World Book Fair 2024 begins in Delhi today: Check venue, ticket prices, traffic advisory
People are requested to avail public transport to reach Pragati Maidan. Those travelling by metro may get down at Supreme Court Metro Station and enter through gate number 10. People may also deboard at Mandi House Metro Station and walk, the advisory stated.
‘In our third term, India will…’: PM Modi expresses confidence in BJP retaining power ahead of Lok Sabha polls
Earlier, the Prime Minister, replying to the debate on the motion of thanks in the Rajya Sabha, said that the third term of the BJP government is not far.
NY GOP reps blame ‘disastrous’ Democrat policies for 2nd violent migrant attack in 2 weeks: ‘End this madness’
New York GOP lawmakers are sounding off after a second violent migrant attack happened in just two weeks, calling it a crisis of “epic proportions.” “Let’s be clear on one thing: President Biden and Governor Hochul’s executive actions caused this crisis,” Rep. Marcus Molinaro, R-N.Y., said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “We’re now seeing innocent people being terrorized by criminals and a humanitarian crisis of epic proportions in New York State and across the country,” he added. “You solve this crisis by closing the border, repealing New York’s sanctuary state status, and toughening penalties for violent offenders in New York.” TIMES SQUARE SHOOTING: ‘ARMED AND DANGEROUS’ TEEN MIGRANT ARRESTED AFTER WOMAN SHOT, FIRING ON POLICE OFFICERS In a statement to Fox News Digital, Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., said that the recent surge in violent crimes by migrants “should not be surprising” due to Democratic leadership supporting “open border policies.” “These dangerous criminals will continue to wreak havoc on our taxpayer-funded resources and threaten the safety of our community until Democrats reverse these dangerous policies. Governor Hochul and Mayor Adams must prioritize the safety of law-abiding citizens over the interests of these criminals,” she said. Rep. Nick Langworthy, R-N.Y., echoed Molinaro’s sentiments, blaming New York City’s “disgusting” sanctuary city status, which he says “caused this mess.” Langworthy said that it’s “unconscionable” to allow violent crime to continue to happen across New York, calling for Gov. Kathy Hochul to “end this madness.” “The impact isn’t limited to NYC; communities across our state, including my own district in Western New York, are feeling the effects of Governor Hochul’s sanctuary state status. It’s unconscionable to allow this to continue, and I urge Governor Hochul and the New York City Council to end this madness immediately.” In a statement to Fox News Digital, Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., said that the recent migrant-involved crimes are Democratic leadership “coming to a head.” “Over the past two weeks in New York City, we’ve seen groups of migrants assaulting NYPD officers, shooting at police officers and snatching phones to commit identity theft and financial fraud. This is on top of 1,200 arrests of migrants for crimes including robberies, stabbings, assaults and even murder,” Rep. Malliotakis said. “Instead of detaining and deporting these criminals, the city has released almost all of them back onto the street, so they can return to their luxury hotel rooms funded by taxpayers and continue to wreak havoc in our community,” she continued. “What you’re seeing taking place is Democrats’ disastrous policies at the city, state and federal levels coming to a head.” NEW YORK’S ‘CATCH AND RELEASE’ POLICIES FAIL TO HOLD CRIMINALS ACCOUNTABLE: POLICE REP The New York representative blamed President Biden’s immigration policies and Gov. Hochul and New York City Mayor Eric Adams for “incentivizing” migrants to come to the Big Apple. “President Joe Biden has opened our borders to let them in, Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Adams incentivized them to come to New York, the state’s bail law releases them from jail and the city’s sanctuary policies shields them from deportation,” Malliotakis said. WATCH: The Republican representative’s sentiments come after two violent migrant attacks in New York City in the span of just two weeks. On Jan. 27, two New York Police Department (NYPD) officers were attacked in Times Square. Footage from the brutal attack showed a group of migrants kicking and punching the officers before running away. One hooded suspect wearing a backpack can then be seen kicking one of the officers twice in the head as he grapples on the ground; another suspect in a red top kicks him in the back. NYPD CHIEF BLASTS MIGRANTS’ ATTACK ON OFFICERS AS MUGSHOTS OF SUSPECTS RELEASED As the struggle continues, the suspect in the red jacket returns and kicks the other officer in the back. Another hooded suspect wearing a backpack then arrives on the scene and takes a big swinging kick at one of the officer’s heads. The migrant falls to the ground as he tries to execute the kick. The suspects are then seen running off. The unidentified officers sustained minor injuries and were treated at the scene, police said. One officer sustained cuts to the face while the other had bruising to the body, according to sources. A week and a half later, on Thursday, Feb. 8, a teenage migrant allegedly shot a woman at a Times Square clothing store before opening fire on NYPD officers. CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Jesus Alejandro Rivas-Figureoa, 15, was taken into custody around 3:30 p.m. on Friday afternoon by the U.S. Marshals Service in Yonkers, New York, just north of the Bronx, without incident. In addition to Thursday’s shooting, Rivas-Figureoa is suspected in an armed robbery in the Bronx and a shots-fired incident in Midtown Manhattan, police said. The White House, Gov. Hochul and Mayor Adams did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Fox News’ Louis Casiano contributed to this report.
WATCH: Hillary Clinton speech repeatedly interrupted by pro-Palestinian protesters: ‘You will burn!’
Hillary Clinton was interrupted Friday by pro-Palestinian protesters decrying policies she supported when she was Secretary of State in the Obama administration from 2009 to 2013. “Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton, you are a war criminal!” a man shouted as the former secretary of state walked onto a lecture hall stage at Columbia University in New York City. “The people of Libya, the people of Iraq, the people of Syria, the people of Yemen, the people of Palestine as well as the people of America will never forgive you,” he continued as Keren Yarhi-Milo, dean of Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs, took the microphone, asking to have him removed while Clinton waited with a bemused look. BIDEN INTERRUPTED BY PROTESTERS FOR SECOND TIME IN TWO DAYS AS HE RECEIVES UAW ENDORSEMENT As he was taken out of the room, he repeatedly shouted “Free, free Palestine!” and “You will burn!” The former first lady then tried to begin her speech about conflict-related sexual violence, noting, “Yelling doesn’t solve the problem,” when she was interrupted by a second protester. HILLARY CLINTON CALLS TRUMP’S EFFORT TO KILL BORDER BILL A ‘REAL DANGER’: ‘THAT’S WHAT AUTHORITARIANS DO’ She tried to talk over the protester but then gave up as more appeared to join in, saying, “OK, we’re going to stop a minute. You know what, why don’t all of you just interrupt me so that you won’t be interrupting our panelists so that we don’t have this kind of disruption when we have people who are real experts in this area.” She added, “People are free to protest, but they are not free to disrupt events or classes and that is going to be the standards that we follow here and going forward.” The former Democratic presidential nominee was giving a speech to the Columbia Center for Global Policy, which she chairs. In November, Clinton was also confronted by pro-Palestinian protesters outside the class she teaches at the university. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Video shared on X showed Clinton walking past a common area of Columbia University’s International Affairs Building as demonstrators chant, “Hillary, Hillary you can’t hide, you are supporting genocide!” The protest, staged outside the lecture, was said to have disrupted a class taught by the former first lady and Secretary of State called “Inside the Situation Room.” Fox News’ Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.
PTI-linked independents take Pakistan election lead as counting nears end
Candidates linked to jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s political party are in the lead in Pakistan’s election, ahead of two dynastic parties believed to be favoured by the military, as vote counting enters its final leg. In an AI-generated “victory speech” posted on the social media platform X on Friday, Khan described the vote as an “unprecedented fightback from the nation” that resulted in Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) “landslide victory”, despite what he calls a crackdown on his party. Khan’s PTI candidates were forced to run as independents after they were barred from using the party symbol – a cricket bat – to help illiterate voters find them on ballots. Election results started to trickle in nearly 12 hours after polling for national and provincial assemblies ended on Thursday, showing PTI-affiliated candidates taking a narrow lead, followed by Pakistan Muslim League (PMLN) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) contenders. Independent candidates, most backed by the PTI, have won 99 seats so far out of 266 total in the National Assembly. The PMLN has won 71 and the PPP 53. Results are still due for more than a dozen seats. Meanwhile, another former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who heads the PMLN, said he would seek to form a coalition government after his party trailed the independent candidates backed by Khan. Pakistan’s Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, centre, his brother Shehbaz Sharif, right, and daughter Maryam Nawaz wave to their supporters following initial results of the country’s parliamentary election, in Lahore, Pakistan [KM Chaudary/AP] Earlier, Sharif had claimed victory in the elections while the votes were still being counted. But he later backtracked, saying, “We don’t have enough of a majority to form a government without the support of others and we invite allies to join the coalition so we can make joint efforts to pull Pakistan out of its problems.” Sharif said he would approach the PPP of Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, the son of assassinated former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, as a coalition partner. He also added that he wants to sit together in harmony with other parties to “change” Pakistan. ‘Made history’ In his AI address, Khan decried the PMLN leader as a “petty man”, adding, “No Pakistani will accept him” or his claim of victory. Speaking to voters, he said, “My fellow Pakistanis, you have made history. I am proud of you, and I give thanks to God for uniting the nation”. Chairman Imran Khan’s victory speech (AI version) after an unprecedented fightback from the nation that resulted in PTI’s landslide victory in General Elections 2024. pic.twitter.com/Z6GiLwCVCR — Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) February 9, 2024 Pakistan’s vote happened just more than a week after Khan, who has been in jail since August, faced back-to-back sentences in several cases he has said were politically motivated. Last month, the 71-year-old former leader was handed his longest sentence yet: 14 years for corruption in a case related to the selling of state gifts he received as prime minister. A day earlier, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison for leaking state secrets. With Khan in jail and PTI members facing a crackdown, their election lead came as a surprise to many. Maya Tudor, associate professor at the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford, told Al Jazeera that a win for PTI-backed candidates in the elections would be remarkable but the road ahead is rocky. “A shaky economy, conflict on almost every border, and soaring inflation, which is being felt every day by ordinary Pakistanis,” Tudor said. ‘Political engineering’ Thursday’s elections were marred by violence by armed groups and a widely criticised suspension of mobile phone services also prompted accusations of “political engineering”. The delay in election results on Friday also raised eyebrows, with PTI spokesperson Raoof Hasan accusing authorities of tampering with the results, saying votes had been “stolen”. Reporting from the city of Lahore earlier on Friday, Al Jazeera’s Assed Baig said that on the streets, people had been openly saying that votes had been rigged. “Some of the forms coming out from those polling stations show that there are in fact discrepancies and there is a real fear among people that if their votes are not respected, in terms of reflecting who they voted for, then that frustration could boil over into the streets, like we’ve already seen in some places,” Baig said. He added that two people have been reportedly killed and 20 injured, because of violence over the election results in northwestern Pakistan. Meanwhile, The Pashtoonkhuwa Mili Awami Party (PKMAP) announced protests across the Balochistan province against the election results, and party chairman Mehmood Khan Achakzai called the 2024 polls rigged, Al Jazeera’s Saadullah Akhter reported. Lengthy delays to the start of polling also put people off. Muhammad Hussain, 67, said polling at a particular station in Karachi’s Malir area did not start until 3pm, seven hours after the scheduled start time. “We voted for change. But the way it’s going, it doesn’t seem that would be the case,” he told Al Jazeera. Elsewhere, several countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom, have called for authorities to investigate reported irregularities in Pakistan’s general elections as the final vote count is still under way. The final tally is due early Saturday morning. Adblock test (Why?)
Demands for Canada to stop supplying weapons to Israel grow louder
Montreal, Canada – Human rights advocates are accusing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government of misleading the public over weapons sales to Israel, which have come under greater scrutiny amid the deadly Israeli bombardment of Gaza. At issue is legislation that prohibits the government from exporting military equipment to foreign actors if there is a risk it can be used in human rights abuses. But regulatory loopholes, combined with a lack of clarity over what Canada sends to Israel, have complicated efforts to end the transfers. Dozens of Canadian civil society groups this month urged Trudeau to end arms exports to Israel, arguing they violate Canadian and international law because the weapons could be used in the Gaza Strip. But in the face of mounting pressure since Israel’s war on Gaza began on October 7, Canada’s foreign affairs ministry has tried to downplay the state’s role in helping Israel build its arsenal. “Global Affairs Canada can confirm that Canada has not received any requests, and therefore not issued any permits, for full weapon systems for major conventional arms or light weapons to Israel for over 30 years,” the department told Al Jazeera in an email on Friday. “The permits which have been granted since October 7, 2023, are for the export of non-lethal equipment.” But advocates say this misrepresents the total volume of Canada’s military exports to Israel, which totalled more than $15m ($21.3m Canadian) in 2022, according to the government’s own figures. It also shines a spotlight on the nation’s longstanding lack of transparency around these transfers. “Canadian companies have exported over [$84m, $114m Canadian] in military goods to Israel since 2015 when the Trudeau government was elected,” said Michael Bueckert, vice president of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East, an advocacy group. “And they have continued to approve arms exports since October 7 despite the clear risk of genocide in Gaza,” Bueckert told Al Jazeera. “Unable to defend its own policy, this government is misleading Canadians into thinking that we aren’t exporting weapons to Israel at all. As Canadians increasingly demand that their government impose an arms embargo on Israel, politicians are trying to pretend that the arms trade doesn’t exist.” Lack of information While Canada may not transfer full weapons systems to Israel, the two countries enjoy “a consistent arms trade relationship”, said Kelsey Gallagher, a researcher at Project Ploughshares, a peace research institute. The vast majority of Canada’s military exports to Israel come in the form of parts and components. These typically fall into three categories, Gallagher explained: electronics and space equipment; military aerospace exports and components; and finally, bombs, missiles, rockets and general military explosives and components. But beyond these broad categories, which were gleaned by examining Canada’s own domestic and international reports on weapons exports, Gallagher said it remains unclear “what these actual pieces of technology are”. “We don’t know what companies are exporting them. We don’t know exactly what their end use is,” he told Al Jazeera. Global Affairs Canada did not immediately respond to Al Jazeera’s question about what “non-lethal equipment” the government has approved for export to Israel since October 7. “What does this mean? No one knows because there’s no definition of that and it really could be quite a number of things,” said Henry Off, a Toronto-based lawyer and board member of the group Canadian Lawyers for International Human Rights (CLAIHR). Human rights lawyers and activists also suspect that Canadian military components are reaching Israel via the United States, including for installation in fighter jets such as the F-35 aircraft. But these transfers are difficult to track because a decades-old deal between Canada and the US – 1956’s Defence Production Sharing Agreement – has created “a unique and comprehensive set of loopholes that are afforded to Canadian arms transfers to the US”, said Gallagher. “These exports are treated with zero transparency. There is no regulation of, or reporting of, the transfer of Canadian-made military components to the US, including those that could be re-transferred to Israel,” he said. The result, he added, is that “it is very difficult to challenge what are problematic transfers if we do not have the information with which to do so”. Domestic, international law Despite these hurdles, Canadian human rights advocates are pressuring the government to end its weapons sales to Israel, particularly in light of the Israeli military’s continued assault on Gaza. Nearly 28,000 Palestinians have been killed over the past four months and rights advocates have meticulously documented the impact on the ground of Israel’s indiscriminate bombing, and its vast destruction of the enclave. The world’s top court, the International Court of Justice, also determined last month that Palestinians in Gaza face a plausible risk of genocide. Against that backdrop, eliminating weapons transfers to Israel is effectively a demand for “Canada [to] abide by its own laws”, said Off, the Toronto lawyer. That’s because Canada’s Export and Import Permits Act obliges the foreign minister to “deny exports and brokering permit applications for military goods and technology … if there is a substantial risk that the items would undermine peace and security”. The minister should also deny exports if they “could be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights laws” or in “serious acts of gender-based violence or serious acts of violence against women and children”, the law states. Meanwhile, Canada is also party to the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), a United Nations pact that bans transfers if states have knowledge the arms could be used in genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and other violations of international law. But according to Off, despite a growing list of Israeli human rights violations since October 7, Canada “has been approving the transfer of military goods and technology that might fuel” them. Late last month, Canadian Lawyers for International Human Rights wrote a letter to Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly demanding an immediate end to the transfers. The group said it would consider next steps,
Republican’s resignation breaks Pennsylvania House deadlock, hands Dems control
The resignation of a Republican lawmaker in the previously deadlocked Pennsylvania House of Representatives has put the balance of power back to Democrats, ahead of a special election next week for another vacant position. Rep. Joe Adams, R-Pike, resigned on Friday, saying previously that medical news had changed his focus. “It has been an honor to serve you, the citizens of Pike and Wayne counties, in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives,” he said in a prepared statement. “Taking care of my family, understandably, must now be my priority. I will continue to work locally to help our community, its organizations, businesses and people.” PA GOV. SHAPIRO TO PRESENT BUDGET PROPOSAL FOCUSING ON EDUCATION AND ECONOMIC GROWTH The freshman lawmaker’s resignation leaves the state House at a 101-100 Democratic majority. A Democrat’s resignation last year had the House deadlocked at 101-101, and a special election next week will fill that vacancy. Republicans control the state Senate, while Gov. Josh Shapiro is a Democrat. Adams’ seat represents Pike and Wayne counties, in the northeastern part of the state. He won election in 2022 with about 63% of the vote over his Democratic challenger. Republicans have edged out their Democratic opponents in recent elections, with former President Donald Trump winning the area in 2020. The resignation queues up another special election for the chamber, which will be scheduled as early as two months from now. Three special elections in the past year have determined party control of the chamber. Next week’s special election in Bucks County, for a seat that has historically favored Democrats, will now either strengthen Democrats’ hold, or return the chamber to a deadlock until the election for Adams’ seat. In a statement, a spokesperson for the Speaker of the House said information about the election would be forthcoming.
Fox News Politics: Biden’s Comey moment?
Welcome to Fox News’ Politics newsletter with the latest political news from Washington D.C. and updates from the 2024 campaign trail. An anonymous Biden official revealed some behind-the-scenes reaction to Special Counsel Robert Hur’s report on the president’s mishandling of classified materials. The special counsel determined that no charges should be brought against the president. But it also delivered devastating statements about the president’s memory. “It felt like a Comey moment for me,” one Biden official reportedly told Politico, referring to the moment then-FBI Director James Comey released a letter, weeks before the 2016 election, stating that he would be investigating classified materials from Hillary Clinton that appeared to have been mishandled. Biden defended himself Thursday night in a raucous press conference, where he said his memory was “fine.” A short time later, he referred to the president of Egypt as the president of Mexico. Even left-leaning and centrist media outlets blasted the strange press conference. ‘ONE OR THE OTHER’: Hawley says Garland should invoke 25th Amendment if DOJ declines to charge Biden …Read more ‘PROMISE ME, DAD’: Biden ghostwriter escapes special counsel charges despite deleting evidence …Read more ABOUT BOB: Former NJ news personality launches GOP bid for Robert Menendez Senate seat …Read more CLOSING IN: DNC alleges RFK Jr. campaign violating election law in FEC complaint, as party circles wagons around Biden …Read more GLOVES ARE OFF: Conservative firebrand takes aim at Schumer, McConnell while announcing Senate run …Read more ‘AMERICAN HERO’: Donald Trump makes crucial endorsement in key battleground Senate race …Read more ‘LOVE FOR AMERICA’: Popular GOP governor announces endorsement in key battleground Senate race …Read more ‘IN FULL CONTROL’: Biden campaign call sidetracked by fitness questions …Read more SOUTH CAROLINA BOUND: Nevada GOP Presidential Caucuses wrap up and what’s ahead on the campaign trail …Read more SWING VOTE: Dems fret as young Latino voters in PA say they’re ‘Trump fans’ on economy …Read more BIG BROTHER: Biden admin confirms terms like ‘MAGA,’ ‘Trump,’ Kamala’ used in private bank transaction searches …Read more ‘INCREASED RISK’: Acting ICE director says ‘increased risk’ by overwhelming border crossings keeps him up at night …Read more ‘WHERE WERE YOU GUYS?’ First Lady berated Biden’s aides for allowing 2022 press conference to go too long …Read more ‘NOT PROTECTED SPEECH’: Right-wing commentator ordered to pay $1M for calling climate scientist ‘fraudulent’ …Read more WANTED FUGITIVE: ‘Squad’s’ Jamaal Bowman honored radical Black activist, convicted murderer on middle school’s ‘Wall of Honor’ …Read more LONG HAUL: Tedious road ahead for Senate before final Ukraine-Israel aid vote …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.
Republicans attempt to get hardline border security bill into foreign aid package
Some Senate Republicans are pushing to get stricter border security measures added to the foreign aid bill after tanking the bipartisan immigration deal. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, on Thursday filed an amendment to add hardline border security measures to the foreign aid standalone national security supplemental package that would send billions to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. “It is important that Russia lose and [Vladimir] Putin lose, but it is even more urgent that we defend our nation first. I will fund military aid to Ukraine, but only after we enact meaningful measures to secure America’s own border,” Cruz told Fox News Digital. Cruz’s amendment is identical to H.R. 2, known as the “Secure the Border Act,” the border security bill that the House passed last year to restore most Trump-era policies and reform asylum. It’s considered a “nonstarter” by Democrats in the upper chamber, making the likelihood of passage very low. It’s unclear whether the amendment will even get a vote. SENATE REPUBLICANS PREPARE FOR LONG HAUL IN FIGHT OVER UKRAINE, ISRAEL AID “H.R. 2 is the only serious border legislation that has been considered this Congress, and it contains real solutions for the border crisis like building the wall, tightening asylum standards, reinstating the remain in Mexico policy, increasing the number of Border Patrol agents, and more,” Cruz said. Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he would permit Republicans to offer amendments, though the schedule is still up in the air. “I hope our Republican colleagues can work with us to reach an agreement on amendments so we can move this process along,” Schumer said on the floor Friday. “Democrats are willing to consider reasonable and fair amendments here on the floor as we’ve shown on many occasions in the past three years. Nevertheless, the Senate will keep working on this bill until the job is done.” Behind the scenes, though, several aides told Fox News Digital on Friday that they had “no idea” what’s going on, as the “schedule is still very much in flux.” Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, also expressed support for adding H.R. 2 to the package in a post on X. Cornyn voted against the inclusion of the long-awaited bipartisan border bill in the foreign aid package on Wednesday, but indicated he could support the Ukraine aid without any border security measures. “This bill is far from perfect,” Cornyn wrote. “I am disappointed the Senate’s border proposal fell woefully short of actually securing our border, & I am pushing to add HR2 to this legislation. But we can’t let President Biden’s abysmal border policy prevent us from supporting our troops & allies.” Senators sunk the passage of the revised national security supplemental package this week in a 49-50 vote, which included a bipartisan border bill that Sens. James Lankford, R-Okla.; Krysten Sinema, I-Ariz.; and Chris Murphy, D-Conn., negotiated in collaboration with Biden officials. SENATE TANKS IMMIGRATION, FOREIGN AID SPENDING PACKAGE AFTER GOP BACKLASH AGAINST BORDER PROVISIONS After the national security supplemental with border provisions failed, Schumer brought the $95 billion foreign aid bill to the floor as plan B, which advanced in a 67-32 cloture vote Wednesday. The package includes $60 billion for Ukraine, $14 billion for Israel, $9 billion in humanitarian assistance for Gaza and nearly $5 billion for the Indo-Pacific. Numerous Republicans previously said they would not approve additional funding for Ukraine unless the overwhelmed southern border was secured first. The Senate will hold more procedural votes Friday and over the weekend. Votes are also expected on Super Bowl Sunday, and aides told Fox News Digital the vote for final passage is possible on Tuesday. ISRAEL, UKRAINE FOREIGN AID BILL CLEARS FIRST HURDLE IN SENATE WITHOUT BORDER AND IMMIGRATION PROVISIONS Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., a strong proponent of supporting Ukraine, advocated funding for Ukraine and voted to advance the bill, but drew criticism from party members who urged lawmakers not to pass foreign aid without securing the border first. After senators voted to shoot down the border bill, McConnell said he “followed the instructions” of the GOP conference “who were insisting that we tackle this in October.” “I mean, it’s actually our side that wanted to tackle the border issue,” McConnell said this week.
Treasury confirms terms like ‘MAGA,’ ‘Trump,’ Kamala,’ ‘Biden’ used in private bank transaction searches
EXCLUSIVE: The Biden administration has confirmed that terms like “MAGA,” “Trump” and “Kamala” were included in the push by federal investigators for banks to surveil private financial transactions following the Jan. 6, 2021 protests at the U.S. Capitol, a letter obtained by Fox News Digital reveals. The letter, sent Friday from the Treasury Department to Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., the top Republican on the Senate Banking Committee, notes that “Exchange events” convened by its Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, or FinCEN, “began shortly after January 6 under the prior Administration,” and “included terms such as ‘antifa,’ ‘MAGA,’ ‘Trump,’ ‘Biden,’ ‘Kamala,’ ‘Schumer,’ and ‘Pelosi.’” This marks the first time the Biden administration has gone on the record to confirm some of the keywords included in the Jan. 6-related surveillance. GUN RIGHTS GROUP URGES SENATORS TO PREWSS YELLEN OVER TREAUSRY TARGETING GUN TRANSACTIONS The letter, signed by Acting Assistant Secretary Corey Tellez, comes in response to a letter sent by Scott to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen demanding answers from the Department and FinCEN after revelations of the surveillance using “politically charged search terms” to flag customer profiles to federal law enforcement surfaced. In his letter, Scott wrote that the surveillance “represents a flagrant violation of Americans’ privacy and the improper targeting of U.S. citizens for exercising their constitutional rights without due process.” Contrary to Scott’s criticism, he previously voted for the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2020, which codified the FinCEN Exchange program to facilitate the sharing of data between law enforcement and financial institutions in an effort to combat crimes like money laundering and the financing of terrorism. Fox News Digital’s exclusive report on the surveillance revealed that FinCEN provided materials to financial institutions instructing them to search and filter Americans’ financial data using keywords and search terms, as well as merchant category codes to aid law enforcement in identifying persons of interest ahead of the Jan. 20, 2021 inauguration — weeks after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol protests. The terms and codes were discovered as part of a House Judiciary Committee and Subcommittee on Weaponization of the Federal Government investigation. The committees obtained documents indicating that MCC codes were used to query transactions like: “3484: Small Arms,” “5091: Sporting and Recreational Goods and Supplies” and the keywords “Cabela’s,” “Dick’s Sporting Goods” and “Bass Pro Shops,” among others. The House Judiciary Committee also obtained documents revealing that FinCEN warned financial institutions that an “extremism indicator” could be “the purchase of books (including religious texts),” like the Bible, and subscriptions to certain media “containing extremist views.” Sources familiar told Fox News Digital last month that the search terms, like “MAGA” and “Trump,” were generated by a bank and used to help them identify suspicious transactions when reviewing customer transactional information. It is unclear which bank generated the search terms. The sources said FinCEN then shared those terms with other banks to help those financial institutions to comply with their own suspicious activity reports. However, beyond the terms identified by the House Judiciary Committee, the unnamed bank generated other terms, which FinCEN shared with other banks, the sources told Fox News Digital. The source said the additional search terms included: “White Power,” “Camp Auschwitz,” “Antifa,” “Proud B,” “Storm, the,” “Capitol,” “Groyper Army,” “Threepers,” “boogaloo,” “civil war,” “last sons,” “kill,” “shoot,” “gun,” “death,” “murder,” “Biden,” “Kamala,” “Pelosi,” “Schumer” and “Pence.” Fox News Digital has reached out to Scott for comment.