President Donald Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, revealed that he would "welcome" a discussion with Pope Leo XIV amid the administration’s ongoing spat with the Vatican over disagreements on immigration policy and the Iran conflict. Differing from Vice President JD Vance, who said that "in some cases it would be best for the Vatican to stick to matters of morality," Homan said he is "open to discussion with any of them." Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Homan, a "lifelong Catholic," said, "I wish they’d stay out of immigration, they don’t know what they’re talking about." However, Homan asserted that the pope’s opinion would change if he understood that "illegal immigration is not a victimless crime." POPE LEO CALLS OUT TRUMP’S IRAN RHETORIC BEFORE LAST-MINUTE CEASEFIRE EMERGES "If they wore my shoes for 40 years, and talked to a 9-year-old girl that got raped multiple times, or stood in the back of a tractor trailer with 19 dead aliens at my feet, including a 5-year-old boy that baked to death, if they understood the atrocities that happened on the open border, I think their opinion would change," he said. Trump’s border czar went on to say that despite intense criticism over the president’s immigration policy, "He's saving thousands of lives a year because he has a secure border." "Where President Trump had the most secure border in the lifetime of this nation, right now, lives are being saved," he emphasized. In light of this, Homan said, "I welcome discussion with any of them, because they don't understand illegal immigration is not a victimless crime." "Human traffickers are out of business, right? The cartels are going bankrupt because of that secure border. I wish they'd understand that," he lamented. "Because if they did, I think they'd have a different opinion." Fox News Digital reached out to the Holy See for comment. POPE LEO PICKS NEW VATICAN AMBASSADOR TO US AS TRUMP TENSIONS MOUNT OVER POLICIES Leo has said that "no one has said that the United States should have open borders" and stressed, "I think every country has a right to determine who and how and when people enter." However, he has also taken a critical tone of the administration’s interior immigration enforcement tactics. "When people are living good lives, and many of them for 10, 15, 20 years, to treat them in a way that is extremely disrespectful, to say the least, and there’s been some violence, unfortunately, I think that the bishops have been very clear in what they said. I think that I would just invite all people in the United States to listen to them," the pope has said. Trump criticized the pope's positions on Sunday in a scathing rebuke on Truth Social. "Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy," Trump began in a lengthy post. "Leo should get his act together as Pope, use Common Sense, stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician. It’s hurting him very badly and, more importantly, it’s hurting the Catholic Church," he concluded. Regarding the Iran conflict, Trump told reporters, "We don't like a pope that's going to say that it's okay to have a nuclear weapon." "We don't want a pope that says crime is okay in our cities. I don't like it," Trump added. "I'm not a big fan of Pope Leo. He's a very liberal person, and he's a man that doesn't believe in stopping crime." BISHOP BARRON SAYS TRUMP ‘OWES THE POPE AN APOLOGY’ In response, Leo told reporters on Monday, "I have no fear of the Trump administration." "The things that I say are certainly not meant as attacks on anyone," he also said, adding, "I don't think that the message of the Gospel is meant to be abused in the way that some people are doing. I will continue to speak out loudly against war, looking to promote peace, promoting dialogue and multilateral relationships among the states to look for just solutions to problems." "Too many people are suffering in the world today," Leo added. "Too many innocent people are being killed. And I think someone has to stand up and say there's a better way." For his part, Vance, who has been very vocal about his conversion to Catholicism, told Fox News’s Bret Baier Monday, "I certainly think that in some cases, it would be best for the Vatican to stick to matters of morality … and let the President of the United States stick to dictating American public policy." Vance, who has visited the Vatican twice as vice president, dismissed the feud, saying, "We certainly have a good relationship with the Vatican, but we're also [going to] disagree on substantive questions from time to time. I think that's a totally reasonable thing." View the full article

Cavemen hunted turtles — but not for food, new research suggests. Scientists say that shells of reptiles caught by children may have been used as ladles or digging devices by early humans over 100,000 years ago. Careful cleaning of fragments found at the Neumark-Nord archaeological site in Germany indicates that pond turtle shells were used as small containers or scoop-like implements, news agency SWNS reported. SCIENTISTS SHATTER TIMELINE OF HUMAN FIRE-MAKING WITH 400,000-YEAR-OLD DISCOVERY IN ENGLAND An international research team examined pieces of turtle shell — dating back some 125,000 years — discovered at the dig in what is now the Saxony-Anhalt region of Germany. Using methods including high-resolution 3D scanning, researchers found that many of the 92 fragments bear cut marks on their inner surfaces, indicating that the turtles were carefully butchered by Neanderthals — with limbs detached, internal organs removed and shells thoroughly cleaned. Study leader Professor Sabine Gaudzinski-Windheuser said, "Our data provide the first evidence that Neanderthals hunted and processed turtles north of the Alps, beyond the Mediterranean region." However, the team believe the turtles were not used as a food source. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER Prof Gaudzinski-Windheuser of the Institute for Ancient Studies at Johannes Gutenberg University (JGU) in Mainz said, "We can virtually rule this out, given the abundance of remains [of] large, high-yield prey animals at this site. There was in all likelihood a complete caloric surplus," as SWNS noted. A total of more than 100,000 animal bones or bone fragments have already been recovered at Neumark-Nord, including numerous bones from deer, cattle and horses, as well as from the largest land mammals of the time — the European straight-tusked elephant, which could weigh more than 10 tons. CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE STORIES The research team reported last year that Neanderthals operated a kind of "factory" at the site, systematically extracting fat from the bones of large mammals. Gaudzinski-Windheuser said that "pond turtles have a comparatively low nutritional value," weighing roughly 2.2 pounds. "However, they are relatively easy to catch and may therefore have been hunted by children. Their shells may then have been processed into tools." TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ She said it was also possible they were hunted for their taste or for an assumed medicinal value — a suggestion supported by findings from studies of later Indigenous peoples. Prof Gaudzinski-Windheuser added, "Our current results shed new light on the ecological flexibility and complex survival strategies of Neanderthals, which went far beyond simple caloric maximization." The new study was published in the journal Scientific Reports. It's the latest in a series of ongoing scientific analyses of material from the former open-cast lignite mine at Neumark-Nord. View the full article

The Onn 4K Pro’s remote looks identical to its predecessor but can now be located using your voice. | Image: Walmart It hasn't been officially announced, but Walmart's website now has a listing (you may need to set your location to Ventura, California) for an updated version of its budget-friendly Onn 4K Pro streaming box that originally debuted in May 2024. Following technical illustrations that leaked less than a month ago, the listing was discovered after a Reddit user shared images of the 2026 version of the Onn 4K Pro they purchased at a Walmart in California yesterday, as spotted by Android Authority. At $59.88, the new Onn 4K Pro is $10 more expensive than the previous version and now features a larger design that looks similar to the $99.99 Googl … Read the full story at The Verge. View the full article

A pro-life activist whose 2022 arrest by the FBI under the Biden administration drew national headlines has reached a seven-figure settlement after suing the Justice Department over his arrest and prosecution. Mark Houck filed a lawsuit against the department in 2023 seeking restitution for what he called "a faulty investigation" and "excessive force" after a SWAT team of around 25 people arrested him in front of his children at his home on September 23, 2022, allegedly with guns drawn. The shocking details of his arrest spurred criticism from conservatives that the Justice Department under then-President Joe Biden was targeting pro-life activists. After a three-year legal battle, 40 Days for Life President Shawn Carney announced April 9 that Houck had reached a settlement with the Department of Justice under President Donald Trump and had been awarded more than $1 million. TRUMP DOJ FIRES PROSECUTORS TIED TO FACE ACT CASES AFTER REPORT ALLEGES BIAS AND MISCONDUCT Steve Crampton, one of Houck's attorneys at the Thomas More Society, told Fox News Digital that the outcome was long overdue and that they were pleased with the Trump administration's efforts to bring forth justice in the case. "We are very pleased with a Department of Justice that seems to be genuinely interested in doing justice," Crampton said. "That's rare enough these days, and we look forward to Mark not being the only wrongfully accused defendant to receive some kind of remuneration and recognition for the wrongs that were done to him." Crampton said the Trump administration should be commended for "attempting to at least acknowledge, if not completely right, the wrongs that were done" to pro-life activists under the Biden administration. DOJ SETTLES WITH MICHAEL FLYNN OVER RUSSIA PROBE AFTER WRONGFUL PROSECUTION CLAIM: 'HISTORIC INJUSTICE' Houck had been praying outside a Philadelphia Planned Parenthood clinic in 2021 when a Planned Parenthood volunteer allegedly harassed his son. Houck was accused of pushing the volunteer during the encounter, and federal prosecutors charged him months later with allegedly violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, or FACE Act. The Act makes it a federal crime to "use or threat of force and physical obstruction that injures, intimidates, or interferes with a person seeking to obtain or provide reproductive health services." Houck was later acquitted by a Philadelphia jury, but could have faced up to 11 years in prison if convicted. FINAL CHARGE DROPPED IN YEARSLONG HARRIS-ERA CASE AGAINST PRO-LIFE ACTIVIST Houck later sued the Justice Department over the ordeal, accusing law enforcement personnel of conducting a "faulty investigation" against him, and accusing law enforcement of using "excessive force" in the FBI raid on his family home. Last year, Houck said told Fox News Digital that an "activist judge" had blocked negotiations between Houck and the Trump-led Justice Department. The legal settlement comes amid a report released Tuesday by the Justice Department, alleging the Biden administration selectively prosecuted pro-life activists under the FACE Act, following a review of more than 700,000 internal records. BIDEN PUSH TO REVIVE TED KENNEDY-ERA LAW NOW HAUNTS DEMOCRATS AS CHARGES LOOM IN MINNESOTA CHURCH RIOT DOJ officials said prosecutors coordinated with abortion-rights groups to track activists, sought harsher sentences for pro-life defendants and, in some cases, withheld evidence or tried to exclude jurors based on religion. The report found officials under the Biden administration worked closely with groups including Planned Parenthood, the National Abortion Federation and the Feminist Majority Foundation, which the department said helped compile information on pro-life activists used in investigations and prosecutions. CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE "The Biden DOJ prosecutors knowingly withheld evidence that defense counsel requested to prepare an affirmative defense," according to the report. Department of Justice Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche commented on the prosecutions and Houck case in a statement to Fox News Digital: "This Department will not tolerate a two-tiered system of justice. No Department should conduct selective prosecution based on beliefs. The weaponization that happened under the Biden Administration will not happen again, as we restore integrity to our prosecutorial system." Fox News Digital reached out to Biden's office for comment. Fox News' Peter Pinedo and Michael Dorgan contributed to this report. View the full article

FIRST ON FOX: Democratic Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed was caught on a livestream asking a top campaign aide to separate conservative reporters — whom he referred to as "bogeys" — from the rest of the press after a campaign event with Hasan Piker last week. The hot-mic moment came as Piker’s crew was live-streaming backstage ahead of the event, when El-Sayed's communications director Roxie Richner told him and Piker, "We’re going to do the quick scrum with Fox, the Free Beacon and those folks," prompting El-Sayed to ask, "Could you separate, like, the bogeys, from everyone else?" After Richner responded in the affirmative, El-Sayed fist bumped her before Piker swooped in to let the pair know they were being filmed. The candid moment followed days of blow back El-Sayed faced for holding an event with Piker, the controversial podcaster who had to walk back comments saying Americans deserved 9/11, justified Hamas' attacks and slaughter, including rapes, on innocent Israelis, and recently told his followers that "you really don't need suicide bombing anymore," because cheap Chinese-made drones can be bought online for anyone who is interested in performing a terror strike. POPULAR FAR-LEFT STREAMER UNLEASHES PROFANE TIRADE AGAINST VIETNAMESE COMMUNIST REFUGEE IN RESURFACED VID El-Sayed responded to those concerns by insisting his goal was to ensure his message speaks to a "broader audience" that has felt left out of contemporary politics, during an interview just days before the event with Fox News' Bill Hemmer. He told Hemmer that he was talking to him, despite the fact that they frequently disagreed, for precisely that reason of trying to engage with broader audiences. "When I said I’ll talk to anyone, I meant it. I’ll be on Fox News at 9:15am with Bill Hemmer," El-Sayed tweeted ahead of his talk with Hemmer earlier this month. Piker quickly swooped in after the fist-bump was caught on camera to tell Richner and El-Sayed that he was filming. The trio quickly separated, but the camera kept rolling as it followed a visibly bothered Piker. "Probably some progress being made," Piker's camera operator said after the trio had separated, and the live stream settled back on Piker, who had walked away and began guzzling a bottle of water. "I don't think so," Piker responded as he continued guzzling the water bottle. Richner, El-Sayed's staffer seen fist-bumping him, told Fox News Digital that the campaign took questions from a "broad scrum" after the event that day, as well as after a second event held later the same day at Michigan State University. Richner also reiterated El-Sayed's claims that he welcomes conversations with people of all political stripes. "Following both rallies, our campaign took questions in a broad scrum that included all press who attended: local news outlets, student reporters, and national outlets that spanned ideologies," Richner said. "We go everywhere and talk to everyone." DEM SENATE CANDIDATE TAKES SWIPE AT JOE ROGAN AFTER REFUSING TO DISAVOW HASAN PIKER'S PAST COMMENTS Since entering the race for Michigan's open U.S. Senate seat, El-Sayed has faced blow back for staking out fringe anti-Israel and anti-law enforcement positions, like abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and blaming Israel for committing "genocide." Fox News Digital previously reported how El-Sayed quietly deleted old social media posts he made online espousing support for the "defund the police" movement between 2020 and 2021, including calling the police "standing armies we deploy against our own people." Meanwhile, recently uncovered audio showed El-Sayed didn't want to publicly say anything about the death of Iran's Ayatollah Khamanei because he was worried some Michiganders might be "sad" following the terror regime leader's death. El-Sayed recently faced criticism for campaigning with Piker, who has been slammed for justifying Hamas' attacks and slaughter, including rapes, on innocent Israelis, was forced to walk back comments about how Americans deserved 9/11, and told his followers that "you really don't need suicide bombing anymore," because cheap Chinese-made drones can be bought online for anyone who is interested in performing a terror strike. Piker sympathizes with communist ideals, but has labeled himself a socialist and Marxist while rejecting communist labels. At the same time, Piker has also described communism as the "honorable end goal" of socialism. When asked at his event with Piker whether he would disavow any of the controversial podcaster's comments, El-Sayed would not, and defended the far-left podcast and internet personality's emerging position in the Democratic Party. "It's an active decision to reach out to people who feel locked out of their politics to have a conversation, just like I'm making an active decision as somebody who is running in the Democratic primary to have a conversation on Fox News," El-Sayed said to Hemmer about his decision to campaign with Piker. "Just because you invite somebody to campaign with you, or you’re engaging with them, does not mean that you agree with them." El-Sayed's Democratic Party primary election, against a slew of other formidable candidates, will take place in August, followed by the general election in November. View the full article