Tag: launches

  • Texas Dem launches first Trump impeachment articles over Gaza

    Texas Dem launches first Trump impeachment articles over Gaza

    Democratic Rep. Al Green, the Houston, Texas, congressman who made three attempts to impeach President Donald Trump during his first term, initiated his first impeachment effort in 2025.

    Green rose to address the House on Wednesday and said “ethnic cleansing in Gaza is not a joke, especially when it emanates from the President of the United States.”

    “And [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu] should be ashamed, knowing the history of his people, to stand there and allow such things to be said.”

    Green went on to say his formal impeachment articles are for “dastardly deeds proposed and dastardly deeds done.”

    REP. AL GREEN SAYS PRESIDENT IS ‘NO BETTER THAN’ KKK IN WAKE OF ‘LYNCHING’ TWEET

    Democratic Rep. Al Green (Roll Call)

    Trump had announced Tuesday the U.S. would “take over” war-torn Gaza and allow Palestinians to relocate while it is being essentially repaired.

    “I also rise to say that the impeachment movement is going to be a grass up movement, not a top down… I did it before, I laid the foundation for impeachment, and it was done. Nobody knows more about it than I,” Green went on.

    “And I know that it time for us to lay the foundation again. On some issues, it is better to stand alone than not stand at all on this issue. I stand alone. But I stand for justice.”

    Other Democrats appeared lukewarm to Green’s current bid.

    “It’s not a focus of our caucus,” said House Democratic Caucus Chair Peter Aguilar, D-Calif. 

    Green’s previous attempts were separate from those successful impeachments forwarded by now-California Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff and others – which related to Trump’s 2019 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the 2021 Capitol riot.

    One Green resolution centered on 2019 Trump tweets deriding members of the left-wing Squad, wherein the president remarked “they [should] go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came.”

    During a House Judiciary Committee hearing at the time of one of Green’s previous impeachment attempts, Republican staff posted a banner of the Democrat’s own words:

    “I’m concerned that if we don’t impeach this president, he will get re-elected,” Green had said.

    Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins – then the panel’s ranking member – listed Green’s comments as one of several in remarks criticizing Democrats for trying to usurp the power of the voting booth through political maneuvering.

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    “For Democrats, it has been and will always be, to paraphrase Lewis Carroll: ‘Sentence first, verdict later,’” Collins said at the time.

    During the Obama administration, the late Rep. Walter Jones Jr., R-N.C., similarly repeatedly called for President Barack Obama’s impeachment over issues ranging from the use of drones to troop casualties in Syria.

    Fox News Digital reached out to Green’s office and was told “it is a matter of time” when the articles would be filed.

    Fox News’ Chad Pergram and Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.

  • Rick Caruso launches foundation to rebuild after LA wildfires

    Rick Caruso launches foundation to rebuild after LA wildfires

    Los Angeles real estate developer Rick Caruso has launched a nonprofit to help rebuild and restore communities impacted by the wildfires.

    Caruso, whose real time net worth is $5.8 billion, according to Forbes, and who ran for Los Angeles mayor against Karen Bass in 2022, started Steadfast LA on Monday.

    “You have to have private enterprise involved in this because government alone can’t do it,” Caruso told local FOX 11. “It’s too big.”

    Caruso is using his business leader connections in the effort, looking at issues like putting power lines underground and using AI for building code plan checks and corrections. 

    LA WILDFIRES DRIVE SURGE IN RENTAL HOUSING PRICES, PROMPTING PRICE GOUGING CONCERNS

    From left to right, former Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, developer Rick Caruso and Los Angeles Councilmember Mike Bonin attend the Palisades Village grand opening private ribbon-cutting ceremony at Palisades Village on Sept. 22, 2018 in Pacific Pa (Amanda Edwards / Getty Images)

    He has called Mayor Bass but has not connected with her yet. 

    “I want to make her very efficient and productive in this,” Caruso said, adding that his nonprofit’s work has nothing to do with politics, even if Bass’ supporters accuse him of politicizing the tragedy. 

    LA OFFICIALS WERE WARNED ABOUT BUDGET CUTS TO FIRE DEPARTMENT: ‘SOMEONE WILL DIE’

    Karen Bass and Rick Caruso debate in 2022

    Los Angeles mayoral candidate Congresswoman Karen Bass speaks as developer Rick Caruso listens as they participate in the second one-on-one mayoral debate at the KNX Newsradio SoundSpace Stage in Los Angeles on Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times / Getty Images)

    “There’s nothing about politics in this,” Caruso told FOX 11. “This is so much bigger than politics and that’s an insulting comment.”

    He added that at this time, he is not considering a bid for either governor of California or Los Angeles mayor. 

    Rick Caruso campaigns for mayor in 2022

    LA mayoral candidate Rick Caruso conducts a town hall with residents of South LA on Aug. 28, 2022. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times / Getty Images)

    Steadfast LA is spearheaded by Najla Kayyem, a commercial real estate marketing executive who used to work for Caruso, FOX 11 reported. The local TV station says Upfront Ventures general partner Kobie Fuller; head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios Mike Hopkins; Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos and his wife; former U.S. Ambassador to the Bahamas Nicole Avant; co-chair of Gensler Andy Cohen and executives from banking, insurance, real estate and private equity companies are all involved. 

    The foundation’s funding will come solely from Caruso, he told the Los Angeles Times. None of the companies or executives will be paid for their roles in the assistance. 

    Palisades Fire damage in Pacific Palisades

    View of damaged structures and homes caused by the Palisades Wildfires in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles on Jan. 11, 2025 in Los Angeles. (Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images / Getty Images)

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    Caruso, 66, and his family lost three homes as a result of the Palisades Fire, according to FOX 11. He said he would like to see people rebuilding their homes in the communities devastated by fire within a year. 

  • Trump Education Dept launches probe into ‘explosion of antisemitism’ at 5 universities

    Trump Education Dept launches probe into ‘explosion of antisemitism’ at 5 universities

    The Education Department (DoEd) is probing five institutions of higher education with large-scale reports of alleged antisemitism after the 2023 deadly terrorist attack in Israel.

    The terrorist group Hamas coordinated an attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, provoking an ongoing Israeli military response that in turn prompted anti-Israel protests to break out on college campuses across the U.S. Many protests were not immediately shut down, and Columbia University canceled its main commencement ceremony due to safety concerns. 

    Two weeks after assuming office, Trump’s DoEd is alleging that “the Biden Administration’s toothless resolution agreements did shamefully little to hold those institutions accountable,” prompting a new federal probe into five universities the administration identified as having reports of “widespread antisemitic harassment.”

    The DoEd announced it will investigate five universities: Columbia University, Northwestern University, Portland State University, the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.

    DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION DOLED OUT OVER $200M TO UNIVERSITIES TO INJECT DEI INTO COUNSELING COURSES: REPORT

    President Donald Trump is shown in the Oval Office on Jan. 30, 2025. (Getty Images)

    “Too many universities have tolerated widespread antisemitic harassment and the illegal encampments that paralyzed campus life last year, driving Jewish life and religious expression underground. The Biden Administration’s toothless resolution agreements did shamefully little to hold those institutions accountable,” Craig Trainor, the acting assistant secretary for civil rights at the DoEd, said in a statement. 

    TRUMP PREPARING TO MAJORLY REVAMP DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AS MATH, READING SCORES SHOW STUNNING LOWS

    “The Department is putting universities, colleges, and K-12 schools on notice: this administration will not tolerate continued institutional indifference to the wellbeing of Jewish students on American campuses, nor will it stand by idly if universities fail to combat Jew hatred and the unlawful harassment and violence it animates,” Trainor wrote.

    The investigation comes days after Fox News Digital reported that Trump ordered the potential removal of anti-Jewish protesters with student visas from the country.

    Officers, pro-Palestine protesters clashing

    Police make an arrest as they confront anti-Israel protesters at UCLA on May 2, 2024. (Etienne Laurent)

    Northwestern University, Portland State University and the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, told Fox News Digital they would comply with the department’s investigation.

    “There is no place for antisemitism or any form of identity-based discrimination or hate at Northwestern University. Free expression and academic freedom are among our core values, but we have made clear that these values provide no excuse for behavior that threatens the well-being of others,” Jon Yates, vice president of global marketing and communications at Northwestern University, told Fox News Digital in a statement.

    “Portland State University is dedicated to upholding a safe, inclusive and respectful community for all community members. We take these concerns seriously,” Portland State University told Fox. “The university continues to support and engage with efforts to combat antisemitism and mitigate the impact of hate and bias.”

    The school noted that “it is the university’s understanding” that the investigation notice “initiates a directed investigation — which means it is not based on a specific complaint from an individual, but instead is prompted by the new administration.”

    Students march on Columbia University campus in support of a protest encampment supporting Palestinians

    Anti-Israel protesters are shown at Columbia University in New York City on April 29, 2024. (David Dee Delgado)

    The University of Minnesota said in a statement that they are “confident in our approach to combating hate and bias on our campus and will fully cooperate with this investigation.”

    Columbia University did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment at the time of publication.

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    The Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Committee on Education and the Workforce sent a letter, obtained by Fox, to Columbia University in September asking whether the university was “maintaining a safe environment for all members” as a recipient of funding through Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) grants.

    Columbia University reportedly received $611,173,605 in National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants in fiscal 2024, according to the HHS public page on NIH funding.

    Fox News Digital’s Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report.

  • Caribbean nation of St Kitts launches investigation after 19 people found dead in drifting vessel

    Caribbean nation of St Kitts launches investigation after 19 people found dead in drifting vessel

    Authorities in the eastern Caribbean nation of St. Kitts and Nevis said Thursday they are investigating the circumstances that led to the discovery of at least 19 bodies found drifting at sea.

    CRUISE SHIP PASSENGERS FROM ACROSS US SUE AFTER WORKER SENTENCED FOR PLACING HIDDEN CAMERAS IN GUEST ROOMS

    At around 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday the St. Kitts and Nevis Coast Guard responded to a report of a drifting vessel off the coast of Nevis. The partially submerged boat contained decomposed human remains. It was towed to St. Kitts, where police and medical officials are conducting investigations.

    The St. Kitts And Nevis Flag is pictured. (Jeff Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

    “It was a fishing vessel, which is not typically found in the Caribbean,” Police Commissioner James Sutton told The Associated Press. “We are not certain, but we believe that this vessel originated off the West African coast.”

    Sutton said officials now face the difficult task of determining the exact number of bodies and identifying them. The advanced state of decomposition, he said, has made it difficult.

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    This is the first such discovery in recent memory in the twin-island nation.

  • NFL fan launches petition to boycott league over referee treatment of Chiefs: ‘Important for democracy’

    NFL fan launches petition to boycott league over referee treatment of Chiefs: ‘Important for democracy’

    A Virginia man named Mack Donahue has started a petition on Change.org, calling for football fans to boycott the NFL over recent officiating. 

    Donahue is calling for the league to introduce “rigorous referee training and accountability mechanisms” in response to suspected favoritism by referees toward the Kansas City Chiefs, which has become a hot talking point for fans this season.

    “A growing concern over the inconsistent refereeing, particularly evident while observing games involving the Kansas City Chiefs, is tarnishing this beautiful sport’s spirit. The aggravation has reached a point where many of us are contemplating boycotting not just the Super Bowl, but all future games until there is significant change,” Donahue wrote in the petition’s description. 

    “It’s time we took a stand against unjust refereeing and call on the NFL to introduce rigorous referee training and accountability mechanisms that will guarantee fair game-play for all teams. By signing this petition, you are agreeing to join the boycott and work towards restoring the joy and integrity of NFL games that we so dearly love.”

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    Patrick Mahomes talks to referee Clete Blakeman before the AFC championship game against the Buffalo Bills at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium Jan. 26, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo.  (Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images)

    The petition launched over the weekend had less than 200 signatures at the time of publication. Many of those who have signed have expressed their support for the petition’s cause in the comments. 

    “This [is an] important cause for democracy,” one signer wrote. 

    “So many plays were clearly not the right call that even the announcer was confused,” another wrote. This comment may have been referring to a moment in the Chiefs’ 32-29 win over the Buffalo Bills when officials ruled that Bills quarterback Josh Allen was stopped short of a first down in the fourth quarter. CBS rules analyst Gene Steratore said during the broadcast he believed Allen got the first down.

    That call prompted mass backlash from NFL fans on social media, but it was not the only one.

    During the second quarter, officials ruled Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy made a catch despite video replay showing the ball touching the ground. 

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    Super Bowl LIX will be streamed on Tubi. (Tubi)

    Referees came under similar scrutiny during the Chiefs’ divisional round playoff win against the Houston Texans one week earlier when a pair of roughing the passer penalties were called against the Texans for hits on Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. 

    Houston edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. was called for roughing the passer on a third down in the first quarter. Anderson appeared to push Mahomes in the chest after he had thrown the ball incomplete to tight end Travis Kelce. Anderson was flagged.

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    The second penalty came during a Mahomes scramble in the third quarter. He had two blockers on a run and three defenders bearing down on him. He moved to his right and then back to his left when he decided to slide. 

    ESPN broadcaster Troy Aikman criticized the penalty and said it’s something the league has to address in the offseason. 

    Texans players and head coach DeMeco Ryans suggested after the game the referees were against them as well. 

    Mahomes addressed the issue when asked by reporters last Wednesday if he believed referees were giving him preferential treatment. 

    Pat mahomes with a ref

    Referee Carl Cheffers speaks to Patrick Mahomes during a break in the third quarter against the Houston Texans at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium Dec. 21, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo.  (David Eulitt/Getty Images)

    “I don’t feel that way,” Mahomes answered. “At the end of the day, the referees are doing their best to call the game as fair and as proper as they possibly can. And all you can do is go out there and play the game that you love as hard as you can and live with the results. … I think that’s what we preach here in Kansas City.

    “You get new referees every year, you get new circumstances and you never can really tell because every play’s different. And that’s what makes the NFL so special. I feel like I’ve just continued to play the game, and I just try to win. And whatever happens kind of happens.’”

    Chiefs star tight end Travis Kelce refused to address the issue when asked by his brother Jason Kelce about the officiating during an episode of their “New Heights” podcast last week. 

    “I’d like to plead the Fifth,” the tight end said, jokingly referring to his constitutional right to remain silent, when Jason brought up the issue. 

    Now the Chiefs get a Super Bowl rematch against the Philadelphia Eagles. When the two teams last met in the Super Bowl two years ago, that game was determined by a controversial penalty called late in the game against Eagles cornerback James Bradberry, which set up the Chiefs for a 38-35 win. 

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  • ‘Undo the damage’: Texas lawmaker launches strategy to help ICE amid Trump deportation blitz

    ‘Undo the damage’: Texas lawmaker launches strategy to help ICE amid Trump deportation blitz

    FIRST ON FOX: A Texas lawmaker is introducing a bill to further bolster cooperation between Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and state and local law enforcement agencies — amid a sweeping arrest and deportation blitz by the Trump administration.

    Rep. Michael Cloud, R-Texas, is introducing The 287(g) Program Protection Act. It focuses on 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which allows ICE to delegate to state and local law enforcement officers certain immigration functions, including identifying and detaining suspected illegal immigrants.

    The Biden administration had paused new entries into the program in 2021, and Cloud’s office says Biden’s administration had never approved any new agreements since then.

    KRISTI NOEM JOINS IMMIGRATION RAID TO CATCH ‘DIRTBAGS’ IN MAJOR SANCTUARY CITY 

    Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, along with other federal law enforcement agencies, attend a pre-enforcement meeting in Chicago on Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025. (Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

    President Donald Trump, promising a “historic” deportation program, signed an executive order on day one that told the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to use the program “to the maximum extent permitted by law.”

    Cloud’s bill would double down on that stance, requiring that DHS approve any applications by state and local law enforcement within 90 days, and notify Congress if they deny it.

    It would also require notification to Congress if DHS intended to terminate the agreement, and allow for an appeal by the local or state law enforcement.

    ‘SIDE-BY-SIDE’: TEXAS DEPLOYS HUNDREDS OF TROOPS, CHOPPERS TO HELP TRUMP TACKLE BORDER CRISIS

    Also required of DHS would be an annual performance report and recruitment strategies.

    “The Biden Administration didn’t fail to protect our border—they accomplished exactly what they set out to do: undermine border security and flood our country with millions of illegal immigrants. This dangerous and intentional choice has created chaos in our communities from South Texas to New York City, and American citizens have paid the price,” Cloud said in a statement.

    “Now, under the Trump Administration, we are working to undo the damage and restore law and order to our immigration system. My bill will expand and protect the 287(g) program, empowering local law enforcement to partner with ICE and assist the Trump Administration in removing illegal immigrants from our streets,” he said. Together, we will secure our borders, enforce the rule of law, and make South Texas and the rest of the country safe again.”

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    Rep. Michael Cloud questions U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle

    Rep. Michael Cloud, R-Texas, questions U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle as she testifies before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee about the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump at a campaign event in Pennsylvania, at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Monday, July 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

    The bill, which has the support of restrictionist immigration group NumbersUSA, was praised by Texas’ Goliad County Sheriff Roy Boyd, who said the bill would be a “momentous step in the right direction, as it will provide an unprecedented level of cooperation and coordination between local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies.”

    The bill faces a strong chance of passage given the Republican control of both the House and the Senate. There have been a number of GOP-backed immigration bills hit Congress in recent days, after a year in which illegal immigration was shown to be a top priority for voters.

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    Congress recently sent the Laken Riley Act to Trump’s desk. The bill passed both chambers of Congress with bipartisan support and would mandate the detention of illegal immigrants arrested for theft-related crimes.

  • Border encounters drop sharply as Trump launches crackdown on illegal immigration

    Border encounters drop sharply as Trump launches crackdown on illegal immigration

    EXCLUSIVE: The U.S. southern border has seen a sharp drop in illegal immigrant encounters in the first days of the Trump administration, compared to the final few days of the Biden administration, a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) source tells Fox News Digital.

    The number of Border Patrol encounters at the southern border in the first three days of the Trump administration is 35% lower than the final three days of the Biden administration, the source said. The numbers do not include encounters at the northern border, or encounters at ports of entry by CBP’s Office of Field Operations.

    On Jan 17, there were 1,288 encounters nationwide, then 1,266 on Jan 18 and 1,354 on Jan 19. That is 3,908 encounters in total.

    TRUMP’S ICE RACKS UP HUNDREDS OF ARRESTS, INCLUDING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ARRESTED FOR HORROR CRIMES

    President Donald Trump holds a document on the day he issues executive orders and pardons for January 6 defendants in the Oval Office at the White House, January 20, 2025. (REUTERS/Carlos Barria)

    Trump took office on the 20th, when there were 1,073 encounters. It then declined further to 736 encounters on the 21st and again to 714 on the 22nd – making up 2,523 encounters.

    Numbers fluctuate sharply at the border on a daily and weekly basis, but numbers have been relatively low since June, when President Biden signed an executive order limiting asylum. That followed a historic migrant crisis from 2021 that had shattered records repeatedly.

    Migrants seeking asylum in the United States who previously requested an appointment on the CBP One Mobile application, are silhouetted as they queue at El Chaparral border crossing

    Migrants seeking asylum in the United States who previously requested an appointment on the CBP One Mobile application, are silhouetted as they queue at El Chaparral border crossing toward the U.S. to attend their appointment, in Tijuana, Mexico January 18, 2025.  (REUTERS/Jorge Duenes)

    President Donald Trump implemented additional restrictions. On taking office, he signed orders declaring a national emergency at the border, deploying the military to the border and ended the use of the CBP One app to process migrants at ports of entry via humanitarian parole.

    His administration has also launched a mass deportation operation, with ICE agents active in multiple cities and states across the United States.

    ‘PROMPT REMOVAL’: TRUMP DHS EXPANDS EXPEDITED DEPORTATION POWERS AS OPERATIONS RAMP UP

    The Department of Homeland Security has also issued memos rescinding limits placed on ICE by the Biden administration, ordering a review of parole, and expanding the use of expedited removal for recently-arrived illegal immigrants.

    Trump’s administration has also moved to restore border wall construction and reinstate the Remain-in-Mexico policy, which requires migrants to stay in Mexico for the duration of their asylum cases.

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    Trump also signed an executive order ending birthright citizenship for illegal immigrants — a move which quickly sparked a lawsuit from nearly two dozen Democratic-led states.

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    Although the data is preliminary, lower numbers will likely fuel speculation about a “Trump effect,” in which migrants are discouraged from making their way to the border if they believe they are less likely to be admitted, or more likely to be deported if they are.
     

  • PhonePe Launches Extensive Campaign for Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 in Prayagraj, Offers INR 144 Flat Cashback in First Transactions

    PhonePe Launches Extensive Campaign for Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 in Prayagraj, Offers INR 144 Flat Cashback in First Transactions

    New Delhi, January 21: PhonePe on Tuesday announced the launch of an extensive campaign around the ongoing Mahakumbh mela in Pragyaraj. The campaign among many exciting things includes – the ‘MahaKumba Ka MahaShagun’ offer, where first-time users attending the gathering in Pragyaraj city can avail Rs 144 flat cashback on their first transaction. The offer is valid only till the end of the mela on February 26, and on the transaction as low as Re 1.

    To drive consumer awareness for the campaign, the company is also using a mix of Mahakumbh-themed QR codes, banners, posters, and other branding elements at relevant touch points. Further, to make this auspicious gathering even more exciting PhonePe has launched a special message on its SmartSpeaker, wishing attendees “Maha Kumbh ki Shubhkamnayein, Maha Shagun ke Saath”. ‘Entity Locker’: Government Launches Digital Platform To Transform Management, Verification of Business and Organisation Documents.

    The campaign is aimed to help make the auspicious gathering of the Mahakumbh mela convenient and seamless for over 40 crore attendees, expected to attend the event. Allowing them to move about without the stress of carrying cash for paying at stalls or stores or even to pay for shaguns, as PhonePe will be an accepted mode of payment throughout the venue. This will also further enhance the adoption of digital payments in the country while driving financial inclusion for crores of Indians who are yet to come into the digital payments fold. WhatsApp New Feature Update: Meta-Owned Platform Introduces Redesigned Interface in Communities Tab and Bulk Management Feature for Channels for iOS Users.

    PhonePe also described a step-by-step guide to avail of this special cashback offer. Users must first download the PhonePe app on an ioS or Android device, link bank account, and set a UPI PIN. To avail of the offer, one must allow location permission on the app. Users must also keep their location service ‘on’ on their devices. The offer is valid for users in Prayagraj city only. Users can pay seamlessly using the linked UPI account across use cases and can avail cashback which will reflect in the form of a scratch card on the PhonePe app.

    (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 21, 2025 05:34 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).

  • Ben & Jerry’s co-founder launches contest to support Elon Musk’s Dept of Government Efficiency: ‘DOGE vs Blob’

    Ben & Jerry’s co-founder launches contest to support Elon Musk’s Dept of Government Efficiency: ‘DOGE vs Blob’

    Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Ben Cohen threw his support behind Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) with the launch of a new meme contest on Monday.

    On the day of President Donald Trump’s inauguration and the establishment of DOGE, Cohen posted on X that he would be launching the “DOGE vs. Blob” website as a way of backing the department.

    “Pentagon bureaucrats torch $2 million of taxpayer money every minute. In honor of @DOGE, I’m launching @dogevsblob, a meme contest highlighting the biggest gov’t spender + waster. We’re giving away 1,000 @dogecoin a day. If anyone can slash the Pentagon budget, @elonmusk can. Let’s support him,” Cohen wrote.

    VERMONT NATIVE AMERICAN CHIEF SAYS BEN & JERRY’S HEADQUARTERS ON ‘STOLEN’ LAND

    Cohen linked to the website and told followers that they could enter for free up to nine times a day for the next 100 days. He wrote that he will select the two best memes for the grand prize of 10,000 DOGE coins each.

    The “DOGE vs. Blob” website highlighted multiple examples of government waste at the Pentagon, stressing how the DOD had failed its seventh consecutive audit in a row.

    “Unelected bureaucrats in Washington are torching $2 million of taxpayer money every minute — fueling endless wars, lining their pockets, and drowning the nation deeper into debt. Over $6 trillion has gone to disastrous war efforts, malfunctioning weapons systems, and crony contracts. That ends now,” the website says.

    President Donald Trump established Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) after his inauguration on Monday. (Getty Images / iStock / Getty Images)

    It continued, “Elon created DOGE to take down the Pentagon’s bloated budget, nicknamed the Blob for its uncontrollable sprawl. Join the coalition of Blob slayers by spreading facts that inform, shock, and move the needle on Washington’s most wasteful farce — and stack some dogecoin while you’re at it.”

    BEN & JERRY’S GETS ‘BUD LIGHT TREATMENT’ AFTER CLAIMING JULY 4 THAT US SITS ON ‘STOLEN INDIGENOUS LAND’

    In a comment to FOX Business, Cohen said, “I’m supporting an issue and I’m happy to work together with anyone else who supports that issue… I think the key to get anything done in the country is to work with people of any political persuasion where you have common ground. And that’s what I’m looking to do.”

    Cohen and his company have often supported progressive politicians and causes, such as Ben & Jerry’s controversial July 4th tweet in 2023 calling for the U.S. to return “stolen Indigenous land.”

    However, Cohen has also previously voiced his disdain for U.S. involvement in Ukraine’s war with Russia and called for peace negotiations, which Musk has endorsed.

    Ben & Jerry's logo on smartphone

    Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Ben Cohen launched the “DOGE vs. Blob” website. (Pavlo Gonchar/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images / Getty Images)

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    “In the end, money won,” Cohen said in 2023. “And today, not only are they providing weapons to all the new NATO countries, but they’re providing weapons to Ukraine.”

    “I’m not supporting Russia, I’m not supporting Ukraine,” he added. “I’m supporting negotiations to end the war instead of providing more weapons to continue the war.”

  • SpaceX launches four rockets in less than 40 hours

    SpaceX launches four rockets in less than 40 hours

    In less than 48 hours, SpaceX pulled off a stunning feat, conducting four launches in three states, with huge implications for the future of space exploration.

    The first launch came on Sunday, with the enormous Starship rocket blasting off from the southern tip of Texas. Remarkably, the first-stage booster flew back to the launch pad, where the tower’s metal arms caught the descending 232-foot booster. 

    SpaceX CEO Elon Musk called it a “Big step towards making life multiplanetary.” 

    SPACEX LAUNCHES MISSION TO SPACE STATION THAT WILL BRING BACK STRANDED NASA ASTRONAUTS NEXT YEAR

    The spacecraft continued its journey around the world, soaring more than 130 miles high before eventually landing in the Indian Ocean, piling on SpaceX’s achievements. 

    A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket with a NASA spacecraft bound for Jupiter lifts off from pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center on Monday, Oct. 14, 2024, in Cape Canaveral, Florida. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

    Starship is the biggest and most powerful rocket ever built, with 33 methane-fuel engines on the booster alone. 

    The next day, a NASA spacecraft lifted off aboard SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, bound for Jupiter and its moon Europa.  

    The Europa Clipper will peer beneath the moon’s icy crust to determine whether conditions there could support life. 

    NASA Europa Launch

    A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket with a NASA spacecraft bound for Jupiter lifts off at the Kennedy Space Center on Monday, Oct. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

    Then on early Tuesday, SpaceX launched two Falcon 9 rockets – one from Florida and another in California – sending dozens of Starlink satellites into orbit. 

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    The first launch, from Cape Canaveral, marked SpaceX’s 100th launch of the year, with still two-and-a-half months left in 2024. 

    The Associated Press contributed to this report.