Punjab to witness blackout mock drills on April 24; Know why
The Ministry of Home Affairs has ordered a blackout mock drill to be held in various areas of Ludhiana and Amritsar in Punjab on April 24, Friday, at 8 pm. The drill is being carried out to assess the preparedness of Civil Defence.
Mallikarjun Kharge gets ECI notice over ‘terrorist’ remark on PM Modi: ‘Highly objectionable, dehumanising’
The ECI described the language used by Kharge as “intemperate and highly objectionable”, noting that such dehumanising labels undermine the dignity of democratic institutions. The Congress chief has been granted a strict window of 24 hours to clarify his stance.
West Bengal elections 2026: It’s TMC vs BJP as 152 seats head to polls today in Phase-1
With more than 3.22 crore electors eligible to cast their votes, the day marks the beginning of a decisive chapter in the contest between the incumbent Trinamool Congress (TMC) and a resurgent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Who is Rahul Meena? Ex-househelp-turned-murderer, who strangled IRS officer’s daughter to death, CCTV footage emerges, How did he entered the house?
A 23-year-old man was arrested from a hotel in Delhi’s Dwarka, after senior IRS officer’s daughter was found murdered at her residence in Amar Colony, South East Delhi. How did he bypassed security and entered the house?
UP’s Mirzapur accident: 4 children among 9 people burn alive in deadly multi-vehicle collision; 2 others die; details here
The collision occurred as the truck’s brakes failed, the car was trapped between two trucks, while another vehicle caught fire after being hit. Details here
West Bengal Election 2026: Rahul Gandhi to storm Bengal with 3 rallies day after police denial
Congress has secured permission for Rahul Gandhi to hold three rallies in West Bengal, a day after police denied clearance for his planned April 23 appearances. Details here
Texas Republican candidate suspended by Kalshi for betting on his own election
Zeke Enriquez, who ran in the GOP primary for Texas’ 21st Congressional District, was fined and barred from the prediction market platform for five years. Two candidates in other states were suspended for the same offense.
Manhattan DA’s office employee charged with sexual abuse after alleged incident on Queens subway
An analyst with the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office was arrested Tuesday on allegations that he sexually abused a woman while off duty, police told Fox News Digital Wednesday. Tauhid Dewan, 28, is accused of inappropriately touching a 40-year-old woman’s private area during a late-afternoon rush-hour subway ride in Queens, according to local outlet PIX11. The victim was reportedly a random woman, the outlet added, citing sources who said she and the suspect were strangers. A spokeswoman for the office told Fox News Digital that the staffer has since been suspended. MAN ARRESTED IN NYC STRANGULATION DEATH OF WOMAN FOUND OUTSIDE TIMES SQUARE HOTEL According to the New York Police Department, Dewan was arrested around 5 p.m., possibly after returning from work. PIX11 added that the arrest occurred minutes after the incident, which allegedly took place on a No. 7 train near the Junction Boulevard station. He was subsequently arrested by the NYPD Transit Bureau and is facing multiple charges, including forcible touching on a bus or train, third-degree sexual abuse, and second-degree harassment involving physical contact. He was also charged with acting in a manner injurious to a child under the age of 17, suggesting a minor may have been nearby and either witnessed the alleged conduct or was placed at risk by it. ERIC SWALWELL FACES MANHATTAN SEX ASSAULT PROBE AFTER ENDING CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR CAMPAIGN AMID ALLEGATIONS Law enforcement sources said Dewan has no prior arrests, local outlets reported. According to city records, Dewan has worked at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office as a senior investigative analyst for nearly four years, since July 10, 2022. His arraignment in Queens Criminal Court was scheduled for Wednesday, according to state records.
Senate GOP launches all-night vote-a-rama to fund ICE, Border Patrol through end of Trump’s term
Senate Republicans are inching closer to funding federal immigration operations for years to come, but first they have to plow through a marathon of votes Democrats plan to weaponize against them. The Senate officially launched a “vote-a-rama” for Republicans’ budget resolution, the blueprint guiding the GOP’s push to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol for the remainder of President Donald Trump’s presidency. But, first, lawmakers must grind through amendment after amendment from Senate Democrats — and some Republicans — before voting to adopt the resolution. SENATE GOP BLOCKS FIFTH DEM BID TO END TRUMP’S IRAN WAR AS DIVISIONS GROW Some Republicans unhappy with the limited scope of the GOP’s latest budget reconciliation push have vowed to force votes on amendments addressing economic issues and a provision set to expire in July that prohibits Medicaid funding from going to abortion providers. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said he would not block amendments from his own party from reaching the floor. “We’ll see what our colleagues come up with, but we’re talking to them and their offices about strategy and the best way to move forward in order to ultimately succeed — and that is to get it passed in both houses and signed [into law],” Thune said. SENATE REPUBLICANS UNVEIL IMMIGRATION FUNDING PLAN WITH $140 BILLION PRICE TAG AS DIVISIONS SIMMER But Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and his caucus intend to use the opportunity to attack Republicans on several issues, including the war in Iran, affordability and other concerns tied to Trump’s agenda. Schumer said Democrats plan to “show the contrast” between the parties over Republicans’ reconciliation plans, which they intend to use to inject tens of billions of dollars into ICE and Border Patrol over the next 3½ years. “We are for reducing costs for the American people — whether it’s housing, healthcare, electric bills, groceries or childcare,” Schumer said Wednesday. “And they are funding a rogue police force that is not even popular with the American people. And we’re going to keep at it.” REPUBLICANS EYE ENDING GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWNS FOREVER OVER FEARS DEMS WILL DO IT AGAIN Senate Democrats have teed up several amendments, including proposals aimed at forcing rebates for small businesses affected by Trump’s tariffs, addressing rising grocery costs and renewing their push to extend the long-expired Obamacare enhanced premium tax credits, a fight from last year that led to the longest full government shutdown in history. Republicans turned to reconciliation after months of avoiding the maneuver after congressional Democrats refused to fund ICE and Customs and Border Protection without stricter immigration enforcement reforms, including warrant requirements and rules requiring agents to remove their masks. Senate Republicans unveiled their budget resolution Tuesday in a bid to meet Trump’s June 1 deadline to have the full package on his desk. The measure directs the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee to each craft legislation providing $70 billion in funding for the agencies. Republicans are ultimately eyeing up to $80 billion for immigration enforcement. Once the vote-a-rama ends and the budget resolution is adopted, it will head to the House. After the House adopts it, Congress will begin the process of crafting a reconciliation package without Democratic input.
Video exposes disrepair lurking beneath Trump Kennedy Center as $257M renovation looms
Peeling concrete, exposed steel rebar, rust-streaked electrical equipment and vents patched together with layers of duct tape are among the problems hidden beneath the Trump Kennedy Center, according to photos, project materials and board minutes obtained by Fox News Digital as officials push to temporarily shut down the building for major repairs. The Trump Kennedy Center released documentation Wednesday of what it described as “decades of deferred maintenance and critical infrastructure needs” as part of a $257 million renovation effort, offering an unusually detailed look at the condition of the venue as leadership pushes forward with the project. The disclosures come as debate intensifies over the plan to close the center for up to two years. While there appears to be broad agreement that the building requires significant repair, some Democrats have objected to the speed of the process. According to March 16 meeting minutes reviewed by Fox News Digital, Democrat Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, said she had “no opposition for the need for repair” but “strongly opposes voting on a closure.” TAXPAYERS ON THE HOOK FOR LAWN CARE, FIXING HINGES AT PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARIES; TRUMP-LED REFORMS AIM TO STOP IT The minutes also say Beatty argued there had not been “enough time to review, study, and discuss” the proposal. The condition of the building is evident in images and video provided by the Trump Kennedy Center, which show water damage affecting electrical systems, rusted infrastructure and large sections of concrete where internal steel supports are exposed. Project materials describe “2,000+ pound soffit panels” that have reached “end-of-life” and “present a public safety risk,” along with “hundreds of structural failure points” in areas such as the parking garage. Officials also cited “extensive water infiltration,” deterioration in electrical rooms beneath entrances and long-term damage affecting the center’s iconic white marble exterior as well as concrete and core structural systems. LEAVITT SHOWS OFF US TRIUMPHAL ARCH, WITH PLANS TO BE RELEASED THURSDAY Officials have warned that, without repairs, deteriorating structural elements, water-damaged electrical systems and heavy overhead components nearing “end-of-life” could pose potential safety risks to visitors and staff. The scope of the problems outlined in the new materials echoes earlier warnings from center leadership. In February, officials told Fox News Digital that decades of neglect had left the building in “extremely poor condition,” citing broken elevators, failing HVAC systems and deferred maintenance needs they warned could threaten the venue’s very survival. “We are financially stable, yet the building is still physically in trouble,” Vice President of Public Relations Roma Daravi said in a previous statement to Fox News Digital. WASHINGTON NATIONAL OPERA TO DEPART TRUMP–KENNEDY CENTER AMID REPORTED FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES Executive Director Matt Floca said the decision to close the center is driven by the scale of the work required. “So, the recommendation was just natural: You shut the building down, temporarily, and you make this investment. And then you reopen,” Floca said. President Donald Trump has also previously argued that closing the building is necessary to complete the work efficiently. “If we don’t close, the quality of construction will not be nearly as good,” Trump said. KENNEDY CENTER DIRECTOR ENCOURAGES REPUBLICAN ATTENDANCE, SAYS ‘EVERYONE IS WELCOME’ Floca said the scope of the repairs is based on long-standing assessments of the building’s condition, not a newly developed plan. “The maintenance needs were all developed previously in a 2021 Comprehensive Building Plan,” he said. Asked how visitors have reacted when seeing the condition of the building up close, Floca said there has been “surprise across the board — ‘How did we get here,’ right?” Tours of the Trump Kennedy Center have been offered on a bipartisan basis to lawmakers, along with donors and other key stakeholders, as officials seek to demonstrate the extent of the damage firsthand. The sessions began earlier this month while Congress was in recess and included staff for a bipartisan group of lawmakers, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, as well as offices representing both parties in the House and Senate and a representative for Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser. WARREN-LED INQUIRY DRAWS NEW DETAILS ON TRUMP BALLROOM DONATIONS FROM MAJOR CORPORATIONS Opponents have also raised concerns about process and oversight, and a lawsuit brought by the National Trust for Historic Preservation has argued that major changes could affect the historic integrity of the building. “We’re maintaining the JFK bust where it is,” Floca told gathered press on Wednesday. “The memorial at large will stay the same. All of the quotes and everything on the marble on the exterior building, none of that’s changing.” The physical deterioration outlined in the renovation plans comes as the center has reported financial gains under current leadership. In December, officials told Fox News Digital the Kennedy Center Honors raised a record $23 million, nearly doubling the previous year’s total. The fundraising gains followed leadership changes that saw Trump take on a more direct role in the institution, including as chairman of its board. Congress has appropriated roughly $257 million for the work through the “One, Big Beautiful Bill” signed into law last year. Renovations are expected to begin after July 4, 2026. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the center,” Floca said Wednesday. “All of these improvements that we need to make are real, are needed. And we have the timeframe to do it. I’m incredibly excited about it.” The Office of Rep. Joyce Beatty did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.