Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma assures bill to ban polygamy to be introduced by February, ‘Love Jihad’ clause likely
Officials said that the state government had received as many as 149 suggestions in response to a public notice seeking feedback on the proposed law to ban the practice of marrying multiple times.
An East Texas city goes secular for the holidays, rejecting a menorah in downtown holiday display
Smith County’s top elected official said the downtown square’s holiday decorations policy seeks to avoid a “hodgepodge.”
Texas Supreme Court declines to revive billionaire’s defamation lawsuit against Beto O’Rourke
Kelcy Warren, a Dallas pipeline billionaire, sued O’Rourke in early 2022, saying the Democrat defamed him with critical comments about his company’s windfall profits after the Texas energy-grid collapse in February 2021.
‘Party does not exist’: Illinois incumbent wants primary opponent disqualified for misspelling ‘Republican’
A county board incumbent in Illinois wants election officials to disqualify his primary opponent because he misspelled “Republican” on his nomination papers. McHenry County Board member Eric Hendricks has filed an objection to primary opponent Bob Nowak’s candidacy, the Northwest Herald reported Wednesday. SPELLING QUIZ! HOW WELL CAN YOU SPELL THESE SURPRISINGLY TOUGH WORDS? Hendricks wrote in the objection that Nowak filed to run as a member of the “Republian Party,” omitting the “c” in “Republican.” Hendricks argues such a party does not exist. Nowak said he had heard there was an objection to his candidacy but hasn’t seen a copy of it. SUPREME COURT ALLOWS ILLINOIS SEMIAUTOMATIC WEAPONS BAN TO STAY IN PLACE County officials have scheduled a hearing on the objection for Tuesday. The primary is March 19. Nowak previously served on the county board but lost his seat to Hendricks in 2022.
Kevin McCarthy takes parting shot at Matt Gaetz as he exits Congress: ‘He was psychotic’
Soon-departing former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., took a parting shot at the GOP congressman who led the charge to oust him. McCarthy took aim at firebrand Florida GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz while talking to reporters on Thursday, saying he was “psychotic” and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) studies minds like his. “He was psychotic,” McCarthy said of Gaetz’s actions that led to his ouster as House speaker, according to a transcript posted by The Hill. “People study that type of crazy mind, right?” McCarthy added. “Mainly the FBI.” KEVIN MCCARTHY TO RESIGN FROM CONGRESS AFTER BEING OUSTED AS HOUSE SPEAKER It was the latest in the steady feud between McCarthy and Gaetz, whose motion to vacate ultimately led to McCarthy losing the House speakership. McCarthy recently told Politico that Gaetz belongs behind bars when asked about the House’s Florida Republicans. “You have a cross-section [of the delegation],” McCarthy told the publication in late November. “You have Gaetz, who belongs in jail, and you have serious members.” McCarthy’s criticism appeared to reference the ongoing probe of Gaetz by the House Ethics Committee into allegations of sexual misconduct and misuse of his funding. KEVIN MCCARTHY, MATT GAETZ TRADE JABS AS FIERCE RIVALRY CONTINUES: HE ‘BELONGS IN JAIL’ Gaetz pushed back at McCarthy, telling the outlet those were “tough words from a guy who sucker punches people in the back,” referencing allegations that McCarthy assaulted Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., by elbowing him in the kidneys. “The only assault I committed was against Kevin’s fragile ego,” he added. Their relationship appeared strained as tensions rose following Gaetz’s motion to vacate against McCarthy in October, eventually resulting in McCarthy’s removal as House speaker. McCarthy took frequent shots at Gaetz throughout the process of selecting a new House speaker, which ultimately led to House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La, taking over the gavel. Gaetz and Burchett were among eight Republicans who voted with Democrats to remove McCarthy.
‘Neither MLA, nor MP…’: BJP slams CM Revanth Reddy for providing police convoy to brother
Earlier today, Bharat Rahstra Samiti (BRS) leader Krishank posted a video showing Anumula Krishna Reddy being escorted by the police and questioned the government over the same.
2024 showdown: Christie targets DeSantis and Haley for treating Trump with kid gloves
FIRST ON FOX – With a month to go until the first votes in the Republican presidential nomination race, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is turning up the heat on 2024 GOP rivals Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley. Tell It Like It Is, a super PAC supporting the former New Jersey governor’s presidential campaign, is launching a new multimillion-dollar ad blitz that takes aim at DeSantis and Haley for not forcefully making the case against former President Trump. Trump remains the commanding front-runner for the Republican nomination as he makes his third straight run for the White House. The spot, shared first with Fox News on Friday, includes a clip of Christie from last week’s fourth GOP presidential primary debate, where he repeatedly chastised his rivals for failing to verbally confront Trump. Christie is a one-time Trump ally turned vocal Republican critical of the former president. CHRISTIE PUSHES BACK ON CALLS TO GET OUT OF THE RACE: ‘I’M NOT GOING ANYWHERE’ “Folks like these three guys on the stage make it sound like his conduct is acceptable. Let me make it clear. His conduct is unacceptable. He’s unfit,” Christie says in the clip used in the commercial. The ad ends with the narrator emphasizing that Christie is “the only Republican with the courage to tell the truth. And the experience to get it done.” CHRISTIE UPS HIS GAME IN A KEY PRIMARY STATE Trump made history earlier this year as the first former or current president to be indicted for a crime, but his four indictments — including in federal court in Washington, D.C., and in Fulton County court in Georgia on charges he tried to overturn his 2020 presidential election loss — have only fueled his support among Republican voters. Christie, who has been amplifying his attacks on Haley and DeSantis for weeks for taking it easy on Trump, charged during the debate at the University of Alabama that it was “ridiculous” that his rivals would not discuss Trump. “I’m in this race because the truth needs to be spoken,” he stressed. “He is unfit to be president.” The super PAC tells Fox News that they will spend $3 million to run the ad on TV starting Friday in New Hampshire, the state that holds the first primary and second overall contest in the GOP nominating calendar. They showcase that they will spend an additional half a million dollars to run the spot digitally. “‘Unacceptable’ is designed as the first of a series of ads appealing to New Hampshire’s unique position to reset the course of the nomination process,” Tell It Like It Is Chairman Bill Palatucci said. “This ad starts the 30 Day march to January 23 when Granite State voters have the opportunity to send a message to their fellow Republicans that Chris Christie is the truth teller America deserves.” CHRISTIE TARGETS HALEY, DESANTIS, ON DEBATE STAGE FOR TAKING IT EASY ON TRUMP Just as he did in his unsuccessful 2016 White House campaign, Christie is once again devoting nearly all of his time and resources to New Hampshire, where independent voters and moderates have long played a crucial role in the state’s famed primary. The latest public opinion polls in New Hampshire indicate Trump holds a very large and formidable double-digit lead, but he has under 50% support, with Haley in the upper teens and Christie a few points back. Trump also holds a commanding lead in the most recent surveys in Iowa, whose Jan. 15 caucuses kick off the Republican nominating calendar, with DeSantis a distant second, followed by Haley. Christie, who has no plans to campaign in Iowa, and multimilionaire entrepreneur and first-time candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, who is barnstorming through the Hawkeye State, are in the single digits in the polls. The Tell It Like It Is ad is being released on the same day that Christie’s campaign launched their first commercial of the 2024 election cycle. The campaign’s ad criticizes DeSantis and Haley for attacking each other rather than Trump. “There’s only one candidate trying to stop Trump,” the narrator says in the spot, which the Christie campaign says it’s spending six figures to run in New Hampshire. The campaign and the super PAC are barred by law from coordinating. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
House Dem calls for answers from Mayorkas over denial of border funding extension to Arizona county
FIRST ON FOX: A House Democrat lawmaker is questioning the Department of Homeland Security over what he says is an “unacceptable” decision by the federal government to deny an extension for the period in which an Arizona county hit hard by the migrant crisis can use millions in aid. Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., has written to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas requesting clarification about the use of over $5 million in funds designated for Pima County, where the number of migrants has surged from around 7,000 per month in 2022 to nearly 15,000 in 2023. The money was given to the county as part of the Emergency Food and Shelter Program-Humanitarian (ESFP-H) which has since been phased out and replaced by the Shelter and Services Program (SSP), but local governments are still permitted to spend the money given under the prior program. Gallego says Pima County still has $5.2 million remaining to spend for Fiscal Year 22, but that its request for an extension of the period in which it can spend the funds was denied for a second time by DHS. “At a time of increased arrivals to the border, this funding is crucial, and this lack of transparency is unacceptable,” he writes. STUNNING IMAGES SHOW ARIZONA BORDER OVERRUN BY MASSIVE SURGE OF ADULT MALE MIGRANTS FROM ACROSS THE GLOBE “Without this funding, Pima County will be forced to begin spending SSP allocations to avoid revenue deficits, leading to a far earlier fiscal cliff than initially projected — as soon as March of 2024,” he warns. Pima County is in the Tucson Sector, which has recently seen a massive migrant surge, and Gallego says the financial costs to the county have increased significantly. “For example, Pima County’s monthly costs to serve asylum seekers increased from $2,779,891.88 to $3,983,396.16 (a 43.29% increase) between June and October 2023, using the most cost-efficient practices. Costs for food have increased by 293%, and costs for transportation have increased by 95% in that same window,” he says. He says that so far the county has handled over $65 million in ESFP-H awards and has acted as a fiscal agent for other entities in the sector. “To pivot from entrusting Pima County with significant funds and grant management responsibilities to ignoring their requests for how to spend their own money is inconsistent and requires explanation,” he says. In response to a query from Fox News Digital, DHS said that the decision was made by an independent board, which had previously extended the spending period for all subrecipients but chose not to make additional extensions. “This decision was made by the EFSP National Board, which is an independent board that previously allocated EFSP-H funds to communities across the United States, regarding unused FY22 funds, consistent with the grant program requirements,” a spokesperson said. “The EFSP National Board previously extended the spending period for FY 2022 EFSP-H grants from Dec. 31, 2022 to March 31, 2023 in order to allow all subrecipients the equal opportunity to spend this funding. After this extension, the Board chose to not extend the spending period any further.” A DHS official said that, consistent with that decision, the board denied the Pima County request last month to further extend the period, and no other agencies have requested extensions. The official said that Pima County has informed the Board that the money from FY22 will be returned, and it will spend down the $26 million in FY23 funding before moving to the $11 million in SSP funding. The inquiry comes as the border is seeing a new wave of migrants, with multiple days of encounters exceeding 10,000 apprehensions this week. CONSERVATIVE GROUPS, EX-BORDER OFFICIALS DEMAND LAWMAKERS REJECT ‘UNACCEPTABLE’ BORDER COMPROMISE Meanwhile, in Washington D.C., lawmakers have been engaged in talks over a supplemental spending agreement that includes funding for the border, as well as aid to Ukraine and Israel. The White House had requested $14 billion in funding, including for border communities, but Republicans have demanded the inclusion of asylum limits in any potential agreement.
Stefanik hits DC judge linked to Trump case with ethics complaint
The No. 3 House Republican is calling for an ethics probe into a Washington, D.C., judge who has issued decisions in cases related to both former President Trump and the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol. House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., lodged a misconduct complaint against DC District Judge Beryl Howell on Friday over a speech she gave in late November while accepting an award from the Women’s White Collar Defense Association. Without using Trump’s name, Howell blamed the violence at the Capitol on “big lies” and warned of “a very surprising and downright troubling moment in this country when the very importance of facts is dismissed, or ignored.” Stefanik called the speech “highly inappropriate,” accusing Howell of claiming that “re-electing President Trump will lead to fascism in America.” IVANKA TRUMP TESTIFIES SHE WAS NOT INVOLVED IN DISCUSSIONS ABOUT HER FATHER’S FINANCIAL STATEMENTS “As outlined in detail below, Judge Howell’s partisan speech is obviously highly inappropriate election interference by a federal judge that undermines the public’s trust in our courts. Moreover, the public display of the cozy personal relationships between Judge Howell and her partisan friends who appear before her undermines public trust in judicial independence,” she wrote. Howell was chief judge of the DC District Court from 2016 until March of this year. On her last day of the job, she turned over communications between Trump and his lawyer to Special Counsel Jack Smith in his investigation of the former president’s handling of classified documents, the Daily Beast reported in March. She also compelled the lawyer to testify before a grand jury. She has also criticized federal prosecutors for being too lenient in sentencing recommendations for Jan. 6 protesters. In her letter, Stefanik pointed to Howell’s relationships with Obama-era Attorney General Loretta Lynch and current Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, who were also at the event. TRUMP LEGAL TEAM FILES MOTION TO PAUSE PROCEEDINGS PENDING APPEAL Lynch had praised Howell for her handling of “the COVID-19 pandemic that closed the world, the January 6th insurrection and the resulting caseload, and the flurry of activity spurred by the Office of Special Counsel.” “It’s particularly shocking to hear the former Attorney General of the United States praise a sitting federal judge for her handling of the grand-jury proceedings on pending federal criminal charges against a defendant (President Trump), the pending criminal cases against his January 6 supporters, and even make the legal conclusion that an ‘insurrection’ occurred on January 6–despite the fact even the over-the-top Biden Special Counsel Jack Smith never brought such charges against any January 6 defendant,” Stefanik wrote. Howell also praised Monaco, who oversees Jan. 6 prosecutors in her role, in her speech – a fact Stefanik seized on in her letter to the Judicial Council of the District of Columbia Circuit. SUPREME COURT: TRUMP MUST RESPOND TO SPECIAL COUNSEL’S PRESIDENTIAL IMMUNITY PETITION BEFORE CHRISTMAS “I’ve been in awe of how you remain a model of calm and grace when carrying enormous responsibility for the safety of so many,” the judge said of Monaco. Stefanik wrote, “Judge Howell’s 16 minutes of substantive remarks had little to do with women representing white-collar criminal defendants – and they were hardly apolitical, let alone politically neutral.” Stefanik, perhaps Trump’s most vocal ally in Congress, previously filed an ethics complaint against New York Supreme Court Judge Arthur Engoron for his handling of a civil case brought against the former president and the Trump Organization by state Attorney General Letitia James. She told Fox News Digital of the most recent misconduct notice, “DC Obama Judge Beryl Howell gave a highly inappropriate speech in which she insinuated the election of President Trump will lead to fascism in America.” “She also inappropriately allowed a public display of her cozy personal relationships with her partisan friends who appear before her, including the Biden Deputy Attorney General who supervises the January 6 criminal prosecutions,” she said. Fox News Digital reached out to the Washington, D.C., court system for comment but did not immediately hear back.
Denmark stepping up terror probe amid suspicion of Hamas links
Two detentions coincide with arrests in Germany, where three people allegedly linked to Hamas have been detained. Denmark is holding two people in custody and targeting four more in an investigation that may have ties to others across Europe that are linked to Hamas. The two suspects detained have been ordered to remain in pretrial detention until January 9, prosecutor Anders Larsson said on Friday. The arrests coincide with detentions in Germany allegedly linked to Hamas and in the Netherlands. The Danish Security and Intelligence Service announced on Thursday the arrests of three people on suspicion of plotting to carry out “an act of terror”. Larsson revealed that one was released after a nightlong custody hearing at a Copenhagen court. The prosecutor did not say whether the released person was still considered a suspect. The whereabouts of the other four suspects is unknown. ‘Hamas infrastructure on European soil’ Larsson also did not specify whether there is a Hamas link in the Danish arrests. However, there have been strong suggestions that they may be connected. After the arrests on Thursday, Israel’s Mossad spy agency said Denmark had exposed “Hamas infrastructure on European soil”, according to a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office. “It is, of course, in relation to Israel and Gaza, completely unacceptable for someone to bring a conflict elsewhere in the world into Danish society,” Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told the Ritzau news agency the same day. Danish police said they would increase their public presence in the coming days, in particular in Copenhagen and around Jewish localities. Prosecutors have said it is unclear whether the arrest of Dutch national Nazih R in the Netherlands is linked to the Hamas investigation in Germany, where Lebanon-born Abdelhamid al-A and Ibrahim el-R and Egyptian national Mohamed B have been detained. German prosecutors alleged that the three detainees were tasked with finding a previously established underground Hamas weapons cache in Europe. They added: “The weapons were due to be taken to Berlin and kept in a state of readiness in view of potential terrorist attacks against Jewish institutions in Europe.” “Following the terrible attacks by Hamas on the Israeli population, attacks on Jews in Jewish institutions have also increased in our country in recent weeks,” German Justice Minister Marco Buschmann said in a statement. “We must, therefore, do everything we can to ensure that Jews in our country do not have to fear for their safety again,” he added. This month, the European Union’s home affairs commissioner, Ylva Johansson, also warned that Europe faced a “huge risk of terrorist attacks” over the Christmas holiday period during the Israel-Hamas war. Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told the Reuters news agency: “We deny there are members of Hamas detained in Denmark, Germany or any other European country.” “Publishing these allegations aims to influence the mass rallies that are supportive of Palestine in Europe.” Adblock test (Why?)