Good news for Bihar! Ahead of Chhath puja, Railway minister flags of three new Amrit Bharat Express, 4 passenger trains; check route
Ahead of Diwali and Chhath puja, the Union government has given a big ‘gift’ to the people of Bihar. Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw flagged off three Amrit Bharat Express Trains and four new passenger trains for Bihar via video conferencing.
Zubeen Garg’s death: Assam CM says HC judge-led judicial commission to probe case, to be headed by…
CID is currently probing the case of Garg’s death after more than 60 FIRs have been lodged across the state against Mahanta and almost 10 others.
Renewed focus on Roberson case is latest in deluge of political pressure aimed at Texas judiciary
The latest calls to stave off the politically charged execution come after a summer where GOP leaders asked the state courts to kick Democrats out of office and throw Beto O’Rourke in jail.
Texas attorney general tells 4 cities to drop tax hikes amid investigations into incomplete audits
Most of the cities — Odessa, La Marque, Tom Bean and Whitesboro — said they are following the law and Ken Paxton’s office is jumping the gun on enforcing new state rules.
White House pressed about Trump seemingly changing his tune on Project 2025
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was pressed about President Donald Trump seemingly changing his campaign position on Project 2025 amid the government shutdown Friday. “During the campaign, President Trump said that he did not know anything about Project 2025. Now, he knows about it. Is that the blueprint for shrinking the government?” Fox News senior White House correspondent Peter Doocy asked Leavitt during the press briefing Friday afternoon. Project 2025 is a roughly thousand-page policy proposal crafted by the conservative Heritage Foundation think tank during the 2024 election cycle. THE AGENCY STAFF VOUGHT MIGHT RECOMMEND CUTTING AND WHETHER THE CUTS WILL BE PERMANENT Leavitt made no mention of the policy proposal in her response, arguing any decisions on layoffs of federal government employees or cuts to federal programs are up to the “president and his team and his Cabinet secretaries ultimately decide.” “And the president trusts his Cabinet secretaries to identify where there is waste, fraud and abuse. We pointed out this morning — or Russ Vought tweeted about this morning — a Chicago rail project that was canceled,” Leavitt said. “We paused $2.1 billion in Chicago infrastructure projects, specifically the Red line extension and the Red and Purple modernization projects, and it’s because the administration is concerned that the Biden administration was handing out taxpayer dollars to pay for this construction based on DEI.” “DOT is reviewing the race-based contracting on unconstitutional grounds,” she said. “And in the meantime, the Department of Transportation funds for these projects are on hold. So I guess this answers both of your questions. This would be an example of that.” Project 2025 became a lightening rod of criticism among Democrats during the 2024 election, as the Harris–Walz campaign claimed it was rife with “dangerous” policies stretching from abortion to the economy. WHITE HOUSE SAYS FEDERAL LAYOFFS COULD HIT ‘THOUSANDS’ AHEAD OF TRUMP, VOUGHT MEETING Trump denied knowing details about the policy blueprint from the campaign trail. “I know nothing about Project 2025,” Trump said in July 2024. “I have no idea who is behind it. I disagree with some of the things they’re saying and some of the things they’re saying are absolutely ridiculous and abysmal. Anything they do, I wish them luck, but I have nothing to do with them.” On Thursday, after the government shutdown, Trump posted to Truth Social that he was set to meet with Office of Management and Budget (OMB) chief Russell Vought, describing him as the man of “PROJECT 2025 Fame.” Vought was one of the architects behind the Project 2025 policy proposal. TRUMP’S WHITE HOUSE DEMANDS AGENCIES MAP OUT MASS LAYOFFS AHEAD OF POTENTIAL SHUTDOWN “I have a meeting today with Russ Vought, he of PROJECT 2025 Fame, to determine which of the many Democrat Agencies, most of which are a political SCAM, he recommends to be cut, and whether or not those cuts will be temporary or permanent,” Trump posted on Thursday, setting of renwewd criticsms of Project 2025. Leavitt’s comments come as Trump and OMB map out a plan to roll out layoffs and cut government programs amid the government shutdown.
Trump admin reviewing Portland federal funding amid anti-ICE clashes, journalist’s detention
The Trump administration announced a review Friday of federal funding to Portland, Oregon, following violent anti-U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) clashes there, with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt vowing, “We will not fund states that allow anarchy.” The review comes after conservative journalist Nick Sortor was taken into custody late Thursday night while documenting the protests in Portland — something Leavitt described as an “extremely troubling incident.” She said the Department of Justice spoke with Sortor Friday morning and “will be launching a full investigation into his arrest.” “This incident is part of a troubling trend in Portland, where left-wing mobs believe they get to decide who can visit and live in their city. It is not their city. It is the American people’s city and President Trump is going to restore that,” Leavitt said. “I just spoke with the president about this, and he has directed his team here at the White House to begin reviewing aid that can potentially be cut in Portland. We will not fund states that allow anarchy.” “There will also be an additional surge of federal resources to Portland immediately, including enhanced Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) resources. Law and order will prevail, and President Trump will make sure of it,” she added. PORTLAND POLICE ARREST CONSERVATIVE JOURNALIST ON ANOTHER NIGHT OF CHAOTIC ANTI-ICE CLASHES Since early June, “Antifa terrorists have laid siege to the ICE field office in South Portland,” Leavitt said Friday. “These radical left-wing lunatics have violently breached the ICE facility by using a stop sign as a battering ram, hurled explosives and other projectiles at law enforcement, repeatedly assault and dox officers, berate their law-abiding neighbors, and have even rolled out a guillotine in front of the ICE facility,” she told reporters. Leavitt said Sortor was “taken into custody by the Portland police after he was ambushed by Antifa and was defending himself from these assaults.” “But instead of arresting these violent mob members, night after night after night, who are ravaging this community, the police arrested a journalist who was there trying to document the chaos,” she added. ICE DIRECTOR SAYS PORTLAND FACILITY FACES VIOLENCE WITH ‘LITTLE HELP FROM LOCAL POLICE’ Leavitt declared that President Donald Trump “will end the radical left’s reign of terror in Portland once and for all,” and that the president has directed Secretary of War Pete Hegseth “to provide all necessary troops to protect war-ravaged Portland and any ICE facilities under siege from attack by Antifa and other left wing domestic terrorists.” Sortor was charged with disorderly conduct in the second degree following his arrest late Thursday. “This was as big of a surprise to me as it was to everybody else. All of a sudden, you know, I’m being jumped by Antifa thugs,” Sortor told Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin following his release. “I get back up, I stumble away and go back toward cops where I think, you know, at least, all right, well, maybe that’ll be a safer place for me to go… never suspected that I was going to be the target of the arrest, that they were coming in to me.” A Portland Police Bureau spokesperson told Fox News Digital that among those arrested Thursday “was an individual known to have a significant social media presence, as well as others representing a range of political viewpoints.” “As with all such situations, arrests are based on observed behavior and probable cause — not political affiliation or public profile. Formal charges will be determined by the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office,” the spokesperson added. “PPB remains committed to protecting public safety, upholding the rights of all individuals to lawfully assemble, and enforcing the law impartially.”
Mamdani torched over ‘destructive’ plan to axe NYC gifted program for kindergartners
Zohran Mamdani’s New York City mayoral opponents ridiculed his plan to phase out the city’s gifted program for public school kindergartners. Mamdani, the New York City Democratic mayoral nominee, would embrace former Mayor Bill de Blasio’s 2021 plan to phase out the gifted program for elementary schools if elected this November, according to The New York Times. Mamdani said he would halt the gifted program for incoming kindergartners next fall, while former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa said they would keep it. “Zohran Mamdani’s latest proposal to eliminate New York City’s Gifted & Talented program is not just another political stunt — it’s destructive and emblematic of a deeper problem in today’s Democratic Party — the surface level appearance of a solution is sufficient,” Cuomo, who is trailing Mamdani by 18 points in the latest Fox News survey of New York City registered voters, said in a statement Thursday. But Sliwa said Mamdani and Cuomo are “two peas in a pod,” arguing that Cuomo is a “chameleon trying to fool New Yorkers.” Sliwa accused the former governor of staying silent while de Blasio initially tried to phase out the gifted program in 2021. NEW POLL REVEALS MAMDANI STILL HOLDS COMMANDING DOUBLE-DIGIT LEAD OVER RIVALS IN NYC MAYORAL RACE Sliwa only garnered support from 11% of New York City registered voters in the latest Fox News survey. Among registered voters, Mamdani earned 45% support, while Cuomo picked up 27%, Sliwa maintained 11% and Mayor Eric Adams had 8%. Adams, who like Cuomo was running as an independent, dropped out of the race last week, heating up an already contentious mayoral election. “Why take away from our kids the very opportunities that helped shape your own future?” Adams asked in response to Mamdani’s plan to slash the gifted program. NEW POLLS REVEAL MAMDANI HAS COMMANDING LEAD OVER RIVALS WEEKS FROM ELECTION DAY Adams has expanded the elementary Gifted & Talented program during his tenure, a reversal of de Blasio’s plan to phase out the program and stop testing 4-year-olds. “The era of judging 4-year-olds based on a single test is over,” de Blasio proclaimed at the time, likening the gifted program to “the segregation of students if they’re labeled as ‘gifted.’” But Adams rejected that notion in a statement on Thursday, arguing it “gave thousands of Black and Brown kids a real shot to excel.” “That’s progress we should be building on, not tearing down. Expand it to more children, not fewer. And let’s be real, you went to a specialized high school,” Adams wrote to Mamdani on X on Friday. Mamdani attended the Bronx High School of Science, a specialized high school in the Bronx. His campaign did not respond to Fox News Digital’s comment request. When asked to clarify his position on the program during a press conference on Friday, Mamdani clarified that kindergartners, specifically, should not be separated by a test. “For kindergartners, we should not have a Gifted & Talented program that is separating them on the basis of that assessment,” Mamdani said, without elaborating on his stance on the Gifted & Talented entry point for third-graders. Adams’ plan includes two entry points into the Gifted & Talented program: kindergarten and third grade. “My commitment is solely on the question of kindergartners,” Mamdani said. But Mamdani told The New York Times that he would renew de Blasio’s plan, which eliminated the Gifted & Talented test, opting for a universal test in second grade. “I will return to the previous policy. Ultimately, my administration would aim to make sure that every child receives a high-quality early education that nurtures their curiosity and learning,” Mamdani said. In a statement released Thursday, Cuomo said, “Our kids deserve clarity, not chaos, when it comes to their education.” “If there are tens of thousands of applications for limited G&T spots, parents are telling you something: They want more of it, not less. The answer isn’t to say good riddance to those families. If there are issues with how young children are selected, then fix that and expand opportunities — give more at the start of education and more on-ramps later. Don’t eliminate the program,” Cuomo said. The former governor said “eliminating opportunities for excellence doesn’t help underserved kids, it perpetuates the problem,” adding that the Democratic Party has a tradition of providing “more opportunities for historically marginalized students to access these programs.” Cuomo said, if elected mayor, he wants to double the number of specialized high schools in New York City, expand prep programs for underserved neighborhoods and preserve the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test.
Michelle Obama cites ‘quite the journey’ with Barack Obama in anniversary message
Former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama both shared anniversary messages Friday to celebrate 33 years of wedded bliss. Both shared the same image of the couple together on X within a minute of each other. “The best decision I ever made was marrying you, @MichelleObama,” the former commander in chief wrote. “For 33 years, I’ve admired your strength, grace, and determination — and the fact that you look so good doing it all. Happy anniversary!” KAMALA HARRIS BOOK REVEALS MARITAL RIFT WITH DOUG EMHOFF DURING CAMPAIGN “We’ve been on quite the journey over the last 33 years—and yet, I love you even more today than the day we said ‘I do.’ Happy anniversary, @BarackObama! I’m so lucky to go through life with you,” Michelle Obama wrote. The former first couple has shared several milestones online over the years. In 2023, on the pair’s 31st anniversary, the former president, 64, posted a tribute calling his wife “brilliant, kind, funny and beautiful.” Michelle Obama, 61, wrote, “I love going through life with you by my side.” ASHLEY BIDEN FILES FOR DIVORCE FROM HUSBAND, HOWARD KREIN, AFTER 13 YEARS OF MARRIAGE: REPORTS The pair met in 1989 while they worked together at a Chicago-based law firm. Michelle was assigned to be his mentor to help him adjust as a summer intern. Michelle Obama explained what attracted her to her husband during an August episode of the podcast she shares with her brother, Craig Robinson, IMO. “The first kind of sparky kind of feeling I felt actually was when I talked to him on the phone, and he had his Barack Obama voice,” she explained. “The voice was sexier than the image I had of him. So, I was sort of like, ‘Oh, I didn’t expect this.’ CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “And he was older, so he was self-assured,” she added. “So, we had a great conversation, but all I had was a picture, and it wasn’t a great picture of him.” The pair share two daughters, Malia, 27, and Sasha, 24.
Ernst demands $2T in federal cuts, urges Trump team to ‘make DC squeal’ amid shutdown fight
FIRST ON FOX: A Senate Republican has a list of more than a “trillion dollars worth of ideas ripe for a trim” as the federal government shutdown continues. Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought has so far announced his plans to withhold nearly $30 billion in federal funding to blue states and cities, while Senate Democrats continue to block Republicans’ efforts to reopen the government. And Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, has some ideas for even deeper cuts. In a letter to Vought, first obtained by Fox News Digital, Ernst laid out a plan that could result in over $2 trillion in cuts to federal spending. HERE’S WHAT TRUMP WANTS TO DO TO RESHAPE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DURING THE SHUTDOWN Her letter comes as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and most Senate Democrats have remained steadfast in their opposition to the GOP’s short-term funding extension. “Schumer’s Shutdown has provided a golden opportunity to slash waste, fraud and abuse in Washington,” Ernst said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “There is no one more fitting to lead the charge than Russ Vought.” “I have compiled a comprehensive list of more than $2 trillion of nonessential government expenditures that should be put on the chopping block to put taxpayers first, make Washington squeal and deliver a more efficient government,” she continued. GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN SPARKS GOP PLAN TO PENALIZE LAWMAKERS WITH NEW SALARY TAX Ernst, who chairs the Senate DOGE Caucus, which borrowed its moniker from tech billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), wants to target tens of billions in expired and unexpired COVID-19 pandemic funding, consolidate unused federal office space and prevent taxpayers from “subsidizing” the roughly $400 million per day in backpay owed to furloughed nonessential federal workers. She also wants to go after nearly $1.6 trillion in unspent funding “stashed away in secret slush funds,” clawback billions in the Biden-era electric vehicle charging station program, railroad projects in blue states, end research into “silly science projects” like shrimp on treadmills, and streamline “duplication and unnecessary overlap within” the Department of War, among many others. GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN ENTERS 3RD DAY AS SENATE STALEMATE OVER OBAMACARE SUBSIDIES DRAGS ON “This is by no means an exhaustive list, and I will be providing many more recommendations soon,” Ernst wrote in the letter. “My team and I stand ready to help you make some prime cuts during this Schumer Shutdown.” Meanwhile, there appeared to be no off-ramp in sight to end the now three-day government shutdown. Senate Democrats are also unfazed by Vought and President Donald Trump’s desire to target their states and cities with cuts, with many arguing that the administration was already carrying out those tactics. Still, Senate Republicans hope that enough Democrats peel off and vote to reopen the government. So far, three members of the Democratic caucus have done so — Sens. John Fetterman, D-Pa., Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., and Angus King, I-Maine.
US strikes another alleged drug-trafficking boat near Venezuela, killing 4
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced on Friday the U.S. military conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a narcotrafficking vessel affiliated with Designated Terrorist Organizations traveling off the coast of Venezuela, killing four men aboard. No U.S. forces were harmed in the U.S. Southern Command operation, which was ordered by President Donald Trump, according to Hegseth. “The strike was conducted in international waters just off the coast of Venezuela while the vessel was transporting substantial amounts of narcotics—headed to America to poison our people,” Hegseth wrote in an X post. TRUMP ORDERS ‘LETHAL KINETIC STRIKE’ ON DRUG TRAFFICKING BOAT IN INTERNATIONAL WATERS, THREE KILLED The secretary said military intelligence, “without a doubt,” confirmed the vessel was trafficking narcotics, the people onboard were narcoterrorists, and they were operating on a known narcotrafficking transit route. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the boat was “loaded with enough drugs to kill 25 TO 50 THOUSAND PEOPLE.” US MILITARY CARRIES OUT SECOND STRIKE ON VENEZUELAN NARCOTERRORISTS IN INTERNATIONAL WATERS The strike follows a series of hits in September on boats suspected of carrying narcotics along known narcotic trafficking passages. On Sept. 2, U.S. forces struck a vessel linked to Tren de Aragua in the southern Caribbean, killing 11 suspected gang members. Subsequent drug-smuggling boat strikes on Sept. 15 and Sept. 19 killed a total of six people, Fox News Digital previously reported. US BOLSTERS MILITARY PRESENCE IN CARIBBEAN NEAR VENEZUELA AMID TRUMP’S EFFORTS TO HALT DRUG TRAFFICKING Hegseth noted the strikes will continue “until the attacks on the American people are over!!!!” The Trump administration in February designated drug cartel groups, including Tren de Aragua and the Sinaloa Cartel, as foreign terrorist organizations. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Fox News Digital’s Sophia Compton contributed to this report.