Australia cricketer Khawaja will ‘fight’ to wear Palestine solidarity shoes
Australian cricket player Usman Khawaja has promised to “fight” a ruling by the sport’s governing body that he says has stopped him from displaying messages in support of “those who don’t have a voice”. In an emotional video posted on his social media, Khawaja clarified that his message was “not political” and that the “bigger problem” was people calling him up to berate him for his stance. The opening batter was seen wearing cricket boots with “all lives are equal” and “freedom is a human right” written on them in the colours of the Palestinian flag during Australia’s training session prior to their Test series against Pakistan. The International Cricket Council’s (ICC) rules do not allow players to display “non-compliant” wording or logos on clothing or equipment worn during international matches. It means that the batter will not be able to wear the boots during Australia’s first Test match against Pakistan, starting on Thursday, December 14. “I will respect their view and decision, but I will fight it and seek to gain approval,” Khawaja said. “I’m just speaking up for those who don’t have a voice.” The ICC has declined Al Jazeera’s request for a comment. All Lives are Equal. Freedom is a Human right. I’m raising my voice for human rights. For a humanitarian appeal. If you see it any other way. That’s on you… pic.twitter.com/8eaPnBfUEb — Usman Khawaja (@Uz_Khawaja) December 13, 2023 ‘I imagine my two girls – what if it were them’ Khawaja said he was speaking up for the thousands of children that are being killed [in Gaza] “without any repercussions or remorse” and that his message was not “political” as seen by the ICC. At least 7,700 children have been killed in Gaza since the war began in October, according to government and health officials in the besieged strip. “This is close to my heart,” he said in the video with a quivering voice. “When I see thousands of children dying without any repercussions or remorse, I imagine my two girls – what if this was them?” Khawaja has two daughters, Aisha and Ayla, with his Australian-born wife Rachel whom he married in 2018. “No one chooses where they are born, and then I see the world turning their backs on them, my heart can’t take it,” he went on to say in the video. The 36-year-old, who was born in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad before moving to Australia as a child. He has often spoken of his experience and the problems he has faced moving through the Australian cricket circuit. “I already felt my life wasn’t equal to others when I was growing up,” he said. “But luckily for me, I have never lived in a world where the lack of inequality was life or death.” Usman Khawaja gives an on-field interview holding his daughter Aisha [File: Paul Childs/Action Images via Reuters] Khawaja questions backlash Khawaja, who has represented Australia in 115 international matches in a 12-year career, said he wanted to ask those people who got offended by his act of solidarity, “Is freedom not for everyone?” “To me, personally, it doesn’t matter what race, religion or culture you are – but if me saying ‘all lives are equal’ has offended people to the point of – these people obviously don’t believe in what I have written.” “What I have written is not political, I’m not taking sides. Human life to me is equal. One Muslim life is equal to one Jewish life, is equal to one Hindu life, and so on.” Despite Khawaja’s revelation about a shocking number of people calling him up to tell him off, he has found support from Australia’s Sport Minister Anika Wells. “Usman Khawaja is a great athlete and a great Australian,” Anika Wells told local media. “He should have every right to speak up on matters that are important to him. He has done so in a peaceful and respectful way.” Meanwhile, Australia captain Pat Cummins said he spoke with Khawaja and confirmed that the batter won’t display the messages despite them “not being divisive.” “On his shoes he had ‘all lives are equal’. I think that’s not very divisive. I don’t think anyone can really have too many complaints about that,” he told reporters in his pre-match news conference. “I don’t think his intention is to make too big of a fuss, but we support him,” Cummins said. ‘Political messaging makes regulatory bodies nervous’ Experts believe how the ICC reacts to Khawaja’s appeal will set a precedent for the handling of such issues by sport bodies. “I think many eyes in the sporting world will look at how this matter is resolved,” Ian Bayley, a senior lecturer in media and public relations at the University of Staffordshire, told Al Jazeera. When asked if Khawaja had approached them to seek approval to wear the messaging on his boots, they had “no comment, nothing has happened.” “The ICC code of conduct on this issue is quite explicit,” Bayley said. “But Khawaja’s counter-argument that his messages are not political but are, in fact, humanitarian is an interesting one. The academic said, “Sport has always offered a strong and powerful platform for political messaging.” “But it is a fact that, rightly or wrongly, political messaging tends to make regulatory bodies nervous. “Setting aside the arguments about free speech, it is not surprising that many [sports bodies] have rules in place which effectively limit, or even ban, competitors from displaying political messages.” Former England cricketer Moeen Ali has also been at the receiving end of the ICC’s warning for showing support for Palestinians. In the middle of the 2014 war in Gaza, Ali was asked to stop wearing wristbands showing support for Gaza during a Test match against India. More recently, Pakistan wicketkeeper Muhammad Rizwan dedicated his country’s win against Sri Lanka at the Cricket World Cup in India to the people of Gaza but did not face any sanctions as the comments were made after the match. ‘Double standards’ Cricket
How is the Gaza War seen beyond the US and the West?
Israel was isolated with a few allies in the UN General Assembly vote. An overwhelming call at the United Nations General Assembly for a ceasefire in Gaza. Israel and the United States were among the few voting against the resolution. How isolated are these two nations from most of the world, which opposes the war? Can international opposition have any impact? Presenter: Adrian Finighan Guests: Temir Porras – former career diplomat in Venezuela and policy adviser specialising in Latin American economics and geopolitics Melanie Verwoerd – former South African ambassador and member of parliament during Nelson Mandela’s administration Sami Hermez – associate professor at Northwestern University in Qatar who specialises in social movements, the state and security in the Arab world Adblock test (Why?)
GOP lawmaker wants to crack down on climate change activists who deface historical artwork
FIRST ON FOX: Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, wants to raise the stakes for climate change activists who vandalize historical artworks or damage museum property by creating harsher penalties for the crime. The Consequences for Climate Vandals Act, introduced in the Senate on Wednesday, would also apply to the grounds or property of the National Gallery of Art, the Smithsonian museums, the Kennedy Center, among others, and raise the maximum prison time from five years to 10. The consequences would mirror the current maximum prison time in England, where climate activists have frequently glued themselves to artworks or thrown soup or other liquids on protective casings of museum pieces. “There should be no tolerance for the vandalization of our historic works of art,” Vance said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Apparently, a maximum penalty of five years in prison isn’t enough to keep these far-left protestors from tarnishing displays of cultural significance.” He added, “Let’s make it 10 years and see if they’re still so bold.” CLIMATE ACTIVISTS TAKE HAMMERS TO FAMOUS PAINTING IN LONDON MUSEUM In May, two protesters were indicted for smearing paint on the case of a famous Degas sculpture at the National Gallery in Washington, D.C., just a month prior. At the time, the group of activists – known as Declare Emergency – posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that they wanted to send a message about climate change. “Around 11 am today two parents who are terrified about their children’s futures (as well as all children) made a statement at the National Gallery in DC. Climate change will cause famine, floods, droughts and destruction unless we act now,” the post read. DARK MONEY FUND POURED MILLIONS OF DOLLARS INTO ECO ACTIVIST GROUPS BLOCKING HIGHWAYS, DESTROYING FAMOUS ART JUST STOP OIL PROTESTERS INTERRUPT ‘LES MIS’ PERFORMACE IN LONDON, CALLED ‘STUPID PEOPLE’ BY ANGRY CROWD Last month, a climate activist from the same group smeared red paint on an exhibit honoring an African American regiment that fought during the Civil War, during a protest at the National Gallery of Art. The activist vandalized a wall in the West Building gallery of the Washington, D.C., museum that houses the Shaw 54th Regiment Memorial, officials told Fox News Digital at the time. Using red paint, the activist wrote, “Honor Them,” and explained President Biden could honor Black Civil War soldiers by declaring a climate emergency. “We should honor them by carrying on their work,” the activist said in a statement. “So, I say, ‘Joe Biden must declare a climate emergency’ in their honor because the great majority of the people who are being harmed by the climate emergency now and who will be harmed in the future are people who look like the soldiers of the Massachusetts 54th.” Last month, two climate activists took hammers to the protective glass of a famous painting in London and called for the U.K. to halt all new oil and gas projects in the country. Both were arrested and reportedly charged on suspicion of criminal damage. Fox News’ Thomas Catenacci contributed to this report.
Migrant encounters again top 10K in a single day as lawmakers eye new border limits
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, as lawmakers in Washington, D.C., remain locked in discussions about new border measures. The numbers seen on Wednesday are slightly less than the over 12,000 seen in a single day last week, which broke daily records, but are still at overwhelming levels for Border Patrol agents on the ground. Tucson and Del Rio Sectors, which saw 3,000 and 2,700 encounters, respectively, were both more than 200% over capacity. Meanwhile, agents were hit by multiple groups of more than 100 migrants in multiple locations simultaneously, Fox is told. 5,000 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS RELEASED EVERY DAY INTO US, ADMIN OFFICIALS PRIVATELY TELL LAWMAKERS “The TCOs [Transnational Criminal Organizations] know what they are doing,” one agent said. Fox reported on Saturday that lawmakers had been briefed by officials that over 5,000 illegal immigrants are currently being released into the U.S. each day. That is in addition to the 1,600 migrants who arrived at ports of entry and are being processed and released via the use of humanitarian parole each day under the CBP One app. Border Patrol agents have encountered migrants from over 150 countries, lawmakers were told. Sources also told Fox that on Tuesday, there were more than 190 Chinese nationals encountered in the San Diego sector alone, while there were more than 120 encounters of nationals from Guinea in the Tucson Sector. The numbers come after a record-breaking FY 23 which saw more than 2.4 million encounters, and records broken in both September and October. While numbers typically drop over the winter months, the current surge is showing little sign of slowing. It comes as lawmakers are furiously negotiating over the White House’s supplemental funding request for border funding, as well as aid to Ukraine and Israel. JORDAN SUBPOENAS MAYORKAS FOR CASE FILES OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WITH MURDER, TERROR CHARGES The White House has requested over $100 billion, including $14 billion for border funding — which includes migrant care, costs related to expedited removal and help for besieged cities. The administration says it is dealing with a broken system and a hemisphere-wide crisis and needs funding and reform from Congress. However, Republicans, who blame the administration’s policies for the new crisis, want to see tighter restrictions on asylum standards and the use of parole by the administration. President Biden said last week that he is open to “significant compromises” on the border in order to get the deal over the line, and any supplemental deal is expected to include some restrictions on initial “credible fear” screenings and a greater use of expedited removal. The White House’s initial supplemental plan included a request for resources to expand the use of expedited removal, which allows for the quick deportation of those who do not meet initial standards for asylum. Some Democrats have balked at Republican demands for more restrictions, arguing that any such policy changes would need to be accompanied by an amnesty for illegal immigrants already in the U.S. – a likely non-starter for Republicans. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told reporters on Wednesday that the White House has been “more involved,” calling that “good news” but said it was unclear if an agreement could be reached. “Whether we can land this plane, I don’t know,” he said. Fox News’ Tyler Olson contributed to this report.
Jordan says Hunter Biden made a ‘huge change’ by saying his father was ‘not financially involved’ in business
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan said Hunter Biden made a “huge change” by saying his father, President Biden, was “not financially involved” in his business dealings. Jordan’s comments came shortly after Hunter Biden defied his subpoena by not appearing for a deposition before the House Oversight Committee, and instead, delivering a public statement defending himself and his family amid the House impeachment inquiry against his father. “My father was not financially involved in my business,” Hunter Biden said Wednesday morning from Capitol Hill, adding the president was not involved in his dealings with Ukrainian natural gas firm Burisma Holdings, or his Chinese investments and others in the U.S. HUNTER BIDEN WILL NOT SIT FOR DEPOSITION BY GOP, SAYS FATHER NOT ‘FINANCIALLY’ INVOLVED IN HIS BUSINESS “No evidence to support that my father was financially involved in my business because it did not happen,” Hunter Biden said. The White House and President Biden have maintained that the president was “never in business” with his son. Biden has also said he never spoke to his son about his business dealings, but Republicans say evidence — including email records and testimony from Hunter Biden’s former business partners — seem to contradict those statements. Jordan, shortly after Hunter Biden’s public appearance, pointed out his changing narrative. “I would just point out that I’ve had a chance to review what Hunter Biden said in his press conference. I think he made an interesting statement,” Jordan said. “He said his father was not financially involved in the business. And I think that qualifier, the word ‘financially’ is important because once again, it shows another change in this story.” Jordan continued, “First, it was no involvement. Then no one ever, never talked to anyone, and then we find out about the dinners, the meetings, the phone calls, everything else.” “Now, it’s okay, he wasn’t involved in the business financially,” Jordan continued. “I think that is important. It’s one of the reasons we want to talk to Hunter Biden.” Jordan said the “biggest takeaway” from Hunter Biden’s appearance was that statement about President Biden not being financially involved — which to Jordan indicates the elder Biden may have been involved in his son’s business dealings in other ways. WHITE HOUSE, HUNTER BIDEN’S TEAM KEEP SHIFTING GOALPOSTS IN DENYING DAD’S INVOLVEMENT WITH BUSINESSES “That is a huge change, which means — sort of means he’s involved,” Jordan said. “I think that’s how anyone with common sense would read it.” Jordan described the change as indicating President Biden has “been involved, just not financially.” Jordan said that “is a huge departure from everything they’ve said now for the last three and a half years.” President Biden, dating back to August 2019 on the 2020 campaign trail, said he “never discussed with my son or my brother or anyone else anything having to do with their business, period.” A month later, Biden said he had “never spoken to my son about his overseas business dealings.” The next month, Biden said, “I don’t discuss business with my son.” This summer, however, the White House made a change, and began saying Biden was not “in business” with his son during his vice presidency. “As we have said many times before, the president was not in business with his son,” White House counsel’s office spokesperson Ian Sams said in a June 29 statement. “The answer remains the same,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during a July 24 briefing. “The president was never in business with his son. I just don’t have anything else to add.” House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, Jordan, Oversight Committee Chair James Comer and Ways and Means Committee Chair Jason Smith wrote a letter to White House Counsel Stuart Delery in July to seek clarity on the shifting message, but their July 27 deadline was ignored. Hunter Biden’s attorney Abbe Lowell in September said he can “categorically” declare that the elder Biden was not involved in his son’s previous business dealings and did not profit from any of them. “I can tell you that Hunter did not share his business with his dad,” Lowell told CNN in September. “I can tell you that he did not share money from his businesses with his dad. And as the evidence out there, his dad, like all good parents, tried to help Hunter when Hunter needed that help.” Meanwhile, Comer and Jordan last week threatened to hold Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress if he defied the subpoena and failed to appear for his deposition. Comer and Jordan had vowed to release the full transcript of Hunter Biden’s deposition if he did participate. They also vowed to then schedule a public hearing for the president’s son to testify in a setting for the American people to hear from him directly. HUNTER BIDEN MAY BE HELD IN CONTEMPT OF CONGRESS IF HE DOESN’T SHOW UP FOR INTERVIEW Meanwhile, Comer and Jordan spoke to reporters, defending their “lawful subpoena of the president’s son.” “This is a normal process in an investigation,” Comer said. “This has been a serious investigation since day one — an investigation about public corruption at the highest level.” Comer said he still expects to depose the president’s son. “And then we will be more than happy to have a public hearing,” Comer said. Jordan said if a public hearing took place first, as suggested by the first son, members would filibuster and delay lines of questioning. “The way you get the facts is you bring people in for an interview behind closed doors,” Jordan said. Lowell and the White House have argued that the subpoena was not valid because the House impeachment inquiry was never formalized by the full House of Representatives. However, a vote to do so is expected later Wednesday. “We think it is going to pass,” Jordan said. “We’ll see what their excuse is then.” However, Jordan did say that once that vote takes place, he and Comer will, as promised, “move forward with
School board votes to oust ‘Moms for Liberty’ co-founder amid Florida GOP sex scandal
A Florida school board passed a resolution Tuesday calling for Moms of Liberty co-founder Bridget Ziegler to resign from its school board after she and her husband, the Republican Party state chairman, became embroiled in a purported sex scandal. The Sarasota County School Board voted 4-1 for Ziegler to step down, with board Chair Karen Rose saying that the woman’s continued presence on the board would only cause “irreparable harmful distractions” in light of the media scrutiny surrounding the scandal. Ziegler’s husband, Christian Ziegler, has been accused of raping a woman inside the woman’s Sarasota home on Oct. 2. He denies the allegations and has not been charged with a crime at the time of this reporting. MOMS FOR LIBERTY TAKES CENTER STAGE AGAIN IN 2024 REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL RACE Bridget told police previously that she, the victim and her husband had consensual sex together for over a year before the alleged crime occurred, according to reports. According to text messages cited in the affidavit, the woman and the Zieglers had planned to again have group sex that day, but the woman backed out after Bridget “couldn’t make it.” The board’s resolution is not legally binding. However, it sends a strong message that the board wants her ousted. Only Florida’s Republican governor can remove a school board member, and only under certain conditions, such as a criminal charge. MOMS FOR LIBERTY RIGHTEOUS FIRE IS SPREADING FAST “I personally care about Bridget and her family and deeply regret the necessity for this course of action,” Rose told The Associated Press. Bridget is co-founder of the conservative Moms for Liberty group, a conservative political organization that advocates against school curricula that mention LGBT issues, race and ethnicity and critical race theory. The group began by campaigning against COVID-19 restrictions in schools, including mask and vaccine mandates. She also championed the Parental Rights in Education bill, dubbed by critics as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which bans school employees or third parties from giving classroom instruction on “sexual orientation” or “gender identity” in kindergarten through third grade in Florida. Democrats and other critics say the Zieglers are hypocritical because the alleged sexual activities are at odds with the conservative views they espouse. Bridget has served on the board since 2014, when she was appointed by then-Gov. Rick Scott, and had previously been its chair. She voted against the resolution, saying she was “disappointed” but gave no indication she would step down. Prior to the meeting, several dozen people marched outside carrying signs and chanting, “Hey hey, ho ho, Bridget Ziegler has got to go.” Among the signs’ slogans were “Ban Bridget, not books” and “Real women aren’t homophobes.” The vote comes as Christian Ziegler faces a vote on Sunday to remove him from his $120,000 a-year job in light of the rape allegations and the alleged affair, according to the Orlando Sentinel. So far, he has steadfastly refused to resign even as Gov. Ron DeSantis and most state Republican leaders want him out, the Orlando Sentinel reports. Fox News’ Pilar Arias and Jessica Chasmar as well as The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Trump cannot assert presidential immunity in E Jean Carroll defamation lawsuit, appeals court rules
Former President Trump cannot assert presidential immunity in a defamation lawsuit brought by writer E. Jean Carroll, a U.S. appeals court ruled Wednesday. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan upheld a federal judge’s decision not to allow Trump’s blanket claim of presidential immunity in the case, prompting the former president’s legal team to seek a review from the U.S. Supreme Court. “The Second Circuit’s ruling is fundamentally flawed and we will seek immediate review from the Supreme Court,” said Alina Habba, one of Trump’s lawyers in the case. The appeal was heard on an expedited basis, ahead of his scheduled trial on Jan. 16, 2024. JUDGE DISMISSES TRUMP COUNTERCLAIM IN E. JEAN CARROLL DEFAMATION CASE In the lawsuit, Carroll is seeking at least $10 million in damages from Trump over comments he made about her in June 2019, during his presidential term in the White House. Carroll, a former Elle magazine columnist, initially accused Trump of rape and sexual assault in Manhattan in the mid-1990s. In response, the former president denied ever knowing Carroll and said she made up the rape claim for attention. She then sued in November 2019. FEDERAL JUDGE DENIES TRUMP’S 4TH ATTEMPT TO STOP E JEAN CARROLL LAWSUIT, CALLING APPEAL ‘FRIVOLOUS’ In December 2022, Trump asserted presidential immunity shielded him from the lawsuit. The president’s unique office grants him complete immunity from many types of civil lawsuits while in office. This delay, however, was ultimately cited by U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan in Manhattan when he rejected Trump’s bid to dismiss Carroll’s case and refused to let Trump raise an immunity defense. TRUMP SUES E. JEAN CARROLL FOR DEFAMATION On Wednesday, the 2nd Circuit said those decisions were correct. “A three-year-delay is more than enough, under our precedents, to qualify as ‘undue,’” the three-judge panel wrote in its opinion. TRUMP VIDEO OF E JEAN CARROLL DEPOSITION RELEASED: ‘SHE WOULDN’T BE MY TYPE IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM’ Robbie Kaplan, the attorney for E. Jean Carroll, responded, “We are pleased that the Second Circuit affirmed Judge Kaplan’s rulings and that we can now move forward with trial next month on January 16.” Trump has pursued similar immunity defenses in his federal criminal case in Washington, where he is accused of inciting a riot, disrupting an official proceeding and for unlawfully trying to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. Trump is the front-runner for the 2024 Republican nomination, when he seeks a rematch against President Biden in the 2024 U.S. election. Trump currently leads Biden in head-to-head polls and holds a tremendous lead over other Republican candidates, including Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis. The case is Carroll v. Trump, 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Reuters contributed to this report.
House to vote on bipartisan resolution demanding Harvard, MIT presidents resign over antisemitism testimony
The House of Representatives is expected to vote on a bipartisan resolution Wednesday calling for the “immediate resignation” of Harvard President Claudine Gay and MIT President Sally Kornbluth after the boards of each respective institution decided to support the leaders despite their testimony about antisemitism on their campuses. The resolution was announced on Tuesday hours after the fellows of the Harvard Corporation reaffirmed their support for Gay as the “right leader to help our community heal and to address the very serious societal issues we are facing” early Tuesday morning. House Republican Conference Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., as well as Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., and Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., afterward introduced a resolution condemning the testimony of Harvard, MIT and UPenn’s presidents and calling for “the immediate resignation of the remaining presidents at Harvard and MIT.” Just two days after the hearing last week, MIT’s Executive Corporation had already pledged “full and unreserved support” for Kornbluth, issuing a statement that championed “her outstanding academic leadership, her judgment, her integrity, her moral compass, and her ability to unite our community around MIT’s core values.” When the presidents of UPenn, Harvard and MIT were asked if calling for the genocide of Jews violates university policies on bullying and harassment, “Presidents Elizabeth Magill, Claudine Gay, and Sally Kornbluth were evasive and dismissive, failing to simply condemn such action,” the resolution says. Specifically, Magill stated, ‘‘It is a context-dependent decision”; Gay insisted that it ‘‘depends on the context”; and Kornbluth responded it would only constitute harassment if it were ‘‘targeted at individuals.” STEFANIK SHREDS HARVARD OVER ‘COMPLETE MORAL FAILURE’ AFTER ALLOWING CLAUDINE GAY TO REMAIN PRESIDENT “President Magill has resigned, and the other Presidents should follow suit,” the resolution, which will require support from two-thirds of the House to pass, says. “Acts of hate, intimidation, discrimination, and violence-based on ethnicity or religion have no place in our country or in the global community.” Under mounting pressure from donors, Magill resigned on Saturday, and MIT on Tuesday announced Dr. J. Larry Jameson, who was dean of the university’s medical school, will serve as the interim president of the university. “This is not a partisan issue but a question of moral clarity which is why our colleagues from across the aisle have come together with us to introduce a resolution condemning antisemitism on university campuses as well as the morally bankrupt testimonies of the University Presidents from Harvard, Penn, and MIT during last week’s House Committee on Education and the Workforce hearing,” Stefanik said in a statement Tuesday, announcing the resolution. “We are only just beginning to address the pervasive rot of antisemitism that has infected America’s higher education system and we will not stop until it is rooted out and those responsible for fostering its growth are held accountable. Antisemitism has no place in America.” “These are Ivy League university presidents that were asked a softball question: ‘Does calling for the genocide of Jews count as harassment under their school’s policies?’ That’s not a trick question, and it’s infuriating that these leaders of young people would try to equivocate with some nonsense about ‘it depends on the context.’ Sub out Jews for any other persecuted minority group and they would never have given that answer. They failed the test, and just like their students there are no makeups,” Moskowitz said. “When Chair Stefanik asked the presidents of MIT, Harvard, and University of Pennsylvania if calling for the genocide of Jews constituted harassment and violated their codes of conduct, we should have heard a simple and resounding ‘yes.’ This was not a hard question – in fact, it was probably the easiest question they could have answered. The abject failure of these presidents to defend even the most basic of human rights – the right to exist – against hypocritical wokeism exposed the moral bankruptcy at these elite universities to the world,” Scalise said. MIT ALUMS RIP ‘DISASTROUS’ ANTISEMITISM TESTIMONY BUT STOP SHORT OF CALLING FOR RESIGNATION “Students are scared to be Jewish on campus and these presidents’ answers before Congress reinforced their failures of leadership over the last few months. I will always defend the right to free speech, even when what’s being said is incredibly offensive. But, I won’t sit back when words and actions violate the law, instill fear, and put students in danger,” Gottheimer said. The resolution risks dividing the Democratic caucus. Last week, Rep. Kathy Manning, D-N.C., who is Jewish and chairs the House’s antisemitism task force, split with Stefanik regarding a letter calling for the ouster of all three university presidents. Manning further alleged on X Tuesday that the House GOP Chair “didn’t care about protecting Jewish students.” “All she cared about was calling for the resignation of university presidents to score political points,” Manning wrote. “Rep. Stefanik is trying to get a soundbite & media hits.” In the months since Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre, considered the deadliest attack against the Jewish people since the Holocaust, the Anti-Defamation League has recorded 2,031 antisemitic incidents, 400 of which occurred on college campuses, a more than 330% increase from the year prior, the resolution notes. It goes on to say how, “Jewish and Israeli students have faced physical violence, hate-filled disruptions in the classroom, calls from students and faculty advocating for the elimination and destruction of Israel, and other forms of persistent harassment.” Harvard’s board went through extensive deliberations over the weekend and into Monday regarding calls from 74 House members from both sides of the aisle demanding Gay, as well as the presidents of MIT and UPenn, be removed. More than 500 Harvard faculty members, however, had written the board demanding the university support Gay and “defend the independence of the university and to resist political pressures that are at odds with Harvard’s commitment to academic freedom.” Billionaire Harvard alum Bill Ackman also sent a letter demanding Gay’s ouster, claiming her “failure to condemn the most vile and barbaric terrorism the world has ever
Top Republicans roll out bill to bar VA healthcare processing systems from being used for illegal migrants
FIRST ON FOX: Top Republicans in the House and Senate introduced legislation Wednesday to prevent Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) healthcare resources from being used for illegal migrants. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and Rep. Mike Bost, R-Il., chair of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, rolled out the legislation — known as the No VA Resources for Illegal Aliens Act — after Fox News Digital reported on complaints that the Biden administration VA is providing healthcare administrative services to illegal immigrants, potentially exacerbating long wait times for American veterans. “Joe Biden is putting illegal immigrants over America’s veterans,” Tuberville said in a statement. “It is outrageous. Our veterans should not be forced to wait in long lines at VA medical centers and clinics to get the care they EARNED while illegal immigrants waltz across our open border and get taxpayer-funded healthcare they NEVER earned.” VA’S ROLE IN MIGRANT MEDICAL CARE DRAWS SCRUTINY FROM ADVOCATES AS BORDER CRISIS INTENSIFIES “Joe Biden’s failed border policies have created a humanitarian and national security crisis. Now it appears he’s taking resources away from our veterans to facilitate healthcare for illegal migrants,” Bost said in a statement. “As a Marine, I believe any dollar taken away from a veteran is a promise broken to those who served.” When an illegal immigrant in ICE detention requires healthcare, they are typically treated on-site by medical professionals. However, if a specialist or emergency care is required, they may be transported to an independent private provider. VETERANS PLAGUED BY ERRORS IN HEALTH BENEFIT SYSTEM DUE TO COMPUTER MISHAP In such cases, ICE contracts with the VA’s Financial Service Center (VA-FSC) to process reimbursements to those providers. According to a report from July, ICE has hundreds of letters of understanding in which ICE’s Health Service Corps (IHSC) will reimburse providers at Medicare rates. That uses the VA-FSC’s Healthcare Claims Processing System — a portal that allows providers to submit and view claims and access other resources. The arrangement long predates the Biden administration. It was outlined in a 2020 memo during the Trump administration, and the VA previously told Fox News Digital that it has an interagency agreement with the IHSC since 2002 to provide processing. The agency stressed that it is not the VA that either provides healthcare or pays for it. SENATE DEMS SAY ANY CHANGES TO ASYLUM SYSTEM MUST BE COUPLED WITH AMNESTY FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS “VA does not provide or fund any health care services to individuals detained in [ICE] custody. At no time are any VA health care professionals or VA funds used for this purpose,” VA press secretary Terrence Hayes told Fox News Digital earlier this month. “[IHSC] provides and pays for all health care services for individuals detained in its custody.” Joining Tuberville and Bost in sponsoring the bill are Sens. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), along with House Reps. Keith Self (R-Texas), Jack Bergman (R-Mich.), Scott Franklin (R-Fla.), and Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa). Fox News’ Adam Shaw contributed to this report.
Weather update: Dense fog predicted in Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, UP, rains in southern states; check latest IMD forecast
From Friday till the end of this week, there may be light to moderate rainfall in several locations along with sporadic thunderstorms and lightning over Kerala, Mahe, and Tamil Nadu.