Progressive money man Alex Soros huddles with Dem candidates as 2024 campaign heats up
Alex Soros, son of liberal billionaire George Soros who now leads his father’s nonprofit empire, has continued huddling with Democrats leading up to the 2024 elections. Soros posted a picture “kicking off campaign season” on social media this week with likely Democrat Arizona Senate nominee Rep. Ruben Gallego, who has received thousands of dollars from Soros this cycle. “Kicking off campaign season with my co-host [Lin Manuel] for congressman Ruben Gallego’s Senate run in Arizona,” he wrote on Instagram. “Ruben has an impressive life story and the stakes of this year’s election couldn’t be higher, they’re existential.” GEORGE SOROS’ SON BECOMES KINGMAKER WITH TOP DEMS AS HE MAKES MULTIPLE WH VISITS, MEETS WITH LAWMAKERS Gallego attended the affair alongside Soros despite previously declaring the “ultra-wealthy don’t need any more advocates in Washington” and knocking the GOP for standing with “special interests and their billionaire buddies.” Gallego has also attacked independent Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema for answering to “billionaires, not Arizonans,” the Hill previously reported. Soros, meanwhile, has been an ardent supporter of Gallego. Federal Election Commission records show that he maxed out $6,600 in donations to his campaign for the 2024 elections. The event comes on the heels of him routinely meeting with Democrats and boasting about it in social media posts. He continued the trend with high-ranking lawmakers shortly after taking the reins of the powerful Open Society Foundations. Days after the Open Society Foundations announced he would take over his father’s network in June 2023, he hosted a New York event featuring House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and other top Empire State Democrats, including Reps. Jerry Nadler and Gregory Meeks, according to an Instagram post. ALEX SOROS’ ACCESS TO BIDEN’S WHITE HOUSE CONTINUES AS HE’S NOW VISITED AT LEAST 20 TIMES, RECORDS SHOW His social media profiles have dozens of pictures of him and leading House and Senate Democrats since 2018. The two who appear the most are Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York and then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California. Alex had at least nine meetings with Schumer, whom he referred to as his “good friend.” Soros had at least eight visits with Pelosi, whom he has called the “greatest Speaker of the House in American History!” He has also publicized photos with Vice President Kamala Harris while enjoying extensive access to the Biden White House, which he has visited more than 20 times since 2021. Soros has donated millions to Democrats over the past several years, albeit far less than his father. In 2020, he contributed over $700,000 to the Biden Victory Fund, making him among its top donors. For the 2024 cycle, he maxed out $6,600 in donations directly to Biden’s campaign, federal filings show. Since the 2018 elections, he has poured more than $5 million into federal political coffers. Records show that his largest contribution was $2 million to the Schumer-aligned Senate Majority PAC during this time. He’s also contributed hundreds of thousands in cash to the Nancy Pelosi Victory Fund, Democratic National Committee, and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. He has given tens of thousands more to state Democratic parties and individual campaigns, many of which were maximum contributions. Neither Open Society Foundations, which the younger Soros now oversees, nor Gallego’s campaign immediately responded to a request for comment.
California votes to spend $6.4B on homeless crisis despite spiraling debt
A ballot measure that would require California to spend billions of dollars on the state’s spiraling homeless crisis was passed by a razor-thin majority Wednesday, two weeks after residents cast their votes. Proposition 1 requires strict requirements on counties to spend on housing and drug treatment programs for homeless people, as well as allowing the state to raise a $6.4 billion bond to tackle the issue. The measure comes as the Golden State’s budget debt is expected to grow to $73 billion this year, according to Bloomberg. A signature proposal by Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, the measure was approved by 50.2% of nearly 7.2 million voters, a slim majority unforeseen just a few months ago. CA’S NEWSOM CALLS FOR SUPPORT FOR HOMELESS CRISIS INITIATIVE, MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCATES SAY IT WILL BACKFIRE “This is the biggest change in decades in how California tackles homelessness and a victory for doing things radically different,” Newsom said in a statement after the borderline vote. “Now, counties and local officials must match the ambition of California voters. This historic reform will only succeed if we all kick into action immediately – state government and local leaders, together.” The state will now be able to borrow $6.38 billion to build 4,350 housing units, half of which will be reserved for veterans, and add 6,800 mental health and addiction treatment beds. DEMS SECURE $600M IN FEDERAL TAXPAYER FUNDS TO FIGHT HOMELESSNESS, BUT SOME ARE SKEPTICAL IT WILL HELP Counties will also be required to spend about two-thirds of funds raised from a 2004-enacted wealth tax on mental health services on housing and programs for homeless people with serious mental illnesses or substance abuse problems. The state needs some 8,000 more beds to treat mental health and addiction issues. Between $2 billion and $3 billion a year is raised from the tax, and it provides about one-third of the state’s total mental health budget. Newsom’s administration has already spent at least $22 billion on various programs to address the crisis over the last few years, including $3.5 billion to convert rundown motels into homeless housing. At the same time, its homeless population has ballooned to around 181,000. The measure looked sure to pass when introduced by Newsom and a group of bipartisan legislators last year. Democrats outnumber Republicans by about 2 to 1 in the state. However, it snuck through by a paper-thin majority. Proposition 1 collected more than $15.7 million, with a donor list that included a Bay Area tribe, labor unions, builders, health care providers, Uber and the California Chamber of Commerce, The New York Times reported. The only organized opposition collected a mere $1,000. Opponents, including social service providers and county officials, said the change will threaten programs that are not solely focused on housing or drug treatment but keep people from becoming homeless in the first place. Critics have also said that rural counties with far fewer homeless people per capita will be forced to divert a larger percentage of funds to housing. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Delhi excise policy case: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal arrested by ED
The move came hours after Delhi High Court refused to protect the AAP leader from arrest.
‘Arvind Kejriwal will continue as CM of Delhi’: Atishi after ED arrests Delhi CM
ED arrests Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal in Delhi liquor Policy case on Thursday.
Cities across the U.S. are abandoning bus stations. This East Texas is embracing its bustling depot.
Longview officials saw an opportunity to invest in mass transit after one of the nation’s largest bussing companies pulled out.
Nancy Mace unveils bill to crack down on ‘peeping Tom’ harassment
FIRST ON FOX: Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., is unveiling a new bill that would expand federal penalties for video voyeurism, the act of recording someone who is naked or engaged in intimate activity without their consent or knowledge. Video voyeurism is currently a misdemeanor offense punishable by up to a year in prison and potentially hefty fines. The crime is also currently subject to state laws in places where they existed before the federal statute was passed. In an interview with Fox News Digital this week, Mace warned that existing voyeurism laws, such as those in her state, are inadequate and called for the federal government to play a more active role in prosecuting the crime. NEW LAWSUIT ALLEGES NYC MAYOR ERIC ADAMS DEMANDED SEX ACTS FROM POLICE OFFICER IN EXCHANGE FOR CAREER HELP Her bill’s text also includes language aimed at cracking down on interstate transportation and the sale of intimate photos and videos taken without a person’s consent. “We can do better as a government to look out for victims, and it’s not just about women, it could be men that are victims as well. We see stories about this all the time these days, it feels like. People just feel like they have a right to film you naked or changing or in intimate moments without your knowledge or consent,” Mace told Fox News Digital. CHRISTINE BLASEY FORD DIDN’T KNOW HER SENATE TESTIMONY AGAINST KAVANAUGH WOULD BE TELEVISED UNTIL LAST MINUTE “That’s not OK. And the people that do this, they need to go to jail, and they need to go to jail for a long time,” she added. In her state, being found guilty of voyeurism is a misdemeanor for the first offense, punishable by up to three years in prison and a maximum fine of $500. A subsequent offense is classified as a felony and carries up to five years in prison and a maximum $5,000 fine. Mace said she has heard harrowing experiences from people right in her South Carolina district. FEMALE RECRUIT CONSIDERED RESIGNING AFTER BEING FORCED TO SHOWER WITH TRANS WOMEN WITH FULL MALE GENITALIA CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “I have met women in my district that have had similar things happen to them where they are filmed without their knowledge, without their consent, and hearing the stories of these women – it happens more frequently than we realize. It’s painful for them,” Mace said. “They’re fearful. The consequences are pretty weak at the state and federal level. They just don’t feel like they have a way to get justice. And I want these women to know that, yes, we are going to get them justice in any way, shape, or form that we can.”
Join us for an April 10 conversation on art and democracy
This discussion, part of our “We the Texans” project looking at the state of democracy in Texas, will feature artists talking about how they see their role in driving dialogue, activism and change.
Tom Oliverson announces he is challenging Dade Phelan for Texas House speakership
Oliverson, one of Phelan’s committee chairmen, said the speaker has lost the confidence of the Republican caucus.
Protesters disrupt Kyle Rittenhouse TPUSA event at the University of Memphis: ‘No justice, no peace’
Outraged protesters at the University of Memphis disrupted a Turning Point USA (TPUSA) event featuring Kyle Rittenhouse on Wednesday night. TPUSA’s college chapter at the university invited Rittenhouse to speak about the Second Amendment and self-defense, but the event spiraled into chaos when some students disrupted parts of Rittenhouse’s Q&A and chased attendees leaving the campus, video captured at the event shows. According to TPUSA, the university took “unprecedented actions to undermine our event,” after previous ticket holders were alerted before the event that their seats were no longer reserved and that they would have to rebook. “Seizing control of seating arrangements and the ticketing system – on the day of the event – has never happened in our many years of campus organizing,” TPUSA spokesperson Andrew Kolvet said in a statement. “This abrupt change will result in hundreds of disappointed students whose tickets will no longer grant them entrance into the venue.” RITTENHOUSE FOUND NOT GUILTY ON ALL COUNTS TPUSA said that “despite being promised control of 50 seats,” the organizers were restricted to only a single row of eight seats. Kolvet said the organization “gathered credible information” that school administrators leaked the new ticketing information to protesters in order to fill up seats to stage a walk-out. “There is no way these groups could have known the new ticketing timing and protocol without school administrators leaking that information,” Kolvet said. Several social media posts on X show that in the days leading up to the event, some students were urging others to email the school administrators to get them to cancel Rittenhouse’s appearance. “A murderer who wants to speak on the ‘lies’ of BLM should not be welcome on our campus!” one post read. KYLE RITTENHOUSE LAUNCHING INITIATIVE TO COMBAT ‘LIES’ FROM POWERFUL MEDIA OUTLETS, NAMES THOSE HE MAY SUE According to several videos uploaded to X just after 9 p.m., when the event concluded, protesters began chasing attendees and booing them while state troopers escorted them off campus. “No justice, no peace,” protesters can be heard chanting in one video. In another clip, protesters follow attendees to their cars in one of the university’s parking garages, yelling obscenities and blocking the exit. State troopers can be seen trying to control the crowds. In a video uploaded to X just after 1 a.m. on Thursday, Rittenhouse said it was a “great event,” with “interesting people to say the least.” He also said he was not booed off stage, because there was a “hard cut off” time for the conclusion of the event at 9 p.m. The University of Memphis did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Rittenhouse was found not guilty on five charges after he fatally shot two people and injured a third person during the second night of civil unrest in Kenosha on Aug. 25, 2020. His attorneys argued that the then-17-year-old was acting in self-defense after being attacked from behind when he shot Gaige Grosskreutz, 27, as well as deceased Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, and Anthony Huber, 26 in the riots following the police shooting of a 29-year-old Black man, Jacob Blake. Both of the deceased had previous criminal records, including alleged domestic abuse, child molestation and disorderly conduct. KYLE RITTENHOUSE HIT WITH LAWSUIT FROM MAN HE SHOT DURING 2020 KENOSHA CLASH: ‘LITTLE BIT OF A SHOCK’ Fox News’ Michael Ruiz and Paul Best contributed to this report.
Conservatives furious at Johnson for waiving GOP’s 72-hour rule on $1.2T government funding bill
GOP hardliners are furious that Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., appears poised to jettison the House GOP Conference’s rule on giving lawmakers 72 hours to review bill text before having to vote on it. Congressional leaders released their 1,012-page, $1.2 trillion spending package just after 3 a.m. ET on Thursday, less than 48 hours before the government funding deadline at midnight on Friday. Two sources told Fox News Digital that they expect Johnson to hold the vote sometime on Friday. The speaker himself alluded to waiving the 72-hour rule, telling reporters on Wednesday afternoon that it was “not sacred.” It’s prompted a furious backlash from members on his right flank. Many of those same members have been calling for Johnson to leverage a government shutdown to extract conservative policy concessions from the Democrat-controlled Senate and White House. SPEAKER JOHNSON FLOATS STAND-ALONE ISRAEL AID PLAN AFTER SCHUMER’S COMMENTS MADE SITUATION ‘EVEN MORE URGENT’ “Would anybody do this for a car, for a house, for a toaster for that matter? It’s insanity at its height, and it’s just a further deterioration of this country if we signed, if we pass this bill just because of the threat of a shutdown,” Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, told Fox News Digital. “I’m very disappointed with this. I do not understand it… Other people that are not even in the Freedom Caucus, I think, are scratching their heads on this.” The bill would fund 70% of government programs, including the Pentagon and the legislative branch through the end of the current fiscal year on Sept. 30. Both Republican and Democratic negotiators walked away declaring victory – Johnson touted cuts to funding for non-governmental organizations (NGOs), a 6% cut to overall foreign aid funds, and policies like banning the State Department from flying non-official flags at diplomatic facilities. HOUSE PASSES $460 BILLION GOVERNMENT FUNDING BILL BLASTED BY GOP HARDLINERS Democrats cheered the exclusion of enforcement measures of the House GOP’s H.R.2 border security bill – something conservatives demanded in order to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) – as well as increased federal child care funding and a $1 billion increase for climate and green energy programs. Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., another Freedom Caucus member, told Fox News Digital it was “telling” that the text was released “at the last minute.” “The truth is that no one, except maybe leadership, who votes on this bill tomorrow will have had a chance to read it in its entirety. Over $1 trillion of hardworking American taxpayer dollars are being spent, and the appropriators don’t even know where it’s all going,” Ogles said. Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, quipped that it’s a “stirring break from tradition” that lawmakers have more than 24 hours before voting on the bill. “It’s true we have a 72-hour rule that is supposed to set a MINIMUM standard, but that is especially violated for the most important complex bills – like appropriations,” Davidson said on X. CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS STRIKE SHORT-TERM DEAL TO AVOID GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN Former Freedom Caucus Chairman Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., said, “We’d have to read 1.72 pages per minute continuously to understand the $1.2 trillion in spending and over 1,000 earmarks to vote on Friday at noon. The system I fought to fix is now re-broken.” But a senior House GOP aide pointed out that many of the people raising objections to Johnson violating the rule are the same ones who were poised to vote against the package in the first place. “There’s no point in appeasing these bomb-throwers – who have no plan of their own – when we are quickly approaching a government shutdown. Speaker Johnson could have given these people a month to read the whole bill. It would make no difference. Why should the country suffer as a result?” the aide said. A spokesperson for Johnson blamed the rush on the White House delaying negotiations. “House Republicans strongly support the 72-hour rule in principle and have worked around the clock to give Members as much time as possible to review bill text. Unfortunately, since the White House neglected to engage in serious negotiations on a full-year DHS bill until the 11th hour, Congress has no choice but to act swiftly to avoid a lapse in government funding,” the spokesperson told Fox News Digital. Congressional leaders are referring to the package as a “minibus” because it separates the 12 individual appropriations bills into two six-bill packages, rather than one “omnibus” spending bill. The previous “minibus,” totaling roughly $460 billion in spending, passed the House and Senate earlier this month.