All-metal carry-ons give you the turn-left-on-a-plane look, but are they really worth the cost of a vacation?View the full article

FIRST AT FOX: Some 600 groups, including hard-line communists and groups affiliated with the Democratic Party, are mobilizing all over the country today to demonstrate for May Day, socialism's high holy day. A Fox News Digital investigation has identified a sprawling "red-blue" network with combined annual revenue of about $2 billion organizing some 3,000 protests and events and advancing what critics describe as an anti-American agenda. They have called for Americans to skip work, school and shopping. At the center of the May Day mobilization, which has expanded from earlier indications, is a network of communist, socialist, Marxist and other far-left organizations, led by chapters of the Democratic Socialists of America and a network of groups – including the People’s Forum, the Party for Socialism and Liberation, ANSWER Coalition and Code Pink – funded by an American-born tech tycoon, Neville Roy Singham, based in Shanghai, promoting the propaganda of the Chinese Communist Party. The Communist Party of the USA has rallied workers to "rise against MAGA on May Day," promoting leaflets by the "People’s World," its Marxist-Leninist publication. The Revolutionary Communist Party has put out a call to dismantle the "capitalist-imperialist system." The Maoist Communist Union has summoned members to join the "Anti-Imperialist Contingent" at the New York City protests. The deeper concern, critics say, is that the pro-communist and pro-socialist network, symbolized by the color of red, is promoting May Day events with traditionally blue organizations that make up the Democratic Party network, including nonprofits Indivisible, MoveOn.org and the American Federation of Teachers, as well as at least 13 state and local chapters of the Democratic National Committee, including the California Democratic Party. MAY DAY PROTESTS TO TAKE PLACE FRIDAY AS AGITATORS ACROSS THE US PUSH "WORKERS OVER BILLIONAIRES" MOTTO The California Democratic Party is using the pro-Democratic tech platform, Mobilize.us, to promote "Workers over Billionaires May Day rally" protests, like at the corner of Monroe Street and Highway 11 in Indio, Calif. In its publicity material, the California Democratic Party notes it's "the largest state party in the nation with more than 10 million members." The Ohio Democratic Party Progressive Caucus, North Carolina’s Young Democrats of Moore County, Young Democrats of Wisconsin and the Yuba County Democratic Central Committee are on the official list of organizers for a coalition, "May Day Strong," promoted online. In Ohio, the Licking County Democrats organization is hosting a "May Day Strong" protest at the courthouse in Newark, promoting the national event’s official mantra: "No Work No School No Shopping." The groups didn’t respond to requests for comment. Meanwhile, local chapters of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, an openly communist group in the Singham network, organized "Art Build" projects across the country, including in Washington, D.C., and Chicago, to build May Day signs at its "Liberation Centers," located in about 25 metropolitan U.S. cities. Members shuttled inside, painting banners and readying their protest gear. "The increasing willingness of mainstream Democrats to align with extremist socialist groups is a major factor in why the Democratic Party is losing the center more and more, and why so many lifelong Democrats find themselves feeling politically homeless," Democratic strategist Melissa DeRosa told Fox News Digital. "May Day has a proud history of honoring workers," she said, "but too many Democratic organizations have allowed that tradition to be hijacked by the activist fringe — including groups aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America, pushing a fantasy agenda that has failed everywhere it has been tried." Together, political analysts say the new May Day network shows how a once-fringe ideological coalition has moved into the bloodstream of Democratic-aligned organizing — linking communist groups, socialist chapters, anti-Israel activists, labor unions, immigration groups, climate organizations and Democratic Party affiliates in a national protest campaign critics say is less about worker solidarity than about advancing a radical political agenda. AFTER 30 YEARS, 5 THINGS I LEARNED FROM MY STUDENTS WHY THEY LIKE SOCIALISM In a reflection of the coordination of the red-blue alliance, the "May Day Strong" coalition issued a press release at 4:39 p.m. on Thursday with the email's metadata identifying the sender as Adolfo Flores, a public relations expert at On Point, a media relations firm that has done public relations for the Illinois Federation of Teachers, which works closely with the Democratic Party. Flores didn’t return a request for comment. In his press release, Flores wrote, organizers say more than "3,000 May Day events" nationwide will mobilize workers and students under the banner "Workers Over Billionaires," framing the protests as a response to what they call an "authoritarian billionaire takeover of government." The advisory highlights large-scale actions, including "more than 100,000 students expected to walk out" and coordinated efforts in multiple cities urging "No Work, No School, No Shopping," with some leaders stating "we can and will shut it down to secure prosperity for all working people." The coalition’s core demands – "Tax the rich," "No ICE. No War," and "Expand Democracy, not corporate power" – are paired with broader claims that the system is "rigged" by elites, that policies are "attacking our neighbors" and "turning ICE loose on our neighborhoods" and that current leadership is "seeking to end democracy as we know it," according to the press release. Across statements, participants, including traditionally Democratic-aligned leaders from the Illinois Federation of Teachers and Chicago Teachers Union, the National Education Association, the AFL-CIO, the American Federation of Teachers, 50501 and the United Auto Workers, among others, emphasize mass mobilization and collective action, arguing "we are organizing… to demand change" and that "real change happens when working people act together." COMMUNISTS, DEMOCRATS USE #NOKINGS RALLY TO CALL FOR MAY DAY STRIKE: "SHUT IT DOWN" The so-called "red-blue" alliance exposes a growing challenge inside Democratic politics, political experts say, as the Democratic Party’s activist infrastructure increasingly overlaps with groups and influencers, like controversial Democratic Socialists of America influencer Hasan Piker, as they echo anti-American rhetoric and propaganda narratives promoted by U.S. adversaries, including China. In the 600 estimated total, Indivisible, one of the largest Democratic Party-aligned grassroots networks in the country, has at least 200 chapters nationwide supporting May Day events, from Yorktown, N.Y., to Tempe, Ariz., appearing alongside about 80 chapters of the Democratic Socialists of America. Indivisible has received millions of dollars in funding over the years from billionaire George Soros’ philanthropy network, and it has led the organizing for three "No Kings" protests produced after Trump’s inauguration to protest his administration. Many of the groups involved in "No Kings" protests are organizing the May Day events, reflecting the shared ecosystem of anti-Trump rhetoric built around this professional protest infrastructure. Law enforcement officials said alleged would-be assassin Cole Allen attended a "No Kings" protest in Los Angeles, according to his family, before attempting to kill Trump the night of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner this past weekend. His manifesto parroted the precise language that the groups rallying for May Day have alleged against Trump, calling him a "pedophile," "traitor" and "rapist," among other unsubstantiated aspersions. Allen's hometown of Torrance, Calif., where he lived with his parents before boarding an Amtrak to allegedly kill Trump and cabinet members, is hosting a May Day protest Friday evening at the corner of Hawthorne Boulevard and Sepulveda Boulevard, where local activists have regularly held "No Kings" protests. In its promo, the Torrance protest organizers noted: "A core principle behind all our events is a commitment to nonviolent action." However, they wrote more prominently: "Because when the billionaires break every rule, it’s going to take more than a rally to stop them." Among the strongest forces behind the protest ecosystem, fusing increasingly with Democratic groups, is the network tied to Singham, the American-born tech tycoon living in Shanghai. A Fox News Digital investigation found that Singham pumped an estimated $278 million into the constellation of groups driving divisive street mobilizations in the U.S., like the May Day protests. BreakThrough News, a media outlet in the Singham-funded network, regularly parrots language the tycoon delivered at a conference in Shanghai last fall, expressing support for the Marxist "new world order" of the Chinese Communist Party and decrying the "fascism" of the U.S. POWER COUPLE OF CHAOS: HOW A TYCOON AND ACTIVIST BUILT A 'REVOLUTIONARY BASE' AT THE HOUSE OF SINGHAM For some political analysts in the Democratic center, the alliance with socialists represents an ill-fated quest to win over working people. "The Democratic Party used to speak the language of work, wages, dignity, family, safety and upward mobility," said Derosa, the Democratic strategist. "Now it's morphing into a pamphlet for the Democratic Socialists of America: slogans instead of policy, disruption instead of leadership and the demonization of free enterprise instead of a serious plan to help working families get ahead." "That is not how you build a majority. That is how you turn a governing party into a protest movement — and a losing one," she said. Undeterred, late Thursday afternoon, the Party for Socialism and Liberation’s chapter in North Carolina reminded members to meet at "the Quad" on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for the May Day protests, pressing the narrative, "We are many. They are few." Fox News Digital's Kyle Schmidbauer contributed to this report. View the full article

FIRST AT FOX: Some 600 groups, including hard-line communists and groups affiliated with the Democratic Party, are mobilizing all over the country today to demonstrate for May Day, socialism's high holy day. A Fox News Digital investigation has identified a sprawling "red-blue" network with combined annual revenue of about $2 billion organizing some 3,000 protests and events and advancing what critics describe as an anti-American agenda. They have called for Americans to skip work, school and shopping. At the center of the May Day mobilization, which has expanded from earlier indications, is a network of communist, socialist, Marxist and other far-left organizations, led by chapters of the Democratic Socialists of America and a network of groups – including the People’s Forum, the Party for Socialism and Liberation, ANSWER Coalition and Code Pink – funded by an American-born tech tycoon, Neville Roy Singham, based in Shanghai, promoting the propaganda of the Chinese Communist Party. The Communist Party of the USA has rallied workers to "rise against MAGA on May Day," promoting leaflets by the "People’s World," its Marxist-Leninist publication. The Revolutionary Communist Party has put out a call to dismantle the "capitalist-imperialist system." The Maoist Communist Union has summoned members to join the "Anti-Imperialist Contingent" at the New York City protests. The deeper concern, critics say, is that the pro-communist and pro-socialist network, symbolized by the color of red, is promoting May Day events with traditionally blue organizations that make up the Democratic Party network, including nonprofits Indivisible, MoveOn.org and the American Federation of Teachers, as well as at least 13 state and local chapters of the Democratic National Committee, including the California Democratic Party. MAY DAY PROTESTS TO TAKE PLACE FRIDAY AS AGITATORS ACROSS THE US PUSH "WORKERS OVER BILLIONAIRES" MOTTO The California Democratic Party is using the pro-Democratic tech platform, Mobilize.us, to promote "Workers over Billionaires May Day rally" protests, like at the corner of Monroe Street and Highway 11 in Indio, Calif. In its publicity material, the California Democratic Party notes it's "the largest state party in the nation with more than 10 million members." The Ohio Democratic Party Progressive Caucus, North Carolina’s Young Democrats of Moore County, Young Democrats of Wisconsin and the Yuba County Democratic Central Committee are on the official list of organizers for a coalition, "May Day Strong," promoted online. In Ohio, the Licking County Democrats organization is hosting a "May Day Strong" protest at the courthouse in Newark, promoting the national event’s official mantra: "No Work No School No Shopping." The groups didn’t respond to requests for comment. Meanwhile, local chapters of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, an openly communist group in the Singham network, organized "Art Build" projects across the country, including in Washington, D.C., and Chicago, to build May Day signs at its "Liberation Centers," located in about 25 metropolitan U.S. cities. Members shuttled inside, painting banners and readying their protest gear. "The increasing willingness of mainstream Democrats to align with extremist socialist groups is a major factor in why the Democratic Party is losing the center more and more, and why so many lifelong Democrats find themselves feeling politically homeless," Democratic strategist Melissa DeRosa told Fox News Digital. "May Day has a proud history of honoring workers," she said, "but too many Democratic organizations have allowed that tradition to be hijacked by the activist fringe — including groups aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America, pushing a fantasy agenda that has failed everywhere it has been tried." Together, political analysts say the new May Day network shows how a once-fringe ideological coalition has moved into the bloodstream of Democratic-aligned organizing — linking communist groups, socialist chapters, anti-Israel activists, labor unions, immigration groups, climate organizations and Democratic Party affiliates in a national protest campaign critics say is less about worker solidarity than about advancing a radical political agenda. AFTER 30 YEARS, 5 THINGS I LEARNED FROM MY STUDENTS WHY THEY LIKE SOCIALISM In a reflection of the coordination of the red-blue alliance, the "May Day Strong" coalition issued a press release at 4:39 p.m. on Thursday with the email's metadata identifying the sender as Adolfo Flores, a public relations expert at On Point, a media relations firm that has done public relations for the Illinois Federation of Teachers, which works closely with the Democratic Party. Flores didn’t return a request for comment. In his press release, Flores wrote, organizers say more than "3,000 May Day events" nationwide will mobilize workers and students under the banner "Workers Over Billionaires," framing the protests as a response to what they call an "authoritarian billionaire takeover of government." The advisory highlights large-scale actions, including "more than 100,000 students expected to walk out" and coordinated efforts in multiple cities urging "No Work, No School, No Shopping," with some leaders stating "we can and will shut it down to secure prosperity for all working people." The coalition’s core demands – "Tax the rich," "No ICE. No War," and "Expand Democracy, not corporate power" – are paired with broader claims that the system is "rigged" by elites, that policies are "attacking our neighbors" and "turning ICE loose on our neighborhoods" and that current leadership is "seeking to end democracy as we know it," according to the press release. Across statements, participants, including traditionally Democratic-aligned leaders from the Illinois Federation of Teachers and Chicago Teachers Union, the National Education Association, the AFL-CIO, the American Federation of Teachers, 50501 and the United Auto Workers, among others, emphasize mass mobilization and collective action, arguing "we are organizing… to demand change" and that "real change happens when working people act together." COMMUNISTS, DEMOCRATS USE #NOKINGS RALLY TO CALL FOR MAY DAY STRIKE: "SHUT IT DOWN" The so-called "red-blue" alliance exposes a growing challenge inside Democratic politics, political experts say, as the Democratic Party’s activist infrastructure increasingly overlaps with groups and influencers, like controversial Democratic Socialists of America influencer Hasan Piker, as they echo anti-American rhetoric and propaganda narratives promoted by U.S. adversaries, including China. In the 600 estimated total, Indivisible, one of the largest Democratic Party-aligned grassroots networks in the country, has at least 200 chapters nationwide supporting May Day events, from Yorktown, N.Y., to Tempe, Ariz., appearing alongside about 80 chapters of the Democratic Socialists of America. Indivisible has received millions of dollars in funding over the years from billionaire George Soros’ philanthropy network, and it has led the organizing for three "No Kings" protests produced after Trump’s inauguration to protest his administration. Many of the groups involved in "No Kings" protests are organizing the May Day events, reflecting the shared ecosystem of anti-Trump rhetoric built around this professional protest infrastructure. Law enforcement officials said alleged would-be assassin Cole Allen attended a "No Kings" protest in Los Angeles, according to his family, before attempting to kill Trump the night of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner this past weekend. His manifesto parroted the precise language that the groups rallying for May Day have alleged against Trump, calling him a "pedophile," "traitor" and "rapist," among other unsubstantiated aspersions. Allen's hometown of Torrance, Calif., where he lived with his parents before boarding an Amtrak to allegedly kill Trump and cabinet members, is hosting a May Day protest Friday evening at the corner of Hawthorne Boulevard and Sepulveda Boulevard, where local activists have regularly held "No Kings" protests. In its promo, the Torrance protest organizers noted: "A core principle behind all our events is a commitment to nonviolent action." However, they wrote more prominently: "Because when the billionaires break every rule, it’s going to take more than a rally to stop them." Among the strongest forces behind the protest ecosystem, fusing increasingly with Democratic groups, is the network tied to Singham, the American-born tech tycoon living in Shanghai. A Fox News Digital investigation found that Singham pumped an estimated $278 million into the constellation of groups driving divisive street mobilizations in the U.S., like the May Day protests. BreakThrough News, a media outlet in the Singham-funded network, regularly parrots language the tycoon delivered at a conference in Shanghai last fall, expressing support for the Marxist "new world order" of the Chinese Communist Party and decrying the "fascism" of the U.S. POWER COUPLE OF CHAOS: HOW A TYCOON AND ACTIVIST BUILT A 'REVOLUTIONARY BASE' AT THE HOUSE OF SINGHAM For some political analysts in the Democratic center, the alliance with socialists represents an ill-fated quest to win over working people. "The Democratic Party used to speak the language of work, wages, dignity, family, safety and upward mobility," said Derosa, the Democratic strategist. "Now it's morphing into a pamphlet for the Democratic Socialists of America: slogans instead of policy, disruption instead of leadership and the demonization of free enterprise instead of a serious plan to help working families get ahead." "That is not how you build a majority. That is how you turn a governing party into a protest movement — and a losing one," she said. Undeterred, late Thursday afternoon, the Party for Socialism and Liberation’s chapter in North Carolina reminded members to meet at "the Quad" on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for the May Day protests, pressing the narrative, "We are many. They are few." Fox News Digital's Kyle Schmidbauer contributed to this report. View the full article

Simone Biles is learning the hard way that going glam for a red carpet comes at a price. A very high price. In a TikTok video posted this week, the Olympic gold medalist broke down the cost of her most recent red carpet appearance. And let’s just say, she’s not thrilled about it. "We need to have a discussion… I just need to know if this is normal," Biles said at the start of the video. "I know going outside is expensive as f--k these days, but like is it this expensive, ok?" CLICK HERE FOR MORE OUTKICK SPORTS COVERAGE She explained that she had just attended a red carpet event and added up all the costs afterward. After factoring in her stylist, hair and makeup team, Biles revealed the total. And it clearly caught her off guard. "Yeah, $22,000," she said. "Actually $23,000." From there, she doubled down on the question that was clearly eating at her. "I just want to know, is that f---ing normal? I get inflation, I get prices these days have gone up," she said. "But if that’s the new norm, y’all can have it. Y’all will never see me at another event. I’m going to sit my ass right here where it’s free." She even admitted the whole thing has been bothering her more than expected. "I’ve been kind of spiraling since then," she said. "And there’s no way you guys are paying these prices each and every time … there’s just no way." Oof. This one should have stayed in the drafts. Now, on the surface, there’s nothing inherently wrong with any of this. It’s Simone’s money. She can spend it however she wants. But sharing that kind of sticker shock with an audience where plenty of people aren’t even spending $23,000 on their rent or mortgage for an entire year? That’s going to come across as at least a little tone deaf. And, judging by the comments, the internet thought so, too. "Damn. Talk about being out of touch." "The gas station near me went from $3.95 to $4.59 overnight so going outside definitely is expensive but not for the reasons she thinks." "I like her and wish her the best, but this is not it." To be fair to Biles, she did preface the video by specifically addressing fellow celebrities, athletes and influencers. But that group makes up a very, very small percentage of her 5.6 million followers. So maybe this could have been a group text? SIMONE BILES REVEALS SHE UNDERWENT 'THREE PLASTIC SURGERIES' What’s also interesting is that even people in that world seem to think $23K is steep. Based on responses, the typical range for a red carpet glam team sounds closer to the $5,000-$6,000 range. Still absurd to the average person, but a far cry from what Biles paid. And that’s kind of where this lands. Again, she can spend whatever she wants. But you could definitely do this cheaper. I say that as someone with exactly zero red carpet experience — so you know, grain of salt. But it feels similar to weddings. Some people drop $50,000 on one day. Others don’t. Both options exist. Same deal here. If anything, this feels like a missed opportunity. Biles is the most decorated gymnast of all time. She has a massive platform. There are probably thousands of small designers, independent stylists and up-and-coming hair and makeup artists who would jump at the chance to work with her — and likely for a lot less than $23K. Not for free, of course. But for exposure? Absolutely. Instead of questioning whether she got ripped off, she could flip this into supporting smaller businesses and helping launch someone’s career. As for the event itself, Biles didn’t specify which red carpet outing this was for. But her most recent appearance came at the Laureus World Sports Awards in Madrid. And she did look phenomenal. Twenty-three thousand well spent! View the full article

The Global Sumud Flotilla denounced the interception as "piracy", while Israel's foreign ministry called the flotilla a "PR stunt".View the full article