Elise Stefanik reveals why Trump withdrew her ambassador nomination

Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., explained her “team player” decision to bow out of contention for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, shoring up that razor-thin majority in the House of Representatives.

“I have been proud to be a team player. The president knows that. He and I had multiple conversations today, and we are committed to delivering results on behalf of the American people. And as always, I’m committed to delivering results on behalf of my constituents,” Stefanik said on “Hannity” Thursday.

President Donald Trump on Thursday announced that he asked Stefanik to bow out of contention to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Stefanik added the decision came to a “culmination” after considering a “combination” of factors since the New York lawmaker’s initial nomination following President Donald Trump’s reelection.

TRUMP ASKS STEFANIK TO WITHDRAW FROM UN AMBASSADOR CONTENTION OVER RAZOR-THIN HOUSE MAJORITY

Trump detailed his decision to withdraw Stefanik’s nomination Thursday, writing on Truth Social, “As we advance our America First Agenda, it is essential that we maintain EVERY Republican Seat in Congress. We must be unified to accomplish our Mission, and Elise Stefanik has been a vital part of our efforts from the very beginning.”

“I have asked Elise, as one of my biggest Allies, to remain in Congress to help me deliver Historic Tax Cuts, GREAT Jobs, Record Economic Growth, a Secure Border, Energy Dominance, Peace Through Strength, and much more, so we can MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN. With a very tight Majority, I don’t want to take a chance on anyone else running for Elise’s seat. The people love Elise and, with her, we have nothing to worry about come Election Day. There are others that can do a good job at the United Nations,” he continued. 

Stefanik said she looks forward to “sharing my voice as I always have being one of the top fighters and top allies on behalf of President Trump and behalf of the American people, and on behalf of my district.”

Stefanik had been under pressure to take herself out of contention for the role despite appearing poised to sail through Senate confirmation with bipartisan support, CBS News first reported. 

THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO STEFANIK’S WITHDRAWAL AS UN AMBASSADOR NOMINEE

Sources told the outlet that House Republicans’ razor-thin majority is a major factor in the current considerations, but Fox News Digital was also told that internal politics in Stefanik’s home district are at play as well.

“The reality is…Democrats, as we see in New York State, it is totally corrupt,” Stefanik claimed. “Kathy Hochul started threatening to move the ball on the election date. You see a highly, highly politicized radical left trying to do everything they can to defeat the president. And this is about stepping up as a team. And I am doing that as a leader to ensure that we can take hold of this mandate and deliver these historic results.”

New York state’s primary structure and the lack of GOP cohesion over choosing a candidate to run in Stefanik’s place have led to concerns about a future special election there, two sources familiar with Empire State politics said.

Meanwhile, Republicans have also been concerned that New York Gov. Kathy Hochul could seek to slow-walk the election, leaving Stefanik’s seat open for as long as possible if she ascended to the Trump administration.

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Trump said in his announcement on Thursday that Stefanik would rejoin the House GOP leadership team, after she declined to run for another term as House GOP Conference chair to join the administration.

“Elise will stay in Congress, rejoin the House Leadership Team, and continue to fight for our amazing American People. Speaker Johnson is thrilled! I look forward to the day when Elise is able to join my Administration in the future,” he wrote.

Although Stefanik did not address specifics as to what a role in the House Leadership Team would look like, she said she will “continue speaking out. The good news is because I am not pending confirmation, the American people will be hearing a lot more from me.”

AG Bondi shares disturbing detail about accused MS-13 gang leader caught in Virginia

Attorney General Pam Bondi said the alleged top MS-13 gang member who was arrested early Thursday morning in Virginia had likely been in the United States for over a decade. 

Bondi made the revelation in an interview on “The Ingraham Angle” after 24-year-old Henrry Josue Villatoro Santos, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador, was taken into custody by federal agents.

“We believe he was recruited in middle school — in middle school!” the former Florida attorney general said.

“He’s been living here illegally with friends and family, and the Biden administration did absolutely nothing to deport these people. You know, as the president says, we didn’t need new laws, we needed a new president to fix this.”

Santos was taken into custody on an outstanding warrant and was charged with illegal gun possession upon a search of his home, the Associated Press reported.

Bondi told Fox News host Laura Ingraham that a task force consisting of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Marshals and others, worked hand-in-hand with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, sharing data to catch Santos.

“He was one of the top leaders, and he was living half an hour from where we’re sitting right now, living among us,” she said. “We took one of the worst of the worst off the streets today. Americans are safer because of Donald Trump.”

WHAT IS MS-13, THE VIOLENT GANG TRUMP VOWED TO TARGET?

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin praised state and local agencies during a press conference alongside FBI Director Kash Patel for working to “eradicate the drug and terrorist networks that exist.”

MS-13, or Mara Salvatrucha, was designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the State Department in February, along with Tren de Aragua and the Sinaloa Cartel. 

Santos’ arrest comes as part of the Trump administration’s efforts to crack down on illegal immigration and send criminal migrants back to their country of origin. 

The White House is embroiled in a legal battle after a federal judge temporarily halted flights of alleged Venezuelan gang member terrorists to El Salvador. 

DOJ INSISTS EL SALVADOR DEPORTATION FLIGHTS DID NOT VIOLATE COURT ORDER

Bondi said the Justice Department will try to deport Santos, who she says is one of the top three leaders of MS-13, to the Terrorism Confinement Center, a mega prison in El Salvador.

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“Let’s send him home. That’s where he belongs,” she told Ingraham. “You know, he belongs back in that El Salvador prison, and that’s where he should go, but we’re going to — you’re going to see a lot more charges on him.” 

Trump deportation flight judge gives order in leaked Signal messages case

U.S. District Judge James Boasberg on Thursday ordered all parties involved in the Trump administration’s leaked Signal chat to preserve disclosed messages, giving him additional time to evaluate the administration’s handling of the infamous group chat. 

A lawsuit filed by the left-leaning government transparency group American Oversight asks whether senior Cabinet officials violated federal recordkeeping laws by using Signal to discuss plans for a military strike on the Houthis in Yemen. 

The chat became infamous after it was revealed that top U.S. officials had inadvertently included Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Golberg for several days of their discussions.

Boasberg said during a 25-minute hearing that the federal government must “preserve all Signal communications between March 11 and March 15,” roughly the window of the communications about the military action in Yemen.

TRUMP REVEALS WHO WAS BEHIND SIGNAL TEXT CHAIN LINK

Boasberg, already under fire from the Trump administration for issuing a restraining order that temporarily blocked the president’s use of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelan nationals, emphasized at the start of Thursday’s hearing he was randomly assigned to the case through a docket computer system, not by choice.

His remarks came hours after President Donald Trump accused Boasberg on social media of “grabbing the ‘Trump Cases’ all to himself,” a claim Boasberg quickly sought to refute by detailing the court’s random assignment process, including the electronic card system used to distribute cases among judges.

“That’s how it works, and that’s how all cases continue to be assigned in this court,” he said. 

JUDGE TELLS GOVERNMENT WATCHDOGS FIRED BY TRUMP THERE’S NOT MUCH SHE CAN DO FOR THEM

Boasberg has sparred with the Trump administration over its failure to comply with the court’s requests for information on its deportation flights earlier this month, which sent around 261 migrants, including Venezuelan nationals and alleged members of the gang Tren de Aragua, from the U.S. to El Salvador. 

The flights appeared to have departed from Texas around the time Boasberg issued an emergency restraining order and were not returned to the U.S. despite a bench ruling explicitly ordering their immediate return.

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The Justice Department this week invoked the state secrets privilege in the ongoing court battle, a national security tool that could allow the Trump administration to withhold certain information from the courts for national security purposes.

Most recently, the Trump administration vowed to immediately appeal to the Supreme Court a ruling from the D.C. appellate court, which voted 2-1 to uphold Boasberg’s ruling and allow, for now, the block on Trump’s deportation flights to continue.

’60s teen idol diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, family announces

Bobby Sherman, famous as a teen idol singer and actor in the 1960s, has been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer.

Sherman’s wife, Brigitte Poublon, confirmed the news to Fox News Digital.

In a statement shared on Facebook, she addressed his “cherished fans,” writing, “As many of you know, Bobby has been retired for some time and is no longer able to participate in cameos, sign autographs, or make appearances.

BOBBY RYDELL, ’60S TEEN IDOL AND ‘BYE BYE BIRDIE’ STAR, DEAD AT 79

“It is with a heavy heart that we share Bobby has recently been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. During this challenging time, we kindly ask for your understanding and respect for our privacy.”

Poublon concluded the statement, “Thank you so much for still remembering him. We really appreciate it.”

Sherman began his career in Hollywood with appearances on episodes of “Honey West” and “The Monkees” before landing his breakout role in the 1968 Western series “Here Come the Brides.”

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He also began a music career during that time with hit singles like “Little Woman,” “Easy Come, Easy Go,” “La La La” and “Julie, Do Ya Love Me.”

Throughout his career, he also appeared on shows like “Fantasy Island,” “The Love Boat,” and “Frasier,” his last credited appearance in 1997.

After an appearance on the TV show “Emergency!” in 1974, Sherman decided to change career paths and eventually leave entertainment to be a technical reserve police officer with the Los Angeles Police Department.

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According to the Los Angeles Police Reserve Foundation’s Facebook page, Sherman was also an EMT and, in 1999, was named LAPD Reserve Officer of the Year.

Sherman was previously married to Patti Carnel, with whom he shares two sons. He married Poublon in 2010.

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Together, the couple began the Brigitte and Bobby Sherman Children’s Foundation, which provides children in Ghana with education and meals.

Foreign troops join desperate search for US soldiers who vanished on training exercise

The Polish military has established a group to assist the Lithuanian Army and U.S. Army in a recovery operation for four U.S. Army soldiers who disappeared early Tuesday during a training exercise near Pabradė, Lithuania.

The soldiers, based in Fort Stewart in Georgia, were riding in an M88 Hercules armored recovery vehicle on a scheduled maintenance mission to recover another U.S. Army vehicle in the training area when they disappeared, U.S. Army Europe and Africa public affairs in Wiesbaden, Germany, confirmed.

Hundreds of U.S. and Lithuanian soldiers and law enforcement, Lithuanian military helicopters and dive teams aided in the initial ground-based search through the thick forests and swampy terrain.

However, the soldiers have yet to be located, and the M88 Hercules was found submerged in a body of water inside the training area, located over a highly pressurized gas pipeline near Pabradė, a town north of the capital Vilnius.

BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS MISSING AND MURDERED UNIT INVESTIGATING ALLEGED MILITARY BASE KILLING

In an interview with Fox News Digital Thursday afternoon, Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovilė Šakalienė said from the moment the country learned of the incident, it had “given everything” it has, both from its armed forces and internal affairs ministry institutions, to find the soldiers.

“From helicopters with thermal vision to forces on the ground, we are continuing very intensely,” Šakalienė said.

U.S. Army Europe and Africa public affairs noted water, thick mud and soft ground around the site “have complicated recovery efforts,” requiring specialized equipment to drain water from the side and stabilize the ground. 

Polish officials announced Thursday they were sending a group of troops with engineering equipment to assist.

As of Thursday afternoon, officials said land dredging equipment was on the way, and a dam was being reinforced to isolate the mud pumping area. 

The pressurized gas has been removed, and it is now safe to work at the site, according to Šakalienė.

The internal water waste agency will send out a water master dredger and more than 900 feet of bulk pipe on Friday morning, and they should reach the the location by midday. 

It will take several hours to install the pipeline and the dredgers. Then, they will begin making water influx with the excavator.

“The dredger pump usually pumps 80% of water, while working with 20% of mud or sludge, and the goal is to start working with the pump until the evening, so that, finally, on Saturday morning, a diver and the hydrographic team can use a multi-beam echo founder to assess the position of the vehicle, because we don’t know yet if it has overturned or what position it is in,” Šakalienė said.

A diver will attach cables, and workers will use pulleys to tow the vehicle to shore.

“Then we will be able to check if the missing soldiers are inside,” she said. 

Šakalienė said it is unknown if the soldiers could have escaped the vehicle before it sank but reiterated there was “no evidence” confirming the deaths of the missing soldiers as of Thursday afternoon.

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

The area surrounding the site is a forested area with swamps and bogs, similar to an environment found in Alaska. Weather conditions are also similar, making it a challenging training area for Army personnel.

“Maybe they were lost, confused, hurt or in hypothermic condition, and we haven’t found them yet,” Šakalienė said. “But we are not losing hope until the very last moment. These are strong soldiers, strong, grown men. All scenarios are possible.”

She added Lithuania, a member of NATO, considers American soldiers their own and will not leave them behind.

“We are working with them. We are friends with them, and all of our society is heartbroken watching every single moment of this rescue operation,” Šakalienė said. “I have a 24-year-old son. It’s difficult for me even to imagine what they are going through. … Let me assure you, we will do everything in our power to find them and to find the answers as soon as possible.”

SEARCH ‘ONGOING’ FOR 4 AMERICAN SOLDIERS MISSING FROM TRAINING AREA IN LITHUANIA: NATO

Deputy Prime Minister of Poland Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz confirmed on X a task force of several dozen Polish soldiers with heavy equipment and frogmen were “urgently” heading to Lithuania to help.

“We are responding to a request from our allies #StrongerTogether,” Kosiniak-Kamysz wrote in the post.

The country, also a member of NATO, has reportedly feared talks between Russia and Ukraine could end in a settlement that would allow Russian President Vladimir Putin to threaten the region.

Lithuanian officials said they are in touch with U.S. Ambassador Kara C. McDonald and U.S. Army personnel.

“We are leveraging every available U.S. and Lithuanian asset to coordinate and provide the required resources for this effort,” U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Curtis Taylor, the commanding general of 1st Armored Division, wrote in a statement.

The rescue mission has now turned into “search and recovery efforts,” according to a statement from U.S. Army Europe and Africa.

“We are incredibly appreciative of the dedicated and professional efforts of our Lithuanian allies in ensuring the safety of U.S. personnel,” Taylor added. “They have worked tirelessly alongside us over the last 48 hours, and we continue to be grateful for their support.” 

The U.S. Army’s 3rd Infantry Division is keeping the soliders’ families updated on the search.

“This tragic situation weighs heavily on all of us, and we’re keeping the families, friends and teammates of our soldiers and recovery team in our thoughts and prayers,” Taylor wrote. “We want everyone to know we will not stop until our soldiers are found.”

President Donald Trump told reporters Wednesday he had not been briefed about the missing soldiers.

The training site is less than 6 miles from Belarus, a Russian ally since its independence from the Soviet Union in 1990.

Lithuania, a Catholic country, will be organizing a joint prayer Sunday at its main church, the capital cathedral, and will host a mass for the missing soldiers.

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The White House and Fort Stewart did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

National anthem performance on MLB’s Opening Day unleashes fury: ‘Disgraceful’

New York Yankees fans appeared to have a tough day at the ballpark, and it started before first pitch and continued into the ninth inning when the team tried to close out a win over the Milwaukee Brewers during Thursday’s opening day game.

Betsy Wolfe, a Broadway actress and singer, was tapped to sing “The Star-Spangled Banner” before the game began. 

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But Wolfe’s rendition appeared to raise eyebrows for the wrong reasons as fans were quick to point out that the California native was reading the lyrics off of her phone.

The “Juliet” star faced backlash on social media for having her phone out, with at least one fan imploring the Yankees on X to “do better.” But others were impressed with her voice in general.

ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISTS TO PROTEST DODGERS’ HOME OPENER OVER PARTNERSHIP WITH EMBATTLED OIL COMPANY

Yankees fans’ hearts were racing early when catcher Austin Wells hit a solo home run to get on the board. He became the first catcher in MLB history to hit a lead-off home run on opening day.

Still, New York had a tough time closing the door on the Brewers.

New Yankees closer Devin Williams allowed a Joey Ortiz single and an Isaac Collins double to start the top of the ninth inning. He then allowed one run to score but was able to strike out Jackson Chourio and Christian Yelich to end the game.

New York won, 4-2.

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The two teams play again on Saturday at 1:05 p.m. ET.

Trans student allegedly assaults conservative activist with bike lock in vicious video

A conservative student at a Texas university was allegedly assaulted by a trans student wielding a bike lock as a weapon, disturbing video shows.

Turning Point USA chapter President Paige Neumann took a video of the incident at the University of Texas, Dallas, Monday. The footage shows the suspect, identified by authorities as 20-year-old Liam Thanh Tam Nguyen, grabbing his bike before swinging a bike lock at the camerawoman. 

Nguyen, who also identifies by the name Alyssa, was arrested and booked into Collin County Jail the same day.

The alleged assailant was charged with two felony counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, according to the Dallas Observer, plus one count of attempting to take a weapon from an officer and one count of assault of a peace officer.

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Turning Point USA posted video of the incident on X, writing that the attacker “struck Paige in the head with a metal bike lock, hitting her with enough force to shatter her phone.”

Another student named Grace had her phone destroyed in the incident, according to the student organization.

“Paige has filed a police report with the university, and authorities are taking the matter seriously as they search for the suspect,” Turning Point USA said.

During an appearance on “The Ingraham Angle” Tuesday, Neumann opened up about the experience, confirming she had sustained a head injury from the incident.

“It did hit the back of my head,” Neumann said. “That is exactly what happened. It hit me almost on my neck.

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“If he would have aimed a little bit lower, I could have been paralyzed. I think he wanted to kill me.”

The conservative also said she did nothing to provoke the incident, maintaining she said “zero words to him at all” before the alleged attack transpired.

“I [was] just talking with my officers as I do every week,” Neumann said. “I said zero words to him, and he started attacking me. He swung the bike lock. It hit our table, our phones were destroyed and my head was severely injured.”

Neumann’s head still hurts from the incident, she said, and she plans to see a doctor about the injury soon.

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“It does hurt. … I’m going to get X-rays done tomorrow to make sure that I’m OK, but it definitely hurts,” she said.

Thousands of pounds of coffee recalled across the United States: What you need to know

Thousands of packages of ground coffee sold in 15 states are being recalled due to a mislabeling error, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The recall, which affects 692 cases of Our Family Foods ground coffee bags, was initiated on March 13. The FDA classified the incident as a Class II recall on Monday.

In total, 4,152 12-ounce packages of Our Family Traverse City Cherry Decaffeinated Ground Coffee are included in the recall. 

According to the FDA bulletin, the coffee may not have been decaffeinated at all, posing a risk to consumers seeking to avoid caffeine.

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“A portion of the production…was mislabeled as decaffeinate[d],” the notice read. 

The recall only impacts products labeled “BEST BEFORE 080325 V 15:37 C,” according to the FDA page. The bags also had a UPC code of 0 70253 11080 1.

Class II recalls involve products that “may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote.”

The ground coffee was sold in Colorado, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota and North Carolina, in addition to North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

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According to its website, Our Family Foods is a “truly purpose-driven brand, committed to quality, to connecting with our shoppers and to our local communities.”

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“Our commitment to quality has remained the same, generation after generation,” the company said. “We take great pride in that legacy. Now the next generation of quality and value has arrived, ready to carry on the Our Family tradition of excellence.”

FOX Business reached out to Our Family Foods for additional comment but did not immediately hear back.

106-year-old traveler wants security to stop flagging her age: ‘Not some stupid old lady’

A Houston-area woman is calling out the Department of Homeland Security and airline CEOs over an issue she said she faces while going through airport security.

Cretora Biggerstaff, 106, reportedly flies twice a year from Texas to Gainesville, Florida, with her daughter.

Biggerstaff claims airport personnel repeatedly ask her to prove her age, she said in an interview with FOX 26 Houston.

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“People will say to me, ‘How do you feel?’ I say, ‘How should I feel? I feel OK. I don’t feel 106,'” she said. 

Biggerstaff said she is often asked to show her Texas ID to airport officials and her ID does have the star stamped on it, which indicates it meets security standards.

“If I could get the airlines to realize I’m not some stupid old lady, and that’s what they think I am — that I don’t know if I’m coming or going,” said Biggerstaff.

She said she thinks the computer system doesn’t recognize ages over 100.

Biggerstaff’s friend, Arline Thienel, said she agrees.

“I’d like to see the computers aligned up to 120 or whatever,” Thienel told FOX 26. 

“People live longer, so they don’t have to go through all that stress every time they travel,” she added.

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Biggerstaff and Thienel said they emailed letters to the U.S. Department of Transportation as well as United Airlines and Delta Air Lines CEOs, asking them to update the systems.

Fox News Digital reached out to United and Delta for comment.

Flight passengers ages 18 and older must show valid identification at the airport checkpoint in order to travel, according to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

For passengers ages 75 and older, there are a few exceptions during the TSA screening process.

“You may leave on your shoes; however, removal of light jackets is required for Advanced Imaging Technology screening,” according to TSA.

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If seniors are unable to stand for screening, they will be screened through other security methods.

Fox News Digital reached out to TSA for comment.