Powell’s behind-the-scenes move after Trump’s DOJ opened its criminal probe
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell moved quickly behind the scenes after the Justice Department opened a criminal probe into his statements to Congress, with his calendar showing a burst of outreach to U.S. lawmakers. The entries don’t reveal what was discussed, but they show Powell made 13 calls to senators and House members shortly after he accused the DOJ of using subpoenas as a “pretext” to ramp up pressure on the central bank to cut rates. The rapid-fire calls ranged from 10 to 15 minutes each. The Fed releases Powell’s monthly schedule with about a two-month lag, which is why the scope of that outreach is only now coming into view. TRUMP’S PICK TO LEAD THE FEDERAL RESERVE MEETS GOP SENATOR HOLDING UP HIS CONFIRMATION Powell’s calendar lists calls with Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska; Shelley Moore Capito, R-W. Va.; Mark Warner, D-Va.; Bill Cassidy, R-La.; John Kennedy, R-La.; Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.; Mike Crapo, R-Idaho; James Lankford, R-Okla.; and Tim Scott, R-S.C., as well as Reps. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio; Maxine Waters, D-Calif.; Steny Hoyer, D-Md.; and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. Powell’s schedule also lists a breakfast meeting with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Jan. 15, four days after the investigation was disclosed. Working Capitol Hill has long been central to Powell’s playbook, with the Fed chair regularly logging more one-on-one time with lawmakers than any modern predecessor. DOJ’S CRIMINAL PROBE OF FED CHAIR POWELL SPARKS RARE GOP REVOLT ON CAPITOL HILL Still, the week of Jan. 11 stood out even for Powell. The last time he reached more lawmakers in a single week was February 2025, ahead of his semiannual testimony, when he typically schedules a run of prehearing calls with key members. This burst was different, though it followed Powell’s Jan. 11 disclosure that the Justice Department had opened a criminal investigation tied to his congressional testimony on the Federal Reserve’s two historic main buildings on the National Mall. Powell, in a rare video statement, called the probe “unprecedented” and described it as another salvo in what he described as President Donald Trump’s pressure campaign on the central bank to cut rates. The unusually public response followed days of private consultations with advisors and stood out for a Fed chair known for a measured approach. The investigation centers on Powell’s June 2025 testimony to lawmakers, an unusual development for a sitting Fed chair. TRUMP VS THE FEDERAL RESERVE: HOW THE CLASH REACHED UNCHARTED TERRITORY Testifying before the Senate Banking Committee, Powell said: “There’s no new marble. There are no special elevators. They’re old elevators that have been there. There are no new water features. There are no beehives, and there’s no roof garden terraces.” Powell added that no one “wants to do a major renovation of a historic building during their term in office,” and said cost overruns were driven in part by unexpected construction challenges and inflation. The renovation is estimated to cost $2.5 billion and is being funded by the central bank itself, not by taxpayers. The Fed is self-financing and does not rely on congressional appropriations to cover its operating expenses, which include employee salaries, facilities maintenance and the current renovation. Its primary income comes from interest earned on government securities and fees charged to financial institutions. Trump has repeatedly targeted the project, threatening legal action and mocking the renovation’s cost and design. “They’re building a basement into the Potomac River. I could have told them. That’s very tough to do, and it doesn’t work, and it’s very expensive,” Trump said. “But they’re up to $4 billion, headed by this clown,” he added in November, referring to Powell. Powell, a Trump nominee first tapped to lead the Fed in 2017, is expected to finish his term at the end of May. Trump has picked former Fed governor Kevin Warsh to replace Powell, but the nomination is effectively stuck after Sen. Thom Tillis vowed to block any Fed nominees while the DOJ probe remains open. The Federal Reserve declined to comment on Powell’s calendar.
Four-time deported Honduran arrested after allegedly shoving elderly Air Force vet onto NYC subway tracks
A four-time deported illegal immigrant from Honduras with 15 prior criminal charges allegedly shoved two victims onto the tracks at a New York City subway station this week, including an 83-year-old Air Force veteran who remains in critical condition, according to reports. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) indicated Wednesday evening that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) lodged a detainer against Honduran national Bairon Posada-Hernandez, 34, after he was arrested for allegedly shoving two men – unprovoked – onto the train tracks inside the NYC subway system. The older male, 83-year-old Air Force veteran and grandfather Richard Williams, is reportedly still fighting for his life at a New York City hospital. Posada-Hernandez first entered the country in 2008, and was subsequently deported four separate times, the last time being in July 2020, before reentering later for a fifth time at an unknown location and date, Fox News Digital has learned. At the time of the subway incident this week, Posada-Hernandez had a lengthy criminal history as well, including at least 15 prior charges for crimes such as aggravated assault, domestic violence, possession of a weapon, obstruction of police, simple assault and drug possession. SPARKS FLY AS GOP SENATOR REACTS TO BIDEN ADVISOR’S ‘I DON’T KNOW’ ANSWER ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION LAW “Bairon Posada-Hernandez is a serial criminal, and four-time deported illegal alien from Honduras who should never have been able to walk our streets and harm innocent Americans,” said DHS Deputy Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis. “We are praying for the victims and their families. DHS is calling upon New York sanctuary politicians to commit to this ICE detainer and not release this heinous criminal back into New York communities.” Fox News Digital reached out to the New York City Department of Correction, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office, and the New York Police Department (NYPD) to inquire about whether there were plans to honor ICE’s detainer against Posada-Hernandez. The Department of Corrections responded, but did not directly answer any of Fox News Digital’s questions, instead pointing Fox News Digital to the publicly available information located on its “Person in Custody Lookup” database. Questions about Posada-Hernandez’s charges and future court dates were also left unanswered. ICE HOUSTON TOUTS OVER 400 ILLEGAL ALIEN CHILD SEX OFFENDERS ARRESTED DURING TRUMP’S FIRST YEAR BACK IN OFFICE According to NYC’s custody database, reviewed by Fox News Digital, Posada-Hernandez was given $100,000 bail following his arrest on Wednesday for first-degree assault, a Class B felony. However, other public reports have indicated that he was charged with attempted murder. Cellphone footage from the younger male victim involved in the Wednesday incident surfaced following the subway attack this week, which showed Posada-Hernandez walking calmly away after allegedly pushing him. A passerby could be seen in the video trying to help the younger victim after he was first pushed. Then, Posada-Hernandez allegedly proceeded to spontaneously shove the older Williams onto the tracks as well. The younger victim suffered minor injuries, but Williams is reportedly in critical condition in the hospital. While it is unclear when Posada-Hernandez returned to the United States after his fourth deportation in July 2020, what is known is that, under President Joe Biden, 5% of the entire population of Honduras entered the United States, according to the Department of Homeland Security. In February, DHS condemned New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani for signing an executive order “turning New York City into a shield for violent criminal illegal aliens to reoffend and create more innocent victims,” which also came not long after New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s legislative proposal barring local police departments from cooperating with ICE. As of February, there were more than 7,110 illegal aliens in New York custody with an active ICE detainer, per DHS. This includes 148 criminal illegal aliens accused of homicide, 717 accused of assault, 134 accused of burglaries, 240 accused of burglaries or robberies, 235 accused of dangerous drug offenses, 152 accused of weapons offenses, and 260 accused sexual predators, according to DHS.
SEE IT: Nancy Mace says she ‘jumped in to assist’ as Americans airlifted from war zone amid Iran conflict
While House Republicans gathered in South Florida to map out their strategy ahead of November’s midterm elections, one GOP lawmaker said she “jumped in to assist” with evacuation efforts overseas amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., told Fox News Digital that she traveled to the Middle East on Sunday after she learned a South Carolina family was trapped in the wake of the conflict. “When your people are stranded in a war zone, the only answer worthy of the office, worthy of our state, worthy of our country, is to get them out,” Mace, who is running to be South Carolina’s next governor, said in a statement. After the family made it safely back to South Carolina, Mace said she stayed in the region and partnered with Grey Bull Rescue, a Tampa-based crisis response group led by military veterans, to evacuate more Americans. Tens of thousands of U.S. citizens have scrambled to leave the Middle East following widespread flight cancellations and airspace closures due to Iranian counterstrikes. PRIVATE SECURITY FIRM HELPING AMERICANS EVACUATE THE MIDDLE EAST AMID WAR WITH IRAN Mace said she worked with the State Department to charter a flight for the stranded Americans while the private nonprofit supplied logistics for the rescue mission. On Wednesday night, Mace and dozens of American families on the flight landed in Greece. Mace said 155 Americans — including 11 infants — were evacuated from Israel as part of Grey Bull Rescue’s 808th mission. The group says it has rescued 591 Americans from the region since the outbreak of the conflict. “They had the people but didn’t have the plane. I jumped in to assist,” Mace said. “Tonight I am grateful. And I will never forget what I saw. What I learned. And the Americans who volunteered and who are serving our nation patriotically tonight.” “Congresswoman Mace was fully embedded with our team, not to watch, but to work to save lives,” Bryan Stern, founder and chairman of Grey Bull Rescue, told Fox News Digital. “While a core value of Grey Bull Rescue is to be absolutely apolitical we are always PROUD AMERICANS to see our elected officials fighting for their constituents.” WNBA’S TIFFANY MITCHELL AND FORMER SOUTH CAROLINA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PLAYERS STUCK IN ISRAEL AMID STRIKES Grey Bull Rescue has been operating in the Middle East since 2023, during which the volunteer organization evacuated more than 300 Americans from Israel following the Oct. 7 attack. The group recently helped Americans escape cartel violence in Mexico, following the killing of a notorious drug lord in February, and also facilitated the extraction of Nobel Peace Prize winner and Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado from her home country in 2025. Over 43,000 Americans have departed the Middle East since Operation Epic Fury began on Feb. 28, according to the State Department. Over 27,000 of those individuals received direct assistance from the U.S. government in evacuating the region, a department spokesperson told Fox News Digital on Tuesday. The Trump administration advised Americans in 14 countries across the Middle East to “depart now” on Feb. 2, following a rise in security threats. Some Americans initially stranded in the region have criticized the State Department for failing to clearly communicate and distributing insufficient evacuation guidance.
Trump says ‘we’ve got our eyes on’ Iranian sleeper cells in US
President Donald Trump hailed the swift prosecution of the military campaign against Iran, but acknowledged there are terrorist “sleeper cells” in the U.S. that have to be watched and dealt with. Trump said during a press gaggle Wednesday that he has been briefed on terror alerts and threats, including reported plans to conduct a drone attack in California, but he warned that any terrorists present in the country now might be the result of former President Joe Biden’s “stupid open border.” “A lot of people came in through Biden with his stupid open border, but we know where most of them are: We’ve got our eye on all of them, I think,” Trump said. “They came in through the open-border policies of Sleepy Joe Biden, one of the worst — the worst president in the history of our country — and we’ve got our eyes on all of them,” the president added. TOP IRANIAN CYBERCRIMINAL ON FBI MOST WANTED LIST REPORTEDLY KILLED IN US-ISRAELI STRIKE “But the war itself is being prosecuted at a level that nobody has seen before,” Trump continued. “It’s pretty — it’s pretty amazing to watch.” When asked about a leaked law enforcement bulletin put out about a possible Iranian revenge plot in California where a potential offshore boat might launch a drone swarm, Trump replied, “It’s being investigated, but you have a lot of things happening, and all we can do is take them as they come.” US DESTROYS 16 IRANIAN MINE BOATS AS STRAIT OF HORMUZ OIL SHOWDOWN ESCALATES “The war itself is being prosecuted as well as anybody has ever seen, and this is other countries telling me too,” he continued. “Big countries, powerful countries, they said they’ve never seen anything like it. And they also agree with what I’m doing. They say it’s an evil country, and it’s been for 47 years that way.” The warning of a California drone swarm attack is not new, having originated in February, but law enforcement has re-upped the monitoring amid Iran’s threats to retaliate against Israel and the U.S.
GOP billionaire trying to woo Trump’s support in key Georgia race bankrolled his 2024 presidential rivals
FIRST ON FOX: One of the top Republican contenders for governor in Georgia hyped that he would “be Trump’s favorite governor” and is vying for President Donald Trump’s endorsement, but his Federal Election Commission records reveal he financially backed multiple GOP rivals of Trump during the 2024 presidential race. In particular, two top contenders, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and billionaire healthcare entrepreneur Rick Jackson, have been sparring over who is more aligned with Trump. “This Primary Election is very simple,” Jones says on his campaign website. “There is one authentic conservative who has fought for President Trump.” Meanwhile, Jackson has assured voters that he would “be Trump’s favorite governor” after donating $1 million to the president’s political action committee, MAGA Inc. less than two months before he jumped in the race last month. However, Jackson and his network of companies and investment groups have a history of donating funds to Trump’s rivals, including during his 2024 presidential bid prior to him obtaining the Republican Party nomination, according to a Fox News Digital review of FEC filings. Jackson gave at least $150,000 to Nikki Haley and $100,000 to Vivek Ramaswamy, who were both running against Trump at the time. TRUMP ALLY CLAY FULLER ADVANCES IN GEORGIA FIGHT FOR MTG’S FORMER SEAT Jackson Investment Group, an entity that Jackson has controlled for decades, according to a 2024 SEC filing, spent at least $150,000 supporting Nikki Haley through the SFA Fund, INC., and Team Stand for America. The SFA Fund, INC. received three separate donations from the Jackson Investment Group totaling at least $140,000 between 2023 and 2024, including $40,000 weeks before Haley suspended her campaign in early 2024. Jackson also directly gave $10,000 to Team Stand for America, a joint fundraising committee that was supporting Haley. The $100,000 donation from the Jackson Investment Group to Ramaswamy’s super PAC occurred in July 2023, months before he suspended his campaign in Jan. 2024. Jackson has also donated across the last decade to other Trump rivals like former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., former Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, and over $1 million in support of Jeb Bush’s 2016 presidential campaign against Trump, FEC filings show. Jackson also contributed funds against Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green, R-Ga., when she was fully on the MAGA train in 2020, and donated to Sen. Lindsay Graham’s, R-S.C., 2016 presidential bid shortly after he dropped out and endorsed Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. The $2,700 donation to Cheney’s leadership PAC, The Great Task, came weeks after she joined Democrats in voting to impeach Trump after they said he incited the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Jackson, the wealthy founder of Jackson Healthcare who is seeding his own campaign with at least $50 million, shook up a primary field that many had expected was set in stone between Jones, the Trump-endorsed front-runner, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and state Attorney General Chris Carr. The newcomer to the race has brushed off attacks that he is not sufficiently loyal to Trump, comparing himself to people serving in Trump’s orbit who were once skeptics of the president, like Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance. When reached for comment about his previous donations to Trump rivals, a Jackson campaign spokesperson pivoted to Jones. “Self-dealing Burt Jones is recycling old attacks to distract from his failing campaign. From shielding doctors who perform sex change surgeries on minors to protecting Chinese vape manufacturers for campaign cash and family profit, the more Georgians learn about Burt Jones, the more they realize he operates like the kingpin of the Atlanta political mob. That’s why even with the endorsement, Burt Jones is losing,” Dave Abrams, a Jackson campaign spokesperson, told Fox News Digital when reached for comment. “To be clear, President Trump endorsed Burt Jones for governor,” a former senior Trump White House official told Fox News Digital. “Rick Jackson claiming he is Trump’s ‘favorite’ is downright dishonest.” Kayla Lott, a campaign spokesperson for Jones, contested the claim from Jackson’s team that he has worked to protect Chinese vape manufacturers, arguing the Lt. Gov.’s efforts on a bill that would have created a directory of authorized nicotine vapor products was about preventing monopolization and promoting free-market solutions. Lott also pointed to Jones’ support for House Bill 54, preventing minors from obtaining sex-change surgeries or drug treatment. TRUMP FOE FANI WILLIS BLOCKED YET AGAIN FROM COLLAPSED RICO CASE AS PRESIDENT PUSHES TO CLAW BACK MILLIONS “Never Trumper Rick Jackson bankrolled candidates running against President Trump and the America First agenda,” Lott said. “Now he’s lying to voters to try and cover it up. As the only Trump-endorsed candidate in this race, Lt. Governor Burt Jones will always stand up for Georgians and stand with our President. Not even Slick Rick can buy his way out of his own record.” Even before his support for Bush in 2016, Jackson supported Romney, another Trump rival who has described the president as a “phony” and a “fraud.” FEC filings show that Jackson spent over $100,000 supporting Romney’s presidential campaign and his political action committee, Romney Victory Inc. Trump repeatedly said Romney “choked” in 2012 and “let us all down.” Jackson, Jones, Carr and Raffensperger will duke it out in their upcoming primary on May 19, with the general election to follow in early November.
Nancy Pelosi endorses former Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn in second congressional bid
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has endorsed former U.S. Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn, one of the candidates running in the Democratic primary for Maryland’s 5th Congressional District. Dunn was serving on the police force during the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. “My friend Harry Dunn is a true American hero and exactly the right person to represent Maryland in Congress,” Pelosi asserted in a release, according to The Hill. “On January 6, 2021, Harry Dunn bravely defended our democracy from Donald Trump’s violent MAGA mob. Since then, Harry’s been called to do everything he can to protect Marylanders and all Americans from extremists like Donald Trump. I’m proud to endorse Harry Dunn for Congress.” Pelosi is not seeking re-election. NANCY PELOSI DOUBLES DOWN ON DEFENDING OBAMA’S STRIKES ON LIBYA WHILE ATTACKING TRUMP: ‘READ THE LAW’ Dunn said in the release that Pelosi “stood firm when our democracy was under attack and helped lead the country through one of the most difficult moments in our history,” according to the outlet. “I’m grateful for her support and proud to have her in this fight,” he noted. Fox News Digital reached out to Dunn’s campaign on Thursday morning. FORMER CAPITOL POLICE OFFICER RUNNING FOR CONGRESS IN DIFFERENT DISTRICT THAN FAILED 2024 BID Pelosi previously endorsed Dunn in 2024, but Dunn ultimately failed to win the Democratic Primary that year in Maryland’s 3rd Congressional District. Democratic Rep. Steny Hoyer, who currently represents Maryland’s 5th Congressional District, is not seeking re-election. HOYER WON’T SEEK RE-ELECTION, SAYS HOUSE HAS STRAYED FROM FOUNDERS’ VISION The congressman has endorsed his former campaign manager, Maryland Delegate Adrian Boafo, for the U.S. House seat.
LPG Crisis: Hyderabad restaurant returns to wood fuel, problem mounts for Ramadan devotees
Gas shortage is hitting restaurants hard in Hyderabad. A restaurant owner said that the fuel shortage is affecting their business very much, and with wood prices allegedly skyrocketing, especially in Ramdhan, it is challenging.
Mumbai Bomb Scare: Threat email received at BSE, High Court, Vidhan Bhawan during budget session; police on high alert
Mumbai is on high alert after receiving a bomb threat email targeting the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), Maharashtra Vidhan Bhavan, and the Bombay High Court. Security protocols have been initiated, and people have been evacuated from the areas. Bomb detection and disposal squads are conducting thorough checks, and investigations are underway.
US-Israel-Iran conflict: Why did Iran open restricted Strait of Hormuz for India-bound vessels after China?
Amid the US-Iran conflict, India has been allowed to pass their tankers, Pushpak and Parimal, safely through the Strait of Hormuz, the corridor that poses restrictions to the ships from the US, Europe and Israel.
Who is IAS Vandana Vaidya? Police raid at her farmhouse busts gambling ring, 18 arrested
Indore Rural Police raided a farmhouse in Mhow and busted an alleged gambling racket, arresting 18 people and seizing over Rs 13 lakh in cash, mobile phones and vehicles. The property is reportedly registered to IAS officer Vandana Vaidya.