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- WATCH: America250 backdrop topples near Shapiro, Revolutionary War reenactors
A hefty backdrop sign toppled toward Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Benjamin Franklin reenactor and a woman portraying Betsy Ross on Thursday as the governor unveiled headliners for the "Commonwealth Concert Series" in anticipation of the nation's semiquincentennial. Shapiro, Franklin and Ross announced five free, star-studded concerts would take place around the commonwealth leading up to America’s 250th birthday on July 4 – at a cost of $675,000 from Pennsylvania’s Marketing to Attract Marquis Events program.As Shapiro joked that state Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, D-Wilkes-Barre, would be a good singer for a concert in that city, he pivoted to announcing the finale of the series. "Then on June 27, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at the newly refurbished, refashioned, redone Point State Park," he boomed, before being interrupted by a crashing sound as the large "America250PA" backdrop fell forward, nearly clipping him, Ross and Franklin.$20M ‘ONE SMALL STEP’ CAMPAIGN AIMS TO REBUILD AMERICAN PRIDE AHEAD OF 250TH ANNIVERSARY"You all right, Doctor Franklin?" Shapiro asked."I feel like Sandra Day O’Connor," Franklin replied – referencing a near-catastrophic incident in 2003 in Philadelphia as the Reagan-appointed Supreme Court justice was announcing the opening of the Constitution Center on Independence Mall.At that event, Day O’Connor counted down to the pulling of ribbons to unveil the center, and when her count hit zero, a large horizontal beam crashed down within inches of her head.WASHINGTON MONUMENT TO BECOME ‘BIRTHDAY CANDLE’ AS US MARKS START OF 250TH YEARShapiro announced several acts, including Lady A (formerly Lady Antebellum), The Fray, Cole Swindell and Gabby Barrett, before the sign crashed down. After ensuring all on the dais were unharmed Thursday, Shapiro finished his announcement, saying that Third Eye Blind would headline that final concert at the park – which is at the "point" confluence of the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio Rivers."I don't know if you saw this the other day, we redid the fountain there. Austin Davis, the great lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania, y'all should give them a little grief for this. He turned that fountain on so high, he soaked himself and every other guest who was there that day," Shapiro quipped."Third Eye Blind and Nelly, that’s going to be a good one." [TheTopNews] Read More.56 mins ago - Navy scraps Biden-era submarine contract as overhaul costs surge toward $3BThe Navy is canceling a long-delayed overhaul of the USS Boise after costs ballooned to nearly $3 billion, with Secretary of the Navy John Phelan saying the submarine no longer made financial or strategic sense to repair.In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Phelan said the Los Angeles-class attack submarine had already consumed roughly $800 million and would require another $1.9 billion to complete — despite offering only about 20% of its remaining service life. Instead, the Navy plans to redirect funding and skilled labor toward building and delivering newer Virginia- and Columbia-class submarines, part of a broader push to accelerate ship production and overhaul troubled acquisition programs."At some point, you just cut your losses and move on," Phelan said.The Navy originally awarded a roughly $1.2 billion contract in 2024 under the Biden administration to overhaul the submarine, nearly a decade after it was first slated for repairs, but updated estimates later showed the total cost to complete the work had surged far beyond initial projections."The Boise has been pier-side since 2015, cost nearly $800 million already, and it's only 22% complete — the math really does not work," he added.TRUMP UNVEILS MARITIME ACTION PLAN AS CHINA DOMINATES GLOBAL SHIPBUILDINGThe decision comes as the Navy faces mounting pressure to expand and maintain its fleet amid growing competition with China, which has built the world’s largest navy by number of ships. U.S. officials have increasingly emphasized the need to speed up shipbuilding and submarine production to keep pace with rising global demands.Boise’s problems long predate the canceled contract.The submarine last deployed in 2015 and was slated to begin a routine overhaul the following year, but delays at Navy shipyards left it waiting years for an available dry dock.As maintenance was pushed back, the situation worsened. The submarine lost its full operational certification in 2016 and its ability to dive in 2017, effectively sidelining it from combat operations.Despite being a frontline attack submarine, Boise remained tied up at port for years as the Navy struggled with a growing backlog of repairs across its fleet, driven by limited dry dock space, workforce shortages and competing maintenance priorities.The overhaul originally was planned to begin in 2016 but was repeatedly delayed for nearly a decade before the Navy finally awarded a contract in 2024 — by which point the submarine had already spent years out of service.US TO EXPEDITE NUCLEAR-POWERED SUBS TO AUSTRALIA THAT… [TheTopNews] Read More.2 hours ago
- Harris, Buttigieg, other Dem hopefuls court key Black leaders at Sharpton conven...It's only 2026, but the first major cattle call of potential Democratic presidential contenders in the 2028 White House race is underway.Eight Democrats who may launch presidential campaigns are speaking in New York City at the National Action Network’s 35th Anniversary Convention.The gathering, hosted by the civil rights organization's founder, the Rev. Al Sharpton, gives White House hopefuls an opportunity to speak directly to an influential group of Black leaders and activists who are key players in the Democratic Party's base.On Friday, the convention’s biggest draw, former Vice President Kamala Harris, was interrupted by the very friendly crowd with chants of "run again."KAMALA HARRIS' TRAVELS AND COMMENTS CLEARLY POINT TO 2028Asked by Sharpton if she would seek the presidency again, Harris answered, I might. I might. I’m thinking about it….I’ll keep you posted."Also speaking on Friday is another veteran of former President Joe Biden's administration: former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.Govs. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, JB Pritzker of Illinois and Wes Moore of Maryland, along with Rep. Ro Khanna of California, spoke over the past two days, while Gov. Andy Beshear of Kentucky and Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona are scheduled to appear Saturday.The preseason moves in the next race for the Democratic presidential nomination have been underway for a year, with the potential contenders making stops in the early voting nominating states, such as New Hampshire, South Carolina, Nevada and Iowa, as well as in other key electoral battlegrounds.The showdown for the 2028 Democratic nomination is expected to draw a crowded and competitive field."We have a pretty good bench. In fact, you’ve invited so many of them to come right here, they’ve been on this stage, or they’re going to be," Pritzker told Sharpton on Thursday.HARRIS, NEWSOM, STIR 2028 SPECULATION AT MAJOR DEMOCRATIC PARTY MEETINGSharpton said earlier this week that when it comes to the potential contenders, he wants to "know what their vision is now, and what they’re doing now. So I’ve invited all of the people that could run."Black voters have long played a very influential role in Democratic Party presidential politics.Case in point: the 2020 White House race.After fourth and fifth place finishes in the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary, a battered and bruised Joe Biden finished a distant second to Sen. Bernie Sanders in the Nevada caucuses.21 DEMOCRATS WHO MAY RUN FOR THE WHITE HOUSE IN 2028But a major backing from Black voters fueled… [TheTopNews] Read More.2 hours ago
- Dems dodge on Trump removal as party weighs 25th Amendment moveHouse Democrats are weighing a long-shot scenario to remove President Donald Trump using the 25th Amendment but are declining to say whether they’ll act before the November midterm elections.House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin, D-Md., will brief congressional Democrats Friday afternoon on the constitutional mechanism that would rely heavily on Trump’s Cabinet agreeing to push him out of office.The 25th Amendment has never been used before to involuntarily remove a president and is effectively moot without widespread Republican buy-in. But a bevy of House Democrats have embraced that scenario following the president’s escalating conflict with Iran."Donald Trump’s deranged threat to destroy ‘a whole civilization’ in Iran is a threat to commit war crimes and genocide," Raskin wrote on social media Tuesday. "Republicans in Congress must prevail upon Vice President Vance, now campaigning for Putin’s puppet Viktor Orban in Hungary, to return to the U.S. and invoke Section 4 of the 25th Amendment."MASSIE-LED PUSH TO HANDCUFF TRUMP ON IRAN GETS JEFFRIES' BACKING"The 25th Amendment should be invoked to spare our country and the world from his increasingly unhinged behavior," Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., a member of the Judiciary Committee, also said Tuesday. Dozens of House Democrats have continued to press for the president’s ouster despite the announcement of a two-week ceasefire."All options should be on the table," Rep. Sara Jacobs, D-Calif., said Thursday.House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., has offered support for the briefing and ongoing discussions about the president’s removal, saying Democrats are considering a "range of accountability mechanisms."The lead Democrat, however, has remained ambiguous about his personal views despite signaling that all options remain on the table. That is largely in keeping with Jeffries' efforts over the past year to keep the focus away from impeachment talk while leaning into policy fights over health care costs, tariffs and immigration enforcement. Fox News Digital reached out to members of House Democratic leadership but did not receive a response before publication.A spokesperson for the House Judiciary Committee declined to comment on the 25th Amendment briefing. LONGTIME TRUMP CRITIC REVEALS WHY SHE THINKS HIS IRAN ACTIONS ARE WRONG, WARNS IT'S A 'MUCH BIGGER WAR'Jeffries largely sidestepped a question Thursday regarding why Democrats are having conversations about removing Trump during a news conference in New York City."We have a responsibility as a separate and co-equal branch of government to defend the American people, and we want to be able to do it in an informed… [TheTopNews] Read More.3 hours ago
- Biden-era illegal immigrant convicted of groping teen girls as critics blast Sor...Israel Flores Ortiz, an 18-year-old illegal immigrant accused of groping more than a dozen high school girls in Fairfax County, Virginia, was found guilty on nine counts Thursday. The guilty verdict came after critics of Soros-funded Democratic Commonwealth Attorney Steve Descano accused him of flubbing the case by not subpoenaing witnesses until the day before. After an all-day hearing in which a dozen victims testified, a judge found Flores Ortiz guilty of nine misdemeanor counts of assault and battery and not guilty of three other counts, reported local outlet WUSA9. One charge was thrown out by the judge, according to WJLA reporter Nick Minock. Flores Ortiz, 18, was facing 13 counts of assault and battery for allegedly inappropriately touching female classmates at a Fairfax County, Virginia, school, according to police. Flores Ortiz is an illegal immigrant from El Salvador who was released into the U.S. under the Biden administration in 2024, according to the Department of Homeland Security. He was attending 11th grade. ‘VIRGINIA FATHER’ CHARGED WITH MURDERING INFANT DAUGHTER IS ILLEGAL ALIEN, SAYS DHSLocal police were alerted March 5 by Fairfax High School about reports of multiple assaults on campus. An arrest warrant was issued, and Flores Ortiz turned himself in on March 7.His sentencing is set for April 21. During the hearing, Sean Kennedy, president of Virginians for Safe Communities, accused Descano of intentional "incompetence" and of purposely reducing the charges so that it would be harder to deport Flores Ortiz."DESCANO DOES IT AGAIN(,) Fairfax HS illegal alien groping case collapsing TODAY because FFX Soros DA Steve Descano only subpoenaed victims & witnesses yesterday!" Kennedy wrote on X Thursday. "This IS NOT incompetence—it’s intentional." After the hearing, Kennedy, who was present in court during the hearing, told Fox News Digital that Descano’s office "deserves no credit for this verdict — a Pyrrhic victory as it is." "First, Descano undercharged the illegal alien groper with simple assault and battery instead of sexual battery which would have entailed registering as a sex offender or the more serious charge of aggravated sexual battery carrying a felony sentence of 20 years," he said. "Then, Descano sought to release the offender on bail which the judge rightly rejected. Next, prosecutors sent out the witness and victims subpoenas only the day before — imperiling the case altogether." Despite this, he credited the guilty verdict to the victims, saying, "the girls showed up in force and forced Descano to try the case.""Disgustingly, Descano’s… [TheTopNews] Read More.4 hours ago
- Nation’s second-largest school district targeted by Trump over secretive trans...This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).The nation’s second-largest school district is under federal scrutiny for a policy allowing staff to hide students’ gender identity from parents, after federal officials cited allegations tied in part to a student’s suicide.The Los Angeles Unified School District, comprising hundreds of K-12 schools and more than a half a million students according to public data, recently received notice from the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division indicating that it had come under investigation for the policy.The investigation follows a broader parental rights battle that the Supreme Court recently weighed in on. The high court found last month that California must give school districts the option to have policies that require education administrators to notify parents if their child engages in gender transition, which dealt a massive religious freedom win to the parents who sued, and sent a warning shot to other states and school districts across the country.PARENTS, NOT BUREAUCRATS, RAISE AMERICA’S CHILDREN AND THE SUPREME COURT AGREES The Civil Rights Division sent a letter on March 25 to the school district informing it of the investigation and that division head Harmeet Dhillon had authorized it, the New York Times reported this week. The DOJ "will not tolerate policies that deny parents’ fundamental rights," Dhillon told the newspaper.Reached for comment by Fox News Digital, Dhillon said some allegations against the school were confidential and that she could not provide additional information.The letter from the Civil Rights Division reportedly cited a lawsuit brought by parents of a high school student who died by suicide, which the parents directly attributed to the controversial policy.The letter, according to the New York Times, also cited a female student's sexual harassment claim.FBI RAIDS HOME AND OFFICES OF MAJOR LOS ANGELES SCHOOL DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENTThe lawsuit was brought by the parents of Dylan Parke, who said their son suffered from serious depression and that they had been pursuing professional help for him when his school intervened without telling them."These harmful actions by employees and agents of Palisades Charter High School and Los Angeles Unified School District included referring Dylan to a counselor not employed by Palisades Charter High School without notifying Plaintiffs or seeking their consent or involvement," lawyers for the parents wrote in the complaint. "These policies and practices promoted the… [TheTopNews] Read More.4 hours ago
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