Oprah town hall cost Harris campaign far more than initially claimed: report
A new report revealed Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign paid more than double what was previously reported for the Oprah Winfrey town hall event. FEC filings, first reported by the Washington Examiner, show the Harris campaign made two $500,000 payments to Winfrey’s Harpo Productions on Oct. 15, a month after Winfrey’s town hall with Harris and weeks before the pair appeared at a Harris Philadelphia rally. Now, two sources have told The New York Times the full price of the event with Winfrey was closer to $2.5 million. Harris’ campaign spent $1.5 billion, or $100 million per week during her 15-week presidential run, according to the Times. Democrat donors say they are still being bombarded with requests, and the Democratic Party is reportedly $20 million in debt from the failed campaign. Some of the reported spending included nearly $9,000 in ice cream from high-end shops like Sweet Lucy’s Ice Cream and Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams. CHICAGO TRIBUNE CRITICIZES HARRIS CAMPAIGN FOR PAYING MASSIVE SUMS TO OPRAH WINFREY, OTHER CELEBS Harris’ campaign reportedly used almost $15,000 on food delivery services such as Uber Eats and DoorDash from July through the end of the race in early November, the Times reported. HARRIS PAID OPRAH $1 MILLION IN FAILED BID TO HELP CAMPAIGN: REPORT During a two-week period in October, Harris’ campaign reportedly spent $2.6 million on travel aboard private jets. The campaign also spent $900,000 to reserve ad space on Las Vegas’ Sphere in the final week of the election, although she still lost Nevada by three points. The bulk of the extravagant spending reportedly went to celebrity appearances and performances and influencer partnerships meant to boost campaign events. TIKTOK CREATOR ROASTS OPRAH, HARRIS FOR FEATURING HER IN TOWN HALL INTERVIEW: ‘I DO NOT SUPPORT HARRIS’ Winfrey, a billionaire, insisted she was “paid nothing” when confronted by TMZ. A Harpo Productions spokesperson acknowledged to Variety that the company took money from the campaign but claimed it was for “production costs.” “Oprah Winfrey was at no point during the campaign paid a personal fee, nor did she receive a fee from Harpo,” the spokesperson said. Fox News Digital reached out to the Harris campaign for comment, but did not immediately receive a response. Fox News Digital’s Jeffrey Clark contributed to this report.
Ben Carson dispels rumors about joining White House in specific role, says he will meet with Trump soon
Ben Carson broke his silence around rumors of him joining the second Trump administration as the U.S. surgeon general on Sunday, but noted that he plans to speak with President-elect Donald Trump soon. Carson, who served as the secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) from 2017 to 2021 during the first Trump administration, dispelled the false reports in an X post on Sunday. “I am excited to speak with President Trump about how I will continue to advance the America First agenda, and I am meeting with him in the near future,” the retired neurosurgeon wrote. “However, contrary to reports, I will not be serving as the Surgeon General.” TRUMP APPOINTS TULSI GABBARD AS DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE: ‘FEARLESS SPIRIT’ Carson has been a vocal critic of the Biden administration and a staunch supporter of Trump. After the Republican leader won the Nov. 5 election in a landslide victory, Carson shared his congratulations. “Congratulations to my good friend and the next President of the United States, @realdonaldtrump!!” Carson’s post reads. “As I said earlier today, God is not done with our country. Let’s get to work.” The U.S. surgeon general is not a Cabinet-level position but is still a high-ranking role that serves as the head of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. The position is within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). HERE ARE THE MOST TALKED-ABOUT CANDIDATES FOR TOP POSTS IN TRUMP’S ADMINISTRATION “The U.S. Surgeon General is the Nation’s Doctor, providing Americans with the best scientific information available on how to improve their health and reduce the risk of illness and injury,” the HHS’s website explains. “The Surgeon General oversees the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps, an elite group of over 6,000 uniformed officers who are public health professionals.” Carson’s comments come as several positions in Trump’s incoming Cabinet are still up for grabs, including secretary of transportation, secretary of commerce and secretary of the treasury. Trump also has yet to announce his picks for HUD secretary, secretary of agriculture and secretary of education. Trump most recently announced on Saturday that Liberty Energy CEO Chris Wright will join his Cabinet as secretary of energy. He called Wright “a leading technologist and entrepreneur in energy.”
Trump taps FCC member Brendan Carr to lead agency: ‘Warrior for Free Speech’
President-elect Trump announced on Sunday that he has picked Brendan Carr to serve as Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) starting in January. Carr, who is currently the senior Republican member of the FCC, was first nominated to the commission by Trump in 2017. In a statement released on Sunday night, Trump commended Carr and noted that he had “been confirmed unanimously by the United States Senate three times.” “His current term runs through 2029 and, because of his great work, I will now be designating him as permanent Chairman,” Trump wrote. The Republican leader went on to call Carr “a warrior for Free Speech” who has “fought against the regulatory Lawfare that has stifled Americans’ Freedoms, and held back our Economy.” TRUMP APPOINTS TULSI GABBARD AS DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE: ‘FEARLESS SPIRIT’ “He will end the regulatory onslaught that has been crippling America’s Job Creators and Innovators, and ensure that the FCC delivers for rural America,” Trump added. “Congratulations to Chairman Brendan Carr on a job well done,” the president-elect’s statement concluded. “Lead us into a great future, Brendan!” Carr recently made national headlines after he ripped the “Saturday Night Live” cast for platforming Kamala Harris as a guest without inviting Trump, which violates FCC rules. HERE ARE THE MOST TALKED-ABOUT CANDIDATES FOR TOP POSTS IN TRUMP’S ADMINISTRATION “NBC has structured this in a way that’s plainly designed to evade the FCC’s rules,” the official said shortly after the episode aired. “We’re talking 50 hours before Election Day starts, without any notice to other candidates, as far as I can tell.” Carr later told Fox News Digital that the Harris appearance “[made] clear that [“SNL”] wanted to weigh-in in favor of one candidate before the election.” “That’s exactly why, for decades, we’ve had an equal time rule on the book, is to prevent that,” the Republican explained. “Because remember, broadcasters are placed in a special position of trust. They’re not just like any other person with a soapbox on the corner. They have a license from the federal government that obligates them to operate in the public interest.” Earlier in November, the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) urged Trump to appoint Carr as the next FCC chairman, calling him a “great partner to the men and women in law enforcement.” “Commissioner Carr has more than 20 years of private and public sector expertise in communications and technology policy as well as a deep institutional knowledge of the FCC,” Patrick Yoes, national president of the FOP, wrote in a letter. “He would make an outstanding FCC Chairman who will ensure the United States continues to lead the world in telecommunications advancements and innovations.” Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton and Eric Revell contributed to this report.
SC to hear today pleas seeking curbs to tackle air pollution as GRAP 4 imposed in Delhi
Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) reached 441 at 4 pm and rose to 457 by 7 pm on Sunday due to unfavourable weather conditions.
China’s Xi vows to work with Trump during meeting with Biden
Chinese President Xi Jinping told President Biden on Saturday that he will work with the incoming administration of President-elect Trump, as the two current leaders spoke on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in Lima, Peru. The meeting between Biden and Xi marked the first time in seven months the two had spoken, Reuters reported, and may be the last time the two meet on conflicts from cybercrime to trade, Taiwan, the South China Sea and Russia before Trump returns to the Oval Office in January 2025. Xi told Biden, “China’s goal of a stable, healthy and sustainable China-U.S. relationship remains unchanged,” acknowledging the “ups and downs” between the two countries. “China is ready to work with the new U.S. administration to maintain communication, expand cooperation and manage differences,” Xi said. BIDEN, XI MEETING WILL BE FORUM FOR ‘INTENSE DIPLOMACY’ AMID TENSIONS BETWEEN US, CHINA: OFFICIALS Biden told Xi that maintaining leader-to-leader talks will be vital after Biden leaves office, according to national security adviser Jake Sullivan, who was seen sitting next to Biden during the meeting. He also acknowledged to the Chinese leader that while the two of them may not have always agreed, their discussions have been “frank” and “candid.” XI JINPING WARNS TRUMP US WOULD ‘LOSE FROM CONFRONTATION’ WITH CHINA AS RENEWED TRADE WAR LOOMS China and other members of the G-20 will likely brace for a reboot of Trump’s “America First” policy, placing a heavy emphasis on higher tariffs. Trump famously launched a trade war with China in his first term in 2018, raising tariffs up to 25% on steel, aluminum and other Chinese-made products. China responded with reciprocal tariffs against the U.S. Trump promised to raise tariffs up to 60% on Chinese imports while running for president, although it’s unclear if he would actually go that high. Biden has aimed to lessen tensions with China, but during his meeting with Xi on Saturday, there appeared to be few signs of breakthroughs on the major issues. GERMANY BRACES UNDER COLLAPSING GOVERNMENT AND LOOMING TRUMP TRADE WAR Still, the two agreed that humans, not artificial intelligence, should make the ultimate decisions when it comes to the use of nuclear weapons, the White House noted, marking the first time the two countries have raised the issue. Biden and Xi also talked about China’s ally, North Korea, which is deepening ties with Russia and even deployed troops in Moscow’s war with Ukraine. The move has raised concerns not just with Washington, but also with European capitals and Beijing. “President Biden pointed out that the (People’s Republic of China’s) publicly stated position with respect to the war in Ukraine is there should be no escalation, no broadening the conflict, and the introduction of (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) troops runs foursquare against that,” Sullivan said. “He also pointed out that the PRC does have influence and capacity, and should use it to try to prevent a further escalation or further expansion of the conflict with the introduction of even more DPRK forces.” Reuters contributed to this report.
Lee threatens to not seat Casey in Senate if he continues refusal to concede
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah., took aim at Sen. Bob Casey over the Pennsylvania Democrat’s refusal to concede the election, arguing that the Senate could refuse to seat him if he continues to rely on “illegal votes.” “If Bob Casey doesn’t concede, Pennsylvania keeps counting illegal votes, & Casey relies on those votes to claim victory, the Senate could refuse to seat him,” Lee said in a post on X Saturday while citing Article I, Sec. 5, Cl. 1, which states that each “House shall be the Judge of the Elections, Returns, and Qualifications of its own Members.” The comment comes as Pennsylvania’s Senate race will be decided by a recount after Republican Sen.-elect Dave McCormick won the election by roughly 26,000 votes, or within the one percentage point margin that triggers an automatic recount under Pennsylvania law. PENNSYLVANIA DEMOCRATS OPENLY ADMIT TO COUNTING ILLEGAL BALLOTS IN MCCORMICK-CASEY RACE Casey has refused to concede the election despite the contest being called by multiple outlets, instead insisting that a winner be declared after all votes are counted. But questions remain about the votes Casey is trying to count after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that ballots that lack required signatures and dates are not allowed to be included in official results, a ruling that is being ignored by Democratic officials in Philadelphia and surrounding Bucks and Montgomery counties. “I think we all know that precedent by a court doesn’t matter anymore in this country,” Bucks County Commissioner Diane Ellis-Marseglia, a Democrat, said last week. “People violate laws anytime they want. So, for me, if I violate this law, it’s because I want a court to pay attention. There’s nothing more important than counting votes.” MCCORMICK-CASEY RECOUNT COST TO TOP $1M; GOP SLAMS BLUE COUNTIES DEFYING HIGH COURT Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley has condemned Democrats in Pennsylvania, accusing the party of attempting to “steal” the election from McCormick. “Let’s be clear about what’s happening here: Democrats in Pennsylvania are brazenly trying to break the law by attempting to count illegal ballots. They are doing this because they want to steal a senate seat,” he said on X. Lee, meanwhile, has urged Casey to abandon the fight over the ballots voluntarily and allow McCormick to take his seat in the Senate. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Bob Casey, you’re better than this,” Lee said in another post on X. “It’s time to concede.” The Casey campaign did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.
Library of Congress email system hacked earlier this year by ‘foreign adversary’
The Library of Congress email system suffered a substantial hack earlier this year by a “foreign adversary,” Fox News can confirm. It is unclear if the hack compromised accounts of those who work directly for the House and Senate. However, Fox News is told that U.S. Capitol Police has referred the matter to the FBI, and it is investigating the scope of the hack. This is a developing story. Please check back here for more updates.
Bangladesh’s Yunus seeks time, says election roadmap after reforms
Bangladesh‘s interim leader Muhammad Yunus has appealed for the nation’s “patience”, pledging that general elections would be held after electoral and institutional reforms were completed in a televised address marking 100 days in office. “I promise that we will hold the much-anticipated election once the necessary and essential reforms are complete,” said Yunus, who was tasked with leading the transitional government following the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August. The 84-year-old leader vowed that an election commission would be formed “within a few days”, but did not provide a specific timeline for elections, citing the need for significant electoral and constitutional reforms. “I request your patience until then. We aim to build an electoral system that will endure for decades. For this, we need some time.” The country’s only Nobel Laureate, who is renowned for his pioneering work in microfinance, Yunus has been tasked with rebuilding democratic institutions after Hasina’s 15-year tenure. Yunus was appointed “chief adviser” on August 9, following student-led protests that ended Hasina’s authoritarian rule. Accountability The deadly protests began in July after college students demanded the abolition of a controversial quota system in government jobs that they said favoured supporters of the governing party. Though Bangladesh’s top court scrapped the quota, the protests soon morphed into a wider call for the removal of Hasina’s “autocratic” regime, marked by allegations of widespread rights violations. The government’s response was one of the bloodiest chapters in Bangladesh’s history as security forces beat the protesters, and fired tear gas and live ammunition on peaceful demonstrators, killing more than 1,000 people in three weeks and arresting thousands of others. Yunus on Sunday said about 1,500 people were killed in the weeks of protests that brought down the Hasina government, adding that as many as 3,500 may have been forcibly abducted during her 15-year rule. Yunus vowed to investigate all human rights violations, including alleged enforced disappearances while Hasina was in power. The interim leader said his administration will seek the extradition of the ousted prime minister from India, where she has been in exile since fleeing the student-led mass uprising in August. “We will seek the return of the fallen autocrat Sheikh Hasina from India,” Yunus said. “I have already discussed the issue with Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court Karim Khan.” An arrest warrant has been issued for Hasina, 77, who fled to India via helicopter as demonstrators stormed her residence. She faces charges of “massacres, killings, and crimes against humanity” and has been summoned to appear in court in Dhaka. The extradition request could strain relations with India, a key regional ally that maintained close ties with Hasina throughout her tenure. “We should be able to resolve it amicably between India and Bangladesh,” Yunus told Al Jazeera in an interview on the sidelines of the November 11-22 COP29 United Nations Climate Change Conference. “We draw attention to the Indian authorities that you are hosting her, that’s fine, but please make sure she doesn’t create problems for us.”. ‘Monumental’ challenge Yunus has been talking to political parties including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party headed by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, Hasina’s main rival, which has sought an election in two to three months. The party believes it will form the next government as Hasina’s Awami League party and its allies face a political debacle following her ouster. “As we move forward, we need to complete a lot of work,” Yunus said in his speech. “The train will reach its final station depending on how quickly we can lay down the railway tracks, and this will happen through consensus among the political parties.” In his interview with Al Jazeera, Yunus acknowledged the challenges ahead. “Bangladesh is deep in corruption because of the system that we had for the past 15 years – mismanagement, misgovernance, the destruction of our institutions,” he said, adding that rebuilding the system “point by point, sector by sector” will be a “big task”. International Crisis Group analyst Thomas Kean has called the challenge facing Yunus “monumental”, warning that “cracks are emerging in the fragile alliance” that pushed him into power. “For now, Yunus and his colleagues have widespread support, but popular expectations are double-edged”, Kean’s think tank said in a report on Thursday. “If the interim administration falters in making reforms, the outcome is likely to be an early election with little progress; in the worst-case scenario, the military could assume power.” Adblock test (Why?)
Is there any way to stop the war in Sudan?
The fighting is estimated to have killed tens of thousands of civilians. Nineteen months into the war in Sudan, the scale of the impact on civilians is becoming clearer. One recent study says at least 61,000 people have been killed in Khartoum State alone. And there could be tens of thousands more when Darfur and the rest of the country are added in. The fighting has caused the largest human displacement in the world. The warring parties haven’t shown any interest in diplomatic initiatives to end the conflict. However, the United Nations Security Council is to discuss another resolution demanding an end to hostilities. But will that serve any purpose? Presenter: Bernard Smith Guests: Kholood Khair – Founding director of the Sudanese think tank Confluence Advisory and a prominent civil society advocate for Sudan Nathaniel Raymond – Executive director of the Humanitarian Research Lab at the Yale School of Public Health Alex de Waal – Executive director of the World Peace Foundation and recognised as one of the foremost experts on the Horn of Africa Adblock test (Why?)
Pope Francis urges inquiry into Gaza genocide allegations
Pope Francis has called for an investigation to determine whether Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, tackling the issue for the first time in excerpts from an upcoming book. “According to some experts, what is happening in Gaza has the characteristics of a genocide,” the pope said in excerpts published on Sunday by the Italian daily La Stampa. “We should investigate carefully to determine whether it fits into the technical definition formulated by jurists and international bodies,” he added. The book, by Hernan Reyes Alcaide and based on interviews with the pope, is entitled Hope Never Disappoints: Pilgrims towards a Better World. It will be released on Tuesday ahead of the pope’s 2025 yearlong jubilee, which is expected to bring more than 30 million pilgrims to Rome to celebrate. The Argentine pontiff has frequently deplored the number of victims of Israel’s war in Gaza, where the death toll stands at 43,846 people, most of them civilians, according to the territory’s Ministry of Health. But his call for a probe marks the first time he has publicly used the term “genocide”, albeit without endorsing its use, in the context of the Israeli military offensive in Gaza. Israel’s embassy to the Vatican responded later on Sunday with a post on X, quoting its Ambassador Yaron Sideman. “There was a genocidal massacre on 7 October 2023 of Israeli citizens, and since then, Israel has exercised its right of self-defence against attempts from seven different fronts to kill its citizens,” said the statement. “Any attempt to call it by any other name is singling out the Jewish State.” But campaigners and Palestinian supporters have dubbed the Israeli offensive as a “war of vengeance” that has left the Gaza Strip in ruins. Stepping up criticism The war in Gaza has triggered several legal cases at international courts in The Hague involving requests for arrest warrants as well as accusations and denials of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. On Thursday, a United Nations Special Committee judged Israel’s conduct of warfare in Gaza “consistent with the characteristics of genocide”, accusing the country of “using starvation as a method of war”. Its conclusions have already been condemned by Israel’s key backer, the United States. South Africa brought a genocide case before the International Court of Justice with the support of several countries, including Turkey, Spain and Mexico. In January, the judges at the court ordered Israel to ensure its troops commit no genocidal acts. The court has not yet ruled on the core of the case – whether genocide has occurred in Gaza. Pope Francis, leader of the 1.4-billion-member Catholic Church, is usually careful not to take sides in international conflicts, and to stress de-escalation. But he has stepped up his criticism of Israel’s conduct in its war against Palestinians. In September, he decried the killings of Palestinian children in Israeli strikes in Gaza. He also sharply criticised Israel’s air strikes in Lebanon as going “beyond morality”. Francis has not previously described the situation in Gaza as a genocide in public. But last year, he was at the centre of a messy dispute after a meeting with a group of Palestinians at the Vatican, who insisted he had used the word with them in private, while the Vatican said he had not. Francis has also frequently called for the return of the Israeli captives taken by Hamas on October 7, 2023. Of the 251 people taken that day, 97 are still held in the Palestinian territory, including 34 the Israeli army says are dead. On Thursday, the pontiff received 16 former captives who were freed after months of detention in Gaza. Adblock test (Why?)