Anna Paulina Luna vows to force vote on Garland’s arrest if DOJ doesn’t follow through on contempt
EXCLUSIVE: Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., is vowing to force a vote on Attorney General Merrick Garland’s arrest if the Department of Justice (DOJ) fails to act on a criminal contempt resolution backed by House GOP leaders. Luna told Fox News Digital on Tuesday evening that she would plan to force a vote on her “inherent contempt” resolution against Garland after the full House of Representatives weighs the Biden official’s fate with a separate measure. “As of right now, we fully intend to bring it,” Luna revealed. “I don’t really have much faith in the Department of Justice. And I don’t think the American people do either. But we are trying to bring back a level playing field and show that, you know, there should be accountability all the way up to the top.” STATUESQUE REV. GRAHAM TRIBUTE COMES TO THE CAPITOL, BUT SHIES AWAY FROM THE LIMELIGHT She added, “If the DOJ won’t do their jobs, we’re going to do it for them.” Inherent contempt differs from the contempt resolution expected to come up for a vote Wednesday afternoon. Whereas the latter would refer Garland to his own department for criminal charges, inherent contempt, if passed, would direct the House sergeant at arms to arrest Garland himself. Luna said she would be circulating a letter among her colleagues on Wednesday explaining inherent contempt and the need for it. PUPPIES AND RAINBOWS: HOW THE BIPARTISAN INVITATION TO THE LEADER OF ISRAEL THREATENS TO DIVIDE THE DEMOCRATS “Inherent contempt of Congress hasn’t been done since early 1900s. And before that, it was a pretty common practice,” Luna said. “I think that when you explain to people what inherent contempt of Congress is and when they see that subpoenas are being ignored, and that there seems to be a two-tiered justice system – which we’re seeing nationally, every single person…is realizing that – I think that they will understand.” Luna could force House leaders to take up her bill by deeming it “privileged,” which would mandate the House to act on it within two legislative days. When asked what she would do if the Wednesday vote was called off or delayed due to concerns from moderate Republicans, Luna said she would defer to the leadership’s schedule. JOHNSON FLOATS DEFUNDING SPECIAL COUNSEL’S OFFICE AMID JACK SMITH’S TRUMP PROBE. “I’m gonna wait for the vote to happen the way that leadership wants it to happen with the criminal contempt. And then after that, that’ll start the clock on our stuff,” she said. House Republicans are aiming to hold Garland in contempt for refusing to turn over audio recordings of special counsel Robert Hur’s interviews with President Biden. While a majority of Republicans support the move, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has precious little wiggle room with just a two-vote majority. Fox News Digital reached out to the DOJ for comment.
Nevada election results: Drew Johnson wins GOP primary in battleground House race
Drew Johnson has won the Republican primary in the battleground 3rd Congressional District and will face incumbent Democrat Susie Lee in what is expected to be a tough general election fight. The Associated Press called the race for Johnson early Wednesday morning. The outcome is an upset victory for the candidate, who faced stiff competition in a crowded field of Republican rivals, including former Nevada state Treasurer Dan Schwartz and former Nevada state Sen. Elizabeth Helgelien. “I’m honored to earn the trust and support of Republican primary voters in Nevada’s crucial 3rd Congressional District. The pundits didn’t give us a chance, but we outworked our opponents and overperformed expectations,” Johnson said in a statement. Lee, who faced little competition in the Democratic primary, maintains a strong fundraising advantage and is expected to put up a tough fight with the backing of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee as the party aims to flip control of the House of Representatives from Republicans. WATCH: TRUMP RALLYGOERS REVEAL WHO THEY WANT AS VICE PRESIDENT “Right now, voters are struggling to make ends meet, worried about our country’s open borders, and fearful of crime in their own neighborhoods. I look forward to providing voters with a positive vision for cleaning up the mess Susie Lee and Joe Biden have created,” Johnson said. Republicans hold a slim 218-213 majority in the House and are aiming to expand that majority after losing a number of members to resignations and one expulsion over the past year. Election analysts rate the race as either “lean” or “likely” Democratic. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Just Corseca by Last Mile Enterprises Ltd Wins ‘Best Smart Gadget Brand’ Presented by Sara Ali Khan
In an exciting new chapter for consumer electronics, Just Corseca, a brand under the esteemed Last Mile Enterprises Limited (LMEL), has been honoured with the prestigious title of “Best Smart Gadget Brand of the Year 2024”, presented by actress Sara Ali Khan.
Actors think more with their hearts than with their heads: Mohammad Hossein Ashrafi
Opportunities never come. You create them. The best example of this is Mohammad Hossein Ashrafi. Growing up in Iran, he never knew he would achieve such great heights today.
House committee sounds alarm on systemic ‘failures’ of US agency funding media abroad
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas, is raising alarms about a U.S. government agency responsible for broadcasting media in foreign countries. The U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) is an independent federal office that oversees entities like Voice of America (VOA), which alone supports 48 different languages and has 354 million viewers across the globe, according to its website. It has also been the subject of a yearslong investigation by Foreign Affairs Committee Republicans, who have alleged systematic mismanagement throughout the agency and accused it of trying to impede their probe. In particular, the investigation has focused on Setareh Sieg, a VOA journalist who was suspended and expected to be fired under the Trump administration in early January 2021, only to be restored “with no loss of pay or seniority” the day after President Biden was sworn in, according to documents obtained by the committee. “Sieg’s case is symptomatic of a larger issue. As an agency which routinely hires foreign or foreign-educated individuals, it is troubling that USAGM does not have more robust processes in place to vet employees and detect misrepresented credentials. Sieg’s case calls into question the competence and credibility of USAGM’s entire H.R. apparatus, and the implications of this failure must be addressed,” McCaul told Fox News Digital. HUNTER BIDEN VERDICT ‘STUNNED’ HIS INNER CIRCLE, A ‘CLEAR BLOW’ TO THE PRESIDENT: ABC ANCHOR Their probe has largely focused on accusations that Sieg falsified her higher education credentials rather than getting a Ph.D. in political history from a French university. Republicans obtained communications between the University of Paris and the French Embassy in the U.S. that state Sieg got “an establishment degree, not a state doctorate” in October 2021. In February 2022, a French Embassy official told the committee, “[t]his is as official as can be and is perfectly clear: Mrs[.] [Sieg] DOES NOT hold a PhD…,” according to a timeline provided to Fox News Digital. The committee report also detailed whistleblower accounts that say Sieg gave variable treatment to at least one employee and hired that employee’s brother for a senior position. It also pointed to an earlier report by former VOA Deputy Director Elizabeth Robbins that preceded Sieg’s suspension that accused her of having “mishandled $950,000 of government funds by awarding a sole source contract” to a VOA-favored media company. Around the same time as she was flagged for suspension, Sieg joined a group of VOA journalists who called for Robbins and her director to resign over accusations they violated the outlet’s journalistic code over coverage of then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. ‘JUSTICE IS DEFINITELY SERVED’: AMERICANS REACT TO HUNTER BIDEN’S CONVICTION IN FEDERAL GUN TRIAL The report also detailed efforts to get Republicans to call off their investigation. In July 2023, for example, the report said USAGM CEO Amanda Bennett bypassed staff channels to contact McCaul directly, asking him for a personal meeting and urging him to bring his probe “to a conclusion.” Bennett argued the “investigation of a single” employee was “draining agency resources and constraining its ability” to conduct its “critical foreign policy mission,” according to the report. However, the GOP report said her “urging that the investigation of a single employee was a waste of resources misses several points.” “First, Sieg was not a low-level bureaucrat, but the head of VOA-Persia, a critically important component of the agency, and one key to American soft-power interests in the Middle East. Second, to the extent that Ms. Sieg was able to dupe the State Department background investigators and USAGM’s security and human resources professionals, diagnosing what went wrong is key to preventing further such abuses by others, including potential widespread abuses,” the report said. “Third, the highly-publicized nature of this case presents an opportunity for deterrence, but also creates a risk of moral hazard: if Sieg is held accountable, those who would also lie and waste government funds may hesitate; if, however, she escapes responsibility, they may be emboldened. And, finally, identifying the USAGM officials who failed to ask the right questions is key to holding them accountable as well.” ABC’S STEPHANOPOULOS CLAIMS AIRING TRUMP INTERVIEWS LIVE IS ‘JOURNALISTIC MALPRACTICE’ The report credited the House GOP investigation with forcing USAGM to reopen its investigation into Sieg, but it criticized the agency for only issuing her a “letter of reprimand.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Bennett, however, refuted the committee’s claims of impropriety in a statement to Fox News Digital and said “we stand by the findings of our investigation” into Sieg. “The U.S. Agency for Global Media cannot comment on specific personnel matters. However, we unequivocally reject the Committee’s allegations that the agency’s investigation of an employee’s background was politicized, corrupt or mismanaged in any way,” Bennett said. “Further, we refute the damaging mischaracterizations of USAGM employees set forth in the report, and condemn the Committee’s callous attempts to malign hardworking civil servants, including the main subject of the investigation.” “USAGM’s mission to connect, inform and engage people around the world in support of freedom and democracy cannot be swayed by political influence. Any notion that our work has been politicized is categorically false,” she said.
Dems claim GOP ‘conspiracy theories crumbled’ after Hunter Biden guilty verdict
Congressional Democrats criticized their Republican counterparts over alleged hypocrisy after they were not satisfied when President Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, was found guilty of federal firearms charges on Tuesday. Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., remarked that “my Republican friends have gone on and on about how Democrats have weaponized the [Department of Justice], but their conspiracy theories crumbled this morning when Hunter Biden, the son of the president, was found guilty in a federal court on three gun-related charges.” “The divide here is stunning. And it’s a great reminder that one political party remains committed to the rule of law and the other doesn’t. It’s that simple,” McGovern added. SUPREME COURT HISTORICAL SOCIETY BLASTS ‘SURREPTITIOUS’ RECORDING AS DEMS TARGET JUSTICE ALITO When asked if the verdict undermines GOP claims that the justice system has two tiers, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., responded to Fox News, “How could you make the argument when this justice system has just handed down a verdict when it comes to the son of the President of the United States?” ‘LOOSE CANNON’: SENATE DEM ESCALATES ATTACK ON JUSTICE ALITO AFTER SECRET RECORDING Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., pointed to the difference between the two political parties in the aftermath of former President Trump’s guilty verdict in New York and Biden’s guilty verdict in Delaware. “Compare and contrast the difference in reaction between the Republicans or Democrats,” he said. “The Republicans are attacking our entire system of justice and the rule of law if they don’t like the way that one case came out.” TRUMP TO MEET WITH HOUSE, SENATE REPUBLICANS IN DC THIS WEEK However, he said, after Hunter Biden’s verdict, “I don’t hear a single Democrat crying foul.” Durbin also addressed addiction and the toll it has taken on Americans. “There were so many thousands of American families that have been hurt painfully by addiction,” the Illinois senator said. MIKE LEE PRAISES TRUMP FOR RESISTING CLINTON LAWFARE, WARNS BIDEN OF SLIPPERY SLOPE “Now it’s touched the First Family of the United States. I know the president, it means so much to him personally, because of his love for his son. He and his — Jill have weathered this storm for many years. I’m sure their hearts are broken,” he added. In a statement following his son’s guilty verdict, President Biden remarked on how proud he is of Hunter as a father, referring to his son’s battle with addiction. “I will accept the outcome of this case and will continue to respect the judicial process as Hunter considers an appeal. Jill and I will always be there for Hunter and the rest of our family with our love and support. Nothing will ever change that,” he said. Fox News’ Tyler Olson contributed to this report.
Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu’s grandson Devansh got richer by Rs 1.7 crore at age 9, here’s how
The stock of Heritage Foods, the dairy company that his family promotes, reached all-time highs during the recent Lok Sabha and state assembly elections, greatly boosting Chandrababu Naidu’s profits.
Trump ally Steve Bannon files emergency motion seeking to stay out of prison
Steve Bannon, a longtime ally of former President Trump, filed an emergency motion on Tuesday seeking to keep him out of prison as he pursues an appeal – possibly to the U.S. Supreme Court – on his conviction for defying a Jan. 6 House committee subpoena. The motion filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia requests a ruling by June 18 – before Bannon’s surrender date of July 1 – to allow sufficient time to seek further relief from the Supreme Court if necessary. Earlier this month, U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols in Washington agreed to the Justice Department’s request to require that Bannon report to prison on July 1 after a federal appeals court panel in May upheld his contempt of Congress conviction. “There is also no denying the political realities here. Mr. Bannon is a high-profile political commentator and campaign strategist. He was prosecuted by an administration whose policies are a frequent target of Mr. Bannon’s public statements,” the motion says. “The government seeks to imprison Mr. Bannon for the four-month period leading up to the November election, when millions of Americans look to him for information on important campaign issues. This would also effectively bar Mr. Bannon from serving as a meaningful advisor in the ongoing national campaign.” “This is a landmark case. The prosecution pursued a novel and aggressive theory of liability, and the case garnered international attention,” Bannon’s lawyer, R. Trent McCotter, wrote. “If the panel decision stands, there will be far-reaching consequences, including separation-of-powers concerns. Before the prosecution of Mr. Bannon, it had been 50 years since the government convinced a jury to convict someone for not adequately responding to a congressional subpoena—and there has certainly been no shortage of disputes over congressional subpoenas during that time.” JUDGE ORDERS STEVE BANNON TO REPORT TO PRISON Bannon was convicted nearly two years ago of two counts of contempt of Congress: one for refusing to sit for a deposition with the Jan. 6 House Committee and the other for refusing to provide documents related to his involvement in Trump’s efforts to have the 2020 presidential election results showing a victory for President Biden overturned. Nichols, nominated by Trump to the bench in 2018, had initially allowed Bannon to remain free while he fought his conviction because the judge believed the case raised substantial legal questions. However, during a hearing in Washington’s federal court, Nichols said the calculus changed after a three-judge District of Columbia appeals court panel said all of Bannon’s challenges lack merit. The motion Tuesday comes after Trump was convicted on 34 felony charges in his New York City hush money trial and faces a sentencing hearing next month just four days before the Republican National Convention, where the GOP will likely declare him their official 2024 presidential nominee. Bannon “intends to vigorously pursue his remaining appeals in this case and has retained experienced Supreme Court counsel,” his lawyers wrote Tuesday, asking the court to allow him to remain on release given there is “no dispute that Mr. Bannon ‘is not likely to flee or pose a danger to the safety of any other person or the community if released’ —indeed, he has been out on release for years now without incident, and his ‘crime’ was non-violent.” HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE INVESTIGATES ‘MANIPULATED’ EVIDENCE SEIZED BY FBI IN TRUMP CLASSIFIED RECORDS PROBE “Mr. Bannon faced what the Court has described as a novel scenario: Congress was pursuing documents and testimony from a former executive branch official, yet counsel for the former President himself required Mr. Bannon to protect executive privilege in responding to the subpoena,” the motion says. “Mr. Bannon followed the advice of his counsel and requested that the Committee resolve the privilege issues with the holder of that privilege, or have the matter resolved in a civil suit.” Bannon’s lawyer at trial argued that the former adviser did not ignore the subpoena, but was still engaged in good-faith negotiations with the congressional committee when he was charged. The defense has said Bannon had been acting on the advice of his attorney at the time, who told him that the subpoena was invalid because the committee would not allow a Trump lawyer in the room and that Bannon could not determine what documents or testimony he could provide because Trump asserted executive privilege. Defense lawyer David Schoen told the judge it would be unfair to send Bannon to prison now because he would complete his entire sentence before he exhausted his appeals. Schoen said the case raises “serious constitutional issues” that need to be examined by the Supreme Court. “In this country, we don’t send anyone to prison if they believe that they were doing something that complied with the law,” he told reporters. A second Trump aide, trade adviser Peter Navarro, was also convicted of contempt of Congress. He reported to prison in March to serve his four-month sentence. Bannon is also facing criminal charges in New York state court alleging he duped donors who gave money to build a wall along the U.S. southern border. Bannon has pleaded not guilty to money laundering, conspiracy, fraud and other charges, and that trial has been postponed until at least the end of September. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
WHO confirms second human case of bird flu in India; Here’s all you need to know about the strain
“The patient is a 4-year-old child residing in West Bengal state. The case, previously diagnosed with hyperreactive airway disease, initially presented to the paediatrician with fever and abdominal pain on 26 January 2024.
Texas conservatives want to end countywide voting. The costs could be high.
More than 80% of the state’s registered voters can cast their ballot anywhere in the county on election day. Scrapping that option could lead to disenfranchisement, experts say.