India successfully tests ‘SMART’ missile system, to boost anti-submarine warfare capability of…
SMART is a next-generation missile-based light-weight torpedo delivery system, designed and developed by DRDO.
How shifting U.S. policies led to one of the deadliest incidents involving immigrants in Mexico’s history
A year ago, 40 men died in a detention center fire in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. An examination by The Texas Tribune and ProPublica shows that it was the foreseeable result of landmark shifts in U.S. border policies.
East Texans brace for prolonged evacuation orders after rainfall drenches Polk County
East Texas has been hit by several severe rainstorms this spring, and several counties have declared disasters.
Newsom, state officials silent on anti-Israel protests at UCLA
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, and other state officials running to replace him after his term is up have refrained from commenting on the anti-Israel protests at the University of California, Los Angeles and the University of California, Berkeley. Newsom has not released a statement about his stance on the campus protests, as of Wednesday morning. The governor was asked about the demonstrations during a news conference on a different topic on Tuesday, when he said he and other state officials were “working with the [UC] trustees,” according to KNBC. “We want to maintain the right to protest without any hate,” Newsom said. VIDEO SHOWS ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTERS BLOCK JEWISH STUDENT FROM GETTING TO CLASS; UCLA RESPONDS Members of the UC Regents, including Democratic gubernatorial candidates Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmon declined to comment to KNBC. State Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas also declined to comment on the campus protests. Republicans have openly criticized campus protests in California and across the country, condemning them as antisemitic. But Newsom and his Democratic colleagues have attempted to avoid the subject. Violence ensued at UCLA late Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning as anti-Israel and pro-Israel demonstrators clashed. Fights broke out, items were thrown and fireworks and what appeared to be pepper spray were deployed. Dozens of pro-Israeli counter-protestors arrived at around 10:45 p.m. and attempted to dismantle parts of the anti-Israel encampment on UCLA’s campus before deploying fireworks and what appeared to be pepper spray, according to KTLA. Campus police, along with some medical personnel, showed up at the scene briefly before leaving. But local and state police were noticeably absent from UCLA’s campus initially, for about two hours, amid the violence. CALIFORNIA UNIVERSITY REVEALS ‘TRUE COST’ OF ANTI-ISRAEL MOB THAT TOOK OVER ACADEMIC BUILDINGS Los Angeles Police eventually responded to the scene at about 1 a.m. local time. Newsom’s press office said Wednesday morning on X: “Our office is closely monitoring the situation at @UCLA. Law enforcement leaders are in contact this evening and resources are being mobilized.” On Monday, a student wearing a necklace with the Star of David was seen on video attempting to walk to class when a wall of what appeared to be masked anti-Israel protesters blocked him from passing through. “You guys have closed the entrance. We are UCLA students. I have my ID right here. I’m being blocked off, not by the security guard, but by you three,” Eli Tsives said in the video as he walked up to a fenced area with a security guard present. “They’re making a barrier wall. I’m going this way.” UCLA Vice Chancellor of Strategic Communications Mary Osako issued a statement Tuesday in response to several physical altercations on the campus. She said the university took several actions in response to the altercations, including the addition of more campus law enforcement, safety personnel and student affairs monitors. Osako also responded to a report of a student being blocked by demonstrators on Monday while attempting to walk to class. “This kind of disruption to our teaching and learning mission is abhorrent, plain and simple,” Osako said. “As such, we’ve taken several, immediate actions: Our student conduct process has been initiated and could lead to severe disciplinary action including expulsion or suspension. The barriers that demonstrators used to block this student’s access to class have been removed, and we have staff located around Royce Quad to help ensure that they will not go up again. We have also engaged law enforcement to investigate.” “While the demonstration remains largely peaceful, our campus must remain a place where we treat one another with respect and recognize our shared humanity — not a place where we devolve into violence and bullying,” she added.
California state officials condemn violent anti-Israel protests at UCLA
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, and other state officials running to replace him after his term is up issued statements Wednesday afternoon following anti-Israel protests at the University of California, Los Angeles, and the University of California, Berkeley. “The right to free speech does not extend to inciting violence, vandalism, or lawlessness on campus,” Newsom wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter. Newsom continued his statement, vowing that anyone who participated in “lawlessness” would be held accountable. VIDEO SHOWS ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTERS BLOCK JEWISH STUDENT FROM GETTING TO CLASS; UCLA RESPONDS The governor was asked about the demonstrations during a news conference on a different topic on Tuesday, when he said he and other state officials were “working with the [UC] trustees,” according to KNBC. “We want to maintain the right to protest without any hate,” Newsom said. Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalaskis also released a statement following the protests, echoing Newsom’s stern warning. “Recent days and months have been enormously challenging for our public and private universities in California and across the nation, but what happened last night on UCLA’s campus was appalling and heartbreaking,” Koualakis wrote in a post on X. “The right to exercise freedom of expression and to protest nonviolently is essential to our democracy. Members of the UC Regents, including State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmon declined to comment to KNBC. State Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas also declined to comment on the campus protests. Republicans have openly criticized campus protests in California and across the country, condemning them as antisemitic. But Newsom and his Democratic colleagues have attempted to avoid the subject. Violence ensued at UCLA late Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning as anti-Israel and pro-Israel demonstrators clashed. Fights broke out, items were thrown and fireworks and what appeared to be pepper spray were deployed. CALIFORNIA UNIVERSITY REVEALS ‘TRUE COST’ OF ANTI-ISRAEL MOB THAT TOOK OVER ACADEMIC BUILDINGS Dozens of pro-Israeli counter-protesters arrived at around 10:45 p.m. and attempted to dismantle parts of the anti-Israel encampment on UCLA’s campus before deploying fireworks and what appeared to be pepper spray, according to KTLA. Campus police, along with some medical personnel, showed up at the scene briefly before leaving. But local and state police were noticeably absent from UCLA’s campus initially, for about two hours, amid the violence. Los Angeles Police eventually responded to the scene at about 1 a.m. local time. Newsom’s press office said Wednesday morning on X: “Our office is closely monitoring the situation at @UCLA. Law enforcement leaders are in contact this evening and resources are being mobilized.” On Monday, a student wearing a necklace with the Star of David was seen on video attempting to walk to class when a wall of what appeared to be masked anti-Israel protesters blocked him from passing through. “You guys have closed the entrance. We are UCLA students. I have my ID right here. I’m being blocked off, not by the security guard, but by you three,” Eli Tsives said in the video as he walked up to a fenced area with a security guard present. “They’re making a barrier wall. I’m going this way.” UCLA Vice Chancellor of Strategic Communications Mary Osako issued a statement Tuesday in response to several physical altercations on the campus. She said the university took several actions in response to the altercations, including the addition of more campus law enforcement, safety personnel and student affairs monitors. Osako also responded to a report of a student being blocked by demonstrators on Monday while attempting to walk to class. “This kind of disruption to our teaching and learning mission is abhorrent, plain and simple,” Osako said. “As such, we’ve taken several, immediate actions: Our student conduct process has been initiated and could lead to severe disciplinary action including expulsion or suspension. The barriers that demonstrators used to block this student’s access to class have been removed, and we have staff located around Royce Quad to help ensure that they will not go up again. We have also engaged law enforcement to investigate.” “While the demonstration remains largely peaceful, our campus must remain a place where we treat one another with respect and recognize our shared humanity — not a place where we devolve into violence and bullying,” she added.
NBA playoffs: Bucks and 76ers win to stay alive, Cavs take lead over Magic
Injury-riddled Milwaukee Bucks score a 115-92 win over Indiana Pacers, while Philadelphia 76ers beat NY Knicks 112-106. Tyrese Maxey scored 46 points and Kelly Oubre Jr hit a tiebreaking layup in overtime as the visiting Philadelphia 76ers avoided elimination with a 112-106 victory over the New York Knicks in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series. Game 6 of the Eastern Conference series is on Thursday in Philadelphia, and if the 76ers can continue to stay alive, the teams will play a seventh game on Saturday in New York. Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 40 points. The Knicks were 28.9 seconds away from closing out the series on Tuesday night after Miles McBride’s 14-footer put them up 96-90. Following a timeout, Maxey, who scored a career playoff high in points, converted a four-point play with 25.4 seconds left in regulation. After New York’s Josh Hart split two free throws, Maxey buried a 35-foot trey with 8.5 seconds remaining for a tie at 97. Maxey made 17 of 30 shots overall and hit seven 3-pointers for the Sixers, who survived Joel Embiid hobbling throughout the game. Embiid added 19 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists after missing the morning shootaround with a migraine. ▪️ Sixers win, force Game 6▪️ Cavs win, take 3-2 lead▪️ Bucks win, force Game 6#NBAPlayoffs presented by Google Pixel continue Wednesday on TNT! pic.twitter.com/SzMVWX4qd9 — NBA (@NBA) May 1, 2024 Bucks 115, Pacers 92 Khris Middleton and Bobby Portis scored 29 points apiece and injury-riddled Milwaukee stayed alive with a victory over visiting Indiana in Game 5 of an Eastern Conference first-round playoff series. The Bucks controlled the contest despite Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) and Damian Lillard (Achilles) sitting out. Antetokounmpo has missed the entire series and Lillard has sat out the past two games. Tyrese Haliburton scored 16 points and Myles Turner added 13 for the Pacers. Milwaukee outscored Indiana 64-36 over the two middle quarters to take control. The Bucks pulled within 3-2 in the series. “I told our coaches we were coming to play and win tonight,” Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers said after the game. “That was not a team walking through the walkthrough thinking this was it. That was a team thinking it could win, and it showed.” Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton (22) shoots against Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin during the second quarter during Game 5 of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs [Jeff Hanisch/USA Today Sports via Reuters] Cavaliers 104, Magic 103 Evan Mobley blocked Franz Wagner’s attempted layup with 5.1 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, helping host Cleveland secure a win over Orlando in Game 5 of an Eastern Conference first-round playoff series. Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell erupted for 28 points, and Darius Garland scored 17 of his 23 points in the first quarter. Mobley collected 14 points and 13 rebounds. Orlando’s Paolo Banchero recorded 39 points and eight rebounds after being limited to just nine points on 4-of-14 shooting from the floor in Game 4. Adblock test (Why?)
Malaysia’s Anwar unveils record public pay hike amid ringgit’s slide
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim says pay hike of more than 13 percent will be ‘best increase in history’. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has announced a record hike in civil servants’ pay of more than 13 percent, amid rising prices and a weakening local currency. In a speech to mark Labour Day on Wednesday, Anwar said 10 billion ringgit ($2.10bn) would be allocated to support the “best increase in history” from December. Anwar, who is also finance minister, said the salary hike would ensure that civil servants earn a minimum income of 2,000 ringgit ($420) per month. “Currently the overall minimum income, which includes salary and fixed allowances, is 1,795RM per month,” Anwar was quoted as saying by state-run news agency Bernama. Anwar also called on companies making “huge profits” to share their gains by raising wages for their employees. The Malaysian leader, who last year flagged plans to increase taxes and cut subsidies to shore up the country’s finances, made the announcement as a decline in the value of the ringgit puts pressure on household budgets. The ringgit has lost nearly 4 percent of its value against the US dollar so far this year. In February, the currency slumped to a 26-year low, dropping to 4.7965 ringgit per dollar, lower than at any point since the 1998 Asian financial crisis. While helping exporters to sell their products more cheaply overseas, the currency’s slide has raised the cost of essential imports, including food and fuel. Anwar has described the currency’s slide as “concerning” but “under control.” Southeast Asia’s fifth-largest economy grew 3.7 percent last year, below government projections and sharply down from a 22-year high of 8.7 percent in 2022. Gross domestic product (GDP) expanded an estimated 3.9 percent in the first quarter of this year, according to advance estimates released by the country’s statistics agency. Malaysia’s central bank has said it expects GDP growth of 4-5 percent in 2024. Adblock test (Why?)
US police clear out Gaza protesters at Columbia University
NewsFeed US police cleared a building occupied by protesters and the main protest camp at Columbia University on Tuesday, arresting dozens of demonstrators who defied a deadline to leave. Published On 1 May 20241 May 2024 Adblock test (Why?)
Trump eyes 2 battleground states as he looks to tear down Dem ‘blue wall’ again
Donald Trump is making the most of his day off from court this week. With the judge in the former president’s first criminal trial using Wednesdays to handle other business from other cases he’s handling, Trump is heading to two crucial states that may decide the winner of his 2024 rematch with President Biden. Trump is making campaign stops in Wisconsin and Michigan, two crucial battlegrounds he narrowly captured in his 2016 presidential election victory but where he fell short four years later as he lost his re-election bid. It’s the former president’s second swing through the two Great Lakes swing states in a month. “Those two states are absolutely essential to both campaigns, followed pretty closely by Pennsylvania,” longtime Republican strategist and presidential campaign veteran David Kochel said. “Those are two states where the Trump campaign should live.” NEW POLL POINTS TO MAJOR ENTHUSIASM GAP IN BIDEN-TRUMP REMATCH Trump’s unexpected victories in Michigan and Wisconsin, along with Pennsylvania, over 2016 Democrat presidential nominee Hillary Clinton shattered the so-called “blue wall” of states that Democrats had counted on for nearly a quarter-century. And Trump’s victories in all three states symbolized his ability to flip blue-collar voters, giving the GOP hopes of a long-lasting electoral realignment in the so-called Rust Belt. But four years later, Biden narrowly captured all three states as his party partially reconstructed the “blue wall.” And Democrats won gubernatorial elections that same year in Michigan and Wisconsin – flipping Republican-held governors’ offices – and in 2022 flipped a crucial Senate seat in Pennsylvania that was vital to keeping their majority in the chamber. WHAT THE LATEST FOX NEWS POLLS SHOW IN THE 2024 ELECTION While they’re enjoying a winning streak, Democrats are taking nothing for granted. Many recent polls suggest Trump holds a slight edge over Biden in all three states. “It’s no surprise to anyone that Michigan and Wisconsin are important Midwest battleground states for November. President Trump is leading in both because Biden’s failure and weakness is felt in every town and city,” Trump campaign senior adviser Brian Hughes told Fox News. Trump’s first stop on Wednesday is Waukesha, Wisconsin, which is about 20 miles west of downtown Milwaukee, where his campaign said the former president will “contrast the peace, prosperity and security of his first term” with what they argue is “Joe Biden’s failed presidency.” The former president is expected to shine a spotlight on rising prices, which have been a persistent problem for the Biden administration for three years, and on the surge of migrants at the nation’s southern border that has sent shock waves across the country. Trump will then hold a rally in the evening in Freeland, Michigan, about 120 miles north of Detroit. During his stop in Grand Rapids, Michigan, a month ago, Trump spoke out against what he called “Biden’s border bloodbath.” Hughes said that during his stops in Wisconsin and Michigan, Trump will “demonstrate to the people of these states and the nation that he is ready to win and make America great again.” Biden has made multiple trips to Michigan and Wisconsin this year, and his campaign enjoys a formidable advantage in both states when it comes to organization and ground-game efforts. “Trump heads to the states with no campaign infrastructure to speak of in either battleground – while President Biden and Democrats have 44 offices in Wisconsin and 30 in Michigan,” Biden’s campaign said in a statement. “Trump’s former minority outreach center in Milwaukee is becoming an ice cream shop.” But Biden’s support for Israel in its war with Hamas has strained support among Michigan’s large pool of Arab-American voters. And while the president enjoys plenty of union endorsements, Trump has made inroads with some of the state’s autoworkers as he’s repeatedly targeted Biden’s push for electric vehicles in the battle against climate change. “There’s a ton of opportunity in Michigan for Trump,” Kochel said. “I think Trump has made a pretty compelling argument on Biden overplaying his hand on EVs and trying to wedge some of those autoworkers away.” While Trump also spotlights in both states what he characterizes as a surge in crime during the Biden administration, he’s coming under attack from Democrats over the issue of abortion and over his repeated unproven claims that his 2020 election loss was due to voter fraud. Republican allies of Trump attempted to overturn the 2020 election results in both states by pushing slates of fake electors. Biden campaign communications director in Wisconsin Brianna Johnson said last week that Trump was coming to the Badger State “in a desperate bid to do damage control on his record of ripping away women’s freedoms and encouraging thousands of rioters to try to violently overturn an election.” Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
House Republicans summon NPR CEO for hearing on ‘rampant’ bias allegations
FIRST ON FOX: The House Energy & Commerce Committee is summoning the head of NPR before Congress to answer accusations the outlet has a left-wing bias despite receiving federal funds. “The Committee has concerns about the direction in which NPR may be headed under past and present leadership. As a taxpayer funded, public radio organization, NPR should focus on fair and objective news reporting that both considers and reflects the views of the larger U.S. population and not just a niche audience,” Committee Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., wrote to NPR CEO Katherine Maher. She led Morgan Griffith, R-Va., chair of the subcommittee on oversight, and Bob Latta, R-Ohio, chair of the subcommittee on communications and technology, in asking Maher to publicly testify before Griffith’s panel next week. “You are requested to appear before the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee for a hearing on May 8, 2024, to explain the allegations of political and ideological bias rampant at NPR,” they wrote. GOP SENATORS AIR ‘DEEP CONCERNS’ OVER NPR BIAS, URGE CEO TO ‘START A COURSE CORRECTION’ The lawmakers also sent Maher a list of questions, including about the political affiliations of registered voters working in the newsroom and whether any concerns were raised in recent years by NPR’s board of directors about political diversity in their workplace. The committee also asked for any internal written materials regarding a lack of viewpoint diversity within NPR. Conservatives have long accused NPR of reporting with a left-wing bias while some of its funding is provided through federal grants and other government-backed dollars. Those concerns were recently magnified when former NPR editor Uri Berliner asserted in an op-ed that the outlet mishandled critical stories that stemmed from Hunter Biden’s laptop hard drive and COVID-19 lab leak theories, among others, and that registered Democrats were vastly overrepresented in the newsroom, 87-0. ‘EXPECT NPR TO SUFFER’ UNDER GOP ADMIN: REPUBLICANS RENEW CALL TO DEFUND OUTLET AMID BIAS SCANDAL “We also find it disconcerting that NPR’s coverage of major news in recent years has been so polarized as to preclude any need to uncover the truth. These have included news stories on matters of national security and importance, such as the Mueller report, the Hunter Biden laptop, and the COVID-19 origins investigation. On each of these issues, NPR has been accused of approaching its news reporting with an extreme left-leaning lens,” the lawmakers wrote. They also took issue with Maher’s own past statements, including a 2021 TED Talk in which she said, according to the letter, “Our reverence for the truth might be a distraction that’s getting in the way of finding common ground and getting things done.” “You yourself have stated that you view the First Amendment as ‘the number one challenge’ because speech protections make it ‘tricky’ to suppress ‘bad information’ and the ‘influence peddlers who have made a real market economy around it.’’ Ironically, both you and NPR have used the same First Amendment to protect your own views and statements,” they wrote. “In 2020, you took issue because The New York Times chose to publish an op-ed written by Republican Senator Tom Cotton, calling the piece ‘full of racist dog whistles.’” SUSPENDED NPR WHISTLEBLOWER BLASTS CEO KATHERINE MAHER: LACKS PERSPECTIVE ON WHAT AMERICA ‘IS ALL ABOUT’ They asked that Maher answer their questions on NPR’s history by May 14. Maher criticized the backlash against NPR in an interview with The Wall Street Journal last week, accusing her detractors of “bad faith distortion” of her views and statements. Fox News Digital reached out to NPR for comment on the letter.