Senate takes major first step to prevent future shutdowns with painful accountability play

The Senate is one step closer to adding painful consequences for lawmakers who choose to shut down the government. 

The upper chamber on Wednesday unanimously advanced a resolution from Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., that, if passed, would prevent lawmakers from getting paid during future shutdowns. It comes after the once-rare occurrence became a political cudgel wielded by Democrats time and again in the last year. 

Despite having spurred the two longest shutdowns in history, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Senate Democrats joined Republicans to move the measure along for a final vote. 

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But its success through the first hurdle has not quite sated concerns that Democrats will again try to force another shutdown before the midterm elections in the fall.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told Fox News Digital that its success "helps" but suggested that the move from Democrats was more political than not. 

"I think it's, they realize, I mean, that's a really bad posture to be in if you're opposing something like that at a time when you got a lot of government employees who aren't getting paid, and, you know, people up here are voting against depriving themselves of pay when everybody else is not getting paid," Thune said. 

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"So I just think that's a very difficult political vote for Democrats," he continued. "I think they've recognized it, and I’m guessing they had a fairly robust conversation at their lunch yesterday."

Kennedy’s resolution, which he described as a resolution of "shared sacrifice," can’t take effect until after the upcoming election cycle, adding more concern that Democrats may be tempted to repeat the cycle.  

"If I were king for a day — I'm not, I don't aspire to be — but if I were, I'd make this resolution effective immediately," Kennedy said. "Because I'm … very concerned that my Senate colleagues on the Democratic side are going to try to shut down the government yet again right before the elections to try to create chaos to affect the midterm elections."

Kennedy's resolution would direct the secretary of the Senate to withhold lawmakers' pay until a shutdown is resolved. A rank-and-file senator earns $174,000 per year, while a leader of either party can earn over $193,000 per year.

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And it would only pertain to the Senate — a point he made clear on the Senate floor just before the vote. 

Kennedy’s push isn’t the only one that’s brewed in the Senate following the 43-day shutdown over enhanced Obamacare premium tax credits and the latest 76-day Department of Homeland Security shutdown. 

That’s because shutdowns have become a common tool over the last year and a half that Democrats have turned to as a negotiating counterpoint. In Trump’s second term alone, Congress has been on the precipice of a closure four times.

Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., has been pushing his Shutdown Fairness Act, which would require that working federal workers are paid during a shutdown. 

Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., has the Prevent Government Shutdowns Act, which would automatically fund the government for two-week stretches until Congress lands on a compromise funding deal.

source https://www.foxnews.com/politics/senate-takes-major-first-step-prevent-future-shutdowns-painful-accountability-play-

Butt-end incident leads to off-ice war of words between Wild's Michael McCarron and Avalanche's Josh Manson

The second-round series between the Colorado Avalanche and Minnesota Wild was always destined to be a bit of a slugfest, and it's delivering the goods.

However, after Game 4 — which the Avs won 5-2 to take a 3-1 series lead — the intensity has boiled over off the ice, and it's all thanks to a butt-ending incident that earned Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson a four-minute minor.

In the first period, Wild forward Michael McCarron checked Manson hard and wound up falling on top of him. The two wrestled for a little before Manson could be seen striking McCarron in the side of the head with the butt-end of his stick.

McCarron went down in pain, and upon review, Manson was dealt a double-minor for butt-ending.

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The Wild scored on the ensuing power play, and McCarron laid into Manson during an intermission interview with ESPN.

After the game, McCarron continued to criticize Manson's brand of play.

"I blew him up, and he grabbed me and pulled me on top of him," he said. "He took his butt end and clearly butt-ended me in the face. I don’t know how it’s not a five-minute. I think the rulebook says it’s a five-minute if you butt-end someone in the face."

According to Sportsnet, Manson claimed that he simply lost awareness of where his hand was on his stick when he took a swing at McCarron, whom he said he was angry at for falling on him.

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"My intention wasn't to butt-end him. Did I want to punch him in the head? I did want to punch him in the head," Manson said.

The series shifts back to Denver for Game 5, and something tells me we probably haven't seen the last of this one.

However, Minnesota is in quite a hole, so keeping their postseason alive should be at the front of their mind, not getting back at Josh Manson.

But, no matter how you want to look at it, the heat is certainly getting turned up in this one.

source https://www.foxnews.com/outkick-sports/butt-end-incident-leads-ice-war-words-wild-avalanche-players

Gatlinburg police free black bear that locked itself inside hotel bathroom in wild viral video

A black bear in Tennessee decided to ditch the great outdoors in favor of indoor plumbing.

In a video that’s now going viral, officers with the Gatlinburg Police Department responded to a truly peak Smoky Mountains call this week after a black bear locked itself inside a bathroom at the Quality Inn & Suites in downtown Gatlinburg.

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According to the police report obtained by OutKick, officers responded to the motel at approximately 2:33 a.m. Friday after an employee reported a bear inside the bathroom. Officer Quayvaughn McCollum wrote that an employee "observed a bear enter an exterior bathroom and lock itself inside."

God forbid a guy wants a little privacy!

The footage shows officers carefully opening the bathroom door before the confused bear casually strolls out and heads down the sidewalk to freedom while officers and bystanders scatter out of the way. One officer beats sticks together while they both holler to deter the animal.

By the looks of it, though, the bear had no interest in the humans anyway.

Fortunately, the officers handled the situation perfectly, and nobody was injured during the ordeal. The whole thing ended with only some minor property damage.

The report notes that officers observed "a broken mirror shattered on the floor, which the bear had caused." Damage was estimated at $50.

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As anyone familiar with East Tennessee knows, black bears wandering through Gatlinburg neighborhoods, parking lots and hotels is hardly unusual this time of year. But one locking itself in a hotel bathroom? That’s a new one.

I guess it does answer the age-old question, though: Does a bear s**t in the woods? 

Not always.

source https://www.foxnews.com/outkick-culture/gatlinburg-police-free-black-bear-locked-inside-hotel-bathroom-wild-viral-video

Left-wing governor ripped for ‘insane’ answer on whether he’d support minor son’s gender transition

Democratic Maryland Gov. Wes Moore is facing social media backlash after saying during an interview he would support his underage son if he wanted to transition his gender identity. 

"Maryland Governor Wes Moore says he would let his son go through gender mutilation as a minor if he wanted to," RNC Research posted to X on May 7, accompanied by footage of the clip.

Moore, a prominent Democratic governor who has repeatedly clashed with Trump, has signed measures positioning Maryland as a haven for transgender rights and gender-transition care. He was asked a hypothetical question regarding his own son during a discussion on a podcast with American businessman Patrick Bet-David last week. 

"Your son comes in saying he wants to transition, what do you do," Bet-David asked Moore on his "PBD Podcast." 

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"If this is a journey that he wants to go down, um I want him to always be comfortable in his own skin," Moore responded, saying his son would always have his "undying love." 

Bet-David pressed Moore on the question, asking whether he would still support his son if he were a minor. Moore said he would. 

"I want him to feel safe in his own skin, safe in his own decision-making, but also know that, at 14 years old, I want to be involved inside of that process as well," said Moore. "I’m not going to condemn him nor castigate him, I’m not going to kick him out of the house. I’m not going to do anything that’s going to hurt him, but I just want to make sure that I’m involved."

However, Moore — a father of two children under 18 — said it would be "deeply unfair" to allow a child to go on puberty blockers, indicating he would not permit his own son to do so.

Social media commenters unleashed on Moore for appearing to support minors making life-altering decisions.

"That's not empathy. That's insanity. As a parent, you are called to guide your children toward the right decisions, not to affirm life-altering destructive ones. This speaks to Gov Wes Moore sacrificing his own child on the altar of woke transgenderism," wrote Maryland Freedom Caucus vice chair Kathy Szelgia on X.

PARENTS MUST STAY ALERT AS PUBLIC SCHOOLS HIDE LIFE-ALTERING DECISIONS FROM FAMILIES

"There is a 0% chance he believes this. But this is how insane the Democrat party is," said Outkick founder Clay Travis.

"This is the man trusted to run Maryland.  Just thought you should know where he stands," write the account Blue Lives Matter.

"INSANE: Maryland Governor Wes Moore says he would let his 12-year-old son go through gender mutilation as a minor if he wanted to," conservative commentator Steve Guest posted in response. 

"A child who can’t smoke, buy alcohol, vote and whose frontal lobe doesn’t fully develop till their mid 20’s is suddenly capable of rationally electing to permanently mutilate their body for the rest of their life," wrote an X user. "Wes Moore has no business being an elected official."

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"Good to know that you wouldn't kick him out of the house, disown him, or hurt him. Next Question: Would the administration of puberty blockers or cross-sex hormones be hurting him," asked another user.

The administration has taken a very strong stance against gender mutilation and puberty blockers following an executive order last year.

In December, the Department of Health and Human Services rolled out a series of policy updates and regulatory actions that would effectively defund hospitals that provide gender transition procedures,

Fox News Digital reached out to the Office of Governor Wes Moore and the White House for comment.

source https://www.foxnews.com/politics/left-wing-governor-ripped-insane-answer-whether-hed-support-minor-sons-gender-transition

White House economist projects GDP growth could top 5% amid capital spending boom

A top Trump economic advisor is projecting a surge in U.S. growth, saying the country could see GDP expansion greater than even 6% amid a capital spending boom, particularly if the conflict in Iran ends soon.

"I think we really could be looking at numbers north of four, north of five, north of even six [percent], because there’s so much capital stock growth right now," National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett told "Sunday Morning Futures."

Hassett elaborated on the acceleration in capital spending, noting that investment jumped 3.3% in March alone, not at an annualized rate.

"So multiply that by 12, and you're looking at historic capital spending numbers," he added, arguing that the surge is being driven by the Trump administration’s tax policies and onshoring efforts.

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He said the surge in investment is laying the foundation for a sustained period of stronger economic growth once new factories and infrastructure come online.

"Remember that the 2% number that you saw for GDP growth, the reason why it was 2% and not 4 or 5% was that we imported a record number of capital goods because we're building all these factories," he said.

"Once we turn those factories on, you're going to really see growth unlike anything we've seen before."

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Hassett also pointed to the pace of capital stock growth.

"That's sort of like how much stuff that we make stuff with," he explained.

"It's between 5 and 8 percent right now. If you divide that by three, that's about how much GDP growth you get out of just capital spending."

Hassett also discussed the potential for gas prices to fall in the near future, pointing to increased supply once oil shipments begin moving more freely through the Strait of Hormuz.

"That's going to help put prices down relatively quickly," he said.

"Now, there's a little bit of a time lag from that. We've got to get the boats to move from the Persian Gulf to especially Asia, where jet fuel prices are so high, and that can take a month or two but once, basically the gusher opens, then we expect that oil prices could drop relatively quickly and certainly ahead of the election."

source https://www.foxnews.com/media/white-house-economist-projects-gdp-growth-could-top-5-amid-capital-spending-boom

Virginia Democrats’ $70M redistricting gamble backfires after court defeat, ignites blame game

Virginia Democrats’ redistricting push was meant to lock in an advantage. Instead, it’s unraveling after a costly court defeat—triggering a growing blame game inside the party.

The high-stakes effort to redraw congressional maps, backed by tens of millions of dollars and significant political capital, briefly delivered a narrow on-paper win. But in a 4–3 ruling, the Virginia Supreme Court struck down the maps, citing legal deficiencies, and forced a redraw—wiping out those gains.

Democrats are left arguing over whether party leaders ignored legal warnings and pushed a strategy that was always at risk of collapsing.

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In hindsight, critics say the outcome was avoidable. Republicans had urged an earlier court review before votes were cast and money spent, a step they argued could have clarified the maps’ legality. 

Democrats pressed ahead anyway, betting the strategy would hold.

"Violating the Virginia Constitution and bypassing the rule of law to further one’s own political power is wrong," Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Va., said in a statement to The Hill. "Had [Democratic Gov.] Abigail Spanberger and the rest of Virginia’s Democrats succeeded, they would have caused irreparable harm to our democracy and disenfranchised millions of Virginians."

Allies of Spanberger say legal concerns were raised early and not fully heeded, pointing to state lawmakers for pushing forward. Lawmakers and other Democrats counter that litigation was inevitable and the maps were defensible.

DEMS WHO RAN ON AFFORDABILITY NOW FACE BACKLASH AS COSTS CLIMB IN NY, VIRGINIA

The dispute reflects a broader divide within the party over how aggressively to pursue redistricting. Some Democrats argue such efforts are necessary to counter Republican-led maps nationwide.

"I feel like the system is fundamentally broken, but let’s be clear. Republicans began the redistricting arms race," Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., told Fox News Digital in an earlier interview. "And so Democrats are left with no choice but to level the playing field for the sake of democracy."

"Look, in a perfect world, we wouldn’t have political gerrymandering," Rep. Christian Menefee, D-Texas, added. "But because we don’t live in that world, we’ve got to fight fire with fire."

Others, however, are more blunt in assigning blame.

"I put this all on Democrats," Rep. Marc Veasey, D-Texas, said, arguing the party failed to respond forcefully to earlier GOP redistricting efforts and is now facing the consequences.

The fallout is landing at a difficult moment.

A federal raid on May 6 on the office of a powerful state senator has added to a sense of instability, while former Gov. L. Douglas Wilder has suggested the turmoil could give Spanberger an opening to reset and impose discipline on a still-fractured political operation.

The episode underscores the growing role of courts in redistricting fights—and the risks of pushing legal boundaries in a high-stakes environment, with potential implications for control of Virginia’s congressional delegation.

In retrospect, even with the narrow 4–3 decision, it’s a steep price: roughly $70 million and much of Spanberger’s political capital spent on a campaign that won the battle but lost the war.

Democrats are left to sort out not just what went wrong—but who’s responsible.

Fox News Digital's Leo Briceno contributed to this report.

source https://www.foxnews.com/politics/virginia-democrats-70m-redistricting-gamble-backfires-court-defeat-ignites-blame-game

Costco fans erupt after beloved food court item replaced by high-calorie newcomer

Costco’s new chicken tenders are gaining attention online — but shoppers aren’t exactly sold.

A TikTok video showing the oversized tenders has racked up thousands of views, with users reacting to both the portion size and calorie count. The video, filmed at a Costco location in Schaumburg, Illinois, shows a five-piece order priced at $6.99.

The item has appeared at select Costco locations across the U.S., with some customers noting it may be replacing the calzone at certain stores.

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It is unclear how widely the tenders are available or whether Costco plans a nationwide rollout.

Chicken tenders are not entirely new to Costco, however. The item has been available at some international locations, including Canada and Australia, in recent years, food-focused publication TastingTable reported.

The meal includes several large chicken tenders served with dipping sauce, quickly drawing buzz across social media as customers share photos.

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The reaction online, however, has been mixed.

Some shoppers questioned what the tenders might be replacing.

"What did they get rid of? The calzone?" one user asked.

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Fox News Digital reached out to Costco for comment.

Others focused less on the menu change and more on the calorie count.

The TikTok video shows the tenders total 1,640 calories, prompting strong reactions from viewers and questions about how the number could be so high.

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Some shoppers speculated the dipping sauce may be responsible for a large portion of the calories.

Still, not everyone was critical.

"Those look amazing," one user wrote, while others said they were eager to try the item if it expands to more locations.

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Fox News Digital previously reported that Costco recently reintroduced churros in a new format, though the change drew mixed reactions from shoppers.

Instead of the traditional full-size pastry, the retailer rolled out a caramel churro sundae topped with smaller churro pieces.

Some longtime customers expressed disappointment, saying they preferred the original version that had been a staple for years.

Others welcomed the update, noting that Costco frequently rotates items on its food court menu depending on demand and availability.

Deirdre Bardolf of Fox News Digital contributed reporting.

source https://www.foxnews.com/food-drink/costco-fans-erupt-beloved-food-court-item-replaced-high-calorie-newcomer