The House committee tasked with writing the U.S. tax code is meeting on Tuesday afternoon to advance one of the most significant portions of President Donald Trump's "big, beautiful bill."A sweeping piece of legislation unveiled by the House Ways & Means Committee on Monday would follow through on Trump's campaign promises to eliminate taxes on tips and overtime pay, as well as permanently extending the president's 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), among other provisions.House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has said he wants House Republicans to pass their version of Trump's bill by Memorial Day or "shortly thereafter," as he told Fox News Digital in an interview late last month.House and Senate Republicans are working on Trump's agenda via the budget reconciliation process, which allows the party in power to sideline the minority by lowering the Senate's threshold for passage to a simple majority, provided the legislation at hand deals with spending, taxes or the national debt.ANTI-ABORTION PROVIDER MEASURE IN TRUMP'S 'BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL' COULD SPARK HOUSE GOP REBELLIONWays & Means Committee lawmakers are expected to meet for at least several hours on Tuesday to mark up debate on the bill.It could go even longer, however. A Ways & Means Committee markup meeting in 2021, when Democrats were trying to pass Build Back Better, lasted over 35 hours over four days due to Republicans dragging the process out in opposition to then-President Joe Biden's progressive tax policies.Democrats are expected to put up an aggressive fight on Tuesday as well, having already accused Trump of trying to cut taxes for the wealthy while gutting critical programs for low-income Americans.Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Calif., a member of the committee, posted on X on Monday, "Going over line-by line last minute 389-page amendment to the Republican tax bill in our committee today. They have provisions that touch everyone: the richest people get huge tax cuts, working people lose their healthcare and future generations get the bill because it adds $5 trillion to the national debt!"However, Republicans have insisted their tax bill champions the working and middle classes, pointing to Trump's elimination of tips on tax and overtime pay as evidence points.A portion released by the House Ways & Means Committee over the weekend would increase the current maximum Child Tax Credit from $2,000 to $2,500. Trump's TCJA had doubled the maximum from $1,000 to $2,000 in 2017.It would also boost the maximum deduction for qualified business income, a tax provision known as 199A, from 20% to 22%. That would largely affect small business owners whose entities are taxed under individual income tax rates.Trump's promise to eliminate taxes on Social Security for retirees is tackled via giving seniors a higher standard deduction."It puts the interests of low-income, working families ahead of the wealthy by expanding tax relief to those who need it the most including the Presidents priorities of no tax on tips and overtime pay and additional relief for Americas seniors," House Ways & Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., said in a statement.The legislation also cracks down on big colleges and universities, including Ivy Leagues like Harvard University, which are locked in a battle over free speech with the White House. It is targeting those larger schools with higher excise taxes, which are federal duties paid on net earnings of the schools' investments.That rate is currently 1.4%, but the legislation would bring it to as high as 21% for the largest schools, like Harvard and Yale University.HOUSE REPUBLICANS RELEASE TAX PLAN FOR TRUMP'S 'BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL'The nearly 400-page legislation must pass the Ways & Means Committee on Tuesday before being added back to a larger legislative framework, which will include similar bills from 10 other House committees dealing with policies under their jurisdiction.The House Energy & Commerce Committee, for instance, is also meeting on Tuesday afternoon to advance its portion of the bill. The broad-ranging committee has jurisdiction over Medicaid, Medicare, energy production and telecommunications.The House Agriculture Committee, which oversees federal food programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, is meeting Tuesday evening to advance its portion.The full House and Senate must pass identical versions of the final bill before it gets to Trump's desk for a signature.Fox News' Tyler Olson contributed to this report.

A small nodule was found in the prostate of former President Joe Biden during a recent physical exam, according to media reports.The discovery "necessitated further evaluation," the Associated Press reported Tuesday, citing a spokesperson.A spokesperson for Biden did not immediately respond Tuesday to multiple requests for comment from Fox News Digital.During his presidency, Biden had a "cancerous" skin lesion removed from his chest, according to the White House.BIDEN AIDES ALLEGEDLY FRETTED THEN-PRESIDENT WOULD NEED WHEELCHAIR IF RE-ELECTED, NEW BOOK REVEALSFormer White House physician Kevin O'Connor said in February 2023 that skin tissue was removed during a health assessment Biden received and was sent for a biopsy, which revealed it was cancerous.JOE AND JILL BIDEN FIRE BACK ON THE VIEW AGAINST ACCUSATIONS OF HEALTH COVER-UP, CALL STORIES WRONG"As expected, the biopsy confirmed that the small lesion was basal cell carcinoma. All cancerous tissue was successfully removed. The area around the biopsy site was treated presumptively with electrodessication and curettage at the time of biopsy. No further treatment is required," Biden's doctor wrote in a memo."The site of the biopsy has healed nicely and the President will continue dermatologic surveillance as part of his ongoing comprehensive healthcare," O'Connor also wrote.Fox News Digitals Adam Sabes and Brandon Gillespie contributed to this report.

Democratic National Committee (DNC) Vice Chair David Hogg on Monday slammed the Credentials Committee's decision to elevate a procedural challenge to his leadership position as the "first steps to remove me from my position," amid an ongoing intraparty dispute."While this vote was based on how the DNC conducted its officers elections, which I had nothing to do with, it is also impossible to ignore the broader context of my work to reform the party which loomed large over this vote," Hogg said, as he described a country "in crisis" and a Democratic Party "asleep at the wheel.""I ran to be DNC Vice Chair to help make the Democratic Party better, not to defend an indefensible status quo that has caused voters in almost every demographic group to move away from us. The DNC has pledged to remove me, and this vote has provided an avenue to fast-track that effort," Hogg said after the DNC Credentials Committee voted on Monday to elevate a vote challenging the vice chairs' leadership positions.Kalyn Free, a longtime Democratic Party activist, submitted a complaint following the DNC's Feb. 1 officer elections, in which Hogg and Malcolm Kenyatta were elected vice chairs. Free alleged in her complaint that the DNC's tabulation method violated the charter's provision and parliamentary procedure and "discriminated against three women of color candidates."DAVID HOGG FACES CHALLENGE TO DNC ROLE AS PARTY TENSIONS ESCALATE"I am disappointed to learn that before I became Chair, there was a procedural error in the February Vice Chair elections. The Credentials Committee has issued their recommendation, and I trust that the DNC Members will carefully review the Committees resolution and resolve this matter fairly," DNC Chairman Ken Martin said in a statement following the credentials vote.DEMOCRATS' VICE CHAIR GETS ULTIMATUM: STAY NEUTRAL IN PRIMARIES OR STEP DOWN FROM PARTY LEADERSHIPThe Credentials Committee on Monday found the Feb. 1 election violated parliamentary procedure and voted to recommend the DNC conduct a new election for the two vice-chair positions currently held by Kenyatta and Hogg. The full DNC will now have an opportunity to vote, and if approved, will conduct a re-election.One vice-chair position may be filled by a male and one may be a candidate of any gender, according to the DNC. If the DNC goes through with a re-vote, only the candidates who were eligible for the third ballot during the Feb. 1 election will qualify, which includes Kenyatta, Hogg, Free, Jeanna Repass and Shasti Conrad.While Free's complaint was filed before Hogg stirred up DNC division for his brutal plan to primary incumbent Democrats in deep blue districts, the fallout is the latest blow to the young Democratic leader. Hogg pledged to donate $20 million through his political action committee, Leaders We Deserve, to primary challenge some older Democrats in blue districts.Soon after, Martin affirmed that the DNC would stay neutral in intraparty primaries, giving Hogg the ultimatum to either rescind his vice-chair position or forego his political influence via his PAC. Now, Hogg is framing the DNC's vote as an expedited plan to remove him as vice chair.But DNC officials, past and present, said the procedural vote has nothing to do with Hogg personally."This is not about David Hogg, despite what hes saying. It is gender balance.... Its in the rules that the officers need to be balanced between men and women. The full DNC now gets to vote again. If they like what Hogg is doing then thats great, and hell be re-elected. It was disingenuous to not reveal his intentions the first time before they voted. While it has nothing to do with him, its an elected position so now well find out if the party supports it or not, which they very well may," a former DNC official told Fox News Digital.An additional former DNC official added in a statement to Fox News Digital that "either Hogg is wrong and misled members or they think hes doing the right thing. Either way, itll be settled. And he cant complain. A re-vote is not forcing him out, there are other ways to do that if they chose to."Kenyatta, in a series of social media posts, said "any reporter covering this as party retribution against David is full of s---. It is unfortunate as I believe we both won fairly & there is no charge that we acted improperly.""However, any story about this that neatly places this into a narrative about David Hogg is wrong. I worked my a-- off to get this role and have done the job every day since Ive held it. This story is complex, and Im frustrated but its not about @davidhogg111. Even though he clearly wants it to be," Kenyatta said in a jab to his fellow vice chair facing potential re-election.

Kyle Snyder, an Olympic gold medalist and recent signee of Real American Freestyle, was arrested in a prostitution sting in Ohio on Friday, police said.Snyder was one of 16 men arrested in the sting in Columbus, police Sgt. Joe Albert said. The 29-year-old was charged with engaging in prostitution and released at the scene.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COMPolice posted ads for escort services online, and Snyder allegedly texted the number, agreed to meet with the person and paid in cash for oral sex, according to The Columbus Dispatch. He was set for a court hearing on May 19.Fox News Digital reached out to Snyder and Real American Freestyle for comment.USA FENCING TRANSGENDER CONTROVERSY ESCALATES AT DOGE HEARING WITH SOCIAL MEDIA REGRETS, CALLS FOR RESIGNATIONSnyder was a part of the wrestlers who were announced to have joined the new wrestling league started by Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff.He won the gold medal at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and a silver at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. He is a three-time world champion and won three national championships at Ohio State. He was inducted into Ohio States athletics Hall of Fame in 2024.He competed in the 2025 Muhamet Malo Tournament in Albania earlier this year. He finished with the bronze medal after he suffered a loss to Japans Arash Yoshia in the 97-kilogram division.He won the Zagreb Oben with victories over Richard Vegh, Batyrbek Tsakulov and Abolfazi Babaloo.Follow Fox News Digitalssports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

A threat to American livestock the New World Screwworm (NWS) fly, which has been considered eradicated from the country since 1966 has reemerged as a potential danger following an outbreak in Mexico.The news triggered a shutdown of cattle, horse and bison imports along the southern border, as U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins announced in an X post on Sunday."Due to the threat of New World Screwworm I am announcing the suspension of live cattle, horse, & bison imports through U.S. southern border ports of entry effective immediately," she wrote in the post.DANGEROUS FUNGUS COULD SPREAD TO PARTS OF US, RESEARCHERS CLAIM"The last time this devastating pest invaded America, it took 30 years for our cattle industry to recover. This cannot happen again."The NWS is a fly that is endemic in Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic and some South American countries, according to the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).While the flies themselves are found in forests and other wooded areas, they will seek hosts like cattle or horses in pastures and fields, per the above source.A female fly lays eggs in a wound or orifice of a live, warm-blooded animal. The eggs then hatch into larvae (maggots) that burrow into the flesh, causing potentially deadly damage.MEASLES SCARE AT MAJOR AIRPORT: WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT POTENTIAL EXPOSUREScrewworms are named for their maggots behavior, as they burrow into the flesh similar to how a screw is driven into wood.For more Health articles, visitwww.foxnews.com/health"Maggots cause extensive damage by tearing at the hosts tissue with sharp mouth hooks," according to the APHIS website. This can then enlarge the wound and attract more flies to lay eggs.In rare cases, the larvae can feed on people, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states.These infestations can be very painful and can cause serious, potentially fatal damage to their hosts by causing myiasis, a parasitic infection of fly larvae in human tissue.Screwworms are often found in South America and the Caribbean."People who travel to these areas, spend time among livestock animals, sleep outdoors and have an open wound are at greater risk of becoming infested with NWS," says the CDC.People who are immunocompromised, very young or very old, or malnourished are also at a higher risk of infection, the above source stated.Those who have had recent surgery are also at a higher risk, "as the flies will lay eggs on open sores," according to the CDC.If another outbreak were to occur in the U.S., "pets, livestock, wildlife and even humans may suffer and die from screwworm myiasis," the USDA warned.The USDA estimates that livestock producers in the southwestern U.S. lost between $50 million and $100 million annually due to NWS in the 1950s and 1960s until it was successfully eradicated.CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER"Presumably, these higher losses in the Southwest were due to higher livestock populations, larger geographic area and/or greater potential for NWS to overwinter," stated the report.While the USDA eradicated NWS in 1966, there was an outbreak contained within the Florida Keys in 2016. It affected only in the endangered deer population and was eradicated by March 2017, per APHIS.Greg Wehner contributed reporting.

The House committee tasked with writing the U.S. tax code is meeting on Tuesday afternoon to advance one of the most significant portions of President Donald Trump's "big, beautiful bill."A sweeping piece of legislation unveiled by the House Ways & Means Committee on Monday would follow through on Trump's campaign promises to eliminate taxes on tips and overtime pay, as well as permanently extending the president's 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), among other provisions.House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has said he wants House Republicans to pass their version of Trump's bill by Memorial Day or "shortly thereafter," as he told Fox News Digital in an interview late last month.House and Senate Republicans are working on Trump's agenda via the budget reconciliation process, which allows the party in power to sideline the minority by lowering the Senate's threshold for passage to a simple majority, provided the legislation at hand deals with spending, taxes or the national debt.ANTI-ABORTION PROVIDER MEASURE IN TRUMP'S 'BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL' COULD SPARK HOUSE GOP REBELLIONWays & Means Committee lawmakers are expected to meet for at least several hours on Tuesday to mark up debate on the bill.It could go even longer, however. A Ways & Means Committee markup meeting in 2021, when Democrats were trying to pass Build Back Better, lasted over 35 hours over four days due to Republicans dragging the process out in opposition to then-President Joe Biden's progressive tax policies.Democrats are expected to put up an aggressive fight on Tuesday as well, having already accused Trump of trying to cut taxes for the wealthy while gutting critical programs for low-income Americans.Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Calif., a member of the committee, posted on X on Monday, "Going over line-by line last minute 389-page amendment to the Republican tax bill in our committee today. They have provisions that touch everyone: the richest people get huge tax cuts, working people lose their healthcare and future generations get the bill because it adds $5 trillion to the national debt!"However, Republicans have insisted their tax bill champions the working and middle classes, pointing to Trump's elimination of tips on tax and overtime pay as evidence points.A portion released by the House Ways & Means Committee over the weekend would increase the current maximum Child Tax Credit from $2,000 to $2,500. Trump's TCJA had doubled the maximum from $1,000 to $2,000 in 2017.It would also boost the maximum deduction for qualified business income, a tax provision known as 199A, from 20% to 22%. That would largely affect small business owners whose entities are taxed under individual income tax rates.Trump's promise to eliminate taxes on Social Security for retirees is tackled via giving seniors a higher standard deduction."It puts the interests of low-income, working families ahead of the wealthy by expanding tax relief to those who need it the most including the Presidents priorities of no tax on tips and overtime pay and additional relief for Americas seniors," House Ways & Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., said in a statement.The legislation also cracks down on big colleges and universities, including Ivy Leagues like Harvard University, which are locked in a battle over free speech with the White House. It is targeting those larger schools with higher excise taxes, which are federal duties paid on net earnings of the schools' investments.That rate is currently 1.4%, but the legislation would bring it to as high as 21% for the largest schools, like Harvard and Yale University.HOUSE REPUBLICANS RELEASE TAX PLAN FOR TRUMP'S 'BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL'The nearly 400-page legislation must pass the Ways & Means Committee on Tuesday before being added back to a larger legislative framework, which will include similar bills from 10 other House committees dealing with policies under their jurisdiction.The House Energy & Commerce Committee, for instance, is also meeting on Tuesday afternoon to advance its portion of the bill. The broad-ranging committee has jurisdiction over Medicaid, Medicare, energy production and telecommunications.The House Agriculture Committee, which oversees federal food programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, is meeting Tuesday evening to advance its portion.The full House and Senate must pass identical versions of the final bill before it gets to Trump's desk for a signature.Fox News' Tyler Olson contributed to this report.

A small nodule was found in the prostate of former President Joe Biden during a recent physical exam, according to media reports.The discovery "necessitated further evaluation," the Associated Press reported Tuesday, citing a spokesperson.A spokesperson for Biden did not immediately respond Tuesday to multiple requests for comment from Fox News Digital.During his presidency, Biden had a "cancerous" skin lesion removed from his chest, according to the White House.BIDEN AIDES ALLEGEDLY FRETTED THEN-PRESIDENT WOULD NEED WHEELCHAIR IF RE-ELECTED, NEW BOOK REVEALSFormer White House physician Kevin O'Connor said in February 2023 that skin tissue was removed during a health assessment Biden received and was sent for a biopsy, which revealed it was cancerous.JOE AND JILL BIDEN FIRE BACK ON THE VIEW AGAINST ACCUSATIONS OF HEALTH COVER-UP, CALL STORIES WRONG"As expected, the biopsy confirmed that the small lesion was basal cell carcinoma. All cancerous tissue was successfully removed. The area around the biopsy site was treated presumptively with electrodessication and curettage at the time of biopsy. No further treatment is required," Biden's doctor wrote in a memo."The site of the biopsy has healed nicely and the President will continue dermatologic surveillance as part of his ongoing comprehensive healthcare," O'Connor also wrote.Fox News Digitals Adam Sabes and Brandon Gillespie contributed to this report.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer announced Tuesday a "hold on all DOJ political nominees," as he is demanding answers from the Trump administration over a jumbo jet gift from Qatar's royal family, which the Democrat is calling a "grave national security threat.""News of the Qatari government gifting Donald Trump a $400 million private jet to use as Air Force One is so corrupt that even Putin would give a double take.This is not just naked corruption, it is also a grave national security threat," Schumer said on the Senate floor."So, in light of the deeply troubling news of a possible Qatari-funded Air Force One, and the reports that the Attorney General personally signed off on this clearly unethical deal, I am announcing a hold on all DOJ political nominees, until we get more answers," he added.A White House spokesperson told Fox News Digital in response that "Senator Schumer and his anti-law-and-order party are prioritizing politics over critical DOJ appointments, obstructing President Trumps Make Safe Again agenda," and that "Cryin Chuck must end the antics, stop Senate stonewalling, and prioritize the safety and civil rights of Americans."ALLIES TURN ON PRESIDENT TRUMP FOR ACCEPTING LUXURY JET FROM QATARTrump has defended the U.S. preparing to accept a jumbo jet gift from Qatar's royal family to serve as a temporary Air Force One as Boeing failed to roll out a new Air Force One fleet in a timely manner. "We're very disappointed that it's taking Boeing so long to build a new Air Force One," Trump said Monday morning. "You know, we have an Air Force One that's 40 years old. And if you take a look at that, compared to the new plane of the equivalent, you know, stature at the time, it's not even the same ballgame." Reports spread Sunday morning that the Trump administration was expected to accept a $400 million Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet from Qatar's royal family. ABC News reported that Trump would use the jet until the end of his term, when it would be given to his presidential library.TRUMP DEFENDS QATAR JUMBO JET OFFER AS TROUBLED BOEING FAILS TO DELIVER NEW AIR FORCE ONE FLEETIn his speech Tuesday, Schumer said he is calling on the Justice Departments Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) Unit to disclose all actions by those working as Qatari foreign agents in the U.S. "that could benefit President Trump or the Trump Organization.""Since Attorney General Bondi took charge, the Department of Justice has not been doing its job when it comes to FARA. The FARA Unit needs to enforce the law, and inform the public about all activities not just on this luxury plane deal, but all deals involving foreign countries in the Middle East and President Trump, his family, and the Trump organization," he said."Second, with regards to this half-a-billion-dollar private jet deal, the American people deserve to know the facts. President Trump has told the American people that this is a free jet. Does that mean the Qataris are delivering a ready-on-day-one plane with all the security measures already built in?" Schumer continued."If so, who installed those security measures, and how do we know they were properly installed? Why would we take the risk of trusting any foreign country to do this sensitive work? If not, what security modifications would be needed to ensure a foreign-sourced Air Force One is safe to use? If this is, as President Trump promised, a free jet, will the Qataris pay for those highly sensitive installations or will American taxpayers have to cover those costs?" Schumer wondered aloud on the Senate floor."The Attorney General must testify before both the House and Senate to explain why gifting Donald Trump a private jet does not violate the emoluments clause which requires congressional approval or any other ethics laws," Schumer declared. "Until the Attorney General explains her blatantly inept decision and we get complete and comprehensive answers to these and other questions, I will place a hold on all political nominees to the Department Of Justice."Fox News Emma Colton contributed to this report.

A Tennessee pastor who was kidnapped at gunpoint from his church in South Africa just before Easter is speaking out about his experience and the miracle that saved his life.Joshua Sullivan, a 34-year-old Fellowship Baptist Church pastor and missionary working in Motherwell, was kidnapped by several armed, masked men who broke into his church in the Eastern Cape Province on the evening of April 10, took cellphones from parishioners and drove away with Sullivan in his own truck."We do our prayer time before service, and I got up to preach, and about one minute into the sermon, four masked gunmen entered the building. We originally thought, you know, South Africa is not the safest place. We've been robbed before. So, we originally thought they were just going to come in and take some phones. I preached from an iPad. I thought they were going to take it, but once he hit me over the head with his gun and then grabbed my wife, I knew something was different about this," Joshua said in an interview with Fox News' Madison Scrapino.The pastor recalled doing "whatever they wanted" him to do when they broke into his church, fearing they might kidnap his wife Meagan, too.AMERICAN PASTOR'S KIDNAPPING IN SOUTH AFRICA FUELED BY SOARING ARMED ROBBERY INCIDENTS IN RECENT YEARS"They got me up, and they took me into my own vehicle. They got the keys from my vehicle, put me in it. All four of those men and me were inside of that vehicle. He immediately started to tell me, 'So I know who you are. I know you're American. I know you have money, and we're going to kidnap you, and we're going to get,' he said, 5 million Rand, which is about $260,000," Joshua said. "That's what they were wanting. And he asked if my car had a tracker device. I said yes. They were prepared for that."The kidnappers drove about a quarter mile down the road before transferring the pastor into a different vehicle. Then, they left that vehicle and got into a third one before driving about 20 minutes to another location. They forced him to put up his hood and keep his head down.AMERICAN PASTOR KIDNAPPED AT GUNPOINT IN SOUTH AFRICA RESCUED AFTER DEADLY POLICE SHOOTOUTThe suspects took the pastor into the "very back bedroom" of a house, put him on a bed, tied his hands and kept him there for six days, Joshua said.There were three other men in the house with him, who soon realized they were "just babysitters" who didn't know who he was."Two of the men were there the entire time, and one of them was evil to me, would say evil things to me," he recalled. "The other one was like the chef. I guess he would come in and ask me what I wanted to eat, what I wanted to drink. You know, they kidnap me, they take me to the room, they tied me up. Twenty minutes later, he comes in and says, What you want for supper? Like I don't want anything for supper. I didn't eat for the first two days."TRUMP ADMIN SECURES RELEASE OF AMERICAN MISSIONARY HELD IN TUNISIA FOR 13 MONTHS: REPORTInitially, the men thought Joshua was from the U.K., and he explained that he was an American pastor."And I was able to tell them about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ giving them the gospel. They had never heard that message before," he said. "And so the one individual was very interested. He had never heard that Jesus loved him or cared for him, and he was very interested in it, listened to everything I had to say. The second individual just listened to me, just to hear what I had to say and didn't really mind too much, but at least I had the opportunity to do that."Meagan Sullivan described the six days her husband was gone as "torture."The couple and their six children, two of whom they adopted in South Africa, have lived in South Africa for seven years. They had both been robbed before and heard about kidnappings in the area where they live."There's not a lot that they can do," Meagan said of the local police. "So, they were very nonchalant about the whole thing. And I was just so broken, and over the, the next few days, I just remember the Lord telling me to wait."Meagan said she had to focus on surrendering to God and comforting her children, adding later that the "worst part" of her experience was not hearing anything from police."They were sobbing. They were terrified," she said of their kids, "but we prayed together. We gave it to the Lord and told him that we trust him."SLOWING THINGS DOWN IS KEY TO SAFE RETURN OF TENNESSEE PASTOR KIDNAPPED IN SOUTH AFRICA: RETIRED FBI AGENTThe kidnappers contacted Meagan via WhatsApp for several days, demanding their ransom for his release."I just crumbled to the ground when I was talking to them because they said, '5 million ransom and you'll get your husband back.' And they said cash. And I said, 'I don't have 5 million cash. Can you work with me?' And they said, You are not in any position to be making demands," she said. "And I said, 'OK, I'll get you your 5 million Rand, but it might take me a minute.' And so I was just really trying to figure out how I was going to make that happen."Six days into his kidnapping, Joshua experienced what he described as a "miracle." On April 16, the kidnappers moved Joshua into a vehicle. He didn't know where they were taking him but got the feeling they "had to get rid of" him.As they were taking him from the back bedroom of the house into a garage with his head covered, Joshua tripped on a step and fell down. He stood after a minute and then tripped on another step as the suspects tried to rush him out of the house and into a vehicle. Joshua could not see anything but sensed when they drove the vehicle out of the garage and sat in the driveway.9 NIGERIAN STUDENTS KIDNAPPED AT GUNPOINT IN REGION'S LATEST SCHOOL ABDUCTION"While we're sitting in the driveway, the guys just jumped out of the car and began firing their weapons," he said. "Of course, I don't know what's going on. And then [for] about five to seven minutes, I hear a gun battle. Nothing hits the car, nothing around the car. But I just hear guns going off, and I'm just laying back there praying. I didn't know what I should do. Should I run? Should I get out? I didn't know, so I just laid back there and prayed. Then I hear the battle is ended."He heard footsteps come toward the car and someone open one of the doors, and a man asked if he was "the American pastor," to which Joshua responded, 'Yes.""He takes my hood off my hood, and I see the police uniform, and he says, 'OK, we're the police.' And I just lost it. I just began crying and just, that's when the shock began. I just got thrown into shock. I just got on my hands and knees and praised the Lord. But the police were so surprised. They were in shock that I was in there," he said.Joshua later discovered that the police received a tip about a suspicious vehicle earlier that day. They went to chase down the lead to a different location, took a wrong turn and ended up in the driveway of the house where the pastor was being held captive to turn their vehicle around. It was then that the kidnapping suspects got out of the vehicle and began firing at the police.Three suspects died in the shootout with police.Joshua said the turn of events that led to his recovery was "undoubtedly a miracle.""Whether you're a believer or a nonbeliever, I know that doesn't matter. What happened to us, what happened to me, it was a miracle from God," he said. "The sovereign hand of God was on it because as we were speaking before the interview, things like this happen all the time and in this case what else could you say besides God performed a miracle in our lives? I think he did it to show the world."Meagan said it was "horrifying" to watch their children "scream and cry and for their daddy," but they "got to see that faith isn't just something that mom and dad talk about.""They got to experience it because they saw God work a miracle in their own lives," she said. "They prayed, and God answered their prayer."CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPThe Sullivans said they both feel more strongly about their mission to teach Christianity in South Africa after Joshua's kidnapping.The Institute for Security Studies (ISS) Africa said in a December 2024 report that the South African Police Services (SAPS) annual crime statistics show kidnappings increased by 264% from 4,692 in 2014 and 2015 to 17,061 in 2023 and 2024.Most kidnapping incidents over the 2023-2024 time period "were perpetrated during aggravated robberies, such as car or truck hijackings or armed robberies at businesses, homes, or in public spaces," the ISS Africa report reads.

NEWARK, N.J. - Large yellow barricades were at the front of Delaney Hall on Tuesday morning following protests at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility on Monday and last week.An ICE officer told Fox News Digital that the barricades were placed following Mondays protests, as they went all the way up to the gate itself. In addition to the barricades, signs are up saying "private property, no trespassing, violators will be prosecuted."The facility is operated by the GEO Group, a private contractor, but law enforcement is also heavily present outside the building.WHO IS THE DEMOCRATIC GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE ARRESTED FOR TRESPASSING AT AN ICE DETENTION CENTER?Two people were arrested at the protest on Monday, as a demonstration of clergy members were in attendance and said they would have "volunteered" to be taken into custody. They linked arms outside the main gate of Delaney Hall as they chanted and sang songs.This protest came after Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, a Democratic candidate for governor, was arrested for trespassing last week.Baraka's arrest occurred during a protest at the facility attended by threemembers of Congress, who said they were in attendance to perform their congressionally-mandated oversight duties related to federal detention facilities. The three lawmakers were outside the facility with a group of protesters when the gates opened to allow an ICE bus in.The lawmakers then rushed through the gates and past security, according to officials from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).The lawmakers, including Rep. LaMonica McIver, said "ICE created chaos" that led to the incident, according to an X post."We're not asking for anything that's incorrect. We ask them to obey our laws," Baraka said after the incident. "To obey the policies and rules here in the city and the state of New Jersey, not to run roughshod over theConstitution of the United States, the Bill of Rights, the Fourth, the Fifth, the Fourteenth Amendment and everybody on this soil who deserves due process."NEWARK MAYOR SPEAKS AFTER BEING RELEASED FROM HSI FACILITYThe arrest came as activists had been calling for access to the facility for days, which is a privately run facility that was revamped as an immigration detention facility this year. ICE also used the building in the heavily industrial area of the city from 2011 to 2017 for migrant detentions, according to the Washington Post. DHS said that many of the detainees currently at the facility are facing criminal charges or are already convicted of crimes."Who do they want released from Delaney Hall? The child rapists, murderers, drug traffickers, MS-13 gang members or known terrorists?" Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin asked after Mondays demonstration."This was a cheap political stunt by the Democrats and by these protesters," she said. "We're not having it. They put law enforcement officers at risk. They put our staff in the facility at risk and put the detainees at risk. You saw that they didn't even let an ambulance through. This is not something that this administration is going to put up with. And that's part of the reason that this mayor was arrested. You can't just storm a detention facility and assault law enforcement officers with impunity."ALINA HABBA SWEARS TO PROTECT AMERICAN SAFETY FROM THOSE VIOLATING FEDERAL LAWMeanwhile, United States Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba said she is further looking into what happened on Friday involving the officials."My office is undertaking a thorough investigation in coordination with our Federal Agency partners of what transpired on Friday at Delaney Hall. As is true of every investigation this office handles, all available evidence will be thoroughly reviewed prior to making a determination on how to proceed. I do not take these matters lightly," Habba posted.Fox News Alec Schemmel, Anders Hagstrom, Alexis McAdams and Greg Wehner contributed to this report.