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US approves $360M sale of drones, missiles to Taiwan
President Biden’s administration approved the sale of $360 million worth of drones, missiles and other military equipment to Taiwan on Tuesday. The sale comes amid heightened tensions between the U.S. and China. Beijing has long criticized Western support for Taiwan, though it has yet to publicly address this week’s sale. The sale includes 291 Altius-600M systems, which are unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, with warheads. It also includes 720 Switchblade drones known as “extended-range loitering munitions,” the State Department said. Biden’s administration argued the sale “serves U.S. national, economic, and security interests by supporting the recipient’s continuing efforts to modernize its armed forces and to maintain a credible defensive capability.” FBI DIRECTOR WARNS OF JIHADIST ATTACK IN US, SIMILAR TO RUSSIAN CONCERT HALL: ‘HEIGHTENED TERRORIST THREAT’ It went on to say that the sale would “help improve the security of the recipient and assist in maintaining political stability, military balance, and economic progress in the region,” the department said. IRAN CAPABLE OF BUILDING NUCLEAR BOMB IN ONE WEEK, REPORT FINDS AS MIDDLE EAST TENSIONS FLARE Taiwanese President Lai Ching-Te thanked the U.S. for the sale in a Wednesday press conference, vowing to “continue to strengthen Taiwan’s national defense strength.” The sale comes after months of the Biden administration attempting to ease tensions with Beijing. EUROPEANS AWAIT CHINA’S RESPONSE TO NEW EU TARIFFS ON CHINESE CARS Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping met face-to-face in California late last year. The pair had gone a full year without speaking prior to the meeting, and Biden said “real progress” was made in U.S.-China relations. Xi’s regime has long promised that Taiwan would be reunited with the mainland, by force if necessary. The island split from Beijing in 1949, when pro-democracy forces fled there after losing a civil war against the Chinese Communist Party. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Kamala Harris called ‘Madam President’ in mistaken video caption from ‘Queer Eye’ visit
Vice President Kamala Harris shared a video of her meeting with original and current cast members of the TV show “Queer Eye,” which featured a caption that did not match what was said. In the clip, Harris is seen greeting Carson Kressley, Jai Rodriguez, Karamo Brown and Jonathan van Ness at the door. After walking into the White House, cast members are seen hugging Harris before Rodriguez tells her they are “going to fight every urge not to open drawers,” warning Harris it was in their DNA. After sharing a picture with the cast members, the video jumps to a scene where van Ness refers to Harris as “Honey,” before correcting himself and saying, “I mean, Madam Vice President.” KAMALA HARRIS ARGUES PEOPLE STILL GETTING USED TO FIRST WOMAN VP, SAYS THEY ‘LOVE TO TALK ABOUT MY LAUGH’ However, the video caption underneath read, “Madam President.” Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and van Ness’ team about the apparent caption error but did not hear back. STEVE HARVEY DEFENDS GIVING KAMALA HARRIS EASY QUESTIONS TO HELP ADMIN ‘GET THE WORD OUT’ Harris shared the video on X, saying, “The cast of [Queer Eye] joined me at the White House to discuss the hard-fought progress the LGBTQI+ community has made in the past 20 years. Thank you for a meaningful conversation, for giving my office your stamp of approval, and for being fabulous.” This is not the first time Harris has been referred to as “Madam President.” ‘GREATEST THREAT’: FORMER TOP KAMALA HARRIS AIDE REVEALS WHICH TRUMP VP PICK COULD SINK HER CANDIDACY Last year, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre mistakenly referred to the vice president as “the president” during an afternoon press conference. The slip-up came in the first few minutes of the press conference, as Jean-Pierre announced Harris’ planned speaking engagement commemorating the 50th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. “This Sunday, the president will speak about the fight to secure women’s fundamental right to reproductive health care in the face of these attacks,” Jean-Pierre said, without realizing or correcting her mistake. “She will talk about what’s at stake for millions of women across the country and most importantly, the need for Congress to codify the protections of Roe into law.” Fox News Digital’s Bradford Betz contributed to this report.
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signs income, property tax cuts into law
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Wednesday signed legislation cutting the state’s property and income taxes after lawmakers wrapped up a special session where they also approved legislation to keep the state’s hunting and fishing programs running. Sanders signed the measure cutting the state’s top corporate and individual income tax rates, and another raising the homestead property tax credit, hours after the predominantly Republican Legislature adjourned the session that began Monday. The cuts are the latest in a series of income tax reductions Arkansas has enacted over the past several years. Sanders, a Republican, has signed three cuts into law since taking office last year and has said she wants to phase the levy out over time. BIDEN WANTS TO RAISE YOUR TAXES. HERE ARE 5 REASONS EVEN HE SHOULD LEARN TO LOVE THE TRUMP TAX CUTS “We are moving in the right direction and we’re doing so responsibly,” Sanders said at a news conference before signing the legislation. The measures will cut the state’s top individual tax rate from 4.4% to 3.9% and the top corporate rate from 4.8% to 4.3%, retroactively, beginning Jan. 1. Finance officials say the cuts will cost about $483 million the first year and $322 million a year after that. Supporters argued the state is in a healthy position for the reductions, noting that Arkansas is forecast to end the fiscal year with a $708 million surplus. But opponents of the measures have said the benefits are too skewed toward higher earners and that the state should instead put more money toward reducing the high maternal mortality rate and providing more services for people with disabilities. “Now is not the time to be underfunding the programs that deal with these problems,” Democratic Rep. Denise Garner said before the House voted on the cuts Tuesday. The tax cut legislation also requires the state to set aside $290 million from its surplus into a reserve fund in case of an economic downturn. The other legislation signed by Sanders increases the homestead tax credit from $425 to $500, retroactive to Jan. 1. That cut will cost $46 million. Lawmakers had expected to take up tax cuts later this year, but that plan was accelerated after the Legislature adjourned its session last month without a budget for the state Game and Fish Commission. That created uncertainty about whether the agency, which issues hunting and fishing licenses and oversees wildlife conservation, would operate beyond July 1. Sanders on Wednesday signed a compromise budget proposal for the agency aimed at addressing concerns from some House members who had objected to the maximum pay for the agency’s director. The new measure includes a lower maximum salary for the director, and requires legislative approval to increase his pay by more than 5%.
Democrats eye take down of federal provision could affect abortion by mail
Senate Democrats are looking to strike a provision in a federal law that bars materials related to abortion from being transmitted through the mail, warning that it could be wielded by a Republican president and Congress to ban abortions nationally. Sen. Tina Smith, (D-Minn.), is leading an effort to revise the 1873 Comstock Act, repealing the piece making the mailing of abortion materials illegal. “There is a very clear, well-organized plan afoot by the MAGA Republicans to use Comstock as a tool to ban medication abortion, and potentially all abortions,” Smith said in a statement to the Washington Post, which first reported on the bill. “My job is to take that tool away.” MIKE PENCE’S GROUP URGES GOP TO OPPOSE MEASURE INCLUDING WOMEN IN FUTURE DRAFT However, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has maintained that the law does not outright ban drugs that can induce abortion from being sent through mail, because intent is not always known. “The mere mailing of such drugs to a particular jurisdiction is an insufficient basis for concluding that the sender intends them to be used unlawfully,” Christopher Schroeder, assistant attorney general for the Office of Legal Counsel in the DOJ concluded in a 2022 opinion. Such a measure is likely to receive full Democratic support if it scores a vote on the Senate floor. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has not said whether this measure will be included in the parade of reproduction-related votes that have been scheduled in the summer months. TRUMP-BACKED CANDIDATE WINS VIRGINIA’S REPUBLICAN SENATE PRIMARY TO TAKE ON TIM KAINE Schumer did not immediately provide comment to Fox News Digital. Smith’s bill could also manage to pick up some Republican support from moderate Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, who have joined their Democratic counterparts on abortion and reproduction related votes in the past. VA DEM TIM KAINE WARNS AGAINST TAKING ELECTION FOR GRANTED AS TRUMP EYES BLUE STATE Despite having a good outlook for Senate support, the measure would not be expected to be brought to a vote in the House or have enough votes to pass. Democrats in the Senate have concentrated their legislative efforts in the upper chamber on safeguarding access to contraception, in vitro fertilization (IVF) and abortion ahead of a recess-heavy fall schedule. So far, votes have occurred for Democrat-backed bills to ensure accessibility of both birth control and IVF procedures, but both procedural hurdles have failed, as Republicans opposed the broad nature of both bills. SENATE GOP STOPS DEM ATTEMPT TO BAN BUMP STOCKS AFTER SCOTUS REVERSES TRUMP-ERA RULE In the next month, Schumer is expected to schedule a vote on a bill that would codify Roe v. Wade and the federal right to an abortion. Such a measure is similarly expected to fail. The series of votes on the subject come as Democrats fight to retain their very vulnerable Senate majority in the November elections. Five incumbent Democrats are embroiled in tough elections in the most competitive Senate races of the cycle, according to non-partisan political handicapper the Cook Political Report, which rates three as “Toss Ups” and two as only “Lean Democratic.”
RFK Jr. fails to meet requirements for first presidential debate, CNN says
Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has not qualified for the first debate of the election cycle, CNN said Thursday. In order to qualify for the CNN-hosted debate, candidates are required to receive at least 15% support in four separate national polls. Candidates must also be on the ballot in enough states to make it hypothetically possible to collect the 270 electoral college votes necessary to win the election. Kennedy — the highest-performing 2024 candidate outside the Republican and Democratic parties — failed to meet the criteria by the Thursday morning deadline, the network said. A CNN spokesperson independently confirmed to Fox News that RFK Jr. did not qualify CNN FINALIZES RULES FOR FIRST BIDEN VS. TRUMP DEBATE, RFK JR. COULD STILL QUALIFY 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. DNC KEEPS GOING AFTER RFK JR. SUPER PAC, ALLEGES TRUMP’S LARGEST DONOR PROPPING UP CANDIDACY Kennedy has sharply criticized CNN’s standards for the debate, claiming the requirements for entry were arbitrarily enforced against him in order to maintain a one-on-one debate format. The Trump campaign said it would have been fine with Kennedy on the stage. “President Trump said repeatedly he had no problem debating RFK Jr. and he believes any candidate who qualifies for the ballot should be allowed to make their case to America’s voters,” Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said. “It’s Joe Biden and the Democrats who are using financial and legal resources to prevent RFK’s access to the ballot because they know RFK Jr. is a radical leftist who pulls more votes from Biden than President Trump.” The 90-minute debate, scheduled to take place on June 27 in Atlanta, will be hosted by CNN’s Jake Tapper and Dana Bash. It will be the first in-person face off between Biden and Trump since they stood alongside one another on debate stages during the 2020 cycle. CNN said there will be two commercial breaks during the debate, and candidates will not be allowed to consult with other members of their campaign during that time. The network also noted that candidates’ podiums and positions will be determined by a coin flip, their mics will be muted outside of speaking time, and they will only be provided with a pen, a notepad and a bottle of water. Candidates will not be allowed to bring props or prepared notes. Fox News’ Kyle Morris contributed to this report.
Sabotage attempt on Indian creative triumph at Cannes by foreign competitor sparks outrage
It appears that the Cannes success of Kondurkar Studio and Early Man Film was met with discontent by Wieden+Kennedy.
New York Democratic governor at all-time low job approval: Siena poll
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s favorability and job approval ratings are at their lowest ever, according to a new poll. A statewide Siena College survey conducted last week showed the Democratic governor’s approval rating sits at 44%, a record low, according to the pollster, with 50% disapproving of how Hochul has performed as governor. Her favorability rating is also underwater at 38-49%, favorable to unfavorable. The good news for Hochul is that a plurality of voters in both parties support her decision to halt New York’s congestion pricing program, which would have inflicted higher toll fares on commuters to New York City. Voters approve of her decision by 45% to only 23% who disapprove, with 16% staking a position in the middle, according to the poll. “Despite strongly supporting Hochul’s decision to put congestion pricing on hold, and even more strongly supporting the social media bill she championed, voters now give Hochul the lowest favorability and job approval ratings she’s had in nearly three years as governor,” Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg said in a statement. NY’S DEM GOVERNOR INDEFINITELY HALTS CONGESTION PRICING PLAN, PUTTING PARTY OVER CLIMATE “Among Democrats, she continues to have a two-to-one favorability rating and even stronger job approval rating, however, she’s viewed unfavorably by 81% of Republicans and 61% of independents, while 84% of Republicans and 63% of independents disapprove of the job she’s doing as governor.” The Siena College survey also recorded President Biden’s lowest-ever favorability in the Empire State, 42%, and found he continues to lead presumptive Republican nominee former President Trump by single digits, 47%-39%. “While Biden maintains the support of three-quarters of Democrats, Trump has support from 85% of Republicans and leads Biden 45-28% with independents,” Greenberg said. “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.” “Two-thirds of voters say they plan to watch next week’s debate between Trump and Biden, the earliest general election presidential debate in memory. It remains to be seen what impact the debate has on the race, but the last time the presidential election was as close as it is now in New York was 1988 when Democrat Michael Dukakis beat Republican George H.W. Bush by only four points, 52-48%. Ronald Reagan was the last Republican to carry New York — by eight points, 54-46% — in 1984.” NEW YORK GOV. KATHY HOCHUL CALLS TRUMP SUPPORTERS ‘CLOWNS’ IN HER OWN ‘BASKET OF DEPLORABLES’ MOMENT The congestion pricing plan was set to begin on June 30, but earlier this month, Hochul made the surprise decision to put it on hold, reportedly due to concerns about voter backlash in the upcoming election. Hochul reaffirmed her “commitment to a greener, more sustainable future” in a speech announcing her decision on June 5, but she said the move was best for “the little guy.” The stated goal of congestion pricing in the Big Apple is to get greener by improving air quality and reducing traffic. Politico reported that House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., had asked Hochul to consider delaying the unpopular program as he works to capture the House majority in November. The GOP managed to reclaim a thin majority in the House two years ago largely due to several key Republican congressional victories in New York. NYC MAYOR ADAMS SAYS HE SUPPORTS MASK BAN TO CURB CRIME: ‘COWARDS COVER THEIR FACES’ The first-in-the-nation congestion pricing plan was to take effect as New York City transit ridership has taken a nosedive due to public safety concerns. It had received serious blowback from New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, former President Trump and former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Under the transit authority’s plan, trucks would be subject to a charge of $24 or $36 per trip, depending on their size. Most drivers in private passenger cars, in contrast, should expect to pay about $15, with lower rates for motorcycles and late-night entries into the city, according to the proposal finalized in March. Republican critics have called the plan a tax on commuters. However, left-wing activists criticized Hochul’s decision, saying it would deprive the Metropolitan Transportation Authority of needed funding. Suburban voters were the strongest group in support of Hochul’s decision to delay congestion pricing, backing the move by 56%. The Siena College survey included 805 registered voters from across New York state reached by landline, cell phone and through an online panel. The poll’s margin of error is 4.1%. Fox News Digital’s Danielle Wallace contributed to this update.
New lawsuit claims women’s medical program illegally excludes White students
A new lawsuit has been filed against the American Association of University Women (AAUW) by the organization Do No Harm alleging that the AAUW’s “Selected Professions Fellowships” program is discriminatory and illegal. The AAUW program offers $20,000 and networking opportunities to women pursuing certain degrees, but the organization has designated certain fellowships as restricted to women of color. The program is open only to women from ethnic minority groups, including Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander. Do No Harm, a nonprofit organization that says its aim is to safeguard healthcare from ideological threats, is filing the lawsuit on behalf of its medical student members who meet the criteria for the fellowship but are ineligible to apply due to their race. “‘Racial discrimination is invidious in all contexts.’ Healthcare especially,” the lawsuit states, citing a recent Supreme Court opinion in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard. SUPREME COURT SIGNALS INTEREST IN HEARING A MAJOR CLIMATE CHANGE CASE THAT COULD BE A ‘NIGHTMARE’ FOR LIBERALS That case, decided last summer, outlawed discriminatory practices in higher education admissions – a practice known as affirmative action. While that case dealt with American colleges, legal experts have said it would change the legal liability landscape beyond campuses and change the way other corporations and businesses pursue diversity, equity and inclusion practices. “Yet, through its Selected Professions Fellowships (for the Focus Professions Group), AAUW is contracting only with certain racial groups. Medical students who are white—like Do No Harm’s members…are not eligible,” the suit states. LIBERAL IDEOLOGY ‘QUITE DANGEROUS’ IN HEALTH CARE, DO NO HARM FOUNDER SAYS: ‘POISONS THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE’ “AAUW should know how invidious it is to discriminate based on immutable characteristics. AAUW was founded in 1881 to ‘open the doors for women’s career advancement and to encourage more women to pursue higher education,’” the suit notes. “We must keep identity politics out of medical education, whether that be in the classroom or in medical fellowship programs,” said Dr. Stanley Goldfarb, chairman of Do No Harm. “Every patient deserves access to the best possible care. Yet, ideologically driven fellowships such as those offered by the American Association of University Women, do not improve care. Medical fellowships should be awarded to students because of merit, not race.” MEDICAL SCHOOLS ARE ‘SKIRTING SCOTUS’ RULING AGAINST AFFIRMATIVE ACTION, REPORT SHOWS The lawsuit claims that the AAUW’s program violates the Civil Rights Act of 1866, which requires racial equality in making and enforcing contracts. The AAUW’s program, the lawsuit argues, is discriminatory and illegal. “There is no compelling interest that justifies categorically excluding white applicants based on their race. Nor is AAUW’s program narrowly tailored to achieve that compelling interest. A categorical exclusion of an entire racial group is, by definition, not narrowly tailored,” the suit alleges. “The American Association of University Women should be ashamed of their archaic and illegal practice of discrimination based on race, said Kristina Rasmussen, executive director of Do No Harm. “As a women-led organization they should be lifting up all women. The AAUW should reverse course and open their fellowships and other opportunities to all women.” AAUW did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Maryland Dems mourn mom allegedly murdered by illegal immigrant but back Biden’s border order
Both Democratic senators from Maryland have lamented the “broken” border situation in the wake of allegations that an illegal immigrant is responsible for the killing of a mother of five from the state, but have continued to celebrate President Biden’s border policies. “My heart breaks for the Morin family,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen told the Baltimore Sun after the arrest of 23-year-old illegal El Salvadorian migrant Victor Martinez Hernandez in connection to the murder of Rachel Morin, a Maryland mother of five. “The Morin family deserves more than words – they deserve action. There’s no doubt our immigration system is broken. That’s why I voted last month to move onto bipartisan legislation that would allow us to begin addressing our border security and comprehensive immigration reforms, but Republicans slammed the door shut.” Van Hollen’s comments were echoed by Maryland’s senior senator, Ben Cardin, who told the Baltimore Sun that the U.S. immigration system is “broken” and that “Congress needs to act.” Like Van Hollen, Cardin also took aim at Republicans, whom he argued blocked legislation “to make reforms and inject resources into a system bursting at the seams.” While both Maryland lawmakers were quick to point the finger across the aisle in the wake of the news, both took a different approach to President Biden’s policies. 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. BIDEN OFFERS ‘CONDOLENCES’ BUT NO SOLUTION AFTER LATEST ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT MURDER ALLEGATION 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. But Van Hollen and Cardin struck a more celebratory tone after the announcement, taking to social media to praise Biden’s most recent action. “Families shouldn’t be torn apart because of our broken immigration system,” Van Hollen said on X. “I applaud @POTUS for taking this significant step to provide relief for so many immigrant families. We must keep working to pass comprehensive immigration reform to fix this broken system once & for all.” RACHEL MORIN MURDER: OPEN BORDER ‘ALLOWED’ ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT TO KILL MOM OF 5, MARYLAND SHERIFF SAYS “This is about keeping families together and ending cruel practices that have longtime residents living in constant fear of deportation,” Cardin said on X. “As a nation that has built its identity on welcoming immigrants, this is the right move.” Martinez Hernandez was arrested at a Tulsa, Oklahoma, bar last week after DNA evidence and a tip led police to the suspect, who is accused of brutally killing and raping Morin near a popular Maryland hiking trail last year. The arrest of Martinez Hernandez, who is wanted for an allegedly similar crime in his native El Salvador, has sparked calls for better border security from other Maryland officials. “He tried to come in legally and he was turned away. And yeah, that didn’t deter him because we have such a porous border and he came right through… and this is the result,” Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler, who helped lead the investigation into Morin’s murder, told Fox News Tuesday. “It’s just insane that we would allow things like Rachel’s murder to happen, and when I say ‘allow it,’ we allowed it by letting him into this country unchallenged,” Gahler added. “That shouldn’t happen to families in our country. This is preventable.” Van Hollen’s office did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment. Cardin’s office also did not immediately respond, citing closure for the Juneteenth holiday when reached by Fox News Digital. Get the latest updates on the ongoing border crisis from the Fox News Digital immigration hub.