CEO ‘blindsided’ by rock band’s anti-Israel remarks at Coachella: report

A concert promoter involved in organizing the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California, was reportedly “blindsided” by anti-Israel rhetoric espoused by a rock band that performed at the event.

Irish hip-hop group Kneecap made calls to “free Palestine” and “F–k Israel” during their set on Friday at the Sonora tent. They also made references to genocide and condemned the U.S. military for its support of Israel, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

“Kneecap followed up its Coachella set on social media with numerous video posts about their ‘uncensored messaging’ and a request for young Americans to send the clips to President Trump, whom they called a derogatory term that starts with a c,” the Hollywood Reporter explained further.

Kneecap claimed last week that they were censored after pushing anti-Margaret Thatcher chants and other anti-Israel sentiments during their first show, which was reportedly cut off before their set ended.

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The band doubled down during their most recent performance at their weekend two show that offended the Jewish community. Sonora, a venue that typically platforms punk artists, reportedly did not livestream their second performance when organizers expected the band to double down on anti-Israel sentiments.

Formed in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in 2017, the band is notably a politically charged group that typically calls for Ireland to sever ties with British rule. However, Goldenvoice, the company that promoted Coachella, was shocked by Kneecap’s behavior after Jewish groups reached out to the company to address the anti-Israel remarks.

The Hollywood Reporter cites insiders as saying that the CEO of Goldenvoice, Paul Tollett, was “blindsided.”

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The report also cites music manager Scooter Braun defending Tollett after the backlash against Kneecap’s performance.

“Paul is a good man and has been an outspoken advocate on behalf of survivors of the Nova Music Festival,” Braun wrote on his Instagram on Sunday. 

Braun explained further that Tollett had attended a Los Angeles memorial exhibit that he created to honor the hundreds who lost their lives in the October 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas terrorists. 

“He not only attended the exhibit but stayed for five hours and then sat with survivors,” Braun said.

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Coachella is no stranger to politically charged performances.

Green Day lead singer Billy Joe Armstrong  took aim at President Donald Trump and his administration after changing the lyrics in their hit song, “American Idiot.”

Furthermore, Sen. Bernie Sanders made an appearance, taking the stage to blast the Trump administration.

Dem leader’s 2006 comments about Trump come back to haunt him on social media

With President Donald Trump’s former reality TV show “The Apprentice,” streaming on Amazon Prime as of last month, politically astute viewers across the political spectrum have zeroed in on an episode from when Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., now one of the president’s biggest political detractors, praised his fellow New Yorker as a business prodigy.

During Season 5, Episode 8, of “The Apprentice” in 2006, contestants were given a challenge — as was typical during each episode — and the winners of said challenge got the chance to fly to the nation’s capital and have breakfast with Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. During the breakfast, Schumer sought to draw parallels between his family and Trump’s, while also showering praise on the president, telling the contestants he always knew Trump, even as a young person, “was going to go places.”

“I was born in Brooklyn, the same place where Donald Trump’s family comes from,” Schumer reminisced with the contestants during breakfast at the famous Hay-Adams hotel in Washington, D.C. “His father, and my grandfather, were builders together in Brooklyn.”

“Wow!?” one contestant could be heard replying. “Really?” asked another.

“Yeah!,” Schumer responded to the room. 

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The show then cut to Schumer lauding Trump as a business prodigy.

“Even when [Trump] was much younger, you knew that he was going to go places,” Schumer said, before a voice-over from one of the contestants present at the breakfast reiterated that “Sen. Schumer and Mr. Trump are good friends.”

Despite Schumer’s apparent friendly sentiment towards the president in 2006, as evidenced by his appearance on “The Apprentice,” the Democratic New York senator told Politico in 2016, ahead of Trump’s first term, that, “[Trump] was not my friend.” Rather, Schumer described his relationship with Trump as a “casual acquaintance.”

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“Donald Trump is a lawless, angry man,” Schumer said of the president during an interview last month. “The fact that The Apprentice President Donald ‘You’re Fired’ Trump is refusing to hold people accountable just shows how weak he is,” Schumer added in a post on social media earlier this month.

Considering Schumer’s vehement animosity towards Trump today, Michigan State GOP Sen. Aric Nesbitt, the Michigan Senate’s minority leader, remarked “How things change…” in a post that highlighted the resurfaced clip of Schumer’s scene on “The Apprentice.”  

But it’s not just Republicans having fun at Schumer’s expense. 

“As Schumer sells out our Constitution and democracy, you just gotta watch this clip of him sucking up to Trump on an episode of the Apprentice,” remarked former Democratic Rhode Island legislator Aaron Regunberg. “What a world class slug of a man.”

Shortly before taking office during his first term, Trump was asked by MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski about whether he will be able to get along with Democratic leaders in Congress, such as Schumer. Trump struck a positive chord, saying at the time that he thought he would “be able to get along well with Chuck Schumer.”

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“I was always very good with Schumer. I was close to Schumer in many ways,” Trump said at the time.

As time has progressed, however, Trump’s rhetoric towards Schumer has become increasingly critical of the senator, as the pair of political heavyweights continue to fight over whatever political issue is dominating Washington each week. 

Recently, Trump took a jab at Schumer’s alleged lack of support for the Jewish community amid the rise in antisemitism, particularly on college campuses, in the wake of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attacks against innocent Israelis. Schumer is Jewish. 

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“Schumer is a Palestinian, as far as I’m concerned,” Trump told reporters from the Oval Office last month. “He’s become a Palestinian. He used to be Jewish. He’s not Jewish anymore.” 

Trump’s comments from earlier this month also mirror a similar sentiment he relayed about Schumer during his most recent campaign for the presidency, referring to him as a “proud member of Hamas.”

In addition to Schumer, other high-profile public figures have praised the now-president, only to become his political enemy years later. In a 1988 interview with Oprah Winfrey, the celebrity talk show host appeared to be amazed at Americans’ “fascination” with Donald Trump and even described him as a “folk hero” for being so popular. 

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Meanwhile, celebrity music producer who co-founded Def Jam Records, Russell Simmons, similarly had nice things to say about Trump before he entered politics, calling him “very nice” and remarking how supportive Trump has been to his family, according to media reports. Nonetheless, following the tragic politically motivated violence in Charlottesville during Trump’s first term, Simmons reportedly criticized his “friend” for leading the legacy of a “great divider,” and a “destroyer of the environment and … everything we as Americans have fought so hard to call ours.”     

Fox News Digital reached out to Schumer’s office for comment but did not receive a reply in time for publication.

Proposals to keep trans athletes out of girls sports in blue state fail

Two proposals that would have restricted transgender athletes from participating in girls and women’s sports in the state of Washington failed in a Monday vote.

The amendments needed 60% of the vote to pass — the proposal limiting girls sports participation to biological females got 31 of 53 votes (58.5%), and the other that would have created an open division for students aside from boys and girls competitions — garnered just 24.5% (13 out of 53).

Washington state law currently protects transgender individuals from discrimination under the Washington Law Against Discrimination (WLAD). So, even if the acts had passed, there was still another clear hurdle in the way.

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The Lynden school board proposed the idea of only those born female participating in girls sports. That proposal, the Cascadia Daily says, also would have made the boys division an “open” category.

“It is clear to our girl athletes that competing against other athletes who have gone through male puberty is unfair,” Lynden superintendent David VanderYacht said, via the Cascadia Daily. “They asked us to address it, and the Lynden School Board is attempting to do so in a manner that respects and honors the dignity of all students.”

The Trump administration recently froze funding to the state of Maine due to the state not following President Donald Trump’s executive order that says transgender athletes must compete against their gender from birth. However, a federal judge ruled that the administration must “unfreeze” those funds and is not able to revert “without complying with the legally required procedure.”

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The USDA announced the funding freeze and a review of federal funding to Maine earlier this month after the state refused to provide equal opportunities to women and girls in educational programs.

Maine officials filed a lawsuit against the USDA last week following the agency’s decision to freeze funding to the state.

The state accused the USDA of “withholding funding used to feed children in schools, childcare centers, and after-school programming as well as disabled adults in congregate settings,” an argument the judge agreed with.

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, recently called for the issues between the administration and her state to be “resolved,” saying that she would continue to fight for federal funding for the state while also being against transgender athletes in biological female sports.

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The Department of Education also launched an investigation into the state due to the issue.

White House responds to report claiming Trump looking to replace key Cabinet official

Borrowers who stopped paying student loans now in for a rude awakening with policy change

The Department of Education is poised to resume collections on defaulted federal student loans in May for the first time since 2020. 

While the first Trump administration paused referring federal student loans to collections in March 2020 at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the extended lapse has prompted Trump administration officials to worry that the federal student loan portfolio is “headed toward a fiscal cliff if we don’t start repayment in collections,” according to a senior department official. 

“The result has been that the federal government student loan portfolio has continued to grow, and we’ve got a record number of borrowers that are at risk of or in delinquency and default,” the senior department official told reporters Monday. 

The official said that only 40% percent of borrowers are up to speed on their loan repayments, while the remaining 60% are behind. 

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Altogether, the official said that there are 4 million borrowers who are in the late-stage delinquency stage on payments, meaning that they are between 91 days and 180 days late on payments. 

“The Trump administration, [the] current administration, believes that American taxpayers can no longer serve as collateral for student loans,” the senior department official said. “Student loan debt must be paid back.”

Likewise, the official said the agency would roll out a communications plan to let borrowers know their status and encourage them to enroll in auto-debit to drive down the number of delinquent borrowers. 

The policy takes effect May 5, when the Education Department will partner with the Treasury Offset Program to start collecting overdue payments. 

The official also said the Department of Education is preparing to join with lawmakers on efforts to reform higher education and the student loan repayment system in place. 

“Going forward, we totally believe that Congress has a role to play in fixing the higher education system that puts students in a position where they can afford their loan payments,” the senior department official said. “So we’re looking forward to working with Congress on their efforts to streamline loan repayment as well as lowering college costs.”

Bipartisan legislation in the works includes the Employer Participation Repayment Act, which Sens. John Thune, R-S.D., and Mark Warner, D-Va., introduced in February that would make permanent a provision set to expire in 2026 authorizing employers to contribute up to $5,250 tax-free to their employees’ student loans. 

Reps. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., and Scott Peters, D-Calif., introduced the legislation in the House.

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Nearly 43 million student borrowers have federal student loan debt, which amounts to an outstanding federal student loan balance of $1.6 trillion, according to data from the Department of Education. 

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The Department of Education’s announcement comes after the Trump administration unveiled plans in March to overhaul the agency, aligning with campaign promises by the president to eliminate the federal government’s influence over education to “stop the abuse of your taxpayer dollars to indoctrinate America’s youth.”

Even so, President Donald Trump announced that functions of the department overseeing Pell Grants, student loans and others that provide services for those with special needs would continue at other agencies.

Trump reveals plans to attend Pope Francis’ funeral in Rome despite contentious past

President Trump indicated Monday – following news of Pope Francis’s death – that he and first lady Melania Trump will be attending the Pope’s funeral at the Vatican, despite the president’s somewhat contentious history with the late leader of the Catholic Church.

Traditionally, papal funerals take place four to six days following their death, so Francis’s funeral is expected to take place before the end of the month. Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni told reporters that the General Congregation of Cardinals will occur Tuesday morning, during which an exact date for the funeral should be decided.

“Melania and I will be going to the funeral of Pope Francis, in Rome,” Trump posted on his social media platform Truth Social on Monday afternoon. “We look forward to being there!”

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Trump’s announcement that he would be traveling to Rome for the ceremony followed a separate announcement he made earlier in the day indicating that he had ordered all American flags on government grounds, including military installments and embassies abroad, to fly at half-staff until sunset Monday.

Trump’s relationship with Pope Francis over the years was one marked by ideological differences and – at times – tension.

Amid Trump’s first run for office, Pope Francis criticized one of Trump’s signature campaign promises of building a wall along the southern border, calling the move “not Christian” in 2016.

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“A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian,” Francis told reporters during a mid-flight interview on his way to Mexico in 2016, according to a translation from the Associated Press.

Trump, meanwhile, shot back at the pontiff’s remarks, arguing it was “disgraceful” for the Pope, or any religious leader for that matter, to question another person’s faith. 

“If and when the Vatican is attacked by ISIS, which as everyone knows is ISIS’s ultimate trophy, I can promise you that the Pope would have only wished and prayed that Donald Trump would have been President because this would not have happened,” Trump said in a statement released by his team following the Pope’s criticism. “ISIS would have been eradicated unlike what is happening now with our all talk, no action politicians.”

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During Francis’s life he also took aim at increasing nationalistic sentiments around the world, criticism that implicitly targeted Trump’s “America First” agenda. 

Francis was also a believer in climate change posing a major problem for society, something Trump also differed with him on. In both Trump’s first and second terms, he has pulled the U.S. out of the international Paris Climate Accords, which is an international initiative aimed at mitigating global warming. 

Trump, who considers himself a Christian but is not a Catholic, only met with Francis once during his first term. By contrast, Joe Biden, who is a confirmed Catholic, met with Francis in-person on multiple occasions throughout his single-term presidency. 

Trump’s Vice President J.D. Vance, a Catholic himself, was notably one of the Pope’s last visitors, seeing him on Easter Sunday – one day before Francis passed.

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Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.  

Dick Van Dyke ignored warnings about 46-year age gap with wife

When Dick Van Dyke first laid eyes on Arlene Silver, he was instantly smitten.

It was 2006, and the much younger Silver was working as a makeup artist at the SAG Awards. But for the “Mary Poppins” star, age was just a number.

“I never said hello to a strange girl in my life. I was too scared,” the actor told People magazine on Sunday.

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“But I was at a show backstage, and she walked by, and for some reason, I just jumped up and said, ‘Hi, I’m Dick,’” the 99-year-old recalled. “There’s something about her that got me, and I was right.”

Van Dyke went on to hire Silver for other projects. Despite their 46-year age gap, they said “I do” in 2012.

“We get along so well,” said Van Dyke. “Everybody said it wouldn’t work.”

“It’s… eerie how well it works,” chimed Silver, 53. “People the same age don’t last.”

“We just care about each other so much,” she shared. “He’s made me feel like I can do anything.”

When it comes to date nights, the couple told the outlet they like to keep things simple.

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“We just love being home,” Silver explained. “We love Malibu, and it’s our favorite place, our house especially… We’re so grateful. Our house did get hit by the Franklin fire, but in the scheme of things, we got very lucky.”

Back in 2022, the actor admitted to Closer Weekly that he worried the public would object to their age gap.

“I thought there would be an outcry about a gold digger marrying an old man,” he told the outlet at the time. “But no one ever took that attitude.”

“We share an attitude,” he reflected. “She can go with the flow. She loves to sing and dance, which we do almost every day. She’s just delightful.”

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Silver said life with Van Dyke is blissful.

“He is the most perfect human being,” she said. “I’ve never met anyone so happy, so genuine, so amazing. He’s just like a happy pill.”

Van Dyke said his secret to longevity is to “keep moving.” 

“I’ve been one of those lucky people that got to do something for a living that he would have done for nothing,” he previously told the outlet. “That’s why I’m still here… They can’t get me off the stage.”

The star credited his stamina to “good genes and not getting hit by a bus.”

“I’ve always been an exerciser and still am,” the actor told the outlet. “I go to the gym three days a week, get in the pool and exercise. At my age, they say to keep moving. Put me on solid ground and I’ll start tapping.”

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Van Dyke shared he does water aerobics, lifts weights and walks on a treadmill.

Back in 2015, Van Dyke wrote a book titled “Keep Moving and Other Tips and Truths About Aging,” where he candidly shared his advice about enjoying old age.

“Keep moving is the main thing,” Van Dyke told NPR at the time. “I think I reiterate three or four times in the book, ‘Do not start going down the stairs sideways.’ It feels good on your knees, but it throws the hips out and the back starts to go out, the next thing you know, you’ve fallen down and broken your hip. So even if it hurts a little, go down the stairs front-ways.”

“It’s more in my nature to be optimistic, I think,” he continued. “I’m one of those people who gets up on the right side of the bed in the morning. I get up and have a cup of coffee and go to the gym because I talk myself out of it because I will, as anybody will.”

“Everybody should dance,” he explained. “And everybody should sing. People say, ‘Well, I can’t sing.’ Everybody can sing. That you do it badly is no reason not to sing. I have a beautiful, young wife who sings and dances, so there’s a lot of [duets] going on at my house.”

Still, Van Dyke admitted he does have regrets — but he doesn’t let the past prevent him from enjoying his life today.

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“Well, I would not have smoked or drunk anything,” said Van Dyke on what he would have done differently.

“I think that set me back. There are times that I feel like apologizing to my body for the way I treated it… I have arthritis and all those things, but I keep moving… I didn’t discover dancing and singing until I was in my 30s. It just happened out of nowhere. I regret that I didn’t train a little or take some vocal coaching or something. But I just enjoyed what I had and had fun with it. If I had to go back, I’d train.”

Van Dyke told the outlet that his wife keeps him on his toes.

“I sometimes forget that we’re doing a great experiment here — 46 years difference,” said Van Dyke. “And we work at it to some extent. There’s got to be some understanding, find out what old habits don’t work anymore. It takes some adjusting and fitting in, but that’s part of the fun of it.”

Drag queen tells critics to ‘f— all the way off’ after high court makes it clear what a woman is

The UK Supreme Court’s landmark ruling limiting the definition of a woman to biological sex stirred outrage among the stars of BBC’s “RuPaul’s Drag Race UK,” who pledged to “fight back” against the decision they say will “marginalize” the transgender community.

“The fight back starts today,” season one runner-up Divina De Campo wrote in an X post last Wednesday, adding, “We will not go back into the shadows to make you comfortable. F— all the way off.”

LGBTQ+ news outlet PinkNews reported on season two finalist Tayce’s rage expressed through Instagram with posts calling the UK Supreme Court a “POS [piece of s—]” while voicing solidarity with affected “trans brothers and sisters.” 

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“Nothing or no-one can erase YOU,” one post read in part.

The UK court of five judges gave the unanimous ruling last Wednesday, meaning, under the UK Equality Act, biological males identifying as women can be excluded from spaces reserved solely for women – including changing rooms, homeless shelters, swimming areas and medical or counseling services.

The ruling means that even a transgender person with a certificate that recognizes them as female can lawfully be excluded from such specific single-sex spaces.

However, Justice Patrick Hodge said the court’s ruling “does not remove protection from trans people,” who are “protected from discrimination on the ground of gender reassignment.”

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Trans activists like “Drag Race: UK vs. the World” winner Tia Kofi also reacted to the court’s decision, PinkNews reported, with multiple stories directly addressing the camera.

“We, now more than ever, must be allies to the trans community. It cannot just be trans people who are expected to raise their voices to fight for their own existence,” Kofi declared in one posting.

While the decision was met with resistance from transgender activists, women’s rights activists like “Harry Potter” author JK Rowling celebrated the outcome.

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“Everyone knows what sex is and you can’t change it,” said For Women Scotland co-director Susan Smith, whose organization brought the case. 

“It’s common sense, basic common sense and the fact that we have been down a rabbit hole where people have tried to deny science and to deny reality and hopefully this will now see us back to, back to reality.”

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