Kamala Harris plans to skip historic Al Smith dinner despite long-standing tradition: report
Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign reportedly announced Harris will skip the historic Al Smith dinner, eschewing a decades-old campaign tradition. The decision was first reported by CNN Saturday afternoon, citing Harris campaign officials. The campaign reportedly told event organizers Harris was instead planning to campaign in a battleground state, but the report did not specify which state Harris will be campaigning in. The annual Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner is traditionally held in New York City to benefit Catholic Charities and is hosted by the archbishop of New York. Every presidential election year, the Republican and Democratic candidates will typically come together to give humorous speeches at the dinner. The tradition began when John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon spoke at the event in 1960. HARRIS-TRUMP SHOWDOWN: WHICH CANDIDATE HOLDS THE EDGE ON THIS CRUCIAL ISSUE There have been exceptions to the tradition. The Al Smith dinner opted not to invite the two major presidential candidates during the 1996, 2000 and 2004 election cycles. Fox News Digital asked the Trump campaign if the Republican candidate plans on attending the dinner but did not immediately hear back. The last time a Democratic candidate opted out of the event while a Republican nominee attended was in 1984, when President Ronald Reagan gave a speech without Walter Mondale in the audience. In 2020, both President Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden appeared at the dinner. Neither candidate took shots at the other despite the intensity of the race. WHAT THE LATEST FOX NEWS POLL SHOWS IN THE HARRIS-TRUMP 2024 SHOWDOWN “Throughout my life of public service I’ve been guided by the tenets of Catholic social doctrine,” Biden said in his speech. “What you do to the least among us, you do to me.” “Catholics have enriched our nation beyond measure,” Trump said at the dinner. “The essence of the Catholic faith, as Jesus Christ said in the gospel, ‘Everyone will know you are my disciples.’” Fox News Digital reached out to the Harris campaign for comment but did not immediately hear back. The Associated Press and Fox News Digital’s Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.
Dan Evans, former Republican Washington state governor, US senator, dies at 98
Dan Evans, a popular three-term Republican governor of Washington state who went on to serve in the U.S. Senate before leaving in frustration because he felt the chamber was too rancorous and tedious, has died. He was 98. Evans died Friday, according to the University of Washington, where he had served as a regent and where the Daniel J. Evans School of Public Policy and Governance bears his name. FERGUSON WINS PRIMARY, ADVANCES TO GENERAL ELECTION IN WASHINGTON GUBERNATORIAL RACE “Dan Evans was an honorable, independent-minded public servant who put Washington state first and dedicated his life to protecting and investing in the places and people in our state,” Democratic U.S. Sen. Patty Murray said Saturday in a statement. “We were lucky to have him — and I have no doubt his legacy will live on for generations to come.” Evans was a dominant force in Washington politics for decades and, until current Gov. Jay Inslee, he was the only person to be elected governor three times. In a statement posted to the social platform X, the Democrat said it was difficult to think of another resident who had such a positive impact on so many aspects of the state. “We all, no matter our party, can feel fortunate for the progress he led during each of his three terms as governor,” Inslee said. Born in 1925 in Seattle, Evans was a civil engineer before entering politics. He was elected to the state Legislature in 1956 and won the governorship in 1964, beating incumbent two-term Democrat Albert D. Rosellini and prevailing in a bad year for his fellow Republicans, one which saw President Lyndon Johnson soundly defeat the GOP’s Barry Goldwater. Known as a moderate to liberal Republican, the avid outdoorsman helped add new recreation and park areas in the state and supported clean air and water legislation. He created the nation’s first state Department of Ecology, which President Richard Nixon used as a model for the Environmental Protection Agency. Evans also unsuccessfully pushed to create a state income tax. He opted not to run for a fourth term. “His legacy of coming together for the greater good, despite party lines, has inspired and will continue to inspire public servants and the Evans School community,” Jodi Sandfort, the school’s dean, said in a statement. Sandfort recalled a quote from Evans: “Accomplishing good things takes bipartisan effort, because often what we’re trying to accomplish isn’t partisan.” After leaving the governor’s mansion in 1977, Evans stayed in Olympia, serving as president of The Evergreen State College. Evans had helped create the state school when he signed an act authorizing the liberal arts college, and as governor he also backed founding the state’s community college system. He built a national profile during his time leading the state and was the keynote speaker at the 1968 National Republican Convention. He was mentioned as a possible running mate for President Gerald Ford in 1976. Never a fan of Ronald Reagan, Evans supported Ford in 1976 and initially backed George H.W. Bush in 1980. As a popular Republican in a predominantly Democratic state, it seemed that Evans would be a shoe-in had he decided to run for the U.S. Senate. He frequently spurned such talk, saying in 1972 that “I don’t like Washington, D.C., very well … and I could not stand to be in the Senate.” However, in 1983 Democratic Sen. Henry “Scoop” Jackson died in office, and Evans accepted an appointment to serve out his term. Evans opted not to stand for election in 1988, citing the “tediousness of getting decisions made.” At the time he said he was looking forward to returning home to enjoy the outdoors. In later years Evans served as a regent at the University of Washington, his alma mater. He also served on many nonprofit and corporate boards. “Dad lived an exceptionally full life,” his sons — Dan Jr., Mark and Bruce Evans — said in a statement quoted by The Seattle Times. “Whether serving in public office, working to improve higher education, mentoring aspiring public servants … he just kept signing up for stuff right until the end. He touched a lot of lives. And he did this without sacrificing family.” Evans’ wife, Nancy Bell Evans, died in January at age 90.
Trump’s grandchildren steal the show at North Carolina rally: ‘Vote for grandpa’
Former President Trump had a heartwarming moment with his grandchildren at a Saturday rally in battleground North Carolina. The Republican nominee brought his grandchildren, Luke and Carolina, onto the stage while speaking to rallygoers in Wilmington. Luke and Carolina Trump are the young children of Eric and Lara Trump. “We also have…a very important member of my family. Far more important than Eric or Lara,” Trump joked to the audience. “And her name is Carolina.” “And she’s beautiful and she’s sweet and she doesn’t know how evil life is,” he added. “Can I ask Carolina to come up? Is that possible?” BILL MAHER MAKES THIS BOLD 2024 PREDICTION AFTER TRUMP-HARRIS DEBATE Moments later, Trump reappeared at the podium holding his 5-year-old granddaughter and took her to the microphone. “Make American great again,” Carolina said, confusing “America” and “American.” The crowd cheered wildly before Trump introduced Luke and invited him on stage. “Would anybody like to meet Luke? Her brother? Luke, come on up,” the Republican said, before picking up his grandson and bringing him to the podium. HARRIS TELLS OPRAH ANYONE BREAKING INTO HER HOME IS ‘GETTING SHOT:’ ‘PROBABLY SHOULD NOT HAVE SAID THAT’ Luke, who is 7 years old, told the cheering crowd to “Vote for grandpa,” and received loud cheers in response. Trump told the audience that he actually asked Luke to say something else. “I whispered into his ear, so cute, I said, ‘Say MAGA,’” the presidential candidate said. “He said, ‘Vote for grandpa.’” “He didn’t care what I said and that was actually much better.” Trump added that his daughter-in-law Lara grew up in North Carolina before continuing the rest of his speech against his opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris. Earlier in the rally, Trump stressed the importance of getting the vote out in the Tar Heel State. “Exactly 45 days from now, we’re going to win North Carolina,” Trump predicted. “We’re going to defeat Kamala Harris, and we’re going to make America great again.”
France’s Macron appoints new government weeks after divisive election
The announcement signals end to more than two months of political uncertainty in the EU member state. French President Emmanuel Macron has named a new government, hoping to put an end 11 weeks of political uncertainty after an inconclusive parliamentary election delivered a hung parliament. Conservative Prime Minister Michel Barnier on Saturday put together the government whose first major task will be to submit a 2025 budget plan addressing France’s financial situation, which the prime minister this week called “very serious”. The 38-member Cabinet includes ministers from Macron’s centrist alliance and the conservative Republicans (LR) party. The difficult job of submitting a budget plan to parliament next month falls to 33-year-old Antoine Armand, the new finance minister. He has previously served as head of parliament’s Economic Affairs Committee. Jean-Noel Barrot is the new foreign minister. He brings extensive experience in navigating complex international issues, notably within the European Union. Sebastien Lecornu, a close Macron ally, retains his post as defence minister. The interior minister job goes to Bruno Retailleau, a staunch conservative who will now handle critical domestic issues like national security, immigration, and law enforcement. Barnier’s ability to govern effectively is already under scrutiny, with his political opponents on the left promising to challenge him at every turn. The party of far-left Jean-Luc Melenchon, France Unbowed, held protests on Saturday against his government. Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally said it would monitor the government closely and has enough votes in parliament to bring it down, but expressed willingness to cooperate on key budgetary issues. In the July election, a left-wing bloc called the New Popular Front (NFP) won the most parliamentary seats, but not enough to get an overall majority. Macron argued that the left would be unable to muster enough support to form a government that would not immediately be brought down in parliament. He turned instead to Barnier, 73, to lead a government drawing mostly on parliamentary support from the conservative Republicans and the centrist groups, while counting on a neutral stance from the far right. Even before Saturday’s announcement, thousands of people with left-leaning sympathies took to the streets in the capital, Paris, and the southern port city of Marseille to protest the formation of a government that they say does not reflect the outcome of the parliamentary election. Adblock test (Why?)
Kenya’s Ruto lands in Haiti to assess police mission as insecurity deepens
Kenyan President William Ruto has landed in the Haitian capital to assess a Kenya-led security mission in the Caribbean nation, a day after a United Nations expert warned that Haiti faced deepening violence and insecurity. In a statement on Saturday, a spokesperson for Ruto said the Kenyan leader would “visit and commend the Kenyan contingent working alongside their Haitian counterparts”. Ruto also planned to meet with Haiti’s transitional presidential council and other officials, Hussein Mohamed said in a social media post. The visit to Port-au-Prince comes about three months after the first Kenyan officers arrived in Haiti as part of a UN-backed, multinational mission aimed at tackling a surge in gang violence. Haiti has reeled from years of violence as armed groups – often with ties to the country’s political and business leaders – have vied for influence and control of territory. An uptick in attacks across Port-au-Prince at the end of February prompted the resignation of Haiti’s unelected prime minister, the creation of the transitional presidential council and the deployment of the Kenyan police deployment. President @WilliamsRuto arrives in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, 100 days after flagging off the Kenyan police contingent of the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) to Haiti. The President is in Haiti to assess the progress of the MSS mission, visit and commend the Kenyan… — Hussein Mohamed, MBS. (@HusseinMohamedg) September 21, 2024 Yet despite the presence of Kenyan and other foreign police officers in the country, insecurity remains rampant, with armed groups believed to still control about 80 percent of Port-au-Prince. As of August, more than 578,000 Haitians had been internally displaced, largely due to the violence, according to data (PDF) from the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Displaced families have been forced to live in squalid conditions as they wait to safely return to their homes. On Friday, William O’Neill, a UN human rights expert on Haiti, said the country faced a dire humanitarian crisis as the armed groups continued to exert influence and carry out attacks. He said the UN-backed mission – formally known as the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) – had so far deployed less than a quarter of its planned force. The mission’s mandate expires early next month. “The equipment it has received is inadequate, and its resources are insufficient,” O’Neill said at the end of a visit to the country. For its part, the Haitian National Police continues to lack “logistical and technical capacity to counter the gangs”, he said. “This enduring agony must stop. It is a race against time,” O’Neill said of the situation. It remains unclear what will happen when the UN-backed mission’s mandate expires in early October. The United States, the deployment’s key backer, has been pushing to get more funding and personnel to bolster the force. “The United States has been actively working to secure this additional support,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who visited Port-au-Prince in early September, recently said. Blinken added that he plans to convene a meeting at the UN General Assembly this month “to encourage greater contributions to help meet Haiti’s security needs, its economic needs, its humanitarian needs, as well as to renew the mission’s mandate”. Citing unnamed sources, The Miami Herald reported on September 4 that Washington was exploring the possibility of transitioning the mission into a UN peacekeeping operation. “In coordination with partners, the United States is exploring options to bolster the Multinational Security Support mission and ensure the support that the MSS is providing Haitians is sustained long-term and ultimately paves the way to security conditions permitting free and fair elections,” a national security official told the US newspaper. Many Haitians remain wary of UN interventions, however, saying past deployments have brought more harm than good. A deadly 2010 cholera outbreak was linked to a UN peacekeeping base, for example, while past UN forces have been accused of sexual abuse. The UN-backed security mission also ran into numerous delays and met initial criticism. But Haitian civil society groups have said help is needed to stem the violence. They have added that a security deployment alone cannot solve systemic problems in the country, and urged safeguards to be put in place to prevent possible abuses by the international police force. Adblock test (Why?)
Israeli explosion rocks Beirut, crossing another red line for Hezbollah
An Israeli explosion has rocked southern Beirut, crossing another so-called red line for Hezbollah. The killing of senior commanders and civilians is another major breach of security for the group, with Lebanon already on edge for years. Its foreign minister told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council that nobody is safe. With Israel diverting its focus and forces to the north, is it preparing a ground invasion for what it calls the “second phase of the war” on Gaza? How much of a blow is all this for Hezbollah? And is the region already at war? Presenter: James Bays Guests: Nicholas Noe – editor-in-chief of the Beirut-based Mideastwire.com Sami Nader – director of the Levant Institute for Strategic Affairs Samuel Ramani – associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute’s Middle East programme Adblock test (Why?)
Cards Against Humanity says in new lawsuit that SpaceX has destroyed some of its South Texas property
The card game company crowd-funded money to buy the land in an attempt to block a portion of Donald Trump’s border wall.
DNA TV Show: Devotees scared about temple offerings amid Tirupati laddu controversy
In a recent report, it was revealed that the prasad at the Tirupati Balaji Temple contained animal fat.
India’s Catalyst for Microgravity Research and Tech Innovation
The government has approved the development of the first module of the ‘Bharatiya Antariksh Station’ (BAS-1).
Biden begins private meetings with world leaders at Delaware home ahead of secretive Quad meeting
President Biden is meeting privately with the three other world leaders that make up the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue at his Delaware estate. The White House released statements acknowledging the arrival of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida already, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was spotted arriving at the home on Saturday. The meetings are taking place in the president’s hometown of Wilmington — an excessively private affair that has sparked outrage from the White House Correspondents’ Association. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS’ ASSOCIATION PROTESTS ‘UNACCEPTABLE’ LACK OF PRESS ACCESS AT BIDEN’S QUAD SUMMIT The foreign leaders are invited to a low-profile dinner on Saturday night hosted at Archmere Academy, the president’s former school. Administration officials have tried to characterize the unusual format and venue for the event as a gesture of hospitality, but media figures have protested the private nature of Biden’s final meeting with the world leaders. “These are personal relationships that mean a lot to him. And he believes personal relationships are important to foreign policy,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby previously told the press. BIDEN HOLDS FIRST CABINET MEETING IN NEARLY A YEAR, FIRST LADY JOINS FOR FIRST TIME “This is the first time President Biden will host foreign leaders in Wilmington as president, reflecting his strong relationship with the leaders, and their strategic importance,” the State Department said in a briefing. WHCA president and Politico correspondent Eugene Daniels said in an email to the press obtained by Fox News Digital, “The lack of access to the president of the United States for these bilateral meetings due to a location chosen by the White House is unacceptable to the WHCA.” In a message to the White House, Daniels said, “My understanding is that the current posture of the administration is for the press to only see the leaders drive in with no eyes, or cameras on POTUS in this historic moment. I can’t remember a time where this president has had a bilateral meeting on US soil and the press and therefore the American people were blocked from seeing it.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP He continued, “And the WHCA’s position is that shouldn’t be the case this time either. [We] have talked through different scenarios and possibilities for the pool to be able to cover these moments. While we understand that there are security concerns, it’s essential for the public to have direct and independent press accounts of the greetings at the very least.” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said it was “not unusual” for the press to not have access to the president as he meets with foreign leaders at his home and continued to emphasize how reporters would be able to see Biden and the world leaders when they leave. The meeting is expected to be one of Biden’s final summits with foreign leaders after he dropped out of the presidential election earlier this year. Fox News Digital’s Lindsay Kornick contributed to this report.