Zee News channel faces blackout in Punjab, other Zee channels available
Several Zee News viewers in Punjab have confirmed that they are unable to access the channel.
Meet our new K-12 education reporter
Jaden Edison comes to us from the nonprofit Connecticut Mirror. He will take on one of The Texas Tribune’s most urgent and high-profile beats.
Severe storms knock out power at North Texas voting sites
At least 76 polling places in four counties closed after the weather left hundreds of thousands of North Texans without power.
NY v Trump: Defense says prosecutors ‘did not meet the burden of proof,’ former president is ‘innocent’
Defense attorneys for former President Donald Trump told the jury Tuesday he is innocent, did not commit any crimes, and declared that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg “did not meet the burden of proof. Period.” Defense attorney Todd Blanche delivered closing arguments Tuesday after a six-week-long historic and unprecedented criminal trial of a former President of the United States. Trump was charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. Trump pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors needed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Trump falsified records to conceal a $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels, a pornographic performer, in the lead-up to the 2016 election to silence her about an alleged affair with Trump in 2006. The former president has maintained his innocence. NY V. TRUMP: CLOSING ARGUMENTS TO BEGIN AS MERCHAN SKIRTS DECISION ON MOTION TO DISMISS “Each of you will decide at the end of this case whether President Trump is guilty or not guilty,” Blanche said. “President Trump is innocent. He did not commit any crimes. The district attorney did not meet the burden of proof,” Blanche said. “Period.” Blanche added that the case is “simple,” and it is “not a guilty verdict.” “This case is about documents — it is a paper case,” Blanche explained. “This case is not about an encounter with Stormy Daniels 18 years ago. It is not even about a nondisclosure agreement signed eight years ago.” Blanche explained that the charges are about whether Trump “had anything” to do with payments to his ex-attorney Michael Cohen on his personal accounting ledger. “The answer? The bookings were accurate and there was no intent to defraud and there was no conspiracy to influence the 2016 election,” Blanche said. “The proof doesn’t add up.” Blanche told the jury that they cannot convict Trump based on Cohen’s testimony, recalling that Trump’s ex-attorney “took the stand and then lied.” “The records are not false and there was no intent to defraud,” he said. Blanche explained that not one single invoice was sent to Trump directly, and explained that Cohen billed Trump “for services rendered.” Blanche reminded the jury that Cohen did render services as Trump’s personal attorney in 2017. Blanche explained that even if the amount of work was minimal, there was a retainer agreement, which he explained is “how retainer agreements work.” Blanche said Cohen was “on call for President Trump.” Blanche also explained that checks to Cohen were not signed by Trump. “You can’t convict President Trump,” Blanche said. “Because sometimes President Trump looked at the invoices…that is a stretch and that is reasonable doubt.” Blanche said Cohen asked the jury to “ignore” documents and believe he was willing to work for free. “Do you even believe that for a second?” Blanche asked. Cohen testified that he was “reimbursed $420,000” for the $130,000 he paid to Daniels. Cohen said former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg suggested he “gross up” the payments and that Trump knew the details of the reimbursement. The prosecution presented Cohen with 11 checks totaling $420,000. Cohen confirmed that they were all received and deposited. The checks had a description of a “retainer,” which Cohen said was false. Blanche said that the idea Trump would agree to pay Cohen $420,000 when he only owed him $130,000 is “absurd.” Blanche said there is no proof to “grossing it up” and no evidence of a tax treatment. Blanche went on to discuss that the prosecution has to prove that Trump “caused” these entries with the purpose and intent to defraud, but asked the jury: “Where is the intent to defraud?” NY V. TRUMP: HOUSE GOP LAWMAKER URGES MERCHAN TO DISMISS CASE OVER ‘FATAL FLAWS,’ REFER TO FEC Blanche says there is a tax form — a 1099 — to reflect the payments from a Trump personal account to Cohen. “There is nothing false or misleading about 1099,” he said. “If there was a deep-rooted intent to defraud, why was it reported to IRS as exactly what it was?” As for the alleged “catch and kill” scheme with the National Enquirer, Blanche again maintained that the arrangements were “perfectly legal,” and an arrangement American Media Inc., the company that owns the publication, had been practicing for decades. “There is nothing criminal about Trump wanting positive news stories. But the idea that positive stories in National Enquirer could influence 2016 election is ‘preposterous,’” Blanche said. EX-TOP BIDEN DOJ OFFICIAL NOW PROSECUTING TRUMP WAS ONCE PAID BY DNC FOR ‘POLITICAL CONSULTING’ But Blanche did say David Pecker, the AMI CEO, admitted that he had “never heard” the term “catch and kill.” “That’s meaningful,” Blanche said. As for Cohen, Blanche said that “he is the human embodiment of reasonable doubt.” “He lied to you repeatedly…he is biased and motivated,” Blanche said, adding that the jury should want a witness to tell the truth. “Michael Cohen is the GLOAT,” Blanche said. “He is the greatest liar of all time…his words cannot be trusted…all those lies put them to the side for just a moment, that is enough to walk away.” Blanche reminded that Cohen lied to both Houses of Congress, federal judges, state judges and family. “You cannot send someone to prison based upon the words of Michael Cohen,” Blanche said, adding that a verdict needs to be reached based on evidence from documents and witnesses. “If you do that, this is a very quick and easy not guilty verdict.”
John Fetterman to receive top Jewish college’s highest award for his stance on Israel
Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman will receive the highest honor awarded by the top U.S. Jewish university this week, the New York City school confirmed to Fox News Digital on Tuesday. While Yeshiva University celebrates the graduation of more than 1,700 students on Wednesday, the Washington Heights institution will award Fetterman its Presidential Medallion. In a statement, the school called Fetterman an “American patriot and hero of Israel,” adding he has been engaged just as the student body has in battling antisemitism and seeking the return of hostages since Hamas’ Oct. 7 invasion of the Jewish nation. Rabbi Ari Berman, Yeshiva’s president, said the junior senator from the Keystone State has shown an “unwavering and courageous commitment to moral clarity,” calling him one of the “true heroes” of the present day. FETTERMAN REJECTS HARRIS SUGGESTION ISRAEL COULD FACE CONSEQUENCES OVER RAFAH INVASION “At this critical moment in Jewish and American history, our commencement exercises mark not just an enormous accomplishment for our students, but also for the global community,” Berman said. Fetterman called Yeshiva’s invitation “truly humbling” and said in a statement that the college’s commencement holds profound significance in the midst of growing antisemitism nationwide. The lawmaker has confounded some of his Democratic colleagues in recent months, as he routinely makes public comments in support of Israel and its IDF’s actions in Gaza. In a recent Fox News interview, he said he would “follow Israel on that,” when asked whether the IDF should incur into Rafah. “[Israeli leaders] would know the situation more than I do,” he said. He also has pushed back against statements by party leaders like Vice President Kamala Harris, after she suggested the U.S. will not rule out “consequences” for Israel if it goes into Rafah. ISRAELI STRIKES IN RAFAH LEAVES 31 PALESTINIANS DEAD AHEAD OF PLANNED GROUND INVASION “Hard disagree. Israel has the right to prosecute Hamas to surrender or be eliminated,” Fetterman tweeted with a screenshot of a news story on Harris’ remarks. “Hamas owns every innocent death for their cowardice hiding behind Palestinian lives,” he said. Fetterman collectively criticized more than a dozen fellow Democrats following an April vote in which 13, plus Kentucky Republican Thomas Massie, opposed a resolution condemning Iran’s missile attack on Israel. “I sincerely thought I’d never witness members of my party refuse to condemn Iran, one of the world’s leading terrorism sponsors, after launching hundreds of drones against our special ally Israel,” Fetterman said. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The lawmaker’s stance on Israel also led to an exodus of staff from his office, as three communications officials in his office departed for more left-leaning offices’ positions. While his overtures regarding Israel have placed the senator at odds with his party at times, he’s often denied claims he is not a party-faithful Democrat. While Fetterman’s 2022 Republican opponent, Dr. Mehmet Oz, notably branded him “Bernie Sanders 2.0” due to the then-lieutenant governor’s past endorsement swap with the Vermont Independent, he has repeatedly maintained that he is “not a progressive.” He also rejected comparisons to moderate Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz. – a former Democrat – according to the New York Times, and has called President Biden “my guy” for the 2024 presidential election. The commencement will take place Wednesday at Louis Armstrong Stadium in Flushing Meadows, Queens, the university said. Fox News Digital reached out to Fetterman’s office for further comment but did not receive a response by press time.
Supreme Court rejects Michael Avenatti appeal as Nike extortion conviction stands
The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected Michael Avenatti’s appeal request, upholding a conviction for plotting to extort $25 million from Nike. “The petition for a writ of certiorari is denied,” the Court’s order said without elaboration, other than to note that Justice Brett Kavanaugh did not participate in the consideration or decision. Avenatti represented Julie Swetnick, one of the women who publicly accused Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct when he was nominated to the court in 2018. Kavanaugh denied the allegations. Avenatti garnered notoriety as an attorney representing adult film actress Stormy Daniels in legal battles against former President Trump. The Court’s decision comes the same day closing arguments are expected in Trump’s four-week-long criminal trial in Manhattan. The case is based on allegations that Trump falsified business records to cover up hush-money payments made shortly before the 2016 presidential election to Daniels, who alleged she had a sexual encounter with him a decade earlier. STORMY DANIELS’ HUSBAND SAYS THEY’LL PROBABLY LEAVE COUNTRY IF TRUMP GETS ACQUITTED Avenatti’s involvement with Nike stems from a whistleblower’s allegations that the athletic footwear and clothing company was paying amateur basketball players. His lawyers argued that the fraud statute under which he was convicted is unconstitutionally vague. They also contended that Avenatti cannot be criminally charged with plotting to extort money from Nike because he was engaged in settlement negotiations. TOP 5 MOMENTS OF TRUMP TRIAL AFTER ‘SALACIOUS’ STORMY DANIELS TESTIMONY The conviction and sentence were upheld by the federal appeals court in New York. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Avenatti’s claim that there was insufficient evidence to support his February 2020 conviction on charges of extortion and honest-services fraud for threatening to smear Nike in the media if he did not get paid. In 2021, Avenatti, who was based in California, was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison in the Nike case. He was also convicted of stealing book proceeds from Daniels, and in June 2022, was sentenced to another 2 1/2 years in prison in connection to that case. That conviction was upheld by the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals in March. In December 2022, Avenatti was sentenced to another 14 years in prison after pleading guilty to stealing millions in settlement funds from four other clients, including a paraplegic man, and failing to pay taxes for a coffee chain he owned. Avenatti is scheduled to be released from prison in 2035, according to the Bureau of Prisons. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Hunter Biden loses last-minute appeal to dismiss gun charges
A federal appeals court denied a request by Hunter Biden’s legal team to throw out gun charges he is facing in federal court next month. Biden had appealed a pretrial order to dismiss the charges on Second Amendment grounds, but the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit dismissed the appeal. “The defendant’s Second Amendment defense does not implicate a right not to be tried that can be collaterally appealed,” the court stated. The court stated that the hypothetical Second Amendment defenses “can be effectively reviewed on appeal after final judgment.” BIDEN VISITS DAUGHTER-IN-LAW’S HOME AHEAD OF HER EXPECTED TESTIMONY IN HUNTER BIDEN TRIAL “The defendant’s interlocutory appeal is therefore DISMISSED for lack of appellate jurisdiction,” the document states. The first son is charged with making false statements on a federal form when purchasing a firearm in 2018 after Special Counsel David Weiss charged him with making a false statement in the purchase of a firearm; making a false statement related to information required to be kept by a licensed firearm dealer; and one count of possession of a firearm by a person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance. IRS WHISTLEBLOWER SHAPLEY SAID HE ‘COULD NO LONGER PURSUE’ HUNTER BIDEN SUGAR BROTHER KEVIN MORRIS DUE TO CIA Hunter Biden pleaded not guilty to the federal gun charges in the U.S. District Court for Delaware. The court in Hunter Biden’s case met for its final hearing before jury selection begins on June 3. READ THE APPEALS COURT DENIAL – APP USERS, CLICK HERE: Fox News has previously reported that prosecutors planned to use portions of his book and laptop, including photos, to convince a jury that the first son is guilty of making false statements on a federal form when he purchased a revolver in 2018, while actively using narcotics. Biden has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Judge Maryellen Noreika said Special Counsel David Weiss must show Hunter Biden was addicted to drugs, but not necessarily using drugs the day he purchased the gun.
Robert De Niro claims Trump ‘could destroy the world’ outside Manhattan court
Actor Robert De Niro slammed former President Trump as a “danger” to Americans in comments during a press conference in New York City on Tuesday outside the Manhattan courtroom where the 45th president is facing trial. “I hope this new ad campaign reaches outside the bubble to remind supporters of what a danger he is to our lives. This is not a threat. This is our reality. And that’s why I’ve joined the Biden-Harris campaign, because the only way to preserve our freedoms and hold on to our humanity is to vote for Joe Biden for president,” De Niro said of Trump on Tuesday during the Biden-Harris press conference in Manhattan. President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were not present during the event. The actor was joined by the Biden campaign’s communications director, Michael Tyler, who called Trump a “chaos agent,” as well DC Metropolitan Police Department Officer Michael Fanone and former Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn, who was present in the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. “Trump poses a unique and growing threat to our fundamental rights and our freedoms, our very democracy and our economy. The threat is crystal clear today and will remain crystal clear tomorrow. And will be crystal clear on the debate stage in Atlanta on June 27th,” Tyler said, referring to the anticipated June 27th debate between Biden and Trump. LIVE UPDATES: CLOSING ARGUMENTS TO BEGIN IN NY V. TRUMP TRIAL AS JUDGE CONSIDERS DISMISSAL REQUEST De Niro was shouted at by protesters at the start of the press conference, before a car horn began blaring. The actor argued that Trump does not “belong” in New York City, citing he “wants to destroy” the city and the nation. “Donald Trump wants to destroy not only the city, but the country. And eventually he could destroy the world,” he said. “I owe this city a lot. And that’s why it’s so weird that Donald Trump is just across the street because he doesn’t belong in my city. I don’t know where he belongs, but he certainly doesn’t belong here. We New Yorkers used to tolerate him when he was just another grubby real estate hustler masquerading as a big shot,” De Niro added. The actor recently provided his voice for a Biden-Harris campaign ad dubbed, “Snapped,” that slammed Trump as “out of control” and “threatening to be a ‘dictator’ to terminate the constitution.” TRUMP PREVIEWS CLOSING ARGUMENTS IN ‘SHAM TRIAL’: ‘VERY DANGEROUS DAY FOR AMERICA’ Trump is facing the end of his trial in Manhattan, where he faces 34 counts of falsifying business records. Prosecutors are working to prove that Trump falsified business records to conceal a $130,000 payment to former pornographic star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election to quiet her claims of an alleged affair with Trump in 2006. The Trump campaign held a separate press conference Tuesday, following the Biden campaign’s presser with De Niro, where Trump campaign senior adviser Jason Miller slammed De Niro as a “washed up actor.” “Joe Biden is losing nationally, he’s losing in every single battleground state. And President Trump’s numbers continue to rise, the best that Biden can do is roll out a washed up actor. And don’t worry, my remarks will be shorter than ‘The Irishman.’ I won’t make you suffer for three hours, but the best they can do is roll out a washed up actor,” Miller said, referring to De Niro’s three and a half hour movie “The Irishman.” Trump said Tuesday in comments to the media that Tuesday marks a “dangerous day for America” as the defense and prosecution teams make their closing arguments to the jury. NY V. TRUMP: CLOSING ARGUMENTS TO BEGIN AS MERCHAN SKIRTS DECISION ON MOTION TO DISMISS “This is a very dangerous day for America. It’s a very sad day,” Trump said in remarks to the media before heading into the Manhattan courtroom Tuesday morning. “Make no mistake about it, I’m here because of crooked Joe Biden. The worst president in the history of our country, he’s destroying our country. This country is being destroyed rapidly, not slowly, rapidly. On the borders, on energy, on inflation, on everything you can name, Afghanistan removal. Everything about what he’s done, he’s destroying our country, and he’s also destroying it with weaponization. And this is purely is weaponization,” Trump added in his remarks. Trump has been required to sit in the courtroom throughout the trial and is also required in the courtroom during deliberations in the event of any jury notes.
Pune Porsche Horror: How ‘drunk’ teen’s blood sample was ‘changed’ at hospital to show no trace of alcohol
On Monday, police claimed that the teen’s blood samples were discarded and replaced with another person’s samples which showed no traces of alcohol.
In new TV ad, Maryland’s Larry Hogan charts potential Senate path forward as centrist
Republican Senate candidate Larry Hogan is warning Republicans in Washington, D.C., that he won’t be a reliable vote if Maryland chooses to send him to the Capitol. In a new TV ad aired Tuesday, the former Maryland governor stressed his bipartisan bona fides. “In the Senate, Republicans can’t count on my vote. But then again, neither can Democrats,” he said. BALANCE OF POWER: FILIBUSTER FATE COULD COME DOWN TO 2024 SENATE ELECTIONS “If they want my vote, they will have to do what is right for Maryland, not one political party,” Hogan continued in the video, first reported by Punchbowl News. “That’s exactly what I did as your governor, and exactly the kind of senator I’ll be.” The latest ad comes as Democrats, who are fighting an uphill battle to hold onto the Senate majority despite an unfavorable election map, have taken aim at the Maryland Republican, painting him as a lackey of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and a dependable GOP vote. SCOTUS CHIEF ROBERTS PRESSURED TO FORCE ALITO RECUSAL AHEAD OF TRUMP IMMUNITY DECISION Using the particularly hot-button election issue of abortion, Democrats have claimed Hogan would help Republicans in the Senate pass a national ban on the procedure. However, the former Republican governor has said he is “pro-choice” and would support codifying the overturned Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade, per the New York Times. RUBIO DEMANDS COLUMBIA PRESIDENT REFUND STUDENTS AFTER TAKEOVER BY ‘LAWLESS, PRO-HAMAS RIOTERS’ The deep blue state of Maryland is considered a “Likely Democratic” race by the Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan political handicapper. Before Hogan entered the race, the Senate seat being vacated by outgoing Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., was understood to be a safe win for Democrats. But the popular two-term governor’s choice to run has presented an unexpected challenge for the Democratic Party, which already contends with several difficult elections across the country. BIDEN ADMIN SLAMMED FOR ‘DOUBLING DOWN’ ON ALLEGED GAZA REFUGEE PLANS Despite his party affiliation, Hogan has shown promise in the blue state, especially with his reputation as an anti-Trump moderate. In a March Washington Post/University of Maryland poll, Hogan defeated then-Democratic primary candidate Angela Alsobrooks 50%-36%. Notably, the poll was conducted during a heated Democratic primary campaign, prior to the Prince George’s County executive’s win. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.