White House slammed for ‘pathetic,’ ‘shameful’ statement on deaths of Rachel Morin and Jocelyn Nungaray
Republicans put the White House on blast Friday for a pair of statements on the deaths of Rachel Morin and Jocelyn Nungaray that did not acknowledge that both were allegedly killed by illegal immigrants. The statements, issued days apart this week, offered “condolences” to the victims’ families, but declined to comment on active law enforcement investigations. In each case, the White House said anyone found guilty of crimes “should be held accountable, to the fullest extent of the law.” Earlier this month, authorities arrested 23-year-old Victor Antonio Martinez Hernandez, a native of El Salvador who entered the U.S. illegally and is accused of being behind the murder of Morin, a 37-year-old mother of five who was found brutally raped and murdered near a Maryland hiking trail in August. “We extend our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Rachel Morin,” a White House spokesperson told Fox News Digital on Tuesday. “We cannot comment on active law enforcement cases. But fundamentally, we believe that people should be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law if they are found to be guilty.” BIDEN OFFERS ‘CONDOLENCES’ BUT NO SOLUTION AFTER LATEST ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT MURDER ALLEGATION In Houston, the body of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray was found Monday in a creek. Johan Jose Rangel Martinez, 21, and Franklin Jose Pena Ramos, 26, both Venezuelan migrants, are accused of strangling the girl to death, according to the Houston Police Department. A White House spokesperson told NBC News Friday, “Our hearts go out to the family and loved ones of Jocelyn Nungaray. “We cannot comment on active law enforcement cases,” the spokesperson continued. “But fundamentally, anyone found guilty of this type of heinous and shocking crime should be held accountable, to the fullest extent of the law.” Republicans lambasted the statements, issued days after each case made headlines, and criticized the Biden administration’s border policies. “Crooked Joe Biden is a disgrace,” the Trump campaign said Friday on social media. “The brutal murders of these Americans is on the hands of Biden — and the evil Biden migrants he released into our country.” MARYLAND DEMS MOURN MOM ALLEGEDLY MURDERED BY ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT BUT BACK BIDEN’S BORDER ORDER “Shameful,” said Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala. “Innocent people murdered by illegal immigrants and the @WhiteHouse still REFUSES to accept responsibility.” “Pathetic,” wrote Kim George, a GOP candidate for Congress in Arizona’s 1st Congressional District. “Weak leadership is to blame for these senseless deaths. Nothing can be said to change what happened, but the families deserve better. They deserve #justice.” The deaths of Morin and Nungaray, and the alleged murder of Georgia college student Laken Riley by an illegal immigrant before them, has fueled GOP attacks on Biden’s immigration policies. The White House and Biden campaign, in turn, have accused Republicans of undermining border security after a bipartisan immigration bill failed in the Senate thanks to GOP opposition. Former President Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, reportedly encouraged his allies in the Senate to tank the deal. “Donald Trump is making Americans less safe by blocking the border deal,” the Biden campaign told Fox News Digital in a statement. MOTHER OF RACHEL MORIN: THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION DOESN’T ‘VALUE LIFE’ However, the GOP-controlled House Committee on Homeland Security on Friday released an analysis that pointed to several Biden border policies they claim allowed these tragedies to happen. The committee called out the White House and Department of Homeland Security for reversing many of Trump’s policies, including reinstating catch-and-release and ending the requirement for asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico for their claims to be processed. It also claimed the administration has not requested the necessary funds to increase detention space or use the existing space authorized by Congress. As for the bipartisan Senate deal, House Republicans claimed it would still have permitted the suspected Venezuelan nationals to commit their alleged crimes by permitting them to enter the country if they were among the first 5,000 people encountered on any given day before a week of encounters recorded at that level. “My heart aches for these women and their families and loved ones. These tragedies could have been avoided if the Biden administration would simply enforce the laws they swore to uphold. It’s truly that simple,” said Homeland Security Chairman Mark Green, R-Tenn. “Americans no longer feel safe in their own communities and neighborhoods. It does not have to be this way. Our Committee will continue to do everything possible to ensure justice for these victims, and accountability for the public officials ultimately responsible for these tragedies.” Under fire for his handling of the situation at the border in recent months, the president has announced multiple executive actions aimed at reforming America’s immigration system. The most recent action, which was announced Tuesday and offers a pathway to legal status for some half a million undocumented spouses and family members of U.S. citizens, has been panned by critics who argue it will further incentivize illegal crossings. “The president may think our homeland security is some kind of game that he can try to use for political points, but Americans know this amnesty plan will only incentivize more illegal immigration and endanger Americans,” Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said after Biden’s announcement. Fox News Digital’s Michael Lee, Louis Casiano, Bill Melugin and Griff Jenkins contributed to this report.
RFK Jr. files paperwork to get on the ballot in Pennsylvania
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has filed paperwork in Pennsylvania to appear on the ballot in this November’s presidential election. The Pennsylvania elections office confirmed Kennedy filed the materials on Thursday, well ahead of the Aug. 1 deadline. The Keystone State is a crucial battleground in the 2024 presidential election and Kennedy’s entry could complicate President Biden and former President Donald Trump’s campaigns. ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR MAKES THE BALLOT IN A KEY PRESIDENTIAL BATTLEGROUND STATE Polls show Kennedy maintains around 10% support in national polls and has seen numbers as high as 15%. Strategists have debated whether Kennedy’s surprising success with citizens disenchanted with the Democratic and Republican parties will pull votes away from Trump or Biden. Kennedy’s independent run has the potential to tip the scales in either direction in states where Trump and Biden are neck-and-neck. TRUMP MOCKS RFK JR FOR NOT MAKING DEBATE STAGE: ‘MAYBE SOMEDAY’ Kennedy failed to meet the requirements to appear at the first presidential debate of the 2024 cycle, hosted by CNN. The independent candidate was only able to produce the necessary 15% support figure in three separate national polls, according to a news release by CNN. The network also reported that Kennedy hadn’t qualified for the ballot in enough states to meet the 270 possible electoral college votes threshold. Kennedy claims to have fulfilled the requirements necessary to appear on 22 different state ballots, though not all states have publicly corroborated. “Presidents Biden and Trump do not want me on the debate stage and CNN illegally agreed to their demand,” Kennedy said in a statement on Thursday. “My exclusion by Presidents Biden and Trump from the debate is undemocratic, un-American, and cowardly.”
DOJ indictment against Texas doctor has ‘serious free speech concerns,’ health care defense attorney warns
Dr. Eithan Haim, the Texas physician who admits to having leaked hospital records alleging that doctors were performing transgender medical procedures on children and has pleaded not guilty to four felony counts related to the disclosure, has vowed to fight the charges and considers himself a whistleblower – albeit one who could spend a decade behind bars. While Haim said he is trying to remain positive and contends that federal trials “are unpredictable,” the Department of Justice (DOJ) is rarely bested and boasts a 99.6% conviction rate. Still, Haim views the legal battle ahead of him as a necessary one. “Doctors and nurses are the last pillar holding up this whole house of cards,” he told Fox News Digital. “Once that falls, these people are going to have to face a reckoning of the consequences of their actions that they had participated in and proliferated the greatest medical crime in human history.” DOJ UNSEALS INDICTMENT AGAINST TEXAS DOCTOR WHO BLEW WHISTLE ON GENDER-AFFIRMING CARE FOR MINORS Health care defense attorney Ron Chapman also believes Haim has a strong case on freedom of speech grounds, since the leaked documents were of public interest amid a major ongoing cultural clash. “It’s got serious free speech concerns when we see that the purpose was to produce information to the public, because he probably didn’t trust the Department of Justice for this information,” he said. “That’s why he didn’t send it to them. He trusted the press, and so I think that there’s a pretty significant free speech defense here.” Chapman said it also appears as if the government is going out of its way to prosecute Haim. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) lacks criminal penalties for violations and falls under the purview of the Office of Civil Rights within the Department of Justice for investigation. Infractions typically result in fines being levied against hospitals or facilities. “While the government may technically have the ability to prove the elements here because of the nature of the access, I think there are going to be a lot of very solid defense arguments in this case that the intent was not for an unlawful purpose, that there was no attempt to make money off of this or scam anybody, but it was for a legitimate public concern, and that really should be for First Amendment protected conduct,” Chapman said. PARENTS GROUP REACT TO STUDY SHOWING PUBERTY BLOCKERS COULD CAUSE PERMANENT PROBLEMS IN BOYS: ‘UNFORGIVABLE’ But statutes signed this year by President Biden could prove a significant obstacle. Biden signed an executive order in April that protects Americans’ personal information. The order was intended as part of the effort to stomp out the popular social media app TikTok amid a raft of national security concerns. But Chapman said, “When there’s that regulation in existence, unauthorized access without specific permission then becomes a crime.” “You have just created a behemoth that can target any individual who decides to shed light on something, and openness should be the goal of our country, not silos and secrecy,” he added. “I still remain very concerned that this is something that even resulted in federal criminal charges, much less multiple federal criminal charges with such drastic consequences.” The DOJ unsealed the indictment against Haim on Monday. The charges were related to HIPAA violations stemming from Haim’s allegations that the Texas Children’s Hospital was secretly conducting transgender procedures and treatments on minors. The previously sealed indictment, filed May 29 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, accused Haim of attempting to re-activate his login credentials under false pretenses after they had expired due to a lack of activity. The indictment by U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani alleges that Haim “obtained unauthorized individually identifiable health HIPAA protected information on pediatric patients” and “caused malicious harm to TCH, pediatric patients at TCH and its physicians by contacting a media contact.” If found guilty, Haim could be sentenced to a maximum of 10 years in federal prison. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000. BOSTON CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL DIRECTOR CALLS FOR DRASTIC INCREASE IN CAPACITY FOR GENDER SURGERIES FOR MINORS The indictment accuses Haim of illegally accessing personal information from the hospital’s electronic system. This included patient names, treatment codes and attending physicians. Through the documents, Haim said he discovered that the Houston-based children’s hospital was continuing to perform transgender medical procedures – such as those involving implantable puberty blockers – according to the original report. The children’s hospital in 2022 said it would cease performing transgender procedures on children. That announcement came after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said some of the medical interventions could be considered child abuse under state law. The hospital did not respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment. Haim, who said he has refused to take a plea agreement, told Fox News Digital that he was first approached at his door by FBI agents in June 2023. During the course of the next six months, Haim said he decided to take the case public. CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “The problem is that if you legitimize this corruption in this process, then you shut the door for every other whistleblower in the country within the health care system,” Haim said. “But with that choice, you empower these individuals, because you grant them the legitimacy which they do not deserve, right? “So, even though the stakes are the highest possible stakes – my freedom – when you consider it in those terms, of course it’s what we have to do. Because the alternative is something to be so much more afraid of.” Fox News Digital’s Kristine Parks contributed to this report.
Trump endorses Ten Commandments in Louisiana schools: ‘Revival of religion’
Former President Donald Trump expressed enthusiastic support for displaying the Ten Commandments in public and private schools, calling for a “religious revival” in the U.S. Trump made te comments on Friday via his proprietary social media platform, Truth Social, following high profile stories covering Louisiana’s recent mandate to display the text in schools. “I LOVE THE TEN COMMANDMENTS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, PRIVATE SCHOOLS, AND MANY OTHER PLACES, FOR THAT MATTER. READ IT — HOW CAN WE, AS A NATION, GO WRONG???” Trump asked in the post, which was typed in all caps. LOUISIANA GOVERNOR DEFENDS 10 COMMANDMENTS IN SCHOOLS MANDATE: ‘THE US IS FOUNDED ON JUDEO-CHRISTIAN VALUES’ Trump continued, “THIS MAY BE, IN FACT, THE FIRST MAJOR STEP IN THE REVIVAL OF RELIGION, WHICH IS DESPERATELY NEEDED, IN OUR COUNTRY. BRING BACK TTC!!! MAGA2024.” Louisiana is the first state to require the display of the Ten Commandments in every public school classroom after Republican Gov. Jeff Landry signed a bill into law Wednesday. Under the legislation, H.B. 71, a poster-sized display of the Ten Commandments in “large, easily readable font” is required in all public classrooms, from kindergartens to state-funded universities. Over the weekend, Landry touted the bill at a fundraiser in Tennessee. The displays, which will be paired with a four-paragraph “context statement” describing how the Ten Commandments “were a prominent part of American public education for almost three centuries,” must be in place in classrooms by the start of 2025. TEXAS LT. GOV. DAN PATRICK PLEDGES TO PASS TEN COMMANDMENTS BILL AFTER LOUISIANA PASSES SIMILAR LAW The Ten Commandments are a list of decrees believed to have been revealed by God to the Jewish prophet Moses on Mount Sinai, outlining fundamental ethical laws. The first and most important commandment is to acknowledge God’s nature as supreme deity of the universe, while subsequent commandments include directives not to kill, steal, commit adultery, or covet the goods of another. Other commandments direct humanity to honor the Sabbath and respect one’s parents. Critics accuse the law of violating the First Amendment by compelling religious texts in public institutions. The American Civil Liberties Union has already announced their intention to challenge the mandate — pointing to a previous U.S. Supreme Court decision in Kentucky in 1980, in which the high court struck down a similar mandate for the display of the Ten Commandments outside courthouses on First Amendment grounds. Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has pledged to pass a Ten Commandments mandate in his own state, and Oklahoma lawmakers are considering a similar bill. Trump’s comments on the need for a “religious revival” in the U.S. are some of his most stridently pro-religious remarks to date. Trump’s policy agenda and respect for Evangelical Christians’ concerns has made him a popular choice for religious-minded voters, but the former president has remained vague about the specifics of his own beliefs. Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano contributed to this report.
Delhi-NCR witness hike in CNG price, rates in other cities increased by…
The cost of CNG has been hiked by one rupee per kilogramme. Following this rise, CNG will now cost Rs 75.09 per kilogramme instead of Rs 74.09 in the nation’s capital, New Delhi.
NEET scam: Who is paper leak mastermind Sanjeev Mukhiya, whose son is in jail, wife in politics? Know all about him
As the probe intensifies, more details are emerging about the accused, particularly the mastermind Sanjeev Mukhia
NEET, UGC-NET row: Centre forms high-level panel headed by ex-ISRO chief for fair conduct of exams
The committee will make recommendations on reform in the mechanism of the examination process, improvement in data security protocols and structure and functioning of NTA
Democratic strategist sounds warning for Biden after poll shows single-digit lead over Trump in New York
A new poll that shows former President Trump down by only single digits to President Biden in deep blue New York should set off alarm bells, according to longtime Democratic strategist Hank Sheinkopf. “What it tells you is that people are generally dissatisfied,” Sheinkopf told Fox News Digital in an interview Friday. “We’re now under five months away from the election. They’re not happy about taxes. They’re not happy about crime. They’re not happy about the state of disorder. And generally, when there is disorder, the out party tends to benefit, whether it be Republicans or Democrats.” Sheinkopf, who has worked on more than 700 political campaigns, said the results from the recent Siena College poll that showed an eight percentage-point spread between Biden and Trump in New York, 47%-39%, point to how a significant number of voters dislike both candidates. “People are not worried about the former president’s convictions,” he said of Trump, who was found guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records last month in New York court. TRUMP PULLS WITHIN SINGLE DIGITS IN DEEP BLUE STATE BIDEN WON BY 23 POINTS IN 2020 “What they’re worried about is the present set of circumstances. They’re not happy about Trump. Frankly, if you look at the ‘hating them both’ kind of grouping, which appears in polls all the time, they’re not happy about Biden. They don’t know what to do, so they’re not making a decision. That’s why they’re locked in the center in so many places, and they’re locked in close numbers when they shouldn’t be in states that Biden should be winning handily.” If the election results in November are anywhere close to the snapshot in the Siena College poll, it would be a historic showing for a GOP presidential candidate in New York and a sign of deep trouble for Biden, who won the state by 23 points in 2020. “While Biden maintains the support of three-quarters of Democrats, Trump has support from 85% of Republicans and leads Biden 45%-28% with independents,” Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg said in a statement. “A gender gap has reopened as men support Trump 46%-42% and women favor Biden 51%-33%. White voters are evenly divided. And while Biden has a commanding lead with non-White voters, Trump garners support from 29% of Black and 26% of Latino voters,” he added. WHAT THE LAST FOX NEWS NATIONAL POLL SHOWS IN THE 2024 BIDEN-TRUMP REMATCH The survey of registered voters in New York showed Biden’s job approval rating at 45% approve to 53% disapprove, and his favorability underwater at 42% favorable to 53% unfavorable, his lowest numbers yet recorded by Siena College. While the numbers aren’t good for Biden, they’re even lower for Trump, a native New Yorker. The former president stands at 37% favorable and 59% unfavorable, according to the survey. Even so, the closer-than-expected gap between a Democratic incumbent and Republican challenger echoes the surprisingly strong showing by New York Republicans in 2022’s gubernatorial contest, when Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul defeated former GOP Rep. Lee Zeldin by just 6.4 percentage points, the closest margin since 1994. Zeldin told Fox News Digital that the Siena College poll is consistent with other recent polls that show Biden trending down in the Empire State. An Emerson College/The Hill/PIX11 poll last month showed Biden with just a seven percentage-point lead over Trump, 48%-41%. “If New York is polling this close, that bodes well for polling in other states that have a much closer party registration between Republicans and Democrats,” Zeldin said. TRUMP HOLDS LARGE LEAD OVER BIDEN IN STATE OBAMA WON TWICE He said issues that New Yorkers care about, including immigration and the economy, have trended to the right since he ran for governor. “The border crisis was in the top three issues for many New Yorkers who now have that issue as their number one issue. [New York City Mayor] Eric Adams’ numbers are worse. Kathy Hochul’s numbers are worse. Joe Biden’s numbers are worse. So as far as the Democratic brand and profile of Democratic elected officials, that is also very helpful for the Trump campaign,” said Zeldin. But could New York really be in play for Trump? The presumptive Republican nominee has insisted he will win the state, but Sheinkopf remains skeptical. “Trump has to somehow convince people that he’s not reckless. And Biden has to somehow convince people that he steered the ship well, that the economy isn’t as bad as people might think. In fact, it’s really not. Inflation is down, jobs are up, but people feel insecure,” he said. Biden and Trump will each have the opportunity to make their respective cases at the CNN Presidential Debate in Atlanta on Thursday. Sheinkopf said that for Biden to perform well, he will need to speak clearly and appear strong. “Every word that he says will be parsed. He is the President of the United States, the most powerful man on the planet, versus Trump, who was the most powerful man on the planet, who somehow continues to function, raising lots of money and being credible even though he’s a convicted felon. “We’ve never had anything like this before. [If] the president can’t show strength, it won’t matter whether Trump’s been a convicted felon or not. That is what’s so extraordinary.” Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Jagan Reddy slams Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu after YSRCP office demolition, terms it ‘vendetta politics’
The Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority demolished the under-construction YSR Congress Party central office in Guntur.
Alabama election official says Biden executive order gives illegal immigrants ‘mechanism’ to register to vote
Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen is sounding the alarm about federal policies enacted by President Biden that he says provide illegal immigrants and non-citizens a “mechanism” to register to vote. In a recent interview with Fox News Digital, Allen pointed to Executive Order 14019, which was issued in 2021, arguing the Biden administration’s broad interpretation of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) of 1993 “weaponizes and mobilizes the entire federal government apparatus to become voter registration agencies.” The secretary said his office first began looking into the matter after receiving a complaint from a concerned voter who received a voter registration form in the mail from an Alabama state agency addressed to a deceased relative who had passed away two years ago. Investigating further, Allen said his office discovered that state agencies, including Medicaid and other welfare offices that receive funding from the federal government, are required to provide voter registration forms to anyone who comes into contact with that agency under the NVRA. That includes illegal immigrants and non-citizens, Allen said, arguing how the 2021 executive order came without tools to verify the forms are sent to only U.S. citizens. ‘POLITICAL PANDERING’: GOP LAWMAKERS RIP BIDEN’S ‘MASS AMNESTY’ ORDER AS ELECTION-YEAR PLOY These individuals receive information on voter registration regardless of whether they are ultimately approved to receive the public benefits they applied for, he said. “And that’s why it’s so vitally important that the federal government, Congress, reform the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 and then allow the states to conduct their own voter registration, take it out of the hands of the federal government,” Allen said. “It’s through state agencies that are federally funded and, of course, mandated by federal law, which is the National Voter Registration Act of 1993. And it doesn’t matter how they come in contact through the mail or through in-person or through online, if they are applying for these public benefits, if they come in contact with that agency, they are receiving the voter registration form. And that’s very, very troubling that non-citizens, whether legal or illegal immigrants, are receiving those voter registration forms.” “Only American citizens should be allowed to vote in our elections. And I strongly believe that the people of Alabama believe that only American citizens should be allowed to vote in our elections. And that’s something that I’m not going to back away from,” Allen said. “Something that we cannot back away from. And it’s something that we must remain strong in and continue to advocate for these reforms. Again, for the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, sensible reforms. And, and that’s why we’ve got to put President Trump back in the White House. That’s why we’ve got to have strong GOP majorities in the United States Senate and strong GOP majorities in the United States House of Representatives to make sure that we can reform the NVRA to put some protections in there to verify citizenship. It is imperative, moving forward, that we do that.” The White House billed Executive Order 14019 as a way to protect “the right to vote for all Americans who are legally entitled to participate in elections,” including Black voters or other voters of color. At the time, the Biden administration assessed that the order came as part of the responsibility of the federal government “to expand access to, and education about, voter registration and election information, and to combat misinformation, in order to enable all eligible Americans to participate in our democracy.” In March, Allen testified before the Senate Rules and Administration Committee about the limited tools available to state election officials to guarantee that only U.S. citizens are registering to vote or voting in elections. At the hearing, he testified how his office in December had asked the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services for a list of non-citizens to be able to cross‐check the voter file in Alabama. But the federal government denied that request and instead directed the Alabama secretary of state’s office to use the Systematic Alien Verification Entitlements (SAVE) program to verify citizenship. Yet, SAVE explicitly states that it is not to be used to verify citizenship for the purposes of voter registration, Allen testified. “The federal government and the federal courts have blocked previous efforts by states to verify citizenship and I think that it is important now more than ever, especially given what is happening at our southern border,” Allen told the committee. MORE THAN 500 NONCITIZENS REGISTERED TO VOTE IN DC COUNCIL ELECTIONS TUESDAY DESPITE HOUSE RECKONING Speaking with Fox News Digital on Monday, Allen advocated for two pieces of legislation at the federal level. First, he supported the Citizen Ballot Protection Act, which was first introduced by Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., in December and sponsored in the House by Rep. Gary Palmer, R-Ala. The proposal would permit a state to include as part of the mail voter registration form a requirement that applicants provide proof of citizenship. Secondly, Allen also praised the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, introduced just last month by Reps. Chip Roy, R-Texas, and Mike Lee, R-Utah. That legislation would require states to obtain proof of citizenship — in person — when registering an individual to vote and require states to remove non-citizens from existing voter rolls. “It’s a top priority of other secretaries of state of like mind, Republican secretaries of state, that we are watching this very, very closely and trying to bring to light what’s going on and the need to reform the National Voter Registration Act of 1993,” Allen told Fox News Digital. He said that not only other officials but the general public in his state cares about election integrity. “No matter where I travel throughout the state of Alabama, Alabamians are concerned about the elections and the elections process, and they want fair, secure, transparent, accountable elections. And they want to make sure that when they go vote, that they can have confidence that their vote is being