Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, who was arrested on Friday for trespassing at an ICE holding facility, is known as a far-left progressive who has a record of associating with controversial celebrities.Baraka, who is currently one of the top Democratic candidates for New Jersey governor, was arrested by Homeland Security personnel outside the Delaney Hall ICE detention center for his involvement in what the DHS called a "beyond bizarre political stunt."The prison currently holds alleged killers, MS-13 gang members and accused child rapists, among other criminal offenders.U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba announced that Baraka, one of the leading Democratic candidates for New Jersey governor, was arrested on Friday for his involvement in the incident."The Mayor of Newark, Ras Baraka, committed trespass and ignored multiple warnings from Homeland Security Investigations to remove himself from the ICE detention center in Newark, New Jersey this afternoon," said Habba. "He has willingly chosen to disregard the law. That will not stand in this state. He has been taken into custody. NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW."NEWARK MAYOR TAKES FIGHT TO THE GATES OF ICE DETENTION CENTER AMID LEGAL BATTLE OVER ALLEGED SAFETY VIOLATIONSAccording to Baraka's campaign website, if elected governor he envisions working to "deconstruct the state budget and reassemble with equity as our north star; judging every decision as either a step towards equity or a step towards inequity."Besides pushing these controversial "equity" policies, Baraka has been criticized for having a record of associating with questionable characters, including Sean "P. Diddy" Combs and radical antisemitic preacher Louis Farrakhan.When he was first running for mayor in 2014, Baraka was endorsed by P. Diddy. He posted about the endorsement on Facebook and in 2015 posted another picture of himself with the former rapper, saying, "great to see see you [P. Diddy] you're welcome here anytime!"Baraka has also been caught on video applauding and embracing Farrakhan after an address in which the Nation of Islam preacher called White people "demons" and encouraged violence as retribution.The video taken in 2004 at a Newark church shows Baraka introducing Farrakhan to the congregation by calling him a major personal inspiration and "the leader of every Black person."During the speech, which was first reported on by the New York Post, Baraka stood to give Farrakhan a standing ovation two times. The first is after Farrakhan denounces the non-violent protests of the civil rights movement, saying, "We didnt believe in no non-violence. The cracker hit you on your jaw, you break his neck. Thats the way we think."Baraka applauds again after Farrakhan demonizes White people as "the enemy."DEM CANDIDATE CAUGHT ON CAMERA APPLAUDING NOTORIOUS ANTISEMITE'S VIOLENT RHETORIC: 'YOU BREAK HIS NECK'Local outlet Insider NJ reported that a spokesperson for Barakas campaign confirmed the arrest, saying that he "was arrested and detained by ICE" and that he was being transported to the Homeland Security Investigations Newark field office.DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News that Reps. Rob Menendez Jr., Bonnie Watson Coleman and LaMonica McIver, all New Jersey Democrats, were also involved in the incident and rushed through the facilitys gates, demanding they be allowed to conduct an "oversight visit."The lawmakers were held up at the first checkpoint.Baraka, who has been protesting the facilitys opening for months, was a regular presence at protests outside the building throughout the week.Baraka has said that using Delaney Hall for processing people in the country illegally goes against state and local law, leading the city to file a lawsuit in the Essex County Superior Court at the end of March.NEWARK MAYOR SAYS ICE AGENTS RAIDED 'WITHOUT WARRANT,' VIOLATED CONSTITUTIONIn a press conference on Monday, Baraka said that GEO Group, the private company running the prison, is "following the pattern of the president of the United States who believes that he can just do what he wants to do and obscure the laws, national and constitutional laws, and they think they can do the same thing in the state of New Jersey and in Newark."Commenting on the arrest, New Jersey Sen. Jon Bramnick, a GOP gubernatorial candidate, told Fox News that "it doesnt really surprise me because he's been fighting the opening of Delaney Hall since it opened" and that the mayor "wasnt very pleased with ICE taking over Delaney Hall."Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J., who is also a candidate for governor, condemned the arrest, calling it an "absolute outrage."Sherill said that Baraka "needs to be released immediately."Another Democratic gubernatorial candidate, Steven Fulop, who is mayor of Jersey City, also condemned the arrest, saying, "Were watching lines get crossed in real time" and that "this is a dangerous precedent."DHS UNLEASHES POSSIBLE MONEY-SAVING MEASURE FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS TO SELF-DEPORT: 'SAFEST OPTION'Meanwhile, Jack Ciattarelli, another GOP candidate for New Jersey governor, called Barakas actions a "cheap publicity stunt."CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP"In Newark, the airport is in the midst of an unprecedented & dangerous meltdown, the public schools are failing students & families, and there is crime in the streets every day. And yet its Mayor and leading Democrat candidate for Governor, [Ras Baraka], is busy shilling for illegal Immigrants at an ICE detention center with a cheap publicity stunt. Shameful," he posted on X.

Pakistan's armed forces said they hit back at India, targeting military sites, after India fired missiles at three of its air bases in a frightening escalation between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.India had earlier targeted the three air bases inside Pakistan with missiles, most of which were intercepted, on Saturday, Pakistani military officials said.The strike marks the latest escalation between the nuclear-armed rivals, a move triggered by a mass shooting that India blames Pakistan for.TRUMP OFFERS TO HELP INDIA, PAKISTAN AMID GROWING CONFLICT: I WANT TO SEE THEM STOPIn a televised address, Pakistani army spokesman, Lt. Gen. Ahmad Sharif, said the countrys air force assets were safe.He added that some of the Indian missiles also hit Indias eastern Punjab. There was no immediate comment from India."This is a provocation of the highest order," Sharif said.INDIA LAUNCHES STRIKES ON TERRORIST CAMPS IN PAKISTANThe missiles targeted Nur Khan air base in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, Murid air base in Chakwal city and Rafiqui air base in the Jhang district of eastern Punjab province, Sharif said.Some of the missiles landed in Afghanistan, he said."I want to give you the shocking news that India fired six ballistic missiles from its city of Adampur," said Sharif. One of the ballistic missiles hit Adampur, the remaining five missiles hit the Indian Punjab area of Amritsar."Earlier this week, Pakistan shot down more than two dozen drones.The fraught relationship between the neighboring nations hit a low following an attack at a popular tourist area in India-controlled Kashmir, leaving 26 people dead.Most of those killed were Hindu tourists. India has blamed Pakistan, which denies any involvement.

"The View" co-host Sunny Hostin said she is "concerned" for the LGBTQ+ community after seeing a resurfaced statement from the new pope.Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected as the first American pope on Thursday, taking the name of Pope Leo XIV. He has been described as a compromise candidate between the more traditional and progressive factions of the Roman Catholic Church, as he has spoken in favor of both doctrinal tradition and support for workers and the poor. While some liberal commentators have praised him, others have voiced skepticism about how much their beliefs may actually align."Im a devout Catholic," Hostin claimed. "Look, I always think its exciting, to watch the conclave and look for the white smoke and the black smoke and just the ceremony of it and, you know, during these very trying times in our country, we certainly need spiritual leadership, because of some of the things that were experiencing. Im a little concerned about this choice for the LGBTQ+ community."PRESIDENT TRUMP CALLS FIRST AMERICAN POPE LEO XIV AN HONOR FOR US, VERY HAPPYShe went on to quote a statement the pope made in 2012."In 2012 he gave an address to bishops, and he lamented the popular culture fostered and sympathy for beliefs and practices that are at odds with the gospel, and thats a quote, and then he cited the homosexual lifestyle and alternative families comprised of same-sex partners and their adopted children," Hostin said.The co-host then recalled the late Pope Francis and said, "I think that Pope Francis certainly made great changes in terms of embracing the LGBTQ+ community and extending blessings to the community, and I hope that this pope doesnt roll back the-"Multiple co-hosts interjected, including Ana Navarro, who identified as Catholic and emphasized the date that he made the statement."In 2012 there were even a lot of American politicians who today are pro-gay marriage and pro-equal rights who were not, so maybe, you know, with the weight of the papacy and the idea that-he just said when he went out on the balcony that the church loves everyone and was inclusive in his first message so until we see otherwise, I think we need to pray and hope that he follows in Francis' footsteps in being inclusive, forgiving, compassionate, welcoming, and speaking up for the marginalized," Navarro said.CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTUREPope Leo also previously warned against gender ideology as well, reportedly declaring to a local news outlet, "The promotion of gender ideology is confusing, because it seeks to create genders that dont exist."While the late Pope Francis is credited for extending an olive branch to the LGBTQ+ community, he also warned that gender ideology is the "ugliest danger" of our time.

American author, speaker and theologian Bishop Robert Barron was at the Vatican this week to witness the election of a new pope, and he shared his thoughts with Fox News Digital about Cardinal Robert Prevost's "intriguing" new papal name.Papal names are often very symbolic with regard to how a Pope will serve as the leader of the Catholic Church. Typically, Pope's select the names of predecessors they admire or want to emulate. Prevost ultimately went with Leo XIV in honor of Pope Leo XIII, who served from 1878 to 1903."He could have been Francis II, and we would have said, Oh, there he is clearly in the line of Francis. He could have been John Paul III, then we would have thought, Oh, hes very much in that more conservative line.' He could have been John XXIV, and we say Oh, now hes a real revolutionary liberal, et cetera,'" Barron said. "The fact that he went back, well over 100 years, to this very interesting and pivotal figure our new pope was saying, I too, want a critical engagement with the modern world, not simply a no, but also not simply a yes, not simply an acquiescence to it."CARDINAL DOLAN DESCRIBES POPE XIV AS CITIZEN OF THE WORLD, WILL BUILD BRIDGES WITH TRUMPBarron pointed out that Leo XIII was a pivotal figure due to the timing of his reign, which came during a moment when the Church was contending with the tremendous political and philosophical upheavals of the 18th and 19th centuries, such as the French and American Revolutions, and the introduction of philosophies such as Marxism."The church's first reaction [to these changes] was very negative. It was a great no to modernity. By the end of the 19th century, I think, with a certain distance and a certain critical intelligence, the church was willing to enter into a more, call it, creative engagement with modernity. And I think Pope Leo the 13th represents precisely that," Barron said.The bishop pointed to the Rerum Novarum to further his point, an encyclical letter issued by Pope Leo XII in 1891.BEARS STAR CALEB WILLIAMS ISSUES TWO-WORDED REACTION TO POPE LEO XIV'S ELECTION"In that document, [Leo XII] is a fierce opponent of Marxism, a fierce opponent of socialism and communism, a great defender of private property and of the market economy," Barron said. "So you say, 'Okay, there's that great no to the left-wing economic revolutions.' At the same time, in that same letter, [Leo XII] comes out strongly in favor of the right to form unions. He comes out very strongly in favor of what we call the universal destination of goods.""In fact, Pope Leo says in that letter, once the requirements of necessity and propriety have been met in your life, the rest of what you own belongs to the poor," Barron continued. "That's not a just a standard, boring, mainstream point of view. That's a pretty revolutionary statement. But notice the lovely balance in that letter between yes to private property, the great no to socialism and Marxism, but the great yes to the universal destination of goods. Leo sets the tone thereby for the rest of Catholic social teaching that followed him."In conclusion, Barron said he thinks Prevost's selection of Leo XIV makes the new pope "a very interesting player" in terms of the debate between the Right and the Left in politics.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP"[Leo XVI] doesn't fit and I've said this 1,000 times he and other great representatives of Catholic social teaching don't fit into our categories of left and right," Barron said. "They don't fit into Democrat-Republican, they're in a space beyond those distinctions. So, I think that's what's perhaps most interesting about him."

Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, a top House ally of President Donald Trump and a MAGA firebrand with a national following, is passing on a 2026 Senate run.The three-term conservative lawmaker who represents a solidly red district in northwest Georgia, in a lengthy statement announcing her decision that was posted to social media on Friday night, took aim at Democratic incumbent Sen. Jon Ossoff, a top GOP target whom Republicans view as extremely vulnerable in next year's midterm elections.But Greene saved much of her venom for fellow Republicans, many of whom feared a polarizing campaign if Greene became the party's 2026 nominee in Georgia, and for the institution of the Senate itself."Someone once said, The Senate is where good ideas go to die. They were right. Thats why Im not running," Greene wrote as she announced her decision.THIS POPULAR CONSERVATIVE GOVERNOR PASSES ON A 2026 SENATE RUNAnd Greene argued, "Heres the hard truth: the Senate doesnt work. Its designed to obstruct the will of the people and protect the Unipartys grip on power. Nearly everything requires 60 votes to pass, and even when we have a majority, a pack of Republican Senators always votes "no" on the bills that matter most."FIRST ON FOX: REPUBLICAN LAUNCHES SECOND STRAIGHT BID TO FLIP DEMOCRAT-HELD SENATE SEAT IN KEY BATTLEGROUNDGreene's announcement came four days after two-term Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, who was the National Republican Senatorial Committee's top recruit in battleground Georgia, revealed that he would also pass on a Senate bid.The popular conservative governor, who is term-limited and prevented from seeking re-election in 2026, was the GOP's dream candidate to take on Ossoff, as Republicans aim to expand their 53-47 Senate majority in next year's elections.ONLY ON FOX NEWS: SENATE REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN CHAIR REVEALS HOW MANY SEATS HE'S AIMING FOR IN 2026Greene, in her statement, claimed, "Beating Jon Ossoff? That would be easy. Hes a silver-spoon progressive whos never held a real job or worried about putting a roof over his familys head.""So, Jon Ossoff, you can stop with the fundraising emails and campaign ads claiming Im your opponent. Im not running," she added.While criticizing Ossoff, Greene turned up the volume on her own party, including "the same elites who scoffed at me when I first ran for Congress in 2020.""Most elected Republicans, propped up by consultants and rich donors, fail to deliver on their campaign promises. Why? Because their donors and handlers dont want change. They want to protect their own interests, not yours," Greene charged.She took aim at "the Republicans who see Trump as a speed bump," and argued that "polling has become so dishonest that most people barely pay attention to it anymore. Voters are sick of the consultants who keep getting rich whether we win or lose."Greene described herself as "effective, fearless, and relentless, not because I serve the Republican Party, but because I serve the American people."But she added that "I wont fight for a team that refuses to win, that protects its weakest players, and that undermines the very people its supposed to serve To the elite retreaters, the consultants, and the establishment: consider this your warning."In the wake of Kemp's announcement, GOP Rep. Buddy Carter, who represents coastal Georgia, launched a Senate campaign this week. Other Georgia Republicans expressing interest in running are Reps. Mike Collins and Rich McCormick, state Insurance Commissioner John King, state Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and State Sen. Greg Dolezal.Georgia-based Republican consultants tell Fox News they expect a crowded and competitive primary.Greene, earlier this year, said that she was also considering a run for Georgia governor. And in her statement, she didn't rule out a gubernatorial run in the race to succeed Kemp.

Texas lawmakers are charging ahead with what they call the nations strongest legislative effort yet to block hostile foreign powers from purchasing land in the Lone Star State.Championed by Republican state Rep. Cole Hefner and state Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, Senate Bill 17 (SB17) is designed to stop governments and entities tied to countries like China, Iran, North Korea and Russia from gaining a foothold on Texas soil.In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Hefner described SB17 as "model legislation" aimed at shutting down land purchases that pose a national security threat."This bill is about actions and affiliations, not race, not nationality," Hefner said. "If youre acting on behalf of a hostile foreign adversary, were going to take that land back."TEXAS LAW GETS TOUGH ON PUBLIC, PRIVATE DRONE USEThe bill is in direct response to real-world events.Hefner cited the 2021 case of a retired Chinese general acquiring over 140,000 acres near Laughlin Air Force Base."We've [also] seen the attempt of foreign actors or hostile foreign adversaries to buy land close to food processing plants," Hefner said. "And it's just something that we have found the more we dig into it, the more we find that there's a lot of things we don't know and a lot of vulnerabilities that are out there."The bill prohibits entities and individuals affiliated with governments designated as national security threats, based on the U.S. Director of National Intelligences annual assessments, from purchasing real estate if those purchases pose risks to public health or safety.The law empowers the state's attorney general to investigate, block and even reverse such land deals through court-ordered receivership.TEXAS LAWMAKERS CONSIDERING BILL TO BAN GENDER CHANGES ON BIRTH CERTIFICATESUnder SB17, "real property" includes agricultural, commercial, industrial, and residential land as well as mines, minerals, and timber. The law includes key exemptions for U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, and property intended as a personal homestead."The strong points of our bill is that it can apply to anyone if we can prove they're acting as an agent," said Hefner. "So even if they're from a friendly country, but they're actually on behalf of a foreign adversary, then they will be subject to the bill."The bill gives the attorney general investigative powers, and authority to appoint receivers to manage or sell properties acquired in violation of the law.Hefner pushed back hard on critics who claim the bill is xenophobic. "This has nothing to do with skin color or ethnicity," he said. "Its about protecting Texans and Americans from foreign espionage and influence."He also stressed that SB17 should not be seen as a partisan move. "It shouldn't be a partisan issue. This is about national security. This is about keeping our citizens safe," said Hefner."It's not about Republican or Democrat, it's not liberal or conservative. It is just taking care of our people."And I believe that's the, you know, the number one responsibility of the government is to make sure that people can live free and safe in their state."CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPSB17 is set to take effect Sept. 1. Hefner said he hopes the legislation sparks a nationwide effort."We need to wake up," he said. "This is about securing the homeland, not playing politics."Fox News Digital's Nick Butler contributed to this report.

A Massachusetts suspect was charged this week with attempting to assassinate a cabinet nominee, the U.S. Department of Justice said.Ryan Michael English, 24, was arrested in January after allegedly attempting to bring a knife and two improvised Molotov cocktails into the U.S. Capitol to assassinate then-Treasury Secretary nominee Scott Bessent during his nomination.On Thursday, English was charged with the attempted assassination of a cabinet member nominee and carrying a dangerous weapon on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol Building.English had an initial court appearance on Thursday afternoon.PHOTOGRAPHER WINS PULITZER FOR ICONIC PHOTO OF BULLET SPEEDING BY TRUMP'S HEAD DURING ASSASSINATION ATTEMPTProsecutors said that English had also originally plotted to kill House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and was inspired by United HealthCare CEO murder suspect Luigi Mangione.English walked up to a U.S. Capitol Police officer on Jan. 27 and allegedly stated, "Id like to turn myself in," according to initial charging documents.English claimed to have two Molotov cocktails and two knives and expressed being there "to kill Scott Bessent," according to court documents. Federal prosecutors said English left home in Massachusetts and traveled to Washington with the intent of killing Hegseth, whom the suspect referred to as a "Nazi," and Johnson, and burning down the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank near the White House.Capitol Police officers found a folding knife and two improvised incendiary devices made of vodka bottles with a grey cloth affixed to the top inside English's jacket during a search.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPThey found a green lighter in another pocket.Fox News' Danielle Wallace and Louis Casiano contributed to this report.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday sent a memo to West Point, the U.S. Naval Academy and the U.S. Air Force Academy, saying that all future admissions will be based solely on merit."The Department owes it to our nation, our Service Members, and our young Americans applying to the MSAs to ensure admissions to these prestigious institutions are based exclusively on merit," Hegseth wrote in a memo to the academies.He added that this would ensure that only the "most qualified candidates" would be admitted.PETE HEGSETH SAYS WEST POINT PROFESSOR WHO RESIGNED OVER TRUMP ADMIN EDUCATION OVERHAUL WILL NOT BE MISSED"Selecting anyone but the best erodes lethality, our warfighting readiness, and undercuts the culture of excellence in our Armed Forces," he wrote.He said the secretaries of the military departments would have 30 days to certify that there will be no consideration of race, ethnicity or sex in applications and that they will be based on merit only.HEGSETH ORDERS DEADLINE FOR TRANS SERVICE MEMBERS TO LEAVE MILITARY: OUT AT THE DODHe said merit can be weighted by athletic talent, prior military service, performance at an MSA preparatory school, or other similar experience.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP"The Department must remain steadfast in its pursuit of excellence and never compromise the high standards at our MSAs," he concluded. "A strong officer corps is essential to ensuring the United States military remains the most lethal the world has ever known."

Legal experts are handing Karen Read's defense team the win for Friday's heated cross-examination of Massachusetts State Police Sgt. Yuri Bukhenik who returned for his second day on the stand as prosecutors look to convince the jury that Read fatally struck her boyfriend, Boston cop John O'Keefe, and left him to die in a blizzard in January 2022.During hours of cross-examination from defense attorney Alan Jackson, the homicide investigator was asked to read a long string of text messages exchanged between Read and Brian Higgins, a Canton-based ATF agent with whom she was flirting behind OKeefes back.Having Bukhenik read the texts allows the defense to introduce hearsay statements into the case, according to Grace Edwards, a Massachusetts defense attorney who is following the case closely. They also raise questions about the integrity of the investigation, something the defense has aimed to discredit entirely.STATE TROOPER POINTS TO POSSIBLE WEAPON IN JOHN O'KEEFE DEATH AND IT'S NOT KAREN READ'S CAR"They are being entered not for the truth of what is contained in them but to show that they existed,"she told Fox News Digital. "That is important because the defense wants to be able to argue that these messages existed, and did or did not the investigation consider them as a lead? Wouldnt the knowledge of a romantic flirtation between Karen Read and Brian Higgins create the possibility of conflict between Brian Higgins and John OKeefe?"She said that both sides performed well Friday and credited Hank Brennan, the special prosecutor brought in to handle Read's retrial, with devising a new strategy after the first trial ended in a mistrial. But she said the defense won out slightly."Great lawyering on both sides today. Hank Brennans new trial strategy indicates he wont need to call upon Brian Albert or Brian Higgins or Michael Proctor," she said. "They have stretched the witness to the max the last few days. Alan Jackson appears to have worn the witness down and there was damaging testimony regarding the handling of evidence. Overall, I felt the defense achieved more of their goals today."KAREN READ'S GOOGLE TIMELINE DERAILED AGAIN AS 2ND EXPERT DISPUTES DEFENSE CLAIMSSgt. Bukhenik spent hours on the stand Friday, reading through flirty text messages between Read and Brian Higgins, an ATF agent and potential love interest whom she contacted behind OKeefes back.The Ukraine native, who immigrated to the U.S. when he was nine and joined the Marine Corps after 9/11, often sparred with Jackson about semantics, asking for a copy of Webster's Dictionary at one point, telling the court that English was his "third language."Frequent objections from the special prosecutor, Hank Brennan, also interrupted the proceedings as Judge Beverly Cannone repeatedly called the sides to the bench for off-camera discussions.At one point, Jackson replayed video shown earlier of Read backing out of OKeefes garage the morning he was found dead. The defense clip included a layover of a box with a zoomed-in view of OKeefes vehicle, which was parked outside. It appeared to bounce in place as Read neared it with her rear bumper the same one later found with a broken taillight."The prosecution looks like it's trying to hide the truth with all objections," said Linda Kenney Baden, a prominent East Coast defense attorney who is closely following the case on her "Justice Served" podcast.KAREN READ TRIAL: CANTON COP EXPLAINS USING LEAF BLOWER, RED SOLO CUPS, STOP & SHOP BAG FOR EVIDENCEAnother damning moment, she said, was when Bukhenik admitted that no pieces of Read's broken taillight were recovered until after her vehicle - the alleged murder weapon was parked inside the sallyport at Canton Police Headquarters.But she said it was Bukhenik's responses to Jackson that may have turned off jurors calling the day a win for the defense.In the texts, Read, now 45, discussed her relationship struggles, repeatedly mentioning that she was not married and referred to herself as "single" despite, as Higgins wrote, having a "live in boyfriend."They discussed finding each other "hot," a kiss they shared outside OKeefes house, heavy drinking and danced around laying out their intentions for one another.KAREN READ'S GOOGLE TIMELINE DERAILED AGAIN AS 2ND EXPERT DISPUTES DEFENSE CLAIMS"Are you breaking up or staying together?" Higgins asked at one point, about Read and O'Keefe."I dont know," Read replied. "He hooked up with another girl on vacation. I am very close to his niece. Its a very f----- up situation."Higgins repeatedly asked Read for clarity about her intentions, although they both said they found each other attractive and traded invites to one another's homes."Ok, so he is cool with you dating other people?" Higgins asked in another exchange."I doubt it," Read wrote. "If he is seeing someone else I wouldnt want to know either way. He probably feels the same. And you probably feel that way about whoever you hook up with. I think thats normal."Higgins was present at the Waterfall Bar and Grille with Read, OKeefe and others before the whole group went to the nearby home of Brian Albert, a fellow Boston police officer who is also close friends with Higgins.Read has claimed she dropped OKeefe off, saw him go inside and left.Prosecutors allege that she hit him with the rear end of the Lexus SUV and left him to die on the ground.Read had pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, manslaughter and fleeing the scene. Her defense denied that a collision happened at all and insists his fatal injuries were inflicted in some other way - possibly a "fight" with one or more people at the after-party.Reads first trial, in which she claimed she was being framed by a group of law enforcement with ties to Albert and his family, ended with a deadlocked jury and a mistrial.Special prosecutor Hank Brennan, a prominent Massachusetts defense attorney who previously represented Whitey Bulger, was brought in to take over the reins from Assistant Norfolk County District Attorney Adam Lally, who is still part of the prosecution team.While Read has said that whether she will testify in her own defense remains "to be determined," Brennan sought and obtained video interviews that Read had given to various TV outlets and documentarians and has been playing clips in court for the jury.KAREN READ'S GOOGLE TIMELINE DERAILED AGAIN AS 2ND EXPERT DISPUTES DEFENSE CLAIMSIn the texts, Higgins told Read he wasn't interested in "drama" but continued the two-way flirting until she sent a chilling text to him around noon on Jan. 29, 2022."John died," she wrote.Just hours earlier, while she was out drinking with O'Keefe about an hour before the end of his life, Higgins sent two texts to her that went unanswered around 11:30 p.m. on Jan. 28, 2022.Lawyers for both parties also agreed in court that at 12:20 a.m. the following morning, Higgins also texted O'Keefe. "You coming here???"Earlier, Jackson also grilled Bukhenik over how evidence was handled in the case. Bukhenik testified that no taillight fragments had been recovered until after Read's SUV was in state police custody. He couldn't say which officer had filled out an evidence bag under his name and didn't remember whom he had given the unsigned evidence to.Jackson asked him whether he was aware that more than a dozen reports in the case weren't written until more than 100 days after the events that they were supposed to "memorialize" had taken place. He said he was not.GET REAL-TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THE TRUE CRIME HUBPolice witnesses may be hurting the case due to missteps that shouldn't have happened had routine protocols been followed, according to Joseph Giacalone, a former NYPD cold case investigator and an adjunct crminal justice professor at Penn State Lehigh Valley."A tie goes to the defense," he said of Friday's testimony. "The Massachusetts State Police have a major problem on their hands."The MSP fired former Trooper Michael Proctor, who was a lead investigator in the case, after his testimony during the first trial revealed unprofessional text messages he had sent regarding Read. He could testify when the defense presents its case later in the trial. FOLLOW THE FOX TRUE CRIME TEAM ON XLocal police also testified that they used red Solo cups and a grocery bag to collect evidence, removed snow with a leafblower and continued to be involved on the outskirts of the case despite a conflict of interest one of their detectives is Brian Albert's brother."The prosecution is going to go home this weekend and reevaluate things, because this week couldnt have been worse," said David Gelman, a former prosecutor and Philadelphia-area defense attorney who is following the case.He previously told Fox News Digital he was surprised the commonwealth even moved forward with a new trial after the first case fell apart.On the other hand, digital evidence has not supported defense claims.Two experts have testified that Albert's sister-in-law, Jennifer McCabe, made a key Google search about hypothermia shortly after Read and two other women found O'Keefe unresponsive in the snow not hours earlier, before anyone should have known he was dead, as the defense has claimed.And reading the texts in court could be a "double-edged sword," said Paul Mauro, a former NYPD inspector. Did Higgins have a reason to get into an altercation with O'Keefe? Or do they paint Read as manipulative and untruthful?

Legal experts are handing Karen Read's defense team the win for Friday's heated cross-examination of Massachusetts State Police Sgt. Yuri Bukhenik who returned for his second day on the stand as prosecutors look to convince the jury that Read fatally struck her boyfriend, Boston cop John O'Keefe, and left him to die in a blizzard in January 2022.During hours of cross-examination from defense attorney Alan Jackson, the homicide investigator was asked to read a long string of text messages exchanged between Read and Brian Higgins, a Canton-based ATF agent with whom she was flirting behind OKeefes back.Having Bukhenik read the texts allows the defense to introduce hearsay statements into the case, according to Grace Edwards, a Massachusetts defense attorney who is following the case closely. They also raise questions about the integrity of the investigation, something the defense has aimed to discredit entirely.STATE TROOPER POINTS TO POSSIBLE WEAPON IN JOHN O'KEEFE DEATH AND IT'S NOT KAREN READ'S CAR"They are being entered not for the truth of what is contained in them but to show that they existed,"she told Fox News Digital. "That is important because the defense wants to be able to argue that these messages existed, and did or did not the investigation consider them as a lead? Wouldnt the knowledge of a romantic flirtation between Karen Read and Brian Higgins create the possibility of conflict between Brian Higgins and John OKeefe?"She said that both sides performed well Friday and credited Hank Brennan, the special prosecutor brought in to handle Read's retrial, with devising a new strategy after the first trial ended in a mistrial. But she said the defense won out slightly."Great lawyering on both sides today. Hank Brennans new trial strategy indicates he wont need to call upon Brian Albert or Brian Higgins or Michael Proctor," she said. "They have stretched the witness to the max the last few days. Alan Jackson appears to have worn the witness down and there was damaging testimony regarding the handling of evidence. Overall, I felt the defense achieved more of their goals today."KAREN READ'S GOOGLE TIMELINE DERAILED AGAIN AS 2ND EXPERT DISPUTES DEFENSE CLAIMSSgt. Bukhenik spent hours on the stand Friday, reading through flirty text messages between Read and Brian Higgins, an ATF agent and potential love interest whom she contacted behind OKeefes back.The Ukraine native, who immigrated to the U.S. when he was nine and joined the Marine Corps after 9/11, often sparred with Jackson about semantics, asking for a copy of Webster's Dictionary at one point, telling the court that English was his "third language."Frequent objections from the special prosecutor, Hank Brennan, also interrupted the proceedings as Judge Beverly Cannone repeatedly called the sides to the bench for off-camera discussions.At one point, Jackson replayed video shown earlier of Read backing out of OKeefes garage the morning he was found dead. The defense clip included a layover of a box with a zoomed-in view of OKeefes vehicle, which was parked outside. It appeared to bounce in place as Read neared it with her rear bumper the same one later found with a broken taillight."The prosecution looks like it's trying to hide the truth with all objections," said Linda Kenney Baden, a prominent East Coast defense attorney who is closely following the case on her "Justice Served" podcast.KAREN READ TRIAL: CANTON COP EXPLAINS USING LEAF BLOWER, RED SOLO CUPS, STOP & SHOP BAG FOR EVIDENCEAnother damning moment, she said, was when Bukhenik admitted that no pieces of Read's broken taillight were recovered until after her vehicle - the alleged murder weapon was parked inside the sallyport at Canton Police Headquarters.But she said it was Bukhenik's responses to Jackson that may have turned off jurors calling the day a win for the defense.In the texts, Read, now 45, discussed her relationship struggles, repeatedly mentioning that she was not married and referred to herself as "single" despite, as Higgins wrote, having a "live in boyfriend."They discussed finding each other "hot," a kiss they shared outside OKeefes house, heavy drinking and danced around laying out their intentions for one another.KAREN READ'S GOOGLE TIMELINE DERAILED AGAIN AS 2ND EXPERT DISPUTES DEFENSE CLAIMS"Are you breaking up or staying together?" Higgins asked at one point, about Read and O'Keefe."I dont know," Read replied. "He hooked up with another girl on vacation. I am very close to his niece. Its a very f----- up situation."Higgins repeatedly asked Read for clarity about her intentions, although they both said they found each other attractive and traded invites to one another's homes."Ok, so he is cool with you dating other people?" Higgins asked in another exchange."I doubt it," Read wrote. "If he is seeing someone else I wouldnt want to know either way. He probably feels the same. And you probably feel that way about whoever you hook up with. I think thats normal."Higgins was present at the Waterfall Bar and Grille with Read, OKeefe and others before the whole group went to the nearby home of Brian Albert, a fellow Boston police officer who is also close friends with Higgins.Read has claimed she dropped OKeefe off, saw him go inside and left.Prosecutors allege that she hit him with the rear end of the Lexus SUV and left him to die on the ground.Read had pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, manslaughter and fleeing the scene. Her defense denied that a collision happened at all and insists his fatal injuries were inflicted in some other way - possibly a "fight" with one or more people at the after-party.Reads first trial, in which she claimed she was being framed by a group of law enforcement with ties to Albert and his family, ended with a deadlocked jury and a mistrial.Special prosecutor Hank Brennan, a prominent Massachusetts defense attorney who previously represented Whitey Bulger, was brought in to take over the reins from Assistant Norfolk County District Attorney Adam Lally, who is still part of the prosecution team.While Read has said that whether she will testify in her own defense remains "to be determined," Brennan sought and obtained video interviews that Read had given to various TV outlets and documentarians and has been playing clips in court for the jury.KAREN READ'S GOOGLE TIMELINE DERAILED AGAIN AS 2ND EXPERT DISPUTES DEFENSE CLAIMSIn the texts, Higgins told Read he wasn't interested in "drama" but continued the two-way flirting until she sent a chilling text to him around noon on Jan. 29, 2022."John died," she wrote.Just hours earlier, while she was out drinking with O'Keefe about an hour before the end of his life, Higgins sent two texts to her that went unanswered around 11:30 p.m. on Jan. 28, 2022.Lawyers for both parties also agreed in court that at 12:20 a.m. the following morning, Higgins also texted O'Keefe. "You coming here???"Earlier, Jackson also grilled Bukhenik over how evidence was handled in the case. Bukhenik testified that no taillight fragments had been recovered until after Read's SUV was in state police custody. He couldn't say which officer had filled out an evidence bag under his name and didn't remember whom he had given the unsigned evidence to.Jackson asked him whether he was aware that more than a dozen reports in the case weren't written until more than 100 days after the events that they were supposed to "memorialize" had taken place. He said he was not.GET REAL-TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THE TRUE CRIME HUBPolice witnesses may be hurting the case due to missteps that shouldn't have happened had routine protocols been followed, according to Joseph Giacalone, a former NYPD cold case investigator and an adjunct crminal justice professor at Penn State Lehigh Valley."A tie goes to the defense," he said of Friday's testimony. "The Massachusetts State Police have a major problem on their hands."The MSP fired former Trooper Michael Proctor, who was a lead investigator in the case, after his testimony during the first trial revealed unprofessional text messages he had sent regarding Read. He could testify when the defense presents its case later in the trial. FOLLOW THE FOX TRUE CRIME TEAM ON XLocal police also testified that they used red Solo cups and a grocery bag to collect evidence, removed snow with a leafblower and continued to be involved on the outskirts of the case despite a conflict of interest one of their detectives is Brian Albert's brother."The prosecution is going to go home this weekend and reevaluate things, because this week couldnt have been worse," said David Gelman, a former prosecutor and Philadelphia-area defense attorney who is following the case.He previously told Fox News Digital he was surprised the commonwealth even moved forward with a new trial after the first case fell apart.On the other hand, digital evidence has not supported defense claims.Two experts have testified that Albert's sister-in-law, Jennifer McCabe, made a key Google search about hypothermia shortly after Read and two other women found O'Keefe unresponsive in the snow not hours earlier, before anyone should have known he was dead, as the defense has claimed.And reading the texts in court could be a "double-edged sword," said Paul Mauro, a former NYPD inspector. Did Higgins have a reason to get into an altercation with O'Keefe? Or do they paint Read as manipulative and untruthful?