Weather update: IMD issues heatwave warning for several states for this week, respite for Delhi-NCR; check full forecast
To be precise, heat wave conditions are expected in isolated pockets of Odisha, Gangetic West Bengal during April 16-20; north Konkan, Saurashtra and Kutch during Tuesday-Wednesday; coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam on Wednesday-Thursday and Telangana during Tuesday-Thursday.
‘Determined to free country from menace of Naxalism’: Amit Shah after 29 Naxals killed in Chhattisgarh encounter
He further said that the ‘offensive policy’ of the government and the efforts of security forces have confined Naxalism to a small area today.
Ram Navami 2024: Know shubh muhurat, vidhi for puja and more
On Ram Navami, devotees across the country actively participate in various sacred rituals in temples, perform pujas, observe fasts and chant mantras to express their deep reverence towards Lord Rama.
Blue state Dem in hot water for racial slur sets new record in Senate primary
Rep. David Trone, D-Md., who was recently blasted for using a disparaging term for Black people during a House hearing, is officially the largest self-funded candidate of a Senate primary race in U.S. history. Trone contributed $18.5 million of his own money to his Maryland Senate campaign, Fox News confirmed. And he brought in a total of over $40 million, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission (FEC). No candidate running in a Senate primary has contributed this amount in recorded Senate primary history. “David Trone has been crystal clear that he’s prepared to do whatever it takes to beat Larry Hogan in November and protect the Democratic Senate majority,” the Trone campaign said in a statement. “With national Republicans and right-wing donors flooding Maryland with contributions to Hogan, there has never been a more important time to take the fight directly to Mitch McConnell, Larry Hogan and Donald Trump. David Trone is the best candidate to do that.” Trone recently uttered a racial slur while speaking on tax policy during a House Budget Committee hearing in March, later admitting to the remark, but saying he intended to use a different term. BLACK LAWMAKERS REJECT DEMOCRAT FRONTRUNNER IN TIGHT SENATE RACE AFTER USE OF RACIAL SLUR “So this Republican jigaboo that — it’s the tax rate that’s stopping business investment, it’s just completely faulty by people who have never run a business,” Trone said during the hearing. “They’ve never been there. They don’t have a clue what they’re talking about.” Trone apologized for the comment, telling Fox News Digital, “I recognize that, as a White man, I have privilege. And as an elected official, I have a responsibility for the words I use — especially in the heat of the moment. Regardless of what I meant to say, I shouldn’t have used that language.” MARYLAND DEM WHO USED RACIAL SLUR DURING HOUSE HEARING ‘REFUSED TO COMMIT’ TO DEBATE AGAINST PRIMARY OPPONENT Following the controversial comment, Reps., Barbara Lee, D-Calif.; Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y.; Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y.; Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio; and Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, announced they would be endorsing Trone’s Democratic primary opponent in the Maryland race. A spokesperson for Gov. Larry Hogan, R-Md., the candidate leading the Maryland GOP Senate primary, told Fox News Digital “Hogan will continue to meet Marylanders where they are and may be outspent, but not be outworked in this campaign.” “Following Gov. Hogan’s bus tour directly reaching voters in every region of the state, we are excited to host a grassroots family BBQ with hundreds of supporters with tickets starting at $50 and kids under 12 for free,” Blake Kernan, press secretary for Hogan’s Senate campaign, told Fox in a statement. “Gov. Hogan will continue to meet Marylanders where they are and may be outspent, but not be outworked in this campaign.” While Trone leads the Democratic primary race, he is likely to face Republican candidate Hogan on the general election ballot. Hogan, according to a recent Washington Post/University of Maryland poll released in March, is leading the race against Trone by double digits. Fox News’ Brandon Gillespie contributed to this report.
Former GOP congressman crashes into Florida highway patrol vehicle in alleged road rage incident: report
Former Republican Congressman Madison Cawthorn was alleged by a witness to have crashed his vehicle into a Florida Highway Patrol cruiser on Monday. Alethea Shapiro wrote on X that she was traveling southbound in the left lane on Interstate 75 towards Miami when an aggressive driver in a black sports car began tailgating her. “I accelerated ahead and moved to the right lane in front of a tractor trailer to let the car by,” Shapiro recounted. “[Five] minutes later, the highway comes to a complete stop, I swerve to the side so no one rear ends me and slow to a halt. “Suddenly, the car door opens and a man in a wheelchair rolls out,” she continued. “At the same moment, I have to navigate around his car and I look ahead to see the officer exiting from his rear-ended vehicle holding his neck in the left lane as well.” DEFEATED REP. MADISON CAWTHORN PICKS UP NEW MILLION-DOLLAR HOME IN FLORIDA Shapiro identified Cawthorn as the driver and shared video that purports to show him conversing with the state trooper. “I pulled over to the right shoulder lane and stopped to ask if everyone was ok and to offer assistance. I couldn’t believe my eyes. It occurred to me that former CONGRESSMAN CAWTHORNE [sic] from NC was the black CAR that stormed by me in an angry road rage tantrum,” Shapiro wrote. “I spoke to the cop to see if he was ok as he was quite stunned & kept reaching for his neck. He said he was ok, asked if I was a witness, (I wasn’t, I must have been 30 seconds behind) and I gave them water as I didn’t know what else to do.” Shapiro said the officer thanked her for stopping. MADISON CAWTHORN LOSES NORTH CAROLINA GOP HOUSE PRIMARY AFTER STRING OF MISSTEPS “As I drove away & replayed the surreal scene in my head, I realized it was the same car who was erratically & aggressively driving behind & then around me. Unbelievably scary & upsetting to see.” According to the Florida Highway Patrol, at approximately 4:30 p.m. on Monday, an FHP state trooper vehicle was rear ended on I-75, at mile marker 60, in a construction zone in Collier County. The other vehicle was a 2021 Mercedes driven by a 28-year-old man from Cape Coral, Florida. “The state trooper sustained minor injuries and was transported to an area hospital,” Lt. Greg Bueno said in a statement. Bueno said the driver of the Mercedes was cited for violating Florida’s Move Over Law. FLORIDA PASSES BILL TO BAN LEFT LANE DRIVING WITH FEW EXCEPTIONS Public records show that the 28-year-old Cawthorn, who formerly represented North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District, now resides in a $1.1 million home in Cape Coral, Florida. Once seen as a rising star in the GOP, Cawthorn’s tumultuous term in office was as brief as it was controversial. He infamously claimed to have been invited to orgies on Capitol Hill, a story he later retracted after meeting with then-House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy. During his time in office, Cawthorn also faced allegations of insider trading, improper payments and was detained, but not charged, for attempting to take a handgun through a North Carolina airport. He previously had been charged twice with driving with a revoked license. Cawthorn lost the 2022 Republican primary to Rep. Chuck Edwards, R-N.C., who went on to win in the general election. When reached for comment, Cawthorn would neither confirm nor deny he was the driver who crashed into the Florida Highway Patrol cruiser and directed further questions to his attorney. Cawthorn’s legal representative would neither confirm nor deny his involvement in the accident. “Mr. Cawthorn’s prayers go out to the Florida highway patrol officer who was involved in the automobile accident on Monday,” the attorney told Fox News Digital.
Trump says criminal trial is having a ‘reverse effect,’ as he campaigns at New York bodega, vows to save city
Former President Trump said the criminal trial is having a “reverse effect,” during a campaign visit Tuesday evening to an Upper Manhattan bodega, while vowing to “straighten out New York” by working with the Democrat mayor and governor if elected to another term in the White House. Trump visited an Upper Manhattan bodega Tuesday evening after spending hours in downtown New York City courtroom for the second day of his criminal trial stemming from charges brought against him by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. The presumptive Republican presidential nominee pleaded not guilty to all charges brought by Bragg. But after sitting in a courtroom for more than eight hours of jury selection, Trump made a campaign stop at Sanaa Convenience Store in Upper Manhattan Tuesday evening. Trump was met by a large crowd chanting “Trump, Trump, Trump,” “Four more years,” and “We love Trump.” The crowd was singing the National Anthem. Trump blasted the trial and charges against him, saying it is “rigged,” “all politics,” and “coming out of the [Biden] White House.” “It makes me campaign locally, and that’s okay,” Trump said. “We’re doing better now than we’ve ever done, so I think it’s having a reverse effect.” “We’re going to come in – Number one, you have to stop crime and we’re going to let the police do their job. They have to be given back their authority. They have to be able to do their job,” Trump said. “And we’re going to come into New York. We’re making a big play for New York, other cities, too. But this city, I love this city.” Trump said New York has “gotten so bad in the last three years, four years.” “And we’re going to straighten New York out. So running for president, we’re putting a big hit in New York – we could win New York,” Trump said. Trump said that “half a million migrants were brought in to take over the parks, they took over your hotels, they take over everything.” “They’ve destroyed so many people. The African-American community now is not getting jobs. Migrants are taking their jobs that are here illegally. Hispanics are not getting jobs. Migrants are taking the jobs,” Trump said. “If you look at the unemployment, the unemployment is good for migrants. Now, it went up 10%. All migrants. And they’re in our country now. They’re coming from prisons. I don’t know where you know, they come from mental institutions. They come from prisons. They come from places you don’t want to know about.” Trump, shifting back to his historic criminal trial, again said it is a “Biden trial.” “They want to keep me off the campaign trail,” Trump said. “But based on what I’m doing, I think there’s more press here than if I went out to some [other] location.” Trump, pointing to law enforcement, said “the police have to be able to do their job.” “The police in New York are great. They have to be able to do their job. They have to protect these people,” Trump said. As for crime in New York City, Trump declared: “It’s Alvin Bragg’s fault. Alvin Bragg does nothing. He goes after guys like Trump who did nothing wrong. Violent criminals, murderers? They know there are there are hundreds of murders all over the city. They know who they are. They don’t pick them up. They go after Trump.” He added: “The people of New York are not going to take it. That’s why they’re going to vote for Trump.” The bodega Trump visited has become known as the “Jose Alba bodega” after the July 2022 incident. Bragg charged Alba with second degree murder. Alba, while working at the bodega, was attacked behind the counter by Austin Simon, who was seen on surveillance video first coming behind the cashier’s desk and attacking him. Despite claiming self-defense, Alba was sent to Riker’s Island prison and initially given $250,000 bail. Bragg’s office, at the time, faced widespread condemnation for bringing charges against Alba, as footage strongly suggested that Alba grabbed a knife and fatally stabbed his assailant only after he had been attacked first. Among many other supporters, New York City Mayor Eric Adams and former NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton had publicly decried the initial charging decision, saying Alba acted in self-defense to thwart what appeared to be either an attempt on his own life or a robbery in progress. Bragg ultimately dropped the murder charge on July 19, 2022. Trump’s visit came after he spent the second day in court for jury selection. Seven jurors had been selected. Court is expected to reconvene on Thursday at 9:30 a.m. Bragg charged Trump with 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. He pleaded not guilty to all charges and maintains that there was no crime and that there should be no trial.
2 Kennedy children endorse opponent of progressive Los Angeles DA, cite parole hearing for RFK’s killer
Two of Robert F. Kennedy’s adult children threw their support behind a former federal prosecutor running against current Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón, citing his progressive policies, noting that it was the first time they had supported a candidate against a Democrat. Max and Rory Kennedy announced their support of Independent Nathan Hochman in downtown Los Angeles in front of the Hall of Justice, where they accused Gascón, who is up for re-election, of failing to support victims of crime and their families. “A lot has been written about Gascón and his questionable policies, Rory Kennedy said. “My family and I have lived through them.” DAUGHTER OF ARMY VETERAN KILLED IN FRONT YARD CALLS FOR JUSTICE, CHANGE TO POLICIES: ;THIS IS A VICIOUS CYCLE’ The Kennedys and Hochman specifically cited a DA office policy of barring prosecutors from attending parole hearings to argue against the early release of criminals, including Sirhan Sirhan, 79, who assassinated Sen. Robert F. Kennedy in 1968, at the former Ambassador Hotel moments after he delivered a victory speech in the pivotal California primary. Sirhan was convicted of first-degree murder for the slaying. “The reason we’re here is because Gascón’s policies are failing Los Angeles,” Max Kennedy said alongside mothers who have lost children to crime. Gascón has been heavily criticized after riding a 2020 progressive wave of promises to reform the way Los Angeles County prosecutes criminal suspects. Upon taking office, he issued a number of directives, including the prohibition of charging juveniles as adults, even for violent crimes, supporting zero cash bail and other progressive measures. CALIFORNIA DEPUTIES SHOT, KILLED TEEN KIDNAPPING VICTIM AS SHE WAS SEEN SURRENDERING: VIDEO Max Kennedy said loved ones of victims of crimes have been deserted by the DA’s office and left to face the court system alone because of such policies, prompting him and his sister to throw their support toward Hochman. “This is the first that we’ve ever supported a candidate against a Democrat,” he said. Sirhan was found eligible for parole in 2022, but California Gov. Gavin Newsom reversed the decision. He was denied parole again in 2023. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office didn’t send a prosecutor to the parole hearings in 2022 and 2023, as part of a new policy instituted by Gascón. Hochman noted that the district attorney is involved in most aspects of criminal investigations and the prosecution of suspects. “Yet somehow, someway, DA Gascón views his responsibility as ending when that murderer seeks to get out of prison early,” he said. Fox News Digital has reached out to Gascón’s campaign. In 2021, his office told Fox that prosecutors weren’t sent to Sirhan’s parole hearing as part of a promise to refrain from influencing the proceedings. “The role of a prosecutor and their access to information ends at sentencing,” Gascón’s office said at the time. “The parole board, however, has all the pertinent facts and evaluations at their disposal, including how someone has conducted themselves over the last few decades in prison. The parole board’s sole purpose is to objectively determine whether someone is suitable for release.”
Minnesota Dems disavow endorsement of candidate accused of stalking opponent
Minnesota Democrats have disavowed a local party chapter’s endorsement of a state House candidate who has a violent criminal history and is accused of stalking and harassing the Republican lawmaker he is challenging. Judd Hoff was endorsed this month by Democrats in District 12 to run for a central Minnesota seat that has been represented by Republican Rep. Mary Franson of Alexandria since 2011. Republicans were quick Monday to demand that Democrats rescind their backing of Hoff. “Democrats must withdraw their endorsement of this repeat criminal,” GOP Rep. Josh Heintzeman, of Nisswa, said in a statement. “For years he has harassed and stalked Rep. Franson by digging through her trash, publishing her address and contact information, filming her at her private residence, and relentlessly sending rude and threatening messages online.” MINNESOTA SCHOOL DISTRICT SEEKS TO HIRE $100-200K ‘ANTI-RACIST’ OFFICIAL WHO CAN EXAMINE ‘WHITENESS’ Franson’s district is heavily Republican and is not considered competitive. She won reelection in 2022 with nearly 70% of the vote. She tweeted that she considered Hoff to be dangerous and asked, “Why is this the guy they want as a candidate?” Ken Martin, chairman of Minnesota’s Democratic Party, said in statement later Monday that the party “strongly disavows this endorsement,” and he asked the local party unit to withdraw its endorsement immediately. He said the state party won’t spend any of its resources to support Hoff. “We all have a responsibility, regardless of party or ideology, to reject violence in our politics — we can and should expect better from candidates for elected office,” the Democratic leader said. Hoff’s criminal history includes a felony second-degree assault conviction for wielding a 23-inch machete during an argument in 2020. He was sentenced to 13 months and spent about eight months in jail. Court records show the judge gave him a break over the prosecution’s objections because the victim was the initial aggressor. In a video posted to YouTube, first surfaced by former GOP operative Michael Brodkorb, Hoff admitted to digging through Franson’s garbage and acknowledged moving into a home across the street from Franson. The chair of the district and county party committee, Bonnie Bina, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that Hoff was the only candidate who came forward to run for the seat. She acknowledged that it’s hard to recruit Democratic candidates to take on incumbents in such a heavily Republican area. Bina also acknowledged that delegates knew that Hoff had a criminal record and had spent time in prison. But she said he told them he was past that and had become active in the community. She declined to comment on whether they were aware of the allegations that he harassed Franson. The local party committee will decide its next steps after getting more information from the state party office and reviewing party rules, she said, adding that she didn’t know how long that would take. Hoff did not immediately respond to messages from The Associated Press seeking comment.
African migrants swarm NYC’s City Hall for hearing on ‘experiences of Black immigrants’
A hearing on the experiences of African migrants in New York City drew a crowd of more than 1,000 people Tuesday morning, some of whom were reportedly under the false assumption they would be getting work visas or green cards. Video footage obtained by Fox News Digital shows throngs of people outside city hall, with many gathered at a park across the street. City Council member Alexa Aviles, who serves as chair of the Committee on Immigration and organized the hearing, said it centered around the “experiences of Black immigrants.” “We must uproot the anti-Blackness that plagues our system of care — this work requires dedication, creativity, and a city willing to fund our short, mid, and long-term needs,” Aviles said. ARIZONA RANCHER DEFENSE CONSULTANT CLAIMS ‘CARTEL INFLUENCE’ IN MURDER PROBE, RIPS SHERIFF’S PAST COMMENTS Aviles’ colleagues commended her for organizing the hearing. Council member Sandy Nurse, who represents the city’s 37th District, said the experiences of Black migrants is “very different than other groups and I’m proud that the Council is highlighting this disparity.” Per reporting from The New York Post, dozens had been under the impression they’d receive work visas or green cards if they showed up. A source told the paper that the crowd was mostly comprised of newly arrived migrants from the West African nation of Guinea. The hearing comes as an influx of illegal immigrants has put a strain on the city’s resources. Late last year, NYC Mayor Eric Adams warned that the city was reaching its “breaking point.” Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., said the crowds who descended on City Hall Tuesday had a “sense of entitlement” spurred on by the mayor’s policies. “Citizens of other countries believe that American citizens struggling to pay to keep a roof over their heads are responsible for housing them indefinitely,” she wrote on X. SOME BUSINESS OWNERS UPSET AT BIDEN FOR GRANTING WORK PERMITS TO NEW MIGRANTS: ‘IT’S OFFENSIVE’ Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who is himself an immigrant, also weighed in. Commenting on a post pertaining to the NYC hearing, Musk qualified he was “in favor of legal immigration, being an immigrant myself, but allowing a flood of millions of unvetted people to enter the United States illegally is insane.” Fox News Digital has reached out to the offices of Aviles and Adams for additional comment.
Draft report says Missouri’s House speaker stymied ethics investigation into his spending
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri ethics panel is at an impasse over reported misconduct by the powerful state House speaker, who allegedly used his office to stymie an investigation into his actions. A draft of the Ethics Committee report recommended that the House formally denounce actions taken by Republican Speaker Dean Plocher that “substantially impair public confidence in the General Assembly.” MISSOURI DEATH ROW INMATE WHO KILLED COUSIN AND HER HUSBAND IN 2006 IS EXECUTED Committee members voted 6-2 against the report but made it publicly available Monday. Another Ethics Committee hearing is scheduled for Wednesday. Plocher did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press on Tuesday. At issue are complaints that Plocher last year tried to use his influence as speaker to get the House to contract with a company for a new constituent services program called Fireside. Fireside’s parent company, FiscalNote, had hired Bardgett and Associates lobbyists in an attempt to win a $776,000 two-year contract with the House, independent investigator Beth Boggs wrote in a March 1 report. Plocher worked as a lawyer at the Blitz, Bardgett and Deutsch law firm. Plocher also faces allegations that he improperly requested taxpayer dollars to pay for a business-class ticket on a flight to Hawaii and expenses for several other work trips dating back to 2018. Plocher admitted he accepted reimbursements for the travel expenses both from the state and from his political campaign, which is against Missouri law. He has since repaid the state about $4,000. The Ethics Committee struggled to investigate claims about Plocher’s dealings with Fireside. Boggs in a March 1 letter to the committee said she hit a roadblock because witnesses, including Plocher, refused to speak to her. “The level of fear expressed by a number of the potential witnesses is a daunting factor in completing this investigation,” Boggs wrote. When the Ethics Committee sought approval from the speaker, Plocher, to force witnesses to testify through subpoenas, he refused, according to the report. The draft report alleges that Plocher, as the speaker, has blocked payment of the independent investigator hired by the House to investigate him. In total, the investigation cost about $17,000 to complete. Contractors have not been paid, according to the draft report, because the speaker’s approval is necessary. Missouri lawmakers have about a month left of the 2024 legislative session.