Federal judge resigns from lifetime-tenured role after just 4 years
A Trump-appointed federal judge in Alaska has resigned after investigators determined he created a hostile work environment, engaged in an inappropriate sexual relationship with a former law clerk and lied about it to his colleagues. Joshua Kindred resigned from his post as a U.S. District Court judge for Alaska effective Monday after serving just four years on the bench. His resignation letter did not give reasons as to why. The Judicial Council of the Ninth Circuit on the same day released a 30-page order that detailed its findings into Kindred’s alleged misconduct. “We conclude that Judge Kindred committed misconduct by creating a hostile work environment for his law clerks. That hostile work environment included ‘unwanted, offensive, and abusive sexual conduct, including sexual harassment,’” the order states. JUDGE ARRESTED AT ATLANTA NIGHTCLUB REMOVED FROM OFFICE FOR ‘JUDICIAL MISCONDUCT’ The order described more than 700 pages of text messages between Kindred and his law clerks, many of which were deemed “highly inappropriate.” In one message, the order states that Kindred told his clerks, “Who gives a f— about ethics, we need to get you paid.” In another, the order says he joked about “punching multiple Supreme Court justices,” and bringing Patrón tequila, heroin and “whip-its” – a slang term for a type of inhalant drug – to a dinner party in his chambers. The council said it also found that Kindred had an “inappropriately sexualized relationship” with a female law clerk during her clerkship and after she became an assistant U.S. attorney for Alaska. Kindred engaged in sexual contact with her on two occasions, according to the order. The female former clerk said the second incident, which occurred at an Airbnb where Kindred was staying, was not consensual. Kindred has said it was consensual. “The Council need not make a finding on whether the Airbnb incident was consensual to conclude that Judge Kindred committed misconduct,” the order said. GOP-LED STATES ASK SCOTUS TO TEMPORARILY BLOCK BIDEN’S STUDENT LOAN HANDOUT PROGRAM When asked about the sexual encounter with his former law clerk during the investigation, Kindred lied to Chief Judge Mary Murguia, the Special Committee and the Council, denying the encounter ever happened until he was put under oath, according to the judges’ order. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, wrote on social media that Kindred’s resignation “is more than appropriate.” “Judges need to be held to the highest of standards and Mr. Kindred fell well short of that mark,” Murkowski wrote. “I will be working quickly to advance a replacement nominee for consideration.” Though Kindred has resigned, the matter is not closed. The council referred the case to the Judicial Conference to consider impeachment. Kindred was appointed to the position by former President Trump in 2019 and was sworn into office in 2020.
Who is White House physician Dr. Kevin O’Connor and what are his close ties to the Biden family?
Dr. Kevin O’Connor, President Biden’s physician, has been mostly out of the public’s view despite first overseeing Biden’s health care in 2009 and building what has been described as a cozy relationship with the Biden family over the last 15 years. “I have never had a better commander than Joe Biden,” O’Connor said in a rare profile interview with his alma mater, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, when Biden served as vice president. “All politics aside, he approaches his craft with such honor. He’s 100 percent ‘family first.’ He’s ‘genuinely genuine.’” O’Connor’s name, however, has recently become common in news reports, as speculation mounts that Biden’s mental acuity has slipped and concerns grow that the White House’s credibility regarding information on the president’s health is dwindling amid repeated gaffes, miscues and disjointed remarks Biden has made during public events. The White House physician is affectionately known to Biden and his family simply as “Doc,” and was specifically requested by Biden in 2009 to stay on as his physician after serving on the White House Medical Unit under the George W. Bush administration. COMER REVEALS WHITE HOUSE PHYSICIAN WAS INVOLVED IN BIDEN FAMILY BUSINESS DEALS, DEMANDS HE TESTIFY O’Connor was first appointed to the White House Medical Unit in 2006 for what was intended to be a three-year military assignment, according to his profile published by the New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, from which he graduated in 1992. Instead, “Vice President Biden asked O’Connor to stay on,” the profile continues. O’Connor complied, marking the beginning of their doctor-patient relationship that has reportedly evolved into a cozy relationship with the president’s large family. Biden’s 2017 memoir “Promise Me, Dad,” which was re-examined recently by Fox News Digital, features the president reflecting on his close relationship with “Doc,” including O’Connor joining the family on their annual vacation to Nantucket, balking at the family’s “browsing extravaganza” on the tony island. The physician’s relationship with the family seemingly grew closer, according to the memoir, when the president’s son, Beau Biden, was diagnosed with brain cancer – which ultimately claimed his life in 2015. BIDEN’S PHYSICIAN SAYS NEUROLOGIST VISITED WHITE HOUSE AS PART OF ANNUAL EXAMINATIONS “Doc was good with Beau, who was still trying to get his bearings in those first few days. Real fear was starting to creep in. Sometimes Beau would grab him when everybody else was out of earshot to get his honest assessment,” Biden wrote in the memoir. “‘Whatever it is, this is bad,’ he told Beau, ‘but we’re gonna find out what it is. And once we find out what it is, we will have a plan.’” “‘Promise?’ Beau asked.” “‘Promise.’” In another excerpt, Beau Biden requested O’Connor “promise” to take care of his father if he should die. “‘Seriously, Doc. No matter what happens. Take care of Pop. For real. Promise me. For real,’” Beau Biden said to O’Connor, according to the book. Back in 2018, Biden’s sister-in-law, Sara Biden, described O’Connor as a “friend” who provided medical advice to members of the Biden family beyond the eventual commander in chief. TOP DEMS PLANNING MEETING ABOUT BIDEN’S FUTURE DESPITE PRESIDENT’S VOWS TO CONTINUE CAMPAIGN “Colonel O’Connor was actually a friend and he — we would frequently ask for his recommendations if any of us had a medical issue, so it was not uncommon to ask him if he had a recommendation,” she said in a deposition related to a New York state medical malpractice case involving her daughter. Republican Texas Congressman Ronny Jackson, who served as former President Obama’s White House physician before also overseeing former President Trump’s health, told the New York Post this month that Jill Biden has a cozy and familial relationship with O’Connor. WHITE HOUSE BRIEFING FUELED WITH EMOTION AS KJP SAYS BIDEN NOT BEING TREATED FOR PARKINSON’S “Kevin O’Connor is like a son to Jill Biden — she loves him. It’s crazy. Kevin O’Connor was in that job on day one of the Biden administration because they knew they could trust Kevin to say and do anything that needed to be said or done and cover up whatever needed to be covered up. He is part of the Biden family,” Jackson told the outlet. O’Connor, who retired as an Army colonel in 2017, also had a business relationship with the Biden family, Politico reported. He introduced Jim Biden, the president’s younger brother, to military health officials and met with another hospital president as the younger Biden pursued healthcare ventures through the hospital chain Americore in 2017, according to the outlet. PARKINSON’S DISEASE SPECIALIST MET WITH PRESIDENT BIDEN PHYSICIAN IN WHITE HOUSE “I truly enjoyed our time together the other day,” O’Connor wrote to a Pennsylvania hospital president after a meeting he shared with Jim Biden, according to Politico. “You and your team clearly share our vision, and I look forward to seeing you again in coming months.” Concern over Biden’s mental sharpness hit a fever pitch late last month, when he delivered a botched debate performance that included losing his train of thought at times and giving garbled answers in a subdued and raspy voice. The debate unleashed panic among Democratic allies and members of the media, as they remarked his debate performance was a failure that added fuel to the fire surrounding concerns about Biden’s mental acuity and age. Amid the fallout from the debate, as well as his first sit-down interview with the media last week that did not help quell concerns, Biden has vowed to stay in the race. JEAN-PIERRE CLASHES WITH REPORTERS PRESSING ABOUT NEUROLOGIST’S WHITE HOUSE VISITS: ‘I DO TAKE OFFENSE’ “I want you to know that despite all the speculation in the press and elsewhere, I am firmly committed to staying in this race, to running this race to the end, and to beating Donald Trump,” Biden wrote in a letter Monday to congressional Democrats, calling on them to end their questions on whether he should end his re-election
Biden admin’s ‘radical mandate’ forces medical providers to do gender transitions: Red state AG
FIRST ON FOX: Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey is suing the Biden administration over its new “radical mandate” that requires healthcare providers to perform transgender surgical procedures – including on children – while forcing states to pay for them. “Joe Biden is once again exceeding his legal authority in order to force his radical transgender ideology onto the American people. His Administration is threatening to hold federal funding hostage from any healthcare provider that refuses to perform or affirm harmful and irreversible transgender procedures,” Bailey said in a statement first obtained by Fox News Digital. Bailey said he is filing suit alongside the American College of Pediatricians and the attorneys general of Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota and Utah to prevent “out-of-touch federal bureaucrats forcing Missouri healthcare providers into performing experimental gender transition procedures,” on taxpayer dollars. I QUIT PLANNED PARENTHOOD AND MARCH FOR LIFE. MORE ABORTION CLINIC ‘QUITTERS’ JOIN ME EVERY YEAR “Doctors should not be compelled to harm children,” the lawsuit states. In April, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) updated a rule in Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that codifies nondiscrimination “on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability in certain health programs and activities.” The protection extends to healthcare programs or services that receive federal funding. The newly finalized Section 1557 also redefines “on the basis of sex” to include “gender identity” and “termination of pregnancy.” “We clarify that a Nondiscrimination Policy’s prohibition of sex discrimination encompasses protections afforded for various types of sex discrimination such as pregnancy, including termination of pregnancy or related conditions, and we have revised the parenthetical in § 92.8(b) to explain that this provision’s reference to sex discrimination is consistent with the various types of sex discrimination described at § 92.101(a)(2), which includes ‘gender identity,’” the rule states. RESEARCHERS ARGUE ‘RAPID ONSET GENDER DYSPHORIA’ DOES EXIST, DESPITE NARRATIVE AGAINST IT The lawsuit alleges the rule “threatens to punish doctors and States who do not comply with the mandate by imposing huge financial penalties and excluding them from federally funded healthcare programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).” “This punishment would effectively preclude doctors and States from providing healthcare for the most vulnerable children in low-income communities,” the lawsuit reads. ‘GENDER-AFFIRMING’ TREATMENTS DON’T BENEFIT YOUTH, SAYS PEDITRICIANS GROUP: ‘IRREVERSIBLE CONSEQUENCES’ The new rule claims to enforce the ban on sex discrimination in ACA Section 1557, but neither that statute nor its precursor, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, mandates gender-transition procedures, Bailey argues. The lawsuit also argues the new rule violates the ACA and Administrative Procedure Act and undermines freedom of speech. Moreover, neither the rule nor the ACA provided clear notice or agreement from states and healthcare providers regarding funding or provision of gender-transition treatments through federal insurance programs. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The lawsuit comes as more conservative states are enacting laws that severely restrict both surgical and nonsurgical transgender procedures for minors. Additionally, states like Idaho, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Alabama and Florida have taken it a step further by making it a felony to give minors any gender-transition prescriptions or perform surgical procedures, such as sex changes. Meanwhile, several states have created “shield laws” that protect these procedures and gender-transition prescriptions for transgender people, including California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, New York, Vermont, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Maryland, Illinois and Massachusetts. Fox News Digital has reached out to the HHS for comment. Fox News Digital’s Kendall Tietz contributed to this report.
Utah House race: Trump-backed incumbent falls into recount territory against challenger
The Republican primary race for Utah’s 2nd Congressional District has now entered recount territory as Trump-endorsed incumbent Celeste Maloy – with all counties reporting – is only leading challenger Colby Jenkins by just 214 votes. Unofficial results from Utah show that Maloy captured 53,748 votes – about 50.10% – compared to the 53,534 votes received by Jenkins, which amounted to 49.90% of all ballots cast. Utah state law says “if the difference between the number of votes cast for a winning candidate in the race and a losing candidate in the race is equal to or less than .25% of the total number of votes cast for all candidates in the race, the losing candidate may file a request for a recount.” The development comes after Maloy received former President Trump’s “complete and total endorsement” against Jenkins, who is backed by Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee. SWING STATE VOTERS SAY BIDEN DEBATE PERFORMANCE ‘REALLY IMPACTFUL’ ON THEIR PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION DECISION “Congresswoman Celeste Maloy is a great advocate for the wonderful people of Utah’s 2nd Congressional District!” Trump had written in a Truth Social post in mid-June. “Celeste is fighting to Secure the Border, Create Jobs, Restore American Energy Independence, Support our Military/Veterans, Defend Religious Liberty, and Protect our always under siege Second Amendment.” Maloy is the incumbent in the race after winning a special election last fall. Rep. Chris Stewart, R-Utah, resigned from the seat that he had held since 2013 due to his wife’s illness. Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson, the state’s chief election officer, told The Associated Press that the recount process may begin after the statewide canvass on July 22. Jenkins will have a week to file a formal request, and the recount must be conducted within a week of that submission, she said. All ballots will be recounted, all uncounted ballots will be reexamined and election officials from each county will tabulate their results. TRUMP LEADS BIDEN IN CRITICAL BATTLEGROUND STATE IN POST-DEBATE POLL Jenkins, a retired U.S. Army officer and telecommunications specialist, defeated Maloy earlier this year at the state GOP convention, but he did not win by a wide enough margin to bypass the primary. A primary victory for Maloy would notch Trump his only win of this election cycle in Utah. Maloy, who lives just north of Zion National Park in Cedar City, began her career at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, working to conserve natural resources, improve water quality and manage nutrients in the vast farmlands of southwest Utah. As an attorney, she specialized in public land issues involving soil and water and land ownership. In her brief congressional tenure, she has served on subcommittees focusing on water resources and rural development. Jenkins repeatedly attacked Maloy on the campaign trail for voting in favor of recent bipartisan spending bills. The congresswoman defended her voting record, noting that those deals were negotiated by U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, who she said is the “most conservative speaker of the House we’ve had in my lifetime.” The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Mumbai BMW hit-and-run case: Shiv Sena removes accused Mihir Shah’s father Rajesh Shah as party’s deputy leader
Rajesh Shah was relieved from the post of the party’s deputy leader, reads a one-line notice by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena’s secretary Sanjay More.
Texas leaders worry that Bitcoin mines threaten to crash the state power grid
Granbury residents are raising alarms over noise from a local Bitcoin mine, while state lawmakers warn that the energy-hungry facilities risk “crashing” the electrical grid.
Sabre’s Sniper Sangfroid: SSS Defence’s magnum opus marks India’s arms ascendance
According to sources within the defense establishment, this marks the first instance of India exporting sniper rifles to another country. These rifles, known as Sabre, use the .338 Lapua Magnum cartridge, which allows military snipers to hit targets up to 1,500 meters (4,900 Feet) away.
Ethiopian PM meets Sudan army chief in push for ‘peace and security’
Abiy Ahmed’s is the highest-level state visit to Sudan since the war began between the army and the paramilitary RSF in April 2023. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has met Sudan’s armed forces chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan as regional and world powers seek an end to the conflict between the military and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Sudan has been racked by war since April 2023, when fighting erupted between forces loyal to al-Burhan and the RSF led by his former deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, widely known as Hemedti. Ahmed’s visit on Tuesday to the Red Sea coastal town of Port Sudan, where the army-aligned government is based, is the highest-level state visit since the start of the conflict, which has threatened to destabilise the region, displaced millions of people and created the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. The Sudan Sovereign Council said in a statement that the meeting was “a testament to the depth of relations” between the two countries. Ahmed’s press secretary told Al Jazeera the purpose of the Ethiopian leader’s visit was to “achieve peace and security” in Sudan. Reporting from Port Sudan, Al Jazeera’s Mohamed Vall said, however, “it’s not clear” what Ahmed’s proposals are. In a closed-door meeting, al-Burhan briefed Ahmed on what he called the “crimes and atrocities” committed by the RSF as part of its “rebellion against the state and its institutions”, the council said. Both sides have been accused of committing war crimes by United Nations officials and international rights groups. “The visit comes amid reports of potential talks to be hosted in Uganda. Aside from that, the visit must serve as a breath of fresh air for the Sudanese military leaders who fear being boycotted by most of the outside world,” Al Jazeera’s Vall said. Al-Burhan’s camp has so far largely shunned East African mediation attempts to end the war, accusing regional leaders of siding with the RSF. In a recent interview with Al Jazeera, al-Burhan said the war had made clear who was an “enemy and who is a friend of the Sudanese people and the Sudanese state”. “Many countries remain silent and turn a blind eye to the crimes being committed every day. Everyone who remains silent and everyone who supports what the other side is doing on a daily basis is for sure an enemy,” he said. “Everyone who supports the Sudanese state and its institutions is a friend.” The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said an estimated 10 million people have been forcibly displaced in Sudan since the war broke out. While about 7.7 million people are displaced internally, more than two million have fled to neighbouring countries – including Egypt, Chad, the Central African Republic and Ethiopia. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), the UN hunger monitoring system, said Sudan is facing the worst food crisis in its history, with more than 755,000 people facing “catastrophe” in 10 out of 18 states, the most severe level of extreme hunger. Adblock test (Why?)
Messi scores as Argentina beat Canada to enter Copa America final
Goals from Messi and Alvarez send the world champions and Copa America holders into Sunday’s final in Miami. Defending champions Argentina booked their place in the Copa America final after goals from Julian Alvarez and Lionel Messi gave them a 2-0 win over Canada. Argentina will face either Uruguay or Colombia in Sunday’s final in Florida, a match that could represent the last shot at silverware for several senior squad members including Messi, Angel Di Maria and Nicolas Otamendi. “Let’s enjoy what we are experiencing as a national team, as a group. It is not easy to be in a final again, to compete again to be champions,” Messi said after Tuesday’s semifinal in New Jersey. “I’m living it as I have been living everything lately: enjoying it very much and being aware, as it happens to Fideo (Di Maria) and Ota (Otamendi), that these are the last battles.” ARGENTINA WINS AND ADVANCES TO THE FINAL 🇦🇷 pic.twitter.com/gpqtpwu0oO — CONMEBOL Copa América™️ ENG (@copaamerica_ENG) July 10, 2024 Argentina have won a joint-record 15 Copa titles and reached the final six times in the past eight editions but Canada caused them real problems in the opening 20 minutes, Jacob Shaffelburg twice shooting wide from promising positions. After soaking up the early pressure, though, Argentina went ahead when Rodrigo De Paul played through Alvarez, who ghosted in between two defenders to score with a tidy finish in the 22nd minute. Argentina, 2022 World Cup winners and number one in FIFA’s rankings, gradually took control and Messi had a chance to double their lead in the 44th minute when he created space in the box with some silky footwork before lashing his effort wide. Canada nearly snatched an equaliser against the run of play in first-half stoppage time as Jonathan David sneaked in ahead of his marker to get on the end of a long throw, but his close-range shot was hit straight at goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez. Messi had struggled with a muscle injury earlier in the tournament but appeared revitalised on a hot and humid evening at the MetLife Stadium. He scored Argentina’s second in the 51st minute, sticking out a boot to divert Enzo Fernandez’s shot from the edge of the area past Canada goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau. The goal moved Messi to joint fifth in the all-time Copa America scoring charts, level with Peru’s Paolo Guerrero and Chile’s Eduardo Vargas, on 14. His 109th goal for Argentina also saw him surpass Iran’s Ali Daei to take sole possession of second place on the all-time international scoring charts. Messi trails only Cristiano Ronaldo, who has scored 130 goals for Portugal. Despite their two-goal cushion, Argentina had a nervy finish to the match as Canada substitute Tani Oluwaseyi tested Martinez with a crisp shot in the 89th minute before directing a glancing header wide a minute later. For Canada, the defeat ends a remarkable run in which they defied expectations and performed better than their higher-ranked CONCACAF rivals Mexico and the United States, their fellow co-hosts of the 2026 World Cup. “They’re the best team in the world, but at the same time we had our chances in the beginning of the game,” midfielder Stephen Eustaquio told Canadian broadcaster TSN. “If we scored one of our chances, the story of the game would probably have been different. To get here, the last four of the Copa America, it’s a big achievement.” Adblock test (Why?)
Northern India bus crash kills 18
Collision in Uttar Pradesh state occurred when the bus heading to New Delhi slammed into the back of a tanker carrying milk. A bus crash in northern India has killed at least 18 people, including a child, in the latest deadly road accident on the country’s congested highways. The collision took place early on Wednesday in Uttar Pradesh state, where the bus heading to the national capital, New Delhi, slammed into the back of a tanker carrying milk. The force of the crash threw people out of the vehicle and onto the road, reported Indian broadcaster NDTV, citing local police. Bodies were strewn on the ground along with broken glass and mangled wreckage. In addition to the 18 killed, 19 others were injured and taken to a hospital. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath called the accident “heart-wrenching” and ordered officials to ensure those injured receive proper care. State Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak told the ANI news agency an investigation would be conducted to determine the reasons for the accident. Prime Minister Narendra Modi relayed his condolences on social media and announced state compensation for victims and their loved ones. Relatives of the deceased will receive 200,000 rupees ($2,400) while those injured will get 50,000 rupees ($600). The Prime Minister has announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF for the next of kin of each deceased in the mishap in Unnao. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000. https://t.co/rZDoM9sqeY — PMO India (@PMOIndia) July 10, 2024 Road accidents are common in India, often caused by reckless driving, poorly maintained roads, and ageing vehicles. Government estimates reported 168,000 deaths from such accidents in 2022. In May, 21 people were killed and more than 50 injured when the bus they were travelling in rolled down a deep gorge in Indian-administered Kashmir. Adblock test (Why?)