Gov. JB Pritzker, D-Ill., emerged as a decisive kingmaker in Illinois’ primary elections Tuesday, but his efforts to boost his deputy, Lt. Gov. Julianna Stratton, D-Ill., could create headaches for a future presidential run.

Members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) are sharply criticizing Pritzker for spending millions of his personal wealth to shore up support for Stratton in the state’s bruising Senate primary. 

Pritzker’s deputy beat out Rep. Robyn Kelly, D-Ill., the CBC’s preferred candidate, and a $30 million war chest from Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., to advance to the general election.

“We don’t need to reach out to the governor,” Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., said of Pritzker, according to a new Politico report. “Others are going to have to reach out to us,” he said in a reference to Pritzker. Meeks helms the CBC’s PAC, which backed Kelly’s failed Senate campaign.

Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton waves during a primary election night watch party after winning the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, March 17, 2026, in Chicago. (Erin Hooley/AP Photo)

AS 2028 BUZZ BUILDS, PRITZKER DRAWS REPUBLICAN CHALLENGER IN SHOWDOWN FOR ILLINOIS GOVERNOR

Stratton’s dominant win could have immediate ramifications for Pritzker, who is running for a third gubernatorial term and is rumored to be considering a 2028 presidential bid. The Black caucus remains an influential force in the Democratic Party after allying itself with former President Joe Biden in 2020 and former Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024.

For now, the group is holding Pritzker at arm’s length. 

“Keep in mind, the Democratic candidate for president that prevails has to go through [us],” Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, said referring to the Black caucus, according to the report. “The CBC is very strategic and so if there is an issue … we will lay out our framework for what it will take” to earn the group’s support, the Ohio Democrat added.

Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss, a longtime CBC member, did not hide his frustration with Pritzker, telling the outlet that the billionaire governor “has to justify what he did” by backing Stratton’s Senate campaign.

“As to whether or not it has merit or not, remains to be seen,” he added, according to the report.

Gov. JB Pritzker, D-Ill., is drawing criticism from some Black lawmakers over his kingmaker status following the state’s Democratic primary elections. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

ESTABLISHMENT DEMOCRATS FEND OFF FAR-LEFT INFLUENCER IN PRIMARY TO SUCCEED REP JAN SCHAKOWSKY

The billionaire governor contributed at least $5 million to a super PAC supporting Stratton’s candidacy. The donation helped Stratton overcome a torrent of attack ads from the cryptocurrency industry seeking to block her from the nomination.

Additional CBC members have also lambasted Pritzker’s influence over the Senate race, with some voicing concerns that Stratton and Kelly’s dueling campaigns split the Black vote.

“Governor Pritzker’s effort to tip the scales in Illinois’ U.S. Senate race is beyond frustrating for the Congressional Black Caucus,” Rep. Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y., chair of the CBC, told Punchbowl News earlier this month. “A sitting governor shouldn’t be heavy-handing the race. Quite frankly, his behavior in this race won’t soon be forgotten by any of us.”

Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Ill., who was endorsed by the Congressional Black Caucus, placed a distant third in Illinois’ Senate Democratic primary. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune via Getty Images)

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Stratton, who has served as lieutenant governor since 2019, branded herself as a staunch anti-Trump foe on the campaign trail. She sparked controversy when her campaign released an ad full of expletives directed toward Trump, which notably featured Pritzker.

Fox News Digitial reached out to Pritzker for comment.

The NHS “came close to collapse” during the pandemic, the chair of the UK COVID-19 Inquiry has said.

“We coped, but only just,” Baroness Heather Hallett concluded in the inquiry’s third report, released on Thursday.

She said UK healthcare systems “teetered on the brink of total collapse”.

Module 3, the third of the inquiry’s 10 investigations, has examined the impact of COVID on healthcare systems across the four nations.

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It investigated how governments and society responded to the pandemic, the capacity of healthcare systems to adapt and the impact on patients, their loved ones and healthcare workers.

The report, based on the testimony of 97 witnesses, found the UK entered the pandemic “ill-prepared”, with this fragility leading to “profound consequences” once the crisis hit.

It says that, despite the best efforts of healthcare workers, many COVID patients did not receive the care they would otherwise receive, and non-COVID patients had their diagnoses and treatment delayed.

Baroness Hallett said healthcare workers “carried the burden of caring for the sick in unprecedented numbers” during the pandemic.

“It came at a huge cost to them, their families, their patients and the loved ones of patients,” she added.

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Healthcare workers ‘left traumatised’

The system’s collapse was only “narrowly avoided thanks to the extraordinary efforts” of healthcare workers, she said.

Baroness Hallett said: “The enormous strain placed upon the healthcare systems was unprecedented.

“Those working within it were obliged to work under intolerable pressure for months on end.”

The report makes 10 recommendations “to prevent healthcare systems being overwhelmed in the next pandemic”.

These include increasing capacity in urgent and emergency care and ensuring hospitals have “surge” capacity, strengthening the body responsible for infection prevention and control guidance, and better advance care planning.

Campaign group COVID-19 Bereaved Families For Justice labelled the report and its conclusions as “utterly damning”.

It said the “devastating” impact on UK healthcare systems during the pandemic could have been avoided.

“Years of austerity left the NHS dangerously exposed, without the staff, beds or resilience needed to withstand a major shock,” the group said.

“That was a political choice.

“And when the pandemic hit, those in power failed us again.

“They failed to act early enough, failed to follow the evidence, and failed to respond with the urgency the moment demanded.”

Looking ahead, the group says the UK’s health service is now in a worse position to cope with another pandemic than it was six years ago.

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It says the current meningitis outbreak in Kent “underlines why restoring resilience and capacity to our health system should be a matter of priority for those in power”.

“That’s why what happens now is so important. This report must not be left to gather dust and its recommendations should be the floor, not the ceiling, of the government’s ambitions.

“We urge the government to use this report as a catalyst for change. Failing to do so would be unforgivable.”

A government spokesperson said “it is committed to learning the lessons of the COVID Inquiry”.

They added: “We will consider Baroness Hallett’s findings and recommendations carefully and respond in full in due course.”

President Donald Trump made a quip about Pearl Harbor Thursday when asked if Japan and other American allies were given advance notice about attacking Iran, saying the U.S. “wanted surprise.” 

Trump made the comment while sitting across from Prime Minister of Japan Sanae Takaichi during a bilateral meeting at the White House. 

“Japan and the U.S. are very good friends, but one question, why didn’t you tell U.S. allies in Europe and Asia, like Japan, about the war before attacking Iran? So we are very confused about, we Japanese citizens,” a reporter asked Trump. 

“Well, one thing, you don’t want to signal too much,” the president responded. “You know, when we go in, we went in very hard, and we didn’t tell anybody about it because we wanted surprise. Who knows better about surprise than Japan? Okay? Why didn’t you tell me about Pearl Harbor? Okay? Right?” 

JACK KEANE CALLS OUT NATO’S WEAKNESS AS SHIPPING CRISIS GRIPS STRAIT OF HORMUZ

President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in the Oval Office of the White House, on Thursday, March 19, 2026, in Washington.  (Alex Brandon/AP)

“You know, he’s asking me, ‘Do you believe in surprise?’ I think much more so than us. And we had to surprise them. And we did,” Trump continued. “And because of that surprise, we knocked out the first two days, we probably knocked out 50% of what we — and much more than we anticipated doing. So, if I go and tell everybody about it, there’s no longer a surprise, right?” 

PENTAGON SEEKS AT LEAST $200 BILLION FROM CONGRESS FOR IRAN WAR

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, seated with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaks during a meeting with President Donald Trump and Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in the Oval Office of the White House, on Thursday, March 19, 2026, in Washington.  (Alex Brandon/AP)

Earlier in the meeting, Trump told reporters, “We’re doing this excursion. And when it’s completed, we’re going to have a much safer world. And the Prime Minister agrees with me on this.“

“Iran is a serious threat to the world, to the Middle East and to the world. And everybody agrees with me,” Trump said. “I think virtually every country agrees with me on that. So I wanted to put out that fire.” 

Two F/A-18 Super Hornets launch from the flight deck of the U.S. Navy Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in support of the Operation Epic Fury attack on Iran from an undisclosed location, on March 3, 2026.  (U.S. Navy/Handout via Reuters)

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Operation Epic Fury was launched by the U.S. on Feb. 28, and as of Thursday, is on day 20. 

The family of a 16-year-old who was killed after a car crashed into a river in Cambridgeshire has paid tribute, calling her the “kindest, most loving girl”.

Eden Bunn was among five people in a blue VW Polo, which veered off the road into the River Nene near Wisbech at about 8.20pm on Tuesday. Her body was recovered by divers on Wednesday.

Searches are continuing for 18-year-old Declan Berry, from Wisbech, who is believed to have been driving the car. His family and friends said they were “absolutely devastated beyond words”.

Police said three other people in the vehicle managed to get out and were taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn with non-life threatening injuries.

Among the three, a 16-year-old girl and a man aged 18 have since been discharged, while another 16-year-old girl remained in hospital on Thursday.

Ms Bunn, from Sutton Bridge, Lincolnshire, was believed to be a rear-seat passenger when the collision happened.

In a tribute, her parents, Lisa and Dean, her brother Jay, sister Shelby and nephew Axl said: “Eden was the kindest, most loving girl we could ever wish for.

“Her horses – Daisy and Dolly – were her world, and she was ours.

“Words cannot describe the tragedy that will stay with us until we are able to meet her again.”

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The vehicle was travelling south on North Brink in Wisbech St Mary’s when it left the road.

At least a dozen emergency services personnel and a white forensic tent could be seen on the riverbank on Wednesday.

Detective Inspector Craig Wheeler, from Cambridgeshire Police, said the search for Mr Berry “could be a timely process” due to the “challenging nature of the river”.

Mr Wheeler said: “This is a truly devastating collision, for all involved.

“My thoughts are with the friends and family of Eden and Declan during this truly horrific time.

“Our investigation is at an early stage but I would appeal to anyone who may have seen the collision or the blue VW Polo in the Wisbech area between 7pm and 8.20pm on Tuesday to contact police.”

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., remained silent earlier this week when asked how long Democrats intended to hold out on funding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) amid a recent string of suspected terror attacks.

Fox News Digital approached Schumer with a pair of questions in the basement of the Senate.

“Is it time to fund the DHS after four domestic suspected terror attacks have occurred?” a Fox News Digital reporter asked.

“If the Republicans don’t agree to the ICE reforms that you guys want, all of them, what’s the next step? How long are you willing to leave DHS unfunded?”

SCALISE ACCUSES DEMOCRATS OF REVIVING ‘DEFUND THE POLICE’ PUSH WITH DHS FUNDING GAMBIT

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. and Senate Democrats are trying to fund everything at DHS except for immigration operations.  ( Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Schumer deflected the questions.

“Ask the Republicans,” Schumer answered.

Funding for DHS originally lapsed on Feb. 14 when Democrats refused to advance spending legislation for DHS that didn’t also include a set of demands to reform ICE. Among other changes, Democrats have conditioned their support on a ban on masks for ICE agents, stiffer warrant requirement for apprehending suspects in public and a ban on roaming patrols.

Republicans have rebuffed the demands, arguing they would handcuff President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement goals.

Republicans need at least seven Democrats to reach the 60-vote threshold to break a filibuster in the Senate, where they hold just 53 seats.

DEM SENATORS IN THE HOT SEAT AS REPUBLICANS RIP THEIR DHS VOTE AMID TERROR THREATS: ‘UNDER ATTACK’

ICE agents pictured in Minnesota in 2025. (DHS photo by Tia Dufour)

The standoff has overlapped with a series of domestic attacks, raising alarm among Republicans that DHS’s closure may be reducing the country’s preparedness to counter similar threats.

A vehicle ramming at a synagogue in Michigan, a university shooting in Virginia, the detonations of explosives in New York and another shooting in Texas have left Republicans like Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., calling for Democrats to abandon their demands.

“Democrats have shut down the very department charged with defending our nation from terrorism while our nation is on high alert,” Barrasso said in a post to X.

In addition to ICE, DHS also manages the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Secret Service and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).

Barrasso, the Senate GOP Whip, was echoed by Rep. Andrew Garbarino, R-N.Y., the chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security.

DEM SENATORS CALL TO FUND DHS AFTER VOTING TO BLOCK IT 4 TIMES AMID SHUTDOWN FIGHT

Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., railed against Senate Democrats, and accused them of trying to rip apart DHS.  (Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)

He stressed the urgency to fund the department amid the U.S. conflict with Iran.

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“I urge my Democrat colleagues to make the right decision and stop playing dangerous games with DHS funding. As threats from Iran escalate, America must be fully prepared to respond and mitigate threats to the homeland,” Garbarino wrote.

The funding lapse hit the one-month mark on Saturday.

U.S. officials detected unidentified drones near a military installation in Washington, D.C., where top administration officials reportedly have been housed, as security concerns mount amid escalating tensions in the Middle East and with Iran. 

Multiple drones were spotted in recent days near Fort Lesley J. McNair, where Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth are living, The Washington Post reported, citing people briefed on the situation. The origin of the drones has not been determined.

The base, located in Southwest Washington, D.C., houses the National Defense University and senior military leadership. It also reportedly has been used to accommodate high-level administration officials amid elevated security concerns.

Officials with Joint Task Force–National Capital Region and the U.S. Army Military District of Washington said they are aware of the reported drone sightings. 

US DIPLOMATIC FACILITY IN IRAQ STRUCK BY DRONE

“We are aware of the reported drone sightings near Fort McNair and the surrounding areas,” Heather Chairez, media chief for Joint Task Force–National Capital Region and the U.S. Army Military District of Washington, told Fox News Digital Thursday. “We are working with our law enforcement and interagency partners to monitor and investigate the reported sightings.” 

“Our top priority is the safety of our service members and civilian personnel that work and live on the base,” she added. “Currently there is no credible threat to Fort McNair, but we will continue to monitor the situation and adjust force protection measures as needed.” 

A growing number of top officials, including Rubio and Hegseth, have moved into military housing in the Washington area, according to multiple reports, a shift that is unusual and has few modern precedents for civilian political appointees.

Fox News has not independently confirmed Rubio and Hegseth live at McNair. 

The reported sightings come as the United States has heightened security measures at military installations and diplomatic posts following ongoing U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, raising concerns about potential retaliation and attacks on U.S. troops. 

Iran increasingly has relied on drones as a central component of its military strategy, deploying unmanned systems and supporting proxy forces across the Middle East in attacks on U.S. and allied targets.

During the opening phase of Operation Epic Fury, an Iranian drone strike in Kuwait killed six U.S. service members, underscoring concerns among defense officials about the growing threat posed by unmanned systems.

Senate Democrats are planning to grind the Senate to a halt unless Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Secretary of War Marco Rubio testify publicly on the war in Iran.  (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters)

Several U.S. bases have elevated force protection levels in recent days, including Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey and MacDill Air Force Base in Florida, which is home to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). 

MacDill, which serves as the headquarters for CENTCOM and oversees all U.S. military operations in the Middle East, also has experienced multiple recent security incidents that prompted temporary lockdowns, according to base officials. Officials did not detail the nature of the threat but said they “take all threats seriously and will continue to prioritize the safety and security of our installation, our mission and our people.”

The State Department also has directed diplomatic posts worldwide to review and strengthen security measures in response to an evolving threat environment.

FPV training drones are seen on a wall at the Killhouse Academy drone training center on March 4, 2026, in Kyiv, Ukraine. (Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

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U.S. officials have not publicly identified the source or intent behind the drone activity near the nation’s capital, and it remains unclear whether the incidents are connected to broader geopolitical tensions.

U.S. law enforcement agencies also have been placed on heightened alert in recent weeks following a federal warning about intercepted communications believed to be of Iranian origin that could serve as a potential trigger for sleeper assets abroad, though officials said there was no specific or imminent threat tied to the alert.

Earlier in March, an FBI advisory referenced unverified intelligence suggesting Iran had explored launching drones from offshore platforms near California, though officials stressed the information was aspirational and not tied to any imminent threat.

Plumes of smoke rise following reported explosions in Tehran, Iran, on March 2, 2026. (Sohrab/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)

Experts say that while Iran has invested heavily in drone warfare abroad, the more plausible risk inside the United States would involve small, commercially available drones rather than large military systems.

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Unauthorized drone incursions near sensitive government and military sites are typically monitored and assessed by multiple federal agencies, including the Department of War, federal law enforcement and aviation authorities.

The Pentagon and State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.