Over 100 killed and hundreds injured in China earthquake
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Forget Australia’s referendum. Indigenous people make strides on their own
Shepparton, Australia – Brad Boon gestures towards the towering mural, one of many that dot the small rural town of Shepparton in Australia’s southeastern state of Victoria. The faces of Indigenous heroes William Cooper and Sir Douglas Nicholls stare defiantly across the smattering of shops under the glare of the midday Australian sun. Despite the onslaught of British colonisation and discrimination, Sir Douglas became the first Aboriginal person to be knighted and was made the governor of South Australia; he was also a talented Australian Rules football player. Cooper, meanwhile, long campaigned for Aboriginal rights and is also recognised for protesting against the Nazi regime, seeing correlations between Indigenous peoples’ treatment in Australia and that of the Jewish people under Nazi Germany. Both Cooper and Nicholls came from the Indigenous Yorta Yorta nation – the traditional area surrounding Shepparton. That their faces – along with other Indigenous heroes – are emblazoned on the walls around the town are testament not only to the Yorta Yorta peoples’ survival and resistance to brutal colonisation but also to their enduring legacy. Despite their long history of resistance and activism, however, the Yorta Yorta people are still fighting for their rights in 2023. Brad Boon has lived in Shepparton for 17 years and is proud of the success the local community has had, including the new netball courts at the Indigenous-run Rumbalara Football and Netball Club [Ali MC/Al Jazeera] In October, Australia held a referendum to decide whether to establish a constitutionally enshrined Indigenous “Voice to Parliament“. The proposal was to establish an advisory council in the federal government to advise on matters concerning Indigenous peoples and address the continued inequalities they face in Australia. Despite fierce advocacy from its supporters, the proposal was rejected. In Shepparton, the no vote resounded even louder. More than 76.2 percent of the population voted against the voice – far higher than the national average of 60.62 percent. It was a disappointment to many of the Yorta Yorta who make up one of the largest populations of Indigenous peoples in the state. While living in Shepparton for 17 years, Boon is originally from the Kurnai nation in southeast Victoria. However, he has a Yorta Yorta partner, has worked in the town’s Indigenous legal services and is a former player and now volunteer in the local Indigenous-run Rumbalara Football and Netball Club. The referendum was notable not only for the resounding defeat but also for the racism and negativity that typified the debate. Inside a replica of the houses built for the Yorta Yorta to replace the tin and hessian huts they’d been forced to live in on the Mooroopna Flats. On the table is a historical advertisement urging voters to ‘Keep Australia White’ [Ali MC /Al Jazeera] Well-known local Indigenous rapper Briggs – Brad Boon’s brother-in-law – was a strong advocate of the Voice to Parliament, even holding a free concert in Shepparton to gain more voter support. Despite the loss, Boon says there are many positive Indigenous-led outcomes in small towns like Shepparton that are rarely touted in the media or recognised in politics. “At the minute we’re just seeing bad stuff – domestic violence, sexual abuse, all the stuff that they want to get people up in arms about,” he said. “But they’re not talking about the good that’s happening around the state. And that’s what I think we need to do more of.” Pushed into slums Shepparton is a small town nestled in a riverine floodplain, just two hours north of Melbourne. Surrounded by fragrant gum trees, undulating native bush and once-flourishing river systems, the region has been home to the Yorta Yorta for tens of thousands of years and maintains a rich cultural history still present in the local community. Early colonialists established sheep farming in the region, forcing the Yorta Yorta first into a settlement called Cummeragunja in the 1880s and then into slum housing on the banks of the Goulburn River in 1939. Bushland around the Rumbalara Aboriginal Co-operative [Ali MC/Al Jazeera] The Yorta Yorta lived in huts made from tin and hessian sacks in an area subject to flooding, which was known as the Mooroopna Flats. Leaders – including Cooper and Nicholls – campaigned for better conditions at a time when Indigenous people across the nation were denied equal wages and were subject to punitive legislation that allowed for the removal of their children into white institutions, known as the Stolen Generations. In Victoria, the effects of colonisation were even more severe than in the rest of the country. At least 50 massacres are estimated to have occurred, with some killing up to 200 Indigenous peoples in what is often referred to by Indigenous scholars as a genocide. It is a history that underpins both the struggle and success the community has made since the days of Cooper and Nicholls, but racism still runs deep in the small town. Heidi Knowles says she regularly experiences racism, especially if she wears a T-shirt featuring an Aboriginal flag. She says shopkeepers assume she is going to steal something, perpetuating a stereotype of Indigenous people as criminals. “I might get followed around the supermarket and it makes me feel uncomfortable. Don’t get me wrong,” she said. “But I’ve got nothing to hide.” Knowles is proud of being an Indigenous woman. “I wear my Koori [Indigenous] top with pride and you will see me [in it] every single day,” she told Al Jazeera. Heidi Knowles is a Yorta Yorta woman who is the manager of operations and student success at the local Academy of Sport, Health and Education [Ali MC] The 39-year-old mother works as the manager of operations and student success at the local Academy of Sport, Health and Education (ASHE), a high achievement centre for predominantly Indigenous young people. She says that such a centre is vital for Indigenous students who may experience racism and discrimination at their local school or who simply do not fit into the mainstream education system. “Our
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Wisconsin GOP leader doubles down on crusade against DEI initiatives
The Republican lawmaker who forced the Universities of Wisconsin to reduce diversity positions called Tuesday for an in-depth review of diversity initiatives across state government and repeated his claim that he has only begun to dismantle equity and inclusion efforts in the state. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos made the remarks after the Legislature’s employment committee voted to release $107.6 million to cover a 6% raise for about 35,000 UW employees. The vote resolved a six-month battle over the raises; the state budget Republicans approved in June included funding for the raises, but Vos refused to allow the employment committee to release the money, using it as leverage in his fight against campus diversity initiatives. Vos and Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman finally reached an agreement earlier this month. The deal called for the regents to freeze diversity hires, re-label about 40 diversity positions as “student success” positions, drop an affirmative action faculty hiring program at UW-Madison and create a position at the flagship university focused on conservative thought. In return, Vos agreed to hand over the money for the raises as well as tens of millions of dollars for construction projects across the university system. EX-WISCONSIN SUPREME COURT JUSTICE HAS LAWSUIT DISMISSED AFTER TURNING OVER RECORDS The regents voted to approve the deal last week despite intense criticism from students and faculty that they were selling out students of color and LGBTQ+ students. Vos, who is white, said after the regents’ vote that he had only just begun to remove “these cancerous DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) practices” from UW campuses. He signaled on Tuesday that he won’t stop there, saying he thinks DEI efforts have divided people and that he wants a truly colorblind society. “We’re not done yet trying to look at how pervasive DEI is throughout the entire system of state government,” Vos told the employment committee. “I have faith that legislative Republicans will begin a much needed, long-term, in-depth review of DEI in every state government, be it at the Department of Corrections or the UW system, tech colleges or every part of state government. So stay tuned. This is just the first step and hopefully a lot more to come.” He then wished everyone a merry Christmas. He quickly left the room after the vote, telling trailing reporters that further details might come later this week. Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ spokesperson, Britt Cudaback, tweeted that Evers is the governor, not Vos. She said Evers’ administration would continue diversity efforts “notwithstanding the small-minded objections of legislative Republicans.” The governor filed a lawsuit with the Wisconsin Supreme Court in October arguing that lawmakers had overstepped their authority by blocking the raises. Attorney General Josh Kaul, who is representing the governor, sent a letter to the court Tuesday arguing that the vote to release the raises doesn’t render the case moot and that the justice still need to decide the bigger question of whether legislative committees can block previously approved spending. The employment committee voted 6-1 to release the money for the raises. A 4% raise is retroactive to July, with another 2% increase coming in July 2024. Republican Chris Kapenga, who serves as president of the state Senate, was the only committee member to vote against releasing the raises. After the vote, he told reporters that he voted “no” because he wants diversity efforts eliminated altogether. “I want to see DEI dead,” said Kapenga, who is white. “I think it’s disgusting. … We have laws in the Constitution that protect people for what DEI supposedly does.” The Republican-controlled Legislature is expected to vote this spring on bills that would release funding for the construction projects, including about $200 million for a new engineering building at UW-Madison; $78 million to renovate dorms at UW-Whitewater, Vos’ alma mater; and $45 million for demolition projects across the system.
House GOP takes aim at White House for omitting Hunter Biden on Marine One list amid missing visitor logs
House Republicans are taking aim at the White House after President Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, was left off the Marine One passenger list following a longstanding tradition of omitting him from other records such as its visitor logs. “The White House may not have helped that the president is keeping far away from Hunter’s local woes,” Fox News White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich reported Tuesday. “We were all just watching the First Family’s return from Delaware on Marine One, and my colleague Peter Doocy noticed someone hop off the chopper who was not on the passenger list the White House gave us: Hunter Biden.” “So, Hunter is apparently here at the White House after defying a Congressional subpoena while being indicted and facing a maximum of 17 years behind bars on financial crimes plus another 25 on the gun charges that he is facing,” Heinrich said. BIDEN DAUGHTER ADDS TO LENGTHY FAMILY HISTORY OF TAX ISSUES The Hunter Biden omission prompted the House Republican Conference’s social media account to question what else the White House is leaving out of its records regarding the president’s son. “Fox News reports that Hunter Biden is currently at the White House after being spotted exiting Marine One,” the House GOP account wrote on X. “He was not on the White House’s passenger manifest. What other manifests and visitor logs has Hunter Biden been left off of?” During a Thursday press briefing, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre faced a question about whether the White House will announce Hunter Biden’s presence on Marine One moving forward. BIDEN ADMIN AGENCY QUIETLY LEANED ON SOROS AND OTHER BILLIONAIRE-BACKED GROUPS FOR KEY POLICY ROLES “That’s something that we’ve never done,” Jean-Pierre responded. “This is the family. The family gets to travel with the president, and that’s been the case with every other president, and so it’s not something that we have done or we would be doing moving forward.” The Biden White House has repeatedly claimed they are the “most transparent administration in American history.” However, a previous Fox News Digital review found that its visitor logs from the beginning of the Biden administration through February 2023 have not included any of Hunter Biden’s White House visits or extended stays. It appears the White House is still omitting Hunter’s name from the visitor logs. The review included several articles to piece together Hunter Biden’s whereabouts during his dad’s administration and found that he had visited the White House over a dozen times through February 2023. A majority of the White House visits that Fox News Digital found were from 2022, which include the annual egg roll, Medal of Freedom ceremony, France State Dinner on the South Lawn, Christmas tree lighting, and his daughter’s wedding, among others. However, his presence at the White House was absent from the visitor logs, including what appears to be extended stays. A White House spokesperson previously pointed Fox News Digital to a policy released at the start of the administration. “The White House will not release access records related to purely personal guests of the First and Second Families (i.e., visits that do not involve any official or political business),” the policy states, which appears to be less transparent than the Obama administration. While many of these events are ceremonial and a tradition at the White House, Fox News Digital previously reported how Hunter Biden sought to use such events for his personal financial gain during the Obama administration. Hunter, who defied a congressional subpoena last week and was seen shopping with his dad in Delaware on Monday, is currently facing nine tax-related charges in California. If convicted, he could face up to 17 years in prison. The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Colorado Supreme Court disqualifies Trump from 2024 ballot
The Colorado Supreme Court has disqualified former President Trump from appearing on the state’s ballots in 2024. The disqualification is related to the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. The Tuesday ruling is stayed until January 4 because of likely appeals. This is a developing story. Check back for more details.
Controversial left-wing activist, 7 others arrested after probe into ‘brutal’ assault at California protest
A notorious Southern California street vendor activist, Edin Alex Enamorado, and seven others were arraigned on several felony charges during a Victorville courtroom hearing on Monday as part of a months-long, multiagency investigation known as “Operation Accountability.” All eight pleaded not guilty to the charges and are being held without bail until their next hearing on Dec. 26. Authorities in the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office began investigating on Sept. 24 after an assault that took place at a protest in Victorville. The investigation sprawled into other nearby cities in the Inland Empire, resulting in the eight individuals being investigated for other acts of violence in several other cities. 1 OUT OF EVERY 179 AMERICANS WILL EVENTUALLY BE MURDERED IF CRIME RATE CONTINUES, STUDY FINDS “This investigation began in late September when we investigated a brutal assault that occurred at a protest in the city of Victorville,” Sgt. Tony Romero of the Victorville sheriff’s station said. “The investigation quickly became a multiagency investigation when we discovered our group of suspects were responsible for violent acts during other protests in both San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties.” The other activists are David Chavez, 28, of Riverside; Edwin Pena, 26, of Los Angeles; Fernando Lopez, 44, of Los Angeles; Gullit Eder Acevedo, 30, of San Bernardino; Stephanie Amesquita, 33, of San Bernardino; Vanessa Carrasco, 40, of Ontario and Wendy Lujan, 40, of Upland. Last Thursday, several search warrants were issued before the San Bernardino County sheriffs arrested the eight on a range of felony charges, which showed a conspiracy to commit a crime, false imprisonment and assault with a deadly weapon, according to jail records. Enamorado, one of the more notorious activists with thousands of social media followers, is known for posting videos on social media condemning what he deems as attacks on minorities, particularly street vendors. He racked up a total of 16 charges, including assault with a deadly weapon. But according to authorities, most, if not all, of his advocacy is a farce. “This group manipulates videos and photos on social media in an attempt to make them look like they’re protectors of underrepresented people,” San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus told reporters last week. “However, they use racism to threaten and intimidate their victims, causing them to get on their knees to beg for forgiveness while still assaulting them.” MASSIVE INCREASE IN BLACK AMERICANS MURDERED WAS RESULT OF DEFUND POLICE MOVEMENT: EXPERTS “What this group does is not protected by the First Amendment. It’s illegal,” he said. “This group is not about substance for the human condition but rather clickbait for cash.” In a news conference outside the courthouse on Monday, Enamorado’s attorney, Christian Contreras, said law enforcement was “criminalizing First Amendment activity” after he previously dubbed the group the “Victorville Eight.” “They are criminalizing the right to protest, they are criminalizing the right to call out elected officials, and they are criminalizing their critics,” Contreras told reporters. “This is a playbook straight out of a third-world country. You do not see this in the United States of America.” CALIFORNIA IS RUN BY POLITICIANS WHO ARE ‘100% PRO-CRIMINAL,’ 30-YEAR LAW ENFORCEMENT VETERAN SAYS As shown in videos on TikTok, supporters of the eight activists called to free the suspects, whom they called the “Justice Eight.” Supporters argued the arrests were part of an effort to “silence” protesters. Fox News Digital reached out to Contreras for comment but did not hear back by time of publication.
Bureau of Prisons assisting in migrant transportation at southern border
The Federal Bureau of Prisons is assisting the Border Patrol with the transport of migrants, according to sources. Multiple Border Patrol sources told Fox News that the Federal Bureau of Prisons is assisting in transporting migrants, since Customs and Border Protection/Border Patrol are overwhelmed in several areas. A spokesperson for the Federal Bureau of Prisons told Fox News the agency “is providing limited transportation resources to assist Border Patrol on the southwest border.” It comes as the U.S. southern border saw a new record in the number of migrant encounters in a single day, with 12,600 encounters taking place on Monday. SOUTHERN BORDER HIT BY RECORD NUMBER OF MIGRANT ENCOUNTERS IN A SINGLE DAY AS THOUSANDS FLOOD INTO TEXAS The number doesn’t include thousands of migrants who are waiting for processing in the Del Rio Sector on Monday evening. Sources told Fox News that, as of Tuesday morning, over 4,500 migrants were at the busy crossing point, while more than 5,300 were in custody. Officials with the Department of Homeland Security told lawmakers in December that there were around 670,000 “gotaways,” known as illegal immigrants who slipped past border agents, in FY 23. ARIZONA’S DEMOCRATIC GOV MOBILIZES NATIONAL GUARD TO BORDER, AS WASHINGTON TRIES TO REACH DEAL Arizona’s Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs announced Friday she’s deploying the state’s National Guard to help. “With this Executive Order, I am taking action where the federal government won’t. But we can’t stand alone, Arizona needs resources and manpower to reopen the Lukeville crossing, manage the flow of migrants, and maintain a secure, orderly and humane border,” Hobbs wrote in a statement. Fox News’ Adam Shaw, Bill Melugin and Griff Jenkins contributed to this report.
White House slams Texas Gov. Abbott’s new border legislation, saying it is ‘extreme’ and dehumanizes migrants
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s measures along the border, targeting illegal immigrants who enter the state, are not only “extreme,” but also “dehumanize” immigrants, putting them in “harm’s way.” On Monday, the governor signed a new law giving police the authority to arrest migrants who cross the border illegally, saying the bill was to “stop the tidal wave of illegal entry into Texas.” After being taken into custody, migrants could either agree to a Texas judge’s order to leave the U.S. or face prosecution on misdemeanor charges of illegal entry. Migrants who do not comply could face arrest again under more serious felony charges. TEXAS GOV. ABBOTT SIGNS BILL MAKING ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION A STATE CRIME Abbott has repeatedly slammed the Biden administration for not doing enough to address the border crisis. The governor has directed more than 65,000 migrants to be bussed to cities across America, while also installing razor wire along the banks of the Rio Grande. During a press briefing on Tuesday, Jean-Pierre told reporters Abbott’s “extreme law” will not and does not make communities in Texas safer. Instead, she added, the law is “very much in line” with what Republicans do, which is “demonize” and “dehumanize” immigrants. “This is not who we should be as a country,” Jean-Pierre said. “This is something that Governor Abbott has done over and over again. There are plenty of examples that I’ve listed from here before.” WHERE NO CONGRESS HAS GONE BEFORE: FACING GALACTIC-SCALE FISCAL CLIFF AND BORDER SECURITY THREATS She said Abbott’s measures have included leaving migrants on the side of the road in the middle of winter, installing razor wire near the border, and placing buoys in the Rio Grande, making it harder for border agents to do their jobs. “So, this is certainly extreme as we see it, and it is incredibly unfortunate,” Jean-Pierre said. “But this is what we see from particular Republicans trying to dehumanize a group of people who are coming here or some of them trying to migrate here. And they’re putting them in harm’s way.” Abbott’s law will likely face legal challenges because immigration enforcement falls under federal responsibility. TEXAS GOV ABBOTT SAYS STATE WILL CONTINUE TO SEND MIGRANTS TO SANCTUARY CITIES UNTIL BIDEN ACTS ON BORDER It’s also been called the most dramatic attempt by a state to police immigration since 2010, when an Arizona law, dubbed by critics as the “Show Me Your Papers” bill, was struck down by te U.S. Supreme Court. Jean-Pierre was asked by a reporter on Tuesday if President Biden supported the government taking legal action against Texas, as the ACLU has already filed a lawsuit. “The Department of Justice, they’re going to decide whether they’re going to file a lawsuit here,” Jean-Pierre said. “Certainly, I’m not going to get ahead of that.” She continued, saying the federal court is in charge of determining how and when to remove non-citizens for violating immigration policies. “That is where that sits and that’s where that belongs,” Jean Pierre added. Bradford Betz of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.
Prominent transgender activist tied to top Pennsylvania Dems charged with raping two underage boys
A prominent transgender LGBT activist in Philadelphia who campaigned for and endorsed several top Democrats in the commonwealth was arrested this week on several charges, including rape and assault of two young boys. Kendall Stephens, 37, was arrested Monday and charged with rape, involuntary assault, unlawful contact with minors and indecent assault against two victims less than 13 years old, along with charges including corruption of minors and endangering the welfare of children. Stephens, a transgender woman who is biologically male, rose to prominence in 2020 after being the victim of a brutal crime believed by many to be a hate crime in which the attacker, Tymesha Wearing, ended up pleading guilty to aggravated assault and conspiracy, Fox 29 Philadelphia reported. “Nearly three years ago, Kendall Stephens endured a frightening crime that was intended to demean and silence her,” District Attorney Larry Krasner said. TRANS CHILD MOLESTER SENTENCED FOR KILLING FRIEND WITH A ROCK IN FIGHT OVER $100 “Instead, Ms. Stephens continues to speak out loudly on behalf of other queer victims of violent crime — all while pursuing graduate studies. This criminal case is now closed, but Ms. Stephens will never stop fighting for the respect, support and protections that queer people deserve in order to live safely, freely and joyfully.” The arrest of Stephens sparked a firestorm on social media from those pointing out Stephens’ ties to various political campaigns and some saying the penalty for the alleged crimes should be significant. FORMER DEMOCRAT TRANSGENDER STATE REP WITH SHOCKING CRIMINAL PAST ARRESTED ON CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CHARGES In an Instagram post last year, Stephens posted a photo with Sen. Bob Casey thanking him for “giving me a platform to speak,” adding Casey was a “true ally to the community.” “Kendall campaigned for the Governor of PA (D),” LibsofTikTok posted on X, along with photos of Kendall standing alongside prominent Democrats in the commonwealth. “Kendall also supported the Philadelphia DA Larry Krasner (D). He’s also friendly with Sen. Bob Casey (D) and calls him an ‘ally.’” “37 year old transgender Kendall Stephens has been arrested for allegedly r*ping two minors under the age of 13,” Colin Rugg, co-owner of Trending Politics, posted on X.” “This is why the death penalty exists.” Fox News Digital reached out to the offices of Casey and Krasner but did not immediately receive a response. “These allegations are abhorrent,” Manuel Bonder, spokesperson for Gov. Josh Shapiro, told Fox News Digital. “This individual should be prosecuted to the fullest extent and process of the law.” The investigation into Stephens began in September when a grandmother of one of the alleged young victims told police her grandchild was sexually assaulted by Stephens on more than one occasion, starting when he was 8 years old, NBC Philadelphia reported. The second victim was reportedly given “gifts out of nowhere,” and the parents believed it was to “keep him quiet.” Stephens is also said to have warned one of the victims that he would be put in jail if he told anyone about the encounter. Stephens’ bail was set at $500,000.