Hamas has made an admission that could destroy plans for a ceasefire deal with Israel, The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.

The U.S., Israel and international negotiators have been trying to strike a temporary ceasefire deal with Hamas in exchange for the remaining hostages in Gaza, of which there are over 130, at least 36 of whom are dead, according to current Israeli estimates, as reported by the WSJ.

The current deal on the table is for Hamas to free 40 civilian hostages in exchange for a six-week ceasefire and the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

But the terrorist group can’t guarantee that it has enough living civilian hostages to release to meet the terms of the deal, according to the WSJ.

Hamas may not be able to release 40 living hostages, but could do a deal with 40 hostages, a Hamas official told the WSJ, meaning they could be alive or dead in captivity.

If Hamas can’t release the hostages requested, the ceasefire deal could fall through completely and the current war between the terrorist group and Israel could continue unabated.

It also raises fears for the families of the hostages who have been urging the Israeli government to reach a deal so that their loved ones could be released.

“It’s been six months since these people were taken into Gaza. These families have no second in the day or a second in the night that their minds are calm. They are in constant agony,” Ofer Merin, director-general at Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem and a member of a forensic medical committee, told the WSJ.

A workaround for the current ceasefire proposal could be for Hamas to release captured IDF soldiers along with however many civilian hostages Hamas can muster, according to the WSJ. Hamas is hesitant to do this because it wants much higher concessions for the soldiers than it does for civilian hostages.

It is difficult to ascertain the current status of any of the remaining hostages. Hamas originally took over 240 hostages on Oct. 7, and over 100 of them have since been freed by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), discovered to be dead or released as part of a previous week-long ceasefire deal in November.

As of February, U.S. and Israeli officials believed that only roughly 80 of the 130 hostages remaining in Gaza were still alive, according to the WSJ.

Many hostages previously believed to be alive died during the Hamas attacks against Israel, which killed roughly 1,200 people, and were taken back to Gaza.

OJ Simpson has died aged 76 after a battle with cancer.

The notorious murder suspect who was found civilly liable for two killings died surrounded by his family at his home in Las Vegas on Wednesday night.

An X post shared on his official account by his family said: ‘On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer.

‘He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren.

‘During this time of transition, his family asks that you please respect their wishes for privacy and grace. -The Simpson Family.’

Simpson became one of the most infamous figures in America after he was charged with murdering his ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ron Goldman in 1994.

He was later cleared of the killings.

Simpson, a former football running back who played 11 seasons with the Buffalo Bills, reinvented himself as an actor before Brown and Goldman’s murders.

Although cleared of the murders, his reputation was ruined forever and the latter part of his career was marked by a series of seedy ventures.

After being acquitted, Simpson went on to be found civilly liable for the murders and was later forced to pay out $33.5million in damages to the Brown and Goldman families.

He faced further legal troubles when he was sentenced to nine to 33 years behind bars for armed robbery in Nevada in 2008.

It was previously reported that Simpson was battling prostate cancer and was undergoing chemotherapy.

The former sports star had been pictured looking frail on a number of occasions earlier this year while walking around his Las Vegas neighborhood.

But in February he released a video reassuring fans about his health.

Despite a successful NFL career, Simpson was best known for his acquittal following his high-profile murder trial in 1995, dubbed the ‘Trial of the Century’.

Simpson was charged with the deaths of Brown and Goldman, who were found brutally stabbed to death outside her Los Angeles home.

The circumstances around his arrest were equally salacious, with Simpson leading cops on a low speed chase after failing to turn himself in.

Millions tuned in to watch the 90 minute pursuit between cops and Simpson’s white Bronco across southern California before his eventual arrest in Brentwood.

Nicolae Miu has been found guilty of the first-degree intentional homicide of a 17 year-old boy after he was surrounded by a gang of teens while tubing on a Wisconsin River.

Miu, 54, was convicted Thursday morning over the September 2022 stabbing of Isaac Schuman on the Apple River in Wisconsin.

The convicted killer was also found guilty of lesser charges of stabbing and injuring four teens – three boys and a girl.

He sat in silence with his head bowed as the verdict was read out after less than a day’s deliberation. The trial lasted eight days, as more than three dozen witnesses took the stand.

The families of Miu’s victims were heard giving a sigh of relief, KARE11 reporter Lou Raguse said.

As he was led away afterwards, Miu was seen turning to stare at his surviving victims and their families.

First-degree reckless homicide was the third option available to jurors, after first-degree intentional homicide and second-degree homicide.

It carries a sentence of up to 60 years in prison.

Jurors were sent out to consider the case Thursday afternoon, with prosecutors refuting claims that Miu acted in self defense.

They claimed he could have dispatched his attackers by flashing his knife without resorting to violence.

The Romanian-American engineer had claimed he acted in self defense.

He was searching for a friend’s lost phone in the river when he was falsely accused of being a pedophile who was taking photos of young girls.

Video of the interaction showed the teenagers heckling Miu before he pulled out a Swiss Army knife and started jabbing them.

When Shuman was attacked by Miu, Owen Peloquin said that he didn’t see him get stabbed but rushed over to him and brought him to shore with his other friend Alex after they realized.

‘I tried my hardest to stop the bleeding,’ Peloquin said as he became visibly emotional.

Schuman was taken in an ambulance to the Lakeview Hospital in Stillwater where he was pronounced dead.

Ryhley Mattinson, A.J Martin, Dante Carlson and Tony Carlson were the other four teenagers stabbed that day.

Mattinson had to have emergency surgery and when she arrived her blood alcohol level was at 0.09.

Carlson suffered penetrating trauma from his stab wounds and had to have a hernia repaired and his blood alcohol level was also 0.09.

As he testified in court on Monday, Peloquin said that Miu ‘just weirdly like sprinted at us, just made us all super uncomfortable.’

On Wednesday, jurors were sent out to consider Miu’s fate as prosecutors and defense attorneys battled over whether it was self-defense.

Nicolae Miu is a murderer who did not act in self defense, DA Karl Anderson told jurors in his closing arguments – and said video of Isaac Shuman’s July 2022 killing proved his point.

‘One of the things the defense said at the beginning of trial and in their opening was they’re glad there’s a video,’ he said. ‘So are we.’

Anderson also rubbished claims Miu, originally from Romania, was scared when he stabbed Shuman – and said his behavior was the result of a bad temper.

‘Nikolae was not in fear, he snapped.’ Anderson said.

Anderson added that Miu could have brandished the knife as a threat and scared Shuman and his friends off without resorting to violence, that saw four other stabbed too.

He sought to play down assertions Miu had been cornered, saying: ‘He’s not in an alley with no way out, people blocking his exit.’

Corey Chirafisi, Miu’s lawyer, insisted his client had been rounded on and threatened by a fearless mob and that the stabbings were justified.

He said: ‘They got in his face, they screamed at him, they called him names, they swore at him.

‘They put their hands on him and the group of six, they became brave.

‘The group of six became brave to the point that they circled him and start taunting him.

‘They do this to a man who has done nothing, absolutely nothing to them.

‘Then, when that man, Mr. Miu, tries to create some space between him and Madison Coen, they pounce.

‘They punch him. They push him. They slap him. They hit him again.

‘They choke him. From, all directions. And Nic Miu acts in self-defense.’

Chirafisi highlighted how unafraid the boys seemed during the attack, their lies about him being a pedophile and that one was heard saying to Miu ‘You got 10 seconds.’

‘In your everyday experiences in life, when someone tells you that you have 10 seconds, what normally comes after that?’ Chirafisi continued. ‘Nothing good is coming after that. It’s reasonable in our experiences as adults to take that as a threat.’

Also on Wednesday, prosecutors sought to have a female juror they alleged was sleeping removed from the trial – but were unable to do so.

Judge Michael Waterman determined that there wasn’t enough evidence to strike the juror and denied her removal.

On Tuesday, Miu took to the stand and described how he feared for his life after they ‘surrounded him like wolves’ on the day of the attack.

When asked about the violent confrontation, Miu said that he had ‘tunnel vision’ and was ‘in a fog’ during the heated situation.

He said that prior to interacting with the group, he had ‘volunteered’ to look for a friend’s lost phone in the water before he interacted with the teenagers.

As he was shown pictures and video from that day, Miu said that he was touched by Madison Coen and Mattison before the knife was drawn.

He then said that as the interaction with the teens continued, his fear ‘crept up’ as they started to laugh and yell around him.

‘They were very close, they were really close to me. I could feel and hear them,’ Miu said.

Miu described how he reached for his pocket knife as his fear got ‘really high’ just before Madison placed her hand on his upper arm.

In recorded interviews, Miu said: ‘All of a sudden, they were like wolves around me and they were attacking me from all directions and I truly, truly, feared for my life.’

‘They came on to me. They hit me, they got on top of me, and I don’t remember anything after that.’

During his testimony, he said that he didn’t know how many people were attacking him but he knew that there were ‘more than he could handle’ and that he has had ‘nightmares’ since.

A witness, Larrion Davis later told investigators that he saw the attacker ‘taking pictures of girls’ in the area.

However, as he took the stand last week, Davis appeared confused over this claim, and admitted he wasn’t sure what he saw because ‘there was a lot going on.’

Miu’s then wife Sondra told detectives that the violent altercation began after Miu, whose group was further up the river, went back to find a ‘phone that was lost’ while wearing snorkeling gear.

While he was looking, Sondra said a ‘group of guys got off their tubes and started hitting’ him.

Miu pleaded not guilty to the charges in September 2022.

He was originally born in Romania and immigrated to the US when he was a teenager.

Sondra and Miu got divorced after the incident and he was ‘living a peaceful, quiet life in Minnesota’ and ‘had never been in trouble before.’

FBI Director Christopher Wray on Thursday will warn of an “elevated threat” to U.S. public safety and national security while advocating for an increased budget.

“Looking back over my career in law enforcement, I’d be hard-pressed to think of a time where so many threats to our public safety and national security were so elevated all at once,” Wray will say to the House Appropriations subcommittee hearing on Thursday afternoon. “But that is the case as I sit here today. This is not a point when we can let up.”

Wray will argue at the hearing that the federal agency needs fiscal support to “tackle these threats” to keep American citizens safe.

“This is by no means a time to let up or dial back. This is a time when we need your support the most — we need all the tools, all the people, and all the resources required to tackle these threats and to keep Americans safe,” Wray will say.

Wray will say that the FBI’s “immediate concern” is that individuals will draw inspiration from the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict in the Middle East and carry out terrorist attacks in the U.S.

He will point to the Russia Concert Hall terrorist attack that left 144 people dead in the worst assault on Russian soil in two decades.

“…Our most immediate concern has been that individuals or small groups will draw twisted inspiration from the events in the Middle East to carry out attacks here at home. But now increasingly concerning is the potential for a coordinated attack here in the homeland, akin to the ISIS-K attack we saw at the Russia Concert Hall a couple weeks ago,” he will say.

Wray will push for Congress to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which monitors foreign nationals overseas and is set to expire on April 19.

“…An absolutely indispensable tool for Congress can give us in our fight against foreign adversaries is the reauthorization of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act,” he will say. “It’s critical in securing our nation, and we’re in crunch time.”

Section 702 has been both credited with preventing terror attacks on U.S. soil and accused of being a vehicle for spying on U.S. citizens.

The FBI has been accused of improperly using Section 702 to spy on Black Lives Matter protesters in the summer of 2020 as well as people who rioted at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

The FBI director will warn that budget cuts to the agency would affect more than just FBI operations; they would directly impact partners in state and local law enforcement.

“Every day, FBI agents, analysts and professional staff are working shoulder to shoulder with thousands of task force officers from hundreds of different police departments and sheriffs’ offices all over the country on our FBI-led task forces,” Wray will say. “On top of that, we provide technology and expertise, valuable investigative leads like DNA matches, and cutting-edge training to law enforcement nationwide to help them keep our communities safe.”

“So cuts to us are cuts to our partners — state and local law enforcement agencies and officers who are on the ground, putting themselves in the line of fire — often quite literally,” Wray will say.

Former President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Arizona went too far after the state’s high court issued a ruling outlawing abortion and added that he wouldn’t sign a national ban if he’s reelected president in November.

Trump made his comments to reporters and supporters in Atlanta just days after he said abortion should be left up to states to decide and that he wouldn’t support a federal ban on the procedure.

“Yeah, they did and I think it’ll be straightened out and, as you know, it’s all about state’s rights and it will be straightened out,” Trump said when asked if Arizona’s ruling went too far. “And I’m sure the governor and everybody else have got to bring it back into reason and that it will be taken care of I think.”

But Trump signaling that Arizona, a key battleground state, went too far in banning abortion is a sign of just how politically volatile the issue is for Republicans ahead of the November election. Polling shows that full abortion bans without exceptions for victims of rape and incest are deeply unpopular with voters, and Democrats are again planning to use the issue to mobilize their party ahead of the November elections after seeing success with the tactic in the 2022 midterms, months after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

Michael Tyler, the Biden campaign’s communications director, said in a statement Wednesday that “Donald Trump owns the suffering and chaos happening right now, including in Arizona, because he proudly overturned Roe — something he called ‘an incredible thing’ and ‘pretty amazing’ just today.”

“Trump lies constantly — about everything — but has one track record: banning abortion every chance he gets,” Tyler said. “The guy who wants to be a dictator on day one will use every tool at his disposal to ban abortion nationwide, with or without Congress, and running away from reporters to his private jet like a coward doesn’t change that reality.”

Arizona’s Supreme Court upheld a 160-year-old law on Tuesday outlawing abortions unless the patient’s life is in danger. The court said enforcement won’t begin for at least two weeks to give the parties in the lawsuit time to pursue any constitutional challenges to the pre-statehood law. But that timeline is expected to be extended for at least 45 days after the high court finalizes its ruling, under a decision in a separate court challenge.

The decision by the state’s high court has also energized abortion rights advocates to put a ballot measure in front of voters in November. Groups such as the ACLU of Arizona and Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona say that they have acquired enough signatures to establish a ballot measure, according to the Arizona Republic.

“Arizona is definitely going to change, everybody wants that to happen,” Trump said after greeting supporters at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

Republican Senate candidate Kari Lake came out against the Arizona ruling on Tuesday and called on Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs and the state legislature to “come up with an immediate commonsense solution.” However, Lake voiced support for the law two years ago by calling it a “great law.” Lake isn’t the only Republican in Arizona to push back on the ruling. Rep. David Schweikert said abortion “should be decided by Arizonans, not legislated from the bench” and Rep. Juan Ciscomani said that Tuesday’s ruling was “a disaster for women and providers.”

Trump’s comments on Wednesday come after his announcement earlier this week that he believes that abortion should be left to the states in the post-Roe era, declining to endorse any national limit on the procedure. Leaving the decision up to the states is seen as a way for Trump to appease competing factions within the Republican Party.

The former president also weighed in on abortion bans in Florida, where the state Supreme Court last week upheld the state’s ban on abortion at 15 weeks of pregnancy but also ruled that a ballot initiative seeking to protect the procedure can go before voters in November. Another six-week ban will go into effect within 30 days of the high court’s ruling.

“Florida is probably going to maybe change also,” Trump said. “It’s the will of the people, that’s all I’ve been saying. It’s a perfect system. So for 52 years, people wanted to end Roe v Wade to get it back to the states. We did that. It was an incredible thing. And now the states have it and the states are putting out what they want. So Florida is probably going to change.”

Trump’s Monday announcement to leave abortion policy to states drew a swift rebuke from one of the nation’s leading anti-abortion rights groups, Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, which had urged Trump to endorse a 15-week federal ban. Former Vice President Mike Pence slammed his former boss’ abortion stance by calling it a “slap in the face” and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) “respectfully” disagreed with Trump’s stance.

Trump pushed back at Republicans who voiced their disagreement, most notably by calling out Graham on social media and saying that the senator’s abortion stance is “handing Democrats their dream.”

“Many Good Republicans lost Elections because of this Issue, and people like Lindsey Graham, that are unrelenting, are handing Democrats their dream of the House, Senate, and perhaps even the Presidency,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

Gov. Kristi Noem (R-SD) has been banned from some 10% of South Dakota, the state she governs.

On Tuesday, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Council voted to ban Noem from areas under its control. Combined with bans from the Oglala Sioux Tribe in February and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe last week, the Republican governor is now banned from about one-tenth of the state, according to the Daily Beast.

The banishment came in response to remarks Noem made about the Native Americans of the state, accusing tribal leaders of not doing enough to expunge the influence of drug cartels.

“Governor Kristi Noem’s wild and irresponsible attempt to connect tribal leaders and parents with Mexican drug cartels is a sad reflection of her fear-based politics that do nothing to bring people together to solve problems,” SRST Chairwoman Janet Alkire said in a press release. “Rather than make uninformed and unsubstantiated claims, Noem should work with tribal leaders to increase funding and resources for tribal law enforcement and education.”

The director of the Lakota People’s Law Project, which says on its website that it “works closely with tribal nations and nonprofit compatriots to amplify Indigenous voices” and “provides on-the-ground support when and where it is needed most,” said Noem is “prohibited from entering sovereign territory of Sioux bands.”

Noem is also “subject to detention and/or removal if she violates banishment orders, meaning the state’s governor is barred from entering more than 10 percent of all land her state claims is within its ‘borders,’” Chase Iron Eyes said.

Noem spokeswoman Amelia Joy said banishing the governor “does nothing to solve the problem.”

“She calls on all our tribal leaders to banish the cartels from tribal lands,” Joy added.

Last week, CRST Chairman Ryman LeBeau accused the governor of weaponizing the border crisis in an attempt to be former President Donald Trump’s running mate.

“The South Dakota Governor speaks gossip and lies about our Lakota students, their parents, and our Tribal Councils. SD Governor’s statements made on March 13th, 2024, perpetuate stereotypes, misconceptions, which are inaccurate and untrue,” he said in a statement. “According to her Christianity, gossip is a sinful act. As South Dakota’s Governor she does not know or understand our issues or successes of our Reservation schools and communities. The Governor is out of touch and auditioning for Trump’s vice president for her own personal political gain.”

In addition to the banishments, several other tribes have demanded an apology from Noem.

A Planet Fitness member in North Carolina allegedly entered a ladies’ locker room at the gym and stripped down “completely naked,” claiming that he identified as a woman, according to police and 911 callers.

Christopher Miller, 38, was arrested on a charge of indecent exposure and booked into the Gaston County jail last Thursday, with his online inmate entry identifying him as a male.

His mugshot showed the suspect sporting a light-colored beard and mustache.

Miller’s arrest on a felony charge came after an alarmed woman at the Gastonia Planet Fitness called 911 to report there was a naked man in the ladies’ locker room, reported WSOC-TV.

“It’s a man but he says he identifies as a woman, and he won’t leave the restroom,” the 911 caller told an emergency dispatcher. “But he is just walking around showing us his — and he won’t leave.”

“OK, so he is completely naked?” the dispatcher asked.

“He is completely naked,” the caller said.

Sources told the outlet that Miller allegedly asked a female gym member in the locker room to lotion him up and take a shower together.

Planet Fitness allows members to use the restroom and locker room consistent with their self-reported gender identity, but there was no indication that Miller had identified himself as a transgender woman before venturing inside the ladies’ locker room.

“I think a woman should be able to go into a women’s bathroom without a man coming in saying he’s transgender,” gymgoer Betty Brice said.

Planet Fitness sent a statement to The Post Thursday addressing Miller’s arrest.

“At Planet Fitness, the safety of our employees and members is our top priority, and we have zero tolerance for harassment of any kind in our clubs,” said McCall Gosselin, chief corporate affairs officer at Planet Fitness. “We took immediate action to ensure the safety of club members, including notifying and working with law enforcement.”

Miller was ordered held on $25,000 bond.

The incident in North Carolina comes after a Planet Fitness in Fairbanks, Alaska, came to the defense of a transgender member who was photographed shaving in the women’s locker room.

Patricia Silva, 67, who took the photo because she said she was alarmed seeing someone “with a penis” grooming themselves next to a young girl, was later banned from the gym, with Planet Fitness claiming Silva violated the company’s policy.

In the wake of the scandal sparked by Silva’s suspension, 28 Planet Fitness gyms in 11 states have been targeted with bogus bomb threats, leading to a string of evacuations.

The top UN climate official used jarring, controversial framing in a stark speech in London on Wednesday, claiming we only have “two years left to save the world.”

Simon Stiell’s speech laid out the stakes for meeting the Paris targets before multiple international gatherings, elections and deadlines, starting with World Bank-IMF spring meetings next week.

The headline of his talk at the Chatham House think tank is garnering the most attention.

His presentation risks straying into the land of climate doomers, but it is about the timeline of the Paris Agreement, not evidence showing the globe has a two-year window to avert climate catastrophe.

The accord calls for countries to submit their next national climate targets by 2025, covering the period out to 2035.

Stiell made the case for stronger pre-2030 targets to be made ASAP, noting current plans “in aggregate would barely cut emissions at all by 2030.”

Significantly, Stiell also called for a “new deal” on climate finance to be negotiated at COP 29 in Baku.

It would provide vastly more abundant and flexible funding to help countries withstand climate impacts and transition away from fossil fuels, he said.

In a message with relevance to the U.S., he said demand-side measures, such as carbon pricing, are needed to “speed up the decline of fossil fuels.”

He also warned against governments, and voters, deemphasizing climate ahead of pivotal elections.

A shooting reportedly broke out Wednesday at a Ramadan festival in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, leading to five arrests.

Three people were shot after two groups allegedly engaged in gunfire at the festival containing about 1,000 attendees, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel said during a press conference. Police came across three males and one female running from the scene as they exchanged gunfire, and retrieved a total of four weapons.

Bethel said four of the five individuals arrested — three males and two females — carried weapons.

A female officer “engaged” with a 15-year-old male with a firearm and hit him in the shoulder and the leg, the police commissioner said. The teen arrived at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center for treatment. Three more victims from the incident arrived at the hospital for treatment, according to CNN.

Multiple people shot. @PhillyPolice have made “numerous arrests & at least 4 guns recovered.” @PhillyPolice sources tell me at scene of shooting at 46th & Wyalusing Avenue at a Ramadan event. At least one Philadelphia Police officer also fired weapon.

— Steve Keeley (@KeeleyFox29) April 10, 2024

Footage showed lines of law enforcement vehicles rushing to the scene to respond to “an incident,” 6 ABC journalist Mike Nik reported.

Citywide response to an incident in West Philly. @6abc pic.twitter.com/iTSP3e8fFo

— Mike Nik (@6abcmike) April 10, 2024

VIDEO: Aerial view from @FOX29philly showing scene of apparent shooting at #Philadelphia event marking end of #Ramadan. @livenowfox pic.twitter.com/3enxy5xLGJ

— Josh Breslow (@JoshBreslowTV) April 10, 2024

The injured suspect is in stable condition and is being treated as a suspect, Bethel said. A 22-year-old victim shot in the stomach is believed to have been shot during the incident, and another arrived at the hospital with a gunshot wound to his hands. All three injured individuals are reportedly in stable conduction.

President Joe Biden said Wednesday that he is considering a request from Australia to drop the decade-long U.S. push to prosecute Wikileaks founder Julian Assange for publishing a trove of American classified documents.

For years, Australia has called on the U.S. to drop its prosecution against Assange, an Australian citizen who has fought U.S. extradition efforts from prison in the U.K. Asked about the request on Wednesday, as he hosted Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for an official visit, Biden said, “We’re considering it.”

Assange has been indicted on 17 espionage charges and one charge of computer misuse over his website’s publication of a trove of classified U.S. documents almost 15 years ago. American prosecutors allege that Assange, 52, encouraged and helped U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning steal diplomatic cables and military files that WikiLeaks published, putting lives at risk.

Australia argues there is a disconnect between the U.S. treatment of Assange and Manning. Then-U.S. President Barack Obama commuted Manning’s 35-year sentence to seven years, which allowed her release in 2017.

Assange’s supporters say he is a journalist protected by the First Amendment who exposed U.S. military wrongdoing in Iraq and Afghanistan that was in the public interest. Assange’s wife, Stella Assange, has said the WikiLeaks founder “is being persecuted because he exposed the true cost of war in human lives.” She has said his health continues to deteriorate in prison and she fears he’ll die behind bars.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Biden’s comment on Assange was encouraging.

“I have said that we have raised, on behalf of Mr. Assange, Australia’s national interests that enough is enough and this needs to be brought to a conclusion and we’ve raised it at each level of government in every possible way,” Albanese told Australian Broadcasting Corp.

“Mr. Assange has already paid a significant price and enough is enough. There’s nothing to be gained by Mr. Assange’s continued incarceration in my very strong view and I’ve put that as the view of the Australian government,” he added.

WikiLeaks editor-in-chief Kristinn Hrafnsson, responding to Biden’s comments, said in a statement that “it is not too late for President Biden to stop Julian’s extradition to the U.S., which was a politically motivated act by his predecessor.”

“By dropping the charges against Julian he will be protecting freedom of expression and the rights of journalists and publishers globally,” she said. “We urge him to end this legal process; to free Julian; and to recognize that journalism is not a crime.”

A British court ruled last month that Assange can’t be extradited to the United States on espionage charges unless U.S. authorities guarantee he won’t get the death penalty.

The father of Missouri schoolgirl Kaylee Gain says he and his wife went through the 16-year-old’s phone to try to see what happened in the lead-up to a vicious school fight that left her fighting for her life.

Kaylee, 16, from St. Louis, was initially left in a life-threatening condition by Maurnice DeClue, 15, who repeatedly smashed her head into concrete during a violent altercation.

‘They both agreed to the fight, to meet up and settle what was going on,’ Gain told the New York Post, adding that Kaylee and DeClue had been insulting each other for weeks ahead of the fight.

Kaylee suffered a skull fracture and frontal lobe damage during the violent March 8 brawl that was caught on camera near her high school, but has since been released from the intensive care unit.

Now, her father is speaking out after being able to view text messages his daughter sent ahead of the brutal beating with Jamie Gain, Kaylee’s stepmother.

An inciting incident saw Kaylee getting suspended from school after fighting a friend of DeClue.

The girls continued to text hateful messages and threats to one another before setting up the confrontation, which took place about a mile from Hazelwood East High School near St. Louis where they took classes.

Gain also told the Post that the two girls were equally cruel to each other and refused suggestions that Kaylee had bullied the 15-year-old.

He also detailed his daughter’s recovery process, saying, ‘Some days are better than others.’

‘Some days, she will laugh a little bit. Other days, she’ll be quiet,’ he says, adding that Kaylee still cannot walk on her own and is often wobbly.

‘She’ll ask us why she is there in the hospital,’ Clinton Gain said. ‘She doesn’t remember the fight or a few days before it. We told her what happened, but not too much.’

Kaylee still recognizes her father and acknowledges him when he greets her.

‘It’s been really hard. It’s very slow. When she gets out of the hospital, she’s going to live with me, it’s already been decided. She needs that stability and structure again,’ he added.

Video of the incident circulated on social media showing DeClue bashing the teen’s head into the concrete after throwing multiple punches and sending her careening to the ground.

Kaylee appeared to begin to have a seizure as groups of other teens brawled just feet away.

Police found the girl suffering from a serious head injury near the intersection of Norgate Drive and Claudine Drive, roughly a five-minute walk from the high school campus.

A lawyer for her family previously revealed that Kaylee has been able to engage in ‘limited verbal conversations’ and has gone on a few short walks with the assistance of hospital staff.

Kaylee’s parents have slammed their daughter’s accused attacker, DeClue, who is in custody, and demand that she is tried as an adult.

DeClue’s parents reportedly told local media last week that she ‘wants to apologize’ to Kaylee, ahead of a court hearing on Monday.

They have been visiting DeClue while she remains in juvenile custody and claim police have complied messages on social media that allegedly include threats toward the teen.

Kaylee’s family’s said that they were ‘encouraged’ after DeClue’s parents said she wished to apologize for her actions.

‘While these statements do not change the family’s position that it is appropriate for the accused to be tried as an adult, it is encouraging that the accused appears to be remorseful for what transpired during these unfortunate events,’ he added.

‘The family is thankful that the accused apparently did not post these entirely distasteful messages.

‘This does not, however, change the fact that the family firmly believes that there is more than sufficient evidence for the accused to be tried as an adult.’

DailyMail.com revealed DeClue’s family said ‘cruel’ people have managed to get their fundraiser for legal fees taken down and that the 15-year-old is the real victim.

Officials set a date for DeClue’s certification hearing on May 10, which will rule if she is tried as an adult for the first-degree felony assault charges.

Both sets of parents attended DeClue’s initial hearing, with the judge advising DeClue’s parents Ronald, who attended court in a wheelchair, and Conseula that they have a right to a lawyer as well as their daughter.

Both declined to comment when approached by DailyMail.com, but DeClue’s lawyer Gregory Smith added she was ‘doing well’ despite being in detention.

‘She’s a smart girl’ Smith said. ‘We’re doing what we can to protect her from it, but she has a good understanding of the law.’

Judge Dodson ordered both families to be escorted out of the courtroom separately – which he said was a usual practice in his courtroom. A pre-trial management hearing will also take place on May 1, nine days before the certification hearing.

The family of DeClue, who confirmed her name publicly in a statement to ‘address the misconceptions’ around her arrest, launched a fundraiser to raise $150,000 to assist with her legal fees after she was charged with felony assault.

A GoFundMe was removed from the site for breaching their terms and conditions, but DeClue’s aunt Gwendolyn now claims that their CashApp has also been removed over reports of a ‘scam.’

Posting on social media, she said: ‘People can be so cruel and they have worked really hard and succeeded to get the CashApp taken down as of this morning.

‘Some are saying it was a scam. It wasn’t a scam it was legit. If you would like to help in my niece legal support please reach out to us. Your help is truly appreciated.’

The fundraiser, which was removed by GoFundMe, said the teen was ‘unfairly’ painted as a bully and that she is the victim ‘in a complicated situation’. It raised nearly $3,000 before being taken down.

The page was set up on March 16, begging for help with her legal defense against the case, as her family claim that they have been targeted with ‘racist death threats.’

DeClue’s relatives say she ‘deserves amnesty and a chance at forgiveness,’ adding that her ‘fair trial hearing is being swayed.’

However, Kaylee’s family have hit back at these claims – saying they are attempts to ‘downplay’ the accused’s actions by suggesting that by being in the choir and ‘multilingual’ makes her incapable of committing the violent act.

Speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com, the aunt of DeClue, claimed she was an honor roll student at Hazelwood East High School with an exemplary record and was ‘defending herself’ during the fight with Kaylee.

They have been visiting DeClue while she remains in juvenile custody and claim police have complied messages on social media which allegedly include threats towards the teen.

Her relatives created a Change.org petition, calling on the St Louis Juvenile Court to show ‘compassion’ to the schoolgirl, DailyMail.com previously revealed.

Missouri AG Andrew Bailey previously warned the brutality was a result of an obsession with woke DEI policies and the soft-touch approach to justice under former St. Louis DA Kim Gardner and current Rep. Cori Bush, a hardline progressive Democrat.

A Change.org petition calls on the St Louis Juvenile Court to show ‘compassion’ to the schoolgirl.

The plea claims the incident ‘being used to define her character and incite racial divisions and political strife with the MO AG calling on the courts to charge her as an adult.’

The petition is addressed to Chief Juvenile Officer Rick Gaines, and needs 500 signatures to escalate the issue to his office.

However a spokesman told DailyMail.com that only the judge presiding over the case can rule if the teen is charged as an adult, not Gaines, and the court is unable to comment any further.

Kaylee’s family say want ‘justice through the legal system’ – but pleaded with other teenagers not to retaliate against her alleged attacker.

Eight days after a U.S. Capitol Police officer shot and killed Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt during the Jan. 6, 2021, political riots, the FBI opened a criminal investigation into her actions and even considered adding her to the terrorist watch list.

According to FBI documents received by the legal watchdog Judicial Watch and shared with Secrets, the FBI considered investigating Babbitt for four “potential violations of federal law,” including rioting.

After listing those violations, the FBI report turned to the terrorist watch list.

But in acknowledging her death on Jan. 6 as she tried to enter the House Speaker’s Lobby through a broken window on a swinging door, the FBI said, “Babbitt is deceased and therefore this case is not being nominated” to the terrorist database.

The release of the 62 mostly redacted pages obtained by Judicial Watch under the Freedom of Information Act shows just how far the government planned to take its case against Babbitt.

Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton expressed shock that the government would consider what would have amounted to posthumous charges against the unarmed 36-year-old wife and businesswoman.

“It is beyond belief that the Biden FBI gave Ashli Babbitt’s killer a free pass while engaging in a malicious months-long ‘criminal’ investigation of Babbitt herself,” he said.

The shooter, Lt. Michael Byrd of the Capitol Police, was never charged and for months the government hid his identity and put him up in a hotel at Joint Base Andrews.

According to other documents provided to Judicial Watch, Babbitt entered the Speaker’s Lobby behind the House floor showing her empty hands. Byrd shot without warning.

The FBI documents said that there was a second shooting that day related to the riots, though no other details were provided.

Judicial Watch has filed a $30 million wrongful death suit for Babbitt’s family. Just last week, it said in a court filing that the federal government is trying to move that case from California to Washington, D.C., where judges and juries have been sympathetic to prosecutors.

The new documents included an interview with somebody who knew Babbitt and who said that she likely knew the risk of entering the Capitol, but not of getting shot.

The unidentified person “judged that BABBITT likely recognized that entering the Capitol was unauthorized and knew the risk. In that situation [redacted] assessed that Babbitt followed the crowd and felt secure being amongst like-minded individuals. [Redacted] judged that her leadership nature may have taken hold when she attempted to enter a new room within the Capitol where she was shot. [Redacted] judged that she likely did not know the risk of passing through the widow. BABBITT would never ‘go after someone physically’ according to [redacted],” the FBI report said.

The apparent acquaintance also said that Babbitt’s political views were unknown.

That same person also gave details of Babbitt’s military career and personal passions. Judicial Watch highlighted three key points:

— In 2008, Babbitt transitioned to the Air Force Reserve at Sheppard Air Force Base but continued to serve on active duty orders. In 2009, [Redacted] and Babbitt [redacted] where Babbitt continued to serve out the remainder of her career in either the Reserves of Air National Guard at Andrews Air Force Base. At one point Babbitt transitioned Military Occupational Specialties to serve as a mechanic, but ultimately returned to Security Forces. According to [Redacted] Babbitt was excellent at her job and [redacted].

— Babbitt deployed several times throughout her service. In 2005, Babbitt deployed to Manas Air Base in Kyrgyzstan. In 2006, Babbitt was deployed to Camp Bucca in southern Iraq which served as a Theater Internment facility. In approximately 2012-2014, Babbitt deployed to the United Arab Emirates. Babbitt did not suffer any physical or mental injuries stemming from her deployments and [redacted]. While stationed in Alaska, Babbitt did suffer from a torn meniscus [a common knee injury] which had occurred while she was previously stationed in Texas. While deployed to Camp Bucca, Babbitt did fly to Camp Arifjan in Kuwait [redacted].

— [Redacted] characterized Babbitt as very outgoing, opinionated, loud, very intelligent, loyal, sweet, very loving and caring. At times, Babbitt was not a fan of her chain of command and made her views known. Babbitt was a leader rather than a follower and liked being her own boss. Consequently, she was happy running her pool company in California. Babbitt loved her family and loved her country.

House conservatives on April 10 tanked a procedural vote to advance a surveillance power reauthorization bill in protest of its lack of warrant requirements. The development is another blow to Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), who already faces an ouster threat from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.).

In a 193–226 vote, lawmakers decided not to advance Rep. Laurel Lee’s (R-Fla.) “Reforming Intelligence and Securing America Act,” which would have extended the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act’s (FISA’s) controversial Section 702 for a period of five years. The warrantless surveillance power is due to lapse on April 19.

Although such procedural votes normally advance along party lines, 19 Republicans joined all Democrats to block the bill, employing a tactic increasingly used by GOP factions to apply pressure on leadership.

Conservatives who voted against the bill’s advancement were Reps. Greene, Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), Dan Bishop (R-N.C), Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.), Michael Cloud (R-Texas), Bob Good (R-Va.), Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), Chip Roy (R-Texas.), Eli Crane (R-Ariz.), Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), Clay Higgins (R-La.), Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), Cory Mills (R-Fla.), Scott Perry (R-Pa.), Matt Rosendale (R-Md.), and Greg Steube (R-Fla.)

It’s yet another failure for Mr. Johnson, who in February had to pull a similar bill from the floor.

FISA Section 702 is one of several post-9/11 surveillance authorities that have come under scrutiny as some lawmakers from both sides of the political aisle have raised concerns over its potential to violate the civil liberties of Americans.

Section 702, which was last authorized in 2018, was intended to permit warrantless surveillance of foreign nationals located outside the United States. However, in practice, it also sweeps up communications with U.S. citizens.

This has allowed FBI agents to extensively misuse the tool in recent years, such as by using it to search for the names of Black Lives Matter and Jan. 6, 2021, protesters.

The agency asserts that the program is vital to national security and that it has since undergone reform. Nevertheless, critics across the political spectrum have been apprehensive regarding the possibility of further constitutional infringements.

Former President Donald Trump earlier on April 10 called on House Republicans to “KILL FISA,” pointing to how the FBI misused Section 702 to spy on his 2016 presidential campaign.

Mr. Mills, who voted against the bill, said after the vote that the result “isn’t a defeat for Johnson; it’s a victory for Americans.”

Mr. Roy told reporters after the failed vote: “We’re here to stand up for the people who are tired of [the] situation … where the defense industrial complex, the Intel Committee, they get to see all this stuff behind closed doors and tell us what they’re going to do.

“The founders were very clear about what we need to fear … about how they will use foreign conflicts, foreign power as a smokescreen for going after our civil liberties. And that’s what we saw happening here.”

When the House Rules Committee on April 9 advanced the legislation for a floor vote, they left the issue of whether to require a warrant to a vote of Congress.

The warrant issue has spurred the creation of unlikely alliances, bringing such disparate lawmakers as House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Ranking Member Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) into agreement.

“When you have the history we have with this organization relative to not following the rules, we think you need a separate and equal branch of the government … to approve a warrant,” Mr. Jordan said in defense of the amendment during his opening remarks. “The warrant requirement has to be in the legislation or I don’t think we’ve done our job.”

Mr. Nadler agreed, saying that without a warrant requirement, the changes in Ms. Lee’s bill would be “so modest they would prove ineffective.”

The failure of the rule vote marks another loss for Mr. Johnson, who has already faced several failed rule votes during his roughly six months as speaker.

Earlier on April 10, the speaker expressed support for the bill, saying it enacted “sweeping changes” in the form of “over 50 reforms” to be put in place.

“It’s a critically important piece of our intelligence and law enforcement in this country because it allows us to continue killing Hamas terrorists,“ Mr. Johnson said. ”It allows us to track shipments of the least illicit chemicals used to make fentanyl, it allows us to protect US warships from attacks by Houthi rebels, allows us to stop China from stealing American intellectual property, and it prevents ransomware attacks against American companies.”

However, he also noted that FISA has been abused through “politicized FBI queries” and said the changes coming to the program would “prevent another Russia hoax debacle, among many other important reforms.”

“No more Steele dossiers; no more of the intelligence community relying on fake news reports to order a FISA order; no more collusion; these changes will make sure that that doesn’t happen,” he said.

Uncertainty on How to Move Forward

Following the failure of the rule vote, House Republican leadership canceled another vote scheduled for later in the day and instead called a conference meeting.
Lawmakers leaving the meeting said that it had been productive inasmuch as the two camps were able to discuss the issue and explain their position. However, there was little in the way of an action plan leaving the meeting.

“Nothing’s been resolved,” Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) told reporters as he left the meeting.

The same line was repeated almost verbatim by Mr. Burchett, who told reporters, “There’s nothing resolved.”

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) explained how the conference broke down on the issue, saying that there are roughly 40 to 50 lawmakers who passionately want the warrant requirement, 20 or 30 who passionately don’t, and the rest don’t mind either way.

Several lawmakers leaving the meeting did say that different courses of action were considered.

The easiest of those would be simply to punt the issue by authorizing a temporary extension of the program as lawmakers seek to resolve their differences. Such a move would likely pass both chambers of Congress easily, but would only delay ultimate consideration of a reform package.

Another option, one likely to anger many Republican privacy hawks, would be for Mr. Johnson to seek to pass the bill through a suspension of the rules, a move that would rely heavily on Democratic support.

Finally, lawmakers are still negotiating on allowing the bill to be brought back up with an amendment vote on the warrant issue.

The one thing that was clear from the meeting is that the House is far from reaching a consensus on the controversial issue.

Former President Donald Trump, while out on the campaign trail, stopped by an Atlanta Chick-fil-A restaurant on Wednesday, where he chatted with staff and treated customers inside the store to chicken and milkshakes.

In one video, Trump is seen surrounded by a group of suit-wearing individuals.

The former president flattered crew members and customers while having his picture taken with them and asking if everyone was having a good time.

In another video posted by the Right Side Broadcasting Network, Trump asked the restaurant staff for 30 milkshakes and some chicken before telling them he was going to take care of all the customers.

“So, is this good?” he asked, to which the staff replied with a yes and a nod.

Trump then asked the staff members if they were making a lot of money and if they were going to get rich.

Of the 30 milkshakes, Trump told the staff he was going to hand them out to the customers and take some for his entourage.

The person capturing the moment on video pointed out to the former president that Chick-fil-A was a “great American franchise.”

“It is. It’s a great franchise. The owner is a great man who is a member of one of my clubs, and he’s fantastic,” Trump said. “They do very well, and they’re closed on Sunday.”

The videographer then jokingly said, “It’s the Lord’s chicken,” and Trump agreed.

“It’s the Lord’s chicken, you’re right,” he said. “It’s good chicken, too.”

Watch:

🚨Today Trump stopped by a Chick-fil-A in Atlanta, Georgia, on his way to a campaign event. He ordered 30 milkshakes and some of “the lord’s chicken”‼️ pic.twitter.com/iF6sCDYOUQ

— Jenna Fredo (@LynkLuv) April 10, 2024

Trump then started handing out the shakes to customers who wanted one.

The presidential candidate is expected to haul in roughly $15 million at top dollar fundraisers on Wednesday in Atlanta and Orlando, Florida.

His first stop was Atlanta, and he was scheduled to meet with some of Georgia’s most prominent MAGA supporters, including former Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, who both narrowly lost their seats in January 2021.

Trump was also expected to meet with Home Depot co-founder Bernie Marcus and beer, wine and spirits magnate Don Leeburn III.

When he finishes in Atlanta, Trump is expected to go to Orlando, where attorney Dan Newlin will host a fundraiser at his home for the former president.

President Biden hosted Bill and Hillary Clinton alongside billionaire Big Tech titans Wednesday night at the White House for a state dinner in honor of visiting Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

The Clintons and actor Robert De Niro joined the head table in the White House East Room, where more than 200 guests dined on house-cured salmon and dry-aged rib-eye steak.

Billionaire Amazon founder and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos and Apple CEO Tim Cook sat at tables nearby.

JP Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who was spotted with wine glass in hand ahead of Biden and Kishida giving introductory toasts, were also toward the center of the room.

“We both remember the choices that were made to forge a friendship,” Biden, 81, said during his toast. “We both remember the hard work, what it has done to find healing.”

“Tonight,” the president continued, “We pledge to keep going.”

Kishida, 66, invoked “Star Trek” in his toast, pledging that the Japanese-US relationship would “boldly go where no one had gone before.”

Paul Simon, 82, provided the evening’s entertainment in the State Dining Room — beginning shortly after 10 p.m. with the songs “Graceland” and then “Slip Slidin’ Away.”

First granddaughter Naomi Biden swayed to the music in her second-row seat — next to Bezos and just behind Vice President Kamala Harris — wearing a loose-fitting pink cherry blossom dress.

The former Simon & Garfunkel singer is reputed to be a favorite of first lady Jill Biden’s.

Others attending the lavish celebration included figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, World Bank President Ajay Banga and United Auto Workers president Shawn Fain.

Unlike past state dinners, scandal-plagued first son Hunter Biden did not make an appearance, though other members of the first family were on the list, including first daughter Ashley Biden and Hunter’s daughters Finnegan and Naomi, as well as Naomi’s husband Peter Neal.

The guest list included First Lady Jill Biden’s top aide Anthony Bernal, whom former colleagues accused last month of sexual harassment and bullying.

Bernal, who is widely regarded as one of the most powerful officials in the Biden White House due to his closeness to the first family, approached a reporter for The Post during the night’s festivities and introduced himself.

He did not respond to a question about whether it was appropriate for him to be present considering the allegations against him — as a press officer swooped in to end the exchange.

White House chief of staff Jeff Zients dismissed the allegations against Bernal as “unfounded” hours after receiving a request for comment — without investigating them.

Billionaires Neil Bluhm, a casino and real estate magnate, Jon Gray, a financier, Amos Hostetter, a cable TV pioneer, and Lynda and Stewart Resnick, agriculturalists, were also on the White House guest list, along CEOs Larry Fink ( BlackRock) and Megan Myungwon Lee (Panasonic North America).

Four governors, all Democrats, received invites: Govs. Kathy Hochul of New York, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, Roy Cooper of North Carolina and Tony Evers of Wisconsin.

Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), a frequent Biden administration critic, was also on the list along with two of his Democratic colleagues, Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii).

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) was also invited.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told donors and supporters at a private retreat last weekend that he plans to help raise money for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, according to three sources familiar with the matter.

DeSantis told his allies about the move to help Trump during a private gathering Saturday at South Florida’s Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, these people said.

“He did say it in front of a group of people at the Hard Rock,” a DeSantis adviser told NBC News.

The person emphasized that DeSantis had pledged to support Republicans up and down the ballot — “including presidential” — when he dropped his bid for president in January.

DeSantis’ remarks come after he was effectively in a political war with Trump, both before and since the governor dropped out of the presidential primary race. It remains unclear if Trump and his team want DeSantis to help them, or have him as an ally, even though the governor did endorse Trump in January.

Many of the bundlers who heard from DeSantis at the Hard Rock will likely follow his lead and start trying to raise money for the former president, according to a fundraiser who was at the event.

“I would say the majority in the room would now be willing to help Trump,” a DeSantis bundler who was at the recent meeting said.

Texas businessman Roy Bailey, who was a co-chair of DeSantis’ national finance advisory board, said in an interview Wednesday that he’s planning to help raise money for Trump, as he did in 2020.

“I will follow the governor’s lead and I will do anything that he or President Trump ask me to do to help him win this election,” Bailey said.

“I know where there are DeSantis supporters all over Texas and all over the country that will want to help President Trump. So that’s what I’ll try to make happen,” he added.

A Trump campaign adviser said they were not aware that DeSantis was going to start raising money from them but added that “everyone should be working towards defeating Joe Biden and electing President Trump.”

DeSantis’ donor retreat happened on the same day as Trump’s biggest fundraiser of the cycle, which his campaign said raised $50.5 million.

The two men were longtime political allies after Trump’s endorsement helped DeSantis become governor in 2018. As it became clear DeSantis was considering running against Trump in 2024, the relationship publicly soured, and toward the end of DeSantis’ campaign, both sides regularly trashed each other.

Shortly after DeSantis dropped out of the race, Susie Wiles, his former political adviser turned Trump’s campaign chief, posted a quip at the governor on social media: “Bye, bye.” DeSantis fired Wiles after she helped run his first gubernatorial campaign, adding a layer of personal rivalry to the feud.

In February, DeSantis shared his concerns with supporters about Trump, noting that he believed the former president should not play “identity politics” when picking a 2024 running mate. Trump’s campaign subsequently ripped DeSantis.

Still, for Trump, getting DeSantis’ help could be a benefit as the former president has been behind President Joe Biden in fundraising.

DeSantis’ finance committee is full of fundraisers with massive networks that could help raise money for Trump.

Emil Henry, the CEO of Tiger Infrastructure Partners, was a member of DeSantis’ national finance board. Others on the finance committee included Republican donors John Childs, Jay Zeidman and Bob Giuffra.

The Trump campaign’s announcement that it raised $50.5 million at investor John Paulson’s home on Saturday was a single event record. That money would go to Trump’s campaign, the Republican National Committee, a political action committee paying Trump’s legal bills and over a dozen state party committees.

Biden announced his campaign and a collection of Democratic committees raised more than $90 million in March alone.

Trump and Republicans have acknowledged they are likely going to be at a money disadvantage throughout the 2024 cycle.

President Joe Biden is considering taking a page from Donald Trump’s book by taking executive action by the end of April to dramatically limit how many asylum seekers can cross the southern border.

The action would see Biden finally addressing the border and would attempt to send a massive message ahead of November’s election that he takes illegal immigration seriously after years of criticism for largely ignoring the migration crisis.

Under Biden’s leadership, the U.S. has experienced all-time-high levels of illegal immigration crossing into the country by way of the southern border with Mexico.

Currently, the White House is exploring whether the president can restrict immigrants claiming asylum at the southern border without first gaining congressional approval.

‘We’re examining whether or not I have that power,’ Biden told Univision’s Enrique Acevedo in an interview taped last week that aired on Tuesday.

‘Some are suggesting that I should just go ahead and try it,’ the president said when speaking with the Spanish-language broadcaster. ‘And if I get shut down by the court, I get shut down by the court.’

Biden now claims he can’t take executive action to secure the border because courts might rule against him (which didn’t stop him when he unilaterally canceled student loan debt — or when he opened the border via executive order) pic.twitter.com/JD704qaJfU

— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) April 10, 2024

Hundreds of thousands of migrants cross every month at the southern border and states bordering Mexico are struggling to address the crisis without federal-level action.

Indicative of how big the southern border issues is to Americans – and specifically Republicans – the House passed impeachment articles against Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and they are going to the Senate on Wednesday, where the Biden official will likely be acquitted.

The Biden administration has implemented programs that allow other ways for migrants to gain access into the country without documentation or legal status other than through just the southern border.

For example, the Cuba, Haiti, Niicaragua and Venezuela (CHNV) parole program allows for 30,000 asylum-seekers each month from these four countries to apply to be flown into U.S. airports and released into the country without legal status for a two-year grace period.

Widespread criticism ensued for the program after it was revealed that more than 320,000 undocumented migrants were flown into the U.S. from January 2023 through February 2024. An analysis from the Center for Immigration Studies found that the vast majority of these foreigners were flown into Miami, Florida.

While Biden says he will lean in on the plan to restrict migration at the border, he acknowledges that there is ‘no guarantee’ that he has the power to take this unilateral action at the border without congressional legislation first hitting his desk.

The order could come by the end of the month, according to Axios.

Despite internal debate over politics and legality of the move, Biden wanted to take a dramatic step after he was briefed on rising voter anger over the crisis at the southern border.

Some close to the president told Axios they are worried shutting down the border in any way would create optics of a Trump-like move.

Trump tore into the president’s impending move on immigration, claiming it’s too little, too late and that Biden is lying about implementing any policies that would quell the southern border crisis.

‘For 3 years, Crooked Joe Biden has flooded our Country with tens of millions of Illegal Aliens, while insisting he could do nothing to stop it,’ Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social on Wednesday.

‘Do NOT be fooled by any phony Biden Executive Order,’ the former president added. ‘Crooked Joe opposes Deportations, and he wants to turn his Illegal Migrants into Voting Citizens. He is giving them Free Welfare, Healthcare, and Housing, and he’s letting them crash our Hospitals, our Education System, and Social Security and Medicare, while our Communities are under siege from Migrant Crime.’

‘Crooked Joe Biden’s Illegal Invasion is a crime against the United States of America.’

Trump concluded in his social media rant that he would ‘deport Crooked Joe’s Illegals and SHUT THE BORDER DOWN!’

Biden is eyeing using authority granted in Section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which provides presidents leeway in blocking entry of certain immigrants if it would be ‘detrimental’ to national interests.

Former President Trump repeatedly leaned on that section of the law to shut-out certain immigrants crossing illegally and seeking asylum at the southern border.

Presidents using section 212(f) to restrict migration does not require congressional approval.

Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen has notified the state and national Democratic parties that the scheduled date of the Democratic National Convention is a few days after the deadline for the party to put its nominees for president and vice president on the ballot for the general election in November.

The Republican National Convention came after the same deadline in 2020, but the Legislature passed a bill to allow ballot access. President Joe Biden’s campaign released a statement Tuesday night in response to Allen’s letter, saying the deadline would not keep the president off the ballot.

“Joe Biden will be on the ballot in all 50 states,” the campaign said. “State officials have the ability to grant provisional ballot access certification prior to the conclusion of presidential nominating conventions. In 2020 alone, states like Alabama, Illinois, Montana, and Washington all allowed provisional certification for Democratic and Republican nominees.”

Allen, who is a Republican, said state law requires parties to provide a certification of nomination for president and vice president no later than Aug. 15.

“It has recently come to my attention that the Democratic National Convention is currently scheduled to convene on August 19, 2024, which is after the State of Alabama’s statutory deadline for political parties to provide a certificate of nomination for President and Vice President,” Allen wrote in a letter to Randy Kelley, Chair of the Alabama Democratic Party. “If this Office has not received a valid certificate of nomination from the Democratic Party following its convention by the statutory deadline, I will be unable to certify the names of the Democratic Party’s candidates for President and Vice President for ballot preparation for the 2024 general election.”

Allen’s office also sent a copy of the letter to Jaime R. Harrison, Chair of the Democratic National Committee.

The 82-day deadline has been in Alabama’s election law since 1975, according to the Allen’s office.

The Democrats are expected to nominate Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for a rematch with the presumed Republican nominee, Donald Trump.

Four years ago, when Republicans held their convention Aug. 24-27, the Legislature passed a bill to make a one-time change in the deadlines and accommodate the GOP.

Alabama code section 17-14-31(b) says parties must certify their candidates “no later than the 82nd day preceding the day fixed for the election.” With this year’s election on Nov. 5, that makes Aug. 15 the 82nd preceding day, Allen said in the letter.

Allen said the secretary of state’s office has published the certification deadline on its website since June 2023.

Allen said, “If those certificates are not in my office on time, there will be no certification and no appearance on the Alabama general election ballot in accordance with sections 17-13-22 and 17-14-31(a) of the Code of Alabama. With this letter, we are providing ample notification to the leadership of the Democratic Party at the state and national level that the burden of providing those certifications by the statutorily set deadline is a requirement that they must meet.”

The Republican Party is scheduled to hold its national convention July 15-18, well ahead of the Alabama deadline.

The consumer price index accelerated at a faster-than-expected pace in March, pushing inflation higher and likely dashing hopes that the Federal Reserve will be able to cut interest rates anytime soon.

The CPI, a broad measure of goods and services costs across the economy, rose 0.4% for the month, putting the 12-month inflation rate at 3.5%, or 0.3 percentage point higher than in February, the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Wednesday. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones had been looking for a 0.3% gain and a 3.4% year-over-year level.

Excluding volatile food and energy components, core CPI also accelerated 0.4% on a monthly basis while rising 3.8% from a year ago, compared with respective estimates for 0.3% and 3.7%.

Stock market futures slumped after the report while Treasury yields spiked higher.

Shelter and energy costs drove the increase on the all-items index.

Energy rose 1.1% after climbing 2.3% in February, while shelter costs, which make up about one-third of the weighting in the CPI, were higher by 0.4% on the month and up 5.7% from a year ago. Expectations for shelter-related costs to decelerate through the year have been central to the Fed’s thesis that inflation will cool enough to allow for interest rate cuts.

Food prices increased just 0.1% on the month and were up 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. There were some big gains within the food category, however.

The measure for meat, fish, poultry and eggs climbed 0.9%, pushed by a 4.6% jump in egg prices. Butter fell 5% and cereal and bakery products declined by 0.9%. Food away from home increased 0.3%.

Elsewhere, used vehicle prices fell 1.1% and medical care services prices rose 0.6%.

The report comes with markets on edge and Fed officials expressing caution about the near-term direction for monetary policy. Central bank policymakers have repeatedly called for patience on cutting rates, saying they have not seen enough evidence that inflation is on a solid path back to their 2% annual goal. The March report likely confirmed worries that inflation is stickier than expected.

Markets had expected the Fed to start cutting interest rates in June with three reductions in total expected this year, but that shifted dramatically following the release. Traders in the fed funds futures market pushed expectations for the first cut out to September, according to CME Group calculations.

“There’s not much you can point to that this is going to result in a shift away from the hawkish bent” from Fed officials, said Liz Ann Sonders, chief investment strategist at Charles Schwab. “June to me is definitely off the table.”

The Fed also expects services inflation to ease through the year, but that has shown to be stubborn as well. Excluding energy, the services index increased 0.5% in March and was at a 5.4% annual rate, inconsistent with the Fed’s target.

″This marks the third consecutive strong reading and means that the stalled disinflationary narrative can no longer be called a blip,” said Seema Shah, chief global strategist at Principal Asset Management. “In fact, even if inflation were to cool next month to a more comfortable reading, there is likely sufficient caution within the Fed now to mean that a July cut may also be a stretch, by which point the US election will begin to intrude with Fed decision making.”

Later Wednesday, the Fed will release minutes from its March meeting, providing more insight into where officials stand on monetary policy.

Multiple Fed officials in recent days have expressed skepticism about lowering rates. Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic told CNBC that he expects just one cut this year, likely not coming until the fourth quarter. Governor Michelle Bowman said an increase may even be necessary if the data does not cooperate.

Rand Paul:

How vast was the Great COVID Cover-up? Well, my investigation has recently discovered government officials from 15 federal agencies knew in 2018 that the Wuhan Institute of Virology was trying to create a coronavirus like COVID-19.

These officials knew that the Chinese lab was proposing to create a COVID 19-like virus and not one of these officials revealed this scheme to the public. In fact, 15 agencies with knowledge of this project have continuously refused to release any information concerning this alarming and dangerous research.

Government officials representing at least 15 federal agencies were briefed on a project proposed by Peter Daszak’s EcoHealth Alliance and the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

This project, the DEFUSE project, proposed to insert a furin cleavage site into a coronavirus to create a novel chimeric virus that would have been shockingly similar to the COVID-19 virus.

For years, I have been fighting to obtain records from dozens of federal agencies relating to the origins of COVID-19 and the DEFUSE project. Under duress, the administration finally released documents that show that the DEFUSE project was pitched to at least 15 agencies in January 2018.

What does this mean?

It means that at least 15 federal agencies knew from the beginning of the pandemic that EcoHealth Alliance and the Wuhan Institute of Virology were seeking federal funding in 2018 to create a virus genetically very similar if not identical to COVID-19.

Disturbingly, not one of these 15 agencies spoke up to warn us that the Wuhan Institute of Virology had been pitching this research. Not one of these agencies warned anyone that this Chinese lab had already put together plans to create such a virus.

Peter Daszak concealed this proposal. University of North Carolina scientist Ralph Baric, a named collaborator on the DEFUSE project, failed to reveal that the Wuhan Institute of Virology had already proposed to create a virus similar to COVID-19.

And now we know that 15 agencies heard the proposal and when each agency discovered that COVID-19 was strangely similar to DEFUSE’s proposed virus creation, not one agency head stepped forward to warn the public that the virus might be man-made and therefore already adapted to transmit freely among humans.

Not surprising to some of us, Dr. Anthony Fauci’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) was not only briefed on Wuhan’s desire to create this virus, NIAID was actually listed as a participant in the initial DEFUSE pitch. Fauci’s Rocky Mountain Lab was named as a partner alongside the Wuhan Institute of Virology in the proposal.

These documents also reveal that a scientist whose lab has received millions of dollars from EcoHealth was also part of the original plan to create these chimeric coronaviruses. This researcher, Ian Lipkin, also later became one of the authors of “Proximal Origins,” a journal paper commissioned by Fauci and National Institutes of Health head Francis Collins to throw shade on anyone arguing that the virus might have come from the lab. Yet, Ian Lipkin never revealed to the public the DEFUSE proposal.

Did NIAID warn us? Did Anthony Fauci warn us? No! All lips remained sealed.

Millions of people died from COVID-19. We now know that over 15 government agencies, as well as the investigators Peter Daszak, Ralph Baric, Ian Lipkin and scientists at NIAID’s Rocky Mountain Lab, all knew of the Wuhan Institute of Virology’s desire to create a coronavirus with a furin cleavage site, a virus pre-adapted for human transmission.

And no one spoke up. We only know of this DEFUSE proposal because a whistleblower, one brave Marine, Lt. Col. Joseph Murphy, came forward with the truth.

Likely, hundreds of people in the government knew of this proposal to create a COVID-19-like virus and virtually every one of these people chose to keep quiet, to obscure, and ultimately to conceal information that might have saved lives by letting the world know this was no sleepy animal virus with poor transmission.

No, all evidence suggests COVID-19 was a laboratory-enhanced virus purposefully adapted for human transmission.

Shame on all those who covered up the DEFUSE project! Of course, they all should be punished but likely won’t. At the very least, though, the perpetrators should be made to admit the truth and Congress should finally put in place sufficient oversight to make sure dangerous gain of function experiments are sufficiently vetted and, if necessary, prevented.