Who were Sqn Ldr Anuj, Flt Lt Purvesh Duragkar? IAF SU-30 aircraft pilots fatally injured after it goes missing, later crashes in Assam’s Jorhat
An Indian Air Force (IAF) Sukhoi-30MKI fighter jet crashes at Inglong Ekopi Hill in Bokajan Sub Division of the Karbi Anglong district in Assam. The aircraft was on a routine training mission, which went missing and was later confirmed crashed approximately 60 km from Jorhat Air Base.
Paxton says he’d consider dropping out of Senate runoff if Republicans pass voter ID bill
President Donald Trump, who was neutral in the first round, said he would endorse “soon” in the runoff between Paxton and GOP incumbent John Cornyn and would expect the candidate he did not endorse to drop out.
Speaker Mike Johnson and House leadership ask Tony Gonzales to drop reelection bid
The call from party leadership in Congress arrived a day after the San Antonio congressman admitted to the affair for the first time.
Mayes Middleton, Chip Roy advance to runoff for GOP attorney general nomination
With a self-funded ad surge, Middleton overcame Roy’s initial frontrunner status, taking a commanding lead but falling short of the majority needed to win outright.
Wichita Falls ISD avoids state takeover, will keep its elected school board
The threat of a Texas Education Agency takeover was triggered by one of the North Texas district’s schools that had been underperforming for years.
Legal fight over SpaceX beach closures hits Texas Supreme Court
The justices are considering the constitutionality of a 2013 law in a lawsuit brought by environmentalist and indigenous groups against the General Land Office and Cameron County.
Rep. Tony Gonzales drops reelection bid amid pressure over affair scandal
The San Antonio Republican was pushed into a runoff in the primary for his border district. Speaker Mike Johnson and other GOP members had called on him to exit the race.
Rep. Tony Gonzales announces he will not seek re-election amid House Ethics investigation into affair
Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, announced Thursday evening he will not seek re-election amid a House Ethics investigation into an affair he admitted to having with a former staffer. Gonzales, a married father of 6, admitted to the affair for the first time on Wednesday – a day after advancing to the GOP primary runoff for his congressional district. “At 18, I swore an oath to defend our nation against all enemies, foreign and domestic. During my 20 years in the military and three terms in Congress, I have fought for that cause with absolute dedication to the country that I love,” Gonzales said in a statement. “From overcoming the border crisis to taking a stand with my communities after the worst school shooting in Texas’ history, my philosophy has never changed: do as much as you can, and always fight for the greater good,” he continued. MIKE JOHNSON ASKS EMBATTLED HOUSE REPUBLICAN TONY GONZALES TO DROP RE-ELECTION BID “After deep reflection and with the support of my loving family, I have decided not to seek re-election while serving out the rest of this Congress with the same commitment I’ve always had to my district,” he added. “Through the rest of my term, I will continue fighting for my constituents, for whom I am eternally grateful. Gonzales confessed to the affair during an appearance on a conservative talk radio show one day after advancing to a runoff election in his congressional district’s GOP primary. The House Ethics Committee also launched an investigation into Gonzales on Wednesday to determine if he engaged in sexual misconduct with a female member of his staff and whether he doled out special favors or privileges as a result.
DOJ continues Biden autopen probe despite former president unlikely to face charges
The Department of Justice (DOJ) is continuing its investigation into former President Joe Biden’s use of an autopen in the final months of his administration — focusing on pardons and commutations — though a senior official said Biden is unlikely to face criminal exposure. A senior DOJ official told Fox News the autopen investigation is ongoing and not closed, adding investigators are reviewing clemency actions taken in the final months of the Biden administration. The official also pointed out, however, that the use of an autopen by a sitting president is “established law.” The issue under review is whether the autopen was used in violation of the law, specifically, whether Biden personally approved each name included on pardon and commutation lists. TOP BIDEN OFFICIALS QUESTIONED AND CRITICIZED HOW HIS TEAM ISSUED PARDONS, USED AUTOPEN: REPORT “These types of cases are tough. Executive privilege issues come into play,” the official said. What is also clear, the official indicated, is that the target of any potential prosecution would not likely be Biden. “It’s hard to imagine how [Biden] could be criminally liable for pardon power,” the senior DOJ official said. BIDEN’S AUTOPEN PARDONS DISTURBED DOJ BRASS, DOCS SHOW, RAISING QUESTIONS WHETHER THEY ARE LEGALLY BINDING The official noted that one reason the former president would be unlikely to face charges stems from a 2024 Supreme Court ruling that originally involved current President Donald Trump but would also apply to Biden. “We conclude that under our constitutional structure of separated powers, the nature of Presidential power requires that a former President have some immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts during his tenure in office,” the Supreme Court ruled in Trump v. United States in 2024. “At least with respect to the President’s exercise of his core constitutional powers, this immunity must be absolute.” Sources familiar with the matter told Fox News Digital that U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s team continues to review the Biden White House’s reliance on an autopen, contradicting a recent New York Times report that indicated the investigation had been paused. DOJ SIGNALS IT’S STILL DIGGING INTO BIDEN AUTOPEN USE DESPITE REPORTS PROBE FIZZLED Trump has pushed for consequences over the autopen controversy, alleging on social media that aides acted unlawfully in its use and raising the prospect of perjury charges against Biden. Biden has rejected those claims, saying in a statement last year he personally directed the decisions in question. “Let me be clear: I made the decisions during my presidency,” Biden said. “I made the decisions about the pardons, executive orders, legislation and proclamations. Any suggestion that I didn’t is ridiculous and false.” The House Oversight Committee has homed in on Biden’s clemency actions, including five controversial pardons for family members in the final days of his presidency, citing what it described as a lack of “contemporaneous documentation” confirming that Biden directly ordered the pardons. The committee asked the DOJ to investigate “all of former President Biden’s executive actions, particularly clemency actions, to assess whether legal action must be taken to void any action that the former president did not, in fact, take himself.” Fox News Digital’s Ashley Oliver contributed to this report.
US restores diplomatic relations with Venezuela amid push for democratic transition
The United States and Venezuela’s interim authorities have agreed to reestablish diplomatic and consular relations, according to a State Department media note issued Thursday. “The United States and Venezuela’s interim authorities have agreed to reestablish diplomatic and consular relations,” the State Department said in a statement released March 5. The State Department said the agreement is intended to “facilitate our joint efforts to promote stability, support economic recovery and advance political reconciliation in Venezuela. “Our engagement is focused on helping the Venezuelan people move forward through a phased process that creates the conditions for a peaceful transition to a democratically elected government.” CIA DIRECTOR WAS IN VENEZUELA TO MEET WITH ACTING PRESIDENT DELCY RODRIGUEZ, OFFICIAL SAYS The announcement confirms the restoration of diplomatic and consular relations between the two governments. The State Department did not specify when embassy operations or visa services may resume. The statement also did not address potential sanctions changes, outline migration or security cooperation measures or provide additional details about diplomatic engagement moving forward. The announcement comes after months of U.S. engagement in Venezuela. MILLIONS LOSE POWER ACROSS CUBA AS TRUMP SANCTIONS CONTINUE TO FUEL ONGOING ENERGY CRISIS U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum traveled to Caracas March 4 and held meetings with Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodríguez during a two-day visit, U.S. and Venezuelan officials said. Burgum discussed opportunities related to mining and critical minerals supply chains and said the Venezuelan interim government had offered security assurances for foreign mining companies seeking to invest in the country. U.S. forces captured former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro Jan. 3 in Caracas. Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, pleaded not guilty two days later in federal court in New York to charges including narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy and weapons-related offenses. Diplomatic and consular relations typically involve government-to-government engagement as well as the operation of embassies and consulates that facilitate visas, citizen services and diplomatic coordination. “The United States remains committed to supporting the Venezuelan people and working with partners across the region to advance stability and prosperity,” the statement said. The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Fox News Digital’s Michael Sinkewicz and Greg Norman-Diamond contributed to this reporting.