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
Nation’s second-largest school district targeted by Trump over secretive trans policy
This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255). The nation’s second-largest school district is under federal scrutiny for a policy allowing staff to hide students’ gender identity from parents, after federal officials cited allegations tied in part to a student’s suicide. The Los Angeles Unified School District, comprising hundreds of K-12 schools and more than a half a million students according to public data, recently received notice from the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division indicating that it had come under investigation for the policy. The investigation follows a broader parental rights battle that the Supreme Court recently weighed in on. The high court found last month that California must give school districts the option to have policies that require education administrators to notify parents if their child engages in gender transition, which dealt a massive religious freedom win to the parents who sued, and sent a warning shot to other states and school districts across the country. PARENTS, NOT BUREAUCRATS, RAISE AMERICA’S CHILDREN AND THE SUPREME COURT AGREES The Civil Rights Division sent a letter on March 25 to the school district informing it of the investigation and that division head Harmeet Dhillon had authorized it, the New York Times reported this week. The DOJ “will not tolerate policies that deny parents’ fundamental rights,” Dhillon told the newspaper. Reached for comment by Fox News Digital, Dhillon said some allegations against the school were confidential and that she could not provide additional information. The letter from the Civil Rights Division reportedly cited a lawsuit brought by parents of a high school student who died by suicide, which the parents directly attributed to the controversial policy. The letter, according to the New York Times, also cited a female student’s sexual harassment claim. FBI RAIDS HOME AND OFFICES OF MAJOR LOS ANGELES SCHOOL DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENT The lawsuit was brought by the parents of Dylan Parke, who said their son suffered from serious depression and that they had been pursuing professional help for him when his school intervened without telling them. “These harmful actions by employees and agents of Palisades Charter High School and Los Angeles Unified School District included referring Dylan to a counselor not employed by Palisades Charter High School without notifying Plaintiffs or seeking their consent or involvement,” lawyers for the parents wrote in the complaint. “These policies and practices promoted the intentional withholding of material information from parents regarding their child’s gender identity in furtherance of gender-affirming care.” Parke disclosed to the school that he was “coming out publicly as transgender,” and “school personnel engaged in gender affirming care to facilitate Dylan’s social gender transition at school without parental knowledge, involvement, or consent,” the parents’ lawyers alleged. When asked for comment about the DOJ probe, a school district spokesperson said, “Because this matter involves a pending investigation, we are unable to comment on the specifics.”
Rep Randy Fine joins House Freedom Caucus: ‘Strongest group of conservative patriots in Congress’
Republican Rep. Randy Fine of Florida has joined the ranks of the conservative House Freedom Caucus. “HUGE NEWS: I’m proud to announce that I have officially joined the strongest group of conservative patriots in Congress,” he declared in a Thursday post on X. “The House @freedomcaucus exists to save our country and preserve freedom, not manage our decline. That’s what I love about this group. I look forward to continuing the fight alongside my HFC colleagues to advance the MAGA agenda and fight for conservative principles,” he added. GOP REP RANDY FINE DECLARES THAT DEPORTING ALL ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS IS THE TOP WAY TO MAKE THE US AFFORDABLE Fine, who represents Florida’s 6th Congressional District, took office last year after winning a special election to fill the seat previously held by Republican Mike Waltz. President Donald Trump backed Fine shortly before he launched his congressional bid. In a November 2024 Truth Social post, the president declared, “Should he decide to enter this Race, Randy Fine has my Complete and Total Endorsement. RUN, RANDY, RUN!” REPUBLICAN LABELS MAMDANI AS ‘LITTLE MORE THAN A MUSLIM TERRORIST,’ ADVOCATES YANKING CITIZENSHIP, DEPORTATION Trump declared in a Truth Social post last year that the lawmaker “is doing a fantastic job representing Florida’s 6th Congressional District!” The president said the congressman “has my Complete and Total Endorsement.” “I found in my first year in Congress that there are two types of Republicans: those who want to save America and those who want to manage our decline politely,” Fine noted, according to The Daily Signal. “They were unquestionably the group whose values were most in line with mine.” LAWMAKER SAYS IRAN TARGETED HIM IN PHISHING ATTACK DISGUISED AS TV INTERVIEW “Trying to manage the budget, trying to get the government under control, trying to stand up to the Left — they seemed to be the group whose values were most in line with mine,” he said, according to the outlet.
DoorDash data offers snapshot of economy voters are feeling ahead of midterms
A new DoorDash report tracking millions of purchases shows inflation cooling ahead of the midterms, though the cost of everyday essentials still varies widely across the country. The findings offer a closer look at how those shifts are playing out for consumers, with affordability still shaped largely by where they live. The State of Local Commerce report highlights evolving spending patterns as price pressures ease in key categories. To track those changes, DoorDash analyzed affordability trends using three key measures: the Everyday Essentials Index, the Cheeseburger Index and the Breakfast Basics Index, which reflect price movements across household goods, restaurant meals and groceries. DOORDASH ROLLS OUT EMERGENCY GAS RELIEF AS PRICES SQUEEZE DRIVERS The analysis shows inflation easing across several categories, with some posting notable year-over-year declines. Egg prices have dropped significantly, lowering breakfast costs, while household goods prices have remained relatively stable. “There’s really no single story across local economies,” Jessica Lachs, DoorDash’s chief analytics officer, told Fox News Digital. “National averages are a useful benchmark, but economic conditions can vary significantly at the local level.” Lachs said the company designed its indexes to go beyond raw data and help illustrate what price changes mean in everyday life for consumers. ONE LITTLE-KNOWN MEETING HELPS DECIDE WHAT AMERICANS CAN AFFORD — AND WHAT THEY CAN’T The Everyday Essentials Index, which monitors staples like toothpaste, shampoo, toilet paper, laundry detergent, pain medicine and diapers, found that the average cost of these items has remained largely flat over the past 12 months. The most affordable city is Memphis, Tennessee, where the basket costs $51.93. While household costs have held steady, fast-casual spending has climbed slightly higher. DoorDash’s Cheeseburger Index, which tracks the cost of a classic meal of a burger, fries and a soda, found prices up just 3.7% over the past year, rising from $17.70 to $18.35 nationally. The index closely mirrors government data, tracking alongside the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ food-away-from-home consumer price index, which rose 3.9% in February. But that national figure masks wide variation at the local level. “When you look at the top 100 cities, you see some pretty stark differences in how much a cheeseburger meal can cost,” Lachs said. For example, in Lincoln, Nebraska, the meal averages $12.47, while in Anchorage, Alaska, it jumps to $26.96. In an analysis of its Breakfast Basics Index – which tracks items like eggs, a glass of milk, a bagel and an avocado – DoorDash found that prices fell 22.3% in the past year, due in part to declining egg prices. THE COST OF THIS GROCERY STAPLE IS NEARING RECORD HIGHS — AND AMERICANS CAN’T GET ENOUGH The cities with the best deals for these food items are Greensboro, North Carolina, at $2.60, Richmond, Virginia, at $2.67 and Fort Worth, Texas, at $2.81. While national trends provide a helpful benchmark, the data shows that economic conditions still differ widely across local areas, where unique factors can influence prices in ways national averages may not capture.
Hormuz choke point persists as Iran halts oil traffic despite Trump ceasefire
Oil traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively halted despite a U.S.-backed ceasefire that hinged on reopening the critical waterway, raising fresh questions about whether Iran is following through on a central condition of the truce. A backlog of roughly 3,200 vessels — among them 800 tankers and cargo ships — has built up west of the strait, with ships idling as operators wait for clarity on whether it is safe to pass. No oil tankers have risked the journey in recent days, according to Matt Smith, an analyst at Kpler, a data and intelligence company. “We’re not seeing any, any, any oil products passing through there,” Smith said. “So, for all intents and purposes, the strait remains closed. And this is the leverage that Iran has.” GEN JACK KEANE ‘SKEPTICAL’ THAT IRAN CEASEFIRE WILL HOLD, WARNS TEHRAN WILL ‘DELAY AND OBFUSCATE’ Three vessels passed through the Strait on Thursday, according to Smith, two of them Iranian-flagged and one a dry bulk carrier. “Iran is doing a very poor job, dishonorable some would say, of allowing Oil to go through the Strait of Hormuz. That is not the agreement we have!” President Donald Trump warned on Thursday. Nearly 20,000 mariners have been essentially stranded in the Persian Gulf throughout the crisis, according to the International Maritime Organization. On Wednesday, one Sri Lanka-flagged vessel passed inbound through the strait, while four dry bulk carriers — flagged in Botswana, Liberia, Panama, and St. Kitts and Nevis — and one Iranian vessel sailed outbound, according to Windward AI, a maritime data platform. The few vessels that are transiting are doing so through a corridor near Iran’s Larak Island rather than standard commercial lanes, according to Windward, with some ships switching off tracking systems as they pass. At the same time, cargo is increasingly being rerouted through ports in Oman and along the United Arab Emirates’ east coast, adding roughly two weeks to some voyages and increasing costs by about 25%. Iran is demanding fees from the vessels that do pass, an Israeli intelligence official told Fox News. “The Strait is effectively under full IRGC control. They decide who gets to go through, but more importantly, who doesn’t.” The continued standstill comes despite President Donald Trump saying the ceasefire hinged on “Iran agreeing to the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz.” TRUMP’S APOCALYPTIC IRAN WARNING RAISES STAKES FOR SWEEPING US STRIKE THREAT While the truce has paused U.S. military action, shipping through the critical waterway has yet to resume — underscoring the gap between the agreement on paper and conditions on the ground. Some 20% of the world’s oil supply typically passes through the strait, and analysts say shipping companies have a far lower risk tolerance than governments, meaning a fragile ceasefire alone is not enough to bring vessels back onto the waterway. “We don’t know whether the Strait of Hormuz is mined. Even if it isn’t, the risk of being hit by a missile or a drone is a big enough deterrent,” Smith said. “No one’s willing to take the chance.” He added that insurance constraints are making it difficult for ships to transit even if operators are willing to move. War-risk insurance remains available in some cases, but at sharply elevated premiums and with added restrictions, further discouraging operators from entering the strait. Sultan Al Jaber, head of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, posted on LinkedIn Thursday: “This moment requires clarity. So let’s be clear: the Strait of Hormuz is not open.” “Access is being restricted, conditioned and controlled,” he said. “Iran has made clear — through both its statements and actions — that passage is subject to permission, conditions and political leverage.” Meanwhile, Iran is demanding the right to charge a toll of $1 per barrel of oil on board, paid in cryptocurrency, according to the Financial Times. Iranian state media reported Wednesday that Iran was keeping the strait closed in response to continued Israeli attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon, which the U.S. claims was not part of the ceasefire. Still, Vice President JD Vance and President Donald Trump have said Israel will scale down its attacks in Lebanon to allow breathing room for the ceasefire to succeed. Despite the standoff, talks between top U.S. and Iranian leaders aimed at securing a permanent ceasefire are scheduled for Saturday in Pakistan. Fox News’ Trey Yingst contributed to this report.
Trump blasts Biden admin for releasing illegal immigrant now charged in fatal hammer attack on Florida mother
President Donald Trump on Thursday condemned a violent video allegedly showing a Haitian illegal alien fatally attacking a Florida mother with a hammer last week, blasting the Biden administration for releasing the suspect in 2022. Rolbert Joachim, 40, is charged with second-degree murder and criminal damage to property after he was caught on camera bludgeoning the mother of two in broad daylight last Friday outside a Fort Myers gas station. “An Illegal Alien Criminal from Haiti, who was released into our Country by the WORST President in History, Crooked Joe Biden, and the Radical Democrats in Congress, just beat an innocent woman to death with a hammer at a gas station in Florida,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. “The video of her brutal slaying is one of the most vicious things you will ever see. “This one killing should be enough for these Radical Judges to STOP impeding my Administration’s Immigration Policies, and allow us to END THIS SCAM ONCE AND FOR ALL,” he added. DAYLIGHT HAMMER ATTACK SUSPECT IS ILLEGAL ALIEN RELEASED UNDER BIDEN POLICIES: DHS Joachim first entered the U.S. in August 2022, and was released into the country under former President Joe Biden, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). A federal judge later issued a final order of removal against Joachim, but he was granted Temporary Protected Status, which Trump has described as “a massively abused and fraudulent program.” He has also blamed what he called “radical liberal district court judges” for blocking efforts by his administration to end it. While a federal judge issued a final order of removal against him, Joachim was reportedly granted Temporary Protected Status, a program Trump called “massively abused and fraudulent” and difficult to eliminate due to Democratic support. The suspect then remained in the country after his status expired in 2024. SUSPECT IN FATAL NEW JERSEY HIT-AND-RUN CRASH IS ILLEGAL ALIEN, FUGITIVE: DHS Trump further said Democrats are turning the United States into what he called a “dumping ground,” flooded with tens of millions of unvetted and “mentally insane” individuals. “To my fellow Republicans, and frankly all Common Sense Americans, NEVER FORGET that Joe Biden and the Democrat Party turned the United States of America into a dumping ground, allowing Tens of MILLIONS of Criminals, Lunatics, and the Mentally Insane from all over the World to pour into our Country, totally unvetted and unchecked through our wide Open Borders,” he said. “As I’ve said all along, if you import the Third World, you become the Third World, and that is what happened over the four years of Democrat Control.” In the attack, the female victim was reportedly a store clerk at the gas station. According to the footage, she was repeatedly struck in the head with a hammer after confronting the suspect for smashing her car window. Trump urged prayers for the victim, who was the mother of two teenage daughters, according to a report from local outlet Gulf Coast News. “Please say a prayer for this innocent woman’s family. We will ensure quick and severe JUSTICE is served in this case!” Trump said. Fox News’ Alexandra Koch and Bill Melugin contributed to this report.