Former External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh passes away at 93
He breathed his last at Medanta Hospital in Gurugram near Delhi, where he had been admitted for the past couple of weeks, they said.
Newsom cleans up homeless California encampments after he allocated billions of dollars while crisis grew
Blue state Gov. Gavin Newsom took to the streets of California to clean up trash left behind by homeless encampments Thursday, threatening municipalities that if they do not clean up encampments they’ll lose state funding next year. A frustrated Newsom was seen picking up trash from a cleared encampment in Los Angeles — one of the largest hubs in the state for homeless people living outdoors — alongside the California Department of Transportation. California’s homelessness accounts for roughly one-third of the country’s crisis. “I want to see results,” Newsom told reporters Thursday. “I don’t want to read about them. I don’t want to see the data. I want to see it.” GOV NEWSOM ORDERS HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS TORN DOWN ACROSS CALIFORNIA: ‘NO MORE EXCUSES’ Homelessness has skyrocketed in the Golden State under Newsom’s leadership. According to the 2024 point-in-time count, which provides a snapshot of homelessness on a given night, the number of homeless individuals in California increased to approximately 172,000. This represented an increse from the estimated 131,000 homeless individuals counted in 2018, the year Newsom took office. Thursday’s announcement was a continuation of Newsom’s increasing efforts to urge local governments to conduct more sweeps of homeless encampments after the Supreme Court ruled governments can force people out of encampments. Last month, Newsom directed state agencies to begin clearing encampments from state property and has been pushing local officials to follow suit. “We’re done with the excuses,” Newsom told reporters. “The last big excuse was, ‘Well, the courts are saying we can’t do anything.’ Well, that’s no longer the case, so we had a simple executive order: Do your job. … You’ve got the money, you’ve got the flexibility, you’ve got the green light, you’ve got the support from the state and the public is demanding it of you.” MASSIVE CALIFORNIA RESIDENTIAL TOWER TO OFFER HOMELESS PRIVATE ROOMS, GYM, CAFE AND MORE AMENITIES But some local leaders don’t agree with Newsom’s approach. In a statement to ABC7 News, LA County officials said in part, “New bed capacity needs to be built to accommodate a population of patients who will require locked facilities when held for treatment involuntarily. “Without first taking those steps, the work of moving people off the streets for their own health and safety would fail,” the statement continued. “This does not mean LA County is standing still. Our Pathway Home encampment resolution program already has moved hundreds of people inside as we have also extensively supported the City of LA’s Inside Safe program that has sheltered thousands of others.” Kathryn Barger, an LA County supervisor, told the news outlet she “would love to explain to the governor what we are doing because we are.” HOMELESS PERSON ALLEGEDLY ABDUCTS 4-YEAR-OLD AT CALIFORNIA RESTAURANT AMID UPTICK OF CRIME “I’m not going to criticize the fact that he issued that order because, actually, I support what he wants to do. My goal is to have us all in the same direction. You can go in and clear the encampment, but if you don’t coordinate with the different jurisdictions around you, you’re simply moving that problem,” she said. Earlier this year, Newsom’s administration blamed counties and cities after a state audit report found his own homelessness task force failed to track how billions of dollars have been spent trying to tackle the crisis in the last five years. At the time, a senior spokesperson for the California Interagency Council on Homelessness (CICH), which coordinates homeless programs across the state, told Fox News Digital the audit’s findings “highlight the significant progress made in recent years to address homelessness at the state level, including the completion of a statewide assessment of homelessness programs.” Over the past five years, the CICH didn’t consistently track whether the money actually improved the situation, the audit concluded. The spokesperson added local governments “are primarily responsible for implementing these programs and collecting data on outcomes that the state can use to evaluate program effectiveness.” Since 2016, California has spent over $25 billion on homelessness. This includes state, local and federal funding allocated toward boosting the state’s “Housing First” ideology through various programs, which prioritizes placing people in housing first before addressing mental illness or substance abuse problems. The Housing First model began in 2016 through SB 1380. Authored by Democratic state Sen. Ed Hernandez, the bill expanded state resources for permanent housing to homeless individuals without requirements like sobriety or employment. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP In a response to Fox News Digital’s request for comment, a spokesperson for Newsom referred to Thursday’s news conference and provided a statement. “The State of California’s doing more than ever. We’ll continue to do more. But this will be my final words on this: If we don’t see demonstrable results, I’ll start to redirect money. I’m not interested in status quo any longer. And that will start in January with the January budget. We’ve been providing the support to local government that embraces those efforts and focuses on a sense of urgency — and we’re going to double down. If local government is not interested, we’ll redirect the money to parts of the state, cities and counties that are.”
Democrats running for Sheila Jackson Lee’s congressional seat debate who is best suited to replace her
Saturday’s debate came days before Democratic precinct chairs are set to decide who will replace the late Houston congresswoman on the November ballot.
Las Vegas rideshare drivers laud Trump’s ‘awesome’ no-tax-on-tips plan as Harris holds rally across town
While Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz prepared for a campaign rally Saturday in Las Vegas on the city’s famed Vegas Strip, rideshare drivers collectively voiced their support for former President Trump’s plan to end taxation of gratuities. In June, Trump announced he would enact a no-tax-on-tips policy for employees geared toward those who rely on them for a large part of their income, like cabbies, lodging industry workers and waitstaff. “[F]or those hotel workers and people that get tips, you’re going to be very happy, because when I get to office, we are going to not charge taxes on tips. … It’s been a point of contention for years and years and years, and you do a great job of service, you take care of people and I think it’s going to be something that really is deserved,” Trump said at the time. Trump’s announcement came around the same time senators Ted Cruz, R-Texas; Steve Daines, R-Mont; Rick Scott, R-Fla.; and Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., co-sponsored the “No Tax on Tips Act.” NORQUIST: ALL THE REASONS TRUMP’S TAX-FREE TIPS PLAN IS BRILLIANT Busy Vegas rideshare drivers, who declined to give last names or requested anonymity, told Fox News Digital they’re likely voting for the Trump after his “no-tax-on-tips” pledge. Reed, a registered Democrat who said he will be voting for Trump this fall, said the plan is just one more reason he looks forward to pulling the lever for the former president. “On a personal level, that would be wonderful — that’s terrific,” Reed said as he drove west on Tropicana Boulevard toward the New York, New York resort. Reed added that a friend of his is also a service industry worker who relies on tips for nearly half her annual compensation. The woman was previously “not a Trump supporter or fan in any way,” he said. “Until he made the comment about ‘no tax on tips.’ … Now, she’s willing to vote for Trump on that one subject alone.” Michael, who was waiting for a passenger at a nearby casino, called the plan “awesome.” ARIZONA KAMALA HARRIS RALLY SPEAKERS COURT ‘JOHN MCCAIN REPUBLICANS’ “I’m a registered independent,” Michael said. “And [Trump] is going to get my vote.” Another driver, who declined to give his name, called the plan “really good.” “I don’t like what that politician, [President] Biden, is doing. Everything is expensive,” he said, adding that, in addition to gratuity taxes, spiking gasoline prices have hurt his bottom line. He added that expenses like gasoline and taxes eat into the take-home pay he gets after his rideshare employer also takes its cut. Ruiz, an immigrant from Cuba, said his “overhead costs” have increased in recent years and that he would support the policy. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Adanis, speaking in Spanish, said the policy would be “better for me,” adding he hopes the next president will bring down gas prices too. He echoed other drivers’ concerns that between taxes, fuel and maintenance costs and rideshare companies’ slice of the fiscal pie, it is becoming increasingly difficult to make sufficient money in his line of work. Another driver had a similar contention, remarking that the increasing cost of rideshares overall is pushing people toward cheaper, subsidized but slower mass transit options. Fox News Digital reached out to the Trump campaign for comment.
Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon wins 1500-metre final for record third Olympic gold
Kipyegon becomes the first athlete ever to win three back-to-back 1500m gold medals and sets new Olympic record time. Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon made history after becoming the first woman to win three consecutive Olympic 1,500-metre gold medals with a superb display of middle-distance running. The 30-year-old 2016 and 2020 champion produced a tactical masterpiece at the Stade de France on Saturday to take gold in a new Olympic record of 3min 51.29sec. Australia’s Jessica Hull took silver in 3:52.56 while the UK’s Georgia Bell claimed bronze in 3:52.61. Bronze medallist Georgia Bell, gold medallist Faith Kipyegon and silver medallist Jessica Hull celebrate after competing in the women’s 1500m final [Anne-Christine Poujoulat/AFP] It was another remarkable performance by Kipyegon, the reigning world champion who can now arguably lay claim to being the greatest women’s middle-distance runner in history. Kipyegon had bided her time early in the race, allowing Gudaf Tsegay to set the pace before moving up onto the Ethiopian’s shoulder just after the first lap. Tsegay continued to lead at the bell but faded quickly and dropped back as Kipyegon accelerated into first place. With 200 metres to go, Kipyegon kicked for home and though Hull and Bell pursued they never looked liked finding the speed necessary to catch the Kenyan as she scampered across the line to clinch her unprecedented Olympic 1,500-metre treble. The Kenyan also holds three gold medals for the same distance at the World Athletics championships, the latest coming at Budapest in 2023. ALL. THE. FEELS. 3rd Olympic 1500m gold for 🇰🇪’s Faith Kipyegon 😤 No one in history has won 3 1500m medals at the Olympics, let alone 3 golds 🤯#Paris2024 #Olympics pic.twitter.com/z0nQl3lIQt — World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) August 10, 2024 ‘I’ve come very far’ In her home country, Kipyegon is known as the “Queen of 1,500 metres”. In an interview earlier last year, Kipyegon told Al Jazeera that she has loved running since the age of five and she wants to inspire more young girls to take up the sport. The diminutive all-time 1,500-metre great grew up in western Kenya’s Rift Valley, which is renowned as a breeding ground for runners. The world record holder’s journey began in the ever-changing muddy, dusty and hilly terrain of Ndababit village, 233km (144 miles) west of Kenya’s capital Nairobi. “I used to run barefoot from my village to the primary school because in Kenya, schools are so far that you always end up running in order to reach them in time,” Kipyegon told Al Jazeera before the Diamond League event in Doha. “I have loved [running] since I was a little girl, but I never thought I would become an Olympic champion one day,” she said with a chuckle. Among the long list of milestones in Kipyegon’s career, winning a second Olympic gold in Tokyo in 2021 after returning from a maternity break stands out as a testament to her tenacity and single-mindedness. Kipyegon credits motherhood and her daughter Alyn with helping her stage a competitive comeback. “It was not easy as I could barely walk 20 minutes the first time I stepped back on the track,” she said in a social media video in 2022, as she reflected on the difficulties of returning to the track after having given birth. “But the strength Alyn gives me has helped me overcome all challenges.” Faith Kipyegon poses by the score board after setting a new Olympic record in the women’s 1500m final [Kirill Kudryavstev/AFP] Adblock test (Why?)
Thousands protest in Serbia’s Belgrade against lithium mining project
Protesters say they fear project by mining giant Rio Tinto would pollute water sources and endanger public health. Thousands of people have taken to the streets of the Serbian capital to protest against the rebooting of a controversial lithium mine set to serve as a vital power source in Europe’s green energy transition. In advance of Saturday’s rally in Belgrade, two leading protest figures said they were briefly detained by security officials who warned that any moves to block roads during the demonstration would be seen as illegal. “We came here today to raise our voice against something that is beyond politics,” popular actor Svetlana Bojkovic said from the rally, where a large crowd chanted “There will be no mining”, among other slogans. Serbia has vast lithium deposits near the western city of Loznica, where a mining project being developed by the Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto has been a perennial political fault line in the Balkan country over its potential environmental impacts. The deposits were discovered in 2004, but weeks of mass protests forced the government to halt the project in 2022. But the government recently made a U-turn on the issue following a court decision last month that said the order to revoke the permits awarded to Rio Tinto was “not in line with the constitution and the law”. People attend the protest in Belgrade against the lithium mine [Darko Vojinovic/AP Photo] Days later, the Serbian government greenlit the project’s restart and signed a memorandum of understanding with the European Union that is seen as the first step in developing Serbia’s lithium resources. Lithium is a strategically valuable metal needed for electric vehicle batteries, making it key for helping the car industry shift to greener production. The project, however, has continued to be unpopular with many in Serbia due to concerns the mine would pollute water sources and endanger public health. “I am in Belgrade because the survival of life in Serbia is being defended here,” said Slobodan Stanimirovic, a 58-year-old from western Serbia’s Radjevina, near the site of the future mine. The protest in Belgrade was the latest in a series of demonstrations held across Serbia after the mine’s licences were reinstated. Activists and demonstrators have called on legislators to pass a law permanently banning the mining of lithium and boron in the country. Reporting from Belgrade on Saturday, Al Jazeera’s Jelena Glusac said more people joined the protest against the mining project than recent rallies on other issues, including demonstrations last year following two mass shootings. “It seems like the lithium [mine proposal] managed to gather more people than any other subject,” Glusac said. Environmental groups said they were prepared to block major traffic arteries across Serbia and engage in civil disobedience if the government refused to act before an August 10 deadline set by activists. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has repeatedly pledged that no mining operations will begin until guarantees about environmental safety protocols are established. Adblock test (Why?)
Canada’s B-Boy Phil Wizard wins first Olympic breaking gold in Paris
The Canadian beat France’s Dany Dann in front of a partisan crowd to take the first-ever men’s gold medal in breaking. Canada’s B-Boy Phil Wizard won the inaugural Olympic men’s breaking gold in Paris and said he hoped it “opens doors to people” involved in the high-energy dance sport. Phil Wizard, whose real name is Philip Kim, beat France’s B-Boy Dany Dann in Saturday’s final amid the opulent grandeur of the Place de la Concorde, with B-Boy Victor of USA taking bronze. Breaking, better known as breakdancing, is making its first and possibly last appearance at the Olympics, having been left off the programme for Los Angeles 2028. Phil Wizard said that breaking was “an underappreciated sport” and hoped its Olympic debut would change people’s minds. “I hope that today was a perfect example of showing the world how incredible breaking is – that was truly my only goal here,” said the 27-year-old, a former world champion. “I’m so grateful and so happy to come out with the win but more than anything, I just wanted to show the world what breaking is.” The competition saw 16 dancers, known as B-Boys, going head-to-head in a series of battles, starting with a pool stage before moving to a knock-out round. Phil Wizard had the crowd against him in the final against local hero Dany Dann, a 36-year-old with blue hair whose real name is Danis Civil. But the Canadian soon had them eating out of his hand thanks to his incredible routine, for which the judges awarded him a 3-0 victory. “I was stressed out of my mind,” said Phil Wizard. “It’s been a whirlwind of emotion. I cried my eyes out because I was so scared to do this. “There’s been a lot of pressure, a lot of expectations – I’m glad I was able to deliver.” Gold medallist Canada’s Philip Kim, known as B-Boy Phil Wizard, centre, poses with silver medallist France’s Danis Civil, known as B-Boy Dany Dann, left, and bronze medallist, USA’s Victor Montalvo, known as B-Boy Victor after the breaking finals competition at La Concorde Urban Park in Paris [AP/Frank Franklin II] ‘All about self-expression’ Danny Dann, a former European champion, said he felt like he had “represented breaking” to the world. “I’m delighted, I really didn’t think I would win this medal,” he said, revealing that he dyed his hair blue because it was his “lucky colour”. “I just went there to see how things would go and I’m going home with a silver medal!” Despite the spectacular moves on show, Phil Wizard said the panel of judges were looking for “something new every round”. “You may well think it’s the most explosive, crazy dynamic movements that score the most points,” he said. “But in breaking, there’s a lot of different categories and the most important thing is originality and diversity of movement.” The B-Boys perform on a circular stage, accompanied by DJs pumping out hip-hop classics and MCs hyping up the crowd. Breaking originated in the block parties held in the Bronx in New York in the 1970s. B-Boy Victor, also known as Victor Montalvo, said the competition represented “the true essence of hip hop and breaking culture”. “We just want to make sure that we show everyone that it’s a dance, first of all,” said Victor, who beat Japan’s Shigekix for the bronze medal. “It’s all about self-expression, it’s all about originality. It’s not just about big moves.” Adblock test (Why?)
Minnesota teacher pension fund under Walz accused of ‘cooking the books’ with unrealistic gains: report
A leading pension investigator claims that under Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz — Vice President Kamala Harris’ recently tapped running mate pick — the state’s public school teachers’ retirement system is manipulating financial reports by significantly understating annual fees paid to Wall Street investment managers, and showing unrealistically high returns, the New York Post first reported. Edward Siedle, an independent pension investigator, alleges that the state-run Teachers Retirement Association (TRA) has only revealed less than 10% of the $2.9 billion in fees it spent over the last decade. He also criticized TRA for reporting gains that barely exceed its own benchmarks by 0.2%, which he described to The Post as “virtually impossible.” “Even Bernie Madoff didn’t claim to beat the market every single year — and certainly not by the exact same percentage,” Siedle said, and called the TRA performance a “Madoff miracle under Walz’s watch.” The late financier Madoff orchestrated the largest investment fraud in Wall Street history, and pleaded guilty in 2009 to running a Ponzi scheme that swindled thousands out of their life savings. JD VANCE ACCUSES TIM WALZ OF ‘LYING’ ABOUT MILITARY SERVICE: ‘STOLEN VALOR GARBAGE’ Walz, who has been serving as chairman of the Minnesota State Retirement System since January 2019, oversees $140 billion in state employee funds, including $28.2 billion for teachers, the outlet reported. “I don’t know if the man had any pre-existing knowledge of finance or pensions, but as chairman, he should have educated himself,” Siedle said. “Pension board members have a fiduciary duty to monitor fees, and to ensure that the investments’ performance is accurately disclosed.” Katie Dickerson, a teacher nearing retirement, testified in February that despite high contribution rates, there have been no improvements to the retirement system, leading to extended work years and significant penalties for early retirement. “Not only do we have a high contribution rate to TRA, but we . . . are forced to work many more years unless we are willing to be hit with huge penalties,” Dickerson reportedly told the Minnesota’s Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement. VP KAMALA HARRIS PICKING GOV. TIM WALZ AS RUNNING MATE MET WITH MEDIA SCORN: ‘SUCH A WEIRD CHOICE’ For FY 2023, the TRA reported an 8.9% return and $24.19 million in management fees. But Siedle estimates actual fees to be between $334 million and $467 million, or 5% to 7% of TRA’s private assets. Even a 1% fee would total $280 million — over 10 times the reported amount. Siedle’s requests for investment documents have not yet been fulfilled by the TRA or state agencies. Siedle’s report notes that the Minnesota attorney general and state auditors, who typically investigate such issues, are on the same state pension board chaired by Walz. Consequently, Siedle filed a whistleblower complaint with the SEC and FBI in July, according to The Post. TIM WALZ HAS TIES TO MUSLIM CLERIC WITH ANTISEMITIC VIEWS, GAVE STATE FUNDING TO HIS GROUP: REPORT The Harris-Walz campaign did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Herbert Hoover’s humanitarian work is long remembered, but his presidency was tainted by the Great Depression
Herbert Hoover was the 31st President of the United States. He was known as “the great humanitarian,” largely because of his work during World War I and the years following his presidency. Hoover was born on August 10, 1874, in West Branch, Iowa. After the death of both of his parents, Hoover became an orphan at the age of nine. When he was 11, he moved to Oregon. Hoover went on to attend Stanford University as part of the inaugural class, where he met his wife, Lou. They married on February 10, 1899, and jetted off to China the next day. AFTER THEY LEAVE THE WHITE HOUSE, WHAT SHOULD AMERICA DO WITH OUR EX-PRESIDENTS? While living and working in China, the Boxer Rebellion of June 1900 occurred. His wife worked in hospitals during the time, while Hoover helped direct the building of barricades. When World War I began in Europe, Hoover was living in London. During this time, he helped 120,000 Americans return home to the United States, according to the source. Hoover also led the Commission for Relief in Belgium, which provided food for Belgian civilians, according to the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum. MAKE HERBERT HOOVER GREAT AGAIN: WHAT OTHERS CAN LEARN FROM ONE MAN’S POST-PRESIDENCY After that, Hoover became the head of the U.S. Food Administration under President Woodrow Wilson. He also served as Secretary of Commerce in President Warren Harding and President Calvin Coolidge’s administrations. Hoover himself earned the Republican nomination and became the 31st President of the United States from 1929 to 1933. In the same year he took office, the Great Depression began, and it continued through his presidency. While the years he spent in the White House have been associated with the Great Depression, he spent the years following his presidential departure still working in politics, including on commissions under both President Harry Truman and President Dwight Eisenhower. He also dedicated much of his post-presidential time to writing books, including three memoirs covering his early life, his time in office and the Great Depression. Hoover died on October 20, 1964.
Trump campaign says internal communications were hacked, including Vance ‘dossier,’ by foreign sources
Former President Trump’s campaign confirmed to Fox News on Saturday that some of its internal communications were hacked. Liberal media outlet Politico had reached out to the campaign after the news outlet started receiving internal Trump documents. “These documents were obtained illegally from foreign sources hostile to the United States, intended to interfere with the 2024 election and sow chaos throughout our Democratic process,” said Steven Cheung, communications director for the Trump campaign. “On Friday, a new report from Microsoft found that Iranian hackers broke into the account of a ‘high ranking official’ on the U.S. presidential campaign in June 2024, which coincides with the close timing of President Trump’s selection of a Vice Presidential nominee,” he added. Cheung noted that the hack allegedly by Iran came, “after recent reports of an Iranian plot to assassinate President Trump around the same time as the Butler, PA tragedy.” He added: “The Iranians know that President Trump will stop their reign of terror just like he did in his first four years in the White House. Any media or news outlet reprinting documents or internal communications are doing the bidding of America’s enemies and doing exactly what they want.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The documents sent to Politico included a “dossier” on Trump’s running mate JD Vance that dated back to February, the outlet said. The Trump campaign didn’t say if they had contacted law enforcement over the hacking. It was not immediately clear if Politico used any of the hacked material in its reporting. Fox News Digital has reached out to Politico for comment. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.