Final charge dropped in yearslong Harris-era case against pro-life activist
A California judge on Wednesday cleared the final legal hurdle in the long-running prosecution of a pro-life activist who alleged in undercover videos that abortion providers were illegally profiting from fetal tissue. “As promised, the final charge has been DISMISSED and the case completely expunged— —after a couple months’ administrative delay, and a truly bizarre last-minute ‘April Fool’s’ attempt by @PPFA and @NatAbortionFed to overturn the State’s agreement,” Center for Medical Progress founder David Daleiden tweeted on Wednesday, including a previous statement made on the reached settlement. Daleiden, who alongside undercover journalist Sandra Merritt, faced 15 charges filed by California Attorney General Xavier Becerra in 2017. The charges stemmed from an investigation prompted by former California Attorney General Harris’ office, who left her position as state attorney general in January 2017 after being elected to the U.S. Senate. APPEALS COURT HEARS MEDICAID FRAUD CASE THAT COULD COST PLANNED PARENTHOOD $1.8 BILLION In January 2025, Daleiden and Merritt each pleaded no contest to one felony count under a settlement with California, which dismissed the remaining charges. Under the agreement, they faced no jail time, fines, or admissions of wrongdoing. On Wednesday, San Francisco County Judge Brian Ferrall dropped the last charge against Daleiden and expunged the case. In a statement made last year, Daleiden said that the end of “the lawfare launched by Kamala Harris [is] a huge victory for my investigative reporting for the public’s right to know the truth about Planned Parenthood’s sale of aborted baby body parts.” NEWSOM BAILS OUT PLANNED PARENTHOOD WITH $140M TO KEEP 100 CLINICS OPEN AFTER TRUMP CUTS In January 2025, California Attorney General Rob Bonta cast the plea deal as a victory for reproductive healthcare access, saying in a press release that his office had secured felony convictions. Under the agreement, Daleiden and Merritt were required to have no contact with, stay away from, and not name the victims in the recordings, and to obey all laws, including by not making additional unlawful recordings. DEMOCRATS ESCALATE ANTI-TRUMP LAWFARE BY TARGETING CONGRESS IN PLANNED PARENTHOOD FUNDING FIGHT “While the Trump Administration is issuing pardons to individuals convicted of harming reproductive health clinics and providers, my office is securing criminal convictions to ensure that Californians can exercise their constitutional rights to reproductive healthcare,” Bonta said in a statement at the time. “We will not hesitate to continue taking action against those who threaten access to abortion care — whether by recording confidential conversations or other means.” Daleiden released the videos in 2015 of Merritt having conversations with Planned Parenthood leadership and abortionist doctors, who described procedures ensuring fetal organs remain intact and can be harvested. In response to the videos, Harris’ office opened an investigation into Daleiden and Merritt for violating the state’s recording law. In April 2016, California’s Department of Justice issued a search warrant and raided Daleiden’s Huntington Beach apartment, the Los Angeles Times reported. Daleiden accused the raid of being politically motivated at the time. The release of the videos pushed the Senate Judiciary Committee to call the Department of Justice to investigate Planned Parenthood Federation of America. No charges were ever brought against the nation’s largest abortion provider. Daleiden was sued by Planned Parenthood for damages and was ordered in 2019 to pay $2.4 million in damages and more than $13 million in attorney’s fees. Fox News Digital reached out to Planned Parenthood, Harris, Daleiden, and the National Abortion Federation for comment.
Vance tapped as ‘fraud czar’ as Trump targets blue states over taxpayer theft
Amid several monumental Cabinet shakeups, President Donald Trump is signaling his continued confidence in Vice President JD Vance by having him address an “unprecedented” problem in Democratic-run states and declaring him the nation’s “fraud czar.” Vance announced Thursday his fraud task force busted an alleged $50 million hospice and healthcare fraud scheme in Los Angeles. Following this news, Trump took to Truth Social Friday morning to officially proclaim he was naming Vance fraud czar. Trump said Vance’s focus would be “EVERYWHERE” but with a special emphasis on Democratic-controlled states. “Vice President JD Vance is now in charge of ‘FRAUD’ in the United States,” Trump wrote. “We will call him the ‘FRAUD CZAR,’ and his focus will be ‘EVERYWHERE,’ but primarily in those Blue States where CROOKED DEMOCRAT POLITICIANS, like those in California, Illinois, Minnesota (Somalia beware!), Maine, New York, and many others, have had a ‘free for all’ in the unprecedented theft of Taxpayer Money.” VANCE ANTI-FRAUD TASK FORCE SUSPENDS 221 CALIFORNIA HOSPICE AND HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS SO FAR The president called the fraud problems in the U.S. “massive and pervasive” and suggested the implications for the country are enormous. As fraud czar, “the job (Vance) will be doing, in conjunction with many great people within the Trump Administration, will be a major factor in how great the future of our Country will be,” Trump wrote. “The numbers are so large that, if successful, we would literally be able to balance our American Budget.” He emphasized the work Vance already has done in California, writing, “Raids have already started in L.A.” and concluding, “Good Luck JD!” The president already had placed Vance in charge of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, which is a government-wide crackdown on fraud in federal benefit programs. However, Trump’s designation of Vance as fraud czar, an informal title, emphasizes the significance he is placing on the task force and his confidence in Vance to get the job done. PAM BONDI ALREADY FIRED AS ATTORNEY GENERAL, CABINET OFFICIAL TEED UP AS REPLACEMENT: SOURCES Trump first announced he would be putting Vance in charge of the “war on fraud,” and the position was solidified by Trump’s executive order establishing the fraud task force and placing Vance at the helm. The announcement followed reporting revealing allegations of widespread fraud and abuse in Minnesota largely involving the state’s Somali immigrant community. Trump’s announcement comes the day after news broke that the president was removing Attorney General Pam Bondi from her role at the Department of Justice, a move that political analyst Jonathan Turley said hit Washington, D.C., like a “thunderclap.” JD VANCE RELEASING BOOK ABOUT FAITH JOURNEY, CONVERSION TO CATHOLICISM Just weeks before that, the president also removed former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. There are widespread rumors of Trump being displeased with several other high-ranking members of his Cabinet, though he has not publicly said so himself. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and Vance’s office for comment.
Pritzker calls on Trump officials to testify over ICE crackdown, White House blasts move as ‘political stunt’
FIRST ON FOX: Democratic Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is calling on Trump administration officials and former Department of Homeland Security (DHS) leadership to testify before a commission he created targeting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations conducted in the state. Pritzker sent a letter to White House deputy chief of staff for policy Stephen Miller, border czar Tom Homan, former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, acting ICE director Todd Lyons, former DHS Deputy Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, and Customs and Border Patrol Commissioner Rodney Scott among others. “I established the Illinois Accountability Commission to preserve the truth and document how Donald Trump and his accomplices violated the rights of Illinoisans and terrorized our communities during Operation Midway Blitz,” Pritzker told Fox News Digital in a statement. “These officials should answer directly to the people of Illinois for the chaos and violence they unleashed,” Pritzker added. “Regardless of whether these officials are still in their roles or not, the people of Illinois demand accountability from them all.” IGNORED ICE DETAINERS ‘PUT LIVES AT RISK,’ DHS SAYS, TARGETING NEWSOM, PRITZKER, HEALEY The letter, obtained by Fox News Digital and signed by former Clinton-appointed Judge Rubén Castillo for U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and chairman of the Illinois Accountability Commission, calls on recipients to testify at public hearings on April 27 or April 28. The White House blasted Pritzker, telling Fox News Digital that the commission is nothing more than a “political stunt” for the Illinois governor to try to boost his name for a potential presidential run. “JB Pritzker is a total slob who would rather dream up political stunts for his doomed-to-fail Presidential campaign than actually help Illinois residents,” White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson told Fox News Digital. ICE CHIEF FIRES BACK AT ‘100% FALSE’ SANCTUARY CITY ‘HARASSMENT’ CLAIMS “If this slob spent half as much time addressing crime and public safety concerns in Chicago as he did pandering to radical leftists, Chicagoans would be much safer,” Jackson added. “The Trump Administration, and our heroic ICE officers, will unapologetically remove dangerous criminal illegal aliens from American streets whether Pritzker likes it or not.” The letter specifies events which the commission deems an inappropriate show of force from federal agents and says one of the goals of the commission is to “ensure meaningful accountability.” “Reports from residents, legal advocates, journalists, and elected officials describe communities across Illinois as being subject to aggressive federal enforcement tactics during Operation Midway Blitz,” the letter reads. “These reports include the fatal shooting of Silverio Villegas-González in Franklin Park, the shooting of Marimar Martinez, the repeated deployment of tear gas in residential neighborhoods, the detention of U.S. citizens, and large-scale military-style raids in peaceful civilian communities.” ANGEL PARENTS SLAM ILLINOIS SANCTUARY LAWS AFTER ‘PREVENTABLE’ TRAGEDY IN STUDENT’S DEATH DHS Deputy Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis responded to Fox News Digital’s inquiry slamming Pritzker for “[refusing] to do his job” and noted the recent killing of Sheridan Gorman, an 18-year-old college student who was murdered by an illegal migrant in Chicago last month. “Governor Pritzker continues to refuse to do his job to protect his citizens from illegal alien crime and instead chooses to smear our law enforcement,” Bis said. “Where is his investigation into his own policies that allowed Sheridan Gorman’s killer to be released from jail to go on and commit her heinous murder?” McLaughlin was also quick to punch back at what she described as the “wannabe Ministry of Truth.” “I’ll appear before JB Pritzker’s wannabe Ministry of Truth the day he ends Illinois’ sanctuary policies — the very policies that protected Sheridan Gorman’s killer and those criminal illegal aliens responsible for the deaths of Katie Abraham, Chloe Polzin and too many other American victims,” McLaughlin told Fox News Digital. In response to the lack of interest by current and former Trump administration officials to attend the hearings, a Pritzker spokesperson said former officials specifically “are too scared” to attend. “It’s unfortunate that former Trump officials with more free time on their hands are too scared to face the American people and answer questions,” the spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “If they spent so much time touting the operation’s ‘achievements,’ then they should have no problem defending it.” Noem was removed as DHS secretary in March and tasked to lead Trump’s new special envoy for the “Shield of the Americas.” Her departure was reportedly the result of a controversial $220 million ad campaign and the deaths of two American citizens who were killed by DHS agents during ICE operations. Former Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin was confirmed by the Senate following Noem’s departure and was sworn in as DHS secretary on March 24.
No more casual: State Department imposes first-ever dress code on diplomats
FIRST ON FOX: The State Department has added business formal dress code guidance to its internal policy manual for the first time, establishing department-wide standards for employee attire. The changes, implemented in recent days in the Foreign Affairs Manual — the department’s central repository for policies — mark the first time the agency has formally codified expectations for how diplomats and staff should dress in official settings. “Representing the United States of America is an honor — and this new policy ensures our diplomats project credibility, respect, and the dignity of the nation we serve,” Assistant Secretary Dylan Johnson told Fox News Digital. The updated policy applies broadly across the department for both civil service and foreign service employees. DEPARTMENT TO ASK FOR BONDS OF UP TO $15,000 FOR VISA APPLICATIONS FROM A DOZEN MORE COUNTRIES The move underscores a broader recalibration at the State Department, where Trump administration officials have sought to impose clearer standards around discipline, appearance and adherence to policy. A State Department official said the change was driven in part by concerns that some diplomats had been dressing “pretty informally” in recent years. “This should have happened a long time ago,” the official said. The formal dress code represents a shift away from Biden-era personnel policies that prioritized flexibility and cultural inclusivity, toward a more uniform and prescriptive standard for how U.S. diplomats present themselves. “Appropriate attire and appearance will depend on the duties performed, the work environment, and the level of interaction with foreign interlocutors and other external stakeholders,” reads the manual, viewed by Fox News Digital. “For staff participating in meetings or other official engagements with foreign interlocutors, dress is Business Formal and personal appearance is polished and professional unless otherwise specified.” The dress code update follows other recent changes to how the State Department evaluates and manages its workforce, including revisions to hiring and promotion criteria for Foreign Service officers. Earlier in 2026, the department replaced diversity, equity and inclusion-related benchmarks with a new core precept focused on “fidelity,” emphasizing adherence to U.S. government policy and chain-of-command authority. Under the updated guidance, mid- and senior-level diplomats are expected to demonstrate loyalty by “zealously executing U.S. government policy” and resolving ambiguity in favor of leadership direction, according to internal documents previously reported by Fox News Digital. Those changes came alongside broader efforts to restructure the department’s workforce, including plans to reduce staffing and consolidate offices, signaling a shift toward more standardized expectations for diplomatic personnel. The addition of a formal dress code marks the latest step in that direction.
Pam Bondi is out as AG — here are the contenders who could replace her
President Donald Trump announced a Department of Justice shakeup on Thursday, ousting Attorney General Pam Bondi and looking to name her permanent successor. Trump tapped Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche to fill the role in an acting capacity, but other names, like Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin’s, have swirled since the announcement of Bondi’s departure, which was first reported by Fox News Digital on Thursday. Blanche, Trump’s former personal defense lawyer, could serve as acting attorney general for up to 210 days. Trump is staring down the possibility of Senate Republicans shrinking or losing their majority in the midterms, which could complicate the president’s ability to secure a nominee’s confirmation if he waits too long to replace an acting official. KARL ROVE: TRUMP DROPPED BONDI, BUT THE REAL POLITICAL FIGHT IS JUST BEGINNING Contenders for attorney general, one of the most prestigious and influential, yet least secure jobs in Washington, would also need to win over tough but critical votes from current senators. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., a member of the committee tasked with vetting attorneys general, ruled out anyone who defended the 2021 U.S. Capitol breach in a CNN interview Thursday. “The threshold for somebody following Pam Bondi ends the moment I hear they said one thing that excused the events of January the 6th,” Tillis said. Bondi faced a series of public missteps during her time as attorney general. They involved her failure to tamp down bipartisan criticism about the DOJ’s handling of files related to Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking cases and her inability to find enough evidence to bring reliable criminal charges against politicians viewed as Trump’s political foes aside from former National Security Advisor John Bolton, who was indicted for mishandling classified documents. Asked for comment about possible contenders to succeed Bondi, a White House spokesperson pointed to Trump’s Truth Social post from Thursday announcing Bondi’s exit and Blanche as her interim replacement. Trump did not rush to tease a permanent replacement when he announced that Blanche would be filling in, leaving the incoming acting attorney general to effectively try out for the permanent role. Blanche could persuade Trump to nominate him and the Senate to confirm him in the coming months, having both proven his loyalty to Trump while retaining traditional bona fides as a longtime lawyer in the Southern District of New York and in private practice. He left a prestigious New York law firm in 2023 to defend Trump against Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and special counsel Jack Smith. “Our Deputy Attorney General, and a very talented and respected Legal Mind, Todd Blanche, will step in to serve as Acting Attorney General,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Thursday. PAM BONDI FACES BIPARTISAN SUBPOENA OVER FRUSTRATION WITH DOJ’S RELEASE OF EPSTEIN FILES Blanche’s direct involvement in those cases could present tricky conflicts of interest as the DOJ pursues investigations into the people involved with prosecuting Trump, and Democrats have made clear that Blanche is, in their view, a top culprit in the department’s handling of the Epstein files. Trump has spoken with Zeldin about potentially serving as attorney general, including this week, Fox News Digital reported Thursday. One downside for the president, however, would be that Zeldin’s transition to attorney general would require two major confirmation hearings, one for Zeldin and one for a new EPA administrator. One source familiar with the matter told Fox News Digital that Zeldin was interested in the job. A vocal contingent online has urged Trump to promote Dhillon from the head of the DOJ Civil Rights Division to attorney general. “That’s up to the president,” Dhillon told Fox News Digital when asked about the prospect. “I’m flattered to be mentioned by many online, but it’s his choice and I serve at his pleasure only.” Several conservative influencers sang Dhillon’s praises on X upon Bondi’s firing. Scott Presler said she would be an “exceptional” attorney general. Mike Cernovich said Dhillon was “filing civil rights lawsuits on behalf of Trump supporters who were attacked by ANTIFA. In 2016. Who was around in 2016?” Trump tapped Pirro, a close ally, to lead the U.S. attorney’s office in Washington, D.C., the most high-profile of the 93 in the country. A former Fox News host, judge and district attorney, Pirro has risen to the occasion, filling the jobs of ousted prosecutors and promoting her role in reducing violent crime in the nation’s capital. Still, Pirro’s seen some hurdles, including failing to convince grand juries to indict six Democratic lawmakers and a man who stood accused of throwing a sandwich at an immigration officer. Pirro reduced the man’s charge, but a jury acquitted him. Trump told New York Magazine Pirro was “fantastic” when asked if she would replace Bondi. Fox News Digital reached out to Pirro’s office for comment. TRUMP CABINET SHAKEUP EXPANDS AFTER NOEM EXIT, BONDI FIRING — WHO’S UNDER PRESSURE NEXT? Schmitt, the former attorney general of Missouri, was on Trump’s first shortlist for attorney general and is now making the rounds as an option again. As a state attorney general, Schmitt led high-profile litigation against the Biden administration, including a closely watched jawboning lawsuit challenging the federal government’s involvement in social media censorship. The Supreme Court sidestepped weighing in on the case, but last month Missouri and Louisiana notched a victory by reaching a settlement with several government agencies. Fox News Digital reached out to Schmitt’s office for comment. Several conservative influencers also floated Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, as an option, but Lee poured cold water on the idea on Friday, saying on X, “I’m not going anywhere.” Other long-shot options include Alina Habba, Gov. Ron DeSantis and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Habba promoted her tight relationship with Trump online on Friday, but one source said Habba was happy in her current role as a DOJ senior advisor, while another said she was not having active conversations about the job but had not been ruled out as a possibility. DeSantis’ name made the rounds online, and the
West Bengal Election 2026: Police arrest alleged mastermind of gherao of 7 judicial officers in Malda; details here
The accused is the mastermind of the Kaliachak incident in which seven judicial officers were gheraoed inside a BDO office for several hours on Wednesday night. He was nabbed when he was trying to board a flight to flee, according to the officials.
AAP vs Raghav Chadha: Arvind Kerjrwal’s party hits back, says ‘If someone is afraid of Modi, how can they fight for country?
Saurabh Bhardwaj, former Delhi health minister, also raised a similar issue about how Chadha has been quite reluctant to be fearless of opponents. He said Chadha was not actively involved in taking up major issues and doesn’t speak against PM Modi, in a video posted on X.
Govt suspends 60% free flight seat rule amid airline warning of surge in airfares; details here
Currently, 20 per cent of the seats can be booked free of charge, while the rest are paid, for which airlines charge Rs 200 to Rs 2,100 for choosing seats, depending on various factors, including front rows and extra leg room.
Delhi: Mock drills held across 13 districts to assess preparedness to handle hostile attacks
The Directorate of Civil Defence, Government of NCT of Delhi, successfully conducted a large-scale Civil Defence Mock Exercise across all 13 districts of Delhi to assess preparedness in the event of a hostile attack scenario. The exercise was carried out as per directions issued vide official communication to all District Magistrates and followed a comprehensive simulation involving air raid warning, blackout measures, evacuation, search & rescue, fire-fighting, first-aid and emergency response systems.
Commuters Alert! Delhi metro to change time, operations to begin from 3:00 am; Check routes, date and more
Passengers planning early travel should check line-specific availability and timings before heading out.