Is the US complicit in the dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza?
As Israel continues its assault on Gaza, there is growing concern over humanitarian conditions in the besieged enclave. Before the Israel-Hamas war, more than 500 aid trucks entered Gaza every day through the Karem Abu Salem crossing with Israel and the Rafah crossing with Egypt. Those deliveries halted when Israel imposed a complete blockade on October 7 after Hamas carried out attacks on southern Israel. Israel has temporarily reopened the route through Karem Abu Salem, called Kerem Shalom by Israel, to allow in more humanitarian aid. At least 24 trucks have been allowed through – but the deliveries are far short of fulfilling the needs of 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza. Should the United States, a staunch ally of Israel, be doing more to help the Palestinians? And how complicit is Washington in the humanitarian catastrophe that has unfolded? Presenter: Cyril Vanier Guests: Robert Hunter – senior fellow at the Center for Transatlantic Relations at Johns Hopkins University Khaled Elgindy – senior fellow at the Middle East Institute and its director of Palestine and Israel-Palestinian affairs Zeina Ashrawi Hutchison – director of development and expansion at the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee Adblock test (Why?)
Hamas video shows elderly Israeli captives pleading for release
The Qassam Brigades releases the one-minute video, titled Don’t Let Us Grow Old Here, on its Telegram account. Hamas has posted a video of three elderly Israeli captives pleading for their immediate release. The Palestinian group’s armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, posted the one-minute video, titled Don’t Let Us Grow Old Here, on its Telegram account on Monday. The men – identified by Israeli officials as 79-year-old Chaim Peri, 80-year-old Yoram Metzger and 84-year-old Amiram Cooper – were taken to Gaza on October 7 when Hamas launched attacks inside Israeli territory, killing 1,147 people and taking about 240 captives. Nearly half of those captives were released as part of a weeklong truce between Israel and Hamas last month. In the video, Peri, seated between the two other captives, said in Hebrew that he was being held along with other elderly hostages with chronic illnesses and that their conditions were harsh. “We are the generation who built the foundation for the creation of Israel. We are the ones who started the IDF military. We don’t understand why we have been abandoned here,” he said, referring to the Israeli armed forces. “You have to release us from here. It does not matter at what cost. We don’t want to be casualties as a direct result of the IDF military air strikes. Release us with no conditions,” he added. The video concludes with the three men saying in unison: “Don’t let us grow old here.” Israeli media reported the three hostages came from the Nir Oz kibbutz along the Israeli border, which was targeted in the October 7 attacks. Peri was at his house in Nir Oz during the attack, Israeli media reports said. He tried to repel the gunmen while hiding his wife behind a sofa, his son told the Reuters news agency. He eventually gave himself up to save his wife, who remained hidden, the report said. Outrage over captives in Israel The Israeli military said Hamas had released a “criminal, terrorist video”. “Chaim, Yoram and Amiram, I hope that you hear me this evening,” military spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a televised briefing. “Know this – we are doing everything, everything, in order to return you back safely.” Israel has in the past labelled such videos as a form of psychological warfare by Hamas. After the release of the latest video, families of Israelis held captive by Hamas in Gaza protested outside Israeli Ministry of Defense headquarters in Tel Aviv, demanding the immediate release of their loved ones. The protest came amid growing outrage within Israel after the Israeli military last week admitted it mistakenly shot dead three Israeli captives in Gaza despite them waving a white flag. Al Jazeera correspondent Sara Khairat, reporting from occupied East Jerusalem, said the video released by Hamas sends a “strong message”. “[The video] is going to do two things: help the people know that they are alive even though it’s still not clear when it was filmed, and it will also put a lot more pressure on the Israeli government, which is already in hot waters for the death of three captives last week and at a time when the demonstrations are continuing,” she said. Meanwhile, as diplomatic efforts continue to end the war in Gaza and release prisoners taken on both sides, the Israeli military has intensified its bombardment of the enclave, killing nearly 19,500 people since October 7 – most of them women and children. The air and ground strikes on Gaza have flattened the besieged enclave, burying thousands of people under the rubble. In absence of the required aid not being allowed to flow into the strip, international aid agencies have warned of a humanitarian disaster with widespread hunger and spread of diseases. Human Rights Watched has accused Israel of using starvation as a weapon of war in Gaza. Adblock test (Why?)
Wisconsin preps 2024 PFAS grants for small water systems
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is creating a new grant program to help small public water systems reduce PFAS and manganese contamination levels. WISCONSIN DOJ SUED BY LOBBYING GROUP OVER PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST The DNR announced Monday that it will begin accepting applications for grants on Jan. 16 to help water systems that serve non-residential groups of at least 25 people for more than six months annually, such as schools and day care centers, and non-government water systems that serve at least 25 people year-round, such as mobile home parks and apartment buildings. The grants will be funded through the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law. PFAS is an acronym for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, a group of man-made chemicals that have been used for decades in a wide range of products, including firefighting foam and non-stick cookware. Studies have linked PFAS contamination to a host of ailments in humans, including liver and kidney disease and cancer. Manganese is a naturally occurring metal that can cause significant health impacts if consumed in high concentrations, including lung, liver and kidney damage as well as a neurological condition known as manganism.
Where no Congress has gone before: Facing galactic-scale fiscal cliff and border security threats
There’s a rush this week to secure a border security accord in the Senate. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has shuttled back and forth to the Capitol multiple times for talks with Sens. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., and James Lankford, R-Okla. Things are so serious that Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., even declared she’d “be wearing jeans” to weekend negotiating sessions. There’s always year-end drama on Capitol Hill. Fights over government funding. The fiscal cliff. Tax policy. It always looks bleak. NEW INFO SHEDS LIGHT ON WHEN SENATE SEX TAPE FILMED AS CAPITOL POLICE TAKING PROBE ‘SERIOUSLY’ Until it’s not. “This place is a like a Star Trek episode,” opined Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C. “You think the world is going to end and then they fix it in five minutes.” So are the Klingons bearing down on the U.S. Capitol this holiday season? We’ll know soon. They’ve joined the Borg, the Romulans and Species 8472 in a full assault. The shouts of “battle stations” echo through the marble corridors. If you listen closely, you can practically hear Scotty hollering up from the engine room in the Capitol basement. They’re loading photon torpedoes and preparing to fire a full phaser array. But stand down. Some senators hoped they could cut a deal on border security before Christmas. SENATE SEX TAPE: US CAPITOL POLICE ‘TAKING IT SERIOUSLY,’ SOURCE SAYS Senate negotiators are trying desperately to cut a deal on border security before Christmas – and latch it to a plan to aid Ukraine and Israel. The foreign assistance part is relatively easy in Congressional terms. But border security coupled with changes to immigration policy? Thom Tillis may be on to something. In Capitol Hill terms, dealing with something as challenging as border policy is practically like seeking “out new life and new civilizations.” If Congress scored a deal on border security, it would certainly be where no Congress has gone before. But the bottom line is that nothing is going to happen quickly on a border package. It’s doubtful the Senate votes on anything this week – let alone negotiators even securing an agreement. That may still be days if not a few weeks away. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is not recalling the House to consider any border deal before January 8th. The Senate may not even be ready to go at that point. So dial back the yellow alert on the bridge of the Enterprise. This may not exactly be “a five-year mission,” as they say in Star Trek. The negotiations aren’t still moored in spacedock as the Senate remains in session this week. But any political border pact can’t even move on impulse power let alone make the jump to warp speed. If you’re waiting, sit back and pop open a can of Romulan ale. “As we get closer to an agreement, details really matter,” said Murphy. “The drafting of the text is really hard and difficult. Everybody knew that. But that becomes a clearer reality as you start to think about how this will ultimately get written.” That said, Murphy has argued in recent years that the goal “is to get this voted on by the end of the year.” He added that “it’s an aggressive schedule.” But Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told NBC “this will go into next year.” Graham and other Republicans are fearful Democrats could sprint. WHY HUNTER BIDEN STOOD IN THE SENATE ‘SWAMP’ AS HE DEFIED THE HOUSE SUBPOENA “We feel like we’re being jammed,” said Graham. So this is the balancing act to finish this up. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., intimated last week he was concerned about the talks losing “momentum” if everyone went home for the holidays. Some conservatives worry about any changes to border policies – especially if it’s anything short of what is referred to on Capitol Hill as “HR 2.” That’s Congress-speak for House Resolution 2, a measure which constructs more of the border wall, enhances programs to return migrants who entered the country illegally to their home country and curb asylum claims. Democratic sources tell Fox that some conservatives may try to kill the talks out of fear there could be a bona fide, bipartisan compromise. But not something that conservative lawmakers would endorse. So this is the tedious path. Cut a deal fast without losing momentum. But not so fast that conservatives feel as though they’re getting jammed. But what happens if the Senate leaves and there’s no vote? Is it still possible to secure a pact and push a vote into the new year? This is why it’s believed that any vote in the House and Senate may be weeks away. Certainly well into the new year – if not February. Don’t forget that the House and Senate have to figure out a way to avoid a government shutdown by January 19. And another funding deadline looms February 2. That’s why any possibility of voting on a border plan may drift even deeper into the winter. That’s to say nothing of conservative House members just being skeptical of anything the Senate comes up with – even if it’s engineered by a coalition of Republicans and Democrats. As is often the case in this Congress, House Democrats pull the freight on most major bills in the House even though they’re in the minority. It’s unclear how Johnson could finesse a vote on something as radioactive as border security and immigration. The right is already taking a political two-by-four to Johnson on a regular basis. That’s the same thing that happened to his predecessor, former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. Johnson is sure to be even more bludgeoned following the January and February spending imbroglios. So securing a border deal might be a political challenge for Johnson. But there are Democratic skeptics, too. Some liberals and members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus are leery of any deal which limits migration, changes asylum rules or alters parole. This isn’t going to be a deal where some Republicans vote yes and lots
Fox News Poll: Trump dominating Biden among voters under 30
Former President Donald Trump is leading President Biden among young voters by a 13-point margin, according to the latest Fox News Poll. Forty-one percent of respondents under 30 said they’d vote for Trump, 77, in the 2024 general election while 28% said they’d vote for Biden, 81. Those under 45 years old also favored Trump, with 41% saying they’d vote for Trump versus 31% who’d cast their vote for Biden. Trump is also more popular among women voters at 41% to 34% for Biden, according to the poll, which interviewed 1,007 registered voters randomly selected between Dec. 10 and Dec. 13. FOX NEWS POLL: TRUMP’S LEAD IN GOP PRIMARY WIDENS The polling results come as the Trump campaign is targeting young voters and widening its support among GOP voters. On Saturday, Trump made a stop at the University of New Hampshire and railed against Biden’s economy and the migrant crisis at the southern border. According to a USA Today report that interviewed Republican and Democrat college students outside the rally, some young voters agreed that Biden’s handling of the economy and foreign affairs were critical issues heading into the 2024 election. Trump keeps gaining ground in the Republican presidential nomination contest as fewer than one third of GOP primary voters now back all his rivals combined, the survey also found. Trump’s support stands at 69% in the primary race. That’s up seven points since November and 26 points since February. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis receives 12% support (down 1 point since November), former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley gets 9% (-1), businessman Vivek Ramaswamy at 5% (-2), former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie at 2% (-1) and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson with 1% (steady). TRUMP GETS OVATION, HIGH-GIVES FANS UPON UFC 296 ARRIVAL FOR ‘BIGGEST FAN’ COLBY COVINGTON’S FIGHT In hypothetical general election matchups against Biden, Haley is ahead by six points, Trump is up by four (though neither advantage is statistically significant) while DeSantis and Biden are tied. As recently as August, Biden was narrowly ahead of all three of them. CLICK HERE FOR TOPLINE AND CROSSTABS The Fox News Poll, conducted under the joint direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points for all registered voters, and plus or minus 4.5 points for Democrat primary voters and 5 points for Republican primary voters. Fox News’ Dana Blanton contributed to this report.
Senate hearing room sex tape controversy explained
A congressional staffer sparked a social media firestorm and rocked Capitol Hill on Friday after having sex with another man in a Senate hearing room on video that was eventually leaked. The situation unfolded on Friday afternoon when the Daily Caller published the video with the blurred out faces of two men engaging in sex in Hart Senate Office Building room 216, a location where several high-profile hearings have taken place in recent years, including Supreme Court confirmation hearings. According to the Daily Caller, the video was leaked after being “shared in a private group for gay men in politics.” Posts on social media claimed the alleged staffer worked for the office of Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md. Less than a day after the story broke, Cardin’s office announced that a legislative aide had been dismissed but did not address reports linking a member of his staff to the sex tape. NBC NEWS FRAMES SENATE SEX TAPE VIDEO AS ‘CONSERVATIVE NEWS OUTLETS’ PUSHING THE STORY The video sparked a firestorm on social media with calls for an investigation and for those involved to be fired, with many conservatives slamming the media for their coverage of the event. Jonathan Turley, Fox News contributor and the Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University, wrote that the staffer could potentially face criminal charges. “The question is whether this unofficial use would constitute trespass,” Turley wrote. “It also uses an official area for personal purposes, though it is not clear if there were any commercial benefits garnered from the video found on various sites.” Turley said one possible charge could fall under D.C. code section 22-1312, which discusses lewd, indecent or obscene acts. SENATE SEX TAPE: CAPITOL HILL HEARING ROOM WHERE LEAKED VIDEO WAS RECORDED HOME TO SEVERAL HISTORIC EVENTS “It is unlawful for a person, in public, to make an obscene or indecent exposure of his or her genitalia or anus, to engage in masturbation, or to engage in a sexual act as defined in § 22-3001(8). It is unlawful for a person to make an obscene or indecent sexual proposal to a minor. A person who violates any provision of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be fined not more than the amount set forth in § 22-3571.01, imprisoned for not more than 90 days, or both,” the criminal code states. Whether or not any video filmed in the hearing room was used to make money could also “have bearing on potential charges,” Turley wrote. While there are currently no pending charges in the case, a security source did not rule out the possibility. Fox News was told that the USCP is working on cases it views as more serious, such as potential threats to lawmakers. “It’s not a case we need to rush,” said one source to Fox. “We are taking it seriously.” Fox News Channel’s Chad Pergram and Fox News Digital’s Adam Sabes and Chris Pandolfo contributed reporting.
Crenshaw takes on mandatory DEI statements at colleges, universities with new House bill
Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, is pushing to halt federal funding to colleges and universities that force students to sign or make statements on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). His new bill would ban places of higher education from compelling students, staff, or applicants to “endorse an ideology that promotes the differential treatment of an individual or group of individuals based on race, color, or ethnicity,” according to the legislative text. It would also stop them from requiring statements on an individual’s race, ethnicity or identity except for bare minimum demographic information needs and “views on, experience with, or past or planned contributions to efforts involving diversity, equity, and inclusion, marginalized groups, antiracism, social justice, intersectionality, or related concepts.” OKLAHOMA GOVERNOR SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDER BANNING DEI BUREAUCRACY IN STATE INSTITUTIONS The bill would compel schools by leveraging funds under the Higher Education Act. “We can see the utter moral bankruptcy in higher education with the spread of antisemitism on college campuses.” Crenshaw told Fox News Digital in a statement. “Make no mistake — the DEI bureaucracy is directly responsible for a toxic campus culture that separates everyone into oppressor vs oppressed.” CALIFORNIA COLLEGE TRUSTEE APOLOGIZES AFTER ‘THREATENING’ REMARKS ABOUT FACULTY WHO OPPOSE EQUITY INITIATIVES The legislation would also bar colleges and universities from using those statements as a standard for acceptance or employment. It comes after Crenshaw’s home state of Texas passed a new law against DEI programs at public colleges there. The Texas bill, signed by Governor Greg Abbott in June, goes into effect January 2024 and will force Lone Star State-funded schools to dismantle any DEI offices, trainings and requirements they currently have. BILL ACKMAN SAYS HARVARD BOARD RESISTED FIRING UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT TO AVOID APPEARANCE OF ‘KOWTOWING’ TO HIM CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP And last week, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt signed an executive order banning the use of state funding, property or resources for DEI initiatives at public colleges. Across the country, 40 bills have been introduced in 22 states aimed at limiting DEI initiatives as of July 2023, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education.
Maryland approves extension of Baltimore Orioles lease at Camden Yards
The Maryland Stadium Authority approved a lease extension for the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards on Monday in one of the final steps formalizing a long-term agreement between the team and the state. The deal was set to go before the state’s Board of Public Works — a three-member board chaired by the governor — later in the day. NEW ORIOLES STADIUM LEASE HEADING TO A VOTE NEXT WEEK, MARYLAND GOV. MOORE SAYS The Orioles’ lease at Camden Yards expires at the end of the year. In September, the team announced a new 30-year deal to stay in the ballpark, and the governor’s office released details of a memorandum of understanding involving the team, the Stadium Authority and Gov. Wes Moore. Bill Ferguson, the president of the state senate, expressed concerns earlier this month over the development rights agreement that was part of the deal. Ferguson supported the new plan ironed out since then. The deal extends the lease for 30 years, with an option to end it after 15 if the team does not receive approval from state officials for development plans next to the ballpark. The Orioles would have until the end of 2027 to reach an agreement on that land redevelopment. Last year, the state increased bond authorization for M&T Bank Stadium, home of the Baltimore Ravens, and Camden Yards. The measure allowed borrowing of up to $600 million for renovations at each stadium. The lease extension enables access to the funds for Camden Yards. The Ravens already have announced specific renovation plans for their venue.
New poll reveals America’s least favorite leader in Congress with shocking single-digit approval
A new Monmouth University poll released Monday has revealed Americans’ least favorite leader in Congress, but all maintain underwater approval ratings. According to the poll, just 6% of adults say they approve of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s, R-Ky., job performance, with a whopping 60% saying they disapprove. 34% had no opinion. McConnell was the only congressional leader with a net negative approval rating from within his own party, and fell far behind his Democrat and Republican colleagues on how they are viewed by the American public. Just 10% of Republicans said they approved of McConnell’s job performance, with 41% disapproving and 49% having no opinion. BIDEN APPROVAL RATING SINKS TO ALL-TIME LOW IN NEW NATIONAL POLL McConnell’s approval rating was down from 12% in July, with 50% disapproving and 37% having no opinion. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., received a 21% approval rating, with 41% saying they disapproved and 38% having no opinion. Within his own party, however, Schumer received a 48% approval rating, compared to 18% who disapproved and 34% who had no opinion. FORMER TRUMP ADVISER KELLYANNE CONWAY LEADS CHARGE TO OVERHAUL GOP ABORTION STRATEGY, END DEMS’ 2024 ADVANTAGE On the House side, 17% said they approved of Speaker Mike Johnson’s, R-La., job performance with 31% disapproving and 51% with no opinion. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., fared slightly better with a 21% approval rating, 22% disapproving and 56% having no opinion. Overall, just 17% said they approved of Congress’ job performance, and 77% said they disapproved. Fox News Digital has reached out to McConnell’s office for comment.
Fox News Politics: Fender Bender
Welcome to Fox News’ Politics newsletter with the latest political news from Washington D.C. and updates from the 2024 campaign trail. Subscribe now to get Fox News Politics newsletter in your inbox. What’s happening: -U.S. Capitol Police investigate Senate sex tape -Ashley Biden issued a tax lien for unpaid taxes in 2015 -Nikki Haley media blitzes Iowa and New Hampshire The driver of a car that smashed into a parked SUV that was part of President Biden’s motorcade near his campaign headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware, has been charged with DUI, police said Monday morning. The crash happened Sunday evening when the sedan hit a U.S. Secret Service vehicle being used to close off intersections as Biden was walking from the campaign office to his waiting armored SUV. After the crash, a visibly stunned Biden was ushered into his waiting vehicle, where First Lady Jill Biden was already seated, before being driven swiftly back to their home without further incident. Neither the president nor the first lady were harmed. BIDEN TAXES: Ashley Biden issued a tax lien for unpaid taxes, court docs show …Read more SENATE SEX TAPE: US Capitol Police ‘taking it seriously,’ source says …Read more GET ‘TOUGHER’: Hispanic House Democrat calls for Biden to crack down on border crisis …Read more NO DEAL: Border security provisions unlikely to advance in the Senate this week …Read more AI ARMS RACE: Top Republican warns US rivals are advancing in AI, quantum computing …Read more NEW GENERATION: Haley spotlights need for ‘new conservative president’ in ad blitz in Iowa and New Hampshire …Read more ‘STRONG LEADERSHIP’: Trump lands endorsement from GOP Rep. Andy Barr …Read more ‘EXTREMELY DISTURBING’: CCP-tied group quietly dropping millions of dollars into US-based climate initiatives …Read more HONORING ‘AMERICAN HERO’: Justice Sandra Day O’Connor lying in repose at Supreme Court …Read more SUSPENDED: Florida GOP takes action against chairman, demands resignation amid rape allegation …Read more ‘FIND REAL SOLUTIONS’: Newsom’s mayoral 10-year pledge to end homelessness in San Fran turns 20 …Read more Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.