Philadelphia residents on Sunday were advised to drink bottled water after chemicals were released into the Delaware River in a neighboring county.  The Philadelphia Water Department said Sunday it was responding to a spill of a latex product that Occurred along a Delaware River tributary. The spill would potentially affect water treated at the Baxter Drinking Water Treatment Plant, the department said.  "At this time, no contaminants have been found in our tap water system. Out of an abundance of caution, residents in the impacted areas may want to switch to bottled water," the department said.  PENNSYLVANIA CHOCOLATE FACTORY EXPLOSION LEAVES FIVE DEAD, TWO MISSING: REPORT Later Sunday, the department said it was confident, "based on updated hydraulic modeling and the latest sampling … that tap water from the Baxter plant will remain safe to drink through 11:59 p.m., March 27."  Bucks County health officials said a leak at the Trinseo Altuglas chemical facility in Bristol Township spilled between 8,100 and 12,000 gallons of a water-based latex finishing solution into the river. Officials said it is non-toxic to humans and no known adverse health effects have been reported in the county. Officials said intakes to the city's Baxter Drinking Water Treatment Plant were closed after the spill but they were opened overnight to maintain minimal water levels to avoid damage to equipment and to supply water for fire safety and other essential needs. State environmental officials are leading the response. Pennsylvania American Water said its Yardley Water Treatment plant about 15 miles upstream of the release remains unaffected. Aqua said it shut off the intake to its Bristol water system to protect customers and had seen no impact from the spill. Trinseo senior vice president of manufacturing and engineering Tim Thomas told WPVI-TV Saturday that the material posed no risk to the public. "It's like the material you find in paint," he told the station. "It's your typical acrylic paint you have in your house, that's what really this material is, in a water base." The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Donald Trump's attorney admitted that the former president's recent social post attacking Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg was "ill-advised," though he also noted that he is not his client's social media adviser. Lawyer Joe Tacopina was pressed during an appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press" about Trump's post on Truth Social, which included a since-deleted image of himself holding a baseball bat near an image of Bragg with his hands up. "Mr. Trump has described District Attorney Alvin Bragg this week as a ‘Soros-backed animal,’ said he was ‘doing the work of anarchists and the devil,’ called him a ‘degenerate psychopath,’ he called him a Soros ‘racist in reverse’ and ‘this is the Gestapo,’" NBC host Chuck Todd said. "As his lawyer, do you stand by those comments?" "As his lawyer, I want to dissect this case because it’s a case that shouldn’t be brought and wouldn’t be brought before anyone other than Donald Trump," Tacopina responded. "Let’s be clear about that. "Does anyone actually think, left, right or in the middle, that anyone else would be prosecuted for making a civil settlement in a hush-money case with personal funds? Of course not," he went on. "No one’s ever been prosecuted for that. You know, the closest we’ve come is John Edwards back in that day where a donor paid $900,000 for his mistress and child to be housed somewhere. That case was ultimately dismissed by the Department of Justice after they couldn’t get a conviction. And that was with a donor." NEW YORK STATE BAR SHOULD PROBE BRAGG OVER TRUMP'S ‘STORMY’ CASE: CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY "The distinction here is so vast, and it’s clear to anyone, again, if you’re a supporter of Donald Trump or don’t like anything about Donald Trump, we should all be concerned as citizens in this country about the weaponization of a prosecutor’s office. And that is what this is," he added. "Would you advise a client to personally attack a prosecutor like this?" Todd said. "I mean it’s dehumanizing, Mr. Tacopina." "Again, I’m not his social media consultant," Tacopina responded. "I think that was an ill-advised post that one of his social media people put up, and he quickly took [it] down when he realized the photo that was attached to it." "You’re referring to the baseball bat," Todd said. "He didn’t take down the other rhetoric." "You’re referring to the baseball bat thing, which, of course, was featured in the New York Post cover. New York Post thought it was a pretty rough hit. Here’s the thing: We went through Jan. 6. So, this is not like a possibility that Trump’s rhetoric creates violence. It’s already happened once. Are you not concerned this could happen?" MICHAEL COHEN'S FORMER LEGAL ADVISER TORCHES EX-CLIENT "I’m not accepting that proposition that his rhetoric created violence. I think violence was on the way that day. But I’m not here to discuss that, Chuck," Tacopina said. "I’m not going to defend or condemn anything regarding social media. That’s not what I do. I’m not a Trump PR person. I’m a litigator and a lawyer. And I’m talking about this case in Manhattan, which is a case that would not be brought for anyone other than Donald Trump." Todd and Tacopina further debated whether Trump used personal funds to finance the hush-money payments to porn actress Stormy Daniels during his 2016 election campaign. "Honestly, I think you’re being a little petty when you’re looking at this now," Tacopina told Todd, "because there is no filing obligation. You can put whatever you want in your own personal ledger. If there’s a tax obligation, that would be one thing. If he had taken campaign funds, that would be something else. Neither of these things happened here." Later in the program, former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Preet Bharara joined Todd in the studio. Bharara took aim at Tacopina's argument that the case against Trump is unprecedented, saying that assumption is "just wrong." Bharara also defended Bragg as "careful and deliberate" in carrying out a year-long investigation against the former president, saying Bragg is not rushing to indict Trump. CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP In referring to Bragg's convicted felon star witness, he added, "Michael Cohen is the less culpable person if a crime was committed."

Los Angeles Chargers defensive lineman Sebastian Joseph-Day accused Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents of sexually assaulting him at John Wayne Airport in California. Joseph-Day opened up about the situation on Friday on Twitter. CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM "I really just got sexually assaulted by TSA at @JohnWayneAir. After I asked the gentleman to please stop BC I’m uncomfortable and I feel that this part of the check is unnecessary (After he felt what was needed). Then they told me I was the problem after 3 TSA agents swarmed me," he wrote. "I’m all for people doing their job well. But it was extremely unnecessary and dehumanizing. I travel a lot, for personal and work reasons. I’ve never experienced anything like that. "And when I do try to file a complaint they are making me jump through hoops to do so.  BOBBY WAGNER, ALL-PRO LINEBACKER, AGREES TO REJOIN SEAHAWKS ON ONE-YEAR DEAL "I’m not sharing this on Twitter for sympathy. I’m sharing this so this group of gentleman and staff aren’t allowed to do this ever again to another human being." The John Wayne Airport didn’t immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. "TSA is aware of allegations made by a traveler who was screened by TSA officers at John Wayne Orange County Airport Friday morning," the agency said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "We are looking into the matter to determine if our procedures were followed and whether any corrective action needs to be taken. "TSA remains committed to treating every traveler with dignity and respect while carrying out its security screening responsibilities." Joseph-Day finished his first season with the Chargers in 2022. He had a career-high 56 tackles in 16 games for Los Angeles. He also had two sacks and an interception. He spent the first three seasons of his career with the Los Angeles Rams, winning a Super Bowl with them in 2021. The Rams selected Joseph-Day in the sixth round of the 2018 draft out of Rutgers.

National Public Radio reported that "there is limited scientific research" on whether biological males have an inherent physical advantage over females in sports. In a story about the World Athletics Council decision to ban biological male athletes from competing against women, NPR cited a 2020 Human Rights Watch report that argued the decision was based on flawed evidence. "Even without strong evidence of an advantage, the council has scrutinized the performance of athletes such as South African runner Caster Semenya, the world’s fastest woman in the 800 meters," NPR reported. "Semenya, who was raised female and is legally female, was born with XY chromosomes and has a naturally high testosterone level," the outlet added. TRANSGENDER WOMAN FINISHES IN FIRST PLACE AT NEW YORK CITY CYCLING EVENT, SPARKS OUTRAGE Citing decisions made by international swimming and rugby governing bodies in recent years, the taxpayer-funded outlet claimed that the World Athletics Council's ruling is indicative of a larger trend of "moving away from trans inclusion" in sports. The international governing body announced its decision last Thursday to exclude transgender female athletes who have been through male puberty from world rankings competitions. The council added that for track and field and other running-related athletic events, its decision would bear no present consequences for athletes because there are no transgender athletes competing internationally. WORLD ATHLETICS TO EXCLUDE TRANSGENDER FEMALE ATHLETES FROM WOMEN'S COMPETITIONS "The council has agreed to exclude male-to-female transgender athletes, who have been through male puberty, from female world-ranking competitions from March the 31st of this year," World Athletics Council President Sebastian Coe said during a recent press conference. Before the ban was issued last Thursday, World Athletics mandated that biological males who identify as women maintain their testosterone levels below a certain level for at least a year to compete against biological women, according to the BBC. Such regulations were halted while a group assembled to conduct further research on the issue, the outlet also reported. Fox News' Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.

MSNBC host and Washington Post columnist Jonathan Capehart appeared on Friday’s "PBS Newshour" to criticize House Republicans for their parents rights and education bill.  As the House successfully passed a national Parents Bill of Rights legislation with zero Democratic votes, Capehart discussed the growing issue of education, specifically what the GOP means when it refers to "parental rights." "Well, to me, when I hear parental rights, I keep thinking, what happened to the PTA, parent-teachers associations? Why, all of a sudden, is this an issue?" Capehart said. "And I think it's an issue, given who they're targeting, because they need a foil. The far right needs a foil. That's not to say that parents don't have concerns about what their kids are learning in classrooms. It just seems like, from Governor Ron DeSantis in Florida, to Governor Huckabee in Arkansas, to the Republican-led House of Representatives, it seems like they have a problem specifically with trans kids." He continued, "And what I have a problem with is that the party of life, the party of respect for family and individual freedom has no problem putting a target on the backs of trans kids and their families. And so, when I hear parental rights, I think parental rights for whom?" AOC ROASTED OVER CALLING REPUBLICAN PARENTS’ RIGHTS BILL ‘FASCISM:’ ‘CLOWN SHOW EVERY TIME SHE TALKS’  The Parents Bill of Rights followed sweeping legislation in states like Florida and Arizona regarding education. Most notably, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the Parental Rights in Education bill into law of last year which barred teachers for giving classroom instruction over "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" from kindergarten through third grade. Capehart viewed this law as well as the national bill as attacks against transgender children simply because they make "people feel uncomfortable." "But just because you're uncomfortable doesn't mean that you then target what makes you uncomfortable. And by target, you're targeting kids. You're targeting the families of those kids, making it impossible for them to get health care in their own home state, making it almost impossible for them to go out of state, criminalizing, in some cases, going out of state to get care," he said. BLACK MOTHER COMES OUT AGAINST LOWERING ACADEMIC STANDARDS FOR DIVERSITY AT HER KIDS’ PREP SCHOOL  Although the Parents Bill of Rights passed the House of Representatives, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., promised the bill "will not see the light of day" in the Senate, calling it "Orwellian to the core." In the meantime, Capehart urged pushback against the GOP as well as the "rabble-rousing" parents who support their legislation. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP "And so I think what needs to happen is that people need to — those really concerned parents, not only do they need to keep rising up. They need allies to rise up with them to add to their numbers, because there are more people who care about those children and care about their education than the rabble-rousing parents who are putting the targets on their backs," Capehart said.

San Diego State is going to the Final Four for the first time in its men’s basketball program’s history. The Aztecs defeated Creighton in the NCAA Men’s Basketball South Regional Final, 57-56. San Diego State guard Darrion Trammell was fouled by Creighton’s Ryan Nembhard as he went up for a running jumper with 1.2 seconds left in the game. Replay showed Nembhard had his hand on Trammell’s hip as he went up for the shot. CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM He missed the first free throw and then hit the second. The No. 5-seeded Aztecs would advance to the Final Four for the first time. Nathan Mensah put San Diego State ahead by two points, 56-54, with 1:37 remaining in the second half. After a missed shot by Nembhard and then a missed three-point attempt by Trammell, Bluejays guard Trey Alexander missed a jumper to tie the game with about 37 seconds left in the game. The ball rattled around the rim before falling off the cup. The ball would go out of bounds and San Diego State’s Adam Seiko tried to find a teammate but turned the ball over. Creighton’s Baylor Scheierman would steal an inbounds pass and hit an easy layup to tie the game 56-56 with 32 seconds left in the second half. UCONN DOMINATES AGAIN, TAKING DOWN GONZAGA TO EARN TRIP TO FINAL FOUR Trammel would get the ball in the closing seconds and draw the foul in the closing seconds. Creighton had a 33-28 lead at halftime. Ryan Kalkbrenner scored 10 points in the first 20 minutes of the game on 5 of 8 from the floor. The center had 17 points and six rebounds. San Diego State’s Lamont Butler led the Aztecs with 18 points and two rebounds. Trammell finished with 12 points and five bounds. They were the only two San Diego State players in double figures. The Aztecs will play Florida Atlantic in the Final Four on Saturday. The furthest San Diego State has ever been in the tournament before this year’s bracket was the Sweet 16. The team had made the Sweet 16 in 2014 and 2011 and now have the opportunity to play for a national championship.

At least one more body has been pulled from a pile of rubble at the R.M. chocolate factory in Berks County, Pennsylvania, which suffered a massive explosion on Friday evening, according to reports. Independent news station WFMZ in Allentown, Pennsylvania reported that a reporter watched a coroner’s van respond to the scene on Sunday afternoon to take a body from the scene. Earlier on Sunday, officials confirmed that four people died because of Friday’s explosion and three were still missing – now two people are unaccounted for and the death toll has risen to five. EXPLOSION AT R.M. PALMER CHOCOLATE FACTORY IN PENNSYLVANIA LEAVES 4 DEAD, 3 STILL MISSING Firefighters responded to the R.M. Palmer Company at about 5 p.m. on Friday after reports of an explosion and a multi-alarm fire. The blast leveled R.M. Palmer building 2 and damaged building 1. Investigators are now working to determine what caused the blast. On Saturday morning, officials said there was a "sign of hope" after finding a person in the rubble who was still alive. EXPLOSION AT R.M. PALMER CHOCOLATE FACTORY IN PENNSYLVANIA LEAVES 3 DEAD, COMPANY OFFERS CONDOLENCES A UGI Utilities spokesperson said crews were brought in after damage from the blast led to the release of gas that was helping to feed the fire. Joseph Swope of UGI said the company did not receive calls regarding a gas leak, but noted the utilities company was cooperating with investigators by checking all facilities in the vicinity. Frank DeJesus, whose daughter was working in the building next door at the time of the blast, said employees at the plant complained about smelling gas throughout the day. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro visited the explosion site on Saturday and pledged resources for first responders to continue rescue efforts. R.M. Palmer’s website says it has been making chocolate novelties since 1948 and now has 850 employees at its West Reading headquarters. Its Facebook page includes entries earlier this month advertising Easter treats such as chocolate bunnies and "the newest milk chocolate hollow" in its "bunny family" as one with jellybeans inside. The company is by no means the region’s best-known chocolate manufacturer, however, with Hershey less than an hour to the west. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The company has set up a hotline to provide support for families. That number is 610-374-5224 extension 539. Fox News' Pilar Arias, Sarah Rumpf and Elizabeth Pritchett contributed to this report.

Some 29 migrants died over the weekend after their boats sank off the coast of Tunisia while heading to Italy, officials said.  The Tunisian National Guard said the migrants who died while trying to make the perilous journey crossing the Mediterranean Sea were mostly from sub-Saharan Africa.  Tunisian fishermen recovered 19 bodies, National Guard spokesman Houssameddine Jebabli said. The Coast Guard also recovered eight bodies on Sunday night and rescued 11 survivors aboard a boat that went down. Two more bodies were recovered in the waters off the Tunisian port of Sfax.  It remains unclear whether there were more people aboard the vessels that sank. A Tunisian NGO that tracks migration issues said five boats are believed to have foundered in the past two days off Sfax and that 67 people remain unaccounted for.  CUBAN MIGRANTS FLY HANG GLIDER INTO FLORIDA AIRPORT ONLY TO BE ARRESTED AFTER SAFE LANDING People fleeing war-torn, poverty-ridden countries routinely take boats from Tunisia bound for Europe – despite the central Mediterranean ranks among the most dangerous migration routes in the world, according to the International Organization for Migration.  U.N. data shows that around 12,000 migrants who reached Italy this year set sail from Tunisian, a nearly 90% jump from the same period in 2022.  Statistics from the Tunisian Forum for Social and Economic Rights show that Tunisia’s Coast Guard prevented more than 14,000 migrants from setting off in boats during the first three months of this year, compared with nearly 3,000 during the same period last year.  The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report. 

A Georgia homeowner fatally shot a would-be intruder trying to break into his house – and a neighbor called police after the gunshots interrupted her breakfast, police said. Shots rang out at about 5:30 a.m. Thursday in DeKalb County when an unidentified homeowner shot the unidentified male suspect, who was rushed to a local hospital but did not survive, Fox 5 Atlanta reported. The gunshots were heard by neighbors in the area, including by Melan Sydnor, who was in the middle of making breakfast.  VICIOUS ALLIGATOR ATTACKS DOG IN BACKYARD, FLORIDA HOMEOWNER SHOOTS REPTILE "I was in the kitchen and then there were gunshots and it was really loud," Sydnor told Fox 5. "I heard a few gunshots and then about five minutes later the police pulled up." TEXAS MOM JUMPS INTO ACTION WHEN BURGLAR BREAKS INTO HOME, OPENS FIRE ON SUSPECT Another resident in the area, Joann Proctor, said she was left on edge and that criminals are targeting homes early in the morning. "Young guys are stalking the neighborhood at night, like 4-5 in the morning, they checking doors," Proctor said. TENNESSEE CAR BURGLAR BEGS NEIGHBORS FOR HELP AFTER INJURED HOMEOWNER RETURNS FIRE ON GROUP OF SUSPECTS: COPS The homeowner, who has also not been identified, was questioned by police and returned to his home by mid-morning. He will not be charged as he was defending himself and his home, WSBTV reported. "I just think it’s a sad state of affairs for the country," one unidentified neighbor told the outlet. "In this case, somebody having a gun was a good thing." The investigation into the shooting is ongoing, according to Fox 5. Police have not released information on why the suspect was trying to break into the home and if the homeowner was targeted. 

Smelling other people’s sweat might not seem like a desirable activity, yet a new study from Sweden suggests that exposure to body odor could be an alternative therapy for social anxiety. The study’s findings were presented at the European Congress of Psychiatry, held from Aug. 25-Aug. 28 in Paris. Elisa Vigna, the lead researcher from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, said at the conference that when people are in a certain "state of mind" and then sweat, their perspiration includes certain molecules — or "chemo-signals" — that convey their "emotional state" and elicit "corresponding responses" in those who smell it. PRINCE HARRY SAYS PSYCHEDELIC DRUGS HELPED HIM — BUT WHAT ABOUT THE RISKS AND DANGERS? "The results of our preliminary study show that combining these chemo-signals with mindfulness therapy seems to produce better results in treating social anxiety than can be achieved by mindfulness therapy alone," Vigna also noted during the presentation in Paris. Fox News Digital reached out to the lead study author for original comment. The researchers collected sweat from volunteers who watched clips from movies to induce emotions.  'MONDAY BLUES': HOW TO COMBAT ANXIETY AND SADNESS AS A NEW WEEK BEGINS, ACCORDING TO EXPERT Next, 48 women who were experiencing social anxiety were exposed to different odors — some of which included the sweat samples — along with mindfulness therapy. "We found that the women in the group exposed to sweat from people who had been watching funny or fearful movies responded better to mindfulness therapy than those who hadn’t been exposed," Vigna explained at the conference. Specifically, those who engaged in mindfulness therapy along with exposure to body odors had about 39% lower anxiety, compared to a 17% reduction in the participants who only had mindfulness therapy. Vigna said the research team was surprised to find that it didn’t matter which emotions the people experienced while producing the sweat. OHIO WOMAN PUSHES PAST BREAST CANCER, WON'T LET DIAGNOSIS SLOW HER DOWN "Sweat produced while someone was happy had the same effect as someone who had been scared by a movie clip," she said. "So there may be something about human chemo-signals in sweat generally that affects the response to treatment." Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center and a Fox News medical contributor, told Fox News Digital that "smells trigger the limbic system of the brain, which either triggers strong emotions or calms you, depending on the scent. It may also trigger calming memories."  "I suspect it is the salty fragrance of armpit odor that elicits the response — connecting to a primitive emotion," he added. The researchers plan to do additional study to confirm these findings.  They're working to determine which molecules in human sweat reduce anxiety levels. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER Social anxiety disorder is "characterized by persistent fear of one or more social or performance situations in which the person is exposed to unfamiliar people or to possible scrutiny by others," according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Fifteen million adults in the U.S. have social anxiety disorder, per Mental Health America, a nonprofit group based in Alexandria, Virginia. 

Philadelphia residents on Sunday were advised to drink bottled water after chemicals were released into the Delaware River in a neighboring county.  The Philadelphia Water Department said Sunday it was responding to a spill of a latex product that Occurred along a Delaware River tributary. The spill would potentially affect water treated at the Baxter Drinking Water Treatment Plant, the department said.  "At this time, no contaminants have been found in our tap water system. Out of an abundance of caution, residents in the impacted areas may want to switch to bottled water," the department said.  PENNSYLVANIA CHOCOLATE FACTORY EXPLOSION LEAVES FIVE DEAD, TWO MISSING: REPORT Later Sunday, the department said it was confident, "based on updated hydraulic modeling and the latest sampling … that tap water from the Baxter plant will remain safe to drink through 11:59 p.m., March 27."  Bucks County health officials said a leak at the Trinseo Altuglas chemical facility in Bristol Township spilled between 8,100 and 12,000 gallons of a water-based latex finishing solution into the river. Officials said it is non-toxic to humans and no known adverse health effects have been reported in the county. Officials said intakes to the city's Baxter Drinking Water Treatment Plant were closed after the spill but they were opened overnight to maintain minimal water levels to avoid damage to equipment and to supply water for fire safety and other essential needs. State environmental officials are leading the response. Pennsylvania American Water said its Yardley Water Treatment plant about 15 miles upstream of the release remains unaffected. Aqua said it shut off the intake to its Bristol water system to protect customers and had seen no impact from the spill. Trinseo senior vice president of manufacturing and engineering Tim Thomas told WPVI-TV Saturday that the material posed no risk to the public. "It's like the material you find in paint," he told the station. "It's your typical acrylic paint you have in your house, that's what really this material is, in a water base." The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

At least one more body has been pulled from a pile of rubble at the R.M. chocolate factory in Berks County, Pennsylvania, which suffered a massive explosion on Friday evening, according to reports. Independent news station WFMZ in Allentown, Pennsylvania reported that a reporter watched a coroner’s van respond to the scene on Sunday afternoon to take a body from the scene. Earlier on Sunday, officials confirmed that four people died because of Friday’s explosion and three were still missing – now two people are unaccounted for and the death toll has risen to five. EXPLOSION AT R.M. PALMER CHOCOLATE FACTORY IN PENNSYLVANIA LEAVES 4 DEAD, 3 STILL MISSING Firefighters responded to the R.M. Palmer Company at about 5 p.m. on Friday after reports of an explosion and a multi-alarm fire. The blast leveled R.M. Palmer building 2 and damaged building 1. Investigators are now working to determine what caused the blast. On Saturday morning, officials said there was a "sign of hope" after finding a person in the rubble who was still alive. EXPLOSION AT R.M. PALMER CHOCOLATE FACTORY IN PENNSYLVANIA LEAVES 3 DEAD, COMPANY OFFERS CONDOLENCES A UGI Utilities spokesperson said crews were brought in after damage from the blast led to the release of gas that was helping to feed the fire. Joseph Swope of UGI said the company did not receive calls regarding a gas leak, but noted the utilities company was cooperating with investigators by checking all facilities in the vicinity. Frank DeJesus, whose daughter was working in the building next door at the time of the blast, said employees at the plant complained about smelling gas throughout the day. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro visited the explosion site on Saturday and pledged resources for first responders to continue rescue efforts. R.M. Palmer’s website says it has been making chocolate novelties since 1948 and now has 850 employees at its West Reading headquarters. Its Facebook page includes entries earlier this month advertising Easter treats such as chocolate bunnies and "the newest milk chocolate hollow" in its "bunny family" as one with jellybeans inside. The company is by no means the region’s best-known chocolate manufacturer, however, with Hershey less than an hour to the west. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The company has set up a hotline to provide support for families. That number is 610-374-5224 extension 539. Fox News' Pilar Arias, Sarah Rumpf and Elizabeth Pritchett contributed to this report.

A Georgia homeowner fatally shot a would-be intruder trying to break into his house – and a neighbor called police after the gunshots interrupted her breakfast, police said. Shots rang out at about 5:30 a.m. Thursday in DeKalb County when an unidentified homeowner shot the unidentified male suspect, who was rushed to a local hospital but did not survive, Fox 5 Atlanta reported. The gunshots were heard by neighbors in the area, including by Melan Sydnor, who was in the middle of making breakfast.  VICIOUS ALLIGATOR ATTACKS DOG IN BACKYARD, FLORIDA HOMEOWNER SHOOTS REPTILE "I was in the kitchen and then there were gunshots and it was really loud," Sydnor told Fox 5. "I heard a few gunshots and then about five minutes later the police pulled up." TEXAS MOM JUMPS INTO ACTION WHEN BURGLAR BREAKS INTO HOME, OPENS FIRE ON SUSPECT Another resident in the area, Joann Proctor, said she was left on edge and that criminals are targeting homes early in the morning. "Young guys are stalking the neighborhood at night, like 4-5 in the morning, they checking doors," Proctor said. TENNESSEE CAR BURGLAR BEGS NEIGHBORS FOR HELP AFTER INJURED HOMEOWNER RETURNS FIRE ON GROUP OF SUSPECTS: COPS The homeowner, who has also not been identified, was questioned by police and returned to his home by mid-morning. He will not be charged as he was defending himself and his home, WSBTV reported. "I just think it’s a sad state of affairs for the country," one unidentified neighbor told the outlet. "In this case, somebody having a gun was a good thing." The investigation into the shooting is ongoing, according to Fox 5. Police have not released information on why the suspect was trying to break into the home and if the homeowner was targeted. 

A home health aide squatting in a New York City apartment allegedly threatened to flush the ashes of a 103-year-old woman down the toilet amid a heated legal battle with the dead woman's daughter. Tatiana Abello, her mother and sister have been squatting in the Upper East Side apartment where the elderly woman had lived for at least 18 months, the New York Post reported. Abello had been hired by Verra Katz and her daughter Alayne Skylar in 2016 to help care for the elderly Katz.  After Katz died in 2021, Abello reportedly remained in the two-bedroom, 1,221-square-foot, rent-stabilized apartment and brought her other family members to live in the home. They argue in court records they have "succession rights" to the apartment and were like "family" to Katz, according to the Post.  Skylar said that after her mother died, she worked with Abello on a game plan on how to end her employment because she cared about the woman and her family. HANDYMAN TURNS THE TABLES ON SQUATTERS WHO TOOK OVER HIS MOTHER'S HOUSE "I loved these people. I had a relationship with them because they took care of my mother," Skylar, 65, told the Post. "I bought them dinners, I bought them gifts," she said. CALIFORNIA LANDLORDS FURIOUS AS COVID EVICTION BANS DRAG ON: 'I'M OWED $120K' IN RENT PAYMENTS The daughter tried to get into the apartment in 2021, but "there was a slider bolt" on the door – and the Abellos reportedly refused to open the door for the daughter or the NYPD. Skylar eventually took the Abellos to Manhattan Housing Court, and recounted how the family allegedly threatened to flush the ashes of her mother and father down the toilet. "They were threatening to flush my parents’ ashes down the toilet," she told the outlet. Katz was a big band singer who used the name Verra Stuart during her career, while Skylar’s father, Ralph Katz, was an editor for the New York Times who died in 2003. Amid the court battle, the Abellos agreed to give the ashes of the parents back to Skylar by December 2021. After the ashes were returned, court proceedings seemingly were dropped, the Post reported.  NEW YORK HOMEOWNERS' HANDS TIED IN FIGHT AGAINST SQUATTERS AS EXPERT ISSUES ADVICE The woman is still locked out of the home and unable to recover her parent’s personal belongings, according to court documents reported by the Post.  In a bid to recover the home, the landlord of the apartment is suing the Abellos and Skylar.  NORTH CAROLINA HOMEOWNER SAYS HER NEW HOME WAS LISTED ON AIRBNB BY EVICTED TENANT "The tenants should not be granted a ‘windfall’ and be permitted to escape ‘rent free,'" the landlord argued, according to the outlet. Apartments in the area typically rent for about $7,000 and the landlord is demanding the Abellos start paying rent. For Skylar, she’s trying to reinstate her eviction proceeding against the Abellos and get her parents’ belongings back. She does not know where the items are now located, and she claimed social media posts she has seen showed the apartment no longer has any of her parents' furniture.  "A lifetime of belongings, mementos, my dad’s bylines, books, a great vinyl collection" appear to be gone, she said. "If this could happen to me, it could happen to anybody who retains home health attendants," she added.

A Utah parent is calling for the Bible to be removed from a public school for its alleged pornographic content in reaction to the state's ban on sexually explicit books in school libraries. "Get this PORN out of our schools," the parent wrote in a December complaint that was first reported last week by the Salt Lake Tribune. "If the books that have been banned so far are any indication for way lesser offenses, this should be a slam dunk." The request came after Utah passed HB374 last May, which prohibited children's access to obscene books in schools. Referring to the Bible as "one of the most sex-ridden books around," the parent alleged its content violates Utah state code and requested its removal from Davis High School in Kaysville, which is about 15 miles north of Salt Lake City. The parent, whose personal information was redacted from a copy of the complaint to safeguard their privacy, also submitted an eight-page list of more than 130 biblical passages that are allegedly offensive. ‘PARENTS BILL OF RIGHTS’ WINS ZERO VOTES FROM DEMS WHO ATTACK IT AS ‘FASCISM,’ ‘EXTREME’ ATTACK ON SCHOOLS "Incest, onanism, bestiality, prostitution, genital mutilation, fellatio, dildos, rape, and even infanticide," the parent wrote. "You'll no doubt find that the Bible, under Utah Code Ann. § 76-10-1227, has 'no serious values for minors' because it's pornographic by our new definition." Verses in the list included graphic accounts of sexual immorality and prohibitions in the Old Testament regarding certain sexual practices, as well as words of Jesus referencing fornication and adultery. The parent also blasted Utah Parents United — a group that has spearheaded efforts to remove sexually explicit books from school libraries — as a "white supremacist hate group." Utah Parents United in turn slammed the parent's request as a "political stunt." PARENTS PULL 4-YEAR-OLD FROM CHURCH SCHOOL FOR PROMOTING ‘GENDER IDENTITY’ LESSONS: ‘CRUEL DECEPTION’ "It is clear from the petition that challenging the Bible was a political stunt," the group said in a Facebook post. "It has nothing to do with content in schools." Republican state Rep. Ken Ivory, who sponsored the legislation to pull sexually inappropriate books from Utah schools, described the complaint about the Bible as "antics that drain school resources," according to the Tribune. Davis School District spokesperson Christopher Williams said the complaint about the Bible is one of 81 requests the district has fielded since the new law was passed, according to The Christian Post. "At this point, it is also one of many that is in the process of being reviewed by a Sensitive Material Review Committee," Williams told the Tribune. "There was a purpose to the bill and this kind of stuff, it’s very unfortunate," Ivory said. "There are any number of studies that directly link sexualization and hyper-sexualization with sexual exploitation and abuse. Certainly, those are things we don’t want in schools." Ivory noted that whoever filed the complaint "really had to go through their Bible study" to assemble their comprehensive list of controversial passages, adding, "I hope they paid attention to other parts of the Bible, though."

A California Marine veteran and father of two was fatally shot and killed Friday morning while driving for Uber, according to police. Aaron Orozco, 38, picked up two passengers early that morning and stopped at a Lynwood 7-Eleven for an unknown reason before he got into a physical altercation with the two passengers, police said. One suspect shot Orozco in the upper torso, cops said. The suspects then fled in Orozco's vehicle, and it was later located by local authorities a short distance away. Orozco was pronounced dead at the scene. He leaves behind his wife, Sandra Medina, a 9-year-old son and a 3-year-old daughter.  US MILITARY INVESTIGATING DEATH OF CALIFORNIA MARINE FOUND DEAD IN BARRACKS: REPORT "It just seems like I’m in a nightmare. It doesn’t seem real to me," Medina told Fox 11. "I haven’t even told my kids yet, they still think dad is going to come through the door." Orozco had been based out of Camp Pendleton and had previously completed three tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Medina told Fox 11 her husband had started working for Uber at night so he could care for their children while she was working as a nurse.  HUMANITARIAN VOLUNTEER, MARINE VET KILLED IN UKRAINE WHILE HELPING CIVILIANS "We were married for 10 years, but we’ve been together since high school, high school sweethearts," Medina told FOX 11.  Orozco had been working for Uber for four years before the shooting, never having had issues in the past until the morning of March 24. I LOST MY BROTHER AND MY FIANCÉ IN THE IRAQ WAR. 20 YEARS LATER, HERE'S HOW I HOPE AMERICANS WILL HONOR THEM "Our hearts are with Mr. Orozco Figueroa’s family as they cope with this unfathomable tragedy, and we have reached out to offer our condolences," Uber said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "We banned the rider’s account and are working with police on their investigation." Uber told Fox News Digital they have extended their condolences to the family and explained Orozco's family is eligible for survivor benefits, provided through Intact.  The company's Public Safety team – composed of former law enforcement officers and paralegals – is ready to assist with the investigation, which is still ongoing. Uber said they are working closely with detectives on the case and will continue to cooperate with the investigation.  A GoFundMe page set up in honor of Orozco and his family had already surpassed its $20,000 goal as of Sunday morning, with more than $36,000 donated. "I just hope that they find them because they created this chaos in my life and my family's life," Medina told ABC 7. "And, you know, now I don't have my husband with me. And, it has just changed my life around so much. So, I really hope that they do catch them."

An Amber Alert for a missing 6-year-old boy from Texas has been canceled after investigators learned the child has not been seen since November, and his family has left the country. Noel Rodriguez-Alvarez is now considered an endangered missing person, according to Everman Police Chief Craig Spencer.  "This change does not affect the course of our investigation. We plan to continue to investigate this case to the fullest of our capabilities," Spencer said during a Sunday press conference.  Rodriguez-Alvarez reportedly has "numerous physical and developmental challenges." Police received information he may be with his father in Mexico, who was tracked down and told investigators he was deported before the boy's birth, and never met his son. Homeland Security records confirmed the father's statements.  FLORIDA COUPLE REPORTEDLY KIDNAPPED IN HAITI; STATE DEPARTMENT 'AWARE OF REPORTS OF 2 US CITIZENS MISSING' The boy's biological mother, 37-year-old Cindy Rodriguez-Singh, has had prior investigations and actions involving her with child protective services. She also has an extensive criminal history involving alcohol-related offenses, Spencer said.  Police report Rodriguez-Alvarez's entire family - his mother, stepfather, and six siblings - all fled the country on a Turkish Airlines flight bound for Istanbul, Turkey, on March 23, which is before an Amber Alert was issued for the boy on March 25.  Rodriguez-Alvarez's stepfather is an immigrant from India, police say. Investigators are trying to determine the final destination of the family.  MISSING INDIANA TEEN BELIEVED TO BE IN 'EXTREME DANGER' FOUND SAFE CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Rodriguez-Singh's six other children are 5-month-old twins, a 7-year-old, an 8-year-old, a 9-year-old, and an 11-year-old, according to FOX 4 News Dallas-Fort Worth. She was last known to be driving a gray 2012 Chevrolet Silverado with Texas license plate PLS7091. The truck has a mural of Santa Muerte across the entire back windshield. "We currently do not have any physical evidence related to Noel's status as a missing person," Spencer said. "What I do know is that we have a 6-year-old disabled boy that cannot be accounted for, is missing and that the mother is not willing to cooperate with investigators to help us simply assure that the child is safe." Anyone with information is asked to call Everman police at 817-293-2923 or dial 911.

Deputies in Georgia captured a "vicious rapist" who assaulted a taxi driver at gunpoint on Friday, authorities said. The incident happened after Christian Jacquez Taylor called for a taxi in the city of Lovejoy, the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office said. Taylor allegedly pulled out a gun as he entered the taxi and forced the victim to take off her clothes. Taylor raped the woman at gunpoint while inside the car, the sheriff’s office said. Police in Lovejoy launched an investigation and identified Taylor as a suspect. SHOPLIFTER WHO BIT OFF NORDSTROM SECURITY GUARD'S EARLOBE SENTENCED TO PRISON Clayton County Sheriff Levon Allen activated the Elite Fugitive Squad and within two hours located Taylor at a residence in Hampton, the sheriff’s office said. Hampton is about five miles from Lovejoy. Fugitive investigators surrounded the residence, according to authorities, but when they knocked on the door Taylor tried to escape capture through a backdoor. "Taylor quickly realized his cardio wasn’t sufficient enough to outrun the Elite Fugitive Squad after a brief foot chase," the sheriff’s office said in a news release. OKLAHOMA HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER ARRESTED FOR ALLEGEDLY STALKING, GROOMING, SENDING SEXUAL IMAGES TO STUDENTS As Taylor was taken into custody, officials said officers discovered he had a handgun in his front right pocket. Taylor was booked into the Clayton County Jail after warrants for his arrest for rape, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, officials said. CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Lovejoy is a city located about 24 miles south of Atlanta.

The family of a Florida couple missing in Haiti say the two American citizens were ordered off of a bus and kidnaped in the Caribbean nation a week and a day ago.  Relatives of Jean-Dickens Toussaint and his wife, Abigail Toussaint, both 33, say they already paid $6,000 in ransom, but now the alleged kidnapers are demanding upward of $200,000 per person. The couple, who live in Tamarac, in Broward County, Fla., reportedly left behind their young son, who will turn two in a matter of days.  "The U.S. Department of State and our embassies and consulates abroad have no greater priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens overseas. We are aware of reports of two U.S. citizens missing in Haiti," a State Department spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News Digital Sunday. "When a U.S. citizen is missing, we work closely with local authorities as they carry out their search efforts, and we share information with families however we can. We have nothing further to share at this time." The couple’s 22-year-old niece, Christie Desormes, who lives out of state in Silver Spring, Maryland, recently told WPLG that the Toussaints had only planned to be in Haiti for four days to visit family and attend a festival. But on March 18, she says, the couple was kidnaped while taking a bus from the Port-Au-Prince area.  AMERICAN CHILDREN MISSING IN MEXICO: STATE DEPARTMENT ‘AWARE OF REPORTS OF 2 MISSING US CITIZENS’ "They stopped the bus at a stop and then asked for Americans to get off the bus and their escorts off the bus, and then they took them," Desormes told the outlet.  "I’m still in a state of shock," the couple’s niece added. "It feels like it didn’t happen, but I know it did, especially since I saw them last month for my birthday." "I do have the worst-case scenario playing in my head, but obviously I don’t want that to happen," she said. "We just want to hear their voice as proof that they are still alive." Desormes, joined by her mother, said the family already paid $6,000 in ransom, but now the alleged kidnapers upped their fee.  "Once we sent that money, they tried to up the price to $200,000 per person, and we don’t have that type of money," she said.  HAITI GANG VIOLENCE LEAVES 187 DEAD IN 11 DAYS The couple's son, whose second birthday is March 28, is in the care of his grandfather, Abigail’s father, the women said.  "Please help us bring them back home to him and our family. They are U.S. citizens. They are parents. They are siblings. They are my family," Desormes wrote in a petition on Change.org. "They are loved and most of all they are people who desperately need your help. My Family and I have been stressing and doing everything we can to bring them back home, and now we need you and your voice to not only sign the petition but to spread the word and to talk to your local representatives to do something to rescue them as they did before for the 17 missionaries who were kidnapped in Haiti and returned unharmed last year."  In December 2021, the FBI and State Department played a role in efforts to free 16 Americans and one Canadian who traveled to Haiti on a missionary trip, NPR reported.  Violence and abductions reportedly surged in the country following the assassination of Haitian president Jovenel Moïse in July of that year.  As of Dec. 1, 2022, the U.S. State Department urged Americans not to travel to Haiti due to kidnapping, crime, and civil unrest. "U.S. citizens should depart Haiti now in light of the current security and health situation and infrastructure challenges," the Level 4 advisory reads. 

Twelve people were hurt Saturday night after the second floor of a three-story apartment building collapsed during an off-campus Indiana University of Pennsylvania party, officials say. Members of Pennsylvania state police, fire and emergency medical services agencies responded to Elm by Traverse Commons complex in White Township just before midnight, which is about a mile off campus.  The first state trooper on the scene encountered a large group of people outside and was approached by a woman with a cut on her right wrist. Additional frantic people approached the trooper and detailed the floor collapse.  "It is unknown exactly how many people were inside the apartment at the time of the floor collapse," Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Clifford Greenfield told Fox News Digital.  EXPLOSION AT R.M. PALMER CHOCOLATE FACTORY IN PENNSYLVANIA LEAVES 4 DEAD, 3 STILL MISSING Those still inside the apartment were assisted out through a broken first-floor window.  Indiana Fire Association searched the building and did not find anyone trapped. Injuries ranged from minor to serious. Many of them occurred when people were exiting the building through the broken first-floor window. Of the 12 people treated on scene, seven were taken to a local hospital for further treatment. One injured was believed to have been taken to a hospital by a private vehicle.  PENNSYLVANIA POLICE RESPOND TO 'SCREAMING' IN HOUSE KNOWN FOR 'DRAMA,' FIND CHILD LOCKED IN DOG CAGE CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The apartment has been secured by complex management to prevent reentry.  "We don’t know how many involved in this incident are IUP students. As we find out that information, IUP will provide appropriate support to our students and to their families, including temporary housing if needed," Michelle Fryling, executive director of media relations for Indiana University of Pennsylvania, told Fox News Digital.  This weekend is reportedly known as "IUPatty’s weekend," a delayed St. Patrick’s Day celebration by college-age revelers, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. The annual student-planned weekend not associated with the university is a time state and local police boost traffic enforcement and roving patrols.

Some 29 migrants died over the weekend after their boats sank off the coast of Tunisia while heading to Italy, officials said.  The Tunisian National Guard said the migrants who died while trying to make the perilous journey crossing the Mediterranean Sea were mostly from sub-Saharan Africa.  Tunisian fishermen recovered 19 bodies, National Guard spokesman Houssameddine Jebabli said. The Coast Guard also recovered eight bodies on Sunday night and rescued 11 survivors aboard a boat that went down. Two more bodies were recovered in the waters off the Tunisian port of Sfax.  It remains unclear whether there were more people aboard the vessels that sank. A Tunisian NGO that tracks migration issues said five boats are believed to have foundered in the past two days off Sfax and that 67 people remain unaccounted for.  CUBAN MIGRANTS FLY HANG GLIDER INTO FLORIDA AIRPORT ONLY TO BE ARRESTED AFTER SAFE LANDING People fleeing war-torn, poverty-ridden countries routinely take boats from Tunisia bound for Europe – despite the central Mediterranean ranks among the most dangerous migration routes in the world, according to the International Organization for Migration.  U.N. data shows that around 12,000 migrants who reached Italy this year set sail from Tunisian, a nearly 90% jump from the same period in 2022.  Statistics from the Tunisian Forum for Social and Economic Rights show that Tunisia’s Coast Guard prevented more than 14,000 migrants from setting off in boats during the first three months of this year, compared with nearly 3,000 during the same period last year.  The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired his defense minister after he warned that a planned judicial overhaul could fracture the country's military.  Netanyahu's office released a short statement on Sunday saying that the prime minister "has decided, this evening, to dismiss Defense Minister Yoav Gallant." Gallant, a member of Netanyahu's ruling Likud party, said in a televised speech on Saturday that the judicial overhaul is "a clear, immediate and tangible danger to the security of the state." "As Minister of Defense of the State of Israel, I emphasize that the growing rift in our society penetrates the IDF and security agencies," Gallant said. "I will not allow this. But now, I declare loudly and publicly, for the sake of Israel's security, for the sake of our sons and daughters – the legislative process should be stopped." Netanyahu, who has argued that unelected Supreme Court justices wield too much power, has pushed forward with his plans for a judicial overhaul, which would give the governing coalition more say over judicial appointments and limit judicial review of laws.  "We must all stand up strongly against refusals," Netanyahu tweeted on Sunday.  ISRAELI FORCES KILL THREE PALESTINIAN MILITANTS IN WEST BANK GUNFIGHT Thousands of Israelis have taken to the streets in protest for weeks. Demonstrators clashed with police outside Netanyahu's home in Jerusalem on Sunday evening, Haaretz reports. Some protesters breached barricades around the prime minister's home, according to Channel 12 News.  Asaf Zamir, the Consul General of Israel in New York, resigned from his post on Sunday after Gallant's dismissal. Yair Golan, a member of the left-wing Meretz party and a former deputy chief of staff of the IDF, called on "all representatives of Israel in embassies spread across the globe to resign immediately."  Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett told Channel 12 News that Israel "is in the greatest danger since the Yom Kippur War." The Movement for Quality of Government in Israel, which opposes the judicial overhaul and has helped organize the demonstrations, condemned Gallant's dismissal on Sunday.  "Netanyahu has proved once again that he is unfit for office. He is not institutionally, ethically, or morally qualified," the organization said in a statement. "The Movement will consider legal action to stop this scandalous and disgraceful dismissal." Opposition leader Yair Lapid called Netanyahu a "danger to the security of the State of Israel" after Gallant's dismissal.  "The dismissal of the Minister of Defense, Yoav [Gallant], just because he warned of a threat to Israel's security is a new low for an anti-Zionist government that harms national security and ignores the warning of all security officials," Lapid tweeted. "Netanyahu can fire Gallant, but he cannot fire reality and cannot fire the people of Israel who are standing up to the insanity of the coalition." ISRAELI PROTESTERS TAKE TO STREETS TO BLAST NETANYAHU 'JUDICIAL REFORMS' AS PM CALLS FOR UNITY Nearly 300 Israeli Air Force reserve soldiers and officers did not report for training earlier this month in protest of the judicial overhaul, according to i24NEWS. Hundreds of protesters who described themselves as volunteer reservists from military special forces and intelligence agencies also wrote a letter last week saying that they would not turn up for duty, the Israeli news outlet reported.  Universities across Israel will be shutting down on Monday, while some doctors are considering going on strike, Channel 12 News reports.  Netanyahu's coalition in parliament passed the first of a series of laws on Thursday that says an Israeli leader can only be deemed unfit to rule for health or mental reasons. The opposition claims that the law was passed specifically for Netanyahu, who is currently on trial for fraud, breach of trust, and other charges.  The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

A Florida couple visiting Port-au-Prince, Haiti are being held at ransom after being abducted, according to family members. Jean Dickens Toussaint and Abigail Toussaint, both 33-years-old, were reportedly abducted on a bus on March 18 while on a visit to see ailing relatives and attend a local festival.  The U.S. citizen's abductors allegedly demanded $6,000 for the couple’s release, family members told ABC Miami. After family members paid the ransom, the abductors upped the ransom to $200,000 each, family members said. "We don’t have that type of money," Jean Dickens Toussaint’s sister, Nikese Toussaint, told ABC Miami. HAITI GAN VIOLENCE LEAVE 187 DEAD IN 11 DAYS A family friend who met the couple at the airport to escort them was also kidnaped, a niece of the couple told ABC Miami. "They stopped the bus at a stop, and they asked for the Americans on the bus and their escorts to come off the bus, and then they took them," she said. The U.S State Department said that they are aware of reports of American citizens missing in Haiti and shared that the department will work with local authorities to search for the missing couple. "We are aware of reports of two U.S. citizens missing in Haiti," the State Department spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "When a U.S. citizen is missing, we work closely with local authorities as they carry out their search efforts, and we share information with families however we can." VIOLENT GANGS IN HAITI COULD POSE SIMILAR THREAT TO US AS MS-13, SEN. CASSIDY SAYS: 'MIGHT BE A RHYTHM THERE' The US state department advises Americans not to travel to Haiti "due to kidnappings, crime, and civil unrest" Haiti is once again struggling with a spike in gang-related kidnappings that had diminished after President Jovenel Moïse was fatally shot at his private residence on July 7, and following a 7.2-magnitude earthquake that struck southwest Haiti in August and killed more than 2,200 people. Gangs have grown in strength and have demanded ransoms ranging from a couple of hundred dollars to more than $1 million, according to authorities. The security situation has devolved further in recent months with routine gun fights between police officers and the gangs. Bloody turf battles have left hundreds dead and thousands displaced. Seventeen missionaries from the United States and Canada were taken hostage and held for ransom in 2021 while on a trip to Haiti organized by the Ohio-based Christian Aid Ministries. The group said ransom money was paid for the release of the captives, but a dozen had escaped on their own. Haiti's national police did not immediately respond to Fox News' Digital's request for comment. Reuters contributed to this report.

Ukraine is calling on the United Nations to hold an emergency session following Russian President Vladimir Putin's threat to place nuclear weapons in neighboring Belarus. Putin announced the move on Sunday, framing it as a warning to Western countries. Ukraine's government called on the U.N. to counter Russia's "nuclear blackmail," arguing Putin had made Belarus its "nuclear hostage." Putin said the construction of the storage facilities for the weapons in the Russian-allied country, which borders Ukraine and three NATO countries - Latvia, Lithuania and Poland - would be completed by the beginning of July. Putin argued that Russia was only adopting the policies of the U.S. and other Western countries with the deployment. PRESIDENT BIDEN MAKES SURPRISE VISIT TO KYIV. UKRAINE, MEETS WITH PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY "We are doing what they have been doing for decades, stationing them in certain allied countries, preparing the launch platforms and training their crews," Putin said on state television, according to the Associated Press. UN DENOUNCES ALLEGED TORTURE, HUMAN SHIELDS, OTHER WAR CRIMES IN UKRAINE CONFLICT Ukraine's Foreign Ministry urged members of the U.N. Security Council to act against Putin. "Ukraine expects effective action to counter the Kremlin’s nuclear blackmail by the U.K., China, the U.S. and France," the statement read. "The world must be united against someone who endangers the future of human civilization." The move comes just days after Chinese President Xi Jinping wrapped up a trip to Moscow last week. Xi and Putin referred to one another as "dear friends" throughout the visit, though China maintains that it is neutral in the conflict with Ukraine.  CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Putin's move is only the latest of his nuclear escalations. He also announced plans to suspend Russia's participation in an arms treaty with the U.S. last month. "The elites of the West do not hide their purpose. But they also cannot fail to realize that it is impossible to defeat Russia on the battlefield," Putin said when withdrawing from the treaty. Fox News Brie Stimson contributed to this report.

Authorities in Hong Kong allowed a protest event for the first time in years on Sunday, but it took place under strict rules that would be unacceptable in most Western countries. Hong Kong Police required each of the protesters to wear a numbered badge around their necks throughout the event, and organizers were required to ensure no more than 100 people attended. The group, which ended up numbering roughly 80 people, was protesting the construction of new trash processing facilities. Police surrounded the group as they walked as a roped-off unit. It was the first demonstration in Hong Kong since the massive protests of 2019 as China was imposing its authority over the city. Tens of thousands of people took place in those demonstrations, with protesters covering their faces in an attempt to thwart authorities' facial recognition systems. TRUMP CALLS FOR ‘RETRIBUTION’ AGAINST CHINA FOR ROLE IN COVID-19 PANDEMIC "I’m not happy but we have to accept it. We have to accept what is deemed legal now," Theresa Wang, 70, told Time. MASSIVE HONG KONG FIRE CONSUMES SKYSCRAPER UNDER CONSTRUCTION, RAINING BURNING EMBERS ONTO STREET Another protester, Jack Wong, said he objected to having to wear an ID badge during the event. "But if it is a requirement, what can I say? I prefer not to comment further. You know what I mean," he told the magazine. Earlier in March, Hong Kong police arrested a veteran labor activist who is also the wife of an organizer of annual vigils commemorating China’s 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy protesters. Officers arrested Elizabeth Tang, the wife of Lee Cheuk-yan, outside Stanley Prison but it was still unclear for what reason, according to sources who declined to be identified for fear of government retribution. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Amid the shocking revelation that the Iranian regime enriched near weapons-grade uranium for an atomic weapon, the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) on Friday published a highly detailed report to counter Tehran’s drive to become a nuclear power. The MEMRI report argues that powerful steps can be taken by the Biden administration and Europe to impede Iran’s atomic weapon ambitions short of military strikes targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities. MEMRI lays out a "Plan of Action" that aims to chip away at the legitimacy of the Islamic revolutionary state.  The report comes at a historic moment in Iran’s history due to the revolts against the clerical regime sweeping the nation of 87 million people since September. Demonstrations have engulfed Iran in response to the regime’s notorious morality police arrest and murder of the 22-year-old Jina (Mahsa) Amini in mid-September for not properly wearing her hijab. MEMRI advocates "Support for the anti-regime protests. For example, renaming of streets on which Iranian embassies in the West are located after Amini." IRAN COULD PRODUCE NUCLEAR WEAPON IN MATTER OF MONTHS, SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL CLAIMS The authors of the report, Yigal Carmon, president of MEMRI, and Ayelet Savyon, director of MEMRI's Iran Studies Project, note, "To this day, the Iranian regime continues to be extremely sensitive and zealous with regard to its international legitimacy, and herein lies its greatest political vulnerability, on which the plan of action suggested below will focus. If the Iranian regime's legitimacy were to be undermined to any extent, it is possible that Iran would slow its sprint toward enriching weapons-grade uranium and curb its terrorist regional ambitions, if at least partially and temporarily." The troika of anti-Western countries – Russia, Communist China and Iran – are a focus of the report. MEMRI terms the relations among these countries an "anti-Western axis, in which Iran plays a central role." MEMRI also took Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, to task for claiming he issued a fatwa (Islamic religious order) against the construction of nuclear weapons. The think tank said, "Iran must be called out for its lie regarding the supposed fatwa by Khamenei banning nuclear weapons. The West must demand that the ‘fatwa’ be presented, and Iran must be loudly condemned for having lied about this for so long." When asked for a copy of the original fatwa Iran’s spokesman for its U.N. diplomatic mission, sent Fox News Digital a U.N. document stating, "The Supreme Leader reiterated the principled position of the Islamic Republic of Iran concerning the prohibition of the use of weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons, and stated: ’We consider the use of such weapons as haram (religiously forbidden) and believe that it is everyone's duty to make efforts to secure humanity against this great disaster.'" US BASE IN SYRIA ATTACKED BY IRANIAN PROXY FORCES AFTER RETALIATORY AIRSTRIKES MEMRI claimed to Fox News Digital that the U.N. document is a "political statement" and not a "fatwa." MEMRI wrote an analysis on its website, declaring "The Official Iranian Version Regarding Khamenei's Alleged Anti-Nuclear Weapons Fatwa Is A Lie." When pressed numerous times for a copy of the original fatwa in Persian, Iran's spokesperson to the UN declined to provide it. The United Nations has recoiled from highlighting Iranian regime terrorism. The MEMRI policy document says, "United Nations white papers listing the terror attacks that were carried out or planned by Iran and its proxies, as well as the internal persecution and execution of anti-regime protestors, would have a significant impact." MEMRI noted, "Such white papers could demonstrate that Iran is a terrorist state both domestically and internationally. They would expose the fact that several Iranian regime officials have Interpol warrants out against them, and that in 1988 and 2019, the U.S. sanctioned, Iran's now-President Ebrahim Raisi, for his role in the… 1988 execution of thousands of political prisoners, including many academics."  MEMRI also stressed U.N. condemnations could expose "the academic activities in the West by regime apologists such Hossein Mousavian at Princeton University and Mohammad Jafar Mahallati at Oberlin College; and operating HispanTV, a propaganda outlet in South America." Mousavian has faced intense criticism from Iranian Americans for his alleged pro-Iran regime activities, including serving as ambassador to Germany when Iran’s regime approved the assassination of Kurdish dissidents in a Berlin restaurant in 1992. ENEMIES NO LONGER FEAR US RESPONSE AFTER BIDEN BOTCHED AFGHANISTAN, EXPERTS SAY AMID BALLOON, DRONE CLASHES Fox News Digital reported on the Oberlin College so-called "Professor of Peace" Mahallati’s alleged role while Iran’s ambassador in covering the massacre of at least 5,000 Iranians in 1988. MEMRI favors crippling sanctions to destabilize Iran’s regime, including the…

Flowers declaring freedom and honoring an American victim of Kim Jong Un's barbaric regime were placed by activists in front of the building that houses the North Korean mission to the United Nations, as a reminder of the horrors of Kim's regime and his continued violations of human rights. "People are dying every day in North Korea in the political prison camps, women are being tortured in the detention centers," says Suzanne Scholte, the chair of the North Korean Freedom Coalition, which sponsored the protest. "We need to put human rights at the forefront, it is the Achilles' heel of the regime." "All regimes like this eventually come down," she says. "They are brainwashed to hate America and think that we are the enemy." PUSH TO HONOR OTTO WARMBIER BY RENAMING STREET OUTSIDE NORTH KOREAN UN MISSION GETS BIPARTISAN SUPPORT The group of North Korean escapees told their stories and gathered on the sidewalk on Manhattan's Second Avenue and 44th Street to show their solidarity and support for the victims of Kim's torture and execution policies, and especially remember the plight of Otto Warmbier. "They understand what Otto went through because they were tortured, as he was," says Scholte. "All efforts to stop the brutal Kim regime will be successful in time," Otto’s mother, Cindy Warmbier, told Fox News. She and her husband Fred have been on the forefront of fighting for human rights in North Korea and raising global attention on Kim’s victims, like their son. "Focus on the concentration camps. The truth of the Kim family is ugly and needs to be viewed to the world one day soon," she said. Otto was a 22-year-old college student from Ohio, attending the University of Virginia. He was about to leave the country after a student tour of North Korea in 2016 when he was falsely arrested, imprisoned and then tortured by the regime. Supporters say he was grabbed for Kim's propaganda purposes solely because he was an American. Otto was put on a show trial and during his 18-month imprisonment, was severely beaten and tortured. He was returned home by the regime unable to speak and hear, suffering severe brain injuries, and died in a Cincinnati hospital in June 2017. He has since become an international symbol for human rights and the struggle against dictatorial regimes like North Korea's. "Their willingness to fight for the justice of the Otto Warmbier and fighting against the brutal Kim regime, and actually their voice is adding the awareness of the reality of North Korea and the cruelty of Kim regime," said North Korean defector Seohyun Lee. She called the protest and placing of flowers on the regime's doorstep, "a really big support for the whole North Korean people." MAYOR ERIC ADAMS READY TO BACK NAMING STREET HONORING OTTO WARMBIER "Don't forget all of the North Korean people who are still suffering in this 21st century… under the like unique, brutal dictatorship," she told Fox News. One sign declared the spot "Otto Warmbier Way," a reference to the proposal to name the corner after Otto as a reminder to the North Koreans of the brutality of the system that they represent. The idea has garnered the support of two New York City mayors, current Mayor Eric Adams and former Mayor Bill de Blasio, as well as current Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, former borough president and current West Side Councilmember Gail Brewer, the district New York State Assembly Member Harvey Epstein as well as multiple members of the U.S. Senate and Congress. But the elected official who has to approve the measure, City Councilman Keith Powers, has yet to sign on to it. The protesters support the re-naming as a symbol of the suffering of their fellow citizens. They also detailed the first-hand horrors that their fellow North Koreans face every day. "If you go out on the street, especially in wintertime, you can see dead bodies, the corpses. And then people think if people see that dead body and then they say, 'Oh, it's not surprised. Oh, today another person got death,'" said Songmi Han. NORTH KOREAN HUMAN RIGHTS REMAIN VIRTUALLY NON-EXISTENT, STATE DEPARTMENT FINDS "I didn't know when I was in North Korea there's human rights or women rights or … basic rights. I never heard of those words. So that's why North Korean people also have to know that outside of North Korea, there is freedom." The North Korean Freedom Coalition is trying to save hundreds of North Korean escapees…

Social media users were outraged by a recent clip of French President Emmanuel Macron appearing to hide a luxury wristwatch during an interview, as pension-related protests in France intensify. Macron appeared to take off his watch under a table during a TF1/France 2 interview. Twitter users speculated that the president removed his watch to appear less wealthy. The Élysée Palace made a statement to French newspaper L'Independant dismissing the rumors, saying that Macron wanted to avoid hitting the watch on the table. "The President does not take off his watch for the sake of hiding it but because he had just banged it loudly against the table," the translated statement said. "The noise is clearly audible just seconds before the start of the video shared on social media." MACRON UNDER FIRE AS FRENCH PROTESTS TURN VIOLENT OVER RETIREMENT AGE  Twitter users claimed that the Bell and Ross watch costs €80,000, but that does not appear to be true. French news channel BFMTV identified the watch as a V1-92 Blue Steel model, which goes for 2,400 Euros, or about $2,587. Regardless, commentators still expressed outrage over the clip. "Macron while asking for sacrifices from the French people realizes he is wearing a € 80,000 watch and like a magician makes it disappear under the table. Unworthy," another chimed in. Several others joined in the criticism, including Donald Trump Jr.  "Do as I say not as I do!" the former president's son said.  MACRON WANTS PENSION PLAN TO BE IMPLEMENTED BY THE END OF THE YEAR The interview came as hundreds of thousands of French citizens protest against the government's move to increase the retirement age. In January, Macron announced that his government would raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 in order to keep the pension system solvent. Macron announced this month that he would pass the pension reform using a special constitutional power, rather than it being voted on in France's National Assembly. In addition to the Eiffel Tower and the Palace of Versailles being closed down, roughly 12,000 security forces were deployed to French streets, including 5,000 in Paris. Some of the protests have turned into violent riots as well, with rioters throwing stones and aiming fireworks at police. Fox News' Paul Best contributed to this report.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday said the country planned to station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus in retaliation for the U.K.’s decision to provide Ukraine with armor-piercing rounds containing depleted uranium.  Russia falsely claimed these rounds have nuclear components. Putin said the construction of the storage facilities for the weapons in the Russian-allied country, which borders Ukraine and three NATO countries - Latvia, Lithuania and Poland - would be completed by the beginning of July.  UKRAINE WAR THROWS WRENCH IN MASSIVE RUSSIAN ARMS DEAL AFTER THEY MISS DELIVERY, INDIA SAYS  He told a Russian state television show that the country wouldn't be violating the international agreement on the nonproliferation of nuclear weapons with the construction because he said the U.S. frequently deploys its nukes in NATO countries.  Russia stationed troops in Belarus along the border with Ukraine a year ago under the guise of routine military exercises before invading in February 2022.  UN DENOUNCES ALLEGED TORTURE, HUMAN SHIELDS, OTHER WAR CRIMES IN UKRAINE CONFLICT It's not the first time Putin has used nuclear weapons as an intimidation tactic against the West, which has continually provided Ukraine with monetary and tactical support following the invasion.  Just last month, Putin said he would be suspending his nation's participation in a nuclear arms treaty, threatening to resume testing of nuclear weapons. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP "The elites of the West do not hide their purpose. But they also cannot fail to realize that it is impossible to defeat Russia on the battlefield," Putin said almost exactly a year after the invasion started, which has dragged on much longer than Putin expected due to Ukraine's resolve and Western support.  The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

The British government in the next few weeks is set to announce plans to start moving migrants onto military bases and disused ferries, according to a report.  Asylum seekers who have crossed the English Channel by boat have remained in hotels, but the government aims to end that program and move them to different facilities. Other proposals include the use of holiday camps and college dorms, but Sky News reports that those are "less likely" to happen.  Royal Air Force Base Scampton in Lincolnshire would be able to house some 1,500 migrants – a fraction of the roughly 45,000 people who crossed the Channel in 2022.  Only about 300 people reached Britain by water in 2018, but that number rose to 8,500 in 2020 and 28,000 in 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic closed rail air and ship travel, forcing those still seeking asylum in the United Kingdom to travel by boat.  BORDER SECURITY: BIDEN CUTS DEAL WITH CANADA AMID SOUTHERN BORDER SURGE Most of the migrants travel from Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq and Syria, but many are "economic migrants" from Albania and other Eastern European countries.  British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak plans to table an illegal immigration bill in parliament next week, with some critics saying it unfairly targets Albanians, according to Sky News. Sunak said that Albanians accounted for some one-third of asylum seekers last year.  CARTELS USING TIKTOK TO RECRUIT SMUGGLERS, FORMER US MARSHAL WARNS The five-point plan would create a new enforcement group of 700 people who would directly tackle the issue of boats crossing the channel, end the use of hotels to house migrants, increase the number of caseworkers to process asylum applications and designate Albania as a "safe country," which would allow the U.K. to reject asylum applications.  The government had housed asylum seekers in army barracks in Kent and Wales during the pandemic, but critics called it a "serious error of judgment" after it led to a serious outbreak at one of the sites. 4 MEXICAN SOLDIERS OPENED FIRE ON PICKUP TRUCK, KILLING 5 UNARMED MEN Residents also said they had no idea how long they would stay on the base. The conditions led members of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Immigration and Detention to write then-Home Secretary Priti Patel to express "serious concern" over the "very serious risk of harm" to residents at the base.  Sarah Carter, who lived near RAF Base Scampton, argued that the base and surrounding area didn’t have the infrastructure necessary to support the influx of migrants.  "If the government actually came and visited the camp, they would see that is a ludicrous idea," Carter said.  The Associated Press contributed to this report.