‘Shark Tank’ star insists AOC is a capitalist at heart: ‘The best marketeer in politics’
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez would “destroy America” as president – but is a first-rate entrepreneur – says Canadian businessman and star of ABC’s “Shark Tank” Kevin O’Leary. O’Leary’s comments came over the weekend during the White House Correspondents’ Association annual dinner in response to questions about a new campaign-style video the far-left progressive lawmaker put out amid speculation she is considering a run for president. “I think she’s the best marketeer in politics. I buy her T-shirts, I gift them the tax the rich T-shirts – I love them. She makes 82% in margin on them, which, I think, shows you that inside of every socialist, there’s a capitalist trying to get out,” O’Leary said. “Now, would she destroy America? Absolutely. There’s no chance she’ll ever be president. I don’t agree with anything she says, but I love her social media. She’s a crazy chicken.” AOC POSITIONING HERSELF TO BE ‘LEADING VOICE’ OF DEMOCRATIC PARTY “Her district is a wasteland,” O’Leary added. “Why would anybody want her running anything? But I love what she does on T-shirts, so maybe she should start a T-shirt company.” The “Shark Tank” star’s comments came as Ocasio-Cortez has been criss-crossing the country over the last several weeks, participating in a “Fight Oligarchy” tour alongside Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., in protest of President Donald Trump and his policies. The events have drawn large crowds and speculation over whether Ocasio-Cortez is testing the waters for a potential presidential run. Meanwhile, last week, Ocasio-Cortez posted a new campaign-style video to her social media accounts, invigorating that speculation even further. ‘WE ARE ONE’: CAMPAIGN SPECULATION GROWS AROUND AOC’S VIDEO Prominent pollster Nate Silver suggested earlier this month that Ocasio-Cortez is currently the leading Democrat to pick up the party’s presidential nomination in 2028, selecting her as his top choice in a 2028 election exercise with FiveThirtyEight’s Galen Druke. “I think there’s a lot of points in her favor at this very moment,” Druke said, adding, “Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has broad appeal across the Democratic Party.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
I already have REAL ID but have second thoughts, can I go back?
With the deadline for obtaining a REAL ID just one week away, some who are wary of making the change or who have already done so and now regret their decision may be asking if they can return to alternative forms of ID. For many across the country, the short answer is yes. Many states will continue to offer non-REAL ID forms of identification that can be obtained the next time someone needs to renew their ID. However, this comes with the significant caveat that, starting May 7, only REAL ID-compliant forms of identification will be acceptable for federal purposes such as boarding domestic flights or accessing federal facilities. It has been 20 years since Congress passed the REAL ID Act, mandating states to implement certain minimum-security standards for issuing IDs. A REAL ID is not a national identification card but rather an ID issued by the state in compliance with certain federal standards. IS REAL ID REALLY NECESSARY? WHAT AUTHORITIES ARE SAYING After a series of delays in implementing the law, the Department of Homeland Security under the Trump administration finally set a deadline for all adults wishing to travel by plane or access federal facilities to obtain a REAL ID-compliant identification card by May 7. The Trump administration argued that the deadline had already been postponed long enough, asserting that travelers had ample time to gather the necessary documents for the more rigorously verified form of identification. Some critics, however, have claimed that REAL ID presents a risk to citizens’ privacy, while some on the left have claimed the additional documentation to obtain the card presents an undue difficulty for certain demographics, such as the poor or minorities. Though it will vary from state to state, if someone with a REAL ID has regrets, all they have to do is opt for another form of identification the next time they are due for renewal. NEED REAL ID IN A HURRY? HERE ARE SOME ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS OUTSIDE THE DMV However, Simon Hankinson, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, explained to Fox News Digital that the “difference between the REAL ID version and the kind of noncompliant version is not that big.” Hankinson explained that to obtain a REAL ID, all that is needed is an extra form of documentation beyond what is normally required for an identification card. “Let’s say I apply for a regular driver’s license. I need proof of residence. I’ve got a bill from my electricity company and my cable company, and I’ve got my birth certificate. Okay, that’s what I give to get my regular I.D. And then in order to get the REAL ID, I have to add a passport or a social security card,” he said. With this in mind, for many, the supposed benefits of opting out of REAL ID are likely not worth the drawbacks. ‘WE’RE SIMPLY NOT READY’: REAL ID ROLLOUT COULD TRIGGER NATIONAL HEADACHE, STATE LAWMAKER WARNS Meanwhile, Hankinson said that the REAL ID’s benefit to national security is significant. He pointed to the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001, in which several of the al Qaeda terrorists involved had obtained valid state licenses, which were accepted for boarding their flights. “They did the 911 Commission report, and they realized one of many mistakes that had been made and one of many loopholes was that two of the hijackers, at least the two that the crashed the plane at the Pentagon had been able to get a driver’s license in California,” he said. “As a national security issue, you can’t go to other countries and just get a driver’s license with zero ID. I mean, it just doesn’t work that way. So, I think it’s about time we caught up.” In response to concerns about security and privacy, Hankinson said the government will have to be held to the highest standards to uphold citizens’ privacy. Still, he compared the risk-reward scenario posed to the nation by REAL ID to nuclear power. USAID REPORTEDLY BANKROLLED AL QAEDA TERRORIST’S COLLEGE TUITION, UNEARTHED RECORDS SHOW “If it’s done right, you can mitigate the risks, and you can have, like France, 75, 80 percent of your power from nuclear power plants,” he said. “If you cut corners, and you put the wrong people in charge and you take risks, then you end up with Chernobyl.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP All in all, Hankinson said, “I think really this adds a little bit of hassle … but it gives us a lot in exchange.” Fox News Digital’s Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.
Supreme Court to hear arguments on school choice case involving Catholic charter school
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments on Wednesday in the case of a Catholic charter school in Oklahoma that is seeking the support of public funds. St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School would be the nation’s first religious charter school, setting a precedent sure to be capitalized on by other religious institutions. Both the Oklahoma Supreme Court and Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, a Republican, have argued funding the school is unconstitutional. Oklahoma Gov. Gov. Kevin Stitt, also a Republican, argues the First Amendment allows funding for the school. For Wednesday’s Supreme Court hearing, the St. Isidore case has been consolidated with the Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board, another similar case. Sens. James Lankford, R-Okla., Josh Hawley, R-Mo., Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., Ted Budd, R-N.C., and Ted Cruz, R-Texas, filed an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court supporting the school In the brief, the Republican senators flipped Drummond’s First Amendment argument on the attorney general, arguing Oklahoma violated the First Amendment by denying St. Isidore a charter because it’s a religious school. LGBTQ CHRISTIANS CRUSADE AGAINST TRUMP’S RELIGIOUSLY ‘HOSTILE’ POLICIES DURING HOLY WEEK “It’s no secret that parents want to educate their children in line with their values. And a public good shouldn’t be denied to anyone based on their religion. The outcome of this case will be revolutionary for religious liberty and education freedom, and Oklahoma is at the forefront,” Stitt’s office said in a statement. 100 DAYS OF INJUNCTIONS, TRIALS AND ‘TEFLON DON’: TRUMP SECOND TERM MEETS ITS BIGGEST TESTS IN COURT The Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board approved St. Isidore’s contract request in June 2023, allowing them to receive public funds. Lawsuits soon brought the case up to the Oklahoma Supreme Court, which ruled against the school last year. The Supreme Court is now reviewing that ruling by Oklahoma’s highest court, which found that funding the school violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, which prohibits the government from making any law “respecting an establishment of religion.” “Charter schools no doubt offer important educational innovations, but they bear all the classic indicia of public schools,” Drummond argued in SCOTUS filing. Advocates of the school point to the Free Exercise clause, which has been used in recent Supreme Court rulings to defend public funding going to religious institutions. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ASKS SUPREME COURT TO REVIEW EL SALVADOR DEPORTATION FLIGHT CASE “A State need not subsidize private education,” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue in 2020. “But once a State decides to do so, it cannot disqualify some private schools solely because they are religious.” The amicus brief from GOP lawmakers made a similar argument, claiming the Oklahoma Supreme Court’s ruling was ill-considered. “Upholding the Oklahoma Charter Schools Act with the included exclusion of religious organizations would set a dangerous precedent, signaling that religious organizations are not welcome in public projects. This would not only violate the First Amendment, but it would also deprive society of the valuable contributions that these organizations make,” the Republican senators wrote. Fox News’ Deirdre Heavey contributed to this report
Walz says says Harris picked him for VP to ‘code talk to White guys’
Former vice presidential nominee Gov. Tim Walz, D-Minn., continued a self-described “listening tour” across the country at a Harvard Kennedy School forum on Monday night, ruling out a 2028 presidential bid and revealing why former Vice President Kamala Harris chose him as her running mate. Walz said Harris chose him, in part, because, “I could code talk to White guys watching football, fixing their truck” and “put them at ease.” The Minnesota governor described himself as the “permission structure” for White men from rural America to vote for Democrats. “I think I’ll give you pretty good stuff, but I’ll also give you 10% problematic,” Walz added when pushed by moderator Brittany Shepherd, ABC News national political reporter, about why he didn’t take that message to cable news to reach a larger audience. Walz laughed off criticism over inconsistencies in his background on the 2024 campaign trail, describing himself as a “knucklehead.” Walz told CNN’s Jake Tapper earlier this month that he was considering a third bid for Minnesota governor but was not thinking about running for president in 2028. When asked by Shepherd to explain, Walz said the Democratic Party should run a collective 2028 presidential campaign. WALZ ‘VERY PESSIMISTIC’ ON DEMOCRATS RETAKING THE SENATE “I think we need to collectively run a presidential campaign without a candidate right now that builds all the infrastructure… by the time we get to 2028, we’re ready,” Walz said. WHITE HOUSE TORCHES TIM WALZ’S SPEECH ABOUT TRUMP’S ‘GULAGS,’ ‘CHAOS’: ‘HIS LARGEST CITY BURNED TO THE GROUND’ And on what he would have done differently in 2024, Walz said, “We would have won.” Acknowledging that Democrats came up short in November, Walz said the party is “better off doing more” in “every forum,” following criticism that Democrats didn’t prioritize media appearances enough in 2024, whether long-form podcasts or traditional network news shows. “There is room for Gavin Newsom’s podcast, and there is room for Bernie Sanders’ rallies,” Walz said, as he described both instances as opportunities for Democrats to reclaim their own narrative. Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-Calif., long considered a potential 2028 presidential candidate, has invited President Donald Trump’s allies and conservative guests, including Charlie Kirk and Steve Bannon, onto his new podcast to show he is open to “criticism and debate without demeaning or dehumanizing one another.” The strategy follows criticism after the 2024 presidential election that Democrats didn’t prioritize new media appearances and unscripted conversations enough. Meanwhile, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., has been jet-setting across the country on the “Fighting Oligarchy” tour alongside another potential 2028 presidential candidate, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. The self-described Democratic socialists have amassed tens of thousands of supporters to what they say are record-setting rallies for both politicians. Walz has been on his own cross-country tour, hosting town halls in Republican-held congressional districts. But the former vice presidential nominee has fallen into familiar missteps from the 2024 campaign trail – on the road and back at home. Walz was heckled by veterans at the Minnesota Capitol earlier this month for claims of “stolen valor.” At a town hall in Wisconsin last month, a woman who registered for the event told Fox News Digital she was removed for filming Trump supporters getting kicked out. And during one of his first town hall events, Walz was slammed by Republicans for celebrating Tesla’s stock drop amid a spree of vandalism. While the Democrat said he was chosen by the Harris campaign to relate to White men, Walz has been unable to escape the nickname “Tampon Tim,” coined by conservatives for his bill providing free menstrual products to “all menstruating students” in school restrooms grades 4 to 12, including the boys’ room. Regardless of the comment or legislation, conservatives find a way to criticize “Tampon Tim,” including when Walz claimed he could fight most Trump supporters earlier this year. Further reflecting on the Democrats’ 2024 losses, Walz said the party wins on the issues and “competency,” but “we lose the message, and we lose power.” “Why have we lost the self-identity that the Democratic Party is for personal freedoms, middle-class folks, for labor folks. How did we lose it, where people didn’t self-identify with that? How did we get to a point where people didn’t feel like this was an important enough election to get out and vote?” Walz asked during his speech Monday. Walz’s speech was on the eve of Trump’s first 100-day celebration, and he warned his fellow Democrats, “If you leave a void, Donald Trump will fill it,” and added, “If I ever had 100 days to live, I would spend it in the Trump administration because it’s like a lifetime.” “It’s been 100 days of destruction. You think we can survive 550 more? That’s the challenge. That’s how long it is until the midterms,” Walz said.
Sen. Graham responds in kind to Trump’s joke about wanting to be pope: ‘Keep an open mind’
After President Donald Trump joked about wanting to be the pope, Sen. Lindsey Graham asked for the papal conclave and Catholics to maintain an “open mind” about the idea in apparent jest. “I was excited to hear that President Trump is open to the idea of being the next Pope. This would truly be a dark horse candidate, but I would ask the papal conclave and Catholic faithful to keep an open mind about this possibility!” the senator wrote on X while sharing video of Trump’s comments. “The first Pope-U.S. President combination has many upsides. Watching for white smoke…. Trump MMXXVIII!” Graham added. TRUMP JOKES HE’D LIKE TO BE POPE, ‘NUMBER 1 CHOICE’ – THEN NAMES A REAL CONTENDER Fox News Digital reached out to Graham’s office for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication. Trump jokingly said earlier on Tuesday that his “number one choice” for the new pope would be himself. CONSERVATIVE BACKLASH ERUPTS AFTER TRUMP’S GRAHAM ENDORSEMENT: ‘I AM NOT WITH TRUMP AT ALL WITH THIS ONE’ He then went on to say he has “no preference,” adding, “we have a cardinal that happens to be out of a place called New York, who’s very good.” The president appeared to be referring to Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who serves as Archbishop of New York. CONCLAVE TO PICK NEXT POPE TO BEGIN MAY 7, VATICAN SAYS Trump has endorsed Graham for re-election, though the move sparked conservative backlash.
‘Hard no’: Millionaire tax hike proposal has House Republicans divided
House Republicans are split over whether they would consider raising taxes on the wealthiest Americans as GOP lawmakers negotiate ways to pay for President Donald Trump’s multitrillion-dollar agenda. “Personally, I think that that should be on the table if we’re not going to make spending cuts, but I hope we make spending cuts,” House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, R-Md., told Fox News Digital Monday. On the other side of the debate, Republicans like Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., has said, “I’m a hard no on any [tax hike]. The problem is not that the government does not have enough money. The problem is the government spends too much money.” Congressional Republicans have begun work in earnest to craft a massive piece of legislation aimed at advancing Trump’s agenda on a broad array of issues — border security, immigration, national defense, domestic energy production, the debt limit and taxes. WHITE HOUSE QUIETLY FLOATS MILLIONAIRE TAX HIKE PROPOSAL IN CONGRESS AS GOP LEADERS SIGNAL OPPOSITION The tax portion alone could cost as much as $4.5 trillion over the next 10 years, according to House Republicans’ framework for the bill. Conservative fiscal hawks have, in return, demanded at least $1.5 trillion in spending cut offsets. And with the deadline to act on the debt limit expected to hit sometime this summer, Republicans are on the clock to reach an agreement between the House and Senate and send it to Trump’s desk. A possible increase in taxes on wealthy Americans is just one avenue Republicans are looking at to help pay for Trump’s newer policies that include eliminating taxes on tips, overtime wages and retirees’ Social Security. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., a member of the House’s tax writing panel, the Ways and Means Committee, suggested a small tax increase could be considered. “There’s potentially some talk about a tax hike on wealthier Americans. I think our goal in this committee, and the president’s goal, has been to provide tax relief for the working and middle class,” she said. Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-Ind., signaled to Fox News Digital he would be open to it too but acknowledged the risks. “I’m open-minded to what the president or the treasury secretary may have in mind. And I would want to see some numbers behind it and how it would have an effect on the economy,” Stutzman said. “What I’ve heard from people in the upper tax brackets is, you know, they’re willing to pay more as long as they know that it’s paying the debt down. They don’t want to see it go towards more spending.” He added, however, that with financial markets still wrestling with reactions to Trump’s tariffs, “raising taxes is probably not a good conversation to have.” In addition to Trump’s new tax policies, Republicans are seeking to extend his 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA). Many of its provisions expire at the end of this year. Rep. Nathaniel Moran, R-Texas, another Ways and Means Committee member, pointed out that failing to pass a bill altogether and allowing TCJA to expire would lead to a tax hike for millions. “I do not support raising taxes across the board at all. I want to keep those taxes low,” Moran said. “But if we don’t do anything, inaction will bring the largest tax hike in American history. We cannot let that happen.” SCOOP: PENCE URGES REPUBLICANS TO HOLD THE LINE ON TAX HIKES FOR THE RICH AS TRUMP WEIGHS OPTIONS Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, did not specifically weigh in on tax hikes when asked but said Republicans would fall short of their tax goals if proper spending cuts were not found. “All I care is that we actually do math with reasonable models based on reasonable assumptions. And so, look, to the extent that my colleagues are unwilling to do the shrinking and reduction of government that is necessary, then we’re going to have to deal with the tax side of things,” he said. “And that means not being able to get full 10-year [extensions], not being able to get every single tax extension that you want, not getting some of the new tax cuts that we want. So, all those things will end up being on the table if we don’t do our job.” Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill., said, “I don’t support tax hikes. I support spending cuts.” House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., would not share any details of the forthcoming plan when asked about a possible tax hike. “There’s a lot of things that I’ve been reading in the press that have not been accurate, but I’m not going to say whether it’s accurate or not, and they’ll see the bill whenever we deliver it right before markup,” Smith told Fox News Digital. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “But what I will say is, is that we will have a tax bill that is pro-growth, pro-jobs, pro-family, pro-small business and pro-workers. And Republicans believe in making sure that Americans keep more of their hard-earned dollars, and you’ll see a tax package that does that.” He said Americans would likely get to see that plan in a matter of “days, not months.” When reached for comment on the possibility of tax hikes in Trump’s agenda bill, a senior White House official told Fox News Digital, “The president is reviewing a wide range of tax cut proposals for inclusion in the reconciliation bill. He is most focused on tax policy that will help create more good-paying jobs in America and delivering the major tax cuts he campaigned on for working and middle-class Americans.”
Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff says Trump’s ‘chaos and uncertainty’ leading to economic challenges
Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., said the economic challenge sparked by President Donald Trump’s “chaos and uncertainty” is the biggest issue facing the Peach State, stressing that the president’s uncertain economic policy is impacting how businesses and residents make decisions for the future. Ossoff, preparing to run for re-election in 2026, potentially against Georgia’s popular Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, who has yet to announce if he will join the race. Ossoff is the only Democrat seeking reelection who represents a state that Trump won last year, making him a top target for Republicans hoping to maintain their Senate majority. “I am more than prepared for any challenger,” Ossoff, 38, told The Associated Press on Saturday while declining to comment on any potential opponents. Ossoff defeated incumbent Republican Sen. David Perdue in a runoff in 2021, helping Democrats flip control of the Senate and hold onto the chamber’s majority for four years during the Biden administration. SENATOR JOINS GROUP OF FAR-LEFT LAWMAKERS WHO THINK TRUMP HAS — AGAIN — COMMITTED IMPEACHABLE OFFENSES During his first four years, Ossoff attempted to establish a reputation as a senator working to advance Georgia’s traditional interests, including its farmers and military bases. He says he will attempt to work with Republicans to deliver for Georgia. The senator, who has recently intensified his criticisms of Trump, warned Saturday that businesses and households in Georgia are struggling to plan for the future because of constant changes in the federal government’s trade and economic moves. “Businesses are unable to invest with an understanding of what the rules of international trade will be from one hour or week or month to the next,” Ossoff told The Associated Press. “Households are unable to plan their annual budgets because there’s so much chaos and uncertainty in the implementation of federal economic policy.” “This administration needs to clearly define its economic objectives, and it needs to competently implement its plan, whatever that plan may be,” he continued. “The fact that the White House does not even know what its policy is, and is with such unpredictability and chaos, lurching from one policy to the other, is putting the state’s economy at serious economic risk.” STACEY ABRAMS CONSIDERS 3RD RUN FOR GEORGIA GOVERNOR DESPITE BACK-TO-BACK DEFEATS Ossoff also expressed concerns about Trump’s authoritarian and “un-American” executive action since returning to the White House in January, pointing to the president’s attempts to go after his political opponents. “We have never seen a president try to wield the federal government to crush his critics and political adversaries,” Ossoff said. “That’s something new in American history, and it is, in my view, un-American. And it’s something that should chill us to the bone, no matter our politics, no matter our policy preferences.” The lawmaker urged Republicans to remember that eventually a Democrat will be president again and “the shoe will be on the other foot.” “This is about checks and balances,” he said. “This is about whether or not the executive branch is constrained as designed by our Constitution, by judicious legislators who can put their partisanship aside to protect the public interest.” Ossoff explained that, while Democrats have limited power without control of the White House or either chamber of Congress, a big part of his job at the moment is to inform the people of Georgia that Trump’s policies are not in the state’s best interest. In addition to his criticism of Trump, Ossoff has cited shortcomings during the Biden administration, particularly when it comes to border security. He was one of 12 Democrats who voted for the Laken Riley Act, named after a Georgia nursing student murdered by Venezuelan migrant Jose Antonio Ibarra. The law requires illegal migrants accused — even without a conviction — of theft or violent crimes to be detained by the Department of Homeland Security. “My view is that the American people expect and deserve secure borders,” Ossoff said. “And I think the Biden administration failed in its border policies. The American people expect and deserve for people who enter this country illegally and may pose a threat to public safety or national security to be apprehended by the authorities.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “But the American people don’t support and don’t expect federal police raids on elementary schools and hospitals and churches,” he continued, referring to the Trump administration’s controversial immigration enforcement actions. “And [the American people] don’t expect our military installations to become mass prison camps for immigrants and don’t want entire families rounded up with no due process. We just learned yesterday about a two-year-old U.S. citizen — a two-year-old girl — who was deported without due process. Our immigration policy needs to be responsible and serious. It also needs to be humane.” The Associated Press contributed to this report.
New York Assembly passes bill to legalize assisted suicide for the terminally ill
The New York State Assembly on Tuesday passed a bill that would legalize medically assisted suicide for terminally ill people, sending the measure to the state Senate. The Medical Aid in Dying Act passed the Assembly by an 81-67 vote. The measure would allow a mentally competent adult who has been given six months or less to live the option of being prescribed lethal drugs. The bill’s sponsor, Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, said she was motivated to introduce the legislation after her sister died of ovarian cancer. “I don’t know whether she would have availed herself of this medication if she had the opportunity, but I can tell you that when she died, I wasn’t there,” Paulin, a Democrat, told reporters, according to the New York Post. MINNESOTA LAWMAKERS PROPOSE CONTROVERSIAL MEDICALLY-ASSISTED SUICIDE BILL “When she died, my other sisters were not there, and that was her wish,” she continued. Democrat Assemblywoman Karines Reyes, a registered nurse, said the bill would allow people to die with dignity. “If you don’t believe in it, then don’t avail yourself of that choice, but I think it is inhumane for us to tell people that we are forcing them to continue their suffering,” Reyes said. Medically-assisted suicide has been gaining support in New York over the last decade, but opponents of the measure argue it is akin to state-sponsored assisted suicide. “I watched my mom die. I watched my daughter die. And I know that for a fact that none of us are getting out of here alive. At some point or the other, we’re all going to go, but I don’t believe there should be a combination of six drugs offered to someone to end their life,” Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes, a Democrat, said on the Assembly floor, according to the New York Post. TERMINALLY ILL MISSOURI WOMAN, 79, TAKING TRIP TO SWITZERLAND FOR ASSISTED SUICIDE Assemblywoman Mary Beth Walsh, a Republican, said “each and every life has value” in arguing against the proposal. “Progress may not be on a straight line and will look different to each of us, but this idea of giving up and dying is not excelsior, ever upward. It’s incredibly sad,” she said, referring to the state motto, “Excelsior” which means “ever upward.” State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said she would discuss the bill with senators, but she did not say whether she would bring it up for a floor vote. “The conversation had begun in earnest last year. So I think we have time to look at it seriously,” she told reporters. It is unclear if Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul would sign the measure if it passed the state legislature. There are 10 U.S. states with legalized physician-assisted suicide. Several other countries, including Canada, Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands, have also legalized assisted suicide.
Elon Musk no longer working on DOGE efforts from White House: report
Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, is starting to transition from his role with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and is no longer working regularly from the White House, according to a report from the New York Post. His impending exit is no surprise, as the White House confirmed earlier this month that the plan was always for Musk to refocus on Tesla once he completed “his incredible work at DOGE.” The Tesla CEO was appointed as an unpaid special government employee under DOGE and remains involved in the agency remotely. MUSK NOT LEAVING YET, WRAPPING UP WORK ON SCHEDULE ONCE ‘INCREDIBLE WORK AT DOGE IS COMPLETE’: WHITE HOUSE Fox News’ Bret Baier previously asked the DOGE leader during an interview with him and members of his team if he would be working past the 130 days typically expected of special government employees. To which Musk responded, “I think we will have accomplished most of the work required to reduce the deficit by a trillion dollars within that timeframe.” Musk has also reportedly told his investors that he would be “allocating far more of my time to Tesla” in the coming months during a Tesla earnings call. Although the exact amount of money DOGE has recovered is unknown, Musk has said that he believes enough work has been done to reduce the deficit by a trillion dollars. White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles told The NYP that Musk working remotely “really doesn’t matter much” when it comes to accomplishing goals. “Instead of meeting with him in person, I’m talking to him on the phone, but it’s the same net effect. He hasn’t been here physically, but it really doesn’t matter much,” Wiles said. DOGE SLASHES OVER $100M IN DEI FUNDING AT EDUCATION DEPARTMENT: ‘WIN FOR EVERY STUDENT’ Wiles also said Musk’s team is still working from the Eisenhower Executive Office Building next to the West Wing. “He’s not out of it altogether… He’ll be stepping back a little, but he’s certainly not abandoning it,” she told the outlet.
As judge is charged with obstructing justice in migrant case, spinners cast it as an anti-Trump story
Here’s what actually happened to that Wisconsin judge. Setting aside the spin – and there’s plenty of it from some Democrats and pundits – these are the facts. Based on the criminal complaint, county judge Hannah Dugan had a hearing scheduled for illegal Mexican immigrant Eduardo Flores-Ruiz – who is already facing charges of domestic abuse. Not only that, Flores-Ruiz got into a fight with two roommates who complained that he was playing his music too loud. Flores-Ruiz punched one roommate in the face 30 times, then hit a woman who tried to end the fight, the complaint says. Let that sink in for a minute. WISCONSIN JUDGE’S ARREST BLASTED BY DEMOCRATS WHO PREVIOUSLY CLAIMED ‘NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW’ IN TRUMP CASES Now let’s get to what Hannah Dugan did. (National Review’s Jim Geraghty has a highly detailed account with extensive quotes from the documents.) First she blew off the hearing. ICE agents have the absolute power to arrest the immigrant at the county courthouse, and were closing in, but hoped to do it in a low-key manner. Then she arranged for Flores-Ruiz to slip out a private exit, for the sole purpose of helping him avoid the federal agents. And it worked. But the agents tracked him down after a chase. This sounds very much like alleged obstruction of justice. Now Dugan is entitled to the presumption of innocence, along with a healthy skepticism. We’ve only heard the government’s side of the story. Does that sound like obstruction of justice? That’s what the judge has been charged with, along with concealing an individual to prevent an arrest. The Washington Post yesterday made explicit what it implied a day earlier: “While many Republican supporters of the president cheered the aggressive actions, critics of the administration said the spectacle sent a chilling message. “‘The obvious purpose of the arrest of Judge Dugan on criminal charges is to intimidate and threaten all judges, state and local, across the country,’ said J. Michael Luttig, a conservative former U.S. appeals court judge.” Many others are treating Dugan’s arrest, unusual though it is, as an outrage. Before the arrest of Flores-Diaz, the Milwaukee county executive said: “An attack on this safe, community-serving space undermines public trust, breeds fear among citizens and staff and disrupts the due process essential to our courts,” An attack, says David Crowley. Some other quotes helpfully rounded up by Geraghty: Minnesota Democratic Sen. Tina Smith posted: “If Kash Patel,” the FBI director, “and Donald Trump don’t like a judge, they think they can arrest them.” So this was not about alleged obstruction of justice but some kind of personal animus toward Dugan? And I doubt Trump knew anything about this. JUDGE WHO ALLEGEDLY HELPED MIGRANT DOESN’T DESERVE ‘SPECIAL TREATMENT,’ WISCONSIN LAWMAKER SAYS New York Times columnist David Brooks said on PBS: “It strikes me as maybe something illegal, but it also strikes me as something heroic.” It MAY be illegal, but on what planet would the judge’s actions be deemed heroic?? And here’s one I found from Guardian columnist Moira Donegan, saying: “The Trump administration is making an example of the Milwaukee judge to intimidate critics and opponents.” SUBSCRIBE TO HOWIE’S MEDIA BUZZMETER PODCAST, A RIFF ON THE DAY’S HOTTEST STORIES So now the tale has morphed into an anti-Trump hit job. The president does plenty of things to intimidate critics and openly talks about it. This isn’t one of them. As for the politics, aren’t most voters going to be more concerned with keeping violent illegal migrants off our streets?