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‘Especially heinous’: White House responds to NYC Labor Day protesters waving Hamas, Hezbollah flags

‘Especially heinous’: White House responds to NYC Labor Day protesters waving Hamas, Hezbollah flags

The White House strongly condemned pro-Hamas and pro-Hezbollah protesters who took to the streets in New York City on Labor Day with flags donning the terror groups’ insignia. “As President Biden and Vice President Harris have said, there is absolutely no place in America for the poison of Antisemitism – none. They and the entire Biden-Harris Administration condemn any individual associating with the repugnant terrorist organization Hamas,” White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates said in a statement Monday evening. Bates added that the protest demonstration including the terror groups flag was “especially heinous” considering it landed on the same day as the funeral for Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who was one of the six dead Hamas hostages found by Israeli forces over the weekend.    “It is especially heinous to express support for Hamas on the same day as the funeral for an innocent American hostage who they brutally murdered. This is a moment for all Americans to come together and stand against Antisemitism and against the sickening hate and evil that Hamas represents,” said Bates.  HAMAS TERRORISTS RELEASE FOOTAGE OF SIX SLAIN HOSTAGES, PROMISE TO SHARE ‘LAST MESSAGES’ The protest on Monday, dubbed, “Flood NYC for Gaza,” was organized by the group Within Our Lifetime. The group has led large protests in the Big Apple since Hamas’s massacre on Oct. 7, at times forcing roads, trains and even parts of the airport to shut down in response. Meanwhile, the group’s founder, Nerdeen Kiswani, has called for the expulsion of “Zionists” from the city. The group has been charged as being antisemitic by critics. Thousands of demonstrators gathered at Union Square in Manhattan on Monday, before beginning a march to Washington Square Park. Scenes from the rally showed rally goers waving the flags of various anti-Israel terror groups, including Hamas. COWARDLY AND UNACCEPTABLE’: PROGRESSIVE NYC DEM CONDEMNS VIOLENT ANTI-ISRAEL PROTEST “Resistance is justified when people are occupied,” the protesters could be heard chanting, according to The New York Post, which indicated four people were ultimately arrested. The Labor Day protest is not the first time Within Our Lifetime has organized protests where terror symbols have appeared. Back in June, the group held at least two anti-Israel protests in New York City that included protesters waving Hamas’ flag, carrying a Hezbollah flag and holding up a portrait of Hamas’s Gaza ruler and Oct. 7 massacre mastermind Yahya Sinwar, according to publicly available video from the protest shared on social media. At the time, following one of those protests that was held outside an exhibit commemorating those lost at the Nova Music Festival on Oct. 7, Democratic New York City Mayor Eric Adams called the symbolism that was present “pure antisemitism.” “Any New Yorker who stands for peace cannot stand next to those waving Hamas and Hezbollah flags, especially at an exhibit commemorating the victims of the Nova Music Festival massacre,” the mayor said.  Fox News Digital reached out to Within our Lifetime for comment but did not receive a response.

Cuomo to testify on COVID orders, nursing home deaths as spox predicts a ‘master class in gaslighting’

Cuomo to testify on COVID orders, nursing home deaths as spox predicts a ‘master class in gaslighting’

Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo will sit for a hearing Sept. 10 before the congressional subcommittee tasked with probing the coronavirus pandemic, the panel announced Tuesday. Cuomo, one of the most visible governors during the height of the pandemic, was lambasted for implementing stringent social and economic restrictions throughout the Empire State.  He also was blamed for thousands of COVID-related deaths that occurred in nursing homes, which a 2023 report from the NYS Department of Health calculated to be 826 in Suffolk County, 813 in Erie County – which includes Buffalo — and 623 in Queens County. “Mr. Cuomo will be questioned about his Administration’s issuance of unscientific guidance that forced New York nursing homes and long-term care facilities to admit COVID-19 positive patients,” an announcement for the hearing read. CUOMO ALLEGATIONS HAVE NEW YORK DEMOCRATS GOING AFTER EACH OTHER ‘MORE THAN THE ROYAL FAMILY’: GAETZ Cuomo, a Democrat, previously sat for a seven-hour transcribed interview with the subcommittee. The panel also interviewed Cuomo’s former secretary, Melissa DeRosa, and then-NYS Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., a Staten Island lawmaker who sits on the subcommittee, said in an interview Tuesday that Cuomo still refuses to take responsibility for his orders and their repercussions. She recounted how no one in Albany could point to exactly where the order partitioning nursing home patients came from. “We still don’t know who approved that directive because the governor saying he didn’t know about it, he’s claiming that [Zucker] knew about it before it went out. And yet somehow they’ve been unable to identify who the person was that approved it and issued it, which is so negligent for a directive like that to go out without the health commissioner approving it at minimum,” she said. The New York lawmaker also pointed to then-President Donald Trump dispatching a military medical ship to New York Harbor, the Jacob Javits Center, and the availability of a mental hospital in her district for the purposes of treating and partitioning serious COVID-19 patients. “They weren’t being used. So why you have that directive in place, forcing the nursing home to take the COVID positive patients, even when you had alternatives? That was a big failure because at that point he was very clear about this directive.” SUNUNU NAMES THE TWO GOVERNORS ALL THE OTHERS ‘HATE’ When asked how people in her district feel about the situation, Malliotakis said many had lost loved ones during the pandemic from “preventable deaths.” “They were a result of putting COVID-positive patients in nursing homes. And that was based on a directive and mandate by the Cuomo administration. And the buck stops with him, and he needs to be held accountable,” she said. “[He blamed] everybody but himself. No apology, no accountability. No remorse… the public deserves answers, and we’re going to push for them at this hearing.” However, a Cuomo spokesman told Fox News Digital, “the facts speak for themselves” when it comes to the former governor’s handling of COVID, calling congressional Republicans’ oversight a “master class in gaslighting.” “New York had a lower nursing home death pro-rata than all but 11 states,” said Rich Azzopardi. Azzopardi called the committee a “farce” and criticized it for being comprised of a “foot doctor” – referring to Chairman Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio, — “Trump’s personal physician” – former White House doctor; current Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, and “a representative with a Ph.D. in QAnon,” in regard to Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., “[The committee] refuse[s] to look in the mirror at their own anti-science policies that caused hundreds of thousands of unnecessary deaths or call the one witness who is most relevant and was supposed to lead the entire effort: Donald Trump,” Azzopardi said. While in office, Cuomo was at times questioned by the press on the matter. In one notable exchange during a July 2020 press conference, the governor was asked about a state report on nursing homes and why an independent investigator was not appointed. “I don’t believe your characterization is correct – I believe it is a political issue,” Cuomo shot back at the reporter. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Cuomo then went on to blame the New York Post and Fox News, as well as political motivations, for the issue’s prominence. “People died in nursing homes. That’s very unfortunate. Just on the topline, we are number 35th in the nation in percentage of deaths in nursing homes. Go talk to 34 other states first.” Cuomo was also criticized for interviews during the pandemic with his brother, Chris, on CNN. In one exchange, the siblings shared a laugh after Chris brandished two comically-large nasal swabs to suggest Andrew has exceptionally large nostrils.

Biden’s ‘insanely weird story’ about great-grandfather, violent secret society sparks debate

Biden’s ‘insanely weird story’ about great-grandfather, violent secret society sparks debate

President Biden delivered an anecdote to union workers at a Harris-Walz campaign event in Pennsylvania, saying that his great-grandfather was accused of being a member of a violent Irish secret society, in what social media commenters called an “insanely weird story.”  “I remember when my great-grandfather was only the second Catholic elected statewide in the state Senate here in Pennsylvania,” Biden told Harris-Walz supporters on Labor Day at a union hall in Pittsburgh. “And I remember they talked about — when they’d run against him in 1906 — they said, ‘Guess what? He’s a Molly Maguire.’” The Molly Maguires were an Irish secret society that operated in Ireland, parts of England and in Biden’s homestate of Pennsylvania. In the Keystone State, they were known as a band of Irish immigrants who would attack, and sometimes allegedly murder, anti-Irish Catholic mine owners.  “A lot of the English owned the coal mines,” Biden said. “And what they did was they really beat the hell out of the mostly Catholic population in the mines. Not a joke.” COMER REVEALS WHITE HOUSE PHYSICIAN WAS INVOLVED IN BIDEN FAMILY BUSINESS DEALS, DEMANDS HE TESTIFY Biden went on to explain how the Molly Maguires would defend Catholic immigrants targeted by Protestant mine owners and foremen.  “And Molly Maguires, if they found out the foreman was taking advantage of an individual, they would literally kill him. Not a joke. And they would bring his body up and put him on the doorstep of his family,” he said.  IS PRESIDENT BIDEN TAKING TOO MANY VACATIONS? “Kind of crude, but I gotta admit they accused my great-grandfather of being a Molly Maguire — he wasn’t, but we were so damn disappointed,” Biden quipped, sparking laughter from the union workers. “That was a joke. That was a joke,” Biden then said to the crowd.  The Molly Maguires have an infamous and debated history in Pennsylvania, which included the 1877 execution of six men allegedly involved with the secret society in Pennsylvania.  Social media commenters said the anecdote was an “insanely weird story” on X, while others accused the president of repeating a “tall tale.” Fox News Digital reached out to the White House regarding social media claims that it was unlikely the great-grandfather was suspected to be a member of the secret society as he would have been a teenager during the Molly Maguires’ hey-day in Pennsylvania. The White House directed Fox News Digital to an Irish America Magazine article that previously reported on Biden’s great-grandfather and his ties to Pennsylvania and the Molly Maguires.  The publication Irish America reported in 2020 that Biden’s great-grandfather, Edward Francis Blewitt, had deep roots set in Biden’s hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania, at the turn of the century. Blewitt served as chairman of the Saint Patrick’s Day Parade in 1897, was elected to the state senate in 1906 and co-founded the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick in Scranton in 1908. The article detailed that Biden’s great-great-grandfather James Finnegan moved to Scranton, home to the Molly Maguires, and that his son was rumored to be a member of the secret society.  “Rumored to be a member of the Molly Maguires was Biden’s great-grandfather Edward Francis Blewitt, a native of Louisiana whose parents Patrick and Catherine (nee Scanlon) Blewitt were from Ballina, Co Mayo.” it continued.  BIDEN CLAIMS NETANYAHU NOT DOING ENOUGH TO SECURE DEAL WITH TERRORISTS Biden has also previously cited his grand-grandfather while on the campaign trail, including in 2008 when he was running as then-Sen. Barack Obama’s presidential running mate. “I hope you won’t hold it against me, but I am a hard-coal miner, anthracite coal, Scranton, Pa.,” he said in 2008 in Virginia.   “It’s nice to be back in coal country. … It’s a different accent [in Southwest Virginia] … but it’s the same deal. We were taught that our faith and our family was the only really important thing, and our faith and our family informed everything we did.” BIDEN TEAMS UP WITH HARRIS ON CAMPAIGN TRAIL FOR 1ST TIME SINCE DROPPING RE-ELECTION BID AGAINST TRUMP He added of his great-grandfather’s alleged connection to the Molly Maguires, “He went out of his way to prove that he wasn’t, and we were all praying that he was.” Biden dropped out of the presidential race in July, as concerns mounted around his mental acuity and traditional Democratic allies in Congress and in the media called on him to step aside for another candidate. Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris shortly after bowing out of the race, catapulting her to the top of the ticket. Harris became the Democratic Party’s official nominee last month in Chicago during the DNC.  Biden’s appearance on Monday in Pittsburgh marked the first time he hit the campaign trail in support of Harris since dropping out.  Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

California Dems kill GOP bid to exempt tips from taxes

California Dems kill GOP bid to exempt tips from taxes

California’s Democratic-controlled legislature axed a Republican proposal that would have exempted tipped-income from state income taxes, striking down a policy proposal similar to ones endorsed by Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. “It is deeply disappointing that the legislature chose not to consider a proposal that could have provided much-needed relief to California’s workers,” Republican State Sen. Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh, who introduced the measure, said in a press release after it was defeated. Ochoa Bogh introduced the amendment in California’s Senate on Thursday that would have exempted service industry workers with a state tax exemption on tips, but the proposal was voted down on a mostly party line vote without discussion or debate by the Democratic majority. TRUMP PLEDGES TO ELIMINATE TAXES ON TIPS FOR SERVICE WORKERS DURING LAS VEGAS RALLY “With Californians facing one of the highest costs of living in the nation, our service and hospitality industry employees are particularly burdened by a tax system that leaves them struggling to make ends meet,” Ochoa Bogh said. “They deserve better, and today’s decision is a missed opportunity to support those who need it most.” The attempt to exempt tips from taxes in the state comes as both Trump and Harris have expressed support for federal tax legislation that would exempt tipped-income on the campaign trail. Trump was the first to champion the proposal during a June rally in Nevada, while Harris, who started her political career in California, echoed a similar sentiment during an August rally in Las Vegas. According to a press release by California Senate Republicans, the proposal in that state was aimed at helping service workers navigate California’s “unsustainable tax burden,” allowing workers who rely heavily on tipped-income to have more take-home pay. REPUBLICANS BLAST BIDEN ADMIN OVER PLAN TO CRACK DOWN ON WAITERS’ TIPS All nine Republican state senators supported the amendment, while almost all the state’s Democratic senators, except for Senate President Pro Tempore Mike McGuire and State Sen. Nancy Skinner, voted in opposition. McGuire and Skinner voted to abstain. “The negligence involved in a refusal to even debate a policy issue of this magnitude cannot be overstated,” Republican Senate Minority Leader Brian W. Jones said in the release. “Legislative Democrats knew they were on the wrong side of this important issue, so they chose to sweep it under the rug rather than do the right thing for working Californians. The push to eliminate the federal tip tax has made its way to the campaign stage for both major party’s this year, yet California Democrat politicians don’t believe it be even worthy to discuss at the state level for residents here.”  McGuire’s office did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment on the Democratic majority’s opposition to the amendment.

Biden jokes about being disappointed his ancestor wasn’t part of group that killed oppressive mine foremen

Biden jokes about being disappointed his ancestor wasn’t part of group that killed oppressive mine foremen

President Biden joked he was once “disappointed” to find out his great-grandfather was not part of a violent group that killed bigoted mine foremen. The president spoke about his ancestor, Edward Francis Blewitt, during a rally in support of Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris in Pittsburgh on Monday. “I remember when my great-grandfather was only the second Catholic elected statewide in the state Senate here in Pennsylvania,” Biden told the audience. “And I remember they talked about – when they’d run against him in 1906 – they said, ‘Guess what? He’s a Molly Maguire.’” BIDEN TEAMS UP WITH HARRIS ON CAMPAIGN TRAIL FOR 1ST TIME SINCE DROPPING RE-ELECTION BID AGAINST TRUMP “A lot of the English owned the coal mines and what they did was they really beat the hell out of the mostly Catholic population in the mines. Not a joke,” Biden continued. “But there was a group they called the Molly Maguires. And Molly Maguires, if they found out the foreman was taking advantage of an individual, they would literally kill him. Not a joke. And they would bring his body up and put him on the doorstep of his family.” Harris nodded along as the president told the story of his maternal ancestor, an anecdote he previously used while on the campaign trial with former President Barack Obama. “Kind of crude, but I gotta admit they accused my great-grandfather of being a Molly Maguire – he wasn’t, but we were so damn disappointed,” Biden told the audience before assuring them, “That was a joke. That was a joke.” MARGIN OF ERROR RACE BETWEEN HARRIS AND TRUMP AS 2024 ELECTION ENTERS FINAL STRETCH The Library of the Pennsylvania Senate confirms that Blewitt was the second Catholic person elected to the state assembly in 1907; he followed William McSherry, who served from 1813-1817. Biden’s appearance in Pittsburgh marks a return from approximately a week of low profile vacationing in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.  That vacation immediately followed an entire separate six-day getaway to Democratic Party donor Joe Kiani’s California ranch estate. Biden cleared his work schedule ahead of the multi-week holiday. Biden’s disastrous performance against former President Donald Trump in their late June debate turned up the volume on existing concerns from Americans that the 81-year-old president would have the physical and mental stamina to handle another four years in the White House.  It also sparked a rising chorus of calls from top Democratic Party allies and elected officials for Biden to drop out of the race, which he did on July 21 before almost immediately endorsing Harris. Most of the latest national surveys show Harris with a slight single-digit edge over Trump, but the presidential election is not a national popular vote contest. It is a battle for the individual states and their electoral votes. Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.