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Year: 2025

Democrat John Fetterman decries ‘dehumanizing’ attack against Charlie Kirk’s widow Erika

Democrat John Fetterman decries ‘dehumanizing’ attack against Charlie Kirk’s widow Erika

Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania condemned an attack against Erika Kirk, the widow of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, whose assassination shocked the world earlier this year. “It’s gross and dehumanizing to attack a widow with young children after just witnessing his public assassination,” the senator noted in a post on X. “It shouldn’t be controversial to put our political views aside and extend the grace for a deeply traumatized family to grieve,” he added. ERIKA KIRK OPENS UP ABOUT ‘GUT-WRENCHING’ GRIEF AFTER HER HUSBAND’S KILLING AND HOW FAITH SUSTAINED HER He made the comments when sharing a screenshot of a Fox News Digital article headline that read, “Liberal podcaster labels widow Erika Kirk a ‘grifter’ who should be ‘kicked to the curb.’” “This woman should be kicked to the curb,” Jennifer Welch said on her “I’ve Had It” podcast. “She is an absolute grifter, just like Donald Trump, and just like her unrepentant, racist, homophobic husband was,” she said of Erika Kirk. ERIKA KIRK SAYS LATE HUSBAND’S FINAL BOOK NOW FEELS LIKE HIS ‘LAST WORDS’ TO HER GOP Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina, who is running for governor, responded to Fetterman’s post by thanking the senator. Fox News Channel political analyst Gianno Caldwell expressed full agreement with Fetterman’s comments. NANCY MACE VOWS TO ‘FIGHT LIKE HELL’ TO RENAME OLD BLACK LIVES MATTER PLAZA FOR CHARLIE KIRK Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, was fatally shot during an event at Utah Valley University in September. He and his wife Erika had two children.

US Chamber of Commerce accused of leading ‘woke corporate America’ as Trump dismantles DEI agenda

US Chamber of Commerce accused of leading ‘woke corporate America’ as Trump dismantles DEI agenda

FIRST ON FOX: The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is coming under fire for allegedly becoming “one of the biggest engines driving woke corporate America” amid the Trump administration’s battle to strip diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives from the fabric of industry and government, a conservative watchdog alleges.  “Once a voice for small businesses and Main Street, the Chamber now advocates for DEI mandates, (environmental, social and governance) investment schemes, and radical climate policies that punish consumers,” said Will Hild, the executive director of Consumers’ Research, a free-market-oriented nonprofit focused on consumer advocacy.  ESG is an investing framework focused on prioritizing environmental, social and governance investments. “They have strayed far from their original mission of advocating for free markets in favor of a political agenda,” he continued. “Now, that the Chamber has made itself a leader in pushing woke policies in corporate boardrooms, it should come as no surprise that they are also supporting legislation to cripple litigation finance, one of the few tools consumers have to hold woke corporations accountable for pushing political ideology. Consumers’ Research will continue to call out organizations like the Chamber for pushing a woke agenda.”  WATCH: HIDDEN CAMERA CATCHES RED-STATE UNIVERSITY ADMINS ADMITTING HOW THEY ‘CLEVERLY’ DISGUISED DEI AGENDA Hild’s comments come as Consumers’ Research published a “Woke Alert” this week accusing the U.S. Chamber of Commerce of being “totally woke, pushing DEI and a left-wing climate agenda.” The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is a business association that represents and lobbies for the interests of local and national companies in Washington, D.C., and operates in a nonpartisan manner. The chamber has received praise and criticism from both Republicans and Democrats across the years for its various politically focused initiatives.  Consumers’ Research, as part of its mission to strip “woke” ideology from the fabric of American businesses, publishes “Woke Alerts” sounding the alarm on practices the group views as harmful to consumers or serving “woke politicians.” The latest alert focuses on the Chamber of Commerce’s promotion of DEI initiatives, as well as prioritizing “a radical climate agenda.”  The alert pointed to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s website stating that “diversity is America’s strength” in its mission to remove DEI initiatives, which conservatives argue promotes group-based preferences and ideological conformity over individual merit, free speech and equal treatment.  “Diversity is America’s strength, spurring the innovation and creativity that have made the U.S. economy the most vibrant and dynamic in history,” the Chamber’s website declares. “When businesses recognize and embrace different perspectives, they are better able to create value, serve customers, support employees, and solve problems. By providing opportunities for everyone, businesses help lift communities and strengthen the health, prosperity, and competitiveness of our nation and our society.”  The Chamber’s push on DEI came as such race-based workplace initiatives were promoted from the highest echelons of industry down to grade school classrooms in the 2020 era, especially after the police-involved killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, when “defund the police” and Black Lives Matter dominated the news cycle with protests and riots.  UNIVERSITY DROPS JOB POSTING AFTER DEI REQUIREMENT EXPOSED, PROFESSOR SAYS ‘I WOULD NOT BE HIRED’ TODAY The U.S. Chamber of Commerce was among the flood of industries that heightened their promotion DEI policies, including the Chamber reporting in a 2021 video that Floyd’s death helped spark its launch of the “Equality of Opportunity Initiative.”  Fox News Digital reviewed archived links to the Chamber of Commerce’s “Equality of Opportunity Initiative” and found that it focused on efforts to “develop real, sustainable solutions to help close race-based opportunity gaps in six key areas: education, employment, entrepreneurship, criminal justice, health, and wealth.” The link to the former website page redirects users to the chamber’s website homepage, with archived links showing the race-based URL was still active in January. The chamber launched the effort in June 2020, just days after Floyd’s death.  “This work is a priority for the chamber and our members because as we all know its not just a moral imperative, it’s an economic imperative,” U.S. Chamber President Suzanne Clark said in 2021 during the 2nd Annual National Summit on Equality of Opportunity of DEI practices.  Consumers’ Research also flagged the chamber’s 2022 impact report, which said it helped deliver $8.1 million in race-based grants to 1,414 Black-owned small businesses across 42 states. The alert also noted that the chamber has promoted reading materials such as a 2021 guide on DEI, and publicly supported the “Equality Act” in 2021 — legislation Consumers’ Research described as “radical” and claimed would “enshrine in federal law a right for males to participate in women’s sports and lead to the punishment of small business owners based on their religious beliefs.” When asked about the Woke Alert, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce took issue with Hild arguing that the business group is “supporting legislation to cripple litigation finance,” which Hild said “is one of the few tools consumers have to hold woke corporations accountable for pushing political ideology.”  “It is sad this organization has become a mouthpiece for trial lawyers whose tactics have imposed a stealth tax on American families who are paying up to $4,200 extra a year for insurance, food, clothing and other items as a result of sham lawsuits that only line the pockets of trial lawyers,” Stephen Waguespack, the president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Legal Reform, said. “These lawyers, who donate overwhelmingly to progressive causes and candidates, and those who align with them, are undermining President Trump’s efforts to lower costs for American families.” The U.S. Chamber of Commerce supports a Republican-introduced bill, the Litigation Transparency Act of 2025, which aims to ensure greater transparency in litigation by requiring parties receiving payment in lawsuits to disclose their identities.  Consumers’ Research has used litigation finance in recent years to push back against “woke capitalism” to counter ESG and DEI policies, Fox News Digital previously reported, with Hild saying that he views the legislation as an “attack” on one of the “few tools Americans

Congressional Democrats widen 2026 battlefield, zero in on new House Republican targets

Congressional Democrats widen 2026 battlefield, zero in on new House Republican targets

Emboldened congressional Democrats are expanding their battleground map for next year’s midterm elections, when Republicans will be defending their razor-thin majority in the House. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) on Wednesday added five more offensive opportunities in California, Texas, Florida and North Carolina to their list of what they consider are vulnerable Republican-held House districts. The DCCC’s move comes in the wake of Democrats’ decisive ballot box victories in last month’s 2025 elections and their overperformance in last week’s special congressional showdown in a solidly red district in Tennessee, where a progressive Democratic nominee lost by nine percentage points, shaving 13 points off the margin that President Donald Trump carried the district in the 2024 election. Four of the new districts the DCCC is adding to their list of “offensive targets” were carried by Trump by 13 points or fewer in last year’s elections. The president lost the fifth district added to the Democrats’ map. SHOWDOWN FOR THE HOUSE: DEMOCRATS, REPUBLICANS, BRACE FOR HIGH-STAKES MIDTERM CLASH “The DCCC is confident we can win anywhere, and we are full speed ahead while Republicans are running scared,” Rep. Suzan DelBene of Washington state, the DCCC chair, touted. DelBene emphasized, “In election after election this year, voters have sent a simple message: they are ready for change. The American people are souring on Republicans’ broken promises to lower costs and their reckless policies that are making everything more expensive from groceries to health care, housing, and utilities.” DEMOCRATS OVER PERFORM BUT TRUMP-BACKED REPUBLICAN KEEPS CRUICAL CONGRESSIONAL SEAT IN GOP HANDS The change in the DCCC’s map is also due to the ongoing high-stakes congressional redistricting battle between Republicans and Democrats, including Texas and North Carolina, where Republicans have created more right-leaning districts, but that Democrats still see as competitive, and California, where Democrats have redrawn maps to create more left-leaning seats. The House members added to the list due to redistricting are Republican Reps. Darrell Issa of California, and Chuck Edwards and Greg Murphy of North Carolina. In Texas, the heavily redistricted 35th Congressional District in the San Antonio area was also added to the list. HOUSE GOP CAMPAIGN CHAIR WANTS TRUMP ‘OUT THERE ON THE TRAIL’ IN MIDTERM BATTLE FOR MAJORITY The new list also includes the seat held by GOP Rep. Laurel Lee of Florida, and Maine’s 2nd Congressional District, a large mostly rural district carried by Trump in his three presidential elections where incumbent Democratic Rep. Jared Golden is retiring rather than seek re-election next year.  Former two-term GOP Gov. Paul LePage of Maine is running for the seat. The additions bring to 39 the number of House seats the DCCC considers to be “in play” next year. HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS 2025 ELECTION COVERAGE The rival National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) scoffed at the move by the DCCC. “Democrats can daydream about ‘expanding’ the House map all they want, but reality keeps smacking them in the face. The Democrat Party is in a fight for its soul, dominated by far-left chaos and radical policies that don’t reflect the issues important to working families.” NRCC spokesman Mike Marinella argued in a statement to Fox News Digital. Republicans, pointing to four GOP-held seats added to the DCCC’s map, noted their party’s electoral success in those districts over the past decade. The NRCC is currently targeting what it considers are 29 vulnerable House Democrats in next year’s midterm elections.