‘Access granted’: Biden’s free vacation at friend’s California mansion draws ire of critics
President Biden wants to establish an enforceable ethics code for Supreme Court justices, but the lame-duck president has been criticized over his own apparent conflicts of interest, including his relationship with friend and billionaire donor Joe Kiani. Following his address at the Democratic National Convention Monday, Biden and his family flew to Santa Ynez, California, to vacation at Kiani’s ranch-style estate. The first family is reportedly staying there for free, said White House officials who described Kiani as a “friend,” according to the New York Post. Kiani has given Biden’s super PAC, foundation and inaugural committee nearly $3 million, according to House Republicans who have taken issue with the relationship. Meanwhile, in September 2021, Kiani won an appointment from Biden to sit on his Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, which advises the executive branch on policy matters involving Kiani’s medical tech business, Masimo. Since Biden took office in January 2021, Masimo has received nearly $3 million in federal contracts, according to Republicans. In addition to his appointment, Kiani received tickets from Biden in 2022 to attend a state dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron, the Post reported. The outlet said it granted the billionaire CEO access to trans-Atlantic business officials and other global elites. CLARENCE THOMAS FORMALLY REPORTS 2019 TRIPS PAID BY FRIEND AND GOP DONOR HARLAN CROW News of the first family’s vacation at Kiani’s ranch comes amid Democratic efforts to reshape the Supreme Court, including an enforceable ethics code for justices and term limits. These efforts were largely spurred by Justice Clarence Thomas’ relationship with Republican Party donor Harlan Crow. Thomas, who has described Crow as one of his family’s “dearest friends,” has been under fire from critics for vacationing with Crow and accepting other gifts from him. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment but did not receive a response. The U.S. Office of Government Ethics, which oversees executive branch ethics, declined to comment, telling Fox News Digital it does not “discuss specific individuals or circumstances.” “The self-proclaimed most ethical and transparent administration in history strikes again,” said Michael Chamberlain, director of the conservative nonprofit Protect the Public’s Trust. “The Biden-Harris EPA is already doling out its Greendoggle billions to organizations with ties to the administration and its political allies. Now, we have this type of arrangement with a donor who has business before the government. Seems to be just how things get done in this administration.” HUNTER BIDEN JOINS WHITE HOUSE MEETING, BEFUDDLES BIDEN STAFF: REPORT In April 2022, a team of 12 House Republicans penned a letter to Shalanda Young, the director of the federal government’s Office of Management and Budget. The letter took issue with Biden’s relationship with Kiani, noting they want to be sure “political donations are not unduly influencing the Administration’s management of contracts and loans.” While the relationship between Kiani and Biden has drawn scrutiny, so have Biden’s relationships with other major Democratic Party big wigs. A year ago, billionaire climate activist Tom Steyer opened the doors of his Lake Tahoe mansion to the Biden family. Steyer manages a green energy investment fund that’s working to “take advantage” of federal climate change spending provided through Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act. The Center for Renewing America, a conservative nonprofit, filed an ethics complaint with the Department of Justice in April, calling on it to investigate Biden for alleged “serious ethical lapses” in failing to disclose free vacations that do not appear to qualify under certain exemptions in the Ethics in Government Act (EIGA). The complaint lays out at least four questionable vacations taken by Biden and his family, including the trip to Lake Tahoe. BIDEN ACCUSED OF FAILING TO DISCLOSE VACATIONS GIFTED TO HIM BY WEALTHY SUPPORTERS Other trips mentioned in the complaint include a trip to the South Carolina beachfront mansion of Democratic Party donor Maria Allwin, a stay in Nantucket at private equity founder David Rubenstein’s $39 million mansion and a New Years trip to Bill and Connie Neville’s private Island property in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Nevilles were invited to a 2015 state dinner with Chinese President Xi Jinping around the time they began sharing their house, according to the complaint. Additionally, in December 2022, the same month Biden stayed at their mansion, the Nevilles were White House guests, attending a state dinner with Macron. Kendra Arnold, executive director of the nonprofit Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust, asserted Biden’s trip to Kiani’s mansion “reinforces the popular notion that individuals who give large amounts of money to politicians are rewarded with increased access and various perks that are unavailable to others.” “When, like is the case here, there is an apparent circular beneficial relationship, it is difficult to believe that, at a minimum, there has not been increased access granted,” Arnold concluded. “As a rule of thumb, our elected officials are encouraged to even avoid the appearance of conflicts of interest, and, in this case, President Biden has certainly fallen short.”
Trump taunted over speculated RFK Jr endorsement: ‘Weird as hell’
FIRST ON FOX: Former President Trump is being preemptively attacked by Democrats over a speculated endorsement from Robert F. Kennedy Jr. following his expected presidential campaign suspension. On Friday morning, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) unveiled four billboards targeting Trump over the potentially looming endorsement. “Weird as hell,” the billboards say, featuring photos of Trump, his running mate Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, and Kennedy. BIDEN-HARRIS HHS SECRETARY SIDESTEPS BACKING ANY LIMIT ON LATE-TERM ABORTION The signs debuted in battleground state Arizona, where Trump has a scheduled rally with a “special guest,” and in Chicago, Illinois, where the Democratic National Convention wrapped on Thursday. Kennedy’s presidential campaign notably announced an address to the nation on Friday, also in Arizona. One of the Chicago billboards will be at the city’s Trump International Hotel, with the goal of people viewing it as they depart after the convention. DEM LAWMAKERS’ VOTING RECORDS WITH BIDEN-HARRIS IN SPOTLIGHT AHEAD OF TIGHT RACES The paid advertising campaign is the DNC’s first featuring Kennedy since President Biden’s suspension of his re-election bid. The Trump and Kennedy campaigns did not provide comment to Fox News Digital in time for publication. “MAGA Republicans elevated RFK Jr.’s sham candidacy as a tool to mislead voters and hurt Democrats, and RFK Jr.’s exit is an admission their gambit failed,” wrote Ramsey Reid, who oversees the DNC’s effort against third-party candidates, in a memo obtained first by Fox News Digital. PROGRESSIVE LEADER URGES HARRIS TO WAIT ON GOVERNMENT HEALTH CARE PUSH Reid revealed that the party’s data on Kennedy showed their efforts paying off and his favorability dropping throughout the campaign. “As voters have learned about RFK Jr.’s unsavory and reckless past, ties to MAGA donors, and MAGA-lite positions on abortion bans and January 6th pardons, his support has dwindled to make him a near-negligible factor,” Reid wrote. “The little support that remains is soft, split across ideologies, and disproportionately among lower propensity voters,” he continued. “With no meaningful base of support and sky-high negatives among Democrats, RFK Jr.’s threat to VP Harris was neutralized.” NEWSOM DODGES QUESTION ON HARRIS PRICE CONTROLS: ‘SHE HASN’T PUT OUT THE DETAILS’ Further, Reid claimed, if Trump accepted Kennedy’s endorsement, he would “own all of RFK Jr.’s baggage.” On top of that, “he would presumably have to appoint him and that baggage to a major position in his government.” Kennedy’s campaign has not confirmed the reports that he plans to drop out or that he will subsequently endorse Trump. In a Fox News Poll earlier this month, Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris in a head-to-head match-up, 50% to 49%. But with the inclusion of third-party candidates, including Kennedy, Trump and Harris were tied at 45% each nationally. Kennedy received 6% in the poll. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
RFK Jr withdraws name from presidential ballot in Arizona
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., the Independent presidential candidate, has reportedly withdrawn his name from the presidential ballot in the state of Arizona. On X, Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, shared that: “RFK Jr.’s campaign filed official paperwork with our office today withdrawing him from AZ’s 2024 election.” In the post, Fontes said the official filing would be made available on the Arizona government website on Friday. The withdrawal came on the final day of the Democratic National Convention — where Democratic presidential nominee and Vice President Kamala Harris gave the keynote address — and amid rumors that Kennedy may drop out of the 2024 presidential race and endorse former President Trump, the Republican nominee. VIVEK RAMASWAMY SOUNDS OFF ON POTENTIAL RFK JR. ROLE IN A TRUMP ADMINISTRATION Kennedy previously announced he would address the country on Friday, August 23, with an update on his political future. Former President Trump spoke to “FOX & Friends” on Thursday about whether Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. might drop out of the race and endorse him. “He is a very good person. If he endorsed me, I would be honored by it. I would be very honored by it. He really has his heart in the right place. He is a respected person,” Trump said. TRUMP SAYS HE WOULD BE ‘HONORED’ BY RFK JR. ENDORSEMENT “But, overall, I thought the Democrats, he was a Democrat, I don’t know what he is right now. But he was a Democrat. They treated him very badly. I think he would have, he goes around saying he would have beaten [President] Biden in the primary. I think there was a good chance,” Trump said. Kennedy’s running mate, Nicole Shanahan, recently told Fox News that they were considering dropping out and endorsing Trump. On X, Shanahan doubled down, claiming that Democrats are “terrified” their campaign may endorse Donald Trump. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Earlier in the week, Shanahan joined “Fox News @ Night with Trace Gallagher” and said any decision to drop and endorse Trump would ultimately come from Kennedy. “You know, it’s Bobby’s decision. I came into this supporting him wholeheartedly to win this election. And I have to say, there’s only one party that has obstructed fair, a fair election for us. And unfortunately, it was the Democratic Party. They’ve done everything they can, including creating PACs to prevent us from being able to have ballot access.” Fox News’ Hanna Panreck and Jasmine Baehr contributed to this report.
PM Modi arrives in Ukraine, to hold talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv
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The national capital, earlier today, received light rainfall in several parts.
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India’s National Space Day 2024′: Marking Chandrayaan-3’s success of Moon landing
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Harris takes aim at Trump as she vows ‘to be a president for all Americans’
CHICAGO – One month after replacing President Biden atop the Democrats’ 2024 ticket, Vice President Kamala Harris accepted her party’s presidential nomination as she delivered the most important speech of her political career. In a roughly 40 minute speech that was the crowning and concluding moment of the four-day Democratic National Convention in Chicago’s United Center, the vice president promised to chart “a new way forward” if Americans elect her to succeed her boss – President Biden. And Harris warned Americans against returning former President Trump, the Republican nominee, to power. “In many ways, Donald Trump is an unserious man,” the vice president argued. “But the consequences of putting Donald Trump back in the White House are extremely serious.” CLICK HERE FOR FOX NEWS UPDATES FROM THE DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION And Harris cast herself as someone who could bring a deeply polarized nation together, saying “with this election, our nation has a precious, fleeting opportunity to move past the bitterness, cynicism, and divisive battles of the past.” “I will be a president who unites us around our highest aspirations,” she pledged. “A president who leads — and listens. Who is realistic. Practical. And has common sense. And always fights for the American people.” Harris noted that “there are people of various political views watching tonight. And I want you to know: I promise to be a president for all Americans.” WATCH: TRUMP JOINS FOX NEWS FOLLOWING HARRIS ADDRESS Pointing to her years as a prosecutor, San Francisco district attorney and California attorney general before winning election to the U.S. Senate and four years ago as the nation’s vice president, she said “from the courthouse to the White House, that has been my life’s work.” Harris made history in 2020 as the first woman elected vice president. And she made the record books again this month as the first Black woman and first person of South Asian descent to win a major party’s presidential nomination. And if she wins in November, Harris could become the nation’s first female president. Harris has been riding a wave of energy and enthusiasm – both in polling and in fundraising – since replacing President Biden at the top of the Democrats’ 2024 ticket four weeks ago. And she walked out on to the stage at Chicago’s United Center arena to thunderous applause and a sustained standing ovation that included chants of “yes, you can.” TRUMP TAKES AIM AT HARRIS AS SHE DELIVERS HER CONVENTION ADDRESS After describing herself as the daughter of an Indian scientist who immigrated to America “with an unshakable dream to be the scientist who would cure breast cancer,” she recounted how the sexual abuse of a childhood friend fueled her desire to become a prosecutor. “Like the people I grew up with, people who work hard, chase their dreams, and look out for one another, on behalf of everyone whose story could only be written in the greatest nation on earth, I accept your nomination to be President of the United States of America,” Harris said. Trump repeatedly took to social media throughout the vice president’s address to take aim at his 2024 rival. As Harris talked about her early years, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, “A lot of talk about childhood, we’ve got to get to the Border, Inflation, and Crime!” Minutes later, as Harris in her speech pledged that building the middle class “will be a defining goal of my presidency, Trump pointed toward her three and a half years as the nation’s vice president during the Biden administration and asked, “Why didn’t she do something about the things of which she complains?” Harris, as expected, spent a portion of her address spotlighting reproductive rights, an issue that has energized and mobilized Democrats in the two years since the blockbuster ruling by the Supreme Court’s conservative majority to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling, which had legalized abortion nationwide. She argued that “Donald Trump hand-picked members of the United States Supreme Court to take away reproductive freedom.” And she vowed that “when Congress passes a bill to restore reproductive freedom, as President of the United States, I will proudly sign it into law.” But she also touched on border security, an issue that Trump and fellow Republicans have hammered the Biden administration over the surge of migrants into the country in the past three and a half years. Harris pointed to a border security bill with some bipartisan support that was making its way through Congress earlier this year before Republicans turned against the measure after prompting from Trump. “As President, I will bring back the bipartisan border security bill that he killed. And I will sign it into law,” Harris reiterated. Harris also pledged that “as Commander-in-Chief, I will ensure America always has the strongest, most lethal fighting force in the world. I will fulfill our sacred obligation to care for our troops and their families. And I will always honor, and never disparage, their service and their sacrifice.” The comments spurred chants of “USA, USA” from the crowd of Democratic politicians, officials, activists, and supporters in the arena. Taking aim at Trump, Harris said “I will not cozy up to tyrants and dictators like Kim-Jong-Un, who are rooting for Trump.” She pledged that if elected, she would continue the Biden administration’s efforts in ending two major international conflicts. “I will stand strong with Ukraine and our NATO allies,” she said as she pointed to the eastern European nation’s ongoing war against Russian aggression. And pointing to the Middle East, she emphasized, “Let me be clear: I will always stand up for Israel’s right to defend itself and I will always ensure Israel has the ability to defend itself. Because the people of Israel must never again face the horror that the terrorist organization called Hamas caused on October 7th.” But she added that “at the same time, what has happened in Gaza over the past 10 months is devastating. So many innocent lives lost. Desperate, hungry people
Trump ends feud with swing-state governor he slammed as ‘disloyal’
Former President Donald Trump praised Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp for supporting his election effort in the key battleground state after previously slamming the Peach State’s executive as “disloyal.” “Thank you to @BrianKempGA for all of your help and support in Georgia, where a win is so important to the success of our Party and, most importantly, our Country,” Trump posted to Truth Social on Thursday evening. “I look forward to working with you, your team, and all of my friends in Georgia to help MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” The comments come after Trump repeatedly slammed the popular Georgia governor across the last four years for opposing Trump’s challenge to the 2020 election results in the state. The final election results found President Biden defeated Trump in Georgia by 11,779 votes that year. GEORGIA GOV. BRIAN KEMP SNAPS BACK AT TRUMP AFTER REPEATED ATTACKS: ‘LEAVE MY FAMILY OUT OF IT’ “I’ll be here in about a year and a half campaigning against your governor. I guarantee that,” Trump said back in 2021 of Kemp. “I shouldn’t say this, I shouldn’t say this. I just don’t want you to tell anyone outside of this room, other than the millions of people. You know, I endorsed him. He was in last place and I endorsed him. He went to first place, like, immediately.” GEORGIA ACTIVIST STEALS THE SHOW AFTER BEING INTRODUCED BY TRUMP AT ATLANTA RALLY: ‘INCREDIBLE’ Even earlier this month, Trump slammed Kemp as “disloyal” during a rally in Atlanta. “He’s a bad guy. He’s a disloyal guy. And he’s a very average governor. Little Brian, little Brian Kemp. Bad guy,” Trump said during the rally, which included more than 10 minutes of slamming th governor. Trump’s favorable comments towards Kemp on Thursday evening followed the governor joining Fox News, where he endorsed Trump for president. Kemp had not endorsed anyone in the GOP primary, but said he would support the GOP ticket come November. ARIZONA MAN ACCUSED OF THREATENING TO KILL TRUMP NABBED AFTER MANHUNT DURING FORMER PRESIDENT’S BORDER VISIT “We got to win. You know, we got to win from the top of the ticket on down. I’ve been saying consistently for a long time, we cannot afford another four years of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. And I think, you know, Kamala Harris and Tim Walz would be even worse,” he told Fox News’ Sean Hannity on Thursday. “So we need to send Donald Trump back to the White House. We need to retake the Senate. We need to hold the House. We need to hold our legislative majorities that we have in the great state of Georgia. And it takes hard work. That’s what we’ve been doing.” Georgia is a key battleground state this year, following Trump winning in 2016 against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, but losing the state in 2020 when he squared up against Biden. Republicans in the state told Politico earlier this month that the pair should bury the hatchet in order to win the majority of votes comes November. GOV. BRIAN KEMP FIRES BACK AT TRUMP’S CLAIM OF RIGGED 2020 ELECTION IN GEORGIA: ‘NOT STOLEN’ “During the Atlanta rally, President Trump criticized Governor Brian Kemp and revisited the 2020 election results,” strategist Eric Tanenblatt told the outlet. “With Georgia being a pivotal state, it’s crucial for the Republican Party to look ahead and avoid dwelling on past elections. To win in the upcoming election, Republicans need to present a united front and prioritize future-focused policies.” Trump’s Truth Social post lauding Kemp comes as the Democratic Party wraps up its convention in Chicago, with Vice President Harris delivering her speech accepting the nomination for the ticket. Trump called into Fox News later Thursday to give his assessment of Harris’ speech, when he also spoke favorably of Kemp. “He was very nice, and he said he wants Trump to win, and he’s gonna work with me 100%. And I think we’re going to have a very good relationship with Brian Kemp,” he told Fox News’ Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum.
Over 13 lakh government employees may lose salaries if…, check details here
Over 13 lakh government employees are on the verge of losing their salaries. In addition, their promotions may also be affected.