Fox News Politics: Democrats tell Schumer ‘hell no’
Welcome to Fox News’ Politics newsletter with the latest political news from Washington D.C. and updates from the 2024 campaign trail. Subscribe now to get Fox News Politics newsletter in your inbox. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is getting warnings from progressive Democrats who fear the ongoing negotiations for border policy changes could give too much away to Republicans. A small, bipartisan group of Senators have been meeting privately with DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas this week, hoping to find common ground on immigration and border security measures. Republicans have insisted that additional funding for Ukraine and aid to Israel be attached to immigration reforms. The negotiations have yet to produce a deal, but reports of the proposals have rankled several Democrats. “[Schumer] and those Democrats who are contemplating these proposals need to understand that these Trumpian policies will do nothing to address our challenges at the border and will only exacerbate the problem. Immigration advocates should speak up — HELL NO is the message,” Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., — who is facing federal bribery charges — wrote on X on Thursday. ‘THREATS TO NATIONAL SECURITY’: Top Biden aide’s spouse involved with group pushing electric vehicle transition …Read more ‘UNDERMINING ISRAEL’: Sen Ted Cruz calls out VP Kamala Harris for Palestinian sympathy push …Read more ‘SWAMP’ GAME: Why Hunter Biden defied House subpoena from the House side of the Capitol …Read more ‘CRAZY MIND’: Kevin McCarthy takes parting shots at Matt Gaetz as he exits Congress: ‘He was psychotic’ …Read more ‘HIGHLY INAPPROPRIATE’: Stefanik hits DC judge linked to Trump case with ethics complaint …Read more ‘UNACCEPTABLE‘: House Dem calls for answers from Mayorkas over denial of border funding extension to Arizona county …Read more ‘LONG OVERDUE’: Issa says passport reform ‘long overdue’ as bill moves through House committee with Dem backing …Read more PANIC MODE: Biden scrambles to win over Black voters as support from the traditionally blue bloc falters …Read more ‘LBJ MOMENT’: Cornel West predicts Biden will drop out before 2024 election …Read more TARGETING RIVALS: Christie targets DeSantis and Haley for treating Trump with kid gloves …Read more ‘PARTY DOES NOT EXIST’: Illinois incumbent wants primary opponent disqualified for misspelling ‘Republican’ …Read more ‘HISTORIC CONNECTIONS’: Chinese official who praised CCP makes another appearance at top Ivy League school …Read more ‘SENSE OF SUCCESS’: Melania Trump speaks to new American citizens about the responsibility of ‘guarding our freedom’ …Read more 10 MINUTES: Supreme Court justice decided to overturn Roe minutes after receiving Dobbs draft decision …Read more FOLLOW THE MONEY: Republican attorney general exposes DOJ funding to Soros-backed group that trains left-wing prosecutors …Read more AI-AI-OH: Bipartisan lawmakers eye AI safeguards for U.S. agriculture industry …Read more Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Why Hunter Biden stood in the Senate ‘swamp’ as he defied the House subpoena
Detractors refer to Washington, D.C., as “the swamp.” But this is about another swamp – specifically, the Senate “swamp.” The Senate swamp is a geographic location on Capitol Hill. It’s just across from the Senate steps and where some Senate officials park their cars. Those who work and operate on Capitol Hill have referred to this spot as the Senate swamp for decades. DOJ’S HANDLING OF HUNTER BIDEN CASE IS ‘INEXPLICABLE,’ SAYS TURLEY, AS EX-PROSECUTR FACES QUESTIONING They started calling the locale the Senate swamp in 1964. Legendary congressional correspondent Roger Mudd covered the filibuster of the Civil Rights Act for CBS. Mudd often did his TV standups from the Senate steps with a large clock behind him to show how much time had elapsed (eventually two months) during the filibuster. Southern senators complained about Mudd standing on the Senate steps. The U.S. Capitol Police moved Mudd and his compadres in the press corps across the plaza to a grassy area. Well, one day it rained. And the correspondent was named “Mudd.” So, they started referring to the area as the “Senate swamp.” However, that site is anything but a swamp. The area is paved. A panel of permanent, stainless steel TV jacks for networks to do live shots lines a narrow concrete façade. Reporters can face one direction and talk about Congress with the Capitol behind them. If reporters turn around, they can talk about legal opinions with the Supreme Court serving as a backdrop. Or, someone like Hunter Biden can use the spot for a press conference, as he did Wednesday morning, publicly defying a House subpoena for a closed-door deposition. The entrance to the Rayburn House Office Building is more than an eighth of a mile from the Senate swamp. A phalanx of reporters and photographers swarmed the halls of Rayburn, awaiting Hunter Biden’s anticipated arrival for a closed-door deposition. Another horde of journalists roamed the Rayburn “horseshoe,” a semi-circular driveway which curves up to a side entrance across from the Longworth House Office Building. No one was 100% sure whether Hunter Biden would show up. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., issued a subpoena for Hunter Biden to “testify at a deposition touching matters of inquiry,” at 9:30 a.m. ET on Wednesday in the Rayburn Building. The subpoena added that “you are not to depart without leave of said committee or subcommittee.” HOUSE VOTES TO AUTHORIZE IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY In late November, Abbe Lowell — who is Hunter Biden’s attorney — countered Comer’s demand for a deposition with a demand of his own. “We have seen you use closed-door sessions to manipulate, even distort the facts and misinform the public,” wrote Lowell to Comer. “We therefore propose opening the door.” The ultimatum appeared to catch Comer and Republicans on the Oversight Committee off guard. Comer said he would grant Hunter Biden the chance to testify at an open hearing, but a closed-door deposition must come first. Comer cited how Democrats conducted multiple, private depositions in their impeachment investigation of former President Trump in the fall of 2019, ahead of public hearings a couple of months later. So, Hunter Biden indeed showed up on Capitol Hill around 9:30 am Wednesday — but not anywhere near the Rayburn House Office Building. Hunter Biden materialized an eighth of a mile away at the Senate swamp — that same locale where the Capitol Police banished Roger Mudd to report on the Civil Rights Act filibuster. Hunter Biden’s Senate swamp maneuver was a filibuster unto itself when it came to ignoring James Comer’s subpoena. But his appearance was both political stagecraft and legal scheme bundled into one. Hunter Biden showed up on Capitol Hill at the assigned time. But he wasn’t going anywhere close to the room where Comer planned a multi-hour deposition. Materializing at the Senate swamp site with the Capitol dome glimmering behind him was an effort by Hunter Biden to demonstrate he was willing to appear — just on his terms. ANDY BIGGS CALLS FOR CONTEMPT CHARGES AGAINST ERIC SWALWELL FOR AIDING HUNTER BIDEN After a brief statement, Hunter Biden left the Senate swamp site, climbed into a van and departed. Reporters and scribes were panting. Out of breath. Bent over. Hands holding their legs just above their knees like a gassed NBA shooting guard in the fourth quarter. They received word that Hunter Biden was coming to Capitol Hill. But most were over in the Rayburn House Office Building — nowhere near the spot where the news of the day unfolded. So how and why did the Senate swamp become the hot venue for the story of the day? It starts with Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif. Lawmakers are permitted to use the Senate swamp site and a similar location called the “House triangle” for press conferences and other events. The same with studios in the House and Senate Radio/TV Galleries inside the Capitol complex. However, the indoor locations generally require rank-and-file members to secure an invitation from a credentialed member of the congressional press corps. It’s rare, but not unprecedented, for a House member to book an event on the Senate side. The same with a senator on the House side. So Swalwell reserved the Senate swamp for a vague press event on Wednesday morning at 9:30. Only Swalwell had no intention of speaking to the press. This was Hunter Biden’s forum. Those are the logistics. But that doesn’t tell the full story. There’s a reason why Hunter Biden showed up on the Senate side of Capitol Hill and not the House side. Let’s say Hunter Biden ventured into the sea of reporters awaiting his prospective arrival at the Rayburn House Office Building, had his say and left. Or imagine if he had even done the same at the House triangle. The president’s son was already out of compliance with Comer’s subpoena by not attending the deposition. But showing up anywhere on the House side of the Capitol could have triggered a host of legal, constitutional
Twin Cities area judge rejects challenge to Minnesota law that lets ex-felons vote
A judge has dismissed a conservative group’s lawsuit challenging a new Minnesota law that restores voting rights for felons once they’ve completed their prison time. Anoka County Judge Thomas Lehmann ruled Wednesday that the Minnesota Voters Alliance lacked the legal standing to sue and failed to prove that the Legislature overstepped its authority when it voted in February to expand voting rights for the formerly incarcerated. Before the change, they had to complete their probation before they could regain their eligibility to vote. The alliance argued that the law violates a clause in the state constitution that says felons cannot vote “unless restored to civil rights.” The group argued that the language means all their civil rights, not just some. MINNESOTA OFFICIAL PUSHING FOR REHAB AS JUVENILE MURDER, THEFT AND VIOLENT ASSAULT INCREASES IN TWIN CITIES “The major premise of this argument is fundamentally flawed,” the judge wrote, saying the constitution does not specify “restored to all civil rights.” He cited a Minnesota Supreme Court ruling from February that put the burden on the Legislature to decide whether voting rights should be restored when people leave prison. Minnesota was among more than a dozen states that considered restoring voting rights for felons this year. Advocates for the change argued that disenfranchising them disproportionately affects people of color because of biases in the legal system. An estimated 55,000 Minnesotans regained the right to vote because of the change. A lawyer for the Minnesota Voters Alliance, James Dickey, said the group plans to appeal. It hopes to do so directly to the state Supreme Court. Attorney General Keith Ellison said he was “extremely pleased that yet another effort to undermine the voting rights of Minnesotans has been soundly rejected.” The Minnesota Court of Appeals last month rejected a different attempt to void the law along similar grounds, ruling that a lower court judge overstepped his authority when he declared the law unconstitutional.
Heavily redacted records show FBI’s targeting of Catholics went beyond what it claimed: watchdog
A conservative government watchdog has released almost 100 pages of FBI documents it says show the agency was not fully forthcoming about its actions surveilling and targeting Catholic churches. “FBI Director Christopher Wray had told congressmen that the memo was ‘a single product by a single field office,’ but the records uncovered by Judicial Watch show that it was “Reviewed by: OGC/CDC [Office of General Counsel/Chief Deputy Counsel],’” Judicial Watch posted in a press release Friday. Judicial Watch obtained the documents through a FOIA request related to an internal FBI memo leaked earlier this year, which revealed that the agency had efforts underway to identify and treat Catholics as “potential terrorists.” “The records also indicate coordination with officials from Portland and Milwaukee,” the press release said. FBI INTERVIEWED PRIEST, CHURCH CHOIR DIRECTOR AHEAD OF ANTI-CATHOLIC MEMO, HOUSE GOP FINDS The FBI Richmond internal memo, titled “Interest of Racially or Ethnically Motivated Violent Extremists in Radical-Traditionalist Catholic Ideology Almost Certainly Presents New Mitigation Opportunities,” was leaked in January and drew instant criticism from Republicans. It identified “radical-traditionalist Catholic[s]” as potential “racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists” and said that “racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists (RMVEs) in radical-traditionalist Catholic (RTC) ideology almost certainly presents opportunities for threat mitigation through the exploration of new avenues for tripwire and source development.” FBI’S ‘ATTACK ON PRO-LIFE CATHOLICS’ IS WHAT YOU GET IN BIDEN’S AMERICA, JIM JORDAN WARNS FBI Director Christopher Wray and the agency have previously claimed the memo was related to a single FBI field office in Richmond. Following the leak of the memo, the FBI told Fox News Digital “headquarters quickly began taking action to remove the document from FBI systems and conduct a review of the basis for the document.” “While our standard practice is to not comment on specific intelligence products, this particular field office product — disseminated only within the FBI — regarding racially or ethnically motivated violent extremism does not meet the exacting standards of the FBI,” the statement said. The FBI told Fox News Digital earlier this year “any characterization that the FBI is targeting Catholics is false.” However, Judicial Watch suggests these new documents show that is not the case and the issue was broader than the FBI let on. “These documents disprove the FBI’s narrative that the spy operation against Catholics and churches was limited to one field office. In fact, the operation seems to have been approved by top lawyers in the FBI,” Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton wrote. FBI SOUGHT TO DEVELOP SOURCES IN CATHOLIC CHURCHES TO COMBAT DOMESTIC TERRORISM, DOCS SHOW “These documents should trigger a criminal inquiry into this Biden FBI scandal.” The documents released by Judicial Watch show FBI officials from different field offices discussing the program, including General Counsel Jason Jones in an email that says, “[Assistant Director] Dunham asked that we circulate the attached draft ‘Complicated Questions’ document for the Director’s upcoming testimony for your review. “As you will see, the draft reflects feedback received from various divisions/stakeholders to date, and certain topics continue to evolve.” Conservatives have long alleged that the scope of the FBI’s targeting of Catholics was much larger than they had acknowledged, and Republicans earlier this year uncovered similar documents they say showed several field offices were involved. “This new information suggests that the FBI’s use of its law enforcement capabilities to intrude on American’s First Amendment rights is more widespread than initially suspected,” Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and co-chair Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., wrote in a letter in August. The FBI did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. Fox News Digital’s Brianna Herlihy contributed to this report
Biden DOJ’s gun law blueprint will impact ability to defend yourself: Gun rights groups
Gun rights groups are posturing to defy the Justice Department’s model legislation published this week that gives states a framework for codifying gun storage rules. On Wednesday, the DOJ published a framework aimed at helping “more states enact sensible gun-safety laws,” and includes requirements for securing firearms kept in residences and vehicles and requirements for reporting of lost or stolen firearms to law enforcement. “We cannot resign ourselves to losing our neighbors, our loved ones — even our children — to misuse of firearms that could have been kept safely out of reach,” Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco said of the announcement. “The model legislation announced today provides states with new tools to improve the safety of legally-owned firearms and reduce the tragic toll of gun violence in our communities.” However, Second Amendment advocacy groups Gun Owners of America (GOA) and the National Rifle Association (NRA) say the models are too broad and could undermine self-defense mechanisms for lawful gun owners. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT ‘WEAPONIZED’ BIPARTISAN GUN SAFETY LAW TO ‘ILLEGALLY FUND’ RED FLAG LAWS, REPUBLICANS SAY “The NRA is the leader and strongest advocate for responsible storage of firearms,” Jennifer Briemann, at NRA-ILA told Fox News Digital. Briemann added that the model legislation “irresponsibly and ill-advisedly imposes top-down, one-size-fits-all mandates on how Americans should store their guns.” “Guns must be stored so they are not accessible to unauthorized persons, but the specifics depend on individual or family circumstances,” said Briemann. Briemann also charged that the DOJ is using this as an opportunity to push “extreme risk protection orders,” which she called “a sugarcoated term for gun confiscation without due process.” Chris Stone, director of state and local affairs for Gun Owners of America accused the DOJ of “wasting time and resources trying to coerce state lawmakers across the county to pass unconstitutional firearm storage requirements, just like they’ve tried with gun confiscation laws.” HOUSE REPUBLICAN MOVES TO PROTECT GUN OWNERS’ RIGHTS FROM ‘RADICAL LEFT’ NATIONAL EMERGENCY DECLARATIONS “At the end of the day, these laws undermine the ability of law-abiding citizens to have reliable access to firearms in home defense scenarios and violate the privacy and private property rights of American citizens.” GOA said it will fully oppose the legislation “in every state capitol and will aggressively push back with our grassroots army if any lawmakers take the bait.” The proposed model would require that a possessor of a firearm should, at all times that the firearm is not carried by the owner on their person or within such proximity that the possessor can readily retrieve and use the firearm, secure the firearm in a locked gun safe, or with a properly engaged tamper-resistant mechanical lock or other tamper-resistant safety device rendering the firearm inoperable. The legislation would impose fines if a gun owner is caught in violation. In its proposal, the DOJ argued that keeping firearms and ammunition locked has been associated with “a lower risk of firearm injuries for children and teens in homes where guns are stored.” BIDEN ADMIN’S PROPOSED RULE TO COMBAT GUN VIOLENCE WOULD REQUIRE FIREARMS DEALERS TO CONDUCT BACKGROUND CHECKS “Safe storage also protects adults by preventing unintentional shootings and decreasing the risk of gun suicides, gun thefts, and criminal discharges of firearms,” the agency argued. The DOJ noted that in 2020, firearm-related injuries became the leading cause of injury deaths for children and teens ages 1-19, firearms are used in nearly half of suicides by minors, and the majority of individuals who carried out a K-12 mass shooting obtained the firearms used in the shooting from a family member. “The Department is not endorsing any particular formulation of a safe storage statute, and the model legislation is not intended to provide a comprehensive firearm-safety scheme that could be adopted wholesale,” the department said. “Rather, this model statute draws from the state laws already in existence, identifies key provisions that may be important to help ensure fair, effective; and safe implementation of such a law; and identifies options for states to consider as they legislate in this area,” it said.
DNA TV Show: Revealing historical proof of ancient temple beneath Mathura’s Shahi Idgah complex
After the decision of the High Court, the Court Commissioner will survey the Shahi Idgah complex in the land dispute of Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah.
Biden scrambles to win over swing state Black voters as support from the traditionally blue bloc falters
President Biden’s re-election campaign is launching a targeted effort to shore up support from Black voters in two swing states as his backing from the traditionally blue voting bloc continues to falter. The effort, centered around an ad that will run in Georgia and North Carolina, comes after a bad month for Biden that saw his likely general election opponent, former President Trump, make significant gains among Black voters. Democratic strategists and liberal political pundits have also warned that Black enthusiasm for Biden’s re-election was waning. The ad, titled “Compete,” shows Patrick Brown, a Black farmer from North Carolina, praising Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for what he said was the administration’s investment in Black farming communities. DEMOCRATS BLEEDING THE NON-WHITE, WORKING CLASS VOTE, BOOK SAYS: ‘LOOK IN THE MIRROR’ “Joe Biden gets it. He is invested in us, getting us access to land, broadband, capital and infrastructure, so we can compete. It means a lot to have a president that listens. The laws the Biden-Harris administration has passed directly address our community,” Brown said. According to a CNN poll released last month, Biden and Harris face significantly weaker support from Black voters despite winning the group by a large margin in 2020. It found that just 73% of Black voters favor Biden in the 2024 election, compared to the 92% he received in the last election. The poll also found that 23% of Black voters favor Trump, a huge jump from the 8% support he received in 2020. KARINE JEAN-PIERRE BLOWS UP WHEN PRESSED ON BIDEN CONNECTION TO HUNTER’S BUSINESS DEALINGS: ‘NO EVIDENCE!’ A separate New York Times poll, also released last month, found similar views from Black voters, including 22% support for Trump. “Black voters are more disconnected from the Democratic Party than they have been in decades, frustrated with what many see as inaction on their political priorities and unhappy with President Biden, a candidate they helped lift to the White House just three years ago,” Times reporters Maya King and Lisa Lerer wrote in another report. They were not alone in their assessment. SUPPORT FOR BIDEN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY GROWS WITH A NOTABLE LEVEL OF DEMOCRAT BACKING: POLL Just weeks later, MSNBC host and liberal Black activist Al Sharpton warned, “There is a lack of enthusiasm among young voters, particularly young Black voters, the Biden campaign needs to take seriously. You need to really build a ground game movement from the bottom-up, rather than poo-poo it and be in denial.” In a Politico report published after Thanksgiving, Democratic strategists warned that Black voters were questioning their loyalty to the Democrat Party, including one who told the outlet that some Black business owners were frustrated over its focus on racial issues. “We’re treating them like their only issue is racial issues, and not all of us, but to some extent some of us have moved past that,” said Marcurius Byrd, who founded Young Democrats of the Central Midlands in South Carolina, and worked on Marianne Williamson’s campaign. He also said Black people were becoming “more educated.” McKenzie Watson, a strategist who does advocacy for people with disabilities, said people were having a hard time and suggested the party should focus on fixing their home, and less so on other countries. BIDEN FACES GRIM RE-ELECTION ODDS AS HE TRAILS LEADING GOP CANDIDATES IN TWO KEY BATTLEGROUND STATES: POLL “We have people here who are suffering, who are struggling to keep a roof over their head,” she said. “We have people that are struggling to have food on the table for their kids, to buy a house. It’s a lot of struggling that is going on here in the nation.… I support Ukraine and my heart goes out to the people of Ukraine. But it’s kind of like you need to fix your home. Your people here are suffering here as well.” In a statement, Biden campaign manager Quentin Fulks said the president’s administration was “delivering for Black Americans and rural communities” through investment in things like infrastructure, internet access, health care and pathways to land ownership. “We are ensuring every voter understands the choice in front of them: While MAGA Republicans push an extreme agenda that would harm Black and rural communities and take our country backward, a second term for President Biden and Vice President Harris would build on the work they’ve already accomplished for Black Americans and continue to deliver on the issues that matter most to our community,” he added. Fox News Digital asked the Biden campaign whether the push targeting Black voters was related to his flailing poll numbers among the voting bloc, but did not immediately receive a response. Fox News’ Hanna Panreck and Brian Flood contributed to this report. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Senate Democrats at odds with Schumer over border talks: ‘Terribly mistaken’
Some progressive Democrats are at odds with Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., over the ongoing negotiations that aim to add stricter border policy provisions in the national supplemental package. On Friday, White House officials, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Ct., Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., and aides to Schumer and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., met in the Capitol for the second time this week to continue negotiations. But the discussions are not sitting well with several Democratic senators, who worry that their party will make too many concessions to Republican demands for policy changes. “If [Schumer] thinks he can send us home for the weekend, quietly cave to Republicans’ anti-immigrant demands while nobody is watching, and then ambush Democrats expecting us to vote yes with a smile, he is TERRIBLY MISTAKEN,” Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., — who is facing federal bribery charges — wrote on X on Thursday. MIGRANT ENCOUNTERS AGAIN TOP 10K IN A SINGLE DAY AS LAWMAKERS EYE NEW BORDER LIMITS “[Schumer]and those Democrats who are contemplating these proposals need to understand that these Trumpian policies will do nothing to address our challenges at the border and will only exacerbate the problem. Immigration advocates should speak up — HELL NO is the message,” he continued. Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., told Axios that what Democrats are hearing “is very concerning.” Former House Rep. Beto O’Rourke, who is now running for governor of Texas, said on X: “If Democrats agree to these failed Trump immigration policies” it will cause increased crossing attempts, more migrant deaths and “depressed enthusiasm from progressive voters.” “This is a bad deal. Senate Dems and WH should reject it,” he wrote Friday. Schumer indicated Friday that he would rework the “shell” of the supplemental package to advance the proposed border provisions, which have not been agreed to yet. However, with few details on which provisions will make it into the package, The Hill reported that Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., “is very concerned” about the details. He added, “We don’t know who’s going to be president” after 2024, leaving in limbo which party will be spearheading the enforcement of the new policies. Talks have been ongoing with senators and Biden administration officials this week, as Republicans have refused to pass some $60 billion in additional aid to Ukraine unless it is tied to strict border security measures, such as immediate screenings for asylum processing and quicker expulsions for illegal entrants. The total amount of supplemental aid the White House first requested in October amounts to roughly $106 billion and includes $14 billion to assist Israel. SCHUMER ANNOUNCES SENATE WILL CANCEL PART OF HOLIDAY RECESS AS BORDER TALKS CONTINUE Lawmakers in the upper chamber were expected to recess Thursday, but Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., announced that the Senate would cancel part of its holiday recess and stay in town to continue the negotiations and schedule a vote on the supplemental package next week. Lankford, one of the lead negotiators for the GOP, told Fox News Digital in an interview this week that there are “basic elements” to tighten border security that Republicans are asking for: reform asylum processing by conducting immediate screenings, increasing detention beds for processing, and beefing up border patrol. The administration was reportedly open to a nationwide expansion of expedited removal, which allows for recently entered migrants to be quickly removed if they do not meet the initial asylum standard. Rapid expulsions are currently only being used near the border. GOP LAWMAKERS SKEPTICAL ABOUT VOTING ON BORDER DEAL BEFORE CHRISTMAS AS DEMS THREATEN TO DELAY BREAK CBS reported this week that the White House was willing to mandate the detention of certain migrants as their claims are considered, as well as a new Title 42-style authority. Title 42 was the COVID-era order that allowed for the rapid expulsion of migrants at the southern border until the Biden administration ended the policy in May. Meanwhile, migrant encounters at the southern border again topped 10,000 encounters in a single day on Tuesday, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) sources told Fox News. Fox News’ Adam Shaw and Bill Melugin contributed to this report.
White House takes action to force government workers to travel via electric vehicle, rail
The White House issued new guidance requiring federal government employees to prioritize using electric vehicles (EV), trains and public transportation options when conducting official business. The actions, which the White House said fulfilled President Biden’s promise to “lead by example” on tackling climate change, seek to take advantage of the federal government’s annual business travel purchasing power of $2.8 billion and status as the nation’s largest employer. Overall, government employees on official business took more than 2.8 million flights, made 2.3 million vehicle rentals and took 33,000 rail trips last year. “These operational changes will accelerate the clean transportation transformation, increase good-paying union jobs and create healthier communities,” the White House said in a statement Thursday. “President Biden’s Federal Sustainability Plan aims to reach net-zero emissions from overall Federal operations by 2050, including a 65 percent emissions reduction by 2030,” it added. “Through new Federal employee travel guidelines issued today, the Biden-Harris Administration is advancing this goal by directing Federal agencies to prioritize the use of sustainable transportation for official and local travel, both domestically and internationally.” BEIJING-BACKED GREEN ENERGY FIRM IS EXPANDING IN US, POSING SERIOUS NATIONAL SECURITY RISK: REPORT Under the guidance, government employees must rent an EV on official travel when the cost of the EV is less than or equal to the most affordable comparable gas-powered vehicle available. Additionally, employees must opt for EVs when using taxis and ride-share platforms when they are cost-competitive. In addition, employees must only use rail on trips that require less than 250 miles of travel instead of driving or flying. For local travel, employees will be required to use public transportation, a rule that includes travel upon arriving at an offsite location. “This will save taxpayer money and reduce pollution that jeopardizes people’s health and fuels the climate crisis,” the White House said. JOE MANCHIN GOES SCORCHED-EARTH ON BIDEN ADMIN OVER EV ACTIONS BOOSTING CHINA As part of the announcement, rental car and ride-share companies issued a series of commitments to help the government achieve its goals. For example, Hertz is pledging to “substantially increase” EV rentals for corporate travelers next year, and Uber is expanding its “green curb at airports” program that gives riders perks to go green. California’s state government also pledged Thursday to issue guidance within the next six months to encourage its employees to opt for EV options when on official travel. Shortly after taking office in 2021, Biden issued the goal of ensuring 50% of total domestic vehicle purchases are electric by 2030, a first-of-its-kind goal cheered by green energy industry groups and climate advocates. Since then, the administration has pursued various regulations that, while not explicitly mandating electric vehicles, would create strong financial incentives for manufacturers to produce more zero-carbon options and for consumers to transition to those options. In April, the EPA proposed the most aggressive federal tailpipe emissions rules on light- and medium-duty emissions ever crafted. If finalized and implemented, 67% of new sedan, crossover, SUV and light truck purchases, up to 50% of bus and garbage truck purchases, 35% of short-haul freight tractor purchases and 25% of long-haul freight tractor purchases could be electric by 2032, the White House projected. Months later, in July, the Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued its most aggressive fuel economy standards ever, an action critics say would increase consumer costs. “We’re transforming clean energy development that’s [creating] good-paying jobs, including union jobs, in all of America,” Biden remarked last month. “We’ve already attracted over half a tri- — we’ve attracted half a trillion dollars — a half of trillion dollars in private sector investment for my Investing in America agenda in clean energy and advanced manufacturing.” “We’re just getting — and we’re just getting started. And we really are. We’re just getting started.”
Supreme Court justice decided to overturn Roe just 10 minutes after receiving Dobbs draft decision: report
A Supreme Court justice signed onto the draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade minutes after receiving the draft decision. The New York Times reported on Friday that Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, one of the six conservative-leaning justices in the body, signed on to the 98-page draft Dobbs decision 10 minutes after it hit his desk. Justices send their draft opinions to their colleagues on the bench and can negotiate changes with them, sometimes using their votes as leverage. SUPREME COURT’S SEMIAUTOMATIC WEAPON BAN RULING, PASSPORT REFORM TAKES NEXT STEPS AND MORE TOP HEADLINES Gorsuch had no edits, according to the Times’ sources who reviewed the messages. The next day, a cascade of conservative justices joined the draft opinion with no edits — beginning with Justice Clarence Thomas. Justice Amy Coney Barrett joined next, and a few days later, Justice Brett Kavanaugh signed on. Fox News Digital reached out to the Supreme Court for comment. The Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision in 2022 overturned nearly 50 years of precedent based on the 1973 Supreme Court decision on abortion, Roe v. Wade. With Roe’s demise, national abortion protections were no longer constitutionally enshrined by a judicial decision and the subject returned to the states and Congress to decide. On Thursday, the Supreme Court allowed an Illinois law banning high-powered semiautomatic weapons to remain in place. In a Thursday order with no noted dissents or explanation of its decision, the Supreme Court denied a request from the National Association for Gun rights, which had asked for a preliminary injunction. The ban, signed by Democratic Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker in January, includes penalties for any individual who “carries or possesses, . . .manufactures, sells, delivers, imports, or purchases any assault weapon or .50 caliber rifle.” The law also includes statutory penalties for someone who, “sells, manufactures, delivers, imports, possesses, or purchases any assault weapon attachment or .50 caliber cartridge.” Fox News Digital’s Adam Sabes contributed reporting.