Speaker Johnson’s government funding play hits the rocks within House GOP
House Speaker Mike Johnson’s plan for a short-term bill to kick the government funding debate into early next year is getting a rocky reception from various corners of the House GOP. “That’s not my preference at all,” Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Mont., President-elect Donald Trump’s former Interior secretary, told Fox News Digital. Zinke said a short-term bill that kicks the fiscal year (FY) 2025 government spending fight into early next year could impede Trump’s goal of immediately implementing his agenda in the first 100 days of the new administration. “You’ve always heard the first 100 days is extremely important, and it is. But to be bogged down in the first 100 days dealing with the issues of last Congress, I think it unfortunately doesn’t provide the runway,” Zinke said. JOHNSON BLASTS DEM ACCUSATIONS HE VOWED TO END OBAMACARE AS ‘DISHONEST’ Johnson told “Fox News Sunday,” “We’re running out of clock. Dec. 20 is the deadline. We’re still hopeful that we might be able to get that done, but if not, we’ll have a temporary measure, I think, that would go into the first part of next year and allow us the necessary time to get this done.” He said a short-term extension of this year’s funding, called a continuing resolution (CR), would benefit Republicans by kicking the spending fight into a period when the GOP controls both Congress and the White House. Other Trump allies, like Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., are also advocating for a short-term bill to give Republicans full control over this year’s fight. However, several rank-and-file Republicans like Zinke suggested that dealing with the previous administration’s issues could hinder Trump’s aim of a productive first 100 days. On the other side of the House GOP, hardliners who previously opposed a CR on principle signaled they would not budge this time, either. REPUBLICANS PROJECTED TO KEEP CONTROL OF HOUSE AS TRUMP PREPARES TO IMPLEMENT AGENDA “I really have to read things before I say whether I’m going to vote on them or not,” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., told Fox News Digital. “I have never really voted for any CR, so it’s hard for me to support in the first place.” House and Senate negotiators have done little bicameral work to fund the government for the current fiscal year. Instead, congressional leaders chose to extend the previous deadline of Sept. 30 through late December. It has caused frustration among some House Republicans who have pushed for Congress to fulfill its duties of setting new fiscal spending directives for FY 2025. MATT GAETZ FACES GOP SENATE OPPOSITION AFTER TRUMP SELECTION FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL “We should have got our business done before,” Rep. Dave Joyce, R-Ohio, told reporters on Monday evening. Rep. Mark Amodei, R-Nev., suggested kicking the debate into next year could hamper Trump’s ability “to hit the ground running,” but saw little other choice left, given the short amount of time before the Dec. 20 deadline. Others, like Zinke and Rep. Max Miller, R-Ohio, are still pushing for a full spending package addressing the current fiscal year’s spending. “The smartest thing that I believe that we can do as a conference would be to do an end-of-the year package to clean the entire decks for President Trump when he comes in,” Miller said. “If we were able to put an end-of-the-year package together and finish the appropriations process, which is our main job in Congress, then the president can get going in January with his agenda and his legislation.” One senior GOP lawmaker pointed out that a partial government shutdown is a “high probability” if Republicans can’t all get on board with a CR, assuming Democrats do not support one either. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., a member of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus, said when asked about Johnson’s tentative plan, “You know I’m not a fan of CRs in any form.”
Border state governor vows to defy Trump’s ‘misguided’ mass deportation push
Arizona’s Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs says the border state, which voted for President-elect Donald Trump in the presidential election this month, will not be aiding the incoming administration with its “misguided” plan to launch a mass deportation operation. Hobbs was asked by ABC News about whether the Trump administration will bring a reset on the border, and she responded by focusing on current partnerships with the federal government to secure the border. “I am very hopeful that that partnership can continue, and that the incoming administration will listen to, not only my administration, but the experts here on the ground, the people that are doing the work about what is most needed, and what we can continue to do that will be most helpful in securing our border,” she said. ‘SANCTUARY’ CITY MAYOR VOWS SHE WILL DEFY TRUMP’S MASS DEPORTATION PUSH: ‘CAUSING WIDESPREAD FEAR’ She then added, “What I will unequivocally say is that, as governor, I will not tolerate efforts that are part of misguided policies that harm our communities, that threaten our communities, that terrorize our communities, and Arizona will not take part in those.” Trump made launching a mass deportation operation a key part of his 2024 presidential campaign, and his transition team has already started making plans on the logistics of the operation. On Monday, Trump said he was open to declaring a national emergency and using military assets to make it happen. When pressed on the deportations, Hobbs’ was asked if state police and National Guard would help with deportations. “We will not be participating in misguided efforts that harm our communities, and I’ve been incredibly clear about that,” she said. TRUMP CONFIRMS SUPPORT FOR MAJOR STEP IN MASS DEPORTATION PUSH TO ‘REVERSE THE BIDEN INVASION’ She cited the diversion of resources and law enforcement as one of the reasons she opposes those operations. “I think the diversion of law enforcement from the work that they do every day to keep our communities safe, people hiding in fear – we saw that under previous state policies here – and it it harms communities. It tears families apart. And we’re not going to…that’s not going to happen on my watch,” she said. She is the latest Democratic official to promise not to assist the Trump administration with deportations. Earlier this week, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said the sanctuary city would not be cooperating with the deportation operation, after Mass. Gov. Maura Healey has promised to use “every tool in the toolbox” to protect residents. CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS Officials elsewhere across the U.S. have made similar claims, but Hobbs’ comments are significant since it is not only a border state, but also a swing state that voted for Trump in the recent election. Trump’s team have indicated they will carry out the plan, even without the support of those Democratic officials. Tom Homan, who was appointed to be the “border czar” by President-elect Trump, said recently that those officials should get out of the way. “If you don’t want to work with us, then get the hell out all the way. We’re going to do it,’ he said.
Are Pete Hegseth’s tattoos symbols of ‘Christian nationalism’?
President-elect Donald Trump’s new pick to lead the Department of Defense, Pete Hegseth, is being blasted for tattoos that some allege are symbols of White supremacy and Christian nationalism. Hegseth, 44, is a former Fox News host and retired Army major who served in the infantry and was deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. Like many current and former military members, Hegseth has an array of tattoos with Christian and American symbolism. One of the tattoos garnering the most attention is a symbol on Hegseth’s chest known as the “Jerusalem Cross,” which consists of one large cross surrounded by four smaller crosses. Hegseth, an evangelical Christian, has said that the cross is a symbol of his Christian faith, but his detractors have said the Jerusalem Cross is an indicator of extremism, White supremacist and Christian nationalist sentiment. Some have even mistaken it for the Nazi swastika. PENTAGON BRACING FOR SWEEPING CHANGES AFTER TRUMP NOMINATES PETE HEGSETH FOR SECRETARY According to Hegseth, concern over the tattoo caused his leadership in the District of Columbia National Guard to pull him from a mission to guard the inauguration of President Biden and ultimately factored into his decision to retire from the military. According to Father David Grenier, a Catholic priest and member of the religious order the Holy Land Franciscan Friars, which uses the Jerusalem Cross as its symbol, the cross originated in Eastern Christianity sometime in the fifth and sixth centuries and was later adopted by crusaders and the Christian Kingdom of Jerusalem from 1099 to 1291. The cross, which adorns Grenier’s habit, continues to be used by his order today. The cross is also the emblem of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Catholic order, the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre. He explained to Fox News Digital that the Jerusalem Cross has a dual meaning of representing the five wounds of Christ’s crucifixion and the gospel being taken to every corner of the world. In the latter interpretation, he said that the large cross represents Jerusalem from which the gospels reach the north, south, east and west, which are represented by the four smaller crosses. TRUMP NAMING CABINET OFFICIALS AT ‘WARP SPEED,’ FAR AHEAD OF FIRST TERM PACE While he said that he cannot speak to why Hegseth chose to tattoo the Jerusalem Cross on himself, he is not familiar with the cross being used to represent Christian supremacy sentiments. On the contrary, he said that the cross symbolizes the message of salvation being taken to all people. He also said that it is a fairly common practice for Christian pilgrims to Jerusalem to tattoo a Jerusalem Cross on themselves as a sign that they have visited the holy city. “That was something that was happening, not necessarily for everyone, but for many people who traveled,” he said. “And even today, when they go to the Holy Land to have the Jerusalem cross tattooed on their body.” One of those modern pilgrims with a Jerusalem Cross tattoo is Father Mike Schmitz, a podcaster, youth speaker and one of the most well-known Catholic priests in America. In a video explaining his tattoo, Schmitz said that it serves as a reminder that “I never, ever, no matter what–I never want to be able to take off Jesus.” “If you are baptized, you’ve been clothed in Christ. You can’t take Him off. Same with me. I’ve been clothed in Christ in my baptism, and I can’t take him off, even if I wanted to. But there is some kind of expression of that. Now it’s on my arm,” he said. WHY TRUMP IS STICKING WITH GAETZ, HEGSETH DESPITE NEW ACCUSATIONS – AND HIS ‘MORNING JOE’ MEETING Similarly, Jennifer Greenberg, an evangelical author and composer, told Fox News Digital that the Jerusalem Cross is also very common in evangelical circles. She said she was “shocked” to see the cross being compared to a swastika online, which compelled her to respond in a viral X post. “To see something so beautiful and so precious, such a symbol of rich Christian heritage equated with Nazism, you know, white supremacy, it was just really disgusting,” she said. According to Greenberg, the cross continues to be worn by pastors and to adorn Bibles and Christian books. She also pointed out that Hegseth’s other controversial tattoos, “Deus Vult” and “Join or Die,” are common Christian and American symbols and are not associated with extremism. The “Join or Die” tattoo, which depicts a chopped-up snake, is a political cartoon first published in 1754 in Benjamin Franklin’s Philadelphia newspaper. The cartoon was intended to encourage the various American colonies to unite over a common cause and became one of the most well-known symbols of the Revolutionary War. However, perhaps more controversial is the Deus Vult tattoo, Latin for “God wills it.” This saying was a common battle cry during the Crusades, but, as Greenberg explained, it is also a common saying in Christianity indicating trust and abandonment of oneself to God’s providence. “What they were saying is, ‘God, no matter what happens to me, if I die in battle, if I’m terribly injured, no matter what happens, may your will be done,’” she said. “I think it makes a lot of sense that someone like Pete Hegseth, being a veteran, would resonate with that kind of symbol because, as a veteran, as a soldier, he would have gone into battle. He would have walked between landmines, and this would have been a comforting thought for him. No matter what happens to me, God, let your will be done.”
FEMA director vows to request IG investigation into order to avoid Trump supporters’ houses
FEMA Director Deanne Criswell vowed to request an inspector general investigation into orders that FEMA employees avoid homes of Trump supporters during relief efforts for Hurricane Milton. Criswell made the commitment during her testimony before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Tuesday. Criswell has insisted that orders to avoid pro-Trump homes originated from a lone employee and were not part of a wider directive. Committee Chairman Scott Perry, R-Pa., asked Criswell whether FEMA’s ongoing internal investigation included officials above Marn’i Washington, the employee confirmed to have issued the order. “The investigation includes those that were deployed in this particular incident, and we have found no evidence that there is anything beyond this one employee’s specific direction,” Criswell said. HOUSE OVERSIGHT CALLS ON FEMA DIRECTOR TO TESTIFY AFTER OFFICIAL TELLS WORKERS TO AVOID HOME WITH TRUMP SIGNS “Why shouldn’t this be an independent investigation by at least somebody like the [inspector general]?” Perry pressed. “The actions that this employee took are unacceptable–,” Criswell said before getting cut off. “I know that, you know that,” Perry interjected. FEMA OFFICIAL SAID TO AVOID HOMES WITH TRUMP SIGNS: ‘TO SAY I WAS SURPRISED WOULD BE A LIE’ “And I would welcome an investigation by the IG,” Criswell said. “But you haven’t requested – will you request one?” Perry asked. “I will request one,” Criswell confirmed. Criswell’s claims contradict Washington, who asserts that she is being scapegoated by the agency for a wider policy of avoiding pro-Trump homes in the wake of Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Washington emphasized to Fox News that FEMA prioritizes “avoidance” and “de-escalation” in situations where some employees may feel unsafe, and that is not necessarily politically targeted at Trump supporters. This could include other situations, like urban areas where there are unleashed dogs, she said. Washington told Fox News’ Trace Gallagher that discriminating against people explicitly because of political leanings would violate the Hatch Act, but said “unfortunately, again, the passionate supporters for Trump, some of them were a little bit violent.”
Netanyahu says he ignored Biden’s war counsel – and threats that Israel would be ‘left alone’ without US help
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made no secret of his feelings toward President Biden after Donald Trump was elected this month, publicly revealing he’d ignored the current U.S. president’s counsel and threats to withhold aid. “The U.S. had reservations and suggested that we not enter Gaza,” Netanyahu revealed to the Israeli Knesset on Monday. The U.S., he said, also was hesitant about Israel’s plans to enter Gaza City, Khan Younis and “strongly opposed entry into Rafah,” threatening to force Israel to fight without U.S. aid. “President Biden told me that if we go in, we will be left alone,” Netanyahu said. “He also said that he would stop shipments of important weapons to us. And so he did. A few days later, [U.S. Secretary of State Antony] Blinken appeared and repeated the same things and I told him – we will fight with our nails.” DEMOCRATIC EFFORT TO BLOCK BIDEN WEAPONS SALE TO ISRAEL GAINS MOMENTUM: ‘CONGRESS MUST STEP UP’ The U.S. ultimately withheld a single shipment of 2,000-pound bombs, allowing all other weapons transfers to go on. “I made clear that if they go into Rafah – they haven’t gotten into Rafah yet – if they go into Rafah, I’m not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities, to deal with that problem,” Biden told CNN’s Erin Burnett in an interview at the time. The move prompted blowback from supporters of Israel in Congress and Biden eventually moved forward with the shipment. Netanyahu also claimed the U.S. wanted Israel not to respond to Iran’s missile attacks on Tel Aviv in October. “Again, we were told by our friend that there is no need to respond. And I said that sitting and not reacting is not acceptable, and we responded.” He confirmed that Israel had struck Iranian nuclear facilities in its counter-attack. “It’s not a secret, it has been published,” Netanyahu said. “There is a specific component in their nuclear program that was hit in this attack.” COULD BIDEN COPY OBAMA WITH DECEMBER SURPRISE AT UN TO PUNISH ISRAEL’S NETANYAHU? Netanyahu emphasized the importance of Israel making its own decisions. “We must preserve Israel’s independence. We decided to enter – and we occupied Rafah, the Philadelphi Corridor and the Rafah Crossing.” Netanyahu had immediately congratulated Trump following his victory in the Nov. 5 presidential election, deeming it “history’s greatest comeback.” At the Knesset meeting Monday, Netanyahu said he would work with Trump on how to move forward on combating Iran through its proxies, its ballistic missiles and its nuclear program. “Our ability to act against these three threats will be evaluated in the near future together with the incoming administration in Washington,” he said. The Biden administration is working to secure a cease-fire in Lebanon in its final months in power. Amos Hochstein, Biden’s envoy to the Middle East, suggested a peace deal was “within our grasp.” “This is a moment of decision-making. I am here in Beirut to facilitate that decision, but it’s ultimately the decision of the parties to reach a conclusion to this conflict. It is now within our grasp,” he said. But Netanyahu struck a different tone – suggesting his nation would continue to carry out attacks on Hezbollah even if they had reached a cease-fire “on paper.” “The most important thing is not [the deal that] will be laid on paper,” Netanyahu said. “Even if there is a paper [setting out an agreement], worthy though it may be, we will be required, in order to ensure our security in the north (of Israel), to systematically carry out operations – not only against Hezbollah’s attacks, which could come. Even if there is a cease-fire, nobody can guarantee it will hold. So it’s not only our reaction, a preventive reaction, a reaction in the wake of attack, but also the capacity to prevent Hezbollah from strengthening.” “We will not allow Hezbollah to return to the state it was in on Oct. 6, 2023.”
Recess appointments: Can Trump bypass Senate to appoint Gaetz, other aides?
Throughout his business, media and political career, Donald Trump has demonstrated a willingness to break the norm. But the United States president-elect’s latest proposal to do away with the established processes used to appoint cabinet officials to his incoming administration poses grave risks to the rule of law in the country, experts say. Just days after his election victory this month, Trump on November 10 invoked a provision under the US Constitution that would allow him to appoint cabinet members without Senate confirmation. “Any Republican Senator seeking the coveted LEADERSHIP position in the United States Senate must agree to Recess Appointments (in the Senate!), without which we will not be able to get people confirmed in a timely manner,” Trump wrote on social media, prompting all three contenders for the leadership role to to quickly say they would comply. The suggestion to use so-called “recess appointments” has sparked concern as Trump continues to roll out a list of controversial nominees to key positions within his government, including far-right firebrand Matt Gaetz as head of the US Justice Department. Bypassing the Senate would dilute the checks-and-balances system that provides Congress with oversight over the executive branch, analysts told Al Jazeera, while effectively giving Trump even more power at a time when Republicans hold “trifecta” control of the White House, Senate and House of Representatives. “The selection of the cabinet is the primary way in which the president exercises power,” said David Froomkin, an assistant professor at the University of Houston Law Center who specialises in administrative law. “Eliminating the most important check on that power would massively empower the president.” Any Republican Senator seeking the coveted LEADERSHIP position in the United States Senate must agree to Recess Appointments (in the Senate!), without which we will not be able to get people confirmed in a timely manner. Sometimes the votes can take two years, or more. This is… — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 10, 2024 A vestige of the past But what exactly is a recess appointment? The process dates back to the country’s early days, when the US Congress would be in recess for months at a time, usually during the summer. When lawmakers were gone and a vacancy occurred, the US Constitution allowed the president to appoint someone without confirmation, though only through the end of the next session of Congress, explained Gabe Neville, a senior adviser at the law firm Covington & Burling, which focuses on regulatory practices. “In the modern era, when Congress is in session most of the time, there have been some changes in how the process works and is used,” Neville said. Lawmakers are no longer travelling by stagecoach and rail, for example, so there is no longer a need for the president to fill vacancies on an emergency basis because Congress would not be meeting for months. But recess appointments have persisted, although not at the high-profile cabinet level. Former presidents have used the provision mostly to fast-track the approval of federal judges — but the authority technically applies to any appointee, including top cabinet members and Supreme Court justices. Former US President Bill Clinton made 139 recess appointments to full-time positions, for instance, and his successor George W Bush made 171. After that, President Barack Obama made 32 before a US Supreme Court decision in 2014 restricted the president’s ability to invoke the power to periods in which the Senate was in recess for at least 10 days. Wary to give the president too much power, Congress has in the past worked around the provision by calling what’s known as “pro forma” sessions, when no real work is being done, just to stop the president from using the authority. “So a member from Maryland or Virginia who lives close by would come in and call the House and Senate into session and then immediately adjourn for the day. But technically they’re in session that day,” Neville told Al Jazeera. But in theory, members of Congress could also decide to go on recess precisely in order to allow the president to make recess appointments — and Neville said there is an opportunity now, with Republicans in control of Congress and Trump in the White House, for GOP lawmakers to do that. “And we haven’t really seen that before,” he said. Sending a message Still, it remains unclear when — or even whether — Trump may invoke the recess appointment authority, or whether Congress would go into recess to allow him to do so. The new Congress will start on January 3, three weeks before the presidential inauguration, and Republican senators are planning to begin hearings on Trump’s cabinet nominees immediately. Should Trump appoint one of his nominees during a congressional recess, that person would only remain in office for the remaining duration of the two-year Congress. But by mentioning the provision, Trump – whom critics accuse of authoritarianism – is sending a message to lawmakers, even those from his own party, that he may have little patience for their pushback. “If the Senate goes along with Trump’s demand, it will be the first loud sound of the Constitution ripping,” Michael Waldman, president of the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law, wrote in an op-ed. Nicholas Xenakis, a former chief counsel for late Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein who also works at the Covington & Burling law firm, told Al Jazeera that the president-elect may also be invoking the power as “leverage”. “Like, ‘Hey Senate, don’t make me use this power I have. Hurry up and confirm my nominees’,” he said. “[Opposition] parties often will be very slow to confirm nominees because they don’t support the president’s agenda,” Xenakis said, adding that such situations played out during Trump’s first term as well as during Democratic President Joe Biden’s administration. “So this may just be used as a way to push back on that,” he said. Avoid public scrutiny Still, with Republicans controlling the Senate, that sort of pushback is
Brazil arrests five suspects in alleged Lula assassination plot
Four G20 security guards reportedly among those arrested after murder bid mentioned for first time as part of coup probe. Five people have been arrested in Brazil for their suspected involvement in an alleged attempt to assassinate then President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his vice president in December 2022, according to police. The police said in a statement on Tuesday that most of those investigated in the alleged coup attempt are military personnel with special forces training. “A detailed operational plan called ‘Green and Yellow Dagger’ was identified, which would be executed on December 15, 2022, aimed at the murder of the elected candidates for president and vice president,” the statement said, in an apparent reference to the colours of the Brazilian flag. This was the first time in the alleged coup attempt investigation that federal police have mentioned a plot to kill Lula and Vice President Geraldo Alckmin. Federal police officers carried out five arrest warrants on Tuesday, the police said without providing any names. The four “were arrested in Rio [de Janeiro], where they were participating in the security operation for the G20 leaders meeting” on Monday, a federal police source told the AFP news agency, adding that a police officer was also taken into custody. Jair Bolsonaro Lula won the presidential election in October 2022, defeating the far-right incumbent Jair Bolsonaro, and took office in January last year. Thousands of Bolsonaro supporters stormed government buildings in Brasilia on January 8 last year. Several investigations have been opened into those events as well as other alleged plots to prevent Lula from taking office. A federal police investigation will conclude that Bolsonaro conspired to engineer the attempted coup after he lost the election, a source with direct knowledge of the investigations told the Reuters news agency in October. The probe is expected to finish its work this month. The Brazilian army monitored the federal operation against the coup plotters, which was carried out in the states of Rio de Janeiro, Goias, Amazonas and the Federal District. The police said the suspects under investigation had planned for an “Institutional Crisis Management Office” to be installed to manage problems arising from the coup. They also planned to seize and kill a Supreme Court justice if they succeeded, police said without naming the judge. Adblock test (Why?)
EU court starts hearing case over Hungary’s alleged anti-LGBTQ law
The EU alleges the Hungarian law undermines core human rights values while Budapest says it wants to protect children. The top court in the European Union has started hearing a case that marks a major confrontation between Hungary and the bloc over a law criticised as being anti-LGBTQ. A lawyer for the European Commission, which in December 2022 referred the case to the Court of Justice, told the tribunal on Tuesday that the legislation was a “massive and flagrant violation of several important EU rules”. “This is a frontal and serious attack on the rule of law and more generally on European society.” The Hungarian Child Protection Act is legislation approved by the Central European country in 2021 with the ostensible goal of safeguarding children from harm, including by imposing a zero-tolerance policy for convicted paedophiles. But it also puts restrictions on depictions of homosexuality and gender reassignment in media and educational content made for children under 18, prompting outrage from activists and many politicians in other EU countries who criticised the law for stigmatising LGBTQ people and equating same-sex relations to paedophilia. The European Parliament in April adopted a resolution that strongly condemned the law and alleges it works towards dismantling democracy and the rule of law in Hungary. Sixteen of the 27 member states of the bloc, including France and Germany, also joined in on the legal action taken against Budapest in what has been described as the largest human rights case in EU history. They believe the law is modelled after a similar piece of legislation enacted in Russia, which was declared unlawful by the European Court of Human Rights in 2017. In Hungary, bookstores and shops have received hefty fines for depicting blacklisted content after the government started implementing the legislation. The European Commission alleges the legislation violates core EU values on fighting discrimination and upholding human rights while undermining single market rules on services and audiovisual media. Budapest has dismissed the allegations, arguing that the law is meant to protect children and a referendum held on the subject favoured the legislation. If Hungary is found to be at fault by the Court of Justice, it could potentially be ordered to pay a large fine, or such a verdict could even lead to procedures that could suspend the country’s voting rights in EU meetings. Many EU countries have also been angered by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s close relations with Russia and delays in support for Ukraine since Moscow’s invasion of the country nearly three years ago. The EU has other legal proceedings under way against Hungary, including over its “sovereignty” and foreign influence law. Adblock test (Why?)
Democrats in disarray: Growing field in race to chair party
A Midwestern state party chair is off to a fast start in his bid to chair the Democratic National Committee (DNC). “I am running to serve as the Chair of the Democratic National Committee,” Ken Martin, head of the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party, announced Tuesday in a social media post. Martin becomes the second candidate to launch a bid to succeed current DNC Chair Jaime Harrison, who is not expected to seek a second four-year term early next year in the wake of this month’s major election setbacks for the Democrats up and down the ballot. WHO ELSE IS MULLING A BID TO STEER THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY Former two-term Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, a 2016 Democratic presidential candidate who for the past year has served as Social Security administration commissioner in President Biden’s administration, announced his candidacy on Monday. Martin, who has led the Minnesota Democrats for a dozen years, serves as a DNC vice chair and is also the leader of the association of state Democratic Party chairs. WOULD CALIFORNIANS LIKE VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS TO RUN FOR GOLDEN STATE GOVERNOR IN TWO YEARS? “When I took over @MinnesotaDFL, we were in debt and disarray. But we brought people together, built a winning coalition, and delivered results. I’m ready to get to work to rebuild our party,” Martin said in his social media post. In an accompanying video, Martin emphasized, “if you’re looking for a creature of D.C., that’s not me. But I do know how the DNC works and how it isn’t working.” He stressed that Democrats “need to reconnect our ideas — which we know are popular in red, blue and purple states across this country — back to our party and to our candidates.” Martin said he started his bid for DNC chair with the backing of over 80 DNC members. The next DNC chair will be chosen by the roughly 450 voting members of the national party committee. O’Malley, in launching his bid, highlighted that “we must connect our Party with the most important place in America — the kitchen table of every family’s home. Jobs, Opportunity, and Economic Security for all. Getting things done. Hope. A 50 state strategy. Now,” O’Malley emphasized in a social media post. While O’Malley and Martin are the first two candidates to launch bids, others are expected to follow, as the Democrats try to rebound after losing the White House and Senate in the 2024 elections and failing to recapture the House of Representatives. Another potential contender is Ben Wikler, chair of the Wisconsin Democratic Party.
Washington state Democrat pushes to give homeless special civil rights
A Democratic state representative in Washington state is pushing legislation that aims to make homelessness a civil right, according to a report. State Rep. Mia Gregerson is promoting a bill that would make homeless people a protected class and shield them from “discrimination based on housing status,” according to a draft of the bill obtained by “The Jason Rantz Show” on KTTH. “[M]any communities within Washington are enacting and enforcing laws that disproportionately impact homelessness or make living in public a crime,” the legislation reads. “These laws are potentially unconstitutional, make it harder for people to exit homelessness, do not solve the underlying problem of homelessness, and waste precious public funds.” The bill comes in response to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Grants Pass v. Johnson, in which the nation’s high court held that the Eighth Amendment’s protection against cruel and unusual punishment does not prevent a city from enforcing public-camping ordinances against the homeless. SAN FRANCISCO RESIDENTS LOOK TOWARDS FUTURE AFTER FIRING DEM MAYOR IN EFFORT TO CLEAN UP HOMELESSNESS, DRUGS The drafted legislation says it would grant the homeless “the right to survive in a nonobstructive manner” on public property, including plazas, courtyards, parking lots, sidewalks, public transportation facilities and services and room or areas within public buildings that are open to the public and during normal operating hours. It further states the homeless would be allowed to live on public property when “that person has no reasonable alternative but to survive in public space and existing shelter facilities within the local government’s jurisdiction are inadequate in number or are functionally inaccessible.” HOMELESS IN VERMONT CITY SEND CHILLING WARNING ABOUT WHAT HOUSING/DRUG CRISIS WILL DO TO CITY: ‘LIKE SAN FRAN’ Kevin Schilling, the mayor of Burien, a suburban city in Gregerson’s district, told “The Jason Rantz Show” that he was “disappointed” that the representative did not consult the City Council or city before drafting the legislation. “My hope is the legislature this year works to offer support to cities by expanding substance use disorder programs, emergency shelter capacity, and law enforcement assistance so that each element of this issue can be tackled accordingly,” he said. Fox News Digital has reached out to Gregerson’s office for comment but did not immediately hear back.