Nikki Haley launches first campaign ad, calls for ‘moral clarity,’ moving on from ‘chaos and drama’
Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley launched her first 2024 presidential campaign ad Thursday, calling on Republicans to drop the “drama” of the past. The 30-second television ad calls out America’s adversaries abroad as well as the “chaos” in American cities and universities. Haley’s campaign has made impressive strides in recent months, eclipsing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for second place in recent polls. “A president must have moral clarity and know the difference between good and evil,” Haley says in the ad. “Today, China, Russia and Iran are advancing. There’s chaos in our streets and college campuses. Our security is threatened at home and abroad.” “It’s time for a new generation of conservative leadership. We have to leave behind the chaos and drama of the past and strengthen our country and our pride and our purpose,” she concludes. GAME ON IN IOWA AS DESANTIS AND HALEY BATTLE FOR SECOND PLACE BEHIND TRUMP Haley’s campaign spent $10 million to spread the ad over Iowa and New Hampshire, which will be the first states to hold contests in the Republican nomination calendar. WILL ENDORSEMENT FROM INFLUENTIAL EVANGELICAL LEADER BOOST DESANTIS IN IOWA? The ad makes no direct mention of former President Trump, the current frontrunner in the race, although Haley has frequently associated the term “chaos” with Trump. Haley has enjoyed a spike in support as other candidates drop out of the race. With former Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C.., bowing out, Haley jumped to 20% support in recent polling. DESANTIS, HALEY, RAMASWAMY, GET PERSONAL AS THEY SIT SIDE-BY-SIDE Trump maintains a commanding lead, however, with 42% support among likely Republican voters. Haley has less than two months to make her case in the Hawkeye State before the Jan. 15 caucuses. New Hampshire will follow soon afterward on Jan. 23 with the first primary vote on the calendar.
Clinton class at Columbia disrupted by pro-Palestinian protesters chanting, ‘Hillary, you can’t hide’
Pro-Palestinian protesters confronted Hillary Clinton outside her class at Columbia University in New York City on Wednesday, amid the Israel-Hamas war. Video shared on X shows Clinton walking past a common area of Columbia University’s International Affairs Building as demonstrators chant, “Hillary, Hillary you can’t hide, you are supporting genocide.” The protest, staged outside the lecture, was said to have disrupted a class taught by the former first lady and secretary of state called “Inside the Situation Room.” According to the video shared by BreakThrough News, Clinton, also a former senator from New York, does not appear to engage with the protesters, most of whom sat on the ground holding signs with messages such as “Columbia funds apartheid” and “Viva Viva Palestine.” The demonstrators – many wearing face masks – also chanted the name of Clinton’s co-instructor, Keren Yarhi-Milo, dean and Adlai E. Stevenson professor of international relations, saying, “Can’t you see you are supporting genocide?” NYC COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY FACULTY AND STUDENTS PROTEST SUSPENSION OF 2 FAR-LEFT GROUPS “Take our demands, take our demands!” the student protesters shouted as Clinton and Yarhi-Milo left the lecture hall, according to another video shared online. As both instructors walked toward the building’s exit, the protesters added, “Shame on you! Shame on you!” Another clip showed students having signs that also read, “Columbia Has Blood on Its Hands.” In response to the incident, a Columbia School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) spokesperson told Fox News Digital, “We continue to support our students who wish to express themselves through respectful speech while at the same time we fulfill our responsibility to maintain the core activities of our school. Today was a good example of balancing these principles.” Earlier in November, Clinton and Yarhi-Milo were delivering a lecture to a hall of about 300 students about women’s involvement in peace processes when about 30 students got up halfway through and walked out in protest of the university’s alleged inability to keep pro-Palestinian students from being doxed, the New York Times reported. They joined a group of about two dozen students who sat in the common area of the building demanding “immediate legal support for affected students” and “a commitment to student safety, well-being and privacy.” COLUMBIA STUDENT PROTESTERS STAGE WALKOUT FROM HILLARY CLINTON’S CLASS The walkout came in response to trucks that appeared near campus aiming to expose “Columbia’s Leading Antisemites” that had attached screens showing the names and photos of students who signed a statement that justified Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israeli civilians. The statement said in part, “The weight of responsibility for the war and casualties undeniably lies with the Israeli extremist government.” The walkout protest earlier this month happened the same day Columbia University announced a task force on student safety meant to develop “recommendations to prevent doxing, protect the identities and personal information of our students, and develop proposals to reduce tensions among various students and student organizations regarding controversial national or international events that affect our community in New York City.” According to the course description on Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs website, Clinton’s “Inside the Situation Room” class “employs insights from diverse academic fields – including political psychology, domestic politics, and international relations – and the direct experience of high-level principals in the room to understand the key factors which underpin a nation’s most crucial decisions.” The course is said to allow “students to engage with a range of case studies and examine decision-making in a variety of historical and contemporary contexts, from the search for Osama bin Laden, to the ‘red line’ in Syria, to negotiating with Iran.”
Henry Kissinger: A Life in Pictures
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Santos blasts Dems in fiery remarks ahead of expulsion vote, teases call to remove progressive House member
Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., blasted the congressional ethics report and the upcoming vote to expel him from Congress on Thursday. Santos held a press conference in front of the U.S. Capitol in the morning, making threats and calling on the press to investigate fellow members of Congress. He also vowed to file a motion calling for the expulsion of Rep. Jamal Bowman, D-N.Y., who pleaded guilty to falsely pulling a fire alarm this fall. “If the House wants to start a different precedent and expel me, that is going to be the undoing of a lot of members of this body because this will haunt them in the future,” he warned. “I came in here as a mad-as-hell activist and… I got to see how the sausage is made. I get to take that story back to the American people… I’m proud of the work I put forward. If this is it, then this is it,” he added, saying he would likely release a statement later in the day. THIRD TIME THE CHARM: WILL GEORGE SANTOS SURVIVE THE LATEST MOVE TO OUST HIM FROM THE HOUSE? THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE DEMOCRATS’ GAMBIT TO EXPEL SANTOS – OR EMBARRASS THE GOP Santos went on to say he plans to file a privileged motion for expulsion of “convicted, guilty-pleaded Congressman Jamal Bowman.” He claimed that anyone else who pulled a fire alarm during a congressional hearing would have been charged with obstruction. The expulsion vote against Santos arose from a slew of accusations against him, including campaign finance abuses. Santos has survived two other efforts to oust him from Congress in recent weeks, but the third time may be the charm for lawmakers who believe Santos is unfit to serve. The House sidetracked two previous efforts to expel Santos – never directly casting a ballot on his worthiness to be a House member. HUNTER BIDEN AGREES TO HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE TESTIMONY Those who opposed the plan to expel Santos fell short of defending him, however. They instead noted that a court has never convicted Santos of alleged wrongdoing. A report from the House Ethics Committee found that Santos “used campaign funds for personal purposes” and “engaged in fraudulent conduct,” among other allegations. Article I, Section 5 of the Constitution grants each body of Congress the ultimate authority over who is sworn in, rules of proceedings, and how to discipline and “with the Concurrence of two-thirds, expel a Member.” Fox News’ Michael Dorgan contributed to this report
Two Arizona Republican officials in rural border county criminally charged with delaying 2022 election results
Two Republican officials in rural Arizona have been criminally charged for delaying the certification of the 2022 election results, the state’s top prosecutor announced on Wednesday. A state grand jury returned an indictment charging Peggy Suzanne Judd, 61, of Willcox, and Terry Thomas “Tom” Crosby, 64, of Sierra Vista with the felony offenses of Interference with an Election Officer and Conspiracy. Judd and Crosby both currently serve as supervisors in Cochise County, which runs along the U.S.-Mexico border. “The repeated attempts to undermine our democracy are unacceptable,” Attorney General Kris Mayes, a Democrat, said in a statement Wednesday. “I took an oath to uphold the rule of law, and my office will continue to enforce Arizona’s elections laws and support our election officials as they carry out the duties and responsibilities of their offices.” The indictment, filed Monday in Maricopa County Superior Court, alleges that on or between Oct. 11-Dec. 1, 2022, Judd and Crosby conspired to delay the canvass of votes cast in Cochise County in the November election. Prosecutors allege that Judd and Crosby knowingly interfered with the Arizona Secretary of State’s ability to complete the statewide canvass for the 2022 election, by preventing the canvass of votes from Cochise County from occurring during the time period required by Arizona law. SUPREME COURT COMPELS DEPOSITIONS FOR ARIZONA REPUBLICAN LEADERS IN VOTING LAW DISPUTE Dennis Wilenchik, an attorney for Crosby, called the indictment “nothing but political partisanship.” In a statement, he promised a vigorous defense for what he called baseless charges. “The conspiracy is solely based on an alleged ‘agreement’ to interfere that is nonexistent, as there was none,” said Wilenchik, who also referred to the interference charge as “nonsensical.” Jane Montgomery, spokesperson for Cochise County, declined to comment to the Associated Press about the indictment but confirmed both supervisors will be responsible for their own legal representation. The indictment marks a rare instance of criminally prosecuting people connected to the vote canvassing being dragged out last year in six Arizona counties. In December 2022, Cochise County certified election results only after a judge ruled Crosby and Judd, both Republicans, were breaking the law by refusing to sign off on the vote count by the deadline. Crosby and Judd said they were not satisfied that the machines used to tabulate ballots were properly certified for use in elections. This prompted lawsuits, including one from then-Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, a Democrat. TOP GOP SENATORS SLAM BIDEN ADMIN FOR ‘HIDDEN’ PLANS ON FEDERAL GET-OUT-THE-VOTE EFFORTS After the judge’s order, Judd joined Ann English, the lone Democrat on the three-member board, in voting to certify the election. Crosby did not attend that meeting. Judd and Crosby both were subpoenaed to court earlier this month. English was not subpoenaed or indicted. At the time, Judd and Crosby told the Associated Press they had no idea why they were being subpoenaed. “I don’t feel like I broke a law. But, obviously the courts had different feelings,” Judd said. Last year, election results were certified without issue throughout most of the country. But in Arizona, the six counties hesitated to meet the certification deadline amid pressure from some Republicans. Democrats ended up winning U.S. Senate, governor and other statewide races in what has now become a swing state. Arizona has been the home of many election controversies since President Biden was declared winner in 2020, making him the second Democrat in seven decades to win the state. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Henry Kissinger: World leaders comment on the diplomatic giant’s life, legacy and global impact
Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger died at his home in Connecticut on Wednesday. He was 100. The German-born American served as a diplomat, academic and presidential adviser, and continued to impact American politics in the private sector after leaving office. His stamp on U.S. foreign policy spanned decades and he was responsible — for better or worse — for systematically changing the standing of the U.S., China, Russia, and others. After the news of his death broke, dignitaries from around the world commented on his life and legacy, including current and former secretaries of states, presidents, and foreign diplomats. FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE HENRY KISSINGER DEAD AT 100 Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the man currently in the position that Kissinger held across two presidencies, said Kissinger “set the standard” for being the senior U.S. diplomat. “Secretary Kissinger really set the standard for everyone involved in this job,” Blinken said in Israel, during a meeting with Israel President Isaac Herzog. “I was very privileged to get his counsel many times, including as recently as about a month ago. He was extraordinarily generous with his wisdom, with his advice. Few people were better students of history. Even fewer people did more to shape history than Henry Kissinger.” Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo similarly said Kissinger “left an incredible mark on America’s history and the world.” HENRY KISSINGER WARNS AGAINST ESCALATING RUSSIA-UKRAINE CONFLICT, URGES PEACE TALKS “Henry Kissinger was a model of service and a great American,” Pompeo said. “From the day he came to the United States as a teenager fleeing Nazi Germany, Dr. Kissinger dedicated his life to serving this great country and keeping America safe.” He added: “He left an indelible mark on America’s history and the world. I will always be grateful for his gracious advice and help during my own time as Secretary. Always supportive and always informed, his wisdom made me better and more prepared after every one of our conversations.” Former President George W. Bush also commented on Kissinger: “America has lost one of the most dependable and distinctive voices of Henry Kissinger. He worked in the Administrations of two Presidents and counseled many more.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a statement after the death of Kissinger, who he called “a great statesman, scholar, and friend.” “Dr. Kissinger’s departure marks the end of an era, one in which his formidable intellect and diplomatic prowess shaped not only the course of American foreign policy but also had a profound impact on the global stage,” Netanyahu wrote. The Israeli leader also described meeting with Kissinger just months ago in New York. “I had the privilege of meeting Dr. Kissinger on numerous occasions, the most recent being just two months ago in New York. Each meeting with him was not just a lesson in diplomacy but also a masterclass in statesmanship,” Netanyahu said. “His understanding of the complexities of international relations and his unique insights into the challenges facing our world were unparalleled.” KISSINGER SAYS IT WAS ‘GRAVE MISTAKE’ FOR GERMANY TO TAKE IN SO MANY MIGRANTS AMID PRO-HAMAS PROTESTS He continued: “Henry Kissinger was not just a diplomat; he was a thinker who believed in the power of ideas and the importance of intellectual capital in public life. His contributions to the field of international relations and his efforts in navigating some of the most challenging diplomatic terrains are a testament to his extraordinary capabilities.” “His legacy will continue to inspire and guide future generations of leaders and diplomats,” Netanyahu concluded. Chinese President Xi Jinping and senior Chinese officials commented on Kissinger’s death and sent messages of condolence to President Biden and others after his passing, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Thursday, Reuters reported. Kissinger visited China more than 100 times, most recently meeting with Xi during a surprise trip to Beijing in July. FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT HENRY KISSINGER, A DOMINANT FIGURE IN GLOBAL AFFAIRS IN THE 1970S “During his lifetime, Dr. Kissinger attached great importance to Sino-US relations and believed that Sino-US relations were crucial to the peace and prosperity of China, the United States and the world,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin. “China and the United States must inherit and carry forward Dr. Kissinger’s strategic vision, political courage, and diplomatic wisdom, adhere to the important consensus reached by the Chinese and American presidents at their meeting in San Francisco, adhere to mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation, and promote healthy and stable Sino-US relations sustainable development.” During a news conference, the spokesperson said Kissinger made “historic” contributions to the legacy of early China-U.S. relations. He said China would remember him for his “sincere devotion and important contribution.” Kissinger’s impact across the globe is evident decades after he left office and his foreign policies continue to shape global relations. Hungarian President Katalin Novák described Kissinger, after his death, as “one of those who shaped international politics and so, history, in the second half of the 20th century.” She added: “A great life, a great legacy. His call to end the war in Ukraine through a peace deal crafted in negotiations remains pertinent even today. Rest in peace.” Reuters contributed to this report.
Climate change, costly disasters sent Texas homeowner insurance rates skyrocketing this year
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More than 1 million older Texans are struggling to cover housing costs
A new Harvard University study found a surge in the number of Texas households headed by people 65 or older spending more than 30% of their income on housing. Advocates say keeping older adults housed will require substantial public investment and reforms.
Five things to know about Henry Kissinger, a dominant figure in global affairs in the 1970s
Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who died Wednesday at age 100, exerted far-reaching influence on global affairs under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford between 1969 and 1977, earning both vilification and the Nobel Peace Prize. FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE HENRY KISSINGER DEAD AT 100 Here are five things to know about his life in government and beyond: For eight restless years — first as national security adviser, later as secretary of state, and for a time as both — Kissinger played a dominant role in foreign policy. He conducted the first “shuttle diplomacy” in the quest for Middle East peace. He used secret negotiations to restore ties between the United States and China. He initiated the Paris talks that ultimately provided a face-saving means to get the United States out of war in Vietnam. And he pursued detente with the Soviet Union that led to arms-control agreements. Kissinger’s power grew during the turmoil of the Watergate scandal, when the politically attuned diplomat took on a role akin to co-president to the weakened Nixon. “No doubt my vanity was piqued,” Kissinger later wrote of his expanding influence during Watergate. “But the dominant emotion was a premonition of catastrophe.” Kissinger told colleagues at the White House that he was the one person who kept Nixon, “that drunken lunatic,” from doing things that would “blow up the world,” according to Walter Isaacson, who wrote the 1992 biography “Kissinger.” Pudgy and messy, Kissinger acquired a reputation as a ladies’ man in the staid Nixon administration. Kissinger called women “a diversion, a hobby.” Isaacson wrote that Hollywood executives were eager to set him up with starlets, whom Kissinger squired to premieres and showy restaurants. His companions included Jill St. John, Shirley MacLaine, Marlo Thomas, Candice Bergen and Liv Ullmann. In a poll of Playboy Club Bunnies in 1972, the man dubbed “Super-K” by Newsweek finished first as “the man I would most like to go out on a date with.” Kissinger’s explanation: “Power is the ultimate aphrodisiac.” Kissinger for decades battled the notion that he and Nixon had settled in 1972 for peace terms in Vietnam that had been available in 1969 and thus had needlessly prolonged the war at the cost of tens of thousands of American lives. He was castigated for authorizing telephone wiretaps of reporters and his own National Security Council staff to plug news leaks in Nixon’s White House. He was denounced on college campuses for the bombing and allied invasion of Cambodia in April 1970, intended to destroy North Vietnamese supply lines to communist forces in South Vietnam. That “incursion,” as Nixon and Kissinger called it, was blamed by some for contributing to Cambodia’s fall into the hands of Khmer Rouge insurgents. KISSINGER SAYS IT WAS ‘GRAVE MISTAKE’ FOR GERMANY TO TAKE IN SO MANY MIGRANTS AMID PRO-HAMAS PROTESTS Kissinger cultivated the reputation of respected elder statesman, giving speeches, offering advice to Republican and Democratic presidents alike and managing a lucrative global consulting business as he traveled the world. But records from the Nixon era, released over the years, brought with them revelations that sometimes cast him in a harsh light. Kissinger was dogged by critics at home and abroad who argued that he should be called to account for his policies on Southeast Asia and support of repressive regimes in Latin America. He had to think twice before traveling to certain countries to be sure that he would not be summoned by judges seeking to question him about Nixon-era actions.
Top Ivy League school hosts Chinese official who has repeatedly praised CCP: ‘Fruitful discussions’
A Chinese official who has praised the CCP and denied China’s persecution against the Uyghurs has appeared at another high profile event in the United States, this time meeting with leaders of one of the nation’s top universities. “Paid a visit to the prestigious Princeton University and had fruitful discussions with Madame Provost Jennifer Rexford and fellow colleagues today,” Huang Ping, consul General of the People’s Republic of China in New York, posted on X this week along with a photo of Ping with Princeton Provost Jennifer Rexford. “Exciting plans are underway to expand partnerships between PU and Chinese universities, fostering high-level academic exchanges and cooperation,” his post continued. Huang Ping, who’s been the consul general of China’s New York Consulate since 2018, previously called the CCP a “great party” and has denied that China is targeting the Muslim Uyghur population in China. PROMINENT NYC VENUES REPEATEDLY HOST CHINESE OFFICIAL WHO PRAISED CCP, DENIED UYGHUR GENOCIDE “There are lots of lies here, fabricated by some people with their own political agenda,” Huang said in an August 2021 interview, denying the existence of genocide and internment camps targeting Uyghurs. “As I said, there’s no genocide, not a single evidence to prove that there’s a genocide or something there. It’s just a slandering.” The Princeton visit comes weeks after Ping visited one of the largest media companies in the United States. “Chinese Consul General Huang Ping visits Condé Nast and meets with Chief Executive Officer Roger Lynch and Global Chief Revenue Officer Pam Drucker Mann to talk about the growth of the Chinese market,” a post on the website of Condé Nast, a U.S. mass media company that owns brands such as Vogue, The New Yorker, GQ, and Glamour, stated on Nov. 2. HARVARD HOSTS CHINESE OFFICIAL WHO SAID COMMUNIST PARTY OF CHINA IS ‘GREAT PARTY’ Shortly before visiting Conde Naste, Ping was in Pennsylvania meeting with Democratic lawmakers, business leaders, and University of Pennsylvania scholars. The Pennsylvania visit wasn’t the first time Ping has met with Democratic lawmakers. Fox News Digital previously reported that Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Ping met in April 2019 when she was the lieutenant governor to discuss cooperation between New York and China. The post includes a picture of them standing beside each other and smiling while holding a certificate that she presented to him for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. In early 2021, he called her an “old friend” in a Facebook post, featuring a video of her, and has attended other events with her. He also stood onstage beside New York City’s Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat, earlier this month at the China Day Celebration Parade Festival in New York, according to a press release. Ping’s many trips and visits with prominent American figures come at a time when many are concerned about China’s increased influence in the United States which includes alleged spying at universities, buying up farmland, and encroaching on intellectual property. Princeton declined to comment when contacted by Fox News Digital on the nature of the meeting and whether the school was aware of Ping’s previous comments. Fox News Digital’s Cameron Cawthorne and Jessica Chasmar contributed to this report