Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey was ousted Tuesday in a stiff Democratic primary challenge from Corey O'Connor, the son of a former city leader who had the support of the party's "old guard" and some Republicans.Mayor Ed Gainey, seen as the progressive in the race, began the contest on roughly even footing in terms of campaign funding, but O'Connor, son of the late former Mayor Bob O'Connor, had outraised and outspent the incumbent by April ultimately putting up a fight in a city that has not been competitive on a partisan level since the 1930s.OConnor received support from some Republican donors, as well as the "old guard" Democratic base, according to The New York Times."This is an election about Pittsburgh, about how we get our city back on the right track. Its laughable to make arguments about progressive/not progressive. The outside groups that are meddling, I guarantee you they havent looked at the records of either one of us," OConnor told the paper.GOP WINS FIRST PHILADELPHIA STATE SENATE SEAT IN 28 YEARS, AS RED GAINS IN BLUE AREAS CONTINUEOConnors campaign has also shown support for the resourcing of the police and his own plan to revitalize the downtown area. He has also received large outside contributions from groups like Common Sense Change Action and Democracy Wins, according to the Post-Gazette.Gainey took office as the Steel City's first Black mayor after defeating incumbent Mayor Bill Peduto in 2021. He has cast himself on the national stage as a critic of President Donald Trump and his agenda, while also working to attract new business to Pittsburgh including the 2026 NFL Draft, which is estimated to bring a $200 million economic boost to the area, according to a source familiar.Gainey also previously pledged not to cooperate with federal ICE operations and has called Trumps budget cuts a "direct attack on working families" and the economy of Western Pennsylvania."ICE is not going to end the situation of a failed immigration policy. What its going to do is create more situations where people feel scared, where people dont feel safe," Gainey said in January a sentiment which earned the rebuke of another Pittsburgh politician, Republican U.S. Sen. David McCormick."Gainey needs to follow the law and the lead of some other Democratic mayors working to keep our cities safe," McCormick said, according to WTAE.PA SEN MCCORMICK THANKS CASEY FAMILY FOR DECADES OF SERVICE AS DEMOCRAT DECLINES TO CONCEDEGaineys campaign has highlighted the mayors efforts to increase community policing and mental health professionals to assist in police response, while OConnor also claims the mantle of the pro-police candidate.Under Gainey, the city ranks first in state population growth and has increased its affordable housing by 1,600 units.Working with Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Gainey secured $600 million for downtown revitalization and improvements to the city's iconic Point State Park."Thanks to our people-powered movement, our campaign has all of the momentum in this race. Weve proven again and again since 2021 that when we come together across race, across class, religion, age, across every line thats ever been used to divide us we are unstoppable," Gainey said in a statement.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPOn the Republican side, retired Police Det. Tony Moreno who lost to Gainey last cycle is running in the GOP primary against clothier Thomas West.On the other side of the commonwealth, George Soros-backed Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner won his primary, and in the state's third-largest city, Allentown, progressive incumbent Matt Tuerk is facing off against another "old guard" Democrat in Councilman Ed Zucal.

The U.S. Senate has passed a new bill that would offer a tax deduction on tips worth up to $25,000.This bill, if enacted into law, would also extend to business tax credits for payroll taxes on tips in beauty and spa services.Sen. Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, is pushing the proposal which passed unanimously an outcome considered rare for substantive legislation.NEW PROJECTION SIGNALS GOOD NEWS FOR FAMILIES, WORKERS IN TRUMP'S 'BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL'There are stipulations in the new bill: an employee with compensationexceeding $160,000in the priortaxyear would not be eligible to claim the newtaxdeductionfortips.The bill is limited to cash tips received by occupations that are customarily tipped."Tipped occupations" are jobs where tips are common in the U.S., such as waiters, waitresses and professionals providing beauty services like barbering, hair care, nail care, esthetics, body and spa treatments.'FAILURE'S NOT AN OPTION': TRUMP BUDGET BILL WILL BE 'BIG' HELP FOR SENIORS, TOP HOUSE TAX-WRITER SAYSThe Budget Lab at Yale say they estimate there will be approximately 4 million workers in tipped occupations in 2023.They must also be reported by the employee to the employer for withholding payroll taxes. Under the current law, only tips exceeding $20 per month are required to be reported.According to the report by Budget Lab, a non-tipped worker in 2023 was a minimum of approximately 10 years older than the typical tipped worker. They also say one-third of the number of tipped workers were below 25, with 13% being teenagers.This new bill, if passed, would cost $110 billion in federal revenues over 10 years, according to estimates by the center-rightPeter G. Peterson Foundation.Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nevada, pointed out during her floor speech that this bill was one of PresidentDonald Trump's key campaign promises."I am not afraid to embrace a good idea, wherever it comes from. So I agreed we need to get this done," she said.The passing of this bill through the Senate occurs as congressional Republicans attempt to seek advancement of amassive tax cut and spending packagethat will create a tax break on tips for the next four years.The next step is the House of Representatives before it becomes law.

The U.S. Senate has passed a new bill that would offer a tax deduction on tips worth up to $25,000.This bill, if enacted into law, would also extend to business tax credits for payroll taxes on tips in beauty and spa services.Sen. Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, is pushing the proposal which passed unanimously an outcome considered rare for substantive legislation.NEW PROJECTION SIGNALS GOOD NEWS FOR FAMILIES, WORKERS IN TRUMP'S 'BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL'There are stipulations in the new bill: an employee with compensationexceeding $160,000in the priortaxyear would not be eligible to claim the newtaxdeductionfortips.The bill is limited to cash tips received by occupations that are customarily tipped."Tipped occupations" are jobs where tips are common in the U.S., such as waiters, waitresses and professionals providing beauty services like barbering, hair care, nail care, esthetics, body and spa treatments.'FAILURE'S NOT AN OPTION': TRUMP BUDGET BILL WILL BE 'BIG' HELP FOR SENIORS, TOP HOUSE TAX-WRITER SAYSThe Budget Lab at Yale say they estimate there will be approximately 4 million workers in tipped occupations in 2023.They must also be reported by the employee to the employer for withholding payroll taxes. Under the current law, only tips exceeding $20 per month are required to be reported.According to the report by Budget Lab, a non-tipped worker in 2023 was a minimum of approximately 10 years older than the typical tipped worker. They also say one-third of the number of tipped workers were below 25, with 13% being teenagers.This new bill, if passed, would cost $110 billion in federal revenues over 10 years, according to estimates by the center-rightPeter G. Peterson Foundation.Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nevada, pointed out during her floor speech that this bill was one of PresidentDonald Trump's key campaign promises."I am not afraid to embrace a good idea, wherever it comes from. So I agreed we need to get this done," she said.The passing of this bill through the Senate occurs as congressional Republicans attempt to seek advancement of amassive tax cut and spending packagethat will create a tax break on tips for the next four years.The next step is the House of Representatives before it becomes law.

Karen Read's defense revved up its attacks on unexpected new expert findings Tuesday, which contradict the timeline they say proves she didn't hit boyfriend John O'Keefe with her Lexus SUV and leave him to die in a blizzard in 2022.Shanon Burgess, an expert on vehicle and phone data from the digital forensics firm Aperture, returned to the stand for a second day of brutal cross-examination with defense attorney Robert Alessi at the wheel.Alessi pointed out inconsistencies in Burgess' resume and revealed he got the dates wrong on a timeline that was supposed to be accurate "to the second." And nothing in Burgess' findings directly indicated that a fatal crash happened.EXPERT WITNESS IN KAREN READ MURDER TRIAL CAUGHT WITH ERRORS INFLATING HIS CREDENTIALS"As you sit here today, none of the information in that black box that you referred to on direct testimony indicates that there was a collision on Jan. 29," Alessi said. "Does it?""Not by itself," Burgess replied.Special prosecutor Hank Brennan pumped the brakes when he returned for redirect questioning, asking the expert about flaws he had found in a previous analysis that indicated O'Keefe, a Boston police officer, was interacting with his iPhone after the time when prosecutors allege he was fatally struck by the defendant.KAREN READ MURDER TRIAL: NIECE REVEALS FRANTIC BEHAVIOR ON MORNING BOSTON OFFICER WAS FOUND DEADThe math veered out of alignment, Burgess testified. A defense expert had relied on call logs to synchronize the internal clocks in Read's Lexus SUV and O'Keefe's iPhone.But that doesn't work, Burgess explained, because the expert used calls that Read made when her car was powered off, so the vehicle's internal clock had nothing to do with them. Their timing was the product of the internal clock on her smartphone, which he said synced up with the Lexus the next time she turned it on.Those calls indicated a variance of just one or two seconds between the vehicle and the victim's phone.KAREN READ JUDGE BLOCKS SANDRA BIRCHMORE MENTIONS; EXPERT SAYS CASES SHOULD BE WAKE-UP CALL FOR POLICEUsing other metrics, including user data stored in the Lexus that prior analysts failed to identify and recover, the variance inflates to between 21 and 29 seconds, Burgess testified.It is unclear whether Burgess' credibility is running out of gas with jurors after Alessi found online resumes that wrongly stated he has a bachelor's degree from the University of Alabama.GET REAL-TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THE TRUE CRIME HUB"This expert needs to go home," said Grace Edwards, a Massachusetts defense attorney who is following the case. She said the prosecution is risking the chance that jurors will find him "shady" and disregard his findings, even though a bachelor's degree is not required in his field."This is a murder trial," she told Fox News Digital. "And the fact that he got the beginning and the end date on the slide wrong just screams his work is sloppy and he does not fact-check his work."She pointed to Burgess apparent mix-up of bits and bytes when referring to data obtained from Reads SUV."Attorney Alessi set up a trap that he walked into, which destroyed Burgess on the stand," Edwards said. "Precision matters when you are a tech expert."FOLLOW THE FOX TRUE CRIME TEAM ON XBurgess testified that he does not have a bachelor's degree, despite his official Aperture bio and an old LinkedIn account, which appears to have been deactivated in the past few days, stating otherwise.Brennan attempted to repair the damage by showing jurors two updated resumes, from last year and this year, that Burgess had submitted to the defense prior to trial, showing his credentials. Neither claimed that he has a bachelor's degree."Did you ever hear of Bill Gates?" Brennan asked."Yes," Burgess replied, referring to the billionaire Microsoft founder who famously dropped out of Harvard before graduation.Burgess eventually said he would like to get his bachelor's degree some day, but "work, family and life" keep getting in the way."As a personal objective,I would like to finish my bachelor's," Burgess testified. "But again, work and life gets in the way."After he left the witness stand, Brennan played three clips of Read discussing the timeline in her own words for a TV documentary. She said she believes O'Keefe died around 12:30 a.m. on Jan. 29, 2022.The next witness was Christina Hanley, an analyst at the Massachusetts State Police Crime Lab who examined the broken glass found near O'Keefe's remains at 34 Fairview Road in Canton, about 20 miles south of Boston.Hanley is expected to return to the stand at 9 a.m. Wednesday.

Karen Read's defense revved up its attacks on unexpected new expert findings Tuesday, which contradict the timeline they say proves she didn't hit boyfriend John O'Keefe with her Lexus SUV and leave him to die in a blizzard in 2022.Shanon Burgess, an expert on vehicle and phone data from the digital forensics firm Aperture, returned to the stand for a second day of brutal cross-examination with defense attorney Robert Alessi at the wheel.Alessi pointed out inconsistencies in Burgess' resume and revealed he got the dates wrong on a timeline that was supposed to be accurate "to the second." And nothing in Burgess' findings directly indicated that a fatal crash happened.EXPERT WITNESS IN KAREN READ MURDER TRIAL CAUGHT WITH ERRORS INFLATING HIS CREDENTIALS"As you sit here today, none of the information in that black box that you referred to on direct testimony indicates that there was a collision on Jan. 29," Alessi said. "Does it?""Not by itself," Burgess replied.Special prosecutor Hank Brennan pumped the brakes when he returned for redirect questioning, asking the expert about flaws he had found in a previous analysis that indicated O'Keefe, a Boston police officer, was interacting with his iPhone after the time when prosecutors allege he was fatally struck by the defendant.KAREN READ MURDER TRIAL: NIECE REVEALS FRANTIC BEHAVIOR ON MORNING BOSTON OFFICER WAS FOUND DEADThe math veered out of alignment, Burgess testified. A defense expert had relied on call logs to synchronize the internal clocks in Read's Lexus SUV and O'Keefe's iPhone.But that doesn't work, Burgess explained, because the expert used calls that Read made when her car was powered off, so the vehicle's internal clock had nothing to do with them. Their timing was the product of the internal clock on her smartphone, which he said synced up with the Lexus the next time she turned it on.Those calls indicated a variance of just one or two seconds between the vehicle and the victim's phone.KAREN READ JUDGE BLOCKS SANDRA BIRCHMORE MENTIONS; EXPERT SAYS CASES SHOULD BE WAKE-UP CALL FOR POLICEUsing other metrics, including user data stored in the Lexus that prior analysts failed to identify and recover, the variance inflates to between 21 and 29 seconds, Burgess testified.It is unclear whether Burgess' credibility is running out of gas with jurors after Alessi found online resumes that wrongly stated he has a bachelor's degree from the University of Alabama.GET REAL-TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THE TRUE CRIME HUB"This expert needs to go home," said Grace Edwards, a Massachusetts defense attorney who is following the case. She said the prosecution is risking the chance that jurors will find him "shady" and disregard his findings, even though a bachelor's degree is not required in his field."This is a murder trial," she told Fox News Digital. "And the fact that he got the beginning and the end date on the slide wrong just screams his work is sloppy and he does not fact-check his work."She pointed to Burgess apparent mix-up of bits and bytes when referring to data obtained from Reads SUV."Attorney Alessi set up a trap that he walked into, which destroyed Burgess on the stand," Edwards said. "Precision matters when you are a tech expert."FOLLOW THE FOX TRUE CRIME TEAM ON XBurgess testified that he does not have a bachelor's degree, despite his official Aperture bio and an old LinkedIn account, which appears to have been deactivated in the past few days, stating otherwise.Brennan attempted to repair the damage by showing jurors two updated resumes, from last year and this year, that Burgess had submitted to the defense prior to trial, showing his credentials. Neither claimed that he has a bachelor's degree."Did you ever hear of Bill Gates?" Brennan asked."Yes," Burgess replied, referring to the billionaire Microsoft founder who famously dropped out of Harvard before graduation.Burgess eventually said he would like to get his bachelor's degree some day, but "work, family and life" keep getting in the way."As a personal objective,I would like to finish my bachelor's," Burgess testified. "But again, work and life gets in the way."After he left the witness stand, Brennan played three clips of Read discussing the timeline in her own words for a TV documentary. She said she believes O'Keefe died around 12:30 a.m. on Jan. 29, 2022.The next witness was Christina Hanley, an analyst at the Massachusetts State Police Crime Lab who examined the broken glass found near O'Keefe's remains at 34 Fairview Road in Canton, about 20 miles south of Boston.Hanley is expected to return to the stand at 9 a.m. Wednesday.

Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer, a Democrat, signed a bill Tuesday legalizing physician-assisted suicide for certain terminally ill patients, arguing that the measure is about "compassion, dignity, and respect for personal choice."The End-of-Life Options Act, which takes effect next year, allows mentally capable adults who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness and given six months or less to live to request a prescription to self-administer and end their lives."We're acknowledging today that even in the last moments of life, compassion matters," Meyer said at the bill signing. "Every Delawarean should have the right to face their final chapter with peace, dignity and control."NEW YORK ASSEMBLY PASSES BILL TO LEGALIZE ASSISTED SUICIDE FOR THE TERMINALLY ILL"This signing today is about relieving suffering and giving families the comfort of knowing that their loved one was able to pass on their own terms, without unnecessary pain, and surrounded by the people they love most," he continued.Delaware is now the 11th state to allow medical aid in dying, joining California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont and Washington. Washington, D.C., also permits physician-assisted suicide."Today, Delaware joins a growing number of states in recognizing that end-of-life decisions belong to patientsnot politicians," Meyer said. "This law is about compassion, dignity, and respect. It gives people facing unimaginable suffering the ability to choose peace and comfort, surrounded by those they love. After years of debate, I am proud to sign HB 140 into law."Several other countries, including Canada, Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands, have also legalized so-called death with dignity.The Delaware Legislature narrowly rejected the measure last year, but Meyer pushed for it this session and it passed last month. The governor's signature now ends nearly a decade of debate on the issue.Under the new law, sponsored by Democrat state Rep. Eric Morrison, patients considering assisted suicide in the state must be presented with other options for end-of-life care, including comfort care, palliative care, hospice and pain control. The bill requires two waiting periods and a second medical opinion on a patient's prognoses before they can obtain a prescription for lethal medication.MINNESOTA LAWMAKERS PROPOSE CONTROVERSIAL MEDICALLY-ASSISTED SUICIDE BILLState Senate Majority Leader Bryan Townsend, a Democrat, said the law "is about honoring the autonomy and humanity of those facing unimaginable suffering from terminal illness.""This legislation exists due to the courage of patients, family members, and advocates who have shared deeply personal stories of love, loss and suffering," he said in a statement.

House Speaker Mike Johnson has reached a tentative deal with blue state Republican lawmakers to boost the cap on state and local tax deductions, or "SALT," to $40,000 in President Donald Trumps so-called "big, beautiful bill," Republican sources confirmed to Fox News late Tuesday.The proposed cap which is up from $30,000 would be per household for taxpayers making less than $500,000 per year.GOP HOLDOUTS UNMOVED BY TRUMP'S 'BIG, BEAUTIFUL' TRIP TO CAPITOL HILLIt remains unclear whether GOP hardliners who oppose raising the SALT cap deductions will sign off on the measure.The tentative agreement, first reported by Politico and confirmed by Fox News, comes as House GOP factions have been engaged in high-stakes debates on taxes, Medicaid, and green energy subsidies while crafting the presidents "big, beautiful bill."SALT deduction caps primarily benefit people living in high-cost-of-living areas like New York City, Los Angeles, and their surrounding areas.BLUE STATE REPUBLICANS THREATEN MUTINY OVER STATE AND LOCAL TAXES IN TRUMP'S 'BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL'Republicans representing those areas have framed raising the SALT deduction cap as an existential issue, arguing that a failure to address it could cost the GOP the House majority in the 2026 midterms.Meanwhile, Republicans representing lower-tax states are largely wary of raising the deduction cap, believing that it incentivizes blue states high-tax policies.Fox News Digitals Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.

Are there any Democrats out there who arent running for president? Sure doesnt seem that way.Back in the day, potential candidates would deny even thinking about it.I remember interviewing Marco Rubio in a Senate hallway about whether he might run in 2016. He denied even contemplating it. I knew it was bull. He knew it was bull. And, of course, he ranand lost to Donald Trump.Its like when candidates or officeholders say they never look at polls, or offer some bromide on how the only poll that counts is Election Day. Hogwash. They all look at polls, erratic as they may be, or talk to consultants who look at the surveys for them.LESS THAN 4 MONTHS INTO TRUMP'S 2ND TERM, DEMS ARE ALREADY EYEING THE 2028 RACEBut now a new dynamic is taking hold, one that might be summarized as: Hell yeah, Im running!I mean, there are obligatory nods to focusing on next years midterms. But there is no longer the Kabuki dance of pretending a lack of interest.The New York Times has a nice piece on this.Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear is telling reporters he "would consider" a White House run. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz says if hes "asked to serve" by whom? he will do "whatever it takes" to run. Excuse me, how does Walzs big flop as Kamalas running mate qualify him for the top spot?HEATING UP: NEWSOM, PRITZKER, BUTTIGIEG MAKE EARLY MOVES IN 2028 PRESIDENTIAL RACEArizonas Ruben Gallego, whos been a senator for about 12 minutes, said hes awaiting the birth of his third child but added: "Babies get older."Many of these White House wannabes have little name recognition, which means they have nothing to lose by running, which can at least lead to a cable news contract.Pete Buttigieg, having been bitten once by the bug, is obviously running again, but the former Transportation secretary is playing coy"Right now Im not running for anything" right but its nice to hear from people who backed him.My favorite quote is from Gallego, who told NBC: "Has it ever crossed my mind? Of course," adding an expletive. "Im an elected official. It crosses my mind."DEMOCRATS ARE MAKING EARLY MOVES TO LINE UP 2028 PRESIDENTIAL BIDSThe prognosticators have counted at least 19 potential contenders. Many of them wont make it to Iowa. Or wont make it to the debate stage because their polls are too low. Or are forced out of the race when their fundraising dries up.The Great Mentioner was openly replaced by the media, which in turn yielded to social media and podcasters. But the good old legacy media now deemed a grievous insult still have the chance to do the most original reporting.Its expensive to cover campaigns. Media organizations are charged for riding on Air Force One or private charters. Their bosses must pay for their food and lodging for days on end. Some expense account dinners are legendary.But its fun, largely a young persons game. Theyre not sitting in some air-conditioned studio. Which is why youre reading about this now, over 3 years before the next presidential election.

A California man accused of murdering a man last week was released from jail in late 2024 because of his mental health, according to the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office.Jordan Murray, 25, is charged with murder in the May 18 stabbing death of a 40-year-old man in the Fair Oaks area, the sheriff's office said.In May and June 2024, Murray allegedly committed two violent robberies that landed him in jail, but he was released in November 2024 after courts granted him "mental health diversion.""Only six months after his release from jail, Murray committed this completely preventable murder," the sheriff's office said.LOUISIANA GOVERNOR BLASTS 'PROGRESSIVE PROMISES' AFTER NEW ORLEANS JAIL ESCAPEThe sheriff's office said deputies responded to an assault at around 8 p.m. on Sunday on Fair Oaks Boulevard, where the victim was found on the ground in the parking lot with multiple stab wounds. Life-saving measures were attempted, but he died at the scene.Homicide detectives and crime scene investigators began collecting evidence and interviewing witnesses, and learned that Murray and others were involved in a physical altercation involving the victim earlier that day.The victim walked away, which broke up the fight at the time, but later encountered Murray and one of the others from the altercation.Murray allegedly pulled a knife out of his pocket and began swinging it at the victim, slashing him at least once in the chest, causing a "mortal wound," police said.ICE ARRESTS CRIMINAL ALIEN RELEASED FROM PRISON WITH SEX CRIMES CONVICTION: 'HE WONT BE WELCOME BACK'He was located Tuesday morning in South Sacramento County and taken into custody without incident.When announcing his most recent arrest, the sheriff's office said Murray robbed a Dollar Tree in May 2024 and another business in Fair Oaks in June 2024.During both robberies, Murray allegedly sprayed an employee in the face with an "unknown caustic chemical" before fleeing. Deputies apprehended him as he rode away from the second robbery on an electric bike.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPMurray was arrested and booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail on Tuesday, where he is being held without bail.Jail records show he is now charged with murder and felony robbery, on top of the previous two robbery charges. He is set to appear in court on Thursday.

JOHANNESBURG President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet South African President Cyril Ramaphosa at the White House on Wednesday for a make-or-break session, despite new accusations from the president this past Friday that South Africa is "out of control" and committing genocide.Speaking on Air Force One as it returned from the Persian Gulf region, Trump repeated his claim that white Afrikaner South African farmers are being slaughtered and forced off their land. The Afrikaners are descendants of mostly Dutch settlers who first arrived in South Africa in 1652.Secretary of State Marco Rubio elaborated on these claims Sunday on CBS, saying"all evidence [indicates] the farmers in South Africa are being treated brutally."Some 50 Afrikaners were flown to the U.S. as refugees last week. Rubio said theres "more to come". South Africa, and its president,deniesclaims of genocide and harassment.INCOMING TRUMP ADMIN, CONGRESS SHOWDOWN LOOMS WITH SOUTH AFRICA OVER SUPPORT FOR RUSSIA, US FOESCould the Oval Office and the Wednesday meeting be the setting for a Zelenskyy-style dressing down of the South African president? In February, Ukraines president was involved in a shouting match with Trump and others, which reportedly led to him being ejected from the White House."The meeting is set to occur at a time when the relationship between the two countries has soured to unprecedented lows," analyst Frans Cronje, Yorktown Foundation for Freedom advisory board member,told Fox News Digital.TRUMP ADMIN MAKES NEW MOVE TO BRING SOUTH AFRICAN REFUGEES TO US AS PRESIDENT BLASTS NATION'S RULERS AGAINSouth Africa is "hosting Hamas and Hezbollah, doing business with Irans IRGC, prosecuting Israel at the ICJ and cozying up to Beijing and Moscow. These choices have consequences," Max Meizlish, senior research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital.Meizlish said South Africa has "attracted the ire of the president and key members of Congress, who play significant roles in shaping the future of U.S.-South African relations. Unfortunately, President Ramaphosa and his colleagues in the ANC do not appear to fully appreciate this fact. President Trump should insist on meaningful change and be ready to back his demands up with tools like targeted sanctions and tariffs."But will the White House meeting be icy, feisty, even loud? Not from the South African side, former U.S. diplomat and Daily Maverick Associate Editor J. Brooks Spector told Fox News Digital."Ramaphosa has a long track record of careful negotiating with adversaries.""He doesnt raise his voice, even when others become heated. Ive seen this firsthand. In a smoke-filled room in 1990 in South Africas dusty Free State, I watched Ramaphosa, then a leader of a black miners' union,sometimes even smile as he quietly and successfully calmed down [the] often-shouting white miners accused of killing black colleagues underground and got the murders stopped."Spector continued, "It is almost certain Ramaphosa and his team have closely studied the way three recent prior meetings with Trump have gone those with Zelenskyy (Ukraine), Starmer (the United Kingdom) and Carney (Canada) in an effort to draw lessons about how to present their best face. He will not make neophyte negotiation mistakes."WHITE SOUTH AFRICAN REFUGEES BROUGHT TO US DUE TO GOVERNMENT-SPONSORED RACIAL DISCRIMINATION: STATE DEPTCronje told Fox News Digital that Ramaphosa and his country badly need the U.S."At home, Mr Ramaphosa is presiding over economic stagnation, with South Africa facing a rate of economic growth estimated at just over 1% together with an unemployment rate of over 30%. Mr. Ramaphosa will, therefore, be under great pressure to secure a deal."Some 600 U.S. companies operate in South Africa. Ramaphosa has taken four top ministers to Washington hoping to offer new deals, especially reportedly on natural gas, minerals and agricultural product sales to the U.S., and possibly finally the licensing of Elon Musks Starlink satellite internet system in South Africa.Cronje noted a military perspective the U.S. will also want to consider: "South Africa commands the southern sea route between the Indian and Atlantic oceans, which is an important trade and naval choke point."Meizlish added that South Africa "holds vast mineral wealth and could anchor U.S. investment in Africa, but that doesnt mean we should turn a blind eye to its alignment with Americas enemies."South Africas chief rabbi, Dr. Warren Goldstein, told Fox News Digital that South Africa could "easily withdraw" its ICJ case against Israel if it wanted to, adding that "opinion polls show that there is very little domestic support for his (Ramaphosas) anti-Israel stance, with most holding positive views towards Israel, sharing the same conservative Christian values that deeply resonate with Mr. Trumps support base in the U.S."CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPMeizlish said, "This visit cant be about optics or deals that fail to address the root of South Africa's malign foreign policy. Trump needs to push Ramaphosa to make substantive, structural reforms in his country's foreign policy while also creating pathways for greater U.S. investment. It can't just be one or the other."As South African politicians swept through Washington on Tuesday on a major lobbying exercise, trying to get traction on the idea of focusing on trade, Rubio told senators during a hearing that a reset in relations might be possible."If there's a willingness on their side to reset relations, obviously [that's] something we'll explore, but we do so with eyes wide open to what they've done so far," he said.Fox News Digital reached out to the South African government for comment but received no response.