Maharashtra: Guillain-Barre syndrome outbreak claims first life in Pune here’s how you can protect yourself
“The patient, suffering from symptoms like breathlessness, weakness in lower limbs, and diarrhoea, was admitted to a private hospital (in Solapur) on January 18 as he was on ventilator support on and off. He died on Sunday,” Solapur Government Medical College Dean Dr Sanjiv Thakur said.
Ahead of PM Modi’s visit to inaugurate 38th National Games, Uttarakhand CM says ‘everyone excited about your arrival’
Prime Minister Modi will inaugurate the 38th National Games in Dehradun. The National Games is being hosted in Uttarakhand in 11 cities across 8 districts from January 28 to February 14.
Delhi polls: EC holds high-level meeting with focus on law and order, voter participation, expenditure monitoring
The monitoring of election expenditures was another key focus area. Mechanisms to curb excessive spending and ensure adherence to guidelines were discussed, with Expenditure Observers providing valuable inputs. Updates on Model Code of Conduct (MCC) violations were discussed in the meeting.
Trump says that Iron Dome construction will be ‘immediate,’ signs executive order
President Donald Trump said that the construction of an Iron Dome-like shield for the U.S. is a top priority for him on Monday, calling for “immediate” work to be done on the project before signing an executive order. Trump made the remarks at a Republican dinner in Florida on Monday, while commending his recently-confirmed Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. After landing at Joint Base Andrews that night, he confirmed that he signed an executive order regarding the Iron Dome on the plane. “Pete Hegseth, who’s going to be great, by the way… I think he’s going to be fantastic,” Trump said at the event. “I know him very well. I think he’s going to be fantastic.” “He’s what we need, to immediately begin the construction of a state-of-the-art Iron Dome missile defense shield, which will be able to protect Americans.” PETE HEGSETH CONFIRMED TO LEAD PENTAGON AFTER VP VANCE CASTS TIE-BREAKING VOTE The president added that Americans “protect other countries, but we don’t protect ourselves.” Trump also referenced that President Ronald Reagan was interested in the system during the Cold War, but Americans “didn’t have the technology.” “And now we have phenomenal technology. You see that with Israel,” Trump continued. “So I think the United States is entitled to that. And everything will be made right here in the USA 100%.” “We’re going next to ensure that we have the most lethal fighting force in the world.” On Monday, the State Department said that a future Iron Dome is one of Hegseth’s many priorities. MCCONNELL VOTED NO ON HEGSETH AS PENTAGON HEAD, FORCING VANCE TO CAST TIEBREAKER “Other areas the secretary will study include reinstating troops that were pushed out because of COVID-19 vaccination mandates and developing an Iron Dome anti-missile system for the United States,” the statement read. This wasn’t Trump’s first mention of an Iron Dome for the U.S. At the Commander-In-Chief inaugural ball on Jan. 20., Trump said that the project was on his radar. “We’re also doing the Iron Dome all made in America,” Trump said. “We’re going to have a nice Iron Dome.” The Republican leader also referenced the plan on the campaign trail in 2024. “By next term we will build a great Iron Dome over our country,” Trump said during a West Palm Beach event on June 14. “We deserve a dome…it’s a missile defense shield, and it’ll all be made in America.”
India, China decide to resume direct flights, Kailash Mansarovar Yatra in 2025; check details
The MEA said it was also agreed to hold an early meeting of the India-China expert-level mechanism to discuss the resumption of the provision of hydrological data and other cooperation pertaining to trans-border rivers.
Comer launches investigation of sanctuary cities, asks mayors to testify
House Republicans are calling on sanctuary city mayors to testify next month about the policy’s impact on public safety and the refusal to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. U.S. Rep. James Comer, R-Tenn., chair of the GOP-controlled House Committee on Oversight and Reform, said he was launching an investigation into sanctuary cities across the United States to determine whether they have complied with federal immigration enforcement laws. In a letter, he asked Michelle Wu, Brandon Johnson, Mike Johnston and Eric Adams, the mayors of Boston, Chicago, Denver and New York City, respectively, to provide documents and information related to the sanctuary policies of each city. TRUMP’S ICE NABS CHILD SEX OFFENDERS AMONG 530+ ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS CAUGHT IN SINGLE DAY They were each asked to testify at a public hearing on the matter on Feb. 11. Fox News Digital has reached out to each mayor. “On his first day in office, President Donald Trump took decisive actions to restore the rule of law,” Comer wrote on X. “It is now imperative that our immigration laws are enforced across the country and that criminal aliens are swiftly removed from our communities.” The letters said 12 states and hundreds of cities and counties across the country have sanctuary policies. However, Comer said the four cities singled out “stand out in their abject failure to comply with federal law.” Sanctuary cities limit cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities. Supporters argue that enforcement of immigration is the job of the federal government. Opponents say sanctuary policies harbor criminals, as well as those in the country illegally, and put the public, including illegal immigrants, at risk. Adams has spoken out against criminal illegal immigrants, who he said put New Yorkers at risk. In addition, he has said he is willing to work with Trump Border Czar Tom Homan. “Mayor Adams has made clear that New York City is committed to working with our federal partners to fix our broken immigration system and focus on the small number of people who are entering our localities and committing violent crimes,” the mayor’s office told Fox News Digital. “We will review the letter and respond accordingly.” Meanwhile, Wu, the Boston Mayor, has said her city won’t cooperate with Trump’s mass deportation program, despite the region seeing a number of illegal immigrants with criminal charges released back onto the streets. “Elections have consequences, and the federal government is responsible for a certain set of actions, and cities, no individual city, can reverse or override some parts of that,” she told WCVB-TV in November. “But what we can do is make sure that we are doing our part to protect our residents in every possible way, that we are not cooperating with those efforts that actually threaten the safety of everyone by causing widespread fear and having large scale economic impact.” In a statement to Fox News Digital, a spokesperson for the City of Boston said: “We are proud that Boston is the safest major city in the United States. We have received the letter and are reviewing it.” Chicago Mayor Johnson has doubled down on his support of the city’s sanctuary policies. “I find it unconscionable that this administration would attempt to create not just division but fear within our public schools,” Johnson said, referring to potential federal raids. He has directed city departments to “stand firm and uphold the local ordinance” in compliance with the Illinois Trust Act, which prohibits local law enforcement from assisting federal immigration enforcement efforts. Denver Mayor Mike Johnston has also supported sanctuary policies despite the presence of members of Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua in Denver and the suburb of Aurora. On Sunday, federal agents arrested 50 members of the gang in Colorado and seized drugs, weapons, and cash, authorities said. In his first week after returning to the White House, Trump has rescinded multiple directives and has targeted illegal immigrants with criminal records in a series of raids. Raids by agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have been reported in Colorado, New York City, Buffalo, N.Y., Boston, California, and Minnesota, with hundreds of illegal immigrants being detained. In addition, deportation flights have also begun.
Ecstatic House Republicans cry unity after Trump speech in Miami: ‘Made politics fun again’
DORAL, Fla. — House Republicans were brimming with optimism after President Donald Trump’s speech at their annual retreat on Monday evening, where the new commander-in-chief detailed his policy goals for a busy first 100 days of the new administration. Trump’s speech, which ran just over an hour, covered a wide range of issues, from post-election unity to his wishlist for Republicans’ conservative policy overhaul via the budget reconciliation process. “It was fun, you know? I mean, if you’re a Republican, Trump made politics fun again,” House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla., told Fox News Digital. “I mean, it’s been an extraordinary week. There’s a blizzard of executive orders and actions. It’s actually pushed Congress on some action.” Rep. Mike Haridopolos, R-Fla., a first-term member of Congress, was buoyant when approached by Fox News Digital on the first night of his first House GOP issues conference, an annual Republican event. TRUMP’S FEDERAL DEI PURGE PUTS HUNDREDS ON LEAVE, NIXES $420M IN CONTRACTS “This is exactly why we ran for office, to turn around this country as quickly as possible. And that the president was in full form tonight. And I’m so excited to be a part of this change,” Haridopolos said. “You could feel the energy in the room, and I think people are very excited to get this agenda through, and more importantly, see the results.” It comes as Republicans negotiate on how to use their razor-thin majorities in the House and Senate to pass massive conservative policy changes through budget reconciliation. By reducing the threshold for Senate passage from 60 votes to a 51-seat simple majority, reconciliation allows a party in control of both congressional chambers to enact sweeping changes, provided they’re relevant to budgetary and fiscal policy. There has been some disagreement for weeks over how to package the GOP’s priorities, however. Senate Republicans have pushed for breaking the package up into two bills in order to score early victories on border security and energy policy, while leaving the more complex issue of tax reform for a second bill. House Republican leaders, however, are concerned that the heavy political lift that passing a reconciliation bill entails would mean lawmakers run out of time before they can extend Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, which expire at the end of this year. Trump, who previously said he favors “one big, beautiful bill,” was noncommittal on the strategy during his speech. “Whether it’s one bill, two bills, I don’t care,” he said. He was more specific about what policies he wanted to see passed, however, including more funding for border security, permanently extending his 2017 tax cuts, and ending taxation for tips, Social Security benefits, and overtime pay. Trump also has vowed to end green energy policies in favor of bolstering the fossil fuel sector. Cole said he was concerned about the increase in federal spending that some of Trump’s specific policy goals would entail, but conceded the president was likely speaking in generalities. “I think Trump, when he thinks about these things, he’s thinking about just the average person and what a burden it is on them,” Cole said. Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., one of three House Republicans who won in a district that voted for former Vice President Kamala Harris in November, praised Trump’s speech as “unifying” but shared concerns with Trump’s broad-brush approach. ‘NO BETTER DEALMAKER’: TRUMP REPORTEDLY CONSIDERING EXECUTIVE ORDER TO ‘SAVE’ TIKTOK “I thought that message is pretty unifying. I do. I think sometimes the execution gets all messy,” Bacon said. “While I was in there, I had a businessman from Omaha that does wind energy, and he’s worried about what that means. So I think it…could be a little more targeted. Sometimes I think people on the periphery are scared that their business will be impacted.” But National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) Chairman Richard Hudson, R-N.C., who is tasked with leading Republicans through the 2026 midterm elections, said leaders would hash out specifics as needed while crediting Trump with bringing the GOP together. “We’ll see how the details shake out in these couple of days. But what I thought was great is he kept coming back to his theme – if all Republicans stick together, we can be successful. And I thought that was a good message for all members,” Hudson said. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., meanwhile, said she was “very happy to hear” Trump call for a lower tax rate for new domestic manufacturing, particularly in relation to pharmaceuticals. It’s an issue she hopes Republicans will tackle in their reconciliation process. “It was important that President Trump stressed unity as we enter the timeframe for drafting and passing reconciliation, extending the tax package,” Malliotakis said. And Rep. Nathaniel Moran, R-Texas, also praised Trump’s speech while dismissing concerns about his lack of commitment toward a one or two reconciliation bill strategy. “He’s a results-oriented guy, and we all know that. And what we need to do is whatever is necessary to get the results for the American people and put his policies in place,” Moran said.
Department of Veterans Affairs places 60 DEI employees on leave with salaries totaling more than $8M
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has placed nearly 60 employees on leave who focused on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and had a combined salary of more than $8 million. The VA said in a press release Monday that it completed its implementation of President Donald Trump’s executive order to end DEI in the federal government. Part of the VA’s abolishment of DEI within the agency meant placing on paid administrative leave about 60 employees who were solely focused on DEI activities. The VA said the combined salary of the employees – including base pay, locality pay and additional earnings – exceeds $8 million, with the average pay being about $136,000 per year, per employee. TRUMP’S FEDERAL DEI PURGE PUTS HUNDREDS ON LEAVE, NIXES $420M IN CONTRACTS One of the employees had a salary of over $220,000 per year, according to the VA. In addition to putting the employees on leave, the VA said it identified multiple contracts for DEI-related training, materials and other consulting services that are currently being looked at for cancellation. The combined value of the contracts, the VA said, is more than $6.1 million. Over the coming weeks and months, the VA said it plans to work on reallocating resources to better support the veterans, families, caregivers and survivors who the agency exists to serve. ATF ACCUSED OF ‘CIRCUMVENTING’ TRUMP ORDER TO PLACE DEI STAFF ON PAID LEAVE The VA is also taking down DEI-related materials from its digital assets. “Under President Trump, VA is laser-focused on providing the best possible care and benefits to Veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors,” said Morgan Ackley, the VA’s director of media affairs. “We are proud to have abandoned the divisive DEI policies of the past and pivot back to VA’s core mission. We look forward to reallocating the millions of dollars the department was spending on DEI programs and personnel to better serve the men and women who have bravely served our nation.” The VA joins many other federal agencies that are executing Trump’s plan to end DEI initiatives. 3 IN 10 VOTERS THINK ENDING DEI PROGRAMS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, POLL SHOWS, AS FEDERAL DEADLINE LOOMS Trump’s newly created Department of Government Efficiency temporary organization, headed up by tech billionaire Elon Musk, wrote in a social media post on X that about $420 million in current and impending contracts, mainly focused on DEI initiatives, had been canceled. On the day of his inauguration, Monday, Jan. 20, Trump signed the executive order, and the federal Office of Personnel Management notified heads of agencies and departments that they must begin taking steps to close all DEI offices by the end of the day on Wednesday, Jan. 22, and place government workers in those offices on paid leave. It is not yet clear when or if they will be terminated. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Trump’s order rescinded President Joe Biden’s executive order on promoting diversity initiatives, “Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government,” which he signed on his first day in office. Fox News Digital’s Brie Stimson contributed to this report.
Spending showdown: Republicans will need to corral votes – but they haven’t asked, yet
In about six weeks, there could be another scramble to avert a government shutdown. One of the biggest untold stories in Washington right now is that bipartisan, bicameral Congressional leaders, plus top appropriators, have yet to forge an agreement on a “topline” spending number for the rest of fiscal year 2025 – which runs until October 1. The House tackled five of the 12 spending bills last year – but none so far this year. The Senate has spent its time burning through confirmations. Floor time is at a premium. Senate Democrats put zero appropriations bills on the floor when they ran the place. And none so far this year with the GOP in majority. So the new day in Washington is the old day when it comes to Congressional spending. The new deadline to avoid a government shutdown is March 14. Republicans control the House, the Senate and the White House. It’s unclear precisely what President Trump wants with the spending bills. Of course, it wasn’t clear what he wanted in December – until he made it clear at the last minute. THE POLITICAL FIRESTORM THAT’S ABOUT TO SINGE CAPITOL HILL In September, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., punted the spending battle until Christmas. And then Johnson released a massive, 1,500-page bill which the President, Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy and other conservatives excoriated. At the last minute, President Trump demanded a debt ceiling increase. He also advocated for a government shutdown along the way. Johnson had to yank that spending package off the floor just hours before a vote and start all over, finally passing a lean bill just before the December 20 deadline. And so, here we go again. “I think we’re looking at a CR,” lamented one veteran House Republican close to the spending process. To the uninitiated, a “CR,” is Congress-speak for a “continuing resolution.” It is a stopgap bill to fund the government at present levels – without initiating any new programs or spending. Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., got into trouble with conservatives for approving a CR to avert a shutdown in September 2023. Johnson seized the gavel in the fall of 2023, promising to do individual spending bills. But Johnson’s struggled to do that, too. SPEAKER JOHNSON INVITES TRUMP TO ADDRESS CONGRESS AMID BUSY FIRST 100-DAY SPRINT Some members of the Freedom Caucus oppose voting for any interim spending bills like a CR. So what are House Republicans to do? Multiple rank-and-file Republicans observed that the House could have tried to knock out a few bills since Congress returned to session in early January. But that hasn’t happened. This comes as House Republicans huddle at President Trump’s golf club in Doral, Fla. The focus of the meeting is to figure out concrete plans for the GOP’s “big, beautiful bill” to cut taxes and slash government spending. But because of so much attention on that measure, some Republicans fret the appropriations clashes have been all but forgotten. Until they aren’t. And, as an aside, should the “big, beautiful bill” get a moniker? Should we call it the BBB? Of course, former President Biden’s initial try on a social spending and climate package was called “Build Back Better” in 2021. Official Washington sometimes referred to it as the BBB. That is until former Sen. Joe Manchin, I-W.V., made the BBB DOA. The 118th Congress – running from January 3, 2023, to January 3, 2025 – was stocked with drama. The House stumbled to elect a Speaker. Then ousted McCarthy a few months later. The House dithered for three weeks before electing Johnson. Former Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., found himself in legal trouble after he yanked a false fire alarm during a vote – ironically enough to avert a government shutdown. There was the expulsion of former Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y. And yes, multiple flirtations with government shutdowns and even a debt ceiling crisis. But amid all the pandemonium, the only thing that didn’t happen over the previous two years was a shutdown. Can they keep the streak alive? USER’S MANUAL: WHY SOME TRUMP NOMINEES COULD BE CONFIRMED WITH A VOICE VOTE – AND WHY SOME COULD NOT The only reason the government never shuttered during the last Congress was because House Democrats – in the minority – were willing to bail out Republicans – who had the majority. Democrats were willing to play ball and “do the right thing” in the last Congress to avert a fiscal calamity. But Democratic patience with Republicans has worn thin. It was one thing to help out when Democrats controlled the Senate and former President Biden occupied the White House. House Democrats may not be as charitable under the second administration of President Trump and GOP control of Congress. Yours truly asked House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., about what pound of flesh they might request from Republicans if they help avoid a government shutdown – or prevent the nation from a collision with the debt ceiling. One possible request: re-upping Obamacare tax credits due to expire next year. A failure to do so would trigger major premium hikes for more than 20 million Americans. But Jeffries played it cool. “Republicans have not opened up any line of communication with us. And they’ve made clear to America that they have a big, massive, beautiful mandate, which presumably means to us that they intend to pass a spending agreement on their own to avoid a government shutdown on their own and to raise the debt ceiling on their own,” said Jeffries. “It’s not hard to find me. They know where I’m at. They know my number. I haven’t received a single call about a single one of these issues.” The GOP is trained on the BBB and not on government funding. Even some GOP members suggested Republicans should have remained in session in Washington rather than heading to southern Florida for their retreat and a meeting with President Trump. JOHNSON REVEALS TRUMP’S WISHES ON DELIVERING HUGE POLICY OVERHAUL
Health experts prep Dem lawmakers on anti-vaccine arguments ahead of RFK Jr’s confirmation hearings
A group of Democratic senators previewed several anti-vaccine arguments during a roundtable discussion, including a claim that vaccines cause autism, several days before Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s scheduled confirmation hearings later this week. Even though Kennedy’s name was “not supposed” to come up during the hearing, according to at least one of the health experts present at the discussion, his nomination to be the next secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) was invoked frequently by lawmakers seeking answers about how to combat anti-vaccine claims and so-called “misinformation,” including arguments about vaccines that Kennedy has promoted in the past. One claim the senators asked the public health experts at the roundtable about was whether vaccines cause autism, a claim Kennedy has discussed publicly in interviews. “This is something that I hear a concern about quite a lot,” Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, D-Md., asked the panel. “What, if any information, can you give us to help us push back against that?” RFK IS THE LEAST ‘SCARY’ THING HAPPENING TO THE US HEALTH SYSTEM, DR MAKARY WARNS The doctors on the panel explained the lack of robust studies proving this link while highlighting the wide breadth of studies that have shown no links between vaccines and autism. “Academic researchers, pediatricians, scientists took that concern seriously enough to spend tens of millions of dollars to answer the question,” said Dr. Paul Offit, a pediatrician with an expertise in virology and immunology. “The more impactful part of your question is how do you get that information out there, because frankly, once you’ve scared people it’s hard to unscare them.” Offitt added that since there is no clear cause of autism, it makes it harder to refute claims from Kennedy and others. Dr. Joshua Sharfstein of Johns Hopkins pointed lawmakers to preeminent medical authorities within the U.S., such as the National Academy of Sciences, as places they could go for evidence that vaccines do not cause autism. TULSI GABBARD, RFK JR EXPECTED TO FACE OPPOSITION IN SENATE CONFIRMATION HEARINGS The Democratic group of lawmakers, led by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who caucuses with Democrats, asked questions about, and learned ways to refute, other anti-vaccine claims, such as whether vaccine manufacturers are immune from being held accountable for vaccine injuries. The experts pointed out the presence of a National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program that allows certain vaccine injury victims to receive compensation from the government, but they suggested that if Kennedy upended the current system and opened up more companies to liability, it could potentially put vaccine manufacturers out of business. TRUMP’S REINSTATEMENT OF TROOPS BOOTED OVER COVID VACCINE HAILED AS WIN FOR FREEDOM: ‘GREAT DAY FOR PATRIOTS’ “Am I right that the HHS secretary has some discretion about removing vaccines from that list [and opening them up to civil litigation] if they were to choose?” asked Sen. Time Kaine, D-Va. “Because if that were the case, I would obviously worry about – that would be one worry I would have and a set of questions I might like to ask people nominated for positions within HHS.” Other questions from lawmakers that the health experts helped answer included queries about how to distinguish between vaccine side effects versus vaccine complications, how to combat claims that vaccines are not studied enough, questions about how the government monitors the safety of vaccines, questions about how undermining vaccine efficacy can impact public health and more. DIET AND NUTRITION EXPERTS WEIGH IN ON HOW RFK JR’S NOMINATION COULD IMPACT HOW WE EAT Kennedy will face tough questions about his stance on vaccines this week during his confirmation hearings in front of both the Senate Committee on Finance and the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP). The chair of the Senate’s HELP committee, Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., called Kennedy “wrong” on vaccines during an interview earlier this month. Democrats, meanwhile, have been more pointed about their criticism. During the roundtable discussion with public health experts, Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., called Kennedy “dangerous” and “unqualified” for the position of HHS secretary. “The bird flu, if it explodes, we’re going to need to have some confidence, especially in those people who should be vaccinated, that they can trust the government when they say that it’s safe, they can trust the medical community, and I’m just very afraid of Robert F. Kennedy’s candidacy,” Markey said. “Say goodbye to your smile and say hello to polio,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., said after news of Kennedy’s nomination to head HHS. “This is a man who wants to stop kids from getting their polio and measles shots. He’s actually welcoming a return to polio, a disease we nearly eradicated.”