Lok Sabha Election Results 2024: West Bengal, Haryana, Rajasthan rejected BJP, says Congress leader Sachin Pilot
In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won 240 seats, falling short of the majority mark, necessitating coalition support to secure Modi’s third term as Prime Minister.
Italy PM Meloni congratulates PM Modi on election victory, vows to strengthen ties
Global leaders including those from Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Mauritius also extended their congratulations, as the BJP-led NDA is set to form its third successive government.
Travis County DA wants to overturn Abbott’s pardon of convicted murderer
Daniel Perry was pardoned more than a year after a jury convicted him of murdering police brutality demonstrator Garrett Foster in 2020.
Rep. Feenstra wins primary challenge in Iowa race after fending off conservative challenge
Rep. Randy Feenstra, R-Iowa, on Tuesday secured victory in his primary challenge from a former CIA officer and retired Army ranger after a fight over who was the more conservative candidate. Feenstra overcame a challenge from Kevin Virgil, who had sought to take the nomination away from the lawmaker. Feenstra is seeking a third term in Congress. Feenstra had drastically outspent his opponent during the race. As of mid-May, Feenstra had spent $3.3 million on the race and had nearly $1.1 million in the bank. Virgil spent about $83,000 and had slightly more than $4,000 on hand. TRUMP, BIDEN FACE TESTS IN FINAL 2024 PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES Feenstra touted his record on issues, including securing the southern border, fighting for farmers in the Hawkeye State, standing up to China and standing with Israel. Virgil has criticized Feenstra’s votes for aid to foreign countries, including Israel, and said he opposes doing so unless it is in the country’s interest. “Israel is a sovereign state, and they have every right to defend themselves as well as they should. But I don’t believe that certainly sending billions of dollars of foreign aid when oftentimes you know the Israeli government isn’t even asking us for aid, is a good strategy that prioritizes American interests,” Virgil said in an interview with CBS News. Virgil carried the endorsement of former Rep. Steve King, who represented the area but who lost his bid for a 10th term to Feenstra in the 2020 primary. Feenstra has the backing of Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds. REPUBLICAN GOVERNORS CHARGE BIDEN HAS ‘DONE NOTHING BUT ATTACK AMERICAN ENERGY’ Virgil said at a recent debate he decided to run because he believes Feenstra “has very quietly proven to be one of the worst conservatives in Congress,” according to The Des Moines Register. But Feenstra told the Register Virgil is “the liberal between the two of us” and said Virgil had not lived in Iowa for years before deciding to move back to his home state to run for Congress. Virgil said he planned to move back to Iowa for some time. The two have also fought over energy issues directly affecting the state, including standards related to ethanol. The 4th District is the safest congressional seat for Iowa Republicans. Voters there backed Trump in 2020 with 62% of the vote, compared with 36% for Biden. It means Feenstra is the favorite to win the general election contest in the fall. Feenstra will face Democrat Ryan Melton, a candidate he previously defeated comfortably in the 2020 race. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
FBI director says US needs ‘a whole lot more from Mexico’ to take on cartels and stop flow of precursors
FBI Director Christopher Wray says the U.S. needs “a whole lot more from Mexico” in order to shut down the cartels and stop the flow of precursors into the U.S., as a new president was just elected to serve as the country’s top leader. Wray met Tuesday with the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies to make his case on the department’s request of $11.3 billion for FY25, or $661 million more than last year. During the hearing, Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., asked Wray about President Andres Manuel Lopez Abrador’s connection to the cartels, and corruption associated with that relationship. “If you took the major Mexican drug cartels, which also traffic people into the United States and turned them upside down and shook them, President López Obrador would fall out of their pockets. Wouldn’t he?” Kennedy asked Wray. INCOMING LEFT-WING MEXICAN PRESIDENT COULD BE ‘BAD NEWS’ FOR US ON BORDER CRISIS: EXPERT “I don’t know that I can comment on the specific individual’s corruption other than through cases that we bring. But I understand the point that you’re making for sure,” Wray responded. Kennedy then asked about the cooperation the U.S. was receiving from Mexico to control the border. “Let me put it this way: While we have had some successes here and there in terms of extraditions and so forth, and I appreciate those, and I’m grateful to our Mexican partners for those…we need a whole lot more from Mexico than we’ve gotten in terms of shutting down the cartels and stopping the flow of the precursors,” Wray said. “I mean, I could go on and on. So, I’m grateful for the successes we have had, but we need a heck of a lot more.” CLAUDIA SHEINBAUM ELECTED AS MEXICO’S 1ST FEMALE PRESIDENT Wray later said he welcomed “every tool in the toolbox” that can be used to try to improve relationships and cooperation with the neighbors to the south, adding he was hopeful the Mexican government will see the value of building on successes both countries have had. The questioning came after Claudia Sheinbaum won Mexico’s presidential election to succeed López Obrador. Sheinbaum’s Morena Party was also projected to hold majorities in both chambers of Congress. SHEINBAUM FACES HUGE HURDLES FROM POWERFUL CARTELS Andres Martinez-Fernandez, a senior policy analyst for Latin America at The Heritage Foundation’s Allison Center for National Security, warned in a press call that Sheinbaum is a left-wing activist who is unlikely to drift from AMLO’s tough stance toward the U.S. “Claudia Sheinbaum is a progressive, and really has a background as an activist/academic, [who] has come up through the ranks of the Mexican left, and comes from an established family in the Mexican left,” he said. In particular, Mexico and the U.S. have not always seen eye to eye on the question of illegal immigration coming across the U.S. border. While the Biden administration has hailed a number of areas of cooperation with Mexico, AMLO has also attacked Republican politicians, threatening an “information campaign” against them. He has also falsely claimed that fentanyl is not produced in Mexico. CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS “We can expect a lot of the same as far as U.S.-Mexico relations and U.S. policies, on issues that are of top concern to the United States and have direct impact on the United States,” Martinez-Fernandez said. He said Sheinbaum would likely “stay the course” and provide continuity for the López Obrador administration, in part due to the current president’s ongoing presence. Biden said Monday that “I congratulate Claudia Sheinbaum on her historic election as the first woman President of Mexico” and that he looks forward “to working closely with President-elect Sheinbaum in the spirit of partnership and friendship that reflects the enduring bonds between our two countries.” “I also congratulate the Mexican people for conducting a nationwide successful democratic electoral process involving races for more than 20,000 positions at the local, state, and federal levels,” Biden added. Fox News Digital’s Adam Shaw and Greg Norman contributed to this report.
Maryland agencies must submit a plan to help fight climate change, governor says
State agencies in Maryland will be required to submit a plan to help address climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, under an executive order signed by Gov. Wes Moore on Tuesday. The plan calls for all state agencies to submit a report to the governor by Nov. 1 showing how they will help the state meet its goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2031 to 60% of 2006 levels, the governor said at a news conference in Baltimore. The report must include steps and a timeline for implementation for all required actions within each agency’s purview. But the governor’s office did not specify what those actions would be. LARRY HOGAN WINS REPUBLICAN SENATE PRIMARY IN MARYLAND; GOP AIMS TO FLIP DEMOCRATIC-HELD SEAT “These proposals must be submitted by every single state agency, because every single state agency is going to have a role to play and is going to have accountability measures that we must meet,” Moore, a Democrat, said before signing the order at the Henderson-Hopkins School in Baltimore. The Moore administration also aims to achieve 100% clean energy by 2035 and reach net-zero emissions by 2045. That means at least as much carbon would be removed from the atmosphere as what is being emitted. The order signed Tuesday also directs the Maryland Department of the Environment to propose new polices to reduce emissions from buildings, a provision applauded by environmental advocates. “To meet its climate goals, Maryland must tackle fossil fuel use in buildings, which represents 13% of the state’s greenhouse gas emissions,” Anne Havemann, general counsel for the nonprofit organization Chesapeake Climate Action Network, said in a statement. “We’re proud to see Governor Moore take a massive step toward this goal through today’s executive order, which will gradually reduce this climate pollution from buildings and send a signal to manufacturers, retailers, and installers to prepare for an increased demand in clean technologies such as heat pumps.” The governor said the Maryland Department of the Environment will be the “nerve center” for the state’s approach to climate change. The order also creates a new subcabinet on climate change, which will be led by the department’s chief, Serena McIlwain. The subcabinet will be required to report on Maryland’s progress by Dec. 1 and annually thereafter. “We are creating a clean environment and a strong economy together, and I know that we can all do it because all of us who are here today are dedicated, and we’re all going to see it through,” McIlwain said. The order also notes that the state’s efforts will include a focus on environmental justice. “To be clear, climate justice is economic justice, if you’re doing it right, and we are going to craft policies that actually reflects that mindset,” Moore said. Kim Coble, co-chair of the Maryland Commission on Climate Change, praised the governor for taking a comprehensive step toward reaching the state’s goals. “The governor is calling on his administration and every state agency to plan and measure and act,” Coble said. “And, equally important, the executive order creates an accountability system for those actions by creating the first-ever climate subcabinet, and an annual report on implementation of those actions by the state agencies.”
Conaway wins Dem primary to succeed lawmaker challenging Bob Menendez for Senate
Longtime New Jersey state assemblyman Herb Conaway won the Democratic primary in New Jersey’s 3rd congressional district on Tuesday, setting him up to face a Republican challenger in November. Conaway served in the Garden State’s legislature since 1998. A late April survey by Public Policy Polling found Conaway to be the runaway favorite to win the race. He won a crowded five-way primary race for the seat that’s being vacated by Rep. Andy Kim, D-N.J., a top contender to unseat embattled Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J. REPUBLICANS SEE EMBATTLED MENENDEZ’S POTENTIAL INDEPENDENT BID AS CHANCE TO FLIP SENATE SEAT Kim launched a primary challenge against Menendez in September 2023 after the longtime senator dismissed calls for his resignation over damning criminal charges related to bribery and corruption. Kim’s been the favorite to win the Democratic primary since Menendez announced he would be running for his seat as an Independent earlier this week. New Jersey’s 3rd congressional district is in the southern portion of the state, including part of the Philadelphia suburbs. SEN MENENDEZ CHARGED WITH OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE IN ANOTHER SUPERSEDING INDICTMENT President Biden won the majority-White and urban district in the 2020 White House race. Voters in the district also narrowly elected incumbent Gov. Phil Murphy, a progressive Democrat, in 2021 – albeit by a margin of roughly two points. However, it could still be considered in play for Republicans come November – the seat was held by the GOP from 2011 until 2019, when Kim took over after unseating incumbent ex-Rep. Tom MacArthur, R-N.J. Kim himself had not made an endorsement in the race to succeed him.
Iowa GOP Rep Nunn will face Democrat Baccam in general election for CD-3
In what is expected to be one of the most competitive contests among the 2024 congressional races, in Iowa’s 3rd District, Republican Rep. Zach Nunn will face off against the winner of Tuesday’s Democratic primary, Lanon Baccam. The Associated Press called the race after 9 p.m. ET, with Baccam leading Vine. Baccam is a first-generation combat veteran. He served as the deputy chief of staff to the Agriculture Department secretary. REPUBLICANS FLIP CRUCIAL IOWA HOUSE SEAT RED WITH ZACH NUNN’S WIN Baccam held the fundraising edge throughout the primary by a nearly 2-to-1 margin. Zach Nunn flipped Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District from blue to red in 2022. Democrats are keen to take the seat back before Nunn’s power of incumbency increases with multiple terms. The 2022 race was a nail-biter, with Nunn eking out a win with less than 1% separating him from former Congresswoman Cindy Axne. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The Cook Political Report classifies the 3rd District as “leans Republican”.
New Mexico DA who indicted Alec Baldwin in fatal ‘Rust’ shooting wins Democrat primary
The New Mexico district attorney who indicted actor Alec Baldwin for a 2021 fatal movie-set shooting has defeated her Democratic primary challenger to advance to the November general election. As of Tuesday night, Mary Carmack-Altwies had garnered 62% of the vote, while 38% voted for her opponent and former boss, Marco Serna. Carmack-Altwies serves in New Mexico’s heavily Democratic First Judicial District, comprised of Rio Arriba, Santa Fe and Los Alamos Counties. Serna, a Democrat, previously held the district attorney seat from 2017 to 2020, but didn’t seek re-election until challenging Carmack-Altwies. Carmack-Altwies, the liberal district attorney who oversaw Baldwin’s indictment for involuntary manslaughter charges, withdrew from the “Rust” shooting case three months before the trial was scheduled to begin. She announced two other attorneys, Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis, would serve as “special prosecutors.” “As I celebrate tonight with my family, I couldn’t be more honored to have the trust of voters in JD1,” Carmack-Altwies said in a statement obtained by KRQE. “I have worked tirelessly over the last three and a half years to professionalize the office of the District Attorney, to bring justice and safety to our communities.” ALEC BALDWIN SLAMS PROSECUTION OVER ‘IMPROPER’ PUBLIC STATEMENTS, SAYS RIGHT TO FAIR TRIAL ‘THREATENED’ At the time, it was announced Carmack-Altwies would step aside from prosecuting the case to “focus on the broader public safety needs in New Mexico’s First Judicial District.” The district attorney added, “My responsibility to the people of the First Judicial District is greater than any one case, which is why I have chosen to appoint a special prosecutor in the ‘Rust’ case.” ALEC BALDWIN SCORES WIN IN ‘RUST’ FATAL SHOOTING CASE AS DA DROPS FIREARM ENHANCEMENT The former “30 Rock” star was charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter on Jan. 31 in connection to the death of Halyna Hutchins in October 2021. He pleaded not guilty. Hutchins was killed on the New Mexico set of the Western film, and director Joel Souza was wounded by a bullet when live ammunition was accidentally loaded into a weapon fired by Baldwin while rehearsing a scene in a church on Oct. 21, 2021. Baldwin has since denied he pulled the trigger of the gun that killed Hutchins. ALEC BALDWIN’S LAWYER HITS BACK AFTER ACTOR NAMED AS ‘POSSIBLE DEFENDANT’ BY DA IN ‘RUST’ CASE Prosecutors dropped the firearms enhancement originally brought against Baldwin in February 2023, as Carmack-Altwies filed the paperwork. Fox News’ Tracy Wright contributed to this report.
New Mexico DA who prosecuted Alec Baldwin in fatal ‘Rust’ shooting wins Democrat primary
The New Mexico district attorney who prosecuted actor Alec Baldwin over his 2021 fatal movie-set shooting has defeated her Democratic primary challenger to advance to the November general election. As of Tuesday night, Mary Carmack-Altwies had garnered 62% of the vote, while 38% voted for her opponent and former boss, Marco Serna. Carmack-Altwies serves in New Mexico’s heavily Democratic First Judicial District, comprised of Rio Arriba, Santa Fe and Los Alamos Counties. Serna, a Democrat, previously held the district attorney seat from 2017 to 2020, but didn’t seek re-election until challenging Carmack-Altwies. Carmack-Altwies, the liberal district attorney who oversaw Baldwin’s indictment for involuntary manslaughter charges, withdrew from the “Rust” shooting case three months before the trial was scheduled to begin. She announced two other attorneys, Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis, would serve as “special prosecutors.” “As I celebrate tonight with my family, I couldn’t be more honored to have the trust of voters in JD1,” Carmack-Altwies said in a statement obtained by KRQE. “I have worked tirelessly over the last three and a half years to professionalize the office of the District Attorney, to bring justice and safety to our communities.” ALEC BALDWIN SLAMS PROSECUTION OVER ‘IMPROPER’ PUBLIC STATEMENTS, SAYS RIGHT TO FAIR TRIAL ‘THREATENED’ At the time, it was announced Carmack-Altwies would step aside from prosecuting the case to “focus on the broader public safety needs in New Mexico’s First Judicial District.” The district attorney added, “My responsibility to the people of the First Judicial District is greater than any one case, which is why I have chosen to appoint a special prosecutor in the ‘Rust’ case.” ALEC BALDWIN SCORES WIN IN ‘RUST’ FATAL SHOOTING CASE AS DA DROPS FIREARM ENHANCEMENT The former “30 Rock” star was charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter on Jan. 31 in connection to the death of Halyna Hutchins in October 2021. He pleaded not guilty. Hutchins was killed on the New Mexico set of the Western film, and director Joel Souza was wounded by a bullet when live ammunition was accidentally loaded into a weapon fired by Baldwin while rehearsing a scene in a church on Oct. 21, 2021. Baldwin has since denied he pulled the trigger of the gun that killed Hutchins. ALEC BALDWIN’S LAWYER HITS BACK AFTER ACTOR NAMED AS ‘POSSIBLE DEFENDANT’ BY DA IN ‘RUST’ CASE Prosecutors dropped the firearms enhancement originally brought against Baldwin in February 2023, as Carmack-Altwies filed the paperwork. Fox News’ Tracy Wright contributed to this report.