Samuel Alito was treated for dehydration after falling ill at event in March, Supreme Court says

April 3, 2026 / 2:31 PM EDT / CBS News

Washington— Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito was treated for dehydration after falling ill at an event in Philadelphia on March 20, the court’s public information office said Friday.

“Out of an abundance of caution, he agreed with his security detail’s recommendation to see a physician before the three-hour drive home,” the office said in a statement. “After that examination and the administration of fluids for dehydration, he returned home that night, as previously planned.”

CNN revealed the incident in a report earlier Friday, saying Alito had been taken to the hospital for treatment. Alito was attending a Federalist Society event in Philadelphia, CNN said. The court said he was “thoroughly checked by his own physician” and returned to work as usual.

Alito, 76, has participated in oral arguments at the court in the two weeks since the episode, most recently on Wednesday, when the justices considered President Trump’s executive order aimed at ending birthright citizenship.

One of the court’s most conservative members, Alito was appointed to the bench by President George W. Bush in 2006, and is now the third-longest-serving justice currently on the court.

Speculation about his possible retirement has swirled since Mr. Trump returned to office last year, and has ramped up heading into the midterm elections. If Democrats win control of the Senate, filling any vacancy would become extremely difficult once a new Congress convenes in January.

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/why-supreme-court-oral-arguments-did-not-go-well-trump/

Cuba releases 2,000 prisoners amid Trump pressure, energy crisis

April 3, 2026 2:15pm EDT / Fox News

Those released include young people, women, older adults and foreign nationals, the Cuban Embassy said

By Michael Dorgan Fox News

Cuba’s government released more than 2,000 prisoners as the island faces mounting economic pressure linked to U.S. sanctions and worsening fuel shortages.

The Cuban Embassy in Washington said authorities granted pardons to 2,010 inmates under provisions of the country’s constitution, citing factors such as good behavior, time already served and health conditions.

“This humanitarian and sovereign gesture was based on a careful analysis of the nature of the offenses committed by the inmates, their good conduct while in prison, and the fact that they had served a significant portion of their sentences,” the embassy said in a statement posted on X.

RUSSIA SHIPS FUEL TO CUBA USING ‘SPOOFING’ TACTIC CHALLENGING TRUMP EMBARGO: REPORTS

Inmates celebrate as they walk free from La Lima prison in Havana on April 3, 2026, after Cuba announced it would pardon 2,010 prisoners amid mounting U.S. pressure.(Yamil Lage/AFP via Getty Images)

Officials said those released include young people, women, older adults, as well as foreign nationals and Cuban citizens who live abroad but were imprisoned on the island.

The government said it excluded prisoners convicted of serious crimes, including murder, sexual assault, violent robbery, drug offenses and corruption of minors, as well as repeat offenders.

CUBA’S ENTIRE ELECTRICAL GRID COLLAPSES, LEAVING WHOLE ISLAND WITHOUT POWER

The move marks the second prisoner release this year and comes during Holy Week, which Cuban officials described as a customary period for such actions.

The release comes as Cuba grapples with a deepening economic and energy crisis driven in part by a renewed pressure campaign from the Trump administration aimed at cutting off the island’s access to foreign oil. The restrictions have contributed to widespread fuel shortages, blackouts and growing unrest across the country.

WATCH: Cuban power blackout sparks protests as Trump hints at US intervention

https://www.foxnews.com/video/6391172223112

President Donald Trump has threatened tariffs on any country that sends oil to Cuba and has pressured nations such as Mexico to halt shipments as part of a broader effort to squeeze the island’s energy supply.

The U.S. also allowed a tanker to deliver fuel to Cuba earlier this week after months of severe shortages, with the White House framing the move as a humanitarian exception rather than a shift in policy.

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A man embraces a loved one after being released from La Lima prison in Havana on April 3, 2026, as Cuba began freeing more than 2,000 inmates.(Yamil Lage/AFP via Getty Images)

Trump has also escalated his rhetoric, recently saying “Cuba’s next” while discussing U.S. actions abroad, though he later sought to downplay the remark.

The deepening crisis has also sparked protests and clashes across the island.

Cuba has been under communist rule since Fidel Castro’s 1959 revolution, and is now led by President Miguel Díaz-Canel, who succeeded Raúl Castro in 2018.

Michael Dorgan is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business.

You can send tips to michael.dorgan@fox.com and follow him on Twitter @M_Dorgan.

NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani plans an April rally to mark his first 100 days in office

Apr 3, 2026, 2:14 PM ET / CNN

By Katherine Koretski

Updated Apr 3, 2026, 2:17 PM ET

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani stands on stage with his wife, Rama Duwaji, after he was ceremonially sworn in as the city’s 112th mayor at City Hall on January 1, 2026.

Spencer Platt/Getty Images/File

New York—

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani will host a rally next week to mark 100 days since his inauguration.

The event will take place at the Knockdown Center, a live music venue in Maspeth, Queens, on Sunday, April 12.

The mayor will deliver a rally-style address at the event, an aide told CNN. Mamdani will reflect on his past three months in office and look ahead to the rest of his administration while being joined by New Yorkers on stage, the aide said.

He plans to touch on what he sees as his accomplishments since taking office in January, including announcing expansions of childcare programs, street safety projects like his “pothole blitz,” and taking landlords to court for rental discrepancies.

The event will also spotlight city firefighters, police, sanitation workers and other municipal workers, as well as elected officials from around the city.

The 34-year-old Mamdani, the city’s first Muslim mayor and one of the youngest in its history, has faced major political tests since taking office. Mamdani has responded to two major snowstorms, including a historic cold snap, and what authorities describe as an ISIS-inspired attack during protests outside of Gracie Mansion, the mayoral residence.

The event could also be an opportunity for Mamdani to push fellow Democrats during a budget battle that has put him at odds with city and state leaders.

Just on Wednesday, he sharply criticized City Council Speaker Julie Menin for a preliminary budget proposal that he said would require major cuts to city services. Mamdani wants to raise taxes on the city’s wealthiest residents to close a budget shortfall, a plan that has faced opposition from some city and state Democrats, notably Gov. Kathy Hochul.

Trump to sign executive order to expand NCAA’s control over college sports

April 3, 2026 / 2:52 PM EDT / CBS News

President Trump is expected to sign an executive order as soon as Friday regarding National Collegiate Athletic Association control over collegiate sports, according to a senior White House official.

The president’s order aims to increase the NCAA’s control over college athletes and programs and threatens to review federal government grants and contracts for colleges and universities that don’t comply with NCAA rules.

Name, image and likeness — or NIL — rights granted by a court settlement mean that Division I student-athletes may be directly paid by colleges. The president has railed against the new system, which is costing some schools millions in payments. The $2.8 billion settlement was retroactive, so colleges are on the hook for NIL opportunities denied to student-athletes from 2016-2025.

File: President Trump speaks during an executive order signing in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, March 31, 2026. Aaron Schwartz / CNP / Bloomberg via Getty Images / Aaron Schwartz – Pool via CNP

“What they’ve done is destroyed college sports and destroying colleges because colleges can’t afford to pay quarterbacks, that never threw a ball before, that a 17 years old, $12 million dollars to play college, because every college is going to bankrupt.,” Trump said in a speech to the Republican congressional campaign arm in March.

The president has also publicly lamented about how the new NIL policies could affect women’s sports and the Olympics, noting that many American Olympians train at U.S. colleges.

At a college sports roundtable in early March, the president also vowed to write a broad executive order to address the issue and expressed hope that it would trigger congressional action.

The Trump administration is still pushing for congressional action to standardize the rules surrounding the name, image, and likeness policy. The SCORE Act – a House of Representatives bill that stalled — would regulate compensation received from NIL and beef up protections for college athletes.

Trump wants $152 million to rebuild and reopen Alcatraz as a secure prison

2026-04-03 3:02 PM ET / CNN

By Tami Luhby

Updated 50 min ago
Updated Apr 3, 2026, 3:09 PM ET
PUBLISHED Apr 3, 2026, 3:02 PM ET

An American flag flies on a boat leaving Alcatraz Island in San Francisco, California, on July 2, 2025.

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images/File

President Donald Trump is seeking $152 million to cover the first year of costs to reopen the infamous Alcatraz prison as a secure facility.

The funds, requested as part of the White House’s budget blueprint, would be part of a $1.7 billion proposed boost to the Federal Bureau of Prisons to improve pay and working conditions in hopes of ending a longstanding correctional officer shortage.

The White House released the budget proposal on Friday. It amounts to a funding wish list that is rarely enacted in full by Congress, but it provides insight into an administration’s priorities.

Related article White House seeks massive increase in defense spending and looks to slash housing, social services and health care 4 min read

Now a major historical landmark and destination for roughly 1.2 million tourists annually, the notorious prison closed more than 60 years ago due to its crumbling infrastructure and high maintenance costs. At the time, it would have cost an estimated $3 million to $5 million “just for restoration and maintenance work to keep the prison open,” not including daily operating costs.

Asked for the total cost to restore the facility, the Bureau of Prisons told CNN, “As an agency, we are moving forward, evaluating, and formulating the actions necessary to reopen and operate USP Alcatraz.”

Rebuilding and reopening it as an active facility has been an ongoing interest of the president’s.

Last May, Trump said in a social media post that he was directing “the Bureau of Prisons, together with the Department of Justice, FBI, and Homeland Security, to reopen a substantially enlarged and rebuilt ALCATRAZ, to house America’s most ruthless and violent Offenders.”

“The reopening of ALCATRAZ will serve as a symbol of Law, Order, and JUSTICE,” he posted on Truth Social.

US Bureau of Prisons Director William K. Marshall III said at the time that his agency would “pursue all avenues” to implement the president’s plans for reopening.

Alcatraz, located on an island off the San Francisco coast, operated as a federal penitentiary for nearly 30 years and housed some of the most dangerous criminals in the country, including Al Capone, George “Machine Gun” Kelly and James “Whitey” Bulger.

It closed in 1963 “because the institution was too expensive to continue operating,” according to the Bureau of Prisons website.

This story has been updated with additional details.

CNN’s Sam Waldenberg and Karina Tsui contributed to this report.

No more casual: State Department imposes first-ever dress code on diplomats

2026-04-03 14:20 EDT / Fox News

The policy update marks the first time the agency has codified expectations for how staff should dress officially

By Morgan Phillips Fox News

Published April 3, 2026 2:20pm EDT

FIRST ON FOX:The State Department has added business formal dress code guidance to its internal policy manual for the first time, establishing department-wide standards for employee attire.

The changes, implemented in recent days in the Foreign Affairs Manual — the department’s central repository for policies — mark the first time the agency has formally codified expectations for how diplomats and staff should dress in official settings.

“Representing the United States of America is an honor — and this new policy ensures our diplomats project credibility, respect, and the dignity of the nation we serve,” Assistant Secretary Dylan Johnson told Fox News Digital.

The updated policy applies broadly across the department for both civil service and foreign service employees.

DEPARTMENT TO ASK FOR BONDS OF UP TO $15,000 FOR VISA APPLICATIONS FROM A DOZEN MORE COUNTRIES

Secretary of State Marco Rubio also reversed Biden-era font usage at the department.(Agencia Press South/Getty)

The move underscores a broader recalibration at the State Department, where Trump administration officials have sought to impose clearer standards around discipline, appearance and adherence to policy.

A State Department official said the change was driven in part by concerns that some diplomats had been dressing “pretty informally” in recent years.

“This should have happened a long time ago,” the official said.

The formal dress code represents a shift away from Biden-era personnel policies that prioritized flexibility and cultural inclusivity, toward a more uniform and prescriptive standard for how U.S. diplomats present themselves.

“Appropriate attire and appearance will depend on the duties performed, the work environment, and the level of interaction with foreign interlocutors and other external stakeholders,” reads the manual, viewed by Fox News Digital. “For staff participating in meetings or other official engagements with foreign interlocutors, dress is Business Formal and personal appearance is polished and professional unless otherwise specified.”

Office lights are illuminated in the U.S. Department of State headquarters building at dusk on July 11, 2025, in Washington, D.C.(J. David Ake/Getty Images)

The dress code update follows other recent changes to how the State Department evaluates and manages its workforce, including revisions to hiring and promotion criteria for Foreign Service officers.

Earlier in 2026, the department replaced diversity, equity and inclusion-related benchmarks with a new core precept focused on “fidelity,” emphasizing adherence to U.S. government policy and chain-of-command authority.

State Department workers carry their belongings as they leave the building in Washington, D.C., on July 11, 2025.(Saul Loeb/AFP)

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Under the updated guidance, mid- and senior-level diplomats are expected to demonstrate loyalty by “zealously executing U.S. government policy” and resolving ambiguity in favor of leadership direction, according to internal documents previously reported by Fox News Digital.

Those changes came alongside broader efforts to restructure the department’s workforce, including plans to reduce staffing and consolidate offices, signaling a shift toward more standardized expectations for diplomatic personnel. The addition of a formal dress code marks the latest step in that direction.

23 states sue Trump over new executive order targeting mail voting

April 3, 2026 / 3:57 PM EDT / CBS News

Washington — Officials from 23 Democratic states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit Friday seeking to block President Trump’s latest executive order that aims to restrict mail voting, arguing the directive unconstitutionally attempts to interfere with states’ administration of elections.

The lawsuit, led by California, was filed with the U.S. district court in Massachusetts. It asserts that neither the Constitution nor any federal law gives the president the power to mandate widespread changes to states’ electoral systems or voting procedures.

The measure, they said, “transgress Plaintiff States’ constitutional power to prescribe the time, place, and manner of federal elections” and seeks to “amend and dictate election law by fiat based on the President’s whims.”

The executive order at the center of the challenge was signed by Mr. Trump on Tuesday, months before the November midterm elections, and lays out new requirements related to mail voting. The directive calls for the Department of Homeland Security to compile “State Citizenship Lists” of U.S. citizens who are eligible to vote in federal elections and requires the U.S. Postal Service to send mail or absentee ballots only to voters on each state’s list.

Mr. Trump’s measure also lays out specific requirements for mail ballot envelopes, including requiring them to bear a unique barcode for tracking. States and localities that don’t comply with the executive order are at risk of losing federal funding.

The directive has already been challenged by a coalition of major Democratic groups, which accused Mr. Trump of attempting to rewrite election rules for partisan gain.

In the lawsuit, the states warned that the president’s order “violates bedrock principles of federalism and separation of powers.”

“Each Plaintiff State has duly enacted laws governing voter rolls and mail voting that are, where applicable, consistent with statutory requirements set forth by Congress,” they wrote. “The EO disregards States’ inherent sovereignty and attempts to arrogate to the President the States’ and Congress’s constitutional power to regulate federal elections.”

Mr. Trump has long railed against mail voting, claiming that the method is “cheating” and compromises election integrity. But instances of mail-voting fraud are rare, and there is no evidence of widespread voter fraud.

The president himself has taken advantage of voting by mail, casting a mail ballot in a special election last month for a Florida state House seat. First lady Melania Trump and his son Barron Trump also voted by mail, according to records from the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections.

The Constitution’s Elections Clause gives states the power to set the “times, places and manner” of federal elections, and Congress also has the authority to pass election regulations. While Mr. Trump often accuses Democratic states of allowing noncitizens to cast ballots in federal elections, it is a federal crime to do so. Instances of noncitizen voting are rare.

The president’s executive order comes as he has pressured the Senate to pass the SAVE America Act, which would require Americans to show proof of citizenship in person to register to vote in federal elections and implement photo ID requirements for voting. The House approved the measure in February, but it’s unlikely to clear the GOP-led Senate, where most legislation requires 60 votes to advance.

Mr. Trump signed another election-related executive order last year, which sought to overhaul U.S. elections and require documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote, but key provisions have been blocked in court.

Trump signs order to limit mail-in voting

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/trump-signs-executive-order-to-limit-mail-in-voting/

Trump proposes $10B fund for D.C. construction, beautification projects

April 3, 2026 at 12:44 p.m. EDT / The Washington Post

The planned Presidential Capital Stewardship Program would help renovate parks and infrastructure. Local officials have long complained about lack of federal investment.

President Donald Trump has previously closed parks, including Lafayette Square near the White House, for renovations to celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary. (Al Drago/For The Washington Post)

By Dan Diamond

The White House on Friday proposed a $10 billion fund intended to help beautify Washington, the latest effort by President Donald Trump to remake a city he long criticized for being dirty and unworthy of serving as the nation’s capital.

Get concise answers to your questions. Try Ask The Post AI.

New CNN poll shows Democrats up big heading into midterm election season. Can Republicans claw back to avoid a blue wave?

2026-04-03 14:04 EDT / CNN

By Manu Raju, CNN

A new CNN poll out today shows Democrats with a 6-point advantage over Republicans on a generic Congressional ballot. That polling advantage matches the one Democrats had at this point in 2018. That 2018 election led to a blue wave in November, with Democrats picking up 41 seats. One thing that is different this time—Democrats poll even worse on party favorability than Republicans do, sitting 28 points underwater. The Inside Politics panel breaks down the numbers that give us a snapshot of how the electorate feels as primary season heats up.

Democratic-led states sue to block Trump’s order tightening mail-in voting

2026-04-03 15:04:08 UTC / Reuters

By Nate Raymond

April 3, 2026 3:04 PM UTC Updated 1 hour ago

节点运行失败

A man walks into a voting center with his mail-in ballot at Emmanuel Presbyterian Church, on Election Day, in Phoenix, Arizona, U.S., November 5, 2024. REUTERS/Caitlin O’Hara Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

BOSTON, April 3 (Reuters) – A coalition of Democratic state attorneys general announced on Friday they are filing a lawsuit challenging U.S. President Donald Trump’s new executive order tightening rules ​on mail‑in voting.

The lawsuit being filed in federal court in Boston added ‌to the rising number of legal challenges taking aim at the order Trump signed on Tuesday, with cases also being pursued by arms of the Democratic Party and voting rights advocates.

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The case was filed ​by attorneys general in 22 states and the District of Columbia and Pennsylvania ​Governor Josh Shapiro, a Democrat.

“Free and fair elections are the cornerstone ⁠of our democracy, and no president has the power to rewrite the rules on ​his own,” New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat, said in a statement.

The White ​House did not respond to a request for comment.

Trump, a Republican, has for years pushed the false claim that his 2020 election defeat was the result of widespread voter fraud and has called ​for tighter rules on voting by mail ahead of the November midterm elections.

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His executive ​order directs his administration to compile a list of confirmed U.S. citizens eligible to vote in each ‌state ⁠and to use federal data to help state election officials verify who is eligible to vote.

It also requires the U.S. Postal Service to only deliver ballots to voters on each state’s approved mail-in ballot list. States must also preserve election-related records for five years.

The ​state attorneys general argue ​Trump’s order violates ⁠the U.S. Constitution and unlawfully interferes with mail-in voting by directing USPS to block the delivery of ballots based on criteria outside ​the states’ control.

They said allowing Trump’s order to stand would ​force states ⁠to rush to overhaul their election systems before November, causing chaos and likely disenfranchising eligible voters.

Trump has also been pressing Congress to pass the SAVE America Act, a bill that would ⁠require ​proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote and ​a photo ID to cast a ballot. The bill passed the U.S. House of Representatives in February but ​faces long odds in the Senate.

Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston; Editing by Daniel Wallis

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.