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Fox News Politics Newsletter: Chat Reveals Cozy Ties Between Judges, Liberal Activists

Fox News Politics Newsletter: Chat Reveals Cozy Ties Between Judges, Liberal Activists

Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening… – Hamas losing iron grip on Gaza as US-backed group gets aid to Palestinians in need – Two Republicans vote against Trump’s $9 billion clawback of foreign aid, NPR funding – AOC talks meeting with Zohran Mamdani, ICE activity in NYC EXCLUSIVE: An environmental advocacy group accused of trying to manipulate judges organized a years-long, nationwide online forum with jurists to promote favorable info and litigation updates regarding climate issues – until the email-styled group chat was abruptly made private, Fox News Digital found. The Climate Judiciary Project (CJP) was founded in 2018 by a left-wing environmental nonprofit, the Environmental Law Institute (ELI), and pitches itself as a “first-of-its-kind effort” that “provides judges with authoritative, objective, and trusted education on climate science, the impacts of climate change, and the ways climate science is arising in the law.” But critics, such as Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, say CJP is funded by China and left-wing activists for one purpose… READ MORE. NO MORE GAMES: Trump signs fentanyl bill into law, earning praise from state attorneys general REIGN OF TERROR: Trump’s Treasury Department targets dangerous Venezuelan prison gang with sanctions on 6 top leaders ‘DEAR GOD’: Democrats storm out of vote on controversial Trump nominee ‘DEEPLY INAPPROPRIATE’: Exclusive: Army secretary vows ‘grievous error’ targeting pro-life groups will never happen again ‘POLITICAL RETRIBUTION’: Civil rights group declares ‘state of emergency,’ pointing at Trump admin NOT BACKING DOWN: Powell shares what it would take for him to leave the Fed, book reveals EUROPE PAYS UP: Trump’s NATO deal to arm Ukraine wins over GOP skeptics BITTERSWEET 16: UK government to lower voting age to 16 before next national election despite strong conservative opposition ‘UNACCEPTABLE’: Pope demands ceasefire after Gaza’s Catholic church is hit in apparent Israeli strike BYPASSING TERROR: Hamas losing iron grip on Gaza as US-backed group gets aid to Palestinians in need KREMLIN IRE RISES: Russia threatens West with ‘preemptive strikes’ as NATO looks to deliver Patriots ‘as quickly as possible’ POWER PLAY: Ukraine’s Zelenskyy names new prime minister for first time since Russia’s war began MILITARY PIVOT: Calls for Trump to dislodge Iran-backed Houthis as terrorist movement continues attacks on commercial ships THUMBS DOWN: Democrats hit rock bottom as American voters turn away in record numbers from liberal agenda: poll ANTISEMITISM EXPOSED: Bipartisan House resolution condemns phrase that’s created firestorm for Zohran Mamdani SHOWSTOPPER: Cornyn says he’s spoken to Trump about a potential endorsement: ‘If he endorsed me, the race would be over’ NAMING NAMES: Karine Jean-Pierre, more top Biden aides to appear in House cover-up probe MOVING ON: Senate panel advances Trump’s former defense attorney Emil Bove toward federal appeals court position ‘SUSTAINED PATTERN’: Timeline of ‘scam artist’ Adam Schiff’s mortgage fraud allegations stretching back years BUDGET BATTLE LINES: SCOOP: House fiscal hawks warily accept Senate’s $9B Trump spending cuts package BROADCAST BRAWL: Two Republicans vote against Trump’s $9 billion clawback of foreign aid, NPR funding ‘SQUAD’ GOALS: AOC talks meeting with Zohran Mamdani, ICE activity in NYC ‘IT IS DISTURBING’: Mamdani sparks firestorm with resurfaced comment on abolishing private property: ‘He’s a communist’ ‘CRAZED RHETORIC’: ICE mask debate heats up as doxxing and agent assaults surge ‘I’M AN IMMIGRANT’: Trump’s immigration crackdown in LA ignites ‘same emotional notes’ for Dems, top local GOP leader says ‘ROCK BOTTOM’: Trump Jr. rips ‘communist’ Mamdani with dire prediction about NYC if he wins mayoral race DIRTY DISTRICTS: Big government, big problems: Public corruption highest in places with large bureaucracies, report says TRUTH COMES OUT: Mamdani sparks social media frenzy with viral clip discussing what happens if he runs out of money FLYER RELIEF: Noem teases ‘next big announcement’ that may change airport security rule ‘FISCAL WATCHDOG’: DeSantis taps Florida’s ‘most conservative senator’ for state CFO LINGERING QUESTIONS: Jeffrey Epstein committed suicide but ‘likely’ had help, former lawyer claims VETERAN TAKES FLIGHT: SCOOP: Former CIA officer, Air Force veteran launches GOP campaign for Dem-held Ohio district Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.

DHS cancels $18.5 million in Biden-era grants designated to fund LGBTQ and DEI programs

DHS cancels .5 million in Biden-era grants designated to fund LGBTQ and DEI programs

FIRST ON FOX: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Secretary Kristi Noem announced Thursday the cancellation of $18.5 million in taxpayer-funded grants for the Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships (CP3).  The grants were designated by the Biden administration to provide taxpayer funds to various organizations that DHS says are “ideologically driven programs” promoting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and LGBTQ agendas.  “These cancellations reflect DHS’s commitment to fiscal responsibility and national security,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital.  ASSAULTS ON ICE OFFICERS SURGE 830% AS DEMOCRATS CAUGHT ‘DOXING AND PHYSICALLY ASSAULTING’ AGENTS: DHS “By eliminating wasteful and ideologically driven programs, we are redirecting resources to initiatives that uphold American values, respect the rule of law and effectively combat terrorism and violence.” Some of the cuts include $851,836 to the Eradicate Hate Global Summit, which DHS refers to as a DEI organization, and $209,407 to the Supporting and Mentoring Youth Advocates and Leaders group, which DHS says promotes radical gender ideology learning to K-12 students while targeting kids as young as kindergarten.  CP3, which replaced the Office of Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention in 2021, was originally designed to be a division within DHS with a mission of strengthening the nation’s ability to prevent targeted violence and terrorism through being guided by public health principles. KRISTI NOEM CLASHES WITH NBC ANCHOR OVER ‘INHUMANE’ CONDITIONS AT ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ IN TESTY EXCHANGE However, the Biden administration, which once touted its commitment to DEI principles, directed the grants toward the controversial organizations.  This is not the first time DHS has made major spending cuts to radical programs. Last month, Fox News Digital reported the agency uncovered and killed $1.5 million in additional Biden-era taxpayer-funded grants that went toward similar organizations.  The DOGE-like approach will allow DHS to divert taxpayer funds within the agency, and a spokesperson said the money “will be redirected to efforts that actually protect the American people.”

Mexican woman in US illegally charged with faking her own ICE ‘kidnapping’

Mexican woman in US illegally charged with faking her own ICE ‘kidnapping’

A Mexican illegal alien living in Los Angeles was charged with orchestrating her own fake ICE “kidnapping” to generate sympathy and solicit donations, the Justice Department announced Thursday. Yuriana Julia Pelaez Calderon, 41, a resident of South Los Angeles, was charged with conspiracy and making false statements to federal officers, the DOJ said. Calderon had been living in the U.S. based on a federal law enforcement parole that expired in 2023. She is in federal custody after she allegedly faked her kidnapping. This comes after local outlet KTLA reported on a news conference held by Calderon’s “loved ones and attorneys,” who claimed she had been “kidnapped” by uniformed men in unmarked cars June 25. TRUMP’S IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN IN LA IGNITES ‘SAME EMOTIONAL NOTES’ FOR DEMS, TOP LOCAL GOP LEADER SAYS The outlet reported that a woman identified as an attorney named Stephano Medina claimed Calderon was cornered in a Jack in the Box parking lot in Los Angeles by men who did not identify themselves but were possibly bounty hunters. Medina claimed Calderon was taken to the border and presented to an “ICE staffer,” who demanded she sign self-deportation paperwork. Medina said that when Calderon refused to sign the paperwork, she was taken to a warehouse until she agreed to sign the document. Fox News Digital obtained a copy of the criminal complaint against Calderon, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. An affidavit filed with the complaint alleges that Calderon and others “planned a hoax kidnapping” for their benefit, “including their own pecuniary gain.” The affidavit said that Calderon’s daughter set up a GoFundMe page to raise $4,500 after her mother was “taken by masked men in an unmarked vehicle.” ICE MASK DEBATE HEATS UP AS DOXXING AND AGENT ASSAULTS SURGE The daughter filed a missing person report with the Los Angeles Police Department, which notified Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) of Calderon’s supposed kidnapping. HSI determined Calderon was not in DHS custody and, out of concern for her safety, the agency launched its own investigation to find her. During the investigation, HSI noticed several irregularities, including that the phone calls to loved ones that Calderon had supposedly made via borrowed phones were made from her cell phone, intentionally masked to appear as an unknown number. According to the affidavit, video surveillance of Calderon’s alleged forced abduction further showed her calmly leaving the Jack in the Box parking lot and getting into a nearby sedan. Despite the video showing a marked LAPD car in the vicinity, Calderon did not make any attempts to alert officers that she was in danger. The affidavit states that “when confronted with true information that contradicted their kidnapping story,” Calderon and others lied to federal agents and “attempted to thwart law enforcement efforts” by keeping her whereabouts from law enforcement. FEDS CHARGE 3 MORE MEN IN MARYLAND MS-13 RACKETEERING CONSPIRACY INVOLVING MURDER: ‘REIGN OF TERROR’ According to a DOJ statement, HSI agents tracked Calderon down July 5 in a shopping plaza parking lot in Bakersfield, California. The statement said Calderon continued to claim she was taken by masked men and held in custody with others. She is in U.S. immigration custody and is facing a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for conspiracy and up to five years for false statements if convicted of the charges.    Commenting on the charges, U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Bill Essayli thanked HSI and “all federal agents facing unprecedented levels of assaults” for “providing cool heads and professionalism during these difficult times.” Essayli said “dangerous rhetoric that ICE agents are ‘kidnapping’ illegal immigrants is being recklessly peddled by politicians and echoed in the media to inflame the public and discredit our courageous federal agents.”   ILLEGAL MIGRANT ENTERS PLEA IN CRASH THAT KILLED BOY ONE DAY BEFORE HIS 12TH BIRTHDAY HSI Los Angeles Special Agent in Charge Eddy Wang also decried the scheme, saying, “My office invested valuable time and resources working this alleged kidnapping investigation only to discover that it was a hoax. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Diverting critical law enforcement resources is not only reckless and irresponsible, but it also endangers the community,” Wang added.  “The real cost of a fraud like this is the amount of fentanyl not seized, child predators not removed from the communities and human trafficking victims not rescued because law enforcement redirected resources to recover the defendant. “We want to assure the public that allegations of criminal activity will be thoroughly investigated by HSI and our law enforcement partners and that those who engage in fraud and deception will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”    The White House also chimed in on the development. White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told Fox News Digital that “the Fake News is so desperate to believe any anti-ICE narrative that they refuse to actually check the facts and instead just echo the lies they’re fed.”  “The truth has come out: this was nothing more than another Fake News Hoax,” she added. “Any outlet that participated in this hoax should be ashamed and apologize to their viewers for lying to them. Trust in the media is at an all time low and this is the perfect example why.” 

Israel bombs Gaza’s only Catholic church sheltering elderly and children

Israel bombs Gaza’s only Catholic church sheltering elderly and children

Israeli forces have bombed Gaza’s only Catholic church, killing three people and wounding at least ten others, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said, as the military continues its assault across the besieged enclave. At least one person is in critical condition as a result of Thursday’s strike on the Church of the Latin Monastery in Gaza City – known as the Holy Family Church, the Patriarchate said in a statement. The church’s priest was also lightly wounded, it added. Among those killed were the parish’s 60-year-old janitor and an 84-year-old woman who was receiving psychosocial support inside a Caritas tent in the church compound, according to the Catholic charity Caritas Jerusalem. Israeli attacks have killed at least 32 Palestinians on Thursday, including 25 in Gaza City alone, medical sources told Al Jazeera. Footage of the Holy Family Church attack published by a Palestinian activist and verified by Al Jazeera shows Father Gabriel Romanelli, the church’s pastor, following the Israeli attack. The video shows the priest with his right leg bandaged but otherwise in good condition. “The people in the Holy Family Compound are people who found in the Church a sanctuary – hoping that the horrors of war might at least spare their lives, after their homes, possessions, and dignity had already been stripped away,” the Patriarchate said in its statement after condemning the deadly attack. Shadi Abu Dawoud, a 47-year-old Palestinian Christian, said the church’s main hall was housing dozens of displaced citizens, mainly children and elderly people, and that all were “peaceful civilians”. Advertisement “My mother suffered serious injuries in the head; she was wandering in the church’s yard with other elderly women [when Israeli forces attacked],” he told Al Jazeera.”We were taken by surprise by this Israeli air strike. This is a barbaric and unjustifiable act.” Mohammed Abu Hashem, a 69-year-old man who lives beside the church, said he was in the ruins of his home when there was a huge explosion that covered the area in black smoke, adding that he never thought the Israelis would attack the church. “The Israeli air strike was massive, totally horrifying,” he said. “The horror we are living in is beyond description. No words could describe what we are living through. It is not even close to what you watch [on TV] or hear.” Father Bashar Fawadleh, the parish priest of Christ The Redeemer church in Taybeh, nearly Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, said he spoke about the attack with the assistant parish priest of the Holy Family Church in Gaza City. “He told me that the bombing was very hard. They bombed the church itself,” Fawadleh told Al Jazeera.  “Our feeling is between hope and sorrow, between life and death.” Fawadleh reiterated calls for a ceasefire to stop the “horrible war in Gaza”. ‘War of extermination’ Pope Leo, the head of the Roman Catholic Church, said he was “deeply saddened to learn of the loss of life and injury caused by the military attack” on the Gaza church, according to a telegram signed on his behalf by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s secretary of state. Pope Leo “assures the parish priest, Father Gabriele Romanelli, and the whole parish community of his spiritual closeness”, the telegram said. The pontiff renewed his “call for an immediate ceasefire, and he expresses his profound hope for dialogue, reconciliation and enduring peace in the region”. His predecessor, the late Pope Francis, had held nightly calls with the church’s parishioners in a show of solidarity with them. The last call took place the day before he died in April. Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, said in comments to Vatican News that an Israeli tank hit the church “directly”. “What we know for sure is that a tank – the [Israeli army] says by mistake, but we are not sure about this – they hit the church directly, the Church of the Holy Family, the Latin church,” he added. Since the start of the war on Gaza, Israel has repeatedly attacked religious sites, including mosques and churches. In October 2023, just days after the deadly assault began, the Israeli army bombed the Church of Saint Porphyrius, the Gaza Strip’s oldest, killing at least 18 people. Advertisement The Israeli military acknowledged Thursday’s attack and claimed the incident was “under review”. The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs offered a rare apology and confirmed an investigation was under way. It also said Israel did not target churches or religious sites and regretted harm to them or civilians, even though it has attacked dozens of mosques and churches since the start of the war on Gaza. An independent United Nations commission report said last month that Israel has committed the crime against humanity of “extermination” by attacking Palestinian civilians sheltering in religious sites and schools in Gaza. The report by the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem and Israel, said Israel has destroyed more than half of all religious and cultural sites in the territory, as well as more than 90 percent of school and university buildings in Gaza. Meanwhile, Hamas slammed the attack as “a new crime committed against places of worship and innocent displaced persons”. “It comes within the context of the comprehensive war of extermination against the Palestinian people,” the group said in a statement shared on Telegram. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also blamed Israel for the strike, saying attacks against “the civilian population that Israel has been carrying out for months are unacceptable”. Only about 1,100 Christians live in Gaza, according to a US Department of State report in 2024. The majority of Palestinian Christians are Greek Orthodox, but there are also Roman Catholics living there. Adblock test (Why?)

Jabuer takes tennis break to ‘rediscover joy of living’

Jabuer takes tennis break to ‘rediscover joy of living’

First Arab woman to reach a Grand Slam final to take break from tennis as tours take their toll. Three-time Grand Slam finalist Ons Jabeur is taking a break from competitive tennis, the 30-year-old said in a social media post. Tunisia’s Jabeur, the first Arab woman to reach a Grand Slam final, has struggled with her form in recent months, failing to get past the third round of a major this year. The two-time Wimbledon finalist’s campaign came to a disappointing end at the All England Club last month as she retired from her first-round clash against Viktoriya Tomova, unable to continue after a long medical timeout. The former world number two suffers from asthma and experienced breathing difficulties at this year’s Australian Open. Ons Jabeur of Tunisia get medical assistance during her match against Varvara Gracheva of France at the first round singles match at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships last month [Kin Cheung/AP] Jabeur, often called the “minister of happiness” for her cheerful personality, said she was not feeling truly happy on the court. “For the past two years, I’ve been pushing myself so hard, fighting through injuries and facing many other challenges. But deep down, I haven’t truly felt happy on the court for some time now,” she said in a statement. “Tennis is such a beautiful sport. But right now, I feel it’s time to take a step back and finally put myself first: to breathe, to heal, and to rediscover the joy of simply living.” Jabeur, married to former fencer Karim Kamoun, has also been open about her wish to start a family. “Thank you to all my fans for understanding. Your support and love mean the world to me. I carry it with me always,” she added. Advertisement Adblock test (Why?)

Zuckerberg settles Meta investor $8bn lawsuit for undisclosed terms

Zuckerberg settles Meta investor bn lawsuit for undisclosed terms

Current and former Facebook leadership reached the agreement with shareholders only one day into the trial. Mark Zuckerberg and current and former directors and officers of Meta Platforms have agreed to settle claims seeking $8bn for the damage they allegedly caused the company by allowing repeated violations of Facebook users’ privacy. Zuckerberg and his counterparts reached the agreement on Thursday with shareholders who brought the lawsuit. The parties did not disclose details of the settlement, and defence lawyers did not address the judge, Kathaleen McCormick of the Delaware Court of Chancery. McCormick adjourned the trial just as it was to enter its second day, and she congratulated the parties. The plaintiffs’ lawyer, Sam Closic, said the agreement just came together quickly. Billionaire venture capitalist Marc Andreessen, who is a defendant in the trial and a Meta director, was scheduled to testify on Thursday. Shareholders of Meta sued Zuckerberg, Andreessen and other former company officials, including former Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg, in hopes of holding them liable for billions of dollars in fines and legal costs the company paid in recent years. The Federal Trade Commission fined Facebook $5bn in 2019 after finding that it failed to comply with a 2012 agreement with the regulator to protect users’ data. The shareholders wanted the 11 defendants to use their personal wealth to reimburse the company. The defendants denied the allegations, which they called “extreme claims”. Facebook changed its name to Meta in 2021. The company was not a defendant. Advertisement The company declined to comment. A lawyer for the defendants did not immediately respond to a request for comment. “This settlement may bring relief to the parties involved, but it’s a missed opportunity for public accountability,” said Jason Kint, the head of Digital Content Next, a trade group for content providers. Zuckerberg was expected to take the stand on Monday and Sandberg on Wednesday. The trial was scheduled to run through the end of next week. The case was also expected to include testimony from former Facebook board members Peter Thiel, Palantir Technologies co-founder, and Reed Hastings, co-founder of Netflix. Longstanding concerns Meta investors alleged in the lawsuit that former and current board members completely failed to oversee the company’s compliance with the 2012 FTC agreement and claim that Zuckerberg and Sandberg knowingly ran Facebook as an illegal data harvesting operation. The case followed revelations that data from millions of Facebook users was accessed by Cambridge Analytica, a now-defunct political consulting firm that worked for Donald Trump’s successful US presidential campaign in 2016. Those revelations led to the FTC fine, which was a record at the time. On Wednesday, an expert witness for the plaintiffs testified about what he called “gaps and weaknesses” in Facebook’s privacy policies, but would not say if the company violated the 2012 agreement that Facebook reached with the FTC. Jeffrey Zients, a former board member, testified on Wednesday that the company did not agree to the FTC fine to spare Zuckerberg legal liability, as shareholders allege. On its website, the company has said it has invested billions of dollars into protecting user privacy since 2019. The trial would have been a rare opportunity for Meta investors to see Zuckerberg answer probing questions under oath. In 2017, Zuckerberg was expected to testify at a trial involving a lawsuit by company investors opposed to his plan to issue a special class of Facebook stock that would have extended his control over that company. That case also settled before he took the stand. “Facebook has successfully remade the ‘Cambridge Analytica’ scandal about a few bad actors rather than an unraveling of its entire business model of surveillance capitalism and the reciprocal, unbridled sharing of personal data,” Kint said. “That reckoning is now left unresolved.” Meta stock was down 0.4 percent for the day as of 11am in New York (15:00 GMT) and 3.1 percent over the last five days. Advertisement Adblock test (Why?)