Page 1219 – Texas Weekly Online

Are restrictions on pro-Palestine speech ‘the new McCarthyism?’

Is there an attempt to chill debate on Palestine and Israel on both sides of the Atlantic? The United States, and the West in general, are in a “dire period” of repression of speech on Palestinian freedom or criticism of Israel, argues Dima Khalidi, founder of Palestine Legal. Khalidi tells host Steve Clemons that despite strong constitutional protections for free expression, “there seems to be this exception when it comes to Palestine”, as witnessed by the wave of censorship, intimidation, firings and restrictions on activism in the wake of Israel’s war on Gaza. The situation is similar across Europe, says British journalist Richard Medhurst, who’s been covering Gaza closely and was arrested for “speech crimes” upon arrival in London recently. Adblock test (Why?)

‘Quit Congress or…’: Olympic wrestler Bajrang Punia receives threat message days after joining party

Olympians Punia and Vinesh Phogat entered the political arena on Friday by joining the Congress.

Voters report Kamala Harris is more radical than Trump: ‘too liberal or progressive’

More voters report that Vice President Kamala Harris is “too liberal or progressive” on key policy issues than they considered former President Donald Trump as “too conservative,” according to a New York Times poll. The New York Times/Sienna College poll published Sunday found Trump with a narrow lead over Harris, at 48% to Harris’ 47%, signaling her political boost from the DNC after replacing President Biden on the ticket might be dwindling as the election comes down to its final stages. Among the data compiled in the poll, it found that nearly the majority of voters reported Trump is “not too far” to the left or right on key issues, while only around one-third of voters said he’s “too conservative,” the New York Times poll found. On the other hand, nearly half of voters surveyed, at 44%, reported that Harris is “too liberal and progressive,” and 42% found that she’s “not too far either way.” FOX NEWS POLL: NEW MATCHUP, SAME RESULT — TRUMP BESTS HARRIS BY ONE POINT The New York Times reported that Trump’s lead over Harris as a more centrist candidate is one of his “overlooked advantages.” CNN DATA GURU DECLARES TRUMP WILL WIN WHITE HOUSE IF HE OUTPERFORMS CURRENT POLLING BY ONE POINT “Yes, he’s outside of the political mainstream in many respects — he denied the result of the 2020 election. And yes, he does have conservative views on many issues, like immigration. But he’s also taken many positions that would have been likelier to be held by a Democrat than a Republican a decade ago, like opposition to cutting entitlements, support for a cooperative relationship with Russia or opposition to free trade. It’s a reputation he’s careful to protect, from saying he doesn’t support Project 2025 to his cagey position on additional measures to restrict abortion,” the Times reported. The poll also found that 11% of voters believe Trump is “not conservative enough,” compared to 9% of voters who reported Harris is “not liberal or progressive enough.” The poll follows one released in late July, when Biden dropped out of the race amid mounting concern over his mental acuity, which also found Trump in a 48-47 lead. POLLSTER NATE SILVER PREDICTS TRUMP POISED TO WIN ELECTORAL COLLEGE AMID ‘MEDIOCRE’ HARRIS POLLING The poll Sunday also found that 28% of voters feel like they need to know more about Harris to throw their support behind her, compared to 9% who said the same about Trump. EX-OBAMA ADVISER WARNS ‘IT’S VERY POSSIBLE’ TRUMP WOULD WIN ELECTION IF HELD TODAY, SAYS REPORTERS TOO COCKY Harris held her first sit-down interview with the media late last month, joining CNN’s Dana Bash for a joint interview with her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, but has otherwise mostly avoided the media. As of Sunday, Harris has gone 49 days as the presumptive, and now, official Democratic nominee for president without holding an official press conference. The poll released Sunday was conducted between Sept. 3 to 6 and based on telephone surveys with 1,695 registered voters across the country. Fox News Digital’s Michael Lee and Brian Flood contributed to this report. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Trump campaign slams report ‘radical’ Keith Ellison is on Harris’ AG short list: ‘natural fit’

The Trump campaign slammed reports that Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign told Arab American leaders in Detroit that if she’s elected on Nov. 5, she would likely name left-wing Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison as the U.S.’ top cop. “Keith Ellison would be a natural fit in a Kamala Harris administration. Both are radical liberals who support ending cash bail and releasing violent criminals into American neighborhoods. The good news for the American people is that it’s never going to happen, because President Trump is going to win on November 5,” Trump campaign national press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News Digital. Over the weekend, reports surfaced that the Harris campaign allegedly told Arab American community leaders in Detroit that Ellison is on Harris’ short list of potential attorneys general. Ellison has since denied the report. “Arab American leaders in Detroit have been told by the Kamala campaign that @keithellison is on the short list to be Attorney General if she should win,” former acting director of National Intelligence under the Trump administration, Richard Grenell, posted to X on Saturday. ABANDON BIDEN CAMPAIGN RELAUNCHES, TARGETS HARRIS IN KEY SWING STATES The Harris campaign directed Fox Digital to a post on Ellison’s X account denying the report when approached for comment. “This is a lie designed to trigger the Muslim-haters,” Ellison posted in response to Grenell’s social media post. MINN AG KEITH ELLISON COMPARES JUSTICE CLARENCE THOMAS TO HOUSE SLAVE CHARACTER IN BLOCKBUSTER HIT Ellison currently serves as Minnesota’s attorney general, a left-wing Democrat who served as a U.S. congressman representing the Gopher State between 2007 and 2019. Ellison was elected as the first Muslim to Congress in U.S. history. Ellison has long come under fire from conservatives, including last year when he compared Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to the slave character in Quentin Tarantino’s 2012 film “Django Unchained,” pinning blame for skyrocketing auto theft on car manufacturers, his handling of spiraling crime in the state during and after the 2020 George Floyd riots, and accusing the Republican Party during his DNC speech last month of thinking “they’re above the law.” MINNESOTA AG KEITH ELLISON WARNS TARGET ABOUT THEIR ‘OBLIGATIONS’ TO THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY “No one is above the law, and no one is beneath it. In the Republican Party, everyone thinks they’re above the law. Hell, nearly a dozen of their own lawyers are facing serious charges. Even their lawyers need lawyers,” Ellison said during the DNC, when Harris officially accepted her nomination after President Biden dropped out of the presidential race amid mounting concern over his mental acuity. Social media critics and conservatives sounded off this weekend over the report that the Harris campaign is considering Ellison as a top contender for U.S. AG. DEM AG SLAMMED FOR COMPARING JUSTICE THOMAS TO ‘DJANGO UNCHAINED’ CHARACTER: ‘RAGE POLITICS’ The media has speculated that Harris’ attorney general shortlist likely includes current deputy attorney general Lisa Monaco, former U.S. associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta, and Obama-era deputy Attorney General Sally Yates. Conservative political commentator and journalist Julie Kelly said last month the Harris campaign could also tap Jan. 6 attorney Matthew Graves as AG, if Harris were to win. Graves serves as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia and is the chief prosecutor of Trump supporters who breached the U.S. Capitol in 2021. The report that Ellison is on Harris’ AG short list comes as Harris faces backlash from both Muslim and Jewish voters over her stance on the ongoing war in Israel, which has continued since Oct. 7. First known as the “Abandon Biden” campaign, Muslim American voters in Michigan revamped their mission last month to rally support against the Harris ticket. The Abandon Biden campaign first surfaced earlier this year in the heavily Muslim populated city of Dearborn, as voters denouced Biden for his continued support of Israel. CHALLENGER TO ‘RECKLESS’ KEITH ELLISON SAYS FAR-LEFT ATTORNEY GENERAL AN ‘ABSOLUTE DISGRACE’ ON HANDLING CRIME “This action is a direct response to Kamala Harris’ support for the ongoing genocide in Gaza,” the Abandon Harris campaign said in the release. Simultaneously, former President Donald Trump is courting the Jewish vote, predicting that he could win 50% of the demographic. A poll last month found Trump leading Harris among Jewish voters in typically liberal New York. Ellison’s office did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for additional comment on Sunday. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub. Fox News Digital’s Michael Lee contributed to this report.

New poll shows Trump holds lead with ‘remarkably resilient’ support

Former President Donald Trump is maintaining his lead nationally, seemingly shrugging off a burst of enthusiasm for Democrats after Vice President Kamala Harris entered the race. Trump garnered the support of 48% of likely voters compared to 47% who indicated support for Harris, according to the latest results of the New York Times/Siena poll released on Sunday. The results are essentially identical to the last time the New York Times/Siena poll asked voters for their preference in the aftermath of President Biden dropping out of the race in late July, with that poll also showing Trump with a 48-47 lead. HARRIS CAMPAIGN AGREES TO ABC PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE RULES WITH SOME ‘ASSURANCES’: REPORT The poll comes after weeks of increased enthusiasm for the Democratic ticket after Harris took over for Biden, though the New York Times argued that it appears Trump’s support is “remarkably resilient” to the stunning changes to the election landscape. The poll found that Harris has yet to sell voters on her vision for the country, with 28% of respondents indicating that they felt like they needed to know more about her in order for her to earn their support. In contrast, only 9% indicated similar concerns about Trump. “I don’t know what Kamala’s plans are,” said Dawn Conley, a 48-year-old small-business owner in Knoxville, Tenn., who is leaning toward Trump, told the New York Times. TRUMP SLAMS ABC AHEAD OF PIVOTAL NETWORK-HOSTED DEBATE: ‘THEY’RE THE WORST, THEY’RE THE NASTIEST’ The poll also found that while Harris has made gains with key demographics to the Democratic coalition after Biden’s decision to drop out, she is still falling short of traditional Democratic strength among groups such as women and Latino voters. Also working against Harris is the voters’ preference for change, with 60% indicating they would like to see a major change from the policies of Biden. Only 25% of respondents said Harris would represent that kind of change, while 53% believe Trump would. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP But the poll’s news wasn’t all bad for Harris, who may hold the critical enthusiasm lead over Trump as November quickly approaches. The poll found that 91% of Democrats were enthusiastic about voting, while 85% of Republicans indicated the same. The New York Times/Siena poll surveyed 1,695 registered voters between September 3 and September 6 and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 2.8 percentage points.

Bloodthirsty Venezuelan street gang sparks fear in US amid migrant surge: What to know

Tren de Aragua, a violent street gang that has emerged from Venezuela, has been tied to a number of crimes across the country and is picking up national attention as a result, amid reports that it has taken over apartment buildings in Colorado. The gang is believed to have originated in Venezuelan prisons and moved north over the last decade. But its reputation within the U.S. has grown this year, in part due to a number of high-profile crimes linked to the gang, with many believed to have arrived by coming across the southern border as part of the sharp increase in migration in recent years. A Customs and Border Protection (CBP) bulletin in March alerted agents to tattoos and other identifiers of the gang. Federal authorities had previously warned that the gang was trying to establish itself in the U.S, and could potentially team up with the violent MS-13 gang. AFTER VIDEO OF ARMED VENEZUELAN GANG SHARED BY LOCAL OFFICIAL GOES VIRAL, COLORADO CITY TAKES ACTION Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital in an interview this year that the gang “has unleashed violence across Central and South America.” “Now, we’re seeing more people coming across the border illegally with ties to Tren de Aragua. Until we get the border crisis under control, more and more bad actors will take advantage of the loopholes in our immigration system,” he said. In February, New York officials linked the gang to more than 62 robberies in the city, and two suspected members of the gang were arrested in connection with a shocking assault of two NYPD officers. The brother of the suspect in the killing of Georgia student Laken Riley has ties to the gang, and in Texas 10 migrants affiliated with the gang were arrested earlier in May. “Keep your eye on this gang,” Border Patrol Chief Jason Owens said at that time. “Their criminal activities represent a serious threat to our communities!” FBI FEARS VENEZUELA MIGRANT GANG MEMBERS COULD POTENTIALLY TEAM UP WITH MS-13 KILLERS The gang has established a significant presence in parts of Colorado. Fox News Digital reported in July that TdA members have been given a “green light” to fire on or attack law enforcement in Denver. More recently, reports have emerged of the gang taking over at least two apartment buildings in Aurora, with surveillance video showing heavily armed men kicking down an apartment door. The Aurora mayor said on Fox News that there are “several buildings actually under the same ownership, out of state ownership, that have fallen to these Venezuelan gangs.” The city, however, has said there is only a “small” presence in Aurora, and that media “have conflated and considerably exaggerated incidents that are isolated to a handful of problem properties alone.” A spokesman for Aurora Police recently told The Denver Post that “it’s still too soon to quantify TdA’s presence in Aurora one way or another.” In a statement, the city said the police “continue to identify criminals and make arrests” and also noted that residents have cited poor living conditions rather than a takeover in those properties. Meanwhile, ICE confirmed to Fox News last week that four known or suspected gang members arrested by police in Aurora this week connected to a shooting in July are illegal immigrants who were caught and released at the border. CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS The Biden administration announced significant action against the gang in July when the Treasury designated Tren de Aragua a “significant transnational criminal organization.” That move blocks all property and assets owned by the gang in the U.S. Meanwhile, the State Department offered up to $12 million for information leading to the arrest of three of the gang’s leaders. The administration also stressed that it is working to disrupt the gang and has increased vetting. Senior border officials told Fox News this week that the gang is a priority. But pressure is likely only to grow as former President Donald Trump highlighted the issue at a Fox News town hall this week. “Take a look at Aurora, in Colorado, where Venezuelans are taking over the whole town. They’re taking over buildings. The whole town,” he said.

Bush stays silent on how he will vote in 2024: report

Former President George W. Bush does not plan to reveal whom he will vote for in the upcoming 2024 election. “No,” the former president’s office said when asked by NBC News whether he or former First Lady Laura Bush would endorse a candidate publicly. “President Bush retired from presidential politics years ago.” Bush’s refusal to make a public endorsement comes just a day after his former vice president, Dick Cheney, announced that he would go against his party’s candidate and support Vice President Kamala Harris in November. HARRIS CAMPAIGN AGREES TO ABC PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE RULES WITH SOME ‘ASSURANCES’: REPORT “In our nation’s 248-year history, there has never been an individual who is a greater threat to our republic than Donald Trump,” Cheney said in a statement. “He tried to steal the last election using lies and violence to keep himself in power after the voters had rejected him. He can never be trusted with power again.” Trump responded to Cheney’s endorsement by calling the former vice president “an irrelevant RINO” in a Truth Social post shortly after Cheney’s announcement. Speaking to reporters Sunday, Harris said she was “honored” to have Cheney’s endorsement, adding that it “really reinforces for them that we love our country, and we have more in common than what separates.” The Harris campaign did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment on Bush’s silence. TRUMP SLAMS ABC AHEAD OF PIVOTAL NETWORK-HOSTED DEBATE: ‘THEY’RE THE WORST, THEY’RE THE NASTIEST’ While Bush’s office argued the former president “retired from presidential politics years ago,” he has made endorsements of Republican presidential candidates in the past. In 2008, he supported then-Senator John McCain’s bid against former President Barack Obama and also threw his weight behind the 2012 candidacy of Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah. Bush’s stance on presidential politics seemingly changed with the emergence of former President Donald Trump in 2016, whom Bush avoided commenting on. Bush instead focused on supporting Republican senators. In November, his office said that he and the former first lady did not vote for either major party candidate in the 2016 election. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP After Trump’s failed bid for re-election in 2020, Bush said that he had written in former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in that year’s race. The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.

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