India-Pakistan war: BSF foils major infiltration bid along International Border in J-K’s Samba
Defence sources also said that the Indian Army shot down two Pakistani drones in the Naushera sector of Jammu and Kashmir.
GOP talk on millionaire tax hike ‘makes no sense,’ Trump White House alum says
A former top aide in President Donald Trump’s first administration is arguing that Republicans raising taxes on wealthy Americans “makes no sense.” Marc Short, the former chief of staff to ex-Vice President Mike Pence, was an integral part of negotiations for Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA). He also served in Trump’s first White House as director of legislative affairs from 2017 to 2018. “Raising taxes on America’s highest earners and biggest job creators makes no sense. I don’t understand why there are some inside the current administration who are pushing Congress to raise the top rate, because again, these are America’s job creators,” Short said. “So many small businesses file taxes as individuals. And so you’re actually going to be raising taxes on many small businesses, not just individuals.” SCOOP: REPUBLICANS DISCUSS DEFUNDING ‘BIG ABORTION’ LIKE PLANNED PARENTHOOD IN TRUMP AGENDA BILL Congressional Republicans are working on a massive piece of legislation that Trump has dubbed his “big, beautiful bill,” aimed at advancing his policies on tax, border security, immigration, energy, defense and the national debt. The tax policy portion is expected to be the costliest, and House negotiators are working on identifying a number of areas to cut a total of at least $1.5 trillion to offset the new spending. A source familiar with Trump’s thinking told Fox News Digital he’s considering allowing the rate on individuals making $2.5 million or more to revert from 37% to the pre-2017 39.6%. It will help pay for massive middle- and working-class tax cuts as well as protect Medicaid, the source said. The TCJA lowered the tax rate for the top income bracket — currently $609,350 for single filers — to 37%, a cut that’s expiring at the end of this year. Creating a new, higher tax bracket for people earning significantly more than that would help pay for extending the 2017 tax cuts as well as implementing Trump’s new priorities: eliminating taxes on tips, overtime pay and retirees’ Social Security checks. But Short, who helped get the 2017 package passed, dismissed those new Trump priorities as short-sighted political sweeteners. “I feel like some of the administration’s new requirements are somewhat gimmicky. I’m not sure many Americans who earn their income based on tips are even paying taxes on those tips right now. And I think we should begin to extend that to say no tax on overtime,” he said. Short said those changes would create “a lot of additional hurdles for businesses to comply with.” “I think the no tax on Social Security, it seems like what we’re trying to do is different from 2017, when we passed the Tax Cuts and Job Act,” he said. “We tried to simplify the tax code, make it flatter and fair for all Americans, as opposed to creating carve-outs for certain constituencies.” Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for a response to Short’s remarks. MEET THE TRUMP-PICKED LAWMAKERS GIVING SPEAKER JOHNSON A FULL HOUSE GOP CONFERENCE Some conservative groups like the Heritage Foundation and Americans for Prosperity are also wary of a potential tax hike for the wealthy. Richard Stern, director of the Hermann Center for the Federal Budget at the Heritage Foundation, said the group is opposed to efforts to raise tax rates to 40% or higher. “Congress needs to get its fiscal house in order, but it must do so by tightening its own belt, not by forcing American taxpayers to tighten theirs. A higher top tax rate would be counterproductive, discouraging hard work and entrepreneurship,” Stern said. Americans for Prosperity chief government affairs officer Brent Gardner said in a statement, “Raising taxes on any American should be completely off the table.”
Neeraj Chopra issues big statement amid India-Pakistan war, says ‘let’s do our part and…’
The two-time Olympic medallist and reigning javelin star took to his official X handle to express solidarity with the armed forces and urged citizens to act responsibly during this sensitive time.
State Rep. Dennis Paul announces bid for Texas Senate with backing from Dan Patrick
Paul is the first candidate out of the gate to succeed incumbent Mayes Middleton in an open seat running from Galveston to the outskirts of Houston.
Texas’ measles outbreak is nation’s largest since 2000
The outbreak that originated in Texas has spread into multiple states. And, the summer will be the real test of how much bigger this outbreak can grow.
UCLA medical school hit with class-action lawsuit for allegedly still using race-based admissions process
The University of California, Los Angeles, medical school was hit with a class-action lawsuit on Thursday for reportedly still employing a race-based admissions process despite a 2023 Supreme Court ruling that race-based programs for college admissions are unconstitutional, Fox News Digital has learned. “UCLA’s Geffen School of Medicine has continually treated the Students for Fair Admissions ruling as a recommendation, rather than a binding law handed down by the highest court in the land,” Dr. Stanley Goldfarb, chair of Do No Harm, told Fox News Digital. “Do No Harm is fighting for all the students who have been racially discriminated against by UCLA under the guise of political progress. All medical schools must abide by the law of the land and prioritize merit, not immutable characteristics, in admissions.” Do No Harm, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting against “radical progressive ideology” in the health industry, and nonprofit legal advocacy organization Students for Fair Admissions filed the class-action lawsuit Thursday afternoon on behalf of applicants who allegedly faced “intentional discrimination on the basis of race and ethnicity in the admissions process” at UCLA’s medical school, according to the lawsuit. WATCH: UNEARTHED FOOTAGE EXPOSES MEDICAL SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS PLEDGING TO RESIST TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDERS “The numbers show that UCLA is engaged in intentional racial balancing. Between 2020 and 2023, the percentage of white and Asian applicants to Geffen was consistently around 73% of the total applicant pool. Yet, the percentage of matriculants to Geffen who are white and Asian plummeted: 65.7% in 2020, 57.1% in 2021, 57.8% in 2022, and 53.7% in 2023,” the lawsuit alleges. UCLA’s medical school is highly competitive with an acceptance rate of about 3.3%, according to U.S. News and World Report‘s college rankings. MORE THAN HALF OF AMERICAN HOSPITALS HAVE PLANS TO INCREASE RACIAL DIVERSITY AMONG LEADERSHIP, STUDY SAYS The suit names a bevy of defendants, ranging from the medical school to the governing board of the University of California’s college system to the associate dean of admissions at the medical school. Fox News Digital reached out to UCLA and the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA on Thursday afternoon for comment on the lawsuit but did not immediately receive replies. The suit alleges that the medical school’s admissions process violates the Supreme Court’s ruling in the 2023 case, Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard. The nation’s highest court ruled that it is unconstitutional to use race-based affirmative action programs in college admissions processes as it violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. President Donald Trump additionally signed an executive order on Jan. 21, one day after his inauguration, that restored “merit-based opportunity” and charged federal agencies with enforcing civil rights laws and “combat” DEI practices. AG BONDI LAUNCHES INVESTIGATION INTO DEI ADMISSIONS POLICIES AT STANFORD, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SCHOOLS The lawsuit alleges that whistleblowers “with first-hand knowledge” of the school’s dean of admissions rolled out an admissions process plan that requires Geffen “applicants to submit responses that are intended to allow the Committee to glean the applicant’s race, which the medical school later confirms via interviews.” The admission committee, according to the suit, additionally “routinely and openly discuss race (and racial proxies) and use race as a factor to make admission decisions.” LIBERAL IDEOLOGY ‘QUITE DANGEROUS’ IN HEALTH CARE, DO NO HARM FOUNDER SAYS: ‘POISONS THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE’ The David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA is already facing investigation by the Department of Health and Human Services‘ Office for Civil Rights over allegations it discriminates against applicants on the basis of race, color or national origin. “This investigation reflects the Administration’s commitment to honor the hard work, excellence, and individual achievement of all students in the pipeline for the medical profession – not just those of particular racial backgrounds,” Anthony Archeval, acting director of the Office for Civil Rights at HHS, said in a press release in March announcing the investigation. The HHS investigation was sparked by multiple whistleblowers in the admissions office claiming that the school set lower standards for Black and Latino applicants compared to White and Asian counterparts, the Washington Free Beacon reported this month.
New pope is a ‘Cubs fan,’ says prominent Chicago priest
According to church leaders from the Archdiocese of Chicago, newly elected Pope Leo XIV, the first pope to hail from the United States, has a heart for the poor and is also a Cubs fan. Leo XIV’s election was announced to the entire world on Thursday, marking a historic moment in which a Chicago-born cardinal, Robert Francis Prevost, was chosen as the Catholic Church’s new leader. A member of the Augustinians, a religious order within the Catholic Church, the 69-year-old pontiff was born in Chicago, studied at Villanova University, was ordained a priest in 1982 and was made a cardinal by Pope Francis in 2023. He had been serving as prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Bishops and president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America. ROBERT PREVOST’S JOURNEY FROM CHICAGO TO BECOMING FIRST AMERICAN POPE AS LEO XIV The Chicago archdiocese celebrated the news of the pope’s election in a press conference on Thursday in which they shared some insight into what kind of leader Leo might be. Chicago Auxiliary Bishop Lawrence Sullivan said that “Pope Francis was certainly someone who cared for those who are living on the fringes, who could easily be forgotten. And I strongly suspect that Pope Leo the 14th will do the same thing. He will give voice to the voiceless.” Sullivan said that Leo “brings a wide variety of perspectives,” including “what it means to have been born in Chicago, what it means to have been educated here in the United States, what it means to serve in Peru.” He said that Leo’s former leadership roles at the Vatican mean that he “has a real hands-on knowledge of what it means to serve the poor and to help those who are in need” and that he is “very familiar with the worldwide church.” TRUMP CONGRATULATES POPE LEO XIV, CALLS HIS ELECTION ‘A GREAT HONOR’ FOR THE UNITED STATES Sullivan went on to note that “the people of God are not confined to national boundaries” and that Leo “is not an American at this point. He’s a child of God, and that’s the way that he’s going to lead, taking all people into consideration.” Despite this, Father Gregory Sakowicz, rector of Chicago’s Holy Name Cathedral, said, “You can never deny your roots. So, I’m sure he has a love for Chicago, love for the United States. That’s part of his upbringing.” Smiling, Sakowicz said that “one burning question I have is the fact that the Pope, Leo the 14th, or the cardinal, then Robert Prevost, was born in Chicago on the South Side. Is he a Chicago White Sox fan?” Sakowicz said he did not know whether Leo was a White Sox fan but that he knows that “he’s a Cubs fan.” “I heard he’s a Cubs fan. Well, God bless him, and God bless all the fans,” said Sakowicz.
India-Pakistan War: Delhi Airport issues travel advisory, operations to remain…
In a post on X, the Airport authorities also urged passengers to check with their airlines for the latest updates and rely only on official sources.
Reported Fetterman outburst at meeting reopens questions about Pennsylvania Dem’s fitness for office
An alleged outburst by Sen. John Fetterman is reopening concerns about whether the Pennsylvania Democrat is still fit for office after suffering a stroke several years ago. Fetterman, a 55-year-old Democrat perhaps best known for his distinctive habit of almost always wearing gym shorts and a hoodie, suffered a stroke in 2022 and was later admitted to Walter Reed Hospital for depression for six weeks shortly after taking office. The Associated Press reported this week that during a meeting with teachers’ union members from his state, Fetterman became agitated, began repeating himself, shouting and yelling: “Everybody is mad at me” and “Why does everyone hate me, what did I ever do?” He also reportedly slammed his hands on a desk during the outburst. The outlet reported that Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA) President Aaron Chapin was present at the meeting. Neither PSEA nor Chapin responded to Fox News Digital’s request to confirm or deny the incident. FETTERMAN SLAMS ‘DUMB HIT PIECE’ ABOUT HEALTH, SAYS IT FELT LIKE BEING ‘IN GOODFELLAS’ According to the AP, an aide cut off the meeting, ushered the visitors out and proceeded to break down crying. The outburst came shortly before New York Magazine published a story detailing concerns about his mental health from several current and former staffers. The magazine reported that staffers “paint a picture of an erratic senator who has become almost impossible to work for and whose mental-health situation is more serious and complicated than previously reported.” The article extensively cites testimony from Adam Jentleson, Fetterman’s former chief of staff, who voiced a plethora of concerning behavior, including “conspiratorial thinking; megalomania” and “high highs and low lows; long, rambling, repetitive and self centered monologues; lying in ways that are painfully, awkwardly obvious to everyone in the room.” The article’s author went on to state that many of the staffers are not only worried about his fitness as a senator but also that “he may present a risk to the Democratic Party and maybe even to himself.” LIBERALS WHO RALLIED BEHIND FETTERMAN POST-STROKE IN 2022 TURN ON PRO-ISRAEL SENATOR AFTER NY MAGAZINE REPORT In response to the AP report, Fetterman’s office sent Fox News Digital several comments from the senator in which he neither confirmed nor denied the outburst but instead, said: “Here’s what is true: We had a spirited conversation about our collective frustration with the Trump administration’s cuts to our education system.” The senator said: “As a proud product of PSEA, I will always support our teachers, and I will always reject anyone’s attempt to turn Pennsylvania’s public schools into a voucher program.” In reference to the New York Magazine article, Fetterman dismissed the concerns as “just disgruntled former staffers peddling lies and half-truths under the guise of ‘concern.’” BILL MAHER SAYS WOKE REALITY TV MOMENT EXPLAINS HOW DEMOCRATIC PARTY WILL BLOW NEXT ELECTION Fetterman said that “if those were genuine concerns, they’d pick up the phone and call me, not the press,” adding, “My ACTUAL doctors and my family affirmed that I’m very well.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The senator has previously labeled the magazine’s report “a dumb hit piece,” saying: “We’ve all moved on.”
Trump congratulates Pope Leo XIV, calls his election ‘a great honor’ for the United States
President Donald Trump congratulated the new Pope Leo XIV after he was selected Thursday, noting it is “a great honor” for the United States that an American-born cardinal was selected to be Francis’ successor. “Congratulations to Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who was just named Pope. It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform shortly after white smoke emerged from the Vatican indicating the conclave had come to a decision on who will lead the Catholic Church. “It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope. What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country. I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!” PAPAL CONCLAVE: EVENTUAL NEW POPE’S CHOSEN NAME MAY SIGNAL WHAT’S AHEAD Trump added to reporters at the White House that he was “a little bit surprised” by the selection of Cardinal Prevost, but reiterated multiple times what an honor the selection was for America. “What greater honor could there be?” Trump posited to reporters. He also told them that the administration has already been in touch with the Vatican and expects to have the president visit the new pope in the future. It was not made clear how soon that meeting might take place. Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic convert, also congratulated the new pope on his selection Thursday. NY BISHOP SAYS POPE LEO XIV’S BACKGROUND WILL BE ‘INCREDIBLY BENEFICIAL’ “Congratulations to Leo XIV, the first American Pope, on his election!” Vance said on X. “I’m sure millions of American Catholics and other Christians will pray for his successful work leading the Church. May God bless him!” Pope Leo XIV was born in Chicago and prior to his papal appointment he served as the prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops under Pope Francis, which advises the pope on bishop appointments across the globe. In addition to Prevost, New York City Cardinal Timothy Dolan was also floated as a potential successor to Francis. In his first address, Pope Leo XIV called on Catholics to live as missionaries and stressed that he hopes to be a builder of peace during his papacy. The new pope also asked Catholics to assist him in bringing peace to “all peoples,” and participating in dialogue and “building bridges.”