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Trump has a bold option to counter Virginia's new gerrymander scheme

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 05:00:59 -0400

If you’re proud of something, you want people to see it. That is why it’s telling that Virginia Democrats are asking Old Dominion residents to vote for a redistricting scheme without allowing their proposed map to be printed on the ballots.

But it’s no wonder: the mid-decade redistricting proposal is an obscene gerrymander that will wipe out all but one GOP-leaning congressional district in the state. And, of course, they claim it’s all done in the name of "democracy."

This dishonest power play seeks to make the congressional representation of a purple state nearly as blue as Massachusetts. It disenfranchises nearly half the Commonwealth (Virginia went 51.8%-46.6% for Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024). The proposed districts are extreme – running from heavily populated blue areas deep into rural red areas. Federal government employees in Arlington and Fairfax will essentially dictate the congressional representation of farmers and shopkeepers up to 100 miles away.

DAVID MARCUS: RICH MEN NORTH OF RICHMOND TRY TO STEAL VOTES OF RURAL VIRGINIANS

Local airwaves have been inundated with ads pushing this redistricting scheme as a benevolent attempt to save democracy and "free and fair elections." One ubiquitous ad features former President Barack Obama carrying on his tradition for honesty that was exemplified in his infamous declaration, "if you like your plan, you can keep your plan." Now it’s, "if you like your district, you can keep your district," with the hollow promise of going back to Virginia’s regular redistricting process in 2030.

Materials provided to the grassroots are a bit more transparent than the types of phony appeals to democracy wielded by the former president, governor, and other scheming progressives. Yard signs supporting the initiative are much more clear about the intent of the initiative, urging voters to "fight back" against MAGA.

BATTLE FOR THE HOUSE RUNS THROUGH VIRGINIA AS COURT OKS HIGH-STAKES REDISTRICTING VOTE

It is obvious to anyone paying attention that, rather than an effort to "restore fairness" or "level the playing field," the Virginia gerrymander, or Virgerrymander, is nothing more than an effort to stack the deck in favor of Democrats to weaken President Donald Trump.

So, what can the president and his allies do? Aside from motivating Virginia residents to oppose this power grab, Trump has another tool he can use to "fight back," to borrow the supporters’ phrase. He could fight fire with fire and choose another type of re-Districting.

In 1790, Virginia and Maryland each gave five square miles of land to the Federal government to create a district for a new national capital. That Virginia land remained part of the District of Columbia until 1847 when it was retroceded to the commonwealth. The shameful reason for that retrocession was protecting slavery in Virginia when the District abolished it.

This became moot after the Union defeated the ancestors of this current effort to rig elections and resist the elected federal leadership in the Civil War. Other presidents, including William Howard Taft, have considered retrocession unconstitutional and wanted to reclaim the land for the District, but the Supreme Court has never been asked to weigh in.

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President Trump could issue an executive order declaring the slavery-motivated retrocession unconstitutional, triggering certain legal action, and allowing the courts to finally weigh in on whether the county of Arlington and the city of Alexandria in fact properly belong to the District of Columbia.

This Order would be on better legal footing than many of President Joe Biden’s most egregious orders, such as those imposing an eviction moratorium or forgiving billions in student debt with the stroke of an (auto) pen. As some of the deepest blue areas of the Commonwealth – and the country – and loaded with federal government employees, residents of this region should feel right at home as part of D.C.

In an ad pushing for voters to back her party’s gerrymandering scheme, Spanberger calls this an "extraordinary moment." So it is. Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures – measures that, unlike the "Virgerrymander," are legal and ethical.

If Virginia Democrats’ redistricting succeeds, President Trump should re-District Virginia. It will not only neutralize the president’s political opponents’ move to stack Congress against him – thus protecting him from another likely sham impeachment – but, most importantly, it will save a great number of red Virginians from having their votes canceled out by deep blue D.C.-adjacent liberals.

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MORNING GLORY: President Trump must reject a second Munich and hold firm again Iran

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 05:00:56 -0400

Americans must worry that Munich 2.0 looms.

2026 cannot become as infamous as 1938.

President Donald Trump’s dispatch of negotiators to Islamabad for the resumption of negotiations with the rump regime atop the Islamic Republic of Iran is a moment of peril for the world, the region, the people of Iran, Israel, the United States and of course for President Donald Trump.

There is no doubt that all of the above parties — except the Iranian regime and its proxies — are in much improved positions than they were on February 27th — the eve of the battle with the Islamic Republic. The world is safer that the military and defense industrial might of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp is smashed and its proxy force of terrorists — Hezbollah in Lebanon — has been humbled again by the Israeli Defense Forces. The leaders of the civilized world, whether they say it out loud or not, are relieved.

THE REAL IRAN THREAT IS IN BLACK AND WHITE: IT'S EVEN IN THEIR CONSTITUTION

But so too was the world relieved on November 12, 1918, the day after the Allies’ armistice with the Kaiser’s Germany.

World War I was over with the signing of that armistice. World War II became inevitable that very same day because in the aftermath of the "the war to end all wars," President Woodrow Wilson "lost" the peace.

Arguably the worst president of the last century, Wilson’s ego and academic approach to the world and its realities condemned the world to an encore war, one that would turn out to be worse by far than the one just concluded that long ago 11/11. President Wilson’s mantle was picked up by President Barack Obama. President Trump must reject the temptation of that cloak which covers disaster with the appearance of an agreement.

PRESIDENT TRUMP'S NEGOTIATING TEAM PRAISED BY NUCLEAR EXPERTS FOR WALKING AWAY FROM PAKISTAN TALKS

The danger is that America (meaning of course President Trump) accepts half or even three-quarters of a loaf of a "deal," instead of demanding the capitulation of the rump regime in Iran.

That rump is run by "hardliners" — just like the hardliners who murdered tens of thousands of its own people in January and has imprisoned thousands more since while executing hundreds. Hardliners then and now are counting on the "soft" West to concede everything that matters in order to get gas prices down and the oil flowing to fully power the world’s economy. These fanatics believe they can out-negotiate President Trump. Doubtful, but possible.

President Trump is solely responsible for this negotiation. There is no Lloyd George, Clemenceau, or any of the many other parties who were present at the Paris Peace Talks at today’s table. The entire responsibility for whatever blame follows — this month, this year, this decade, or even this century — rests with President Trump, just as the credit, if deserved, will as well.

WHY TRUMP FACES AN AGONIZING DECISION ON OBLITERATING IRAN’S OIL SUPPLY IF HE CAN’T GET A DEAL

The negotiations that ended in the disastrous "Peace of Versailles," were a failure and there was no real peace at all. Long before Hitler arrived on the scene, Germany had begun to plan to rearm. The Islamic Republic cannot emerge from the ruins resolved not on reform but revenge.

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President Trump can agree to everything that doesn’t matter, but he cannot fold on the major points. The whole world knows what a victory looks like. President Trump should settle for nothing less than Iran’s abandonment of enrichment forever, the return of the "nuclear dust" to American control, an end to ballistic missile production and to support for terrorists, Iran’s "lunatics" as Secretary Rubio bluntly described them this week. The people of Iran must have their basic human rights restored.

President Trump’s place in history depends upon his resolve right now as does — and far more importantly — freedom for the Iranian people and stability for the entire region. It is not too much to say that the next many decades for the whole world depend upon the president’s resolve this week and next.

We cannot have another Munich. A few days ago President Trump stated the truth: The United Kingdom cannot afford another Neville Chamberlain. The United States can’t afford its first Chamberlain, or another President Obama.

Hugh Hewitt is a Fox News contributor and host of "The Hugh Hewitt Show" heard weekday afternoons from 3 PM to 6 PM ET on the Salem Radio Network, and simulcast on Salem News Channel. Hugh drives Americans home on the East Coast and to lunch on the West Coast on over 400 affiliates nationwide, and on all the streaming platforms where SNC can be seen. He is a frequent guest on the Fox News Channel’s news roundtable, hosted by Bret Baier weekdays at 6pm ET. A son of Ohio and a graduate of Harvard College and the University of Michigan Law School, Hewitt has been a Professor of Law at Chapman University’s Fowler School of Law since 1996 where he teaches Constitutional Law. Hewitt launched his eponymous radio show from Los Angeles in 1990. Hewitt has frequently appeared on every major national news television network, hosted television shows for PBS and MSNBC, written for every major American paper, has authored a dozen books and moderated a score of Republican candidate debates, most recently the November 2023 Republican presidential debate in Miami and four Republican presidential debates in the 2015-16 cycle. Hewitt focuses his radio show and his column on the Constitution, national security, American politics and the Cleveland Browns and Guardians. Hewitt has interviewed tens of thousands of guests from Democrats Hillary Clinton and John Kerry to Republican Presidents George W. Bush and Donald Trump over his 40 years in broadcasting. This column previews the lead story that will drive his radio/ TV show today.

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Republicans sound alarm on Democrats' ‘power grab’ as Virginia votes on redistricting shake-up

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 05:00:36 -0400

LEESBURG, Va. — Virginians head to the polls on Tuesday to vote on a congressional redistricting referendum that, if passed, could give Democrats a significant boost in the battle for the U.S. House majority in this year's midterm elections.

If the ballot measure is successful, it would give the Democrat-controlled Virginia legislature — rather than the state's current nonpartisan commission — temporary redistricting power through the 2030 election. It could result in a 10-1 advantage for Democrats in Virginia's congressional delegation, up from their current 6-5 edge.

That would give the Democrats four additional left-leaning U.S. House seats ahead of the midterms as the party tries to win back control of the chamber from the GOP, which currently holds a razor-thin majority.

"It's the most partisan map in American," former Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin told supporters at his final campaign stop on the eve of the election in this northern Virginia town on the far end of Washington, DC's suburbs.

OBAMA GOES ALL IN ON HIGH-STAKES REFERENDUM THAT MAY IMPACT MIDTERM ELECTIONS

Pointing to the Democrats pushing new maps, Youngkin charged, "What they are doing is immoral."

Teaming up with Youngkin to crisscross the state in leading the GOP opposition to the ballot initiative was former Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, who told the crowd the Democrats' map is one that "you draw when you’re drunk with power."

Speaking with Fox News Digital ahead of their final election eve rally, Miyares charged that Democrats want to take away the voices of millions of Virginians and gerrymander the state.

Youngkin, pointing to the duo's relentless campaigning in recent weeks, said "what we’re hearing over and over and over again is Virginians want fair maps. And what the yes vote represents are unfair maps."

And the two Republicans reiterated their charge that the referendum was an "unconstitutional power grab" by the Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger and the Democrats who control the state legislature.

As Youngkin and Miyares were speaking in Leesburg, President Donald Trump took to the airwaves on a popular Virginia-based conservative talk show and later teamed up with House Speaker Mike Johnson to urge voters to defeat the referendum.

SPANBERGER FACES 'BAIT AND SWITCH' BACKLASH AHEAD OF CRUCIAL ELECTION

Pointing to congressional Democrats, Trump warned that "if they get these additional seats, they're going to be making changes at the federal level."

Democrats counter that the redrawing of the maps is a necessary step to balance out partisan gerrymandering already implemented by Republicans in other states at Trump's urging.

"By voting yes, you have the chance to do something important — not just for the Commonwealth, but for our entire country," former President Barack Obama said in a video released Friday on the eve of the final day of early voting. "By voting yes, you can push back against the Republicans trying to give themselves an unfair advantage in the midterms."

"By voting yes, you can take a temporary step to level the playing field. And we're counting on you," the former president added.

The video by Obama was the former president's latest effort tied to the referendum. He has previously appeared in ads released by Virginians for Fair Elections, the Democrat-aligned group working to pass the ballot initiative.

BATTLE FOR THE HOUSE RUNS THROUGH VIRGINIA AS COURT OKS HIGH-STAKES REDISTRICTING VOTE

But Virginians for Fair Maps, the leading Republican-aligned group opposing redistricting, used past comments by Obama against political gerrymandering in its ads opposing the referendum.

"Because of things like political gerrymandering, our parties have moved further and further apart, and it’s harder and harder to find common ground," the former president said in an old clip showcased in the spot.

Republicans are also pointing to comments from Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine, a former Virginia governor and former chair of the Democratic National Committee, who acknowledged this past weekend in a Fox News Sunday interview that the new maps don't represent Virginia's partisan breakdown.

"Ninety percent of Virginians are not Democrats, that's true," Kaine said.

But Kaine added that "about 100% of Virginians want election results to be respected."

SOROS-BACKED GROUP AMONG LIBERAL ORGS PUMPING EYE-POPPING CASH INTO VIRGINIA GERRYMANDERING EFFORT

And Republicans are also taking aim at Spanberger, who won last November's gubernatorial election by over 15 points as Democrats also captured the lieutenant governor and attorney general offices.

"Abigail Spanberger told everybody last summer that she had no interest in redistricting and then the first bill she signs is a bill to enable the gerrymandering of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Virginians don’t like this and that’s why independents and a lot of Democrats are voting no too," Youngkin told Fox News Digital.

Minutes later, Youngkin told the crowd that Spanberger is "trying to disenfranchise million, millions, of Virginians."

Republicans have trained their redistricting firepower on Spanberger since a poll two weeks ago from The Washington Post indicated that the new governor's approval rating was barely above water, with the highest unfavorable rating for a new Virginia governor in two decades.

"She's an unpopular governor with an unpopular agenda and she lied to the voters," Miyares charged.

And Miyares and other top Republicans have accused Spanberger of pulling a "bait and switch."

Spanberger, in an ad in support of the referendum, said she's backing the measure because "it's directly in response to what other states decide to do and a president who says he's quote entitled to more Republican seats before this year's midterms. Our approach is different. It's temporary. It preserves Virginia's fair redistricting process into the future."

Supporters of redistricting have dramatically outraised and outspent groups opposed to the referendum, with Virginians for Fair Elections outraising Virginians for Fair Maps by a roughly three-to-one margin. Much of the funding raised by both sides came from so-called "dark money" from nonprofit public policy groups known as 501(c)(4) organizations that are not required to disclose their donors.

Despite the Democrats' funding advantage, recent polling suggested support for the ballot initiative was only slightly ahead of opposition amid a surge in early voting, which ended on Saturday.

"They have outspent us three to one. They’ve raised over $70 million. And yet this is a close vote," Youngkin said.

Pointing to the ads in support of the referendum, Youngkin said Virginians "aren’t believing the mistruths. They aren’t believing the lies on TV. They’re actually doing the work themselves and understanding that a no vote is for fair maps and a yes vote is for the most gerrymandered maps in America."

And Miyares emphasized that Democrats "outspent us but we have the truth."

Virginia is the latest battleground in the high-stakes fight between Trump and the GOP and Democrats over congressional redistricting.

Aiming to prevent what happened during his first term in the White House when Democrats reclaimed the House majority in the 2018 midterms, Trump last spring first floated the idea of rare, but not unheard of, mid-decade congressional redistricting.

The mission was simple: redraw congressional district maps in red states to pad the GOP's fragile House majority to keep control of the chamber in the midterms, when the party in power traditionally faces political headwinds and loses seats.

When asked by reporters last summer about his plan to add Republican-leaning House seats across the country, the president said, "Texas will be the biggest one. And that’ll be five."

Republican Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas called a special session of the GOP-dominated state legislature to pass the new map.

But Democratic state lawmakers, who broke quorum for two weeks as they fled Texas in a bid to delay the passage of the redistricting bill, energized Democrats across the country.

Among those leading the fight against Trump's redistricting was Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom of California.

DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB

California voters in November overwhelmingly passed Proposition 50, a ballot initiative that temporarily sidetracked the left-leaning state's nonpartisan redistricting commission and returned the power to draw the congressional maps to the Democratic-dominated legislature.

That is expected to result in five more Democratic-leaning congressional districts in California, which aimed to counter the move by Texas to redraw their maps.

The fight quickly spread beyond Texas and California.

Republican-controlled Missouri and Ohio and swing state North Carolina, where the GOP dominates the legislature, have drawn new maps as part of the president's push.

In blows to Republicans, a Utah district judge late last year rejected a congressional district map drawn by the state's GOP-dominated legislature and instead approved an alternate that will create a Democratic-leaning district ahead of the midterms.

Republicans in Indiana's Senate in December defied Trump, shooting down a redistricting bill that had passed the state House. The showdown in the Indiana statehouse grabbed plenty of national attention.

Florida is next up.

Two-term Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and state lawmakers in the GOP-dominated legislature are hoping to pick up an additional three to five right-leaning seats through a redistricting push during a special legislative session that kicks off April 28.

Hovering over the redistricting wars is the Supreme Court, which is expected to rule in Louisiana v. Callais, a crucial case that may lead to the overturning of a key provision in the Voting Rights Act.

If the ruling goes the way of the conservatives on the high court, it could lead to the redrawing of a slew of majority-minority districts across the county, which would greatly favor Republicans.

But it is very much up in the air when the court will rule and what it will actually decide.

LIZ PEEK: Warring Democrats will need more than Trump hatred to win in 2028

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 05:00:34 -0400

To paraphrase the late President Richard Nixon, what will Democrats do when they don’t have Donald Trump to kick around anymore?

It’s a valid question. Currently, shared hatred of Donald Trump is the baling wire holding the fractured Democratic Party together. The party is deeply divided over nearly every facet of government and policy, with progressives and moderates warring over taxes, gender issues, AI, climate change, law enforcement and Israel.

It isn’t at all clear who the party’s leaders are. Is it Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, whose approval rating nationally among Democrats barely clears 40%, or is it leftist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who may challenge Schumer for his Senate seat in 2028 but who is currently, astonishingly, under fire from progressives for trying to reach moderate voters?

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani is among those criticizing his party’s lack of "vision," telling "Meet the Press" host Kristen Welker, "We know very well what we oppose. What are we for?"

MIDTERM ALARM BELLS: DEMOCRATS FACE STEEP FAVORABILITY DEFICIT DESPITE ELECTION GAINS

He’s not the only Democrat critical of his party. At a recent DNC meeting in New Orleans, party officials were lambasted by progressives over their ongoing refusal to release the official autopsy explaining why they were scorched in the 2024 elections, a report that presumably could guide them forward. Axios has reported that DNC Chair Ken Martin fears the report could unleash "unnecessary party infighting"; he’s probably right.

Approaching the midterms, President Trump is less popular than he was during his prior term in office — by 7 points — but Democrats are a whopping 30 points behind where they were in 2018. Given the president’s many bold and controversial policy moves — from waging war against Iran, rebuilding the White House, implementing tariffs, bullying NATO and torching climate initiatives — those are remarkable readings. He has given the country — and Democrats — plenty to rail about.

Recently, scores of Democrats have threatened President Trump with impeachment or removal from office. Going into the midterm elections, Democrats, including California Rep. Ro Khanna and Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, have promised that if they win control of the House, they will impeach President Trump again. In a recent MS Now interview, Khanna said, "Absolutely, he should be impeached now ... and the Democrats will impeach him once we take back the House and should impeach him for all the things he’s done."

DAVID MARCUS: THE 3 ISSUES DRIVING FAR-LEFT'S SPLIT WITH DEMS

While not specifying what those "things" are, Khanna is, in effect, promising to put the country through more show trials and more bitter congressional hearings that do not improve the lives of average Americans and, assuming Democrats don’t achieve the necessary two-thirds majority in the Senate to convict, are an exercise in futility.

Not only have Democrats threatened impeachment, they have also vowed to go after anyone who worked in the White House as part of the current administration and even private businesses that cooperated with the Trump White House. This, from a party that wails that President Trump is out for "vengeance" and has weaponized his Justice Department to punish his enemies.

The leader of that program was former Rep. Eric Swalwell, who has ignominiously been drummed out of public office, accused of sexual assault. The ex-congressman proposed to act as judge and jury in making President Trump pay for his sins, promising: "We’re going into the majority a year from now. ... We will bring oversight and accountability, we will subpoena the Department of Justice, but also private actors who have done these drug deals with the administration, college campuses, entertainment companies, law firms. Accountability is coming."

LIZ PEEK: DEMOCRATS CHEER MAMDANI'S WIN — THEY'LL BE CRYING SOON ENOUGH

The singular focus on "resisting" Donald Trump may provide plenty of dopamine and give Democrats ample opportunity to get together and parade around in weird costumes, but it isn’t building credibility or a popular political party. A recent CNN poll shows only 28% of Americans hold a favorable view of the Democratic Party, with the Republican Party a few points higher at 32%.

If Democrats believed they had more to offer, they wouldn’t be fighting tooth and nail to reshape the electoral map in purple Virginia to their advantage and wouldn’t be working so hard to topple the Electoral College, which they believe favors Republicans. That effort is real and, according to a recent Washington Post op-ed, is gaining momentum.

When Trump leaves office, the progressive wing of the Democratic Party will go after moderate Democrats full-bore. The Zohran Mamdani-Bernie Sanders faction will insist on pushing tax hikes that threaten our economy, limitations on data centers and Big Tech that will undermine our global lead in innovation, and workplace policies that will slow productivity, as they have in France and Germany, while stifling energy development in service to green activists who are ignorant of reality.

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Their growing clout among young — often ignorant — voters makes these threats real. The election of Mamdani, a young, telegenic socialist with no meaningful credentials, to be mayor of New York was a wake-up call to adults in the room. Democrats are increasingly being led and funded by ideologues whose agendas are unrealistic and impossibly expensive.

Sadly, young voters have not been taught why socialism has repeatedly failed, leaving the citizens of once-wealthy countries worse off. They believed that Mamdani could deliver free buses and control rents without destroying the housing market. They actually look forward to a government-run grocery store that magically prices goods below market; they didn’t grow up reading about how people in the Soviet Union had to stand in line for hours to buy a loaf of bread in stores where the shelves were perpetually bare.

History suggests that Democrats will retake the House in November. They will run on an "affordability" agenda and hope voters don’t ask why the most expensive places to live in the U.S. are all run by Democrats. They will mostly bury their differences and campaign on opposing the president.

But come 2028, Democrats will go to war — with each other. And hating Donald Trump will not be good enough.

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Senate GOP readying party-line funding bill despite divisions, anger at the House

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 05:00:32 -0400

Senate Republicans hope to nail down the first step of their party-line funding package for immigration operations this week, but other legislative obstacles and divisions could slow the process.

Republicans and President Donald Trump are in agreement that the partisan budget reconciliation process is the key to bypassing Democrats’ blockade of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol funding.

But in order to hit that fast-approaching deadline, Senate Republicans largely want to keep the package as narrowly tailored as possible to avoid any hiccups in the process. The main plan from Republican leadership is to fund immigration operations for the next three years with the current reconciliation package and look to a future bill as a later landing spot for other issues.

SENATE REPUBLICANS RACE TO FUND ICE, CBP WITHOUT DEMOCRATS AS SHUTDOWN DRAGS

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., will kick off the process with a budget resolution that will act as the guiding document for the GOP as they push forward into reconciliation. That resolution will tee up the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee as the main panels running the process.

"I hope we can get moving on it as early as next week," Graham said before lawmakers left Washington, D.C., for the weekend.

Despite keeping the resolution, in theory, as slim as possible, other lawmakers in the upper chamber and in the House want more added to the package.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, told Fox Business’ Larry Kudlow last week that he was making the case that Republicans should "go big" on reconciliation. Cruz said he wants a decade of funding for ICE and Border Patrol and, more broadly, tax cuts and affordability measures.

SENATE GOP VOWS TO ‘GO IT ALONE’ ON ICE FUNDING AS DEMS DOUBLE DOWN ON SHUTDOWN

"Right now, leadership’s plan is to have the skinny, anorexic bill that just has funding for ICE and Customs and Border Patrol. I think that is short-minded, short-sighted," Cruz said.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., reiterated that the forthcoming package would have to "fall within the contours of what we’re trying to do here," but he acknowledged that other Republicans viewed the current package as a vehicle that could fit several other issues.

"We have another vehicle available, we’ll see, but right now, keep it tight," he continued. "That’s the plan."

GOP RACES TO PASS ICE, BORDER PATROL FUNDING BILL AS PRIORITIES PILE UP, DIVISIONS EMERGE

Part of the problem with adding more to the package is that more committees would have to get involved, like during the crafting of Trump’s "big, beautiful bill," which involved every panel in the Senate and House and narrowly survived in the upper chamber.

And House Republicans are on the same page as Cruz — they want to supersize the bill to take advantage of the GOP’s trifecta in Washington, D.C., ahead of the midterm elections in the fall.

It’s a give-and-take between the chambers in their quest to end the longest shutdown in history. House Republicans aren’t keen on passing the Senate’s bill to fund the bulk of DHS, minus funding for ICE and chunks of CBP, until the reconciliation package passes.

But that could further prolong the shutdown, and Republicans in the upper chamber argue that DHS should be reopened while they hammer out the details for funding immigration operations in the background.

Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., told Fox News Digital that adding more to the package would slow down the process.

"Every time you add stuff to it, you add committees of jurisdiction, you add complexity, and you add more time," Hoeven said. "So if they want it expeditiously, which is what we're working on right now, then you wouldn't add stuff, right?"

Warsh faces high-stakes Senate confirmation hearing to lead world’s most powerful central bank

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 05:00:13 -0400

Kevin Warsh, President Donald Trump 's pick to lead the Federal Reserve for the next four years, heads into a high-stakes confirmation hearing Tuesday with lawmakers on Capitol Hill set to scrutinize his views on inflation, independence and the Fed’s role.

The hearing comes as the Federal Reserve faces mounting political, legal and economic pressure, making it a key test of how the next chair could reshape the central bank’s independence at a critical moment for the U.S. economy.

And with current Fed Chair Jerome Powell's term coming to an end on May 15, 2026, Republicans are scurrying to get a nominee confirmed even though they face pushback within the party.

THE ONE LINE IN WARSH’S TESTIMONY SIGNALING A BREAK FROM THE FED’S STATUS QUO

No institution has more influence over what people can afford than the Federal Reserve — an impact Americans feel every month. But that influence isn’t always obvious.

The Fed doesn’t set the price of groceries or cars, but it does determine how expensive it is to borrow money to pay for them. And right now, borrowing is costly. High interest rates mean larger monthly payments on mortgages, car loans and credit cards — even if sticker prices haven’t changed.

This makes the Fed’s leadership especially consequential.

Against that backdrop, Warsh’s potential ascent would come at a turbulent time for the institution.

The pressure is coming from multiple fronts: the Justice Department is conducting a criminal probe involving Powell, the Supreme Court is weighing limits on the Fed’s independence and rising costs are testing Trump’s affordability pledge—intensifying the stakes for the next chair.

Adding to the uncertainty, Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., has signaled he may not support Warsh’s nomination in committee unless the Justice Department drops its investigation into Powell.

Taken together, what began as tension over interest-rate policy has since broadened into a wider confrontation, marking one of the most challenging stretches of Powell’s eight-year tenure leading the Fed.

TRUMP VS THE FEDERAL RESERVE: HOW THE CLASH REACHED UNCHARTED TERRITORY

Powell has called the DOJ investigation "unprecedented," describing it as another example of what he sees as escalating pressure on the central bank. His unusually public response — after days of private consultations with advisers — marks a sharp departure from his typically measured approach.

In March, Powell told reporters at the Federal Reserve he has "no intention of leaving" the central bank until the DOJ investigation is "fully resolved with transparency and finality." His term is slated to end next month.

Like Powell, Warsh is not an economist by training, instead bringing a background in law and finance that has shaped his views on the central bank.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in public policy from Stanford University in 1992 and a law degree from Harvard in 1995, before building his career at Morgan Stanley. At 35, he became the youngest person to serve on the Fed’s Board of Governors in 2006.

Though he stepped down in 2011, Warsh was widely seen as the Fed’s key liaison to Wall Street during the 2008 financial crisis. He previously served in the Bush administration as a special assistant to the president for economic policy and executive secretary at the National Economic Council.

Warsh was also among Trump’s leading candidates to replace then-Fed Chair Janet Yellen in 2017, though the president ultimately selected Powell for the role.

Democrats taking the Senate? Seriously? Despite Trump’s sinking polls, it’s probably a media fantasy

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 03:00:43 -0400

Let’s not get carried away here.

The Democrats’ chances of winning the Senate are somewhere between nearly impossible and non-existent.

And yet it’s suddenly the subject of considerable media chatter.

It’s like a Rube Goldberg contraption: If this happens and that happens and this other long-shot thing somehow falls into place, the ball ends up in the cup.

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Virtually everyone, including many Republicans I’ve spoken to privately, agrees that the Democrats will take the House in November. The margin may not be huge, given that most incumbents win reelection, but having the opposition party control the floor, the committees and a blizzard of investigations would utterly change the last two years of Donald Trump’s presidency.

The latest NBC poll has 63 percent of those surveyed strongly or somewhat disapproving of Trump’s job performance, and 67 percent strongly or somewhat disapproving of his handling of the Iran war. Ouch.

But now mainstream pundits are so absorbed by such sinking poll numbers, and the war’s unpopularity, that they believe Democrats can walk on water and quite possibly ride that flood into Senate control.

They’re even talking about Texas.

TEXAS AG PAXTON SUES DEM FUNDRAISING PLATFORM ACTBLUE, ALLEGING 'FRAUDULENT AND FOREIGN DONATIONS'

I mean, come on. Remember the endless puffery around Beto O’Rourke, who lost for Senate and governor? Texas hasn’t elected a Democrat statewide since the 1990s. And yet every couple of years we get "this is it! Texas is ready to turn blue!"

I know, Democratic contender James Talarico has raised truckloads of money since CBS refused to air his Stephen Colbert interview.

And in politics you can never say never.

Much will depend on whether Sen. John Cornyn or Attorney General Ken Paxton wins the GOP runoff. Cornyn is viewed by many Republicans as too moderate. But Paxton was impeached (then acquitted) of charges including bribery in 2023, settled criminal fraud charges by paying restitution, and divorced by his wife who said he’d had an affair.

So yeah, it’s a crazy year.

And yeah, if the war is over, much will depend on the economy bouncing back – a tired cliché that happens to be true.

The New York Times examines the question in a piece so loaded down with caveats that its corporate butt is fully covered:

"A blue wave is not guaranteed, of course, and Democrats would not be assured to flip two reliably Republican states even if it were. But a feasible path for the party to win the Senate is coming into focus."

That’s called tiptoeing into the water. The carefully crafted Nate Cohn piece admits that Democratic candidates would have to win seven out of seven competitive races. Seven out of seven!

GOP STRATEGISTS CALLED TO DC AS TRUMP TEAM CONFRONTS RISING MIDTERM HEADWINDS

I mean, that’s as likely as the world getting to see the dark side of the moon.

Uh, let’s try another analogy.

Seven out of seven is less likely than winning the lottery.

It’s less likely than gas prices suddenly sinking. Which is why Trump contradicted Energy Secretary Chris Wright, who told CNN that gas prices below $3 a gallon "might not happen till next year."

"Totally wrong," says the president.

So here’s the rundown.

Every Dem in the Senate today represents a state that Joe Biden carried in 2020, because the party has fared so poorly in red states. (One example: When West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin, who drove Biden crazy, retired, he was replaced by Republican Jim Justice.)

And – here’s another Times caveat! – no party has managed to flip even two states that leaned the other way politically since 2008.

GOP SENATE HOPEFUL MICHELE TAFOYA ACCUSES WALZ, ELLISON OF IGNORING MINNESOTA FRAUD SCHEME

The assessment basically rests on the quality of the Democratic candidates heading into the midterms.

In North Carolina, that’s former governor Roy Cooper.

In Ohio, it’s former senator Sherrod Brown, who lost his seat in 2024 during the Trump victory.

In Alaska, former Rep. Mary Peltola is already ahead in the polls.

But Maine is weird. The strong contender was supposed to be Gov. Janet Mills. But she’s trailing in the primary, by 2 to 1, behind progressive first-time contender and military veteran Graham Platner.

Platner has acknowledged wearing a Nazi tattoo. In 2021, CNN reported on a series of posts in which Platner also called himself a communist, said rural Americans are "racist" and "stupid," described all police officers as "bastards," and used the word "retard" several times. He says these were stupid jokes. And Elizabeth Warren campaigned with him over the weekend.

What’s more, would either candidate be able to oust independent Republican fixture Susan Collins?

At the same time, the Democrats have to defend seats in Georgia, Michigan and New Hampshire.

Even the fiercely nonpartisan Cook Political report shifted four Senate races to the Democrats, but that’s from Solid Republican to Likely Republican, or Lean Republican to Tossup. Not exactly a slam dunk.

But the Times story has started to echo on television.

"Republicans Are Starting to Worry About Losing the Senate," an MS NOW banner blared.

The ultimate Times hedge: "If a blue wave materializes, Democrats have a chance to ride it to Senate control."

SUBSCRIBE TO HOWIE'S MEDIA BUZZMETER PODCAST, A RIFF ON THE DAY'S HOTTEST STORIES

But here’s the thing. It’s an off-year election. Let’s not forget: everything depends on turnout.

If Trump voters are demoralized, many may stay home. If Democratic voters are ticked off but not to the point of driving themselves to the polls, that will muffle the impact.

If politics were predictable, the pontificators and the junkies would have far less material for their never-ending arguments.

Footnote: I’m prepared to eat crow on November 3rd.

Ex-CENTCOM commander warns against 'risky' US ground operation to seize Iran’s enriched uranium

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 21:55:19 -0400

Ret. U.S. Army Gen. David Petraeus said assassinating more of Iran’s leadership will not end ongoing issues while warning against a U.S. ground operation to seize Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium.

"This would be a very, very tall order, it would be exceedingly risky. And the casualties could potentially be quite substantial," he said Monday on "Jesse Watters Primetime."

"Assassinating a few more leaders is not going to bring this issue to a close," he added.

Petraeus’ comments come as the two-week ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran is set to expire Wednesday, with President Donald Trump asserting an extension is "very unlikely."

US SEIZES IRANIAN SHIP AFTER OPENING FIRE; PAKISTAN TALKS IN DOUBT

The former CENTCOM commander, who led troops into battle during the American-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, said the deployment of U.S. ground troops to Iran would be very risky.

"We’re not really sure where these canisters are, of this thousand pounds of 60 percent enriched uranium," he said. "They're going to have to excavate very, very substantially… That's what makes the idea of a forced ground operation very, very challenging."

Petraeus noted that while Iran has felt the damage of the United States’ military campaign, the regime is not hopeless.

"They’ve seen lots and lots of damage that we can inflict," he said.

IRAN REVERSES COURSE ON OPENING STRAIT OF HORMUZ AS HARDLINERS TAKE FRONT SEAT IN TEHRAN

"They know what we can do… They're also trying to figure out how much they can give on these other issues that traditionally have been very, very difficult to negotiate."

Trump said he will enforce the U.S. naval blockade on Iranian ports until a deal is reached. However, Petraeus said the economic pressure has not made Iran completely desperate.

"They're not at the point of desperation," he argued.

The former CIA director argued that both the U.S. and Iran want the war to end, citing economic challenges that both nations have experienced amid the 52-day conflict.

"I don't think that either side really wants to return to full-on combat," Petraeus said. "There has been damage to infrastructure in the Gulf states. And we certainly don't want to see more of that."

Vice President JD Vance and senior White House officials are set to depart for Pakistan on Tuesday for a new round of peace talks, though recent reports from Iranian state media cast doubt on such meetings.

"I think both sides, frankly, really do want an agreement," Petraeus said. "Obviously, there are challenges domestically for us if this continues. Obviously, there are huge challenges for them [Iran] economically and financially if it continues."

The former CENTCOM commander said the two main points of discussion in the talks will be Iran’s uranium enrichment and the restoration of freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

"We’ll see if there is trade space," he said.

Another Democrat exits California's crowded gubernatorial race weeks before the June 2 primary election

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 21:54:42 -0400

Another Democrat has dropped out of California’s crowded gubernatorial race as the primary election approaches in roughly six weeks.

Former state Controller Betty Yee, of San Francisco, announced her withdrawal Monday after polling showed she had failed to break into the top tier of candidates, according to The Associated Press (AP).

Her exit comes just a week after embattled former U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell also withdrew from the race amid multiple serious sexual misconduct allegations.

"Today I am announcing that my campaign for governor will be suspended," Yee said in a video announcement, Fox 11 Los Angeles reported. "This campaign has always been about something much bigger than any one candidate. It’s about building a California where opportunity is real and owned, where government regains trust by being responsible and accountable, and where no one is left behind."

JOY REID BLASTS CA DEMS FOR LETTING GOP CONTENDERS TAKE LEAD IN GOVERNOR’S RACE

Yee, who had been vying to become California’s first female governor as Gov. Gavin Newsom prepares to leave office, consistently lagged in the polls, never rising above roughly 3% support among likely voters, according to local nonprofit outlet Cal Matters.

She attributed her inability to gain traction in part to fundraising challenges in a race known for its steep costs and heavy advertising demands.

"It was becoming clear that the donors were not going to be there. Even some of my former supporters just felt like they needed to move on," Yee said, according to The AP.

KEVIN MCCARTHY CALLS GAVIN NEWSOM’S LEADERSHIP A ‘FAILURE,’ WARNS CALIFORNIA IS ON ‘DOWNWARD SLOPE’

During an emotional announcement, Yee thanked her supporters who stood by her throughout her two-year campaign, which emphasized her experience managing the state budget and highlighted her family’s middle-class immigrant background.

Before serving as state controller, where she audited government agencies and oversaw the allocation of state funds, Yee previously worked as a budget director under former Gov. Gray Davis before being elected to the State Board of Equalization.

Yee’s exit leaves former Rep. Katie Porter as the primary woman in the race.

As the June 2 primary election approaches in what is expected to be one of the nation’s most closely watched state contests, other remaining key candidates include Democrats Xavier Becerra and Tom Steyer, along with Republican frontrunners Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

NFL restricts access to draft prospects' contact info after 2025 Shedeur Sanders prank call: report

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 21:52:33 -0400

The NFL is tightening its prospects’ contact information list for this year’s NFL Draft after the prank call to Shedeur Sanders as he slid down the draft board last April.

As Sanders fell out of the first round, and even further after not being taken in the second or third rounds on Day 2 of the draft, he was prank called by Jax Ulbrich, the son of Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, who wrote down Sanders’ phone number from his father’s open iPad while visiting home.

Now, the NFL is limiting the access of the prospects’ contact information to one person within each franchise, according to The Athletic.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

"The relevant contact information will be provided by the league to a single point of contact at the club in football operations," a league spokesman told the outlet. "This individual will be responsible for safeguarding the numbers."

The moment involving Sanders ended up going viral, as he was live-streaming a draft party with his family and friends when he got the call from someone impersonating New Orleans Saints GM Mickey Loomis before the No. 40 overall pick the team owned.

SHEDEUR SANDERS STAYS PATIENT WITH BROWNS' THIRD-STRINGERS IN TRAINING CAMP: 'DOESN'T REALLY FAZE ME'

The Saints were among teams who were in the quarterback market heading into the draft, and they didn’t select one in the first round. Meanwhile, other quarterback-needy teams like the Tennessee Titans (Cam Ward, No. 1) and New York Giants (Jaxson Dart, No. 25) already settled the position on day one.

Instead of taking Sanders, the Saints settled on Louisville’s Tyler Shough in the second round. Sanders would have to wait until the fifth round to be taken by the Cleveland Browns, who also selected Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel in the third round the day prior.

Jeff Ulbrich later apologized for his son’s actions, where he also shouldered blame for the leaked phone number in the first place.

"My actions of not protecting confidential data were inexcusable," Ulbrich said at a news conference at the Falcons' facility. "My son's actions were absolutely inexcusable, and for that we are both deeply sorry."

The NFL fined the Falcons $250,000 and Jeff Ulbrich was docked $100,000.

"I promise my son and I will work hard to demonstrate we are better than this," Ulbrich added.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Chinese national arrested at JFK after allegedly photographing US military aircraft at Nebraska base

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 21:46:27 -0400

A Chinese national was arrested at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport after federal authorities say he photographed sensitive military aircraft near Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska and planned to target another installation as he prepared to leave the country.

Tianrui Liang, 21, is accused of violating a federal law that restricts photographing defense installations without authorization, according to court documents filed in the Eastern District of New York.

Authorities say Liang was taken into custody April 7 while attempting to board an international flight, just days after a warrant was issued in Nebraska.

The case centers on activity near Offutt Air Force Base, home to U.S. Strategic Command — one of the Pentagon’s most sensitive installations.

TWO CHINESE NATIONALS ARRESTED FOR SPYING ON US NAVY PERSONNEL AND BASES

According to an FBI affidavit, investigators were alerted after a witness reported seeing "a male holding a camera with a telescopic lens" near the base, where aircraft are stationed on the flight line.

Offutt hosts high-value reconnaissance and command aircraft, including the RC-135 surveillance plane and the E-4B "Nightwatch," often referred to as the military’s "doomsday plane."

Federal agents say Liang later admitted to photographing several aircraft at the base, "including the RC-135 and the E-4B."

FOREIGN NATIONALS FLYING DRONES OVER US MILITARY SITES RAISES 'ESPIONAGE' CONCERN: EXPERT

Liang told investigators he used a "planespotter" website to identify photography locations and said the images were for his "personal collection," according to the affidavit.

Authorities allege he knowingly photographed restricted military assets without permission.

"He knew it was illegal to take pictures of the planes on the ground," the affidavit states.

CHINESE NATIONAL SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR SABOTAGING EMPLOYER'S SYSTEMS WITH 'KILL SWITCH'

Investigators said a subsequent review of his camera revealed "numerous photographs of planes located on the OAFB flightline," including images of military aircraft parked on the base.

Liang was a student at Glasgow University in Scotland, according to investigators, and had recently traveled through Canada before entering the United States.

Authorities say Liang entered the United States via Canada and was later found near Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska. Investigators allege he planned to travel to Oklahoma to photograph additional aircraft at Tinker Air Force Base, including the E-4B.

Investigators said Liang specifically sought out locations where he could view and photograph aircraft from outside military installations.

The law prohibits photographing military installations without approval from a base commander. Prosecutors say there is "probable cause to believe" Liang photographed aircraft at Offutt Air Force Base without that approval.

The affidavit does not allege Liang was acting on behalf of any foreign government.

Nancy Sinatra slams Trump's use of father's song 'My Way' as 'sacrilege'

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 21:00:45 -0400

Singer Nancy Sinatra called President Donald Trump's reference to her father Frank Sinatra's song "My Way" a "sacrilege."

On Saturday, Trump posted a video to Truth Social of Frank Sinatra singing his classic song in light of his renewed threats to destroy Iranian infrastructure for the country allegedly violating a ceasefire agreement.

The song begins with the opening lines, "And now/the end is near/And so I face/the final curtain" which resemble Trump's past threats to destroy the nation.

ROCK BAND FRONTMAN DECLARES TRUMP VOTERS ARE 'NOT ALLOWED' AT HIS SHOWS

"Omg, @NancySinatra will not be happy about this. Trump goes against everything that Frank stood for. He was a big champion for equality and supported the Civil Rights movement," one person commented on X.

The 85-year-old "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" singer later responded to this comment, adding, "This is a sacrilege."

She reposted users' comments criticizing Trump's post and use of the song, insisting Frank Sinatra would not agree with Trump's politics.

PAUL ANKA CONFIRMS LEGENDARY FRANK SINATRA RUMOR THAT MADE HOLLYWOOD BLUSH

"Trump may love Sinatra, but Sinatra did not love Trump," one person wrote.

"This is just sickening. Frank Sinatra would never have allowed that monster in the White House to use his music or put his lyrics in his mouth. Sinatra was a man of honor, a man who never had to lie about who he truly was because he WAS the greatest. trump is a loser," another wrote.

Sinatra also responded to a fan asking if she could do anything to stop Trump from using the song.

"Unfortunately no. The only people who can do something are the publishers," she responded.

OL' BLUE EYES FRANK SINATRA: A COLLECTION OF PHOTOS AND FACTS

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment.

Trump previously danced with first lady Melania Trump to the song "My Way" at the Liberty Ball after his first inauguration in 2017. At the time, Sinatra joked about the news writing, "Just remember the first line of the song."

She later deleted the post and denied that she was "angry" that Trump used the song.

"What a rotten spin to put on a harmless joke," Sinatra tweeted.

She also wrote, "I'm not sure why this became such a big deal. It was really just a joke."

When asked whether she was upset over her father's song being used by Trump, Sinatra wrote at the time, "Actually I'm wishing him the best. A good president helps the entire world. I don't believe anyone tries to be a bad president."

Mom, pregnant teen and 12-year-old found bound and murdered as police hunt multiple suspects

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 20:54:50 -0400

An Alabama woman, her pregnant teenage daughter and her 12-year-old son were found brutally murdered in their home, authorities said.

Mobile County Sheriff Paul Burch said deputies responded to a home in Wilmer just after 2:30 a.m., where they discovered the three bodies in separate rooms with their hands tied behind their backs.

The victims were identified as 46-year-old Lisa Gail Fields, who was stabbed; 17-year-old Keziah Arionna Luker, who was shot; and 12-year-old Thomas Cordelle Jr., who had his throat cut and was nearly decapitated.

"It was a brutal scene," Burch said. "If you've got a beef with an adult… there's nothing worth killing over, but to murder two children brutally… I hope and feel comfortable we'll have this animal or animals off the streets soon."

8 CHILDREN DEAD IN MASS SHOOTING THAT BEGAN AS DOMESTIC DISPUTE, POLICE SAY

An 18-month-old child was found unharmed in the home.

"At this point, we don't suspect any kind of domestic or family-type situation," Burch told reporters.

Burch noted that the home was "left in disarray," suggesting the perpetrators may have been searching for something. Investigators believe more than one person was involved in the killings because the victims had been subdued.

MISSOURI SUSPECT TAKEN INTO CUSTODY AFTER DEPUTY FATALLY SHOT, ENDING MANHUNT

Luker was seven or eight months pregnant, the sheriff added.

"The mother was stabbed, the 17-year-old was shot, and the 12-year-old’s throat was cut as was the mom," Burch said. "It tells me that they had a plan coming in to bring zip ties or flex cuffs with them so they had a plan."

The father-to-be, who works offshore, triggered the discovery after he grew concerned when he could not reach Luker after he saw her cell phone activated on Life 360, the sheriff said. Another family member went to check on her and found all three victims in separate rooms with their hands bound behind them.

The Mobile County District Attorney's Office will determine whether the death of Luker's unborn child warrants an additional murder charge once a suspect is arrested.

Burch said investigators currently have "positive leads" in the case.

Luker's father told WALA-TV that his daughter had just received her GED.

"It’s a senseless murder," he said. "She was a bubble of sunshine. A person that makes you smile; a person that’ll make you laugh whenever you’re down. She had empathy for everybody. She loved her brothers; she loved her mom; she loved all of us."

Stephen A. Smith makes brutal gaffe while talking about the Golden State Warriors

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 20:28:02 -0400

For years, Stephen A. Smith's many football blunders have been easy enough to explain away.

He's not an NFL guy (remember when he said the three key players for a game were three guys who weren't playing in the game?)

He's definitely not a college football guy (remember when he called Jalen Milroe Jalen "Milroy" multiple times and then read the wrong stat line after a College Football Playoff game?).

ESPN forces him into those conversations because First Take has to talk football, and Smith knows that football is the most popular sport in the country and he needs to be seen as an authority (even though he isn't).

But Monday's latest mistake is a lot tougher to excuse, because this time Smith wasn't talking about the NFL or college football. He was talking about the Golden State Warriors, one of the defining NBA dynasties of the last decade.

In other words, he was talking about the sport and the league that's supposed to be his bread and butter.

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While discussing whether Steve Kerr has coached his last game with Golden State, Smith confidently stated the Warriors "haven't been back to the playoffs since that championship in 2022."

That's not even close to true. Not only did Golden State make the playoffs last season, but they also reached the postseason in 2023. Last year, the Warriors made the playoffs, beat the Rockets in seven games and advanced to the second round before losing to the Timberwolves. In 2023, they beat the Sacramento Kings in the first round and before losing to the Lakers in the Western Conference semifinals.

So, Smith wouldn't even have been right if he said they haven't won a playoff series since 2022. But he didn't say that. He said they didn't make the playoffs in any of the past four years, except they did it twice.

Yikes.

This is not an obscure piece of NBA trivia that Smith could be easily forgiven for not knowing. Perhaps he was too busy playing solitaire on his phone and just missed two of the past three NBA postseasons. That's a tough look for the guy who fancies himself as the No. 1 NBA analyst in the country.

And it's a terrible look for ESPN, as they keep selling Smith as one of the faces of their NBA coverage.

If Smith made this kind of mistake while talking about the NFL, nobody would be shocked. At this point, sports fans practically expect him to butcher football analysis. It's almost endearing that a guy with the ego of Smith can be so consistently wrong while also delivering every "fact" with the utmost confidence. It's part of the Stephen A. experience.

But this one hits differently because the NBA is where he's supposed to at least know the basics. This is where Smith prides himself as being an authority figure.

And yet he couldn't keep the recent playoff history of the Warriors straight. The team whose head coach is in the news every other week. The team that has won four championships since 2014. Arguably one of the most important franchises in the NBA over the past 15 years.

Yes, Golden State missed the playoffs in 2024 after getting bounced in the Play-In Tournament (although they won 46 games that season). And yes, it fell short again this season. But that's a lot different from acting like Steve Kerr has spent four years wandering the basketball wilderness since winning that 2022 title.

He hasn't. In fact, the team is 175-153 in the past four regular seasons.

STEVE KERR DOWNPLAYS WARRIORS OWNER'S EMAIL EXCHANGE THAT HINTED AT COACHING MISTAKES: 'NOT A BIG DEAL'

The Warriors made the second round in 2023. They made the second round again in 2025.

Before burying Steve Kerr on national television, maybe Stephen A. Smith could take 10 seconds to confirm whether the Warriors were actually, you know, in the playoffs.

Singer D4vd pleads not guilty to murder of young girl allegedly found dismembered, decomposing in his car

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 20:25:33 -0400

Singer D4vd pleaded not guilty Monday in the murder case of a 14-year-old girl who was reportedly found dismembered and badly decomposing in the trunk of the singer’s allegedly abandoned Tesla last September.

The 21-year-old alt-pop artist, identified as David Burke of Houston, was arrested in Los Angeles last Thursday following a seven-month period of public speculation surrounding the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, who was first reported missing in 2024.

He has since been charged with first-degree murder, with special circumstances including lying in wait, committing the crime for financial gain, and murdering a witness in an investigation — allegations that could carry the death penalty, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said Monday.

Additional charges include continuous sexual acts, lewd and lascivious acts with a person under 14 years old, and mutilating human remains.

SINGER D4VD ARRESTED AND HELD WITHOUT BAIL IN CASE TIED TO TEEN FOUND DEAD IN TESLA: POLICE

During Burke’s arraignment Monday afternoon, his defense team entered not guilty pleas on his behalf to all counts, arguing that evidence shows Burke did not kill the girl, the Associated Press reported.

"We believe the actual evidence will show David Burke did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez," lead defense attorney Blair Berk said. "We would like to have the evidence come into the light of day."

Burke was also denied bail at his arraignment, which was attended by the girl’s parents, the outlet said.

According to authorities, Burke allegedly engaged in continuous abuse of the victim beginning when she was 13, spanning at least a year from September 2023 to September 2024.

She later ran away from her home in Lake Elsinore, about 70 miles southeast of Los Angeles, at 14 years old, officials said, according to Fox 11 Los Angeles.

On April 23, 2025, Burke allegedly invited the victim to his home in the Hollywood Hills, where he is accused of killing her with a sharp object after she threatened to expose their relationship as his career was on the rise.

'GONE GIRL' KIDNAPPER CHARGED IN CALIFORNIA HOME INVASION CASES FROM 2009

Prosecutors alleged Burke mutilated her body about two weeks later, Fox 11 said.

Four months later, on Sept. 8, 2025, the victim’s decomposed and dismembered remains were found in the trunk of a car registered to Burke that had been impounded after being reported abandoned.

"Celeste was just a child, under 14 years old, when David Burke allegedly engaged in repeated lewd and lascivious sexual relations with her," Hochman said.

"But Burke’s actions did not allegedly stop there. When she threatened to expose his criminal conduct and devastate his musical career, Burke allegedly murdered her, cut up her body and stuffed her body in two bags that were placed in the front trunk of his car. There the dismembered body sat for over four months decomposing until it was found at a tow yard on Sept. 8, 2025. This horrific and gruesome murder committed by the charged sexual predator is shocking and appalling. To Celeste’s loved ones, we will get the justice you seek and deserve."

Burke was reportedly on tour in support of his album when Hernandez’s body was discovered. After allegations of his involvement surfaced, he had canceled his remaining shows.

Based on the charges, Burke faces death or life in state prison without the possibility of parole.

Small market MLB teams are outperforming big payrolls, undermining owners' push to cancel 2027 season

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 20:21:07 -0400

We're nearly a month into the 2026 Major League Baseball regular season, and already there have been some major surprises, outstanding performances, and, most importantly, the complete and total dismantling of the "poor" small market owner trope.

And hopefully it provides some positive momentum toward the ridiculous push from those owners and supportive fans to cancel the 2027 season in order to increase franchise values.

In just the first few weeks of the season, we've seen several high-profile contract extensions for young prospects in small markets, including one that set a record for the largest monetary guarantee ever given out to a player who'd yet to play in the big leagues.

Then, the San Diego Padres, who play in one of the smallest markets in the league, sold for an astonishing $3.9 billion to the owner of Chelsea Football Club. That sale price exceeded the price that Steve Cohen paid for the New York Mets just five and a half years ago by $1.4 billion. Put simply, there is no longer any reasonable debate: the business of baseball is booming.

But that's the financial side, which is just one part of the "concern." The other? The supposed problem with competitive balance in baseball. Well, it's early, but the start to the season has already demonstrated why those "issues" have been wildly overstated and weaponized by owners pushing for a salary cap. And those same New York Mets have shown how absurd the hand-wringing has become.

That hand-wringing, that small market teams can't possibly compete with the large payrolls of big market teams, fundamentally misunderstands the gaps between baseball teams. Yes, there are significant advantages to having more money to spend on players. But that money must be spent wisely in order for it to matter. The Mets might be the perfect example of how money can't fix everything.

The Los Angeles Dodgers lead the league in payroll, and caused mass outrage in the offseason by signing Kyle Tucker and Edwin Diaz. Yes, the Dodgers are in first place...by half a game over the small market Padres. Diaz gave up three runs without getting an out on Sunday afternoon, pushing his ERA to over 10, and Kyle Tucker has been the 78th most valuable hitter in baseball thus far, behind Colorado Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman. The Dodgers have still jumped out to a great start, but it's mostly been due to exceptional performances from the bottom of the lineup, players like Andy Pages, Dalton Rushing, and Miguel Rojas.

The Mets, who are a close second to LA with a $370 million payroll and over $500 million due in payments this year thanks to the luxury tax, have now lost 11 straight games after blowing a ninth inning lead to the Cubs on Sunday. They're tied for the worst record in baseball, have scored the second fewest runs in the league, and have now fallen a whopping eight games out of first place in the National League East already.

The Mets are also 43-60 since late June 2025, one of the worst records in baseball over that timeframe. Again, this a team that will have spent nearly a billion dollars on payroll over the last two years. They missed the playoffs in 2025, and the poor start has dropped their postseason odds to just 41% this year.

Meanwhile, the Toronto Blue Jays, who made the 2025 World Series and have the fourth highest payroll in baseball at roughly $290 million, are currently in last place in the American League East at 8-13. They've been outscored by 26 runs already.

What about the Philadelphia Phillies, always one of baseball's biggest spending teams? They rank fifth in team payroll at $285 million, with a $320 million luxury tax payroll. They're in fourth place in the NL East at 8-13, and their -38 run differential is quite literally the worst in Major League Baseball.

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The Houston Astros rank seventh in payroll at nearly $240 million. They're in last place in the American League West, having allowed the most runs of any team in the sport. Even worse than the Rockies, who play their home games at Coors Field.

What about the small market "poor" teams?

Well, the Cincinnati Reds are in first place in the NL Central at 14-8 ahead of the big market Cubs, who've outspent them by over $100 million. The Athletics are tied for first in the AL West. The Cleveland Guardians are once again defying the run differential gods and sit in first place in the AL Central, despite a payroll well under $100 million. The Tampa Bay Rays are in second in the AL East, just a half game back. Miami, the team with the lowest payroll in baseball, roughly $300 million behind the Mets, sit in second and have outscored the Mets' offense by 28 runs already.

Does this mean the standings will finish this way? No, not necessarily. The Blue Jays and Astros, for example, have suffered through a rash of pitching injuries and the Mets are missing Juan Soto. But therein lies the point. Injuries, underperformance, and expensive veterans declining as they age can easily derail a season for the richer teams. Yes, the Dodgers have excelled with huge payrolls, but they've done it by building up depth through minor league development and targeted small dollar value signings. Mookie Betts is out? Rojas, Alex Freeland, or Hyesong Kim can pick up the slack. Will Smith needs more time off? Dalton Rushing, a former top-35 prospect is the backup. As the extensions and franchise sales have show, there's plenty of money floating around baseball. And as the standings thus far bear out, higher payrolls don't always correlate to success. MLB already has competitive balance. We don't need to cancel an entire season, which despite their arguments, would be exclusively to enrich the league's owners, to achieve it.

Cher files for conservatorship again, cites son’s drug use and 'no concept of money'

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 20:05:44 -0400

Cher filed a petition for a temporary conservatorship over her son and claimed his life has "significantly deteriorated" since a prior request was proposed in 2023, according to documents obtained by Fox News Digital.

The "I Got You Babe" singer claimed Elijah Blue Allman has "no concept of money" and almost exclusively spends funds on "drugs, expensive hotels, and limousine transportation."

Allman is currently in custody at a "psychiatric hospital" in New Hampshire on multiple criminal charges stemming from arrests in February and March.

Her request for a conservatorship over her son is the second attempt in three years to receive a court order.

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Cher acknowledged that Elijah is entitled to regular distributions from a trust, but expressed concerns that his ongoing mental health and substance abuse issues prevent her son from making reasonable decisions.

"After he receives his trust distribution, he checks into a hotel, usually the Chateau Marmont, buys and does drugs until he runs out of money, ends up in the hospital, or overdoses," documents stated.

"Based on this pattern, if Elijah were to receive his trust distribution, he will use it [to] buy drugs."

Cher argued that in order to avoid the proposed conservatorship in 2023, Elijah conceded to an inability to responsibly manage his finances, and claimed he was hiring a business manager in addition to relying on his spouse "for his betterment and recovery."

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His defense, Cher claimed, turned out to be "nothing more than words."

"Not only did the proposed conservatee not hire a business manager, but he, as explained in detail below has lived wildly beyond his means and continued to go to expensive hotels he cannot afford," she wrote.

"Frankly, those problems are just the tip of the iceberg."

Allman's estranged wife, Marieangela King, is "not a viable option for support" and would only reappear for a proceeding if it were "financially advantageous" for her, documents stated.

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King is now also a "major creditor" of Allman after a court awarded her $6,500 per month in spousal support retroactive to July 1, 2025, in addition to a $10,000 legal bill.

Cher claimed the only support her son has received is from "longtime friend Kayti Pease, who by all accounts, has kept him alive."

However, Elijah has "caused Kayti significant emotional and financial loss," the petition stated. "Without the financial support of Kayti and others, the proposed conservatee would not have any money to pay for any of the massive damages he has recently caused."

A summer of "known problems" Elijah has caused or faced in the last year included thousands of dollars in damages to 14 Airbnb's rented for her son in Kayti's name.

"The most recent Airbnb stay, Elijah caused over $50,000 in damages and landed Kayti in a lawsuit with Airbnb," according to the request. "Elijah has been thrown out of a total of 18 hotels because he has made guests feel uncomfortable, screaming obscenities, and acting erratically.

"In sum, Elijah's situation has become dire on multiple fronts. His mental health has severely deteriorated, his financial situation is terrible, and his drug dependency is at its worst."

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Jason Rubin petitioned as a professional fiduciary to be appointed conservator over Allman. Documents showed his license expires in January 2027 and that prior to his affiliation with the case, he had no prior relationship with the proposed conservatee, his family or friends.

Cher's representatives did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

Allman, 49, was charged in March with burglary, two counts of criminal mischief and breach of bail stemming from a residential break-in involving forced entry in New Hampshire.

Days before, on Feb. 27, Allman was arrested at a New Hampshire private high school and charged with four misdemeanors: two counts of simple assault, criminal trespass and criminal threatening.

NASA coordinating with relevant agencies in missing scientists probe

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 20:04:10 -0400

NASA said on Monday that it will work with other federal agencies to investigate the deaths and disappearances of 11 nuclear and space scientists, raising concerns in Washington about whether they were targeted for their work.

"NASA is coordinating and cooperating with the relevant agencies in relation to the missing scientists," NASA spokesperson Bethany Stephens wrote on X. "At this time, nothing related to NASA indicates a national security threat. The agency is committed to transparency and will provide more information as it becomes available."

Hours earlier, the White House press secretary was asked by Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy about the matter.

"In light of the recent and legitimate questions about these troubling cases, and President Trump’s commitment to the truth, the White House is actively working with all relevant agencies and the FBI to holistically review all of the cases together and identify any potential patterns," Karoline Leavitt later wrote on social media.

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At least 11 people have either died or vanished since 2022. The vast majority were involved in nuclear science and space research, with some connected to the study of Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAPs).

Michael David Hicks, 59; Frank Maiwald, 61; Nuno Loureiro, 47; Jason Thomas, 45; Amy Eskridge, 34; and Carl Grillmair, 47, all died between 2023 and 2026. Each played a key role in vital scientific research, Fox News Digital previously reported.

The causes of death for Hicks and Maiwald remain unknown. Grillmair was gunned down outside his home on Feb. 16, and Freddy Snyder, 29, was subsequently charged with his murder. Loureiro was also fatally shot at his Massachusetts home.

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The body of Jason Thomas, an associate director of chemical biology at Novartis, was discovered in Lake Quannapowitt, Mass., three months after he was last seen walking from his home late at night. Eskridge, a Huntsville, Alabama–based researcher, died June 11, 2022, from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Monica Reza, 60; Melissa Casias, 53; Anthony Chavez, 79; Steven Garcia, 48; and retired Air Force Maj. Gen. William Neil McCasland, 68, were all reported missing between 2023 and 2026. All the disappearances occurred under suspicious circumstances.

On Sunday, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., warned that "something sinister" could be involved.

"We've put a notice out to the Department of War, the FBI, NASA, and the Department of Energy. We want to know everything they know about what happened with these scientists, because those four agencies were predominantly the ones these 11 individuals were affiliated with," he said during an appearance on "Fox & Friends Weekend." "We want to try to piece this together."

Comer said he plans to bring leaders from NASA, the FBI, and other federal agencies before Congress. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has vowed to investigate the occurrences.

"I hope it's random, but we're going to know in the next week and a half," Trump told reporters last week. "I just left a meeting on that subject."

Fox News Digital's Julia Bonavita, Max Becall and Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.

Dan Rather among 200 journalists demanding Trump be called out at White House Correspondents' Dinner

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 20:00:27 -0400

More than 200 journalists have signed an open letter urging the White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) to call out President Donald Trump to his face at Saturday's White House Correspondents' Dinner (WHCD).

"We, the undersigned, call upon the White House Correspondents' Association to use the occasion of the White House Correspondents' Dinner, to forcefully demonstrate opposition to President Trump’s efforts to trample freedom of the press," the open letter published Monday began. "The dinner has long served as a symbol of the vital and irreplaceable role of a free press in American democracy and a celebration of the First Amendment and the journalists who uphold it. President Trump's systematic, sustained, and unprecedented attacks on the free press... render his presence at such an event a profound contradiction of its purpose."

The letter continued, "The collective weight of the administration’s actions — retaliatory access bans, coercive regulatory investigations, frivolous lawsuits against the press, defunding of public broadcasting, dismantling of international broadcasting, physical restrictions on journalists, personal verbal attacks on reporters, assaults on the media in official White House press releases and social media posts, the arrest of journalists, and the pardoning of those who committed violence against the press — represent the most systematic and comprehensive assault on freedom of the press by a sitting American president."

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The journalists said this year's WHCD "cannot be business as usual with the press standing up to applaud the man who attacks them on a daily basis," urging WHCA leadership to condemn Trump's threats to the press from the podium.

"Speak forcefully, in front of the man who seeks to undermine our country’s long tradition of an independent, strong, and free press," the letter stated. "We also urge the WHCA to reaffirm, without equivocation, that freedom of the press is not a partisan issue and that the Association will not normalize this behavior but instead fight back against any officeholder who has waged systematic war against the journalists whose work the dinner celebrates."

Notable signatories on the letter are former CBS News anchor Dan Rather, former ABC News White House correspondent Sam Donaldson, former NBC News anchor Ann Curry and PBS NewsHour correspondent Stephanie Sy.

TRUMP ACCEPTS WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS' ASSOCIATION DINNER INVITATION FOR THE FIRST TIME AS PRESIDENT

The letter included a lengthy list labeled the "Trump Administration's Attacks on Freedom of the Press." Among examples listed are Trump's "Gulf of America" feud with the Associated Press, the Pentagon's crackdown on press access, Trump's lawsuit settlements with ABC News and CBS News as well as the various insults he has used against individual journalists.

Several journalism organizations also co-signed the letter, including the National Association of Black Journalists and the Freedom of the Press Foundation.

In response to the letter, a spokesperson for the White House simply pointed to Trump's Truth Social post announcing he was attending the WHCD, claiming he accepted the invitation because the WHCA asked him "very nicely" and "admit that I am truly one of the Greatest Presidents in the History of our Country, the G.O.A.T."

Rather was famously fired from CBS News for airing an erroneous report in 2004 about President George W. Bush that relied on falsified documents.

This year's White House Correspondents' Dinner marks Trump's first time attending as president after boycotting the annual press gala last year and during his first term.

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Soros-linked dark money network fuels Virginia redistricting push backed by national Democrats

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 19:58:18 -0400

Virginians for Fair Elections, a main group fighting to get Virginia voters to approve a ballot referendum that will allow the state to redraw its congressional maps, has been pumped with millions in cash from a web of George Soros-backed dark money groups and top Democratic Party officials.

The money the group has garnered ahead of Tuesday's vote, which is poised to allow Democrats in the House of Representatives to potentially take four seats from Republicans going into the midterms, also comes from leading Democratic Party figures and organizations like Nancy Pelosi and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT).

Other left-wing juggernauts pumping money into the Democratic Party's redistricting effort in Virginia include the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Eric Holder's National Democratic Redistricting Committee, which once championed the adoption of "independent redistricting commissions," national green energy group the League of Conservation Voters, and the U.S. House of Representatives campaign arm for the Democratic Party, according to a Fox News Digital review of state campaign finance records and records from the Virginia Public Access Project (VPAP), which tracks public spending in Virginia.

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"Dark money is flooding into Virginia," GOP strategist Matt Gorman told Fox News Digital. "Democrats talked all about the cost of living during the campaign, but all they did once in office was raise taxes and rig elections. It'll be the same elsewhere across the country in 2026 too."

Fox News Digital reported in March that the left-wing group fighting to redraw Virginia's maps raised more than $38 million, according to VPAP's donation totals based on state campaign finance records. As of right before the mid-April referendum vote, just a handful of weeks later, that total ballooned to more than $64 million.

In 2026, the largest giver to Virginians for Fair Elections was House Majority Forward, the nonprofit counterpart of House Democrats' House Majority PAC, which has donated over $38 million, records show.

Meanwhile, entities directly tied to Soros, or that obtained significant funding which can be traced back to the billionaire Democrat megadonor, come in second and third in terms of total giving to the group, per VPAP's accounting of donation totals.

One of those groups, the Fund for Policy Reform Inc, was founded by Soros. The other, titled The Fairness Project, has been funded by groups like the Sixteen Thirty Fund, Hopewell Fund and the Tides Foundation, which Soros has given significant funding to.

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Another one of the top donors to the left's Virginians for Fair Elections is American Opportunity Action, described as "a pure pass-through entity" by Parker Thayer, a dark money expert from the conservative Capital Research Center. The group is so new that it does not even appear to have any 990s filed with the IRS but is still one of Virginians for Fair Elections' top donors, according to VPAP and state campaign finance records.

Top Democratic Party members of Congress from outside Virginia, including Reps. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., and Katherine Clark, D-Mass., also donated tens-of-thousands of dollars, according to a review of state campaign finance records. Democratic Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine's leadership PAC donated $100,000 as well, while the Democratic Party of Virginia put up just shy of a million dollars, per VPAP's accounting.

Meanwhile, a group founded by Obama wingman Eric Holder, who previously championed "independent redistricting commissions," provided a more than $10,000 in-kind contribution to the left-wing redistricting group, state election filings show. The League of Conservation Voters, and the Soros-backed MoveOn.org were also among Virginians for Fair Election's top donors. In terms of labor union support, SEIU gave half-a-million, while AFT gave $100,000.

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Fox News Digital reached out to Soros' Open Society Foundations and the other top donors pumping thousands or millions into the redistricting battle, but did not receive a response ahead of publication.

"No one wanted to take this action, but in a democracy, we can’t let entire states rig their congressional maps just to bend to the will of one person," Alexis Magnan-Callaway, a spokesperson for The Fairness Project, told Fox News Digital in March.

"We have to respond. This amendment is a temporary, one-time exception that gives Virginia voters a voice and meets the needs of the current moment, while ensuring Virginia’s bipartisan redistricting process will resume after the 2030 census," she continued. "This isn’t about favoring one party over another. This is about restoring fairness across the board by temporarily changing Virginia’s congressional districts."

A main group in Virginia opposing the redistricting effort led by Democrats, Virginians For Fair Maps, raised a little over $3 million at the time of Fox News Digital's late March report. However, the right-wing redistricting group in Virginia appears to have gained some ground since then as well, albeit still far behind the left's Virginians for Fair Elections funding totals.

As of just before the referendum vote Tuesday, the anti-redistricting referendum group raised its fundraising total to nearly $20 million, with most of that money coming from a group by the same name that is also a significant donor to the Virginia Republican Party.

Other donations to the group come from a series of several much smaller donors, such as $50,000 from the National Shooting Sports Foundation and $100,000 from a wealthy D.C.-area real-estate investor, who donates primarily to GOP campaigns. That investor is the top individual donor at $100,000 out of just a handful of individual contributions, according to VPAP.

Former Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, has reportedly given more than $500,000 in efforts against the redistricting measure, per reporting from the Virginia Scope. He also has been a leading voice in Virginia holding events to campaign against the measure despite no longer being in office.

Wealthy tech entrepreneur and Republican donor Peter Thiel has reportedly donated to Justice for Democracy PAC, which has been part of the anti-redistricting effort alongside Virginians for Fair Maps as well.

Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama makes NBA history with first career Defensive Player of the Year award

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 19:53:23 -0400

San Antonio Spurs star big man, Victor Wembanyama, was unanimously named the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year for the 2025-26 season, and he did so in historic fashion.

Wembanyama, the 7-foot-4 phenom, became the youngest player to ever win the prestigious award at just 22 years old. Even better, he is the first to ever win the award unanimously, and for good reason.

Wembanyama was a problem with, and without, the ball in his hands this season.

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He earned all 100 first-place votes for the award, with Oklahoma City Thunder’s Chet Holmgren finishing with 76 second-place votes. Detroit Pistons guard Ausar Thompson finished in third place when the ballots were tallied.

The next-closest player to getting a unanimously victory for Defensive Player of the Year was Ben Wallace during the 2001-02 season, where he finished four votes shy in the 120-person panel.

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While Wembanyama is also a finalist for the league’s MVP award, this one in particular is something he’s been looking to add to his career trophy collection.

Wembanyama was a rookie in 2024 when Rudy Gobert, his fellow French compatriot, won his fourth Defensive Player of the Year award. However, Wembanyama, the first overall pick by the Spurs, said Gobert’s days as the best defender in the league would be coming to an end at some point.

He expected it to be by his hand. And though he wasn’t able to win award last season after only playing 36 games, Wembanyama made sure to follow through on his word this year.

"I know that Rudy has a very good chance of winning it this year, and it would be deserved," Wembanyama said at the time, per ESPN. "Let him win it now, because after that, it’s no longer his turn."

Wembanyama’s prediction came true after he led the NBA in blocks with 197 on the season, marking the second consecutive year he’s been atop that category on the league’s stat sheet. He also notched 66 steals and finished with a 110.4 defensive rating, which was second-best in the NBA.

"Everything that [he’s] achieved so far has been earned and never given," Spurs teammate Keldon Johnson said of Wembanyama. "He’s one of the hardest workers I’ve ever been around. He takes his craft very seriously and I feel like this is just a small token of what’s to come for Victor. He’s a special player on the court and an even more special person off the court."

Of course, defending isn’t all about forcing turnovers, as Wembanyama used his tall stature to haul in the second-most defensive rebounds in the NBA (9.5), which was only behind Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic. Jokic and Wembanyama join the Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the three MVP finalist, with the latter hoping to repeat after quite the 2024-25 campaign.

Wembanyama has developed into the presence on both ends of the court the Spurs always envisioned when they won the NBA Draft lottery. Spurs veteran guard De’Aaron Fox knows that players won’t even shoot the ball when they see him in front of them.

"You talk about guys that change shots. He literally negates guys even shooting the ball," he said, via ESPN. "They’ll see him in there and dribble the ball out or kick out. He changes the whole dynamic of your defense, and he changes the dynamic of other team’s offense."

Wembanyama and the Spurs also got off to a good start in their first trip to the NBA Playoffs since the 2018-19 season, taking down the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday to open their First Round series with a win, 111-98. Wembanyama finished the game with a team-leading 35 points (13-of-21 shooting) with five rebounds, one assist and two blocks.

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Juvenile charged with murdering Alabama girl, 10, leaving family with ‘only more questions’

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 19:51:11 -0400

A 10-year-old Alabama girl remembered for her "bright and joyful" spirit was found dead inside an Alabama home late Friday night, sparking a homicide investigation that has led to one juvenile being charged with murder.

Piedmont police discovered the body of Katheryn Bigbee less than an hour after she was reported missing, AL.com reported.

"Officers responded immediately to the residence," Piedmont Police Chief Nathan Johnson said in a statement. "They tragically discovered a deceased juvenile inside the home."

Authorities have not disclosed the location of the home or whether it was the girl’s residence. A juvenile, whose identity and relationship to Katheryn were withheld because of their age, was arrested and charged with murder.

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Bigbee’s cause of death also remains unclear, with police saying the investigation was still ongoing.

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"Our family has been torn to pieces, and we have lost the most amazing, sweetest little girl. She was a light in any room she walked into," Blake Trammell, who is in a relationship with Katheryn's mother, wrote in a Facebook post. "I cannot express the pain, guilt, and emptiness that has come from all of this. We don't have answers, only more questions."

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The girl’s school also recalled her as a beloved student, remembered for her "spunky personality."

"Katheryn had a joyful, spunky personality that made her truly special. She was an enthusiastic reader and will be remembered for the happiness she shared so freely," the school said in a statement.

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Calhoun County Coroner Pat Brown told AL.com on Sunday that he was unable to release a cause of death.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the coroner's office and Piedmont Police Department for updated comment.

GOP blasts Virginia amendment as maps could swing delegation to 10-1 Democratic advantage

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 19:24:42 -0400

Ahead of a special election on Tuesday, Virginia Republicans blasted a proposed constitutional amendment in their state that could soon cost them their congressional seats, calling the effort the most "unfair" of a string of redrawn maps across the country.

Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Va., believes it’s a sentiment shared by voters.

"I was with a group of Virginia Watermen this morning from across the state and they're [feeling] the same way. They say ‘no, we're not going to let them turn us into a state that's only governed by a portion of the state,’" Wittman said.

The Virginia redistricting effort, which requires a statewide vote to go into effect, follows similar shakeups in Texas, California, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio and Utah.

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But unlike many of those other states that already have a distinct party advantage one way or another, Virginia’s GOP blasted what they saw as a drastic power swing they say misrepresents the state’s purple voter base.

If successful, the new maps would temporarily turn the current 6-5 congressional split to a 10-1 advantage for Democrats by stretching the borders of traditionally Republican areas across Democratic strongholds. The state's normal process, conducted by a nonpartisan redistricting commission, would go back into effect in 2030 at the next U.S. census.

With up to four more seats, Democrats hope to recapture control of the House of Representatives, where a razor-thin majority favors Republicans — for now.

The GOP holds a 217-213 advantage in the chamber.

Democrats supporting the idea argue that Virginia is key to balancing out Republican-led gerrymandering efforts that began in Texas, describing the push as purely retaliatory.

"Virginia’s redistricting referendum gives voters the power to respond to a president who says he’s ‘entitled’ to more GOP seats in Congress before Americans vote in the midterms [and] to efforts in other states to give those seats to him," Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger said in a post after teeing up the vote last month.

Former Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin argued that the state’s current makeup more accurately reflects Virginia’s population.

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"We have fair maps today that represent Virginians, and what this constitutional amendment would mean is that we go to the most unfair maps in America, and therefore, 'no' is the right vote," Youngkin said.

Although the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that politically favoring one party through the design of state’s district is constitutional, the practice, better known as gerrymandering, has been banned in Virginia since a constitutional referendum in 2020.

However, the Virginia Supreme Court ruled that the state could temporarily amend its constitution to allow the implementation of new maps.

"’Do you want to restore fairness in elections temporarily?’" Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Va., said, referencing the phrasing of the referendum.

"It's insane how that question is worded. So wrong how it's written. But here we are. This is our chance to use our voice and our vote. And that's very powerful. But the ball is in our court.'"

Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Va., argued that undoing that prohibition now would be a mistake — even if it's temporary in nature.

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"Virginians spoke in 2020; you know what they said? By a supermajority, they said no to gerrymandering. They said: ‘Let's have a bipartisan determination of these districts.’ And by the way, they've been shown to be the most bipartisan districts across the United States," Wittman said.

Polls open in Virginia at 6:00 a.m. and close at 7:00 p.m.

Ex-cop who killed suspect with cooler walks free as he appeals conviction that made him an example

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 19:13:23 -0400

A former New York City police officer who was sentenced to three to nine years in prison for fatally throwing a cooler at a fleeing suspect walked out of prison Monday after being granted bail while he appeals his conviction.

Erik Duran, 38, was released from custody at the Elmira Correctional Facility Monday afternoon, according to a social media post from the NYPD Sergeants Benevolent Association.

"First and foremost, I want to thank my family, particularly my wife, my children and my parents for all their unconditional love and support throughout his ordeal," Duran said in a statement released by the SBA.

FORMER NYPD OFFICER WHO FATALLY THREW COOLER AT FLEEING SUSPECT GRANTED BAIL DURING APPEAL OF CONVICTION

"I also want to thank God for giving me strength and guiding me through the darkness," he continued. "I thank my entire legal team for never giving up in their pursuit of justice."

Duran's attorney, Arthur Aidala, said in a statement afterward they are relieved that Duran "is home with his family where he belongs."

"Erik Duran asked to go to church before he returned home to his overjoyed family," Aidala said. "After reviewing the trial transcripts it is clear to the objective eye this verdict and sentence are a clear miscarriage of justice. We have begun the process of preparing his appeal and are confident this injustice will be rectified."

Duran was serving a three- to nine-year sentence for manslaughter when he was granted a $300,000 bond last week, according to FOX 5. A judge ordered him to surrender his passport to his lawyers as he waits for his appeal to be finalized.

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"This is a major win for Erik and his family and for law enforcement officers around the country," Vincent Vallelong, the president of Duran’s union within the SBA, reportedly said.

Duran, a married father of three, was convicted in February on charges stemming from the August 2023 death of Eric Duprey.

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Duprey was attempting to flee on a moped as officers carried out an undercover drug bust in the Bronx when Duran hurled an Igloo cooler at him, causing him to crash and hit his head on the pavement.

Duprey later died from his injuries.

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Duran has insisted he threw the cooler to protect his fellow officers, but Bronx Judge Guy Mitchell rejected his defense at sentencing, adding the punishment would serve as a "deterrent" to other officers from acting recklessly.

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"They had enough to investigate and catch him on a different day," Mitchell said, referring to the police. "The distinction is that the deceased will no longer be seen again by his family."

Duran’s attorney did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Fox News Digital's Michael Ruiz and Louis Casiano contributed to this report.

South Carolina population soars, leads nation in domestic migration

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 19:00:49 -0400

South Carolina is officially the fastest-growing state in the nation, according to the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Between July 2024 and July 2025, the Palmetto State’s population surged by 1.5%, outpacing every other state in the country. State officials attribute this rapid expansion primarily to a massive influx of domestic migration—Americans choosing to leave other states in favor of South Carolina’s climate, economy, and cost of living.

"From July 2024 to July 2025, South Carolina netted 66,622 domestic migrants, meaning 66,622 more people moved into the state than out of it," the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW) reported.

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While the state has seen consistent growth over the last five years, the DEW noted that the most significant single-year spike occurred between July 2022 and July 2023, when the state added more than 100,000 new residents.

Despite the statewide boom, the growth is heavily concentrated. Research indicates that more than 80% of South Carolina’s population gain since the 2020 Census has occurred in just 10 counties: Beaufort, Berkeley, Charleston, Lancaster, Lexington, Greenville, Horry, Richland, Spartanburg, and York.

Economists point to a robust, diversifying economy as a major draw. Rapidly expanding healthcare and technology sectors in urban hubs like Columbia and Greenville have turned the state into a prime destination for workers seeking opportunity outside traditional high-cost coastal powerhouses.

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South Carolina’s growth mirrors a broader national trend where taxpayers are increasingly fleeing high-tax, high-cost states.

Florida Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Mark Wilson recently told FOX Business that the Sunshine State continues to lead the nation in "income migration," drawing in over $4 million in wealth every hour.

"States like New York, Illinois, and California are losing over $1 million an hour of income," Wilson told FOX Business, describing the fiscal exodus from Democratic-led states as a "death spiral."

NEW YORK'S HOCHUL DROVE ME TO FLORIDA — NOW SHE'S BEGGING ME TO RETURN. NOT HAPPENING

New data released this month by the National Taxpayers Union Foundation (NTUF), which analyzed the latest available IRS tax filing information from 2022, underscores this trend. The study found that while Texas and Florida remain top targets, the overall shift of residents from high-tax states to more tax-friendly environments—including North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee—shows no signs of slowing.

"As states continue to diverge on tax policy, our 'laboratories of democracy' are increasingly running noticeably different experiments," said NTUF Director of State Policy Andrew Wilford. "IRS migration data is one of the most direct and honest forms of feedback available from taxpayers."