QUITO, Ecuador — Ecuador will launch a major offensive against criminal organizations in three western provinces this weekend with logistical support from the United States, the interior minister said Wednesday.Speaking to a local radio station, Interior Minister John Reimberg urged citizens to observe an 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew from March 15-30 in the provinces of Guayas, Los Ríos and Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas — three of the most violent in the South American country.Residents under curfew need to stay in their homes and keep the roads clear to facilitate the movement of troops and equipment, he said.“We do not want collateral victims from the attacks we are about to launch,” Reimberg said. “We have significant support from U.S. forces for the operations we are about to carry out.”The U.S. Embassy in Ecuador didn’t immediately respond to an emailed request for comment from The Associated Press. Neither the U.S. Defense Department nor the U.S. Southern Command immediately commented on the Ecuadorian offensive set for the weekend.The announcement came days after Ecuador and the U.S. began joint military operations against organized crime groups in the South American country, although at the time neither government gave details of the location…

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! The Senate floor erupted Wednesday as Republicans and Democrats sparred over funding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), with one point becoming clear: neither side was close to reaching a deal.While senators met behind closed doors just steps from the chamber, party leaders accused each other of refusing to negotiate over reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the key sticking point in the standoff.”You can cry about it. You can whine about it. You lost an election over it,” Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., said. “The White House has dealt with you in good faith. You want to prolong this until you get another incident, while your activists are on the street confronting ICE agents in sanctuary jurisdictions, hoping they get some viral moment.”So far, Senate Republicans have delegated final say over any agreement to the White House, though the back and forth between both sides has slowed to a grinding halt.KATIE BRITT BLASTS DEMOCRATS FOR PLAYING ‘POLITICAL GAMES’ WITH SHUTDOWN AMID AIRPORT CHAOS Republicans want DHS reopened in the short term, while negotiations over reforms to ICE continue. Democrats, meanwhile, have offered a funding proposal that would carve out immigration enforcement…

A former Air Force engineer who was charged with making false statements and obstructing justice during a criminal investigation into a 2017 military plane crash in Mississippi that killed 16 service members was acquitted Thursday.James Michael Fisher, a former Robins Air Force base employee, was found not guilty on all charges at trial last week, according to court records. The 2017 Marine Corps Reserve plane crash killed 15 Marines and one Navy corpsman.Fisher, a C-130 propulsion engineer at the Georgia base’s Warner Robins Logistic Center at the time of the crash, was arrested in July 2024 for allegedly knowingly concealing documents from criminal investigators and making false statements about his past engineering decisions, according to a 2024 Department of Justice statement. Fisher was charged with two false statements and two obstruction of justice charges, and if convicted, he would have faced up to 20 years in prison, according to the department’s release.On July 10, 2017, the KC-130 transport plane with the call sign “Yanky 72” crashed near Itta Bena, Mississippi. The investigation into the crash revealed that it was caused by a deteriorating propeller blade that was corroded when it went to an Air Force maintenance depot in 2011, but…

Artificial intelligence may be able to cure diseases once thought to be incurable. AI is said to be unlocking new treatments and inventing new drugs against Parkinson’s disease, antibiotic-resistant superbugs, and many other rare diseases. The Real Threat Is Artificial Credit, Not Artificial Intelligence This is technological progress that many scientists never thought possible. “We can – in a matter of days or hours – look at massive libraries” of chemical compounds to identify those that display antibacterial activity, says James Collins, professor of medical engineering and science, at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, US. With the help of AI, Collins and his team have already discovered two new compounds that could prove to be vital weapons against highly drug-resistant infections such as gonorrhoea and MRSA, accoridng to a report by BBC. Antibiotic resistance has been rising in recent years, as diseases that were once easy to treat are becoming increasingly difficult to treat. For around half a century, humanity has been slowly losing its battle against bacteria. The most powerful weapons we have in this fight, antibiotics, are increasingly ineffective as drug resistance spreads. Around 1.1 million people now die every year from infections that were, until recently, easily treated.…

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! A Florida mother was arrested after allegedly leaving her 12-year-old daughter alone at a bar in Universal CityWalk while she went drinking elsewhere, officials said.Amanda Thorpe, 33, of Lake Mary, was charged with child neglect after allegedly leaving her daughter behind to go drinking at another bar, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.Deputies responded to the CW Shoreline Bar around 10:30 p.m. Saturday after receiving a report of a missing 12-year-old girl who had been left behind, authorities said.According to the arrest affidavit, deputies found Thorpe’s daughter “visibly upset, crying, and sitting alone on a bar stool by the bar.”DEM OFFICIAL PLEADS GUILTY TO CHILD ABUSE FOR DRIVING DRUNK AT TRIPLE LEGAL LIMIT, ENTERS DIVERSION PROGRAM Officials said someone at the bar made a comment that upset Thorpe, prompting her to leave and go to another bar along CityWalk.The affidavit states that when Thorpe’s daughter said she wanted to return to the hotel because she was tired, Thorpe became “livid,” “displayed the middle finger, said, ‘F— you,’” and left the bar without her daughter.Deputies later found Thorpe alone on the dance floor at the Red Coconut Club with an alcoholic beverage,…

Former Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough has been named CEO of Feeding America, a non-profit network of more than 250 food banks, regional cooperatives, agencies and food bank associations. McDonough will take the helm of the organization April 14, according to a Feb. 25 announcement by its board of directors. Since leaving the VA in January 2025, McDonough has maintained a low profile, declining media interview requests and serving as a scholar-in-residence at his alma mater, Saint John’s University, in Collegeville, Minnesota. He is currently teaching a course on health care finance and policy at the school. Last year, Feeding America served 48 million people — providing 6 billion meals through its food banks and community partners. In a statement, McDonough called the organization an “extraordinary network” and said he looks forward to continuing to serve the American public. “Throughout my career, I’ve seen what’s possible when people come together with purpose and compassion, and when organizations combine those values with clear goals, hard work and unwavering accountability to the communities they serve,” McDonough said. McDonough’s appointment will follow the retirement of Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, who has served as the CEO to Feeding America since 2018. Shawn O’Grady, the organization’s chairman…

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Spain permanently pulled its ambassador to Israel on Tuesday over its opposition to the U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran, ratcheting up an already tense diplomatic rift between the two countries.The Spanish government formally terminated the ambassador’s post in its official gazette and said its embassy in Tel Aviv will now be led by a chargé d’affaires indefinitely.Madrid had recalled its ambassador last September after Israel condemned Spain’s decision to block aircraft and ships carrying weapons to Israel from using Spanish ports or airspace. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar called the move antisemitic at the time.When a reporter on Wednesday asked whether Spain, in general, was cooperating with the U.S., President Donald Trump replied, “No, they’re not. I think they’re not cooperating at all.”WORLD LEADERS SPLIT OVER MILITARY ACTION AS US-ISRAEL STRIKE IRAN IN COORDINATED OPERATION “Spain, I think they’ve been very bad,” the president said. “Very bad. Not good at all. We may cut off trade with Spain.””I don’t know what Spain is doing,” Trump continued. “They’ve been very bad to NATO. They get protected, they don’t want to pay their fair share. And they’ve been that way for many years.”Trump added that…

The Pentagon confirmed Wednesday the identity of the sixth soldier killed by Iran in a March 1 drone strike that hit Port Shuaiba, Kuwait.The soldier was officially identified as Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan, 54, of Spotsylvania, Virginia. The Pentagon announced March 4 that Marzan was “believed to be” the sixth casualty, but a medical examiner had to confirm his identity.Marzan’s remains, as well as those of the five other service members killed in the same attack, were returned to the U.S. on March 7. The other service members killed were Capt. Cody Khork, 35, Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens, 42, Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, 39, Sgt. Declan Coady, 20, and Maj. Jeffrey O’Brien, 45.All of the soldiers were assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command out of Des Moines, Iowa.The six soldiers were the first American casualties of Operation Epic Fury, the ongoing U.S. and Israeli military campaign against Iran.A seventh U.S. soldier was killed in action during the conflict after succumbing to his wounds March 8. Sgt. Benjamin Pennington, 26, of Glendale, Kentucky, was injured during a March 1 enemy attack at Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia. Pennington was assigned to 1st Space Battalion, 1st Space…

The United States embassy in Nigeria has warned that American facilities and U.S.-affiliated schools in the country could be targets of a potential terrorist attack, the mission reported on Monday.  The warning allegedly covers the consulate, the embassy, and all affected schools in the country. The notice called on American citizens to stay alert and follow safety guidance while in Nigeria. “The US Embassy in Abuja informs US citizens of a possible terrorist threat against US facilities and US-affiliated schools in Nigeria,” the advisory states. US Launches Strikes Against “Terrorist Scum” In Nigeria Rulers in the U.S. have released a series of steps Americans in Nigeria could take to help them stay safe.  The guidance includes keeping mobile phones charged, staying alert in public places, avoiding crowds and demonstrations, changing regular routes, and identifying emergency exits in buildings. Simple Ways To Improve Your Situational Awareness Reuters reported that the U.S. did not provide any details on the potential terrorist attacks that may affect Americans in Nigeria. However, as the war in Iran unfolds, the U.S. is said to be on high threat alert of retaliatory actions in the African nation. The current conflict in the Middle East escalated on February 28th when…

Watch full video on YouTube