PM Narendra Modi dials Russian President Vladimir Putin, discusses bilateral ties
Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday. Known in detail, what transpired between the two leaders.
India SLAMS reports of pause in defence deal with US amid tariff war: ‘False and fabricated’
The Ministry of Defence on Friday strongly dismissed reports suggesting that India has paused talks related to defence purchases from the US, calling such claims “false and fabricated.”
‘India will not bow down’, centre’s BIG statement amid ongoing tariff row with US
Amid the rising tariff tensions with the United States, centre has issued a big statement, asserting “India will not bow down to anybody”. Let’s discover details.
Texas Democrats know they may lose redistricting protest, but hope to spark a national fight
Democrats concede there’s only so much they can do to keep Texas from redrawing its maps. But they want to encourage blue states to retaliate.
John Cornyn enters critical window to change trajectory of Texas Senate primary against Ken Paxton
The annual summer break is a critical window for Texas’ senior senator, whose allies are blitzing the airwaves with ads courting primary voters — and President Donald Trump.
Texas redistricting standoff complicates preparations for March 2026 primary
New maps would mean months of work for election officials, and key deadlines are approaching.
Texas State System dissolves faculty senates, eroding professors’ influence on campuses
While other universities move to preserve the advisory bodies, Texas State will abolish them under a new state law that curtails faculty’s influence on campuses.
Republican leader shreds Tim Walz over Minnesota law that freed axe murderer
EXCLUSIVE: The highest-ranking Minnesotan in Congress is blasting Gov. Tim Walz after a man who murdered his family as a teenager was released from prison. “Once again, Tim Walz proves why he is one of the worst governors in the country,” House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., told Fox News Digital. “Not only do his soft-on-crime policies rob victims of the justice they deserve, but they also put the safety of every Minnesotan at risk. Being a self-proclaimed knucklehead doesn’t excuse the chaos he has caused with his dangerous, far-left agenda.” GOP LAWMAKERS CLASH OVER STRATEGY TO AVERT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN CRISIS Emmer, as the GOP whip, is the No. 3 House Republican leader. He’s joining other Republicans from his state in criticizing the release of David Brom, a man who was convicted of killing his parents and two younger siblings with an axe in 1988. Brom was 16 years old at the time. “Allowing murderers like David Brom back onto our streets is a slap in the face to these victims and their families, undermines the rule of law, diminishes the public’s trust in our judicial system, and jeopardizes the safety of our communities,” Emmer said. Brom was granted supervised work release after Minnesota passed a new law in 2023 that limited life-long prison sentences for juvenile offenders. It began as a bill in the state legislature before being signed into law by Walz, thereby applying both to future offenders and retroactively to people like Brom. Emmer criticized Walz and the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party’s policies as “soft-on-crime” and argued such law changes would “have serious consequences.” “They’re forcing law-abiding Minnesotans to pay the price,” Emmer said. Brom served 37 years behind bars after being convicted on four charges of first-degree murder, with a jury rejecting his plea of not guilty due to mental illness. He was sentenced to three consecutive life sentences and one concurrent life sentence. GOP GOVERNOR NOMINEE PUSHES REDISTRICTING TO OUST STATE’S LONE HOUSE DEM Without the new law, Brom would have been eligible for parole in 2037, after serving 52 years in prison. The law does not grant automatic release to juvenile offenders, but rather gives them the right to appear before a Supervised Release Board after serving a minimum of 15 years – but in some cases could be longer, depending on the nature of the crime – to present their arguments for early release. Brom was granted supervised release and was let out of prison early last week. Fox News Digital reached out to Walz’s office for comment but did not immediately hear back.
Illinois gov JB Pritzker lambasted for new ‘disastrous policy’ requiring mental health screenings for kids
A new Illinois law requiring annual mental health screenings for public school students is drawing backlash from parents, policy experts and lawmakers who warn the policy may overstep boundaries and wrongly label children. Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the measure on July 31, making Illinois the first state in the country to mandate mental health screenings for students in grades three through 12. The law, set to take effect in the 2027–2028 school year, directs schools to provide self-conducted screenings each year using digital or paper forms. Parents will have the ability to opt their children out. Supporters say the initiative will help schools identify early signs of depression, anxiety or trauma — before they develop into crises. But critics argue the plan could create more problems than it solves. “I want to be on-the-record and crystal clear. This is a disastrous policy that will do vastly more harm than good,” Abigail Shrier, a fellow at the Manhattan Institute, wrote on X. “Watch as tens of thousands of Illinois kids get shoved into the mental health funnel and convinced they are sick. Many or most of which will be false positives.” Katherine Boyle, a partner at venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, also raised concerns about government overreach and what she called the “mental health industrial complex.” OKLAHOMA REQUIRES ‘AMERICA FIRST’ CERTIFICATION TEST FOR TEACHERS FLEEING BLUE STATES “If a school nurse or a state-mandated mental health test tells you you’re sick, you’re going to believe them,” Boyle wrote. “This is why so many families are opting out of primary school completely — the overreach is astounding.” Illinois education officials say the screenings will not be diagnostic and are designed to flag students who may benefit from further evaluation. The Illinois State Board of Education will develop the screening tools and guidelines by September 2026, and school districts will be responsible for implementing them. “Mental health is essential to academic readiness and lifelong success,” State Superintendent Tony Sanders said in a statement. “Too often, we only recognize a student’s distress when it becomes a crisis. With universal screening, we shift from reaction to prevention.” DEM GOVERNOR EXPECTED TO DEFEND STATE’S CONTROVERSIAL SANCTUARY POLICIES DURING GOP-LED HEARING Dana Weiner, chief officer of the governor’s Children’s Behavioral Health Transformation Initiative, said the screenings will be optional for families and conducted privately. State Sen. Laura Fine, a Democrat and lead sponsor of the bill, said the effort aims to normalize mental health care for children and teens. “The screenings will be designed to catch the early signs of anxiety, depression or trauma before it becomes a crisis or, in some cases, sometimes too late,” she said. Republican lawmakers in the state have also voiced opposition. Rep. Steve Reick (R‑Woodstock) warned the law could have unintended consequences for families dealing with insurance companies. “Universal mental health screenings are going to get us nothing except possibly finding things, finding reasons for denial of coverage of insurance,” Reick said. Rep. Adam Niemerg (R‑Dieterich) called the law “a very dangerous piece of legislation that removes parental rights.” Fox News Digital reached out to Pritzker’s office for comment and has not yet received a reply.
DOJ opens grand jury investigation into Letitia James tied to Trump civil case
The Department of Justice convened a grand jury to investigate New York Attorney General Letitia James, marking an escalation in President Donald Trump’s fight with New York’s top prosecutor. The investigation is being run out of Albany, New York, and focused on possible deprivation of rights allegations, two well-placed sources familiar with the probe told Fox News Digital. The investigation is in an early stage, but Fox News Digital has learned that James’s office received subpoenas for documents this week, including for information related to her civil fraud lawsuit against Trump. James, a Democrat who was elected attorney general in 2018, has long been a target of Trump. James successfully brought civil charges against him for business fraud in 2022 and has had an instrumental role in challenging his current administration’s executive actions in court. NY AG’S OFFICE HIRES ATTORNEY THAT REPPED HUNTER BIDEN TO DEFEND LETITIA JAMES AGAINST FRAUD ACCUSATIONS A spokesperson for James suggested the action by the DOJ was a “weaponization” of its prosecutorial power. “Any weaponization of the justice system should disturb every American,” the spokesperson said. “We stand strongly behind our successful litigation against the Trump Organization and the National Rifle Association, and we will continue to stand up for New Yorkers’ rights.” A DOJ spokesperson declined to comment. James began investigating the Trump Organization soon after she took office, eventually securing a $454 million judgment against the then-former president and some of Trump’s company’s executives, including two of his sons. A New York judge found Trump and his business partners grossly overstated Trump’s wealth to obtain favorable loans and other financial benefits. James said at the time that financial fraud was not a “victimless crime.” “If average New Yorkers went into a bank and submitted false documents, the government would throw the book at them, and the same should be true for former presidents,” James said. ‘DANGEROUS AND ILLEGAL’: DEMOCRAT AGS SUE TRUMP OVER EFFORT TO USE SNAP TO LOCATE MIGRANTS James also has been a leading figure in bringing litigation challenging the second Trump administration’s executive actions. James and other Democratic attorneys general have sued to fight spending freezes on federally funded social programs, mass firings of federal employees and restrictions on transgender care for minors, among other matters. Convening a grand jury is the first step in an investigation that could potentially lead to an indictment. The panel examines evidence, including documents and witness interviews, and determines if probable cause exists to bring charges against a person. The process can take weeks or longer, and it is historically much easier for a grand jury to secure an indictment than it is to obtain a subsequent conviction. News of the investigation comes as tensions have continued to build between Trump and James. In April, the Trump Federal Housing Finance Agency asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate James over mortgage fraud, and the DOJ opened a separate investigation into that matter. James received a subpoena as part of the in the inquiry, the Washington Post reported. James has denied the mortgage fraud allegations. Amid news of the mortgage inquiry, Trump called James a “wacky crook” on Truth Social. “Letitia James, a totally corrupt politician, should resign from her position as New York State Attorney General, IMMEDIATELY,” Trump wrote. Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this story.