FBI probes if NYC Mayor Eric Adams received upgraded Turkish Airlines tickets in exchange for favors: report
The FBI is investigating whether New York Mayor Eric Adams received free upgrades on Turkish Airlines, sources familiar with the matter confirmed to the New York Times. Federal authorities are looking into whether he was upgraded to the most expensive seats available on international flights as part of a wider corruption probe. Sources confirmed to the publication that a portion of the investigation involves whether the donations to Turkey’s national airline were traded for political favors. The political favors included alleged pressure exerted on the New York Fire Department after a delay of the operating certificate for the new Turkish consulate. NYC MAYOR ADAMS RIPPED FOR LATE EMERGENCY TEXT ALERT FOLLOWING EARTHQUAKE The probe is investigating whether Adams’ 2021 campaign conspired with the Turkish government and others to funnel money into its coffers. FBI agents also approached Adams directly after a Manhattan event later, seizing the mayor’s electronic devices, including at least two cellphones and an iPad, in carrying out a search warrant. The FBI also searched the homes of Rana Abbasova, an aide to Adams at City Hall, and Cenk Öcal, a former Turkish Airlines executive who served on the mayor’s 2021 transition team, according to Daily News. In a statement to Fox News Digital, Brendan McGuire, special counsel for Mayor Adams, said that the New York City mayor did not receive any “improper upgrades” and did not do anything “inappropriate” in exchange for the alleged upgrades. MAYOR ADAMS ‘BREAKFAST CLUB’ INTERVIEW TURNS HEATED OVER SLAIN NYPD OFFICER: ‘THE FAR LEFT’ DISAGREES WITH ME “As Borough President, the Mayor consistently disclosed his official travel to Turkey, did not receive any improper upgrades and did nothing inappropriate in exchange for an upgrade,” McGuire said. “Speculation is not evidence,” he added. “We look forward to a just and timely conclusion to this investigation.” Fox News reached out the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York for comment.
Lok Sabha Election 2024: Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi to address rally in Hyderabad today
In Tukkuguda, on Hyderabad’s outskirts, the party outlined its six election pledges for last November’s Assembly polls.
Ohio Gov. DeWine says precautions ensure ‘a great day’ in leadup to eclipse
Ohio is pulling out all the stops for Monday’s total solar eclipse, as it braces for potentially hundreds of thousands of visitors. “I have to say, we don’t always get a lot of time leading up to events,” Ohio Emergency Management Agency Director Sima Merick said at a news conference Friday. “Right? So having 200 years in the making has been very beneficial.” Gov. Mike DeWine has activated the Ohio Emergency Operations Center beginning Sunday, so that it will be up and running before, during and after Monday’s celestial event to help communities navigate any issues that arise. SOLAR ECLIPSE 2024: FOX WEATHER TO OFFER SPECIAL COVERAGE WITH ‘AMERICA’S TOTAL ECLIPSE’ Adding somewhere between 100,000 and 500,000 tourists to the state’s existing population could stress government agencies. He will have the National Guard on standby throughout the weekend,” he said. “Again, this is simply a precaution. We think it’s smart to be ready,” he said. A host of other state agencies — the state departments of Transportation, Public Safety, Health and Natural Resources, the Ohio State Highway Patrol and the Ohio National Guard — will all be present at the emergency operations centers, and most are also surging resources toward the event. If emergency officials are viewing the eclipse as they would a major weather event, the Department of Natural Resources is looking at it as if a major fireworks display were taking place in each of its 23 state parks and five wildlife areas all at the same time, director Mary Mertz said. All 300 of the state’s commissioned wildlife officers will be on duty this weekend. Extensive park programming around the eclipse, including hundreds of activities and viewing events, begins Saturday. Ohio is curtailing highway construction projects headed into Monday, so that maximum lanes are available to accommodate heavy traffic, Transportation Director Jack Marchbanks said. Officials encouraged travelers to pack extra snacks and water, for both themselves and any pets they have along; phone chargers; and paper road maps in case of cell service disruptions. Besides traffic, eye damage is the other major risk associated with the eclipse. Marchbanks also noted that people should not drive in their eclipse glasses. Col. Charles Jones of the Ohio State Highway Patrol advised “planning, preparation and patience” in relation to the eclipse. Stopping along the highway to view the eclipse is both illegal and dangerous, he said. Travelers might consider delaying their trips home for several hours after the eclipse, to allow crowds and traffic to dissipate, if not staying overnight, DeWine said.
Maryland lawmakers finalizing $63B budget with some tax, fee increases
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Maryland lawmakers headed toward a final vote Friday on the state’s $63 billion budget legislation, which includes tax and fee increases to help pay for transportation and education, though not as much as some lawmakers wanted. The General Assembly, which is controlled by Democrats, mostly kept intact Gov. Wes Moore’s $63 billion proposal for the budget year starting July 1. Moore, a Democrat, submitted a balanced budget plan in January without tax increases. BIDEN CITES FAMILY TIES TO BALTIMORE, PROMISES TO REBUILD COLLAPSED BRIDGE, TELLS CITY ‘NATION HAS YOUR BACK’ A final vote would come as soon as Friday. After negotiations between the House and Senate, lawmakers added some transportation-related fees that will raise about $252 million during the budget year. As part of the package, a new statewide fee of 75 cents per trip will apply to ride-hailing services. Vehicle registration fees also will rise, and a $23 surcharge will help pay for rising costs of the state’s emergency trauma system. In addition, there will be a $62.50 surcharge on zero-emission electric vehicles to help make up for gas tax revenues that their owners don’t pay, and there will be a $50 surcharge on plug-in electric vehicles. A variety of tobacco tax increases, including an additional $1.25 on a pack of cigarettes, will help generate about $91 million for K-12 education, though that is estimated to drop off due to a projected decline in tobacco use. The revenues are focused on paying for transportation and the state’s K-12 education funding plan known as the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, which phases in larger amounts of money to expand early childhood education, increase teachers’ salaries, and provide aid to struggling schools. “We know that those things cost, and we do have to raise some revenues now and then to cover those costs, but I think we did it in an efficient way and a responsible way,” Democratic Sen. Guy Guzzone, the Senate’s budget chairman, told reporters Friday. He noted additional money for education, as well as for road projects, local highways and transits. House and Senate differences on how much to raise new revenues held up passage of the state’s spending plan until late in the legislative session, which is set to adjourn Monday at midnight. Last month, after the Senate passed its budget legislation, the House proposed a $1.3 billion plan to get further in front of expected education costs and transportation funding shortfalls. In addition to taxes, fees and tolls, it included corporate tax reform and a proposal to legalize internet gambling. During negotiations, the Senate largely held firm, rejecting legislation to raise tolls, the corporate tax reform proposal known as combined reporting, and internet gambling. But the House kept pushing and managed to add some new revenues. “We were able to thread the needle,” said Del. Ben Barnes, a Democrat who chairs the House Appropriations Committee. The revenue debate played out in an election year for an open U.S. Senate seat and congressional races, featuring the surprise U.S. Senate candidacy of former Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, who campaigned against tax increases to win his first term in 2014 in the heavily Democratic state and won reelection in 2018.
Dems propose renaming Florida federal prison after Trump following GOP effort to change DC airport name
Congressional Democrats are seeking to rename a federal prison in South Florida after former President Trump in response to a Republican effort to rename Washington, D.C.’s main international airport after the ex-commander-in-chief. Reps. Gerry Connolly of Virginia, Jared Moskowitz of Florida and John Garamendi of California, introduced a two-page measure Friday to redesignate the Miami Federal Correctional Institution — a low-security facility that male inmates — to the Donald J. Trump Federal Correctional Institution. The move is in response to legislation unveiled by Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, R-Pa., and is also backed by six other House Republicans, to rename Washington Dulles International Airport as Donald J. Trump International Airport. TRUMP SAYS HE WILL FREE JAN. 6 RIOTERS ON FIRST DAY IF RE-ELECTED “When our Republican colleagues introduced their bill to rename Dulles after Donald Trump, I said the more fitting option would be to rename a federal prison,” Connolly said in a statement announcing his bill. “I see no reason to wait.” “Donald Trump faces nearly 100 felony charges. He has been found liable of sexual abuse and, subsequently, for defaming the victim of that abuse,” he added. “He has been fined hundreds of millions of dollars in a civil fraud case. It is only right that the closest federal prison to Mar-a-Lago should bear his name.” TRUMP ROLLS OUT 2024 TRADE POLICY THAT WOULD ‘TAX CHINA TO BUILD UP AMERICA,’ REWARD US PRODUCERS In a news release announcing his proposal, Reschenthaler cited Trump’s energy and economic record, border policies that resulted in historically low illegal immigration figures, and his stance against China and support of Israel. “In my lifetime, our nation has never been greater than under the leadership of President Donald J. Trump,” he said. “As millions of domestic and international travelers fly through the airport, there is no better symbol of freedom, prosperity, and strength than hearing ‘Welcome to Trump International Airport’ as they land on American soil.” Moskowitz noted that “everyone knows President Trump loves to write his name in gold letters on all his buildings” but that “he’s never had his name on a federal building before.” Fox News Digital has reached out to Reschenthaler’s office and the Trump campaign for commitment. Trump faces dozens of criminal charges across four indictments, including election interference allegations in Georgia, a hush-money trial in New York in which he is accused of falsifying business records, and allegations in Florida that he allegedly mishandled classified documents.
Fire reported outside Sen. Bernie Sanders’ Vermont office
A fire outside the office of Sen. Bernie Sanders in Vermont caused minor damage but no injuries, the Burlington Fire Department said Friday. VERMONT LEGISLATURE ADVANCING BILL TO REQUIRE FOSSIL FUEL COMPANIES TO COVER DAMAGES FOLLOWING EXTREME WEATHER Firefighters responded to a call Friday morning and found a fire between the vestibule, the elevator and the entrance door of Sanders’ third-floor office in Burlington. Though there were no injuries, the office door suffered moderate fire damage and much of the third floor sustained significant water damage. The Burlington Fire Marshal’s office, Burlington Police Department, and Vermont State Police were on the scene. The investigation of the cause was ongoing. A spokesperson for Sanders did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It was unclear if Sanders was in Vermont at the time of the fire.
House GOP leaders say Biden conditioning US support for Israel will ‘benefit Hamas’
House Republican leadership is blasting President Biden after he suggested the U.S. could curb its support for Israel if it did not do more to protect civilians in Gaza. “There’s only one group of people who stand to benefit from conditions to Israel aid, and that is Hamas. Once again, Joe Biden is empowering barbaric terrorists by undermining our strongest ally in the Middle East,” House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., told Fox News Digital on Friday. Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by phone on Thursday as the president faced growing pressure from the left to do more for civilians in Gaza. The White House said Biden “made clear the need for Israel to announce and implement a series of specific, concrete, and measurable steps to address civilian harm, humanitarian suffering, and the safety of aid workers” and that “U.S. policy with respect to Gaza will be determined by our assessment of Israel’s immediate action on these steps.” House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., told Fox News Digital when asked about the possibility of President Biden curbing military aid to Israel, “It is completely unacceptable for Joe Biden to demand that our most precious ally Israel surrender to Hamas terrorists.” ISRAEL-IRAN TENSIONS RISING AS IDF PAUSES LEAVE FOR ALL COMBAT UNITS: ‘MORE ALERT, MORE READY’ “Israel has every right to defend itself. House Republicans will continue to fight so that they have the resources needed to complete their mission,” Stefanik said. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for clarification on Biden’s comments and a response to the House GOP leaders’ criticism. Progressives have for months pushed Biden to curb military aid to Israel, accusing the Middle Eastern country of running afoul of U.S. policies on humanitarian support with its campaign in Gaza. More Democrats joined that wave in the wake of an Israeli military airstrike that killed seven humanitarian aid workers in central Gaza this week. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said on the Democrat-friendly program “Pod Save America,” “From a moral perspective and from a political perspective, I hope very much that what he’s saying today really does indicate a change in policy.” BIDEN WARNS NETANYAHU THAT US WILL CHANGE POLICY ON GAZA UNLESS ISRAEL PROTECTS CIVILIANS But Republicans and some moderate Democrats have argued that the U.S. weakening its support for Israel is a victory for Hamas. GOP lawmakers blasted Biden after the White House said he urged Netanyahu to call “an immediate cease-fire…to stabilize and improve the humanitarian situation and protect innocent civilians.” “The president’s ultimatums should be going to Hamas, not Israel,” Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., wrote on X on Thursday. “Hamas resisted a ceasefire, brought about needless bloodshed, and refuses to release Israeli and American hostages. Biden should not undercut our ally amidst an existential threat by conditioning our support.” Republicans in the Senate similarly hit back at Biden on social media. “Today, Hamas launched another salvo of rockets toward civilians in Israel while President Biden declared he wants to change policy toward Israel. We all want the peace and protection of civilians, but you cannot pacify terrorists,” Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., said on X. YOUNG GENERATION OF ANTI-HAMAS ACTIVISTS IN GAZA STEP UP TO SERVE BUT ARE SNUBBED BY UN, AID GROUPS Sen. John Barrasso, R–Wyo., said President Biden “needs to support Israel’s fight to protect its people and defeat terrorists.” “He will fall on the wrong side of history if he turns his back on our ally,” he said. Israel has been at war with Hamas in Gaza since shortly after Oct. 7, when militants from the terrorist group invaded southern Israel and killed more than 1,200 people — mainly civilians. The Palestinian death toll since Oct. 7 is over 30,000, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between fighters and civilians.
Texas Supreme Court justice implies Democrats will cheat in 2024 election
Justice John Devine’s comments at a conservative event are the latest to prompt concerns about his impartiality as a jurist.
Trump files motion requesting judge in hush money trial be recused amid daughter’s Democrat-affiliated work
Former President Trump and his legal team have filed a motion requesting that Judge Juan Merchan be recused from the trial on hush money allegations due to his daughter’s Democrat-affiliated political work and his alleged “hostility” against the 2024 presumptive Republican presidential nominee. Trump’s lawyer Todd Blanche filed a 37-page motion filed Friday afternoon. The motion states that Merchan’s daughter, Loren Merchan, “has a direct financial interest in these proceedings by virtue of her ownership stake and leadership role at Authentic Campaigns, Inc.” NEW YORK JUDGE IN HUSH-MONEY TRIAL REJECTS TRUMP’S REQUEST FOR DELAY UNTIL AFTER SCOTUS RULES ON IMMUNITY Blanche said that company “services exclusively Democrat clients” and is the “#21 ranked vendor in the country in connection with the 2024 election. Merchan is presiding over the trial stemming from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s investigation into alleged hush money payments ahead of the 2016 election. “In 2019, Ms. Merchan made public statements during a podcast regarding a conversation with Your Honor that reflect bias against President Trump from both speakers in that exchange,” Blanche wrote Friday. “Consistent with that conversation, President Biden and Vice President Harris are long-term clients of Authentic and Ms. Merchan, along with many other politicians and entities who are actively campaigning and advocating against President Trump right now.” Trump’s attorney also said at least six of Authentic’s clients “used fundraising solicitations that referenced this case around the time of the Indictment, President Trump’s arraignment, or following the Court’s denial of President Trump’s recusal motion.” TRUMP BLASTS ‘BIDEN TRIALS,’ SAYS PRESIDENT IS WEAPONIZING DOJ TO ‘TRY TO KNOCK OUT’ HIS ‘POLITICAL OPPONENT’ “Authentic’s clients disbursed more than $18 million to the company between the return of the Indictment and the present,” Trump attorney wrote. “It is industry practice that Authentic would receive percentages based on funds raised and recipient engagement, and Ms. Merchan has had an ownership stake and leadership role in the company while this case is pending.” Blanche also alleged the judge has been hostile towards Trump, and blasted his move to impose a gag order over the presumptive Republican nominee. “Your Honor also recently issued and expanded a gag order that improperly restricts President Trump’s constitutionally protected campaign speech, which has the effect of shielding the Court and Ms. Merchan from legitimate public criticism based on the evidence discussed in this motion that is relevant to the 2024 election,” Blanche wrote. Blanche noted in his motion that as of April 2, 2024, the list of “featured clients” on Authentic’s website included campaigns associated with Democrat politicians and entities, including “President Biden, Vice President Harris, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, Congressman Schiff, Congressman Jeffries, Congressman Goldman, Congresswoman Underwood, and Congresswoman Lee. The website also features its work for the Democrat-backed “Senate Majority PAC,” and the Democrat-backed “House Majority PAC.” TRUMP HUSH-MONEY CASE ‘COULD NOT BE WORSE FOR OUR COUNTRY,’ JONATHAN TURLEY WARNS Authentic is also “actively” promotes its connections to Trump’s opponents and rivals, including President Biden and Vice President Harris, Blanche wrote. “For example, in separate posts during the fall of 2023, Authentic wished each of them “Happy Birthday,” Blanche wrote in the motion. Blanche said Authentic’s activities create “an unacceptable appearance of impropriety.” Trump, since he was indicted in this case, has blasted it as election interference and a political witch hunt against him run by his political opponents. “For the reasons described above, President Trump respectfully submits that the Court must recuse itself as a matter of constitutional due process… and that recusal is also appropriate in light of appearances of impropriety,” Blanche wrote. The trial is set to begin in New York City on April 15 with jury selection. Bragg, last April, charged Trump with 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. The charges are related to alleged hush-money payments made during the 2016 presidential campaign. Bragg alleged that Trump “repeatedly and fraudulently falsified New York business records to conceal criminal conduct that hid damaging information from the voting public during the 2016 presidential election.” Trump pleaded not guilty to all counts.
Biden cites family ties to Baltimore, promises to rebuild collapsed bridge, tells city ‘nation has your back’
President Biden described his familial ties to the Maryland city of Baltimore during a Friday visit to the site where a cargo ship struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge last week, killing six construction workers. During his remarks, Biden said “heaven and earth” would be moved to re-construct a new bridge, while also affirming his support for the state of Maryland and the city. “Your nation has your back and I mean it,” Biden said. BALTIMORE BRIDGE COLLAPSE: HOUSE FREEDOM CAUCUS DEMANDS LIMITS ON FEDERAL REBUILD FUNDING Biden, who said his father was raised in Baltimore and still has family in the region, received a briefing where he heard about the ongoing efforts to clear the channel, restore shipping and open road traffic near the city’s port. He noted that the main priority was to open the Port of Baltimore, saying the lack of shipping would impact other ports around the country. That entails clearing the shipping channel to provide passage for commercial vessels. “It’s one of the nation’s largest shipping hubs,” he said. He said “thousands of tons of mangled steel remain lodged in the water, blocking ships from moving in and out of the harbor.” US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS PLANS TO REOPEN PORT OF BALTIMORE BY END OF APRIL AFTER KEY BRIDGE COLLAPSE The bridge collapsed last week after being struck by the cargo ship Dali, which lost power in the early morning hours of March 26. The collapse occurred shortly after the vessel began its trek from Baltimore to Sri Lanka. The ship issued a mayday alert, which allowed just enough time for police to stop traffic, but not enough to save six members of a construction crew filling potholes on the bridge. Two of their bodies have been recovered from the Patapsco River. “Ten days ago, a piece of the Baltimore skyline and a piece of the Baltimore spirit plunged into the river,” Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said before introducing Biden. Biden promised that the federal government would pay for a new bridge while calling on Congress to authorize legislation to do so. The Synergy Marine Group, which manages the ship, and Grace Ocean, the owner, filed a court petition Monday seeking to limit their legal liability, a routine but important procedure for cases litigated under U.S. maritime law. Fox News Digital’s Bradford Betz contributed to this report.