New Louisiana law requires display of Ten Commandments in classrooms, civil rights groups plan to challenge
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. “I’m going home to sign a bill that places the Ten Commandments in public classrooms,” he said, according to a report in the Tennessean. “And I can’t wait to be sued.” LOUISIANA CLASSIFIES ABORTION DRUGS AS CONTROLLED, DANGEROUS SUBSTANCES AFTER GOV. LANDRY GREENLIGHTS PROPOSAL The American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana said Wednesday that it will file a legal challenge to the law, saying it violates a long-standing U.S. Supreme Court precedent and the First Amendment. “We are preparing a lawsuit to challenge H.B. 71. The law violates the separation of church and state and is blatantly unconstitutional,” the ACLU said in a joint statement with Americans United for Separation of Church and State and the Freedom from Religion Foundation. “The First Amendment promises that we all get to decide for ourselves what religious beliefs, if any, to hold and practice, without pressure from the government. Politicians have no business imposing their preferred religious doctrine on students and families in public schools.” The groups said the new law will send a “chilling message” to students and families who don’t follow the state’s preferred version of the Ten Commandments. However, Matt Krause, counsel at the First Liberty Institute, heralded the decision, arguing, “The Pelican State has rightly recognized the history and tradition of the Ten Commandments in the state. Putting this historic document on schoolhouse walls is a great way to remind students of the foundations of American and Louisiana law.” In 1980, the high court ruled that a similar Kentucky law was unconstitutional and violated the establishment clause of the U.S. Constitution, which says Congress can “make no law respecting an establishment of religion.” The high court found that the law had no secular purpose but rather served a plainly religious purpose. LOUISIANA BILL TO CASTRATE SEX OFFENDERS MOVING TOWARD GOVERNOR’S DESK FOR SIGNATURE Proponents of the law say the purpose of the measure is not solely religious, but that it has historical significance. In the law’s language, the Ten Commandments are described as “foundational documents of our state and national government.” 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. The posters will be paid for through donations, not state funds. The law also “authorizes,” but does not require, the display of the Mayflower Compact, the Declaration of Independence and the Northwest Ordinance in K-12 public schools. Other states like Texas and Oklahoma have proposed similar bills but haven’t been able to pass them amid threats of legal battles over constitutionality issues. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Fox News Politics: Clinton Bash Rakes in Biden Cash
Welcome to Fox News’ Politics newsletter with the latest political news from Washington, D.C. and updates from the 2024 campaign trail. What’s happening… – Fox News crushes CNN, NY Times and other competitors in news-heavy May – Biden’s senior aides are concerned that he has no serious plans to beat Trump – Gov. Gavin Newsom proposes removing phones from California schools President Biden is enjoying a fresh infusion of cash into his campaign coffers, thanks to help from the Clintons. The president’s 2024 re-election campaign says Biden hauled in $8.1 million at a fundraiser where he was joined by former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State and former Sen. Hillary Clinton, who was the Democrats’ 2016 standard-bearer. The fundraiser took place in McLean, Virginia, an upscale suburb of the nation’s capital, at the home of former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a longtime friend and adviser to the Clintons and former DNC chairman. In his comments at the fundraiser, Biden took aim at former President Trump, his GOP challenger in their 2024 election rematch. “Democracy is on the ballot this year,” he said. ‘DIRE’ SITUATION: Biden’s senior aides concerned he has no serious plan to beat Trump …Read more EVERYTHING IS ‘FINE’: Jane Fonda’s take on Biden’s mental fitness for office …Read more VISAS FOR ‘DREAMERS’: Biden announces new measure aimed at helping some illegal migrants …Read more IN CONTEMPT: Push to revoke Trump allies’ contempt of Congress charges backed by over 20 Republicans …Read more VICTORY IN VA: Anti-Trump whistleblower’s twin wins Democratic primary in blue Northern Virginia district …Read more ‘OUTSPOKEN BLACK MAN’: New York Dem Jamaal Bowman says this is the reason the pro-Israel lobby is against him …Read more ‘ELECTION PLOY’: GOP lawmakers claim political motivations behind Biden ‘amnesty’ order …Read more PHOTO OOPS: Progressive ‘Squad’ member slammed after asking Jewish leader for pic …Read more REPUBLICAN CLIFFHANGER: Will Trump and McCarthy get their revenge against a top House conservative? …Read more MILITARY DRAFT: Mike Pence’s group takes a stand on question of including women in military draft …Read more MAKING THE CASE: This Trump running mate contender’s leveraging of billionaire GOP donors may boost standing in Veepstakes …Read more ‘COMMITTEE OF CHAT GPTS’: Biden campaign ripped for ‘irrelevant’ ad blitz targeting Trump’s conviction …Read more ‘NOT CONSISTENT’: Key Dem Senate candidate who accused opponent of election denialism has history of questioning results …Read more VIRTUAL MP: UK parliamentary candidate runs as ‘first AI lawmaker’ with an interactive avatar …Read more YOU GOTTI BE KIDDING ME: Legal expert says not even New York’s highest-profile mobsters were ‘silenced’ like Trump by gag order …Read more SUBPOENA THREAT: Jim Jordan warns New York AG Letitia James of possible action over an ex-DOJ official on Trump hush-money case …Read more ‘PANDORA’S BOX’: Family group warns that a vaguely worded constitutional amendment could lead to state-approved child marriage, polyamory …Read more IVF INCLUSION: NYC Council members accuse city of discriminating against gay men who lack IVF coverage …Read more HUNTER SEASON IS OVER: District of Columbia bar moves to suspend first son’s law license after felony conviction …Read more ‘NIGHTMARE SCENARIO’: The porous southern border is increasing terror threat in U.S., experts say …Read more VICTORY LAP: Fox News Digital thrashes CNN in key metrics in news-packed May 2024 …Read more HANG IT UP: Blue-state governor moves to restrict students’ cellphone use in public schools …Read more SOLDIER ABROAD: An American soldier arrested in Russia has been sentenced to nearly four years in prison …Read more Subscribe now to get the Fox News Politics newsletter in your inbox. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Indiana Republican says US attorney ‘declined’ to prosecute threat against his daughters and wife
Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., is questioning why a federal prosecutor declined to bring charges against a man who threatened his family while the Justice Department has prosecuted similar threats against Democrats – but the DOJ is denying a double standard. Aaron Thompson, 33, of Fort Wayne, pleaded guilty in October to felony and misdemeanor charges after he left menacing voicemails with Banks’ office. Allen County prosecutors pursued the case and Thompson was sentenced to two years probation, but a letter Banks sent to Attorney General Merrick Garland demanded to know why the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Indiana did not file federal charges. “I’m thankful for Allen County Prosecutor Mike McAlexander and Deputy Prosecutor Adam Mildred for taking these threats seriously and for enforcing the law impartially,” Banks told Fox News Digital. “I want an answer from AG Garland explaining why he ignored threats against my family but prosecuted similar threats against Democrats. It appears to be just another example of the Biden administration’s political weaponization of our justice system.” Reached for comment, a Justice Department spokesperson pointed to over a dozen prosecutions of individuals who threatened Republican members of Congress, including threats to Reps. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., Marjorie Taylor-Greene, R-Ga., and Clay Higgins, R-La. The DOJ “investigates threats to public officials regardless of their party affiliation, and we have prosecuted multiple cases of threats made to both Republican and Democratic” congressional lawmakers, the DOJ spokesperson said, adding that Garland “has told Congress that he views threats to public officials as threats to our democracy and the department will continue to treat them as such.” In interviews with U.S. Capitol Police, Thompson admitted to making at least eight calls to Banks’ D.C. office. He said he was intoxicated at the time and that he disagreed with the Republican lawmaker’s political positions. INDIANA MAN CHARGED WITH FELONY AFTER THREATENING TO KILL GOP REP. JIM BANKS, HIS DAUGHTERS In one such call, Thompson said he owns a gun and gave Banks a choice between his or his daughter’s lives. Banks has three young daughters. “Here’s the choice. Your daughters grow up without their dad, or you grow old without your daughters,” Thompson said, according to an affidavit for probable cause. “… [B]oom, boom you pick…” READ: REP JIM BANKS LETTER TO ATTORNEY GENERAL MERRICK GARLAND. APP USERS: CLICK HERE In the letter, which was sent in December but not publicized until this week, Banks said FBI agents visited Thompson’s home in Fort Wayne to investigate the threats. “Thompson, who previously posted on social media encouraging his followers to ‘Vote Democrat,’ admitted he had threatened me and my family with violence because he disagreed with my political beliefs,” Banks wrote. TEXAS MAN CONVICTED OF THREATENING TO KILL REP MAXINE WATERS GETS NEARLY 3 YEARS IN PRISON “When Capitol Police referred the criminal case against Aaron Thompson to the U.S. Attorney for Northern District of Indiana, they declined to prosecute despite clear evidence that Thompson violated federal law.” Court records show Thompson pleaded guilty to a state felony charge of intimidation and a misdemeanor charge of harassment. Intimidation is a Level 6 felony in Indiana, while harassment is a Class B misdemeanor. Banks, who is running for an open Senate seat in Indiana, quoted public statements Garland has made reaffirming DOJ’s commitment to prosecuting violent threats made against public servants and questioned why federal charges weren’t brought against Thompson when similar threats made against Democratic Reps. Eric Swalwell of California and Bennie Thompson of Mississippi were prosecuted. Most recently, a Texas man received a nearly three-year jail sentence after his criminal conviction for leaving threatening and racist voicemails for California Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters. JOHNSON FLOATS DEFUNDING SPECIAL COUNSEL’S OFFICE AMID JACK SMITH’S TRUMP PROBE Last week, Garland penned an op-ed in the Washington Post that decried political violence and condemned any suggestion that his department has politicized its work. “Disagreements about politics are good for our democracy. They are normal,” Garland wrote. “But using conspiracy theories, falsehoods, violence and threats of violence to affect political outcomes is not normal. The short-term political benefits of those tactics will never make up for the long-term cost to our country.” Mike Ferrara, a partner at New York firm Kaplan Hecker & FInk LLP and former assistant U.S. attorney in the Southern District of New York, told Fox News Digital it can sometimes be difficult for prosecutors to bring charges for menacing statements. “The federal threat statutes can be tricky to charge because they require prosecutors to prove very specific things about what the perpetrator intended. It’s not enough to prove that someone hearing the words would’ve perceived them as a threat. Instead, federal prosecutors have to prove, for example, that the perpetrator made the threat to impede the performance of the official’s duties, or intended his words as a threat, or knew that the person to whom the words were directed would take them as a threat. These proof problems are especially complicated in a case like this one where the perpetrator’s defense is that he made the statements because he was drunk,” Ferrara said. “States, of course, have an entirely different set of statues they can choose from to prosecute threats, which might not have those proof issues and might be a better fit for the perpetrator’s conduct. I’m not familiar with Indiana’s statutes, but if the state brought a criminal prosecution against the perpetrator using state laws, then it would be pretty unremarkable – and I think a good exercise of prosecutorial discretion – for the federal government to defer to the state prosecutors.” Fox News Digital’s Joe Schoffstall contributed to this report.
Accused migrant rapist passed through border hot spot at the center of Texas, Biden feud
The rape of a 13-year-old girl in New York City, allegedly by an Ecuadorian illegal immigrant, has put one of the most controversial areas of the southern U.S. border back in the spotlight. Christian Geovanny Inga-Landi, a 25-year-old illegal migrant from Ecuador, was arrested in connection with the rape of the young girl Thursday, with NYPD sources confirming to Fox News that Inga-Landi crossed the border illegally near Eagle Pass, Texas, in 2021. The small Texas city has been at the center of a bitter battle between state and federal authorities for nearly a year, with Gov. Greg Abbott making the popular illegal crossing destination a focal point of “Operation Lone Star” last year. As part of the operation at Eagle Pass, Texas authorities placed razor wire near popular border crossings, erected a wall of shipping containers near the river, and deployed thousands of Texas National Guard troops and Department of Public Safety officers to the area in a bid to deter illegal immigrants from crossing. MIGRANT ARRESTED IN BROAD DAYLIGHT RAPE OF 13-YEAR-OLD IN NEW YORK PARK In February, the state announced plans to build an 80-acre camp near the city that will serve as an operating base for roughly 2,000 more National Guard troops, an escalation of its feud with the federal government. While Texas has been pushing more resources to Eagle Pass since 2021, it has increased efforts in the area significantly over the last year, blaming the expiration of Title 42, a pandemic-era order that allowed authorities to quickly deport illegal migrants. The federal government has been ramping up pressure on the state to limit its operations throughout the last year as well, filing lawsuits against the state and having federal agents cut the razor wire laid by Texas authorities. A lower court ruling initially barred Border Patrol agents from cutting state-owned wire, but that ruling was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court in a 5-4 October decision. The fight over control of the border at Eagle Pass is the result of its unique position, being one of the most popular crossing points for illegal migrants into Texas. NEW YORK CITY GIRL, 13, SEXUALLY ASSAULTED AT KNIFEPOINT DURING BRAOD DAYLIGHT IN PARK: POLICE “As a key point in the busy sector of del Rio, Eagle Pass has seen an unprecedented movement of migrants in the past three years,” Alfonso Aguilar, the director of Hispanic outreach at American Principles Project, told Fox News Digital. “It has received particular attention because it is one of the areas where Texas Gov. Greg Abbott decided to make a stand to try to stem the massive flow of migrants.” “Gov. Abbott has been forced to take action since the federal government has broken its compact with the states to protect the border,” Aguilar added. Inga-Landi was just one of thousands who have crossed the border in the area, with police sources telling Fox News that he was processed, released and given a court hearing date. Police sources say he told agents his destination was an address in Queens, New York. He is accused of the rape of the 13-year-old girl in broad daylight last week, with police saying he allegedly wielded a machete as he approached the girl and a 13-year-old boy she was with, tied the two together, and raped the girl at a popular park. BIDEN, TEXAS FEUD OVER ANTI-ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION LAW AS MIGRANTS RUSH BORDER: WHAT TO KNOW Surveillance video of the area led police to identify Inga-Landi as the primary suspect, after which tips pertaining to his whereabouts came flooding in. He was eventually arrested after a group of neighbors recognized him from a wanted poster, with about 10 people holding him down until police could arrive to arrest him in the early morning hours Tuesday. According to Aguilar, more criminals like Inga-Landi will be allowed in at crossings like Eagle Pass if such hot spots aren’t secured. “By not enforcing the law and by countering the efforts of states like Texas to protect the border, the Biden administration is ensuring that more criminals and individuals linked to terrorist organizations can easily enter the country, putting the lives of our citizens everywhere in the country at risk,” Aguilar said. The White House did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment. Get the latest updates on the ongoing border crisis from the Fox News Digital immigration hub.
Bill and Hillary Clinton tap into their money men for Biden’s battle against Trump
President Biden is adding to his campaign war chest, thanks to help from the Clintons. The president’s 2024 re-election campaign says Biden hauled in $8.1 million at a fundraiser where he was joined by former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State and former Sen. Hillary Clinton, who was the Democrats’ 2016 standard-bearer. The fundraiser took place in McLean, Virginia, an upscale community in the suburbs of the nation’s capital, at the home of former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a longtime friend and adviser to the Clintons. BIDEN STRIKES GOLD IN CALIFORNIA, ONE WEEK AFTER TRUMP’S MASSIVE HAUL IN THE BLUE BASTION Well-known author John Grisham, known for his best-selling legal thrillers, also attended the event. In his comments at the fundraiser, Biden took aim at former President Trump, his GOP challenger in their 2024 election rematch. He once again labeled Trump a “convicted felon,” as the president pointed to Trump’s 34 felony convictions last month in the first criminal trial ever in the nation’s history of a former or current president. “Democracy is on the ballot this year,” Biden emphasized. The fundraiser was held three days after Biden set a new Democratic Party fundraising record, as he hauled in over $30 million at a star-studded fundraiser in Los Angeles with former President Obama, Hollywood heavyweights George Clooney and Julia Roberts, and late night TV talk show host Jimmy Kimmel. The Biden campaign highlighted that Tuesday’s fundraiser in northern Virginia, Saturday’s gala, and a fundraiser in California last Friday headlined by first lady Jill Biden, combined raked in over $40 million. Biden has the lead over Trump in overall fundraising, but the former president has been working to close the gap. In April, Trump’s campaign and the Republican National Committee (RNC) for the first time, raised more than the Biden campaign and the Democratic National Committee (DNC). Trump’s campaign announced a week and a half ago that it and the RNC hauled in a stunning $141 million in May, fueled in part by the former president’s guilty verdicts in his recently concluded criminal trial. The Biden campaign and the DNC have yet to announce their June fundraising figures. Trump’s team also touted that they hauled in roughly $27.5 million during a fundraising swing by the former president in California and Nevada last week. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
As GOP calls Biden’s oil reserve depletions election-year politics, figures show he’s sold off the most
In April 2022, the White House celebrated the Biden administration’s sale of the first 30 million of an eventual 180 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), which seemed an unprecedented election year move at the time. In May, the Energy Department similarly celebrated a planned liquidation of 1 million barrels from the NGSR, a Perth Amboy-to-Boston contingent of the SPR, aimed at lowering summertime gas prices. Fox News Digital took a deeper dive into the numbers to see whether administration critics have ground to stand on when it comes to claims Biden is wielding U.S. oil reserves as an unprecedented election-year cudgel, versus simply helping Americans better afford to travel. The findings showed the SPR saw its most sweeping drawdowns during Biden’s tenure, and that he, and former Presidents Trump and Clinton oversaw the largest historical decline in reserves. BIDEN CANCELS PLANS TO REFILL EMERGENCY OIL RESERVES AMID HIGH PRICES In the 2022 case, a White House announcement blamed in part Russian President Vladimir Putin and his invasion of Ukraine for supply disruptions that elevated oil prices, after Siberia was no longer permitted as a U.S. source of fuel. However, Republicans, including former President Trump, blamed Biden’s cancellation of transcontinental pipeline projects and executive actions affecting energy production in Alaska and elsewhere that caused gas prices to soar from roughly $2 per gallon during the prior administration. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm called this year’s sale evidence the administration is “laser focused” on slashing consumer costs, particularly ahead of the summer travel season. “By strategically releasing this reserve in between Memorial Day and July 4th, we are ensuring sufficient supply flows to the tri-state and northeast at a time hardworking Americans need it the most,” Granholm said in a statement. MAJOR LITHIUM DISCOVERY IN FRACKING WASTEWATER LEAVES LEFT FACING EV IRONY Figures uncovered by Fox News showed that in the years since the SPR got up to speed during the Carter years – it had been established following the 1973 oil crisis as an energy security measure – it was depleted the most under Biden’s tenure. Following the 1980 election, the SPR notched 112.5 million barrels in January 1981, and by the end of President Ronald Reagan’s term, it had grown to nearly 450 million barrels in January 1989. As of 2023, the SPR has a maximum capacity of 714 million barrels. Both Presidents Bush increased the capacity of the SPR – George H.W. Bush added 13.8 million barrels, while his son – who announced a full-throated effort to shore up reserves after 9/11 – added a net 162 million barrels by January 2009. During Operation Desert Storm, 21 million barrels were depleted, and 11 million were utilized following Hurricane Katrina, which decimated coastal oil refineries. Every other president since that time, plus Clinton, has seen the reserves depleted under his watch. The Arkansas Democrat saw a net depletion of 33.7 million barrels, while the Trump administration oversaw a drawdown of about 57 million barrels. Biden has more than quadrupled that figure from January 2021 through March, with a net decrease of 274 million barrels – which does not include any selloffs from the administration’s May announcement. President Obama also saw the SPR reduced about 9 million barrels during his term. Fox News’ analysis found releases from the Strategic Petroleum Reserves via a president’s orders – such as during Desert Storm and following Katrina – have been rare, and only substantively fallen under an “emergency release” scenario. A Congressional Research Service report from 2022 after Putin invaded Ukraine claimed such drawdowns in SPR reserves are permissible and that they should not always be characterized as politically motivated. YOUNGKIN DECLARES ‘INDEPENDENCE FROM CALIFORNIA’ AS VIRGINIA EXITS EMISSIONS PACT Congress itself is also permitted to occasionally mandate sales of oil reserves to fund legislative priorities. But, this time, congressional Republicans have called out Biden, alleging he is playing politics with America’s energy security in an election year. Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso and Washington Rep. Cathy McMorris-Rodgers – the top Republicans on their respective energy committees – accused Biden of doing just that in a scathing letter to Granholm: “Under President Biden, the SPR has reached its lowest level since 1983. The DOE has overseen the largest sale in history, amounting to a total of 290 million barrels. When President Biden took office in January 2021, the SPR contained 638 million barrels of oil,” they said. “Today, the SPR currently contains 367 million barrels of oil, which represents nearly a 42 percent decline from when President Biden took office.” The lawmakers called the Biden release in 2022 “a transparent attempt to influence the midterm elections and distract from the Biden administration’s energy policy failures.” In an apparent attempt to halt politicization, McMorris-Rodgers authored the Strategic Production Response Act, which would limit SPR drawdowns until Congress can provide oversight while banning depletion for “nonemergency purposes.” The bill passed the House. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP When Trump attempted to do the opposite and fill the SPR while oil prices were at a rock-bottom $24 per barrel, he was conversely stopped by Democrats. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., celebrated the block at the time, claiming removing the provision from a bill “eliminated a $3 billion bailout for Big Oil.” However, the White House did announce opposition to McMorris-Rodgers’ bill, claiming it would “significantly weaken a critical energy security tool.” “This administration’s use of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve has been essential to protecting our energy security and to lowering gas prices for Americans,” the White House said in 2023. The Energy Department and White House did not respond to requests for further comment for purposes of this story. Fox News’ Mark Bentley contributed to this report.
High-level US-Israel meeting ‘canceled,’ per source, as WH official says details not ‘fully finalized’
A high-level meeting planned between U.S. and Israeli officials regarding Iran’s nuclear program was canceled after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized a lack of U.S. military aid, a source told Fox News, while a White House official pushed back on the claim. Senior officials had planned to meet Thursday following new revelations about Iran’s nuclear program. Hours after news of the meeting got out, Netanyahu went public with a pre-recorded video, in English, calling a recent lack of U.S. military support for Israel “inconceivable.” The meeting was canceled after Netanyahu’s comments, a senior official told Fox News. The official said a scheduled U.S. visit by Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant next week is proceeding as planned, as are other meetings about aid distribution and coordination. Meantime, a White House official said plans for the meeting were still moving forward, but have yet to be “fully finalized.” US PARK POLICE INVESTIGATING CRIMINAL ACTIVITY AFTER ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTS Richard Goldberg, a senior adviser at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, argued that Netanyahu’s video was a peek behind the curtain at the Biden administration’s policies. ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTERS TRAP CALIFORNIA UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATORS, TAKE OVER AND VANDALIZE CAMPUS BUILDING “What’s becoming clear is that the White House has misled Congress and the American people as to the extent of the withholding of key munitions that Israel needs to defend itself. It’s not just about 2,000-pound bombs, it’s about the precision guided conversion kits,” he told Fox News Digital. “The president is effectively allying with Iran to squeeze Israel inside Tehran’s ring of fire,” he added, referring to the Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah terror groups. The Thursday meeting would have pertained to information about a computer modeling program Iran has acquired that could be used to assist in developing nuclear weapons. Iran’s intentions behind the program remain unclear, with officials reportedly split on whether it is innocuous or represents further nuclear ambition from the regime. Referring to reports of the canceled meeting, a spokesman for the Prime Minister’s Office declined to elaborate but emphasized that Israel and the U.S. have “ongoing discussions at every single level with US officials,” and that “those are very important to us.” RIOTER VANDALISM TARGETED AFTER PRO-PALESTINIAN PROTESTS Some Israeli officials were already en route to the U.S. when they were informed the meeting was off, Axios reported Wednesday. Netanyahu’s video referenced a conversation he had with Secretary of State Antony Blinken during his trip to Israel last week. He said he had expressed his “deep appreciation” for U.S. support but tacked on a heavy criticism as well. “I also said something else, I said it’s inconceivable that in the past few months, the administration has been withholding weapons and ammunitions to Israel,” Netanyahu said. Fox News’ Caroline McKee contributed to this report.
Jan 6 subpoenas against Trump aides would be revoked under new bill
There is a new House GOP-led effort to revoke subpoenas that the House select committee on Jan. 6 sent to key aides of former President Trump. Reps. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Eric Burlison, R-Mo., introduced a resolution on Tuesday to rescind subpoenas that the now-defunct committee sent to Steve Bannon, Mark Meadows, Peter Navarro and Dan Scavino. It would also withdraw the contempt of Congress resolutions filed against each individual over his defiance of those subpoenas. PELOSI SAYS IT’S ‘WRONG’ TO INVITE ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU TO SPEAK TO CONGRESS: ‘VERY SAD’ “The Committee was used as a political weapon with a singular focus on taking down Trump and his advisors through the intentional manipulation of facts and the silencing of the minority party,” Burlison said on X. “The subpoenas issued by the illegitimate Committee for Bannon, Navarro, Scavino, and Meadows were insufficient and should be rescinded, and the contempt of Congress referrals based on those subpoenas should be withdrawn.” Massie wrote on the platform, “Time is of the essence. Speaker Johnson should immediately bring this resolution to the floor for a vote!” Fox News Digital reached out to Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., the former chairman of the committee, for comment on the resolution. Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s office declined to comment. PELOSI REBUKED TO HER FACE DURING OXFORD DEBATE AFTER CONDEMNING AMERICANS CLOUDED BY ‘GUNS, GAYS, GOD’ As of Wednesday, the GOP legislation has 22 additional co-sponsors beyond the three lawmakers supporting it. Bannon, Trump’s former strategic adviser, and Navarro, his former trade adviser, were both sentenced to four months in prison in cases stemming from their contempt referrals by Congress. The Department of Justice did not prosecute Meadows or Scavino. Pelosi established the select committee in mid-2021 in response to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, when the former president’s supporters stormed the building in protest of his election loss to President Biden. DOJ WILL NOT TURN OVER BIDEN’S RECORDED INTERVIEW WITH SPECIAL COUNSEL HUR TO CONGRESS An initial vote to create a 9/11-style commission to investigate the riot passed the House, with 35 Republicans and all Democrats, but died in the Senate. The House subsequently voted to create a select committee – with just two GOP votes – which granted Pelosi full power of appointments in “consultation” with Republicans. GOP critics of the panel have used that fight as evidence of the committee being a partisan exercise, including Pelosi’s rejection of two Trump-allied Republicans that were nominated by then-Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. One of those allies, Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., is one of the co-sponsors of Burlison’s resolution.
Texas court finds Kerry Max Cook innocent of 1977 murder, ending decades-long quest for exoneration
The Texas Criminal Court of Appeals cited stunning allegations of prosecutorial misconduct that led to Cook spending 20 years on death row.
Key Dem Senate candidate who accused opponent of election denialism has history of questioning results
FIRST ON FOX: The Democrat running in one of this year’s top Senate races, who accused his opponent of election denialism, also has a history of questioning the legitimacy of the vote. Rep. Colin Allred, the Democratic nominee in Texas’ Senate race, recently launched attacks against incumbent Republican Sen. Ted Cruz for avoiding directly saying he would accept the results of the upcoming election, but appears to have forgotten his own statements openly suggesting that future election outcomes may need to be questioned. “Ted Cruz views questions about our democracy as part of a cynical partisan game. Our democracy isn’t a game. It’s fundamental to who we are as Americans. Ted Cruz is a danger to our freedoms and shared values. We must fire him this November,” Allred wrote on X, referencing an appearance by Cruz on liberal network CNN, where he clashed with one of its hosts asking if he’d accept the results this November. DEM IN MAJOR SENATE RACE ACCUSED OF ‘PANDERING’ TO BLACK VOTERS BY SUPPORTING REPARATIONS Cruz pushed back during the interview, questioning why the media never asks Democrats if they would accept election results. He argued that laws in place allowing for results to be challenged on the basis of voter fraud were there for a reason, and hit back at the host’s claims there was no fraud during the 2020 election. Allred, in fact, warned of such fraud ahead of the 2020 election, specifically during an August 2019 appearance at a town hall in Garland, Texas. During the event, he peddled claims that the 2016 election results were due to Russian interference by referencing the Mueller report and Russia hacking into election databases. He also argued there was a need to have “paper trails” on electronic voting machines. “What we saw in that report may color some of what is happening here, in terms of a willingness to accept foreign interference in elections and things like that. And I think this has raised an entirely new specter for us, which is, is our next election going to be a legitimate one? And that, I think, is a proximate danger for our democracy,” Allred said during an appearance on a local radio show in September 2019, again referencing the Mueller report. DEM SENATE CANDIDATE ATTENDS EVENT WHERE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WERE INFORMED ON HOW TO EVADE LAW ENFORCEMENT He similarly told a meeting of the Richardson Area Democrats a month later that he was troubled by “the idea that the next election might not be legitimate,” suggesting then-President Trump might attempt to use foreign influence to boost his chances at re-election, and said he was “worried still about some of the abilities to hack and change voter rolls and even change vote totals.” Allred said at another town hall meeting that same month that the reason for the then-ongoing Trump impeachment inquiry was “because the legitimacy of the next election was put into question by this President’s actions.” He said during a Capitol Hill press conference the following year, “We have to decide in this country who’s going to determine our elections. This is only the beginning of this. The Russians in 2016, other foreign influences in 2018. In 2020, there will be other adversaries who will try to take advantage of this.” TOP DEM SENATE CANDIDATE DIVERTED MILLIONS FROM POLICE DURING CRIME SURGE TO FUND MENTAL HEALTH FACILITY Allred continued using similar rhetoric following the 2020 election, including in a 2022 Business Insider article, where he warned of election subversion in that year’s midterm elections and in 2024. “I think there’s a very real possibility that we will see in the next two elections, get some results sent to us for ratification – whether it’s presidential, congressional or Senate, that’s not consistent or that we’re gonna have to question… I think that’s the reality of the situation we can no longer pretend like these elections are just going to continue to proceed the way they have in the past,” he said. Fox News Digital asked Allred’s campaign the same question CNN posed to Cruz: Whether he would accept the outcome of the 2024 election. It offered no response. Josh Stewart, a spokesperson for Allred’s campaign, told Fox regarding the congressman’s past questioning of elections, “The only person in this race who tried to overturn a free and fair election is Ted Cruz. Texans saw it with their own eyes on Jan. 6, and come November, they are going to hold him accountable.” Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.