A U.S. federal judge refused to dismiss the case against Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro on Thursday after Maduro raised concerns about how the former South American leader would pay for his powerhouse legal team. Maduro appeared in court in Manhattan for the first time since his arraignment in early January. Outside of the federal courthouse, demonstrators waved Venezuelan flags and celebrated the arrest of the dictator. Meanwhile, in Caracas, the Venezuelan government organized demonstrations where people took to the streets to protest President Donald Trump’s capture of Maduro. During Thursday’s court hearing, Maduro’s defense argued that the case brought against him by the U.S. government should be tossed since the Trump administration is not allowing the Venezuelan government to cover his and his wife’s legal fees. Maduro is being represented by Barry J. Pollack, one of the leading trial lawyers in the country, who previously represented WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. Because of existing U.S. sanctions on Venezuela, Maduro’s attorneys would need special permission from the U.S. government to receive money from Venezuela for Maduro’s legal fees, the Associated Press reported. The Trump administration has so far refused to grant that permission. Lawyers representing the Maduros claim that the Trump administration is violating the Maduros’ right to counsel, and Maduro said that he could not afford to hire his counsel with his own money. U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein declined to dismiss the case and said the defense team’s argument was “based on hypotheticals,” CNN reported. Hellerstein, however, said he would revisit the funding issue at a later date and rule on whether the Trump administration must allow the Maduros to access funds from the Venezuelan government. The judge did not set a specific date for when he would rule on the issue. In one exchange with Judge Hellerstein, a federal prosecutor argued that the law does not allow for a judge to order the U.S. government to allow funds from a foreign government to be used for legal defense. Prosecutor Kyle Wirshba said that if Hellerstein were to order the Trump administration to grant permission for the Maduros’ lawyers to accept a check from the Venezuelan government, the judge would be stepping into U.S. national security and foreign policy issues. “If the purpose of the sanctions is because the defendants are plundering the wealth of Venezuela, it would undermine the sanctions to allow them access the same funds now to pay for their defense,” Wirshba added. Maduro is charged with narcoterrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, and using military-grade weaponry in furtherance of drug trafficking, among other charges. The Venezuelan dictator is accused of using the power of the Venezuelan government to carry out these crimes for decades. Maduro faces life in prison in the United States. President Donald Trump said during a Cabinet meeting on Thursday that the U.S. government would likely bring additional charges against Maduro.

With just 100 days left until America’s 250th birthday, The Daily Wire is excited to announce that it is partnering with America250 to commemorate the momentous anniversary. America250, the national nonpartisan organization charged by Congress to lead the commemoration of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, is focused on helping Americans look back on the history of the greatest nation during the 250th anniversary celebrations. The partnership between The Daily Wire and America250 gives The Daily Wire’s audience a front-row seat to the biggest patriotic celebration in modern American history. “America’s 250th anniversary is an opportunity to reflect on our nation’s history and engage Americans in the stories that define who we are,” said Jen Condon, Executive Vice President at America250. “Through its wide-reaching platforms and original content, The Daily Wire will help bring these stories to audiences across the country as we approach the Semiquincentennial.” While there are still 100 days to go until July 4, the America250 celebrations have already begun and recognition of the anniversary will be evident at major sporting events pertaining to partners like Major League Baseball, the NFL, and more. As America celebrates 250 years, The Daily Wire will be launching curated America-themed content carousels featuring Daily Wire original films, documentaries, series, and special events that celebrate the American story. Daily Wire members will see licensed titles like “Act of Valor” and “American Made,” with more titles added each week that reflect American pride, values, and 250 years of the greatest country in history. Beyond its America250 content partnership, The Daily Wire has already started celebrations for America’s 250th birthday, with Daily Wire hosts hitting the road for “Freedom at 250,” a series of rallies throughout America’s Semiquincentennial year meant to coincide with the Young America’s Foundation’s legendary student conferences. Along with partnering with America250, The Daily Wire will be on the ground in Washington, D.C., for the anniversary celebrations, bringing readers and viewers the latest news and updates on how America is commemorating its history and looking forward to what lies ahead. About America250 America250’s mission is to celebrate and commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, marking America’s Semiquincentennial. We aim to inspire our fellow Americans to reflect on our past, strengthen our love of country, and renew our commitment to the ideals of democracy through programs that educate, engage, and unite us as a nation. America250 will foster shared experiences that spark imagination, showcase the rich tapestry of our American stories, inspire service in our communities, honor the enduring strength, and celebrate the resilience of the United States of America.

New York City Democratic Mayor Zohran Mamdani is moving to cut third-party consulting contracts as he works to implement his socialist agenda and close a $5.4 billion budget deficit, adopting a cost-cutting approach similar to that of President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative. In 2025, as part of Trump’s effort, DOGE canceled $5.1 billion in consulting services from private contractors, including Deloitte, which had more than 120 contracts eliminated.  Mamdani said the city will eliminate consulting agreements across several agencies, including the Department of Corrections, NYC Aging, the Department of Social Services, and the Office of Technology and Innovation. “The city was paying for a lot of work from outside contractors that was costing us far too much,” he said in a post on X. “So we’re bringing a lot of that work in-house and saving our budget millions.” The cuts are expected to save roughly $15 million, a small fraction of the overall deficit. Mamdani’s move comes as he continues grappling with the city’s growing fiscal challenges. He has blamed the current fiscal crisis on financial mismanagement by the Adams administration, which came under fire for consulting spending. The city paid elite consulting firm McKinsey $1.6 million to study, design, and plan a new system to keep trash off the sidewalks. Critics mocked the result, saying the firm effectively produced a redesigned trash can under the label “containerization.” If Mamdani is unable to secure additional revenue through Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul, he has said the city may turn to a last resort: raising property taxes by 9.5% and drawing down its “rainy day fund.” Mamdani points in part to the roughly $4.3 billion cost of housing and supporting more than 210,000 migrants who arrived in the city under his predecessor in 2022. He has argued that the situation is worse than the 2008 financial crisis. That claim is debatable. During the financial crisis, roughly 55,000 New Yorkers lost their jobs, and city deficits averaged about $5 billion, equivalent to about $7.6 billion today. Even as he warns of a “generational fiscal crisis,” Mamdani has downplayed recent credit outlook downgrades, calling them premature as negotiations for additional revenue continue.

Actor Vince Vaughn just publicly called out what conservatives have been saying for years: late-night shows gave up being funny long ago in favor of pushing a hyper-partisan agenda. The 55-year-old “Dodgeball” star made his thoughts known during a recent appearance on Theo Von’s “This Past Weekend” podcast. “Podcasts have gotten so much more popular with less production, less writers, less staff,” Vaughn said. He went on to explain how people seem to prefer podcasts because they’re looking for “authenticity.” “I think that the talk shows, to a large part, became really agenda-based,” the celeb went on. “They were going to evangelical [sic] people to what they thought. And so, people just rejected it because it didn’t feel authentic. It felt like they had an agenda. It stopped being funny and it started feeling like I was in… f***ing a class I didn’t want to take… I’m getting scolded.” Vaughn said it was a mistake to blame technology or other external factors for late night’s downfall, saying he believed it was a catastrophe of their own making. “If you look at what happened to the talk shows and why their ratings are low, it’s got only to do with the fact of what you just said… they all became the same show,” Vaughn added. “And they all became so about their politics and who’s good and who’s bad. And it’s like, imagine sitting next to someone like that on a f***ing plane.” As for his own politics, Vaughn has said in the past that he most closely identifies with the Libertarian Party and doesn’t land cleanly on the right or the left. “I got along with people for the most and always was, you know, always try to be honest about who I am,” the actor told Von. “But yeah, there’s times you felt like it would have been easier. It’s almost like a career move. You know what I mean? But I was always the other way, too. Like, I’m not jumping on 100% this or this because I have opinions on both sides. There’s sh** I don’t agree with at all, and then there’s sh** I don’t agree with at all.” Vaughn’s comments come on the heels of Stephen Colbert’s “Late Show” being canceled due to poor performance, with insiders saying the show lost millions every year. The liberals cried censorship, but average viewers appear to be fed up with the heavily biased, unfunny program and others like it. A report published by the New York Post last December found that 92% of jokes on mainstream late-night shows over the previous year have been targeted at conservatives. The analysis of 818 episodes focused on major mainstream late-night hosts, including Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, and Seth Meyers. Those shows included 197 liberal guests and only two who were conservative.

An Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent jumped into action after a baby stuck in a crowded TSA line with his family stopped breathing at JFK International Airport in New York on Thursday. Video footage released by the Department of Homeland Security showed a man holding a baby notice something wrong with the child and begin to rush out of the line. An ICE agent who noticed the emergency sprinted over to help the man. The agent performed a Heimlich maneuver, and the baby began breathing again, the Homeland Security Department said. “This officer’s extraordinary bravery embodies the selfless service of DHS law enforcement,” Homeland Security added. At JFK Airport, as travelers waited in hours-long lines, an infant became unresponsive and stopped breathing. The panic of the child’s family and nearby passengers were heard by an ICE agent stationed at a checkpoint. This heroic officer immediately sprang into action—rushing… pic.twitter.com/JOJaFSEIZK — Homeland Security (@DHSgov) March 26, 2026 According to Fox News, the baby was a 1-year-old boy who was being held by his father when he suddenly stopped breathing. “The agent working at his post heard the screams from the father and other passengers and sprinted to the scene,” the DHS told Fox News. “The father handed the child to the officer, who then assessed the unresponsive child and began performing the Heimlich maneuver. After a few seconds, the child started breathing again. EMS personnel arrived on scene with medical equipment to further monitor and re-assess the child. The child was re-assessed and determined to be healthy enough to fly.” ICE agents were deployed by President Donald Trump earlier this week to help with crowd control and security as the partial government shutdown affecting TSA employees continues. Many American travelers have praised the ICE agents for helping bring down wait times at busy airports and for handing out water and helping people navigate the airport headaches. Daily Wire reporter Jennie Taer was at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston this week and reported that the interactions between ICE agents and passengers were largely positive, with some shaking hands and expressing appreciation as they waited in long screening lines. President Donald Trump praised ICE agents’ work at airports around the country, writing, “I am so proud of our ICE Patriots! They were unfairly maligned by the Lunatic Democrats for years, and now, at the Airports, in addition to what they are supposed to be doing, they are helping people with bags, even picking up and cleaning areas.”