DHS chief Kristi Noem’s purse was stolen days after similar incident just blocks away: report
A woman dining with her family recently had her purse stolen in downtown Washington, D.C., just a few blocks away from the restaurant where Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s handbag was swiped, according to a report. The victim told NBC News that she was eating at a restaurant inside the Westin Hotel last Thursday and noticed that her purse was missing around the time her family received the check. A police report cited that the suspect snatched her bag “from the chair it was hanging on,” the network added. Three days later, Noem’s purse, which contained $3,000 in cash as well as personal documents, including her passport, keys, driver’s license and a DHS badge, was stolen at The Capital Burger, a restaurant located less than a quarter mile away. In both incidents, the suspect was identified as a White male wearing dark clothing, a dark baseball hat and a N95 mask, NBC News reported, citing the victim of the Westin theft and two sources familiar with surveillance footage viewed by law enforcement in the Noem case. DHS CHIEF KRISTI NOEM’S PURSE STOLEN WITH THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN DC RESTAURANT: SOURCES “I’m shocked at the similarity of the crime,” the victim of the Westin incident told NBC News. It’s unclear if the two incidents are connected, but the victim also said police contacted her Tuesday, mentioned the Noem case and asked if she herself was involved in politics – she is not. KIMMEL MOCKS KRISTI NOEM FOR GETTING ROBBED, SAYS HER BEING CRIME VICTIM IS ‘EMBARRASSING’ A Metropolitan Police Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital on Wednesday that the agency cannot comment on the Noem theft because it is not leading the investigation. In the Noem incident, “Her entire family was in town including her children and grandchildren” and she was using the cash in her purse “to treat her family to dinner, activities, and Easter gifts,” a Homeland Security spokesperson told Fox News. Fox News Digital’s Cameron Arcand contributed to this report.
After Pahalgam terror attack, encounter breaks out between terrorists and security forces in J-K’s Kulgam
Gunbattle breaks out between terrorists and security forces in Kulgam, just a day after Pahalgam attack.
Pahalgam Terrorist Attack: “Recited the Kalima in fear…’ claims Assam’s professor who recounts tales of encounter with terrorists
After the incident many surviving victims told chilling stories of how the terrorists forced them to reveal their religious identities. One of the tourists from Assam who was visiting the area also faced the deadly terror attack and recounted terrifying incidents that killed many within few hours.
Vance issues ultimatum to Russia, Ukraine on peace negotiations
Vice President JD Vance told reporters in India that the U.S. had offered Russia and Ukraine “a very explicit proposal” to end the war that has been ongoing for over three years: make a deal or risk the U.S. walking away. “We’ve issued a very explicit proposal to both the Russians and Ukrainians, and it’s time for them to either say yes or for the U.S. to walk away from this process. We’ve engaged in an extraordinary amount of diplomacy, of on-the-ground work,” Vance told reporters. TRUMP SAYS US WILL ‘TAKE A PASS’ ON UKRAINE PEACE EFFORTS IF RUSSIA REFUSES TO PLAY BALL The vice president also said that “the only way to really stop the killing is for the armies to both put down their weapons, to freeze this thing and to get on with the business of actually building a better Russia and a better Ukraine.” Vance’s comments come after Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that he would not be attending talks in London aimed at facilitating a ceasefire. On Tuesday, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told reporters that Rubio would not be attending the talks due to “logistical issues.” The secretary later wrote in a post on X that he was planning on “following up after the ongoing discussions in London and rescheduling my trip to the UK in the coming months.” During Tuesday’s briefing, Bruce also said Gen. Keith Kellogg, special presidential envoy for Ukraine, would represent the U.S. at the talks in London. TRUMP INSISTS UKRAINE-RUSSIA PEACE DEAL IS CLOSE, BUT MISTRUST IN PUTIN LEAVES EXPERTS SKEPTICAL On Friday, Rubio suggested that the U.S. might walk away from negotiations to end the war within “a matter of days,” despite President Donald Trump’s ongoing efforts to secure a ceasefire deal. Trump later told the press that Rubio was “right in saying that we want to see it end.” “Think about it, every day a lot of people are being killed as we talk about, you know, as they play games, so we’re not gonna take that,” Trump told reporters. He also said he thinks the U.S. has a “good chance” of bringing peace to Ukraine and Russia. Security experts, however, are not as confident that peace is on the horizon, as some warn that Russian President Vladimir Putin does not want peace. Trump seems to be hoping to entice Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to stop the fighting with talk of how both countries could benefit from doing business with the U.S. after the war ends. He made the remark after Ukraine and Russia’s temporary Easter ceasefire ended. Both Ukraine and Russia accused each other of violating the ceasefire. Fox News’ Caitlin McFall contributed to this report.
Pahalgam Terrorist Attack: Will Amarnath yatra be affected after fear among tourists? Know how are security arrangements
The Kashmir Valley reverberated with the sounds of gunshots which will forever haunt the survivors of the Pahalgam terrorist attack and their relatives back home. The inhumane and gruesome terrorist attack in Kashmir not only killed many people but has instilled a lasting fear among tourists, and a certain section of the society across India. While various organisations called for a Jammu and Kashmir Bandh, shops, fuel stations, businesses and all govt and private schools have also been closed, and concerns have been raised regarding the Amarnath Yatra 2025.
Pahalgam Terrorist Attack: Northern Railways to run special train between Vaishno Devi Katra to New Delhi, details inside
In view of the Pahalgam terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Tuesday, the Northern Railways has announced special trains from the region to New Delhi and other parts of the country.
‘We will never win back tourists’ trust’: Locals react after Pahalgam terror attack, eyewitnesses describe chaos
A deadly terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22 left one tourist dead, triggered panic, and raised serious concerns over safety and tourism in Kashmir.
Federal judge alleges ‘willful and bad faith refusal’ to comply in Abrego Garcia deportation case
A federal judge in Maryland accused the Trump administration of “willful and bad faith refusal” to comply with court orders in the case of illegal immigrant and suspected MS-13 gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s deportation to El Salvador. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis – who was nominated to the bench by former President Barack Obama – accused the Trump administration of obstructing the legal process and refusing to provide information about the steps they have taken, if any, to free Abrego Garcia from Salvadorian custody and return him to the United States. “For weeks, Defendants have sought refuge behind vague and unsubstantiated assertions of privilege, using them as a shield to obstruct discovery and evade compliance with this Court’s orders,” Xinis wrote in an eight-page order Tuesday. “Defendants have known, at least since last week, that this Court requires specific legal and factual showings to support any claim of privilege. Yet they have continued to rely on boilerplate assertions. That ends now.” 4 MORE DEMS TRAVEL TO EL SALVADOR TO PUSH FOR ABREGO GARCIA’S RETURN TO US “If Defendants want to preserve their privilege claims, they must support them with the required detail. Otherwise, they will lose the protections they failed to properly invoke,” the judge added. She gave the administration until 6 p.m. Wednesday to provide those details. President Donald Trump on Tuesday posted a photo to TRUTH Social of himself in the Oval Office holding up a photo of the gang-affiliated tattoos etched on Abrego Garcia’s knuckles. “This is the man, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, that the Courts are trying to save from being deported?” Trump wrote. “He was supposed to be, according to the Judge and the Democrats, a wonderful father from Maryland, but then they noticed he had “MS-13″ tattooed onto his knuckles (and lots of really bad stories about his past!). This is the gang that is, perhaps, the worst of them all. What is wrong with our Country?” The Trump administration deported Abrego Garcia, 29, to El Salvador in what it described in court filings as an “administrative error,” and has since said that it is up to El Salvador whether Abrego Garcia returns to the U.S. DEPORTED ILLEGAL ALIEN AND SUSPECTED MS-13 GANG MEMBER TRANSFERRED FROM NOTORIOUS EL SALVADORAN MEGA-PRISON The U.S. Supreme Court ordered the Trump administration nearly two weeks ago to facilitate Abrego Garcia’s return to the U.S., so that court proceedings could continue, rejecting the White House’s claim that it couldn’t retrieve him. Trump administration officials have pushed back, arguing that it is up to El Salvador — though the president of El Salvador has also said he lacks the power to return Abrego Garcia. The administration has also argued that information about any steps it has taken or could take to return Abrego Garcia is protected by attorney-client privilege laws, state secret laws, general “government privilege” or other secrecy rules. But Xinis said those claims, without any facts to back them up, reflected a “willful and bad faith refusal to comply with discovery obligations.” A three-judge panel on the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals scolded the administration last week, saying its claim that it can’t do anything to free Abrego Garcia “should be shocking.” The Justice Department unveiled documents last week detailing domestic violence allegations that Abrego Garcia’s wife, Jennifer Vasquez, included in a court filing in 2021. Vasquez alleged in the filing that Abrego Garcia beat her and that she had documentation of the bruises he left on her. Additionally, a 2022 Homeland Security Investigations report obtained by Fox News claims that Abrego Garcia was suspected of partaking in labor and human trafficking. The report said a Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper pulled Abrego Garcia over in 2022 after swerving. The patrol officer found eight other individuals in the car with Abrego Garcia, who had just begun driving three days prior. The officer originally believed the incident qualified as a human trafficking case because no luggage was found in the car, but the officer ultimately only wrote up Abrego Garcia for driving with an expired license. Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser, Diana Stancy, David Spunt, Rachel Wolf, Greg Norman and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
25 ‘vulnerable’ House Dems targeted by GOP ad blitz offering airfare to El Salvador
FIRST ON FOX: The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) is targeting a list of 25 “vulnerable” Democrats in the House of Representatives, with a digital ad blitz offering to buy them plane tickets to El Salvador on the condition they “livestream the whole thing and snap plenty of selfies with their MS-13 buddies.” The ad campaign follows a Monday press release by the NRCC offering to foot the bill for any future trips by Democrat lawmakers to El Salvador, after several progressive lawmakers traveled to the South American country in protest of the Trump administration’s deportation policies. “We’ll pay for the plane tickets, they just can’t forget to smile for the camera while they sell out their constituents,” NRCC spokesman Mike Marinella said Tuesday. “If out-of-touch House Democrats are so desperate to cozy up to violent gang members, the least they can do is let Americans watch the show.” 4 MORE DEMS TRAVEL TO EL SALVADOR TO PUSH FOR ABREGO GARCIA’S RETURN TO US The Democrats targeted by the House Republican arm’s ad blitz herald from states including California, New York, Nevada, Ohio, Florida, Texas and a few others. They are: Josh Harder, D-Calif.; Adam Gray, D-Calif.; George Whitesides, D-Calif.; Derek Tran, D-Calif.; Dave Min, D-Calif.; Darren Soto, D-Fla.; Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla.; Frank Mrvan, D-Ind.; Jared Golden, D-Maine; Kristen McDonald Rivet, D-Mich.; Don Davis, D-N.C.; Nellie Pou, D-N.J.; Gabe Vasquez, D-N.M.; Dina Titus, D-Nev.; Susie Lee, D-Nev.; Steven Horsford, D-Nev.; Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y.; Laura Gillen, D-N.Y.; Josh Riley, D-N.Y.; Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio; Emilia Sykes, D-Ohio; Henry Cuellar, D-Texas; Vicente Gonzalez, D-Texas; Eugene Vindman, D-Va.; Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash. REP. MAXWELL FROST EXPLAINS WHY HE AND OTHER DEMOCRATS ARE IN EL SALVADOR Progressive Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., traveled to El Salvador last week in a highly publicized trip to visit Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an illegal immigrant deported with a slew of other Venezuelan gang members and whom Democrats have said was illegally deported by the Trump administration. Van Hollen’s visit was followed up by another visit to El Salvador on Sunday by four far-left Democratic lawmakers: Reps. Yassamin Ansari of Arizona, Maxine Dexter of Oregon, Maxwell Frost of Florida and Robert Garcia of California. Republicans, meanwhile, have been eager to tie Democrats to suspected criminals being deported to El Salvador. The NRCC’s counterpart for the U.S. Senate, the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), released a new digital ad this week as well that mocked Van Hollen’s recent meeting with alleged MS-13 gang member Abrego Garcia. “¡Bienvenidos a El Salvador Senate Dems! Democrats should feel free to make their trip to hang out with MS-13 gangbangers one-way,” the NRSC wrote in a post on X unveiling the new ad. HOUSE DEMS DEMAND ‘PROOF OF LIFE; OF ABREGO GARCIA AFTER BEING DENIED MEETING IN EL SALVADOR CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Welcome to El Salvador. Home to breathtaking sunsets, world class surf breaks and gang banger Kilmar Abrego Garcia,” a narrator from the video can be heard saying as well. “El Salvador is the destination for Democrats seeking the thrill of bringing violent, criminal, illegal aliens back to America,” the ad continues, noting El Salvador was a good destination for travelers to “witness Trump Derangement Syndrome in its purest form.”
Is REAL ID really necessary? What authorities are saying
The Department of Homeland Security in May will begin implementing REAL ID requirements for U.S. travelers for the first time, a move that comes as the administration looks to act on some of President Donald Trump’s top policy priorities, including its crackdown on illegal immigration and border security. The enhanced ID requirements are slated to take effect May 7 and will apply to all U.S. travelers over the age of 18. The law establishing REAL IDs isn’t new: Congress first passed the REAL ID Act in 2005 in an effort to crack down on identity verification in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and set “minimum security standards” for state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards. But after 20 years of slow-walking the law’s enforcement, the abrupt timing of the May 7 enforcement is likely to catch many Americans flat-footed. Just how necessary is obtaining a “REAL ID”? We broke down the changes coming next month and what’s at stake for those who don’t comply. Here’s what you need to know in the final weeks before the new rules take force. SUPREME COURT TO HEAR ORAL ARGUMENTS IN BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP CASE Beginning May 7, all federal agencies, including DHS and TSA, are required to accept only state-issued driver’s licenses and state identification cards that comply with the updated identity verification standards. The goal of the REAL ID Act is “to make state driver’s licenses and ID cards (which are identification cards that states issue to non-drivers) more secure, less susceptible to fraud, and more reliable as a form of identification,” Magdalena Krajewska, an associate political science professor, wrote in a 2020 article for the Oxford Academic. (The government has for years tried to stand up the REAL ID requirements, most recently in the months before the COVID-19 pandemic.) The law seeks to add another layer of security to various forms of identification and to make it harder to counterfeit state IDs. FEDERAL JUDGE ORDERS HALT TO TRUMP ADMIN’S CFPB TERMINATIONS The short answer: It depends. In order to obtain this enhanced form of ID, individuals must present to their local DMV valid proof of identity; proof of their Social Security number and date of birth, and two additional documents that prove they live in the state. This varies from state to state, though updated guidance can be found here. The good news is that individuals can obtain one of the enhanced IDs at any time. All 50 states, D.C., and five U.S. territories are now issuing REAL ID-compliant driver’s licenses and ID cards, according to the DHS. The REAL ID requirements are a “coordinated effort by the federal government to improve the reliability and accuracy of driver’s licenses and identification cards for individuals across the federal government,” Bart Johnson, TSA’s federal security director for upstate New York, told reporters this month. Every adult in the U.S., if they want to travel by plane or enter government facilities. “Every air traveler 18 years of age and older must have a REAL ID-compliant ID, which is a state-issued driver’s license, state-issued identification card, or another acceptable form of ID, such as a U.S. passport” before the May 7 deadline, the Transportation Security Administration said in a statement. Though the other IDs are not rendered obsolete, the TSA said Americans will need to present these new IDs every time they board a commercial flight, even when traveling on a domestic trip. They will also need this updated ID to access federal facilities or be granted access to federal buildings. No, not everyone needs to get a new ID. In fact, certain states have required REAL ID verification from residents for years, meaning individuals living in those states and with active forms of identification need not hustle to the local DMV. Enhanced and “REAL ID-compliant” identification cards are marked with a seal, often a star in the top right-hand corner, according to DHS. The abrupt enforcement timeline could catch many Americans flat-footed, especially ahead of what is predicted to be a busy summer travel season. While legacy IDs are still valid for travel, including driving, airline passengers who present noncompliant forms of ID before boarding, and without another acceptable alternative, such as a passport, “can expect to face delays, additional screening and the possibility of not being permitted into the security checkpoint,” DHS officials said.