Labor union calls for federal intervention in South Carolina workplace safety program
One of the largest labor organizations in the United States petitioned the federal government Thursday to wrest workplace safety oversight from South Carolina regulators accused of failing to protect service employees. South Carolina is one of 22 states allowed to run its own ship when it comes to enforcing occupational safety in most private businesses — as long as the programs are “at least as effective” as their federal counterpart. Service Employees International Union argues that is not the case in South Carolina, where its lawyer says a subpar enforcement program and “skeletal inspection force” are preventing real accountability. “Make our workplace safe. Because y’all need us at the end of the day,” said Shae Parker, a former Waffle House employee who spoke Thursday at a Union of Southern Service Workers rally. UNIONS PUMPED $700M INTO DEMOCRATIC PARTY CAUSES NATIONWIDE, NONPROFIT REPORT FINDS Workers with the group, an SEIU affiliate that grew out of the Fight for $15 campaign’s southern branch, have been mobilizing colleagues across fast food chains, retail stores and warehouses to push for stronger protections. The USSW backed complaints this summer from Waffle House staff in South Carolina’s capital city over a faulty air-conditioning system and other concerns. Parker said heat exhaustion grew so severe among cooks and servers that someone vomited. The USSW sent multiple follow-ups about the location’s conditions to the South Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Administration before getting a conference that ended in five minutes, the petition said, an example of the state program’s “overt hostility.” The South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation said in a statement that the state plan follows federal enforcement procedures, and works with groups — including the USSW — to provide free safety and health trainings. “South Carolina OSHA is a proud State Plan and is fully committed to its mission of making South Carolina a safe place to work and live for all employees,” said Lesia Kudelka, the agency’s communications director. Organizers also said in the Dec. 7 filing to the U.S. Labor Department that the state does not carry out enough inspections. South Carolina ran fewer inspections than expected by federal regulators in four of the five years from 2017-2022. The totals fitting for a state economy of its size fell 50% below federal expectations in 2018, according to the petition. South Carolina conducted 287 inspections in 2022, or about 1.9 for every 1,000 establishments — a figure the organization said is less than one-third the rate in the surrounding states of North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia, as well as the national average. THE POTENTIAL SUPREME COURT CASE THAT COULD BE THE NEXT JANUS FOR LABOR UNIONS Furthermore, serious safety violations recently carried weaker sanctions in South Carolina than required, SEIU said. The state’s average penalty of $2,019 for all private sector employers in fiscal year 2022 fell below the national average of $3,259, according to the union. The Republican-led state is challenging recent federal penalty increases, though a federal court dismissed its case earlier this year. Thursday’s filing marked labor groups’ latest challenge to the South Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Administration. A civil rights complaint filed by USSW in April accused the agency of racial discrimination by failing to routinely inspect workplaces with disproportionately large numbers of Black employees. The groups hope federal pressure will compel changes like those seen recently in Arizona. The southwestern state adopted new standards — including laws to ensure maximum and minimum penalties align with federal levels — after the U.S. Department of Labor announced its reconsideration of the Arizona State OSHA plan last year.
Ex-Nashville mayor who used taxpayer dollars to carry on affair launches bid to unseat House Republican
Former Democratic Nashville Mayor Megan Barry on Wednesday announced a U.S. House bid to unseat Rep. Mark Green, R-Tenn., seeking a political comeback more than five years after she faced now-dismissed criminal charges linked to her having an extramarital affair with her city-employed bodyguard. In her announcement video, she cited several reasons for trying to return to elected office: a spate of mass shootings at schools, including earlier this year at a Nashville Christian elementary school, which was carried out by a transgender activist and former student; Tennessee’s abortion ban; the closure of rural hospitals; and the opioid epidemic. “Today, I’m announcing my campaign for Congress because working families have been ignored for far too long,” Barry said in a video posted on her campaign website. “We need an economy and a government that works for everyone. If I can save even one other parent from burying a child, it will be worth every effort.” Barry, elected in 2015 as the first female mayor of Nashville, resigned from that office in 2018 after pleading guilty to felony theft for cheating the city out of thousands of dollars to carry on a nearly two-year affair with her then-police bodyguard, Sgt. Rob Forrest. She agreed to reimburse the city for $11,000 in unlawful expenses. After completing three years of unsupervised probation, the charge was expunged from her record in 2021, according to The Tennessean. NASHVILLE POLICE SAY 7 ON ADMIN ASSIGNMENT AFTER PURPORTED LEAK OF CHRISTIAN SCHOOL SHOOTER’S MANIFESTO In the video, Barry said she had “made mistakes,” but she took responsibility and worked through them with her husband. “I don’t think anybody should be defined by their worst moments,” Barry said. “It’s what you do next that counts.” She is running in one of three congressional districts that carved up Nashville during Republican-led redistricting last year. Due to line-drawing efforts by Republican state lawmakers that favor their own party, the GOP last year won another seat that previously centered on Nashville and was long held by Democrats. Barry is running as a Democrat, campaign spokesperson Brian Córdova confirmed to the Associated Press. “I look at the total dysfunction in Congress and its failure to make any kind of difference in the lives of our families,” Barry said. “It’s outrageous. We don’t have to tolerate it.” Barry’s announcement also focuses on the death of her only child, Max, who died in July 2017 after an overdose of a combination of drugs, including opioids. Since leaving office, Barry has widely shared her son’s story in an effort to combat shame and stigma surrounding substance abuse disorders. NASHVILLE KILLER AUDREY HALE SLEPT WITH JOURNALS ON SCHOOL SHOOTINGS UNDER BED, COURT DOCS REVEAL Barry will try to make inroads in a district that extends out of Nashville and into 13 Republican-favoring counties. Last year, Green won his third term in Congress over a Democratic opponent by nearly 22 percentage points. Voters in that district favored former President Trump over President Biden by 15 percentage points in 2020. Tennessee’s congressional map is facing a federal lawsuit, but that case isn’t scheduled to go to trial until April 2025. After Barry’s announcement, Green’s team said that he is “honored to serve and looks forward to continuing to fight for our values and principles,” mentioning securing the border, health care and “constitutional rights.” “From three tours in combat, to the emergency room, to public service, Congressman Green has always put his fellow American before himself,” Green’s chief of staff, Stephen Siao, said in a written statement. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
White House dodges reporter’s question on Biden removing terrorist designation from Iran proxy group
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby evaded a reporter’s question on Thursday when asked about President Biden’s decision to unlist Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen as a terrorist group. During the daily White House press briefing, Fox News reporter Jacqui Heinrich asked Kirby whether Biden holds any “regret” for delisting the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization, and whether the administration is reconsidering the move. “I’ve already said that we are going to review that decision. We are,” Kirby replied, although he gave no time frame for the review. “I don’t have a date certain for you or any outcome to brief, Jacqui, but we said we’re already gonna take a look and review that decision,” he added. US WARSHIP SHOOTS DOWN 3 HOUTHI DRONES TARGETING COMMERCIAL VESSELS IN RED SEA: CENTCOM Several of the president’s Republican critics in Congress have urged the Biden administration to consider reclassifying the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO). The Trump administration applied the designation to the group as one of its final acts, but Biden reversed that decision as one of its first acts upon taking office. Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the time argued that the administration removed the designation over concerns that it might have “a devastating impact on Yemenis’ access to basic commodities like food and fuel.” However, since the Israel-Hamas war started on Oct. 7, the Houthis are one of several Iran-backed proxy groups who have harassed Israeli and U.S. forces stationed in the Middle East. Earlier in November, a group of Republican lawmakers led by Sen. Steve Dains, R-Mont., introduced legislation that would force the administration to redesignate the Houthis as a terrorist organization. PENTAGON CONFIRMS 74TH ATTACK ON US TROOPS IN MIDDLE EAST SINCE OCT. 17 The Standing Against Houthi Aggression Act would allow the U.S. to enact several measures and sanctions against the group, including disruption of financial support networks. The designation makes it unlawful for a person in the U.S. or subject to U.S. jurisdiction to knowingly provide material support or resources to an FTO, and members of an FTO are inadmissible and – under certain conditions — subject to removal from the U.S. The legislation came in response to the attacks on U.S. forces. In the most recent incident, three commercial vessels came under attack in international waters on Sunday. The Houthis took credit for the attack, claiming it launched multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) at two Israeli vessels. Israel denied any link to the ships. CASUALTIES, KIDNAPPED AND MORE NUMBERS SINCE HAMAS’ ATTACK ON ISRAEL A U.S. Navy destroyer, the Carney, shot down three drones as it answered distress calls from the vessels, which the U.S. military said were connected to 14 separate nations. “These attacks represent a direct threat to international commerce and maritime security. They have jeopardized the lives of international crews representing multiple countries around the world,” U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said. “We also have every reason to believe that these attacks, while launched by the Houthis in Yemen, are fully enabled by Iran.” U.S. forces in the Middle East have been attacked at least 75 times since the middle of last month. The Pentagon does not count attacks on U.S. warships at sea in this number. Fox News Digital’s Peter Aitken, Danielle Wallace, Andrea Vacchiano, Lucas Tomlinson and Liz Friden contributed to this report.
White House scrambles to distance itself from Islamic group after leader’s praise for Hamas’ Oct 7th slaughter
FIRST ON FOX: The White House is scrambling to distance itself from the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) after its leader appeared to say that he was “happy” to see Palestinians in Gaza “break the siege” during Hamas’ deadly Oct. 7 terrorist attack against Israel. Nihad Awad, CAIR’s executive director, is seen making the comments in a video making its rounds on social media. “The people of Gaza only decided to break the siege, the walls of the concentration camp on Oct. 7,” Awad says in the video, which quickly went viral on social media. “And yes, I was happy to see people breaking the siege and throwing down the shackles of their own land and walk free into their land that they were not allowed to walk in.” “And yes, the people of Gaza have the right to self-defense, have the right to defend themselves,” he added. “And yes, Israel, as an occupying power, does not have that right to self-defense.” After being contacted regarding the comments, a White House spokesperson told Fox News Digital they are removing the group from its publicly listed pledge to fight antisemitism. The White House spokesperson said CAIR was “one of several independent organizations” listed in a supplemental document regarding the efforts and that the White House is “removing their commitment” from the record. UN SECRETARY-GENERAL INVOKES RARELY USED POWER TO DEMAND CEASE-FIRE IN GAZA More than six months after the announcement, Awad appeared at an American Muslims for Palestine event on Nov. 24 and made the controversial comments that led to the White House removing the group from its supplemental document on combating antisemitism. CAIR DIRECTOR SAYS HE WAS ‘HAPPY’ TO WITNESS OCT. 7 ATTACKS, ISRAEL ‘DOES NOT HAVE RIGHT TO SELF-DEFENSE’ In a lengthy statement to Fox News Digital, Awad said his comments were taken out of context by an “anti-Muslim, anti-Palestinian hate website.” “During my remarks last week at a conference in support of Palestinian human rights, I condemned violence against all civilians and all forms of bigotry, specifically including Islamophobia and antisemitism,” Awad said in the statement. “Despite this, an anti-Muslim, anti-Palestinian hate website selected remarks from my speech out of context and spliced them together to create a completely false meaning,” he added. “What I actually said while discussing international law: Ukrainians, Palestinians and other occupied people have the right to defend themselves and escape occupation by just and legal means, but targeting civilians is never an acceptable means of doing so, which is why I have again and again condemned the violence against Israeli civilians on Oct. 7 and past Hamas attacks on Israeli civilians, including suicide bombings, all the way back to the 1990s—just as I have condemned the decades of violence against Palestinian civilians.” “The average Palestinians who briefly walked out of Gaza and set foot on their ethnically cleansed land in a symbolic act of defiance against the blockade and stopped there without engaging in violence were within their rights under international law; the extremists who went on to attack civilians in southern Israel were not,” he continued. “Targeting civilians is unacceptable, no matter whether they are Israeli or Palestinian or any other nationality.”
Hunter Biden’s ex-business associate Tony Bobulinski demands Biden ‘stop lying’ about 2017 meeting
Hunter Biden’s former business partner Tony Bobulinski is demanding President Biden “stop lying” about his meeting with Biden in 2017, and calling on him to “correct the record.” “Why is Joe Biden blatantly lying to the American people and the world by claiming that he did not meet with me face to face?” Bobulinski told Fox News Digital in a statement. “He should call his son Hunter and brother Jim as they can remind him of the facts. The American people deserve the truth!” FLASHBACK: HUNTER BIDEN BUSINESS ASSOCIATE’S TEXT MESSAGES INDICATE MEETING WITH JOE BIDEN He added: “I call on Mr. Biden to stop lying and correct the record.” Bobulinski said he is a “former decorated Naval Officer who was willing to die for this great country and held the highest security clearance issued by the Department of Energy.” Bobulinski worked with Hunter Biden to create the joint venture SinoHawk Holdings with Chinese energy company CEFC. Despite Biden’s recent denials of involvement with his son’s business dealings, text messages dating back to May 2017 reveal that Biden met with Bobulinski months after he left the vice president’s office. Fox News Digital first reported on the text messages and that meeting in October 2020. HUNTER BIDEN’S EX-PARTNER BOBULINSKI CALLS ON BIDENS TO JOIN HIM FOR TESTIMONY AFTER CLAIM HE LIED TO FBI “Mrng plse let me knw if we will do early dinner w your Uncle & dad and where, also for document translation do you want it simple Chinese or traditional?” Bobulinski texted Hunter Biden on May 2, 2017. “Not sure on dinner yet and whatever is the most common for a Chinese legal DOC,” Hunter Biden replied. “Chinese legal docs can be both, i’ll make it traditional,” Bobulinski said. Hunter replied: “Dad not in now until 11- let’s me I and Jim meet at 10 at Beverly Hilton where he’s staying.” BOBULINSKI OFFERED TO TESTIFY AT HUNTER BIDEN GRAND JURY BUT ‘NEVER HEARD BACK’: SOURCE Later, Bobulinski sent a text to Jim Biden, Joe Biden’s brother, on the same day, May 2, 2017, saying: “Great to meet u and spend some time together, please thank Joe for his time, was great to talk thx Tony b.” The following day, May 3, 2017, Bobulinski sent another text to Jim Biden, saying: “Morning, please let me know all set for things this mrng. I don’t have credentials to get into Milken so just want to make sure not an issue to get me in, where should we meet this mrng?” “Milken” was in reference to the 2017 Global Conference, which, in part, was held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, according to the program directory. Joe Biden, on May 3, 2017, spoke at the conference, hosting “A Conversation with the 47th Vice President of the United States Joe Biden.” The meeting on May 2, 2017, would have taken place just 11 days before the now-infamous May 13, 2017, email, which included a discussion of “remuneration packages” for six people in a business deal with a Chinese energy firm. The email appeared to identify Biden as “Chair / Vice Chair depending on agreement with CEFC,” in a reference to now-bankrupt CEFC China Energy Co. HUNTER BIDEN INVESTIGATORS LIMITED QUESTIONS ABOUT ‘DAD,’ ‘BIG GUY’ DESPITE FBI, IRS OBJECTIONS: WHISTLEBLOWER The email includes a note that “Hunter has some office expectations he will elaborate.” A proposed equity split references “20” for “H” and “10 held by H for the big guy?” with no further details. Bobulinski has repeatedly said “the big guy” was Joe Biden. IRS whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler, who claimed that politics had influenced the years-long federal investigation into Hunter Biden, also said “the big guy” was known to be Joe Biden. The president, this week, was asked whether he had communicated with his son’s business partners. The question came after Fox News Digital first reported that IRS whistleblowers turned over metadata to the House Ways & Means Committee revealing that he had used an email alias to communicate hundreds of times with Hunter Biden and his business associate Eric Schwerin during his time as vice president. “I did not, they’re lies. It’s a bunch of lies,” Biden said at the White House Wednesday. Meanwhile, Bobulinski, last month, suggested that he and President Biden, Hunter Biden, and James Biden “appear together” before Congress for a public hearing. His suggestion came after Hunter Biden’s attorney Abbe Lowell sent a letter to U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Matthew Graves, claiming that Bobulinski lied to the FBI during an interview October 23, 2020, about his business dealings with the president’s son.
Key provisions of the US Congress’ massive defense bill
The National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, is one of the few major pieces of legislation that the U.S. Congress passes every year, a practice started in 1961.
Congress stalls on tackling border security as migrants stream in with no end in sight
Republicans and Democrats remain at loggerheads over solutions to the ongoing migrant crisis, leading to gridlock over a supplemental spending bill – even as President Biden says he is open to “significant compromises” on the matter. Senate Republicans, as well as Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., blocked a Democratic emergency spending measure on Wednesday that would have provided funding for Israel, Ukraine and the border but did not include border security measures sought by Republicans in the House and Senate. Republicans cited the lack of inclusion of additional border policy changes, specifically limits on asylum and humanitarian parole, as the reason for their no votes. The White House made its $110 billion supplemental funding request in October and included $14 billion for border security – including money for shelter and services, more hiring of officials, transportation, and resources for an expansion of expedited removal. The Democratic proposal on Wednesday included many of those measures. MIGRANT ENCOUNTERS HIT DAILY RECORD AT SOUTHERN BORDER AS WASHINGTON STRUGGLES TO AGREE ON SOLUTIONS Republicans, however, have called for sweeping changes to the border, including heightened “credible fear” standards for asylum seekers and limits on the administration’s use of parole to release migrants by the tens of thousands each month into the interior. Some conservatives have called for the inclusion of the entirety of the House GOP’s signature border legislation, which would also reinstate Remain-in-Mexico and restart the border wall, and have warned they will torpedo a spending bill if it does not include it. A Senate working group put forward proposals largely drawn from that bill, but they were soon shot down both by the White House and Senate Democratic leadership as a “non-starter.” Some Senate Democrats, meanwhile, have said they would only accept policy changes if accompanied by amnesty for illegal immigrants already in the U.S. – something that would almost certainly be rejected by Republicans, and would be anathema to the Republican base. Other Democrats are reportedly open to raising the “credible fear” standard but have ruled out changes to parole, which is being used to bring in tens of thousands of migrants each month via the CBP One app at the border, as well as by the Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan and Venezuelan (CHNV) program. It has also been used to bring in Afghans and Ukrainians in the last year via separate parole programs. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told reporters on Thursday that the asylum standards, specifically the “credible fear” initial screening, was key. “You’ve got to change the asylum system,” he said, arguing that migrants were being drawn to the border by the knowledge that, in many cases, they’ll be released into the U.S. with a court date years in the future. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., was clear that anything without border policy changes would not get Republican support. REPUBLICANS CLOSE RANKS, DEMAND DEMS FACE BORDER CRISIS AS BIDEN UKRAINE PLAN HANGS IN BALANCE “Fixing a badly broken asylum and parole system isn’t ‘hijacking’ the supplemental. It’s strengthening it,” he said on Wednesday evening. “Securing our southern border isn’t extraneous to our national security. It’s essential. I know some of our Democratic colleagues understand this.” Meanwhile, the administration has repeatedly said it is open to negotiations and compromises but has also said there are limits to what it is willing to accept on anything that would limit asylum and parole. President Biden on Wednesday said he was willing to make “significant compromises” on the border, including policy changes. “I am willing to make significant compromises on the border. We need to fix the broken border system,” he said. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas was more cautious, suggesting officials would not agree to anything that would damage the United States’ “international obligations.” “We’ve presented proposals that address the situation, that provide real practical solutions and also do not do violence to our fundamental values,” he said on CNN. “We are a country of refugees. We do have asylum laws. We do have refugee laws. We abide by our international obligations that are long-standing,” he said. “And so that is my response to that.” “Some of the [Republican] proposals are reasonable and worthy of discussion. Others are, frankly, not,” he said. The administration has repeatedly said it is pursuing a policy of expanding “lawful pathways” while increasing “consequences” for illegal entry, but needs more funding and comprehensive immigration reform from Congress. Republicans have blamed the crisis on the policies of the administration, and say more border security, limits on releases into the interior, and a return to Trump-era policies are needed. Meanwhile, some Democrats accused Republicans of not being flexible enough. “They have to figure out whether they want to negotiate or whether they want to make take-it-or-leave-it demands,” Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said. However, as Washington tries to find any sort of agreement, the border remains in chaos. Tuesday set a daily record for migrant encounters, exceeding 12,000 encounters. As of Wednesday morning, the agency has over 22,000 migrants in custody, with several major Border Patrol sectors running heavily over capacity, sources told Fox News. Fiscal Year 23 hit a new record of 2.4 million migrant encounters, with September hitting the highest monthly total ever recorded, at over 260,000 encounters. October saw slightly fewer, with over 240,000 encounters, but that was still a record for October. Fox News’ Bill Melugin, Griff Jenkins and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Defense bill scores big wins for GOP on drag shows, DEI and COVID vaccines, internal House memo says
FIRST ON FOX: The House Armed Services Committee is circulating a memo to fellow lawmakers stressing the conservative wins in this year’s annual defense policy bill in a bid to unite Republicans around the bipartisan legislation. The 3,000-page text of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) was released late on Wednesday night, a product of lengthy negotiations between the GOP-controlled House and Democrat-held Senate. A 17-page document of suggested talking points, obtained by Fox News Digital, was sent around to House Republicans on Thursday morning before an expected chamber-wide vote next week. The compromise bill includes several key victories for the GOP on issues like COVID-19 vaccines and “woke ideology,” among other topics, according to the memo. TUBERVILLE ENDS BLOCKADE OF MOST MILITARY PROMOTIONS AFTER MONTHS-LONG ABORTION FIGHT “The FY24 NDAA pushes back against the radical woke ideology being forced on our servicemen and women and restores the focus of our military on lethality,” the memo told members. It encouraged lawmakers to emphasize the fact that the NDAA would stop funding from being used to teach Critical Race Theory in the military, as well as in service academies and Pentagon-run schools, and it would similarly prevent any funds from being used to hold drag shows or drag story hours. TUBERVILLE NOT BUDGING ON MILITARY HOLDS OVER ABORTION POLICY AS DEMS EYE RULES CHANGE This year’s NDAA would also freeze hiring for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) roles at the Pentagon until a watchdog investigation into the Department of Defense’s DEI practices is completed. The memo also encourages Republicans to point out that the NDAA would not include any of the Biden administration’s climate policy goals. On the COVID-19 vaccine, the NDAA would force the Pentagon to review its discharge policies for troops forced out for not taking the shot. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin would have to ensure that service members who have been discharged for refusing it are fully aware of how to return to active duty, if they so choose, according to the memo. GOP SENATORS RAIL AGAINST TUBERVILLE’S MILITARY HOLDS NEARLY ALL NIGHT Troops discharged for not taking the vaccine would also be entitled to full retirement benefits, the memo said. “The FY24 NDAA protects current servicemembers and provides a path back to service for the 8,000 servicemembers discharged for failing to take the COVID-19 vaccine,” the memo said. For national security hawks, other proposed talking points highlight measures in the NDAA to help Israel in its war against Hamas, and to deter the Chinese Communist Party’s influence at home and abroad. The NDAA was advanced by the Senate in an 82-to-15 vote on Thursday afternoon, teeing up a formal vote next week. The House is expected to act on it afterward.
Fox News Politics: Top 5 clashes of the knock down, drag out GOP debate
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: -Senator Tuberville stands down on blocking military promotions -White House interns mocked for making demands of President Biden -Who are the winners and losers of the fourth GOP debate The fourth Republican presidential debate saw no shortage of fireworks, including plenty of name-calling and personal jabs among the participating candidates. Here are some of the top five moments… 1. Ramaswamy calls Haley ‘fascist’ 2. Haley and DeSantis continue their months-long spat on China 3. Ramaswamy holds up a sheet of paper accusing Haley of corruption – Christie calls him an “obnoxious blowhard” 4. Haley grilled by debate opponents, social media over record on trans issues 5. Christie lays into DeSantis on question about former President Donald Trump’s age ALARM TRIGGERED: House censures ‘Squad’ Democrat for pulling fire alarm …Read more CHRISTMAS JOE: GOP lawmaker skewers the Bidens in festive public Xmas display …Read more SILENT SCHUMER: Chuck Schumer won’t say if he’ll take up bill freezing $6 billion to Iran …Read more ADOPTION RULES: GOP lawmaker unveils bill to stop Biden admin from discriminating against adoptive parents’ LGBTQ views …Read more THAT’S FISHY: House panel to probe WH talks with eco groups seeking to tear down power source …Read more BLOW TO BIDEN: GOP lawmakers block Biden security aid to Ukraine, press for more border funding …Read more ‘CHANGE THE GAME PLAN’: Tuberville shifts course after releasing holds on military promotions …Read more ‘COMPLETE MALARKEY’: Hunter’s ex-business associate blasts Biden’s new claim about son’s business dealings …Read more ‘YOU’RE INTERNS’: White House interns mocked for demand letter to Biden, Harris …Read more ‘PHONING IT IN’: Federal govt workers continue remote work despite Biden pledge …Read more FLOODGATES OPEN: Another Republican jumps into crowded race to fill Ken Buck’s seat …Read more TURNING HEADS: Ramaswamy turned heads with these controversial statements in debate …Read more ‘WASN’T EVEN CLOSE’: Who were the winners and losers in the fourth Republican presidential debate? …Read more TAKING NOTES: Ramaswamy sparks social media firestorm over sign attacking Haley during debate …Read more ‘WEAPONIZATION OF JUSTICE’: Trump visits Manhattan court to blast NYAG case, praises appellate ruling in his favor …Read more RECORD LOW: NYC Mayor Adams’ approval rating drops below 30% amid migrant crisis …Read more MURDER CONVICT NABBED: ICE arrests Romanian fugitive with murder conviction …Read more ‘ALWAYS CONSEQUENCES’: Soros donated over $1M to group that previously bailed out Texas rampage murderer …Read more
UK’s David Cameron: ‘Nonsense’ that Ukraine is failing, says aid boosts US jobs
Former U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron argued that it is “nonsense” that Ukraine is failing in its effort to defend itself against Russia. Cameron, who now serves as the U.K. foreign secretary, spoke with Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin at the Aspen Security Forum on Thursday to discuss Russia’s invasion and questions about continued U.S. support for the war effort. Cameron argued that funding for Ukraine stimulates the U.S. economy as well, pushing back on Republicans who have been increasingly skeptical of the cause. Cameron argued the funds going to Ukraine “are being used very effectively,” citing Ukraine’s successes in downing large portions of Russia’s helicopter fleet and sinking its Black Sea naval vessels. “As long as you don’t cross the red line of NATO soldiers fighting Russian soldiers, we should be doing everything we can to support a sovereign, independent nation to defend itself,” he said. UKRAINE TO RECEIVE NATO SUPPORT FOR ‘AS LONG AS IT TAKES,’ GAIN ALLIANCE MEMBERSHIP AFTER CONFLICT ZELENSKYY TO ADDRESS US SENATORS DURING CLASSIFIED BRIEFING ON STALLED MILITARY AID TO UKRAINE, ISRAEL Cameron also argued that it is “nonsense” that Ukraine’s counteroffensive has failed to drive Russia back in its invasion. “Look at what the Ukrainians have done. They have taken back half of the territory that Russia stole. Yes, it’s something of a deadlock on land at the moment, but I understand that the Ukrainians just the last week have pushed the Russian navy back right across the Black Sea. In the process they’ve sunk about a fifth of the Black Sea fleet,” Cameron said. Nevertheless, Republicans in Congress remain deeply skeptical of sending additional funding to Ukraine. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., issued an ultimatum to President Biden earlier this week saying that no Ukraine funding would move forward until significant changes have been made at the U.S.-Mexico border. SOME DEMOCRATS JOIN REPUBLICANS IN VOTING TO STRIKE DOWN BIDEN’S EV MANDATE Senate Republicans on Wednesday blocked billions of dollars in additional security aid to Ukraine on Wednesday, again citing a lack of progress at the border. “Legislation that doesn’t include policy changes to secure our borders will not pass the Senate,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., explained in a Wednesday speech. “The situation unfolding at our southern border on President Biden’s watch is a crisis of historic proportions.”