Wisconsin appeals court upholds permit denial for proposed golf course near state park
A state appeals court has upheld decisions that denied a company a permit to build a golf course near a state park along Wisconsin’s Lake Michigan shoreline. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources had approved a permit that would have allowed Kohler Company to fill in wetlands during construction of an 18-hole golf course in Sheboygan County near Kohler-Andre State Park. WISCONSIN GOV EVERS VETOES BILL TO BAN GENDER TRANSITION TREATMENTS FOR KIDS But an administrative law judge later overturned the DNR’s decision granting that permit, and a circuit court upheld the judge’s finding. Kohler appealed that decision, but the Court of Appeals on Tuesday upheld the previous decisions denying the company the permit, WLUK-TV reported. The court found in part that “substantial evidence” supported the administrative law judge’s finding that when the DNR issued the permit, it did not have sufficient information to assess whether the project would have significant adverse impacts to the wetlands. The court’s ruling also found that the judge “did not err in reversing the DNR’s decision without modifying the permit.”
Maryland AG reinstates hate crime task force member who claimed Israeli babies murdered by Hamas were ‘fake’
Democrat Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown on Tuesday reinstated a member of his state’s hate crime task force who posted numerous antisemitic social media posts, including a claim that the babies murdered in the brutal Oct. 7 Hamas attack were “fake.” Zainab Chaudry, an anti-Israel activist who serves as the director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations’ (CAIR) Maryland office, was suspended from the Maryland Commission on Hate Crimes Response and Prevention on Nov. 21 after her posts surfaced. “Upon further review, it was determined that the law establishing the Commission directs the Attorney General to appoint members to a 4-year fixed term but does not provide the Attorney General the authority to remove a Commissioner before the expiration of their term nor the authority to suspend a Commissioner during their term of service,” Brown wrote in a press release. ERIC ADAMS’ FATE RESTS WITH FELLOW DEMS AMID BREWING POLITICAL STRUGGLES REMINISCENT OF ANDREW CUOMO: EXPERT He wrote that the law creating the commission was “silent on the question of removal and suspension of members,” and that the authority for him to remove a member could only “be granted by statute, enacted by the General Assembly and Governor.” “Prior to the Commission’s next meeting on December 13, the Attorney General will distribute draft operating guidelines to members which include personal communications and how to balance the members’ right to freedom of speech and their roles as Commissioners for their review and feedback,” Brown added. Chaudry made the posts in the weeks following Hamas’ attack, which saw more than 1,200 people killed, including children and babies, as well as numerous rapes and destruction of property. BUS COMPANY LEAVES PRO-ISRAEL SUPPORTERS STRANDED EN ROUTE TO RALLY: ‘IT’S OBVIOUS WHAT HAPPENED HERE’ In a Facebook post dated Oct. 26, Chaudry wrote, “I will never be able to understand how the world summoned up rage for 40 fake Israeli babies while completely turning a blind eye to 3,000 real Palestinian babies.” In an Oct. 17 post, Chaudry wrote, “[T]hat moment when you become what you hated most,” and included two photos of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, one showing it lit up with the Israeli flag in solidarity with Israel following the attack, and another from a ceremony in 1936 when it was decorated with the flag of Nazi Germany during the Olympics that year. In another post from Nov. 6, Chaudry appeared to suggest the mere existence of Israel as a nation was the cause of the ongoing war, writing it was an “inconvenient fact.” She included an image of the words “it all started in 1948,” the year Israel was founded as a nation. HARVARD PRESIDENT CLARIFIES POSITION ON ANTISEMITISM AFTER TESTIMONY BACKLASH: ‘CALLS FOR VIOLENCE…ARE VILE’ Others from the weeks following the attack showed Chaudry sharing a quote celebrating “martyred Palestinians,” and a post citing what appeared to be an Islamic prophesy that said “garrisons who defend the lands of Islam will be in Ashkelon,” an Israeli city north of the Gaza Strip. When reached for comment after her posts first surfaced, Chaudry told Fox News Digital that the “Nazi post” was originally shared “by a close Jewish friend,” before going on to accuse the Israeli government of wanting to commit genocide against Palestinians. She also said she condemned the killing of Israeli and Palestinian civilians.
Fox News Politics: But his emails
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: -Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy announces his retirement from Congress… -White House interns rebel against Biden, demand Gaza ceasefire… -Watch the highlights from Trump’s town hall on “Hannity” last night… As vice president, Joe Biden used email aliases and private email addresses to communicate with son Hunter Biden and Hunter’s business associates hundreds of times, according to new records released by the House Ways & Means Committee. But what those communications contain is unclear. The committee obtained metadata from IRS whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler that reveals Joe Biden used alias email accounts 327 times during a nine-year period — 2010 to 2019 — to correspond with his son, Hunter, and one of Hunter’s key business associates, Eric Schwerin, among others. The committee says 54 of the emails were “exclusively” between Joe Biden and Schwerin, who the committee describes as “the architect of the Biden family’s shell companies.” Fox News Digital broke the revelation Tuesday night, and on Wednesday, sources close to the matter revealed that the National Archives will hand over to the committee more than 60,000 Biden records — including communications using email aliases …Read more VOTES FOR CRIMINALS: Rep. Pressley introduces legislation to guarantee right to vote for people with felonies …Read more ‘TAKE THIS DOWN’: Schumer chastises House Republican over ‘antisemitic, disgusting’ meme …Read more ‘DESTROY OUR SELF-DEFENSE’: NRA slams Schumer’s attempt to ban so-called ‘assault weapons’ …Read more CONTEMPT OF CONGRESS?: Comer, Jordan threaten to hold Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress for refusal to appear at deposition …Read more ‘OPEN REBELLION’: GOP senator rips Washington Post writer in letter to DOJ, State Department …Read more SCHUMER, BERNED: Sanders slams funding for ‘right-wing’ Israel in Schumer’s $110B package …Read more ‘COMMON SENSE’: Green energy project on major US military base disconnected over CCP ties …Read more ‘WASTEFUL SPENDING’: Biden’s billion-dollar EV charging program has built zero chargers in two years …Read more STAND DOWN: White House interns rebel against Biden with letter demanding cease-fire …Read more MONEY TALKS: Dem mega donor gives $250,000 to top Nikki Haley super PAC …Read more ‘NEED NEW LEADERSHIP’: Squad member officially teed up against pro-Israel primary challenger …Read more SHRINKING FIELD: RNC chair McDaniel defends decision to limit debate participation …Read more FULL COURT PRESS: Trump’s foot is on the gas in this key state …Read more ‘HE MUST BE STOPPED’: Trump unleashes on Kerry’s climate agenda in message to Iowa voters …Read more TOP MOMENTS: Here are the highlights from Trump’s ‘Hannity’ town hall …Read more ‘FAILED LEADERSHIP’: Democratic Pennsylvania gov slams Ivy League president over testimony on antisemitism …Read more RECORD SETTING: Migrant encounters hit daily record at southern border …Read more OVERRULED: Blue state gov vetoes bill that would have prohibited gender transition surgeries for minors …Read more OHIO STONED: Ohio Republicans propose sweeping changes to legal marijuana …Read more ABORTION IN WISCONSIN: WI Republican prosecutor plans appeal in state abortion case …Read more Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Nevada grand jury indicts 6 fake Donald Trump electors
RENO, Nev. (AP) — A Nevada grand jury on Wednesday indicted six Republicans who submitted certificates to Congress falsely declaring Donald Trump the winner of the 2020 presidential election in their state, making Nevada the third to seek charges against so-called “fake electors.” “We cannot allow attacks on democracy to go unchallenged,” Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford said in a statement Wednesday. “Today’s indictments are the product of a long and thorough investigation, and as we pursue this prosecution, I am confident that our judicial system will see justice done.” NEVADA GOV JOE LOMBARDO VETOES MEASURE CRIMINALIZING FAKE ELECTORS Ford began investigating the fake electors last month. That announcement marked a shift for the first-term Democrat, who previously was quiet on whether he would investigate the fake electors before saying that state law would not allow him to do so. The fake electors have been charged with offering a false instrument for filing and uttering a forged instrument. Those two categories of felonies have penalties that range from one year up to either four or five years in prison. Among the fake electors is Nevada GOP chairman Michael McDonald, who has pushed to bypass the state-run presidential primary to nominate a Republican presidential nominee, instead opting for a party-run caucus, which would require voter ID and paper ballots. He did not respond to a phone call requesting comment on Wednesday. Clark County GOP Chair Jesse Law was also indicted, along with Jim Hindle, who runs elections in rural Storey County. Hindle did not return a voice message left Wednesday requesting comment. In December 2020, six Nevada GOP members signed certificates falsely stating that Trump won Nevada and sent them to Congress and the National Archives, where they were ultimately ignored. The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol looked into the role these fake electors in key battleground states took in Trump’s attempt to cling to power after his 2020 defeat. Michigan‘s Attorney General filed felony charges in July against 16 Republican fake electors, who would face eight criminal charges including forgery and conspiracy to commit election forgery. The top charge carried a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison. In Wisconsin, 10 Republicans who posed as electors settled a civil lawsuit Wednesday, admitting their actions were part of an effort to overturn President Joe Biden’s victory. Sixteen fake electors also have been charged in Georgia, three of which were also charged in August alongside Trump in a sweeping indictment accusing them of participating in a wide-ranging scheme to illegally overturn the results of the presidential election. They have pleaded not guilty. Ford had testified in support of a bill that would have criminalized future fake electors. That passed Nevada’s Democratic-controlled Legislature but was vetoed by Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo, who said the punishment between four and 10 years in prison was too harsh.
House Judiciary investigating whether Fulton County DA Fani Willis ‘coordinated’ with Jan 6 committee
The House Judiciary Committee launched an investigation this week into whether Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis coordinated with the House January 6 Committee in their investigations. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga., are leading the probe after learning that Willis’ office “coordinated its investigative actions with the partisan Select Committee.” TRUMP IS NOT IMMUNE FROM CIVIL LAWSUITS RELATED TO JAN 6, FEDERAL APPEALS COURT RULES The lawmakers say Willis asked the House Select Committee on Jan. 6 to share evidence with her office. Willis was investigating former President Trump’s alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election in the state of Georgia. She charged Trump in August with one count of violation of the Georgia RICO Act, three counts of criminal solicitation, six counts of criminal conspiracy, one count of filing false documents and two counts of making false statements. Trump pleaded not guilty to all counts. TRUMP BOOKED AT FULTON COUNTY JAIL AFTER CHARGES STEMMING FROM 2020 ELECTION PROBE But Jordan and Loudermilk said the new information “raises additional questions relevant to the Committee’s oversight of Willis’s politically motivated prosecution of a former President of the United States and several former senior federal officials.” “The coordination between Fulton County, GA District Attorney Fani Willis, and Pelosi’s January 6 Select Committee, should be concerning to everyone,” Loudermilk said in a statement. “This new information raises questions about Willis’ and Thompson’s commitment to due process, and whether House Rules were violated when the Select Committee failed to properly disclose this material.” He added: “We have serious concerns about this behavior and we are seeking the truth.” Jordan and Loudermilk sent letters to Willis and former Jan. 6 Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss. Thompson said he received the letter and said it contained “significant factual errors.” “As I have said time and again, the [Jan. 6 committee] archived its official records in accordance with House rules,” Thompson told NBC News. “Only the Committee on House Administration is in possession of these records and Mr. Loudermilk is fully aware of this.”
‘Squad’ member Ayanna Pressley calls for allowing ‘incarcerated citizens’ and 16-year-olds to vote
Democrat Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley, a far-left ‘Squad’ member, called for allowing “incarcerated citizens” to vote in federal elections while referencing her support for permitting individuals as young as 16 years of age to cast a ballot. Pressley made the comments during a Wednesday press conference while introducing legislation alongside Democrat Vermont Sen. Peter Welch that would restore felons’ voting rights. “That’s why we’re here today, to introduce the Inclusive Democracy Act – a historic, brand new, first-of-its-kind bill that will end the stain of felony disenfranchisement in America and guarantee the right to vote for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated citizens,” Pressley said. ‘SQUAD’ DEM LASHES OUT AT PRIMARY CHALLENGER FOR SAYING SHE’S ‘NOT CUTE ENOUGH’ TO IGNORE VOTERS “Our bill is a reflection of bold, progressive, democratic values. Because of Republicans and the Supreme Court stopping at nothing to undermine voting rights and to exclude Black and brown folks from participating in our democracy, we must be just as relentless at protecting and expanding access to the ballot box, including for incarcerated citizens,” she continued. In late 2022, approximately 4.6 million people were unable to vote due to a felony conviction, according to a study by the Sentencing Project, a nonpartisan research group. The same study found that Black and Hispanic citizens are disproportionately likely to be disenfranchised due to felony convictions. The “Squad” member pivoted to how “Jim Crow” is not “behind us” and spoke of her support for allowing individuals as young as 16 to vote. “When the former occupant of the White House can lead a violent insurrection and still run for president while nearly five million citizens can have a criminal record and not even cast a ballot, Jim Crow is not behind us,” Pressley said at the conference. ILHAN OMAR’S CAMPAIGN CASH TO CONSULTANTS DIPPED BY MILLIONS AFTER HALTING PAYMENTS TO HUSBAND’S FIRM “Our democracy is on the line, and the stakes could not be higher. As a Boston city councilor prior to my time here in Congress, I was proud to advocate for expanded access to the ballot box. Requiring ballots be made available in multiple languages, expanding early voting in local elections. And in Congress, I led efforts and legislation to lower the federal voting age to 16 and urged the DOJ to aggressively protect voting rights and to fight against voter suppression.” “So I have been – and I will continue to fight – for voting rights for everyone,” she said. The far-left legislation would additionally require incarcerated individuals to be educated on their voting rights and offer systems and resources for voting registration, The Associated Press reported. The bill also requires means to vote by mail for incarcerated people. States and territories currently determine a citizen’s voting eligibility for all levels of government. The proposed bill would not change states’ ability to expand or restrict access for state or local elections. The legislation stands long odds of being passed by the Republican-controlled House.
UMich president bars student vote on resolution accusing Israel of genocide, ‘settler colonialism’
The president of the University of Michigan said he has barred students from voting on two “controversial and divisive” resolutions related to the Israel-Hamas war. “The proposed resolutions have done more to stoke fear, anger and animosity on our campus than they would ever accomplish as recommendations to the university,” Santa Ono said in an online post Tuesday. One pro-Palestinian resolution presented to student government asks the university to “recognize the millions of people undergoing genocide in Gaza” and to acknowledge “settler colonialism” there by Israel. UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN STUDENTS CONDEMN ‘DESPICABLE’ RESOLUTION ACCUSING ISRAEL OF GENOCIDE The other resolution asks that the university support students “impacted by ongoing violence in Israel and Gaza” and disclose plans to keep students safe. It also includes criticism of Hamas. Each resolution seeking campus votes had more than 1,000 signatures. Ono said the resolutions were “controversial and divisive.” “The proposals have generated an involuntary and unwarranted amount of outside negative attention on a community whose primary objective is to learn, to teach, to research and to serve,” he said. “It needs to stop.” The Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations accused the university of suppressing free speech. Seven of the eight members of the university’s governing board supported Ono’s statement. Ono promised to schedule meetings with student leaders to discuss “real and tangible ways” to address concerns.
Judge overrules Texas, strikes down air pollution permit for Gulf Coast oil terminal
A judge reversed a 2022 decision by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality that involved its controversial “one-mile rule” to deny hearing requests.
Watch a Jan. 24 conversation on the 2023 legislative session and Texas community colleges
We’ll discuss how the state now funds community colleges, how campuses are implementing changes and what outcomes they’re already seeing.
GOP lawmakers want to eliminate passport backlog with sweeping reform bill: ‘Transformative approach’
FIRST ON FOX: Two Republican lawmakers are leading the charge on a sweeping reform bill aimed at clearing a passport processing backlog that regularly causes difficulties for Americans seeking to travel abroad – a bill that is believed to have a good chance of getting to President Biden’s desk. Reps. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., and Maria Salazar, R-Fla., are introducing the Passport Issuance Reform and Backlog Elimination Act, which would aim to reduce processing times for passports, which have been a problem for years but have remained high since the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered offices and led to massive delays. The authors say that the delay Americans currently face, which the State Department currently has at 7-10 weeks for regular processing, for a passport renewal is well behind other countries for processing, where online functionality and speed are more common. Processing times shot up during the COVID-19 pandemic and are not yet at the pre-pandemic levels, which the authors say was still high. STATE DEPT WARNS PASSPORT PROCESSING DELAYED AMID ‘UNPRECEDENTED DEMAND’ Secretary of State Antony Blinken told lawmakers this year that during the COVID-19 pandemic “the bottom basically dropped out of the system” at the department for handling both passports and visas due to travel demand plummeting, and the agency is still rebuilding while trying to keep up with the enormous surge in demand. The State Department issued a record 22 million passports in fiscal year 2022, and officials have said the agency is on track to break that record in 2023. “The collapse of the passport system represents a signature failure that upended and inconvenienced tens of millions of Americans who have the right to expect far more of their government,” Issa said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “This transformative approach will not only address many of the problems that led to the backlog, but also deliver modernizations that are overdue and will set the system right for decades to come.” “Passport processing backlogs have been a nightmare for my constituents. It has been almost four years since the start of the pandemic,” Salazar said. “There is no excuse for forcing the American people to wait more than three months for a passport. Our legislation cleans up this mess at the State Department and puts this critical government service back on track.” The aim of the legislation is to reform the system so that a U.S. citizen can get a passport renewed within 30 days, in part by the federal government using technology and best practices to do so. To achieve this, it not only sets standards for the government but also allows the State Department to hire up to 100 personal service contractors in each of fiscal years 2024-2026 for consular affairs. The targets set include those related to cybersecurity, affordability, customer service and geographic accessibility. The bill envisions a dashboard to allow congressional caseworkers to track casework for their constituents, a system of communication for citizens to receive email and text alerts about the state of their passport renewal and an app for those communications. It also would allow internet-based submissions of first-time applications as well as renewals. Separately, it would require the Government Accountability Office to review the passport issuance process and see where additional improvements could be made, including possible collaboration with other agencies. Issa’s office told Fox News Digital that they are confident of the bill making it out of committee and passing on the House floor. They are also hopeful that it will pick up the support of Democrats, with speedier passport processing seen as an area where there is bipartisan support. BORDER AGENTS ACROSS US ASKED TO VIRTUALLY PROCESS MIGRANTS AMID SURGE AT SOUTHERN BORDER: REPORT The bill has also picked up the support of Salesforce, a cloud-based software company that specializes in the type of software that would be used to modernize passport processing. “Citizens want government organizations to provide online services that match the innovative consumer experiences found in the private sector. But the impact of legacy systems can often create mass-scale frustration,” Hugh Gamble, vice president of Federal Government Affairs at Salesforce, told Fox News Digital. “Salesforce is excited about the steps Congress is taking to modernize government IT, which will accelerate the public sector’s digital transformation and ensure a future where constituents can just as easily access critical services as calling an Uber,” Gamble said.