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Astros pitcher ejected after lengthy inspection of glove

Blanco logged three scoreless innings against the visiting Oakland Athletics, allowing four hits and one walk with four strikeouts. Crew chief Laz Diaz ejected Blanco after his glove was confiscated and inspected between innings.

Astros manager Joe Espada offered a mild protest but quickly acquiesced as Blanco retreated to the dugout and home clubhouse.

Blanco entered his eighth start of the year with a 4-0 record and a 2.23 ERA. He made the rotation out of spring training, primarily due to right-handers Justin Verlander and Jose Urquidy opening the season on the injured list. Blanco fired a no-hitter in his first start of the season against the Toronto Blue Jays on April 1.

Blanco, 30, owns a career 6-1 record with a 3.58 ERA in 32 career games (15 starts) across three major league seasons, all with the Astros.

Follow every MLB game: Latest MLB scores, stats, schedules and standings.

The Astros went on to win the game, 2-1, in 10 innings.

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How did Caitlin Clark do in WNBA debut?

Caitlin Clark, the Iowa phenom who went No. 1 in the 2024 WNBA Draft last month, opened her professional career Tuesday night when the Indiana Fever visited the Connecticut Sun. 

Clark, the all-time leading scorer in college basketball, finished with 20 points in her WNBA debut but shot just 5-of-15 from the field, was marred by foul trouble in the first quarter and turned the ball over a whopping 10 times. Worse, her team lost 92-71. 

‘There’s a lot to learn from,’ Clark said afterward. ‘We play on Thursday, you gotta learn from it and move on and be ready to go. Things are gonna come fast, this season is going to go fast.’

Clark mentioned some uncharacteristic moments — she picked the ball up and traveled, dribbled off her foot, etc. — that played a part in all her turnovers, and praised Connecticut’s ball screen traps and hedges. She said the Fever didn’t always do a good job giving the dribbler better passing angles, something echoed by Indiana coach Christie Sides. 

“We’ve gotta help her out, we’ve gotta do a better job coming back to the ball,” Sides said. 

It wasn’t all bad for the back-to-back national college player of the year, though. Clark also dished three assists and grabbed two steals. She shot just 4-of-11 from beyond the arc, but went a perfect 6-of-6 from the foul line. 

The Fever and Clark open play at home on Thursday against the New York Liberty, which lost last year in the WNBA Finals to the Las Vegas Aces. The game will tip at 7 p.m. ET and be broadcast on Amazon Prime and the WNBA League Pass. Clark is looking forward to it.

‘The more games I play, the more comfortable I’m going to get,’ Clark said.

Caitlin Clark stats for 2024 season

Points: 20.0
Rebounds: 0.0
Assists: 3.0
Steals: 2.0
FG%: 33.3%
3FG%: 36.4%

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Jon Rahm ditched PGA Tour for LIV. Why is he talking like a PGA fanboy?

Maybe Jon Rahm knows something the rest of us don’t. Or maybe he’s the biggest sucker in professional golf, an easy mark who got sweet-talked and money-whipped by Greg Norman and the Saudis into taking a deal that will doom him to a lifetime of professional regret. 

It was hard to tell Tuesday at the PGA Championship, when Rahm strolled into a press conference and said the following in response to a question about how he sees the PGA Tour’s messy backroom politics now that he plays for LIV Golf. 

“You guys keep saying ‘the other side,’ but I’m still a PGA Tour member, whether suspended or not,” Rahm said. ‘I still want to support the PGA Tour. And I think that’s an important distinction to make. I don’t feel like I’m on the other side, I’m just not playing there.”

Did Rahm’s reported $300 million contract with LIV come with a duty to abandon all pretense of self-awareness? Or has dining out on the Saudi dime eroded his thoughtfulness the same way it turned some of his colleagues (cough, Dustin Johnson, cough) into monuments of the competitive fire they used to possess?

If Rahm believed sincerely last December that joining the hit-and-giggle tour would help bring the PGA Tour and LIV closer to unification, the only honest way to assess his decision is that it failed. 

He’s not moving the needle for LIV, which remains a bizarre product that isn’t seriously competing for eyeballs with the PGA Tour. 

His departure hasn’t forced the PGA Tour to get its own house in order because all public indications are that it’s as messy as ever behind the scenes. 

And at this point, the goals of LIV and the Tour appear so far apart – and negotiations between them so slow – that it’s difficult to conceive what it will take to get the best players in the world reunified under one banner. 

If Rahm is happy as a LIV golfer, playing on a tour where the results don’t matter while most of his contemporaries and friends squabble over the Tour’s backroom politics, that’s perfectly fine. We are far beyond the point in this debacle where it’s worth the oxygen to criticize individuals for the career decisions they’ve made or worry about who’s got the moral high ground.

When it comes to who’s got the best interests of professional golf in mind, it’s impossible at this point to distinguish the good guys from bad. That’s how badly the PGA Tour has bungled every aspect of the LIV threat. 

But what’s very clear is that Rahm made a choice last December. And now he has the temerity to show up at the second major of the year trying to position himself not merely as a supporter of the PGA Tour but as a member in the middle of a well-paid, temporary absence? 

That’s not going to fly with either golf fans or Rahm’s former colleagues. It’s intellectually dishonest. It’s borderline delusional. And it may be actively unhelpful given the current environment where there’s a clear divide between PGA Tour players pushing for unification and those on the PGA Tour policy board who seem at minimum to be resisting compromise. 

Last week, the big drama involved a revelation that Rory McIlroy tried to get back on the policy board after resigning his seat last year but was blocked by the current members. Some reporting suggested a growing rift between McIlroy, who has advocated for striking a deal with the Saudi-run Public Investment Fund (PIF), and the current Tour powerbrokers who include Patrick Cantlay, Jordan Spieth and Tiger Woods. 

“It’s good to see it differently, but collectively as a whole we want to see whatever is best for all the players, the fans and the state of golf,” Woods said Tuesday. “How we get there, that’s to be determined. But the fact we’re in this together and in this fight together to make golf better is what it’s all about.”

Meanwhile, Sports Illustrated reported Monday that investment mogul Jimmy Dunne, who worked closely with PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and PIF leader Yasir Al-Rumayyan on last year’s framework agreement to bring the two entities together, has resigned his position on the PGA Tour board. 

In a letter to his colleagues, Dunne wrote that “no meaningful progress has been made towards a transaction with the PIF” since the players were given more power in Tour decisions and that he can no longer help realize his goal of reunifying the game. 

There’s no real clarity at the moment about what the Woods/Spieth/Cantlay group wants to see to get a deal done. Are they just flat-out opposed to the likes of Rahm and Brooks Koepka being able to play PGA Tour events after taking the Saudi money that they themselves refused? Do they simply want to play all their golf in North America rather than a more worldwide tour that the PIF would likely prefer? 

It’s hard to say because nobody wants to talk directly about terms given the sensitivity of negotiations that seem to be stalled. 

“It’s ongoing, it’s fluid, it changes day to day,” Woods said. ‘Has there been progress? Yes. But it’s an ongoing negotiation so a lot of work ahead for all of us with this process, and we’re making steps. It may not be giant steps, but we’re making steps.”

Maybe they need to walk a little faster. 

Divvying up the world’s best players across two tours has had a predictable effect on fans: They’re sick of the politics. They’re stunned by the greed. And they’re watching less golf on television this year as a result. Even the final round of the Masters this year took a hit, dropping 20 percent from 2023. 

If you’re a golf fan who lives and breathes this stuff, the present is exhausting and the future is frightening. If you’re a more casual viewer or someone who buys a ticket to their local tournament one day a year, it’s completely nuts that McIlroy and Spieth are competing on a different tour than Rahm and Koepka. What planet are these guys living on? 

Whether or not you have a moral objection to Saudi sportswashing and its growing influence in a wide profile of leagues across the world, the reality is that you can either bring them on mutually agreeable terms or let them destroy you. While LIV has not been a financial success and often seems like a caricature of a competitive sport with its 54-hole tournaments, distracting team format and dance music constantly blaring in the background, it’s not going away anytime soon. 

And LIV has forced some long-overdue changes to the PGA Tour’s schedule, its purse structure and how players engage with the future of their enterprise. Phil Mickelson wasn’t wrong about everything. 

But at least Mickelson, as cynical and greedy as he was, picked a side and didn’t apologize for doing it. Rahm wants to play both sides while getting a pat on the back for the choice he didn’t make as opposed to the one he made. He wants us to be just as wistful as he is that he no longer gets to play the Waste Management or the Farmers and is instead wasting time on unserious golf in Jeddah and Singapore. 

But Rahm made his choice. He’s a LIV guy now who wants the PGA Tour guys to think he’s still one of them. It doesn’t work that way – not now, and maybe not ever. 

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Sage the Miniature Poodle wins Best in Show at Westminster Dog Show

There’s a new top dog in New York.

‘Sage,’ the Miniature Poodle, won the Best in Show honor at the 148th annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show on Tuesday, beating over 2,500 dogs of more than 200 different breeds for the ultimate prize. Sage, a three-year-old from Houston, Texas, was handled by Kaz Hosaka in the last show of his career. 

Sage is the first poodle to win Best in Show since 2020. The winner was selected by Best in Show judge Rosalind Kramer, out of High Point, North Carolina.

‘Mercedes,’ the German Shepherd, a 4-year-old from Bethesda, Maryland, was named the Reserve Best in Show, the runner up of the greatest dog in America. 

Group winners from Westminster Dog Show 2024 

Herding Group: Mercedes (German Shepherd) 
Hound Group: Louis (Afghan Hound) 
Non-Sporting Group: Sage (Miniature Poodle) 
Sporting Group: Micah (Black Cocker Spaniel)
Terrier Group: Frankie (Colored Bull Terrier)
Toy Group: Comet (Shih Tzu) 
Working Group: Monty (Giant Schnauzer)

Who won Westminster Dog Show Terrier Group?

Last but not least, the Terrier Group. 

“The terrier group is like the Kansas City Chiefs,” a Fox Sports broadcaster said, likening the group of dogs to the back-to-back Super Bowl champions. Why? Because the Terrier group has produced 47 Best in Show winners, the most out of the seven groups. 

‘Frankie,’ the Colored Bull Terrier, was named the best in the terrier group and will move on to Best in Show. A terrier last won the top honor in 2019 with a Wire Fox Terrier. 

Who won Westminster Dog Show Working Group?

‘Monty,’ the Giant Schnauzer, is back on top of the Working Group. For the second year in a row, Monty was named the best in his group and will advance to Best in Show for another crack at the top title. 

Can Monty make history? A Giant Schnauzer has never won Best in Show. The Working Group has won Best In Show 15 times before, most recently in 2004 with a Newfoundland.

Crowd buzzes over Rafa, the Tibetan Mastiff named after tennis icon

It might be clay court season in the tennis world, but New York is buzzing over Rafa…  Rafa the Tibetan Mastiff, that is. 

Rafa the Tibetan Mastiff is named after none other than Spanish tennis legend Rafael Nadal, the 22-time Grand Slam winner. Tibetan Mastiffs are described as a “very stubborn” breed, which some would use to describe his namesake. Nadal has used that headstrong mentality to win four U.S. Open titles at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York, where the 148th Westminster Dog Show is being held for the second year in a row. 

Who won Westminster Dog Show Sporting Group?

‘Micah,’ the Black Cocker Spaniel, is the winner of the Sporting Group and will advance to Best in Show. Autumn ‘Sonnet’ the German Shorthaired Pinter finished in second place, followed by ‘Accelerate’ the Chesapeake Bay Retriever and ‘Cutter’ the Labrador retriever.

A Black Cocker Spaniel has won Best in Show two times in Westminster history when ‘My Own Brucie’ won the honor back-to-back in 1940 and 1941.  

Martha Stewart: Westminster Dog Show superfan

Martha Stewart is quite the animal lover. 

Less than two weeks after giving the “Riders Up” call at the 150th Kentucky Derby in Louisville, the legendary businesswoman dropped by the 148th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York. (Fun Fact: The Westminster Dog Show is the second longest continuously held sporting event behind only the Kentucky Derby.)

Back to Martha … The mother to five canines said she loves coming to the dog show “to see the best of the best.” And she has past experience. In 2012, her late Chow Chow Genghis Khan won “Best in Breed” at the Westminster Dog Show that year.

“I try to make it an annual event because I really do love beautiful dogs… I see breeds I’ve never seen before,” she said. “My dogs are at home. I have two Chow Chows… and I have three (French Bulldogs). I  think I have a ‘Best in Show’ at home right now, Luna Moona, my newest Frenchie. She’s coming. Watch out.“

How to watch Westminster Dog Show 2024

The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show concludes Tuesday night and will run from 7:30 p.m. ET until 11 p.m. The event will be broadcast live on Fox Sports 1.

Westminster Dog Show live stream

Streaming for the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show will be available on FS1 Live and the Fox Sports app. Streaming is also available onFubo (regional restrictions apply).

Westminster Dog Show schedule 

Prior to Best in Show judging, which will take place at the end of the event, the Sporting, Working and Terrier Groups will judged. 

Westminster Dog Show groups 

Dogs are divided into seven different groups: Sporting, Hound, Working, Terrier, Toy, Non-Sporting and Herding. 

How does the Westminster Dog Show work? 

Essentially, dog shows evaluate what is known as conformation, or a particular purebred dog’s adherence to its breed standard. There are 212 breeds of dog currently recognized by the American Kennel Club; those are divided into seven different groups: Sporting, Hound, Working, Terrier, Toy, Non-Sporting, Herding. 

Dogs first compete among their own breed to select a Best of Breed or Best of Variety champion. The judges select the winner that most closely adheres to its breed standard, which is written and maintained by the national breed club, and then later approved by the AKC.  

Once all the Best of Breed champions are crowned, those then compete against the other dog breeds in their respective groups. The group judge will then assess all the different Best of Breed champions to come up with four placements, with only the group winner advancing to Best in Show judging.  

All seven group winners advance, and the Best in Show judge will assess the group winners to come up with Reserve Best in Show — or the runner-up recognition — and Best in Show, the top prize. 

The 2024 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is taking place at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, N.Y. 

Best of Show at Westminster in 2023 

At the 147th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, “Buddy Holly” made history. A six-year-old Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen (PBGV), he became the first of his breed to ever win the coveted Best in Show recognition in Westminster.  

To get to Best in Show, “Buddy Holly” had to top 402 other dogs across 34 different breeds to win the Hound Group. Prior to his triumph, PBGVs had only one Hound Group win in Westminster, back in 2007. 

“Buddy Holly” is from Palm Springs, California, and is owned by Janice Hayes. The American Kennel Club recognized PBGVs in 1991. They are shaggy-coated rabbit hunters originating from Vendée, France, on the country’s western coast. 

Reserve Best in Show, or the runner-up award, at the 2023 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show went to “Rummie” the Pekingese. 

Who won Westminster Dog Show Toy Group? 

Shih Tzus were first recognized in 1969 and were bred in China, crossing ancient Chinese and Tibetan breeds. Shih Tzus in the show ring are known for having long, flowing coats and “Comet” was no exception with his gold, white and silver coat. 

Who won Westminster Dog Show Hound Group? 

A six-year-old Afghan Hound named “Louis,” hailing from Roseville, California, won the Hound Group Monday night, topping 34 other dogs in the process. 

One of the oldest dog breeds on record, going back to around 4,000 B.C., Afghan Hounds were first recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1926. They are known for their long, flowing coat, but they served as hunting dogs in harsh, mountainous climates. 

“Louis” wowed judges and fans with a silky, black coat, with a white tuft on his chest. 

Who won Westminster Dog Show Herding Group? 

Continuing a recent run of success for German Shepherds in Westminster — with wins in the Herding Group in 2016, 2017, 2022 and now 2024 — “Mercedes” advanced Monday night. 

A four-year-old female from Bethesda, Maryland, “Mercedes” beat out 32 other breeds in the group. 

German Shepherds are one of the most popular dogs in the U.S., ranking fourth in popularity in 2023, according to the American Kennel Club, which first recognized the breed in 1908. They were originally bred as sheep herding dogs in Germany. 

“Mercedes” is the cousin of “Rumor,” the German Shepherd who won Best in Show in 2017, also handled by Kent Boyle. 

Who won the Westminster Dog Show Non-Sporting Group? 

“Sage,” a three-year-old miniature poodle from Houston prevailed over the 20 other dogs in the Non-Sporting Group Monday night. 

Another well-known breed, ranking seventh in popularity according to the American Kennel Club, the miniature poodle was first recognized by the AKC in 1887. “Sage” is all black and sported a coiffed haircut complete with sculpted bracelets on her wrists. 

Poodles come in three sizes (standard, miniature or toy) and are the national dog of France. 

Westminster Dog Show agility 2024 results 

If there was ever a name that fit a dog, it was “Nimble.” The All-American dog became the first mixed-breed dog to win the agility championship the Annual Masters Agility Championship in Westminster.  

“Nimble” completed the obstacle course in 28.76 seconds, which was the third-fastest time in the 11-year history of the event and only the fifth time that a dog has completed the course in fewer than 30 seconds. The obstacle course includes various ramps, agility poles and jumps that each contestant must work through, with the fastest time winning. 

Cynthia Hornor of Ellicott City, Maryland is “Nimble’s” owner. And while it was “Nimble’s” first agility championship, this marked the second consecutive agility title for Hornor, whose border collie, “Truant,” won in 2023 with a time of 28.68 seconds. 

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Blinken, guitar in hand, sings ‘Rockin’ in the Free World’ in Kyiv bar during Ukraine trip

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday took the stage at a bar in Ukraine’s capital to play guitar and sing Neil Young’s 1989 hit ‘Rockin’ in the Free World’ with a local band.

The jam session came a day after Blinken spent a day meeting with senior officials, civil society figures and university students when he exhorted them against being discouraged in their ongoing fight against Russia. 

Blinken assured Ukrainians on his visit that they are not alone and that billions of dollars in American military aid on its way after months of political delays will make a ‘real difference’ on the battlefield.

The performance, and a series of sunny comments from Blinken about Ukraine’s battlefield prospects, was a startling juxtaposition to what analysts have called one of the most dangerous moments for Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Russian forces have taken swaths of territory along Ukraine’s northeast border, and thousands of civilians in the Kharkiv region have fled the increasingly intense attacks.

Blinken told Ukrainian leaders during his visit to Kyiv that despite a lengthy delay in U.S. military aid that left them vulnerable to these renewed Russian military strikes, more weaponry is coming and some has already arrived.

He made the case even as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appealed to him personally for more air defense systems to protect civilians under intense Russian fire in the northeast. Blinken, on his fourth trip to Kyiv since the war began, also lambasted Russian President Vladimir Putin for underestimating Ukraine’s determination to fight back.

Despite his assurances, Moscow’s troops have captured around 40 to 50 square miles in recent days in the northeast Kharkiv region, including at least seven villages, according to open-source monitoring analysts. 

‘We know this is a challenging time,’ Blinken told Zelenskyy after arriving on an overnight train from Poland. But, he added that U.S. military aid is ‘going to make a real difference against the ongoing Russian aggression on the battlefield.’

Congress approved a long-delayed foreign assistance package last month that sets aside $60 billion in aid for Ukraine, much of which will go toward replenishing badly depleted artillery and air defense systems. Since then, the Biden administration has announced $1.4 billion in short-term military assistance and $6 billion in longer-term support.

Zelenskyy thanked Blinken for the aid but said more is necessary, including two Patriot air defense systems urgently needed to protect Kharkiv.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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Key moderate Republican Don Bacon fends off state GOP-backed populist primary challenger

Moderate U.S. Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., defeated his toughest primary challenge yet on Tuesday night with 70.2% of the vote, besting a right-wing populist who was supported by both the Nebraska state GOP and even Bacon’s own colleague in Congress. 

The election was a test case to see how much the GOP’s wave of populism has affected even Republican voters in areas that could be swing districts in six months.

Bacon’s general election race will likely be among the most closely watched House elections in November as Democrats seek to wrestle Republicans’ razor-thin House majority out from under them.

The outspoken three-term lawmaker, whose district is anchored in Omaha, represents an area that President Biden won by more than 6% in 2020. 

His opponent was businessman David Frei, who was backed by the state GOP as well as the Republican Party organizations of three Nebraska counties.

Frei was also notably endorsed by House Freedom Caucus Chairman Bob Good, R-Va. Good has backed several challengers to more moderate Republican counterparts currently serving in Congress.

Bacon’s campaign was backed by more than 100 Nebraska officials on the federal, state and local levels, including both of the state’s GOP senators and Gov. Jim Pillen. He also had support from House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.

He’s now advancing to face Nebraska state Sen. Tony Vargas, the Democrat whom he defeated by less than 3% in 2022.

A retired Air Force brigadier general, Bacon has been more willing than many of his colleagues to cross the aisle and work with Democrats, particularly on foreign aid. He’s also followed the lead of a significant number of Republican officials in endorsing Trump for re-election this year.

Bacon has also spoken out against GOP rebels in his conference who have purposely hamstrung their own party’s agenda in protest of House leadership decisions.

It’s earned him both bipartisan praise as well as scorn from lawmakers and activists on his right flank. 

He was ranked the eight-most bipartisan House lawmaker in a new index released this week by the Lugar Center & Georgetown University’s McCourt School, including the fifth-most bipartisan House Republican.

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GOP senators blast Biden admin moves in Africa as Russia looks to fill vacuum

JOHANNESBURG – With two West African countries in the sprawling Sahel region leaning heavily toward Moscow, telling U.S. forces battling Islamist terror activity to get out and letting Russian mercenary forces in, leading GOP Senators have struck out against the Biden administration’s foreign policy, with one calling it a ‘disaster.’

‘President Biden’s foreign policy has been a disaster on every continent, and Africa is no exception,’ Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., told Fox News Digital.

The senator continued, ‘While the Russians and Chinese are working overtime to oust the U.S. from a region that will soon be home to a quarter of the earth’s population, the Biden Administration continues to fumble the ball and weaken our nation’s strategic interests with our African partners.’

Scott added, ‘It’s crystal clear that the outcome of the November election will have massive consequences, not only on whether Americans continue putting up with Bidenomics and the rising costs of getting gas and groceries, but on our nation’s diminishing global standing as well.’

Niger’s military junta has told 1,000 U.S. military service members and contractors to leave town – while permitting Russian Wagner mercenaries to move onto the same airbase housing American personnel. Some of the 100 U.S. service members in Chad have also been told to get out. 

Particularly in West Africa, Russia is gaining influence, often claimed at America’s expense.

The head of the U.S. Africa Command, Marine Corps Gen. Michael E. Langley, stated recently that terrorism is shattering African lives and plants ‘the seeds of violent extremism and Russian exploitation across entire regions of the continent.’

Sen. James Risch, R-Idaho., told Fox News Digital, ‘The U.S. isn’t fighting for influence in Africa, but despite its efforts, Russia isn’t winning over most Africans.’ Risch, ranking member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, added, ‘Simplifying the current situation in this way gives too much credit to Russia and other bad actors who are exploiting economic, political, and security challenges for their own gain. Despite this administration’s soaring rhetoric about its successes in Africa, the continent is not a top foreign policy focus – the administration’s actions, budgets, and policies demonstrate that.’

He continued, ‘The U.S. has the power to swiftly reverse the current trend of African nations favoring anti-Western views. By taking stronger policy actions in partnership with the African people, we can make a significant and immediate impact, and reverse these trends.’

‘America has now effectively been pushed out of Chad, Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, making more room for Russia and China,’ Senate Minority Leader Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., told the Senate on May 2.  ‘The administration behaves more like an ostrich than a superpower for two years.’

Looking at the 54 countries which make up the African continent, a State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital ‘Secretary Blinken has been clear about the United States’ commitment to deepen and expand our partnerships between the United States and African countries, institutions, and people.  The United States’ strategy towards Africa is based on the belief that democracy and good governance, development, and stability are inter-linked. Together with our regional partners, we are committed to working with African countries to promote democracy, foster sustainable development, combat terrorism, and enhance security.’ 

‘We remain concerned by the increase in violence and worsening humanitarian trends across the Sahel region. The only long-term solution to the scourge of terrorism is delivering good governance based on the rule of law, respect for human rights, and promotion of social cohesion. Overreliance on military-only approaches to instability and insufficient efforts to protect civilians from human rights abuses and violations, will only further entrench structural drivers of instability.’

Washington has declared publicly that it will pull forces out of Niger, but the 1,000 personnel are still there, with a State Department spokesperson telling Fox News Digital last week that officials ‘are engaged in frank discussions with the authorities in Niger.’ 

During Tuesday’s State Department briefing, spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters that in discussions with Niger’s new government (CNSP), ‘We have not been able to come to an understanding that would allow the United States to maintain its military presence in Niger, and we’re currently working with the CNSP to withdraw U.S. forces in an orderly and responsible fashion.’ 

The U.S. troops are being used as ‘pawns’ by Washington, in order to try and get military and medivac overflight permission in Niger, Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., claimed in statements provided by his office to Fox News Digital. ‘Today, more than a thousand personnel have not been sufficiently resupplied since March following the coup.’

Gaetz continued, ‘Biden has two choices: resupply our troops or bring them home ASAP. The notion that we are allowing third world thugs – who we trained – to dictate terms on the well-being of American troops is a furtherance of the Biden foreign policy disgrace.’ 

Controversy is also next door in Chad, with the military junta there saying they want the U.S. military out of their country. Washington has had around 100 personnel fighting terrorism stationed there. Some were pulled out during last week’s presidential elections, but sources suggest this withdrawal is ‘temporary.’

Enter the Kremlin. Niger has, in contrast, welcomed up to 100 military personnel thought to be mercenaries from the Wagner group to set up shop for operations out of a hangar on the same airbase 101 housing U.S. personnel. 

The potential departure of U.S. forces from Niger and Chad is ‘a win for Putin,’ said Rebekah Koffler, strategic military intelligence analyst and Foreign Affairs Consultant for Fox News Digital. ‘Any military hardware that’s left will be picked up by the Russians who are always on the hunt for U.S. weapons dropped on the battlefield or abandoned at military bases. Those combat systems will be acquired, inspected, and either reverse engineered or countermeasures will be built within Russian weapons systems to mitigate the effectiveness of U.S. arms.’

‘The United States clearly faces challenges in maintaining its position in West Africa,’ Gustavo de Carvalho, senior researcher for African Governance and Diplomacy at the South African Institute of International Affairs, told Fox News Digital. ‘But it is somehow a chicken and an egg dilemma. Are Russia and China actively working to replace the West, or is the West losing influence while China and Russia fill the gap?

‘In the West African case,’ de Carvalho added. ‘I believe this is more a case of the West losing influence and Russia filling a specific security demand gap. The relationship between Western countries and Sahelian governments became so fractured recently that Russia took advantage of the void left behind.’

Koffler said Russia’s strategic goals are clear. ‘To expand its footprint in Africa, in order to outcompete the U.S. there, reduce the US/Western influence and to compete with China. It’s part of Putin’s vision of a ‘multipolar world.’’ 

The Kremlin, Koffler added, has a ‘clever’ diplomatic goal too, with it trying to get more African countries to vote in support of Russia at the U.N. ‘Africa has a big voting block within the United Nations,’ Koffler said. ‘So Moscow wants to predispose those governments towards Russia’s policy agenda, so they can vote in Russia’s interests, not Western interests. Many African countries already feel that their voices in international organizations are not heard. And Russia capitalizes on those anti-Western sentiments.’

De Carvalho agreed that Africa is becoming higher on the agenda of priorities for Russian foreign policy. ‘They have so far been able to exploit years of reduced interest in Africa by Western Countries, including the U.S., benefiting from the fact that Western narratives and motivations are increasingly seen with distrust.’

Enter China. Koffler declared this week, ‘From the economic standpoint, the U.S. is not losing the battle for Africa to Russia, but it is losing it to China.’ Koffler claimed China, with its belt and road trade initiative, has $254 billion worth of trade with Africa annually, whereas the U.S. has $64 billion, and Russia only $18 billion.

De Carvalho stressed that China’s aims are not military, but ‘it is essential to note that China’s presence does not necessarily equate to dominance. China tends to be more interested in securing financial benefits and market access, rather than using its influence as a direct tool for Western containment.’

De Carvalho pointed out that he believes Washington needs to change its focus – not what it sees, but how it sees it. He said, ‘If the U.S. wants to increase its influence, it needs to approach Africa on its own merits, not solely as a means to counter the role of China and Russia. Africa has a long history of being used as a proxy in global disputes, and a narrative that reinforces that is indeed counterproductive. And that’s a challenge the U.S. needs to address.’

‘To address its own declining position, the US Administration should focus on building more genuine partnerships with African nations, prioritizing investments, economic development, security cooperation, and addressing shared challenges such as climate change and public health. They should engage with African countries as partners, not vehicles or proxies. But for that to happen, it would require a change in the narrative, approaches and action, making the continent a direct focus, not a terrain for geopolitical disputes.’

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Russia’s military claims to have shot down 10 U.S.-supplied missiles over Crimea as Blinken visits Ukraine

Russia claims its military shot down 10 U.S.-supplied missiles on Wednesday as the United States’ top diplomat is in Ukraine shoring up America’s support for the country.

The Russian Defense Ministry said air defenses detected 10 ATACMS missiles that were allegedly targeting Crimea early Wednesday and shot them down over the Black Sea, as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was visiting the Ukrainian capital city of Kyiv.

Sevastopol Gov. Mikhail Razvozhayev confirmed the missiles were shot down near the Belbek air base, saying some of the missile fragments fell into residential areas. They caused no casualties, according to Razvozhayev.

Ukraine has launched a series of drone and missile attacks on various targets across Russia, including oil refineries and fuel depots, over recent months amid its attempt to fend off its larger neighbor.

Blinken, who arrived Tuesday, visited Ukraine on an unannounced diplomatic mission to reassure the country amid its war with Russia.

In a statement released after Blinken’s arrival, the State Department said the diplomat was scheduled to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.

Following Blinken’s meeting with Zelenskyy, the State Department said the two ‘discussed recent battlefield updates and the importance of newly-arrived U.S. security assistance to helping repel Russian attacks.’

‘They also discussed long-term security arrangements and ongoing work to ensure Ukraine can thrive economically. Secretary Blinken reiterated the United States’ enduring support for Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity and our commitment to Ukraine’s recovery,’ the statement added.

Ukraine’s attacks this week come as Russian troops continue a massive offensive in northeast Ukraine that began last week, the most significant border incursion since the invasion began.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who won re-election earlier this month, continues his invasion of Ukraine that started in Feb. 2022, despite international pressure to end it.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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House Republican demands Garland appoint special counsel to investigate Biden over stalled Israel aid

Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., is demanding that Attorney General Merrick Garland appoint a special counsel to investigate President Biden for stalling military aid to Israel. 

In a letter to Garland sent Tuesday, Tenney wrote with ‘grave concern regarding President Biden’s recent announcement to freeze the delivery of 1,800 2000-lb bombs and 1,7000 500-lb bombs that were appropriated for by Congress and set to be delivered to Israel.’

‘This wrong headed and dangerous policy decision comes on the heels of the decision to the delay on the pending sale of Joint Direct Arrack Munitions (JDAMs) and Small Diameter Bombs (DSBs) to Israel. This delayed action by the Administration is arguably a violation of the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 (ICA) and subsequent Supreme Court case law,’ she said in the letter, which was obtained by Fox News Digital.

The ICA ‘outlines clear requirements for any deferral of budget authorities by the President and these requirements have been ignored by the Biden administration,’ Tenney wrote. ‘As such, I therefore demand that a special counsel be appointed to investigate, and if necessary, prosecute, any illegal actions by President Biden or his staff concerning the inexplicable delay of aid to Israel.’ 

The letter noted how on April 23, the House ‘overwhelmingly’ passed H.R. 8034, the Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024, which was signed into law as part of a larger emergency aid package. 

‘This bill appropriated funds in support of Israel’s ongoing military operations against Hamas. Congressional intent with this legislation is clear: this aid is urgently needed and must be delivered as expeditiously as possible. However, instead of following the law, the Biden administration has delayed the delivery of this essential aid that has already been obligated,’ Tenney wrote. 

The congresswoman, who sits on the House Ways and Means Committee, further alleged that Biden’s ‘action through inaction’ by holding off on approvals and other aspects of the weapons transfer process violates the Impoundment Control Act of 1974, especially since the president ‘has failed to send a special message to Congress as required by law.’ 

‘The decision to delay aid to Israel also undermines the principles of separation of powers outlined by the Constitution,’ Tenney wrote. ‘Congress appropriated this aid to be obligated and expended expeditiously, and yet the Biden administration is unnecessarily delaying the expenditure of this aid. This potential violation of statute and dangerous failure to comply with Constitutional precedent by the Biden administration must be fully investigated by a special counsel. Due to the grave urgency of this issue, I demand that a special counsel be appointed immediately to investigate and prosecute any wrongdoing.’ 

Fox News Digital reached out to the Justice Department and White House for comment on the letter, but they did not immediately respond.

Tenney’s letter was sent as reports claimed the Biden administration told key lawmakers it would send more than $1 billion in additional arms and ammunition to Israel. It was not immediately known how soon the weapons would be delivered, and the president put another arms transfer, consisting of 3,500 bombs of up to 2,000 pounds each, on hold earlier this month, citing concern for civilian casualties in Gaza. 

The Wall Street Journal first reported about the new package, said to include about $700 million for tank ammunition, $500 million in tactical vehicles and $60 million in mortar rounds. The Associated Press later reported the same, citing three congressional aides. Tenney’s office told Fox News Digital, however, that the congresswoman’s letter still stands, as regardless of the new aid, Biden did withhold weapons and is withholding others. Two congressional aides told the Associated Press that the new $1 billion shipment is not part of the long-delayed foreign aid package that Congress passed and President Joe Biden signed last month. It wasn’t known if the shipment was the latest tranche from an existing arms sale or something new.

The Biden administration has come under criticism from both sides of the political spectrum over its military support for Israel’s now seven-month-old war against Hamas in Gaza — at a time when Biden is battling for reelection against former President Donald Trump.

Some of Biden’s fellow Democrats have pushed him to limit transfers of offensive weapons to Israel to pressure the U.S. ally to do more to protect Palestinian civilians. Anti-Israel protests on college campuses around the U.S. have echoed the same sentiment this spring. 

Republican lawmakers have seized on the administration’s pause on the bomb transfers, saying any lessening of U.S. support for Israel — its closest ally in the Middle East — weakens that country as it fights Hamas and other Iran-backed groups. In the House, they are planning to advance a bill this week to mandate the delivery of offensive weaponry for Israel.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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Speaker Johnson to attend Trump trial in Manhattan in show of support

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is expected in downtown Manhattan on Tuesday morning to show solidarity with former President Trump during his criminal trial.

A spokesperson for Johnson told Fox News Digital early on Tuesday that he would be in New York City for the trial, making him the latest Trump ally in Congress to appear beside the ex-president in the Manhattan Criminal Court. 

He is also expected to speak with reporters outside the courthouse after attending the trial.

Johnson is slated to be there at the same time as Vivek Ramaswamy, the former 2024 Republican primary candidate-turned-possible Trump running mate choice.

The former president’s trial is related to accusations that he falsified business records to cover up a payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 election.

Johnson, who has long been a Trump ally but has grown significantly closer to him since becoming speaker in October, has criticized the prosecutions against Trump, including the Manhattan case, as inherently political.

‘One of the things that is also in jeopardy right now is our judicial branch, and it’s our system of government itself. And I don’t think we can say often enough here, how much that has been abused under this administration with local prosecutors, state prosecutors, and at the federal level, who are using lawfare,’ Johnson said during a press conference last week. 

‘They’re using our judicial system to get the most out of that, and I think the most egregious one is what is being done to Donald Trump right now.’

On the Manhattan trial specifically, Johnson said, ‘That case should never have been brought.’

‘That case is being orchestrated by Democrats, supporters of President Biden, who are trying to make a name for themselves,’ Johnson said.

Trump appears to have played a critical role in helping Johnson keep his job as speaker amid an ouster threat led by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., by showing public support for the Louisiana Republican even as one of his top supporters and campaign surrogates called for his firing.

Other Trump allies in Congress who have made appearances at the Manhattan courthouse so far include Sens. JD Vance, R-Ohio, Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., and Rick Scott. R-Fla.

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