Delhi weather: Heavy rain lashes Delhi-NCR again, IMD predicts thunderstorm today
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted light to moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorm today.
Texas Senate advances bill to ban THC — again
The Senate’s decision signals another potential standoff with Gov. Greg Abbott, who vetoed a similar ban earlier this year as he called for more regulations instead.
Newsom will move to redraw California map if Texas redistricts, teeing up national fight
The governor plans to go through the Legislature to usher in a map with more Democratic seats if Texas tilts its map to the right, according to a person with knowledge of Newsom’s thinking.
Texas Senate once again tries to give the attorney general authority to prosecute election crimes
A similar proposal stalled out earlier this year over disagreements between the House and Senate. This time, lawmakers might clash over whether to approve the new bill along with a constitutional amendment.
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals pushes death row inmate’s case back to trial court
Dissenting judges expressed frustration over a lack of clarity on why the case of David Leonard Wood, whose execution in March was halted, was remanded to the lower court.
As the floods hit, Kerrville officials’ messages show lack of information about what was coming
Lawmakers plan to hear testimony Thursday in Kerr County. Questions remain about how state and local entities responded to flood warnings.
Texas GOP once again tries to ban local governments from hiring lobbyists in Austin
Critics of the bill say the state’s smallest cities and school districts will be silenced at the Capitol.
Protesters caught on camera delivering coffin to GOP congressman’s front door in mock funeral procession
FIRST ON FOX: More than two dozen protesters were captured on video last week delivering a faux coffin and flowers to the Wisconsin home of House Administration Committee Chairman Bryan Steil, R-Wis. The unwanted visitors, dressed in black and carrying cowbells, walked up the congressman’s private driveway in what appeared to be a mock funeral procession, before dropping a cardboard coffin prop with an epitaph at his front door. Former Walworth County Democrat Party Chairwoman Ellen Holly was identified in the video footage posted to social media allegedly walking up to Steil’s front door, along with several other constituents from previous protests. AFTER MINNESOTA KILLINGS, CAPITOL HILL REPRESENTATIVES FACE STARK REALITY ABOUT FAMILY SAFETY Prior to the “Death of Democracy” funeral procession, sponsored by the Southern Wisconsin Grassroots Network and Working Families Party, an organizer could be heard on a Facebook Live video saying, “We’re not going to hang out here because we’re not going to invite the police to come and ask questions, and say, ‘What are you doing here, blah, blah, blah.’ We’re just going to get out of town.” Following the demonstration, protesters could be seen walking across Steil’s front yard, forgoing the sidewalk, and commenting on photo opportunities in front of the home. A photo of the coffin and epitaph at the front door was later posted to Facebook by another group involved. One commentator asked for the lawmaker’s home address. USER’S MANUAL TO SECURITY BRIEFINGS FOR LAWMAKERS AFTER MINNESOTA SHOOTINGS This incident has been reported to U.S. Capitol Police (USCP). It is unclear if any of the protesters are facing criminal charges. “It’s disappointing that Democrat leadership and the radical left resort to these type of tactics,” Steil told Fox News Digital. “I remain committed to my work to get this country back on track and will not be deterred by their threats.” Ravi Mangla, National Press Secretary for Working Families Power, told Fox News Digital the incident was less concerning than Steil’s policies. “17 million Americans are going to lose life-saving medical care because of Bryan Steil’s vote,” Mangla wrote in a statement. “Frankly, that’s a far scarier thing than a group of seniors holding some taped together cardboard.” Congressional offices have seen a 93.8% increase in threats reported to USCP compared to last year. Steil oversees the Committee on House Administration, which has been working with leadership on both sides of the aisle to address increased threats to congressional members and their staff. Due to an increase in threats, Congress recently authorized an increase in funding for the Member Security Allotment, from $10,000 to $20,000 for life, and an increase in the Monitoring and Maintenance Allotment from $150 to $5,000 per month for fiscal year 2025. MINNESOTA LAWMAKER SHOOTINGS PROMPT SECURITY DEBATE IN HOUSE AND SENATE The group is encouraging protests at Steil’s in-person town hall on Thursday. Organizers posted “Good Trouble Lives ON!” on Facebook ahead of the meeting. Similar efforts are being sponsored by left-wing dark money groups and the Democratic Party of Wisconsin. USCP and Southern Wisconsin Grassroots Network did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Inside Biden confidante Steve Ricchetti’s ‘combative’ eight-hour grilling in House Oversight cover-up probe
A member of former President Joe Biden’s inner circle sat with House Oversight Committee investigators for a marathon closed-door interview that lasted more than eight hours on Wednesday. Steve Ricchetti, who served as counselor to the president for all four years of Biden’s term, was described as “combative and defensive” during his voluntary meeting, a source familiar with the sitdown told Fox News Digital. The source described Ricchetti as defiant in the face of doubts about Biden’s mental acuity, though he “admitted that they all knew President Biden’s age was an issue and were dealing with it as a political matter,” they said. “Mr. Ricchetti stated that he believed President Biden had the ability to be president and that he was performing the capacity of president every day. He believes that Joe Biden is capable to being president today, and that he could have won in 2024,” the source told Fox News Digital. COMER DISMISSES BIDEN DOCTOR’S BID FOR PAUSE IN COVER-UP PROBE: ‘THROWING OUT EVERY EXCUSE’ Ricchetti, a longtime Democratic operative and lobbyist, first began working for Biden in March 2012 when he was appointed counselor to the vice president under former President Barack Obama. He was elevated to be Biden’s chief of staff in December 2013. He touted his closeness to Biden over the last 13 years, the source said, and described having personal relationships with former first lady Jill Biden and Hunter Biden as well. Ricchetti’s own children were also close to the White House during Biden’s tenure – at least three of them had jobs in the Democratic administration at some point. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., is investigating whether Biden’s top White House aides concealed signs of mental decline in the president, and if that meant executive actions were signed via autopen without his knowledge. Ricchetti is the seventh ex-Biden aide to come in, but just the fourth to appear on voluntary terms. Former White House doctor Kevin O’Connor and former White House aides Annie Tomasini and Anthony Bernal all pleaded the Fifth Amendment to avoid answering questions. Ricchetti told investigators that he was not involved in O’Connor’s physical evaluation letters for Biden, “but he did have conversations with senior staff on how to communicate and present President Biden’s physical evaluation letters,” the source told Fox News Digital. He also defended Biden’s frequent gaffes, describing them as “common mistakes” that anyone could make, the source said. “He said the frequency of these mistakes have not increased since Joe Biden was vice president,” the source said. RON KLAIN DODGES REPORTERS AFTER MARATHON GRILLING IN BIDEN COVER-UP PROBE The majority of questioning during the eight-hour session came from Republicans – the source said Democrats frequently attempted to change the topic to discuss President Donald Trump. Ricchetti said nothing to reporters when leaving the meeting on Wednesday evening. No lawmakers were present for the sitdown, as is usually the case with such transcribed interviews. Fox News Digital reached out to Ricchetti’s attorney for comment but did not hear back by press time.
DHS mocks Democrats for ‘running to court’ after demanding access to Baltimore ICE facility
The Trump Department of Homeland Security is mocking several House Democrats for “running to court” over unsuccessfully demanding access to a Baltimore ICE processing facility. A dozen Democrats are suing the Trump administration for “unlawful obstruction of congressional oversight” after Democratic members of the Maryland congressional delegation were denied entry to the ICE facility on Monday. Maryland Democratic Senators Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks, along with Reps. Glenn Ivey, Johnny Olszewski, Sarah Elfreth and Kweisi Mfume showed up in Baltimore at the Fallon Federal Building on Monday but were denied entry into an ICE detainment facility in the building. After being denied access to the facility, the group held a press conference outside the building in which Mfume said, “We had to stand outside, bang on the door, and ultimately sit in front of the door.” The Democrats filed their lawsuit against the administration on Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. SENATOR SAYS BALTIMORE ICE FACILITY HIDES ‘EVIL PERSISTING IN DARKNESS’ AFTER DEMS TRY NEWARK REDUX American Oversight, one of the law firms representing the members of Congress, said in a Wednesday statement that “at a time when ICE is detaining more individuals than ever before—over 56,000 people—and reports of mistreatment, overcrowding, unsanitary conditions, and the detention of U.S. citizens are growing, the need for real-time, on-the-ground oversight has never been more urgent.” Rep. Joe Neguse, D-Colo., said in the statement that “blocking Members of Congress from oversight visits to ICE facilities that house or otherwise detain immigrants clearly violates Federal law—and the Trump administration knows it.” In response, DHS Assistant Secretary for Communications Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News that “these Members of Congress could have just scheduled a tour; instead, they’re running to court to drive clicks and fundraising emails.” McLaughlin cited concerns over assaults against ICE officers surging by 830 percent. ICE BUSTS SEVERAL CONVICTED CRIMINALS, INCLUDING CHILD RAPIST WHO THREATENED TO KILL 11-YEAR-OLD VICTIM “Here are the facts. As ICE law enforcement have seen a surge in assaults, disruptions, and obstructions to enforcement — including by Member of Congress themselves — any requests to tour processing centers and field offices must be approved by the Secretary of Homeland Security,” she said. “As for visits to detention facilities” she went on, “requests should be made with sufficient time to prevent interference with the President’s Article II authority to oversee executive department functions—a week is sufficient to ensure no intrusion on the President’s constitutional authority. To protect the President’s Article II authority, any request to shorten that time must be approved by the Secretary.” She added that “these requests must be part of legitimate congressional oversight activities.” After the incident, Ivey’s office shared a letter with Fox News Digital dated July 21 in which the delegation informed Noem and acting ICE Director Todd Lyons of their intent to visit the Baltimore facility. The letter did not appear to be making any request. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., and Ranking Member Robert Garcia, D-Calif., were also included in the letter. FORMER ICE CHIEF TORCHES ‘UNCONSCIONABLE’ BIDEN-ERA POLICIES AS TRUMP’S DHS FINDS MIGRANT CHILDREN The congressman also shared a letter he and Elfreth sent to Noem on July 23 in which the two requested the immediate release of Daniel Fuentes Espinal, a Honduran immigrant and pastor they claimed was wrongfully arrested by ICE. Plaintiffs in the suit include Rep. Adriano Espaillat, D-N.Y., Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., and Garcia.