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Biden warns Netanyahu against Rafah invasion as Israel prepares for action

Biden warns Netanyahu against Rafah invasion as Israel prepares for action

President Biden called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday to warn him against moving on the Gaza city of Rafah. The president reportedly warned Netanyahu against continuing with plans to invade Rafah, the last stronghold of Hamas in the region. The two world leaders reportedly spoke for approximately 30 minutes, during which Biden raised the issue of the more than 1.5 million Palestinians currently living in Rafah. ISRAEL URGES PALESTINIANS TO EVACUATE RAFAH AHEAD OF EXPECTED GROUND OPERATION IN HAMAS STRONGHOLD “The president doesn’t want to see operations in Rafah that put at greater risk the more than a million people that are seeking refuge there,” said White House national security spokesman John Kirby. Earlier in the day, Israel’s Defense Forces ordered an evacuation of Rafah, signaling that a long-promised ground operation could be imminent.  The Israeli army has described Rafah as the last significant Hamas stronghold after seven months of war, and its leaders have repeatedly said clearing Rafah is necessary to defeat the Islamic militant group. ISRAELI TROOPS GAIN OPERATIONAL CONTROL OF GAZAN SIDE OF RAFAH CROSSING, IDF SAYS Overnight, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin that Israel was left with no choice but to act in Rafah after Hamas terrorists carried out a deadly rocket attack from Rafah earlier in the day that left four Israeli soldiers dead. The Israeli Defense Forces has begun conducting what it describes as “targeted strikes” against Hamas operatives in eastern Rafah, a city located in the southern Gaza Strip where more than 1 million civilians from other parts of Gaza are sheltering.  IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said aircraft struck more than 50 terrorist targets in Rafah amid the evacuation of residents in the area and the expansion of the humanitarian area in Al-Mawasi and Khan Yunis.  The war in Gaza has driven around 80% of the territory’s population of 2.3 million from their homes and caused vast destruction throughout several cities.  The death toll in Gaza has soared to more than 34,500 people — per estimates from Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.  The war began Oct. 7 when Hamas attacked southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting about 250 others. Israel says militants still hold around 100 hostages and the remains of more than 30 others. Fox News Digital’s Lawrence Richard and Bradford Betz contributed to this report.

Group of conservative judges vow to not hire Columbia University law students due to anti-Israel protests

Group of conservative judges vow to not hire Columbia University law students due to anti-Israel protests

A group of 13 U.S. federal judges appointed by former President Trump have vowed not to hire law school students and undergraduates from New York City-based Columbia University due to the school’s handling of the anti-Israel protests that ultimately led to an academic hall being occupied. In a letter obtained by Reuters which was addressed to Columbia University President Minouche Shafik and Law Dean Gillian Lester, the 13 conservative judges said they lost confidence in the university as an institution of higher education, saying instead it has become “an incubator of bigotry.” “Since the October 7 terrorist attacks by Hamas, Columbia University has become ground zero for the explosion of student disruptions, antisemitism, and hatred for diverse viewpoints on campuses across the nation. Disruptors have threatened violence, committed assaults, and destroyed property,” the letter reads. “As a result, Columbia has disqualified itself from educating the future leaders of our country.” The judges offered the administrators guidance on how the university could reclaim its “once-distinguished” reputation, starting with punishing students and faculty with profound consequences for those who participated in campus disruptions and violated established rules regarding the use of university facilities and public spaces as well as threats against fellow members of the school community. NYC COUNCILWOMAN BLASTS FAILURE OF ‘MODERN PROGRESSIVISM’ AFTER ANTI-ISRAEL HIGH SCHOOL RIOT They explained that in the past, citizens were warned that trespassing on public spaces was enough to warrant incarceration, and the same conduct should warrant lesser measures like expulsion or termination. “After all, elite universities purport to train not just law-abiding citizens but future leaders,” the letter reads. “Universities should also identify students who engage in such conduct so that future employers can avoid hiring them.” The judges also offered their stance on free speech, saying the university should offer neutrality and nondiscrimination when protecting free speech and enforcing the rules of conduct on campus. NYC PUBLIC SCHOOLS UNDER FIRE FOR FAILING TO ADDRESS ANTISEMITISM: ‘NOT SEEING ANY ACTION’ “Freedom of speech protects protest, not trespass, and certainly not acts or threats of violence or terrorism. Speech is not violence, and violence is not speech,” the judges wrote. “It has become clear that Columbia applies double standards when it comes to free speech and student misconduct. “By favoring certain viewpoints over others based on their popularity and acceptance in certain circles, Columbia has failed as a legitimate, never mind elite, institution of higher education,” they added. The third thing the judges suggested the school do is change the composition of its faculty and administration to restore confidence in Columbia. NYC MAYOR ERIC ADAMS BLASTS STUDENTS’ ‘VILE SHOW OF ANTISEMITISM’ THAT FORCED TEACHER TO HIDE IN OFFICE Recent events show that “ideological homogeneity” throughout the university “has destroyed its ability to train future leaders of a pluralistic and intellectually diverse country.” Administrators and professors have been on the front lines of the protests, the judges wrote, while encouraging the spread of bigotry and antisemitism. “Considering recent events, and absent extraordinary change, we will not hire anyone who joins the Columbia University community – whether as undergraduates or law students – beginning with the entering class of 2024,” the letter reads, noting that the objective is not to hamper academic freedom but instead to restore it at Columbia. William A. Jacobson, president of the Legal Insurrection Foundation and founder of EqualProtect.org, told Fox News Digital he has mixed feelings about judges getting involved in issues not presented to them in the courtroom. NYC JEWISH COMMUNITY ON HIGH ALERT FROM PROTESTS THREATENED WITH TRIO OF BOMB THREATS AT SYNAGOGUES “I actually agree with them on the substance, but I do find it a bit concerning that the judiciary gets involved with these, sort of, counter boycotts,” he said. Just like everyone else, he explained, judges have First Amendment rights, so there should not be any ethical issues, but he finds it concerning when judges get involved with issues involving protests. While he may not blame a judge for not wanting to hire from Columbia, the collective action of them getting together and issuing a statement rubs him the wrong way. But Jacobson also said he has no sympathy for the students and faculty at Columbia, many of whom endorsed boycotting Israel. “What goes around, comes around, and the student body, not all of them, but a significant percentage … support the boycott of Israel,” the professor said. “I have no sympathy for Columbia as an institution. But a boycott is a blunt instrument, and therefore you would be boycotting students who are not participating in this, and that’s, again, another thing that I have very mixed feelings on.” ANTISEMITISM EXPOSED Eventually, there will be a protest of the protesters or counterprotesters, Jacobson said. The student and faculty protesters are “so aggressive and so hostile” toward Israel, and so determined to drive Israelis and supporters out of civil society, that he believes it is inevitable that pushback is on the horizon. Federal judges tend to hire from top tier schools like Columbia, which has become “the poster child” for everything that has gone wrong in academia, Jacobson said. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “I think it’s a little curious that it ends up being 13 federal judges who are the first to send that warning, but I think it is a warning that, and I’ve said this many times before, that academia has become so radicalized that it cannot be reformed internally,” Jacobson said. “The only way to reform it is from outside pressure. I’m not even sure that will work, but it cannot be reformed internally. Places like Columbia are too far gone, and society is going to have to address that. The issue moving forward is not how we are going to reform our universities, because that is going to be a generational effort, but how can we protect society from our universities.” Reuters contributed to this report.

NY v Trump to resume after former president threatened with jail, told trial to last at least 2 more weeks

NY v Trump to resume after former president threatened with jail, told trial to last at least 2 more weeks

The unprecedented criminal trial of former President Trump resumes Tuesday morning after the 2024 presumptive Republican presidential nominee was again held in contempt of court, fined, threatened with jail time for future gag order violations, and told he’ll be required to sit in the Manhattan courtroom for at least another two weeks.  Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. The charges stem from a years-long investigation by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. The charges are related to alleged payments made to silence adult film actress Stormy Daniels about an alleged 2006 extramarital affair with Trump before the 2016 presidential election. NY V TRUMP: JUDGE THREATENS JAIL TIME FOR ‘POSSIBLY THE NEXT PRESIDENT’ FOR FUTURE GAG ORDER VIOLATIONS Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg must convince the jury that not only did Trump falsify the business records related to alleged hush money payments but that he did so in furtherance of another crime, conspiracy to promote or prevent election, which is a felony. On their own, falsifying business records and conspiracy to promote or prevent election are misdemeanor charges.  Monday’s day in court began with Judge Juan Merchan ruling on remaining alleged gag order violations, and ruling, once again, that the former president violated that rule. Merchan imposed a gag order on Trump before the trial began, ordering that Trump cannot make or direct others to make public statements about witnesses with regard to their potential participation or about counsel in the case – other than Bragg – or about court staff, DA staff or family members of staff. The judge on Monday fined Trump another $1,000 for a Truth Social post about the trial and said he will begin to “consider a jail sentence” for the former president should he violate the gag order again. “The last thing I want to consider is jail,” Merchan said. “You are [the] former president and possibly the next president.”  “The magnitude of that decision is not lost on me,” he continued. “Your continued willful violation of the court’s order … constitutes a direct attack … and will not be allowed to continue. … It is not allowed to continue.” Trump and his defense attorneys have argued that the former president and presumptive Republican presidential nominee should not be bound by the gag order, saying it violates his First Amendment rights as well as the First Amendment rights of his supporters. EX-TOP BIDEN DOJ OFFICIAL NOW PROSECUTING TRUMP WAS ONCE PAID BY DNC FOR ‘POLITICAL CONSULTING’ Trump has been fined a total of $10,000 for gag order violations so far. Also on Monday, the prosecution called its 10th witness in the case: Jeff McConney, who served as senior vice president controller at the Trump Organization until his retirement last year. McConney handled tax returns for the company. McConney testified that he was directed by then-Trump Organization Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg to give ex-Trump attorney Michael Cohen $35,000 per month. He said they switched from making payments from Trump’s trust account to his personal account. A total of $420,000 was sent to Cohen – a number McConney said was “grossed up” for tax purposes. But McConney said Trump “did not” personally task him with carrying out any payments in 2017. “Michael Cohen was a lawyer?” Trump defense attorney Emil Bove asked McConney during cross-examination.  “Sure, yes,” McConney responded.  “And payments to lawyers by the Trump Organization are legal expenses, right?” asked Bove. “Yes,” said McConney. “President Trump did not ask you to do any of the things you just described … correct?” Bove asked. “He did not,” McConney replied. NY V TRUMP: DA’S WITNESS TESTIFIES TRUMP DID NOT DIRECT HIM ON COHEN REPAYMENTS Next, the prosecution called Deborah Tarasoff, a Trump Organization accounts payable supervisor, who allegedly helped arrange hush money payments to Cohen. Tarasoff labeled the payments to Cohen as “legal expenses” or “retainer” at the time they were made. Tarasoff said that “only Mr. Trump” could sign checks from his personal account and added that if he “didn’t want to sign a check, he didn’t sign it.” Tarasoff also testified that she did not have any decision-making authority and only followed instructions. Meanwhile, the prosecution said Monday it would need at least two to three more weeks to make its case against the former president. “So, we just found out the government just said that they want two to three more weeks. That means they want to keep me off the trail for two to three more weeks,” Trump said after the jury was released for the day Monday. “The judge is so happy about two to three more weeks because they all want to keep me off the campaign trail.” He added, “That’s all this is about. This is about election interference.” Also after court on Monday, Trump addressed Merchan’s threat of jail time over gag order violations, telling reporters he would make the “sacrifice” of a prison sentence to defend free speech. Speaking to reporters, Trump said they asked him “a simple question” and that he would “like to give [an answer], but I can’t talk about it because this judge is giving me a gag order and says you’ll go to jail if you violate it.” “And frankly, you know what? Our Constitution is much more important than jail. It’s not even close. I’ll do that sacrifice any day,” Trump said.

GOP committee chair demands answers from DC officials on controversial noncitizen voting law

GOP committee chair demands answers from DC officials on controversial noncitizen voting law

FIRST ON FOX: A top House Republican is demanding answers from Washington D.C. officials about the implementation of a new law allowing non-citizens to vote in local elections, and possible encouragement for them to do so, even as non-citizens remain barred from voting in federal elections.  House Administration Committee Chairman Bryan Steil wrote to the D.C. Board of Elections expressing concern about the 2022 legislation now in effect which allows some non-citizens to vote in local elections. His committee has oversight over how elections are conducted. “American elections are for American citizens only,” Steil said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Every American deserves to have confidence in their elections, and it does not instill confidence when we see our nation’s capital encourage non-citizen voting in local elections. I’m working to hold the D.C. Board of Elections accountable and stop non-citizen voting.”  ‘ELECTION INTERFERENCE’: GOP SENATOR LAUNCHES PUSH TO SHUT DOWN NONCITIZEN VOTING IN DC ELECTIONS The Local Resident Voting Rights Act was passed by the D.C. Council in October 2022 and states that if a non-citizen is otherwise qualified to vote, they can do so in local elections so long as they have resided in Washington, D.C., for at least 30 days. It also permits non-citizen residents to run for Washington, D.C., government offices and serve on the city’s Board of Elections, according to court documents. However, it does not allow illegal immigrants to vote. LEGAL IMMIGRANTS INFURIATED BY ‘NEFARIOUS’ DC PLAN TO LET ILLEGAL MIGRANTS VOTE  The law sparked outrage from Republicans and an unsuccessful effort in Congress to overturn it. In his letter, Steil pointed to moves he says are actively encouraging non-citizen voting by officials. “Not only is D.C. allowing non-citizens to vote, but the Board is actively encouraging it. In addition to Board staff hosting a virtual townhall focused on the ability of non-citizen D.C. residents to vote, the Committee has received notice regarding a postcard mailed by the Board to ‘Residential Customers’ advocating for non-citizens to register to vote in D.C. elections,” he said. His letter asks a string of questions, including how election workers will differentiate between those qualified to vote and those not, and whether foreign nationals representing their capitals as embassy personnel, will be able to vote. He also asks why a form for non-citizen registration allegedly does not have the requirement that an applicant not be in jail for a felony conviction, in addition to the legal guidance the board has relied upon for the implementation of the act. The letter says after Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kansas, introduced a bill to require proof of citizenship in any municipal election in D.C. New York City had passed a similar bill on noncitizen voting in December 2021. That bill quickly faced a legal challenge, and in June, a New York judge ruled that it was illegal, violating the state’s constitution. Get the latest updates on the ongoing border crisis from the Fox News Digital immigration hub.