How are journalists in Gaza coping with the war?
When the cameras stop rolling and the press vests come off, how do the journalists who cover war cope? We often forget that journalists covering wars are regular people, too. They are parents, siblings, friends and colleagues. And sometimes, they, too, are struggling to survive whatever story they are trying to tell. Journalists in Gaza, including our own teams, have had to deal with the horrific consequences of Israel’s war – some have paid with their lives. Others have lost loved ones, colleagues, and their homes. Yet, they have carried on. We invited them for a more personal take on what they have been through these past months and what has kept them going. Presenter: Anelise Borges Guests:Hind Khoudary – Al Jazeera JournalistNida Ibrahim – Al Jazeera correspondentAli Hashem – Al Jazeera correspondent Adblock test (Why?)
John Kerry’s climate office faces GOP Oversight probe over coordination with eco group ‘kitchen cabinet’
FIRST ON FOX: The House Oversight and Accountability Committee is opening an investigation into the State Department over climate czar John Kerry’s apparent frequent consultations with environmental activists. Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., sent a letter Wednesday to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, demanding his agency share additional documents and information related to interactions between Kerry’s office and nongovernmental organizations. According to documents previously obtained by Comer’s panel, Kerry’s staff have privately acknowledged a “kitchen cabinet” made up of prominent left-wing eco groups. “Meetings with leftist environmental organizations, sometimes collectively addressed as the ‘Kitchen Cabinet,’ go far beyond normal briefings and raise questions regarding possible conflicts of interests involving SPEC staff’s ties to these groups regarding climate finance investments,” Comer wrote. “The State Department claims the ‘Kitchen Cabinet is an existing group of NGOs that sometimes asks SPEC to brief them… nothing unusual or below board.’” “Documents received by the Committee illustrate that the coordination and briefings are anything but ordinary — a two-way street exists for the purposes of obtaining ‘off the record’ information, receiving climate finance consultation, and influencing U.S. foreign policy positions,” the Oversight chairman continued. BIDEN ADMIN SUED FOR HIDING JOHN KERRY’S STAFF, COORDINATION WITH ECO GROUPS Comer’s letter pointed to an email sent in November 2022 where a staffer in Kerry’s Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Climate (SPEC) reached out to several environmental groups, including the Sierra Club, Natural Resources Defense Council and Environmental Defense Fund, reminding them that a kitchen cabinet meeting held at the time was off the record. Additional communications obtained by the committee reveal that the Bezos Earth Fund, Bloomberg Philanthropies and Sequoia Climate Fund engaged with the SPEC office on climate finance policies. And another internal State Department email involving SPEC staff suggests Mark Gallogly, who has been identified as a major Democrat donor and private equity investor, was hired by Kerry’s office to develop plans for public and private climate financing initiatives. UNITED NATIONS FOUNDATION IS QUIETLY FUELING CLIMATE POLICY, FUNDING STAFF IN DEM STATES “The Committee has learned these groups will go as far to hire independent consultants to provide funding opportunities designated for placement of U.S. taxpayer dollars — all while receiving preferential treatment from Envoy Kerry, the SPEC Office, and the State Department who distribute taxpayer dollars to fund their projects,” Comer wrote. “SPEC staff — past or present — who consult outside groups regarding climate finance matters require heightened accountability for their ties to these groups,” he continued. “The Committee is troubled by the frequency and content of financial-related information discussed at ‘off the record’ meetings between the State Department, SPEC office, and outside groups considering that the Biden Administration has proposed $1 trillion in climate investments over the next 10 years.” The Oversight inquiry on Wednesday is part of the committee’s ongoing efforts to examine the operations of Kerry and the SPEC office more broadly. Shortly after taking office in 2021, President Biden appointed Kerry to be the U.S. SPEC, a position that hadn’t previously existed, didn’t require Senate approval and gave him a spot on the president’s Cabinet and National Security Council. The SPEC office is housed at the State Department and has an estimated $13.9 million annual budget with approval for 45 personnel. However, while Kerry has traveled worldwide, attending high-profile climate summits and diplomatic engagements in an effort to push a global transition from fossil fuels to green energy alternatives, his office has remained tight-lipped about its internal operations and staff members, sparking criticism from lawmakers, including Comer, who have demanded greater transparency. WATCHDOG HITS JOHN KERRY WITH SCIENCE ETHICS COMPLAINT OVER CLIMATE CHANGE DEATHS CLAIM In his letter to Blinken, Comer further demanded that the State Department begin disclosing the identifications and salaries of SPEC staff. He pointed to a Boston Herald report in January that showed FOIA documents listing SPEC office staff positions and salaries, but redacted the names of the individuals in those positions. According to the Boston Herald, Kerry’s staff — in positions such as “policy analysts” to “senior advisers” — are collectively paid $4.3 million per year. Some unnamed officials are paid as much as $186,680 per year, making them some of the highest-paid individuals in the federal government. “The American people deserve to know what is being promised by Secretary Kerry and SPEC staff in off-the-record meetings with leftist environmental groups and whether SPEC staff are undermining U.S. foreign policy, energy policy, and national security policy and discuss climate investments,” Comer wrote. “SPEC staff’s ties to these groups, in addition to potential foreign government officials and business interests, require transparency and accountability,” he added. Meanwhile, the inquiry comes one day after energy watchdog group Power the Future filed a freedom of information lawsuit against the State Department, similarly demanding the agency identify Kerry’s staff. “For nearly three years, John Kerry has been jet-setting on the international climate conference circuit while sending taxpayers the bill,” PTF Executive Director Daniel Turner told Fox News Digital. “Today, we begin the process of teaching John Kerry and Joe Biden that they work for the taxpayers. No one should have to waste resources on litigation, but that is our only option since John Kerry thinks he can keep his office off the books.” The State Department didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Ohio Senate candidate Bernie Moreno, endorsed by Trump, to face off against 2 GOP opponents
In his bid for U.S. Senate in Ohio, Republican Bernie Moreno has cast himself in the mold of former President Donald Trump, who has endorsed him: that of “political outsider.” “I’m the only outsider in the race. I’m the only one that has created businesses,” Moreno, a wealthy businessman from Cleveland, told Buckeye Patriots podcast host Joe Miller in October. “I’m the only one who is not part of the political system.” But Moreno has, at times, served on the inside. Shortly before he entered politics, he sat on two government boards — one in Columbus, one in Cleveland. An Associated Press review found that each of those public entities boosted Moreno’s blockchain business while he served. OHIO POLITICIANS REACT TO BIDEN VISITING EAST PALESTINE AFTER 1 YEAR: ‘TOO LITTLE TOO LATE’ Moreno faces Secretary of State Frank LaRose and state Sen. Matt Dolan in next month’s Republican primary. The winner will face third-term U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, viewed as among the nation’s most vulnerable Democrats, in November. Moreno’s campaign says he was recruited to the executive committee of InnovateOhio, a state government technology initiative, and to the board of MetroHealth, Cleveland’s public hospital system, “because they wanted the perspective of a political outsider and successful businessman.” Both positions were unpaid. “He didn’t make a cent from them and was donating his time, energy, and business expertise because he wanted to serve his community,” spokesman Conor McGuinness said in a statement. “His companies made a grand total of $0.00 as a result of his work.” That isn’t to say Moreno walked away empty-handed. When he cashed out his shares in blockchain company Ownum in April 2023, in order to avoid conflicts of interest, Moreno reported they were worth at least $5 million. Some of the company’s earliest votes of confidence had come from InnovateOhio and MetroHealth. Moreno was appointed to the InnovateOhio Executive Board by Lt. Gov. Jon Husted in April 2019. Moreno had stood beside Husted and Republican Gov. Mike DeWine as the new office was announced the previous September, and was a featured guest at their technology-themed inaugural celebration that January. Moreno and Husted already had a history. Across 10 years beginning in 2007, when Husted was speaker of the Ohio House and a Republican rising star, Moreno contributed a combined $20,000 to his political campaigns, state campaign finance reports show. Moreno gave another $25,000 to the DeWine-Husted for Ohio gubernatorial campaign in June 2018 — shortly after Ownum was incorporated. Ownum was in the business of developing technology products that could replace paper-based government processes through digitization. At the time of Moreno’s appointment, the company had just announced its first product: a paperless blockchain option for vehicle titling, called CHAMPtitles. Moreno already had made it known that Ownum would be pitching CHAMPtitles to Ohio, among other states. Fast-forward to December 2019. In an address at the Blockland Solutions Conference in Cleveland, Husted said that InnovateOhio working groups had identified the Bureau of Motor Vehicles as the first place the state would try out blockchain technology, which generates “blocks” of information or transactions into ledgers that are secure and transparent. Husted said the office had received a “proposal” — he didn’t mention from whom — for the state to work with the private sector to modify Ohio’s vehicle titling system. CHAMPtitles tweeted the “exciting news.” “We are live in Ohio,” Ownum’s then-CEO Shane Bigelow would proclaim in a Cincinnati Business Journal interview about a year later. He told the publication that Husted “navigated the circumstances exceedingly well” and brought paperless titles into the state. He said Ohio was “a first mover” on the technology and Ownum now hoped to become “a 50-state solution.” Neighboring West Virginia announced it would become the first state to take its car titling fully digital through CHAMPtitles in 2022. Something like Husted’s backing — or the later support of MetroHealth’s CEO — held potential financial benefits for the company, said Jonah Berger, an associate professor of marketing at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. “It can almost act as a signal of quality,” he said, to other states, governors or hospital systems considering the product. “If it’s a new company that nobody’s ever heard of before, either affiliations with people that others trust, or endorsements from people that others trust, can sometimes be beneficial,” he said. Husted’s spokeswoman, Hayley Carducci, said InnovateOhio aims to make Ohio “the most innovative, entrepreneurial state in the Midwest” and its executive committee “is advisory in nature and has no standing in the determination of state contracting.” “Bernie Moreno is no longer on the advisory board but was originally included because of his expertise in tech and business,” she said in a statement. McGuinness said it’s “laughable” to suggest serving on such boards makes Moreno any less of a political outsider, casting Brown, LaRose and Dolan all as “career politicians.” “Just like any number of political outsiders — President Trump, Senator JD Vance, Vivek Ramaswamy, to name a few — Bernie’s successful business career made his perspective incredibly sought after by any number of organizations,” he said. In Cleveland, Democratic Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish nominated Moreno to the MetroHealth board of trustees in September 2019. Moreno had donated $5,000 to Budish’s re-election bid in July 2018, county campaign finance records show. Budish did not respond to messages seeking comment. Then-Cuyahoga County Council member Shontel Brown, now a Democratic congresswoman, told The Plain Dealer at the time that it was abnormal that Moreno didn’t attend his own confirmation hearing. She also said the process was rushed at the request of MetroHealth CEO Dr. Akram Boutros, who wanted Moreno confirmed ahead of the health system’s October board meeting. Six months later, Ownum’s second product, Vital Chain — which provided blockchain birth and death certificates — landed MetroHealth as its first client. Boutros promoted the development as “a huge leap for public health efforts, such as those designed to combat infant mortality.” Moreno stepped down from the health system’s
Fetterman blasts pro-Palestinian protesters: ‘Why aren’t you demanding that Hamas surrenders?’
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., blasted pro-Palestinian protesters calling for a cease-fire during a press conference with the families of Israeli hostages held by Hamas on Wednesday. He made the comments alongside a bipartisan group of both House and Senate lawmakers, as well as the speaker of the Israeli Knesset, Amir Ohana. “I think I’ve met with six, six family victim groups during all of this. And, you know, that should have stopped because everyone should have been home long ago,” Fetterman said. LONDON THEATER CANCELS DOUGLAS MURRAY’S PRO-ISRAEL EVENT AT THE LAST MINUTE AFTER EMPLOYEES REFUSED TO WORK “And I don’t understand why, to anyone that is protesting or demanding for a cease-fire, let’s be honest here, why aren’t you protesting to bring them all home right now? Why aren’t you demanding that Hamas surrenders as well?” Fetterman said he supported an end to “suffering and the death of innocent Palestinians and Israelis” but argued peace would not be possible with the continued existence of Hamas, which invaded Israel and slaughtered over 1,200 people on Oct. 7. “I support a two-state solution as well. But that is meaningless until Hamas is effectively eliminated,” the Pennsylvania Democrat said. FRANCE’S NEW FOREIGN MINISTER VISITS ISRAEL, CALLS FOR CEASE-FIRE AND HOSTAGE RELEASE Fetterman has emerged as one of Israel’s most vocal backers among Senate Democrats and has been known to put on public displays rebuffing pro-Palestine protesters, including ones who showed up to his house recently. He blasted those making an “equivalence” between Israel and Hamas on Wednesday. “Hamas now disavows and rejects a two-state solution as well, too, and now they are committed to the destruction of Israel,” Fetterman said. “I would never want to negotiate with a group that [is] committed to my death as well.” BLINKEN LANDS IN EGYPT TO HELP MEDIATE ISRAEL-HAMAS DEAL “Bring all of these people back home now…and stop pretending this is some kind of equivalence here.” It comes just as the Senate is expected to vote on a security aid package giving dollars to Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan. A similar measure, which took months of negotiation to include conservative border policy changes, is expected to fail in the Senate on Wednesday afternoon amid fierce GOP opposition.
Maine sheriff deemed ‘unworthy’ of the job asked to step down in letter to the governor
Oxford County commissioners on Wednesday agreed to ask Maine Gov. Janet Mills to remove a sheriff accused of improprieties including the sale of guns from an evidence locker without proper notifications or documentation. Describing Sheriff Christopher Wainwright as “unworthy” of the job, the commissioners said in a 10-page complaint that there’s no room for a sheriff who holds himself “above the policies that he is charged with administering, above the ethical responsibilities that he swore an oath to uphold, and the laws that he is charged with enforcing.” MAINE MUST RELEASE VOTER ROLLS TO CONSERVATIVE GROUP FOR INDEPENDENT AUDITS, FEDERAL COURT RULES Under Maine law, the governor is the only person who can remove sheriffs, who are elected. Mills’ office had no immediate comment. Wainwright said he’s acknowledged mistakes and apologized for them. “But let me be clear, there is nothing about my conduct in office, personally or professionally, that merits my removal,” he said Wednesday in a written statement. The sheriff faced several accusations in 2022 and 2023, including urging a deputy to go easy on an acquaintance cited for a traffic violation and allowing two school resource officers to carry guns even though they lacked proper law enforcement certifications to do so. The gun sale involved dozens of weapons that were given to a gun shop without notifying county officials or recording the transaction. The sheriff’s office didn’t receive cash but received credits for service weapons and ammunition, officials said. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Wainwright has not faced any charges related to the allegations.
DC Council appoints man convicted of murder to sentencing commission
A convicted murderer who spent 27 years behind bars has been appointed to the Washington, D.C., prison sentencing commission that drafts and modifies criminal sentencing guidelines. Joel Castón, who was convicted of murder at the age of 18 after he killed a man in a 1994 parking lot shooting, was appointed to be one of 12 voting members on the sentencing commission, according to The Washington Post. When he takes up the position, Castón will be the first person who has been incarcerated to serve on the commission. “It’s not just a win for me, it’s a win for all returning citizens nationwide,” Castón said. “It sends a resounding message to all returning citizens that you can participate in civic engagement.” TRUMP NOT IMMUNE FROM PROSECUTION IN 2020 ELECTION CASE, FEDERAL APPEALS COURT RULES Council member Anita Bonds, one of 12 lawmakers who voted in support of Castón, said the appointment was “the right direction for us to move in.” “We say as a society that giving individuals a second chance is tantamount to being and having the American experience. Well, here we go,” Bonds said, according to the Washington Post. Castón was released from prison in 2021, nearly three decades after he killed an 18-year-old man. WOMAN LEFT TO CRAWL BACK HOME AFTER BEING ATTACKED, ROBBED IN WASHINGTON, DC While in prison, he made history by becoming the first person to be elected to office in Washington, D.C., by winning a seat on his district’s Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC). He also became a mentor and instructor while he learned several languages and developed a personal finance curriculum called “Currency Catchers,” according to the Georgetown University Prisons and Justice Initiative (PJI). The group provides programs for incarcerated people and aims to end mass incarceration. Castón has also advocated for restorative justice and prison reform as well as consulting and other work with criminal justice organizations, the Washington Post reports. “It hasn’t been 27 years of waiting to go home, it’s been 27 years preparing myself to never come back to prison again,” Castón said shortly after his release, according to PJI. In a January interview, Castón said his time in prison gave him a unique understanding of the impact of sentences and that his years of studying the criminal justice system would help him determine just punishment guidelines. “I am going to apply sound judgment based on the facts that are presented to me, without being influenced by any outside parties,” Castón said in a January interview. “It is not fair to put me in a box simply because I was a formerly justice-involved individual. That is not fair.” Council Chairman Phil Mendelson, a Democrat, nominated Castón, arguing that he would bring a valuable perspective to the panel from his 27 years behind bars. That view was echoed by The Sentencing Project, a group that aims to minimize imprisonment and criminalization. “The perspective of an individual with lived experience of incarceration will assist in providing a well-rounded understanding of the impact and implementation of those sentences,” said Kara Gotsch, the executive director of The Sentencing Project. Castón’s appointment wasn’t without opposition. The vote was initially scheduled for Jan. 9, but Mendelson postponed it after U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves sent a letter highlighting questions about Castón’s integrity and alleging that he would probably advocate for lesser sentencing ranges given his nearly three decades spent locked up, according to the Washington Post. Critics also argued the timing of the appointment was wrong, given the city’s crime concerns and calls for stiffer penalties for criminals. Last year D.C. had the fifth-highest per capita murder rate among the nation’s biggest cities, and this year began with high-profile carjackings, robberies and killings, the Washington Post reports.
Nikki Haley writes off Nevada as ‘penny slots’ after loss: ‘We didn’t bother to play’
Former Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley wrote off the Nevada primary as “penny slots,” calling the state’s vote “rigged for Trump” following a heavy defeat. Haley failed to win the Nevada primary despite former President Donald Trump not appearing on the ballot. “Even Donald Trump knows that when you play penny slots the house wins. We didn’t bother to play a game rigged for Trump,” said Haley campaign spokesperson Olivia Perez-Cubas. She added, “We’re full steam ahead in South Carolina and beyond.” TRUMP WORLD, DEMOCRATS UNITE IN TROLLING NIKKI HALEY AFTER LOSS TO ‘LITERALLY NO ONE’ IN NEVADA PRIMARY With a majority of the votes counted, the results show Haley with around 30% of the vote despite being the only candidate left in the race that appeared on the primary ballot as Trump chose to participate in the state’s caucus, which will be held Thursday. The winner of the primary: “None of these candidates” with around 63% of the vote. DUELING REPUBLICAN CONTESTS: TRUMP TO ROMP IN NEVADA GOP CAUCUS AFTER HALEY LOSES PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY Trump himself took a victory lap against his presidential primary opponent on Wednesday. “A bad night for Nikki Haley,” Trump said in a post on his proprietary social media platform Truth Social. “Losing by almost 30 points in Nevada to ‘None of These Candidates.’” He added, “Watch, she’ll soon claim Victory!” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Haley herself did not directly address the loss, but posted vague sentiments of resilience to social media. “Even on our worst days, we are blessed to live in America,” she wrote on X. Fox News’ Brandon Gillespie contributed to this report.
DNA Verified: Is govt providing Rs 1.6 lakh benefit to girls under PM Ladli Laxmi Yojana? Know truth
The message, which circulated widely, suggested that every daughter would receive this cash amount from the government.
Hawaii bill that could boot Trump from ballot narrowly advances
A bill in Hawaii’s state legislature that could potentially keep former President Donald Trump off of the 2024 presidential ballot narrowly survived a procedural vote on Tuesday. The Hawaii State Senate Judiciary Committee approved Senate Bill 2392 by a single vote, moving the bill to the full floor, HawaiiNewsNow reported. The proposal would place the decision to potentially disqualify Trump under the chief elections officer. Advocates for the bill claimed Trump’s involvement in the riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, amounted to an insurrection that should bar him from running for – or winning – the presidency. The bill comes as several other states have initiated efforts to prevent Trump, the current Republican frontrunner, from appearing on the ballot in November. TRUMP WASN’T ON THE BALLOT, BUT HALEY LOSES NEVADA’S REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY Despite the bill clearing the procedural hurdle, the bill’s critics have been more outspoken than its supporters. “This is tyrannical, to say the least,” said Jamie Detwiler, a resident who testified ahead of the vote, per the report. “He has not been convicted nor has he been charged with insurrection (cheers) there is no evidence of committing insurrection so please don’t waste our time on this poorly written piece of legislation.” According to HawaiiNewsNow, the bill drew over 300 complaints or negative testimonies, with only about 20 favoring it. Sen. Karl Rhoads, a Democrat, introduced the legislation as Hawaii does not have a legal process to exempt candidates from the ballot or disqualify them from appearing. TRUMP NOT IMMUNE FROM PROSECUTION IN 2020 ELECTION CASE, FEDERAL APPEALS COURT RULES Senate Bill 2392, which cleared the committee by a 3-2 vote, would establish such a process. A description of the bill says it “specifies that election ballots issued by the chief election officer or county clerk shall exclude any candidate who is disqualified by a constitutional or statutory provision.” It also “provides for a process for challenging an inclusion or exclusion of a candidate from a ballot. Includes a candidate’s disqualification as grounds for an election contest complaint. Specifies that electors of presidential and vice presidential candidates shall not be individuals who are disqualified by a constitutional or statutory provision. Prohibits electors from voting for any presidential or vice presidential nominee who has been disqualified pursuant to Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.” The bill is supported by the state’s Democratic Party. Rhoads is a member of the Judiciary Committee, the Agriculture and Environment and the Public Safety Committee and the Intergovernmental and Military Affairs Committee.
Trump recommends North Carolina GOP Chair Whatley to replace McDaniel at RNC: Source
Former President Trump has recommended North Carolina GOP Chair Michael Whatley to replace RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel after the South Carolina Primary, Fox News Digital has learned. A source familiar told Fox News Digital that there will be “a change” in leadership at the Republican National Committee after the Feb. 24 South Carolina Primary. The source told Fox News Digital that Trump is pushing for Whatley to replace McDaniel — specifically because he was “so powerful on election fraud” in 2020. RNC CHAIR RONNA MCDANIEL TO STEP DOWN AFTER SOUTH CAROLINA PRIMARIES: REPORT Whatley has served as the North Carolina GOP chair since 2019. Whatley also serves as the general counsel for the Republican National Committee. Trump won North Carolina in 2020. The source said that Whatley “kept the fraud down” in the state, “despite having a strong Democrat governor.” The source stressed that Trump is focused on ensuring the votes in the 2024 general election are “safe.” “Trump goes around saying ‘we don’t need the votes, we have plenty, what we need is protected ballots during the election, period,’” the source explained, stressing the importance of “protecting the ballot” in the 2024 general election. Prior to his work with the Republican Party, Whatley served as a federal law clerk, a senior official in the President George W. Bush administration and as the chief of staff for former Sen. Elizabeth Dole, R-N.C. Whatley also served as a senior advisor to the Bush-Cheney campaign, Florida Recount and Transition Teams, as well as the Trump-Pence campaign and transition teams. TRUMP MEETS WITH RONNA MCDANIEL – THEN CALLS FOR CHANGES AT REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE Earlier this week, Trump met with McDaniel at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida. After the meeting, Trump posted on his Truth Social that McDaniel was a “friend” but that he would be urging changes at the RNC after the South Carolina GOP presidential primary. “Ronna is now Head of the RNC, and I’ll be making a decision the day after the South Carolina Primary as to my recommendations for RNC Growth,” the former president and 2024 GOP frontrunner posted on Truth Social. In an interview that aired Sunday on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” with Maria Bartiromo, Trump said of McDaniel, “I think she did great when she ran Michigan for me.” The former president pointed to McDaniel’s previous tenure as chair of the Michigan GOP. “I think she did OK, initially, in the RNC. I would say right now, there’ll probably be some changes made,” he added. When she won re-election last year, McDaniel said in an interview with Fox News that it would be her last two-year term steering the national party committee.