While seven escaped prisoners, including two murder suspects, remain at large after a dramatic jailbreak from a New Orleans jail early Friday morning, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry ripped the parish's progressive soft-on-crime policies that he claims aided the escape."The irony of the progressive promises that have been made to this city is clear. New Orleans handed the jail keys to those who vowed to keep criminals out of jail, and sadly, today we see that it worked," Landry said during a Sunday night press conference. "I hope everyone understands that the video of those prisoners escaping epitomizes a progressive criminal justice system."Landry ripped politicians who "pander voters" which he said "lead[s] to a lack of safety and order."7 FUGITIVES REMAIN ON THE RUN AFTER NOLA PRISON BREAK; INSIDE JOB SUSPECTEDDuring the press conference, Landry announced an executive order to audit the Orleans Correctional Facility by the state's Department of Corrections (DOC) and remove all DOC inmates from the local jail. He handed down another order directing the state inspector general to work with the Orleans Parish Sheriff to inventory all jail inmates awaiting trial and those awaiting sentencing.Ten inmates escaped the Orleans Parish Correctional Facility on Friday night, which was captured on the jail's surveillance footage. Authorities say they crawled through a hold hidden behind a toilet.The inmates then reportedly scaled and then hopped the jail's barbed wire fence and ran across the highway into a neighborhood before changing clothes.They left behind messages including "To Easy LOL" and "WE INNOCENT" on the wall next to the hole through which they escaped.Authorities believe the escapees had help from someone inside the jail, and that a female civilian employee who was monitoring the pod "stepped away" to get food, missing the escape.The seven fugitives still on the run are Jermaine Donald, 42; Antoine Massey, 33; Leo Tate, 31; Lenton Vanburen, 27; Derrick Groves, 27; Gary Price, 21; and Corey Boyd, 19.Donald and Boyd were both facing second-degree murder charges.NEW ORLEANS JAIL INMATES CHARGED WITH MURDER AND OTHER CRIMES ESCAPEDonald had also been charged with aggravated battery, possession of a firearm or weapon by a felon and obstruction of justice. Boyd's other charges were attempted second-degree murder, aggravated battery, illegal carrying of weapons involving a crime, and obstruction of justice.Miles and Vanburen were each facing charges of battery of a correctional facility employee, among other crimes.Groves pleaded guilty to manslaughter in October and was awaiting sentencing at the jail."If he would have been sentenced by a court system, he most likely would not have had an opportunity to escape," Landry said during his press conference.Authorities warned that the escapees may have traveled to other states. Bounties of $20,000 have been placed on their heads."Weve had troopers working alongside our local state and federal partners throughout the night and developing more leads," the Louisiana State Police told Fox News Digital on Monday morning.The FBI did not return a comment request.The ATF declined to comment.Fox News' Michael Dorgan, Alexandra Koch and Brooke Taylor contributed to this report.

If you live in Florida or another low-tax state, brace yourself. A bipartisan group of lawmakers from blue states is gearing up to punish you for your states fiscal restraint. They want to lift the cap on the federal income-tax deduction for state and local taxes, known as SALT.If they succeed, middle-class Americans in red states will once again have to subsidize wealthy taxpayers in states such as California andNewYork, where leaders continue to double down on decades of fiscal mismanagement.Before President Trump's 2017 tax reform, the SALT deduction rewarded wealthy residents of high-tax states by reducing their federal taxes, while still giving them the same federal benefits.HANDFUl OF REPUBLICANS SINK TRUMP'S BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL IN KEY HOUSE COMMITTEEThis is in effect a hidden wealth transfer from less wealthy workers in low-tax states, who don't get the deduction and have to pay more in federal taxes.Capping the deduction at $10,000 was an ingenious way to address that injustice. It protected middle-class households while letting wealthy residents of high-tax states feel the pain of their actual tax liabilities.Coupled with heavy-handed Covid lockdowns, exposure to the reality of their states excessive taxation triggered mass migration. Since then, Florida has gained over a millionnewresidents, while California andNewYork have each lost a million.Now, blue-state congressmen of both parties are threatening to blow up President Trumps tax cuts, which will expire unless extended this year, unless the SALT deduction is reinstated or greatly expanded. That would be a terrible mistake.Raising the SALT cap primarily benefits the wealthyhouseholds earning $200,000 or morenot the middle class. Middle-class families, who now almost always use the standard deduction, wouldn't gain a cent.Who pays the bill for this giveaway to affluent taxpayers? Everyone else. Increasing the SALT deduction creates budget shortfalls that would force higher taxes on the majority or lead to even greater, inflationary deficits. In short, middle-class families nationwide would bear the cost of restoring the abusive SALT deduction.Worse still, the SALT deduction undermines competitive federalismthe very foundation of our constitutional arrangement. The genius of the Constitutions original federal structure, as it existed before the progressive andNewDeal transformation of a century ago, was that it forced states to compete for residents and capital by keeping taxes low and regulations minimal.Progressives enamored of government deride that as a "race to the bottom." They have consistently used the federal tax code to sabotage interstate competition, particularly after the 16th Amendment greatly expanded Congresss taxing power in 1913. In the 1920s, they banded together in Congress to enact a federal estate tax, and then provided that people could deduct their state estate tax liabilities from the federal tax.The scheme specifically targeted Florida, which had earlier repealed its estate tax on its way to becoming the nations retirement haven. It deprived retirees of the choice between high-tax and low-tax states. Henceforth their choice would be between paying a high estate tax in their state or paying it to the federal government.CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINIONFlorida sued, arguing that this scheme amounted to a federal tax on some states but not others. Alas, an increasingly progressive Supreme Court rejected the claim in Florida vs. Mellon (1927).Today's SALT advocates from California,NewYork,NewJersey, and Illinois complain about "double taxation," yet it is they who routinely double- and triple-tax their constituents. Their real grievance? Trump's SALT cap made their high taxes transparent to everyoneand politically costly.Florida stands to lose a great deal from the push to restore the SALT deduction. It would erode the state's competitive advantage, forcing it to subsidize fiscal irresponsibility elsewhere, and punishing Floridians for their states successful, pro-growth policies.The SALT deduction isn't just welfare for the wealthy. Its a scheme to spread the tax misery of blue states nationwide. Congress should be thinking about repealing it entirely, not restoring it to benefit the wealthiest.The Heritage Foundation is listed for identification purposes only. The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not reflect any institutional position for Hertiage or its Board of Trustees.

A Tennessee congressman viewed documents relating to the 2023 Covenant school shooting for the first time, praising the Director Kash Patel-led FBI for upholding the Trump administrations "radical transparency" promise.Rep. John Rose told Fox News Digital he was offered full access to the documents, including the writings of suspect Audrey Hale, a transgender woman who was a former student and killed three children and three adults on March 27 of that year.The GOP lawmaker said he sent a letter to the FBI the month after the shooting and received a response in November telling him to effectively seek what he was looking for from the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department.He contrasted that with Patel's FBI's quick turnaround in accessing the documents.COVENANT SCHOOL TRANS SHOOTER PLOTTED NASHVILLE ATTACK FOR YEARS, KEPT NOTEBOOKS AND PLANS: FINAL REPORT"They are primarily comprised of the writings and work of the perpetrator of the Covenant School shooting. But they do provide a great deal of insight and I think confirm some of the suspicions that I've had all along," Rose said."We really never received a response [regarding a document inquiry] from the Metro National Police Department (MNPD) one way or the other We got a letter that was really non-responsive and basically indicated they would not release the information to us. So it's remarkable that in just a little over 40 days that new FBI Director Kash Patel has made this information available for us to look at."Many of the documents have been under seal and are the subject of legal battles in the Volunteer State.Nashville Chancery Court Chancellor Iashea Myles ruled in 2024 that much of Hales writings are protected by copyright law, which trumps the states records statute.An official with the MNPD told Fox News Digital there was also concern in the courts and among law enforcement that the detailed writings could inspire copycat violence."This investigation was meticulous and ran through this year and at the conclusion of the investigation we issued the 48-page summary," the official told Fox News Digital on Thursday."There exists to this day the Chancery Court, an order that restricts the shooter's writing from being publicly released [but] through the 48-page summary, we've wanted all to know what our findings were in this mass shooting case; in the days after our officers responded so bravely into the building to stop the threat," the official added.NASHVILLE SCHOOL SHOOTING MANIFESTO: WHY KILLERS WRITE ABOUT MOTIVESThe MNPD said they were aware the FBI was contemplating releasing some of the material and echoed copycat-related concerns and that the bureau understood those reservations and redacted parts of what has been witnessed by Rose.However, Rose said that after Patel allowed him to view the documents, he is "more assured than ever" that the information within should be made public so that people can better understand the tragedy.He disputed claims that the MNPD has been entirely forthright, saying, "I think theyve just stonewalled and frankly I think that makes it impossible for policymakers, legislators to take any action with respect to the incidents around this heinous act that happened back in March of 2023," he said."We simply can't be expected to take action when we don't understand the nature of this crime. And so the public is entitled to that information, but as policymakers, I feel like we simply cannot be expected to make a policy based on innuendo and supposition when the information is available."Read the Nashville police report here."And had this been any other significant crime of this nature, including a mass shooting, we know from historic precedent that virtually all of this information would have been released in the normal course for public inspection and consideration."As for sensitivity, he said that there is "tough information" in what he has seen and that he has sympathy for the victims of the shooting, but that in order to protect society, the information currently being held should be accessible to better understand the perpetrator and more.MNPD denied any stonewalling allegation and cited the Chancery Court order in its response.Rose did, however, appear to support some of the redactions, suggesting that a careful review process could allow documents from and about the shooter to be used in understanding the "heinous crime," identifying others who may be responsible and examining how society may have missed chances to prevent it.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPNashville police also released their final report on the shooting, first reported at the time by Fox News Digital.Rather than a highly anticipated manifesto, the report found that Hale left behind numerous notebooks, art books and computer documents about plans to commit the attack and gain notoriety, partly inspired by the Columbine school shooting in 1999.Fox News Digital's Michael Ruiz and Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump remains confident in White House doctors despite the possibility that they missed a prostate cancer diagnosis for former President Joe Biden while he was in office, the White House says.White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt made the statement during a press briefing on Monday morning, saying Trump remains in good health. Speculation has exploded in the days since Biden he has stage 5 metastatic prostate cancer this weekend, a diagnosis that typically takes years to develop."White House doctors may have missed the early stages of his prostate cancer. So is President Trump worried about the quality of care that presidents get here?" Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy asked."Not as far as President Trump is concerned. The White House physician we have here is phenomenal," Leavitt responded. "The team of physicians that take care of the president, particularly at Walter Reed Medical Center, are great. The president had his physical recently, as you know, he had, perfect results. He's in very good shape."JOE BIDEN DIAGNOSED WITH 'AGGRESSIVE FORM' OF PROSTATE CANCER WITH METASTASIS TO THE BONE"I think those of you who traveled to the Middle East with us last week can attest to the president's endurance. And by the way, I will add, we returned home from a very long and tiring trip last week, and on Saturday, where was the president? In the Oval Office, working all day. He doesn't stop. He doesn't quit. He's in great health and he trusts his physicians," she added.Trump said he and first lady Melania Trump said he were "saddened" to learn of Biden's diagnosis and wished him a "fast and successful recovery" in a post on social media this weekend."Melania and I are saddened to hear about Joe Bidens recent medical diagnosis," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. "We extend our warmest and best wishes to Jill and the family, and we wish Joe a fast and successful recovery."POLITICAL WORLD REACTS TO FORMER PRESIDENT BIDEN'S 'AGGRESSIVE' CANCER DIAGNOSIS: 'INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT'Leavitt told reporters that she does not believe Trump has spoken with Biden since the announcement, but she said he would be open to speaking with him.Biden's office confirmed on Sunday that he was diagnosed with an "aggressive form" of prostate cancer."Last week, President Joe Biden was seen for a new finding of a prostate nodule after experiencing increasing urinary symptoms," Biden's team shared in a statement. "On Friday, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, characterized by a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5) with metastasis to the bone.""While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management. The President and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians," the statement said.Biden, 82, remains the oldest U.S. president.Fox News' Greg Wehner contributed to this report

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian spoke over the weekend, reiterating Irans commitment to dialogue and desire for a civilian nuclear program.The Iranian leader addressed navy officials in Bandar Abbas, discussing the ongoing negotiations for a deal with the United States."We are not seeking war, we favor negotiation and dialogue, but we are not afraid of threats either, and we will in no way retreat from our legal rights," Pezeshkian said.IRAN FOREIGN MINISTER VOWS NUCLEAR ENRICHMENT WILL CONTINUE 'WITH OR WITHOUT A DEAL'Compared to previous Iranian presidents, Pezeshkian has emerged as a more level-headed and reformist leader, aiming to reach new understandings with the West, according to Politico.The United States and Iran have completed four rounds of indirect negotiations regarding Irans nuclear program, though the public has received mixed messages on the path forward. While officials from Washington and Tehran have expressed optimism about the conversations, a number of technical details have yet to be discussed, including the specifics surrounding uranium enrichment and stockpile levels.Iran is insisting they will continue to enrich uranium for civilian and research purposes, while the Trump administration is calling for all enrichment to end. Right now, Iran is enriching uranium to up to 60% purity, well beyond the confines of the 2015 nuclear deal that President Donald Trump withdrew from in 2018.IRAN'S KHAMENEI LAUNCHES BLISTERING ATTACK ON TRUMP AFTER MIDDLE EAST VISITOver the weekend, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi commented on the current situation, saying that Iran has received no written proposal from the United States about an agreement."Mark my words: there is no scenario in which Iran abandons its hard-earned right to enrichment for peaceful purposes: a right afforded to all other NPT signatories, too," Ataghchi said in a post on X.In an interview with Fox News, Trump spoke about the ongoing talks with Iran, opening up the possibility of trade with the country, if the talks lead to a deal."Iran wants to trade with us," Trump told Bret Baier. "And Im OK with it."Trump wrapped up a four-day tour of the Gulf last week, pushing for new normalization deals and an agreement with Iran. Any deal with the United States is expected to lead to much-needed sanctions relief for Iran."Ive told Iran, we make a deal," Trump said, "youre going to be very happy."

IndyCar rookie Robert Shwartzman earned the pole position for the Indianapolis 500 with the quickest lap around the track on Sunday afternoon.It was Shwartzmans first time on an oval track. He appeared on "Fox & Friends" on Monday morning, just hours after attaining the top spot in "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing."CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM"Honestly, I still cant believe it. Its a new day and I still feel like its a dream. Ive been dreaming about it for a long time and, yesterday, everything was just going so well, the car felt amazing," he said. "I was going full out. And when I saw myself in P1, I was just like, Wow, this is unbelievable."The reaction of fans and people here in the U.S. is unbelievable. I think its the most memorable and best emotional part my entire career."Shwartzman was traveling at speeds of up to 230 mph and somehow was able to maintain control for the blazing-fast laps. Some other drivers traveling at similar speeds suffered devastating crashes going at a similar rate.2025 INDY 500 ODDS: ROOKIE ROBERT SHWARTZMAN SURGES AFTER SECURING POLEThe 25-year-old Russian Israeli driver was able to stay in control, maintain his focus and become the first rookie to win the pole since 1983."Its really, really fast," he said. "But as a racing driver, you are training yourself to have a proper vision. You have to see the road really far because the speed is so quick. Plus, when youre going into the corners at that speed, anything could happen."As weve seen, there was some incidents from other guys. It hurts quite a lot. Its so stressful. Mentally, I was so tired afterward because its four laps, and it seems quite short, but no. Youre going so fast there. You have to keep every second under control."Shwartzman said he will try to stay cool, calm and collected in order to win the race."Ill do my best as I did in qualifying, and well see where were gonna be at. I dont want to put any huge expectations. I just want to enjoy it. I want a fast car and battle with the top guys."TheIndy500 will be broadcast May 25 on FOX with pre-coverage starting at 10 a.m. ET. It will also be available tostream live on FOXSports.comand the FOX Sports app.Follow Fox News Digitalssports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Sen. Chris Murphy says "it was a mistake" for his party to allow then-81-year-old President Joe Biden to remain on the 2024 ballot as long as he did.The Democrat from Connecticut, who is viewed as a possible contender for his party's 2028 presidential nomination, during an appearance on the Sunday morning talk shows was the latest Democrat to face questions about the former president's cognitive abilities."I saw a president who was in control," Murphy said during an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press" as he pointed to his experience working closely with Biden on legislation in 2023. "Thats my experience."However, the senator added "that by 2024 the American public had made up their mind, right, that they wanted the Democratic Party to nominate somebody new, and it was absolutely a mistake for the party to not listen to those voters."NEW BOOK PLACES BLAME ON BIDEN FOR HARRIS 2024 LOSS TO TRUMPHe also noted that Democrats "all bear responsibility" for President Donald Trump's White House victory last November.However, longtime Democratic Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina, a longtime Biden ally and confidant, said on the Sunday talk shows that he never doubted the then-president's ability to lead the nation."I never saw anything that allowed me to think that Joe Biden was not able to do the job," Clyburn argued in an appearance on CNN's "State of the Union."Top Democrats like Murphy and Clyburn are facing a litmus test over Biden's mental acuity during his final years in office and whether Democrats should have been more strident earlier in the 2024 election cycle in calling on Biden to abandon his bid for a second term in the White House.The grilling comes as Biden's condition is once again making headlines, courtesy of excerpts from a new book being released this week, "Original Sin: President Bidens Decline, Its Cover-up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again," which offers claims of a White House cover-up of the then-president's apparent cognitive decline.BIDEN STRUGGLES WITH WORDS, KEY MEMORIES IN LEAKED AUDIO FROM SPECIAL COUNSEL HUR INTERVIEWAdditionally, last week's leaked audio of Bidens 2023 interview with special counsel Robert Hur, in which the then-president appears to suffer memory lapses, is also fueling the conversation.Hur, who investigated whether Biden years earlier had improperly stored classified documents, made major headlines early last year when he decided not to charge Biden but described the then-president as an "elderly man with a poor memory."The first question thrown at former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg as he briefly met with reporters following a town hall with veterans and military families in Iowa last week was,"Did President Joe Biden experience cognitive decline while in office?" Buttigieg was asked."Every time I needed something from him from the West Wing, I got it," answered Buttigieg, a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate who served four years in Biden's cabinet. He, like Murphy, may have national ambitions in 2028.After a second reporter followed up, asking, "Would the party have been better off if he had just not run for re-election?" Buttigieg answered, "Maybe. Right now, with the benefit of hindsight, I think most people would agree that thats the case."Longtime New Hampshire-based radio host Chris Ryan pointed to his listeners on his popular morning news/talk program as he told Fox News, "I think that is one of the top things that they do want to know about.""The Democratic voters are still trying to sort through what happened and why," said Ryan, who has interviewed scores of White House hopefuls over the years.How the Democratic presidential hopefuls answer these questions will be an early test of their truthfulness in the eyes of voters who had serious concerns over whether Biden was mentally and physically up for another four years handling the world's most grueling job.However, Ryan noted that "its different for each potential candidate based on their level of proximity to President Biden."BIDEN'S DIAGNOSIS: CANCER DESCRIBED AS AGGRESSIVEIt is doubtful the questions will be going away in the coming days, even after Sunday's blockbuster announcement that Biden was diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that had spread to his bones.Biden dropped out of the White House race last July, one month after a disastrous debate performance with Trump that sparked a chorus of calls from fellow Democrats for the then-president to end his re-election bid.He was replaced at the top of the ticket by then-Vice President Kamala Harris, who ended up losing November's presidential election to Trump. Democrats also suffered down ballot, losing control of the Senate and failing to win back the House majority from the Republicans.During an appearance on ABC's "The View" two weeks ago, Biden pushed back against accusations that he had suffered significant cognitive decline during the final year of his presidency.Rep. Ro Khanna of California was a leading supporter and surrogate on the campaign trail for Biden during the 2024 election cycle. After last Junes debate, as a trickle of Democrats urging Biden to step aside turned into a steady stream, Khanna likened the embattled president to Rocky Balboathe underdog boxer of big-screen legend.TARGETED BY TRUMP, THIS WELL KNOWN DEMOCRAT SPARKS 2028 SPECULATION"To rebuild trust, Democrats must be honest. In light of the facts that have come out, Joe Biden should not have run for reelection, and we should have had an open primary," Khanna wrote in a social media post.Khanna, in a statement, said, "I have always admired Bidens resilience and the grit he has shown after the loss of his son and often compared that strength to Rocky. I was a surrogate for the president of my own party whose policies I backed."But obviously we did not have the full picture, and in hindsight it is painfully obvious that President Biden should have made the patriotic decision not to run," Khanna added.LESS THAN FOUR MONTHS INTO TRUMP'S SECOND TERM, DEMOCRATS ALREADY EYEING 2028 PRESIDENTIAL RACEMichigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, another possible White House candidate who was a top 2024 surrogate for Biden, said in a recent CNN interview when asked about Biden's cognitive abilities, "As a governor in a state halfway across the country who was working her tail off, 160 stops on a bus tour that I had lined through swing states, I was busy working. I was busy doing the voter connection and registration, and so can't speak to that directly.""I didn't see the president frequently."However, she added that "it does make me question a lot of the things I thought I knew over the course of the last year and a half."While the potential contenders are answering questions concerning Biden in different ways, there is one consensus."We're not in a position to wallow in hindsight. We've got to get ready for some fundamental tests of the future of this country and this party," Buttigieg noted.

President Donald Trump has returned from his four-day trip to the Middle East, and plans to kick off his week back on U.S. soil with phone calls to help negotiate a potential ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine.Trump spent the weekend in Washington, D.C., after returning from visits to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. He received a warm welcome in each country, and came home with a bevy of deals, including a purchasing agreement by Qatar for Boeing aircraft, as well as a "strategic economic partnership" with Saudi Arabia for energy, defense, mining and space-based agreements that amount to $600 billion.This week, political eyes are locked on Eastern Europe as Trump lines up phone conversations with Russia and Ukraine slated for Monday morning.Trump announced over the weekend that he would personally hold a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin to help broker a deal to end the bloodshed and secure long-term peace."I WILL BE SPEAKING, BY TELEPHONE, TO PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN OF RUSSIA ON MONDAY, AT 10:00 A.M. THE SUBJECTS OF THE CALL WILL BE, STOPPING THE BLOODBATH THAT IS KILLING, ON AVERAGE, MORE THAN 5000 RUSSIAN AND UKRAINIAN SOLDIERS A WEEK, AND TRADE," Trump posted to Truth Social on Saturday.Trump added that he will then hold talks with Zelenskyy, followed by another call with Zelenskyy and NATO leaders, queuing up a busy Monday schedule.ZELENSKYY SHEDS DETAILS ON MEETING WITH VANCE, RUBIO IN ROME AFTER RUSSIA PEACE TALKS STALLRussian and Ukrainian officials held their first direct peace talks in years last week in Istanbul. The two sides, however, failed to agree to a ceasefire in a war that has raged since February 2022. Russia and Ukraine did agree to a large prisoner swap during the meeting.Hours after the meeting, a Russian drone strike hit a passenger bus in northeastern Ukraine on Saturday.World leaders traveled to Rome on Sunday for Pope Leo XIV's inaugural mass at the Vatican, including Zelenskyy, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The U.S. leaders met with Zelenskyy for a separate meeting, where they discussed efforts to end the war, according to the vice president's office.GOP LAWMAKERS PRAISE TRUMP CALL WITH PUTIN AFTER BIDEN 'REFUSED TO EVEN PICK UP THE PHONE'"The leaders discussed their shared goal of ending the bloodshed in Ukraine and provided updates on the current state of negotiations for a ceasefire and lasting peace," Vance's office said in a statement on Sunday afternoon.Zelenskyy posted his own message regarding the meeting on social media on Sunday, slamming Russia for sending "non-decision-makers" to the meeting in Istanbul last week, while also thanking "all American people for the support and leadership in saving lives.""During our talks we discussed negotiations in Istanbul to where the Russians sent a low level delegation of non-decision-makers. I reaffirmed that Ukraine is ready to be engaged in real diplomacy and underscored the importance of a full and unconditional ceasefire as soon as possible," Zelenskyy posted."We have also touched upon the need for sanctions against Russia, bilateral trade, defense cooperation, battlefield situation and upcoming prisoners exchange. Pressure is needed against Russia until they are eager to stop the war. And, of course, we talked about our joint steps to achieve a just and durable peace."Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed to local media that Monday's "conversation is in the works," the BBC reported on Saturday."HOPEFULLY IT WILL BE A PRODUCTIVE DAY, A CEASEFIRE WILL TAKE PLACE, AND THIS VERY VIOLENT WAR, A WAR THAT SHOULD HAVE NEVER HAPPENED, WILL END. GOD BLESS US ALL!!!" Trump added of the highly-anticipated rounds of phone calls on Monday.Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Sunday said that nations that have bucked negotiating trade deals with the U.S. in "good faith" could see tariff hikes."President Trump has put them on notice that if you do not negotiate in good faith, that you will ratchet back up to your April 2 level," Bessent said on CNN. Trump's April 2 "Liberation Day" trade announcement unveiled his reciprocal tariff plan on dozens of nations as he worked to bring parity to the U.S.' trade deficit. The president issued a 90-day pause to the reciprocal tariffs, except on China, in April as countries requested to make trade deals. Trump administration leaders have since been involved in hashing out trade negotiations before the 90-day pause is lifted in July.TRUMP AND CHINA CLOSE IN ON TRADE DEAL AFTER PRODUCTIVE TALKS, BESSENT SAYSBessent's comments come after Trump slammed Walmart on Saturday for raising prices on consumers amid the tariff rollout."Walmart should STOP trying to blame Tariffs as the reason for raising prices throughout the chain," the president wrote on Truth Social. "Walmart made BILLIONS OF DOLLARS last year, far more than expected. Between Walmart and China they should, as is said, EAT THE TARIFFS, and not charge valued customers ANYTHING. Ill be watching, and so will your customers!!!"Congressional Republicans are in the midst of pushing to pass Trump's "big, beautiful bill," which has been touted as significant fiscal reform that would fund the president's agenda.REPUBLICANS READY LATE-NIGHT SESSION ON TRUMP'S 'BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL' AFTER GOP MUTINYRepublicans are working to pass it through the budget reconciliation process, and have set a Memorial Day deadline for its passage. With just one working week left before the summer holiday weekend, House Budget Committee members were summoned to Congress on Sunday night to begin their work to pass the bill.The bill was thrown into turmoil last week when four members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, alongside Democrats, voted against advancing the legislation. The four conservatives took issue with the legislations crackdown on Medicaid, and also worked to repeal Biden-era green-energy tax subsidies.Fox News Digital's Brooke Singman and Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.

ESPN star Stephen A. Smith weighed in on Monday about why Catilin Clarks hard foul on Angel Reese became a major story of the sports weekend.Clarks foul under the basket came after Reese pushed off of an Indiana Fever player to secure an offensive rebound. Clark fouled the Chicago Sky forward in order to prevent an easy two points. Reese let Clark have an earful over the foul.Clarks personal foul was upgraded to a flagrant foul.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COMThe two WNBA stars downplayed the foul in their postgame press conferences, but it still became a hot topic of debate because of the history the two young athletes have."First Take" host Molly Qerim asked bluntly whether the story of Clark and Reese becoming "trending news" was because it was women being physical with each other or was it because it involved a Black and a White player."Its not about Black and White its about that White player and that Black player," Smith said of Clark and Reese. "Why? Because of the history they had before they came to the WNBA. If Angel Reese was never in Caitlin Clarks face taunting her the way that she did, mimicking what Caitlin Clark was doing to numerous opponents in route to the Final Four and then LSU and Angel Reese busted their you know what at that particular moment in time and Angel Reese was in her face chirping at her the way that she did, it would have never gotten to this point."I have never deemed that to be a bad thing. I love that kind of confrontation. I love that kind of heat. But there are White folks in America had a problem with Angel Reese coming at The Chosen One, Caitlin Clark, that way. And because of that, theyve acted with a level of vitriol. How do we know that? Because Angel Reese came back to college following year and one of the things that reduced her to tears was the vitriol that she was receiving from around the country because were hating on her because of her elevated popularity and the fact that she had gone at Caitlin Clark that way.DAVE PORTNOY SLAMS WNBA AS LEAGUE INVESTIGATES 'HATEFUL COMMENTS' TOWARD ANGEL REESE"Now, we come to the WNBA. No fault of Caitlins at all. But in the end, because of her greatness and because people were resistant to accepting the way I have articulated on many occasions, you have people using that as an excuse to throw vitriol at other people. In the end, heres what I say, thats whats contributed to Angel Reese becoming a household name, along with the fact that shes a rebounding demon but thats elevated her level of popularity."Smith pointed to the rivalry Larry Bird and Earvin "Magic" Johnson had in the NBA. It started at the college level and blossomed into the NBA.He drew a comparative racial line between the NBA greats and young WNBA stars."What I would say all of yall is this no matter how great Michael Jordan was obviously, it started with Bird vs. Magic. Yeah, you can talk about Showtime vs. Boston, but that White superstar losing in that national championship game to that dude called Magic at Michigan State when (Bird) was at Indiana State and him coming into the NBA," he said. "They constantly made the Finals, and they owned most of the 80s in terms of the two teams, respectively. The bottom line is, it contributed to elevate the popularity."So, Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark, embrace this. Its OK, because all yall doing is competing."Indiana won the first of five games against Chicago. Clark had a triple-double and Reese had a double-double.Follow Fox News Digitalssports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Swiss billionaire and liberal megadonor Hansjrg Wyss is facing a sexual harassment lawsuit from a now-former female employee in California who claims Wyss groped her, shared unwanted information about his sexual past and then ultimately retaliated against her when she denied his advances.Former Wyss employee Madison Busby, in a suit filed in San Luis Obispo County last month, claims that the 89-year-old Wyss "deliberately placed his hand on Ms. Busby's butt and groped her" the first time she was introduced to him in 2019 by her future husband, Bryce Mullins."Mr. Wyss proceeded to tell Mr. Mullins in Ms. Busby's presence about how good Ms. Busby's butt looked in the dress she was wearing," the lawsuit states.Mullins was working for the Wyss-owned Halter Ranch winery in Paso Robles, and Busby ultimately began working there in 2021. The lawsuit states that Busby did not speak up at first due to concerns that Mullins would lose his employment or standing.GOP BILL CRACKS DOWN ON 'LOOPHOLE' ALLOWING FOREIGN DONORS TO PUMP DARK MONEY INTO US ELECTIONSOver the next few years, the lawsuit alleges other harassment from Wyss, including "making several sexual propositions" including telling her "how much he enjoyed having a threesome" and suggesting they engage in a "foursome.""Throughout 2021 and 2022, Mr. Wyss frequently shared unwelcome stories about his sexual exploits and various affairs with other women," the lawsuit states. "In 2021, Mr. Wyss told Ms. Busby and Mr. Mullins about his many sexual affairs outside of his marriage and stated there was nothing wrong with affairs. He further said that Americans were too uptight around those having affairs."Other allegations include Wyss telling Busby about going to a movie theater with a woman named "Lori" and meeting a man he did not know and "initiated oral sex with him" before going back to her apartment and having a threesome.SWISS BILLIONAIRE HANSJRG WYSS RECENTLY POURED OVER $60M INTO PROPPING UP LEFT-WING GROUPS AND CAUSESWyss is also alleged to have "subjected Ms. Busby to a live video of Lori while Mr. Wyss was having phone sex with her" and at one point told Busby "he often had phone sex with Lori and that she could orgasm multiple times just from dirty talk.""He went on to tell Ms. Busby that he usually had phone sex at Halter Ranch with Lori because his wife was not around," the lawsuit said. "Mr. Wyss mentioned to Ms. Busby that he wanted them to 'Facetime' Lori with him."A spokesperson for Halter Winery dismissed the allegations as "not true," telling Fox News Digital that they "intend to vigorously advance the facts that surround Mr. Mullins and Ms. Busbys time at the winery and their departure.""For almost five years, starting in 2019, Mr. Mullins and his current wife voluntarily made themselves part of the Halter Winery community and took advantage of its owners generosity," the spokesperson continued. "This included deciding to become employees of the winery, choosing to live at the winery rent free for years, frequently traveling with the owner to Europe, the Caribbean and elsewhere at the owners expense, asking the owner and his wife to host their wedding party and inviting the owner to serve as Best Man. Through all these years, they never complained about the owners conduct, or simply declined to spend so much time with him, until after they voluntarily left their employment at the winery in 2024."Wyss, according to the lawsuit, knew his actions could be legally problematic for him, telling Busby at one point in 2022, "If you ever went after me for sexual harassment, you would win."When Busby and Mullins began pulling away and decided to move to a smaller house on the property in order to ensure that Wyss would not be able to stay with them when he visited, the lawsuit alleges that Wyss retaliated against them by forcing her to take a pay cut and insisting the couple pay rent.Busby resigned from her position and sent a letter on the day she left to Wyss outlining her concerns about his "ongoing conduct and her own anxiety and distress as the result of that conduct."The complaint filed in April accuses Wyss of sexual harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, intentional infliction of emotional distress and sexual battery.Wyss is also facing a lawsuit from Mullins, who says the billionaire "abruptly terminated" his employment after Busby's complaint, despite bringing him out from the East Coast to work at the ranch and once promising Mullins would "have full control of the Halter Companies upon Mr. Wysss death."Fox News Digital reached out to Busby's legal team for comment."The Wyss Foundation and Berger Action Fund have no involvement with this matter. The organizations charitable activities are totally separate from those of the Halter Ranch," a Wyss foundation spokesperson told Fox News Digital.Wyss, who is referred to by some as the "new George Soros," is well-known in American politics as one of the most prominent liberal megadonors and has given hundreds of millions to Democratic causes through a network of left-wing nonprofits.