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All in the family: 5 Trump kin to represent Florida at Republican National Convention

All in the family: 5 Trump kin to represent Florida at Republican National Convention

While former first son Barron Trump made headlines after reports indicated he was making his first foray into the public spotlight as a delegate to the Republican National Convention, late on Friday he declined to serve as a delegate. But tallies showed five more Trump family members will be in Milwaukee to cast votes for the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. Trump Organization executive vice presidents Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump were also selected by the Republican Party of Florida as statewide “at-large” delegates to the convention. Some delegates are also chosen based on congressional district. Trump Jr.’s fiancée, Kimberly Guilfoyle, was also selected to be a member of the Florida delegation, as well as Tiffany Trump – the former president’s only child with ex-wife Marla Maples. Michael Boulos, Tiffany Trump’s husband, was also selected to be a member of the Florida delegation.  FLORIDA CFO ALERTS TRUMP TO $54K IN UNCLAIMED PROPERTY: ‘EVERY DOLLAR MATTERS’ AGAINST ‘RADICAL ATTORNEYS’ Barron Trump and Tiffany Trump have often stayed out of the public spotlight, while their father continues to battle multiple legal cases in New York, Atlanta, South Florida and Washington, D.C.  Much of the family has relocated from New York City to Florida in recent years, as the former president’s Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach is considered his primary residence following decades at his namesake Trump Tower in Manhattan. When he made the move in 2019, Trump said he still “cherish[es]” New York, but lamented being “treated very badly by the political leaders of both the city and state.” “Few have been treated worse,” Trump tweeted at the time, adding that treatment came despite his payments of millions of dollars in city, state and municipal taxes over the years. TRUMP CONDEMNS ‘BRAINWASHED’ ANTI-ISRAEL MOB According to the Trump Organization website, Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. are currently based out of Jupiter, Florida, a few towns north of Mar-a-Lago. The former president has long crossed the 1,215-delegate threshold to become the Republican Party’s presumptive nominee, amassing 2,037 delegates as of Friday. While former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley suspended her presidential campaign March 6, she won about one-in-six votes in Pennsylvania’s closed April 23 primary contest, and retains a total of 97 delegates. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Other candidates who earned delegates before suspending their campaigns are Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis – with nine to his name – and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, with three. In a statement provided to Fox News Digital, the Republican Party of Florida said via chairman Evan Power it is “fortunate to have a great group of grassroots leaders, elected officials, and members of the Trump family working together as part of the Florida delegation to the 2024 Republican National Convention.” “The RPOF is ready for a great convention in Milwaukee, but more importantly, we are excited as we continue to lay the groundwork in Florida for success,” Power added. “Mark my words, we are going to win, and we will win big in November.” Eric Trump will further serve as the Sunshine State delegation’s chairman and Guilfoyle will be one of two commissioners on its platform committee.

Conservative Senate firebrand is number one target of Dems: ‘They’re coming after me’

Conservative Senate firebrand is number one target of Dems: ‘They’re coming after me’

Republican Sen. Ted Cruz says he sees it as a “badge of honor” that Democrats are “trying to take me out” as he runs for a third six-year term representing Texas in the Senate. But as he faces another grueling re-election this year against a well-funded Democratic challenger, Cruz is not only serving up plenty of red meat for his conservative base, he’s also touting his bipartisan efforts to reach compromise. “It’s possible to walk and chew gum at the same time,” Cruz explained when asked in a Fox News Digital interview how he squares the contrasting messages. It’s a message his Democratic challenger isn’t buying. TED CRUZ’S MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR FUNDRAISING HAUL SO FAR THIS YEAR Cruz, first elected to the Senate in 2012 and the runner-up in the 2016 Republican presidential nomination race, is a self-described conservative champion and a firebrand long known for throwing verbal bombs at Democrats. “Our country cannot stand four more years of disastrous Biden, Democrat policies. They’ve done enormous damage to the country,” the senator claimed. And Cruz touted that he’s “proud to lead the fight against” what he described as “every dumb— idea that comes out of the Biden White House and there is no shortage of ideas that are really bad ideas.” But the senator added that “at the same time, it is also my job to fight to accomplish real positive victories for the people of Texas, and I’ve been doing that since the day that I arrived.” “I have been, year after year after year, introducing and passing legislation, almost all of it bipartisan, and winning big victories for Texas,” he emphasized. Pointing to a major Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill that aims to improve airline service and air safety that was passed late last week by the Senate after Cruz spoke with Fox News Digital, the senator noted, “I’m the lead author of that, along with Maria Cantwell, the Democrat who’s the chair of the Commerce Committee. I’m the ranking member of the Commerce Committee.” “It will be the 100th bill that I have written and passed into law,”  And, he highlighted. that “my job here is to do both – to lead the fight against bad things and also fight to accomplish real, meaningful victories for jobs, for the safety and security of Texas, and to protect their rights.” SIX KEY SENATE SEATS THAT COULD FLIP IN NOVEMBER  A month ago, the senator launched “Democrats for Cruz” messaging as part of a media blitz that included ads. Rep. Colin Allred, a former professional football player in the NFL turned three-term congressman representing a suburban Dallas district and Cruz’s Democratic challenger, is skeptical. “He’s been proudly an extremist,” Allred charged in a recent interview with Fox News affiliates in Texas. “When I was in the NFL, we used to say, ‘Check the tape,’ because the tape doesn’t lie. And for Ted Cruz, the tape is very clear. For 12 years he’s been an extremist, a right-wing extremist.” Allred added, “I think it’s kind of laughable that at this point he’s trying to show he has some level of moderation.” Cruz doesn’t try to hide from his record. “I have been the leading conservative champion in the Senate for 12 years. That is a role the people of Texas know they can count on me,” he spotlighted. But he argued that it’s Allred who’s the extremist, claiming the congressman “has a hard left voting record… he’s voted in favor of open borders over and over and over again” Cruz narrowly defeated then-Rep. Beto O’Rourke in a hard-fought 2018 Senate battle. The senator was significantly outraised by O’Rourke in a high-profile race that grabbed plenty of national attention. Six years later, both Cruz and Allred are hauling in large amounts of campaign cash. Cruz is warning that “we are seeing money flowing in from all over the country in support of my left-wing Democrat opponent. The Democrats plan to spend over $100 million, maybe as much as a $150 million, to try and beat me this year.” “We need to win my race in Texas. It’s the number one target for Chuck Schumer. It’s the number one target. Barack Obama just tweeted out a map of states – here are the states we as Democrats are going to target. And he put Texas right front and center. They’re coming after me,” Cruz spotlighted. But the senator revels in the attention. “I’ve got to tell you, the fact that they’re coming after me, I wear as a badge of honor. I’d be disappointed if Schumer and Soros and Obama were not trying to take me out. I’d be asking, ‘Gosh am I not really making that much of a difference? Are they not that worried about how effective I am fighting against their policies?’ Well, their actions speak loudly. They want to take me out. They’re not going to succeed.” Two years ago, Cruz flirted with making a second White House run in 2024, before ruling it out as he concentrated on his Senate re-election. Asked if there could be another presidential run in 2028, the senator answered, “That’s a decision that will be made down the road.” And, he stressed, “I’ve never had more fun than I am right now. Every morning I jump out of bed eager to be fighting in a fight that really matters.” Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Can Pakistan’s Imran Khan and army patch up, a year after violent clashes?

Can Pakistan’s Imran Khan and army patch up, a year after violent clashes?

Islamabad, Pakistan – Pakistan Army chief General Asim Munir was blunt. Addressing army officials during his visit to Lahore Garrison on May 9, Munir said, “There can be no compromise or deal with the planners and architects of this dark chapter in our history.” Munir was referring to the events of May 9, 2023, when Pakistan erupted in violence and a subsequent crackdown after former Prime Minister Imran Khan was arrested while appearing before the Islamabad High Court for a hearing into a case of corruption. Thousands of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party workers responded to Khan’s arrest by storming the streets in various cities, demanding his immediate release and going on a rampage in which state buildings and military installations were targeted. Angry supporters in Lahore targeted the residence of a top military commander, torching the building. Another group of protesters raided the gates of the Pakistani military’s headquarters in Rawalpindi. While Khan was released two days later, he was arrested again in August. The police had by that time arrested thousands of PTI workers and party leaders. An already tense relationship between Pakistan’s military and the PTI ruptured, descending into public hostility. Now, a year later, that broken relationship continues to strain a political system that is also struggling to manage an economic crisis striking at the everyday lives of Pakistan’s 240 million people, analysts say. The military, which felt directly challenged — even attacked — on May 9, 2023, remains Pakistan’s most powerful institution. Meanwhile, the PTI, which emerged as Pakistan’s most popular political force in February national elections, even though its talismanic leader was behind bars and despite a crackdown against it, faces questions over its future. “It is no secret that our relationship with military leadership has frazzled and there is significant mistrust on both sides,” Taimur Jhagra, a senior PTI leader and former minister in the provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, told Al Jazeera. “This will have to be resolved because in no country can the largest political force and strongest institution in the state stand against each other.” PTI has maintained that the riots on May 9, 2023, were part of a ‘false flag’ operation against the party [Rahat Dar/EPA] Pakistan’s military — euphemistically known in the country as the “establishment” — has directly ruled the country for more than three decades since independence and has wielded significant influence under civilian governments too. When Khan became Pakistan’s prime minister in August 2018 after winning elections, his rivals claimed that the military facilitated his triumph. Four years later, Khan accused the military of orchestrating his removal from power through a vote of no confidence. The military has rejected both those accusations and the claims that it plays kingmaker in Pakistani politics. In the 12 months after he had to leave office, Khan took out huge rallies and long marches to Islamabad, survived an assassination attempt, delivered speeches daily, and repeatedly accused the military of joining a United States-backed conspiracy to eject him from office. The US too has consistently denied those allegations. But those tensions between Khan and the military exploded in May last year. Within two weeks of the violent May 9 protests, as security agencies cracked down on alleged perpetrators, more than 100 party leaders announced their decision to leave the party in hastily arranged news conferences that often appeared stage-managed. The party, it seemed, was imploding. A former PTI leader who was once considered close to Khan but ended up leaving the party after May 9 said he would often raise concerns within the party about the rising confrontation with the military months before the events that unfolded last year. “I was saying this in our party meetings repeatedly that we might be heading towards a big disaster, as both sides, us and them, are perhaps underestimating each other and heading towards a confrontation,” he told Al Jazeera on condition of anonymity. Several party leaders were jailed on charges of plotting the events of May 9, 2023. While the PTI insists that the events were part of a “false flag operation” to malign the party, some analysts believe that the party miscalculated the military’s response to the rioting that day. “They assumed they had the room to challenge the military since Khan was able to get away with saying things publicly that others had been punished for saying, and swiftly. But they were mistaken in attempting to challenge the military’s monopoly over violence,” political scientist Sameen Mohsin, an assistant professor at the University of Birmingham, told Al Jazeera. Asma Faiz, an associate professor of political science at Lahore University of Management Sciences, said the “very smooth relationship” the PTI once enjoyed with the military might have given the party confidence that it could survive the escalating tensions. “PTI still continues to enjoy support among individuals within the military, judiciary and bureaucracy, so there is broad-based societal support also. That I think led to this miscalculation from them but they had their reasons and logic,” she said. Despite having to contest without their symbol ‘bat’, PTI-backed candidates emerged with the highest number of seats in the February 8 elections this year [Bilawal Arbab/EPA] Jhagra, the PTI leader, said the party was clear that anybody guilty of violating the law should be punished. “But you must remember that May 9 [protests and violence] did not happen in isolation. Starting from the vote of no confidence leading to the ouster of government, and the actual arrest of Khan on May 9, questions must be asked if May 9 would have happened if the events of last year hadn’t,” he said. As the party continued to face arrests and legal challenges, Khan, who had already been charged in more than 100 cases, was arrested on August 5 last year in a corruption case related to state gifts since he was premier. He was barred from contesting elections due to his conviction. In December 2023, the party’s symbol, a cricket bat, was taken away by the country’s election

Lithuania’s Nauseda wins first round of presidential election

Lithuania’s Nauseda wins first round of presidential election

Incumbent president will now go into a run-off against rival Ingrida Simonyte on May 26, in repeat of 2019. Incumbent Gitanas Nauseda has won the first round of voting in Lithuania’s presidential election, putting him on track for a second and final term in office. With nearly all of the votes counted, former banker Nauseda was on 46 percent, just short of the overall majority needed for a first-round victory. Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte was second with 16 percent and the two will now go head-to-head in a run-off on May 26 in a repeat of the last election in 2019. Eight candidates were on the ballot this time around, with campaigns largely focused on security issues and the threat posed by neighbouring Russia following its February 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine. All the main candidates agreed the country, once part of the Soviet Union and now a member of NATO and the European Union, should boost defence spending to counter the perceived threat on its borders. Nauseda, 59, said he was confident of victory in the second round and would require “no strategy” to campaign against Simonyte. Both Nauseda and Simonyte support increasing defence spending to at least 3 percent of Lithuania’s gross domestic product (GDP), from the 2.75 percent planned for this year. The increase in spending would pay for the modernisation of Lithuania’s army and infrastructure ahead of the deployment of a brigade of German troops in Lithuania who are expected to be combat-ready from 2027. Some eight candidates were vying for Lithuanians’ vote on Sunday [Petras Malukas/AFP] General election looms While agreeing on Russia policy, the two candidates differ on other issues such as same-sex civil partnerships, a contentious policy in the predominantly Catholic country with a population of 2.8 million people. While Nauseda opposes such partnerships, Simonyte, a 49-year-old fiscal conservative, is supportive. Lithuania’s president has a semi-executive role, which includes heading the armed forces and chairing the supreme defence and national security policy body. The president also represents the country at the EU and NATO summits. In tandem with the government, the president sets foreign and security policy, can veto laws and has a say in the appointment of key officials such as judges, the chief prosecutor, the chief of defence and head of the central bank. In 2019, Simonyte narrowly defeated Nauseda in the first round of the presidential election before Nauseda went on to win the run-off with 66 percent of the vote. Simonyte is also facing a tough test in a general election this October, as her coalition of centre-right parties trails in the polls. Nauseda posed for cameras on election night surrounded by the leadership of the Social Democrats, the likely main challengers for Simonyte at the general election. “I think it will be easy for us to find common ground,” he said about the possibility of the Social Democrats winning. Adblock test (Why?)

NBA playoffs: Nuggets edge Timberwolves, Pacers thrash Knicks in game 4

NBA playoffs: Nuggets edge Timberwolves, Pacers thrash Knicks in game 4

Defending champs Denver bounced back to level series 2-2 with a 115-107 win over Minnesota, while Indiana beat NY Knicks 121-89 in game four. Nikola Jokic finished with 35 points, seven rebounds and seven assists as the Denver Nuggets held on for a 115-107 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in game four of the NBA playoff Western Conference semifinal series in Minneapolis. Defending champions Nuggets outgunned the Timberwolves on Sunday as the Indiana Pacers pulled even with the New York Knicks. The Nuggets, fuelled by 35 points from NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic, Aaron Gordon’s 27 points on ruthlessly efficient 11-of-12 shooting and 19 points from Jamal Murray, claimed a second straight win in Minneapolis to knot their best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal series at two games apiece. The Pacers dismantled the Knicks 121-89 in Indianapolis to level their Eastern Conference semifinal at 2-2. “Now it’s best of three,” Jokic said, adding that the Timberwolves’s stunning victories in games one and two in Denver had only strengthened the defending champions. “We took a hit and we bounced back and hopefully, we can defend the home court now,” said Jokic, looking forward to game five in Denver on Tuesday. 🏆 SUNDAY’S FINAL SCORES 🏆 Tyrese Haliburton and the @Pacers brought the energy from the jump as they get the win and tie up the series! T.J. McConnell: 15 PTS, 10 ASTPascal Siakam: 14 PTS (7-9 FGM)Myles Turner: 13 PTS (5-5 FGM), 3 BLK Game 5: Tuesday, 8:00pm/et on TNT pic.twitter.com/hEzE18boBJ — NBA (@NBA) May 12, 2024 Pacers double down on sorry Knicks In Indianapolis, the Pacers finally got their high-octane offence firing. After the first two games of the series came down to the final minutes the Pacers fashioned a blow-out as a raft of injuries at last caught up with the weary Knicks. Tyrese Haliburton scored 20 points and the Pacers connected on 56.8 percent of their shots, drilling 14 three-pointers and dominating in the paint. TJ McConnell scored 15 points off the bench for Indiana, who had six players score in double figures. After a dunk by the Knicks centre Isaiah Hartenstein to open the game, the first quarter was all Pacers, Indiana pushing their lead to as many as 23 points. Knicks talisman Jalen Brunson was 0-for-5 in the opening quarter and the Pacers bench out-scored the Knicks reserves 17-0 in the period. The domination continued in the second quarter, Haliburton sending the crowd into a frenzy with a three-pointer over Donte DiVincenzo that put the Pacers up by 30 with 5.9 seconds left in the first half. They would lead by as many as 43 before it was over, but despite the rapturous ovation from fans at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Haliburton said the Pacers must remain focused on the task ahead. “We did our job,” Haliburton said. “They did their job and won two at home, we did our job and won two at home. “We understand the magnitude of game five and we’ll be prepared for that one.” The Knicks were again without OG Anunoby, who injured a hamstring in game two to join key contributors Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson and Bojan Bogdanovic on the sidelines. The strain was telling on Brunson, who is playing through a right foot injury. He connected on six of 17 attempts to score 18 points with three rebounds and five assists before checking out with two and a half minutes left in the third quarter. With the contest out of hand and game five coming up at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, both coaches pulled their starters for the fourth quarter. New York coach Tom Thibodeau would not point to injuries to explain the Knicks’s struggles – including a seven-for-37 performance from three-point range. “Everyone’s got something – it’s the playoffs,” Thibodeau said. “Whether you lose by one or lose by 30, it’s a loss. You’ve got to respond.” Indiana Pacers’s Ben Sheppard rebounds the ball over New York Knicks’s Shake Milton [Trevor Ruszkowski/USA Today Sports via Reuters] Adblock test (Why?)