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Republicans lambaste Biden for Israel weapons delays: ‘Stop accommodating Iran’
FIRST ON FOX: Nearly the entire Republican Senate conference came together to denounce President Biden’s administration for what they describe as a “partial arms embargo against Israel” as the country’s war with terrorist group Hamas continues. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., led his GOP colleagues in sharp criticism of the president, telling Biden that he “emboldened” enemies of Israel ahead of a recent attack on its northern border by Hezbollah that saw the death of 12 children and teens. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., was the only Senate Republican who did not sign on. The Hezbollah rocket strike hit a soccer field in northern Israel on Saturday. In addition to the deaths, there were 29 more children and teens who were injured. ‘NO KINGS ACT’: SCHUMER ADVANCES BIDEN SCOTUS OVERHAUL WITH BILL TO STRIP TRUMP’S IMMUNITY Republicans noted in the letter to Biden that this was “the single deadliest attack on that part of the country since October 7.” In May, it was revealed that the Biden administration had put a hold on 1,800 2,000-pound bombs and 1,700 500-pound bombs. The hold came as a result of a review of “proposed transfers of particular weapons to Israel that might be used in Rafah” in Gaza where the administration was actively discouraging a ground invasion by Israel. The State Department said in June that a shipment of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel was still under review. ‘DANGEROUS MESSAGE’: TOP REPUBLICAN RAISES CONCERNS OVER TRADING AMERICANS FOR ‘ACTUAL RUSSIAN CRIMINALS’ Last month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called out the Biden administration for the weapons delay, saying, “It’s inconceivable that in the past few months the administration has been withholding weapons and ammunitions to Israel.” “Give us the tools, and we’ll finish the job a lot faster,” he urged Biden. KAMALA HARRIS HIT FOR HER ROLE IN PROMOTING IRA FUNDING OF ‘ANTI-AMERICAN’ GROUPS “The ultimate responsibility for this attack rests with Hezbollah and the ayatollahs in Iran,” the Republican conference said. “However, while Tehran financed the attack and Hezbollah conducted it, your fear of escalation has left Israel exposed and our enemies emboldened.” According to the senators, the administration’s actions “run counter to our long history of robust military cooperation with Israel and cast doubt upon the reliability of the United States as a long-term security partner.” SCHUMER SILENT ON BIDEN OIL PURCHASE AFTER BLASTING TRUMP FOR ‘BAILOUT FOR BIG OIL’ The delay in weapons shipments further goes against the will of Congress, they pointed out. Earlier this year, lawmakers passed a $95 billion supplemental foreign aid package with assistance for Israel, Ukraine and the Indo-Pacific. They slammed the president for failing to address past inquiries from Congress regarding the weapons shipments. “You ignored Congressional inquiries, including a May 6, 2024, letter from Senator Marshall, a May 6, 2024, letter from Senator Ernst, a May 6, 2024, letter from Senator Marshall, a May 14, 2024, letter from Senator Risch and a June 20, 2024, letter from Senator Cotton,” the Republicans listed. “Your stalling tactics are endangering our greatest ally in the Middle East and jeopardizing the lives of our American servicemembers (sic) stationed in the region,” they warned. The Republican senators concluded by urging Biden to use every tool at his disposal to “expedite the physical delivery of all weapons and ammunition to Israel, that have been approved by Congress.” The White House and the State Department did not provide comment to Fox News Digital in time for publication.
Top Dem on Trump shooting task force denies past impeachment manager role could politicize probe
EXCLUSIVE: The top Democrat on the newly commissioned House task force to investigate the attempted assassination of former President Trump is insisting that the investigation will be free of politics. Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., was named ranking member of the panel after being selected by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. As a first-term lawmaker in 2020, Crow was selected as one of seven House Democrats prosecuting Trump’s first impeachment trial before the Senate. But he denied in an interview with Fox News Digital on Wednesday that the role would open him up to criticism of his handling of the current task force. BUTLER DISTRICT ATTORNEY SAYS LOCAL SNIPERS WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ROOFTOP SHOOTER FIRED FROM “I’m not concerned about that. You know, I have a great reputation for being one of the most bipartisan members of Congress because, listen, that’s what America does,” Crow said. “We have … tough debates and deliberations about the things that we need to have tough debates and deliberations on. But we also come together and work together when and where we have to.” The retired Army Ranger said he was trained to serve without bias during his days in the military, which included tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. “I served overseas in combat with Americans from all different backgrounds – Republicans, Democrats, independents, people from the East Coast, people from the West Coast, of every different stripe and background – and we got the job done. We came together, we served together, and we got it done. And we’re going to bring that same spirit to this task force,” Crow said. He’s one of six Democrats appointed to the task force by Jeffries, with seven Republicans chosen by Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT VICTIM SAYS HE IS ‘SAD’ WITH STATE OF ‘POLITICAL DIVISION’ IN US Johnson and Jeffries said in a joint statement of Crow’s appointment, “We have the utmost confidence in Ranking Member Rep. Jason Crow and this bipartisan group of steady, qualified and capable Members of Congress to move quickly to find the facts, ensure accountability and help make certain such failures never happen again.” It comes after a source previously told Fox News Digital that Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., who was the Democrats’ lead counsel in the first Trump impeachment, was being considered for a place on the committee. He did not end up on the final list. Crow told Fox News Digital that the probe’s exact contours are still being ironed out between himself and Chair Mike Kelly, R-Pa., but he hopes a task force visit to the site of the July 13 Trump rally shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania, will be part of their work. Would-be assassin Thomas Crooks, 20, opened fire from a nearby rooftop during the event, grazing Trump’s right ear, killing a former firefighter and seriously wounding two other spectators before being shot dead by a Secret Service counter-sniper. “Chairman Kelly and I have discussed that, and we do think that would be an important thing to do if we have the support to do it,” Crow said. He also said “a lot of things appear to have gone wrong” the day of the shooting and pledged a “fast investigation,” noting the group has to release a report in December. IRAN THREAT PROMPTS QUESTIONS ABOUT TRUMP GUNMAN’S UNCRACKED ENCRYPTION Crow listed the questions he had: “Are we actually looking at that intelligence properly? Is it being disseminated to the proper law enforcement officials? Why wasn’t there a secure perimeter? Why was that rooftop unsecure?” He also explained that the apparent communications breakdown is going to be a major tenet of their probe, adding, “I learned in my time overseas in combat that one of the hardest things to do is actually achieve interoperability of our communications between … different units in different locations.” “It was very hard to do. But it’s also the essential thing to do, because if you’re not communicating and talking, things fall through the cracks.”
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House Freedom Caucus chair ousted by Trump-backed challenger in Republican primary showdown
It took six weeks to determine, but House Freedom Caucus chair Rep. Bob Good of Virginia was defeated in his bid for renomination by a challenger supported by former President Trump. John McGuire, a Virginia state senator and former Navy SEAL backed by Trump, will win the Republican primary in Virginia’s reliably red 5th Congressional District, in the southern part of the Commonwealth. ‘ McGuire came out on top in a recount conducted Tuesday. Election officials certified that McGuire won the June primary election by 374 votes out of nearly 63,000 ballots cast, or six-tenths of a percentage point. But because McGuire’s victory margin in the primary was less than one percent, Good was able to seek a recount. But he had to pay for the recount, because the margin was greater than half a percent. FOX NEWS POLL: BIDEN, TRUMP IN A DEAD HEAT IN VIRGINIA Good becomes the first House Republican incumbent this election cycle to be ousted by a primary challenger, in a contentious intra-party primary battle that pitted conservatives versus conservatives and Trump against some of his biggest allies in the House of Representatives. Good incurred Trump’s wrath for being one of just a handful of House Republicans to endorse Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in the GOP presidential primaries. Even though the two-term congressman avoided criticizing Turmp and quickly endorsed the former president after DeSantis ended his White House bid in January, Trump wrote on this Truth Social platform that “the damage has been done!” The former president in May endorsed McGuire, who also had the backing of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, a conservative firebrand and major Trump ally who is a vocal critic of Good who last year broke with the House Freedom Caucus. The group is considered the most far-right organization of lawmakers in the chamber. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE BACKS CHALLENGER TO FREEDOM CAUCUS CHAIR AS 2024 STIRS HOUSE GOP CIVIL WAR Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy also targeted Good, who was one of eight Republicans last autumn who joined with Democrats to vote to oust McCarthy from his leadership position. However, Good had the support of Reps. Matt Gaetz and Byron Donalds of Florida, two conservatives who are also strong backers of Trump. Additionally, fellow House Freedom Caucus members, Reps. Chip Roy of Texas and Andy Biggs of Arizona, joined Good in Virginia for a rally on Friday. Even though he was targeted by Trump, Good spotlighted his support for the former president as he ran for re-election. “Happy Birthday to the best and next president of the United States, President Trump!” Good wrote on social media on Friday, on the former president’s 78th birthday. Good also showed up earlier this spring at Trump’s criminal trial in New York City, to show his support for the former president. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
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‘Opening horizons’: Why Indonesian star Dian Sastrowardoyo champions women
Jakarta, Indonesia – Indonesian actor and filmmaker Dian Sastrowardoyo started her career as a model when she was just a teenager, hoping to save up enough money to study overseas. Her entertainment career took off and Dian never did get that degree from a foreign university. But now, more than 20 years later, dozens of other Indonesian women are furthering their studies, and it is all thanks to Dian. In an interview with Al Jazeera, the 42-year-old said she “needed to pave the way” for women in “rural Indonesia to have access to higher education”, inspired by Raden Adjeng Kartini, Indonesia’s national hero who fought for women’s rights more than a century ago. More than 30 women have been through Dian’s namesake undergraduate scholarships since she began the initiative in 2015. Some have worked as startup managers and paralegals, while others earned their degrees in informatics and veterinary medicine. Dian also collaborates with Markoding, a local nonprofit, to run free coding lessons and programmes for hundreds of Indonesian women. “If you want to invest in education, one of the key areas to invest in is women because mothers are basically the first teachers in a human’s life. If you invest in women, you are also investing in their children and grandchildren,” she said. “We are opening the horizons of these girls, and now many of them have succeeded.” Dian Sastrowardoyo as Dasiyah in Netflix’s Cigarette Girl. The show was in the Top 10 of Netflix’s non-English language content when it was released last November [Courtesy of Netflix Indonesia] Cigarette Girl With more than 9.2 million followers on Instagram, Dian is one of Indonesia’s most celebrated actors. She is also the face of Netflix’s Gadis Kretek (Cigarette Girl), a period drama based on a 2012 novel that is an epic, and tragic, romance set against the backdrop of Indonesia’s clove tobacco industry in the 1960s. Popular in Indonesia, clove cigarettes, known locally as kretek, are made using tobacco, cloves and other ingredients. The National Cancer Institute in the United States has warned kretek “contain nicotine and many cancer-causing chemicals”. Dian plays Dasiyah – the lead character and a woman in an industry dominated by men – experimenting to create the best formulas for the family’s clove cigarettes as she battles a patriarchal society. Feby Indirani, author of 10 fiction and non-fiction books – whose own work is in the process of being adapted by an Indonesian production house – said: “More and more filmmakers and creators are concerned and care about women’s issues and minority groups”, but the challenge was how to best represent and depict such issues. “For me, [Cigarette Girl] is very appealing. And of course, there is a women’s story in it. The irony is that it is a story from the past, but even now, we are still familiar with stories like that,” she told Al Jazeera. “How women find it hard to stand out in industries considered very masculine. In this case, it is the clove cigarette industry, with its discrimination,” she added. “I am quite pleased with the presence of a story like this.” In preparation for the role, Dian stopped playing sports like tennis and did not meet her usual group of friends for some time “just to get into the rhythm of getting into Dasiyah’s world because she’s such a loner”. “She really enjoys being by herself and with all her trinkets and, you know, all these aromas in her laboratory. And, I think, one needs to be able to know how good it feels to be on your own in order to portray that enjoyment,” Dian said. “I am a very social person, and I really needed to alter my personality 180 degrees for this.” On its release last November, Cigarette Girl reached the global Top 10 list for non-English language content, with 1.6 million views in a week. Dian, shown here in the series Ratu Adil, made her acting breakthrough in 2002 [Courtesy of Frontier Pictures] Dian said it was “a very local story” with “a lot of cultural values” given the significance of clove cigarettes within Indonesian society. “There is something very universal here, which is the love story. But it fascinates me so much that something very local becomes something that crosses over,” she said, referring to Soeraja, Dasiyah’s love interest. Cover star to philosophy graduate Dian has been a household name in Indonesia since the late 90s. It was back in 1996 that she won the Indonesian GADIS magazine’s teenage cover girl contest, before making her acting breakthrough in the 2002 hit drama Ada Apa Dengan Cinta? (What’s Up with Love?), among other titles. Even as her acting career took off, Dian found time to earn a degree in philosophy from Universitas Indonesia, as well as a master’s in management. Her undergraduate thesis focused on the beauty industry from a socio-philosophical perspective. “The definition of beauty is always fluid – and it is open to us to define it as well,” Dian said. “So we shall not have only one beauty ideal like being thin, tall, fair-skinned … that’s relative. There cannot be just one definition.” For her, social media has increased the public’s awareness around beauty standards, but has also shaped their perspectives. “There are also many influencers who seem to set the beauty standard too high, so they are very familiar with filters, very familiar with editing,” Dian said. “So their viewers or their audience, who are actually much more diverse, feel like they do not fit into the definition of what is considered good.” However, Dian, who has a young son and daughter, is concerned about the emergence of toxic masculinity and its impact on young people. According to TikTok, some 125 million people in Indonesia were using the app every month as of June last year. The archipelago is one of the world’s biggest markets for TikTok. “It’s like we’re seeing a trend that wants to revert its way of thinking back to degradation.
What is the controversy behind Louisiana’s new surgical castration law?
Baton Rouge, Louisiana – Louisiana has become the first state in the United States to impose surgical castration as a criminal punishment. The new law, which came into effect on Thursday, allows the court to order surgical castration — the removal of a man’s testes or a woman’s ovaries — as punishment for adults convicted of first or second-degree aggravated rape in cases involving child victims under 13. Some states already impose chemical castration, a reversible procedure, as punishment. But only Louisiana mandates surgical castration. The measure comes amidst a spate of “tough-on-crime” legislation passed this year by Louisiana’s conservative supermajority and signed into law by Republican Governor Jeff Landry, who took office in January. Critics, however, warn that such laws are radically punitive and ultimately ineffective in preventing crimes. Among those outspoken against the law is George Annas, the director of Boston University’s Center for Health Law, Ethics and Human Rights. He described the measure as “anti-medicine” and unconstitutional: “It just makes no sense.” Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry signed a bill in June allowing for surgical castration [File: Michael Johnson/The Advocate/Pool via AP Photo] Legal challenges anticipated Louisiana and several other states, including California and Florida, already have laws that impose chemical castration for certain sex crimes. That procedure usually entails injections of Depo Provera, a birth control medication that temporarily lowers testosterone in both men and women. Even that procedure has its detractors, though. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has never approved the drug for the treatment of sex offenders, and critics decry putting physicians in the position of meting out punishments for the criminal justice system. Such laws have already been repealed in Oregon and Georgia and ruled unconstitutional in South Carolina. But unlike chemical castration, surgical castration is permanent. Lawyers like Annas have raised questions about whether surgical castration violates the US Constitution’s prohibition against “cruel and unusual punishment”. Annas warns the law is also unconstitutional as it denies the right to reproduce and the right to bodily integrity. Under Louisiana’s new law, an offender can refuse the procedure, but if they do, they would instead receive an additional three- to five-year prison sentence. “If you can get out of jail by volunteering your testicles,” Annas said, “that’s coercive.” He believes the law will not survive the inevitable court challenges from rights groups. “It is blatantly unconstitutional,” said Annas. “There is no way any judge in this country, even in Louisiana, would find this to be a valid punishment.” Giacomo Castrogiovanni, a lawyer who administers the reentry programme at Loyola University’s Law Clinic, described the new law as “very aggressive” and agrees it will face legal challenges. “I expect that is going to be a really strong challenge,” said Castrogiovanni — but he is less certain than Annas that it will be successful in striking down the law. “I really don’t know what’s going to come of that. It’ll be interesting.” Lawmakers in Louisiana voted to approve surgical castration for offenders convicted of aggravated sex crimes against children younger than 13, including rape and molestation [File: Stephen Smith/AP Photo] Questions of efficacy But beyond its legal merits, the surgical castration law has raised scrutiny about its efficacy in combatting sex crimes. Annas argued that the law would simply be ineffective. “It’s very hard to find a physician who thinks this makes any medical sense,” he said. The urge to commit sexual violence, he explained, “is not necessarily related to the amount of testosterone you have”. Dr Katrina Sifferd, a criminal justice researcher and former legal analyst for the National Institute of Justice, likewise expressed scepticism. “Sometimes there are claims that this is going to either rehabilitate, deter or incapacitate,” she said. “And it looks like that isn’t the case.” Sifferd explained that people who commit sex crimes against children do so for many different reasons: “trauma, aggression, a need for love — all sorts of things” that castration wouldn’t address. And castration doesn’t necessarily dampen sexual urges or prevent erections. “There’s no scientific evidence that this is going to ‘work’ to save anybody. And it’s certainly not going to cure the person of being a paedophile,” Annas said. For her part, Sifferd said she understands the reluctance to protect the rights of people who have committed grave crimes against children. But she stressed that corporal — or physical — punishment is not meant to be part of the US criminal legal system. “The criminal justice system has to maintain its moral authority. And every punishment that’s applied has to be justified,” she said. “Otherwise, it’s a real slippery slope in what we allow the state to do.” Advocates have criticised Louisiana for its hard-handed approach to crime and punishment, including through a slate of new laws [File: Judi Bottoni/AP Photo] A punitive approach The new law highlights longstanding concerns about the punitive nature of Louisiana’s criminal justice system. Louisiana has been called the “prison capital of the world”. It has the highest incarceration rate of any state in a country that already tops all other democracies for the proportion of people behind bars. Out of every 100,000 people in Louisiana, approximately 1,067 people are locked up in jails, prisons and detention centres. Louisiana’s surgical castration law comes into effect as part of a spate of legislation that creates even more crimes to prosecute. Among the laws taking effect on Thursday is a measure that makes it a crime to remain within 7.6 metres — or 25 feet — of a police officer after being warned to retreat. Another law will make the possession of unprescribed abortion medication punishable by up to five years behind bars. Another eliminates parole. The experts who spoke with Al Jazeera largely interpreted the new castration law as a Republican effort. Castrogiovanni, the lawyer, described it as “a new implementation of conservative policies”, which tend to reflect more punitive approaches to addressing crime. He pointed out that, until recently, Louisiana had a Democratic governor who could veto some of the