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Venezuela in chaos

Opposition leader Juan Guaidó has called for a new round of mass protests on Wednesday after a day of violent uprising in Venezuela against disputed President Nicolas Maduro. After being absent for most of the day, Maduro took to the airwaves to proclaim that Guaidó's rebellion had been defeated. However, that did not stop Guaidó, who is recognized by the U.S. and more than 50 other nations as Venezuela's rightful president, from calling for more protests.

Opposition forces hope that fed-up Venezuelans will be so angered by broadcast images of armored vehicles plowing into protesters that they will continue to riot in the streets. And in a blow to Maduro, Manuel Ricardo Cristopher Figuera, the head of Venezuela's feared secret police, turned his back on the disputed leader in an open letter made public Tuesday night.

Barr to face grilling in Senate as new reports about Mueller raise eyebrows

Senate Democrats are expected to grill Attorney General William Barr in a dramatic and explosive hearing Wednesday morning, as he faces lawmakers' questions for the first time since releasing Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia report amid accusations he sought to present the investigation's findings in President Trump's favor. In a late-breaking article sure to feature prominently in Wednesday's hearing, the Washington Post reported Tuesday evening that Mueller contacted Barr, both in a letter and in a phone call, to express concerns after Barr released his own public summary of the report in March. Mueller reportedly pushed Barr to release the executive summaries written by the special counsel's office. However, according to both the Post and the Justice Department, Mueller made clear that he did not feel Barr's summary was inaccurate. Instead, Mueller told Barr that media coverage of the letter had "misinterpreted" the results of the probe concerning obstruction of justice.

Border Patrol nabs 'largest group' of illegal immigrants yet near US-Mexico border

The U.S. Border Patrol on Tuesday morning apprehended its largest group of illegal immigrants caught at once, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reported. CBP, which oversees the Border Patrol, said 424 illegal aliens were apprehended just after midnight in Sunland Park, N.M.; an additional 230 illegal aliens were apprehended in Antelope Wells, N.M., around 2 a.m. “This is an ongoing situation that U.S Border Patrol agents are facing in southern New Mexico: Hundreds of parents and children being encountered by agents after having faced a dangerous journey in the hands of unscrupulous smugglers,” CBP said in a statement. Border officials said they were struggling to cope with the influx of Central American families, with Border Patrol apprehending a record-setting 53,000 families in March.

'Mayor Pete's' stance on vaccinations draws criticism

South Bend, Ind., mayor and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg is drawing some backlash for his stance on mandatory vaccinations. BuzzFeed reported that Buttigieg supports states' rights to mandate vaccinations, but also supports "some exceptions." "The law of the land for more than a century has been that states may enforce mandatory vaccination for public safety to prevent the spread of a dangerous disease. Pete does support some exceptions, except during a public health emergency to prevent an outbreak," a spokesman for Buttigieg told BuzzFeed. The 37-year-old progressive listed personal/religious exemptions, but reiterated that there must be "no public health crisis" for the exemptions to be honored.

Smollett-less 'Empire'

Fox Entertainment’s hit show “Empire” was officially picked up for a sixth season -- but without one of its controversial mainstays, Jussie Smollett. “By mutual agreement, the studio has negotiated an extension to Jussie Smollett’s option for season six, but at this time there are no plans for the character of Jamal to return to ‘Empire,’” Fox Entertainment and 20th Century Fox TV said in a statement to Fox News on Tuesday. Smollett's spokesperson said the actor was grateful to Fox for keeping the future of his character Jamal open and was grateful to the cast, crew and leadership of "Empire" for their unwavering support. Smollett faces a lawsuit from the city of Chicago after prosecutors dropped 16 felony disorderly conduct charges against him for his alleged role in a hate-crime hoax scandal.

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TODAY'S MUST-READS

UNC Charlotte: Suspect in deadly campus shooting ID'd, family says he is student.

Night King ‘Game of Thrones’ actor's makeup-free selfies shock fans.

‘Little House on the Prairie’ set may have burned down in fire: report.

MINDING YOUR BUSINESS

EXCLUSIVE: Sprint's 'failing' finances factor in T-Mobile's $26B tie-up.

Apple's services business strong as earnings, revenue top expectations.

U.S. grounding of Boeing 737 Max fleet was ‘embarrassing,’ former Northwest Airlines executive says.

#TheFlashback

2011: President Barack Obama announces the death of Usama bin Laden during a U.S. commando operation (because of the time difference, it was early May 2 in Pakistan, where the al-Qaeda leader met his end).

1992: On the third day of the Los Angeles riots, a visibly shaken Rodney King appears in public to appeal for calm, pleading, "Can we all just get along?"

1931: Singer Kate Smith makes her debut on CBS Radio on her 24th birthday.

SOME PARTING WORDS

Watch the "Special Report" All-Star panel debate the politics of President Trump's Venezuela policy.

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Fox News First is compiled by Fox News' Bryan Robinson. Thank you for joining us! Have a good day! We'll see you in your inbox first thing Thursday morning.