Radical activist who fueled Cori Bush’s campaigns emerges as spokesperson for track star’s murder suspect
FIRST ON FOX: A spokesperson for the family of the 17-year-old boy accused of stabbing Frisco, Texas, track star Austin Metcalf to death has a long history of supporting defunding the police as well as close ties to former Squad Rep. Cori Bush. Minister Dominique Alexander, a Dallas-based defund the police activist and social justice leader, has been in the headlines in recent days as he and his organization, Next Generation Action Network (NGAN), have been rallying in defense of the family of 17-year-old Karmelo Anthony, the teenager who is accused of fatally stabbing Metcalf, and Anthony himself. “The Next Generation Action Network is currently working with the Anthony family to get the bond processed and will keep the community updated regarding his release,” NGAN posted on X earlier this week after the bond was reduced from $1 million to $250,000. “We want to sincerely thank everyone for the overwhelming support you have shown. This is just the beginning of a long legal journey, and we will continue to stand strong in defense of Karmelo’s rights.” Alexander hosted a press conference on Thursday and slammed the father of the victim for being a “disrespect to the dignity of his son” after he showed up to the press conference that he was “not invited” to, according to Alexander. TEEN SUSPECT FREE ON BOND AFTER ALLEGEDLY STABBING TEXAS TRACK STAR AUSTIN METCALF TO DEATH “That was disrespectful and just shows you all the character,” he continued. “He was not invited. He knows that it’s inappropriate to be near this family, but he did it. So, I say to people, actions speak louder than words.” Alexander’s comments immediately went viral Thursday across social media, which led to online sleuths resurfacing his long criminal record, which has been documented in multiple local reports dating back over a decade. A Fox News Digital review also exposes his longtime support for defunding the police and his ties to the former “Squad” House Democrat and defund-the-police activist Cori Bush, who was defeated last year during her Democratic primary. Alexander’s X and Facebook accounts reveal that he and NGAN played a pivotal role in helping mobilize on behalf of Bush’s winning campaigns in 2020 and 2022. In 2020, Bush praised Alexander and his group for their “perseverance & dedication” and said their “[commitment] to the work” is “unmatched.” “Thanks to Minister [Dominique Alexander] & @NextGenAction for your tireless work & bravery,” Bush said in 2019. In a 2021 post, Alexander said it was “truly an honor” to join Bush as she was sworn into Congress. The post included a photo of Alexander accompanied by Bush, who was holding NGAN’s Shirley Chisholm Award that she received from the organization in 2020. GRIEVING TEXAS FATHER SPEAKS OUT AFTER SON WAS STABBED TO DEATH AT HIGH SCHOOL TRACK MEET In another 2021 post, Alexander posted a photo of him and Bush from 2020 while they were campaigning together, saying, “Last year, I had the honor of seeing history in the making by seeing this beautiful black queen [Cori Bush] elected to Congress.” “I am so proud of her as an actual frontline protester. We saw her yesterday sacrifice for millions facing eviction in America, our Movement Congresswoman,” he continued. “Happy Election Anniversary, Congresswoman Cori Bush.” Alexander and his organization would go on to post dozens of pro-Bush posts during her tenure in Congress, including saying that the group was “excited to stand with [Rep. Cori Bush] and over 300 organizations nationwide to demand reparations in America” in a 2023 post. ACCUSED AUSTIN METCALF KILLER WON’T FACE DEATH PENALTY OR LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE: DA “Thank you for your service to our community and our country. The attacks that you are currently experiencing is baseless. In the people support, making sure you are okay and safe to serve,” NGAN said in a 2024 post. “We live in a country that does not want to address white supremacy.” When Bush lost her Democratic primary last year, NGAN railed against AIPAC and called for the Supreme Court case, Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, to be “overturned” after the group’s super PAC spent millions to defeat Bush. While Alexander’s ties to Bush have not been widely reported, his criminal history went viral on social media as conservatives ripped him as a “career criminal” and resurfaced local reports about his criminal past, including being indicted on a felony family violence charge in Dallas, according to NBC 5 DFW. The outlet reported in 2019 that an arrest warrant affidavit stated that Alexander’s longtime partner, Keyaira Saunders, had reported to police that Alexander had shoved her and tried to strangle her. Saunders later declined to pursue charges and slammed the Dallas police for their handling of the case, according to the outlet. Alexander also served two days in jail after pleading guilty to a felony theft case in 2021, Dallas Express reported. “After four years of this hanging over my head, I decided to avoid a jury trial in a Trump County that wouldn’t have given me a fair shot at all,” Alexander posted on Facebook around the time of his guilty plea. In 2016, Alexander was sentenced to two years in prison for violating his probation, Fox 10 Phoenix reported. Another local report from 2009 details how Alexander was arrested for allegedly causing serious head injuries to his then-girlfriend’s two-year-old son while he was babysitting him. Alexander initially told police and his then-girlfriend that the young boy had fallen off the couch while he was in the other room, but the doctor dismissed his claim amid an examination of the young boy in the intensive care unit, according to the Dallas Observer. “The severity of his injuries is not consistent with rolling off the couch,” the investigating officer reported the doctor saying. “The injuries are acute and likely occurred around the time that [his girlfriend’s son] started to have symptoms (like being unresponsive.) Without more adequate history of trauma, complainant’s injuries are more consistent with abusive
Senior JNU professor suspended for alleged sexual harassment of Japanese researcher
A senior faculty member of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in Delhi has been dismissed over charges of sexual harassment involving a foreign researcher, an official said. The alleged incident took place a few months ago during a university event.
Texas hemp farmers fear full THC ban would nip industry in the bud
As lawmakers work to close loopholes that allow minors access to cannabis consumables, hemp farmers warn a total THC ban would strangle a once-hailed crop.
Election officials wary of shift to Texas’ centralized voter-registration system
Some lawmakers say a bill requiring counties to switch to TEAM would make it easier to monitor voter rolls. But the system has had its problems.
Rubio says US ready to ‘move on’ within days if no progress made on Russia-Ukraine peace deal
Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated that it needs to be determined within days whether achieving a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine is “doable in the short term,” warning that he thinks the U.S. will “move on” if it is not achievable. Rubio said that if it is “not possible,” he thinks President Donald Trump is “probably at a point where he’s gonna say, ‘Well, we’re done.’” But Rubio noted that the U.S. will help if either or both sides are “serious about peace.” REPUBLICAN USES GEORGE WASHINGTON, AMERICAN REVOLUTION TO REJECT NOTION UKRAINE SHOULD SURRENDER TO RUSSIA “If it’s not gonna happen, then we’re just gonna move on,” Rubio declared. “@POTUS has been clear: The time to end the war between Russia and Ukraine is now. Today in Paris, @SE_MiddleEast, @SPE_Kellogg and I met with leaders from France, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Ukraine to talk about how we can stop the killing and reach a just and sustainable peace,” Rubio noted in a post on X. RUBIO ANNOUNCES CLOSURE OF STATE DEPARTMENT EFFORT THAT ‘WAS SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD ALREADY’ The war continues to rage, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky declaring in a post, “This is how Russia began this Good Friday – with ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, Shaheds – maiming our people and cities.” U.S. Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., staunchly supports Ukraine and wants the U.S. to provide the Eastern European nation with arms to bolster its war effort. JD VANCE BLASTS ZELENSKYY’S ‘60 MINUTES’ COMMENTS AS ‘ABSURD,’ ‘NOT PRODUCTIVE’ CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “European Allies and U.S. should arm Ukraine to the max and help them defend their country against the Russians, and now the North Koreans and Chinese,” Bacon said in a recent tweet.
Federal judge temporarily restricts DOGE access to personalized Social Security data
A federal judge in Baltimore issued a preliminary injunction Thursday restricting the Department of Government Efficiency’s access to Social Security data. U.S. District Judge Ellen Hollander, an Obama appointee, said DOGE-affiliated staffers must purge any of the non-anonymized Social Security data that they have received since Jan. 20. They are also barred from making any changes to the computer code or software used by the Social Security Administration, must remove any software or code they might have already installed, and are forbidden from disclosing any of that code to others. The injunction does allow DOGE staffers to access data that’s been redacted or stripped of anything personally identifiable, if they undergo training and background checks. “The objective to address fraud, waste, mismanagement, and bloat is laudable, and one that the American public presumably applauds and supports,” Hollander wrote in the ruling issued late Thursday night. “Indeed, the taxpayers have every right to expect their government to make sure that their hard earned money is not squandered.” BIDEN RETURNS TO PODIUM FOR FIRST TIME TO SLAM TRUMP’S SOCIAL SECURITY PLANS: ‘WRECK IT SO THEY COULD ROB IT’ But that’s not the issue, Hollander said — the issue is with how DOGE, led by billionaire Elon Musk, wants to do the work. “For some 90 years, SSA has been guided by the foundational principle of an expectation of privacy with respect to its records. This case exposes a wide fissure in the foundation,” the judge wrote. The case was brought by a group of labor unions and retirees who allege DOGE’s recent actions violate privacy laws and present massive information security risks. During a federal court hearing Tuesday in Baltimore, Hollander repeatedly asked the government’s attorneys why DOGE needs “seemingly unfettered access” to the agency’s troves of sensitive personal information to uncover Social Security fraud. TEXAS POISED TO CREATE ITS OWN VERSION OF DOGE AS BILL PASSES BOTH CHAMBERS “What is it we’re doing that needs all of that information?” Hollander said, questioning whether most of the data could be anonymized. Attorneys for the Trump administration said changing the process would slow down their efforts. “While anonymization is possible, it is extremely burdensome,” Justice Department attorney Bradley Humphreys told the court. He argued the DOGE access doesn’t deviate significantly from normal practices inside the agency, where employees and auditors are routinely allowed to search its databases. But attorneys for the plaintiffs called it “a sea change” in terms of how the agency handles sensitive information. Skye Perryman, President and CEO of the legal services group Democracy Forward, which is behind the lawsuit, said the ruling has brought “significant relief for the millions of people who depend on the Social Security Administration to safeguard their most personal and sensitive information.” SCHUMER CALLS ON LELAND DUDEK, ACTING COMMISSIONER OF SSA, TO RESIGN Hollander made clear that her order didn’t apply to SSA workers who aren’t affiliated with DOGE, so they can still access any data they use in the course of ordinary work. But DOGE staffers who want access to the anonymized data must first undergo the typical training and background checks required of other Social Security Administration staffers, she said. Hollander, 75, is the latest judge to consider a DOGE-related case. Many of her inquiries Tuesday focused on whether the Social Security case differs significantly from another Maryland case challenging DOGE’s access to data at three other agencies: the Education Department, the Treasury Department and the Office of Personnel Management. In that case, an appeals court recently blocked a preliminary injunction and cleared the way for DOGE to once again access people’s private data. Hollander’s injunction could also be appealed to the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which sided with the Trump administration in other cases, including allowing DOGE access to the U.S. Agency for International Development and letting executive orders against diversity, equity and inclusion move forward.
Trump: China calling ‘a lot’ since last week’s tariff increase, deal could happen as soon as 3 weeks
President Donald Trump said Thursday that China has been reaching out “a lot” ever since he nearly tripled U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports, and he suggested to reporters that the two nations could reach a deal in as soon as three to four weeks. During a gaggle with reporters after signing executive orders related to deregulating the seafood industry, Trump was asked about his ongoing negotiations with Chinese officials and, in particular, whether he has yet spoken to Chinese President Xi Jinping about the ongoing trade battle. “They have reached out a number of times,” Trump said, referring to high-level Chinese officials. When asked how frequently they’ve been in touch since last week – after Trump tripled his Chinese tariff increase from 54% to 145% – the president responded, “A lot.” GORDON CHANG: TRUMP TARIFFING CHINA AT THE WORST POSSIBLE TIME FOR XI JINPING His comments come amid media reports that Trump has indicated he is unwilling to reach out to China first amid the ongoing trade war. According to sources close to Trump, U.S. officials have been urging the Chinese to initiate a call between Xi and Trump, but so far they have not. When asked if he had spoken to Xi yet, Trump would not confirm one way or the other. “I’ve never said whether or not [it’s] happened, but I have a very good relationship with President Xi, and I think it’s going to continue. They have reached out a number of times,” Trump told reporters. TALKING TARIFFS: TRUMP TOUTS TRADE NEGOTIATIONS AS HE MEETS WITH ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER The press then quickly pounced on Trump’s response, requesting the president to clarify if he was referring to Xi or other Chinese officials when he said, “They have reached out a number of times.” “I view it very similar,” Trump responded. “It would be top levels of China, and if you knew [Xi], you would know that if they reached out, he knew exactly – he knew everything about it. He runs it very tight, very strong, very smart. And, yeah, we’re talking to China.” The president said that while some have urged him to fast-track his negotiations, he believes there is “plenty” of time left to make a deal with China and expects it will eventually come to fruition. UK URGED TO ALIGN WITH TRUMP ON CHINA OR LOSE FAVORED STATUS IN WASHINGTON “I would think over the next three or four weeks, I think maybe the whole thing could be concluded,” Trump told reporters Thursday. The president added that if a deal cannot be reached, things will “be fine.” “At a certain point, if we don’t make a deal, we’ll just set a limit. We’ll set a tariff. We’ll set some parameters, and we’ll say, ‘Come in and shop,’” Trump said. “They always have a right not to do it, so they can say, ‘Well, we don’t want it, so we’re not going to shop there, we’re not going to shop in the store of America.’ We have something that nobody else has, and that’s the American consumer.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Bribery trial of Nadine Menendez reaches closing arguments: ‘Partner in crime’
Prosecutors and defense attorneys delivered closing arguments today in the bribery trial of Nadine Menendez, wife of former Sen. Bob Menendez, D-M.J., who is accused of helping broker deals that sold the senator’s influence in exchange for gold bars, envelopes of cash, and a Mercedes-Benz convertible. The former senator—who was not present and was sentenced in a separate trial to 11 years in prison on bribery, acting as a foreign agent, and obstruction charges—was repeatedly referenced during the government’s summation. Nadine Menendez, who faces similar charges, sat quietly in the courtroom between her two attorneys, wearing a pink face mask. Prosecutor Paul Monteleoni delivered the government’s closing argument over several hours, calling Bob Menendez his wife’s “partner in crime.” He walked the jury through all 18 charges against Nadine Menendez, alleging that she acted as a broker, selling her husband’s political power in a series of schemes. PROSECUTORS AGREE TO POSTPONE NADINE MENENDEZ’S TRIAL AFTER LAWYERS SAID SHE HAS A ‘SERIOUS MEDICAL CONDITION’ Prosecutors said the misconduct included helping a New Jersey-based Halal certifier pursue a monopoly, interfering in a state-level criminal case, and ghostwriting a letter for the Egyptian government to help maintain U.S. aid. In return, Monteleoni told jurors, Nadine Menendez received envelopes of cash, 1-kilogram gold bars, a high-paying job, and a luxury convertible. “She did it so she could get a convertible,” Monteleoni said. In closing, he added, “The defendant is guilty on every count.” SEN MENENDEZ CHARGED WITH OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE IN ANOTHER SUPERSEDING INDICTMENT Barry Coburn, representing the defense, argued that the government had applied overly broad definitions of “official acts” and “quid pro quo.” He claimed most of what was alleged involved routine political behavior. “Menendez must and should not be found guilty of any of them,” Coburn told the jury. He specifically pushed back on the claim that a meeting between former Sen. Menendez and New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal amounted to an official act. “These things are unproven in this case,” Coburn said, adding: “The rule of law mandates acquittal on those counts.” The defense also questioned the credibility of Jose Uribe, a cooperating government witness, saying much of his testimony lacked corroboration. Coburn pointed to a dinner where Uribe claimed the former senator told him, “I saved your ass, not once but twice.” Coburn argued that such statements were unverified and unreliable. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Judge Sidney H. Stein is scheduled to deliver jury instructions on Friday morning at 9:30 a.m., after which deliberations will begin.
Live in gated society? You might now have to pay 18% GST on flat maintenance; Check details here
There has lately been much confusion among people living in gated societies with respect to whether Goods and Services Tax (GST) is applicable on their maintenance amount. The confusion has been exacerbated by social media messages carrying misinformation. Read more about it here.
Ukraine and US sign memorandum on minerals deal, Kyiv says
Ukraine offiical Yulia Svyrydenko did not publish details of the memorandum, says work continues towards securing final deal. Ukraine and the United States have signed a memorandum as an initial step towards the clinching of an agreement on developing minerals in the country, Kyiv’s first deputy prime minister and economy minister said. “We are happy to announce the signing, with our American partners, of a Memorandum of Intent, which paves the way for an Economic Partnership Agreement and the establishment of the Investment Fund for the Reconstruction of Ukraine,” Yulia Svyrydenko wrote on the social media platform X. Kyiv and Washington had discussed signing a deal on extracting Ukraine’s strategic minerals in February, but a clash between US President Donald Trump and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy temporarily derailed work on the agreement. Trump says he wants the deal, designed to give the US royalty payments on profits from Ukrainian mining of resources and rare minerals, as compensation for aid given to Ukraine by his predecessor, Joe Biden. Svyrydenko did not publish details of the memorandum, but said work continued towards securing a final agreement. Advertisement “We hope that the Fund will become an effective tool for attracting investments in the reconstruction of our country, modernisation of infrastructure, support for business, and the creation of new economic opportunities,” she said. “There is a lot to do, but the current pace and significant progress give reason to expect that the document will be very beneficial for both countries.” The Ukrainian delegation travelled to Washington at the end of last week for negotiations after the Trump administration offered a new, more expansive deal. The initial framework agreement that was agreed to has never been signed. “We have a minerals deal, which I guess is going to be signed on Thursday,” Trump told reporters at the White House earlier. Zelenskyy had also said earlier that the two countries could sign a memorandum of intent online. “This is a memorandum of intent. And we have positive, constructive intentions,” Zelenskyy told reporters in Kyiv. He added that the offer to sign the memorandum before the comprehensive deal, which would require ratification in the Ukrainian parliament, had come from the US side. US officials say boosting American business interests in Ukraine will help deter Russia from future aggression in the event of a ceasefire. Kyiv is pushing for concrete military and security guarantees as part of any deal to halt the three-year war. Adblock test (Why?)