Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen confirmed over the weekend that the American taxpayers footed the bill for his trip to El Salvador to meet with deported alleged MS-13 gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia.
Van Hollen made the admission to Shannon Bream on Fox News Sunday.
When pressed by Bream about who paid for the trip, Van Hollen said it was an “officially cleared, you know, congressional trip.”
“So taxpayer dollars?” Bream questioned.
“Yes, like every other trip,” Van Hollen replied.
Watch the clip below:

White House Press Secretary confirmed on Tuesday that President Trump is “standing strongly” behind Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
On Monday, NPR reported that the search for Hegseth’s replacement had begun in the wake of the Signal chat story.
The White House says that’s fake news.
“You said on Fox News that the entire Pentagon is working against Secretary Hegseth. But the people who were fired were Hegseth’s own guys. So how do you square that and what do you say to concerns that that is bad management?” one reporter asked Leavitt.

On May 7th, join a select group of passionate Jewish school leaders at an intimate high-impact workshop.  What You’ll Leave with:– A clear Mission Statement that drives purpose and goals.– A powerful Vision that inspires growth and unity.– Core Values that guide every decision, big and small.   This is not a conference. It’s a working session.  Participants will leave the workshop with real, actionable frameworks to transform their leadership, and their school.   Plus, personalized 30-minute follow-up call with Robert.   Centrally located for New Jersey and New York Schools, this workshop will take place at Hilton Garden Inn, Staten Island,  May 7th, 2025, 9:30 – 3:30 pm.

U.S. health officials on Tuesday said they would phase out petroleum-based artificial colors in the nation’s food supply, potentially triggering an ingredients overhaul for scores of brightly hued products on American store shelves. The federal Food and Drug Administration will take steps to eliminate the synthetic dyes by the end of 2026, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said at a news conference. The agency will establish a standard and timeline for industry to switch to natural alternatives, revoke authorization for dyes not in production within coming weeks and take steps to remove remaining dyes on the market. Makary said that removing artificial dyes would boost children’s health.

FDA COMMISSIONER: “Today, the FDA is taking action to remove petroleum-based food dyes from the U.S. food supply and from medications.”

President Trump sends a strong warning to China: “Ultimately, they have to make a deal because otherwise they’re not going to be able to deal in the United States … If they don’t make a deal, we’ll set the deal.”

Barnegat, NJ – A rapidly spreading wildfire, dubbed the “Jones Wildfire,” erupted in Barnegat Township, Ocean County, on Tuesday, afternoon, consuming 1,200 acres in the Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area and prompting mandatory evacuations, road closures, and the shutdown of a significant portion of the Garden State Parkway. As of 5 p.m., the blaze remained 0% contained, threatening 16 structures and casting thick smoke across the Jersey Shore region, according to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service. The Garden State Parkway, a major artery along the Jersey Shore, is closed in both directions between Exit 63 in Stafford Township and Exit 80 in South Toms River, with additional closures at Exit 69 in Waretown.

Federal immigration agents under President Trump have captured over 200 individuals with terrorist affiliations since the start of the year — a surge that includes a high-profile Indian national wanted for orchestrating a deadly attack on law enforcement and linked to a Pakistan-based terror group blacklisted by the United States.
New data obtained by The NY Post from the Department of Homeland Security reveals that, since President Trump’s inauguration on January 20, ICE has detained 219 suspects tied to terrorism. That’s a staggering 655% increase compared to the same stretch last year when only 29 arrests were made under Joe Biden.

Incredible helicopter footage of the wildfire in Ocean County, south of Lakewood, which has now grown to 1,200 acres and is still 0% contained.

WATCH: James Carville says democrats should make releasing an alleged MS-13 gang member their top priority. “This we should fight on. You can’t pivot to an economic issue.”

Read the full details of this developing story on Lakewood Alerts. 

In a investigative report released by Kikar HaShabbat, it has come to light that a Conservative-affiliated nonprofit organization allegedly funded the printing and distribution of street posters and pashkevilim in chareidi neighborhoods across Israel, spending tens of thousands of shekels on the campaign. These materials were aimed at dissuading participation in the upcoming elections for the World Zionist Organization (WZO). The report also reveals covert attempts to recruit chareidi journalists under the guise of a “campaign against avodah zarah” in an effort to manipulate public opinion within the frum world.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Tuesday he has no plans to fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, just

Gunmen shot dead at least 26 tourists at a resort in Indian-controlled Kashmir, police said Tuesday, in what appeared to be a major shift in the regional conflict in which tourists have largely been spared. Police described the incident as a “terror attack” and blamed militants fighting against Indian rule. “This attack is much larger than anything we’ve seen directed at civilians in recent years,” Omar Abdullah, the region’s top elected official, wrote on social media. Two senior police officers said at least four gunmen, whom they described as militants, fired at dozens of tourists from close range. The officers said at least three dozen others were injured, many in serious condition.

On Isru Chag, the second yahrtzeit of the beloved singer and baal menagen, R’ Michoel Schnitzler z”l, whose stirring songs continue to move the hearts of thousands even after his passing, was marked.

A large wildfire that broke out Tuesday afternoon in southern Ocean County has forced the closure of the Garden State Parkway near Exit 74 and prompted evacuations. The situation is developing, as numerous fire crews – including air tankers – are battling the 150+ acre blaze, which is still growing.  

A Manhattan jury determined Tuesday that The New York Times did not commit libel in a 2017 editorial that Sarah Palin argued had harmed her reputation.
Palin, who had Trump’s backing during her 2022 run for Alaska’s House seat, ultimately lost that race. Her long-running defamation suit against The Times has now returned to court for another round.
The jury reached its conclusion in just over two hours following closing remarks from both sides during the second week of proceedings in the federal civil case.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a Tuesday speech that the ongoing tariffs showdown against China is unsustainable and expects a “de-escalation” in the trade war between the world’s two largest economies. But in a private speech in Washington for JPMorgan Chase, Bessent also cautioned that talks between the United States and China had yet to formally start. Trump placed import taxes of 145% on China, which has countered with 125% tariffs on U.S. goods. Trump has placed tariffs on several dozen countries, causing the stock market to stumble and interest rates to increase on U.S. debt as investors worry about slower economic growth and higher inflationary pressures.

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