Supreme Court hears arguments in $6 billion Purdue Pharma settlement that would grant immunity to Sacklers
The Supreme Court held its first day of oral arguments in a major bankruptcy case regarding an opioid crisis settlement for Purdue Pharma, the manufacturer of OxyContin. Justices questioned lawyers for roughly two hours regarding the deal, which would see Purdue release $6 billion to victims of the drug crisis while also granting immunity to the Sackler family, the company’s owners. The deal, initially approved by a New York court in May, ran into a roadblock when the U.S. Trustee Program, a division of the DOJ, requested a review by the Supreme Court. The program argued that Purdue was abusing the bankruptcy system to secure protections for the Sackler family and was infringing on the rights of victims to pursue restitution on their own terms. If the Sacklers were to file for bankruptcy individually, they would not be eligible for the protections from future opioid-related lawsuits afforded in the current deal. The DOJ highlighted that the deal would even protect the family from civil suits related to fraud. NEW YORK CITY DAYCARE CHILDREN POSSIBLY CONSUME FENTANYL, 1 DEAD, 3 HOSPITALIZED: REPORT The DOJ insisted that victims of the opioid crisis should have the right to pursue a civil case against the Sacklers if they wish. COLLEGE STUDENTS CAN GET FREE NALOXONE AND FENTANYL TEST STRIPS FROM THEIR SCHOOLS TO PREVENT DRUG OVERDOSES “If it’s a significant claim and somebody doesn’t want to waive it, we think that you don’t have to consider that person a nutcase to say that it’s their right to decide whether or not they get to waive their personal property rights,” the DOJ stated. Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett and others expressed the central concern that if the $6 billion deal does not go through, Purdue could fold and victims of the opioid crisis may never see any restitution. “What if there’s just liquidation of the company, which is what the other side raises the specter of? So there’s liquidation of the billion, there’s no contribution [from the Sacklers], and everyone’s left with a lottery ticket to try to get something in litigation years from now?” Kavanaugh asked. Lawyers for the DOJ responded that there is a “very good chance” that another deal could be made if the current one is rejected, but Kavanaugh later argued that the DOJ was “not accounting for the uncertainty” of a future better deal. The court is set to resume oral arguments Tuesday morning.
House Republican says she uncovered ‘smoking gun’ proof NYC trying to register illegal immigrants to vote
A House Republican representing part of New York City says she has “smoking gun” proof that city officials are trying to help get illegal immigrants registered to vote, something the city has staunchly denied. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., announced on Sunday that she had obtained a copy of a contract between New York City’s Department of Social Services and Homes for the Homeless, a nonprofit that has been contracted to build emergency migrant shelters as the border crisis depletes the city’s resources. In an appendix of that contract, a copy of which was obtained by Fox News Digital, the city appears to require contractors to provide copies of voter registration forms for migrants at their shelters, Malliotakis said. “This is the smoking gun that proves what we’ve been saying all along, that the city intends to register noncitizens to vote, and even those who are residing in these migrant shelters for just 30 days,” Malliotakis said at a press conference in Staten Island. “It is extremely concerning. It should be concerning to every citizen.” DHS TO OFFER WORK PERMITS, DEPORTATION PROTECTION TO OVER 470,000 VENEZUELANS AMID NEW BORDER SURGE The city has denied that it requires migrant shelters to provide voter registration information to illegal immigrants. A section of the appendix states that contractors who have “regular contact with the public in the daily administration of its business” must “provide and distribute voter registration forms to all persons together with written applications for services, renewal, or recertification for services and change of address relating to such services.” MORE VENEZUELAN MIGRANTS RESIDING IN CHICAGO CAUGHT STEALING FROM SUBURBAN MACY’S STORE, AUTHORITIES SAY “Such voter registration forms shall be provided to the Contractor by the City. The Contractor should be prepared to provide forms written in Spanish or Chinese, and shall obtain a sufficient supply of such forms from the City,” the file stated. Another section of the same appendix appears to forbid the shelter from inquiring about immigration status unless specifically required. However, a spokesperson for the NYC Department of Social Services told Fox News Digital that the provision applies to “eligible clients” in shelter housing. “These allegations are false and baseless. DHS is legally required to include language around voter registration in shelter contracts and this guidance applies only to eligible clients who are citizens, and would clearly not apply to asylum seekers in shelter,” the spokesperson said. MAYORKAS MEETS WITH BORDER PATROL AGENTS FALSELY ACCUSED OF WHIPPING MIGRANTS, BUT NO APOLOGY “As our teams continue to provide vital case-management services to connect asylum seekers to supports to help them move out of shelter, we strongly caution against lending any credence to such dangerous misrepresentations of the City’s response to this humanitarian crisis.” The City Council passed a law in 2021 to allow noncitizen residents to vote in local elections, but it was overturned by a New York state judge in July 2022. Malliotakis was among the lawmakers who sued the city over the local ordinance. The city appealed the decision along with migrants’ rights groups.
AGs fed up with NYT, CNN Hamas coverage issue stern warning: ‘Follow the law’
FIRST ON FOX: More than a dozen state attorneys general signed a letter to media outlets such as the New York Times and Reuters, putting them “on notice” that providing material support to terrorist organizations such as Hamas is illegal, Fox News Digital exclusively learned. “We will continue to follow your reporting to ensure that your organizations do not violate any federal or State laws by giving material support to terrorists abroad. Now your organizations are on notice. Follow the law,” 14 state attorneys general stated in a letter to the chiefs of CNN, The New York Times, Reuters and The Associated Press on Monday afternoon. Republican Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird spearheaded the letter, which detailed concerns that journalists embedded with Hamas may actually have deep connections with the terrorist organization “and may have participated in the October 7 attack.” “Reporting credibly alleges that some of the individuals that your outlets hire have deep and troubling ties to Hamas—and may have participated in the October 7 attack. In the wake of those alarming reports, some of you have cut ties with these so-called journalists whose connections to terror groups have become too obvious to hide. Good. But one factor in determining whether an organization has provided material support for terrorism is that it be ‘knowing,’” the letter states. LAWMAKERS DEMAND ANSWERS FROM AP, REUTERS AMID ACCUSATIONS THEIR JOURNALISTS KNEW ABOUT HAMAS ATTACK The attorneys general said the four outlets have a responsibility to fully vet potential hires and ensure they have no connections to terrorist organizations before putting them on the payroll and embedding them during armed conflicts. “If your outlet’s current hiring practices led you to give material support to terrorists, you must change these policies going forward. Otherwise, we must assume any future support of terrorist organizations by your stringers, correspondents, contractors, and similar employees is knowing behavior,” they wrote. The state AGs pointed to a recent letter sent by a bipartisan group of lawmakers to Reuters asking “how its journalist knew to be available for the October 7 attack,” and called on the outlet to address whether it had prior knowledge of the attack or if one of the organization’s journalists had been in contact with Hamas before the attack. PRO-PALESTINIAN PROTESTERS WILL NOT ANSWER WHETHER HAMAS IS A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION Israel was catapulted into chaos on Oct. 7 when Hamas terrorists launched surprise attacks on the nation that quickly escalated to war between Israel and Palestine. At least 1,400 Israeli civilians and soldiers have since been killed, another estimated 5,000 Israelis injured and 13,300 Palestinians and Hamas terrorists killed. The letter went on to argue that the issue of providing material support to terrorist organizations is not new, pointing to a watchdog group telling the AP five years ago that “one of its journalists worked for the Hamas-affiliated Quds TV.” While The New York Times, the AGs continued, published an op-ed in 2020 penned by Taliban deputy leader Sirajuddin Haqqani. “Mr. Haqqani himself is on the Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control Sanctions List. Did the Times pay for that piece? If so, whom did it pay? Was that payment consistent with federal and State laws? These questions are still unanswered,” the letter stated. AUTHOR ACCUSES NEW YORK TIMES OF ‘BIAS AGAINST ISRAEL’ IN COVERAGE OF HAMAS TERROR ATTACK: ‘BEYOND THE PALE’ The letter details that material support statutes recognize that terrorist organizations, such as Hamas, “are so tainted by their criminal conduct that any contribution to such an organization facilitates that [criminal] conduct.” The federal government “defines material support to include ‘any property, tangible or intangible, or service, including currency or monetary instruments . . . expert advice or assistance . . . communications equipment, facilities . . . and transportation, except medicine or religious materials,’” the AGs continued. The letter notes that material support statutes “have survived First Amendment scrutiny” and that a law “distinguishes material support for terrorism from protected speech.” “The First Amendment and core free-speech principles protect the right to hold even disgusting views. For example, this letter does not call for any action regarding the New York Times’s decision to hire a reporter to cover the ongoing war in Israel–despite that reporter’s praise for Adolf Hitler and the ‘state of harmony’ Hitler achieved while perpetrating the Holocaust” the AGs wrote. UN ACCOUNT HIT FOR EXPLICITLY CONDEMNING HAMAS’ ATTACK ON ISRAEL EIGHT WEEKS LATER: ‘TOOK YOU LONG ENOUGH’ Republican Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton also sent a letter last month to Attorney General Merrick Garland, CNN, The Associated Press, Thomson Reuters and The New York Times, inquiring for details surrounding reporters embedded with Hamas. “I write regarding reports that so-called ‘journalists’ employed by the Associated Press, CNN, New York Times, and Reuters accompanied Hamas terrorists into Israel during the October 7 terror attack. These individuals almost certainly knew about the attack in advance, and even participated by accompanying Hamas terrorists during the attack and filming the heinous acts. In at least one case, one of the individuals affiliated with these media outlets even took a selfie while being kissed on the cheek by a Hamas leader who helped mastermind the attack,” Cotton wrote in his letter. US WARSHIP, MULTIPLE COMMERCIAL VESSELS REPORTEDLY ATTACKED IN RED SEA The AGs’ letter cited Cotton and argued The New York Times “avoided giving Senator Tom Cotton a meaningful response to his legitimate concerns that the newspaper had provided material support for terrorists.” ISRAEL LAUNCHES 10,000TH AIRSTRIKE AGAINST HAMAS, AS PALESTINIANS SEEK SHELTER IN CROWDED SOUTHERN GAZA “It instead stated that “[n]o employee” was embedded with Hamas or had advance knowledge of the October 7 attacks. Notably absent from that defense are non-employees—freelancers, stringers, or other payees. Even more conspicuous is the absence of an acknowledgment that Times-paid photographers accompanied Hamas terrorists during the attacks,” the AGs wrote. Reuters, AP, CNN and The New York Times have all previously issued statements denying any prior knowledge of the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel. CNN
Ernst slams Biden’s border policy as cancellations sweep Massachusetts hotels, ‘displacing’ military families
FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, is demanding action from President Biden regarding border security after military families who booked rooms in Foxboro, Massachusetts, which is the site of the 124th installment of the Army-Navy Game, received cancellation notices from hotels that are being used by the state to house migrants. “It’s clear: these cancellations are due to your administration’s decision to ship illegal immigrants across the country to sanctuary cities at taxpayers’ expense,” Ernst wrote in the letter. “Now, due to your untenable border crisis which has allowed nearly eight million illegal immigrants entry into the country, veterans and future servicemembers and their families will be unable to attend this year,” she said. Massachusetts has a “right to shelter” law, which ensures migrants and homeless families have somewhere to live. VETERANS’ HOTEL RESERVATIONS FOR ARMY-NAVY GAME CANCELED IN MASSACHUSETTS AMID MIGRANT INFLUX “It is flatly unacceptable for our veterans and military families to be displaced because of your administration’s failure to secure our southern border. Military families who have scrimped and saved to be able to afford a trip to the Army-Navy game should not have to compete with illegal immigrants for hotel room space,” Ernst wrote. Mark Mansbach, the owner of New Jersey-based Hillsdale Travel, has been servicing military members and their families for 20 years with hotel accommodations and more, especially when it comes to the Army-Navy Game. Mansbach, whose father was a first lieutenant in the 552nd Field Artillery Battalion attached to the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, has a website dedicated to providing “military discounts to active-duty personnel, retired military, cadets, and families” for the game. Mansbach previously told Fox News Digital that 60 combined rooms from various hotels were canceled, something he has never seen in his two decades of setting up military families for the game, which takes place this year on Dec. 9 at Gillette Stadium. MASSACHUSETTS GOV. MAURA HEALEY ACTIVATES NATIONAL GUARD TO ASSIST IN EMERGENCY SHELTERS HOUSING MIGRANTS “Not only is this game a recruitment mechanism, those of us who have served know it is truly an opportunity to showcase America’s finest—the incredible young servicemembers who have stepped forward to serve their country—the Corps of Cadets and Brigade of Midshipmen,” Ernst wrote. “The Army-Navy Game gives attendees—many of whom are veterans themselves—the opportunity to honor the next generation of our fighting men and women, as well as our nation.” Mansbach assisted 40 to 50 military families who lost their accommodations, suggesting Boston as an alternative route despite the higher cost. Families initially chose Mansbach for its military discounts but are now urgently seeking any available lodging for the game. “Simply put, your administration’s mismanagement at the border is causing American cities to be overrun and vital resources to be stretched beyond capacity. These problems will continue to persist until you finally take your obligation to secure our border seriously,” Ernst wrote. In September, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey announced it would expand its legal services for illegal migrants who are living in emergency shelters. Last month, she said she was “troubled” to learn that veterans and military families were seeing canceled hotel reservations due to migrants and said Veterans’ Services Secretary Jon Santiago would be reaching out to displaced veterans. MASSACHUSETTS GOV EXPANDS LEGAL SERVICES FOR MIGRANTS IN EMERGENCY SHELTERS Ernst’s push for tighter border security comes as GOP lawmakers have been pleading with Democrats to agree to a deal to add higher standards for asylum seekers at the southern border as part of Biden’s $106 billion national security supplemental request for aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. However, Democrat lawmakers are not interested in policy changes, according to sources familiar with the negotiations. Currently, the supplemental request includes some funds at the southern border to speed up asylum processing. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment. Fox News’ Scott Thompson contributed to this report.
Pro-Palestinian protesters in Philadelphia target Israeli-owned restaurant, chant accusations of ‘genocide’
An Israeli-born restaurant owner in Philadelphia was harassed by a large group of pro-Palestinian protesters who gathered outside his store Sunday night and accused him of genocide. Hundreds of protesters marched through Philadelphia calling for a cease-fire in Gaza when some of the demonstrators stormed Goldie, an Israeli-style falafel shop co-owned by chef Michael Solomonov. The protesters shouted outside the restaurant and vandalized it, officials said. Their actions were captured on video and shared by the state’s governor, prompting criticism from other officials. “Goldie, Goldie you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide,” the protesters can be heard shouting in the video. ISRAEL STRIKES 200 HAMAS TERROR TARGETS IN GAZA AS RENEWED MILITARY CAMPAIGN ESCALATES According to city officials, other facilities were also vandalized, including TD Bank and Starbucks. The University of Pennsylvania Division of Public Safety said in an alert, “Penn Police were on site monitoring as the march approached our campus and continued to monitor the area with Philadelphia Police until the protest concluded at approximately 8:20pm.” “Penn Police documented multiple instances of graffiti along the march route and will be investigating to identify the individuals responsible,” they added. SEN BLACKBURN CALLS FOR INVESTIGATION INTO ALLEGATION UN AGENCY EMPLOYEE DETAINED ISRAELI HOSTAGE Both companies have been connected to the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. TD Bank has donated toward humanitarian aid efforts in the Middle East. Starbucks previously said a pro-Palestinian post tarnished its brand, sparking backlash from Palestinian supporters. The company maintains that it “has been and remains a non-political organization.” “Neither Starbucks nor the company’s former chairman, president and CEO Howard Schultz provide financial support to the Israeli government and/or the Israeli Army in any way,” the company clarified on its website. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro condemned the protesters. “Tonight in Philly, we saw a blatant act of antisemitism – not a peaceful protest,” haprio wrote on X, with the video attached. “A restaurant was targeted and mobbed because its owner is Jewish and Israeli. This hate and bigotry is reminiscent of a dark time in history.” The governor said he has communicated with Solomonov and his team at Goldie to express his support. The White House later issued a statement as well. “It is Antisemitic and completely unjustifiable to target restaurants that serve Israeli food over disagreements with Israeli policy, as Governor Shapiro has underlined,” spokesperson Andrew Bates said. “This behavior reveals the kind of cruel and senseless double standard that is a calling card of Antisemitism. President Biden has fought against the evil of Antisemitism his entire life, including by launching the first national strategy to counter this hate in American history. He will always stand up firmly against these kinds of undignified actions.” Philadelphia saw similar protests throughout the Israel-Hamas war, with another sizable gathering on October 17, after the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said more than 500 people were killed following an explosion at Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital. After Hamas said the explosion was the result of an Israeli air strike, The Biden administration later debunked that claim, citing intelligence that showed the explosion was the result of a rocket launched from Gaza that misfired.
Hunter Biden paid Joe Biden from account for biz that received payments from China: Comer
Hunter Biden set up monthly payments to Joe Biden from an account for a business of his that received payments from China, according to House Oversight Committee Chairman Comer Comer on Monday released subpoenaed bank records that show Hunter Biden’s business entity, Owasco PC, made “direct monthly payments to Joe Biden.” The payments, according to the bank document, were set up to occur “monthly,” and total $1,380.00. “This wasn’t a payment from Hunter Biden’s personal account but an account for his corporation that received payments from China and other shady corners of the world,” Comer said in a video message Monday. NOTORIOUS MOBSTER STUNNED BY LATEST HUNTER BIDEN ALLEGATIONS: ‘MIND-BLOWING’ Comer in September had subpoenaed personal and business bank records belonging to Hunter Biden and James Biden as part of the panel’s investigation into the Biden family foreign business dealings and whether President Biden benefited from those ventures. A source familiar with the investigation told Fox News Digital that Owasco PC sent payments at least three times to Joe Biden’s personal account. The payments occurred on Sept. 17, 2018; Oct. 15, 2018; and Nov. 15, 2018. “At this moment, Hunter Biden is under an investigation by the Department of Justice for using Owasco PC for tax evasion and other serious crimes,” Comer said. Fox News Digital reported last week that a bank investigator raised concerns about Hunter Biden’s receipt of a $5 million wire from a Chinese company in August 2018 to his bank account, Hudson West III. Hunter Biden then transferred $400,000 to his Owasco PC account. Funds were then transferred to a business account belonging to James Biden, and later transferred to a personal account belonging to James Biden and Sara Biden. Comer claims they used those funds to then cut a check to Joe Biden for $40,000. That check was labeled as a “loan repayment.” COMER DEFENDS PRIVATE DEPOSITION OF HUNTER BIDEN, VOWS TO RELEASE TRANSCRIPT AND HOLD PUBLIC HEARING “Based on whistleblower testimony, we know the Justice Department made a concerted effort to prevent investigators from asking questions about Joe Biden. I wonder why?” Comer said Monday, referring to allegations that assistant U.S. attorney Lesley Wolf worked to “limit” questions about “the big guy.” Sources say “the big guy” is Joe Biden. “Payments from Hunter’s business entity to Joe Biden are now part of a pattern revealing Joe Biden knew about, participated in, and benefited from his family’s influence peddling schemes,” Comer said. “When Joe Biden was Vice President, he spoke by phone, attended dinners, and had coffee with his son’s foreign business associates. He allowed his son to catch a ride on Air Force Two at least a dozen times to sell the ‘Biden Brand’ around the world,” Comer said. “Hunter Biden requested office keys to be made for his ‘office mate’ Joe Biden in space he planned to share with a Chinese energy company.” “We’ve revealed how Joe Biden received checks from his family that were funded by the Bidens’ influence peddling schemes – with China no less,” Comer said. Comer added: “The House Oversight Committee continues to investigate Joe Biden’s involvement in his family’s domestic and international business schemes at a rapid pace.” Comer vowed to “continue to uncover the facts and provide transparency about the findings of our investigation.” “President Biden and his family must be held accountable for this blatant corruption,” Comer said. “The American people expect no less.” Comer is jointly leading the impeachment inquiry against President Biden alongside House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan and House Ways & Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith.
Israel launches 10,000th airstrike against Hamas, as Palestinians seek shelter in crowded southern Gaza
The Israeli military said it launched its 10,000th airstrike against Hamas in the Gaza Strip late Sunday, as the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) ramps up its offensive in the south. Israel has vowed to do everything it can to protect civilians as it targets Hamas and its network of tunnels. Many of the 10,000 airstrikes have been aimed at destroying Hamas’ underground labyrinth. Israel ordered evacuations from large sections of Khan Younis, the largest city in southern Gaza, on Monday. Critics say there are few places to evacuate to, as Southern Gaza is already crowded with Palestinians displaced during Israel’s campaign against Hamas in the northern part of the strip. The IDF says it has struck over 400 separate Hamas targets since the cease-fire agreement collapsed on Friday. White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said Sunday that Hamas was to blame for the end of the cease-fire, because they did not release “additional women and children that we know that they are holding, and they’re refusing to let go.” UN ACCOUNT HIT FOR EXPLICITLY CONDEMNING HAMAS’ ATTACK ON ISRAEL EIGHT WEEKS LATER: ‘TOOK YOU LONG ENOUGH’ “Our policy is clear — we will forcefully strike any threat posed against our territory,” IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a statement. US WARSHIP, MULTIPLE COMMERCIAL VESSELS REPORTEDLY ATTACKED IN RED SEA Meanwhile, the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry claims more than 700 Palestinians have been killed over the past 24 hours. The increased volume of Israel’s barrage comes as the conflict threatens to spill into the wider region. Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen fired rockets at trade vessels in the Red Sea on Sunday. U.S. Navy warship USS Carney also shot down three Houthi drones. JOINT CHIEFS CHAIR RESPONDS TO CLAIM US IS UNPREPARED TO FACE CHINA THREAT, SAYS NATO ‘STRONGER’ THAN EVER The U.S. has deployed two aircraft carrier strike groups to the region in an effort to deter Iran and its proxies from entering the war, but terror groups have still launched dozens of attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria since mid-October. President Biden’s administration has called for more extended humanitarian pauses in the conflict, with Biden arguing it can only end with a negotiated two-state solution.
Houston mayoral candidate Sheila Jackson Lee tells supporters to vote on wrong date
Houston mayoral candidate Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, encouraged her supporters to get out and vote for the runoff election — but she gave the wrong date. Jackson Lee, who currently serves in Congress, is looking to defeat Democrat state Senator John Whitmire in the race to replace outgoing Mayor Sylvester Turner. The race has moved to a runoff between the two that is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 9, and Jackson Lee released a television ad to spur her supporters to the polls. REP. JACKSON LEE IS GETTING BACKLASH FOR ANGRY RECORDING BECAUSE OF HER RACE, GENDER: SUPPORTERS The congresswoman’s ad highlighted her record during her political career on several issues, including abortion and gun violence. However, Jackson Lee’s ad contained a critical error: the ad said to vote “on or before December 7” — two days before the runoff election is scheduled. According to Mediaite, the ad made it to air in Houston television markets — a major late-game hiccup by the veteran congresswoman. The ad could hurt Jackson Lee as she fights Whitmire for the mayorship of the largest city in Texas. Voters could get confused and not know that the election date is set for two days later. Fox News Digital reached out to Jackson Lee’s campaign for comment but did not immediately receive a response. Jackson Lee’s ad stumble may spell trouble for her, but it most certainly will bring storm clouds over her staffers. The Texas Democrat has built a reputation as one of the “meanest” members of Congress to work for, but has also become one of its most recognizable faces, having represented the same district in the House of Representatives for more than 28 years. Jackson Lee has long been known as one of the most difficult members of Congress to work for, and, according to a 2011 Daily Caller report that cited a number of former staff members, frequently used demeaning language and name-calling when addressing them. “You stupid motherf—er,” one former employee said Jackson Lee “constantly” called him, while another described an occasion her parents were visiting from out of town and overheard Jackson Lee call her a “stupid idiot” because of a scheduling change. “Don’t be a moron, you foolish girl,” the former aide alleged Jackson Lee told her. Another former aide alleged Jackson Lee once told them, “You don’t understand. I am a queen, and I demand to be treated like a queen.” Fox News Digital’s Brandon Gillespie contributed reporting.
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum suspends Republican presidential campaign
Six months after launching a dark-horse bid for the 2024 Republican presidential campaign, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum is suspending his White House bid. In a statement and video released Monday morning, Burgum emphasized that he and his wife “are deeply grateful for each and every person who supported us with their ideas, prayers, advocacy, encouragement and enthusiasm. Kathryn and I will always remain committed to fighting for the people who make our nation so exceptional.” Burgum, a multi-millionaire former software company CEO turned two-term North Dakota governor, took aim at the Republican National Committee as he dropped out of the race. After making the stage at the first two GOP presidential debates, Burgum failed to qualify for the third showdown, and was unlikely to reach the thresholds mandated by the RNC to make the stage at this week’s fourth debate. The RNC is expected on Monday evening to announce which candidates qualified for the fourth debate. “The RNC’s clubhouse debate requirements are nationalizing the primary process and taking the power of democracy away from the engaged, thoughtful citizens of Iowa and New Hampshire,” Burgum charged in his statement, as he pointed to the first two states to vote in the GOP presidential nominating calendar. “The RNC’s mission is to win elections. It is not their mission to reduce competition and restrict fresh ideas by ‘narrowing the field’ months before the Iowa caucuses or the first in the nation New Hampshire primary. These arbitrary criteria ensure advantages for candidates from major media markets on the coasts versus America’s Heartland,” he argued. “None of their debate criteria relate to the qualifications related to actually doing the job of the president. This effort to nationalize the primary system is unhealthy for the future of the party, especially for a party that proclaims to value leadership from outside of Washington.” Even though he poured millions of his own money into his White House bid and campaigned heavily in Iowa and New Hampshire, Burgum – little known outside of North Dakota – was unable to see his poll numbers rise above the single digits. After failing to make the stage in the third debate, Burgum pledged to stay in the race through the Jan. 15 Iowa caucuses and Jan. 23 New Hampshire primary.
White House, Pennsylvania officials denounce anti-Israel restaurant protest: ‘Blatant act of antisemitism’
The White House, the governor of Pennsylvania and Philadelphia officials denounced the anti-Israel protest that targeted a Jewish-owned restaurant in the City of Brotherly Love. Sunday night saw anti-Israel protesters in Philadelphia stop outside of Goldie Falafel, a Jewish and Israeli-owned restaurant in the city. “Goldie, Goldie, you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide,” the protesters chanted at the falafel restaurant. CNN HOST CLASHES WITH PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRAT OVER HAMAS’ USE OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE: ‘YOU TURNED IT BACK TO ISRAEL’ Goldie Falafel is owned by American-Israeli chef Michael Solomonov, who started out cooking Italian food before shifting to Israeli and Jewish cuisine in the wake of his brother David’s 2003 death at the hands of Lebanese snipers while serving in the Israeli Defense Forces, National Review reported Monday. Solomonov’s restaurant was reportedly vandalized by the protesters as they targeted the restaurant on Sunday night. The protesters’ chants accusing the falafel restaurant of genocide went viral on social media, with Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro — a Jewish Democrat — denouncing the protest as “a blatant act of antisemitism.” “Tonight in Philly, we saw a blatant act of antisemitism — not a peaceful protest,” Shapiro wrote. “A restaurant was targeted and mobbed because its owner is Jewish and Israeli,” the Pennsylvania governor continued. “This hate and bigotry is reminiscent of a dark time in history.” White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said it “is Antisemitic and completely unjustifiable to target restaurants that serve Israeli food over disagreements with Israeli policy, as Governor Shapiro has underlined.” “This behavior reveals the kind of cruel and senseless double standard that is a calling card of Antisemitism,” Bates said. “President Biden has fought against the evil of Antisemitism his entire life, including by launching the first national strategy to counter this hate in American history.” “He will always stand up firmly against these kinds of undignified actions,” Bates continued. Pennsylvania Democrat Senator John Fetterman, an outspoken supporter of Israel, posted that the people accusing the falafel restaurant of genocide “could be protesting Hamas.” “They could be protesting Hamas’ systematic rape of Israeli women and girls or demanding the remaining hostages be immediately released,” Fetterman wrote. “Instead, they targeted a Jewish restaurant.” “It’s pathetic and rank antisemitism,” he added. Democrat Pennsylvania Rep. Brendan Boyle, who represents Philadelphia in Congress, also denounced the anti-Israel protest. “I can’t believe I even have to say this but targeting businesses simply because they’re Jewish owned is despicable,” Boyle wrote. “Philadelphia stands against this sort of harassment and hate,” he continued. The targeting of Goldie Falafel came amid a larger protest that reportedly saw chants of “long live the intifada” and “there is only one solution: intifada revolution.” Antisemitism has shot up in the wake of the Palestinian terror organization Hamas’ deadly surprise attack on Israeli civilians on October 7. Fox News Digital reached out to Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney and Mayor-elect Cherelle Parker for comment.