作者： root

WATCH: Cory Booker unleashes fiery call for ‘foot soldiers’ at Michigan Dem conference

2026-04-20T18:21:21-04:00 / Fox News

New Jersey senator delivers high-energy, sermon-style speech invoking a ‘storm’ and urging Democrats to mobilize as 2028 speculation simmers

By Elaine Mallon Fox News

Published April 20, 2026 6:21pm EDT

Fired up Cory Booker rallies ‘foot soldiers’ at Michigan Democratic convention

Cory Booker gave a fiery sermon-style speech, urging Democrats to be “foot soldiers” for democracy as “darkness” spreads.

NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

Listen to this article

4 min

Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., delivered a high-energy, revival sermon-style speech at the Michigan Democratic Convention, shouting and gesturing as he urged Democrats to become “foot soldiers for democracy” and warned that “darkness and wind” are sweeping the nation.

Booker was one of several out-of-state leaders, including former Vice President Kamala Harris and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, to participate in the Michigan Democratic Convention. All three have been floated as possible contenders for the 2028 presidential election.

Booker spoke for roughly 25 minutes and at several points bellowed at the crowd, adopting a poetic cadence and word choice.

“Ladies and gentlemen, there is a storm in our nation,” Booker exclaimed, finishing his speech. “There is darkness and wind. People are getting hurt. What we need is not from on high. We need foot soldiers of our democracy who in times of trial, are willing to stand up.”

MAJOR TRUMP CRITIC HAS ‘NOT DISMISSED’ ANOTHER PRESIDENTIAL RUN AHEAD OF 2028 ELECTION

Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., speaks during the news conference on Rep. LaMonica McIver outside the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, May 20, 2025.(Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Booker then announced that it was time for Democrats to “redeem the dream of America.”

“Will you stand for our democracy? Will you stand to get out the vote? Will you stand for our children? Will you stand up for our elders?” Booker said. “And will you stand together, unified, strong — be the hope that people need. We are Democrats. It’s time for a new deal. It’s time to redeem the dream of America.”

Booker, who unsuccessfully ran for president in 2020, used the speech as an opportunity to introduce himself to Michigan voters, sharing his career in politics and his family ties to the Great Lakes State.

CORY BOOKER ADMITS DEMOCRATS ‘FAILED IN MY GENERATION’ IN SCATHING ASSESSMENT OF HIS OWN PARTY

At one point, he expressed his dismay with voters who opted out of voting for presidential candidates Hillary Clinton or Vice President Kamala Harris because they disagreed “on ten percent of her views.”

“Well, you may disagree with her on 10% of her views, but you let someone get in office who you disagree with on everything,” Booker railed. “You let somebody get in office who is locking up our children. You let somebody in office who’s taking away our health care. You let somebody in office who’s taken away workers rights. You let somebody in office who got rid of the Department of Education.”

He then suggested that Democratic voters in Michigan turn the Michigan hand — a reference to the state’s shape — into the “Michigan fist.”

Former U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during her “107 Days” book tour at the Ziff Ballet Opera House at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts on Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025, in downtown Miami.(Matias J. Ocner/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

CORY BOOKER CONFRONTED WITH OLD CLIP OF HIMSELF SAYING HE LOVES DONALD TRUMP

“I don’t want the Michigan hand after your August primary, I want the Michigan fist,” Booker shouted. “I want you all to unite. I want you to punch a hole in the wall of resistance. I want you to grab a sledgehammer and knock some stuff down. I want you to reach up and grab somebody and get them off the couch and get him on the field. We got points to put on the board. I want that Michigan fist. I want some unity.”

However, former MSNBC commentator Medhi Hasan took issue with Booker’s assertion about Democratic voters who didn’t vote for Harris in 2024. Hasan said that Booker’s characterization places the blame on voters for a Democratic loss rather than the party platform.

Andy Beshear, governor of Kentucky, at the Semafor World Economy Summit during the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Spring meetings in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, April 23, 2025.(Tierney L. Cross/Bloomberg)

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“I tried to tell people who didn’t vote Dem in 2024 ‘to teach Democrats a lesson’ that sadly Democrats will never learn that lesson,” Hasan said on X, sharing a video of Booker speaking. “Here’s Booker simply attacking and mocking people who didn’t show up to vote Dem. It’s always the voters’ fault, never the Dems or their candidates.”

Other critics poked fun at Booker’s emphatic deliverance.

“Calm down, Spartacus,” wrote America First Works, a non-profit group and the advocacy arm of the America First Policy Institute.

Fox News Digital reached out to Booker for comment.

Elaine Mallon is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business covering national politics.

AI company deleted OKCupid user photos, data after FTC scrutiny

2026-04-20 21:02:46 UTC / Reuters

By Jody Godoy

April 20, 2026 9:02 PM UTC Updated 2 hours ago

节点运行失败

A view of signage at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) headquarters in Washington, D.C., U.S., November 24, 2024. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File Photo

• Company said it deleted data obtained in 2014
• Democratic lawmaker called for models’ deletion
• AI a political flashpoint in the U.S. ahead of elections

April 20 (Reuters) – Artificial intelligence company Clarifai said this month it had deleted 3 million OkCupid ​user photos and facial-recognition models trained on them after the U.S. Federal Trade Commission settled with ​the dating site over privacy violations.

OkCupid settled with the FTC in late March for providing photos and demographic data to train Clarifai’s facial-recognition models in 2014, but the settlement drew criticism from some Democrats who alleged it did not go far enough.

Jumpstart your morning with the latest legal news delivered straight to your inbox from The Daily Docket newsletter. Sign up here.

Advertisement · Scroll to continue

The incident reflects ​how AI has become a political flashpoint ahead of U.S. congressional elections, as President Donald Trump’s administration ​seeks to promote American dominance in the industry.

Clarifai certified to the FTC on April 7 ⁠that it had deleted the data, according to a document seen by Reuters.

COMPANY DELETES MODELS AND DATA

The company ​also told the office of U.S. Representative Lori Trahan on April 16 that it had deleted any models trained on ​the data and had not shared the data with third parties, her office said.

The Democrat from Massachusetts called the confirmation “a step in the right direction,” but said “the FTC should have never settled for less in the first place.”

Advertisement · Scroll to continue

“Misconduct by AI companies should never go ​unnoticed or unanswered, and I’ll continue plugging gaps left by this partisan FTC to ensure Americans’ privacy and safety ​comes first,” Trahan said in a statement.

However, FTC spokesperson Joe Simonson said: “This is a completely baseless issue manufactured by Democrats who ‌do nothing ⁠but lie for a living.”

The FTC does not have authority to issue penalties for the violations alleged in the case. Clarifai, which received the data after requesting it from OkCupid, was not accused of any wrongdoing.

Clarifai did not respond to requests for comment on how many models were deleted or how long they were in use.

FACIAL-RECOGNITION DATA

The Delaware-based ​company offers facial-recognition technology that ​identifies individuals in images ⁠and video, and can analyze age, race and gender, according to its website. The company has contracted with the U.S. military, and has received investments from Nvidia and others.

Clarifai’s ​founder sought the data in 2014, when some OkCupid executives were Clarifai investors, according ​to court documents.

“We’re ⁠collecting data now and just realized that OKCupid must have a HUGE amount of awesome data for this,” Clarifai founder Matthew Zeiler wrote in an email to OkCupid co-founder Maxwell Krohn.

The data transfer breached OkCupid’s privacy policy and a federal ⁠law against ​deceptive business practices, the FTC said. OkCupid and Match Group, which ​runs Tinder and other online dating platforms, agreed not to misrepresent their privacy policies under the settlement.

The agency opened the probe after a New ​York Times article in 2019, during the first Trump administration.

Reporting by Jody Godoy in New York; Editing by Matthew Lewis

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

苹果任命新首席执行官 库克将转任执行董事长

2026年4月21日 07:03 / 联合早报

苹果任命新首席执行官 库克将转任执行董事长

苹果公司星期一宣布，库克将于9月卸任苹果公司的首席执行官一职。 （法新社）

苹果公司任命硬件主管特努斯为下一任首席执行官，现任首席执行官库克将转任执行董事长。

综合法新社和彭博社报道，苹果星期一（4月20日）发布声明宣布，特努斯（John Ternus）将于9月1日出任首席执行官，库克在卸任后将出任执行董事长。

库克在声明中说：“担任苹果首席执行官，并获信任领导这样一家非凡的公司，是我一生中最大的荣幸。”

库克于1998年加入苹果公司，一路晋升，并作为首席运营官协调公司复杂的供应链，推动了公司的成功。他于2011年从创始人乔布斯手中接任首席执行官一职。

特努斯于2001年加入苹果产品设计团队，并在随后的二十年间晋升为硬件工程高级副总裁。

特努斯在同一份声明中说：“我非常感激能有机会继续推进苹果的使命。”

Even Trump’s most basic claims about the Iran war can’t be trusted

2026-04-20T20:20:24.947Z / CNN

Analysis by Daniel Dale

PUBLISHED Apr 20, 2026, 4:20 PM ET

President Donald Trump speaks to members of the press aboard Air Force One on April 17.

Win McNamee/Getty Images

On Monday morning, President Donald Trump told The New York Post that Vice President JD Vance was already on his way to Pakistan for negotiations with Iran. “They’re heading over now,” the Post quoted Trump as saying. “They’ll be there tonight, Islamabad time.”

Except that wasn’t true. A bit later on Monday morning, people familiar with Vance’s plans told CNN’s Alayna Treene that the vice president was expected to depart for Pakistan on Tuesday for talks beginning Wednesday. Vance’s motorcade was soon spotted at the White House.

Trump’s inaccurate remark might be shrugged off, the kind of little thing a busy president could understandably get wrong. But it’s part of a pattern that has accelerated over the past week – of this president being incorrect about even the most basic of matters related to the Iran war.

“One of the big differences between the current round of US-Iran diplomacy and prior rounds is that this administration and the President in particular are unreliable narrators,” Eric Brewer, a former National Security Council counterproliferation official, posted on social media on Friday. “Iran watchers have gotten pretty good at parsing statements from both sides over the years, but we’ve never had to contend with a US president that is so outspoken and prone to exaggeration, fabrication, and outright lies.”

Trump’s Monday claim about Vance’s travel was only the latest in a series of false, dubious or unproven comments about the war. Many of them were more substantive.

On Friday, after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi declared that the Strait of Hormuz would be “completely open” to commercial vessels during the ongoing ceasefire, Trump posted that “the Hormuz Strait situation is over” and that “Iran has agreed to never close the Strait of Hormuz again.”

But the situation very clearly wasn’t over: Trump himself had posted the same morning that the US would continue its blockade on ships heading to or from Iranian ports; Araghchi had said its opening of the strait only applied to a specific Iran-approved path near its coastline rather than the lanes ships had generally used before; and an Iranian official posted later in the day that ships had to get approval from the navy of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and pay tolls.

As for Iran’s supposed agreement to never close the strait again? Iran announced the very next day that it was closing the strait again.

False claim after false claim from Trump

On Thursday, Trump claimed to reporters: “The pope made a statement. He says, Iran can have a nuclear weapon.” Pope Leo XIV, an unequivocal opponent of nuclear weapons, had not said that. In a Fox Business interview that aired Wednesday, Trump claimed that Persian Gulf countries “were not expected to be hit” by Iran. In reality, retaliatory Iranian strikes on these countries was widely expected. In a Fox News interview the Sunday before last, Trump claimed of Iran: “Their military is gone, everything’s gone.” But Iran very obviously still had a military with destructive capabilities, though the US and Israel had degraded them.

Trump’s Monday claim about Vance was at least his second bit of misinformation about his own vice president in two days. On Sunday, Trump told MS NOW that Vance wouldn’t be part of the delegation to Pakistan for security reasons. But after the president said that, “two senior US officials told MS NOW that Vance would, in fact, lead the delegation to Islamabad,” the outlet reported.

It’s possible the administration’s plans had changed after Trump spoke. But here too, the president’s words about even this simple question couldn’t be taken as fact.

A claim Trump made at an April 6 press conference was emblematic of just how bewilderingly detached from reality many of his claims about the war have been. He said, “The only planes, really, that we lost were – friendly fire, they call it.” He said this at an event at which he had already spoken at length about what happened after Iran shot down a US fighter plane.

How many of Trump’s triumphant claims about the talks were true? We don’t know yet

Trump has a yearslong history of lying about a remarkably diverse range of subjects. Whether he has been deliberately deceiving the public about the Iran war or has been repeatedly uninformed or misinformed about it, the frequency of his falsehoods has made it impossible to rely on his statements about what Iran is supposedly saying behind the scenes.

In phone calls with journalists last week, Trump made a series of triumphant declarations about major concessions Iran had purportedly made. These included an “unlimited” moratorium on nuclear activities (per Bloomberg), an end to its support for all proxy groups including Hamas and Hezbollah (per CBS News), and the US both removing Iran’s enriched uranium and taking it (also per CBS News).

After CBS News correspondent Weijia Jiang asked Trump whether Iran had agreed to permanently cease enriching uranium, he responded: “They’ve agreed to everything.”

Experts expressed strong skepticism that Iran had done what Trump claimed. And Iranian officials soon declared that they had not agreed to everything Trump had said they had; a spokesperson for the foreign ministry issued a statement saying, “Enriched uranium is as sacred to us as Iranian soil and will not be transferred anywhere under any circumstances.”

“The President of the United States made seven claims in one hour, all seven of which were false,” Iranian parliamentary speaker and key negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf posted Friday.

Iran’s words can’t be trusted, of course. Its leadership has lied repeatedly about the war and many other matters. And the competing power centers within its government often make it hard to figure out which officials’ comments carry the most authority.

So, if a US-Iran deal is eventually reached, it’s possible some of Trump’s assertions will be proven accurate. But Trump’s history means we can’t take it for granted that the US president’s claims about the negotiations are more correct than the claims of Iranian leaders – or even assume this is likely – until we see that proof.

Kevin Warsh set to face lawmakers in Fed chair confirmation hearing. Here’s what to expect.

April 20, 2026 / 5:17 PM EDT / CBS News

Kevin Warsh, President Trump’s nominee to replace Jerome Powell as chair of the Federal Reserve, is set to face questions regarding his views on inflation, interest rates and other economic issues at a Senate Banking Committee hearing on Tuesday.

A majority on the 24-member panel must vote in favor of Warsh’s nomination to advance it to the full Senate for a vote, with approval in the chamber also requiring a simple majority.

Warsh is widely expected to be confirmed to succeed Powell, whose term expires on May 15. One potential roadblock is Sen. Thom Tillis, a Republican from North Carolina who previously said he wouldn’t approve the nomination until the Department of Justice concludes an investigation into Powell.

In an interview with CNBC on Monday, National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett expressed support for Warsh and said he expects the former Fed board governor to be confirmed.

David Wessel, director of the Brookings Institution’s Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy, told CBS News in an email that he expects Warsh to highlight his commitment to keeping prices stable while avoiding any explicit promises to adjust interest rates.

Here are key areas senators are likely to address during Warsh’s confirmation hearing, which is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. ET.

Interest rate cuts

Warsh was viewed as “hawkish” on inflation during his tenure as a Federal Reserve board governor from 2006 to 2011, generally prioritizing controlling inflation through tighter monetary policy. By contrast, “dovish” policymakers tend to favor keeping rates lower to boost economic growth.

More recently, however, Warsh has signaled support for lower rates, suggesting that AI could help keep prices down by accelerating economic productivity. In a November 2025 op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, he wrote that “AI will be a significant disinflationary force.”

Lawmakers are likely to press Warsh on whether he still favors easing borrowing costs amid a jump in inflation this year, as the Iran war drives up U.S. and global energy costs.

Kevin Warsh at the International Monetary Fund and World Bank spring meetings at the IMF headquarters in Washington, D.C., on April 25, 2025. Tierney L. Cross / Bloomberg via Getty Images

“Although Warsh has argued for lower rates, we do not view him as structurally dovish,” Deutsche Bank analysts said in a research note last week. “Instead, his views have tended to skew hawkish relative to others.”

President Trump has repeatedly called for the central bank to cut rates, something he’s likely to continue pushing for once the new Fed chair is sworn in. Asked last week on Fox Business whether he expects interest rates to decline, he said, “when Kevin gets in … interest rates should be much lower.”

The Fed’s benchmark interest rate is set by majority vote among the 12 members of the Federal Open Market Committee. That means Warsh won’t have unilateral power to set interest rates even if he wins confirmation. Meanwhile, with U.S. inflation rising last month to a 3.3% annual rate — the highest reading in nearly two years — Warsh could face resistance convincing other Fed officials to ease rates.

Fed balance sheet

Warsh is also likely to field questions at Tuesday’s hearing about his support for shrinking the Federal Reserve’s balance sheet, according to Wall Street analyst Adam Crisafulli of Vital Knowledge.

Warsh has previously argued that such a policy could help temper inflation and limit the amount of money circulating in the economy, opening the door to additional rate cuts, Deutsche Bank said in its report. Reducing the balance sheet often leads to higher interest rates, while expanding usually lowers borrowing costs.

A smaller Fed balance sheet also would provide a better lending environment for small businesses and consumers, Warsh wrote in his Wall Street Journal op-ed last fall.

Deutsche Bank analysts said in the report last week that Fed officials seem to be coalescing around the idea that reducing the balance sheet will be a slower process that requires more fundamental changes at the central bank. The focus at Tuesday’s hearing will be on “whether Warsh confirms this more gradual pathway to balance-sheet reduction,” the analysts wrote.

As of mid-April, the Fed’s balance sheet was $6.71 trillion, according to Trading Economics, up from $6.54 trillion in December. The balance sheet ballooned after the 2008-09 financial crisis, when the Fed bought trillions of dollars of government and mortgage-backed bonds in a move to lower interest rates and support economic growth.

Warsh’s wealth

Outside of his plans for the Fed, Warsh could face questions from Democratic senators over his personal wealth, Wessel told CBS News, adding that some lawmakers are “unhappy with the opaqueness of his financial disclosures.”

Warsh’s financial disclosures put his net worth at well over $100 million, far exceeding the wealth of previous Fed chairs. He is married to cosmetics heiress Jane Lauder, whose net worth Forbes estimates at $2.5 billion.

The regulatory filing, released last week, states that Warsh would stop working as an adviser for the private investment firm of billionaire Stanley Druckenmiller and divest some of his holdings if he is confirmed as Fed chair.

Edited by Alain Sherter

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

美伊互警备战 巴基斯坦和谈前景未明

2026年4月21日 07:29 / 联合早报

伊朗革命卫队已警告称，将打击任何未经许可试图穿越霍尔木兹海峡的船只。特朗普同样指责德黑兰违反停火协议，称伊朗方面在霍尔木兹海峡骚扰船只。 （路透社）

随着休战期限临近，美国和伊朗星期一互相警告称已做好开战准备，重启谈判的前景充满不确定性。

法新社报道，白宫指副总统万斯已准备好再次飞往巴基斯坦首都伊斯兰堡。伊斯兰堡方面也在明显为第二轮谈判做准备。

但伊朗政府拒绝确认是否将参加谈判，并指责美国通过封锁伊朗港口和扣押一艘船只，违反了停火协议。

伊朗国会议长加利巴夫星期二（4月21日）凌晨在社交媒体上发文说，美国总统特朗普试图通过封锁和违反停火协议，将谈判桌变成“投降桌”或为再度煽动战争寻找借口，但伊朗不接受胁迫。

他强调，伊朗不接受在威胁阴影下进行的谈判，已做好在战场上“打出新牌”的准备。

伊朗革命卫队已警告称，将打击任何未经许可试图穿越霍尔木兹海峡的船只。

特朗普同样指责德黑兰违反停火协议，称伊朗方面在霍尔木兹海峡骚扰船只。

在特朗普的社交平台上发布的一系列愤怒贴文中，他坚称封锁正在“彻底摧毁”伊朗，并表明除非达成“协议”，否则封锁不会结束。美国方面正借此施压，要求伊朗在其备受争议的核计划上做出让步。

特朗普告诉美国公共广播公司（PBS）新闻，伊朗“本应出席”在巴基斯坦举行的谈判。

他说：“我们已经同意出席”，并警告称如果停火到期，“那么大量炸弹就会开始爆炸”。

他告诉彭博社，他“极不可能”延长这项为期两周的停火协议。

根据停火开始时间推算，停火协议将于德黑兰时间星期二深夜到期；不过特朗普在接受彭博采访时称，停火期将于华盛顿时间星期三晚间结束。

Falwell: ‘If you hold Biblical values’ you will vote ‘no’ on Virginia redistricting

2026-04-20T16:21:38-04:00 / Fox News

Falwell claims proponents want to change Virginia’s congressional makeup from 6-5 Republican to 10-1 liberal

By Charles Creitz Fox News

Published April 20, 2026 4:21pm EDT | Updated April 20, 2026 6:01pm EDT

Rev. Jonathan Falwell says voting ‘no’ on Virginia redistricting aligns with ‘biblical values’

Thomas Road Baptist Church senior pastor and Liberty University chancellor Jonathan Falwell sounds off from the pulpit on Virginia’s redistricting referendum. (Credit: @WendellWalkerVA/X – April 19, 2026)

NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

Listen to this article

3 min

Opponents of Virginia’s redistricting referendum hitting ballot boxes on Tuesday got an assist from on high after the son of the late Rev. Jerry Falwell spoke out on the “Biblical values” behind opposing the controversial measure.

Rev. Jonathan Falwell, chancellor of Liberty University in Lynchburg and pastor of Thomas Road Baptist Church (founded by his father), has been a prominent conservative religious voice for decades.

In remarks shared by Virginia Del. Wendell Walker, R-Lynchburg, Falwell told congregants that while he has never and will never advise anyone on who to vote for or against, Tuesday’s ballot measure is not to be ignored.

“Tuesday is an election day here in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It shouldn’t be, but it is. And we have an election coming up. There’s no body on the ballot. There are no individuals running for any office. It is simply a decision that was made by some people in Richmond to subvert the common way and the right way to do things,” Falwell said.

OBAMA URGES VIRGINIANS TO VOTE YES ON REDISTRICTING MEASURE THAT COULD GIVE DEMOCRATS 4 MORE HOUSE SEATS

Youngkin calls proposed Virginia congressional map the ‘most gerrymandered’ in AmericaVideo

Falwell explained how redistricting proponents crafted the ballot language to say that a “yes” vote would “restore fairness” and that their definition of such was to change the congressional makeup of Virginia from 6-5 to 10 “leaning to the liberal [side] and one leaning to the conservative [side].”

“I don’t quite think the Restore Fairness is exactly what they’re trying to do. I think what they are trying to do is to completely take over.”

Falwell underlined that he has only ever encouraged congregants to “vote your values” and described what Biblical values translate to in a political context.

“Today, I’m going to do the exact same thing, but it’s a little bit different because today I know that if you hold Biblical values, if you believe in the sanctity of life, if you believe in the right of having this idea that there is man and woman period. If you believe clearly in all the freedoms and the values and the principles upon which this nation was founded, there is only one way to vote on Tuesday and that is to vote no.”

SOROS-BACKED GROUP AMONG LIBERAL ORGS PUMPING EYE-POPPING CASH INTO VIRGINIA GERRYMANDERING EFFORT

Rev. Jonathan Falwell comforts sister Jeannie and brother Jerry Jr. after the passing of their father Rev. Jerry Falwell in 2007.(Alex Wong/Getty Images)

He noted that he expects blowback for speaking out on the topic, adding that he anticipates angry letters and emails.

“I don’t care,” Falwell said. “We cannot allow the Commonwealth of Virginia to be taken over by a simple group of people who just simply believe that their way is the only way.”

“If we truly believe that voting matters, if we truly believe that our values matter, if you truly believe that we have the right to let our voices be heard, then let your voice be heard and vote.”

Walker later praised Falwell for speaking out, calling his decision a “courageous stand.”

“Leadership like this matters — speak up and make your voice heard. Vote NO,” Walker said.

DAVID MARCUS: DESPERATE DEMS TAP OBAMA TO PITCH VIRGINIA GERRYMANDERING LIES

At least one respondent to another repost of Falwell’s remarks was, however, nonplussed.

A woman casts her vote at a polling place in Burke, Fairfax County, Virginia, in 2026.(Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg)

“If pastors like Jonathan Falwell want to start telling people how to vote from the pulpit, then megachurches like Thomas Road Baptist Church should start paying taxes,” the critic said.

Falwell succeeded his father, Rev. Jerry Falwell, as senior pastor of Thomas Road in 2007, and became chancellor of Liberty University in 2023.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Falwell Sr. was leader of the conservative “Moral Majority” during the Reagan era.

Fox News Digital reached out to Falwell and Thomas Road for further comment.

Charles Creitz is a reporter for Fox News Digital.

He joined Fox News in 2013 as a writer and production assistant.

Charles covers media, politics and culture for Fox News Digital.

Charles is a Pennsylvania native and graduated from Temple University with a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism. Story tips can be sent to charles.creitz@fox.com.

https://www.foxnews.com/video/6393482120112

Democrat Betty Yee exits California governor’s race

2026-04-20T20:52:16.908Z / CNN

By Associated Press

3 hr ago

PUBLISHED Apr 20, 2026, 4:52 PM ET

US elections Gubernatorial elections State & local races

See all topics

Facebook Tweet Email Link Threads

Link Copied!

Betty Yee attends the SEIU-United Service Workers West Gubernatorial Candidate Worker Forum at Meruelo Studios in Los Angeles, California, on January 10, 2026.

Etienne Laurent/AFP/Getty Images/File

Los Angeles AP—

Another Democrat is exiting the crowded contest for California governor.

Betty Yee — a former state controller — announced Monday she was suspending her campaign, just over a week after fellow Democrat and former US Rep. Eric Swalwell left the race following sexual assault allegations that he denies.

Yee was vying to be the first woman to hold the state’s highest office. But she lagged in fundraising and failed to break into the leading tier of candidates in polling since entering the contest in 2024. In a fluid race that many voters have ignored, she tried to pitch herself as a candidate “who focuses on solutions rather than soundbites” or a levelheaded “boring Betty.”

Still, with Yee out, the contest to replace outgoing Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom remains crowded and unpredictable, with no clear leader. Yee’s withdrawal leaves six established Democrats and two leading Republicans on a ballot with more than 50 names.

Mail ballots are scheduled to go to voters in early May, in advance of the June 2 primary election. At this stage of the campaign, Yee’s name cannot be removed.

Swalwell’s exit dramatically reordered the race, since he was among the leading Democrats. Yee, however, had been frozen at the bottom of the field with scant voter support.

Democrats have feared the party’s large number of candidates could lead to them getting shut out of the general election in November. That’s because California has a primary system in which only the top two vote-getters advance to the general election, regardless of party.

Polling in late March and early April by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California found a cluster of candidates in close competition: Democrats Tom Steyer and former US Rep. Katie Porter, Republicans Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco, and Swalwell. Other candidates were trailing. The polling was conducted before Swalwell withdrew.

Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer leaving Trump administration, in latest exit from Cabinet

April 20, 2026 / 6:14 PM EDT / CBS News

Washington — Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer is leaving the Trump administration, the White House confirmed Monday.

White House communications director Steven Cheung said Chavez-DeRemer is taking a position in the private sector. After the White House announcement, Chavez-DeRemer called it “an honor and a privilege” to serve in the administration.

The department’s Deputy Secretary Keith Sonderling will take on the role of acting secretary, Cheung said.

Her departure marks the latest member of President Trump’s Cabinet to exit the administration in recent weeks. Mr. Trump fired Attorney General Pam Bondi earlier this month after Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was replaced in March.

Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer arrives for a congressional hearing on June 5, 2025. Julia Demaree Nikhinson / AP

Chavez-DeRemer had been under scrutiny, with several news outlets reporting that her conduct was under investigation by the Labor Department’s internal watchdog. CBS News has not confirmed the existence of the investigation. The Labor Department inspector general’s office declined to comment on Monday, and an official would not confirm the existence of an investigation or a status of a report.

The New York Times reported last week that the department’s inspector general was looking at text messages sent by Chavez-DeRemer, her top aides and family members to young staffers.

Chavez-DeRemer’s husband was barred from the department’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., after two women who work there reported that he had touched them inappropriately, sources familiar with the situation told CBS News earlier this year.

Chavez-DeRemer previously served one term as a Republican congresswoman from Oregon before losing her bid for reelection.

While in Congress, Chavez-DeRemer was one of a handful of Republicans to cosponsor the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, a suite of changes to federal union protections backed by Democrats and major labor groups. The AFL-CIO, a large federation of unions, praised Chavez-DeRemer’s record when she was nominated, but was skeptical of Mr. Trump’s views on organized labor.

Kristin Brown contributed to this report.

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/labor-secretary-lori-chavez-deremer-resigns/

研究：加沙战后需714亿美元重建 六成居民无家可归

2026年4月21日 07:54 / 联合早报

一项最新研究显示，加沙在未来十年内预计需要714亿美元（约906亿新元）用于战后重建。4月20日，在加沙南部城市汗尤尼斯，巴勒斯坦武装分子与以色列支持的民兵发生冲突。 （路透社）

一项最新研究显示，加沙在未来十年内预计需要714亿美元（约906亿新元）用于战后重建。

由欧盟、联合国和世界银行星期一（4月20日）发布的联合报告称，其中约263亿美元资金需要在前18个月内到位，用于恢复基本公共服务和建设关键基础设施。

哈马斯于2023年10月7日突袭以色列，引发以哈冲突，双方达成的停火协议已生效六个月。

尽管美国总统特朗普去年10月高调宣布达成这项停火协议，但协议从未进入第二阶段，即哈马斯解除武装、建立新的治理机构并启动重建工作。国际关注的重心已转向2月28日爆发的伊朗战争。

加沙地带的状况依然严峻，大多数居民缺乏合适的住所、基本服务以及充足的食物和药品。国际救援委员会警告称，这场多重危机正“逐渐淡出全球视线”。

报告估计，加沙有190万人流离失所，占战前总人口的逾80%，其中超过六成的人失去了家园。

报告作者呼吁，应在发放人道主义援助的同时推进重建工作，并强调救援和重建应与联合国安理会第2803号决议保持一致。这项决议强调，重建进程应由巴勒斯坦人主导，且具有透明度和问责制。

国际救援委员会说，许多流离失所的加沙居民只能居住在临时搭建的帐篷中，约77%的人口面临急性粮食不安全风险。约94%的医院被毁或受损，约半数基本药品据称已经耗尽。

加沙卫生部门称，自停火协议生效以来，已有777名巴勒斯坦人死于以色列空袭，使以哈冲突爆发以来的总死亡人数超过7万2000人。