Texas company fined $30 million for 2019 chemical explosion near Beaumont
Two explosions at TPC Group’s facility in Port Neches injured workers and triggered the evacuation of more than 50,000 people.
House GOP claims Hunter Biden lied under oath multiple times during congressional deposition
House Republicans said they obtained information to prove “indisputably” that Hunter Biden lied under oath multiple times during his congressional deposition earlier this year, Fox News Digital has learned. The House Ways & Means Committee on Wednesday held a mark-up session to discuss documents protected under IRS code 6103 — a portion of the tax code that keeps certain information confidential. Discussing that material without it being properly released by the House Ways & Means Committee is considered a felony. The panel voted on Wednesday to release that information. “Hunter Biden has shown once again he believes there are two systems of justice in this country – one for his family, and one for everyone else. Not only did Hunter Biden refuse to comply with his initial subpoena until threatened with criminal contempt, but he then came before Congress and lied,” House Ways & Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith told Fox News Digital Wednesday. “The Ways and Means Committee’s investigation, and the documents released today, are not part of a personal vendetta against Hunter Biden, but are meant to ensure the equal application of the law.” Smith said the documents the committee obtained reveal that Hunter Biden lied at least three times during his deposition. Smith noted that “lying during sworn testimony is a felony offense that the Department of Justice has prosecuted numerous individuals for in recent years, and the American people expect the same accountability for the son of the President of the United States.” “Hunter Biden’s lies under oath, and obstruction of a congressional investigation into his family’s potential corruption, calls into question other pieces of his testimony,” Smith said. “The newly released evidence affirms, once again, the only witnesses who can be trusted to tell the truth in this investigation are the IRS whistleblowers.” Hunter Biden has been charged in two separate jurisdictions stemming from Special Counsel David Weiss’ years-long investigation into him. The first son pleaded not guilty to federal gun charges in U.S. District Court for Delaware. He was charged with making a false statement in the purchase of a firearm; making a false statement related to information required to be kept by a licensed firearm dealer; and one count of possession of a firearm by a person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance. The first son also pleaded not guilty to federal tax charges in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California — specifically, three felonies and six misdemeanors concerning $1.4 million in owed taxes that have since been paid. Weiss alleged a “four-year scheme” when the president’s son did not pay his federal income taxes from January 2017 to October 2020 while also filing false tax reports. Weiss filed the charges in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. IRS whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler approached Congress earlier this year, alleging that prosecutorial decisions made throughout the federal investigation into the president’s son were impacted by politics. Shapley and Ziegler have said they were frustrated that the Justice Department did not charge Hunter Biden for failing to pay federal income tax for 2014 and 2015. They alleged that Weiss had allowed the statute of limitations to expire for tax charges against Hunter Biden from 2014 and 2015 in D.C. Shapley, who led the IRS portion of the probe, said that Hunter Biden should have been charged with tax evasion for 2014, and for filing false tax returns for 2018 and 2019. With regard to the 2014 tax returns, Shapley said that Hunter Biden did not report income from Ukrainian natural gas firm Burisma Holdings. Fox News Digital first reported in December 2020 that Hunter Biden did not report “approximately $400,000” in income he collected from his position on the board of Burisma Holdings when he joined in 2014. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
House Democrat blasts Ireland, Spain, Norway recognition of Palestinian state as ‘gift to Hamas’
Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., on Wednesday blasted Ireland, Spain and Norway’s decision to recognize Palestinian statehood, arguing the move sent a “message to terrorists” that “abhorrent tactics work.” “I’ve long advocated for Palestinian self-determination and statehood, and will continue to do so,” Phillips, who sits on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, wrote on X. “But Spain, Norway, and Ireland’s premature recognition of a state is a gift to Hamas and a message to terrorists around the world that abhorrent tactics work,” he said. “Shameful.” Notably, Hamas celebrated Ireland, Spain and Norway’s decision as a significant “turning point,” according to a statement shared on X by the Palestinian news agency Quds News Network. “Hamas welcomes the announcement of Norway, Ireland, and Spain recognizing the state of Palestine, considering it an important step towards solidifying our right to our land and establishing our independent Palestinian state with its capital in Jerusalem,” the statement said. “We call on countries around the world to recognize our legitimate national rights and to support our people’s struggle for liberation, independence, and an end to Zionist occupation of our land.” NORWAY, IRELAND, SPAIN RECOGNIZING INDEPENDENT PALESTINIAN STATE AS ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR CONTINUES Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris – who took office just last month following Leo Eric Varadkar’s sudden resignation – announced at a press conference on Wednesday that Ireland, Norway and Spain will “recognize the state of Palestine” on May 28 and “each of us will now undertake whatever national steps are necessary to give effect to that decision.” “I’m confident that further countries will join us in taking this important step in the coming weeks,” he said. “This is a historic and important day for Ireland and for Palestine.” On Jan. 22, 1919, “Ireland asked the world to recognize our right to be an independent state,” Harris said. “Our message to the free nations of the world was a plea for international recognition of our independence, emphasizing our distinct national identity, our historical struggle and our right to self-determination and justice. Today we use the same language to support the recognition of Palestine as a state. We do because we believe in freedom and justice as these fundamental principles of international law. And because we believe that permanent peace can only be secured upon the basis of the free will of a free people.” Harris also released a video message defending the decision. “Children are innocent. The children of Israel, the children of Palestine, they deserve peace,” he began. “It is long past time for a cease-fire, for the unconditional release of hostages, for unhindered access for humanitarian aid. There should be no further military incursion into Rafah. There should be no more Hamas or Hezbollah rockets fired at Israel.” Harris said “civilians on all sides must be protected under international humanitarian law.” ELITE UNIVERSITY JOURNALISM PROFESSOR EXPOSED FOR MONTHSLONG CAMPAIGN JUSTIFYING HAMAS “Today’s decision to recognize Palestine is taken to help create a peaceful future. Because a two-state solution is the only way out of the generational cycles of violence, retaliation, resentment, hatred where so many wrongs can never make a right,” video message continued. “Just as Ireland’s recognition as a state eventually led to the establishment of our now peaceful Republic, we believe that Palestinian statehood will contribute to peace and to reconciliation in the Middle East. A peace that honors the legitimate aspirations of all people in the region to live with respect, justice, security and dignity free from violence or the threat of violence.” Social media users blasted Harris’ announcement, noting how Emily Hand, a 9-year-old Irish-Israeli girl was kidnapped on Oct. 7 and held hostage by Hamas terrorists for about 50 days. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez also announced the decision before parliament on Wednesday. “This recognition is not against anyone, it is not against the Israeli people,” he said. “It is an act in favor of peace, justice and moral consistency.” Other users on X slammed Sánchez for recognizing a Palestinian state, but not granting Catalonia’s independence. Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide told The Associated Press that while the country has supported the establishment of a Palestinian state for decades, recognition is “a card that you can play once.” “We used to think that recognition would come at the end of a process,” he said. “Now we have realized that recognition should come as an impetus, as a strengthening of a process.” The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Trump’s candidates sizzled, ‘Squad’ candidates sputtered: Top takeaways from Tuesday’s primaries
Former President Trump’s clout in contested GOP primaries and contests pitting one Republican against another remains unrivaled. The candidates the presumptive GOP presidential nominee was backing in two closely watched congressional showdowns from coast to coast on Tuesday came out on top. Meanwhile, progressives took a drubbing from more moderate or establishment-backed candidates in high-profile Democratic congressional primaries in reliably blue Oregon. TRUMP AND MCCARTHY BACKED CANDIDATE WINS TICKET TO CONGRESS Here are two key primary takeaways. Trump’s endorsement within the GOP reigns supreme California State Assembly member Vince Fong cruised to a victory in a special congressional election to fill the seat left vacant after former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy left Congress late last year. Fong, who enjoyed Trump’s backing, was also endorsed by McCarthy, whom he once served as district director. He defeated local County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux to fill the final six months of McCarthy’s term in the reliably red Central Valley district in an overwhelmingly blue state. Trump called Fong a “true Republican” when he endorsed him in February. Among Boudreaux’s backers was Richard Grenell, who served as an acting director of national intelligence in the Trump administration and is a top surrogate for the former president as he runs to win back the White House. Fong and Boudreaux will face off again in November for a full two-year term. Trump also took sides in the GOP primary race for the open seat in Georgia’s 3rd District, in central-western Georgia. The former president backed former adviser Brian Jack, who faced off against five rivals in the far-right field in the solid red district. Jack finished first, far ahead of his rivals. However, because he came up just shy of topping 50%, he will face off in a June runoff against Mike Dugan, who came in second, 21 points behind Jack. The victories by the two Trump-backed candidates are the latest examples this cycle of the former president’s prowess in influencing intra-party contested elections. “An endorsement from Donald J. Trump is the most powerful endorsement in modern political history,” GOP Ohio Senate nominee Bernie Moreno told Fox News minutes after winning his state’s Republican primary in March, thanks in large part to the former president’s backing. “There’s never been anything like it before – probably won’t be anything like it afterwards.” Longtime Republican strategist and 2016 Trump campaign veteran Mike Biundo, pointing to Trump’s endorsement successes, told Fox News earlier this spring that “Trump moves numbers and helps to hand victories to those he endorses. It’s just a fact.” Progressives blue after primary setbacks The sister of progressive leader Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington will not be joining her sibling in Congress next year. Susheela Jayapal, a former Multnomah County commissioner, was defeated by state Rep. Mazine Dexter in the Democratic primary in the race to succeed longtime Democratic Rep. Earl Blumenauer in the heavily-blue Portland anchored 3rd Congressional District. Jayapal was backed not only by her sister, but also by progressive champion and two-time Democratic presidential nominee runner-up Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, one of the original members of the “Squad.” The primary showdown saw millions spent on attack ads by outside groups. In the 5th District, a crucial swing seat stretching south from suburban Portland that will likely help determine if the GOP can hold on to its majority, establishment Democrats came out in their battle with the left in the race to take on GOP Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, who narrowly won two years ago. SQUAD ENDORSEMENTS FALL SHORT IN KEY DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY SHOWDOWN Two years ago, progressive Jamie McLeod-Skinner defeated Democratic Rep. Kurt Schrader in the primary, as she ran to the incumbent congressman’s left. However, she was narrowly defeated in the general election by Chavedz-DeRemer, as the Republicans flipped the seat in a district President Biden won by roughly 10 points in 2020. Aiming to avoid a repeat of their 2022 setback, national Democrats worked to block McLeod-Skinner from winning the nomination a second straight time. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee backed state Rep. Janelle Bynum and spent around $1 million on her behalf. “Primaries are often driven by voters invested in their local communities, who understand local budgets, issues, and dynamics. Voters who view themselves as gatekeepers to these local issues are not looking to Sanders or AOC to determine whether a candidate is viable,” longtime Democratic strategist Michael Ceraso told Fox News. Ceraso, a veteran of numerous presidential campaigns who currently runs the communications firm Winning Margins, argued that “progressive candidates often run on big ideas that are more national and less local. I think there isn’t an appetite for it right now.” Additionally, he suggested that while “progressives are very good at running for office, sometimes, they are not very good at building the relationships and institutional memory locally to earn the trust of voters.” In another potential setback for progressives in Oregon, centrist candidate Nathan Vasquez, who pledged to be tough on crime, was leading Mike Schmidt, the top prosecutor in the Portland-anchored Multnomah County. Schmidt, a progressive, took office in 2020, as Portland was one of the epicenters amid major nationwide social justice protests. The race was viewed as a referendum on voter concerns over Portland’s homelessness and drug use in public, as well as crime and the larger national argument over criminal justice reform. If Schmidt ends up losing his bid for re-election, he would join a growing list of progressive district attorneys in blue bastions who’ve gone down to ballot box defeats the past couple of years. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Blue state Dems look to buck party’s crime policies, get major backing from police groups in swing races
A group of Democrats running for Congress in three of California’s most competitive swing House districts are trying to flip the script on their party’s traditional approach to crime. Former federal prosecutor Will Rollins, state Sen. Dave Min and former state Assemblyman Adam Gray are making a tough on crime approach central to their campaigns, and they have secured endorsements from a number of law enforcement officials and police groups eager to put an end to the violent crime that has spiked across the deep-blue state in recent years. Rollins is running to represent California’s 41st Congressional District, and last week, he flipped the endorsement of one local police group, the Palm Springs Police Officers Association, from incumbent Republican Rep. Ken Calvert, who it endorsed in 2022. AIR FORCE VETERAN TO TAKE ON INCUMBENT DEMOCRAT IN COMPETETIVE OREGON HOUSE RACE “We also got endorsed by the International Law Enforcement Officers Association, and got endorsed by the former Republican sheriff in Riverside County … and the former Republican assembly leader in California. So it’s been a big bipartisan coalition this time around, and we’re thrilled to have it,” Rollins told Fox News Digital in an interview. Rollins helped prosecute a number of alleged drug traffickers, Iranian sanctions violators and foreign nationals accused of crimes during his time at the Department of Justice under the Obama, Trump and Biden administrations, and he says a commitment to a mission higher than oneself, regardless of party, is what Congress needs. “I have some Republican colleagues and friends and former coworkers and family members who have talked to me about crime, and I think they’ve got some good points, and I share their concerns, and I want to make sure that I’m out there talking to voters, expressing my experience as a former federal prosecutor, whether it’s going after cartels or trying to stop fentanyl trafficking, or what we should do to modernize our border security,” he told Fox. “I think we need to be more vocal about that as a party, and certainly as candidates for the House of Representatives, so that voters make sure that they understand me as a person, not just my political party, but where I stand from my own life experience,” he added. WATCH: HEARING GOES OFF THE RAILS AS TED CRUZ ACCUSES BIDEN OFFICIAL OF FUNDING HAMAS ATTACK ON ISRAEL Min is running to replace Democrat Rep. Katie Porter in California’s 47th Congressional District, and he has got the backing of the Peace Officers Research Association, the state’s largest police union and the largest statewide association of police officers in the country, as well as the Los Angeles Police Protective League, the Association of Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs and the California Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police. He authored a number of bills as a member of the state Senate that he says show his staunch support for police, including ones that targeted California’s retail theft problem, domestic violence and crime aboard public transportation. He also touts his efforts to provide more money for local police, while many in the party were pushing to defund law enforcement. Gray is running to represent California’s 13th Congressional District, and he has the backing of Merced County District Attorney Nicole Siveira and Merced County Sheriff Vernon Warnke, who was reportedly considered by the state Republican Party as a potential candidate for governor. He touts his record on the campaign trail as a “strong supporter of law enforcement” during his time as a member of the state Assembly, including pushing for funding to combat gang violence and retail theft, as well as opposing measures to reduce sentencing guidelines for those convicted of certain crimes. EXPERTS REVEAL MAJOR ‘DOWNSIDE’ TO POTENTIAL TRUMP VP PICK: ‘NO WOW FACTOR’ All three candidates are facing tough paths to victory in a year when a majority in the House of Representatives could hinge on the battleground races taking place in the Golden State. Rollins currently holds a cash advantage over Calvert, while Gray faces a well-funded Republican Rep. John Duarte. Min will need to overcome a well-known Scott Baugh, who previously served as the minority leader in the California State Assembly, and narrowly lost to Porter in the 2022 midterms. Each of the Republican campaigns, who also have their own support from various law enforcement organizations, were eager to point out what they said were the flaws in the efforts by Rollins, Min and Gray to cozy up to police. “Min’s effort is pure hypocrisy,” Baugh told Fox News Digital. “He has made a career of voting for the interests of criminals over victims. He is now in a panic because his soft on crime policies that let criminals go free are not popular with the voters. The voters will not be fooled by their current efforts to cover up their failed policies.” “It’s absurd to say this guy is tough on crime,” he added, pointing to Min being arrested for DUI last year. WATCH: POSSIBLE TRUMP VP PICK MAKES MAJOR PREDICTION ABOUT BLACK VOTERS AS BIDEN BLEEDS SUPPORT Calvert campaign spokesman Calvin Moore accused Rollins of supporting California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s crime agenda, which he said led to the environment that preceded the need to appear tough on crime. “Rollins is desperate to paper over his record because he’s been lock-step with Gov. Newsom’s failed soft-on-crime policies that have unleashed chaos in our neighborhoods,” Moore said. “You can’t be serious about crime if you won’t reform Prop 47, which legalized theft, or sanctuary state laws, which put the rights of criminal illegal immigrants before the safety of families. That’s why Ken Calvert has the support of virtually every law enforcement organization in the district,” he added, noting Calvert’s backing by a number of law enforcement groups. Duarte campaign strategist Diance Dichiara told Fox that both Democrat and Republican law enforcement leaders were standing behind the congressman’s re-election because “he’s keeping our kids safe by working with both parties to write a new law that
Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Delhi Metro services to start early on polling day, check timings for May 25
Earlier on Saturday, the Election Commission of India (ECI) said that a total of 889 candidates from eight States and Union Territories (UTs) will contest elections in phase six of the Lok Sabha elections that will be held on May 25.
DOJ urged to ‘take immediate action’ to prosecute Michael Cohen over string of alleged lies
EXCLUSIVE: House Majority Whip Tom Emmer is demanding that the Justice Department “take immediate action” to prosecute ex-Trump attorney Michael Cohen for making false statements and admitting to stealing during the unprecedented criminal trial of former President Trump. Fox News Digital exclusively obtained a letter Emmer, R-Minn., sent to Attorney General Merrick Garland Wednesday, urging the DOJ “take immediate action” on the multiple criminal referrals from congressional committees related to alleged lies Cohen has told Congress. Emmer also demanded information on top Manhattan prosecutor Matthew Colangelo, who worked as a senior Justice Department official in the Biden administration before joining Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s team. Michael Cohen was Bragg’s “star witness” in the unprecedented criminal trial against Trump, who pleaded not guilty to all charges. EX-TOP BIDEN DOJ OFFICIAL NOW PROSECUTING TRUMP WAS ONCE PAID BY DNC FOR ‘POLITICAL CONSULTING’ In the letter to Garland, Emmer says Cohen “has proven to be a pathological liar, particularly to Congress.” “In November 2018, Mr. Cohen pled guilty to lying to the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence,” Emmer wrote. “Since then, he has been referred to the U.S. Department of Justice on at least three separate occasions by Republicans on the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and House Committee on the Judiciary for committing perjury and knowingly making false statements during his testimony at a congressional hearing and deposition.” This fall, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner, R-Ohio, and House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., sent a criminal referral to the DOJ with evidence that Cohen committed perjury during a deposition in 2019. Earlier this month, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., and Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, also sent a criminal referral for Cohen’s alleged false statements during a separate 2019 deposition before their panels. During his testimony before the House Oversight Committee in 2019, Emmer said Cohen “repeatedly claimed that he did not seek employment in President Trump’s White House, despite evidence from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York demonstrating that ‘Cohen privately told friends… that he expected to be given a prominent role and title in the new administration.’” TOP REPUBLICANS DOUBLE DOWN ON CALL FOR DOJ PROBE INTO BRAGG’S ‘STAR WITNESS’ MICHAEL COHEN During the NY v. Trump criminal trial, Emmer said Cohen’s “lie to Congress was further confirmed” when a witness “gave a firsthand account of Mr. Cohen’s rage in December 2016 about not receiving a job in the Trump administration.” While on the stand, Cohen testified that he “had conversations with a lot of people about working with President Trump in the White House” and “would have liked to be considered” for chief of staff “for ego purposes.” Cohen, during his time on the stand in NY v. Trump this month, also admitted to stealing tens of thousands of dollars from the Trump Organization. “In other words, the prosecution’s star witness admitted to a more significant felony than what the prosecution has charged former President Trump with,” Emmer wrote to Garland. NY V. TRUMP: HOUSE JUDICIARY INVESTIGATES BRAGG PROSECUTOR WHO HELD SENIOR ROLE IN BIDEN DOJ Emmer demanded the DOJ “take immediate action on the criminal referrals,” and declared that President Biden’s DOJ “already appears to be colluding” with Bragg in the case against Trump, pointing to former senior DOJ official Colangelo. “The Biden administration’s DOJ already appears to be colluding with the Manhattan District Attorney in the case against former President Trump, considering that Matthew Colangelo left his position as a senior Justice Department official to prosecute his former boss’ political rival,” Emmer wrote. “Any further effort to protect the district attorney’s star witness, Mr. Cohen, only enhances the appearance that the DOJ is engaging in a two-tiered application of justice,” he continued. Colangelo, who is a top prosecutor on Bragg’s team, worked in the Biden administration as acting associate attorney general at the Justice Department. He later became the principal deputy associate attorney general, helping to oversee multiple departments, including the Civil, Civil Rights, Antitrust and Tax Divisions. Colangelo joined Bragg’s office in December 2022. Charges were brought against Trump in April 2023. HOUSE GOP GOES AFTER ‘CONVICTED LIAR’ MICHAEL COHEN, URGES JUSTICE DEPARTMENT TO INVESTIGATE RECENT LIES Fox News Digital exclusively reported that Colangelo was paid thousands of dollars by the Democratic National Committee for “political consulting” in 2018. Emmer demanded Garland turn over documents related to Colangelo’s employment, and provide him with a “written response as to why” he has “not moved forward with the indictment of Mr. Cohen, despite criminal referrals from multiple congressional committees.” After sending the letter to Garland, Emmer told Fox News Digital that Cohen “is not only a liar and a thief, he’s the only person guilty of a crime in Alvin Bragg’s witch hunt against President Trump.” “We’re going to use every resource at our disposal to hold Joe Biden’s corrupt Justice Department’s feet to the fire until Convict Cohen is behind bars where he belongs and Americans get the answers they deserve about the shady cast of characters who’re attempting to pull off the greatest sham in American history,” he said.
‘Insult to injury’: Florida lawmakers erupt over Cuban officials touring secure parts of top airport
FIRST ON FOX: Florida lawmakers in Congress are calling for answers from the Department of Homeland Security about a tour of secure areas of Miami International Airport by federal officials — which has raised national security concerns from both local and national lawmakers. “You are taking agents from a country which is on the list of state sponsors of terrorism. And you’re showing them our procedures and our equipment and our sensitive areas that protect the American public from terrorism. So how does that make sense?” Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital in an interview. Republican lawmakers led by Gimenez wrote to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and TSA Administrator David Pekoske about the tour, which took place on Monday at the Miami airport. CUBA PROTESTERS DEMAND FOOD, ELECTRICITY AS RUBIO SAYS NATION ON ‘VERGE OF COLLAPSE’ FROM MARXIST POLICIES Other lawmakers on the letter include Sens. Rick Scott and Marco Rubio, and Reps. Maria Elvira Salazar and Mario Diaz-Balart. CBS News Miami reported that officials said the five-hour tour involved a tour of sensitive areas of the airport — a security checkpoint and a baggage screen area. “You’re taking agents of the Cuban Communist Party and showing them the TSA equipment and procedures at Miami International Airport, where there’s a community of over a million Cuban exiles, that were exiled due to that same regime. It’s a slap in the face of that community,” Gimenez said. He also noted that the visit purportedly took place on May 20th — Cuban Independence Day. PROTESTS ERUPT IN SANTIAGO OVER POWER OUTAGES, FOOD SHORTAGES AS CUBA FACES ECONOMIC CRISIS “You’re also doing it on May 20th. May 20th is the equivalent of July 4th here. So it’s Cuban Independence Day, you’re doing it in Miami, and you’re showing it to who? The agents of the regime that have been oppressing the Cuban people for over 60 years.” “You’re adding insult upon insult, insult to injury,” he added. PROGRESSIVE HOUSE DEMS MADE SECRET ‘HUMAN RIGHTS’ TRIP TO CUBA AMID WORSENING BORDER CRISIS AT HOME In the letter, the lawmakers say that it is not the first time that Cuban delegations have been given tours, pointing to tours of the U.S. Coast Guard headquarters last year and a visit of port facilities in Wilmington, North Carolina. “Under your watch, Cuban operatives have again accessed sensitive, secure areas within the U.S. transportation system. Yet again, Congress must step in to prevent your Department and the Biden Administration from hosting individuals from a country which our Department of State has listed as a SSOT since 2021,” the lawmakers said. The lawmakers want to know which statutory authority officials invited members of the Cuban government under, the areas accessed, the process for hosting tours, any visas that were issued and the security protocols in place. In response to the letter, a DHS spokesperson said it “responds to congressional correspondence directly via official channels, and the Department will continue to respond appropriately to Congressional oversight.” A TSA spokesperson told Fox that it “routinely works with all countries with direct flights to the United States.” “TSA hosts government officials and members of the aviation community at U.S. airports to foster a strong global aviation security posture.U.S. and Cuban authorities jointly manage the airspace between Cuba and the United States and ensure the safety and security of travelers using our airports,” the spokesperson said. “The Republic of Cuba has six last point of departure airports with direct flights to the United States, and accordingly TSA continually works to strengthen the security framework with Cuba and other Caribbean nations. The agency says that Cuban officials did not access sensitive technology or systems and instead received a general overview of security operations, including Equipments that anyone screened can see, along with best practices so that Cuba can implement similar measures. It also said that Miami International Airport recently welcomed officials from Antigua, Barbados, Spain and Brazil for similar visits and that the last such Cuban delegation visit came in August 2018. A State Dept. spokesperson told The Miami Herald that airport assessments by Cuban officials began in 2011, after the U.S. began assessments of Cuban airports in 2003 and that such visits also took place during the Trump administration. “Aviation security is clearly in the national interest,” the spokesperson told the outlet. “Given Cuba’s proximity and the existence of direct flights to and from our countries, U.S. and Cuban authorities must collaborate while each working to ensure the safety and security of travelers at airports. As we have noted repeatedly, we will engage with the Cuban government when it is in the U.S. national interest to do so. But the tour brought outrage from Democrats as well. Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla., said that the Cuban government “should have no place in our government. END OF STORY!” “They should not have been invited to Miami International Airport and as a Transportation committee member, I’ll be reaching out to TSA to find answers as to how this happened,” she said. Democratic Miami-Dade County Mayor Danielle Levine Cava said she was “shocked” to learn of the invitation and distanced herself from the move. “The decision to allow Cuban officials to tour secure areas at MIA was made without the knowledge of the Miami-Dade Aviation Dept. and took place on Cuban Independence Day — a day that we reaffirm our commitment to freedom and democracy in Cuba in the face of a brutal dictatorship. Emilio González, a former Miami International Airport Director and Miami City Manager, told Florida Politics that “heads should roll.” “No common sense and (a) lack of security awareness,” he said. Meanwhile, Gimenez is the chair of the subcommittee that oversees TSA and told Fox Digital that he has an eye on potential hearings on the matter. “If you’re doing it with Cuba, who else are you doing it with?”
Fauci adviser’s alleged destruction of COVID origin docs must be probed by AG: Rand Paul
Sen. Rand Paul is calling on the Justice Department to probe whether a top adviser to Dr. Anthony Fauci improperly concealed, and perhaps even destroyed, documents pertaining to the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Kentucky Republican is formally calling for an investigation into accusations of improper concealment and destruction of COVID-19 origin records by Dr. David Morens in a letter addressed to Attorney General Merrick Garland on Wednesday. The letter, citing emails obtained by the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, presents “significant evidence” suggesting Morens may have violated federal law by hiding and erasing records related to the origins of COVID-19 to avoid leaks through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. “Moreover, newly revealed emails suggest a broader conspiracy within the NIH FOIA office to assist Dr. Morens in unlawfully destroying records and evading public records laws,” Paul wrote. For his part, Fauci has repeatedly publicly repudiated theories suggesting a lab leak as the origin of the COVID-19 pandemic. HIGH-RANKING FAUCI ADVISER USED PERSONAL EMAIL TO AVOID FOIA REQUESTS, DISCUSS COVID ORIGIN “These emails provide strong evidence that Dr. Morens violated federal law by concealing and destroying federal records. It is imperative that your Department investigate the allegations against Dr. Morens and, if substantiated, ensure that he is held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” the letter continued. Paul’s letter comes as emails recently released between Morens and the president of a non-governmental organization being funded to conduct coronavirus research in Wuhan, China, the EcoHealth Alliance, were investigated by House lawmakers last week. NIH Principal Deputy Director Lawrence Tabak testified on Thursday that Morens allegedly deleted emails to thwart the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic’s investigation into the origins of COVID-19. During the hearing, Tabak informed Republican House Oversight Chairman James Comer that Morens purportedly breached NIH policy by deleting emails after public records requests. “Dr. David Morens, a senior advisor to Fauci for decades, wrote in an email to Dr. Daszak, ‘I learned from our FOIA lady here how to make emails disappear after I am FOIA’d, but before the search starts. So I think we are all safe. Plus I deleted most of those earlier emails after sending them to Gmail.’ Is that consistent with NIH document retention policies?” Comer asked Tabak, to which he responded that it is not. FAUCI ADMITS SOCIAL DISTANCING NOT BASED ON SCIENCE, ‘SORT OF JUST APPEARED’ WUHAN LAB SCIENTISTS WERE FIRST TO CATCH COVID-19: REPORT “He also later wrote Dr. Daszak, ‘We are all smart enough to know to never have smoking guns and if we did, we wouldn’t put them in emails. And if we found them, we would delete them,’” Comer said. “Finally, emails show that Dr. Morens would share internal questions about upcoming FOIA releases with Dr. Daszak. He would then help Dr. Daszak craft responses to documents being released in these FOIAs.” In other emails, Morens expressed concern over what was sent to his work email and what was sent to his personal email, informing those on the email chain that they did not need to worry and that he would “delete anything I don’t want to see in the New York Times.” “As you know, I try to always communicate on gmail because my NIH email is FOIA’d constantly,” Morens wrote in a September 2021 email, which was sent at the time to many scientists involved in the debate over the origins of COVID. “Stuff sent to my gmail gets to my phone … but not my NIH computer.” “Don’t worry, just send to any of my addresses, and I will delete anything I don’t want to see in the New York Times,” he added in the email. Fox News Digital has reached out to the NIH and Garland for comment. Fox News Digital’s Kyle Morris contributed to this report.
RNC evacuated due to suspicious package containing vials of blood
The Republican National Committee headquarters in Washington, D.C., was evacuated on Wednesday morning due to a suspicious package, police confirmed. U.S. Capitol Police confirmed to Fox News “the suspicious package has been cleared.” With the security posture now loosening, police have since opened up the sidewalk on the opposite side of the street of the RNC and the Capitol Hill club. ‘RED-HOT MOMENTUM’: GOP COMMITTEE UNLEASHES EFFORT TO WIN BACK WHITE HOUSE WITH ‘GAME-CHANGING’ TOOL “At approximately 7:45 a.m., the USCP responded to the 300 block of First Street, SE, for the report of a suspicious package,” police said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “The package was just cleared by our Hazardous Incident Response Division. It contained two vials of blood. The source of the package and its contents will be further investigated.” A heavy police presence was spotted earlier outside the RNC and hazmat teams were at the scene. Officers were seen wearing uniforms identifying them as bomb techs and with K-9 units. DC Fire and EMS also confirmed to Fox News they had units on the scene to assist law enforcement while they conducted an investigation. Fox News’ Tyler Olson and Brett Baier contributed to this report.