elaborate on which terms Iran rejected, he said the U.S. sought assurances that Iran would not develop a nuclear weapon.

“The simple fact is that we need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon, and they will not seek the tools that would enable them to quickly achieve a nuclear weapon,” Vance said. “That is the core goal of the president of the United States. And that’s what we’ve tried to achieve through these negotiations.”

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The talks came over a month after the U.S. launched Operation Epic Fury on Feb. 28.

Fox News Digital’s Preston Mizell and Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.

A Pennsylvania-linked manufacturer has been stripped of control over its Russian operations under a Kremlin order, raising fresh risks for Western companies as Moscow courts renewed economic ties with the United States.

CANPACK, a global aluminum beverage can manufacturer owned by a Pennsylvania-based holding company, operates in multiple countries across Europe and North America and said its Russian business — valued at roughly $700 million — was placed under state “external administration” by a Dec. 31, 2025, decree signed by President Vladimir Putin, effectively transferring control of 100% of its shares to state-appointed managers.

CEO Peter Giorgi said the company lost all operational authority after administrators arrived in mid-January.

“I’m only a nominal shareholder,” Giorgi said in an interview with Fox News Digital. “I lose all control of the company.”

BIPARTISAN SENATORS PROBE KREMLIN-LINKED DELEGATION’S MEETINGS WITH US OFFICIALS

The case underscores the risks facing Western companies that remained in Russia during the war, even as Moscow signals interest in rebuilding economic ties with Washington as part of potential peace negotiations.

Putin’s envoy for foreign investment, Kirill Dmitriev, is in the United States meeting with officials in President Donald Trump’s administration to discuss a potential Ukraine peace deal and future economic cooperation, according to Reuters.

Analysts say the move is part of a broader shift in Russia’s handling of foreign-owned assets since the Ukraine War.  

“Let’s not be U.S.-centric about that,” said Alexander Kolyandr, a fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis. “CANPACK is not alone.”

CANPACK has operated in Russia for nearly 30 years and held an estimated 35%–40% share of the country’s aluminum beverage can market, according to the company, underscoring the scale of the takeover.

The company has had no direct access to or communication with its Russian operations since the move, according to a person familiar with the matter, and several senior executives — including the general manager and chief financial officer — were removed following the takeover.

Company officials say executives in Russia have faced pressure from state-appointed administrators, including demands to approve financial decisions under threat of dismissal or other consequences.

The situation has not changed in recent months, according to the officials. The company’s Russian operations remain under external administration, with no restoration of control or ownership as of April.

The move falls under a legal framework introduced in 2023 allowing the Russian government to place certain foreign-owned assets under temporary state control.

The decree identified a company called Stalelement as the entity overseeing the assets, which company representatives describe as a shell entity with ties to the Russian government.

The company has raised the issue with U.S. officials, but no formal action has been taken.

Russian business daily Vedomosti reported in February that CANPACK’s Russian division donated approximately 500 million rubles to a pro-Kremlin fund supporting Russia’s war effort in Ukraine.

The company believes roughly $18 million was directed to state-linked funds supporting Russian operations, with an additional approximately $6 million sent to a Russian Orthodox church, based on Russian media reports and information relayed by former executives. Fox News has not independently verified those claims.

The estimated transfers represent a small portion of the company’s overall value, but underscore how quickly financial control can shift under external administration.

The company continued operating in Russia after Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, even as many Western firms exited the market.

Giorgi said the company considered leaving but faced challenges unwinding decades of investment and could not find a buyer at a fair price.

“We decided to stay the course,” he said, adding that the company hoped conditions would eventually stabilize.

The same December 2025 decree also targeted the Russian subsidiary of Danish insulation manufacturer Rockwool. Other Western companies, including France’s Danone and brewer Carlsberg, have faced similar actions by Russian authorities in recent years.

“We are talking about dozens of companies,” Kolyandr said.

Kolyandr said U.S.-linked companies have in some cases been treated more cautiously than their European counterparts.

“American companies fared much better than the European ones,” he said, pointing to Moscow’s interest in preserving the possibility of improved ties with Washington.

He said the trend accelerated after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, when Western companies began suspending operations or exiting the market.

“It all started in earnest with the beginning of the war,” he said, adding that it became easier for authorities to take control of assets.

Kolyandr said the policy reflects a wider redistribution of property aimed at bringing profitable or strategic assets under closer state influence.

“It sends a signal across the system that if you do not toe the line, your property may be taken away,” he said.

He added that while the process may generate some revenue for the state, funding the war is unlikely to be the primary driver.

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“On the one hand, it helps to generate a bit of cash for the budget,” he said. “But I don’t think it’s the main reason.”

The Russian Embassy in Washington and the Russian foreign ministry did not respond to requests for comment.  

President Donald Trump slammed Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger ahead of meetings in the state on Saturday, warning her policies are triggering a tax base exodus similar to New York and California.

Trump, in an early morning Truth Social post, said the Democratic governor had imposed a wave of taxes that he argued were draining the state’s economic strength.

“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!”

Trump’s comments come as Spanberger faces Republican criticism over a slate of tax and revenue proposals, with GOP lawmakers warning the measures could hurt Virginia’s business climate, while her office argues they are needed to fund key priorities.

GLENN YOUNGKIN ACCUSES GOV SPANBERGER OF ‘ILLEGAL AND UNCONSTITUTIONAL’ GERRYMANDERING IN VIRGINIA MAP FIGHT

Spanberger has backed a series of revenue measures since taking office, including proposals to expand taxes on digital services and business activity, as part of a broader effort to fund priorities such as education and health care. Republicans have criticized those efforts as tax hikes that could make the state less competitive.

Trump said companies that committed to moving into Virginia under former Gov. Glenn Youngkin were now reconsidering those decisions.

“New companies that signed to come into the Commonwealth under Governor Youngkin are now looking for ways to get out — Break their Deal,” he said.

VA DEM REJECTS ‘POWER GRAB’ CLAIMS ON SPANBERGER REDISTRICTING AS GOP WARNS 10–1 MAP WOULD SPLIT RURAL VOTE

The president, who said he was heading to Virginia for meetings at Trump National Golf Club, drew comparisons to high-tax states like New York and California, which he has frequently criticized.

“We have a similar situation in New York and, most of all, in California, where Rich, Job Producing people and companies are being forced to FLEE at levels never seen before,” Trump wrote.

He added that California’s tax base was “literally disappearing” as wealthy individuals and corporations relocate, warning Virginia could face a similar trajectory.

“Remember, once people and companies leave, they are never coming back!” Trump said.

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Fox News Digital has reached out to Spanberger’s office for comment.

Spanberger defeated Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears in the 2025 gubernatorial race, securing a Democratic win. Youngkin was not eligible for re-election under state law.

She campaigned on issues including health care and abortion rights, while positioning herself as a more moderate alternative despite GOP criticism of her voting record.