Biden awkwardly pulls trustee into spotlight and calls him ‘Barack’ at portrait unveiling
Former President Joe Biden raised eyebrows Tuesday at Syracuse University after making an awkward onstage remark comparing a Black member of the school’s Board of Trustees to former President Barack Obama. Biden returned to his alma mater Tuesday to celebrate the unveiling of his portrait, which will be permanently displayed in the law school’s Law Library Reading Room. Video shows Biden speaking at the podium, addressing the law school’s leadership by name before making the awkward joke. “I always want to turn around to one guy and say.. ‘Barack what are you doing?” Biden said as the audience laughed. 2025 LOOKBACK: MEDIA’S CREDIBILITY FRACTURES AGAIN AFTER BIDEN MENTAL DECLINE EXPOSED He then motioned for the man off camera to join him on stage. The man is Jeffrey M. Scruggs, chairman of the school’s Board of Trustees. “I feel like he should be standing on the right and I should be standing on the left,” Biden said as Scruggs and the audience laughed. Commentators on social media debated the moment, with critics remarking that Biden, a well-known gaffe machine, was showing his age. Others defended the president, saying it was clearly a joke. Biden’s following speech was personal and reflective, crediting family, classmates and mentors for his career while recounting how Syracuse Law shaped his belief in using the law to advance dignity, equality and democracy. He discussed his path from law student to public service through moments of national upheaval and personal tragedy, highlighted his late son Beau’s legacy, and described his commitment to “dignity, respect, fairness, equality.” EX-DNC INSIDER REVEALS ‘PUPPET MASTERS’ WHO RAN THE BIDEN WHITE HOUSE In his closing remarks, Biden touched on his legacy and said he hoped he’d be remembered for his fight for democracy. “As I began to build my presidential library and foundation, [I] hope to pass down to future generations a reverence for democracy,” Biden said. “And my classmates and I learned here at Syracuse because whatever, whatever my legacy may be, I hope will be said that I never stopped striving for the cause of democracy.” “And I hope that long after I’m gone on future classes of Syracuse law students see the portrait and the reminder, not of me, but of the greatness and power of our democracy and of their obligation to do their part to preserve, protect, defend our Constitution,” Biden continued. Fox News Digital reached out to the Office of Joe and Jill Biden for comment.
‘He should go’: Senate Dems turned on Swalwell ahead of resignation announcement
News that now-former Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., would abandon his California gubernatorial bid in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations on Sunday didn’t prevent Senate lawmakers on Monday from demanding that the embattled congressman go one step further and resign. “I do,” Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisc., said plainly when asked if Swalwell should step down from the House of Representatives. “Yes,” Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., answered. But even as lawmakers began weighing in, Swalwell said he had decided to yield to the pressure. He announced plans to leave office, even while pushing back on claims of abuse, harassment and even rape. ERIC SWALWELL FACES MANHATTAN SEX ASSAULT PROBE AFTER ENDING CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR CAMPAIGN AMID ALLEGATIONS “I am deeply sorry to my family, staff, and constituents for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past. I will fight the serious, false allegations made against me. However, I must take responsibility and ownership for the mistakes I did make,” Swalwell said in a statement. To Sen. Jeane Shaheen, D-N.H., the deciding pressure point likely came from his district. “I think he must have heard from his constituents and he responded to that,” Sen. Jeane Shaheen, D-N.H., said. Bombshell reporting from CNN and the San Francisco Chronicle last Friday recounted allegations from several women, providing detailed accounts of how Swalwell had pursued intoxicated women, pressured employees into intimate situations and asked for explicit images from female contacts. SWALWELL’S FALL FROM GRACE SPARKS DEMOCRAT RUSH TO RETURN CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS AMID SCRUTINY The story prompted several lawmakers across both chambers to demand Swalwell’s resignation. In the hours ahead of Swalwell’s resignation announcement, senators voiced alarm at the detailed accounts and their sources. “They sound extraordinarily serious and I think — I don’t know Mr. Swalwell, but I do think when you have this many people who know him well, [making accusations] he should go,” Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., said. Ahead of his resignation, Swalwell had faced a potential expulsion resolution, a vote that, if successful, would have stripped him of his seat. Despite his ultimate decision to step away, Swalwell condemned the effort. PELOSI DISTANCES HERSELF FROM ALLY SWALWELL AMID SEXUAL MISCONDUCT ALLEGATIONS “I am aware of efforts to bring an immediate expulsion vote against me and other members. Expelling anyone in Congress without due process, within days of an allegation being made, is wrong. But it’s also wrong for my constituents to have me distracted from my duties. Therefore, I plan to resign my seat in Congress,” Swalwell said. “These accusations are false, fabricated, and deeply offensive — a calculated and transparent political hit job designed to destroy the reputation of a man who has spent twenty years in public service,” Sara Azari, Swalwell’s attorney, wrote on social media Tuesday. “The timing, nature and coordinated rollout of these vile and heinous allegations speak for themselves. California Gov. Gavin Newsom must announce a special election to fill Swalwell’s seat within 14 days, according to California state law. Once announced, the election must be held within 140 days.
Spanberger’s ‘unconstitutional’ push to redefine presidential elections makes voters ‘NULL AND VOID’: critics
One of the Democratic Party’s rising star governors, Abigail Spanberger of Virginia, is being slammed for signing a bill to award the state’s presidential electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote. The bill signed by Spanberger adds Virginia to the National Popular Vote Compact, an interstate agreement between states to award the entirety of their electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote. Virginia Republicans railed against the bill, arguing it makes the state’s votes “NULL AND VOID.” This comes as Spanberger, who was recently selected to deliver the Democrats’ response to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union, has seen her approval ratings plummet. Critics have accused her of abandoning her centrist campaign message to advance far-left policies. Criticisms of Spanberger erupted anew after news broke that Spanberger had approved the bill. The Virginia Republican Party posted on X that “fake Moderate Spanberger just signed a bill to render Virginians’ vote for president NULL AND VOID!” SOROS-BACKED GROUP AMONG LIBERAL ORGS PUMPING EYE-POPPING CASH INTO VIRGINIA GERRYMANDERING EFFORT The GOP said that under the bill, “all of Virginia’s Electoral College votes will go to the winner of the national popular vote — no matter who wins the popular vote in our Commonwealth.” The party called the move “an unconstitutional assault on our democracy.” However, Spanberger won praise from groups that oppose the Electoral College. Stand Up America, a progressive voting rights organization, hailed the move, with Executive Director Christina Harvey calling it “an important step forward for representative democracy.” “Virginia has set another powerful example for other states of how to stand up for representative democracy even as they come under increasing pressure from the Trump administration,” said Harvey, adding, “The presidency should be won by the candidate who receives the most votes nationwide—not just the right combination of battleground states.” She said, “this brings us one step closer to a system where Americans’ votes for President and Vice President count equally, no matter where they live.” The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact operates on a conditional trigger that keeps the law dormant until it can guarantee a victory for the national popular vote winner. While member states pass the legislation individually, the compact only activates when the total electoral weight of all participating states reaches a majority of the Electoral College, at least 270 electoral votes. With Virginia officially joining, the compact currently sits at 222 electoral votes, meaning it remains 48 votes short of the threshold. SPANBERGER DENIES ‘DEAL’ WITH SWING-DISTRICT DEMOCRAT AS GERRYMANDERING CLAIMS ABOUND STATEWIDE Until that 270-vote mark is met, the law has no effect, and member states continue to award their electors based on their own internal state results. National Popular Vote, the organization advancing the compact, also celebrated Virginia being added, saying in a statement that the compact “will guarantee the Presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.” Patrick Rosenstiel, a spokesperson for National Popular Vote, told Fox News Digital he is “grateful” to Spanberger and the Virginia Legislature, saying “their support builds critical momentum for our movement to give 63 percent of American voters what they want, a national popular vote for President.” “With Virginia’s 13 electoral votes, the National Popular Vote Compact is 48 electoral votes short of reaching the 270 required to activate it,” Rosenstiel noted, adding, “We’ll continue our state-by-state work until the candidate who wins the most popular votes is elected president and every voter is treated equally in every presidential election.” The group noted that similar bills have been introduced in Wisconsin, Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Nevada. Under the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, no voter will have their vote cancelled out at the state-level because their choice differed from plurality sentiment in their state. Instead, every voter’s vote will be added directly—without distortion—into the national count for the candidate of their choice. This will ensure that every Virginia voter is relevant in presidential elections moving forward. Spanberger has also recently been accused by former Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin of “illegal and unconstitutional” gerrymandering amid her push to redraw Virginia’s congressional maps. Virginians will vote April 21 on Spanberger’s redistricting referendum, a move that Youngkin said would give Democrats 10 of the state’s 11 congressional seats. Spanberger signed hundreds of bills passed by the majority-Democratic legislature on Monday. She also vetoed a few bills relating to unregulated skill-gaming machines and a proposed Fairfax County casino and sent back dozens with proposed amendments. VIRGINIA DEM ADMITS REDISTRICTING PUSH AIMS TO ‘STOP TRUMP’, NOT ABOUT ‘FAIRNESS’ Among the bills that Spanberger signaled support for with proposed amendments was a slate of new restrictions on gun ownership, including a ban on “assault weapons,” as well as restricting law enforcement from assisting with immigration enforcement. Fox News Digital reached out to Spanberger’s office for comment.
Trump DOJ fires prosecutors tied to FACE Act cases after report alleges bias and misconduct
The Trump administration has fired multiple prosecutors who handled cases that resulted in prison sentences for pro-life activists under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, as the Justice Department moves to overhaul enforcement of the law. The Justice Department confirmed to Fox News Digital that four prosecutors tied to those cases were dismissed, following a CBS News report on the firings. The department’s rapid response account on X said the Justice Department “has terminated the employment of personnel responsible for weaponizing the FACE Act who still remained at the department.” The personnel moves come after the Justice Department released a report Tuesday alleging the Biden administration “weaponized” federal law by selectively prosecuting pro-life activists under the FACE Act, which was designed to protect access to abortion clinics and pregnancy resource centers. BIDEN PUSH TO REVIVE TED KENNEDY-ERA LAW NOW HAUNTS DEMOCRATS AS CHARGES LOOM IN MINNESOTA CHURCH RIOT According to the report, based on a review of more than 700,000 internal records, prosecutors coordinated with abortion-rights groups to identify activists, sought harsher sentences for pro-life defendants and, in some cases, withheld evidence from defense attorneys. “This department will not tolerate a two-tiered system of justice,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement. “No Department should conduct selective prosecution based on beliefs. The weaponization that happened under the Biden Administration will not happen again, as we restore integrity to our prosecutorial system.” The report also alleged prosecutors attempted to screen out jurors based on religious beliefs and, in some cases, pursued aggressive arrest tactics rather than allowing defendants to voluntarily surrender. FINAL CHARGE DROPPED IN YEARSLONG HARRIS-ERA CASE AGAINST PRO-LIFE ACTIVIST For instance, the report cited a case involving pro-life activist Mark Houck in which prosecutors declined a request for him to self-surrender and instead authorized an FBI arrest at his home. Justice Department officials said sentencing recommendations for pro-life defendants averaged 26.8 months in prison, compared to 12.3 months for individuals accused of attacks on pro-life organizations. The report argued FACE Act enforcement under the Biden administration was uneven, with authorities prioritizing cases involving abortion clinics while failing to adequately pursue attacks on pregnancy resource centers and churches. MINNESOTA AG KEITH ELLISON DENIES DON LEMON, ANTI-ICE PROTESTERS VIOLATED FACE ACT AS DOJ MULLS CHARGES Assistant Attorney General Daniel Burrows said the findings raised serious concerns about department attorneys. “The behavior unearthed in this report is shameful,” Burrows said, adding that some prosecutors “withheld evidence” and worked to exclude religious jurors. The Trump administration has already taken steps to reverse course, including issuing pardons for pro-life activists convicted under the prior administration, dismissing several civil cases and limiting future FACE Act prosecutions to “extraordinary circumstances.” The FACE Act, passed in 1994, prohibits the use of force, threats or physical obstruction to interfere with access to reproductive health services.
Trump swings for moon with nuclear reactor plans as China, Russia team up in space race
A memo released by the Trump administration on Tuesday detailed a goal of having a nuclear reactor on the moon’s surface by 2030, a move that furthers the United States’ quest for supremacy in space over China and Russia. In the six-page document, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy wrote that incorporating nuclear energy in space will be essential to advancing U.S. efforts in “space exploration, commerce, and defense applications.” “Nuclear power in space will give us the sustained electricity, heating, and propulsion essential to a permanent presence on the Moon, Mars, and beyond,” the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy wrote on X. SEN CYNTHIA LUMMIS: DON’T HAND CHINA THE NUCLEAR FUTURE — BUILD IT HERE AT HOME NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman celebrated the memo, which outlined how nuclear reactors will be crucial for eventual deep-space exploration to Mars. “The time has come for America to get underway on nuclear power in space,” Isaacman wrote on X. The memo cited President Donald Trump’s December 2025 executive order titled “Ensuring American Space Superiority.” TRUMP WANTS A MOON LANDING BY 2028, SO WHY IS NASA ALREADY HEDGING? It was signed just months after then-acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy said on “Sean Hannity” that he wanted the U.S. to build a nuclear reactor on the moon before China does. Last May, China and Russia agreed to work together to build a nuclear reactor on the moon’s surface by 2036. The Department of War, Department of Energy, NASA and the Office of Science and Technology Policy have all been tasked with meeting the White House’s goals of deploying nuclear reactors on the moon’s surface and in the moon’s orbit. TRUMP UNLEASHES NUCLEAR BOOM, POWERING AMERICA BACK TO ENERGY DOMINANCE The memo outlines the Trump administration’s plan to deploy mid-power nuclear reactors in the moon’s orbit by 2028. Each nuclear power reactor will be designed to provide 20 kilowatts of energy, roughly the same amount used by an average American household. The reactors will be designed to generate power for at least three years in orbit, and lunar surface-based nuclear reactors will provide energy for at least five years. The memo’s publication comes just two weeks after NASA launched Artemis II, the first lunar flyby in more than 50 years. The mission was designed to test the Orion spacecraft’s deep-space navigation, manual piloting capabilities and life-support systems. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and NASA for comment.
ICE lodges detainer for illegal migrant charged with strangling wife and dumping body near Oklahoma highway
FIRST ON FOX: The Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement lodged a detainer request for an illegal migrant in Oklahoma who is charged with murder for allegedly strangling his wife to death and dumping her body near a highway. Willie Ricardo Merida‑Escobar, 40, was charged with the first-degree murder of his wife, Karla Gramajo-Cabrera, in Tulsa County, on April 10. Merida-Escobar, a Guatemalan national, entered the country illegally in September 2016 and was issued a final order of removal in 2023, according to DHS. “Willie Ricardo Merida‑Escobar, a criminal illegal alien from Guatemala, strangled his wife and dumped her body under a highway in Oklahoma. This monster should have never been in our country,” Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis told Fox News Digital in a statement. ICE ARRESTS LATIN KINGS MEMBER AFTER NYC SANCTUARY RELEASE DESPITE ASSAULT CHARGE ON FIRST RESPONDER “ICE lodged an arrest detainer with our law enforcement partners in Tulsa County to ensure this sick individual is not released from custody. 7 of the top 10 safest cities in the United States cooperate with ICE,” Bis added. “Partnerships with law enforcement are critical to having the resources we need to arrest criminal illegal aliens across the country. Under President Trump and Secretary Mullin, criminal illegal aliens are NOT welcome in the U.S.” According to NewsOn6, Gramajo-Cabrera was reported missing by her sister, prompting an investigation into her disappearance. Police noted a pattern of suspicious activity and domestic violence from her husband, Merida-Escobar, and after Escobar was taken into custody, the Guatemalan national confessed to the murder of his wife. Local police told NewsOn6 that the couple’s 17-year-old son was asleep in the home during the time when Merida-Escobar allegedly strangled his wife on April 8. FEDS CHARGE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT IN LOYOLA STUDENT KILLING AS ATTORNEY SAYS PROSECUTORS LACK ‘FAITH’ IN STATE Merida-Escobar also told police he couldn’t pinpoint the location where he dumped his wife’s body, though she eventually was located under a mattress near a highway after further investigation using phone data and further questioning, according to NewsOn6. According to DHS, an argument took place between the two where Merida-Escobar’s wife insulted him before he allegedly strangled her to death. Oklahoma, unlike some “sanctuary” states and jurisdictions, has the 287(g) program, which allows local law enforcement to work with ICE and federal immigration officers to refer illegal migrant criminals to the agency for deportation proceedings. Fox News Digital reached out to Republican Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt on whether Merida-Escobar would be considered under the program to be processed for removal but did not receive a response in time for publication.
Man charged with attempted murder after attack on OpenAI CEO Altman’s home
A 20-year-old Texan faces potential life imprisonment after an arson attack on Sam Altman’s San Francisco residence. Published On 14 Apr 202614 Apr 2026 Authorities in the United States have charged a 20-year-old Texas man with attempted murder and arson after he allegedly threw a Molotov cocktail at the home of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. Daniel Moreno-Gama faces two counts of attempted murder and nine other charges following last week’s arson attack on Altman’s residence in San Francisco, District Attorney of San Francisco Brooke Jenkins said on Monday. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list “We interpret this behaviour for just what it is: An attempt on Mr Altman’s life and an extreme danger to those around him and those who work for his company,” Jenkins said at a news conference. “As the DA, my office will prosecute this case to the fullest extent of the law.” Moreno-Gama is also separately facing federal charges of attempted damage and destruction of property by means of explosives, and possession of an unregistered firearm. Moreno-Gama faces the possibility of life in prison under the charges. San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins speaks during a news conference on Monday in San Francisco [Jeff Chiu/AP] Moreno-Gama, from Houston, Texas, was captured on a security camera hurling an incendiary device at Altman’s home shortly after 3:30am local time on Friday, according to an FBI affidavit. The suspect then travelled to OpenAI’s San Francisco headquarters, where he struck the building’s glass doors with a chair and stated his intention to “burn it down and kill anyone inside”, according to the affidavit filed in US District Court for the Northern District of California. Advertisement After arresting Moreno-Gama at the scene, police recovered incendiary devices, a container of kerosene, a lighter, and a document espousing opposition to artificial intelligence and tech executives, including Altman, according to the affidavit. The document recovered at the scene stated that Moreno-Gama had killed or attempted to kill Altman, and that he “must lead by example and show that I am fully sincere in my message”, according to the filing. Altman, whose company’s release of ChatGPT in 2022 marked a watershed in the rollout of AI, has become a lightning rod for heated discussion about the potential risks and benefits of the rapidly advancing technology. In a blog post after Friday’s arson attack, Altman said that while much criticism of the tech industry was driven by sincere concerns about the “incredibly high stakes” of AI, it was time to turn down the heat of the public debate. “While we have that debate, we should de-escalate the rhetoric and tactics and try to have fewer explosions in fewer homes, figuratively and literally,” Altman said. In her news conference, Jenkins criticised what she described as “incendiary rhetoric” about the potential impact of AI on society. “In no way should we be at the point where a man could have lost his life over differences of opinion and concerns,” she said. Adblock test (Why?)
Anti-war protesters arrested in New York urging end to Israel weapon sales
Police in New York have arrested around 100 anti-war protesters who were staging a sit-in outside the offices of Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, demanding an end to US weapons sales to Israel. The demonstration comes as Senator Bernie Sanders pushes to block more than $600m worth of bombs bound for Israel’s military. Published On 14 Apr 202614 Apr 2026 Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)
US military kills two men in new strike on vessel in eastern Pacific
Latest attack brings death toll from US strikes on vessels in the Pacific and Caribbean to at least 170 since September. By The Associated Press Published On 14 Apr 202614 Apr 2026 The United States military has carried out another attack on a vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing two people, in the latest deadly strike by US forces on boats that Washington alleges have links to Latin American drug trafficking cartels. US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), which is responsible for Washington’s military operations in Latin America and the Caribbean, confirmed the attack in a post on social media late on Monday, claiming to have killed two “male narco-terrorists”, without providing any evidence. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list SOUTHCOM claimed that, based on intelligence reports, the boat was “transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific” and was targeted with “a lethal kinetic strike” on the orders of US Commander General Francis L Donovan. A grainy video clip released with the statement shows a stationary boat with outboard engines and what appear to be floats from fishing nets nearby. The boat comes under attack from the air and explodes into flames. The attack marked the second day in a row that SOUTHCOM announced a deadly strike on boats in the Pacific. On Sunday, the US military said it blew up two boats in the eastern Pacific a day earlier, killing five people and leaving one survivor. It was not immediately clear what happened to the person who survived the attack, though SOUTHCOM said the US coastguard was notified. With the attack on Monday, the US military has now killed at least 170 people in dozens of strikes on vessels in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean Ocean since September. Advertisement International law experts, human rights groups and regional governments have accused the administration of US President Donald Trump of carrying out extrajudicial killings in international waters, which have likely targeted civilians, often fishing crews, who do not pose an immediate threat to the US. The Trump administration claims that such attacks are part of its war on drug trafficking cartels in Latin America, but has provided no solid evidence that any of the vessels targeted since last year have been involved in drug trafficking. Adblock test (Why?)
Who is Vinesh Chandel? I-PAC co-founder arrested by ED in West Bengal coal scam case
The central probe agency took Chandel into custody in Delhi under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Earlier this month, the ED had raided his property in the capital city, besides other properties linked to I-PAC in Bengaluru.