Taxi, Auto drivers face 16-question Marathi test in Maharashtra: Check questions, rules and penalties

Drivers are being asked 16 practical questions based on everyday situations, such as speaking to passengers about destinations, fares, routes, meters and CNG stops, instead of a formal language test.
‘Foreign exchange saved, now importing sugar’: Arvind Kejriwal’s dig at Modi Govt

The government has amended the import policy for raw sugar under the Foreign Trade Policy, 2023. It said the import of up to 10 lakh metric tonnes (MT) of raw sugar will be allowed duty-free under a Tariff Rate Quota (TRQ).
Homework row turns tragic: 6-year-old LKG student dies, teacher seen slapping him on CCTV

The exact cause of death is yet to be established, with the post-mortem report awaited. Police are examining the footage and questioning those present as part of the investigation.
Citizenship Act: MHA issues fresh order, excludes Gujarat, Bengal, Punjab, Assam, 4 others

The latest order also rescinds two subsequent MHA orders issued on February 20 and March 2 this year.
Andhra Pradesh MP’s son booked after speeding Aston Martin kills woman in Hyderabad

The accused has been identified as Lingamaneni Sanjush, 21-year-old son of MP Lingamaneni Ramesh, who is from the Jana Sena Party (JSP), which is part of the ruling coalition in the southern state.
East Texas sits on a goldmine of lithium, but questions loom over how the state will regulate mining and production

As the U.S. pushes to reduce reliance on foreign suppliers, Texas companies prepare to capitalize on the state’s emerging lithium industry.
Vice President JD Vance blasts Mamdani, El-Sayed, AOC and Ossoff in rapid-fire TikTok roast

Vice President JD Vance offered an unfiltered assessment Thursday of some of the biggest names in politics in a rapid-fire TikTok, calling Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., a “communist,” Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., “lame” and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani “crazy.” The vice president was asked to describe a succession of Democrats, Trump administration officials and other political figures as their names flashed across a screen, producing a 30-second barrage of answers that ranged from complimentary to cutting. Vance appeared particularly unimpressed with far-left Democrats. He described Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer as “cranky” and Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed as “odd.” AOC CRUISES TO PRIMARY VICTORY AS SPECULATION SWIRLS ABOUT POLITICAL FUTURE But one of Vance’s most dismissive assessments was saved for Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif. “I mean, nothing,” Vance said when Schiff’s name appeared. “Irrelevant.” Vance was considerably more complimentary when members of the Trump administration came across the screen, describing outgoing White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt as “awesome,” deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller as “hardcore” and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles as “tough.” Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was “interesting,” while Vance called Secretary of State Marco Rubio “funny” and House Speaker Mike Johnson “kind.” JD VANCE WINS GRUDGING PRAISE FROM JOY BEHAR ON ‘THE VIEW,’ WHO TELLS HIM TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT One name, however, left the usually sharp vice president unusually short on words. When Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) leader Megan Romer appeared, Vance simply responded, “No comment.” The video then cuts to a SpongeBob-style title card declaring “two minutes later” before returning for Vance’s assessment of Schiff. President Donald Trump received a much warmer review from his second-in-command. CNN PANEL SWOONS OVER JD VANCE’S GLOW-UP, ADMITS MEDIA BLITZ IS ‘IMPRESSIVE’ FOLLOWING ‘THE VIEW’ APPEARANCE “Generous,” Vance said of the president. The video offered a lighter glimpse at Vance’s relationships with figures inside the administration while also giving him an opportunity to take shots at several prominent far-left Democrats and self-described democratic socialists. Fox News Digital reached out to Vance’s office to confirm the identities displayed alongside each response and for additional context on the video. Fox News Digital also reached out to named Democrats and administration officials in the video for comment.
Carville unloads on DSA socialists: ‘Don’t use our god—- name’

Veteran Democratic strategist James Carville did not mince words when he unloaded on his party’s far-left insurgency Thursday. “We get subjugated by some of the more outspoken people who, by the way, [are] not even Democrats,” Carville said during a video news conference. “I wish they’d take the word Democrat out of their name. I have no idea why the democratic socialists — if you hate the Democratic Party so much, well, then don’t use our god—- name. Go think of your own name.” JAMES CARVILLE BLAMES BERNIE SANDERS FOR TRUMP BEING PRESIDENT IN FIERY RANT He was one of several speakers at a media event promoting the Promise To America, a set of principles created in part by two moderate House lawmakers, Reps. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., and Adam Gray, D-Calif., as their party experiences a civil war over its identity and agenda. The Promise To America is about celebrating “capitalism, safety, fiscal responsibility, effective government, common purpose, and patriotism,” according to its website. VULNERABLE DEMOCRAT WARNS PARTY TO ‘FIGHT BACK’ AGAINST GROWING SOCIALIST MOVEMENT It’s the latest bid by moderate and pragmatic members of the left to distance themselves from the socialist wave that’s already toppled several establishment-backed Democrats. The intraparty feud has also become a central campaign talking point for Republicans, who have argued that Democrats will try to push a far-left vision of the country beyond what most Americans want if they win the midterms in November. JOHNSON TURNS DEMOCRATS’ SOCIALIST CIVIL WAR INTO NEW WEAPON FOR MIDTERMS Carville said during the news conference it was “just common sense.” “That’s so often what people are forgetting in politics. And for the life of me, I hope … that we do things like this that are popular, are actually helpful, that can help the country. Who’s not for lower crime? I mean, everybody is, but we just need to restate it,” he said. CARVILLE SAYS ONE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST’S ‘LUNACY OF THE HIGHEST LEVEL’ POLICY COULD HAUNT SWING-STATE DEMS He maintained that “80% of Democrats really want” what the Promise To America is promoting and criticized the far-left for drowning out those moderate voices. But just 10 House Democrats have signed onto the pledge so far, which Republicans have argued is evidence that the far-left is really capturing its party. Out of the litany of Democrats running for the House, just five are signatories. Suozzi argued, however, “We only want 10 members of Congress because we don’t want to make it only about Washington. That’s why we’re going out to the state and local officials.” Those who have not signed on include House Democrats’ senior leaders, who have said little on the socialist insurgency. But Gray and Suozzi dismissed the notion that they were not getting enough support from their leaders when asked by Fox News Digital. “I think the leadership is being very supportive,” Suozzi said of his own experience. “They have a lot to balance. They’ve got the whole country to worry about.” Gray said, “The efforts on the cable news networks and everything else to nationalize our politics all the time, pretend that, you know, somebody in some big city represents all of us is absurd. … It’s a distraction, this idea that somehow some leader somewhere is supposed to win my district.”
Bodycam video shows Oklahoma secretary of state’s arrest outside McDonald’s on public intoxication allegation

Newly released police bodycam video obtained by Fox News Digital shows Oklahoma Secretary of State Benjamin Lepak’s encounter with police outside a McDonald’s before officers arrested him on suspicion of public intoxication. Lepak was arrested Friday night in Edmond after police responded around 10:45 p.m. to a report of a man who appeared to be drunk in public, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by Fox News Digital. Officers found Lepak standing near the restaurant’s drive-thru window and saw his vehicle in the parking lot, according to the affidavit. Lepak reportedly confirmed the vehicle belonged to him. According to the arrest affidavit, an officer said Lepak had “extremely slurred speech” and an “odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from his breath.” The officer also said Lepak struggled to remove his identification from his wallet. NEVADA GOVERNOR NAME-DROPS DURING TRAFFIC STOP AND AVOIDS RED-LIGHT CITATION Body camera video obtained by Fox News Digital shows officers questioning Lepak about where he had been, how much alcohol he had consumed and how he arrived at the McDonald’s. Lepak told officers he had attended a gathering with other fathers at a church earlier in the evening, according to the video. As officers continued questioning him, Lepak disputed that he was unsteady on his feet. Police allege Lepak was unable to maintain a “coherent train of thought” during the encounter, according to the affidavit. Lepak acknowledged to drinking beer while speaking with officers. “I had a beer … that’s it,” Lepak said, according to the affidavit. He later said he had consumed less than one beer because he did not finish it. BODYCAM SHOWS NANTUCKET OFFICIAL SLURRING, SWAYING DURING DUI STOP AFTER CRASHING INTO SIGN: POLICE Police allege Lepak also gave contradictory statements about whether he drove to the McDonald’s and how he arrived there, according to the affidavit. Officers ultimately placed Lepak under arrest on suspicion of public intoxication. A spokesperson for Lepak told Fox News Digital he was waiting outside the restaurant for his dinner and noted that police did not administer a breathalyzer test. “Mr. Lepak was waiting outside McDonald’s for dinner. He was not given a Breathalyzer test,” the spokesperson said. “Mr. Lepak will address the ticket appropriately through the legal process.” The arrest prompted Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond to call on Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt to fire Lepak. OKLAHOMA STATE AGENCY FIRES STAFF ATTORNEY AFTER ANTI-ICE SOCIAL MEDIA TIRADE “After reviewing footage from law enforcement body cameras, it is clear that Secretary of State Ben Lepak was thoroughly inebriated and very likely lied to law enforcement about how much he had to drink and how he and his car both arrived at the same place without him driving it,” Drummond said in a news release. “This conduct is thoroughly unbecoming of a such a high-ranking state official, and I am demanding that Gov. Stitt fire him immediately.” Drummond also criticized Stitt for appointing Lepak. “Given the fact that Mr. Lepak had been arrested just a few years ago after being found unconscious in a running vehicle, Gov. Stitt should have known better than to elevate him to such a senior leadership position,” he added. “Gov. Stitt has made countless errors in judgment like this during his tenure in office, including most recently when he intervened to help a campaign donor avoid further jail time. “He cannot undo those past mistakes, but he can help our state avoid further embarrassment by firing Mr. Lepak immediately.” FLORIDA MAYOR SAYS SHE ‘DID NOT RESIST’ ARREST OVER ALLEGED PROBATION VIOLATION FROM DUI CASE Stitt appointed Lepak to serve as Oklahoma secretary of state in October 2025. Lepak previously served as the governor’s general counsel and as executive director of the State Chamber Research Foundation.
Obama strategist turns on rising Dem star over viral Trump attack: ‘Gratuitous and unnecessary’

A top Democratic strategist from the Obama White House contended that Sen. Jon Ossoff’s latest shot at President Donald Trump was “gratuitous and unnecessary.” The Georgia Democrat, who has expanded his profile throughout his re-election campaign during this midterm cycle to new heights that have him in the conversation for the 2028 presidential race, recently went viral for his remarks while on the trail, where he went after Trump. Ossoff was blasting Trump for the war in Iran and the record-breaking deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Middle East when the lawmaker pivoted to a new foe: the president’s executive assistant, Natalie Harp. FOX NEWS POLL: AN EARLY LOOK AT THE GEORGIA SENATE RACE “While the sailors on the Lincoln fight his war, while he fruitlessly drains our munitions and oil reserves, the president sleeps through his meetings. He golfs and trades stocks,” Ossoff said. “So, he doesn’t want to do the job. He wants to build his ballroom and travel with Natalie on their apparently defenseless flying palace gifted by the Emir of Qatar.” The comment received strong pushback from Trump, his allies and family and Ossoff’s opponent, Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga. But it also drew the ire of a major figure in the Democratic Party: David Axelrod, who was a key player in getting former President Barack Obama elected for two terms and served as his senior advisor. While Axelrod applauded Ossoff’s previous “eloquent or incisive” attacks against Trump, he warned that mentioning Harp may not have been warranted. JON OSSOFF DODGES ON WHY HE INVOKED TRUMP AIDE’S NAME DURING GEORGIA CAMPAIGN RALLY “The paragraph from his weekend speech that has gotten so much attention was a brutal takedown,” Axelrod said on X. “But two words in it, ‘with Natalie,’ seemed gratuitous and unnecessary.” He contended the Ossoff campaign likely “juiced the virality” of the clip, which so far has over 6 million views on X, and that it “probably thrilled some in the base, who figured it was just giving Trump a taste of his own nasty medicine.” “But they distracted and detracted from the power of the message,” Axelrod contended. CNN FIRES BACK AT TRUMP WHITE HOUSE OVER ATTACKS ON REPORTER, CALLS THEM ‘BENEATH THE OFFICE’ And Collins agreed with Axelrod, to a degree, in a statement to Fox News Digital. “It’s disgusting that he would attack a young female staffer just to score cheap political points with his radical activist base,” Collins said. “It’s unbecoming of a U.S. senator, and the fact prominent Democrats are starting to call him out just proves it.” But other notable Democratic social media figures disagreed, like Joanne Carducci, better known as Jojofromjerz online, who countered that Axelrod was “100% wrong” and called Ossoff’s callout of Harp “genius.” “The political world has changed since you were a player in it, and if we continue to operate under the antiquated rules of the past, we’ll keep losing,” she said on X. And Ossoff is reveling in the White House’s response, too, which included Trump calling him a “Pee-wee Herman look-alike,” while defending the construction of the ballroom at the White House, which has been scrutinized by both sides of the aisle in the Senate. During an appearance on MS NOW, Ossoff countered, “No one cares about their feelings.” “It’s been amazing to watch this White House melt down over this all week,” Ossoff said. “And about Natalie Harp, these White House staffers are adults, public officials paid by the taxpayers with immense power in positions of public trust.”