Allahabad HC to pronounce verdict on pleas challenging Gyanvapi survey today
The petitions filed have also challenged a Varanasi court order of April 8, 2021, to conduct a comprehensive survey of the Gyanvapi mosque.
‘We would welcome India’s constructive engagement…’: US on resolving Russia-Ukraine, Israel-Hamas wars
US State Department said on Monday (local time) that Secretary of State Antony Blinken has a “close productive working relationship” with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
Hunter Biden given date for initial court appearance in California on tax charges
Hunter Biden will make his initial appearance in a California federal court on nine tax-related charges on Jan. 11, 2024. Biden will appear before Magistrate Judge Alka Sagar at 1 p.m., according to the Central District of California’s court calendar. The court is located in Los Angeles. During an initial court hearing, defendants learn more about their rights and charges against them, according to the Justice Department‘s website. A judge then decides whether the defendant will be released or not if they meet the requirements for bail. “Before the judge makes the decision on whether to grant bail, they must hold a hearing to learn facts about the defendant including how long the defendant has lived in the area, if they have family nearby, prior criminal record, and if they have threatened any witnesses in the case. The judge also considers the defendant’s potential danger to the community,” the DOJ states. FROM SEX CLUBS TO STRIPPERS: HERE ARE THE 5 MOST SALACIOUS DETAILS FROM THE HUNTER BIDEN INDICTMENT Biden faces federal charges in connection with a “four-year scheme” in which he didn’t pay his federal income taxes from January 2017 to October 2020 while also filing false tax reports. The charges break down to three felonies and six misdemeanors centered around $1.4 million in owed taxes that were since paid. Special Counsel David Weiss alleged Hunter “engaged in a four-year scheme to not pay at least $1.4 million in self-assessed federal taxes he owed for tax years 2016 through 2019, from in or about January 2017 through in or about October 15, 2020, and to evade the assessment of taxes for tax year 2018 when he filed false returns in or about February 2020.” HUNTER BIDEN FACES NEW INDICTMENT IN CALIFORNIA Weiss said Biden spent millions to fund an extravagant lifestyle rather than paying his tax bills. “[W]hen he did finally file his 2018 returns, included false business deductions in order to evade assessment of taxes to reduce the substantial tax liabilities he faced as of February 2020,” Weiss alleged. Hunter pleaded not guilty in October to federal gun charges in U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware after being charged out of Weiss’ yearslong investigation. Earlier this month, Biden’s lawyer, Abbe Lowell, attacked Weiss over the charges. “Based on the facts and the law, if Hunter’s last name was anything other than Biden, the charges in Delaware, and now California, would not have been brought,” he said on Dec. 7. “First, U.S. Attorney Weiss bowed to Republican pressure to file unprecedented and unconstitutional gun charges to renege on a non-prosecution resolution. Now, after five years of investigating with no new evidence — and two years after Hunter paid his taxes in full – the U.S. Attorney has piled on nine new charges when he had agreed just months ago to resolve this matter with a pair of misdemeanors.” Biden still faces the possibility of being held in contempt of Congress after refusing to comply with a subpoena to appear before House lawmakers to testify about his financial dealings. Fox News Digital’s Houston Keene contributed to this report.
Texas Gov. Abbott signs bill making illegal immigration a state crime
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday signed a new law giving police the authority to arrest migrants who cross the border illegally. At the signing ceremony, Gov. Abbott said the goal of Senate Bill 4 was to “stop the tidal wave of illegal entry into Texas.” Once in custody, migrants could either agree to a Texas judge’s order to leave the U.S. or be prosecuted on misdemeanor charges of illegal entry. Migrants who don’t comply could face arrest again under more serious felony charges. The move marks a dramatic step by the Republican governor to police immigration. Abbott has repeatedly slammed the Biden administration for not doing enough to address the border crisis. Texas has bused more than 65,000 migrants to cities across America and installed razor wire along the banks of the Rio Grande. The law is likely to face legal challenges as immigration enforcement is a federal responsibility. Opponents, meanwhile, have called the measure the most dramatic attempt by a state to police immigration since a 2010 Arizona law — denounced by critics as the “Show Me Your Papers” bill — that was largely struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court. WHERE NO CONGRESS HAS GONE BEFORE: FACING GALACTIC-SCALE FISCAL CLIFF AND BORDER SECURITY THREATS Thirty former U.S. immigration judges, who served under both Republican and Democratic administrations, signed a letter this month condemning the measure as unconstitutional. Mexico also rebuked the measure. Under bilateral and international agreements, Mexico is required to accept deportations of its citizens, but not those of other countries. Under the Texas law, migrants ordered to leave would be sent to ports of entry along the border with Mexico, even if they are not Mexican citizens. “The Mexican government categorically rejects any measure that would allow local or state authorities to detain or deport Mexicans or other nationalities to Mexican soil,” Mexico’s foreign relations department wrote in a statement. Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House and Gov. Abbott’s office for further comment. Fiscal Year 2023 has broken new records, with more than 2.4 million migrant encounters at the border. September saw a record for encounters at the southern border, while the following month saw a record for encounters in October — with more than 240,000 encounters border-wide. Funding for more resources at the border has stalled in recent weeks, as Republicans demand it be coupled with restrictions on asylum and the use of parole — a demand which some Democrats have balked at.
Nebraska Sen. Fischer slams ‘highly troubling’ border railway operations suspension: ‘economic crisis’
Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., told Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas in a letter that suspending the international railway bridges in Eagle Pass and El Paso, Texas was “highly troubling,” as failed efforts to control the border crisis are now putting a strain on supply chains and the economy. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced on Sunday that it would be suspending operations at international railway crossing bridges in the two Texas cities along the southern border in response to the recent resurgence of smuggling organizations using freight trains to move migrants through Mexico to the U.S. border. The suspension went into effect at 8 a.m. on Monday, just days after thousands of migrants were seen on video, lined up along railroad tracks as a freight train passed nearly three hours south of Eagle Pass, Texas. US CUSTOMS TO SUSPEND RAILWAY OPERATIONS AT INTERNATIONAL CROSSINGS INTO TEXAS STARTING MONDAY CBP said the decision to suspend the crossing bridges was made in order to redirect personnel to assist U.S. Border Patrol with taking migrants into custody. Fischer raised concerns that the suspension came after similar suspensions in operations or closures at pedestrian crossings in Eagle Pass, Texas, Lukeville, Arizona and San Ysidro in San Diego, California. “It is highly troubling that the failed efforts to contain the border crisis are now placing a strain on the United States’ supply chains and economy,” Fischer wrote to Mayorkas. “The border crisis is not new. Since President Biden took office, CBP personnel have encountered over 6.6 million migrants – not counting additional millions of got-aways.” THOUSANDS OF MIGRANTS WAIT A FEW HOURS FROM EAGLE PASS, TEXAS TO CATCH TRAINS HEADED FOR SOUTHERN BORDER The senator broke down numbers for different sectors, saying El Paso and the field office saw 482,088 encounters during fiscal year 2023, up nearly 50% from 2022. In Del Rio, she continued, the numbers remained elevated with nearly 400,000 migrant encounters during fiscal year 2023. “Your office had an opportunity to implement policies that would stem the flow of illegal migration to prevent these suspensions from reoccurring,” Fischer said. “Instead, you failed to act and placed a heavier burden on American businesses and industries.” MIGRANT ENCOUNTERS HIT DAILY RECORD AT SOUTHERN BORDER, AS WASHINGTON STRUGGLES TO AGREE ON SOLUTIONS The senator’s main concern, though, is that Mexico is a top market for agricultural products out of Nebraska. The products are shipped using the railroad, and the suspension of operations in Eagle Pass and El Paso will have a negative effect on the transportation of goods from Nebraska to Mexico. Fischer said the state exported $590.4 million of corn and $280.6 million of soybeans and soybean products to Mexico in 2021, and the disruptions will not only affect Nebraska, but will impact Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota and Missouri. She asked Mayorkas for a timeline of the closure and what his plan is to ensure the timely reopening of the crossings. 5,000 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS RELEASED EVERY DAY INTO US, ADMIN OFFICIALS PRIVATELY TELL LAWMAKERS Fischer also asked the secretary what policy changes the Department of Homeland Security plans to implement to ensure disruptions in operations do not happen again, while also asking for daily figures concerning average migrant encounters in El Paso and Del Rio. “Closing the railways in Eagle Pass and El Paso will cost agricultural producers across the United States millions per day,” she wrote. “The ongoing border crisis is no longer simply a national security and humanitarian crisis – it is an economic crisis. It is past time to enact policies that curb the record levels of migration at our southern border.” Closing the railways will likely cause inflation, which according to a Fox News poll in November, was a major concern for most voters. BIDEN CAMPAIGN OFFICIAL SAYS ONE TERM NOT ENOUGH TO FIX FINANCIAL WOES The poll found 78% of voters rate the economy negatively, and the majority feel the worst isn’t over. Inflation was the top concern of the majority of those surveyed, but only 29% of voters approved of Biden’s handling of the issue, while 69% said they disapproved. Homeland Security falls under the Biden administration, and the decision to shut down the international crossings for freight trains ultimately falls on the president, who has been trying to prove the economy is better today than when he took office. “Bidenomics,” a term that President Biden has repeatedly used to tout his economic achievements during his presidency, has become unpopular within a Democratic Party struggling to convince voters that life is better under Biden. A number of historians and liberal columnists have advised Biden to stop using “Bidenomics,” with liberal presidential historian Douglas Brinkley telling NBC News the messaging “fell flat” with the public. Jeffrey Clark of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.
Gov. Greg Abbott signs bill making illegal immigration a state crime
The new law would authorize police to arrest people they suspect crossed the Rio Grande between ports of entry. Abbott also signed a bill earmarking more than $1 billion for more border barriers.
Hunter goes shopping with Joe Biden days after defying congressional subpoena
Hunter Biden was photographed Monday afternoon shopping in Delaware with his father, President Biden, just days after he defied a congressional subpoena to attend a closed-door deposition. Hunter and the president together visited a jewelry store in Greenville, Delaware, and, hours earlier, were spotted at St. Joseph’s on the Brandywine Roman Catholic Church in Wilmington, Delaware, for mass. The president’s embattled son has faced heavy criticism and calls to be held in contempt of Congress in recent days after he refused last week to sit for the deposition requested by House investigators. “Hunter Biden today defied lawful subpoenas and we will now initiate contempt of Congress proceedings,” House Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, said in a joint statement on Dec. 13. “We will not provide special treatment because his last name is Biden.” “As our committees were today prepared to depose Hunter Biden, he chose to make a public statement on Capitol Hill instead where he said his father, Joe Biden was not financially involved in his family’s business dealings,” they continued. “Exactly how was Joe Biden involved? Evidence shows Joe Biden met with Hunter’s business associates and his name was at the center of the family business strategy.” COMER DEFENDS PRIVATE DEPOSITION OF HUNTER BIDEN, VOWS TO RELEASE TRANSCRIPT AND HOLD PUBLIC HEARING Hunter ultimately refused to sit for the deposition in a press conference last week, where he accused Republican lawmakers of attempting to “dehumanize” him and embarrass his father. The younger Biden said his father had never been financially involved in his business dealings, including his work with Ukrainian natural gas firm Burisma Holdings or Chinese firms. And after he defied the subpoena, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters President Biden and first lady Jill Biden were “proud” of their son for “continuing to rebuild his life.” The White House has repeatedly said that President Biden did nothing wrong and had no knowledge of his son’s business dealings. Later that evening, the House voted along party lines to formalize its impeachment inquiry into the president over his family’s business dealings. NOTORIOUS MOBSTER STUNNED BY LATEST HUNTER BIDEN ALLEGATIONS: ‘MIND-BLOWING’ Since taking control of the House, Republicans led by Comer have pursued a sprawling investigation into the Biden family and whether the president participated in questionable deals Hunter was involved in. The probe gained momentum this month after Comer released subpoenaed bank records showing an entity owned by Hunter had made “direct monthly payments to Joe Biden.” In addition, in June, the House Ways and Means Committee, which has also participated in the investigation, released 2017 messages in which Hunter Biden excoriated Chinese business partner Henry Zhao for not fulfilling a “commitment” and said his father was sitting beside him. “I am sitting here with my father, and we would like to understand why the commitment made has not been fulfilled. Tell the director that I would like to resolve this now before it gets out of hand, and now means tonight,” Hunter Biden wrote in a WhatsApp message to Zhao, the CEO of Beijing-based asset management firm Harvest Fund Management, on July 30, 2017, according to documents released by House Republicans. FORMER UKRAINE PROSECUTOR MAKES EXPLOSIVE CLAIMS AGAINST JOE AND HUNTER BIDEN IN NEW INTERVIEW Days after that message, on Aug. 4, 2017, Chinese firm CEFC Infrastructure Investment wired $100,000 to Hunter Biden’s law firm Owasco, according to a 2020 report published by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Days later, on Aug. 8, 2017, CEFC Infrastructure Investment sent $5 million to Hudson West III, a firm Hunter Biden opened with Chinese associates. And the 2020 Senate report revealed that, beginning on Aug. 14, 2017, Hunter Biden initiated a string of 20 wire transactions from Owasco to Lion Hall Group, a consulting firm linked to President Biden’s brother, James Biden, and his wife, Sara. The transactions continued through Aug. 3, 2018, and totaled $1.4 million. The payments between Hunter Biden and his father, which Comer released earlier Monday, were sent from an account linked to Owasco. Last week, Fox News Digital reported that a bank investigator raised concerns about Hunter Biden’s receipt of an additional $5 million wire from a Chinese company in August 2018 to his bank account, Hudson West III. Hunter Biden 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.”
Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin to resume abortions in Sheboygan before year’s end
Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin announced Monday that it will resume offering abortions at its Sheboygan location on Dec. 28. The group promised earlier this month to restart abortion services at the clinic “as soon as possible” after a judge on Dec. 5 reaffirmed her ruling that state law permits abortions. KENTUCKY WOMAN DROPS LAWSUIT DEMANDING THE RIGHT TO AN ABORTION Planned Parenthood providers stopped offering abortions in the state in June 2022 immediately after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned its decision in Roe v. Wade. Clinics in Milwaukee and Madison resumed offering abortions in September, leaning on an initial ruling from Dane County Circuit Judge Diane Schlipper that said Wisconsin’s 173-year-old abortion ban outlaws killing fetuses but does not ban consensual medical abortions. Schlipper’s final ruling earlier this month boosted Planned Parenthood leaders’ confidence that they could restart abortion services at the Sheboygan clinic, too. Sheboygan County District Attorney Joel Urmanski, a Republican, acknowledged that he is obligated to comply with the ruling but promised to appeal it. The case is likely to end up before the Wisconsin Supreme Court, which recently flipped to liberal control. Urmanski’s attorney did not immediately respond to an email sent Monday seeking comment. “While we are grateful to be resuming medication abortion care at the Sheboygan Health Center, there is more to be done,” Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin President Tanya Atkinson said. “We will continue essential work to help protect and expand reproductive freedom in Wisconsin so that everyone who needs comprehensive reproductive health care in our state can get the nonjudgmental and compassionate care they deserve.”
Anti-Israel protesters show up to Dem congressman’s home in middle of night, blaring car horns and screaming
A group of anti-Israel protesters descended on the home of Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Mich., over the weekend blowing car horns and screaming as they sought to punish him for what they claimed was his “silence” on the deaths of Palestinians in Gaza amid Israel’s war with Hamas. “This is my home at 3 AM,” Thanedar wrote in a post on X, including a video that showed cars lined in the street outside his home, an individual waving a cloth-like material, and others screaming through megaphones. The video appeared to be posted by a supporter of the protesters. “You are complicit in the bombing of Gaza… Your silence is violence. Your silence is abhorrent, and we will not let you sleep!” one protester can be heard screaming. NEW POLL REVEALS AMERICA’S LEAST FAVORITE LEADER IN CONGRESS WITH SHOCKING SINGLE-DIGIT APPROVAL “There will be a price to pay,” the protester added before becoming largely inaudible. Another protester in the video is shown holding a sign that read, “20,000 GAZANS DEAD! WAKE THE F–K UP SHRI!!!” Thanedar has taken staunchly supportive approach to Israel following the horrific attack perpetrated by Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7, and even ended his relationship with the Democratic Socialists of America over its response to the deaths of more than 1,200 people on that day. FORMER TRUMP ADVISER KELLYANNE CONWAY LEADS CHARGE TO OVERHAUL GOP ABORTION STRATEGY, END DEMS’ 2024 ADVANTAGE “After the brutal terrorist attacks on Israel, which included the indiscriminate murder, rape, and kidnapping of innocent men, women, and children, I can no longer associate with an organization unwilling to call out terrorism in all forms,” Thanedar posted on X at the time. He has also expressed his strong support for Israel on his campaign website, including vowing to “defend Israel’s right to exist and to thrive.” “In this time of great international uncertainty, it is now more important than ever before to reaffirm as a people, and as a nation, our unequivocal support for the state of Israel, the lone Democracy in the Middle East and one of our closest, and strongest, allies across the globe,” he wrote. BIDEN SCRAMBLES TO WIN OVER SWING STATE BLACK VOTERS AS SUPPORT FROM THE TRADITIONALLY BLUE BLOC FALTERS Earlier this month, Thanedar condemned what he said was the hacking of his X account that resulted in the posting of a now-deleted antisemitic message. “I can no longer stay silent on the genocide taking place in Palestine. Israel has paid off politicians for far too long. I know this means I’ll lose AIPAC financial support but I don’t need it. We need to come together to #FreePalestine from the terrorist state of Israel,” the post read. After deleting the post, Thanedar posted a message supportive of Israel, including that funding for the nation “should not be contingent on specific conditions.”
Austin says US support for Israel unshakeable as Gaza ceasefire calls grow
Lloyd Austin says US support ‘unshakeable’, urges Israel to do more to protect civilians and increase aid supplies. United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin says Washington will continue to support Israel in its war with Hamas but urged its ally to do more to protect civilians in Gaza amid growing calls for a ceasefire. Speaking alongside Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant in Tel Aviv on Monday, Austin said US support for Israel was “unshakeable”, as the death toll from the Israeli assault on Gaza surpassed 19,000, according to Palestinian health authorities. Austin said he had discussed with Gallant how to reduce harm to civilians trapped in the battlefield. They also talked about a transition from major combat to a lower-intensity conflict. “In any campaign, there will be phases,” Austin said. “We will also continue to urge the protection of civilians during conflict and to increase the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza,” Austin said. While the US provides Israel with weapons and diplomatic support, it has recently sharpened its tone towards Netanyahu’s government. Last week President Joe Biden said Israel risked losing international support because of what he called its “indiscriminate” bombing. Austin, however, offered reassurance on Monday, saying: “American support for Israel security is unshakable. Israel is not alone.” Gallant meanwhile said Israel would gradually transition to the next phase of its operations in Gaza and displaced people would likely be able to return first to the north of the enclave. Austin’s visit came amid growing concern from foreign governments and international organisations over civilian deaths in Gaza and a deepening humanitarian crisis. Earlier, the international human rights organisation Human Rights Watch said that Israel was “deliberately blocking the delivery of water, food and fuel,” to people in Gaza and “using starvation of civilians as a method of warfare”. The Israeli assault on Gaza began after Hamas killed around 1,200 people in southern Israel and took about 240 others captive, according to Israeli authorities. Israel’s relentless bombardment and ground invasion has killed at least 19,453 people, most of them women and children, according to Palestinian health authorities, and levelled entire neighbourhoods and displaced more than 80 percent of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who has supported Israel’s campaign, said on Monday that “too many civilians” have been killed in the fighting, and expressed support for a “sustainable ceasefire”. While Austin has said that more aid must be delivered to the people of Gaza, the US has found itself increasingly isolated over its stance on the war between Israel and Hamas. Last week, the US cast one of the few dissenting votes against a UN General Assembly resolution calling for a ceasefire that passed with overwhelming support. The UN Security Council is scheduled to hold a ceasefire vote on Monday, after the US also vetoed a previous resolution. International leaders have also voiced concern over the possibility of a wider regional escalation as the war drags on. Austin said on Monday that the US was leading efforts to address a series of attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebel group that have disrupted commercial shipping in the Red Sea. The Iran-backed group says the attacks are an effort to pressure Israel to halt its attacks on Gaza. “In the Red Sea, we’re leading a multinational maritime task force to uphold the bedrock principle of freedom of navigation,” Austin said. The Pentagon chief also warned against greater involvement by the powerful Iran-backed group Hezbollah, which has traded fire with Israel from southern Lebanon since the fighting began but has thus far avoided a larger confrontation. US officials have said that William Burns, the director of the CIA, the US intelligence agency, is meeting with his Israeli counterpart and the prime minister of Qatar to discuss a potential deal to secure the release of additional captives held by Hamas. A previous deal, which Qatar and Egypt helped to mediate, secured a seven-day truce and the release of dozens of captives in exchange for the release of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons. Adblock test (Why?)