NJ Dem pushes ‘Jersey Pride’ bill, takes shots at New York: ‘Bunch of socialists’
Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., unveiled new legislation aiming to dethrone the ubiquitous “I Love NY” tourist paraphernalia and establish “Jersey Pride” in his state, the lawmaker announced Wednesday. Gottheimer’s bill would establish a 25% tax credit for businesses that sell New Jersey-branded products in airports, train stations and rest stops. The lawmaker’s push comes just two months before New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium is set to host eight World Cup games. “Nothing p—es me off more than when I get on an airplane here, and, in my face, is a row of shirts in a store screaming, ‘I Love New York.’ Really? We just landed in Jersey,” Gottheimer said during a Tuesday news conference. “This isn’t just about Jersey pride,” he added. “It’s also about helping our small businesses and the jobs they create, promoting our more than 130-mile Shore, lakes, shops, restaurants, and apparel companies, and getting in front of customers where it matters most.” DEM NJ GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE COPS TO FAKING PLAYLIST TO FEATURE BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN Gottheimer went on to highlight the World Cup coming to the U.S. and the huge opportunity it presents for New Jersey’s businesses. “Millions of people from around the world will be landing here to watch one of the eight games, and, with practice fields up and down the state, and five fan fests, people will be driving up and down the Turnpike and Parkway,” he said. “This is our moment to spread that pride all over the world.” He went on to bash New York City and New York state. “And, what have they got on the other side of the river?” Gottheimer said. “Insane taxes, dirty streets, and a bunch of socialists who are forcing Jersey families to pay a ridiculous Congestion Tax just to drive to their own jobs or see loved ones.” PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION PRICES HIT ABSURD LEVELS FOR WORLD CUP GAMES: REPORT While the World Cup creates opportunity for businesses, officials in both New York and New Jersey say the influx of fans will be a huge problem for local residents. Officials in both states are warning commuters about serious travel congestion during World Cup matches this June and July. NJ Transit says only 40,000 round-trip tickets from Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan to MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, will be sold per game, significantly limiting capacity. “If you are not attending one of the events, please, if possible, work from home because the city will be incredibly congested and so will New Jersey,” Kathryn Garcia, Port Authority’s executive director, said at a recent news conference. “I would also discourage anyone from taking a rideshare,” she said. “We are going to do a lot of outreach to people coming through our airport to make sure they know about illegal taxis, but it also is for those in the city. We encourage you to use public transit if you can,” Garcia added.
Trump strikes back: GOP lawmakers who opposed president on redistricting pay price
He wasn’t on the ballot, but President Donald Trump was the big winner in Indiana’s primary. The president scored decisive victories in a slate of state primaries in the solidly red Midwestern state, another sign that his immense grip on the Republican Party remains rock solid. The political world was closely watching Indiana’s primary because it was the first of a series of major tests this month of Trump’s endorsement power in GOP nomination showdowns, and the president cleared his first hurdle with ease. Five months ago, Republicans in the GOP-dominated Indiana state Senate withstood immense pressure from Trump and his allies and voted down congressional redistricting, which would have given Indiana two more right-leaning U.S. House seats ahead of the midterms. DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB Fast-forward to Tuesday and eight of those state senators faced GOP primary challenges. Seeking retribution, the president endorsed challengers to seven of the eight Republican lawmakers who voted against the redistricting bill. Five of the Trump-endorsed candidates won, with one incumbent surviving and one race yet to be decided as of early Wednesday morning. “Everyone in Indiana politics should have learned an important lesson today: President Trump is the single most popular Republican among Hoosier voters,” Republican Sen. Jim Banks of Indiana, a top Trump ally in the Senate, said in a statement as the results poured in. Banks, who was a key part of the team of Trump allies and advisors in the effort to defeat the incumbent GOP state senators, emphasized that “Indiana is a conservative state, and we deserve conservatives in our State Senate who have a pulse on Republican voters.” SIX MONTHS TILL MIDTERMS: THE TEN RACES THAT WILL DETERMINE THE SENATE’S MAJORITY Trump and his team started flexing their political muscles soon after the president’s push for redistricting in Indiana came crashing down last December. A Republican source familiar with the effort to defeat the incumbent GOP state senators told Fox News Digital over $8 million was spent on TV and digital ads between the American Leadership PAC and Hoosier Leadership for America, two outside groups aligned with Banks and steered by Team Trump strategist Andrew Surabian. The source added that Team Trump operatives began organizing this plan in February and were responsible for the vast majority of the money raised that was spent by the two groups. Republican Gov. Mike Braun of Indiana also donated several hundred thousand dollars to the effort. Two well-known national groups, Turning Point USA’s political wing and the Club for Growth, also had the president’s back in Indiana. The intraparty battle was seen not just as a test of fealty to Trump but rather a fight between MAGA forces and more traditional conservatives for the future of the GOP. Club for Growth President David McIntosh told Fox News Digital “this is a big win for Trump.” And McIntosh, a former congressman from Indiana, said the primary victories are “a signal to the entire party that our base wants us to fight for what we believe in.” Trump appeared to be closely watching the results. As each race was called, the president took to social media to tout the victory of another Trump-endorsed state Senate challenger. The besieged incumbents significantly outraised their challengers and were also boosted by the Indiana Senate GOP caucus. But the outside spending and get-out-the-vote efforts by the pro-Trump forces proved decisive. TRUMP VS. HISTORY: HOW PRESIDENT’S POLL NUMBERS COMPARE TO BIDEN, OBAMA, BUSH AHEAD OF MIDTERMS “The resources that he [Trump] can bring to a state Senate race are overwhelming,” veteran Republican strategist Marc Short, who served as a key official in the first Trump administration, told Fox News Digital. Short, a longtime top Pence advisor, said the showdowns in Indiana were “about allegiance to Trump,” and that the president “still has enormous sway in the party.” Trump’s clout will be on the line once again in a week and a half, in the Louisiana primary. Sen. Bill Cassidy is facing primary challenges from two Republicans: Rep. Julia Letlow and former Rep. John Fleming, who is currently the state treasurer. Trump earlier this year weighed in on the race by endorsing Letlow. Cassidy was one of only seven Senate Republicans who voted in early 2021 to convict Trump after he was impeached by the House for his role in the violent Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters who aimed to upend congressional certification of former President Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory. Trump was acquitted by the Senate. But since the start of Trump’s second term 15 months ago, Cassidy has been supportive of the president’s agenda and his nominees. If no candidate cracks 50% of the primary vote, the top two finishers will face off for the nomination in a June 27 runoff election. Another major test comes three days later, on May 19, in the primary in Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District, where Rep. Thomas Massie is facing a challenge from Trump-backed Ed Gallrein. Massie has long been one of Trump’s most vocal GOP critics in Congress, repeatedly taking aim at the president over the Epstein files and foreign policy. Trump allies have spent big bucks to boost Gallrein, a former Navy SEAL, and to take aim at Massie. The president’s endorsement is also being tested in Georgia’s GOP gubernatorial nomination, which is being held on the same day, in the 2026 race to succeed popular term-limited conservative Gov. Brian Kemp. Trump has endorsed Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who is trading fire in a high-profile, competitive and combustible battle with healthcare executive and mega GOP donor Rick Jackson, who has infused millions of his own money in his bid. Among the others battling for the nomination in a crowded Republican field are state Attorney General Chris Carr and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. While MAGA enjoyed a big night in Indiana, there were more midterm warning signs for the GOP in neighboring Michigan, a key Midwestern battleground state. Republicans were hoping
Republican lawmaker welcomes House Ethics probe into sexual misconduct allegations against him
A House Republican facing sexual misconduct allegations said he welcomes the chance to set the record straight after the House Ethics Committee opened an investigation into the claims. “They are baseless allegations designed to impact the campaign driven by those who want to settle old political scores,” Rep. Chuck Edwards, R-N.C., said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “We welcome the ethics inquiry because it allows for facts to be entered into the record, not public allegations designed to drive media interests.” Edwards, 65, is accused of sexual misconduct toward at least two younger female staffers, according to multiple reports. Axios first reported the existence of the ethics probe. The two-term lawmaker, who has been married since 1980, has denied any wrongdoing. Fox News Digital has not independently verified the allegations. NORTH CAROLINA GOP TOWN HALL TURNS HEATED AS SELF-DESCRIBED VETERAN ESCORTED OUT BY SECURITY Under House rules, lawmakers are prohibited from engaging in sexual relationships with aides under their supervision. The ban does not extend to staffers employed by other offices. The House Ethics probe comes as Edwards is facing a competitive re-election challenge in November’s midterm elections. The North Carolina Republican is a top target of House Democrats’ campaign arm, which is supporting Democrat Jamie Ager to try and flip Edwards’ seat in the red-leaning district. Ager, a fourth-generation farmer, issued a statement this week indicating the allegations against his competitor could become a flash point in the battleground contest. “Corruption or abuses of power in any way are unacceptable,” Ager said. “The people of Western North Carolina deserve to hear from their representative about what these allegations are.” The House Ethics Committee has yet to publicly announce its investigation into Edwards, which could take months — or even years — to complete unless the panel moves to dismiss the case. A spokesperson for the House Ethics Committee declined to comment when reached by Fox News Digital. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., an outspoken lawmaker against sexual misconduct in Congress, said in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital that she hopes the House Ethics Committee “moves swiftly” to review the allegations against Edwards. NANCY MACE TO FORCE VOTE TARGETING FELLOW GOP LAWMAKER ACCUSED OF AFFAIR WITH STAFFER “We stand with those who came forward, and we expect the Ethics Committee to move swiftly and hold those who committed wrongdoing fully accountable,” Mace said. “We have said it from the beginning, if you are abusing your power in Congress it does not matter if you have an R or a D beside your name, there needs to be consequences for your actions.” Edwards is the latest in a string of lawmakers to face sexual misconduct allegations this year. Former Reps. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., and Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, issued back-to-back resignations in April to avoid potential expulsion votes related to separate alleged sexual misconduct against them. Gonzales acknowledged an extramarital affair with a former aide who later died by suicide. Swalwell, who is also married, has admitted to a lapse in judgment, but has vigorously denied accusations of sexual assault and rape. Meanwhile, Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., is currently under investigation by the House Ethics Committee for alleged sexual misconduct, among other ethics violations. Mace has introduced a resolution to expel the embattled lawmaker, but has yet to trigger a vote on the measure. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and other GOP lawmakers have said they want the ethics panel to conclude its probe before they consider sanctions against the embattled lawmaker. Mills has denied any wrongdoing and has not been criminally charged. “The corruption and misconduct in Congress goes far deeper than anyone outside Washington knows,” Mace said Tuesday.
Trump fires back at claims of ballroom ‘cost overruns’: Price is ‘something less than $400M’
President Donald Trump fired back at reporting of rising costs of building his $400 million White House ballroom, saying that figure remains the top of the price range. “The White House Ballroom is going up rapidly on the East side of the White House,” Trump wrote Wednesday morning on Truth Social. “The only reason the cost has changed is because, after deep rooted studies, it is approximately twice the size, and a far higher quality, than the original proposal, which would not have been adequate to handle the necessary events, meetings, and even future Inaugurations. “The original price was 200 Million Dollars, the double sized, highest quality completed project will be something less than 400 Million Dollars. It will be magnificent, safe, and secure! “This was a necessary change, it was done long ago, but the Fake News failed to report it, trying to make it look like there was a cost overrun. Actually, it is coming in ahead of schedule, and under budget!” REPUBLICANS SLIP $1 BILLION IN TAXPAYER MONEY FOR TRUMP BALLROOM SECURITY IN ICE, BORDER PATROL PACKAGE The latest reporting on alleged rising costs comes from Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, tagging a $1 billion appropriation for the “East Wing Modernization Project” at the bottom of Republicans’ budget reconciliation package Trump hopes to sign by June 1. That item includes more than just the ballroom and even specifies: “None of the funds made available under this section may be used for non-security elements of the East Wing Modernization Project.” The bill’s outlay on the final page of the Senate Judiciary Committee reconciliation bill appropriates “$1,000,000,000 to remain available until September 30, 2029, for the purposes of security adjustments and upgrades, including within the perimeter fence of the White House Compound to support enhancements by the United States Secret Service relating to the East Wing Modernization Project, including above-ground and below-ground security features.” Trump contends that is a military, national security and White House expenditure, while the $400 million ballroom remains merely a piece planted on top of the upgraded enhancements to the grounds. TRUMP TEARS DOWN EAST WING FOR $300M BALLROOM AHEAD OF HIGH-STAKES CHINA MEETING That distinction is now at the center of the dispute. Trump’s post framed the ballroom itself as under budget, saying the higher price reflects a deliberate expansion approved “long ago.” An NBC News report focused on whether the overall project could still impose a major taxpayer cost through security work, even if private donors cover the ballroom’s construction. The National Capital Planning Commission approved preliminary and final site and building plans for the East Wing Modernization Project on April 2. NCPC staff described the project as a permanent, secure event space intended to increase capacity for official state functions and reduce reliance on temporary tents and support facilities. The approved plan includes an approximately 22,000-square-foot ballroom designed for roughly 1,000 seated dinner guests, within about 89,000 square feet of above-ground East Wing space. The White House has increasingly emphasized security as a justification for the project, particularly after Trump faced an unprecedented third assassination attempt last month at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner at the Washington Hilton. A White House spokesperson praised the proposed funding as necessary to help the Secret Service “fully and completely harden the White House complex,” according to NBC. Democrats quoted by NBC called the proposal a reversal of Trump’s earlier pledge that the ballroom would not cost taxpayers anything. REPUBLICANS RUSH TO GREEN LIGHT WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM FOLLOWING THIRD TRUMP ASSASSINATION SCARE The project remains politically and legally contentious. Senate Democrats plan to try to strip the $1 billion provision from the reconciliation bill when it reaches the Senate floor, but Republicans are fully expecting no Democrat votes for it regardless. Construction has resumed while the legal fight plays out. U.S. District Judge Richard Leon issued a preliminary injunction in March blocking further work on the White House ballroom, ruling that the administration could not proceed without congressional authorization, but the D.C. Circuit later kept the injunction on hold while it considers the case. The National Trust for Historic Preservation, which is challenging the project, says the appeals court has scheduled a June 5 hearing and extended the stay until then, meaning construction can continue for now. The broader question now is whether lawmakers and courts will treat the ballroom and its associated security infrastructure as separable — as Republicans’ bill language argues — or as parts of a single White House expansion whose public cost could exceed Trump’s repeated private-funding assurances.
Protesters rally in Louisiana and Tennessee against redistricting
NewsFeed Demonstrators rallied in Louisiana and Tennessee against a US Supreme Court ruling that weakened key protections in the Voting Rights Act, opening the door for Republicans to redraw congressional maps ahead of pivotal November’s midterm elections. Published On 6 May 20266 May 2026 Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)
Spain agrees to let hantavirus-hit cruise ship dock in Canary Islands
Spain has granted permission for a luxury cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak and anchored off the coast of Cape Verde to sail to the Canary Islands. Spain’s Ministry of Health said in a statement late on Tuesday that the World Health Organization (WHO) had explained that Cape Verde in West Africa was unable to receive the 147 crew and passengers of the MV Hondius. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list “The Canary Islands are the closest location with the necessary capabilities,” it said. “Spain has a moral and legal obligation to assist these people, among whom are also several Spanish citizens.” The ministry said it would receive a medical flight carrying the ship’s doctor, a Dutch national, who it said was gravely ill, following a formal request from the Dutch government. A Dutch couple and a German national have died of the rare disease, which is usually spread from infected rodents through urine, droppings and saliva, on board the ship in early April. A British national, who was evacuated from the ship, is in intensive care in South Africa, officials said. Two crew members require urgent medical care, according to the Dutch-flagged ship’s operator, Oceanwide Expeditions. Another person on board with a suspected case has only reported a mild fever. Medical evacuations The Spanish Health Ministry said the MV Hondius will journey on to the Canary Islands once those who need evacuation are taken off the ship. The Dutch government said earlier on Tuesday that it was preparing to receive the evacuated passengers. Oceanwide Expeditions said the journey to the Canary Islands will take three days of sailing and that the MV Hondius will dock in either Gran Canaria or Tenerife. Advertisement When the rest of the crew and passengers arrive in the Canary Islands, they will be examined, treated and repatriated to their respective countries, Spain’s Health Ministry said, in coordination with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and the WHO. All necessary safety measures would be taken, the ministry said, with medical care and transportation provided in special facilities and vehicles to avoid contact with the local population and protect health workers. According to the WHO, the cruise ship, which set sail from Ushuaia, Argentina, on April 1 for Cape Verde, had 88 passengers and 59 crew members from 23 countries on board. A WHO official said on Tuesday that she suspected some rare human-to-human transmission had occurred between close contacts on board the ship. “We do believe that there may be some human-to-human transmission that’s happening among the really close contacts, the husband and wife, people who have shared cabins,” Maria Van Kerkhove, the director of epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention at the WHO, told reporters in Geneva. Van Kerkhove also sent a direct message to the people on board. “We just want you to know we are working with the ship’s operators,” she said. “We are working with the countries where you are from. We hear you. We know that you are scared.” Andes strain Human-to-human transmission is not common, and the WHO reiterated that the risk to the wider public was low, adding that it had been told that “there are no rats on board” the ship. A limited spread among close contacts has been observed in some previous outbreaks of the Andes strain of the virus, which spreads in South America, including Argentina. Van Kerkhove said the typical incubation period for hantavirus was between one and six weeks, leading the WHO to believe that the Dutch couple, who had been travelling in Argentina before boarding the cruise, “were infected off the ship”. Other cases may also have been infected while on bird-watching trips to islands where birds and rodents live, the WHO said. Such trips are part of the cruise. The Hondius is carrying mostly British, American and Spanish passengers on the luxury cruise, which set off from the southern tip of Argentina in late March. The cruise visited the Antarctic Peninsula, South Georgia and Tristan da Cunha, some of the remotest islands on the planet. The voyage was marketed as an Antarctic nature expedition, with berth prices ranging from 14,000 to 22,000 euros ($16,000 to $25,000). Advertisement The first stricken passenger, the Dutch man, died on April 11. His body remained on board until April 24, when it “was disembarked on St Helena, with his wife accompanying the repatriation”, Oceanwide Expeditions said. His wife had gastrointestinal symptoms when she was disembarked, and deteriorated during a flight to Johannesburg. She died upon arrival at the emergency department on April 26, the WHO said, adding that contact tracing was under way for passengers on the flight. South African authorities have confirmed that the British patient, who is being treated in a Johannesburg hospital, tested positive for the hantavirus. Adblock test (Why?)
US pauses plan to guide ships through the Strait of Hormuz
NewsFeed US president Donald Trump has said that the US military operation “Project Freedom” guiding ships through the Strait of Hormuz will be paused for a short period. He cited a request from Pakistan and progress towards a final deal with Iran. Published On 6 May 20266 May 2026 Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)
West Bengal Polls and SIR: Did 91 lakh deletions shift outcome?
As per the latest data released by the Election Commission of India, the BJP has secured 206 seats out of 294 seats in the Assembly. TMC won 80 seats and is currently leading in one for which counting is underway. Did SIR impact the election results?
TVK chief Vijay thanks PM Modi, Rahul Gandhi for their wishes on his Tamil Nadu election victory
The TVK, which was launched in 2024, has scripted history after winning 108 of the 234 assembly seats on its electoral debut. This marks a major political shift in the southern state where two Dravidian parties have dominated elections for several decades.
Trump congratulates PM Modi after BJP wins West Bengal elections: ‘Historic and decisive’
The statement from the US president comes after the BJP, long considered a Hindi heartland party, secured its first-ever victory in West Bengal — a state that has traditionally been ruled by leftist and centrist parties.