F-35, SU-57 or Rafale? How will India tackle the trio of China, Pakistan and Turkey in the sky?
India’s indigenous fifth-generation fighter jet project, Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), is still in its initial stages and is unlikely to enter service before 2032-33.
‘8 lakh youth get jobs’: UP CM Yogi Adityanath hails selection process in state, calls it ‘fair, transparent’
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday said that eight lakh youth have been given government jobs in the last eight years through a fair and transparent recruitment process while distributing appointment letters to newly selected candidates by UPPSC.
How Democrats pressured U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett to step aside for the next generation
Doggett’s shocking decision to retire signals U.S. Rep. Greg Casar’s growing strength among Democrats in Austin politics and in Congress.
A Houston mother held by ICE must choose: indefinite detention or be deported without her family
Margarita Avila, a Houston mother of nine, was detained by ICE after an altercation that led to no charges. Her close-knit family weigh their futures if she is deported.
NY attorney general will intervene in Texas abortion pill access lawsuit
Letitia James, New York’s attorney general, said Texas has no authority to “impose its cruel abortion ban here.”
Comer vows ‘accountability,’ Trump rips ‘scandal’ after bombshell report on Biden autopen pardons
House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., said his panel is wrapping up its investigation into President Joe Biden’s use of the autopen after a new report revealed concerns raised within the former administration itself. “New records reveal President Biden’s own administration raised concerns about autopen use to grant thousands of pardons. This is a historic scandal with massive repercussions,” Comer told Fox News Digital in response to the Axios report. “As President Biden declined, his aides carried out executive actions without his approval, casting doubt on the legitimacy of thousands of pardons and other executive actions.” Comer added, “The House Oversight Committee is in the final stages of its investigation. There must be accountability for this scandal.” BIDEN’S AUTO-PEN PARDONS DISTURBED DOJ BRASS, DOCS SHOW, RAISING QUESTIONS WHETHER THEY ARE LEGALLY BINDING President Donald Trump weighed in on Truth Social: “THE BIDEN AUTOPEN SCANDAL IS BIG, NOT AS BIG AS THE RUSSIA, RUSSIA, RUSSIA HOAX, OR THE RIGGED 2020 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, BUT, NEVERTHELESS, ONE OF THE BIGGEST, EVER!!!” A former Biden White House staffer familiar with the pardons process pushed back. “Republicans like to talk about Biden whenever news hits that they don’t want to talk about. Today, they want to talk about Biden because Trump is responsible for the latest jobs report, which is the worst August jobs gain since 2020,” the staffer told Fox News Digital. “What these emails show is a full process to support that decision-making and checks on the use of the autopen.” Axios reported over the weekend that senior Department of Justice (DOJ) officials flagged issues with Biden’s clemency process in his final days in office. Biden approved nearly 2,500 commutations on Jan. 17, just days before leaving the White House, setting a record for most clemency orders ever granted by a U.S. president — more than 4,200 in total — and the most ever in a single day. The next day, DOJ ethics lawyer Bradley Weinsheimer reportedly wrote in a memo: “Unfortunately and despite repeated requests and warnings, we were not afforded a reasonable opportunity to vet and provide input on those you were considering.” Noting that at least one murderer granted clemency had been flagged by DOJ, he added: “I have no idea if the president was aware of these backgrounds when making clemency decisions.” The New York Post first reported details of the memo. Meanwhile, Axios reported that a DOJ pardon attorney took issue with White House lawyers asking the department not to solicit views of murder victims’ families of multiple death row inmates if it had not already done so — including people whose sentences Biden commuted as well. The Axios report further revealed that Biden White House staff secretary Stef Feldman repeatedly sought clarity on the autopen process. In one Jan. 16 email, she asked for details on drug-related clemency orders approved by then-Chief of Staff Jeff Zients. After being asked to use autopen on an executive order, Feldman reportedly wrote: “When did we get [Biden’s] approval of this?” ‘SHOULD BE PROSECUTED’: HOUSE REPUBLICANS ZERO IN ON BIDEN AUTOPEN PARDONS AFTER BOMBSHELL REPORT The former Biden staffer insisted the process was sound. “The pardon power rests with the president — not the Department of Justice,” the staffer said. “While the DOJ is free to raise its own concerns about pardons, and did before Trump fired all of the career staff who did so, it is ultimately the President’s decision.” Biden himself told The New York Times recently that he made every clemency decision on his own. Zients is expected to testify before the Oversight Committee later this month. Former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre is also scheduled for a closed-door interview Friday.
New FBI Deputy Director Andrew Bailey begins transition to FBI role alongside Bongino
The FBI will welcome a second deputy director for the first time in its history in the coming days after Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey resigned his position on Monday to join the bureau. Bailey will serve as co-deputy director alongside Dan Bongino, with the pair reporting to FBI Director Kash Patel. The unprecedented setup comes as President Donald Trump is placing a new emphasis on federal law enforcement amid his wider crime crackdown. There also has been controversy within the FBI regarding the handling of the Jeffrey Epstein investigation, with sources saying Bongino has been deeply frustrated. “As I approach the final hours as your Attorney General, I am profoundly grateful to Missouri, as it has been the honor of my life to serve you,” Bailey wrote on social media Sunday night. “Together, we have accomplished much for the place we call home. Until Missouri calls again, thank you.” Fox News Digital has learned that Bailey is set to start at the FBI next Monday. TRUMP TO DEPLOY MILITARY TO BORDER, END BIDEN PAROLE POLICIES IN FLURRY OF DAY 1 EXECUTIVE ORDERS As Missouri’s AG, Bailey made national headlines opposing former President Joe Biden’s efforts to wipe away student debt. He also worked to curb Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs at multiple major companies, including at Starbucks, which he accused of “race-based hiring” earlier this year. Bailey also spoke up in favor of President Donald Trump’s executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship. Bailey also launched an anti-human trafficking task force and addressed more than 1,100 reported incidents in Missouri, in addition to clearing the backlog of Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence (SAFE) kits to improve prosecution of sexual assault cases. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., hailed Bailey’s hiring in a statement to Fox News Digital on Monday, praising the former prosecutor’s work in his home state. “Andrew Bailey is going to be terrific at the FBI,” Hawley said. “He’s been a stand-out prosecutor for Missouri. Now he will bring all those skills to bear for the country.” FBI’S DAN BONGINO THINKING OF RESIGNING AFTER CLASH WITH AG BONDI: SOURCE U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed Bailey’s hiring last month as Trump launched the federal takeover of Washington, D.C. and his national crime crackdown. “I am thrilled to welcome Andrew Bailey as Co-Deputy Director of the FBI,” Bondi told Fox News Digital. “He has served as a distinguished state attorney general and is a decorated war veteran, bringing expertise and dedication to service. His leadership and commitment to country will be a tremendous asset as we work together to advance President Trump’s mission.” Bailey’s entry comes after weeks of rumblings within the FBI regarding the Epstein files. Bongino is said to have raised his voice in outrage during a private discussion with White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and Bondi before storming out of the meeting, according to two sources close to DOJ leadership. The ordeal had led him to consider resigning from the FBI, another source said. 10 REASONS DOJ AND FBI FACE BACKLASH AFTER EPSTEIN FILES FLOP Bongino was frustrated about the rollout of a public Epstein memo in July and what he viewed as Bondi’s “lack of transparency from the start.” The memo, a joint product of the DOJ and FBI, said the two agencies had no further information to share with the public about Epstein’s case, a revelation that sparked fury among the MAGA base. It has been nearly two months since the rumors of Bongino’s potential resignation began, however, and he still remains at the FBI. Fox News’ Ashley Oliver and Brooke Singman contributed to this report
How Trump could restore capital punishment in Washington amid crime crackdown
President Donald Trump wants to bring the death penalty back to Washington for those convicted of murder amid his crime crackdown in the District — even though capital punishment has been outlawed there for decades. While Washington, D.C.’s Superior Court that handles local trial matters is barred from utilizing the death penalty, and any changes at that level likely would require intervention from the D.C. City Council or Congress, the death penalty is legal at the federal level. As a result, Trump would seek to capitalize on capital punishment in Washington for those convicted of federal crimes, according to Matthew Cavedon, the director of the Cato Institute’s Project on Criminal Justice. BLUE CITIES IN TRUMP’S CROSSHAIRS AFTER DC POLICE TAKEOVER “What would happen is, on major crimes, the U.S. Department of Justice would be prosecuting those cases through the United States Attorney’s Office,” Cavedon said. “And that’s the new U.S. attorney, Jeane Pirro. Those cases would be brought in U.S. District Court… rather than D.C. Superior Court and D.C.’s internal court system.” Trump laid out his plans to revive the death penalty in Washington during an August Cabinet meeting while discussing efforts to drive down crime in the nation’s capital. Trump has dispatched hundreds of D.C. National Guard troops to combat crime in Washington — resulting in more than 1,600 arrests since Aug. 11. “If somebody kills somebody in the capital, Washington, D.C., we’re going to be seeking the death penalty,” Trump told reporters during an August Cabinet meeting. “And that’s a very strong preventative. And everybody that’s heard it agrees with it. I don’t know if we’re ready for it in this country, but we have it.… We have no choice.” ‘RADICAL’ DC OFFICIALS TREATED OFFICERS ‘LIKE CRAP,’ POLICE LEADER SAYS – 7 ATTACKS THAT LED TO TRUMP TAKEOVER The White House referred Fox News Digital back to Trump’s comments at the Cabinet meeting. Trump has long voiced support for the death penalty, and issued an executive order in January titled “Restoring the Death Penalty and Protecting Public Safety.” The order calls for the attorney general to “pursue the death penalty for all crimes of a severity demanding its use.” “Capital punishment is an essential tool for deterring and punishing those who would commit the most heinous crimes and acts of lethal violence against American citizens,” the order said. “Before, during, and after the founding of the United States, our cities, States, and country have continuously relied upon capital punishment as the ultimate deterrent and only proper punishment for the vilest crimes.” That executive order, coupled with Trump’s statements on the matter, show he will request federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in D.C. murder cases, Cavedon said. The D.C. Council officially rescinded the death penalty in 1981, and voters in the nation’s capital rejected the death penalty in a 1992 referendum, according to the nonprofit organization the Death Penalty Information Center. There hasn’t been an execution in Washington since 1957. TRUMP CLAIMS DC CRIMES TROUNCE STATS FROM NOTORIOUSLY VIOLENT CITIES WORLDWIDE Twenty-seven states still permit the death penalty, while 23 states do not have capital punishment. Four states — California, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Oregon — have a hold on executions, per orders from their respective governors. Trump’s push to revitalize the death penalty could push those states to eradicate it at the state level, Cavedon said. “Something like the president calling for lots and lots of executions might be enough to tip things over and get places like California to just do away with the death penalty on the state side,” Cavedon said. Meanwhile, Trump’s effort is unnecessary since crime is on the decline in Washington and studies consistently show that the murder rate is lower in states without the death penalty, according to Cliff Sloan, who teaches constitutional law and death penalty litigation at Georgetown Law. “It’s unnecessary because the D.C. homicide rate has been declining and, even more fundamentally, because there is absolutely no correlation between the death penalty and a reduction in homicides,” Sloan said in an email to Fox News Digital. “States that have done away with the death penalty have not seen any increase in homicides. States that actively impose the death penalty, in contrast, have very high homicide rates.” Although a majority of Americans – 53% – still back the death penalty, public support is declining and has reached a five-decade low, according to a Gallup poll released in November.
Epstein estate to begin handing files to House investigators after ‘birthday book’ subpoena
Jeffrey Epstein’s estate is expected to begin handing documents over to Capitol Hill lawmakers on Monday, pursuant to a subpoena issued by the House Oversight Committee last month. Trustees tasked with handling the late pedophile’s matters were ordered to turn over a tranche of files, including his infamous “birthday book,” as part of House lawmakers’ investigation into Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell. A committee aide told Fox News Digital on Monday that they expect the first production of documents from the Epstein estate that day, but they did not elaborate on what the first tranche might contain. A lawyer representing the executors of Epstein’s estate confirmed to Fox News Digital that files would be handed over Monday. HOUSE MOVES TO EXPOSE EPSTEIN FILES, AUTHORIZES OVERSIGHT PROBE “As the Co-Executors have always said, they will comply with all lawful process in this matter, and that includes the subpoena issued by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform,” the attorney said. “As part of the Estate’s compliance with that subpoena, the Co-Executors have arranged to produce documents, records and other materials to the Committee on an agreed-on schedule, commencing today as requested by the Committee.” Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., sent a letter on Aug. 25, requesting a slew of documents by Sept. 8. “It is our understanding that the Estate of Jeffrey Epstein is in custody and control of documents that may further the Committee’s investigation and legislative goals. Further, it is our understanding the Estate is ready and willing to provide these documents to the Committee pursuant to a subpoena,” Comer wrote at the time. Subpoenaed documents include all entries in a book compiled by Maxwell for Epstein’s 50th birthday, Epstein’s will and information on his 2008 non-prosecution agreement. Lawmakers hope that the “birthday book,” which allegedly includes personalized messages from Epstein’s friends and associates, will shed light on his personal connections. The information is likely to be dated, however, with the book having been compiled in 2003. Information is also being sought on Epstein’s financial transactions, call and visitor logs, and “any document or record that could reasonably be construed to be a potential list of clients involved in sex, sex acts, or sex trafficking facilitated by Mr. Jeffrey Epstein,” according to a copy of the subpoena viewed by Fox News Digital. Comer has subpoenaed a litany of individuals, as well as the Department of Justice (DOJ), for information related to Epstein. HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE RELEASES THOUSANDS OF EPSTEIN DOCUMENTS He is also bringing in Alexander Acosta, a former Trump administration labor secretary who also served as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida when Epstein entered into a non-prosecution agreement with the federal government in 2008, for a transcribed interview on Sept. 19. Comer and other members of the House Oversight Committee met with Epstein survivors last week. About 33,000 pages of files turned over by the DOJ have already been released by the House Oversight Committee, though the vast majority of those were already public knowledge.
From ‘legislative terrorists’ to center of Trump’s DC revolution: Where key conservative caucus is now
A small group of Republican lawmakers who did not feel their leaders were pushing a conservative enough agenda first began meeting in secret a decade ago, huddling in small rooms both inside and outside the U.S. Capitol, while closely guarding their membership for fear of punishment by top House GOP leaders. Fast-forward to Thursday morning, and the House Freedom Caucus (HFC) was welcoming its members, top GOP donors, Trump administration officials and even Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to an ornate room inside Washington, D.C.’s Willard Hotel to mark its decade anniversary and its first annual policy summit. “It’s a big celebration and an anniversary for them, and I want to be a part of it,” Johnson told Fox News Digital just before addressing the group. “Some of my closest friends are in this room.” The caucus that former House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, once called “legislative terrorists” is now at the center of key Republican policy fights in Washington. And while they’re still a source of frustration for many GOP lawmakers – who find the group to be disruptive to Republicans’ agenda – HFC is hiding no more and has the ear of some of the most powerful people in D.C. GOP LAWMAKERS CLASH OVER STRATEGY TO AVERT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN CRISIS “This was never our goal, you know, but we wanted to have an impact,” Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-Ind., a founding member of HFC who left Congress and returned in 2025, told Fox News Digital of the event at the Willard. “There’s always a lot of agreement in the conference, like, ‘Oh yeah, we would like to get there,’ but… sometimes you kind of need the difficult people to help move it a little bit further to the right than what you thought you might be able to.” And rather than being a thorn in the side of Republican leaders, HFC is trying to work hand-in-hand with President Donald Trump to push for conservative policies. They are not going against the grain any longer, House Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris, R-Md., told Fox News Digital. “We’re driving the grain,” he said. “We work with the president to advance his agenda in the most conservative way possible, and we’ve been successful.” Border czar Tom Homan, who also addressed the event along with Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought, told Fox News Digital that HFC was key to advancing Trump’s border agenda. “They’re on the right side,” Homan said. “They want to secure the border because they know a secure border, a strong border, gives us strong national security… they want us to enforce the laws.” In late 2023, a group of HFC members were key to successfully pushing out a House speaker mid-congressional term for the first time in U.S. history. They’ve also played significant roles in pushing Republican spending bills and the recent One Big, Beautiful Bill Act to the right – at least in the House. Even in the middle of their two-day event on Thursday, some HFC members threatened to sink a GOP-led spending bill as a warning shot to House leaders to keep on a conservative path. The approach has been seen as divisive for years, and this year is no different. “They act as if they are the only principled conservatives in the conference. It’s almost as if they would rather be in the minority,” one House Republican, granted anonymity to speak freely, told Fox News Digital. “They love the attention they get when they hold out, only to fold in the end. It’s why no one respects them.” Another GOP lawmaker said, in the context of current talks to avert a government shutdown, “The Freedom Caucus is not what it was two years ago or even four years ago. I don’t know what you call them, but Andy Harris speaks for himself.” GOP GOVERNOR NOMINEE PUSHES REDISTRICTING TO OUST STATE’S LONE HOUSE DEM “What is the goal of the Freedom Caucus? Is it to win? Is it to fold?” they asked. “I mean, have they lost their teeth? From an outside perspective, no, I still think they get heard.” Current HFC members brushed off the criticism. “We’re willing to negotiate with Donald Trump and the Senate to beat Democrats with the most conservative bill possible, so please keep assuming that we’re dead, and please keep writing that obituary, because we’re winning,” HFC Policy Chair Chip Roy, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital. Harris said of the critics, “If winning is folding, then I’ll fold every time.” Indeed, the group does have the ear of the White House. Former HFC Chair Scott Perry, R-Pa., who gave opening remarks during a portion of the summit exclusively viewed by Fox News Digital, revealed that White House aides attended the group’s recent meeting with conservative senators. “Last night, with representatives from the White House, we were asked, ‘What is the plan?’ I’m not exaggerating, this is your Freedom Caucus, the ‘legislative terrorists’ in the room where it happened,” Perry told the audience. But the group is expected to see some high-profile departures in the next congressional term: Roy is running for Texas attorney general, and Reps. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., and Byron Donalds, R-Fla., are both running for governor, among others. Roy told Fox News Digital of the turnover, “We’ve had a conversation. We have things we want to do to help kind of make sure and ensure the longevity. Right now, we’ve got to make sure the good people are running. We have to make sure we continue to grow the ranks of the Freedom Caucus.” And newer members have signaled they’re ready to fill the ranks of those left behind. “Now that I’ve been here, and it’s my third year, and I get comfortable with this, it gives me a lot more confidence to know what is the right path or what’s the wrong path,” said Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., whose profile in HFC has risen in his short time in Congress. “And I think