Kazakhstan joins historic Middle East deal as Trump signals more nations to follow

President Donald Trump said more countries are lining up to join the Abraham Accords in an effort to normalize relations with Israel. 

Kazakhstan is expected to join the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco, which had formalized relations with the Jewish state. 

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On Thursday, Trump said he spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan.

“Kazakhstan is the first Country of my Second Term to join the Abraham Accords, the first of many,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “This is a major step forward in building bridges across the World. Today, more Nations are lining up to embrace Peace and Prosperity through my Abraham Accords.”

The Abraham Accords were first signed in 2020 in an effort to broker ties between Israel and its Arab neighbors. 

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Trump signaled that more nations with Syria may be joining the Abraham Accords, with Saudi Arabia at the forefront of efforts to expand the historic Israel-Arab normalization pact.

Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa is expected to meet with Trump at the White House next week, followed by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin-Salman on Nov. 18.

In January 2021, Sudan signed a U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords declaration, but those efforts have since been derailed by internal political unrest.

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“We will soon announce a Signing Ceremony to make it official, and there are many more Countries trying to join this club of STRENGTH,” Trump wrote. “So much more to come in uniting Countries for Stability and Growth — Real progress, real results. BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS!”

Jean-Pierre issues warning to Democrats for ignoring Mamdani

Former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that Democratic Party leaders made a “big mistake” by not endorsing New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani during the primaries.

Jean-Pierre celebrated Mamdani’s election win Wednesday with radio host Dean Obeidallah, praising him for inspiring young people to vote in an off-year election despite going against “two big Goliaths” in the primary. Though she was excited about Mamdani’s victory, she added that his victory was more about connecting with voters than party backing or leadership support.

She criticized Democratic leaders for sending “the wrong message” by either hesitating or refusing to support Mamdani during the campaign.

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“I mean, he was the nominee, the Democratic nominee for the mayor’s race, and they’re basically saying, ‘no, voters are wrong. We don’t want him,'” Jean-Pierre said. “And that is a problem. You’re sending the wrong message to young people, in particular, who we need to engage in this moment.”

She continued, “And I thought it was a mistake. I think it was a big mistake that leadership didn’t get behind him. I thought it was a big mistake that they turned their backs on him because he did it the right way. And there’s something to be learned by the way he campaigned.”

Jean-Pierre added that Democrats need to learn how to “punch hard” as an opposition party and urged them not to ignore any demographic because of polling.

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“This is a big tent party, and you can’t throw people under the bus,” Jean-Pierre said. “You know, you can’t throw queer people, LGBTQ people under the bus. You can’t throw the Muslim community under the bus. You can’t throw immigrants and migrants under the bus because whatever you believe poll tests well. And that’s what I was seeing in this year. There are people who are afraid and scared. We’re supposed to be there for everybody. And so I hope this outcome looking across the board, the diversity of this party and the people sending a very loud message.”

Though she did not name specific leaders, several key Democratic figures hesitated to support Mamdani even after he became the party’s nominee.

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New York Gov. Kathy Hochul did not formally endorse Mamdani until September, almost three months after Mamdani defeated former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the primary race.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., did not endorse Mamdani until Oct. 24, less than two weeks before the election. Despite his endorsement, he has hesitated to refer to Mamdani as the “future” of the party.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., never endorsed Mamdani.

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However, Mamdani found support in progressive figures, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. and former President Barack Obama.

Trump admin compelled by court to fully fund SNAP program by Friday

A federal judge in Rhode Island on Thursday ordered the Trump administration to fully fund the nation’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food aid program by Friday, rejecting the administration’s effort to only partially fund the benefits program for some 42 million low-income Americans.

“People have gone without for too long,” U.S. District Judge Jack McConnell said in court Thursday. 

He scolded the Trump administration for failing to comply with the order he issued last week, which required the U.S. Department of Agriculture to fund the SNAP benefits programs before its funds were slated to lapse on Nov. 1, marking the first time in the program’s 60-year history that its payments were halted. 

TWO JUDGES RULE TRUMP ADMIN MUST KEEP SNAP BENEFITS IN PLACE AS SHUTDOWN DRAGS ON

The judge also said Trump officials failed to address a known funding distribution problem that could cause SNAP payments to be delayed for weeks or months in some states. He ordered the USDA to tap other contingency funds as needed.

“It’s likely that SNAP recipients are hungry as we sit here,” McConnell said Thursday. 

Trump administration officials said in a court filing this week that they would pay just 65% of the roughly $9 billion owed to fund the SNAP program for November, prompting the judge to update his order and give the administration just 24 hours to comply.

TWO JUDGES RULE TRUMP ADMIN MUST KEEP SNAP BENEFITS IN PLACE AS SHUTDOWN DRAGS ON

“The evidence shows that people will go hungry, food pantries will be overburdened, and needless suffering will occur,” McConnell said. “That’s what irreparable harm here means.”

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Pilots named after deadly Louisville plane disaster that claimed at least 12 lives

UPS on Thursday identified the flight crew killed in a fiery plane crash Tuesday at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF) in Kentucky, which claimed the lives of 12 people and left nearly a dozen others injured.

The three deceased UPS pilots on board Flight 2976 were identified as Capt. Richard Wartenberg, 1st Officer Lee Truitt, and International Relief Officer Capt. Dana Diamond, according to UPS Airlines executive vice president Nando Cesarone.

“Words can’t express the sorrow we feel over the heartbreaking Flight 2976 accident,” Cesarone wrote in a statement on X. “Our hearts go out to every UPSer who has been impacted and all in our Louisville community— supporting you and ensuring you receive the care and resources you need is our priority.”

The UPS cargo plane, which was loaded with about 38,000 gallons of fuel and bound for Hawaii, crashed into the nearby Kentucky Petroleum Recycling building after departing from SDF at about 5:15 p.m. ET Tuesday, according to Gov. Andy Beshear.

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At the time of the disaster, the oil recycling company had 29 above-ground storage tanks, containing about 226,000 gallons of used motor oil and 37,000 gallons of oil-water-antifreeze mix, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

EPA on-scene coordinators confirmed several of the large, above-ground storage tanks at Kentucky Petroleum Recycling broke open and fell over. The facility remains closed while the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigates.

Preliminary flight data indicates the aircraft’s last recorded elevation was 475 feet, and it was traveling at 183 knots at the time of the crash, according to NTSB officials. The EPA confirmed there was no hazardous material cargo onboard the aircraft.

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At least 12 people are dead, including the three crew members onboard and a young child, and 11 others on the ground were injured, Beshear said. Others are still unaccounted for.

“This continues to be an incredibly sad time for our entire UPS family, and as our CEO, Carol Tomé reminded us: ‘United, we are strong,’” Cesarone wrote. “We extend our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of our colleagues, and to the loved ones of those in the Louisville community.”

Though the cause of the crash has not yet been released, NTSB officials said Wednesday the left engine detached from the plane and was found on the airfield.

On Thursday, the NTSB confirmed data was successfully recovered from the aircraft’s cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder, commonly known as the “black box,” at a Washington, D.C. lab.

NTSB officials on Thursday said the plane was in San Antonio, Texas, for six weeks prior to the crash, and that it may have been used as a replacement shortly before take-off due to maintenance issues with the originally scheduled aircraft.

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The EPA is working closely with state and local agencies, along with UPS, to clean up oil released into nearby streams that flow into the Salt and Ohio rivers.

EPA officials said the agency will remain on site to ensure clean air, land and water for nearby residents.

The NTSB confirmed the FBI is assisting with the investigation “under a longstanding Interagency agreement.”

The Louisville airport is home to UPS Worldport, a global hub for the shipping company’s air cargo operations and its largest package-handling facility worldwide.

Ex-NFL star extradited back to United States for attempted murder charge

Former NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown was extradited from Dubai to the United States Thursday to face trial on an attempted murder charge related to a shooting earlier this year. The Miami Police Department confirmed Brown’s extradition.

Several videos on social media showed Brown getting into a fight with multiple people following matches at an Adin Ross boxing event in May. The popular streamer hosted a 10-match card sponsored by Stake, Kick and Brand Risk Promotions.

One video showed Brown appearing to fight in a parking lot as a crowd moved toward an alley. Then a gunshot appeared to ring out, sending spectators running in the opposite direction.

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Brown admitted that he had “slammed” one person’s security guard. He said he told one of the officers that he hadn’t done anything. The Washington Post reported the next month that a warrant was out for Brown’s arrest.

A representative for Brown did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

The alleged victim in the shooting was Zul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu, who waved a Palestinian flag during Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime performance in February.

Nantambu was arrested in June on charges of resisting an officer and disturbing the peace by interrupting a lawful assembly, revealing a link between the incidents.

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When Nantambu’s link to the incidents surfaced online, Brown responded.

“That guy is a fraud, liar, stalker & criminal. He was arrested in 2022 for stealing 6 figures of jewelry from me. He then showed up at my show at rolling loud in 2023 trying to assault me,” Brown wrote on X. 

“Then in May he snuck into a gate at the event and came right up to me trying to steal from me and threaten my life, Media hasn’t told this story yet… instead painting a false picture of me. That night I was fighting for my life with his intentions.”

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The former NFL star has had multiple legal issues in the past. He was sued in 2019 over allegations of rape and sexual misconduct, which he eventually settled with his accuser. He pleaded no contest to felony battery and burglary charges in June 2020. Brown was arrested again in 2023 over allegations of unpaid child support.

Liberal justices fume as high court sides with Trump on transgender passport rules

The Supreme Court cleared the way for the State Department to require people to state their biological sex on new or renewed passports, a victory for the Trump administration as it aims to tighten policies involving transgender people.

The high court found in a 6-3 order temporarily greenlighting the policy that a lower court in Massachusetts had erred in blocking it. 

“Displaying passport holders’ sex at birth no more offends equal protection principles than displaying their country of birth—in both cases, the Government is merely attesting to a historical fact without subjecting anyone to differential treatment,” the majority wrote in the unsigned order.

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The three liberal justices dissented. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, a Biden appointee, blasted her Republican-appointed colleagues in a lengthy dissent for what she said had become a “routine” of siding with the Trump administration on the emergency docket.

The majority “fails to spill any ink considering the plaintiffs, opting instead to intervene in the Government’s favor without equitable justification, and in a manner that permits harm to be inflicted on the most vulnerable party,” Jackson wrote, adding that transgender people have been permitted to state their preferred gender on passports for more than three decades.

The class action lawsuit, brought by a dozen self-described transgender, nonbinary or intersex people on behalf of themselves and others in their situation, will continue to proceed through the lower courts.

The plaintiffs had argued in court papers that passports should “reflect the sex [people] live as and express, rather than the sex they were assigned at birth.”

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Solicitor General John Sauer wrote on behalf of President Donald Trump that passports effectively communicate information to foreign governments and private citizens cannot force the president to communicate in a way that defies his foreign policy preferences and “scientific reality.”

The policy, which reversed the Biden administration’s allowance of an “X” gender option on passports, was implemented as part of a string of executive orders Trump issued when he took office aimed at requiring transgender people to identify as their biological sex in certain situations, including in gender-exclusive sports and in the military.

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Attorney General Pam Bondi celebrated that the high court had handed the Department of Justice roughly two-dozen wins this year on the emergency docket, sometimes referred to as a shadow or interim docket, where cases are fast-tracked so that the Supreme Court can potentially offer temporary resolutions until the merits of the cases are examined.

“Today’s stay allows the government to require citizens to list their biological sex on their passport,” Bondi said on social media. “In other words: there are two sexes, and our attorneys will continue fighting for that simple truth.”

Top conservatives mock Pelosi’s retirement by ripping on her stock portfolio

Critics of former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., celebrated her announcement Thursday that she would not be seeking re-election when her current term ends.

Prominent conservatives on X cheered Pelosi’s pending exit from Congress, with many mocking her for her family’s trading prowess. Her husband Paul Pelosi’s successful investments and her wealth have long drawn scrutiny from the right, although the former speaker has always denied any wrongdoing or insider trading allegations.

Conservative commentator and podcaster Stephen Miller joked, “Pelosi isn’t retiring. She’s just cashing out.”

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Pelosi announced her retirement in a video she posted to social media Thursday morning. She has served in the House since 1987.

“There has been no greater honor for me than to stand on the House floor and say, ‘I speak for the people of San Francisco.’ I have truly loved serving as your voice in Congress, and I’ve always honored the soul of Saint Francisco — ‘Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.’ The anthem of our city,” Pelosi said in a voiceover.

“That is why I want you, my fellow San Franciscans, to be the first to know I will not be seeking re-election to Congress.”

Pelosi has been a major power player in U.S. politics for decades, serving as speaker of the House from 2007 to 2011 and again from 2019 to 2023. She is the only woman in American history to hold the position, and she was instrumental in steering through Congress some of the major liberal achievements of the Obama years, in particular the Affordable Care Act.

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., used Pelosi’s announcement to promote the “PELOSI Act,” a bill he reintroduced to Congress this year that would ban members of Congress and their spouses from trading stocks while in office.

“Nancy Pelosi is retiring – perfect time to pass the PELOSI Act and BAN stock trading by members of Congress,” he wrote.

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Finance and political commentary account Geiger Capital left a mocking tribute to Pelosi’s alleged stock trading skills.

“*NANCY PELOSI ANNOUNCES HER RETIREMENT FROM CONGRESS: WAPO. The greatest to ever do it,” it posted.

Florida’s Voice journalist Eric Daugherty shared, “JUST IN — IT’S OFFICIAL: 85-year-old Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi is RETIRING. We need term limits. She’s out next year. Pelosi has caused a lot of damage to the country.”

Independent journalist Glenn Greenwald reacted to Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., saying Thursday that Pelosi belongs on the “Mount Rushmore of Democratic politicians and legislators.”

Greenwald wrote, “Nancy Pelosi argued, earnestly, that Joe Biden belongs on Mt. Rushmore.”

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Conservative writer Ed Morrisey gave his version of Pelosi’s legacy, alluding to her rivalry with President Donald Trump.

“Pelosi thought she had personally banished Orange Man Bad from politics in 2020, only to watch as Trump returned to not just win but to absolutely humiliate her hand-picked anointee,” he wrote, mentioning her endorsement of former Vice President Kamala Harris for 2024 Democratic candidate.

Trump called Pelosi’s pending exit a “great thing,” saying she was “evil” and mockingly praising her for his two impeachments. In an interview this week, Pelosi called Trump a “vile creature” and the “worst thing” on the planet.

Media commentators tended to point to her historic speakership and reputation for getting things done as they assessed her career on Thursday.

Reps for Pelosi did not immediately reply to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. 

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Tesla shareholders approve Musk’s $1,000,000,000,000 pay package

Tesla shareholders voted on Thursday to approve CEO Elon Musk’s $1 trillion pay package, which is the largest executive compensation plan on record.

Shareholders voted to approve the historic compensation package with 75% voting in favor at the company’s annual meeting in Austin, Texas.

Under the pay plan, which was proposed in September, Musk would receive up to about 12% of Tesla’s stock, which would be subject to restrictions and worth about $1 trillion if Tesla reaches a market capitalization of $8.5 trillion and other operational milestones over a 10-year period. Tesla’s current market valuation is about $1.45 trillion, and Musk currently owns about 13% of the company’s outstanding shares.

The revised compensation plan was put forward amid legal uncertainty over the $56 billion pay package he was awarded in 2018, which was voided by a Delaware judge in January 2024 and remains the subject of ongoing litigation.

“I’d like to just give a heartfelt thanks to everyone who supported the shareholder votes,” Musk said. He also thanked the board for its “immense support” and said that while many corporate shareholder meetings are boring, Tesla’s “are bangers.”

TESLA COULD LOSE MUSK IF $1T PAY PACKAGE ISN’T APPROVED, BOARD CHAIR WARNS

Tesla board Chair Robyn Denholm had warned shareholders that the company could lose Musk to his other entrepreneurial pursuits if his pay package is not approved.

Denholm sent a letter to shareholders that asked, “Do you want to retain Elon as Tesla’s CEO and motivate him to drive Tesla to become the leading provider of autonomous solutions and the most valuable company in the world?”

“If we fail to foster an environment that motivates Elon to achieve great things through an equitable pay-for-performance plan, we run the risk that he gives up his executive position, and Tesla may lose his time, talent and vision, which have been essential to delivering extraordinary shareholder returns,” Denholm added.

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Musk took a moment on Tesla’s latest earnings call to urge shareholders to approve the package as he wants enough voting control “to give a strong influence, but not so much that I can’t be fired if I go insane.”

Not all Tesla shareholders are going to support the pay package, and one investor with a sizable stake in the company signaled opposition to the plan in advance of the vote.

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Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, Tesla’s sixth-largest external investor, said it would vote against the compensation plan.

“While we appreciate the significant value created under Mr. Musk’s visionary role, we are concerned about the total size of the award, dilution, and lack of mitigation of key person risk — consistent with our views on executive compensation,” Norges Bank Investment Management said in a post on its website.

Proxy advisory firms Glass Lewis and ISS urged shareholders to reject the pay package.

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Last year, Tesla shareholders were asked to vote on reinstating his $56 billion pay package from 2018, and they obliged, with about 77% of shareholders in favor. The pay package was worth about $44 billion at the time of the shareholder vote due to declines in Tesla’s stock price.

Tesla shares have gained over 17% this year. 

Unexpected link between alcohol and brain health revealed in new study

A new study suggests that pouring a third drink could mean trouble for your brain. 

Harvard researchers have found that people who drink three or more alcoholic drinks a day may suffer a stroke more than a decade earlier than people who drink less.

The research, published this week in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, links heavy drinking to not just earlier strokes, but also larger, deadlier brain bleeds and long-term brain damage.

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The study analyzed data from 1,600 adults averaging 75 years of age who were hospitalized for intracerebral hemorrhage, a type of stroke caused by bleeding inside the brain. 

During their hospital stays, participants were asked about their drinking habits, either directly or through family members.

Of the 1,600 participants, about 7% were classified as heavy drinkers.

The researchers defined heavy drinking as having three or more drinks daily, where one drink equals a 12-ounce beer, a 5-ounce glass of wine or a 1.5-ounce shot of liquor.

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Brain scans revealed the severity of the bleeds and whether patients showed signs of cerebral small vessel disease, a condition that damages tiny blood vessels in the brain and is linked to aging, high blood pressure and dementia.

Heavy drinkers experienced brain bleeds at an average age of 64, compared to 75 for non-heavy drinkers, an 11-year gap. Their brain bleeds were also 70% larger on average.

Heavy drinkers were also twice as likely to have bleeding deep in the brain and nearly twice as likely to have bleeding that spread into the brain’s fluid-filled spaces, a serious complication called intraventricular extension, the study found.

Additionally, they were three times more likely to have severe white matter damage, which is linked to long-term cognitive decline and brain aging.

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While alcohol has previously been tied to stroke risk, this research shows it may also accelerate small vessel disease, making the brain more vulnerable to severe strokes and slower recovery, according to lead author Dr. M. Edip Gurol of Harvard University.

“Reducing heavy alcohol use may not only lower a person’s risk of bleeding stroke, but it may also slow the progression of cerebral small vessel disease, which in turn may reduce the chances of having another stroke, cognitive decline and long-term disability,” Gurol said in a press release.

“Heavier drinking is also associated with high blood pressure, which is a contributing factor for this type of stroke.”

Jennifer Tujague, chief scientist at the International Alliance for Responsible Drinking (IARD) in Washington, D.C., was not involved in the study but shared her reaction with Fox News Digital.

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“These results appear to be consistent with previous epidemiological studies that have found an increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke associated with heavier drinking levels,” she said.

“Heavier drinking is also associated with high blood pressure, which is a contributing factor for this type of stroke.”

There were some limitations to the study, the authors noted, including that it was a cross-sectional study design, which means it looked at data from a single point in time rather than following people over a longer period.

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Due to that, researchers can’t say for sure whether drinking caused the strokes or just made them worse. 

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Alcohol use was also self-reported, meaning people might have underestimated or overestimated how much they drank. Lifetime drinking habits also weren’t available.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Distilled Spirits Council for comment.