West Bengal Election 2026: Babri Masjid fame Humayun Kabir threatens Mamata Banerjee, to move court| Watch ‘sting video’
His statement comes after the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) withdrew its alliance with Kabir’s party. When questioned about AIMIM’s move, Kabir declined to comment and said reporters should seek answers from AIMIM.
Kumbh viral girl Monalisa a minor? Investigation finds fraud case, police files POCSO against husband Farman
The Khargone Police in Madhya Pradesh has filed a POCSO case against her husband, Farman. This happened after a police investigation confirmed that she is a minor.
Texas’ highest criminal court overturns sentence of inmate who has been on death row for 47 years
Clarence Curtis Jordan’s attorney said the intellectually disabled man didn’t have a lawyer to work on his behalf for nearly four decades.
Here’s how to cast a ballot in Texas’ May 2 local elections
In-person early voting is April 20 and April 22-28. The last day to apply to cast a ballot by mail is April 20. Read more about who qualifies for that option, which is limited in Texas, in our guide.
Texas’ SNAP ban on sodas, candies troubles diabetics and hypoglycemics
Some Texans on SNAP say the ban on using food stamps to buy sugary drinks and candy prevents quick fixes to low blood sugar conditions.
WATCH: America250 backdrop topples near Shapiro, Revolutionary War reenactors
A hefty backdrop sign toppled toward Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Benjamin Franklin reenactor and a woman portraying Betsy Ross on Thursday as the governor unveiled headliners for the “Commonwealth Concert Series” in anticipation of the nation’s semiquincentennial. Shapiro, Franklin and Ross announced five free, star-studded concerts would take place around the commonwealth leading up to America’s 250th birthday on July 4 – at a cost of $675,000 from Pennsylvania’s Marketing to Attract Marquis Events program. As Shapiro joked that state Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, D-Wilkes-Barre, would be a good singer for a concert in that city, he pivoted to announcing the finale of the series. “Then on June 27th, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at the newly refurbished, refashioned, redone Point State Park,” he boomed, before being interrupted by a crashing sound as the large “America250PA” backdrop fell forward, nearly clipping him, Ross and Franklin. $20M ‘ONE SMALL STEP’ CAMPAIGN AIMS TO REBUILD AMERICAN PRIDE AHEAD OF 250TH ANNIVERSARY “You all right, Doctor Franklin?” Shapiro asked. “I feel like Sandra Day O’Connor,” Franklin replied – referencing a near-catastrophic incident in 2003 in Philadelphia as the Reagan-appointed Supreme Court justice was announcing the opening of the Constitution Center on Independence Mall. At that event, Day O’Connor counted down to the pulling of ribbons to unveil the center, and when her count hit zero, a large horizontal beam crashed down within inches of her head. WASHINGTON MONUMENT TO BECOME ‘BIRTHDAY CANDLE’ AS US MARKS START OF 250TH YEAR Shapiro announced several acts including Lady A (formerly Lady Antebellum), The Fray, Cole Swindell and Gabby Barrett, before the sign crashed down. After ensuring all on the dais were unharmed Thursday, Shapiro finished his announcement, saying that Third Eye Blind would headline that final concert at the park – which is at the “point” confluence of the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio Rivers. “I don’t know if you saw this the other day, we redid the fountain there. Austin Davis, the great lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania, y’all should give them a little grief for this. He turned that fountain on so high, he soaked himself and every other guest who was there that day,” Shapiro quipped. “Third Eye Blind and Nelly, that’s going to be a good one.”
Navy scraps Biden-era submarine contract as overhaul costs surge toward $3B
The Navy is canceling a long-delayed overhaul of the USS Boise after costs ballooned to nearly $3 billion, with Secretary of the Navy John Phelan saying the submarine no longer made financial or strategic sense to repair. In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Phelan said the Los Angeles-class attack submarine had already consumed roughly $800 million and would require another $1.9 billion to complete — despite offering only about 20% of its remaining service life. Instead, the Navy plans to redirect funding and skilled labor toward building and delivering newer Virginia- and Columbia-class submarines, part of a broader push to accelerate ship production and overhaul troubled acquisition programs. “At some point, you just cut your losses and move on,” Phelan said. The Navy originally awarded a roughly $1.2 billion contract in 2024 under the Biden administration to overhaul the submarine, nearly a decade after it was first slated for repairs, but updated estimates later showed the total cost to complete the work had surged far beyond initial projections. “The Boise has been pier-side since 2015, cost nearly $800 million already, and it’s only 22% complete — the math really does not work,” he added. TRUMP UNVEILS MARITIME ACTION PLAN AS CHINA DOMINATES GLOBAL SHIPBUILDING The decision comes as the Navy faces mounting pressure to expand and maintain its fleet amid growing competition with China, which has built the world’s largest navy by number of ships. U.S. officials have increasingly emphasized the need to speed up shipbuilding and submarine production to keep pace with rising global demands. Boise’s problems long predate the canceled contract. The submarine last deployed in 2015 and was slated to begin a routine overhaul the following year, but delays at Navy shipyards left it waiting years for an available dry dock. As maintenance was pushed back, the situation worsened. The submarine lost its full operational certification in 2016 and its ability to dive in 2017, effectively sidelining it from combat operations. Despite being a frontline attack submarine, Boise remained tied up at port for years as the Navy struggled with a growing backlog of repairs across its fleet, driven by limited dry dock space, workforce shortages and competing maintenance priorities. The overhaul originally was planned to begin in 2016 but was repeatedly delayed for nearly a decade before the Navy finally awarded a contract in 2024 — by which point the submarine had already spent years out of service. US TO EXPEDITE NUCLEAR-POWERED SUBS TO AUSTRALIA THAT WILL SIT NEAR CHINA’S DOORSTEP Even after work began, the timeline stretched further, with repairs not expected to be completed until 2029 — meaning the submarine would have spent roughly 15 years inactive by the time it returned to sea. Over time, Boise became one of the clearest examples of the Navy’s broader maintenance and shipyard challenges, frequently cited by lawmakers and defense analysts as a case study in delays, rising costs and declining readiness. Phelan said a key factor in the decision was freeing up scarce shipyard labor and engineering talent currently tied up in the Boise overhaul, which he said could be better used to accelerate construction of newer submarines. “One of our big constraints in our shipyards, particularly in submarine building, is labor and engineering talent,” Phelan said. “We have a lot of that dedicated to this, which we could free up and put onto the Virginia-class submarine or Columbia and try to shift the schedule left on those.” He argued the overhaul no longer made sense from a return-on-investment perspective, comparing the cost of repairing the aging submarine to building a new one. “The Boise represents 65% of the cost of a new Virginia-class submarine, yet it only delivers 20% of the remaining service life,” Phelan said, adding that equates to roughly three deployments. The Boise, commissioned in 1992, is a Cold War-era attack submarine designed primarily for open-ocean combat, while newer Virginia-class submarines are quieter, more versatile and better suited for modern missions, including intelligence gathering, special operations and operating in contested coastal environments. “Is it time we just simply pull the plug on that one?” Sen. Mike Rounds, R-N.D., asked during a confirmation hearing in June 2025. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle called the situation “an unacceptable story” and “like a dagger in the heart” for the submarine force. No public criticism immediately surfaced after the decision was announced Friday. Phelan described the program’s failure as the result of multiple factors over more than a decade, including engineering challenges, shifting priorities and strain on the Navy’s industrial base. “I can’t point to one thing that killed it,” he said. “I think it was a combination … the complexity of the engineering, COVID impacts, and pressure on the industrial base.” The cancellation is part of a broader effort by Navy leadership to reevaluate underperforming programs and change how the service approaches acquisitions, Phelan said. “We’re reviewing every program,” he said, adding the Navy is pushing for “radical transparency” and a shift away from what he described as a culture of accepting delays and rising costs. Phelan said the decision reflects a broader push to prioritize speed and efficiency in delivering war-fighting capability to the fleet. “We need to be more disciplined and move out faster,” he said. “The president wants things yesterday.”
Harris, Buttigieg, other Dem hopefuls court key Black leaders at Sharpton convention
It’s only 2026, but the first major cattle call of potential Democratic presidential contenders in the 2028 White House race is underway. Eight Democrats who may launch presidential campaigns are speaking in New York City at the National Action Network’s 35th Anniversary Convention. The gathering, hosted by the civil rights organization’s founder, the Rev. Al Sharpton, gives White House hopefuls an opportunity to speak directly to an influential group of Black leaders and activists who are key players in the Democratic Party’s base. Govs. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, JB Pritzker of Illinois and Wes Moore of Maryland, along with Rep. Ro Khanna of California, spoke over the past two days, while Gov. Andy Beshear of Kentucky and Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona are scheduled to appear Saturday. KAMALA HARRIS’ TRAVELS AND COMMENTS CLEARLY POINT TO 2028 On Friday, two veterans of former President Joe Biden’s administration are in the spotlight: former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and the convention’s biggest draw, former Vice President Kamala Harris. Harris, in front of a very friendly crowd, was interrupted by chants of “run again.” Asked by Sharpton if she would seek the presidency again, Harris answered, I might. I might. I’m thinking about it….I’ll keep you posted.” The preseason moves in the next race for the Democratic presidential nomination have been underway for a year, with the potential contenders making stops in the early voting nominating states, such as New Hampshire, South Carolina, Nevada and Iowa, as well as in other key electoral battlegrounds. The showdown for the 2028 Democratic nomination is expected to draw a crowded and competitive field. “We have a pretty good bench. In fact, you’ve invited so many of them to come right here, they’ve been on this stage, or they’re going to be,” Pritzker told Sharpton on Thursday. HARRIS, NEWSOM, STIR 2028 SPECULATION AT MAJOR DEMOCRATIC PARTY MEETING Sharpton said earlier this week that when it comes to the potential contenders, he wants to “know what their vision is now, and what they’re doing now. So I’ve invited all of the people that could run.” Black voters have long played a very influential role in Democratic Party presidential politics. Case in point: the 2020 White House race. After fourth and fifth place finishes in the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary, a battered and bruised Joe Biden finished a distant second to Sen. Bernie Sanders in the Nevada caucuses. 21 DEMOCRATS WHO MAY RUN FOR THE WHITE HOUSE IN 2028 But a major backing from Black voters fueled Biden’s landslide victory in the next contest, the South Carolina primary, which launched him towards the Democratic nomination and eventually the White House. The Republican National Committee (RNC) is giving thumbs down to the White House hopefuls appearing at Sharpton’s confab. “Democrats are kicking off the 2028 primary by parading Kamala Harris and a roster of failed governors trying to outrun their own records,” RNC national press secretary Kiersten Pels told Fox News. Fox News’ Alexis McAdams contributed to this report
Dems dodge on Trump removal as party weighs 25th Amendment move
House Democrats are weighing a long-shot scenario to remove President Donald Trump using the 25th Amendment but are declining to say whether they’ll act before the November midterm elections. House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin, D-Md., will brief congressional Democrats Friday afternoon on the constitutional mechanism that would rely heavily on Trump’s Cabinet agreeing to push him out of office. The 25th Amendment has never been used before to involuntarily remove a president and is effectively moot without widespread Republican buy-in. But a bevy of House Democrats have embraced that scenario following the president’s escalating conflict with Iran. “Donald Trump’s deranged threat to destroy ‘a whole civilization’ in Iran is a threat to commit war crimes and genocide,” Raskin wrote on social media Tuesday. “Republicans in Congress must prevail upon Vice President Vance, now campaigning for Putin’s puppet Viktor Orban in Hungary, to return to the U.S. and invoke Section 4 of the 25th Amendment.” MASSIE-LED PUSH TO HANDCUFF TRUMP ON IRAN GETS JEFFRIES’ BACKING “The 25th Amendment should be invoked to spare our country and the world from his increasingly unhinged behavior,” Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., a member of the Judiciary Committee, also said Tuesday. Dozens of House Democrats have continued to press for the president’s ouster despite the announcement of a two-week ceasefire. “All options should be on the table,” Rep. Sara Jacobs, D-Calif., said Thursday. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., has offered support for the briefing and ongoing discussions about the president’s removal, saying Democrats are considering a “range of accountability mechanisms.” The lead Democrat, however, has remained ambiguous about his personal views despite signaling that all options remain on the table. That is largely in keeping with Jeffries’ efforts over the past year to keep the focus away from impeachment talk while leaning into policy fights over health care costs, tariffs and immigration enforcement. Fox News Digital reached out to members of House Democratic leadership but did not receive a response before publication. A spokesperson for the House Judiciary Committee declined to comment on the 25th Amendment briefing. LONGTIME TRUMP CRITIC REVEALS WHY SHE THINKS HIS IRAN ACTIONS ARE WRONG, WARNS IT’S A ‘MUCH BIGGER WAR’ Jeffries largely sidestepped a question Thursday regarding why Democrats are having conversations about removing Trump during a news conference in New York City. “We have a responsibility as a separate and co-equal branch of government to defend the American people, and we want to be able to do it in an informed way,” Jeffries said before pivoting to criticizing Republicans over the cost of living. “We’ve ruled nothing out, and we’ve ruled nothing in,” Jeffries told MS NOW when asked about whether he thought the 25th Amendment should be invoked. In both appearances, Jeffries did not acknowledge that Democrats, who are effectively powerless in Washington, lack the numbers to successfully push impeachment or constitutional mechanisms to oust Trump. In the 25th Amendment scenario, the power rests with Vice President JD Vance and Trump’s Cabinet, who would have to agree the president is unfit to serve. Assuming Trump were to challenge that decision, two-thirds of the House and Senate — meaning a significant number of Republicans in Congress — would have to vote in support of that judgment. At present, Democrats also have a math problem when it comes to impeachment and conviction, which requires a two-thirds majority in the Senate. Congressional Democrats failed twice to convict Trump in his first term.
Biden-era illegal immigrant convicted of groping teen girls as critics blast Soros-backed prosecutor
Israel Flores Ortiz, an 18-year-old illegal immigrant accused of groping more than a dozen high-school girls in Fairfax County, Virginia, was found guilty on nine counts Thursday. The guilty verdict came after critics of Soros-funded Democratic Commonwealth Attorney Steve Descano accused him of flubbing the case by not subpoenaing witnesses until the day before. After an all-day hearing in which a dozen victims testified, a judge found Flores Ortiz guilty of nine misdemeanor counts of assault and battery and not guilty of three other counts, reported local outlet WUSA9. One charge was thrown out by the judge, according to WJLA reporter Nick Minock. Flores Ortiz, 18, was facing 13 counts of assault and battery for allegedly inappropriately touching female classmates at a Fairfax County, Virginia, school, according to police. Flores Ortiz is an illegal immigrant from El Salvador who was released into the U.S. under the Biden administration in 2024, according to the Department of Homeland Security. He was attending 11th grade. ‘VIRGINIA FATHER’ CHARGED WITH MURDERING INFANT DAUGHTER IS ILLEGAL ALIEN, SAYS DHS Local police were alerted March 5 by Fairfax High School about reports of multiple assaults on campus. An arrest warrant was issued, and Flores Ortiz turned himself in March 7. His sentencing is set for April 21. During the hearing, Sean Kennedy, president of Virginians for Safe Communities, accused Descano of intentional “incompetence” and of reducing the charges so that it would be harder to deport Flores Ortiz. Descano’s entry into political office was propelled by a massive $627,653 donation from the Soros family’s Justice and Public Safety PAC which made up roughly 70 percent of his 2019 campaign budget. “DESCANO DOES IT AGAIN(,) Fairfax HS illegal alien groping case collapsing TODAY because FFX Soros DA Steve Descano only subpoenaed victims & witnesses yesterday!” Kennedy wrote on X Thursday. “This IS NOT incompetence—it’s intentional.” A spokesperson for Descano’s office called Kennedy’s claims “blatantly untrue” and clarified that charges are set by a magistrate, not the commonwealth attorney. She also said that subpoenas were sent weeks in advance with “some additional subpoenas” being sent closer to the trial. After the hearing, Kennedy, who was present in court during the hearing, told Fox News Digital that Descano’s office “deserves no credit for this verdict — a Pyrrhic victory as it is.” “First, Descano undercharged the illegal alien groper with simple assault and battery instead of sexual battery which would have entailed registering as a sex offender or the more serious charge of aggravated sexual battery carrying a felony sentence of 20 years,” he said. “Then, Descano sought to release the offender on bail which the judge rightly rejected. Next, prosecutors sent out the witness and victims subpoenas only the day before — imperiling the case altogether.” Despite this, he credited the guilty verdict to the victims, saying, “the girls showed up in force and forced Descano to try the case.” “Disgustingly, Descano’s chief deputy diminished Flores Ortiz’s sexual assaults as ‘grabbing butts’ in her opening statement supposedly advocating on behalf of victims after having tried to block the media from covering the case,” he said. “This victory belongs entirely to the courageous and relentless victims who got themselves a modicum of justice.” “Fortunately,” he concluded, “despite the likely light sentence Flores Ortiz will get ICE will provide him with free transportation home to El Salvador.” WATCH: ICE IMPERSONATOR BRUTALLY BEATEN BY STREET MOB, DHS SAYS MAN NOT ASSOCIATED WITH AGENCY In response, Descano told Fox News Digital, “Today, my office went to trial on all 13 assault charges, giving each victim the opportunity to share their experiences with the court. After listening to the testimony and reviewing other evidence, the judge ultimately convicted the defendant of nine of those charges.” Descano shared, “I was concerned when I learned of the defendant’s pattern of assault against minors in school – a place where all children should feel safe.” He added, “I’d like to extend my appreciation to all the victims for their bravery in sharing their testimony publicly, which is always a daunting task, but was made even more so in the face of the significant attention on this case.” Additionally, Laura Birnbaum, a spokesperson for Descano’s office, dismissed Kennedy as “a political hack who regularly lies about Fairfax cases.” Birnbaum added that, “Each of the claims here are blatantly untrue.” She clarified that charges in Virginia are set by a magistrate, saying, “Our office was not involved in determining them” and “any claims that we downplayed the facts reflect a lack of understanding of the Virginia legal system.” Birnbaum further stated that prosecutors “have never requested to release” Flores Ortiz and that the case “was never ‘in peril.’” According to Birnbaum, subpoenas were sent weeks ago, while “some additional subpoenas were sent closer to trial, and all of the people who received them came to court.” She asserted that “It’s clear that Sean Kennedy will find any excuse to criticize our office, including making up facts when the facts don’t fit his narrative.” This comes as Fairfax County, Virginia’s most populous county and a major suburb of Washington, D.C., is facing increased national scrutiny for a spate of crimes and violence by criminal illegal immigrants. The Trump administration has appealed to the county’s Democratic leadership, as well as new Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger, to not release illegal immigrants being charged with serious crimes. During the hearing, the Department of Homeland Security revealed that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers were prepared to arrest Flores Ortiz for deportation if he was released Thursday. “If Fairfax County’s sanctuary politicians choose to release this predator back into our communities, (ICE) stands ready to take him into custody and deport this sexual deviant,” DHS posted on X. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said a detainer has been filed and that he could face removal from the country. CHILD OF CHINESE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS CHARGED WITH PLANTING EXPLOSIVE AT US MILITARY BASE Virginia parents expressed disgust, frustration and fear about Fairfax High School’s handling