California Dems reach $17.3B deficit reduction agreement
California Democratic leaders announced Thursday they had come to an agreement on a plan that would reduce the state’s staggering multibillion-dollar shortfall by $17.3 billion through a combination of spending cuts, delays and deferrals. Gov. Gavin Newsom had enjoyed unprecedented surplus budgets of more than $100 billion throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. But the past two years have saddled him with a pair of multibillion-dollar deficits, a less-welcome position for a governor seen as a potential future Democratic presidential candidate. Last year, facing a $32 billion deficit, Newsom and lawmakers were able to avoid major spending cuts by making smaller cuts, borrowing and pushing some expenses to future years. But this year’s deficit could be as large as $73 billion, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office. Newsom said in January the deficit is actually $37.9 billion — a shortfall that, while still steep, is much easier to manage for a state with revenues expected to exceed $291 billion. CALIFORNIA DEMOCRAT TIED WITH CHALLENGER IN WILD CONGRESSIONAL PRIMARY In January, Newsom proposed tapping $13 billion from reserves and cutting $8.5 billion in spending, with about half of those cuts spread across various housing and climate programs. Last month, Newsom and Democratic leaders in both houses announced they had agreed on solutions to address the deficit without sharing details. The new agreement with Democratic lawmakers, who hold supermajority in both houses, includes many proposals Newsom and the state Senate laid out earlier this year. The plan calls for a cut of $3.6 billion in primarily one-time funding to some schools, welfare and climate programs, leaving out previously proposed $1.2 billion cuts to housing and homeless programs. The plan also delays and defers about $5.2 billion in spending for a variety of programs including on public transit and facilities for preschools. It also authorizes Newsom to freeze additional one-time funding that was included in the budget the last three years. The agreement came after lawmakers passed legislation to increase the state’s tax on managed care health plans, also known as the managed care organization tax, which is estimated to generate $3.8 billion next fiscal year. The plan doesn’t touch the governor’s major spending commitments, including free health insurance for all low-income adults regardless of their immigration status. “We are able to meet this challenge thanks to our responsible fiscal stewardship over the past years, including record budget reserves of close to $38 billion,” Newsom said in a statement. “There is still work to do as we finalize the budget and I look forward to the work ahead together to continue building the California of the future.” Lawmakers are expected to vote on the new budget plan next week, which would pave the way for more budget negotiations before the June deadline. “We are all committed to delivering an on-time balanced budget and this early action agreement is a critical first step to shrink the state’s shortfall,” Senate President pro Tempore Mike McGuire said in a statement. Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas called the agreement “the right way” to address the budget deficit. But Republican lawmakers slammed the plan Thursday and said they were shut out of the conversation. “Our caucus has absolutely nothing to do with it,” Republican Sen. Roger Niello said Thursday. “We learn all of these things later on, at about the same time as our 8 million constituents.” Unlike the federal government, California law says the state must pass a balanced budget — meaning it can’t spend more money than it has. Newsom will present his revised budget proposal in May, and lawmakers have until June 15 to pass the budget.
Here’s your Texas 2024 May runoff ballot
The Texas 2024 primary runoffs will take place May 28. See the full list of candidates statewide and see who’s on your ballot.
Longtime Ohio GOP campaign treasurer charged with defrauding clients of nearly $1 million
A man who has served as treasurer for dozens of political campaigns in Ohio over the past 40 years is facing federal wire fraud charges for allegedly stealing nearly $1 million from clients. William Curlis, 76, is accused of writing checks from campaign accounts to himself for personal use and taking steps to hide the thefts. He allegedly stole $995,231 between 2008 and June 2023, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Southern District of Ohio. WISCONSIN COUNTIES DECLINE TO PROSECUTE CAMPAIGN FINANCE CASE AGAINST TRUMP COMMITTEE A plea agreement has been filed in the case, prosecutors said, but further details have not been disclosed. “The filing of the plea agreement demonstrates Mr. Curlis’ commitment to accepting responsibility and demonstrating remorse for his actions,” said his attorney, Mark Collins. “He walked into the U.S. Attorney’s office and admitted his wrongdoings,” Collins said. “I cannot discuss the details or reasons at this point. However, once this case works through the federal system, those questions will be answered.” Curlis served as treasurer for more than 100 local, state and federal Republican campaigns, often as the only signatory on accounts, prosecutors said. According to court documents, he wrote himself multiple checks from candidates’ campaign funds and one PAC’s fund while serving as treasurer. To conceal the thefts, Curlis allegedly transferred funds between accounts without the candidates’ knowledge and falsified corresponding campaign finance reports. Curlis sold his home in 2016, allegedly to cover the cost of campaign expenses and conceal account deficits caused by his theft.
Blinken says Ukraine will eventually ‘become a member of NATO’
Ukraine will eventually join NATO as support from its member countries remains “rock solid,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday. “Ukraine will become a member of NATO. Our purpose at the summit is to help build a bridge to that membership,” Blinken told reporters in Brussels. Blinken’s remarks came after a meeting with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba at the NATO Foreign Ministers Meeting. “Of course, we believe that Ukraine deserves to be a member of NATO and that this should happen sooner rather than later,” Kuleba said. PUTIN ISSUES CHILLING WARNING AGAINST SENDING WESTERN TROOPS TO DEFEND UKRAINE Both men discussed Ukraine’s war with Russia and ways to bolster Ukraine’s energy sector amid attacks from Moscow. Ukraine’s potential membership in the 32-member alliance is seen as partly why Russia invaded the country. Sweden officially joined NATO on March 7. In response to his remarks, Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, called Blinken’s statement “irresponsible.” “Ukraine should not join NATO, and to invite them during a war is to invite our nation into war,” he posted on X. “Do you want American ground troops in Ukraine? If not, we must push back against the idea that Ukraine should join NATO.” The alliance is debating a plan to provide more military assistance to Ukraine as Russia asserts more control on the battlefield. “We strongly believe that support to Ukraine should be less dependent on short-term, voluntary offers and more dependent on long-term NATO commitments,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said before chairing a meeting of the alliance’s foreign ministers in Brussels. Blinken the Ukraine’s allies will make sure it has what it needs to counter Moscow’s aggression. Meanwhile, additional American assistance has been held up by House Republicans. Western pledges of support to Ukraine have been marred by broken promises. A European vow to provide 1 million rounds of ammunition fell woefully short, and financial aid meant for Ukraine’s war-stricken economy was delayed by political infighting in Europe and is still blocked in the U.S. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Florida Senate president’s husband dies after falling at Utah’s Bryce Canyon park
The husband of Florida’s Senate president died after falling while the couple was hiking in Utah, according to a memo sent to senators Wednesday. John Passidomo, 72, was a lawyer and former city councilor and vice mayor of Naples. He and Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, a Republican, were visiting national parks on vacation less than a month after the Florida Legislature wrapped up its annual 60-day session. FLORIDA SENATE PASSES BILL TO BAN SOCIAL MEDIA FOR CHILDREN UNDER 16 “The President and First Gentleman were law school sweethearts,” Sen. Dennis Baxley said in a memo to senators. “The trip to visit several national parks in Utah was one of many great adventures they shared during five decades together. Their last few days together were marked by many special moments, beautiful scenery, and wonderful reflections on their lifetime.” The two, who were about to celebrate their 45th anniversary, were hiking in Bryce Canyon National Park when John Passidomo fell Monday and suffered head and other injuries. The next day, the family was told he wouldn’t survive, and the couple’s children flew to his bedside, Baxley said. “The President has lost the love of her life, and is absolutely devastated by this sudden and unexpected accident,” Baxley said.
Trump campaign rips Politico for ‘harebrained assertion’ that China prefers him over Biden
The Trump campaign issued a blistering response to Politico’s “false reporting” that China would prefer former President Trump back in the White House come November and is even aiding those efforts. “In Politico’s Nightly newsletter, Catherine Kim makes a harebrained assertion that China would prefer President Trump to return to the White House,” Trump campaign communications director Steven Cheung said in a statement released Wednesday evening. “The same President Trump who made China submit to pro-America trade and tariff regulations, called them out for exporting the Coronavirus that killed millions across the world, and stood tough against Chinese economic aggression throughout his first term. “For a media outlet and its reporter to peddle lies and feature commentary from a ‘China expert’ named Rorry Daniels — who by the way is a Democrat donor — is laughable at best.” TRUMP ROLLS OUT 2024 TRADE POLICY THAT WOULD ‘TAX CHINA TO BUILD UP AMERICA,’ REWARD US PRODUCERS The campaign was responding to an article published in Politico Nightly titled “China’s 2024 election play,” which reported “geopolitical rivals could end up” helping Trump return to the White House. “Throughout Trump’s time in office, he talked tough on China, escalating a trade war between the two countries and reportedly launching a CIA campaign to sow distrust of China’s government among its citizens on social media. Ironically, China is now reportedly conducting a similar operation that could help Trump return to office,” the report states. “Covert Chinese social media accounts have recently masqueraded as Trump supporters, sharing pro-MAGA memes and mocking President Joe Biden. Even if the goal is simply to deepen political division in the U.S., the Chinese accounts are helping amplify Trump’s agenda and feeding energy into the MAGA-sphere,” the article continued, citing a recent New York Times report. The Politico article relied on commentary from Rorry Daniels, managing director of the Asia Society Policy Institute, and Jacob Stokes, a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, who previously worked in the White House when Joe Biden served as vice president. The article reported that a “second Trump presidency could create strategic opportunities for China’s expansion plans” and that “Trump’s willingness to be seen as a dealmaker — with little regard for national security concerns — could also be a boon for China.” TRUMP CALLS FOR ‘RETRIBUTION’ AGAINST CHINA FOR ROLE IN COVID-19 PANDEMIC “China is very adept at taking up the mantle of global power and leadership in its own way when America pulls back — and Donald Trump would likely be a president that would pull America back from the international system, not invest more into it,” Daniels was quoted as saying in the piece published Wednesday evening. Cheung responded that Politico is “being played by devious Chinese forces” that work to manipulate media outlets and journalists “because they know Trump Derangement Syndrome is a very real disease that distorts all reasoning.” “The fact is that China has grown stronger under a weak Biden presidency, and our allies are even more in danger as China builds up its economic and military power. Deadly Chinese fentanyl continues to flow into American communities killing scores of people while illegal Chinese migrants are the fastest growing group crossing the Southern Border,” Cheung said in his statement Wednesday. Cheung continued in his response to “not forget Politico’s official media partner in Asia is the South China Morning Post, widely considered to be the mouthpiece of the CCP.” A Politico spokesperson called the Trump campaign’s response to the article “bizarre” in comments to Fox News Digital Thursday. BIDEN, CHINA’S XI HOLD PHONE CALL ON TAIWAN, AI, TRADE “It was a bizarre statement that was riddled with errors. Politico has no existing partnership or affiliation with the SCMP,” the spokesperson said. An “Editor’s Note” from Politico published in 2018 detailed the outlet was expanding its coverage of the relationships between the U.S. and China, including “a content partnership we are unveiling today with the South China Morning Post.” “Politico’s reporting was riddled with errors and political bias because they clearly suffer from Trump Derangement Syndrome. They should consider doing their actual reporting jobs rather than moonlighting as mouthpieces for the CCP,” Cheung told Fox Digital Thursday. BIDEN HANDS CHINA BIG WIN WITH MILITARY DEAL, EXPERTS SAY: ‘INCREDIBLY POOR DECISION’ The New York Times ran a similar piece to Politico’s Tuesday in its morning newsletter, with the opening line stating, “America’s biggest adversaries evidently want Donald Trump to win the 2024 presidential election.” That piece cited “researchers and government officials” who said “covert Chinese accounts” online were posing as American supporters of Trump to promote “conspiracy theories, stoking domestic divisions and attacking President Biden ahead of the election in November.” The New York Times article claims Russian President Vladimir Putin’s reasons for preferring Trump back in the White House “seem obvious,” saying President Biden has led a widespread “coalition” against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and aided Ukraine in its battle against Russia. “Trump has suggested that he will end this support. A central part of Putin’s war strategy, intelligence experts believe, is to wait for Ukraine’s Western allies to tire of the war,” the report states. China has “less obvious” reasons to prefer Trump in the White House, according to the report. “Trump, after all, took a more combative stance toward China than any U.S. president since Richard Nixon re-established ties with Beijing. The Associated Press and Washington Post have noted that Beijing seems unhappy with both Biden and Trump,” the report continued. Trump’s “America First,” “isolationist” stances would be a boon for Moscow and Beijing, according to the report, arguing Trump prefers to avoid “international conflicts, and he is skeptical of treaties and alliances.” Fox News Digital reached out to the Times for comment on the Trump campaign’s response to the Politico report but did not immediately receive a reply. Cheung concluded his statement Tuesday that Politico should stop promoting “pro-Chinese talking points.” “Instead of hawking pro-Chinese talking points, Politico should turn their
Former Texas House speaker says GOP megadonor Tim Dunn told him only Christians should hold leadership positions
Straus, who is Jewish, publicly confirmed the conversation for the first time Thursday. It had previously been reported by Texas Monthly.
Chicago mayor urges Biden to grant work permits to half million illegal immigrants
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson urged President Biden on Thursday to grant work permits to nearly 500,000 illegal migrants living in the state. Johnson also said the city, which has roughly 2.7 million people, can “conservatively” welcome another 400,000 to 700,000 illegal migrants. “We need the president to extend the same economic opportunities long term for our undocumented brothers and sisters, so they can build a better life here in the city of Chicago or wherever else they decide to live,” Johnson said during a roundtable with urban business leaders on Thursday. “I want to make this emphatically clear: Chicago will never turn its back on people who wish to call the city of Chicago their home,” Johnson said. DEMOCRATIC ILLINOIS ‘SUPER MAYOR’ VETOES ATTEMPT TO PROBE HER LAVISH SPENDING Johnson, whose one-year anniversary as mayor was also Thursday, said he penned a letter to the Biden administration, pushing harder for additional work permits, with the support of dozens of other city mayors, including Denver, New York, Seattle and San Francisco. “I remain standing in my belief that a more inclusive and equitable future for all residents is truly possible, whether they arrived here yesterday or have been here for an extended period of time,” he said. The mayor added that even though the “humanitarian crisis” continues to overwhelm and “test the city,” officials will not “waver in their commitment to the immigrant communities.” READ MORE OF FOX NEWS’ COVERAGE OF THE BORDER CRISIS As the slow rollout of work permits issued by the federal government has left big cities overwhelmed by the illegal migrant crisis and overcrowded shelters, city leaders have been urging the administration to grant more permits for additional arrivals and extend existing ones. This year’s work permits expire on April 24. In February, more than 40 mayors sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Ur Jaddou, calling for automatic extensions for existing work permits of at least 540 days. CDC SENDS RESPONSE TEAM TO CHICAGO MIGRANT SHELTER AMID MEASLES OUTBREAK On Thursday, the administration announced an extension from 180 to 540 days for certain categories of illegal migrants “to help prevent renewal applicants from experiencing a lapse in their employment authorization and documentation.” It’s unclear how many of Chicago’s illegal migrants will be eligible for those extensions. Last year, Johnson faced backlash from Chicago residents at several city and community meetings who were frustrated by illegal migrants being dumped in their neighborhoods. More than 20,000 migrants have arrived in the city since August 2022 and thousands remain in shelters.
Nathan Wade’s wife files ‘contempt of court’ claim for non-payment in divorce agreement
The wife of Nathan Wade, the former lover of embattled Georgia prosecutor Fani Willis, is accusing him of failing to pay her court-ordered expenses, and says he should be held in “contempt of court,” a new divorce fling states. The court documents filed Wednesday by Joycelyn Wade allege that her husband, with whom an agreement in divorce proceedings was made earlier this year, has neglected to pay court-ordered medical expenses, contributing to a “worsening” health condition which could “necessitate emergency intervention.” “Defendant urgently requires medical procedures, namely an endoscopy,colonoscopy, and ultrasound, due to severe physical symptoms she has beenenduring. These symptoms have significantly impacted her ability to consumemost foods, leading to a substantial weight loss, notwithstanding her alreadyslender stature when in better health,” the filing states. Joycelyn Wade also alleged that Nathan had instructed her to make payments to the healthcare providers herself “with an assurance of reimbursement,” but said she can’t do that because Nathan recently reneged on previously agreed-upon payments for their kids’ education expenses. WHO IS NATHAN WADE? TRUMP PROSECUTOR FANI WILLIS’ FORMER LOVER AT CENTER OF COURTROOM CONTROVERSY “On the day immediately following the entry of the Order on January 30, 2024, Plaintiff informed the parties’ daughter, an upperclassman in college with hopes of entering medical school in the near future, that he would discontinue payment of her rent and living expenses instructing her to ‘get the money from your mother,’” the document states. “As an additional note, Plaintiff has very punitively reneged on his commitment to cover their daughter’s MCAT expenses as well,” it states. “The parties’ son is currently in Europe, pursuing a career as a professionalsoccer player. Despite Plaintiff executing a verified affidavit to the country ofSpain, affirming financial responsibility for his son’s expenses for visa purposes, hesubsequently informed his son shortly after the Temporary Order was entered thathe would no longer be providing support for him either, directing the son to “getthe money from your mother,’” the document alleges. FANI WILLIS, NATHAN WADE REFERRED TO GEORGIA STATE BAR FOR MISCONDUCT BY WATCHDOG GROUP Jocelyn Wade says that because she sprang to pay for her children’s expenses unexpectedly, she was left without the means to pay for her medical needs. Nathan Wade in 2021 was hired by Fulton County District Attorney Willis to help prosecute the sweeping election interference case against former president Donald Trump. He allegedly earned roughly $650,000 for roughly two years on the case. Wills was accused earlier this year by Trump and co-defendants in the case of having an “improper” affair with Wade, and alleged that she had hired him while they were romantically involved, which benefitted her financially. Willis and Wade both denied the existence of a romantic relationship prior to his hiring, and insisted that Willis had reimbursed Wade for her share of expenses from several vacations they took together. Wade resigned from his special prosecutor position after a judge gave Willis an ultimatum in order to continue the Trump prosecution: resign or remove Wade from his post. During a Georgia Senate hearing as part of lawmakers’ investigation into Willis’ office, attorney Ashleigh Merchant testified that cellphone data she acquired shows Nathan Wade making 1 a.m. trips to Willis’ private home prior to his hiring. AFTER JUDGE’S SCOLDING FOR PLAYING ‘RACE CARD,’ FANI WILLIS SAYS SHE’LL ‘TALK ABOUT IT ANYWAY’ Wade is also facing an ethics complaint filed with the Georgia state bar alleging that he had lied under oath on more than one occasion. When asked on an interrogatory to “describe each instance in which you have had sexual relations with a person other than your spouse during the course of the marriage,” he said, “None.” Wade testified that his marriage “was irretrievably broken in 2015” but that he and his wife had agreed to delay a divorce for the sake of their children. “First it is simply not credible that Mr. Wade did not know that he had sexual relations with Ms. Willis when he replied to the interrogatories above in his divorce case. Put simply, it is clear Mr. Wade knew that he had had sex with Ms. Willis, and he knew that at the time he was still married, and he simply lied in the interrogatories,” the complaint states. Fox News Digital has reached out to Nathan Wade for comment.
Texas National Guard member charged with human smuggling after high-speed chase near the border
Authorities said the 26-year-old turned around at a Border Patrol checkpoint and fled from police in Kinney County.