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Former Oklahoma Sen. Jim Inhofe dies at 89

Former Oklahoma Sen. Jim Inhofe dies at 89

Former Oklahoma Sen. James Inhofe has died Tuesday at the age of 89, Fox News has confirmed. Inhofe, a Republican, was the state’s longest serving senator from 1994 to 2023 and passed away peacefully this morning surrounded by his wife Kay, his children and other family members, a former senior aide tells Fox News. Inhofe, the aide said, had come down with a sudden and unexpected illness around the Fourth of July holiday. Further details were not immediately available. James Mountain Inhofe started serving Congress in Washington in 1987 in the House of Representatives before being elected to the Senate in 1994. At one point, he was the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee.  Prior to his time in Washington, Inhofe served as the mayor in his hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma between 1978 and 1984, according to the Oklahoma Historical Society. He also served in the U.S. Army in 1955-56 and was president of the Quaker Life Insurance Company before entering politics, it added.  Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla., described Inhofe on Tuesday as a “dear friend and mentor, a titan in Oklahoma, and a highly effective leader in DC.” “Tammy and I are keeping Kay and the rest of the Inhofe family in our prayers,” Hern said in a statement. “Jim spent his life in service to his country, both in uniform and in the halls of Congress. He will always be remembered as a fighter, especially for our military service members.” This is a developing story. Please check back for updates. Fox News’ Chad Pergram and Marisa Schultz contributed to this report.

Biden seeks to keep Congressional Black Caucus support with virtual meeting

Biden seeks to keep Congressional Black Caucus support with virtual meeting

President Biden met with members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) on Monday night in a virtual call meant to strengthen his support base. He reportedly thanked them for their reliable support and promised a mutual sense of loyalty.  “You’ve had my back, and I’ll continue to have yours,” Biden told the CBC members on the call, two sources told the Washington Post. The Post reported that multiple sources claimed a formal statement of support for Biden was expected to be released by the CBC. NEW YORK TIMES DOUBLES DOWN ON TELLING BIDEN TO DROP OUT: ‘HE IS EMBARRASSING HIMSELF’ An endorsement from the caucus would be a crucial victory in Biden’s battle against factions of his own party seeking to force him out of his campaign for re-election. The 81-year-old leader’s disastrous debate performance two weeks ago has fueled concerns among his fellow Democrats that he may not be able to beat former President Trump in November. AOC ENDORSES BIDEN RUNNING FOR RE-ELECTION: ‘THE MATTER IS CLOSED’ AND ‘I SUPPORT HIM’ Democratic Reps. Mike Quigley, D-Ill.; Seth Moulton, D-Mass.; Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas; Angie Craig, D-Minn.; and Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., have all come out publicly urging Biden to step aside. Rep. Frederica Wilson of Florida praised Biden for the Monday meeting and explicitly supported his decision to stay in the race immediately afterward. “President Biden’s call with the Congressional Black Caucus tonight showed his unwavering dedication to our nation’s future and that he is in this fight,” Wilson said following the meeting. “He’s committed to fighting for the soul of our nation and Black economic progress, and I stand with him for another four years because he’s consistently stood with my community.” Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.

‘Concise’ Trump-approved GOP platform not crafted with Biden, Dem disarray in mind

‘Concise’ Trump-approved GOP platform not crafted with Biden, Dem disarray in mind

EXCLUSIVE – Republican Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn celebrated her successful leadership overseeing the panel charged with crafting the platform for the Republican National Committee, touting the GOP’s 2024 platform as a “concise” document that “will draw more Americans to the Republican Party.” “The reason it earned the adoption so quickly is because people got it this morning. They were able to quickly read through it – because it is a total of 16 pages. And as they looked through it, they thought, ‘This is really good. It is solid. It is hitting the issues that the American people are talking about.’ And one of the complaints that we have heard from people is, well, ‘Look, that platform is so long, nobody reads it, it gets used against our candidates, by their opponents, and it is time for us to be simple, concise and specific about what we’re going to do,” Blackburn told Fox News Digital in a phone interview Monday evening.  The Republican National Committee’s Platform Committee, which Blackburn served as chairwoman, overwhelmingly passed its draft party platform Monday in an 84-12 vote. The draft, itled the “2024 GOP PLATFORM: MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!,” walks voters through 20 promises former President Trump, as well as other Republican officials, are making to voters ahead of November, including sealing the border and ending the “migrant invasion,” ending inflation, preventing “World War Three” and uniting the U.S. “by bringing it to new and record levels of success.”  Blackburn explained to Fox News Digital that the platform was crafted to address top voter concerns Trump has personally heard from the American people, brushing off questions regarding whether the platform was written with the Democratic Party’s disarray in mind, or whether President Biden would actually be the party’s nominee come November.  TRUMP FOCUSED ON CAMPAIGNING, AS DEMS ARE ‘IN DISARRAY’ AMID BIDEN CHAOS “We’re going to let the Democrats sort their issues out,” Blackburn said when asked about the Democratic Party’s current disarray. “What I can say is this platform is going to be well received by so many people. We’ve already heard from so many people how well received it is. And that they’re so pleased to see instead of an 80-page, 60-page, 100-, 200-page document, that this is something that they can take to lunch, to their coffee group, to their Bunco group, their Sunday school class, and they can read it and discuss it, and use it to get people involved in the process and voting in November.” When asked if the platform was crafted with the intention of defeating Biden in November or perhaps another nominee as calls mount for Biden to bow out of the race over concerns regarding his mental acuity, Blackburn said it was designed with a focus on the American people.  BIDEN SURROGATE NEWSOM SAYS CALLS BY DEMOCRATS FOR PRESIDENT TO STEP ASIDE ‘NOT HELPFUL’ “This platform is crafted to make certain that the American people know what Republicans are for, and they know what President Trump is for. This platform is simple, concise, easy to read, and it will be used from candidates from your local, state and federal elections. And it is a document we will use to send President Donald Trump back to the White House.” Blackburn said that Trump personally had input on the platform, noting he “read it, reviewed it, edited it, and approved it,” and also called into the platform comittee’s meeting on Monday.  “As we got started on today’s activities, President Trump called in, and wished everyone well, thanked everyone for volunteering to be there and serving on the platform committee. And talked about some of the issues that he is hearing and the broad net that they cast,” she said.  SOME TOP HOUSE DEMOCRATS URGE BIDEN TO STEP ASIDE Blackburn pointed to Trump’s recent vow that if re-elected, workers in the service industry would no longer face taxes on their tips, pointing Fox Digital to point number six of the platform, which reads: “LARGE TAX CUTS FOR WORKERS, AND NO TAX ON TIPS!” “That gives you an idea of how granular this was to what he is hearing, what many of us who are in elected office are hearing. And what the American people are saying: ‘Would you please put some attention on these issues that affect us.’ And I think that really is one of the primary points … this election is about them. It’s not about the bureaucrats. It’s not about elected officials. It is about them and their way of life,” she said.  Blackburn touted that, unlike previous party platforms that dragged on for dozens of pages, the 2024 platform is “simple” and easily digested by the American people.  “I am one of those that has for years said we need to make this simple. It doesn’t have to be long. It needs to be concise. It needs to be simply stated, and it should be something that people look forward to printing out and reading and sharing with their friends,” she said.  The platform this election cycle notably only mentions abortion once, instead focusing on the preservation of life and returning power to the states when developing laws surrounding abortion. Blackburn said that when the platform was drafted, committee members had to take into account the Dobbs decision of 2022, which overturned Roe v. Wade, effectively ended the recognition of a constitutional right to abortion and ruled that individual states have the power to allow, limit or ban abortion procedures.  EX-OBAMA ADVISER SAYS BIDEN CAN’T BEAT ‘FATHER TIME’ AND IS ‘NOT WINNING THIS RACE’ “And so, having as we do with all other issues, whether it’s defending religious liberty, or protecting free speech, or working to end the gender insanity – this left-wing gender insanity – and protecting our rights and freedoms. What the platform says is we proudly stand for families and for life.” “We believe that the 14th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States guarantees that no person can be

Mayorkas extends temporary legal status for war-torn country battling Iran-backed militants: ‘Extreme risk’

Mayorkas extends temporary legal status for war-torn country battling Iran-backed militants: ‘Extreme risk’

U.S. officials say Yemeni nationals will be offered temporary protected status (TPS) for another 18 months in a move that a former acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) director is calling an “extreme risk for this country’s security and safety.”  The announcement on Monday by the Department of Homeland Security – which means that Yemeni nationals living in the U.S. will be further protected from deportation and can apply for work permits – comes as Iran-backed Houthi rebels continue to destabilize the Middle Eastern country.   “Yemen is a special interest alien country. We got to be careful of who we are allowing into the country because they have terrorist ties,” Tom Homan, a former acting director of ICE, told Fox News Digital. “We have already shown our current vetting is not as sufficient to keep us out of harm’s way, because most people with terrorist ties, terrorists in this world – you can’t find them in any database.  “We don’t know who most terrorists [are], so I think it’s an extreme risk for this country’s security and safety,” he added.  IRAN’S MILITARY SUPPLY LINE TO HOUTHI TERRORISTS EXPOSED BY DISSIDENT GROUP  “Special interest aliens” are people from countries identified by the U.S. government as having conditions that promote or protect terrorism or potentially pose some sort of national security threat to the U.S.  The extension will allow an estimated 1,700 Yemeni nationals living in the U.S. to “file initial applications for TPS,” while around another 2,300 current beneficiaries will be able to “retain TPS through March 3, 2026, if they continue to meet TPS eligibility requirements,” according to Homeland Security.  TRUMP APPROVAL RATING TOPS 50% AS HE LEADS BIDEN ON VOTERS’ TOP TWO ISSUES: POLL  “Yemen has been in a state of protracted conflict for the past decade, severely limiting civilians’ access to water, food, and medical care, pushing the country to the brink of economic collapse, and preventing Yemeni nationals living abroad from safely returning home,” Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement.  “The steps the Department of Homeland Security has taken today will allow certain Yemenis currently residing in the United States to remain and work here until conditions in their home country improve,” he added.  In January of this year, the U.S. State Department designated the Houthis as a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist group.”  “Since November, the Houthis have launched unprecedented attacks against international maritime vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, as well as military forces positioned in the area to defend the safety and security of commercial shipping,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at the time. “These attacks against international shipping have endangered mariners, disrupted the free flow of commerce, and interfered with navigational rights and freedoms.”  Fox News’ Adam Shaw contributed to this report. 

AOC endorses Biden running for re-election: ‘The matter is closed’ and ‘I support him’

AOC endorses Biden running for re-election: ‘The matter is closed’ and ‘I support him’

Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez gave an unambiguous endorsement of President Biden on Monday. The New York congresswoman and “Squad” member told reporters outside the Capitol that the president has “made clear” he will not step down despite concerns regarding his old age. “I have spoken to the president over the weekend. I have spoken with him extensively. He made clear then, and he has made clear since, that he is in this race,” Ocasio-Cortez told the press. BIDEN LASHES OUT AT TRUMP, SUPREME COURT AS MORE DEMOCRATS SAY HE SHOULD WITHDRAW She continued, “The matter is closed. He had reiterated that this morning. He has reiterated that to the public. Joe Biden is our nominee. He is not leaving this race. He is in this race and I support him.” The 81-year-old leader’s disastrous debate performance two weeks ago has fueled concerns among his fellow Democrats that he may not be able to beat former President Trump in November. Democratic Reps. Mike Quigley, D-Ill.; Seth Moulton, D-Mass.; Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas; Angie Craig, D-Minn.; and Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz. have all come out publicly urging Biden to step aside. TRUMP APPROVAL RATING TOPS 50% AS HE LEADS BIDEN ON VOTERS’ TOP TWO ISSUES: POLL Ocasio-Cortez told the press that the most important consideration going into the general election is defeating Trump, citing his recent convictions in a New York court. “Now what I think is critically important is that we focus on what it takes to win in November. Because he is running against Donald Trump, who is a man with 34 felony convictions – that has committed 34 felony crimes. And not a single Republican has asked for Donald Trump to not be the nominee.” Reporters asked the congresswoman what she has to say to those fellow lawmakers that feel they “need to see more from the president.” “That is all up to their own individual determination, but I’m here to make sure we win in November and that is my focus,” Ocasio-Cortez responded before leaving the press gaggle. Democratic lawmakers were largely evasive on Capitol Hill Monday night when Congress returned to session for its first full week since the debate.  Those who did stop to speak to the media largely defended Biden and directed their ire toward Trump. Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.