Chuck Schumer pushed to delay DNC as concerns persist over Biden’s candidacy
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., pushed for the Democratic National Convention’s delay as questions persist about President Biden’s 2024 candidacy, according to multiple sources. Schumer spoke with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and both men agreed to urge the DNC to delay a virtual roll call planned for this month to officially nominate Biden, three sources told Fox News Digital. It was revealed Wednesday that the DNC was delaying its nomination plans to August after significant pushback from party members toward an initial plan to nominate Biden later this month. “We have confirmed with the Democratic National Committee and the Democratic National Convention that no virtual voting will begin before August 1,” wrote DNC Rules Committee co-chairs Gov. Tim Walz, D-Minn., and veteran Democratic Party official Leah Daughtry in a letter obtained by Fox News Digital. ADAM SCHIFF CALLS ON BIDEN TO EXIT PRESIDENTIAL RACE AS DEM CONFIDENCE DWINDLES The news comes after a “substantial” number of congressional Democrats penned a letter to the DNC, expressing opposition to a July roll call and nomination. “Committee Members, We write to share our serious concerns about the DNC’s plan to hold a ‘virtual roll call’ to select our Democratic Presidential Nominee as early as July 21,” the letter, obtained by Fox News, said. “There is no legal justification for this extraordinary and unprecedented action which would effectively accelerate the nomination process by nearly a month,” it continued. VIVEK RAMASWAMY ‘WOULD CONSIDER’ TAKING JD VANCE’S SENATE SEAT IF ASKED The letter acknowledged that the early roll call’s original purpose was to satisfy ballot requirements in Ohio, but noted that legislation was enacted in the state weeks ago to address any bars to ballot access for the Democratic nominee. The Democrats suggested that the early roll call could be perceived as a “purely political maneuver,” particularly as Biden has welcomed member challenges at the convention. SCHUMER CALLS FOR DEMOCRAT MENENDEZ’S RESIGNATION AFTER GUILTY VERDICT “No matter what may be reported, our goal is not to fast-track,” Walz and Daughtry assured members in the Wednesday letter. “Our goals are to uphold our tradition of transparency, our commitment to an effective nominating process that delivers a nominee on all state ballots, and ultimately to set our nominees on a path to victory in November.” “None of this will be rushed,” they reiterated. “Unlike our nation’s other major political party, our rules are set in public meetings, anchored in the Party’s charter and its traditions. That will continue in the 2024 cycle, as it must with so much at stake.” COULD BOB MENENDEZ RUN FOR RE-ELECTION AFTER BEING FOUND GUILTY OF CORRUPTION? The virtual DNC roll call’s delay comes as Democrats continue to come out against Biden’s continued 2024 candidacy. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., became the 20th congressional Democrat to call on Biden to step aside on Wednesday. “I believe it is time for him to pass the torch,” Schiff said in a statement to Fox News Digital. His call came one day after a report claimed he told donors “I think if he is our nominee, I think we lose.” Schiff’s campaign declined to comment on the report to Fox News Digital. However, earlier this month, he publicly expressed some doubt about Biden, saying on NBC News, “the performance on the debate stage I think rightfully raised questions among the American people about whether the president has the vigor to defeat Donald Trump.” Fox News’ Chad Pergram contributed to this report. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
A Texas school built to segregate Mexican American students becomes a national park
The school is in Marfa, about 45 miles east of the U.S.-Mexico border. It was closed in 1965 with the integration of the Marfa school district.
Comer subpoenas Secret Service director to testify in probe of Trump assassination attempt
Rep. James Comer, R-Ky, subpoenaed the director of the Secret Service to testify about the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle was subpoenaed by the House Oversight and Accountability Committee chair in connection to an open investigation that was launched into the assassination attempt on the former president. Trump was shot in the ear by a gunman during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, sparking immediate calls from members of congress for a full briefing on the deadly event and the former president’s security. A subpoena would “head off any attempt by DHS to backtrack from her appearance on Monday,” an Oversight Committee spokesperson told Fox News’ Chad Pergram. TRUMP SHOOTER TOLD BOSS HE NEEDED DAY OFF BEFORE ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT, GAVE THREE-WORD REASON: REPORT After the incident, which took the life of one rally attendee, Comer penned a letter to Cheatle and requested her and the other present Secret Service members’ attendance at a House Oversight and Accountability Committee hearing on July 22, 2024. TRUMP JR. FIRES BACK AT MSNBC FOR QUESTIONING FATHER’S INJURY AFTER SHOOTING: ‘THEY CAN’T HELP THEMSELVES’ “Today, President Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt when a gunman fired a weapon at him at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania,” Comer said in the letter to Cheatle. “At least one bystander is dead.” “The Committee has been in contact with the United States Secret Service and has just requested an official briefing for our members on the attempted assassination of President Trump this evening in Pennsylvania,” Comer wrote. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is also demanding answers from the Secret Service, FBI, and “and other appropriate officials” regarding the Trump-rally incident. The GOP-led committee is expected to hold a hearing on the assassination attempt in July. Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.
Democrats plan to nominate Biden in pre-convention vote as party remains divided
The Democratic Party plans to formally nominate President Biden as the party’s 2024 nominee in a vote prior to their convention, according to a Wednesday letter. The letter, sent to the Democratic National Convention Rules Committee from committee co-chairs Leah Daughtry and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, details plans to hold a virtual roll call for delegates, saying it is necessary to avoid potential litigation in Ohio and elsewhere. News of the vote comes as Democrats remain deeply divided over whether Biden should serve as the party’s nominee. The party will hold a rules meeting regarding the convention on Friday. “Our discussion on Friday of how the Convention will operate will include discussion of a virtual voting element, which will end before the in-person Convention,” says the letter, which was obtained by Fox News Digital. The letter confirms that virtual voting will begin no sooner than Aug. 1. It must conclude by Aug. 7 to avoid ballot access issues in Ohio. Frank LaRose, the Ohio secretary of state, repeatedly warned the Democratic Party that its plans to nominate Biden at the Aug. 19 convention violated Ohio law. The state’s election laws require a presidential candidate to be certified at least 90 days before Election Day. NBC’S CHUCK TODD SAYS BIDEN’S ‘ENTIRE NARRATIVE’ WILL ERODE AS HE STAYS IN RACE: ‘HIS AMBITION COMES FIRST’ “Having enough time to finalize our nominees and make sure they are on ballots around the country is critical. That is the driving reason for conducting a virtual voting process,” the letter states. “No matter what may be reported, our goal is not to fast-track,” Daughtry and Walz added. “Our goals are to uphold our tradition of transparency, our commitment to an effective nominating process that delivers a nominee on all state ballots, and ultimately to set our nominees on a path to victory in November.” The compressed schedule puts even more pressure on the growing number of Democrats who are hoping to pressure Biden to drop out of the race. So far, 20 Democrat lawmakers have publicly called for him to withdraw. HOUSE DEMOCRATS CIRCULATE LETTER TO DELAY BIDEN NOMINATION UNTIL CONVENTION: REPORT Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., was the latest lawmaker to defect, issuing a statement to the Los Angeles Times praising Biden as “one of the most consequential presidents in our nation’s history.” “But our nation is at a crossroads,” he said. “A second Trump presidency will undermine the very foundation of our democracy, and I have serious concerns about whether the president can defeat Donald Trump in November.” REP SCHIFF EXPRESSES DOUBTS AS TO WHETHER BIDEN CAN BEAT TRUMP: ‘DEBATE RIGHTFULLY RAISED QUESTIONS’ “While the choice to withdraw from the campaign is President Biden’s alone, I believe it is time for him to pass the torch. And in doing so, secure his legacy of leadership by allowing us to defeat Donald Trump in the upcoming election,” he added. Biden has insisted he is staying in the race, though the number of Democrat lawmakers calling for him to drop out is growing almost daily.
Tim Scott warns of Iranian, Afghan ‘sleeper cells’ in US due to border crisis
EXCLUSIVE: Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., issued a dire warning about the U.S. border crisis during an event at the Republican National Convention (RNC) on Wednesday. “We have men from Yemen, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon crossing…our southern border,” Scott said during a South Carolina GOP delegation breakfast. “I believe we have sleeper cells in this nation as a result of Joe Biden.” “We’ve got to fire him,” Scott added as the room applauded in response. BIDEN CAMPAIGN, DNC RESTART REPUBLICAN CONVENTION COUNTERPROGRAMMING AFTER TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT Scott’s warning of terror threats at the border is not new – FBI Director Chris Wray told Congress in March that there is “no doubt” criminals have come across the southwestern border, though no specific threats were outlined. Wray said at the time, “There is a particular network where some of the overseas facilitators of the smuggling network have ISIS ties that we’re very concerned about, and that we’ve been spending an enormous amount of effort with our partners to investigate.” His speech comes as the RNC is expected to kick off its third day of programming, with Wednesday’s theme focused on national security. LIVE UPDATES: REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION Border security is likely to be a central topic of the evening as Republicans continue to hammer the Biden administration for its handling of the migrant crisis at the southwestern border. “How many of y’all have a back door?” Scott asked the audience. “You see, my back door is locked. Anybody disagree with that?” Members of the crowd shouted “no” in response. “If you won’t leave your back door unlocked at night, why would we leave the back door of the greatest nation on the planet unlocked?” Scott asked. He continued to warn about the threat of foreign nationals from other continents, “If we, and I believe that we do, if we have a national security risk that’s across our southern border, think about this…we have 100,000 Chinese nationals that have crossed our southern border.” TRUMP ANNOUNCES JD VANCE AS HIS RUNNING MATE Law enforcement sources told Fox News on Tuesday that former President Trump’s U.S. Secret Service protection was strengthened in recent weeks following intelligence about an Iranian plot to assassinate him. Iran has denied culpability. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP And while Republicans and some moderate Democrats have criticized the Biden administration’s approach to the border crisis, Biden and his allies continue to accuse the GOP of derailing a bipartisan border security deal that Republicans said at the time did not go far enough. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment. Fox News’ David Spunt contributed to this report
Italy watchdog investigates Armani, Dior after worker exploitation probes
Antitrust authority carried out searches on Tuesday at the companies of the Armani and Dior groups. Italy’s competition authority says it is investigating whether luxury brands Armani and Dior have misled consumers, following inquiries by prosecutors into worker exploitation at suppliers of the two groups. “In both cases, the companies may have issued untrue statements about their ethics and social responsibility, in particular with regard to working conditions and compliance with the law by their suppliers,” the competition watchdog said on Wednesday. It noted that the companies “emphasised craftsmanship and quality”. “However, in order to make certain articles and clothing accessories the companies allegedly used supplies from workshops and factories employing workers who would receive inadequate wages,” it added. “In addition, such workers would work hours in excess of the legal limits and in inadequate health and safety conditions, in contrast to the production excellence levels the companies pride themselves.” Prosecutors in Milan uncovered workshops on the outskirts of Italy’s fashion capital this year where underpaid workers, often immigrants who were in the country illegally, produced leather bags then sold to Armani and Dior for a tiny fraction of their retail price. They placed under investigation several Chinese-owned Italian suppliers of Dior and Armani, while appointing commissioners to oversee the units of the two groups that outsourced the handbag production to ensure they fix their supply chain problems. The logo of fashion house Giorgio Armani is seen outside a shop in Milan, Italy, April 8, 2024 [Claudia Greco/Reuters] Dior, which is controlled by French luxury giant LVMH , said it was cooperating with the Italian authorities and would strengthen its checks on suppliers. “No new order will be made in the future with these suppliers,” it said. “Despite regular audits, these two suppliers had evidently succeeded in hiding these practices,” it added. Armani Group expressed confidence in a “positive result following the [antitrust] investigation”, saying in a statement that its companies were fully committed to cooperating with the authorities and that it believed the allegations had no merit. The antitrust authority carried out searches on Tuesday at the companies of the Armani and Dior groups targeted by its investigation, it said. They were placed under investigation “for possible unlawful conduct in the promotion and sale of articles and clothing accessories, in breach of the [Italian] Consumer Code,” it said. Breaches of the consumer code in Italy incur fines ranging from 5,000 euros to 10 million euros. Adblock test (Why?)
Why does Israel step up its attacks when Gaza ceasefire talks advance?
Ninety people have been killed and 300 wounded in an Israeli attack on the al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis, a supposed safe zone in the southern Gaza Strip. At least eight United Nations-run schools have been hit by Israel’s military in 10 days. Israeli attacks on Gaza have intensified recently despite ongoing ceasefire talks in Doha and Cairo. Reports said the talks were showing signs of progress towards a truce and return of Israeli captives held in Gaza before the attacks on Saturday. Discussions involving Arab mediators and the United States began in May but have faced stiff opposition from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Hamas denied reports on Sunday that it had withdrawn from the talks over the attack on al-Mawasi, but Izzat al-Reshiq, a member of Hamas’s politburo, said Israel was trying to derail efforts to reach a ceasefire by intensifying attacks on the Gaza Strip. Israel has in fact repeatedly escalated the war when talks for ending it have been in advanced stages, according to analysts. They said this is a tactic Israel regularly deploys to apply pressure on its opponents and does so with impunity due to steadfast support from the United States. “Israel has always ratcheted up the intensity of attacks on their opponents in the lead-up to ceasefires,” said Tariq Kenney-Shawa, a policy fellow with Al Shabaka, a Palestinian policy network. “They see it as a means of increasing pressure on the other side, in this case Hamas, to accede to their demands and make further concessions.” Protests in Israel against Netanyahu’s far-right coalition government have been calling for the return of captives held in Gaza and for the prime minister’s resignation [Amir Levy/Getty Images] Netanyahu’s calculations When a ceasefire appeared close in late May, Israel rolled tanks into Rafah in southern Gaza, violating treaties with Egypt. And in November, when a temporary truce had been negotiated, Israel stepped up its attacks on northern Gaza, killing dozens of people and executing air raids in Khan Younis and Rafah just before the pause in the fighting was to come into effect. In Israel, protests against Netanyahu’s far-right coalition government have carried on for months with Israelis calling for the return of the captives and the premier’s resignation. Analysts have argued that Netanyahu is perpetuating the war, including through escalations for his own personal interests. “Netanyahu has repeatedly made it clear that he does not want the war to end,” Kenney-Shawa said, “both because Israel has not achieved its stated objectives, apart from the complete destruction of Gaza, and because of his political fears.” Critics and analysts said Netanyahu fears ending the war because it will lead to the collapse of his far-right government. “There are no indications that Netanyahu intends to stop the genocidal war anytime soon,” said Ihab Maharmeh, a researcher at the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies in Doha. “His primary concern seems to be maintaining his power and supporting the far-right current in his government.” Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden’s administration has sent billions of dollars in weapons shipments to Israel since October. This is in addition to the $3.3bn in annual aid from Washington. Apart from briefly withholding a shipment of 225kg (500lb) bombs over Israel’s Rafah offensive, Biden has continued to send Israel weapons despite the human toll of the war. A displaced Palestinian woman outside a UN school used as a shelter after an Israeli strike in Nuseirat on July 16, 2024 [Ramadan Abed/Reuters] Pattern of behaviour The escalation in hostilities running parallel to progress in ceasefire talks is not unique to the current crisis. Analysts said this is a pattern of behaviour that Israel has exhibited dating back decades. At certain points in history, Israel has also launched attacks or dumped munitions when ceasefires were imminent or already agreed upon. “The reason [for their intensification during ceasefire talks] is clear,” Mohsen Saleh of the al-Zaytouna Centre for Studies and Consultations in Beirut said. “The Israeli entity is above the law and is not held accountable … due to its global alliances in the West and with the United States.” During the second Intifada in 2002, Palestinian officials and Western diplomats said Tanzim, a militia close to Fatah, the party that governs the occupied West Bank, was set to announce a unilateral ceasefire “before an Israeli warplane dropped a one-ton bomb … on a Hamas leader’s home in Gaza City”, The New York Times reported. In 2006, Human Rights Watch reported that Israel dumped 2.6 million to 4 million munitions in southern Lebanon in the final days of the 34-day war as a ceasefire with Hezbollah was imminent. This was part of a strategy to create a buffer zone in southern Lebanon, experts said, by making the land along Lebanon’s border with Israel uninhabitable. “[Israel’s military] basically emptied out all the reserves of submunitions, including some going back to the ’70s,” Nadim Houry – the executive director of the Arab Reform Initiative, who led Human Rights Watch’s Beirut office at the time – told Al Jazeera. “Everyone knew the war was over. They had actually agreed on the final date.” In 2012, Israel assassinated a Hamas leader just two days after Palestinian factions agreed to a truce. The truce came after a week of violence and at least six Palestinians killed by Israeli attacks. And during the 2014 war on Gaza, many displaced Palestinians were heading home after a ceasefire announcement when a firefight between Israeli soldiers and Hamas operatives broke out. Israel’s military invoked the Hannibal Directive, a protocol that aims to prevent Israeli captives from being taken alive into enemy territory — whatever the cost. A report by Human Rights Watch and Forensic Architecture found that at least 16 Palestinian civilians were killed. The joint report described Israel’s use of the directive as “likely unlawful and responsible for many civilian deaths”. Israeli officials have denied the existence of the Hannibal Directive although senior Israeli military sources have confirmed its use to Israeli media, including on October 7. A man examines the
Libya, Tunisia urge Europe to increase aid to help tackle migration crisis
North African countries seek assistance at Tripoli conference to help stem flow of refugees and migrants. Representatives from 28 African and European countries have met in Libya’s capital, Tripoli, to discuss ways to address irregular migration. In his opening remarks at the beginning of the Trans-Mediterranean Migration Forum on Wednesday, Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah said countries “have a moral responsibility” towards the people “who cross the desert and the sea” hoping to reach Europe. The North African country is a main departure point for refugees and migrants, mostly from sub-Saharan African countries, risking dangerous sea journeys to seek better lives. The United Nations has registered more than 20,000 deaths and disappearances in the central Mediterranean since 2014, making it one of the most perilous migrant crossings in the world. In recent years, the European Union has increased efforts to reduce migration, including by providing equipment and financial support to the Libyan Coast Guard, a quasi-military organisation linked to militias accused of abuses and other crimes. As a result, many have found themselves stranded in Libya, often held in detention in conditions that rights groups describe as inhumane. The International Organization for Migration said in May that there were more than 706,000 migrants in Libya at the start of the year, but Libyan officials say the actual number exceeds two million. “Libya found itself caught in pressure between [Europe’s] turning back of migrants and [their] desire to migrate,” Dbeibah said, calling for development projects in departure countries. “We can only resolve the migration crisis at the root, in the countries of departure,” he said. Last week, authorities in Libya said that up to 80 percent of foreigners in the country are undocumented, and hosting people hoping to reach Europe has become “unacceptable”. “It’s time to resolve this problem,” Interior Minister Imad Trabelsi had said, because “Libya cannot continue to pay its price”. Libya, which is still struggling to recover from years of war and chaos after the 2011 NATO-backed overthrow of longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi, has been criticised over the treatment of migrants and refugees. Accusations from rights groups range from extortion to slavery, while smugglers and human traffickers have also taken advantage of the climate of instability in the country. “I’m looking around Libya here right now – it’s very, very dangerous,” Waly, a young Nigerian in Tripoli, told Al Jazeera. “Our people go to sea [and] want to cross the sea, so they want to stop us,” he said. “I’m thinking to move forward or to go back.” Reporting from the forum, Al Jazeera’s Malik Traina said “there’s a sense of fear” among migrants in Libya currently. Officials in the country, however, “want to bolster the relationship between Africa and the EU to mitigate the migration problem”, he added. Speaking to reporters, Dbeibah said Libya lacked the resources to address the issue and called on wealthier countries to “provide the funds” in order to stop the influx of migrants. Tunisian Prime Minister Ahmed Hachani also called on European countries at the Tripoli conference to increase financial aid to his country and others to help tackle the flow of migrants from sub-Saharan Africa. “More assistance must be provided to countries such as Tunisia. The aid provided is insufficient to address the problem,” he said. “There are towns that have absorbed migrants beyond their ability.” Italy’s far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni told the conference that the situation could not be resolved without tackling the problem in the countries of origin. She also denounced “criminal organisations” who “decide who has the right or not to live in our countries”, adding that “illegal migration is the enemy of legal migration”. Adblock test (Why?)
Chaos erupts at Delhi’s IGI Airport after Ola, Uber drivers go on strike
Choas erupts at Delhi Airport after Ola, Uber drivers go on strike.
Adam Schiff calls on Biden to exit presidential race as Dem confidence dwindles
Powerful Democratic California Rep. Adam Schiff called on President Biden to drop out of the 2024 race on Wednesday. “A second Trump presidency will undermine the very foundation of our democracy, and I have serious concerns about whether the President can defeat Donald Trump in November,” he said in a statement to Fox News Digital. Schiff was selected as one of the “top two” Senate primary winners in California. The winner of the Senate race will take the seat of the late Sen. Diane Feinstein. ALL ABOUT BABYDOG: THE GOVERNOR’S PET THAT STOLE THE SHOW AT THE RNC Schiff will take on Republican candidate Steve Garvey, a former professional baseball player, in November. The race is considered “Solid Democratic” by non-partisan political handicapper the Cook Political Report, giving Schiff an edge over his opponent. The House Democrat praised Biden’s accomplishments while in office, claiming, “Joe Biden has been one of the most consequential presidents in our nation’s history, and his lifetime of service as a Senator, a Vice President, and now as President has made our country better.” COULD BOB MENENDEZ RUN FOR RE-ELECTION AFTER BEING FOUND GUILTY OF CORRUPTION? “But our nation is at a crossroads,” the California representative warned. Schiff noted that whether Biden withdraws from the race is the president’s choice, but added, “I believe it is time for him to pass the torch.” He also suggested that Biden would “secure his legacy of leadership by allowing us to defeat Donald Trump in the upcoming election” if he follows the advice to leave the race. THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO EXPELLING BOB MENENDEZ FROM THE SENATE “But make no mistake, whoever our party ends up nominating, or if the nomination remains with the president, I will do everything I can to help them succeed,” the California Democrat made clear. “There is only one singular goal: defeating Donald Trump. The stakes are just too high.” Schiff’s announcement made him the 20th Congressional Democrat to urge Biden to exit the race. He is also the most prominent House Democrat to do so. Others in Congress who have called on Biden to drop out of the 2024 election are Democratic Reps. Earl Blumenauer from Oregon, Ed Case from Hawaii, Angie Craig from Minnesota, Lloyd Doggett from Texas, Raul Grijalva from Arizona, Jim Himes from Connecticut, Mike Levin from California, Seth Moulton from Massachusetts, Scott Peters from California, Brittany Pettersen from Colorado, Mike Quigley from Illinois, Pat Ryan from New York, Brad Schneider from Illinois, Hillary Scholten from Michigan, Mikie Sherrill from New Jersey, Adam Smith from Washington, Eric Sorensen from Illinois, Greg Stanton from Arizona, and Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt. SCHUMER CALLS FOR DEMOCRAT MENENDEZ’S RESIGNATION AFTER GUILTY VERDICT Schiff’s statement asking Biden to exit the race comes one day after a report that he told donors privately, “I think if he is our nominee, I think we lose,” in reference to the president. His campaign declined to comment to Fox News Digital on the report. In an appearance earlier this month on NBC News, Schiff publicly expressed doubt about Biden, remarking, “the performance on the debate stage I think rightfully raised questions among the American people about whether the president has the vigor to defeat Donald Trump.” The Biden campaign did not immediately provide comment to Fox News Digital. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub