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Indian markets to open cautiously; Gift Nifty signals gap-down amid oil surge

Finance

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May 5, 2026

Indian markets to open cautiously; Gift Nifty signals gap-down amid oil surge

Analysts highlight fragile global cues, inflation risks and capped upside, though FPI inflows and election outcomes offer some support. | Photo Credit: VIVEK BENDRE

Indian equity markets are likely to open on a cautious note on Tuesday amid the fresh escalation of the Iran-US war. Gift Nifty at 24,035 signals a gap-down opening of over 150 points.

Hariprasad K, a SEBI-registered Research Analyst and Founder of Livelong Wealth, said global cues remain fragile. “The US markets saw sharp selling pressure, with the Dow correcting significantly as crude oil surged on renewed geopolitical concerns around the Strait of Hormuz. “Elevated oil prices, still holding above the $100 mark, continue to pose a macro risk for India, given its import dependence. Sustained strength in crude could weigh on inflation expectations and corporate margins, keeping risk appetite in check,” said Hariprasad.

According to Ponmudi R, CEO of Enrich Money, while the outcome of recent state assembly elections and fresh data indicating foreign portfolio investors have turned net buyers of domestic equities to offer some measure of support, the broader mood remains one of restraint. Geopolitical uncertainty and prevailing global risk aversion continue to dominate sentiment, limiting the scope for a sustained upside in the near term.

Derivative trading also signals a cautious note.

Dhupesh Dhameja, Derivatives Research Analyst, SAMCO Securities, said from a derivatives standpoint, PCR near 0.61 suggests a cautious-to-bearish undertone, while aggressive call writing at 24,200–24,300 continues to cap upside, and the Put base at 24,000–23,800 reinforces support. Meanwhile, India VIX, which has been sustaining near 18, indicates a controlled volatility environment, supporting range-bound price action rather than trending moves.

“Structurally, until the index decisively breaks above the 24,300 resistance zone, rallies are likely to face selling pressure, making a sell-on-rise strategy more favorable. A breakout on either side of the range will be crucial to trigger the next directional move.”

While major Asian-Pacific markets are closed today, those that opened, such as Taiwan, Vietnam and Australia, are down in early deals on Tuesday.

Published on May 5, 2026

Canadian fiddler sues Google after AI Overview wrongly claimed he was a sex offender | Music

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May 5, 2026

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An acclaimed Canadian fiddle player has launched a $1.5m civil lawsuit against Google, alleging that the online giant defamed him by falsely identifying him as a sex offender in an AI-generated summary of his life and career.

Ashley MacIsaac, a three-time Juno award-winning musician, filed the claim in the Ontario superior court of justice, asserting that Google was liable for the “foreseeable republication” of its AI-generated Overview feature, which previously published defamatory claims that he had been convicted of multiple criminal offences, including the sexual assault of a woman, internet luring involving a child with the intention of sexual assaulting the child, and assault causing bodily harm.

Google’s AI Overview also wrongly stated that MacIsaac had been listed on the national sex offender registry for life, the lawsuit says.

“As the creator and operator of the AI overview, Google is also liable for injuries and losses arising from the AI overview’s defective design,” MacIsaac’s lawsuit says. “Google knew, or ought to have known, that the AI overview was imperfect and could return information that was untrue.”

The musician is suing Google for $500,000 in general damages, $500,000 in aggravated damages and $500,000 in punitive damages.

MacIsaac claimed he had learned of the inaccurate information when the Sipekne’katik First Nation cancelled a concert appearance planned for 19 December, after members of the public complained, citing the misinformation they read on Google.

The Sipekne’katik First Nation later issued a public apology to MacIsaac, saying: “Decisions were based on incorrect information generated through an AI-assisted search, which mistakenly associated you with offenses unrelated to you. We deeply regret the harm this caused to your reputation and livelihood.”

MacIsaac previously told the Canadian Press that the misinformation had left him with a “tangible fear” about performing, adding: “I feared for my own safety going on stage because of what I was labelled as. And I don’t know how long this will follow me.”

MacIsaac’s lawsuit alleges that Google had never contacted him or offered an apology over the error.

“Google’s cavalier and indifferent response to its publication of utterly false statements claiming that MacIsaac committed serious sexual offenses, including offenses involving children, justifies the award of aggravated and/or punitive damages,” the lawsuit states.

“If a human spokesperson made these false allegations on Google’s behalf, a significant award of punitive damages would be warranted. Google should not have lesser liability because the defamatory statements were published by software that Google created and controls.”

In a statement via his lawyers, MacIsaac told the Guardian: “When I first discovered the false statements Google was publishing about me, I felt I needed to speak out to the media to clear my name and bring attention to the issue …

“I believe this is a serious issue, that needs to be resolved in the courts. I do no want to do or say anything that may hinder the lawsuit’s progress, or distract attention from this issue.”

The Guardian has reached out to Google for comment. In December, when MacIsaac began speaking to the press, a spokesperson for the company said: “AI Overviews frequently improve to show the most helpful information, and we invest significantly in the quality of responses. When issues arise – like if our features misinterpret web content or miss some context – we use those examples to improve our systems and may take action under our policies.”

Google’s AI Overview about MacIsaac now includes the statement: “In late 2025 and 2026, he made headlines for taking legal action against Google.”

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Singapore boffins get diverse SIEMs singing in harmony • The Register

Cyber Security

Raj Bhat

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May 5, 2026

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Singapore boffins get diverse SIEMs singing in harmony • The Register

Academics from Singapore and China have found a way to make AI useful for cyber-defenders, by creating a technique that translates rules from diverse Security Information and Event Managements (SIEMs) so they’re easier to consume across multiple systems.

SIEMs collect log files from many sources and allow users to set rules that trigger alerts that a security operations center (SOC) considers in case they represent security incidents. Testing for an “impossible travel” scenario – in which the same user logs on from New York and London within an hour, suggesting credential theft or other skulduggery – is a common SIEM rule.

Many organizations end up with multiple SIEMs, which means complexity for SOCs.

Enter researchers from the National University of Singapore and China’s Fudan University, who recently presented a paper [PDF] titled “ARuleCon: Agentic Security Rule Conversion” in which they explain a technique they developed to translate rules so they’re consumable by multiple SIEMs.

Lead author Ming Xu told The Register she and her colleagues developed ARuleCon because SIEMs use specific schemas for rules, so a rule created with one SIEM won’t work with another. While some vendors provide translation tools, they don’t offer support for many SIEMs: the authors say Microsoft’s tool shifts Splunk rules into Redmond’s Sentinel SIEM but can’t handle others.

“Rule conversion can be performed manually by security experts, which are slow and imposes a heavy workload,” the paper observes.

Tools like the Sigma framework aim to help manage and share rules across multiple platforms, but Ming and her co-authors think it, and other existing translation tools, don’t do well with complex or interlinked rules.

It’s 2026 so it seems natural to try using an LLM to convert SIEM rules into different formats.

The authors say that approach “typically yield a poor accuracy and lacks vendor-specific correctness” because training data used to build LLMs doesn’t include enough data about SIEM rule schemas.

“These shortcomings call for a scalable, vendor-neutral, and reliable SIEM-rule conversion framework that retains existing rule value and eases SOC workloads,” the paper states, before explaining how ARuleCon gets the job done with an “agentic RAG [retrieval augmented generation] pipeline that retrieves authoritative official vendor documentation to address the convention/schema mismatches, and Python-based consistency check that running both source and target rules in controlled test environments to mitigate subtle semantic drifts.”

Long story short, the researchers developed agentic tech capable of translating SIEM rules created using Splunk, Microsoft Sentinel, IBM QRadar, Google Chronicle and RSA NetWitness. Not all the conversions are brilliant, but ARuleCon can translate the proprietary rule format each SIEM vendor uses to multiple rival platforms – and does it more accurately than a generic LLM.

ARuleCon therefore makes it possible to export rules from one SIEM and use them in another.

Ming told The Register she hopes the tool helps organizations to consider and plan SIEM consolidations or migrations, and emerge with SOCs that can more easily detect the signals of security threats and stop worrying about noise from multiple alerts. ®

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‘They came to kill us’: royal commission hears horrific accounts of antisemitism faced by Jewish children in Australia | Royal commission on antisemitism and social cohesion

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May 5, 2026

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Jewish children in Australia face antisemitic abuse at school, see swastikas daubed on walls and witness classmates perform Nazi salutes: they live with antisemitism “all day, every day”, a Sydney Jewish mother has told a royal commission hearing.

The woman, known as Dina before the commission, said Australia had become a more hostile, more dangerous place for Jews, most horrifically demonstrated by the Bondi massacre in December in which 15 people were shot and killed.

“And it’s impossible for children not to internalise that they are living through that reality.

“They hear antisemitism around them all the time … they see the stickers … they see the graffiti, they know about Bondi. It’s become part of their psyche.”

Dina told the commission she had overheard Jewish children saying they would be too scared to go to a Hanukah party now, and gave evidence that when her family went to Bondi, her eight-year-old child started crying, telling her: “Now, when I come to Bondi, I think about dying”.

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Dina said the Australian Jewish community was “living a very different reality” to the non-Jewish community and that the Bondi massacre was the violent manifestation of unchecked antisemitism across Australia.

“The reality is, they came to kill us. We just weren’t there. And it’s living with that truth that makes it very hard to feel safe as a Jew in Australia.”

The second day of the public hearings before commissioner Virginia Bell heard evidence from Jewish parents who say they fear for the safety of their children, who grow up facing a rising tide of antisemitic abuse, graffiti and attacks.

In evidence before the committee, Natalie Levy said her daughter was one of only two Jewish children at a government school in Sydney.

“She sees swastikas etched all around the school, children saying ‘Heil Hitler’ and putting up their hand in a salute. She sees things that no 15-year-old should see,” Natalie said of her daughter.

“She’s a very proud Jewish young lady but she’s scared. She’s scared for me being here [giving evidence to the commission] today.”

Levy told the commission that antisemitic rhetoric had become normalised in contemporary Australia.

Natalie Levy, centre, told the royal commission antisemitic rhetoric had become normalised in Australia. Photograph: Bianca de Marchi/AAP

She said she had been called “kike”, a “dirty Jew”, a “dirty Jewish pig”, a “baby killer”, a “baby eater” and “genocidal” on social media.

“The chants and the protests and the words and the online rhetoric: it feels so surreal.

“I can’t believe that in 2026, in this beautiful country, that antisemitism has become so normalised. People are unashamedly being antisemitic and saying the most vile things about Jewish people and Jewish children … it’s a real shock.”

Levy said she had been born and grown up in Australia not experiencing antisemitism.

“It’s heartbreaking. I truly grew up believing that this kind of rhetoric only existed in the past. That it has resurfaced so aggressively is a real shock.”

Another Jewish mother, pseudonymised as AAP and giving evidence from Victoria, said her children had come home from school telling her they didn’t want to be Jewish.

She said her children were being bombarded with antisemitic content on social media.

“These are some of the things that the kids have shown me: ‘we owe Hitler an apology, the Nazis should have finished them off’; ‘Jews are controlling the government’; ‘Israel has no history, only a criminal record’.”

AAP gave evidence that slurs against Jews were commonplace at her children’s school and that her children told her they were frightened to attend a recent street food festival organised by a Jewish community group in Melbourne.

“They didn’t want to go. They said they might be shot. I said ‘there’s going to be police there, there’s going to be security there’. They said, ‘well, they don’t stand a chance against a gunman’. They just had no confidence.”

The royal commission into antisemitism and social cohesion was established after December’s Bondi massacre, in which two alleged Islamic State-inspired gunmen shot and killed 15 people and injured 40 others as they attended a beachside Hanukah event for the Jewish community.

The first fortnightly block of hearings is focused on defining antisemitism, its historical and contemporary manifestations, and its current impact on Jewish Australians.

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Warren skipped Direct File despite years of promoting the program

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May 5, 2026

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Warren skipped Direct File despite years of promoting the program

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Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., didn’t use the free government tax-filing system she had spent years promoting when it became available in her state, records show.

As far back as 2016, Warren pushed for a free IRS online tax preparation and filing service, a precursor to what became Direct File. The senator touted it as a way for taxpayers to save time and money. When Direct File launched a pilot program serving Massachusetts for the 2024 tax-filing season, however, Warren’s publicly released tax return indicated that she opted to use a private accountant instead.

Warren was ineligible to use Direct File during the 2024 tax-filing season because she chose not to take the standard deduction that year. The standard deduction under the program is a restriction critics say illustrates why the program was too limited to serve many taxpayers.

“The Direct File pilot program has been a huge win for taxpayers,” Warren said in April 2024. “This year, thousands of taxpayers saved hours of their time and the $150 typically spent on TurboTax and other junk filing fees — money that could be spent on groceries or rent … I’m excited to continue to work with the IRS and the Treasury Department to permanently extend and expand this free and easy tax filing solution for Americans.”

HAWLEY, WARREN TEAM UP TO BACK TRUMP, CRACK DOWN ON DEFENSE CONTRACTOR PAYOUTS

Senator Elizabeth Warren speaking at the National Press Building in Washington, D.C.

“In just the space of minutes, it looks like insiders have been making out like bandits, using secret information about the war,” Warren said. (Heather Diehl/Getty Images)

Warren has characterized herself as one of the top legislative architects of the Direct File system.

“For years, Senator Warren has been the Direct File program’s biggest champion — yet her own tax returns show she hired a private accountant,” David Williams, president of the Taxpayer Protection Alliance (TPA), a right-of-center fiscal advocacy group, told Fox News Digital.

“Direct File was ill-equipped to handle investment, property and interest income — limiting the tax credits and deductions Americans deserve. At its core, the government would not have any incentive — as the tax preparer, collector, and auditor — to maximize those deductions,” he added.

The Trump administration moved to suspend Direct File in 2025, and the IRS later told states the program would not be available for the 2026 filing season.

Even after her own return showed she used a private accountant and not Direct File for the 2024 tax-filing season, Warren continued to push for the system. On April 15, Tax Day 2026, Warren took a recently-introduced bill to the Senate floor seeking to revive the program.

“Filing your taxes should be easy and free … Let’s save people time and money, and show the American people that government can work for them,” Warren said.

SEN WARREN UNLOADS ON TRUMP’S FED NOMINEE KEVIN WARSH IN EXPLOSIVE HEARING SHOWDOWN

Senator Elizabeth Warren is seen asking questions of Kevin Warsh during his confirmation hearing.

Ranking member Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., questions Kevin Warsh, nominee to chairman of the Federal Reserve, during his Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee confirmation hearing on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Usage of the Direct File was low during the 2024 tax-filing season, with only 161,042 of the estimated 19 million eligible Americans submitting returns through it, according to an IRS report.

Among those who did use the service, however, 90% rated their experience as “excellent” or “above average,” according to the IRS. Large majorities of respondents reported that Direct File was easy to use and had high quality customer service support.

The TPA, however, says that 25% of Direct File users rated their experiences negatively, citing its analysis of user responses obtained via a Freedom of Information Act request.

THE SIMPLE TAX HABIT THAT COULD SAVE YOU THOUSANDS OVER YOUR LIFETIME

Sen. Elizabeth Warren speaking as Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. appears at a hearing

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., speaks as Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. appears before a Senate Finance Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 4, 2025. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Critics of Direct File, such as conservative economist Stephen Moore, have argued that allowing the IRS, which has an incentive to maximize tax revenue, to prepare taxes for Americans creates a conflict of interest and that the program isn’t truly free, given its administrative costs. Proponents like the left-of-center advocacy group Public Citizen, meanwhile, argue that eliminating filing costs could save taxpayers billions of dollars per year at a relatively minor public expense.

Firms such as Intuit and H&R Block lobbied aggressively to kill Direct File, which many believed would cut into their profits.

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Warren’s office did not respond to multiple requests for comment sent Monday.

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Stocks to watch today: Thermax, Meghmani, Dynacons, Envair Electrodyne, EMS

Finance

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May 5, 2026

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Stocks to watch today: Thermax, Meghmani, Dynacons, Envair Electrodyne, EMS

Thermax’s green methanol project, Meghmani’s fertiliser approvals and Dynacons’ RBI order headline corporate action, with Afcons and EMS securing contracts, Envair gaining approval, GRE Renew updating orders, and Asahi India Glass, Standard Surfactants reporting disruptions.

Thermax Limited, a leading energy and environment solutions provider, has partnered with Ankur Scientific, a global leader in bioenergy and waste-to-energy solutions, to set up India’s first Green Methane Production Facility at Deendayal Port Authority (DPA), Kandla, Gujarat. The collaboration brings together Thermax’s expertise in fuel and chemical processing with Ankur Scientific’s advanced biomass gasification technology. India’s shipping industry, which accounts for around 3% of total national emissions, is a major driver of fuel demand and is expected to require 37,000 tonnes of methanol by 2030. With a production capacity of 18,000 tonnes, the facility will address nearly half of this demand, offering a scalable, low-emission alternative that supports self-reliance and reduces import needs.

Nano fertilizer approval for Meghmani

Meghmani Organics Ltd has said that its wholly owned subsidiary, Meghmani Crop Nutrition Ltd, has received approval from the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare for the manufacturing of nano fertiliser products – Nano DAP, Nano NPK and Nano Zinc. The approval reflects the company’s continued focus on supporting Indian agriculture with next-generation crop nutrition solutions. These additions will further strengthen Meghmani’s crop nutrition portfolio and enhance its ability to serve evolving farmer requirements across multiple nutrient categories.

Afcons bags Rs 373 crore EPC order

Afcons Infrastructure Ltd has secured an order valued at Rs 373 crore for civil infrastructure works, under its Urban Infrastructure and Metro Business Unit (BU). The order involves the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contracts and tunneling using TBM. Afcons Infrastructure Ltd is the flagship infrastructure engineering and construction company of the Shapoorji Pallonji Group. It has a legacy of over six decades, with a strong track record of executing numerous technologically complex EPC projects both within India and internationally. According to the latest ENR survey, Afcons is ranked in the Top 140 international Contractors globally; 12th in Bridges and 14th in Marine & Ports.

Dynacons wins RBI cloud infrastructure order

Dynacons Systems & Solutions Ltd has been awarded an order for Supply, Installation, Implementation, Integration, Maintenance and Facilities Management Services for Private Cloud Infrastructure for the Data Centers of Reserve Bank of India. The total order value is Rs. 750.82 Crores (including GST). The Reserve Bank of India is in the process of establishing a new state-of-the-art, energy-efficient, Greenfield Next Generation Data Center (NGDC) housed with the latest technology at Bhubaneswar, Odisha. In this context, the Bank intends to establish a robust, scalable, and secure Private Cloud to support current and future application and analytics workloads, with provision for integration of AI Cloud capabilities separately.

GRE Renew Enertech business update

GRE Renew Enertech Ltd has announced the details of orders received by the Company from April 15 to April 30 as part of its regular business update.

Asahi India Glass reports plant incident

Asahi India Glass said that on May 31, an exhaust chimney partially failed at its float glass plant in Soniyana, Rajasthan (apparently due to a local whirlwind/squall). The construction of this chimney was carried out in accordance with standard, proven designs and executed by reputed, experienced fabricators. There has been no human injury, and all plant and machinery, including the float glass furnace, and any other key equipment, continue to be functional. We are assessing the extent of damage to the chimney and identifying the root cause of the incident. There is no risk to supplies to our OEM and project Customers. As a responsible corporation, ATS remains committed to determining the root cause of the incident and remains in compliance with all applicable laws.

Envair Electrodyne gets Odisha nod

Envair Electrodyne Limited has been granted In-principle-approval by Industrial Promotion & Investment Corporation of Odisha Limited (IPICOL) under the Copper Clad Laminate (CCL) manufacturing project for an investment of Rs. 136.87 crores.

EMS wins Varanasi sewer project

EMS Ltd has received the Letter of Award (LOA) for Laying of Sewer Network and House Connection work in 18 Problematic Wards (5 Wards, namely: Durgakund, Nariyan, Sarainandan, Jolha Northan and Bhelupur out of 18 problematic Wards) of Nagar Nigam, Varanasi. The estimated order value (excluding GST) is approximately Rs. 143.80 crores.

Fire incident at Standard Surfactants plant

Standard Surfactants informed the exchanges that a fire broke out on May 3 in the Spray Drier Plant (SPD) at Mandideep, MP unit. It claims no casualties/injuries and said affected operations to resume in 2-3 months after re-installation; other plants are unaffected. Assets are adequately insured, it further said.

Published on May 5, 2026

Israeli strike sparks fire in northern Gaza City | Israel-Palestine conflict

Politics

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May 5, 2026

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Israeli strike sparks fire in northern Gaza City | Israel-Palestine conflict

NewsFeed

Video from Gaza City shows flames rising after an Israeli strike targeted a group of civilians near Al-Jalaa Roundabout in the Al-Oyoun area in northern Gaza City.

Published On 5 May 2026

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Civil rights groups sue to block Texas law letting police arrest migrants at border

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May 5, 2026

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Civil rights groups sue to block Texas law letting police arrest migrants at border

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A coalition of civil rights groups filed a new lawsuit on Monday seeking to halt parts of a Texas law that would allow police officers in the Lone Star State to arrest migrants suspected of crossing into the U.S. across the U.S.-Mexico border illegally.

The law is set to take effect next week after a federal appeals court vacated a lower court ruling last week that had prevented its enforcement since 2024. In that ruling, he appeals court vacated an injunction that had blocked the law, finding that the plaintiffs did not have standing to sue.

Senate Bill 4 established a state-level crime for entering the country illegally and authorized state magistrates to order certain individuals to leave the country if they are convicted.

Courts have long maintained that immigration enforcement has historically been treated as the responsibility of the federal government, but Texas Republicans attempted to challenge that precedent when they approved S.B. 4.

TEXAS BILL REQUIRING SHERIFFS TO COLLABORATE WITH ICE GIVEN INITIAL APPROVAL BY STATE HOUSE

Migrants attempting to cross the southern border

Civil rights groups filed a new lawsuit to halt parts of a Texas law that would allow police officers to arrest migrants suspected of crossing into the U.S. illegally. (David Peinado/Anadolu via Getty Images)

The Texas Civil Rights Project, American Civil Liberties Union and ACLU of Texas argued that the law is unconstitutional, noting that immigration law is exclusively the responsibility of the federal government and that federal law should preempt the state law.

The groups are attempting to block four provisions of S.B. 4 — the creation of a crime for re-entering the country illegally, even if a person has since obtained legal status such as a green card; granting state magistrates authority to issue deportation orders; the creation of a crime for failing to comply with a magistrate’s deportation orders; and the requirement that magistrates continue a prosecution even if a person has a pending immigration case under federal law, such as an asylum claim.

“Our fight against S.B. 4 isn’t over until justice wins,” Kate Gibson Kumar, an attorney at the Texas Civil Rights Project, said in a statement. “S.B. 4 is not only unconstitutional, but a vile law that uses our Texas resources to harm communities across our state. The Texas Civil Rights Project will keep fighting to protect Texas communities from the wrath of S.B. 4.”

Cody Wofsy, deputy director of the ACLU’s Immigrants’ Rights Project, argued that S.B. 4 is “cruel and illegal,” adding that the groups “will keep fighting it until it is permanently struck down.”

Texas Department of Public Safety State Trooper

The Texas Civil Rights Project, American Civil Liberties Union and ACLU of Texas argued that the law is unconstitutional. (Getty Images)

“Every court to have reached the merits of laws like S.B. 4 has found them to be unconstitutional,” he said.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

The law is scheduled to go into effect on May 15 unless another court takes action.

“S.B. 4 would transform our police and judges into immigration agents — threatening neighbors who have families here, who have lived here for years, even those who have legal status,” said Adriana Piñon, legal director at the ACLU of Texas. “Immigration enforcement is exclusively the federal government’s arena, and no state has ever claimed the power Texas threatens to wield here. We are taking this back to court to defend our Texas communities.”

TRUMP DOJ DROPS BIDEN-ERA CHALLENGE TO TEXAS BORDER SECURITY LAW

Courts have long maintained that immigration enforcement is the sole responsibility of the federal government. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

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Monday’s lawsuit is the latest legal challenge to the Texas law, which was passed by state lawmakers amid an uptick in migrant crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border during the Biden administration.

Another lawsuit had been led by some of the same advocacy groups that filed Monday’s challenge. The Biden administration also initially sought to halt the law in 2024 before the Trump administration terminated the Department of Justice’s involvement in the lawsuit last year as part of the president’s mass deportation agenda.

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LA mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt decries Mayor Karen Bass

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May 5, 2026

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LA mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt decries Mayor Karen Bass

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Former reality television personality-turned-Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt lashed out at his opponent, incumbent Mayor Karen Bass, after she accused him of exploiting the grief of Palisades Fire victims.

“It’s the most insane, psycho, diabolical thing I’ve heard in a minute – but it’s not shocking,” he told “The Will Cain Show” Monday.

Pratt’s comments follow the release of a pointed political advertisement from his campaign targeting Bass and other opponents, alleging they live in luxury homes far removed from the “mess” they have created, including homelessness and crime.

In the ad, Pratt claims to be living in a trailer after his $3.8 million Pacific Palisades home burnt down in the fire.

SPENCER PRATT SAYS A-LISTERS PRIVATELY CHEER HIS CRITICISM OF CALIFORNIA LEADERSHIP, FEAR CAREER FALLOUT

Former reality television star Spencer Pratt is running against Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass to lead the second-largest city in the country. (Left (Roy Rochlin/Getty Images), Right (Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images))

In response, Bass said Pratt has capitalized on the grief of Palisades Fire victims to revive his public profile after his reality television career faded.

“I feel like he’s exploiting the grief of people in the Palisades, and I think that’s reprehensible. That’s the main thing. And I think he is about his own celebrity. He’s famous now again,” she said in an interview.

Pratt fired back at the mayor, telling Fox News host Will Cain, “My ads are the truth. These politicians do not have to live the consequences of their decisions. My ad is that simple.”

LA TIMES OWNER SAYS ENDORSING KAREN BASS WAS A ‘MISTAKE’ DUE TO INCOMPETENCE

Pratt went on to level serious allegations against Mayor Bass, who won the mayor’s race by nearly 100,000 votes in 2022, including claims of obstruction of justice.

“This is the same woman that will allow 7,000 houses to burn to the ground, 12 people to burn alive, and then actively cover it up, get caught covering it up and then say that the LA Times is lying, even though they have the emails where she’s altering the after-action report, which, as far as I’m concerned, is obstruction of justice,” he said.

“It’s disgusting.”

California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass walking in downtown Pacific Palisades

California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass tour the downtown business district of Pacific Palisades as the Palisades Fire burns on Jan. 8, 2025, in Los Angeles. (Eric Thayer/Getty Images)

LA MAYOR KAREN BASS ACCUSED OF DELETING TEXTS IN WAKE OF WILDFIRE DISASTER

The former reality television personality also accused Bass of purposefully letting people burn alive in the Palisades Fire to secure a million-dollar property discount for former Vice President Kamala Harris.

Harris, who recently purchased an $8.15 million home in Malibu, endorsed Bass for mayor Monday.

“Mayor Karen Bass is the leader Los Angeles needs right now,” Harris said. “She has done what so many said couldn’t be done — the first ever two-year decline in homelessness, reducing crime to levels this city hasn’t seen since the 1960s, and refusing to back down when the federal government came after our neighbors.”

KAREN BASS MEETS WITH TRUMP AT WHITE HOUSE TO PUSH FOR LA WILDFIRE RELIEF AFTER MONTHS OF CLASHES

“She has my full support for re-election,” Harris added.

“Obviously, Kamala Harris loves Karen Bass. Because of Karen Bass letting the Pacific Palisades and Malibu burn down, Kamala Harris was able to get a $2 million discount on her new house in Malibu,” Pratt alleged.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, LA Supervisor Kathryn Barger and President Donald Trump

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass met with President Donald Trump at the White House to push for wildfire recovery funding. (LA Supervisor Kathryn Barger via X)

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Pratt lambasted Bass as a “MAGA Karen” and “corrupt” following her recent, friendly White House visit with President Donald Trump – a figure she has historically criticized, especially during his mass-deportation campaign against Los Angeles’ immigrant population.

“She can have all the political endorsements she wants,” he said. “She can go do all the photo ops she wants with Trump in the White House. And, you know, they’re calling her MAGA Karen all over X because she was the one walking out with the MAGA teddy bear out of the White House. So, she’ll take any endorsement to keep her corrupt politician career going here.”

Fox News Digital has reached out to the mayor’s office for comment.

Nora Moriarty is a Production Assistant at FOX News.

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Chicago Sky waive Hailey Van Lith just one year after selecting her with 11th overall pick

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May 5, 2026

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Chicago Sky waive Hailey Van Lith just one year after selecting her with 11th overall pick

Life comes at you fast in the WNBA, but it comes even faster when you’re Hailey Van Lith.

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The women’s college hoops star and 2025 high draft pick is now looking for a job after the Chicago Sky waived Van Lith, something of a surprise to many.

CHICAGO, IL – AUGUST 25: Hailey Van Lith #2 of the Chicago Sky high five during the game against the Las Vegas Aces on August 25, 2025 at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, IL. (Photo by Melissa Tamez/NBAE via Getty Images) ((Photo by Melissa Tamez/NBAE via Getty Images))

The decision comes just one year after the Sky picked Van Lith with the 11th overall pick, choosing to fill that void by signing veteran Natasha Cloud, a move that suggests Chicago may have already given up on Van Lith’s development.

SKY REUNITE HAILEY VAN LITH WITH ANGEL REESE IN WNBA DRAFT

It was not long ago that Van Lith was one of the most recognizable names in college hoops and one of the first NIL stars during her time at Louisville.

Van Lith’s rookie campaign in 2025 saw her average fewer than four points per game. At a certain point, people were more interested in her off-court relationship with Jalen Suggs than her on-court potential. It’ll be a rough week for both, as Suggs and the Magic saw their season end Sunday in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.

By bringing in Cloud on a $555,000 deal, Chicago is betting that a proven floor general is worth more than the upside of a high-profile draft pick.

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Hailey Van Lith posing with WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert at the 2025 WNBA Draft in New York City

Hailey Van Lith poses with WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert after being selected 11th overall by the Chicago Sky during the 2025 WNBA Draft at The Shed in New York City on April 14, 2025. (Elsa/Getty Images)

The move also highlights a broader philosophical shift in Chicago.

The team has spent the last few weeks dismantling the core of a roster that struggled to find its identity last season, most notably trading Angel Reese to Atlanta.

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By cutting Van Lith, the Sky have effectively wiped the slate clean of their most recent high-stakes gambles.

At 24 years old, Van Lith is young enough to bounce back, which is oddly reminiscent of her stint at LSU, bound for more stardom but majorly regressing, starting from zero once again. She enters the free-agent market as a cautionary tale of how quickly a “can’t-miss” prospect can find herself on the outside looking in.

Hailey Van Lith wearing Chicago Sky uniform looking on during basketball game at Wintrust Arena

Hailey Van Lith of the Chicago Sky watches the game during the second half against the Atlanta Dream at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Ill., on April 29, 2026. (Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire)

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Alejandro Avila is a longtime writer at OutKick, living in Southern California.

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