Public blasts Texas agencies, regulators for poor communication and oversight at wildfire hearings
Thursday’s hearing marked the end of the Legislature’s three-day marathon of public hearings.
House braces for battle over renewing controversial FISA surveillance tool
House Republicans are expected to vote on renewing a controversial federal government surveillance tool when they return from recess next week, multiple sources told Fox News Digital. Two House GOP aides and a GOP lawmaker – all who spoke on the condition of anonymity – said the House could take up Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which is set to expire on April 19 if Congress does not act soon. One of the aides said plans are still fluid. Section 702 has been both credited with preventing terror attacks on U.S. soil and accused of being a vehicle for spying on U.S. citizens. It lets the government keep tabs on specific foreign nationals outside the country without first obtaining a warrant to do so, even if the party on the other side of those communications is a U.S. citizen on U.S. soil. VEHICLE RAMS INTO GATE AT FBI OFFICE IN ATLANTA, DRIVER ARRESTED The debate over its renewal has been intense, and it’s made unlikely allies out of hard-liners on the left and right alike over accusations it tramples on Americans’ civil rights. The FBI has been accused of improperly using Section 702 to spy on Black Lives Matter protesters in the summer of 2020 as well as people who rioted at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. “Freedom surrendered is rarely reclaimed. Next week, Congress once again confronts an opportunity for reform and accountability of [FISA],” Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, one of the tool’s critics, wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday. FBI DIRECTOR SAYS CHINESE HACKERS ARE ‘POISED TO ATTACK’ AS INFILTRATIONS REACH ‘FEVER PITCH’ “Demand a debate and recorded vote to require warrants to search American citizens’ data, to limit the scope of collection, and to stop the government from avoiding warrants by buying data that would require a warrant or subpoena.” Section 702’s supporters, which include national security hawks and moderates on both sides, point out that Section 702 is critical to avoiding another Sept. 11, 2001-style attack and have accused its detractors of trying to gut the program to the point of inoperability. It’s not immediately clear what a FISA renewal would look like – multiple plans to do so have fallen apart already. Most recently, a compromise bill put together by negotiators for the House Intelligence and Judiciary committees was abruptly pulled from the House floor schedule after Republicans on the Intelligence panel threatened to tank the legislation. Three sources close to the Intelligence Committee told Fox News Digital at the time that it was about an amendment that would have forced law enforcement to seek a warrant before obtaining communications that involved a U.S. citizen. “That would be the equivalent of a police officer needing a warrant before running a license plate,” one of the three sources said. Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., who supported the warrant amendment, hit back at the Intelligence Committee’s reform efforts at the time, saying, “Intel didn’t want the Judiciary [amendments]. See, the Judiciary Committee is the committee of jurisdiction. That’s where it should’ve gone.” PUBLIC TRUST IN FBI HAS REACHED ‘THE RED ZONE,’ US INCHING CLOSER TO ‘MAYHEM, CHAOS, ANARCHY:’ WSJ COLUMNIST But the third source close to the Intelligence Committee said those on the panel “are the ones that see the threats to our nation up close and personal every day.” An earlier proposal to hold votes on dueling bills and send the highest vote-getter to the Senate had also been scrapped. One had been by the House Judiciary Committee, which would have vastly restricted the program, and another by the House Intelligence panel would have made improvements to transparency and accountability pipelines. Fox News Digital reached out to Johnson’s office for comment but did not hear back at press time.
New York lawmakers push back budget deadline again
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York lawmakers passed another extension for the state’s budget on Thursday to ensure state workers get paid and operations continue undisrupted as negotiations are still underway. Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, needs to sign the extension bill, which pushes the due date for a final spending plan to April 8. Legislators had already passed an extension when they missed the initial April 1 deadline, but they have said progress is being made on top items, such as funding for schools. NEW YORK DEMS SET FOR CLASHES WITH HOCHUL AS LAWMAKERS UNVEIL BUDGET PLANS Last year, lawmakers blew past the budget deadline by almost a month, largely because of disagreements over changes to the state’s bail law and an ambitious plan to create new housing. This year, though, they appear cautious to avoid a similar blowup. “We’re trying to move mountains quite honestly to take care of, you know, people who depend on our system,” Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, a Democrat, said Wednesday. Lawmakers are still trying to hash out an agreement on how the state hands out education funding to schools. Hochul proposed a plan that quickly drew criticism because it would result in some districts getting less money. This budget extension throws school districts further into an area of uncertainty because they face a looming deadline for submitting their own spending plans to the public, state Assemblymember Edward Ra, a Republican, said during floor deliberations ahead of a vote on the extension. “Public employees, school districts and municipalities all need to know what the state’s final financial plan will include, but those details are nowhere to be found,” Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay, a Republican, said in a statement. Budget talks between the governor and leaders of the Democrat-run state Assembly and Senate often happen behind closed doors. Stewart-Cousins has said she is working “as quickly as possible” to ensure school districts understand how much money the state will allocate towards them. Legislative leaders are also trying to settle on a housing deal that includes new construction, tenant protections, and a tax break for developers to encourage building. As part of her executive budget proposal, Hochul wants to upgrade state properties that can be repurposed to create up to 15,000 units of housing. “We might be in the same neighborhood, I don’t know if we’re on the same block yet,” Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, a Democrat, said Thursday about the housing deal.
Abortion provider is first Dem to enter race for Wisconsin Rep. Gallagher’s seat
A doctor who performs abortions became the first Democratic candidate in Wisconsin’s 8th Congressional District on Thursday, entering the race for the open seat created after the surprise retirement of Republican Rep. Mike Gallagher. Kristin Lyerly, an obstetrician and gynecologist, launched her candidacy two weeks before Gallagher plans to step down. Because of the timing of his resignation, there will be no special election. For now, Lyerly is unopposed in the Democratic primary to be decided Aug. 13. Democrats fielded no candidate in the 2022 election. GOP WISCONSIN LAWMAKER ANNOUNCES RUN FOR MIKE GALLAGHER’S HOUSE SEAT Two Republicans, state Sen. Andre Jacque and former state Sen. Roger Roth, are running and a third is expected to get in the race next week. Republican consultant Alex Bruesewitz planned to make an announcement Monday. Bruesewitz, 26, was born in Wisconsin but currently lives in Florida. He would have to move back to Wisconsin to run for the seat. Lyerly made clear that she would make abortion a central issue in the race. Lyerly was one of the plaintiffs in a Wisconsin lawsuit that succeeded in keeping abortions legal after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. She performed abortions across Wisconsin, but temporarily moved her practice to Minnesota after the Supreme Court’s ruling. “As an OB/GYN, I have been attacked first hand by MAGA extremists targeting a woman’s right to make her own health choices,” Lyerly said in a statement. “I will work tirelessly to ensure that every woman in our state has access to reproductive care, including safe and legal abortions, essential services like maternity care, and mental health support.” Gallagher was elected four times to serve northeast Wisconsin. His early departure leaves Republicans with a 217-213 majority in the House, meaning they cannot afford to lose more than one vote on a party-line vote. Gallagher found himself at odds with former President Donald Trump and his supporters. He also angered fellow Republicans last month by refusing to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Jacque, Roth and Bruesewitz are all Trump supporters and oppose abortion. The district is solidly Republican, but Democrats have vowed to make it competitive. Trump won the district by 16 points in 2020, even though he lost the state by less than a point to President Joe Biden. Gallagher won re-election three times by no fewer than 25 points. The district includes the cities of Appleton and Green Bay, Door County and covers mostly rural areas north through Marinette.
Maryland Democrat’s gubernatorial campaign fined $2,000
The campaign committee of a former candidate for Maryland governor has been fined $2,000 for sending campaign material without an identifying authority line, the state prosecutor said. The John King for Governor campaign committee was fined for sending campaign material to at least two Maryland State Education Association board members before the state’s 2022 primary election. MARYLAND DEMS WORRY PLANNED TAX HIKE CARRIES DIRE CONSEQUENCE: SEN. LARRY HOGAN King ran in the Democratic primary. It was won by Wes Moore, who went on to win the gubernatorial election that year. The campaign material cited by the state prosecutor related to Moore’s background, according to the state prosecutor’s office. Maryland law requires campaign messages sent by a campaign finance entity to include the name and address of the treasurer of each campaign finance entity responsible for the campaign material. The law also requires that if campaign material is published by an individual, the person responsible for the material’s distribution be identified. There was no authority line or information stating that the emails or attachments were sent by or paid for by the John King for Governor campaign, Charlton Howard, the state prosecutor, said in a news release Wednesday. The Baltimore Banner reports that Moore’s campaign filed a complaint with the state, alleging the King campaign used an anonymous email account to circulate opposition research that was critical of Moore. The email included a 12-page document that attempted to discredit Moore’s Baltimore roots.
South Carolina Gov. McMaster undergoes knee surgery for 2022 tennis injury
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster underwent a minor, elective knee surgery Thursday morning for a tennis injury he sustained two years ago, the governor’s office said in a statement. McMaster, who is the third-oldest governor in the country at age 76, tore his meniscus while playing tennis with his wife Peggy McMaster in 2022, according to his office. The procedure was scheduled to “correct a cartilage injury,” the governor’s orthopedist Dr. Jeffrey Guy said in the statement. SOUTH CAROLINA CONGRESSIONAL MAP CAN STAY FOR THIS YEAR’S ELECTIONS, PANEL RULES During the roughly 30-minute surgery, McMaster was placed under general anesthesia, which briefly put Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette in charge of executive action. Per the South Carolina Constitution, the lieutenant governor can act as the governor in case of emergency if the governor is temporarily disabled. She was notified of the surgery Wednesday, the governor’s office said. McMaster plans to return to his regular schedule by Thursday afternoon and, according to Guy, is expected to have “no post-procedure limitations.” McMaster was treated for atrial fibrillation — a type of irregular heartbeat — during a minor procedure in December. His cardiologist Dr. Amy Rawl Epps said his heart otherwise appeared normal after extensive testing. He also underwent a shorter 10-minute procedure to treat an irregular heartbeat in April 2022. Doctors noticed the issue while the governor was initially treating the meniscus tear he underwent knee surgery for in 2024, according to the governor’s office. McMaster is in his second and final term after winning re-election against former U.S. Rep. Joe Cunningham in 2022.
Top Biden adviser’s wife considering run for House seat in key swing state
The wife of a top adviser to President Biden, a couple with close ties to the Clinton family, is considering a bid for Congress this year, Democratic sources confirm to Fox News Digital. Maggie Goodlander, a top lawyer in Biden’s administration at the Justice Department who served as a deputy assistant attorney general, currently works and lives in Washington, D.C., with her husband. But Goodlander is mulling a full-time move back to her home state of New Hampshire to run for an open seat in the state’s Second Congressional District long held by six-term Democratic Rep. Annie Kuster, who last week announced her retirement. The race in the blue-leaning but competitive district is expected to attract a wide field of candidates from both major parties. SHOCKER: LONGTIME DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSWOMAN IN BATTLEGROUND STATE ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT Goodlander, a New Hampshire native, married Sullivan nearly nine years ago when he was working as a foreign policy advisor to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during her 2016 presidential campaign. The couple’s wedding, attended by prominent political figures, was a snapshot of the couple’s long history in Democratic politics. In a photo from the pair’s wedding, Clinton and now-Secretary of State Anthony Blinken are seen posing with the couple, an indication that Goodlander could receive the support of prominent Democratic political figures in her potential congressional run. BIDEN ADVISER’S HOME TARGETED WITH MANURE, PROMPTING BOMB-SQUAD Sullivan worked as chief counsel for Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota before serving as an adviser on Hillary Clinton’s 2008 Democratic presidential primary campaign and later on former President Barack Obama’s general election presidential campaign. He served as deputy chief of staff to Clinton during her years as Secretary of State in the Obama administration. After Clinton departed the administration, Sullivan became then-Vice President Biden’s top security aide. Sullivan then served as a top adviser on Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign. Four years later, he was one of Biden’s first appointments following the 2020 presidential election. “Congratulations to my friend, former Klobuchar staffer and fellow Minnesotan Jake Sullivan!” Sen. Klobuchar wrote in a post on X after Sullivan’s appointment in the Biden White House, alongside a photo of him and wife Maggie at their wedding. “I think back to this photo we took at your wedding with your wonderful wife Maggie, and I couldn’t be more proud. America is lucky to have you as our future National Security Advisor.” While not as well known as her high-profile husband, Goodlander hails from a prominent New Hampshire family. Her grandfather, Sam Tamposi, was a major player in state Republican politics. And her mother, Betty Tamposi, ran for the House in 1988 in the Second Congressional District but lost in the GOP primary. WHITE HOUSE DODGES ON ‘SERIOUS NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT; AFTER HOUSE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE SOUNDS ALARM Goodlander, a Yale University and Yale Law School graduate, served as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve and worked as an adviser to late Senators Joe Lieberman and John McCain on the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee. She also served as a law clerk to Attorney General Merrick Garland during his tenure as chief judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. Goodlander’s potential congressional bid could draw national attention to the New Hampshire race and possibly garner high-profile endorsements. In some ways, Goodlander’s story mirrors that of Kuster, the woman she’s trying to succeed in Congress. Kuster’s parents were prominent Republicans in New Hampshire, but she ran as a Democrat. The Democratic race to replace Kuster is expected to turn competitive. Colin Van Ostern, who worked as Kuster’s campaign manager in 2010 in her first run for Congress, and who later won two terms as a New Hampshire executive councilor before winning the 2016 Democratic gubernatorial nomination, announced his bid the day after Kuster’s retirement announcement. State Sen. Becky Whitley this week launched an exploratory committee. And former executive councilor and 2020 gubernatorial candidate Andru Volinsky is also mulling a bid. While Van Ostern is likely to land a good deal of Granite State support, Goodlander’s entry into the race would likely quickly shift the landscape. “I mean, it’s pretty rare to have someone of this caliber who is 37, with pretty unimpeachable roots in the district, a vast national network, and a demonstrable bipartisan record, who isn’t already an elected official. It would be a really exciting dynamic in one of the nation’s top congressional races,” a veteran Democratic operative with plenty of experience in New Hampshire politics told Fox News. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Fox News Politics: Day of double denials
Welcome to Fox News’ Politics newsletter with the latest political news from Washington D.C. and updates from the 2024 campaign trail. What’s happening? – Jill Biden reportedly urging husband to end the war in Gaza – Vulnerable Senate Dems at further risk from Mayoraks impeachment – Democratic Governor to decide on making coercive abortion a felony Former President Donald Trump has suffered two defeats in his court cases as judges in Georgia and Florida struck down motions from his legal team. In Georgia, former President Donald Trump’s motion to dismiss his 2020 election interference indictment on the grounds of First Amendment protection was rejected on Thursday. “After considering the extensive briefing, the argument of counsel, and the indictment, the Court finds these vital constitutional protections do not reach the actions and statements alleged by the State. Nor do the statutes themselves facially violate the First Amendment,” Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee ruled Thursday. “They argue this prosecution violates the First Amendment’s protections of political speech and activity, freedom of association, and the right to petition Congress as-applied to their alleged conduct, and further contend that the indicted charges are overbroad,” he said. In Florida, the federal judge presiding over former President Trump’s classified records case on Thursday denied his motion to dismiss the charges based on the Presidential Records Act. U.S. District Court Judge Aileen Cannon, last month, also dismissed Trump’s motion to dismiss charges of retaining classified documents on the grounds of “unconstitutional vagueness.” ‘STOP IT NOW’: First Lady reportedly telling Biden to end war in Gaza immediately …Read more RUNNING LOW: Biden admin plan to refill SPR faces major setback …Read more ‘MASSIVE ADVANTAGE’: Biden voter drive order targets welfare recipients, gets legal challenge …Read more SMOKED OUT: Biden set to finalize menthol cigarette ban over opposition …Read more ELECTRIC SLIDE: Biden targets vital power grid technology in latest climate action …Read more MEDIA BLACKOUT?: Biden parole program not facing same scrutiny as DeSantis flights …Read more NOT GOING ANYWHERE: Biden administration rule makes firing federal workers harder as Trump promises ‘deep state’ revamp …Read more BORDER BIND: Vulnerable Senate Dems to face heat over Mayorkas impeachment trial as border becomes top election issue …Read more COVID ORIGINS: EcoHealth Alliance president to testify publicly before Congress next month …Read more FIRING THE ‘SQUAD’: Pro-Israel PAC takes aim at two progressive House Dems with primary challenges …Read more SHOT DOWN: Nebraska legislature rejects Trump-approved ‘winner-take-all’ electoral system bill …Read more NECK AND NECK: California Democrat tied with challenger in wild congressional primary …Read more ‘LAVISH GIFTS’: ‘World’s sexiest albino’ accused of launching bogus BLM charity has his day in court …Read more HARSHER PUNISHMENT: Dem governor to decide on bill making coercive abortion a felony …Read more THROWING DOWN THE HAMMER: Liberal groups sue to block new Alabama voting law banning ballot harvesting …Read more BRACING FOR BATTLE: Nevada senator makes multimillion-dollar ad reservation as re-election hopes dwindle …Read more INFECTED AMERICA: Tuberculosis breaks out at Chicago migrant shelters following measles cases …Read more OFF THE CHARTS: Amid migrant surge, liberal PM warns his country must get immigration ‘under control’ …Read more PURSESTRINGS: Kansas Republicans use ‘power of the purse’ to tie up immigration, DEI provisions …Read more Subscribe now to get Fox News Politics newsletter in your inbox. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Biden holds narrow lead over Trump in new poll despite concerns he’s ‘too old’ for a second term
President Biden defeated former President Donald Trump by just two points in a new poll of Pennsylvania registered voters, despite the enduring belief of many that he is too old to serve as chief executive for another term. Biden narrowly beat Trump in a new Franklin & Marshall Poll released on Thursday, winning with Pennsylvania voters 42% to 40%. Pennsylvania is one of the critical battleground states that is expected to help determine the outcome of the 2024 presidential election. The state was notably won by Trump in 2016 but then swung back to Democrats to help Biden win in 2020. Biden took the state in the last election by less than two points. GOP SENATE HOPEFUL RAKES IN $2.2 MILLION TO TAKE ON DEM INCUMBENT IN SWING-STATE NEVADA Illustrating the close race, a separate survey from The Wall Street Journal showed Trump ahead of Biden in six of the seven key battleground states, including Pennsylvania. Trump also defeated his opponent in Michigan, Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and North Carolina. While he managed to surpass Trump in the Franklin & Marshall poll, Biden still faced a significant portion of Pennsylvanians who say he is “too old,” at 81, to carry out a second term. By the end of a potential second term, Biden would be 86. VULNERABLE NEVADA DEMOCRAT TOUTS BIPARTISANSHIP DESPITE VOTING WITH BIDEN 99% OF TIME Four in 10 registered voters in Pennsylvania agreed Biden’s age was too advanced to serve a second term. This number has remained steady in Franklin & Marshall’s surveying since October 2023. An additional 40% said age is an issue for both of the candidates’ abilities to serve another term. Only 6% of respondents said Trump is “too old.” The former president is 77. “With just 35% job approval, Joe Biden is floundering in his home state of Pennsylvania,” said Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt in a statement to Fox News Digital, referencing the approval rating reported by the poll. MAYORKAS IMPEACHMENT TRIAL POISED TO PRESSURE THESE VULNERABLE SENATE DEMS “Between higher gas prices, surging crime, and failed Democrat policies crushing families at every corner, it’s no wonder that Pennsylvanians across the commonwealth are increasingly rejecting the failed Biden agenda and supporting President Trump,” she added. While voters said Trump was a better choice to handle the economy over Biden, the president managed to sustain his advantage over Trump on questions of trustworthiness and character. The survey also showed Biden’s margin expanding in a one-on-one match-up with Trump. In such a scenario, Biden garnered 48% to Trump’s 38%, extending his two-point lead to 10. According to the poll, the change in Biden’s margin when third-party candidates are included is “because support for the president declines among registered Democrats as more of them opt for a third-party candidate.” Democratic National Committee spokesperson Matt Corridoni told Fox News Digital that the poll was “more proof” that Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is being set up “to be a spoiler in this race.” BIDEN ADMINISTRATION RULE MAKES FIRING FEDERAL WORKERS HARDER AS TRUMP PROMISES ‘DEEP STATE’ REVAMP Despite Biden’s increased odds in a two-man race, it’s unlikely that such a race would play out in the Keystone State. Several prominent people have launched campaigns for the White House in 2024, including Kennedy, as an independent; Jill Stein on the Green Party’s ticket; and Cornel West as an independent. Kennedy’s campaign website lists its effort to achieve ballot access in Pennsylvania as “in progress” with months until the state’s August filing deadline. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
New Wisconsin law requires teaching of Hmong, Asian-American history in schools
Gov. Tony Evers on Thursday signed into law a bipartisan bill requiring Wisconsin schools to teach Asian American and Hmong American histories. Evers signed the bill at an elementary school in Wausau, which is home to about 4,700 Hmong. That is 12% of the city’s residents, making Wausau the highest per-capita Hmong population in the state and country, according to the Hmong American Center. GOV. EVERS TURNS TO WISCONSIN SUPREME COURT IN CRUSADE AGAINST ABSENTEE DROP BOX RESTRICTIONS “The Hmong and Asian American communities are a critical part of our state’s history, culture, economy, and our future,” Evers said in a statement. “It’s important that we celebrate our shared histories and honor the people who help make Wisconsin the state it is today.” Persecuted as an ethnic minority in their ancestral lands in China, the Hmong fled first to the mountains of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. There, tens of thousands fought for the United States in the Vietnam War. When Communist regimes swept the region, they escaped to refugee camps in neighboring Thailand and, starting in the mid-1970s, resettled largely in California farm country, Minneapolis and central Wisconsin. Wisconsin’s Hmong population of 50,000 places it third highest behind California at 80,000 and Minnesota at 70,000, according to the Hmong American Center. Current Wisconsin law requires K-12 schools to teach Black, Hispanic and Native American histories. The new law adds Hmong and Asian American histories to this required curriculum. The goal is to promote greater awareness and understanding of Hmong and Asian American histories, cultures and traditions. The measure had broad support in the Legislature, including from the state education department, the state teachers’ union and the Wisconsin Council of Churches. There were no registered opponents.