NYC Mayor Eric Adams announces Urban Rat Summit to combat rodent crisis: ‘I hate rats’
In a continued effort to contain New York City’s rat problem, Mayor Eric Adams announced Wednesday the inaugural National Urban Rat Summit. The summit, which will take place on Sept. 18 and 19, will gather the best in the rat business from Boston, New Orleans and Seattle to mitigate the spiraling rodent problem in the Big Apple, Adam’s announced in a press release Wednesday. The Democratic mayor said that he “hates rats” and the “best way to defeat our enemy is to know our enemy.” “New Yorkers may not know this about me, but I hate rats, and I’m confident most of our city’s residents do as well,” Adams said. “With rat sightings down nearly 14% in our city’s Rat Mitigation Zones year over year, we continue to make progress, but we’re not stopping there. The best way to defeat our enemy is to know our enemy. That’s why we’re holding this inaugural summit.” NYC MAYOR BLAMES, IN PART, RAT INFESTATION ON WHY PEOPLE ARE LEAVING THE BIG APPLE New York City Department of Parks and Recreation (NYC Parks) Commissioner Sue Donoghue said that New York City is “laser focused” on containing and mitigating rats. “New York City is laser-focused on rat control and we’re grateful to Mayor Adams and Cornell University for spearheading this summit that will advance best practices and allow cities from across the nation to collaborate on ways to keep rats on the run,” Donoghue said. Citywide Director of Rodent Mitigation Kathleen Corradi said that New York City is “proud” to host the inaugural event. NYC WARNS RECORD NUMBER OF DISEASES CAUSED BY RAT URINE “Despite being our closest urban counterparts, there is surprisingly limited research on urban rats and their management,” Corradi said. “New York City is a vanguard in municipal rat management and continues to drive citywide mitigation efforts using science and data. We are proud to host the National Urban Rat Summit as a dedicated step to deepening understanding and building better sustainable management.” Adams’ spearheading the Urban Rat Summit came after his continued fight with the city’s rodent population. With potential health threats posed by rats, the city is 13 months into “the war on rats so we can ultimately make progress and rid our city of these filthy rodents,” a city hall spokesperson previously said. “While we hope to utilize these techniques without causing additional suffering, our priority remains our city’s residents, not its rodents.” PETA CALLS OUT NYC MAYOR FOR ‘VILLAINIZING RATS’ Last month, New York City health officials issued a warning about the increase in transmitted bacterial illness spread by rat urine after 24 cases were reported in 2023, the most for any year. Six cases of leptospirosis connected to rat urine have been reported so far in New York City, according to city health officials. Leptospirosis can lead to kidney damage, meningitis, liver failure, trouble breathing and, in extreme cases, death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The homeless population or people living in shelters or other facilities where large clusters of people live in tight corridors are at a higher risk of contracting the disease, which has symptoms that can be mistaken for other illnesses, the CDC says. From 2001 to 2023, the Bronx had the most cases with 37, while Manhattan had 28, the memo said. Six deaths were reported in the same time period. Fox News Digital has reached out to Mayor Eric Adams’ office for comment.
Progressive Oregon district attorney ousted by tough-on-crime challenger
A centrist district attorney candidate in Oregon has ousted his incumbent progressive opponent after running on a tough-on-crime platform. Nathan Vasquez previously served as a deputy prosecutor to Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt. Vasquez won Tuesday’s nonpartisan primary election after returns showed him receiving more than 50% of the vote. Vasquez, who was endorsed by several police groups, said Schmidt conceded the election during a Wednesday phone call. He was a prosecutor in the DA’s office for more than 20 years. “I want to thank him for his professionalism and service to our community,” Vasquez said in a post on his campaign Facebook page. “I look forward to working with my colleagues in the DA’s office, with community partners, and with the public to help build a safer Multnomah County for all of us.” SUSPECTED PORTLAND SERIAL KILLER HAD TRIED TO CHOKE POLICE K-9, WAS RELEASED FROM PRISON EARLY: REPORT Schmidt came into office days before the police killing of George Floyd in Minnesota and the calls for changes to the criminal justice system that came amid racial justice protests in Portland and other cities nationwide. Other DAs ushered into office in liberal bastions like San Francisco and Seattle around the same time have since faced setbacks amid frustrations from the public over crime. Generally, those district attorneys have supported finding alternatives to imprisonment and have refrained from prosecuting low-level crimes to reduce incarceration rates and address social inequities in the criminal justice system. Critics have said such policies enable criminals and public safety risks. PORTLAND SERIAL KILLER FEARS: VICTIMS’ PARENTS SPEAK OUT AFTER ‘CAREER CRIMINAL’ NAMED PERSON OF INTEREST Shortly after taking office, racial justice demonstrations gripped Portland as chaos erupted on the streets nearly every night for months. Schmidt announced that his office wouldn’t prosecute protesters unless they were arrested for deliberate property damage, theft, or the use or threat of force against another person. Interfering with a police officer, disorderly conduct and criminal trespass were cited as examples of cases his office would decline. Vasquez announced the policy, as well as Schmidt’s support for a 2020 voter-approved measure that decriminalized the possession of small amounts of drugs. Earlier this year, state lawmakers rolled back the law and restored criminal penalties for so-called “personal use” possession amid one of the nation’s largest spikes in overdose fatalities. Schmidt supported the move. In his message, Vasquez said he was “committed to ending open-air drug dealing and drug use while helping connect individuals to treatment, to rebuilding the broken relationships between the DA’s office and the community, and to ensuring that victims are the number one priority of my office.” Fox News Digital has reached out to Schmidt’s campaign. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
North Carolina attorney general seeks funds to create fentanyl, cold case units
North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein said Wednesday he wants additional staff for his office to combat fentanyl trafficking and to solve longstanding sexual assault crimes, as well as more funds to help law enforcement agencies recruit and retain officers. Stein, who is also the Democratic nominee for governor this fall, held a news conference with several police chiefs and sheriffs to highlight his legislative priorities during this year’s General Assembly session. NORTH CAROLINA POLICE WARN FAKE MICROSOFT EMPLOYEES GOING INTO PEOPLE’S HOMES, STEALING FROM COMPUTERS “We’re facing serious public safety issues that threaten the well-being of people in our communities,” Stein said. “There are real, concrete steps that the legislature can take to help us address these issues.” Stein said he would like to hire several attorneys for a “fentanyl control unit” that would assist local prosecutors in what are considered time-consuming and complicated trafficking and overdose cases. There were nearly 3,400 fentanyl-related overdose deaths in North Carolina in 2022, Stein said. And he wants a handful of new staff to establish a “cold case unit” within the Department of Justice. He said the recent elimination of the backlog for testing thousands of sexual assault kits in police custody has led to additional matches between the DNA collected and profiles in the national DNA database. A unit of experienced sex-crime officers “can assist overburdened local law enforcement officers and breathe new life into these cold cases,” Stein said. He also presented a series of proposals to address vacancy challenges in police departments and jails, as well as struggles to attract workers to the law enforcement profession. This package, which his office said would cost $23 million, would include pay bonuses for graduates of the Basic Law Enforcement Training program and bonuses and relocation stipends for out-of-state or former military police who want to work in the field in North Carolina. He also supports bills that would allow retired officers to return to work without harming their retirement pay and for veteran officers to remain on the job without threatening a special financial benefit. Durham County Sheriff Clarence Birkhead said that there’s more than 80 vacancies for working at the county’s detention center, which currently holds nearly 400 people. “It stands to reason that I need the appropriate staff and adequate staff to operate this facility in a safe and secure manner,” Birkhead said. Some of his patrol deputies fill in at the jail as a stopgap. While Republicans who control the General Assembly are often at odds with Stein, lawmakers and the attorney general have advanced bipartisan anti-crime legislation in the past. Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson is Stein’s rival for governor in November. Robinson has expressed opposition to “soft-on-crime” policies that release dangerous criminals into the streets. In a 2023 speech aired on statewide TV, Robinson said police deserve respect, need proper training and equipment to deescalate dangerous situations, and shouldn’t be treated like “political pawns.”
New text message allegedly reveals Hunter Biden proposed meeting for dad, uncle and Chinese exec in NYC
FIRST ON FOX: Newly released messages from the House Ways and Means Committee appear to show Hunter Biden proposing a meeting in New York City between the boss of a Chinese energy company and Joe Biden, the former vice president at the time, along with Joe’s brother, Jim Biden. “Can you meet this evening early,” Hunter Biden asked Yadong Liu, CEO of CEFC Global Strategic Holdings in a poorly punctuated text message the evening of Dec. 12, 2017. “My father will be in New York also and he wants me to attend the Sandy Hook memorial service with him and I would like him to meet you along with my uncle and then you and I can talk let me know if that works.” “I’m sorry for the late notice I got off the red eye in Baltimore from LA and take a little nap before I got his message,” Hunter added. Yadong told Hunter “No problem” and asked to let him “know when and where to meet.” HOUSE GOP CLAIMS HUNTER BIDEN LIED UNDER OATH MULTIPLE TIMES DURING CONGRESSIONAL DEPOSITION Less than two weeks after the proposed meeting among the four individuals, Hunter Biden messaged Yadong, asking Yadong to call him, saying he was “anxiously waiting” for his report from a meeting in China. “I am still in China. Apologies for not getting back to you sooner but I knew [sic] you have been talking to Kevin…,” Yadong said, appearing to reference a CEFC China Energy executive named Gongwen Dong. “I didn’t get to see the chairman on this trip but president chen asked me to convey to you that while we attach great importance to working with you, under the current circumstances it is almost impossible to move forward on any of the projects with you. There are a few key dates in the next weeks and we are focused on those legal challenges and cannot afford to do anything that have any potential of being misunderstood or misconstrued.” “He sincerely hopes that you can understand our situation and looks forward to removing those legal uncertainties and working with you again,” Yadong continued. “I am coming back next week and can meet to explain face to face if necessary. Thank you.” Fox News Digital reached out to the White House, Jim Biden and Hunter Biden’s attorney to confirm whether the meeting in New York City took place but did not receive a response. CCP-LINKED BUSINESSMAN OFFERED TO WIRE HUNTER BIDEN TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO COVER EXPENSES: TEXTS A former Hunter Biden business associate slammed the Biden family in a statement to Fox News Digital about the exchange between Hunter and Yadong, saying, “This is a great exhibit of their nonsense and lies.” “Yet another example of them just blatantly lying to the American public,” the former associate added. Hunter’s uncle emailed Hunter with “Yadong” in the subject line of an email the day after the proposed meeting, but it is unclear what the context was. A Town & Country Magazine profile piece and photos from a gala match up with the time frame of the elder Biden being in New York City on the evening of Dec. 12, 2017. In addition to the messages between Hunter and Yadong, a photo of Yadong’s business card was included in a document released by the House Ways and Means Committee. Yadong was tapped to be the CEO of CEFC in March 2014 and was also listed as the general manager, according to a 2016 Securities and Exchange Commission filing. “Mr. Liu started his career in the Chinese Foreign Ministry, where he was a diplomat and a top interpreter for Chinese leaders,” the SEC filing said. “Mr. Liu holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Language & Literature from Beijing Foreign Studies University, a Bachelor of Laws degree from Beijing Foreign Affairs College, and a Ph.D. in Political Science with a concentration in International Political Economy from Columbia University.” IRS WHISTLEBLOWER SHAPLEY SAID HE ‘COULD NO LONGER PURSUE’ HUNTER BIDEN SUGAR BROTHER KEVIN MORRIS DUE TO CIA The Chinese Foreign Ministry’s main function is running “diplomatic affairs on behalf of the state and the government” and handling “diplomatic activities between leaders of the [Communist Party of China] and the state and foreign leaders,” according to the Ministry’s website. Hunter Biden’s alleged proposal for a meeting between his father and Yadong wouldn’t have been the first time the elder Biden met with a top executive at CEFC. Hunter Biden’s former business partner, Rob Walker, said in a transcribed interview earlier this year that Joe Biden showed up “at the Four Seasons [Hotel] in a restaurant in a private room” in Washington, D.C., and addressed nearly a dozen CEFC-linked executives during his visit, including Chairman Ye Jianming, who Hunter Biden sent his “best wishes” to on behalf of the “entire Biden family” in an infamous 2017 email. “I hope my letter finds you well. I regret missing you on your last visit to the United States,” Hunter Biden wrote in the June 2017 email. “Please accept the best wishes from the entire Biden family as well as my partners. “We are all hoping to see you here again soon, or in Shanghai,” he added. That same year, Jianming allegedly gave Hunter Biden a 3.16-carat diamond worth about $80,000. BIDEN MET WITH CHAIRMAN OF CHINESE ENERGY FIRM HUNTER DID BUSINESS WITH IN 2017, EX-ASSOCIATE TESTIFIES Walker went on to detail the elder Biden’s presence at the meeting, saying he wasn’t there the entire meeting. “I don’t think we had structured a deal on how to work together at this point,” Walker said, noting the meeting lasted “probably an hour and a half.” But he said Biden “was not” there for the entirety of the meeting. “The former vice president was not there the entire time. He was there maybe 10 minutes,” Walker said. “He spoke nice. You know, normal pleasantries. I think he probably did most of the talking and
Buddha Purnima 2024: Will banks remain closed today? Check state wise list here
In Tripura, Orissa, banks will be closed on the fourth Saturday of Nazrul Jayanti and the Lok Sabha General Elections of 2024
‘Why should he have to do it?’: WH press secretary ducks on Biden’s refusal to get a grip on the border
During Wednesday’s White House briefing, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre addressed the border crisis, defending President Biden’s approach and giving a shocking reason as to why he has not taken action. Jean-Pierre opened the briefing by saying it was up to Republicans to do something to solve the problem or continue to use it as a political issue. When asked why the president has the authority to do something about the issue unilaterally, but isn’t doing anything, Jean-Pierre responded. REPUBLICANS UNITE TO BLOCK WHITE HOUSE AND SCHUMER BACKED ‘FAKE BORDER BILL’ “Why should he have to do it unilaterally? Why shouldn’t we do it in a legislative way?” Jean-Pierre replied. Biden took 94 executive actions to reverse Trump’s border policies after taking the oath of office in January 2021. Jean-Pierre continued playing defense, arguing that President Biden has taken many executive actions before, but in order to deal with what’s happening at the border and a broken immigration system, there needs to be a legislative approach. “You need legislation, you need it to happen in a bipartisan way. And that was negotiated. It was negotiated. There was an agreement in the Senate. Republicans and Democrats came together. You just said it’s broken, it’s divided. To be more clear. And they came in, they did that. And so that matters,” Jean-Pierre said. She added that in the past three and a half years, the Biden administration has been able to move forward in a bipartisan way on a lot of legislation. “The President is clear about where he stands – he believes we are a nation of immigrants and a nation of laws. We can expand lawful immigration pathways and ensure the United States remains a beacon of hope and opportunity,” Jean-Pierre wrote in a post on X. GOP SENATE CANDIDATE IN CRUCIAL STATE RIPS SCHUMER’S IMMIGRATION PUSH AFTER BORDER TRIP: ‘HEIGHT OF CYNICISM’ Jean-Pierre received considerable backlash on her post, with many calling on the Biden administration to close the border. “Biden has betrayed America. Not arguable,” one user commented. “Joe Biden doesn’t need a bill to secure the border. He could use executive orders. He used them to undo Trump’s orders that secured the border. The proposed border bill allows 1.8 million illegals in a year. That’s as bad as now. Deport all illegals and close the border,” another user wrote. “We are a nation of immigrants. We have immigration laws. Apparently, this administration thinks letting everyone and anyone in is lawful immigration. Explain please how these people are lawful immigrants. They are ILLEGAL ALIENS!” another user posted. Jean-Pierre dodged questions again, saying that it’s up to Senate leadership to speak about the process and how they are going to move forward. “What I will say is it is long past time to get this done, to get this moving. We were able to get a bipartisan negotiation, a plan forward on an issue that many Americans care about, an issue that matters for our immigration system, for what’s happening at the border. And that’s a good thing,” Jean-Pierre said. DEMS USE GOP-OPPOSED IMMIGRATION BILL AS CUDGEL AGAINST REPUBLICANS ON BORDER SECURITY The secretary added that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., wants to move this forward and is “very good at this.” “He’s very good at dealing with big legislation. Obviously, as we’ve been able to move important legislation through over the past three and a half years. So I’m going to let him speak to that,” she finished. In a letter to senators dated Sunday evening, Sen. Schumer revealed his plan to bring an immigration bill to the floor once again after it was rejected primarily by Senate Republicans in February. “We are hopeful this bipartisan proposal will bring serious-minded Republicans back to the table to advance this bipartisan solution for our border,” he wrote. DEMS PLAN TO REVIVE BORDER BILL REJECTED BY REPUBLICANS AHEAD OF NOVEMBER ELECTION However, Republicans in both chambers of Congress are preparing to band together to block any hope of a Democrat-backed border bill getting to the finish line. While Schumer explained that he expected to fall short of gaining full support from either party, the White House promptly backed Schumer’s plan, with Jean-Pierre calling on “every senator to put partisan politics aside and vote to secure the border.” The bill failed a test vote in February, by a vote of 49-50, short of the 60 votes needed to proceed. Fox News’ Julia Johnson and Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.
California advances legislation cracking down on stolen goods resellers and auto theft
The California Senate approved a bipartisan package of 15 bills Wednesday that would increase penalties for organized crime rings, expand drug court programs and close a legal loophole to make it easier to prosecute auto thefts. One proposal would require large online marketplaces — like eBay and Amazon — to verify the identities of sellers who make at least $5,000 profit in a year, an attempt to shut down an easy way to sell stolen goods. CALIFORNIA LAWMAKER’S MIC CUT OFF WHILE READING BILL TO END SANCTUARY STATE LAWS, SAYS DEMS ‘DON’T CARE’ “This is not a game,” said Senate President Mike McGuire, a Democrat who represents the North Coast, adding that he hopes to get the bills to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk within weeks. “We are working together for safer California, putting aside politics and making sure we do right for our communities.” It normally takes months for lawmakers to deliver bills to the governor in California, but the commitment to quick actions is driven by a new get-tough-on-crime strategy in an election year that seeks to address the growing fears of voters while preserving progressive policies designed to keep people out of prison. Large-scale thefts, in which groups of people brazenly rush into stores and take goods in plain sight, have reached a crisis level in the state, though the California Retailers Association said it’s challenging to quantify the issue because many stores don’t share their data. The Bay Area and Los Angeles saw a steady increase in shoplifting between 2021 and 2022, according to a study of the latest crime data by the Public Policy Institute of California. Across the state, shoplifting rates rose during the same period but were still lower than the pre-pandemic levels in 2019, while commercial burglaries and robberies have become more prevalent in urban counties, according to the study. Assembly lawmakers also advanced several other retail theft measures Wednesday, including a bill authored by Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas taking aim at professional theft rings. It would expand law enforcement’s authority to combine the value of goods stolen from different victims to impose harsher penalties and arrest people for shoplifting using video footage or witness statements. The measure also would create a new crime for those who sell or return stolen goods and mandate online sellers to maintain records proving the merchandise wasn’t stolen and require some retail businesses to report stolen goods data. Lawmakers also passed proposals that would crack down on cargo thefts, restore the district attorney’s authority to go after thieves and resellers who operate beyond their jurisdictions and allow retailers to obtain restraining orders against convicted shoplifters. All the bills now head to the second chamber before they could reach Newsom’s desk in June. The advancement of a slew of measures further cements Democratic lawmakers’ rejection to growing calls to roll back progressive policies like Proposition 47, a ballot measure approved by 60% of state voters in 2014 that reduced penalties for certain crimes, including thefts of items valued at under $950 and drug possession offenses, from felonies to misdemeanors. Money saved from having fewer people in prison, which totals to $113 million this fiscal year, has gone to local programs to fight recidivism with much success, state officials and advocates said. But the proposition has made it harder to prosecute shoplifters and enabled brazen crime rings, law enforcement officials said. An effort to reform the measure failed in 2020. As major national stores and local businesses in California say they continue to face rampant theft, a growing number of law enforcement officials and district attorneys, along with Republican and moderate Democratic lawmakers, say California needs to consider all options, including rolling back the measure. The coalition backing the initiative last month submitted more than 900,000 signatures to put it on the November ballot. The signatures are being verified.
White House reveals dinner menu for state dinner with Kenyan president
President Biden and first lady Jill Biden are preparing to host Kenya, the first African nation in nearly 14 years, for a state dinner Thursday at the White House, with a menu that includes lavish items like butter-poached lobster and a white chocolate basket with banana ganache, raspberries, peaches and candied lime zest. The U.S. considers a state dinner as one of the most glamorous events organized by the White House for a visiting head of government or reigning monarch and has been used in the past to show diplomatic unity. Biden invited Kenyan President William Ruto to the White House for a three-day state visit to recognize the East African nation as a major non-NATO ally. Kenya is sending 1,000 police officers to Haiti as part of a U.N.-led effort to address the security crisis in the country. Kenya is also the first African nation since 2008 to be honored by the U.S. with a state visit. JILL BIDEN SAYS TOP TEACHERS IN AMERICA WILL BE HONORED AT A WHITE HOUSE STATE DINNER During the visit, Ruto and his wife, Rachel Ruto, will be the guests of honor during a formal black-tie event at the White House. “[Thursday] night, we mark the 60th anniversary of the United States’ partnership with Kenya with an elegant dinner under the stars, in a pavilion made almost entirely of glass, looking up at our one sky,” Jill Biden said. “While outside, night surrounds us, inside, guests will be brought together over the glow of candles, in a space saturated with warm pinks and reds.” KENYA’S MILITARY CHIEF DIES IN A HELICOPTER CRASH The White House, under the direction of the first lady, organized the event and planned the dinner menu. To start out, diners will be served chilled heirloom tomato soup with sourdough crisps and arbequina olive oil. HUNTER BIDEN ATTENDED 4 STATE DINNERS AS ROSEMONT SENECA CHAIRMAN, 2 STATE DINNERS DURING FEDERAL PROBE They will then move on to fruitwood-smoked beef short ribs and butter-poached lobster with citrus butter, baby kale and sweet corn purée. Dessert will include a white chocolate basket with banana ganache, raspberries, peaches and candied lime zest. WHAT’S EXPECTED AT JAPANESE PM KISHIDA’S US VISIT? A MAJOR UPGRADE IN DEFENSE TIES Three wines will be served during dinner, including a Hartford Court Chardonnay from the Four Hearts Vineyard, a pinot noir from St. Innocent Winery, and an Iron Horse Classic Vintage Brut sparkling wine. Entertainment will include the Howard Gospel Choir and Brad Paisley, in honor of President and First Lady Ruto’s love of gospel and country music. “As guests leave, their path illuminated by our one moon, I hope they will be filled with that same warmth I felt on my visits to Kenya — that of a friendship that will endure, helping create a shining and prosperous tomorrow,” Jill Biden said. “Every detail of this state dinner has been thoughtfully planned by so many people from across our government — Joe and I could not have asked for a better team.”
Obama cheers Biden judicial milestone as former adviser warns of Trump ‘MAGA Court Majority’ on Supreme Court
Former President Obama cheered President Biden Wednesday after the Senate confirmed his 200th pick for a federal judgeship amid fears from the left over what the November election could mean for the highest court in the land. Dan Pfeiffer, a former senior Obama adviser, warned that the U.S. Supreme Court could be left with a “MAGA majority” should former President Trump win re-election in November. Pfeiffer predicted that if Trump wins re-election, he would “most certainly” be able to appoint two Supreme Court justices since Justice Clarence Thomas and Justice Samuel Alito are nearing retirement. “By the end of Trump’s second term — were he to win — Thomas will be 82, Alito will be 78,” Pfeiffer said on a recent episode of “Pod Save America.” TRUMP’S CAMPAIGN RIVAL DECIDES BETWEEN VOTING FOR HIM OR BIDEN In his first term, Trump appointed Neil Gorsuch, Amy Coney Barrett and Brett Kavanaugh. The former Obama aide noted that if Trump got two additional Supreme Court appointees, there would be a “MAGA court majority that will rule for decades.” “If he gets two appointments, that means he will have appointed five Supreme Court Justices, all of whom will be around or below the age of 60 when he leaves office,” he said. “That is a MAGA court majority that will rule for decades.” Pfieffer said that even if Democrats manage to win subsequent presidential elections, Trump’s ‘fingerprint” will be “all over” the U.S.’ highest court. NEW POLL DIVES INTO TRUMP-BIDEN REMATCH WITH ONE MONTH UNTIL FIRST DEBATE “We can win the next however many presidential elections and absent something short of extraordinary happening, Trump’s fingerprint will be all over the Supreme Court,” Pfeiffer said. Pfieffer’s comments came after Obama took to X on Wednesday to rally around Biden’s judicial impact, praising the president for confirming women and minorities. “@POTUS just confirmed his 200th judge – not an easy accomplishment with a narrow majority in the Senate. And more than half are women and people of color,” Obama wrote. “Judges have the power to roll back progress or keep us moving forward; to protect our basic liberties or take them away. It’s another reminder of what’s at stake in this election, and why it’s so important to vote,” he added.
Conservatives blast Biden admin authorizing ‘deadly use of force’ for Trump Mar-a-Lago raid
The conservative Heritage Foundation says Americans of any political leaning should be “outraged” and “shaken to the bone” over the Biden administration’s authorized use of deadly force when the FBI raided former President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. The August 2022 raid was part of the Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation into Trump’s alleged handling of classified records. Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into Trump’s alleged improper retention of classified records included an “Operations Order” that was produced during discovery. The order revealed that the “FBI believed its objective for the Mar-a-Lago raid was to seize “classified information, NDI, and US Government records,” as described in the search warrant. The order also contained, according to a court filing, a “Policy Statement” regarding “Use of Deadly Force,” which stated, “Law Enforcement officers of the Department of Justice may use deadly force when necessary.” The FBI told Fox News in a statement on Tuesday that it “followed standard protocol” when executing the search warrant at Mar-a-Lago, as it does with all search warrants. The standard protocol, the agency added, includes a standard policy statement limiting the use of deadly force. “No one ordered additional steps to be taken and there was no departure from the norm in this matter,” the FBI said. NEW REVELATIONS IN FLORIDA DOCUMENTS TRIAL PUT TRUMP ON OFFENSE AGAINST ‘DERANGED’ SPECIAL COUNSEL The filing also shows the DOJ and FBI agents “planned to bring ‘Standard Issue Weapons,’ ‘Ammo,’ ‘Handcuffs,’ and ‘medium and large sized bolt cutters,’ but they were instructed to wear ‘unmarked polo or collared shirts’ and to keep ‘law enforcement equipment concealed.’” On Wednesday, a person familiar with Special Counsel Robert Hur’s investigation into Biden’s handling of classified documents after his departure as vice president during the Obama administration, confirmed that the standard DOJ policy statement regarding the use of deadly force was also included in the operations order for the searches at Biden’s residences in Delaware. The Heritage Foundation — a nonprofit conservative think tank in Washington, D.C., that promotes and develops conservative public policies — issued a statement on Wednesday about the FBI’s authorization to use deadly force during the Mar-a-Lago raid. “Americans of all political leanings should be outraged, and frankly shaken to the bone, by the latest details concerning the FBI’s raid of Mar-a-Lago,” the foundation and Heritage Action President Kevin Roberts said. “President Biden’s Attorney General gave the FBI the green light to use deadly force in storming the home of a former and potential future president without advance notice and without regard to who might have been in the residence. FLASHBACK: TRUMP SAYS MAR-A-LAGO HOME IN FLORIDA ‘UNDER SIEGE’ BY FBI AGENTS “For his entire term, President Biden’s weaponization of the federal government against not just his political opponent, but against parents, people of faith, and conservatives is unprecedented and a grave threat to our constitutional republic,” the statement continued. “Our political leaders in Washington must step up to the plate to hold this administration accountable, and as I have said before, the FBI should be started over from scratch and rebuilt from the ground up. The very fabric of our nation depends upon it.” The Trump campaign called out other media outlets for attempting to justify Biden’s authorization of the use of force against his political opponent. “This is a sickening attempt to run cover for Joe Biden who is the most corrupt president in history and a threat to our democracy,” Trump Campaign National Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News Digital on Wednesday. “The good news is, Americans don’t buy the pro-Democrat, Election Interfering pro-Biden propaganda the Washington Post is constantly selling, and that is why President Trump continues to dominate Crooked Joe Biden in the polls.” FEDERAL JUDGE POSTPONES TRUMP’S CLASSIFIED RECORDS TRIAL WITH NO NEW DATE Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, spoke about authorization of deadly force on his podcast Wednesday, saying the FBI was anticipating potential conflicts with the Secret Service. Cruz read through the unsealed document on his podcast, which painted a picture of the FBI being prepared to engage with deadly force, should agents encounter resistance. “So, they’re anticipating Secret Service may actively resist the FBI, and they’re prepared to engage,” Cruz said. “And they’re prepared to engage with an order that explicitly authorizes deadly force. Like, what in the hell?” Pam Bondi, the former Florida attorney general, appeared on Fox News on Wednesday morning, and also expressed shock and outrage over the FBI’s authorization to use deadly force during the Mar-a-Lago raid. Bondi said she was in a New York City courtroom with Trump all day Tuesday, and when they walked out, they received the news. “How upsetting is that, especially to all the great men and women in the Secret Service who were in Mar-a-Lago,” she said. “It was a safe place. I’ve been part of executing multiple search warrants, and nothing about this was standard. It was a siege by land, by sea, by air, of Mar-a-Lago. “Nothing about this was normal, yet, we’ve heard now that they even had medics and EMS there, in case there could have been a shootout. Can you believe that,” Bondi added. “No. Nothing about this was standard. What you do is you coordinate with other federal agencies before you go in there.” Trump was charged as a result of Smith’s investigation into his retention of classified materials. Trump pleaded not guilty to all 37 felony charges from Smith’s probe, including willful retention of national defense information, conspiracy to obstruct justice, and false statements. Trump was also charged with an additional three counts as part of a superseding indictment out of the investigation: a count of willful retention of national defense information and two obstruction counts. Trump pleaded not guilty. The federal judge presiding over the case, Judge Aileen Cannon of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, postponed the trial stemming from Smith’s case indefinitely. The trial was set to begin May 20. Fox News Digital’s Brooke Singman and Fox