Tesla CEO Elon Musk postpones India visit, meeting with PM Modi
Elon Musk was scheduled to visit India for two days – April 21 and 22 – to meet PM Modi and announce plans to enter the Indian market.
‘We do not have a comment’: White House refuses to address Middle East unrest, defers to State Dept.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre refused to comment on the Biden administration’s response, particularly a lack thereof, escalating tensions in the Middle East during her Friday morning press briefing. “I know there’s a lot of interest in reports from the Middle East overnight. And we understand that, we get that. I’m going to see it now, though. I know you will all certainly ask me about it. That we do not have any comment on the reports at this time. Obviously, you all heard from Secretary Blinken earlier this morning,” Jean-Pierre said. Jean-Pierre added that President Biden is kept in the loop and up-to-date on everything happening with unrest in the Middle East. This comes after Israel carried out limited strikes on Iran early Friday in retaliation for Tehran firing a barrage of missiles and drones at Israel last Saturday. IRANIAN PRESIDENT MAKES NO MENTION OF ISRAELI STRIKE DESPITE THREATENING COMPLETE DESTRUCTION Fox News confirmed there have been explosions in Iran’s Isfahan province, which is where Natanz, one of Iran’s nuclear facilities, is located. Jean-Pierre said the White House does not want to see conflict escalate in the Middle East. “We have been very, very clear from the beginning that we do not want to see this conflict escalate. We continue to consult with our allies and partners, including in the region, obviously, and to reduce further risk of escalation in the region. And that’s a sentiment that was expressed in the G-7 Foreign Ministry’s joint statement that went out this morning,” Jean-Pierre said. “You heard that now, obviously, from Secretary Blinken, who was part of that meeting. I’m just going to be super mindful. I’m not going to speculate or speak to any of the reportings that are out there at this time.” When asked whether the U.S. was informed by the Israelis ahead of the counter strike, Jean-Pierre still declined to comment. “I’m not going to speak to our diplomatic conversations,” Jean-Pierre stated. She also declined to answer if the U.S. has leverage in the Middle East after being questioned about President Biden’s response of “don’t” to any Iranian retaliation. ISRAEL STRIKES SITE IN IRAN IN RETALIATION FOR WEEKEND ASSAULT: SOURCE “I know this is not going to be satisfying. I’m not going to speak to any of the reports out there. I’m just not going to do that, not going to speculate. I will say, you’ve heard this from my NSE colleagues, and you’ve heard this from many of us here at The White House. The president and the prime minister have a long-standing relationship that goes decades, decades,” Jean-Pierre said. “Because of that long-standing relationship, they are able to speak very honestly with each other and have difficult conversations when it’s necessary. That is the type of friendship that they have. I’m just not going to speak to any of the events that’s been reported.” The United States has denied any involvement in the strike, having pleaded with Israel for days to respond with restraint against Iranian strikes. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, when asked about Israel’s strikes on Iran on Friday morning, said, “I’m not going to speak to that except to say that the United States has not been involved in any offensive operations.” “What we’re focused on, what the G7 is focused on, and again, it’s reflected in our statement and in our conversation, is our work to de-escalate tensions, to de-escalate from any potential conflict. You saw Israel on the receiving end of an unprecedented attack,” he added. “But our focus has been on, of course, making sure that Israel can effectively defend itself, but also de-escalating tensions, avoiding conflict.” REPUBLICANS SLAM BIDEN’S ‘DON’T’ DETERRENCE: ‘EVERY TIME HE SAYS DON’T, THEY DO’ Iranian state media has also reportedly downplayed Friday’s strikes, those of which a well-placed military source told Fox News that those strikes were “limited.” “The explosion this morning in the sky of Isfahan was related to the shooting of air defense systems at a suspicious object that did not cause any damage,” according to Iranian army commander Gen. Abdolrahim Mousavi in a report by the Associated Press. A senior Iranian official reportedly told Reuters on Friday that Tehran has no immediate plans to strike back. Israel and its government have remained relatively quiet leading up to, and following, the retaliatory strike on Iran. “Israel will do whatever it needs to defend itself,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement before the Israeli strike. “[Foreign leaders] have all sorts of suggestions and advice. I appreciate that. But I want to be clear: Our decisions we will make ourselves.” Former Israel Defense Forces spokesman Jonathan Conricus tweeted that following the strike, and while Iran appears to downplay the strike, he “think[s] they’ve gotten the message.” Fox News Digital’s Timothy H.J. Nerozzi, Bradford Betz, Jennifer Griffin, Greg Norman and Elizabeth Pritchett contributed to this report.
Senate passes FISA surveillance tool renewal minutes after midnight deadline
Roughly 40 minutes after it lapsed, the Senate voted to pass a renewal of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which serves as a critical tool used by the government to gather intelligence on foreign subjects using the compelled assistance of electronic communication service providers. The upper chamber voted 60-34 to pass the re-authorization. The provision lapsed for less than an hour at midnight on Friday, and if the renewal hadn’t passed soon after, the expiration would have meant companies would not be forced to comply with the government’s requests for surveillance aid under the bill. Without the FISA section’s re-authorization, the government would be required to seek a warrant to compel any such assistance, which is a process that can span extended periods of time. The measure now heads to President Biden’s desk for his signature. SENATE PUSHES FORWARD FISA SURVEILLANCE BILL AS EXPIRATION LOOMS “The stakes of such an outcome are grave,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., warned his colleagues in floor remarks Friday afternoon prior to any votes on amendments or the final bill. “The authorities in question today have, quite literally, been the only defense against would-be national security disasters,” he added. On Thursday, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., claimed the program would not “go dark,” as others had suggested, if it was not renewed on time. Instead, Durbin pointed to recent certifications granted by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) that the Justice Department had informed Congress would “ordinarily remain in effect for one year, expiring in April 2025.” GOP LAWMAKERS SLAM BIDEN ADMINISTRATION’S NEW TITLE IX PROTECTIONS FOR ‘GENDER IDENTITY’ However, the DOJ cautioned Congress against allowing this knowledge to slow down the Section 702 renewal process in a letter earlier this month, as companies “are likely to stop or reduce cooperation with the legal process they receive.” The DOJ further noted that this occurred during a previous surveillance measure lapse. This warning was reiterated by McConnell on Friday, who said, “It will be up to the government to play a slow and painstaking game of whack-a-mole in court against an army of the most sophisticated lawyers in the country.” REPUBLICANS ACCUSE BIDEN, SCHUMER OF EMBOLDENING IRAN PRIOR TO ATTACK ON ISRAEL “And in the meantime, actionable intelligence will pass us right by,” he predicted. By around 6:00 p.m. on Friday, it seemed unlikely that the Section 702 FISA re-authorization would be voted on until next week, as several senators were unwilling to yield their debate time and sought votes on their various amendments to the measure. However, around 8:00 p.m., senators appeared to come to an agreement on amendment votes and debate time, clearing the way for an expedited voting process. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., revealed the compromise made my senators on the floor, announcing several roll call votes would take place. “All day long, we persisted and persisted and persisted in hopes of reaching a breakthrough, and I am glad we got it done,” he said, noting that there had been “great doubt” it would be accomplished. “We finally got the Senate to agree to take votes to address serious problems with the FISA expansion and 702 reauthorization passed by the House,” Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, wrote on X. Bipartisan coalitions had grown on both sides of Section 702 renewal, with some arguing that the provision is a vital national security necessity, and others sounding the alarm about what they believe to be violations of constitutional protections. Amendments from Sens. Rand Paul, R-Ky., Roger Marshall, R-Kan., Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Josh Hawley, R-Mo., Lee and Durbin were voted on ahead of the final bill’s consideration. “We cannot continue sacrificing our freedoms in the name of security. Rather than reining in FISA overreach, RISAA expands it dramatically,” Paul said prior to votes on his amendments, which required 60 supporters to pass. “I urge my colleagues to support meaningful reforms that protect both national security and civil liberties.” Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., spoke against the consideration of amendments to the bill, citing the fast approaching deadline. If any amendments to the measure were passed in the Senate, the bill would be sent back to the House, where they would once again need to approve it. All of the amendments failed to garner enough votes for passage, and thus were not added to the bill. “Allowing FISA to expire would have been dangerous,” Schumer remarked prior to the votes.
Barmer Lok Sabha Polls 2024: Check key candidates, date of voting and other important details
With the BJP, Congress, and an independent candidate looking for victory, the battle for Barmer has captured the attention of many.
NY AG Letitia James asks judge to void Trump’s $175M bond in civil fraud case
New York Attorney General Letitia James is pushing the judge in former President Donald Trump’s civil fraud case to void the $175 million bond that Trump previously posted to appeal his New York civil lawsuit. In her 26-page filing obtained by Fox News Digital, James questions whether the insurance company has sufficient funds to back it up. Trump’s bond was posted by California-based Knight Specialty Insurance Company (KSIC), but James argued that the insurer was “not authorized” to write business in New York, stating it is a small insurer that is not authorized to write business in New York and is not regulated by the state’s insurance department, had never before written a surety bond in New York or in the prior two years in any other jurisdiction, and has a total policyholder surplus of just $138 million. The company has a total policyholder surplus of just $138 million, the filing states. According to New York state law, smaller businesses like KSIC are not permitted to expose themselves to liabilities, like a bond, or any potential loss greater than 10 percent of their surplus. NEW YORK AG TAKES VICTORY LAP AFTER TRUMP FRAUD RULING: ‘JUSTICE HAS BEEN SERVED’ “Based on KSIC’s policyholder surplus in its most recent annual financial statement of $138,441,671, the limitation of loss on any one risk that KSIC is permitted to write is $13.8 million,” the lawyers wrote. “The face amount of the bond exceeds this limitation by $161.2 million.” James also wrote in the filing that “KSIC is not qualified to act as the surety under this standard because its management has been found by federal authorities to have operated affiliated companies within KSIC’s holding company structure in violation of federal law on multiple occasions within the past several years.” “KSIC does not now have an exclusive right to control the account and will not obtain such control unless and until it exercises a right to do so on two days’ notice,” the filing read. James also wrote that the Court should not rely on KSIC’s financial summary attached to the bond as evidence that KSIC has sufficient capacity to justify writing a $175 million bond. “That is because KSIC sends 100% of its retained insurance risk to affiliates in the Cayman Islands, where lax regulations allow KSIC to use this risk transfer to reduce the liabilities it carries on its books in a way that artificially bolsters its surplus, a practice New York regulators have dubbed “shadow insurance” and about which they have sounded the alarm,” the filing read. For these reasons, James writes that the Court should deny the Motion and require Defendants to post a replacement undertaking within seven days of the Court’s ruling. NY AG LETITIA JAMES BOOED AT FDNY CEREMONY WITH CHANTS OF ‘TRUMP! TRUMP! TRUMP!’ In September, Judge Arthur Engoron ruled that Trump and the Trump Organization had committed fraud while building a real estate empire by deceiving banks, insurers and others by overvaluing his assets and exaggerating his net worth on paperwork used in making deals and securing financing. The judge also prohibited Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump from serving as an officer or director of any New York corporation or legal entity in New York for two years. The former president has repeatedly slammed the case against him and denied any wrongdoing, calling it a “witch hunt.” James brought the lawsuit against Trump, accusing Trump and the Trump Organization of fraudulent business practices. James claimed Donald Jr., Ivanka, and Eric, as well as his associates and businesses, committed “numerous acts of fraud and misrepresentation” on their financial statements. Trump has pleaded not guilty on all counts. CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The judge is expected to hold a hearing Monday to discuss the issues raised by the attorney general’s office. The hearing is set to run in conjunction with opening statements in Trump’s New York criminal trial. Fox News’ Brooke Singman and Timothy Nerozzi contributed to this report.
Bengaluru: Traffic advisory issued in wake of PM Modi’s visit today; check restrictions
To ensure smooth traffic flow during the VVIP visit, the Bengaluru Traffic Police have issued a traffic advisory
Chinese hackers preparing to ‘physically wreak havoc’ on US critical infrastructure: FBI director
Chinese hackers are developing the “ability to physically wreak havoc on our critical infrastructure at a time of its choosing,” FBI director Christopher Wray said this week. He added that the hackers are waiting “for just the right moment to deal a devastating blow.” The hacking campaign, known as Volt Typhoon, has embedded itself successfully in several American critical infrastructure companies that include telecommunications, energy and water, and others, he said. FBI DIRECTOR SAYS CHINA IS THE ‘DEFINING THREAT OF OUR GENERATION’ “Its plan is to land low blows against civilian infrastructure to try to induce panic,” Wray said Thursday at the 2024 Vanderbilt Summit on Modern Conflict and Emerging Threats. A Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson said this week that Volt Typhoon is part of a criminal ramsonware group and is not related to the government. “Some in the US have been using origin-tracing of cyberattacks as a tool to hit and frame China, claiming the US to be the victim while it’s the other way round, and politicizing cybersecurity issues,” the Chinese embassy in Washington, D.C. said in a separate statement. Microsoft and Google security experts have previously linked the hackers to China and Wray said the effort is connected to U.S.-Chinese tensions around Taiwan. Wray gave a similar warning to lawmakers on Capitol Hill in February, saying Chinese hackers are intending to “wreak havoc and cause real-world harm to American citizens and communities.” Wray and other government officials were testifying in front of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party for a hearing titled “The Chinese Community Party Cyber Threat to the American Homeland and National Security.” NEW GROUP LAUNCHES TO COMBAT CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY INFLUENCE ACROSS US “There has been far too little public focus on the fact that PRC [People’s Republic of China] hackers are targeting our critical infrastructure – our water treatment plants, our electrical grid, our oil and natural gas pipelines, our transportation systems. And the risk that poses to every American requires our attention now,” Wray told lawmakers at the time. Wray also said that “today, and literally every day” Chinese hackers are “actively attacking our economic security, engaging in wholesale theft of our innovation, and our personal and corporate data.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “And they don’t just hit our security and economy. They target our freedoms, reaching inside our borders, across America, to silence, coerce, and threaten our citizens and residents,” Wray testified. Fox News’ Greg Norman and Reuters contributed to this report.
UP Board Exams 2024: Class 10, 12 results today, know how to check
The Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Parishad (UPMSP) in Prayagraj will announce the results of the UP Board Class 10 and 12 examinations today, April 20.
Arkansas senators say Clinton airport exec. killed by ATF with no bodycam: ‘Violation of its own policy’
Both U.S. senators from Arkansas are pushing for answers from the Justice Department about a federal law enforcement search warrant execution last month that ended with an airport executive shot dead. Sens. Tom Cotton and John Boozman are seeking answers in the death of Bryan Malinowski, the executive director of the Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport in Little Rock. Malinowski was shot on March 19 when agents with the Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) attempted to serve a search warrant at his home. Malinowski, 53, was wounded during a gunfire exchange with agents and died days later, the ATF said. 1 DEAD, 9 INJURED IN ARKANSAS BLOCK PARTY SHOOTING “The Department of Justice confirmed to us last night that the ATF agents involved in the execution of a search warrant of the home of Bryan Malinowski weren’t wearing body cameras,” Cotton and Boozman said in a joint statement. “We will continue to press the Department to explain how this violation of its own policy could’ve happened and to disclose the full circumstances of this tragedy.” “Mr. Malinowski’s family and the public have a right to a full accounting of the facts,” the Republican lawmakers added. Bud Cummins, the attorney for the Malinowski family, noted that the ATF adopted a policy in 2022 that requires the use of body cameras during the execution of search warrants. “This policy provides parameters for the use of BWCs [body-worn cameras] by TFOs [task force officers] to the extent that a state or local law enforcement agency requires their use by its officers during federal task force operations,” states a Department of Justice memo dated June 2, 2022. Cummins said the policy was created in response to the shooting of Breonna Taylor, the Louisville, Kentucky EMT worker who was killed as officers attempted to execute a search warrant. “It is astounding for ATF to now claim they simply ignored this clear policy. It obviously raises more questions than it answers,” Cummins told Fox News Digital. As agents were attempting to serve the warrant in the early morning hours, Malinowski allegedly opened fire. An agent was shot and sustained non-life-threatening injuries. Malinowski was shot in the head by returning gunfire and died two days later. He was under investigation for allegedly selling firearms without a license, some of which were used in crimes, authorities said. Between May 2021 and Feb. 27, 2024, Malinowski allegedly purchased more than 150 guns, which he then allegedly resold. Malinowski purchased the firearms legally and allegedly checked a box on purchase forms that indicated the firearms were for him. However, he allegedly resold the weapons at gun shows where he acted as a vendor. “At worst, Bryan Malinowski, a gun owner and gun enthusiast, stood accused of making private firearm sales to a person who may not have been legally entitled to purchase the guns,” Malinowski’s family said days after he died. Fox News Digital has reached out to the ATF and Justice Department.
Rep. Ilhan Omar ‘proud’ of daughter after NYC arrest at anti-Israel protest
U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., praised her daughter on Friday, a day after the Ivy League college student was arrested in New York City while participating in an anti-Israel protest. “I am enormously proud of my daughter @israhirsi,” Omar wrote on X. “She has always led with courage and compassion, from organizing a statewide school walk out on the 20th anniversary of Columbine at the age of 15, to leading the biggest youth climate rally at our nation’s Capitol at 16, and now pushing her school to stand against genocide.” COLUMBIA STUDENT SUSPENDED AFTER ALLEGED ‘FART SPRAY’ ATTACK DURING ANTI-ISRAEL RALLY SUES SCHOOL “Stepping up to change what you can’t tolerate is why we as a country have the right to speech, assembly, and petition enshrined in our constitution,” she added. Isra Hirsi was among more than 100 people arrested and issued a summons for trespassing on Thursday related to protests at Columbia University. Hours earlier, she said she had been suspended from Barnard College for “standing in solidarity with Palestinians facing a genocide.” ARREST OF ILHAN OMAR’S DAUGHTER AT ANTI-ISRAEL PROTEST WAS POLITICAL, FELLOW ‘SQUAD’ MEMBER SAYS “Those of us in Gaza Solidarity Encampment will not be intimidated,” she wrote on X. “We will stand resolute until our demands are met. our [sic] demands include divestment from companies complicit in genocide, transparency of @Columbia’s investments and FULL amnesty for all students facing repression.” Dozens of anti-Israel activists began protesting at Columbia University on Wednesday morning, creating an encampment on the main lawn in protest of Israel’s war against Hamas. The school asked the New York Police Department to help clear out the encampment. In a message to students, Columbia President Minouche Shafik said these “extraordinary steps” were necessary “because these are extraordinary circumstances” and that the protesters had “violated a long list of rules and policies.” Omar questioned Shafik this week during a hearing in Washington about antisemitism on college campuses.