Trump more likely to continue game of chicken with Iran than to attack - analysis

All of the reports leaked about US officials briefing Trump on his military options against Iran present the plans as 'new' options. They have, in fact, been on the table since early March.

Yobah Jeremy Bob / JERUSALEM POST  

Despite leaked reports about top US military officials briefing President Donald Trump on new escalatory and potentially imminent military options against Iran, the current game of chicken will continue for the near future, Israeli and American sources have indicated to The Jerusalem Post.

While the leaks present Trump as being briefed on potential “new” options for attacking Iran so that it will make further concessions, nuclear or otherwise, all of these plans have been on the table since early March and are not new, according to people familiar with the matter.

Despite repeated opportunities to opt for any of the multiple options, Trump has preferred avoiding the additional risks they entail, the sources indicated.

Trump opted for a unilateral ceasefire on April 7, even though he received no assurances of concessions by Iran.

The calculus was relatively simple: Trump was hemorrhaging political support once the war went past its early days of euphoria. Read more here. 

Hegseth, Caine face Senate grilling on Iran war as Hormuz blockade rattles oil markets                                       Covered by: Eric Mack, Jennifer Griffin and Emma Bussey / FOXNews

 

War Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine return Capitol Hill as lawmakers review the ongoing Iran conflict, the Pentagon’s proposed $1.5 trillion fiscal 2027 budget, rising oil prices and pressure around peace talks.

 

What We Know 

 

Secretary Pete Hegseth faced another round of tough questions on Capitol Hill, this time from the Senate Armed Services Committee.

The Pentagon has estimated the Operation Epic Fury has cost $28 billion to date, and the 2027 Pentagon budget request is $1.5 trillion.Hegseth was grilled in heated testimony during a House hearing on WednesdayThe U.S. Army’s Dark Eagle hypersonic missile could be deployed to the Middle East for potential use against Iran.

Gen. Dan Caine confirms Russian involvement in Iran war... 

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine told the Senate Armed Services Committee that Russian President Vladimir Putin has aided Iran’s...Read updates here.

RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS...LIVE! 

Today, Friday, April May 1st from 7 to 8:00pm EST, RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS Craig Andresen and Diane Sori discuss the latest Iran updates; shooter's defense; King Charles' visit wrap-up; and our Q&A 'Off the Cuff' segment.' Tune in to RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS on https://rspradio1.com Click 'LISTEN LIVE.'

 

Educators face backlash, firings after posts lament Trump surviving WHCA dinner shooting

One was fired and another placed on administrative leave after posts about the shooting at the Washington Hilton Hotel

Rachel del Guidice / Fox News 

Education professionals from across the country are facing backlash after posting reactions online voicing disappointment that President Donald Trump was not killed in the Saturday shooting during the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner.

1. Corrine Baum, Ohio

"Man, there's been a few creators on here saying that, like Friday or yesterday could have been the day, and then I wake up to that news, but not that news," a teacher for BrightPath identified as Corrine Baum said in the video. "We're going to have to pay really close attention to what they're trying to actually distract us from."

In a Monday statement to Fox News Digital, a spokesperson for BrightPath, an early learning and childcare provider in Cincinnati, said that Baum had been fired.

"Our organization does not tolerate and explicitly condemns any calls for violence," the spokesperson said. "The comments made online by this individual are deeply inconsistent with our values. The individual in question has been terminated."

Baum declined to comment to Fox News Digital. Read more, and see video here.

Florida passes DeSantis’ redistricting map that could net the GOP 4 seats

Democrats called the new map a power grab by Republicans.

Gary Fineout and Kylie Williams / POLITICO

 

TALLAHASSEE, Florida — Florida’s Republican-controlled Legislature on Wednesday passed a new congressional map that could help the GOP pick up four more seats in the state, just hours after the U.S. Supreme Court announced a far-reaching ruling that could reshape redistricting. 

 

The final vote is a significant win for both Gov. Ron DeSantis and President Donald Trump after Trump kicked off a mid-decade redistricting scramble across the country last year. But the new map is also destined to trigger a messy legal battle that could play out in both state and federal courts.  

Florida Republican legislators muscled through the map given to them by DeSantis just two days earlier, even as lawmakers were trying to absorb the Wednesday high court ruling. The state Senate took a brief delay to review the decision, and several senators could be seen reading it on their laptops.

The map was still approved largely along partisan lines, even though a handful of GOP state senators voted no. Democrats maintained the map was illegal because it runs counter to voter-approved, anti-gerrymandering standards in Florida, but some Republicans said they were swayed by a legal argument from DeSantis attorneys that said those requirements no longer needed to be followed.

Marco Rubio Is Standing Up to China Over This Major Trade Partner

Joseph Chalfant / Townhall Tipsheet

 

The Trump administration released a statement Tuesday afternoon reiterating their support for the Central American state of Panama as they face an ever more predatory China. 

“We, the nations of Bolivia, Costa Rica, Guyana, Paraguay, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United States, standing together in our shared mission to secure our hemisphere, reaffirm that the freedom of our region is non-negotiable,” the State Department said in a press release.

“We stand in solidarity with Panama,” the statement continued. “Through our renewed commitment to peace, security, and Hemispheric cooperation, we remain dedicated to facing all threats to ensure the Americas remain a region of freedom, security, and prosperity.”

China has come under great scrutiny from the United States after their decision to detain Panamanian-flagged vessels inside of Chinese ports. In an effort to continue to pressure Panama, Chinese authorities have ordered shipping...Read more, and see Xs here.

Obama’s gaffe about WHCD shooter Cole Allen is just the latest in the former president’s legacy of lies 

Isaac Schorr / NEW YORK POST  

Barack Obama’s tacky, hyperpartisan post-presidency is welcome insofar as it serves to remind the public of his tacky, hyperpartisan leadership style.

“Although we don’t yet have the details about the motives behind last night’s shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. . . ,” began Obama’s Sunday evening statement about the gunman who showed up in Washington the night before.

Except by the time Obama got around to acknowledging the attack, the entire world knew why Cole Tomas Allen had attempted to storm the ballroom where President Trump and much of his administration were breaking bread with their ancestral enemies in the Fourth Estate.

 “I am no longer willing to permit a pedophile, rapist, and traitor to coat my hands with his crimes,” wrote Allen in his manifesto.

A few lines later, he explained he would murder hotel guests and employees alike if he needed to in order to succeed in assassinating administration officials. Read more here.