Fox News Politics: Poison Ivy League
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. What’s happening: – House Republicans try to formalize Biden impeachment inquiries – Biden meets with Zelenskeyy as Ukraine’s president requests more aid – Special Counsel Jack Smith to use Trump’s phone in election interference trial Harvard President Claudine Gay will remain in charge of the storied university despite criticism for her testimony in the House last week, when she said calls for genocide of Jewish people required “context” violate the schools code of conduct, depending on the “context.” On top of that, a Manhattan Institute Report over the weekend looked at her academic work, which has scholars saying Gay “definitely” plagiarized almost 20 authors in four of her 11 peer-reviewed academic papers, including her doctoral dissertation. In a statement, Harvard referred to the plagiarism allegations as incidents of “inadequate citation.” House GOP Conference Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., slammed the decision to stand behind Gay, calling it a “complete moral failure” of Harvard’s leadership. POISON IVY: Billionaire investor and influential Harvard alum Bill Ackman claimed Harvard’s handling of the rising antisemitism on campus has cost the university more than a billion dollars in donations. FIRST MEETING: Biden to meet with families of Americans held hostage by Hamas …Read more ‘I AM A ZIONIST’: President Biden condemns silence on antisemitism at Hanukkah ceremony …Read more REVISIONIST HISTORY?: VP Harris’s husband deletes story of Hanukkah post after being mocked …Read more UKRAINE IN THE CROSSHAIRS: Speaker Johnson unmoved about Ukraine aid after meeting with Zelenskyy …Read more I SPY: GOP infighting blows up plans for controversial surveillance tool’s renewal …Read more ‘GRAVELY CONCERNING’: GOP senators sound alarm on DEI contracts in government agencies …Read more FORMALIZE THE INQUIRY?: House Rules to consider resolution to formalize Biden impeachment inquiry, strengthen subpoenas …Read more ALL GOOD: Top GOP rebel group picks lawmaker who voted to oust McCarthy as leader …Read more WISCONSIN WOES: Wisconsin considers major election overhaul through ranked choice voting proposal …Read more SPOILER ALERT: New poll shows Trump with slim lead over Biden, with RFK Jr. candidacy taking away from Dems …Read more KEY ENDORSEMENT: Former New Hampshire governor expected to back Trump challenger …Read more OPTIMISTIC PREDICTION: 2024 GOP presidential race: Ramaswamy predicts he’ll ‘shatter expectations’ in Iowa and New Hampshire …Read more ‘BIGOTRY’ IN MICHIGAN: Antisemitic sign hung outside Michigan Republican’s district office …Read more CASHING IN: Planned Parenthood received $90 million in PPP loans during COVID-19 pandemic: Report …Read more RIGHT TO ‘BEAR’ ARMS: Florida lawmakers consider bill allowing deadly force to protect home from bears …Read more ‘MODERN-DAY SLAVERY’: EV batteries remain dependent on mines employing child labor: report …Read more NOT MINCING WORDS: Bill Clinton allegedly ripped wife Hillary’s campaign as not being able to sell ‘p*ssy on a troop train’ …Read more FLED TEXAS: Texas Supreme Court rules against pregnant woman hours after she leaves state to obtain abortion …Read more Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
New York high court paves way for Democrats to redraw congressional map
New York’s top court on Tuesday threw out the state’s congressional map, a decision that could eventually pave the way for the Democratic-controlled legislature to draw a new map that gives the party a major edge in the 2024 election.
US rejects “absurd” claims it is plotting violence against Cuba
The U.S. State Department denied on Tuesday it was plotting violent attacks against Cuba, a day after the Communist-run island claimed Washington was seeking to foment unrest before the New Year.
The field for the Texas primary election is set — here’s what to watch for
With both Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton out for revenge, Republican members of the Texas House are the top target on the ballot.
Dem lawmaker screams over Kamala Harris’ holiday party speech, igniting response: ‘Right now, I am speaking’
Vice President Kamala Harris’ holiday party speech was interrupted by a Democrat state representative calling for a cease-fire in the Middle East. Harris was in the middle of speaking at a Christmas party on Monday night when Delaware state Rep. Madinah Wilson-Anton held up a sign that read “cease-fire” and began yelling at the vice president. “Madam Vice President, I am a rep from Delaware. Did you know in Bethlehem they are not celebrating Christmas? Did you know in Bethlehem, baby Jesus is under rubble? Why won’t you call for a cease-fire,” Wilson-Anton shouted. The vice president cut off the interrupter, saying, “I appreciate you wanting to be heard, but right now I’m speaking.” ‘SHAMEFUL’: AOC BLASTS BIDEN ADMIN FOR BLOCKING UN GAZA CEASE-FIRE RESOLUTION “Call for a cease-fire now,” Wilson-Anton shouted as she was seen on a video being escorted out of the event. BERNIE SANDERS OPPOSES ‘SQUAD,’ REJECTS PERMANENT CEASE-FIRE BETWEEN ISRAEL, HAMAS Most lawmakers oppose a call for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, with President Biden writing in a November Washington Post op-ed that “a cease-fire is not peace.” “As long as Hamas clings to its ideology of destruction, a cease-fire is not peace. To Hamas’ members, every cease-fire is time they exploit to rebuild their stockpile of rockets, reposition fighters and restart the killing by attacking innocents again,” Biden said. Many members of the Democrat Party and Biden’s own administration have expressed disagreement with the president amid reports of White House interns sending a letter to him urging a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., also broke with members of her party in calling the Biden administration’s veto of a United Nations resolution that called for a cease-fire in Gaza “shameful.” “The Biden [administration] can no longer reconcile their professed concern for Palestinians and human rights while also single-handedly vetoing the UN’s call for ceasefire and sidestepping the entire US Congress to unconditionally back the indiscriminate bombing of Gaza,” the Democrat wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP House progressive Reps. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., and Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich. – who was censured for chanting “from the river to the sea” – also voiced similar calls for a cease-fire.
NY court decision gives Dems inside track on competitive House districts
New York’s top court handed Democrats a massive win Tuesday, ordering the state’s redistricting commission to craft new congressional maps ahead of the 2024 election cycle as Democrats try to regain seats they lost in 2022. “We are asked to remedy a constitutional deficiency in the 2022 redistricting process that was attributable to the [Independent Redistricting Commission] abdication of its constitutional duty,” Chief Judge Rowan D. Wilson wrote in his majority opinion Wednesday. In the 4-3 ruling, the state’s Independent Redistricting Commission is required to submit congressional maps to the state legislature by Feb. 28. New York has been in the midst of a redistricting saga stretching back to before the 2022 election cycle. Voters in the Empire State approved an amendment to the state’s constitution in 2014 that reformed its redistricting process and prohibited partisan gerrymandering. It created the bipartisan Independent Redistricting Commission, which is tasked with redrawing congressional lines. NEW YORK LEGAL BATTLE UNFOLDS AS STATE’S HIGH COURT REVIEWS LAWSUIT WITH POTENTIAL TO REDRAW HOUSE MAP The commission, however, failed to reach a consensus ahead of the 2022 election, allowing the Democrat-controlled legislature to step in and draw the map. Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul signed the redrawn map into law, which sparked a lawsuit from Republicans. A county judge at the time stuck down the Democrat-drawn map before Democrats in the state took the case to the Court of Appeals. NEW YORK’S LEGAL BID TO REDRAW HOUSE MAP COULD DECIDE CONTROL OF CHAMBER The Court of Appeals also struck down the map and appointed a “special master” to redraw the congressional lines ahead of the 2022 election. What soon followed under the new districts were Republicans winning five out of the six competitive House races in New York and flipping four blue seats red. With the ruling Wednesday, the court is ordering the Independent Redistricting Commission to take another shot at redistricting. “In 2014, the voters of New York amended our Constitution to provide that legislative districts be drawn by an Independent Redistricting Commission (IRC),” Wilson wrote in the majority opinion. DRAFT OF NY CONGRESSIONAL REDISTRICTING MAP ‘ABSOLUTELY BRUTAL’ FOR DEMS “The Constitution demands that process, not districts drawn by courts,” Wilson continued. “Nevertheless, the IRC failed to discharge its constitutional duty. That dereliction is undisputed. The Appellate Division concluded that the IRC can be compelled to reconvene to fulfill that duty; we agree. There is no reason the Constitution should be disregarded.” Ahead of the highly anticipated verdict, a group called Stop NY Corruption said Tuesday it would file another lawsuit if the Court of Appeals ruled that the state redraw the lines. “The politicians in Albany want to manipulate your vote. They’re trying to use the courts in order to advance their own political gain. And this is a power grab of the most shameful kind,” said Bobbie Anne Cox of Stop NY Corruption, according to CBS News.
RNC youth committee members resign over dissatisfaction with efforts to attract young voters
EXCLUSIVE: Five members of the Republican National Committee’s youth advisory council have resigned amid dissatisfaction with GOP’s efforts—or lack thereof—to draw in young voters ahead of the 2024 election, Fox News Digital has learned. The RNC created the council, co-chaired by Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., and Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Fla., in a commitment to youth voter outreach. The council is made up of millennials and Gen Z individuals. RNC LAUNCHES ‘BANK YOUR VOTE’ AD BLITZ TO PUSH REPUBLICANS TO VOTE EARLY IN 2024 ELECTIONS But five members are resigning from the 16-member board due to, what they call, a “lack of vision” from the party. “When first approached about the committee that your team was forming, we were honored to join and excited about what we believed was a serious undertaking by the RNC to win the hearts and minds of young voters across the country,” the five members who are resigning wrote in a letter to RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel, exclusively obtained by Fox News Digital. “Our decision to withdraw from the committee is one that has not been made lightly and is the result of a lack of organization, lack of tangible goals and benchmarks, and general lack of vision for the Advisory Council,” they wrote. The members— all “elected officials” from Iowa, West Virginia, Missouri, Florida and Texas—said that upon joining, it was their “understanding that our proven abilities to fundraise, mobilize voters, and win elections would be utilized to gain a larger share of the youth vote.” RNC TO LAUNCH CAMPAIGN PUSHING REPUBLICANS TO VOTE EARLY IN 2024 The members said that during their “short tenure” on the board, they have “not been updated on any efforts employed by the RNC—if any exist at all—to specifically reach young voters, have not been utilized as elected representatives of our state, have not been assigned or delegated any tasks, and have not even received proper invitations to council meetings.” The members said the “lack of organization and communication from the RNC” makes them feel that the council is “nothing more than another failed fundraising ploy by the RNC.” “My colleagues and I refuse to be used as shiny objects in the solicitation of funds by the RNC when there is no work being done to advance the mission of the Advisory Council,” they wrote. The members stressed that the RNC needs to “win over and mobilize young voters across this country” in order to “course-correct and restore our great country to the force it once was.” “After seeing the way the Youth Advisory Council has been run since its formation, we are sending this letter to express the lack of confidence we have in the RNC’s ability to win over and mobilize young voters,” they wrote. They added: “It is our hope that you will take the concerns expressed in this letter and our departure from the Youth Advisory Council as a call to reform and reestablish this council as one that is actionable and effective and as an invitation to join us in the critical work of reaching young voters in tangible, measurable ways before election day in November 2024.” But members of the council who are staying on are completely at odds with their resigning colleagues, and claim they “weren’t contributing” while they served. A person familiar with the RNC’s Youth Advisory Council told Fox News Digital that all five members of the council who are resigning were “repeatedly asked to help with both the social media and messaging projects, each individual either refused to participate or were assigned to a project and did not return multiple requests for input.” “Our Youth Advisory Council has been working tirelessly to engage with the grassroots, bring young voters to our debates, get them committed to vote early through the RNC’s Bank Your Vote program, and working on guides for our Republican candidates on how to reach young voters and the pressing issues that will motivate us to vote next year,” RNC Youth Advisory Council Co-Chair Brilyn Hollyhand told Fox News Digital. “We are excited for the work ahead of the council in 2024 and won’t be distracted by a select few who weren’t contributing in the first place and no longer want to be a part of it.” The letter is signed by members Joe Mitchell from Iowa; Caleb Hanna of West Virginia; Mazzie Boyd of Missouri; Carolina Amnesty of Florida; and Caroline Harris of Texas. Harris told Fox News Digital that the advisory committee was “always just a PR stunt the RNC could use to mislead donors.” “After meeting once or twice back in the summer, there has not been one follow-up meeting, not one phone call, nor has the committee been invited to participate or advise on anything else within the RNC,” Harris said. “The RNC understands the young voters as much as they understand the Trump movement,” Boyd told Fox News Digital. “They are still stuck in the Bush Era and haven’t been able to get out.” And Hanna told Fox News Digital that the advisory council is “based on a lie.” “A lie that the RNC actually wants to reach young people or even wants to learn how,” he said. “It’s very revealing and disappointing to see the RNC’s incompetence up close and personal.” BIDEN’S STANDING WITH YOUNG VOTERS GETS SCATHING ASSESSMENT IN NY TIMES: ‘MANY YOUNG DEMOCRATS DON’T LIKE HIM’ Council co-Chair CJ Pearson said: “Resigning from a job you didn’t show up for isn’t news. It’s a distraction from the important work we do, and will continue to do, as we march towards 2024.” Council member Riley Gaines also praised the work of the RNC, saying that “the Republican Party has never been more committed to bringing more young voices into the Party than it is this cycle.” An RNC official told Fox News Digital that the council is currently working on rolling out a “best practices guide for social media and messaging guidance on how to talk about young voters’
‘Taste’, ‘decency’ standards for South Dakota vanity plates unconstitutional, state admits
South Dakota officials will no longer deny applications for personalized license plates based on whether the plate’s message is deemed to be “offensive to good taste and decency,” following the state’s admission that the language is an unconstitutional violation of free speech rights. The change is part of a settlement state officials reached in a lawsuit filed last month by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of Lyndon Hart. His 2022 application to the Motor Vehicle Division for a vanity plate reading “REZWEED” was denied after state officials called it “in bad taste.” Hart runs a business called Rez Weed Indeed, which he uses to support the legal selling and use of marijuana on Native American reservations. Hart intended for the personalized license plate to refer to his business and its mission of promoting tribal sovereignty, the ACLU said. KANSAS OPENS VOTING ON NEW LICENSE PLATE AFTER FACING CRITICISM OVER PREVIOUS DESIGN The section of the law allowing for denial of personalized plates based on the decency clause is “unconstitutional on its face and as applied to the plaintiff,” said U.S. District Judge Roberto Lange in an order signed Friday. The unconstitutional clause can’t be used to issue or recall personalized plates, Lange wrote. As part of the settlement, filed on Friday, state officials agreed to issue the “REZWEED” plate to Hart, as well as the plates “REZSMOK” and “REZBUD,” that will not be later recalled “so long as personalized plates are allowed by the legislature.” State officials also agreed to issue plates to those previously denied who reapply and pay the required vanity plate fees. “It’s dangerous to allow the government to decide which speech is allowed and which should be censored,” Stephanie Amiotte, ACLU of South Dakota legal director, said in a statement. Federal courts have ruled that license plates are a legitimate place for personal and political expression, and courts throughout the country have struck down similar laws, the ACLU said. HOMEMADE LICENSE PLATE ON STOLEN CAR LEADS TO CALIFORNIA WOMAN’S ARREST In January, North Carolina decided to allow more LGBTQ+ phrases on vanity plates. The state’s Division of Motor Vehicles approved more than 200 phrases that were previously blocked, including “GAYPRIDE,” “LESBIAN” and “QUEER.” Other states — including Delaware, Oklahoma and Georgia — have been sued over their restrictions in recent years. The South Dakota settlement stipulates that officials will make a public statement, which is to be included on the South Dakota Department of Revenue’s website, announcing the changes to vanity plate standards by Dec. 15. That statement did not appear on the department’s website by Tuesday morning. An email request Tuesday to the spokeswoman of both the state Revenue Department and Motor Vehicle Division seeking comment was not immediately returned.
Biden announces $200M in additional military aid to Ukraine during Zelenskyy visit to White House
President Biden on Tuesday announced an additional $200 million military aid package to Ukraine to help the war-weary nation in its ongoing fight against Russia. The announcement came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was visiting the White House and meeting with Congressional leaders to plead for more U.S. aid. “I just signed another $200 million drawdown for the Department of Defense for Ukraine, and that’ll be coming,” Biden told reporters during an on-camera meeting in the Oval Office with Zelenskyy. The roughly $200 million in weapons and equipment will be taken from Pentagon stockpiles and include additional ammunition for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), high-speed anti-radiation missiles, anti-armor systems, artillery rounds, missiles, demolition munitions, 4 million rounds of small arms ammunition, generators and other equipment and spare parts, one official said. Including that latest package, the U.S. now has about $4.4 billion remaining in weapons it can provide from department stockpiles. JOHNSON DIGS HEELS IN ON BORDER SECURITY AFTER MEETING WITH ZELENSKYY ABOUT UKRAINE AID Zelenskyy’s visit to Washington comes at a grim time for Ukraine. President Joe Biden’s request for an additional $110 billion U.S. aid package for Ukraine, Israel and other national security needs is at serious risk of collapse in Congress as Republicans are insisting on linking it to strict U.S.-Mexico border security changes that Democrats decry. Zelenskyy met privately with U.S. lawmakers earlier Tuesday, including Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, and the new Speaker Mike Johnson. Schumer called it a “very powerful” meeting, but gave no update on stalled negotiations. Johnson insisted after the meeting: “We do want to do the right thing here.” The White House said the time was right for Zelenskyy’s trip to Washington as Biden pushes lawmakers to approve the aid package before the year-end holidays. A top spokesman said the U.S. can’t let Ukraine aid lapse, especially as the Israel-Hamas war takes attention, and that the president was willing to make compromises with Republicans.
UPenn names interim president following Liz Magill’s resignation
The University of Pennsylvania has announced a new interim president on Tuesday, after Liz Magill resigned on Saturday. Dr. J. Larry Jameson will serve as the interim president of the university, UPenn announced Tuesday. Previously, Jameson was dean of the university’s medical school. Magill resigned following criticism stemming from her appearance at a congressional hearing, where she failed to say if calls for the genocide of Jews would violate university policy. “I write to share that J. Larry Jameson, MD, Ph.D., has graciously agreed to serve as Interim President of the University of Pennsylvania, effective immediately. Dr. Jameson has served as Executive Vice President of the University of Pennsylvania for the Health System and dean of the Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine, which together comprise Penn Medicine, since 2011,” Interim Board of Trustees Chair Julie Beren Platt wrote in a statement Tuesday. “Jonathan A. Epstein, MD, executive vice dean and chief scientific officer of the Perelman School of Medicine and senior vice president and chief scientific officer of the University of Pennsylvania Health System, will step in as Interim Executive Vice President for the Health System and dean of the Perelman School of Medicine.”