Harris accuses Trump allies of trying to ‘rig’ 2026 midterms after Virginia court tosses redistricting measure
Former Vice President Kamala Harris accused President Donald Trump and Republicans of trying to “rig the 2026 elections” after the Virginia Supreme Court invalidated a voter-approved redistricting referendum, a ruling she said would “give a boost” to that effort. “Today, the Virginia Supreme Court ignored the will of the people and overturned those democratically chosen maps,” Harris wrote on X on May 8. “This ruling gives a boost to Donald Trump’s effort to rig the 2026 elections and the Republicans’ long game to attack voting rights,” she added. The ruling marked a significant victory for Republicans ahead of the 2026 midterms and escalated an already intensifying national battle over redistricting and control of Congress. VIRGINIA SUPREME COURT RULES ON NEW CONGRESSIONAL MAP “We hold that the legislative process employed to advance this proposal violated Article XII, Section 1 of the Constitution of Virginia,” the state’s high court said in its decision. “This constitutional violation incurably taints the resulting referendum vote and nullifies its legal efficacy.” The measure, which passed by a narrow 51% to 49% margin, would have temporarily shifted redistricting authority from Virginia’s nonpartisan commission to the Democrat-controlled legislature through 2030 and was expected to yield a 10-1 Democratic advantage in the state’s congressional delegation. Trump praised the decision in a post on Truth Social, calling it a “Huge win for the Republican Party, and America, in Virginia.” ‘JUSTICE’: CELEBRATION, MOCKERY ERUPT AFTER SPANBERGER ‘GERRYMANDER’ IS BLOWN UP IN BLOCKBUSTER DECISION “The Virginia Supreme Court has just struck down the Democrats’ horrible gerrymander,” he wrote. Democrats sharply criticized the ruling. Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin said “a group of unelected judges on the Virginia Supreme Court chose to put partisan politics over the will of the people.” Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones also pushed back, saying the decision “silences the voices of the millions of Virginians who cast their ballots” and that his office is evaluating “every legal pathway forward.” ERIC HOLDER ACCUSES GOP OF ‘STEALING SEATS’ WHILE DEFENDING ‘FAIR’ DEMOCRATIC REDISTRICTING PUSH Harris echoed that sentiment in her post, writing, “We are rightfully outraged, but we will not give up. We must continue our fight to restore the power of the people.” Her comments come as she has stepped up attacks on Trump in recent appearances while facing renewed questions about her political future. At a recent event in Las Vegas, Harris said, “For far too many people in our country, the American dream, is not real. And in fact, for many people in their lived experience, it’s what they would consider an American myth.” KAMALA HARRIS’ TRAVELS AND COMMENTS CLEARLY POINT TO 2028 She also declined to downplay Trump, saying, “I’m not going to dismiss him as being an idiot. He’s dangerous.” At the same time, top Democrats have been reluctant to weigh in on whether Harris should lead the party in 2028. “I have no idea,” Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., told Fox News Digital when asked about her future. “I have no idea who’s running, and we’ll focus on 2028 after 2026,” Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., said. Rep. John Larson, D-Conn., said the decision ultimately rests with Harris but added he believes Democrats should have “a wide-open Democratic primary.” The Virginia ruling is the latest flashpoint in a broader redistricting fight as both parties position themselves ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Harris, for her part, signaled she intends to remain engaged. “I firmly and strongly believe that when you feel powerless, you are powerless,” Harris said. “And when you feel powerful, you are powerful. And we are powerful and we are powerful. And so let’s just show ourselves, each other, our power around the midterms and every day.” Fox News Digital’s Breanne Deppisch, Leo Briceno, Olivia Palombo, and Paul Steinhauser contributed to this reporting.
Trump warns college sports could be ‘lost forever’ as committee pushes changes, Congress urged to act
President Donald Trump is ramping up pressure on Congress to overhaul college sports, warning the system could be “lost forever” as a White House-backed committee pushes sweeping changes to rein in athlete pay, transfers and soaring costs. The proposals include creating a task force to examine pooled media rights, limits on coaching salaries, rewritten eligibility rules and changes to the transfer portal, according to a draft document obtained by Yahoo Sports and reported by The Associated Press. The push builds on a recent executive order from Trump, which described college athletics as an “out-of-control financial arms race” fueled by loosening rules around player compensation, transfers and eligibility — and urged federal action before the system destabilizes further. The White House said the current model is “driving universities into debt,” threatening women’s and Olympic sports and undermining student-athletes’ educational opportunities. TRUMP SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDER TO REGULATE THE BUSINESS OF COLLEGE SPORTS “Further delay is not an option given what is at stake,” the order states, citing roughly 500,000 annual educational, athletic and leadership opportunities and nearly $4 billion in scholarships. Trump has also raised alarms about the direction of college sports, saying during a White House roundtable last month that “crazy things are happening” as players stay in school longer and earn more through NIL deals, according to previous Fox News Digital reporting. The draft proposal calls on Congress to quickly pass legislation creating a task force with an antitrust exemption and authority to override individual state laws, a major priority for NCAA and college sports leaders seeking national standards. I PLAYED DIVISION1 VOLLEYBALL — NIL CHAOS IS OUT OF CONTROL. THE SCORE ACT WILL SAVE SPORTS Among the most divisive ideas is pooling media rights across conferences, a move opposed by the Southeastern Conference and Big Ten but backed by a group led by Texas Tech regent Cody Campbell, who has argued it could add billions in value, according to AP. The draft also calls for rules targeting “salary-cap circumvention,” an apparent reference to schools using third-party NIL deals to get around current limits on direct payments to athletes. That issue is already at the center of an arbitration case brought by Nebraska football players whose NIL deals were rejected by the College Sports Commission, which reviews third-party contracts. NCAA SETTLEMENT CHAOS: NEW LEGAL MOVE COULD TRIGGER MASSIVE INCREASE IN NIL SPENDING Trump’s executive order also directs agencies that contract with or give grants to higher education institutions to evaluate certain violations of college athletics rules, including eligibility limits, transfers, revenue sharing and “improper financial activities.” The order defines those activities to include fraudulent NIL schemes, use of federal funds for NIL or revenue-sharing payments and interference with contracts between student-athletes and other schools. The White House also urged college athletics governing bodies to clarify rules before Aug. 1, including limits on eligibility, transfer rules, medical care for athletes and protections for women’s and Olympic sports. HOUSE VOTE ON NIL REGULATION ACT CANCELED DESPITE TRUMP’S BACKING AS SOME REPUBLICANS STILL NOT ON BOARD Congress has been stalled for more than a year on legislation codifying parts of the House settlement that put revenue-sharing into place, according to AP. The draft committee document calls for lawmakers to act before Congress leaves for its traditional August recess. Without a national solution, the administration has warned, the financial pressure created by football and basketball could force schools to cut other sports or reshape college athletics entirely. The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Fox News Digital’s Ryan Morik contributed to this reporting. The Associated Press contributed to this reporting.
Duffys fire back after Pete Buttigieg, husband attack new road trip TV series: ‘Radical, miserable left’
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and his wife, “Fox & Friends” co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy, fired back on Friday after former Sec. Pete Buttigieg and his husband launched a barrage of attacks against the Duffys’ upcoming “Great American Road Trip” reality TV series. The feud ignited Friday after the couple announced the new show on “Fox & Friends.” Chasten Glezman Buttigieg quickly took to X to bash the project, accusing the Duffys of taking a “multi-month, taxpayer-funded family road trip” while gas and grocery prices soar due to “Trump’s war of choice.” He went on to call the couple “unfocused, unserious, and out of touch,” and aired old grievances about the Duffys’ past criticism of Pete Buttigieg working from his son’s ICU bedside. DUFFY BLASTS BUTTIGIEG, ACCUSING BIDEN-ERA OFFICIAL OF ‘MISMANAGEMENT’: ‘MAYOR PETE FAILED FOR FOUR YEARS…’ Pete Buttigieg joined in on the attack on X, adding, “I love a good road trip, but this is brutally out of touch: a Trump Cabinet member making a documentary about himself while regular families can’t afford road trips anymore, because Trump and his war put gas prices through the roof.” Rachel Campos-Duffy replied to Chasten Buttigieg’s post, telling him to “stand down,” and clarifying the production was funded entirely by a nonprofit, The Great American Road Trip, Inc. She said her family participated for free to celebrate America’s 250th birthday and noted the series was filmed in short one- and two-day stops over seven months. SEC SEAN DUFFY: ‘ONE, BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ IS DOWN PAYMENT ON A NEW, MUCH-NEEDED AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM “You and I both know that my husband has done more in one year to transform the DOT and ATC than your husband did in over 4 years on the job,” Campos-Duffy said. Sean Duffy waited until Saturday to deliver a blistering response, claiming the “radical, miserable left” hates the series because it is “too wholesome,” “too patriotic” and “too joyful.” He confirmed career ethics and budget officials at the Department of Transportation fully reviewed and cleared his participation in accordance with federal rules, emphasized zero taxpayer dollars were used, and said filming took place strictly during short windows like weekends and his children’s spring break. DOT CRACKS DOWN ON THOUSANDS OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT TRUCKERS, AS AGENCY LOOKS TO HOLIDAY TRAVEL: DUFFY He also defended his fast-paced record at the DOT, highlighting modernized air traffic control, the removal of illegal truck drivers and a 20% annual increase in hiring controllers compared to his predecessor. Following the Duffys’ corrections, Chasten Buttigieg pivoted his line of attack, reposting multiple creators on X Saturday who took aim at the road trip’s corporate sponsors, which include DOT-regulated entities like Boeing, United Airlines, Toyota and Shell. The reposted critics alleged a conflict of interest, claiming the companies funded an “extended vacation” for the secretary. The posts also attempted to tie the sponsorships to claims that Duffy has halted safety standards, pardoned airlines that violated consumer laws, and hasn’t fined a single airline in over a year. Despite the political mudslinging and moving goalposts from critics, the Duffys continue encouraging families to ignore the “haters” and explore America’s national parks and monuments ahead of the nation’s 250th birthday. “Our message is really simple: to love America is to see America,” Sec. Duffy said. “So put the phone down, hit the open road, and rediscover what makes America great.”
Seth Moulton closing gap on progressive Democrat Ed Markey in Massachusetts Senate primary
A new poll shows the race tightening for the Democratic primary in Massachusetts, with challenger Rep. Seth Moulton closing in on Sen. Ed Markey. The race is one of the most hotly contested primaries in the country, with the more progressive Markey having led by as much as 20 points in previous polls, according to Axios. Markey, 79, who has held his seat since 2013, has the backing of the Democratic establishment, with the 47-year-old congressman looking to unseat him. Just last month, Markey comfortably led Moulton 47-30% in a Suffolk University/Boston Globe poll, according to Boston.com. TRUMP-BACKED VIVEK RAMASWAMY WINS OHIO GOP GUBERNATORIAL PRIMARY, WILL FACE DEMOCRAT AMY ACTON Markey has the backing of Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Ayanna Pressley, while Moulton, who is considered more centrist, has been endorsed by groups like VoteVets PAC and the Massachusetts Teamsters. In the new Emerson College poll that shows Markey leading Mouton 37-32%, 29% of voters remain undecided. Only 2% of voters back other candidates in the race. “Senator Markey leads the Democratic primary by 13 points among registered Democrats, while Rep. Moulton holds a 38% to 32% edge among unenrolled voters,” Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling, said. “Markey leads women 37% to 29%, while men are essentially split, with 38% backing Moulton and 37% Markey.” SQUAD MEMBER AYANNA PRESSLEY ANNOUNCES DECISION ON CHALLENGING ED MARKEY IN PRIMARY The poll was taken on May 3 and 4 and included 451 likely Democratic primary voters. It also notably has a 4.5% margin of error. Markey also has a 7% advantage among voters under 50, 33-to 26%, with voters over 50 years old split 40% for Markey and 38% for Moulton. TRUMP’S GRIP OVER GOP TESTED AT BALLOT BOX AS INDIANA, OHIO, HOLD PRIMARIES “Notably, groups that are more favorable toward Markey, including women and young voters, are also more undecided than their counterparts; women are ten points more undecided than men (33% to 23%), and 39% of voters under 50 are undecided compared to 21% of voters over 50,” Kimball added. The poll also showed Markey and Moulton both as less favorable than Warren, with Markey matching Warren’s unfavorable ratings of 35%. Moulton’s unfavorable rating was lower at 26%. The primary will be held on Sept. 1.
Trump responds to reports FDA chief Mark Makary could be fired: ‘Know nothing about it’
President Donald Trump downplayed reports that he was getting ready to fire Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Marty Makary while speaking to reporters Friday. “I’ve been reading about it, but I know nothing about it,” Trump said in response to a question about Makary’s potential firing. When asked what’s going on with Makary, Trump responded “nothing much.” Initial buzz about a possible Makary ouster started circulating when The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that Trump had pressured Makary to fast track approval for flavored nicotine vapes. Makary, according to WSJ, pushed back on the request, drawing Trump’s ire. The friction pushed Trump to sign off on a plan to fire Makary, WSJ reported Friday. TRUMP FDA NOMINEE TURNS VACCINE QUESTION ON DEM, RECALLING CONTROVERSIAL BIDEN DECISION Trump did not confirm the WSJ reporting, instead telling reporters “no, no” when asked if he was bringing in a new FDA head. Makary has been embroiled in a number of controversies since being confirmed as the FDA head in March 2025. Pro-life activists have accused the former oncology surgeon of slow-walking a safety review for abortion pill mifepristone. PRO-LIFE GROUP FINDS BIDEN-ERA FDA POLICY IS DRIVING 500 ABORTIONS PER DAY, SAYS TRUMP HAS POWER TO END IT “This is a five-alarm crisis for the pro-life movement and for the GOP,” SBA Pro-Life America president Marjorie Dannenfelser said in a statement calling for Makary’s firing. “The GOP cannot win without its base and simply will not get the enthusiasm that drives turnout without leadership from the top,” she wrote. Pharmaceutical and biotech firms have also opposed Makary. John Crowley, the head of the biotech trade group, Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), condemned some of Makary’s personnel cuts in a recent op-ed. “Some of the administration’s recent efforts to reform the federal government through aggressive and often indiscriminate personnel cuts have lacked the strategic insights necessary to modernize and reform our nation’s health care agencies, especially the FDA,” Crowley wrote. ‘FOOD BABE’ VANI HARI: DON’T BOO THE MAHA MOVEMENT. OUR HEALTH AND SAFETY ARE BIGGER THAN BUREAUCRATS’ EGOS But others, particularly those in Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) camp, have come to Makary’s defense, arguing calls for his firing are corporate-funded attacks. “Dr. Makary is an ally in the MAHA movement,” Kelly Ryerson, an author and popular advocate also known as Glyphosate Girl, told Fox News Digital. “It is not surprising that his uncaptured approach to protecting human health has been met with the swamp calling for his firing,” she continued. “The criticism is that he didn’t approve flavored vapes quickly enough. The mothers who don’t want their kids smoking find that reasoning alarming,” Ryerson concluded. “The attacks against FDA Commissioner Marty Makary are coming from Big Pharma and the media outlets financially dependent on pharmaceutical advertising for survival,” Turning Point USA-affiliated podcaster Alex Clark wrote in a Friday post on X. “Washington SWAMP CREATURES hate Makary because he brings actual scientific scrutiny, independent thinking, and puts Americans’ health FIRST. President Trump has consistently said he wants to Make America Healthy Again. Replacing Makary with a pharma puppet would move us backward, not forward. DO NOT FIRE MAKARY. He is one of the strongest representatives of the MAHA movement inside the federal government. SCREW OFF BIG PHARMA,” Clark wrote. Vani Hari, a popular food blogger and prominent media figure among the MAHA movement, also wrote that a Makary ouster “would be a horrible move.” Fox News Digital contacted the White House, HHS, the FDA, BIO and SBA Pro-Life America for additional comment.
Inside the US military playbook to cripple Iran if nuclear talks collapse
If negotiations with Iran collapse, the U.S. likely is to move quickly to degrade Tehran’s military capabilities — a campaign analysts say would begin with missile systems, naval assets and command networks before escalating to more controversial targets. Negotiators are still working toward what officials describe as a preliminary framework agreement — effectively a one-page starting point for broader talks centered on Iran’s nuclear program and potential sanctions relief. But deep mistrust on both sides has left the process fragile, raising the stakes if diplomacy fails. “We’re not starting at zero,” retired Army Col. Seth Krummrich, a former Joint Staff planner and current Vice President at Global Guardian, told Fox News Digital. “We’re both starting at minus 1,000 because neither side trusts each other at all. This is going to be a pretty hard process going forward.” That tension was on display Thursday, when a senior U.S. official confirmed American forces struck Iran’s Qeshm port and Bandar Abbas — key locations near the Strait of Hormuz — while insisting the operation did not mark a restart of the war or the end of the ceasefire. The strike on one of Iran’s oil ports came two days after Iran launched 15 ballistic and cruise missiles at the UAE’s Fujairah Port, drawing anger from Gulf allies. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine said earlier this week the attack did not rise to the level of breaking the ceasefire, describing it as a low-level strike. President Donald Trump repeatedly has warned that if negotiations collapse, the U.S. could resume bombing Iran — even signaling before the recent ceasefire was implemented that Washington could target the country’s energy infrastructure and key economic assets. But any escalation would likely unfold in phases, beginning with efforts to dismantle Iran’s ability to project force across the region before expanding to more controversial targets. If talks break down, any renewed conflict would likely become a “contest for escalation control,” where Iran seeks to impose costs without provoking regime-threatening retaliation while the U.S. works to strip away Tehran’s remaining leverage, according to retired Air Force Lt. Gen. David Deptula. “The capabilities that would come into focus are the ones Iran uses to generate coercive leverage: ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, air defense systems, maritime strike assets, command-and-control networks, IRGC infrastructure, proxy support channels, and nuclear-related facilities,” he said, referring to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. “The military objective would be less about punishment and more about denying Iran the tools it uses to escalate,” he said. “President Trump has all the cards, and he wisely keeps all options on the table to ensure that Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon,” White House spokesperson Olivia Wales told Fox News Digital. The Pentagon could not immediately be reached for comment. One early focus could be Iran’s fleet of fast attack boats in the Strait of Hormuz — a central component of Tehran’s ability to threaten global shipping in one of the world’s most critical energy corridors. RP Newman, a military and terrorism analyst and Marine Corp veteran, said leaving much of that fleet intact during earlier strikes was a mistake. IRAN’S REMAINING WEAPONS: HOW TEHRAN CAN STILL DISRUPT THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ “We’ve blown up six of them,” he said. “They’ve got about 400 left.” The small, fast-moving boats are a key part of Iran’s asymmetric maritime strategy, capable of harassing commercial tankers and U.S. naval forces — and could quickly become a priority target in any renewed campaign. Much of Iran’s core military structure also remains intact. INSIDE IRAN’S MILITARY: MISSILES, MILITIAS AND A FORCE BUILT FOR SURVIVAL Newman said “we’ve only killed less than one percent of IRGC troops,” leaving a large portion of the force still capable of carrying out operations. He estimated the group “numbers between 150 and 190,000.” But targeting the IRGC is far more complex than eliminating senior leadership. “They’re not just a group of leaders at the top that you can kill away,” Krummrich said. “Over 47 years it’s percolated down to every level.” Retired Rear Adm. Mark Montgomery, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies policy institute, said Washington may continue tightening economic pressure before broadening military action, arguing the U.S. should “squeeze them for at least another three to six weeks” before considering more aggressive escalation. “You could have blown Kharg Island back to smithereens,” Krummrich said, referring to Iran’s primary oil export terminal in the Persian Gulf. “But what the planner said was, no — what we can do is a maritime blockade. It will have the same effect.” Iran has continued moving crude through covert shipping networks and ship-to-ship transfers, with tanker trackers reporting millions of barrels still reaching markets in recent weeks. A CIA analysis found Iran may be able to sustain those pressures for another three to four months before facing more severe economic strain, according to a report by The Washington Post. The question is how far a U.S. campaign could expand if initial pressure fails to force concessions. Trump has signaled a willingness to go further, warning before the ceasefire that the U.S. could “completely obliterate” Iran’s electric generating plants, oil infrastructure and key export hubs such as Kharg Island if a deal is not reached. “You don’t do that at first,” Montgomery said, describing strikes on dual-use infrastructure as a conditional step dependent on Iran’s response. Targeting dual-use infrastructure presents significant legal and operational challenges. “I’ve got 500 people standing on my target. You can’t hit that,” Newman said. Such decisions carry political and legal risks, particularly given the likelihood of international scrutiny. Broader infrastructure strikes also could create long-term instability if they push Iran toward internal collapse. “In the short term, it might help. But in the long term, we’re all going to have to deal with it,” Krummrich said. “Once you pull that lever, you’re basically pushing Iran closer to the edge of the abyss.” A collapse of state authority could create a failed-state
California abortion pill suppliers plot workarounds ahead of Supreme Court mifepristone decision
California-based abortion pill suppliers are reportedly preparing backup plans in case the Supreme Court restricts access to mifepristone, as the justices consider whether to limit mailing of the controversial drug. The Supreme Court has not set a timeline for a final decision in Louisiana v. FDA, but it faces a deadline of May 11, when its temporary pause on a lower-court ruling is set to expire unless the justices act. That ruling from the Fifth Circuit would roll back more recent FDA changes and reinstate older requirements that mifepristone be dispensed in person, effectively blocking telehealth prescriptions and mail distribution of the drug nationwide. Justice Samuel Alito issued the temporary administrative stay blocking that ruling from taking effect while the Supreme Court considers next steps. Mifepristone is now used in nearly two-thirds of all U.S. abortions, and with the legal future of sending it by mail uncertain, California suppliers are already pivoting. ABORTION PILL FIGHT HEADS TO SUPREME COURT AS MANUFACTURER WARNS OF ‘CHAOS’ AFTER RULING Supply chains in the Golden State are “ready to switch in a day” to alternative abortion drugs, Dr. Michele Gomez, co-founder of the MYA Network, a group seeking to “normalize abortion care,” told the Los Angeles Times. “It’s not going away, and it’s not going to slow down,” she said of abortion. At the center of the supply chain pivot is misoprostol, which is also used in concert with mifepristone to form the cocktail used in the majority of U.S. abortions. But some health officials assess that using misoprostol alone is less effective and comes with a higher risk of side effects. “Mifepristone with misoprostol is more effective than misoprostol used alone, and is associated with fewer side-effects,” according to the World Health Organization. HAWLEY LAUNCHES INVESTIGATION INTO ABORTION DRUG MANUFACTURERS OVER ‘GRAVE RISKS’ TO WOMEN Despite the elevated risk factors, suppliers are ready to ship the backup drug. “We heard about this on Friday and organizations that mail pills were mailing misoprostol on Saturday,” Gomez told the Times. “They already knew what to do.” On May 1, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals sided with Louisiana in ruling that the FDA overstepped its authority by allowing abortion pills to be sent by mail from states where they are legal to states where they are not. Alito issued a temporary stay on that ruling, but that freeze expires May 11. Fox News Digital contacted the MYA Network and the FDA for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
California professor accused of killing pro-Israel protester will ‘likely’ avoid lengthy prison sentence
The Jewish community is outraged after a California district attorney’s office signaled that a community college professor could escape a lengthy prison sentence after he struck an elderly pro-Israel protester with a megaphone, which led to him falling backwards onto the ground and later dying at the hospital from blunt force trauma, according to the medical examiner. Loay Abdel Fattah Alnaji, 53, an anti-Israel community college professor, was initially ordered to stand trial after hitting a pro-Israel protester, Paul Kessler, 69, in the head with a megaphone, who was standing across the street from him during dueling pro-Israel, pro-Palestinian protests in Thousand Oaks, located in Ventura County, California, in 2023. Kessler fell backwards to the ground after being struck by Alnaji striking his head and sending him to the hospital before passing away shortly thereafter from blunt force trauma, according to the medical examiner. The incident took place against the backdrop of the Israel-Hamas war tensions and concerns about antisemitism rising in the United States and more broadly. Alnaji was initially facing up to four years in prison for the matter as he fought the charges against him, but on Tuesday he reversed course and the court “indicated that it is likely to place Alnaji on formal probation with up to 365 days in jail,” according to the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office, which said it was displeased with the move. GERMAN OFFICIALS WARN ISLAMIST, FAR-LEFT RHETORIC DRIVING SPIKE IN ANTISEMITIC ATTACKS Ventura County Superior Court Judge Derek Malan, who offered Alnaji probation if he changed his plea, according to the Ventura County Star, reportedly likened the altercation to if “two old guys had a dispute and an accident happened,” Defense attorney Ron Bamieh said, after noting the offer came after multiple meetings between him and the judge. A defense source familiar with the case said that the district attorney’s office was also involved in these talks, despite public statements indicating they were unhappy with the outcome. The defense source said the district attorney’s office had to take a harsher stance for political reasons. “Alnaji should be sentenced to prison for his violent behavior, and our office strongly objects to any lesser sentence,” said District Attorney Erik Nasarenko. “While no amount of punishment will ever fully account for the Kessler family loss, a prison commitment underscores the severity of this crime and will deter others from committing similar acts of violence.” A prosecutor also said Kessler’s family opposed the sentence and sought the maximum term. ANTISEMITIC ATTACKER FACED 30-YEAR SENTENCE, GETS LESS THAN 1½ YEARS IN PLEA DEAL However, the defense source said that prior to the plea this week, the victim’s family wanted the case over quickly and quietly, without a trial, and did not have a strong opinion about sentencing. The source also contested claims that anyone had actually seen the full incident occur and insisted there were numerous contradictions in the eyewitness accounts provided that alleged Alnaji was the aggressor. “Mr. Alnaji made a thoughtful decision today, one guided by his family’s well-being and a deep concern for community peace. The tragedy that befell Mr. Kessler, compounded by the geopolitical tensions surrounding Israel and Gaza, led Mr. Alnaji to reconsider pursuing a full trial,” Bamieh said in a statement. “The evidence regarding Mr. Kessler’s aggressive conduct, his history of advocating violence and antagonistic tactics at pro-Palestinian rallies, and most critically, his brain stem condition—all of these facts would likely have shifted the outcome of a trial.” The defense has argued that a pre-existing brain injury is actually what caused Kessler’s death, not blunt force trauma as was determined by the medical examiner. ANTI-ISRAEL AGITATORS CLASH WITH NYPD OFFICERS NEAR SYNAGOGUE “For those who have characterized Mr. Alnaji as a violent man who intentionally struck a helpless victim, I simply say: they are either uninformed about the facts of this case, or they are pursuing an agenda unrelated to justice. The record tells a different story,” Bamieh concluded. Jonathan Oswaks, a friend of Kessler’s who was at the rally with him when the incident took place, told the Jewish Journal that the sentencing news was “deeply frustrating.” “I’m not a lawyer, but the way this was handled raises serious questions for me. It sends a troubling message about accountability,” he told the Jewish Journal in an interview. Oswaks recounted moments from the event in his interview with the outlet, noting how the pro-Palestinian protesters vastly outnumbered them that day. He said after the pair had split up, people began approaching him and stood inches from his face yelling into his ear and using a megaphone. “When I tell you I had never experienced that level of hate in my life, I hadn’t,” he said. “I told them to get out of my space. They backed off briefly, then started again. I made it clear they needed to stay away, and eventually they did.” After news of the deal came down, the Anti-Defamation League expressed disfavor with the likely sentencing outcome, arguing it “emboldens others to act in anger against the Jewish community.” Rabbi Noah Farkas, president and chief executive of the Jewish Federation of Los Angeles, said that “while we would have liked a harsher sentence,” he welcomed “the admission of guilt for this heinous crime,” according to the L.A. Times. “Our hope is that today’s news helps bring closure to his family and gives our community the ability to demonstrate safely,” Farkas added. Alnaji’s sentencing is scheduled for June 25, and he remains at home after posting $50,000 bail.
LGBTQ ‘lavender graduations’ set to take place at major Christian colleges, including one with a drag show
Some of the country’s most prominent Catholic colleges and universities are holding separate LGBTQ-affirming graduation ceremonies this spring, including one that also plans to include a drag performance. At least 20 colleges or universities associated with the Catholic Church have held, or plan to hold, these “lavender graduation” ceremonies and celebrations, which are done separate from the main commencement ceremony and are intended to “honor and celebrate the achievements of our LGBTQ+ graduates,” according to a Fox News Digital review of university websites and social media posts. The term “lavender” has been used to describe LGBTQ+ affiliations amongst the gay community for decades, but the phrase has also carried a loaded meaning in Catholic circles, where critics have used it in phrases like “lavender mafia” to refer to alleged homosexual networks within Church institutions. US CATHOLIC BISHOPS VOTE TO OFFICIALLY PROHIBIT GENDER TRANSITION TREATMENT AT CATHOLIC HOSPITALS The schools that have held, or plan to hold these graduation events, include Georgetown, Gonzaga, the University of San Francisco, Boston College, College of the Holy Cross, Fordham, Fairfield University, Marquette, Xavier, Seattle University, Saint Louis University, Loyola Marymount, Santa Clara University, St. John’s, Albertus Magnus College, St. Mary’s College of California, Regis University, Siena Heights University, St. Thomas University and Our Lady of the Lake University. The ceremonies sparked criticism from Catholic watchdog the Cardinal Newman Society, an education advocacy group focused on ensuring Catholic schools uphold traditional church teachings. The society, which first highlighted several of the “lavender” ceremonies taking place this year, argues that the events promote an ideology at odds with the church’s teaching. One of the schools holding a separate LGBTQ+ graduation, Seattle University, indicates on its website that their “Lavender Celebration” will even include “a special performance” from “Sativa the Drag Queen,” who, later this month, is headlining an event called “DICK’S DELUXE DRAG EXTRAVAGANZA.” FBI TRACKS DOWN CENTURIES-OLD CHRISTIAN ARTIFACT IN UNEXPECTED PLACE: ‘INCREDIBLY EXCITING’ At the University of San Francisco, the school’s website indicates it plans to hold a “Queer Prom” directly after their “Lavender Commencement.” Other schools plan to give special honors, host various keynote speakers and provide students with unique cords or stoles they can wear with their cap and gown. Some events included food, drinks and other activities as well. “Although intended as a compassionate gesture to students, the ceremonies reinforce harmful ideologies about sexuality and gender that contradict Catholic teaching,” the Cardinal Newman Society said in a news release about the graduation ceremonies. “They potentially lead students into sinful activity and undermine a Catholic college’s claim to teach the truths of the Catholic faith,” the Catholic education group continued. “The Church is clear in its teaching that sexual attraction to persons of the same sex is not itself a sin, but such attractions are ‘objectively disordered.’” Several of the same Catholic universities hosting LGBTQ-focused “lavender” graduation events also advertise separate cultural or identity-based commencement celebrations for non-White students, according to university event pages.
Regulators allow Obama-era solar plant to kill thousands of birds annually, investigation finds
Regulators are allowing an Obama-era “clean energy” solar plant to continue operating even as its reflected solar beams kill thousands of birds each year, with no fines or enforcement action taken since it opened, a Fox News Digital investigation has found. The Ivanpah Solar Power Plant, a sprawling facility built with taxpayer support in the Mojave Desert near the California–Nevada border, remains in compliance under existing regulations, even as birds are burned, injured or killed after flying through the beams which reflect sunlight onto the plant’s three central towers. Regulators were aware of those risks before approving the project as part of a broader push to expand renewable energy. Today, it remains in compliance, meaning the wildlife deaths documented at the site fall within limits set under its environmental approvals. That framework allows the plant to continue operating even as thousands of birds are killed each year. OBAMA-ERA ‘CLEAN ENERGY’ SOLAR POWER PLANT STILL USES FOSSIL FUELS – AND KILLS THOUSANDS OF BIRDS ANNUALLY “Staff is not aware of any formal enforcement actions or fines issued by either the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or the California Department of Fish and Wildlife related to avian or wildlife mortality at the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System,” the California Energy Commission, which oversees large energy projects in the state, told Fox News Digital. The commission also said it knows of no special regulatory exemptions for renewable energy projects related to wildlife impacts. Instead, the project was approved as long as monitoring and mitigation requirements would be carried out, meaning some level of wildlife mortality was anticipated. The futuristic-looking facility, known for its three large towers that glow brightly when powered on, was approved during the Obama-era push to rapidly expand renewable energy following the 2008 financial crisis — part of a broader effort to cut emissions and reduce reliance on fossil fuels in the name of climate change. At the time, it was hailed as the future of “clean energy” technology, and the federal government provided a $539 million grant for its construction, along with a separate $1.6 billion loan. But its technology quickly became outdated by conventional solar panels that absorb sunlight directly and convert it into electricity, making Ivanpah’s energy more expensive to produce. The plant also relies on natural gas to start up each day – producing tens of thousands of metric tons of carbon dioxide annually. CALIFORNIA’S GREEN NEW SCAM COULD COST YOU $20,000 Researchers say birds are drawn to the bright towers, then fly through the plant’s concentrated solar beams — known as solar flux — where they can be injured or killed. Researchers dubbed the phenomenon “streamers,” and a video released by the U.S. Geological Survey shows a bird trailing smoke as its feathers burn. Songbirds, doves, warblers and other migratory species have been found dead at the plant. Environmental reviews examined by Fox News Digital show that regulators were aware before construction that the project could kill birds, either by being burned by the plant’s concentrated sunlight or colliding with the tens of thousands of mirrors that surround the three towers like lakes. They also raised concerns about damage to the 4,000-acre physical desert habitat it was going to occupy, as well as to protected species that roam the barren terrain, such as the endangered desert tortoise, dozens of which went unaccounted for during early operations. The project’s Final Environmental Impact Statement warned that climate efforts could come “at the expense of reducing the native biodiversity.” Even with those warnings, regulators approved the project, allowing it to move forward on the basis that ongoing monitoring and mitigation requirements would be carried out, rather than requiring those risks to be resolved. A 2016 congressional review raised similar concerns, finding no clear evidence that federal agencies had pursued penalties for bird deaths at Ivanpah — a pattern that appears to have continued. The plant is regulated under a system that tracks wildlife deaths but does not automatically trigger fines or shutdowns. Monitoring reports show hundreds of birds are found dead at the site each year, with some estimates putting the total in the thousands. Responsibility for enforcement is shared across multiple agencies, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Bureau of Land Management, each of which has authority over different aspects of the project, the CEC said. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said it reviews monitoring data and provides technical input but did not indicate enforcement action tied to bird deaths at the site. NRG Energy, which operates the facility, said in a previous statement it remains committed to providing renewable electricity but declined to provide additional comment regarding environmental issues. Instead of being treated like a typical environmental violation, the project is governed through a permitting system that emphasizes monitoring and mitigation rather than penalties. In practice, that means harm can be documented without triggering enforcement action even though federal authorities have pursued penalties for bird deaths in other industries. Under federal law, violations involving protected migratory birds can carry fines of up to $15,000 per bird. Such prosecutions of industry have become rare in the United States, however. In 2017, the Department of the Interior reinterpreted the Migratory Bird Treaty Act to apply only to intentional killings — not “incidental” deaths caused by industrial activity such as oil pits, power lines or wind turbines. Federal courts, including the Fifth Circuit, have since reinforced that narrower reading, limiting the government’s ability to penalize companies for equipment-related bird deaths. But even efforts to reduce harm — including deterrents, lighting changes and operational adjustments — have not eliminated the problem at Ivanpah, with monitoring reports continuing to document annual wildlife deaths. More than a decade later, Ivanpah shows what that system looks like in practice: a project approved as clean energy that kills wildlife, relies on fossil fuels and continues operating without penalties. WATCH: Experts weigh in on future of $2.2B Obama-era Ivanpah solar plant as regulators