‘Defund the police’ mecca overrun with violence, ‘failed leadership’
A string of shootings in Minneapolis last week left six victims dead and five others injured in just 24 hours, highlighting “the results” of “years of anti-police rhetoric and failed leadership,” 2022 Minnesota attorney general Republican nominee Jim Schultz told Fox News Digital.
Minneapolis authorities on Thursday announced the arrest of James Ortley, an alleged 34-year-old gang member, in connection with an April 29 mass shooting that left four dead and two injured.
The April 29 incident was the first of six shootings in 24 hours that left a total of six people dead and five others injured, police said, adding that investigators are determining if some of the shootings are connected.
“Minneapolis, sadly, is experiencing the tragic consequences of years of anti-police rhetoric and failed leadership from the Minneapolis State Council and the lunatic county prosecutor of Hennepin County in which Minneapolis sits,” said Schultz, a father of four and president of the Minnesota Private Business Council. “When city officials demonize law enforcement and slash police budgets and refuse to prosecute the criminals, the results are bought on the streets.”
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Particularly, after George Floyd’s murder by police in 2020, Minneapolis became “ground zero” for the “defund the police” movement, Schultz noted, adding that public sentiment toward police and officer retention hasn’t been the same since.
“Years later, police staffing is still down,” he said. “We still have half the police officers that we need. Morale is shattered and criminals feel emboldened because, originating out of that defund-the-police movement … the county prosecutor in Minneapolis, Mary Moriarty, is one of the [George] Soros-funded, hard-left prosecutors who has embraced every policy imaginable to undermine public safety.”
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Schultz said Moriarty is “aggressively pursuing law enforcement” and “electing to … dismiss cases that give lenient plea deals to individuals who had committed serious violent crime, and otherwise embracing a variety of very woke policies, like taking race into account in sentencing guidelines and otherwise.”
The suspect in Tuesday’s mass shooting, for example, has a lengthy criminal history.
Hennepin County records show Ortley was allegedly involved in a crime spree that resulted in a Minneapolis resident being shot through his bedroom window in February, but the district attorney ultimately denied charges for the 34-year-old, as the Star Tribune first reported.
LEFT-WING DA FORCING PROSECUTORS TO CONSIDER ‘RACIAL IDENTITY’ IN PLEA DEALS
In approximately the last 15 years, he has also faced charges ranging from DWIs to first-degree aggravated robbery, fleeing a police officer, illegal possession of a firearm and second-degree assault. These charges stem from two violent incidents in which he allegedly shot at a 16-year-old girl while stealing her phone in 2009 and stabbed a man at a bar in 2021.
A witness described Ortley’s weapon used in the attack as a “3-inch-long pocket knife.” The witness further said she saw the victim run away from the defendant, lose his shoe and turn around, at which point Ortley grabbed the victim and “began stabbing him in the back,” according to Hennepin County records.
In the 2021 bar stabbing, Ortley’s latest charge, he was sentenced to serve 39 months in prison and five years of probation, but the court issued a stay of execution, which temporarily stops the sentencing order.
The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office (HCAO) did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Schultz said Minneapolis has seen a recent “improvement in the number of homicides in this city, in particular.”
“This, of course, is a huge step back … and a reminder that Minneapolis is still operating with a fraction of the police officers it needs,” Schultz said of the mass shooting. “It’s still operating in an environment in which many in city leadership are hostile to law enforcement and that crime problems in the city still persist, even if they are not at their peaks in the way that they were in 2020, ‘21, ’23, ’24.”
The former attorney general nominee said Hennepin County should “set aside these far-left bizarre policies that say that holding [criminals] accountable is somehow unfair because of the circumstances in which they found their lives.”
“We need to ensure that violent criminals are put in prison, for a just amount of time for the victims and for the public safety,” he said.
The Justice Department on Sunday announced an investigation into whether the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office “engaged in a pattern of practice of depriving persons of rights, privileges or immunities secured or protect by the Constitution or laws of the United States” through Moriarty’s new directive for its prosecutors to consider race when negotiating plea deals with criminal defendants.
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In a letter dated May 2, DOJ officials cited Moriarty’s recently adopted “Negotiations Policy for Cases Involving Adult Defendants,” which instructs prosecutors to consider race when formulating plea offers, stating that “racial identity … should be part of the overall analysis” and that prosecutors “should be identifying and addressing racial disparities at decision points, as appropriate.”
“In particular, the investigation will focus on whether HCAO engages in illegal consideration of race in its prosecutorial decision-making,” Justice Department officials said in the letter, which Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Rights Division Harmeet Dhillon shared on X.
Jill Biden lands new job following four years as first lady
Jill Biden landed a new job following her four years in the White House: leading a California-based think tank’s initiative aimed at improving women’s health.
“From endometriosis to healthy aging, the White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research made important investments in research and development, while making clear it will take collaboration across industries to bring these innovations to scale,” Biden said, according to a Milken Institute press release published April 29. “I am honored to join the Milken Institute as we unite leaders around a shared mission: for women everywhere to benefit from the lifesaving, world-changing research we know is possible.”
The Milken Institute describes itself as a nonpartisan economic think tank based out of Santa Monica that focuses on “financial, physical, mental, and environmental health” to “bring together the best ideas and resourcing to develop blueprints for tackling some of our most critical global issues.” Biden will serve as the chair of the think tank’s new Women’s Health Network.
Biden, who is a teacher and holds a doctorate in education, focused as first lady on the Biden Cancer Moonshot plan to end cancer, the Joining Forces initiative to support veteran families and caregivers, and launching the White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research.
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Biden joined the Milken Institute’s 28th annual Global Conference in Beverly Hills, California, Monday. Other notable guests who addressed the conference included Trump administration Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Trump administration Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz, the Los Angeles Daily News reported.
Biden’s new role serving as chair of the Milken Institute’s initiative will focus on “galvanizing participation, collaboration, and shared action in the Women’s Health Network to improve women’s health and wellbeing,” according to the think tank’s press release announcing the former first lady’s new role.
Former President Joe Biden signed a presidential memorandum in 2023 that launched the White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research. Jill Biden led the White House initiative, which worked to beef up funding for and research into women’s health.
The Biden White House argued at the time that “TOO MANY medical studies have focused on men and left women out” and that too many of “the medicine dosages, treatments, medical school text books, are based on men and their bodies – and that information doesn’t always apply to women.”
Jill Biden said during Milken’s conference Monday that her husband had been eager to “infuse” the “federal government with money” when they launched the White House women’s health initiative in 2023.
“So one of the things we did was we got to work right away,” Jill Biden said during the Milken Institute conference Monday. “Joe said, ‘You know, let’s infuse – really, the federal government with money.’ In one year, we put in $1 billion to advance women’s research.”
“And we worked a lot through the (National Institutes of Health) and the way that they did research, and we made sure that they disaggregated the data and that they separated the research on women and men differently, and we worked with (the Department of Defense) DOD – they put a lot of money into women’s research – and then we put a lot of money in to de-risk the investment. So there were a lot of things that, really, private equity wasn’t willing to take on because it was too risky, and we thought, let’s push this forward, and let’s try to find answers more quickly.”
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Fox News Digital reached out to the Milken Institute Tuesday for additional comment on the former first lady’s new role, but did not immediately receive a reply.
Jill Biden worked as a professor at Northern Virginia Community College from 2009 to December 2024, when she announced she wrapped up her final semester as her husband prepared for his Oval Office exit.
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Jill Biden’s new role comes as political books recapping the Biden administration hit bookshelves nationwide, with several reporting that concerns over the president’s mental acuity and age had gripped the administration across its four years.
The book “2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America,” for example, is set to be released in July and authored by three reporters from the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and Washington Post, and reportedly details how Biden’s team chose not to have the president take a cognitive test in February 2024 due to concerns that taking the test itself would raise more questions about his age.
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Another book, Chris Whipple’s “Uncharted: How Trump Beat Biden, Harris, and the Odds in the Wildest Campaign in History,” reported that White House staffers allegedly kept Biden from socializing with others, including close allies and friends, out of fear the 46th president “might say the wrong thing or might feed the mental acuity narrative.”
Latest legal move deepens standoff between judiciary and White House
BALTIMORE – A federal judge on Tuesday refused to change her order requiring the Trump administration to bring back a 20-year-old Venezuelan asylum seeker deported to El Salvador, citing due process protections.
At a hearing Tuesday in Baltimore, U.S. District Judge Stephanie Gallagher, a Trump appointee, rejected the government’s request to amend her earlier ruling which ordered the government to return Daniel Lozano-Camargo, a 20-year-old Venezuelan, to U.S. soil.
But she also agreed to pause the ruling for 48 hours – enough time for the government to ask the 4th Circuit to take up the case.
If the court declines, Gallagher said she will amend her ruling to set a formal timeline for the government to return the 20-year-old migrant to the U.S.
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This decision “strikes the right balance between giving the government the ability” to appeal to the higher court as they see fit – and also allows plaintiffs to seek due process in U.S. courts, Gallagher said.
Lozano-Camargo, previously referred to in court documents as “Cristian,” was deported to El Salvador in March under the Trump administration’s early wave of Alien Enemies Act deportations.
Gallagher ruled in April that the government violated a 2024 settlement between DHS and a group of young asylum seekers, including Lozano-Camargo. Under that deal, DHS agreed not to deport the migrants – all of whom entered the U.S. as unaccompanied children – until their cases were fully heard in court.
Last month, Gallagher said Lozano-Camargo’s deportation was a “breach of contract,” since his asylum case had not yet been heard, and ordered the U.S. government to facilitate his release.
Gallagher reiterated her previous decision on Tuesday. She also emphasized it has nothing to do with the strength of his asylum request, in a nod to two apparent low-level drug offenses and a conviction as recently as January. Rather, she said, it is about allowing him the process under the law, and under the settlement struck with DHS.
That settlement agreement “requires him to be here and have his hearing,” she said.
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Gallagher noted that his removal without adjudication in a U.S. court “pre-judges the outcome,” with no ability for his attorneys to challenge the case in court.
The Trump administration told the court that it had determined that Lozano-Camargo was eligible for removal under the Alien Enemies Act, citing his earlier arrest and conviction for cocaine possession in Houston this year.
On Monday, lawyers for the administration told the court that his designation as an “alien enemy pursuant to the AEA results in him ceasing to be a member” of the class that had negotiated a settlement.
At the status hearing Tuesday, Gallagher made clear her decision was based solely on due process protections.
The government is “measuring utility using the wrong yardstick” in this case, she said, adding that it is not a case of whether Lozano-Camargo will eventually receive asylum – it’s a question of process.
Process, she said, is important for various reasons – noting that even when outcomes in certain criminal cases or trials seem obvious, individuals are still entitled to a trial under U.S. law.
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“We don’t skip to the end and say, ‘We all know how this is going to end so we’ll just skip that part,'” she said.
The administration’s appeal to the 4th Circuit, should it choose to file it, is due by Thursday afternoon.
Who could become the next pope? Here are the likely frontrunners
While there is no official candidate for the next pope, there are several front runners who are considered “papabile” and likely to be at the top of the ballot tallies.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, 70, an Italian who served as the Vatican’s secretary of state under
Pope Francis and is the highest-ranking diplomat in the Holy See – which is the governing body of the Catholic Church.
He is deemed a “moderate” among Catholics.
WHO COULD BE THE NEXT POPE?
Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, 67, is from the Philippines and has been dubbed the “
Asian Pope Francis” for his more accepting position on the LGBTQ community than some of his colleagues. He is viewed as a “liberal” in the College of Cardinals.
Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, 65, is from the Democratic Republic of Congo and is considered a serious front-runner for the papacy. He is viewed as far more conservative than Pope Francis and in 2024 signed a statement on behalf of the bishops conferences of Africa and Madagascar in refusal to accept Francis’ declaration that allowed priests to bless same-sex couples, reported the Associated Press.
The papal conclave will take place in the Sistine Chapel which will be transformed into a highly secure and secluded environment to ensure the election process is not compromised.
Only cardinal electors and a few authorized personnel are allowed inside the chapel during the conclave. The chapel will be physically sealed off from everyone else with its windows covered and a raised floor installed to protect the historic marble inlay and to conceal any potential surveillance devices.
WHO COULD BE THE NEXT POPE?
Prior to the conclave, the chapel is thoroughly inspected for hidden surveillance devices to prevent any leaks of confidential proceedings. Wi-Fi will also be blocked throughout Vatican City for the duration of the conclave.
In addition, all cardinal electors take a solemn oath to maintain the secrecy of the proceedings and violating this oath can result in excommunication.
Smoke from the chapel’s chimney is the only way to signal the outcome of the voting.
During the conclave, cardinals reside in the Domus Sanctae Marthae, a Vatican guesthouse, which will also be secured.
Viewership of the movie “Conclave,” which depicts the choosing of a new pope, has spiked in the days since Pope Francis died. But how much of the Academy Award winner is accurate to the real event about to take place?
The Rev. Bryan Pham, a Jesuit priest and associate director for Catholic Studies at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington, told Fox News Digital
he believes the movie was accurate according to the “timeline and sequence of events of how to handle the death of a pope, the relaying of information, the gathering of the cardinals, and general procedures of getting the new pope elected.”
Pham, who was a graduate student in Rome during the last conclave that elected Pope Francis in 2013, also said the “side conversations among the cardinals as they try to identify the challenges and the needs of the church when considering the qualities of the next pope” rang true.
This is an excerpt from an article written by Fox News’ Brie Stimson.
Another conservative cardinal thought to be a serious contender is Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu from the war-torn nation of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Membership of the Catholic Church in Africa is growing faster than anywhere else in the world, according to the Associated Press.
The 65-year-old Ambongo controversially rejected Pope Francis’ blessing of same-sex couples by the Catholic Church. In a letter signed by other African priests, they said they refused to follow the pontiff’s declaration because such unions are “contrary to the will of God.”
This is an excerpt from an article written by Fox News’ Caitlin McFall
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s secretary of state, is the highest-ranking diplomat in the Holy See – which is the governing body of the Catholic Church – and is believed to be among the cardinals most likely to be elected to the top position.
His favor among cardinals in the Sacred College, who will vote on the next pope, is due to his politically moderate position and his career in diplomacy, reported The New York Post.
Parolin, who spent part of his career in Mexico and Nicaragua, was appointed by Pope Francis in 2014 and would likely be seen as an extension of the current papacy.
This is an excerpt from an article written by Fox News’ Caitlin McFall
Bishop Robert Barron, renowned author, speaker, and theologian, discussed papal front-runners with EWTN on May 6.
Among the most discussed contenders to be the next pope is Pietro Parolin, the Cardinal Secretary of State of the Vatican.
“I think he’d be a steady hand. He’s the ultimate Vatican insider,” said Barron, who serves as bishop of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester in Minnesota.
While he lauded Parolin’s years of experience as a diplomat and his broad network inside the Vatican, Barron said that one reservation he had about his candidacy was Parolin’s actions towards China, saying that he has made too many concessions to the Chinese Communist Party.
Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of the Philippines, who has earned the nickname “the Asian Pope Francis,” is also seen as highly papabile.
“He’s a very charming man,” said Barron, saying that he knows him well.
“He would have the charisma is great supply. But a very emotional man, too,” Barron said, noting that Tagle would sometimes weep after delivering an impassioned speech.
Barron said that Tagle would likely be a more left-leaning pope, and his papacy would likely be a continuation of Francis’.
With several cardinals from Africa being floated as top contenders and Catholicism surging in several nations in the continent, Barron said this might be the “African moment.”
Among the most cited cardinals from Africa is Cardinal Robert Sarah of Guinea. Barron said that, while Sarah is on the older side, he is someone that he admires greatly.”
He’s a very spiritually alert man, a great writer, and someone that understands the essential elements of the Church’s life,” said Barron.
Regardless of who the conclave decide on, Barron said, “What comes first when it comes to the pope is the declaration of Jesus risen from the dead.”
Fox News’ Christian Mysliwiec contributed to this report.
Voting during the conclave is by secret ballot. According to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the cardinals participating in the election take an oath of absolute secrecy before locking themselves into the Sistine Chapel, where the voting occurs.
Voting begins the very first day of the conclave and continues as many as four times every day after, twice in the morning and twice in the evening, until one cardinal receives the necessary two-thirds majority to be elected.
Before each vote, cardinals are handed ballots on which the Latin words “Eligio in Summum Pontificem” (“I elected as the Supreme Pontiff”) are written. The cardinals write their vote on the ballot and then process to Michelangelo’s fresco of the Last Judgement, say a prayer and deposit their twice-folded ballot into a large chalice, according to an explanation by the Archdiocese of Boston.
After each round of voting, three cardinals count the votes and read the names aloud. If a two-thirds majority has not been reached, the votes are burned in a mixture of chemicals, producing black smoke, signaling a new pope has not yet been chosen.
Voting continues until a pope is finally chosen, at which point – if the candidate accepts – the votes are burned in a mixture of chemicals to produce white smoke, signaling to those assembled in St. Peter’s Square and those watching across the world that the Church has a new pope.
The chimney that will let the world know when cardinals have chosen a successor to Pope Francis was installed in early May 2025 on the
roof of the Sistine Chapel.
Firefighters were seen putting up the fixture ahead of the conclave set to begin next Wednesday.
During a conclave, cardinals vote through a secret ballot. A two-thirds majority is required for the election. After each round of submissions, ballots are read aloud and then burned. The ashes are used to notify audiences around the world and onlookers in St. Peter’s Square of the election’s status.
Black smoke from the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican indicates a new round of voting is set to happen. White smoke signals a new leader of the Roman Catholic Church is selected.
This is an excerpt of an article written by Fox News’ Greg Norman.
The upcoming papal conclave has experts engaged in fervent discussion about the Catholic church’s sacred voting process will unfold
While some Vatican watchers suggest we could see a longer than usual conclave, others have signaled they think it will be short, like it has been during the last handful of times.
“Maximum three days,” predicted Salvadoran Cardinal Gregorio Rosa Chavez. However, Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki of Cologne, Germany, said he expects the conclave “won’t go as quickly as the last conclave.”
The the diversity of this year’s conclave has also commanded attention, as well as the fact that many cardinals are unfamiliar with each other, which could lead to a lengthier vote than during recent conclaves of the past.
The vast majority of the 133 cardinal-electors will be participating in a conclave for the first time, according to Reuters, which noted around 80% of the participants were appointed by Pope Francis. Meanwhile, per the Religion News Service, this conclave’s College of Cardinals
is the most geographically diverse in centuries.
“I wouldn’t panic if we don’t have a pope by the end of day two, but if there still isn’t any white smoke by the end of the third day, then we start to get worried,” said Rev. Thomas Reese, a Jesuit priest and Vatican commentator.
Biden’s mouthpiece lands liberal megaphone gig after brushing off mental decline
Former Biden administration press secretary Jen Psaki’s more prominent presence on MSNBC comes as the media industry reckons with failing to cover former President Joe Biden’s declining health until it was too late.
Psaki took over MSNBC’s coveted 9 p.m. ET on Tuesday through Fridays this week as “The Rachel Maddow Show” returned to only airing on Mondays, after Maddow returned to airing five nights a week during President Donald Trump’s first 100 days in office.
Psaki, who hosted “Inside” on Sundays and Mondays, will now host “The Briefing” at a critical hour that shows faith by network honchos in her straight-talking appeal to liberal viewers.
Yet Psaki largely dismissed concerns about Biden’s advanced age and cognitive abilities during her MSNBC appearances before his frail debate showing last June that led to him exiting the 2024 presidential race.
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At last month’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner, Axios reporter Alex Thompson acknowledged that the press fell short in covering the story of Biden’s decline.
“Being truth tellers also means telling the truth about ourselves. We, myself included, missed a lot of this story… Biden’s decline and its cover-up by the people around him is a reminder that every White House, regardless of party, is capable of deception,” Thompson said, speaking before a room of journalists from major news outlets.
Psaki served as Biden’s first press secretary from 2021 until May 202, and her defense of the White House made her popular with MSNBC progressives before she landed at the network. However, Psaki has repeatedly insisted she didn’t see any warning signs about Biden behind the scenes.
“I never saw that person —not a single time, and I was in the Oval Office every day, that was on that debate stage,” Psaki said last week on the “Mixed Signals” podcast.
“I’m not a doctor,” she added. “Aging happens quite quickly.”
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Psaki had previously suggested she was “worried” about Biden “as a person” during the infamous debate that put a spotlight on the issue.
“My first reaction was not, ‘Oh my gosh, Trump is going to win the election.’ That was not my reaction. I care about him as a human being. And my first reaction was, I do care about him a lot, was like, ‘Is he OK?’” Psaki said at the Texas Tribune Festival.
“And I don’t say that because I was feeling like I was going to go on Twitter and be alarmist, but I care for him as a person,” she continued. “I was worried about him as a person.”
Prior to the debate, concerns about Biden’s age and mental acuity were often shot down by White House officials and members of the press – and Psaki falls into both categories.
In 2023, Psaki brushed off concerns about Biden’s age and said he was better than the alternative.
“Joe Biden isn’t perfect. No candidate is, by the way. But we have to understand what the alternative is here. If elected to a second term, Donald Trump would prosecute anyone he deems an enemy, unleash troops on protesters, and essentially unravel the rule of law as we know it, and this time, he plans to align his administration with people who will actually do it. But sure, Joe Biden is three years older and occasionally trips on things,” she told MSNBC viewers.
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Psaki fumed in 2024 when Special Counsel Hur’s report on Biden’s handling of classified documents indicated he was “a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.”
She scolded the Hur report, saying Biden can’t be painted as someone with cognitive issues on some occasions but also as a “smooth operator” when conservatives tie him to “mysterious, unproven corruption.”
Psaki asked MSNBC viewers, “How exactly is ‘Sleepy Joe’ overseeing a massive criminal scheme? How is that possible?”
Psaki also blasted the press for spending so much time on Hur’s assessment and reminded viewers that Trump wasn’t particularly young himself.
“Trump’s gaffing is not even close to what the biggest risks of electing him are, and if we continue to focus on questions like who is the bigger gaffe machine, or what is the mental acuity difference between a 77-year-old and an 81-year-old, then we are all doing something very wrong. That is not what this election is about,” Psaki said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
Psaki had a similar approach in 2022 when she defended Biden’s age, insisting anyone who didn’t think he should seek reelection should consider Trump’s seniority as well.
“Just throwing out there. For everyone who is arguing the reason @POTUS shouldn’t run again is because of his age…you know Donald Trump is 76 right?” Psaki posted on X.
Psaki also defended Biden’s cognitive abilities from the White House briefing room during her time as press secretary.
“I can tell you, having traveled with him a fair amount, sometimes he’s hard to keep up with,” Psaki said in 2021.
Psaki has since maintained that people shouldn’t use the term “cover-up” to describe how the White House responded to questions about the president’s age prior to the debate debacle, or describe how the media handled the story.
“‘Cover-up’ is a very loaded term,” Psaki said on the “Mixed Signals” podcast, adding that people typically use that expression when talking about a crime.
“People use that term as related to Watergate. Or the covering up of not sharing public information about a war,” she continued. “I think it’s a bit of a dangerous term.”
The MSNBC host was also hesitant to criticize the media when asked if the press should’ve been more aggressive in covering the president’s health, which turned out to be one of the biggest political stories of the century. Biden’s historic exit, the ascension of Kamala Harris to the Democratic nomination, and her subsequent loss to Trump changed history.
“Maybe the media missed a lot,” Psaki said, while arguing that it was easier to be critical of press coverage in retrospect. “There were major stories and moments missed.”
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She made sure to cover her bases, claiming Biden’s cognition wasn’t noticeably in decline from 2019-2022.
“While we know there were problematic things behind-the-scenes now in 2023 and 2024, there was an aggressive all-out pitching operation from the right-wing and from the Republicans about Joe Biden’s age and how he was in decline… the majority of which wasn’t true, in 2019-2022,” Psaki said.
Psaki wrapped up her tenure as press secretary and joined MSNBC in May 2022, which won out for her services over CNN.
As she geared up for the expanded role, Psaki recently said MSNBC viewers expect the network’s primetime hosts to “talk about the opposition” without being particularly friendly to Trump.
“We’re going to talk about what the opposing party is up to, in terms of Democrats, and we’re going to talk about future leaders and things. And, we’re also going to talk about Trump, and it’s typically not going to be positive,” Psaki said on “The Grill Room” podcast with Dylan Byers.
MSNBC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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Canada’s new Prime Minister Mark Carney is not your average political leader. He didn’t rise through the ranks of parliament or build his political clout through years of constituency work. He is an unelected central banker turned international power broker with deep ties to the World Economic Forum, the Great Reset movement and the ESG (Environmental, social and governance) agenda.
Some might say that his lack of political experience is a problem for Carney, but I disagree. While many of his country’s leaders were playing politics, Carney was working to transform the world through influential organizations and financial institutions. He was one of the Great Reset’s masterminds, and now, he’s more powerful than ever.
Carney’s sudden political ascent in Canada has the potential to ripple far beyond his own borders. In fact, it may be a warning shot aimed directly at President Donald Trump and the rising populist movement in America.
CANADA ELECTIONS: PRIME MINISTER CARNEY’S LIBERAL PARTY TO LEAD FOURTH CONSECUTIVE GOVERNMENT
Before entering politics, Carney served as the governor of both the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England, making him the first person to ever head the central banks of two G7 nations. During his tenure at the Bank of England, Carney became a global cheerleader for climate finance, openly pushing for financial institutions to embrace ESG standards and integrate climate risk into their decision-making.
Carney was instrumental in founding the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ), a coalition of major banks, asset managers and insurers committed to aligning trillions of dollars with the United Nations’ climate targets.
GFANZ quickly became one of the most powerful vehicles for advancing the ESG agenda through private finance. Carney’s idea was the leverage the massive influence of global finance to destroy the fossil-fuel industry and impose ESG social credit scores throughout western economies, including the United States. In the process, Carney believed he could transform the world.
But Carney’s ambitions extend even further. He served on the Board of Trustees of the World Economic Forum, the group behind the controversial Great Reset initiative, which proposes reimagining capitalism and reshaping global economies around equity, sustainability and stakeholder governance.
Carney has echoed these themes for years, calling for a shift away from shareholder capitalism and toward a new economic model in which governments and corporations work hand-in-glove to manage society and the economy — a modern kind of soft fascism.
Perhaps most disturbing of all for Americans, Carney has openly called for the replacement of the U.S. dollar as the world’s reserve currency. While serving as governor of the Bank of England, he proposed a new global digital currency — what he termed a “Synthetic Hegemonic Currency” — to reduce the dollar’s dominance.
If Carney’s vision for global finance were to become a reality, the U.S. economy could enter a massive recession. The dollar’s status as the world’s reserve currency means the dollar is used globally for trade and finance. If the dollar were to lose that status, not only would faith in the U.S. economy collapse, much of the $2.25 trillion circulating overseas would likely flood back into America, causing another inflation crisis.
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In today’s political climate, where China and other authoritarian regimes are increasingly working to undermine U.S. financial leadership, Carney’s proposal reads like a gift to America’s greatest adversaries. And now, as prime minister of one of our closest allies, a country that has an outsized influence in global economic policy, Carney is in a position to put his vision into action.
Carney has also voiced support for central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), a form of government-controlled digital money that many fear could be used to track and control citizens’ financial behavior.
But Carney’s ambitions extend even further. He has served on the Board of Trustees of the World Economic Forum, the group behind the controversial Great Reset initiative, which proposes reimagining capitalism and reshaping global economies around equity, sustainability and stakeholder governance.
Imagine a future where your ability to purchase goods or services depends in part on your compliance with government-approved narratives, and in this disturbing future, the government would be able to know about and stop any economic transaction. That’s not a dystopian novel — it’s the long-term goal of many progressives calling for a Great Reset, and Carney is among the movement’s most influential champions.
Make no mistake: Carney might not have any power in America, but his rise to authority in that country matters. His victory in Canada should alarm every American who values liberty, sovereignty and economic freedom. If Carney has his way, Canada will serve as a prototype for the kind of top-down, centrally planned society that the World Economic Forum envisions for the entire Western world.
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And with Donald Trump now serving his second non-consecutive term as president of the United States, it’s no coincidence that Carney has taken power in Canada. The globalist class is preparing for a renewed confrontation with the populist surge that threatens their influence.
Mark Carney isn’t just Canada’s new prime minister — he’s the Great Reset’s man in Ottawa, and he has his sights set on more than just the Canadian economy.
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Passengers flood social media with horror stories and what to avoid at all costs
Flight passengers departing and connecting through Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) in New Jersey are sharing concerns about travel delays amid recent airport mishaps — as experts share alternative ideas and bus companies report increases in ridership.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a ground delay for EWR due to staffing shortages, weather and construction issues as a recent report found that air traffic controllers briefly lost radar and radio signals last week.
Brandon Blewett, the Texas-based author of “How to Avoid Strangers on Airplanes,” told Fox News Digital he has found EWR to be less reliable in recent days, but would still use the airport.
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“If it was New Jersey, I’d likely still fly into Newark but choose the earliest flights, which typically face fewer delays,” said Blewett.
“I’d avoid any connections through EWR right now … for better reliability,” he said.
For travelers to and from New York City, Blewett suggested looking at other airports.
“I’d consider alternatives to EWR like LGA and JFK until the runway reopens and ATC staffing stabilizes,” said Blewett. “It may be more of a headache in traffic, but it seems you’re less likely to be stranded for the time being.”
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Gary Leff, a Texas-based travel industry expert and author of the blog “View From the Wing,” told Fox News Digital that passengers should avoid New York airports for connecting flights.
“If you’re connecting, it’s often a good idea to avoid New York airports. If you originate in New York, it really depends on where in the city you’re based,” he said.
“While Newark is facing significant problems right now, I’m not sure I’d bounce over to JFK if I lived on Staten Island,” he added. “Weigh the evils.”
Some passengers have taken to social media to discuss the disruptions at EWR. One Reddit post entitled, “Newark airport unsafe???” in the “r/newjersey” forum garnered over 1,000 reactions and hundreds of comments.
The user asked, “Should I do the unthinkable and switch my EWR flight this weekend to JFK? how nervous should we be about this?”
“I just flew into Newark this morning from New Mexico. I survived,” commented one person.
Another user shared, “Just flew into EWR … Flight delayed 1 hr, checked in bags on a different flight (2.5 hrs later) because of plane weight issues, and had to be pulled by a tug because the plane overshot the jet bridge by 1.5 ft.”
Said another person, “I flew into Newark yesterday and the delays were annoying.”
Some bus ticket sales are up more than 80% year over year.
A Redditor commented, “I flew out of EWR last week and back yesterday. All the delays we had both times were infuriating. Never had that experience before. And the times just kept changing. I almost changed my flight yesterday to LaGuardia or Trenton.”
“The issue is [that] air traffic controllers are in demand and they’re very understaffed,” said one user. “EWR obviously has a lot of traffic, so I kind of get it.”
‘Bus travel a vital alternative’
A spokesperson for Flix North America, the parent company of FlixBus and Greyhound, told Fox News Digital the company has seen an increase in riders.
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“We can confirm Flix North America has seen a 35% increase in originating passengers at our Newark location across both Greyhound and FlixBus within a span of just three days,” said the spokesperson.
“Ticket sales at this location are also up more than 80% year over year.”
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The spokesperson added, “We are closely monitoring the situation and are well-prepared to welcome passengers impacted by flight cancellations and delays.”
The spokesperson also said, “In times like these, bus travel serves as a vital alternative, offering travelers an affordable, accessible and dependable way to reach their destinations.”
James Comey’s daughter is key to Diddy prosecution after Epstein accomplice takedown
Sean “Diddy” Combs faces 15 years to life in prison if found guilty of sex crimes charges during an estimated eight-week trial, which kicked off Monday, May 5.
The female-driven team for the U.S. Attorney’s Office includes eight lawyers, according to the docket. The five women designated as leads include Emily Anne Johnson, Madison Reddick Smyser, Mary Christine Slavik, Meredith Foster and Mitzi Steiner.
Maurene Ryan Comey, the daughter of former FBI Director James Comey, is also listed for the prosecution, in addition to Matthew Raffi Shahabian and Olga Zverovich. Maurene’s father was fired by President Donald Trump during his first term in the White House after the handling of the Hillary Clinton email probe.
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In December, Maurene joined the prosecution team three months after Diddy was charged with racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and transportation to engage in prostitution.
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No stranger to high-profile trials, Maurene previously served as a lead prosecutor in the criminal case against Ghislaine Maxwell.
Maxwell was found guilty on five counts after a monthlong trial and sentenced in 2022 to 20 years in prison for her role in a scheme to sexually exploit and abuse minor girls with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
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“Today’s sentence holds Ghislaine Maxwell accountable for perpetrating heinous crimes against children,” U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement at the time. “This sentence sends a strong message that no one is above the law and it is never too late for justice. We again express our gratitude to Epstein and Maxwell’s victims for their courage in coming forward, in testifying at trial, and in sharing their stories as part of today’s sentencing.”
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Maxwell’s attempt to appeal her sex trafficking conviction in 2024 was rejected by a federal appeals court, and in April, her legal team filed an appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court.
Prior to Maxwell’s conviction, Maurene was one of the lead prosecutors working on the case against Epstein before he died by suicide while awaiting trial in August 2019.
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She graduated from Harvard Law School in 2013 and joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2015.
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How many Americans are actually prepared for REAL ID to take effect?
With REAL ID’s deadline approaching Wednesday, there are still swaths of the country where travelers could run into trouble trying to hit the skies for summer break.
Although at least 12 states are more than 90% REAL ID-compliant, many still have significant portions of their populations who will need a passport to fly.
The states in the proverbial green include Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wyoming as well as Washington, D.C.
Texas reported 98% compliance, Mississippi 97%, Hawaii and Utah 96%, according to a CBS survey.
New Jersey has recently made headlines for its low REAL ID compliance, but it tops the nation in passport ownership, with 69% of residents holding one, according to data from the Center for American Progress and Swift Passport Services.
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Delaware, California, New York, Massachusetts and Alaska also ranked high.
Though geographically diverse, all the states – except Delaware – serve as major international travel hubs, home to airports like Ted Stevens, Logan, and JFK. The First State, however, is only a short distance from Philadelphia International Airport.
By contrast, the states with the lowest proportion of passport holders tend to be ones without major airports: West Virginia, Mississippi, Kentucky and Alabama.
What effect that may have on REAL ID-era travel remains unclear.
Those states do, however, have regional Amtrak stops like Harpers Ferry, Jackson, Ashland and Birmingham, respectively. REAL ID is not required for intrastate or interstate rail travel.
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A REAL ID is an identification that includes a star emblazoned in the upper corner to denote the holder has provided additional identifying documentation like a Social Security card to a government agent. It will be required for air travel and to enter most government or military installations.
The law requiring REAL ID was passed in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, but has been delayed several times by multiple presidential administrations.
Last week, Wingate University political science professor Dr. Magdalena Krajewska – an expert on national ID cards – told the school’s news outlet she was surprised the delays have taken so long.
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“I feel like all of us who were alive during that time, all of us who witnessed this as it was happening, thought the U.S. would do everything to prevent something similar from happening again,” she said.
Krajewska added it is important that people also know they don’t need a REAL ID to enter less-secure government locations like a post office.