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President Trump, India’s Modi to tackle trade, tariff tensions at high stakes meeting

John Catsimatidis, United Refining Co. and Red Apple Group chair and CEO, recalls the moment he reportedly told New York City’s mayor the DOJ was dropping charges against him; he also talks about consumer inflation.

President Donald Trump is expected to welcome Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the White House on Thursday. As only the fourth world leader to meet with the president since beginning his second term, the meeting underscores the importance of the U.S.-India relationship.

Modi, India’s most prominent leader in decades, remains a largely popular yet polarizing figure both at home and abroad. Officials in New Delhi are optimistic that his visit will pave the way for a renewed strategic partnership. Trump and Modi are expected to cover a broad range of issues; trade and tariffs are expected to dominate it.

Reuters reported that Modi is also expected to meet with billionaire tech CEO Elon Musk, whose Starlink’s entry to the South Asian market could be discussed. The two men are said to have a friendly relationship, with Musk meeting Modi in 2023.

“Trade is by far the most important agenda, with defense and foreign policy taking a secondary position this time around,” Siddhartha Dubey, a visiting professor of journalism at Bennett University in India, told FOX Business. The countries have “no progress on a trade deal,” he said.

India, the world’s fastest-growing major economy, has been spared any tariffs so far. But the stakes remain elevated.

INDIA’S MODI SPEAKS WITH ‘DEAR FRIEND’ PRESIDENT TRUMP AMID HOPES OF FURTHERING TIES

President Donald Trump is shown with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Motera, on the outskirts of Ahmedabad, India, on Feb. 24, 2020. (MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

“This has been one of our strongest international partnerships in recent years,” Dubey said.

Trump and Modi enjoy a strong personal rapport, and their meeting is expected to shed more light on the evolving dynamics between the world’s most populous democracy and its most powerful one,

The U.S. is India’s largest trading partner, with trade reaching a record $129.2 billion in 2024. Currently, the trade surplus is around $35 billion in India’s favor. India is also one of the most protectionist economies, and Trump is sure to press for more access.

Dubey warned that “privately, many Indians feel Delhi could be in Trump’s crosshairs soon,” especially with the news of Trump saying he will implement reciprocal tariffs on any countries with tariffs on U.S. goods, which could include India. And most recently, he introduced a 25% tariff on all steel and aluminum imports with no exceptions. But Modi is keen to avert a potential trade war. Over the next few days, he is expected to offer some major concessions in an attempt to move toward what the White House calls a “fair bilateral trading relationship.”

India is already showing a willingness to ease its own tariffs in what are believed to be preemptive moves to stave off U.S. tariffs. India has slashed duties on key U.S. exports. This month, for example, India cut tariffs on motorcycles in a move that benefits American company Harley-Davidson. U.S. motorcycle exports to India amounted to only about $3 million last year.

INDIAN PRIME MINISTER MODI’S 3RD-TERM VICTORY A WIN FOR BUSINESS: ‘THE SKY IS THE LIMIT’

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, right, meets with Elon Musk in New York on June 20, 2023. (Indian Press Information Bureau/Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Despite the steps India has taken to address Trump’s concerns, the country remains at risk. Trump has often criticized India as being one of the “very big tariff abusers,” and just last month he called the nation a “tremendous tariff maker.”

Trump’s top economic adviser, Kevin Hassett, echoed those criticisms on Monday, saying “India has enormously high” tariffs that act as an import barrier. During his first term, Trump railed against India’s steep tariffs, dubbing it a “tariff king.” In 2019, he revoked India’s special trade privileges, prompting India to retaliate by slapping tariffs on dozens of U.S. goods.

According to World Trade Organization data, India’s simple average tariff rate is 17%, significantly higher than the U.S. rate of about 3.3%.

“This is unfair,” Dubey told FOX Business. “And I do not believe that President Trump will turn a blind eye. India has to cut its high tariffs, there’s no question about it,” he added.

President Donald Trump signs executive orders on Monday imposing 25% tariffs on imported steel and aluminum, the latest salvo in his ongoing effort to overhaul the U.S. trading relationship with the rest of the world. (Jabin Botsford/Washington Post via Getty Images)

Nonetheless, India remains confident in being able to navigate Trump’s “America First” policies. During the upcoming meeting, Modi is anticipated to propose an increase in energy product imports from the U.S. to address the trade imbalance. India’s oil secretary says companies there are hoping to purchase U.S. liquefied natural gas after Trump lifted a ban on new export permits. As the fourth-largest importer of liquefied natural gas, India is well-positioned to further its energy trade with the U.S.

When it comes to defense imports, Reuters reports that Modi is negotiating the purchase and co-production of combat vehicles as well as finalizing a fighter jet engine deal. India is the world’s largest importer of military equipment, and Trump wants the country to buy more U.S.-made security equipment. The push comes as the U.S. and Russia are competing to secure India’s fifth-generation fighter jet deal. New Delhi is also focused on attracting greater investment from U.S. companies in manufacturing and services, particularly the insurance sector.

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Modi arrived in Washington on Wednesday after a visit to France for a global conference on artificial intelligence. During his time there, Modi met with Vice President JD Vance, further strengthening diplomatic ties. In a departure statement, Modi expressed eagerness for his meeting with “my friend, President Trump,” which is sure to present both opportunities and challenges.

Indo-U.S. trade ties have grown steadily over the years, but Modi has acknowledged that the partnership can be deepened in several critical areas, including technology, trade, defense, energy and supply chain resilience.

“Modi and his team need to do more to assuage Trump and his team that they will lift certain duties and make India a whole lot friendlier to U.S. exporters,” Dubey said.

February 13, 2025
Hamas says it will free more Israeli hostages on Saturday as originally planned

Hamas announced on Thursday it will free all Israeli hostages as originally planned, according to The Associated Press.

The move comes days after President Donald Trump issued an ultimatum to the terrorist group threatening to end the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip if they did not release the hostages by Saturday, adding that he would “let all hell break out.”

TRUMP SAYS CEASEFIRE SHOULD BE CANCELED IF HOSTAGES AREN’T RELEASED BY SATURDAY

Hamas had threatened to delay freeing Israeli captives, accusing the Jewish State of failing to live up to obligations.

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This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.

Alex Nitzberg is a writer for Fox News Digital.

February 13, 2025
Amazon Valentine’s Day Sale 2025: Check List of Items Available at Discounted Prices To Gift to Your Valentine on February 14
Mumbai, February 13: Amazon Valentine’s Day 2025 offers various electronic gadgets or fashion products to people looking to buy gifts for their loved ones. The e-commerce website offers products ranging from audio products to wearables, jewellery, apparel, accessories, and more. On Valentine’s Day 2025, interested customers can explore these products for gifting purposes.

Amazon Valentine’s Day offers started a week ago, and the company started offering some of its popular products on February 14 to celebrate the day of love. Depending on the choice of your male friend or female friend, you can choose the model and gift them. Those looking to offer fashionable products, including clothing, fashion jewellery, smartwatches, and handbags, can also check out the following lists. Flipkart Valentine’s Day Sale 2025: List of Items Available at Discounted Prices That You Can Gift to Your Valentine on February 14.

Amazon Valentine’s Day Offers; Check List of Items
- Audio Products: Amazon offers a range of audio products, including portable speakers and wired earphones from top brands like Sony, JBL, boAt, and more. Customers can also find portable speakers for mini parties, home theatre systems, and in-ear headphones with heart rate monitoring. And the best part? These items are available at discounts of up to 50%, making them desirable and affordable. Clothing for Females: Amazon’s Valentine’s Day 2025 offer includes a variety of dresses that customers can buy for their female partners. These include jeans, dresses, kurtas, couple tops and tees, jackets, and modern clothes. Amazon offers these clothes at a nearly 80% discount.
- Clothing for Male: During the Valentine’s Day 2025 sale on Amazon, women can search for products like T-shirts, shirts, pants, jackets, suits and blazers, jeans, and other clothes for their male partners. Amazon claims to offer up to 80% and more discounts on these products.
- Grooming Kit and Accessories for Females: Males can make their female friends or partners happy by gifting makeup kits, fashion jewellery, sandals, cosmetics, handbags, and other products. Amazon also offers these products at massive discounts ranging from 50% to 80% and more.
- Grooming and Accessories for Males: Females can gift grooming items, including trimmers and cosmetics, to their male friend or partner. Moreover, they can also consider gifting bracelets, shoes, bags, wallets, belts, and other items to make them happy this Valentine’s Day with 50% to 80% and more discount offers.
- Smartwatches or Wrist Watches: Depending on the girl or boy’s preference, they can purchase a smartwatch or an analogue wristwatch. Amazon also offers these items at discounts of 40% to 80% and above. Hug Day 2025 Messages and Quotes: Netizens Share Wishes, Greetings, Images and HD Wallpapers To Celebrate Day 6 of Valentine Week.
On this Valentine’s Day 2025, both males and females will look for a memorable item until next February 14. For this, they can explore various other options, such as wireless earbuds, sunglasses, hairdressers, and similar products.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 13, 2025 04:22 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
February 13, 2025
DOGE boasts more than 58 contract cancellations on Wednesday totaling over $150M

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) announced the cancellation of at least 58 contracts on Wednesday, resulting in more than $150 million in savings for the American taxpayer.

In a Wednesday evening post on X, the agency headed by tech billionaire Elon Musk said the contracts canceled fell under the media, DEI and consulting categories at various agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Transportation.

“58 cancellations with savings of >$150M in categories including Media, DEI, and Consulting. This includes $405K at DHS for ‘resilience, energy, and sustainability management program support services’ and ~4M at DoT for ‘DEIA program and project management support services,’” the post said.

DOGE SLASHES MILLIONS MORE IN ‘NONSENSE’ CONTRACTS ACROSS SEVERAL FEDERAL AGENCIES

The Department of Government Efficiency, headed by tech billionaire Elon Musk, canceled at least 58 government contracts on Wednesday, totaling more than $150 million in savings for the American taxpayer. (JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)

Later Wednesday evening, DOGE also confirmed the Department of Education slashed its budget by canceling around $9 million in contracts that left students “no better off.”

Those contracts included $4.6 million to coordinate zoom and in-person meetings, $3 million to write a report that showed prior reports were not utilized by schools, and $1.4 million to physically observe mailing and clerical operations, according to the DoE.

DOGE described the aforementioned cancellations as a “good start.”

“We want to ensure that every dollar being spent is directed toward improving education for kids – not conferences and reports on reports,” the DoE posted on X.

‘CATEGORICALLY UNTRUE’: KEY GOVERNMENT AGENCY PUSHES BACK AGAINST MEDIA NARRATIVES OF DOGE CHAOS

DOGE also announced its website creating transparency in government spending officially launched under the URL doge.gov.

The DOGE.gov website launched on Wednesday and aims to provide complete transparency on government spending. (DOGE.gov / Screenshot)

Though certain aspects on the website are not yet available, the homepage includes all of DOGE’s posts on X, while other tabs feature a “consolidated government org chart” and a “summary of the massive regulatory state, including the unconstitutionality index ratio.”

Two other highly anticipated categories, a running description of each cost reduction with receipts and an overall savings scoreboard, will hopefully be live by Valentine’s Day, DOGE said.

“We will constantly be working to maximize the site’s utility and transparency. Please let us know what else you want to see!” DOGE said on X.

President Trump has praised Musk’s efforts in leading DOGE, acknowledging that the agency has located and addressed “massive amounts” of fraud, waste, incompetence and abuse within government spending. (Photo/Alex Brandon)

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President Donald Trump, who established DOGE via an executive order to “maximize governmental efficiency and productivity,” has praised the agency’s efforts thus far by acknowledging “massive amounts” of fraud, waste, incompetence and abuse have been located and addressed.

February 13, 2025
Judicial pushback against Trump agenda likely to go to Supreme Court, experts say

President Donald Trump’s agenda has been met with a wave of lawsuits since he took office in January, and legal experts say many of them will likely end up in the Supreme Court’s hands.

“President Trump is certainly being aggressive in terms of flexing executive power and not at all surprised that these are being challenged,” John Malcolm, vice president of the Institute for Constitutional Government at the Heritage Foundation, told Fox News Digital.

Trump kicked off his second term with a flurry of executive orders and directives that have since been the targets of a flood of legal challenges. Since Trump’s day 1, more than 40 lawsuits have been filed over the administration’s actions, including the president’s birthright citizenship order, immigration policies, federal funding freezes, federal employee buyouts, Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), and legal action against FBI and DOJ employees.

“Many of these cases may end up on the Supreme Court, but certainly the birthright citizenship,” Malcolm said. “If there ends up being a split among the courts, that issue will certainly be taken up by the U.S. Supreme Court.”

FEDERAL JUDGE ORDERS TRUMP ADMIN TO RESTORE PUBLIC HEALTH WEB PAGES

President Donald Trump’s agenda has been met with a wave of lawsuits since he took office in January, and legal experts say many of them will likely end up in the Supreme Court’s hands. (Getty Images)

Erwin Chemerinsky, dean at UC Berkeley School of Law, said Trump “has issued a myriad of orders violating the Constitution and federal laws” and noted that “Many already have been enjoined by the courts.”

“The crucial question is whether the president will defy these orders,” Chemerinsky told Fox News Digital.

“Almost without exception, throughout American history, presidents have complied with Supreme Court orders even when they strongly disagree with them.”

In one of the most recent developments, a Rhode Island federal judge ordered the Trump administration to unfreeze federal funds, claiming the administration did not adhere to a previous order to do so. The Trump administration appealed the order to the First Circuit shortly thereafter, which was ultimately denied.

AS DEMOCRATS REGROUP OUTSIDE DC, GOP ATTORNEYS GENERAL ADOPT NEW PLAYBOOK TO DEFEND TRUMP AGENDA

“Judges ordering the federal government to spend billions of dollars when the administration is saying that that is not in the best interests of the United States, I would expect that issue to be on a fast track to the U.S. Supreme Court,” Malcolm said.

Many of these lawsuits have been filed in historically left-leaning federal court jurisdictions, including Washington federal court and D.C. federal court. Various challenges have already been appealed to the appellate courts, including the Ninth and First Circuits, which notably hand down more progressive rulings. The Ninth Circuit, in particular, has a higher reversal rate than other circuit courts.

Despite the variety of ongoing legal challenges, Malcolm said he believes the Trump administration is on more solid footing when it comes to cases concerning firing political appointees. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

“Judge shopping is nothing new,” Malcolm said. “So I’m not at all surprised that these lawsuits challenging the Trump administration are being filed, for the most part, in the bluest of blue areas where the odds are high that the judge who’s going to be considering the issue has a liberal orientation.”

HOUSE DEMS ORGANIZE RAPID RESPONSE TASK FORCE AND LITIGATION GROUP TO COMBAT TRUMP AGENDA

“Almost without exception, throughout American history, presidents have complied with Supreme Court orders even when they strongly disagree with them,” Chemerinsky said. (AP Photo)

Despite the variety of ongoing legal challenges, Malcolm said he believes the Trump administration is on more solid footing when it comes to cases concerning firing political appointees. On Monday, Special Counsel Hampton Dellinger, who was appointed by former President Joe Biden to lead the Office of Special Counsel, sued the Trump administration in D.C. federal court after he was fired on Friday.

Malcolm said Trump’s second term will continue to see a wave of litigation as he continues to implement his agenda, similar to his predecessors, including Biden.

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Malcolm particularly noted the Biden administration’s efforts to redefine sex in Title IX as “gender identity.” A Kentucky federal judge blocked the Biden administration’s attempt in early January.

“There are a lot of these issues that end up coming up,” Malcolm said, looking back on Biden’s Title IX legal challenges. “And I suspect that the same sorts of issues will come up during the Trump administration, and they’ll be full employment for lawyers throughout his entire term.”

Haley Chi-Sing is a Writer for Fox News Digital. You can reach her at @haleychising on X.

February 13, 2025
Into the ring: Trump education chief pick McMahon to testify on cutting ‘red tape’ amid DOGE sweeps

FIRST ON FOX: Linda McMahon, the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and President Donald Trump’s pick to head the Department of Education, will testify before the Senate on Thursday, centering her opening remarks around creating “a better future for every American learner.”

The Trump nominee, who was tapped in November, will kick off her confirmation process during a hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee on Thursday morning. Republican Sens. Tim Scott of South Carolina and Katie Britt of Alabama will introduce McMahon before the hearing, Fox News has learned.

McMahon will focus her remarks on enacting Trump’s vision with the idea that “education is the issue that determines our national success and prepares American workers to win the future,” according to an excerpt of her opening remarks, shared first with Fox News Digital.

“I would like to thank President Trump for his confidence in me to lead a Department whose mission and authority were a special focus of his campaign. He pledged to make American education the best in the world, return education to the states where it belongs, and free American students from the education bureaucracy through school choice,” McMahon will say in her opening remarks.

TRUMP EDUCATION DEPT LAUNCHES PROBE INTO ‘EXPLOSION OF ANTISEMITISM’ AT 5 UNIVERSITIES

Linda McMahon arrives for a meeting in Washington, D.C. (Valerie Plesch/Bloomberg)

McMahon is being boosted to head the department that Trump has suggested he wants to dismantle during his term, recently saying that if McMahon is confirmed, he wants her to “put herself out of a job.”

Trump said Wednesday just hours ahead of McMahon’s hearing that he wanted to close the Education Department “immediately.”

“It’s a big con job,” he said. “They ranked the top countries in the world. We’re ranked No. 40, but we’re ranked No. 1 in one department: cost per pupil. So, we spend more per pupil than any other country in the world, but we’re ranked No. 40.”

His comments came as Trump’s executive agency, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) run by Elon Musk, continues its financial audit of the federal government.

TRUMP’S KEY TO CABINET CONFIRMATIONS: SENATOR-TURNED-VP VANCE’S GIFT OF GAB

McMahon previously served as the administrator of the Small Business Administration during Trump’s first term before stepping down in 2019 to “return to the private sector.”

She plans to say during her opening remarks Thursday, “My experience as a business owner and leader of the Small Business Administration, as a public servant in the state of Connecticut, and more than a decade of service as a college trustee has taught me to put parents, teachers, and students, not bureaucracy, first.”

“Outstanding teachers are tired of political ideology in their curriculum and red tape on their desks. This is why school choice is a growing movement across the nation: it offers teachers and parents an alternative to classrooms that are micromanaged from Washington, D.C.”

President Donald Trump shakes hands with Linda McMahon after announcing her resignation on March 29, 2019. (Joshua Roberts)

The Trump nominee also plans to highlight antisemitism in schools and the issue of biological males competing in women’s and girls’ sports.

“If I am confirmed, the department will not stand idly by while Jewish students are attacked and discriminated against,” her remarks read. “It will stop forcing schools to let boys and men into female sports and spaces. And it will protect the rights of parents to direct the moral education of their children.”

In her opening remarks, McMahon will note that “many Americans today are experiencing a system in decline” but that “the opportunity before us these next four years is momentous.”

Linda McMahon speaks at the Republican National Convention on July 18, 2024. (Mike Segar)

“It is my great honor to announce that Linda McMahon, former Administrator of the Small Business Administration, will be the United States Secretary of Education,” Trump said in his nomination announcement in November.

Before being tapped to head the Education Department, McMahon founded WWE with her husband in 1980, which has grown into a global wrestling entertainment network.

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“As Secretary of Education, Linda will fight tirelessly to expand ‘Choice’ to every State in America, and empower parents to make the best Education decisions for their families,” the press release added. “Linda served for two years on the Connecticut Board of Education, where she was one of fifteen members overseeing all Public Education in the State, including its Technical High School system.”

After McMahon’s confirmation hearing, the committee will schedule a vote on whether to advance her nomination to a full floor vote.

Aubrie Spady is a Writer for Fox News Digital.

February 13, 2025
Senate Judiciary Committee to vote on Kash Patel nomination for FBI director

The Senate Judiciary Committee is set to vote Thursday on whether to advance Kash Patel’s nomination for FBI director to the Senate floor after a fiery confirmation hearing last month.

The vote is scheduled for 9 a.m. ET. If Patel passes through committee, his nomination will be up for a full Senate vote.

Democrats had successfully delayed Patel’s committee vote last week in an effort to force the Trump nominee to testify a second time.

Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa., said attempts by Judiciary ranking member Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and others to force Patel to testify again were “baseless” as he already sat before the committee for more than five hours and disclosed “thousands of pages” of records to the panel, as well as nearly 150 pages of responses to lawmakers’ written questions.

PATEL CAMP DECRIES DURBIN ACCUSATIONS AS ‘POLITICALLY MOTIVATED’ ATTEMPT TO DERAIL FBI CONFIRMATION

Kash Patel appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee for his confirmation hearing at the Capitol, Jan. 30, 2025. (AP)

This week on the Senate floor, Durbin alleged that Patel was behind mass firings at the FBI. Durbin said he’d seen “highly credible” whistleblower reports indicating Patel had been “personally directing the ongoing purge of FBI employees prior to his Senate confirmation for the role.”

An aide to Patel denied Durbin’s claim, telling Fox News Digital the nominee flew home to Las Vegas after his confirmation hearing and has “been sitting there waiting for the process to play out.”

Patel, a vociferous opponent to the investigations into President Donald Trump and who was at the forefront of his 2020 election fraud claims, vowed during his confirmation hearing that he would not engage in political retribution.

However, the conservative firebrand was likely chosen for his desire to upend the agency.

In his 2023 book, “Government Gangsters,” he described the FBI as “a tool of surveillance and suppression of American citizens” and “one of the most cunning and powerful arms of the Deep State.”

Patel has said intelligence officials are “intent” on undermining the president, but he promised he would not go after agents who worked on the classified documents case against Trump.

4 OF THE BIGGEST CLASHES BETWEEN PATEL, SENATE DEMS AT HIS CONFIRMATION HEARING

If Patel passes through committee, his nomination will be up for a full Senate vote. (AP)

“There will be no politicization at the FBI,” Patel said. “There will be no retributive action.”

Additionally, in another message meant to assuage senators’ concerns, Patel said he did not find it feasible to require a warrant for intelligence agencies to surveil U.S. citizens suspected to be involved in national security matters, referring to Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).

“Having a warrant requirement to go through that information in real time is just not comported with the requirement to protect American citizens,” Patel said. “It’s almost impossible to make that function and serve the national, no-fail mission.”

“Get a warrant” had become a rallying cry of right-wing conservatives worried about the privacy of U.S. citizens and almost derailed the reauthorization of the surveillance program entirely. Patel said the program has been misused, but he does not support making investigators go to court and plead their case before being able to wiretap any U.S. citizen.

Patel also seemed to break with Trump during the hearing on the pardons granted to 1,600 persons who had been prosecuted for their involvement in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, particularly around those who engaged in violence and had their sentences commuted.

Kash Patel served as the acting Defense secretary’s chief of staff during President Donald Trump’s first administration. (White House)

“I have always rejected any violence against law enforcement,” Patel said. “I do not agree with the commutation of any sentence of any individual that committed violence against law enforcement.”

Patel held a number of national security roles during Trump’s first administration – chief of staff to acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller, senior advisor to the acting director of national intelligence, and National Security Council official.

FORMER TRUMP OFFICIALS REJECT WHISTLEBLOWER CLAIM THAT FBI DIRECTOR NOMINEE KASH PATEL BROKE HOSTAGE PROTOCOL

He worked as a senior aide on counterterrorism for former House Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes, where he fought to declassify records he alleged would show the FBI’s application for a surveillance warrant for 2016 Trump campaign aide Carter Page was illegitimate, and served as a national security prosecutor in the Justice Department.

Patel’s public comments suggest he would refocus the FBI on law enforcement and away from involvement in any prosecutorial decisions.

Kash Patel promised to get the FBI back to its law enforcement mission. (FBI)

In a recent Wall Street Journal op-ed, he suggested his top two priorities were “let good cops be cops” and “transparency is essential.”

“If confirmed, I will focus on streamlining operations at headquarters while bolstering the presence of field agents across the nation. Collaboration with local law enforcement is crucial to fulfilling the FBI’s mission,” he said.

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Patel went on: “Members of Congress have hundreds of unanswered requests to the FBI. If confirmed, I will be a strong advocate for congressional oversight, ensuring that the FBI operates with the openness necessary to rebuild trust by simply replying to lawmakers.”

Fox News’ Breanne Depisch contributed to this report.

February 13, 2025
Zeldin demands return of $20B in taxpayer money wasted by Biden administration

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator Lee Zeldin said Wednesday that his team has located $20 billion in tax dollars that the Biden administration purposely wasted.

“An extremely disturbing video circulated two months ago, featuring a Biden EPA political appointee talking about how they were ‘tossing gold bars off the Titanic,’ rushing to get billions of your tax dollars out the door before Inauguration Day,” Zeldin said in a video posted to X, citing another video from December. “The ‘gold bars’ were tax dollars and ‘tossing them off the Titanic’ meant the Biden administration knew they were wasting it.”

Zeldin said the EPA has plans to recover the “gold bars” that were found “parked at an outside financial institution,” which he does not mention by name.

He said that “this scheme was the first of its kind in EPA history, and it was purposefully designed to obligate all the money in a rush job with reduced oversight” before Inauguration Day.

TRUMP TAPS FORMER NEW YORK REP LEE ZELDIN TO LEAD EPA

Former Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y., President Donald Trump’s pick to head the Environmental Protection Agency, appears before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on Capitol Hill, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Zeldin said “there is zero reason to suspect any wrongdoing by the bank,” but he thinks agreement with the institution “needs to be instantly terminated” and all the money should be immediately returned.

He also said the EPA needs to reassume responsibility for all of these funds, adding that his team will “review every penny that has gone out the door.”

THROUGH THE EPA, WE CAN PURSUE ENERGY DOMINANCE, LEE ZELDIN SAYS | FOX NEWS VIDEO

Former Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y. arrives at EPA confirmation hearing. (Fox News Digital/Charlie Creitz)

“The days of irresponsibly shoveling boatloads of cash to far-left activist groups in the name of environmental justice and climate equity are over,” Zeldin said. “The American public deserves a more transparent and accountable government than what transpired these past four years.”

He also said that he would be referring this matter to the inspector general’s office and that he would work with the Department of Justice to assist President Donald Trump in regaining control.

FILE – U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin, the Republican candidate for New York governor, participates in a debate against incumbent Democratic Gov. Kathy, on Oct. 25, 2022, at Pace University in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, Pool, File)

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“Now we will get them back inside of control of government as we pursue next steps. As President Trump has vowed, we’re going to usher in a new Golden Age of American success for the citizens of every race, religion, color and creed,” Zeldin said at the end of the video.

Elon Musk also commended Zeldin on X for an “awesome job” saving taxpayer money.

February 13, 2025
Senate to hold final vote on RFK Jr nomination to serve as Trump’s Health secretary

The Senate is expected on Thursday to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary in President Donald Trump’s cabinet.

The final showdown over Kennedy’s controversial nomination was set in motion after the Republican-controlled Senate on Wednesday – in a 53-47 party-line vote – invoked cloture, which started the clock ticking toward the final confirmation roll call.

Kennedy, the well-known vaccine skeptic and environmental crusader who ran for the White House in 2024 before ending his bid and endorsing Trump, needs a simple majority to be confirmed by the Senate.

TRUMP HEALTH SECRETARY NOMINEE RFK JR. SURVIVES HEATED HEARINGS

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., President Donald Trump’s nominee to serve as secretary of Health and Human Services, testifies during a Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions hearing for his pending confirmation on Capitol Hill on Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

Kennedy survived back-to-back combustible Senate confirmation hearings late last month, when Trump’s nominee to lead 18 powerful federal agencies that oversee the nation’s food and health faced plenty of verbal fireworks over past controversial comments, including his repeated claims in recent years linking vaccines to autism, which have been debunked by scientific research.

During the hearings, Democrats also spotlighted Kennedy’s service for years as chair or chief legal counsel for Children’s Health Defense, the nonprofit organization he founded that has advocated against vaccines and sued the federal government numerous times, including a challenge over the authorization of the COVID-19 vaccine for children.

HEAD HERE FOR LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING ON PRESIDENT TRUMP’S FIRST 100 DAYS BACK IN THE WHITE HOUSE

With Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee voting not to advance Kennedy, the spotlight was on Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., a physician and chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP).

Cassidy issued a last minute endorsement before the committee level vote, giving Kennedy a party-line 14-13 victory to advance his confirmation to the full Senate.

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., center, President Donald Trump’s nominee to serve as secretary of Health and Human Services, talks with Committee Chairman Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., left, following his testimony during a Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions hearing for his pending confirmation on Capitol Hill on Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

Cassidy had emphasized during Kennedy’s confirmation hearings that “your past of undermining confidence in vaccines with unfounded or misleading arguments concerns me,” which left doubt about his support.

However, after speaking again with the nominee, Cassidy rattled off a long list of commitments Kennedy made to him, including quarterly hearings before the HELP Committee; meetings multiple times per month; that HELP Committee can choose representatives on boards or commissions reviewing vaccine safety; and a 30-day notice to the committee, plus a hearing, for any changes in vaccine safety reviews.

“These commitments, and my expectation that we can have a great working relationship to make America healthy again, is the basis of my support,” the senator said.

RFK Jr. and Trump split image (Getty Images)

Earlier this week, another Republican senator who had reservations regarding Kennedy’s confirmation announced support for the nominee.

“After extensive public and private questioning and a thorough examination of his nomination, I will support Robert F. Kennedy Jr.,” GOP Sen. Susan Collins of Maine announced on Tuesday.

Another Republican who was on the fence, Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, also voted to advance Kennedy’s nomination.

Murkowski noted that she continues “to have concerns about Mr. Kennedy’s views on vaccines and his selective interpretation of scientific studies,” but that the nominee “has made numerous commitments to me and my colleagues, promising to work with Congress to ensure public access to information and to base vaccine recommendations on data-driven, evidence-based, and medically sound research.”

Former longtime Senate GOP leader Sen. Mitch McConnell, a major proponent of vaccines, also voted to advance Kennedy’s nomination.

Kennedy, whose outspoken views on Big Pharma and the food industry have also sparked controversy, has said he aims to shift the focus of the agencies he would oversee toward promotion of a healthy lifestyle, including overhauling dietary guidelines, taking aim at ultra-processed foods and getting to the root causes of chronic diseases.

The push is part of his “Make America Healthy Again” campaign.

“Our country is not going to be destroyed because we get the marginal tax rate wrong. It is going to be destroyed if we get this issue wrong,” Kennedy said as he pointed to chronic diseases. “And I am in a unique position to be able to stop this epidemic.”

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks at a campaign event for this independent presidential bid, on May 1, 2024 in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)

The 71-year-old scion of the nation’s most storied political dynasty, launched a long-shot campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination against then-President Joe Biden in April 2023. However, six months later, he switched to an independent run for the White House.

Trump regularly pilloried Kennedy during his independent presidential bid, accusing him of being a “Radical Left Liberal” and a “Democrat Plant.”

Kennedy fired back, claiming in a social media post that Trump’s jabs against him were “a barely coherent barrage of wild and inaccurate claims.”

Then-former President Donald Trump, right, welcomes Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to the stage at a campaign rally at the Gas South Arena on Oct. 23, 2024 in Duluth, Georgia. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

However, Kennedy made major headlines again last August when he dropped his presidential bid and endorsed Trump.

While Kennedy had long identified as a Democrat and repeatedly invoked his late father, former Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, and his late uncle, former President John F. Kennedy – who were both assassinated in the 1960s – Kennedy in recent years built relationships with far-right leaders due in part to his high-profile vaccine skepticism.

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After months of criticizing him, Trump called Kennedy “a man who has been an incredible champion for so many of these values that we all share.”

Trump announced soon after the November election that he would nominate Kennedy to his Cabinet to run HHS.

The final vote on Kennedy’s nomination comes one day after another controversial pick, director of national intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, was confirmed by the Senate in a 52-48 vote.

Paul Steinhauser is a politics reporter based in New Hampshire.

February 13, 2025
World Radio Day 2025: AIR, UNICEF Hold ‘Radio Charcha’ Event To Discuss Importance of Radio as Medium

Bhopal, Feb 12: On the eve of World Radio Day, an event organised by All India Radio (AIR) and UNICEF in Madhya Pradesh capital Bhopal on Wednesday discussed the key role played by the medium. Speaking at the programme, ‘Radio Charcha’, at the office of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) here, MP’s Cooperatives and Sports and Youth Welfare Vishwas Sarang called radio a powerful medium capable of bringing a change. World Radio Day is observed on February 13 every year.

He said radio can help disseminate important messages concerning climate change and ‘Mission LiFE, an India-led global mass movement to nudge individual and community action to protect and preserve the environment.

Anil Gulati, Officer in Charge of UNICEF’s Madhya Pradesh chapter spoke about the use of radio, which he called a credible source of information, to bring visibility to issues concerning children.

He pointed out how radio had helped raise focus on issues like immunisation, education, breastfeeding, child rights and climate change. Rajesh Bhatt, Programming Head of AIR-Bhopal, said radio has contributed to the state’s efforts to protect the environment and child rights.

UNICEF officials Dr Prashanth Kumar and Narendra Singh Chouhan made a presentation on climate change, human health, the role of radio in creating awareness and lifestyle changes one can make to contribute towards climate action. Around 40 radio professionals participated in the programme.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)

February 13, 2025