Austin declares ‘outrage and sorrow’ for 3 soldiers killed in Iran proxy attack, vows action
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin expressed “outrage and sorrow” on Monday over the killing of three U.S. soldiers by an Iran-backed terrorist group in Jordan. Austin made the comments at the start of a bilateral meeting with NATO Chief Jens Stoltenberg at the Pentagon. Austin also vowed to take action against Iran and its terrorist proxy groups. “Let me start with my outrage and sorrow for the deaths of three brave U.S. troops in Jordan and for the other troops who were wounded,” Austin said. “The president and I will not tolerate attack on U.S. forces. And we will take all necessary actions to defend the U.S. and our troops.” The Pentagon meeting was Austin’s first day back in the office following a nearly monthlong medical absence. Austin was hospitalized for nearly two weeks at the beginning of January. He was released from the hospital on Jan. 15 and began working from home until Monday. YEMEN’S HOUTHIS FIRE MISSILE TOWARD USS CARNEY, CENTCOM SAYS “Now, at this important time, I’m glad to be back at the Pentagon. I feel good and I’m recovering well, but still recovering. I appreciate all the good wishes that I’ve received thus far,” Austin said. The drone attack on U.S. troops in Jordan saw three U.S. service members killed and at least 34 others injured. The attack struck a U.S. outpost near the Syrian border known as Tower 22. US WITHDRAWAL FROM SYRIA WOULD PUT ‘WHOLE REGION AT RISK,’ ALLOW IRAN TO ‘SOW’ MORE DISCORD, EXPERT WARNS The White House said President Biden was briefed Sunday morning by Austin, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Principal Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer about the attack, which marked a significant escalation as it is the first time U.S. troops have been killed by enemy fire in the Middle East since the Israel-Hamas war began on Oct. 7. Since Israel’s war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip began, U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria have faced more than 160 drone and missile attacks on their bases, but Sunday’s marked the first U.S. fatalities. Fox News’ Danielle Wallace contributed to this report
US forces attacked at least 160 times in the Middle East since mid-October after Sunday’s drone strike
There have been at least 160 attacks on U.S. troops in the Middle East since mid-October, following this weekend’s attack on a base in Jordan near the Syrian border that left three American soldiers dead and dozens of others injured, U.S. officials said. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin addressed Sunday’s attack and vowed the U.S. would “take all necessary actions” to keep U.S. troops in the region safe. “Let me start with my outrage and sorrow for the deaths of three brave U.S. troops in Jordan and for the other troops who were wounded,” Austin said. He added, “The president and I will not tolerate attack on U.S. forces. And we will take all necessary actions to defend the U.S. and our troops.” DRONE FROM IRAN PROXY EVADED US DEFENSES BECAUSE IT WAS MISTAKEN FOR US DRONE: OFFICIAL Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin reported Austin’s return to the Pentagon on Monday. His first time working in-person since his prostate cancer surgery comes after Sunday’s attack, which was the deadliest on U.S. forces since 2021. Griffin reported that Austin is “actively engaged” in talks regarding the U.S. response. IRAN SAYS CLAIMS IT IS LINKED TO JORDAN DRONE ATTACK, DEATHS OF US SOLDIERS ARE ‘BASELESS’ The base that was hit by a drone on Sunday is known as Tower 22. The outpost houses about 350 service members, most of whom were asleep when the drone struck the base, Griffin reported. The service members stationed there are focused on the defeat-ISIS mission. Several U.S. service members required serious medical treatment but are in stable condition, defense officials said. They are continuing to be medically evacuated for their injuries. Austin’s comments Monday echoed those from the White House, which expressed its “deepest condolences” for those who were killed. “We are mourning with Americans across the country today who are mourning the deaths of three souls, three service members who lost their lives,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday. “As we all know, yesterday was a very dark day.” “Today is a very difficult day for Americans,” she continued. “So our deepest condolences go out to the families, the friends and the units. You heard that from the president yesterday. He said … we shall respond. The president has always been very clear as commander-in-chief, one of the things that he focuses on is making sure that we protect our troops.” “We send our deepest, deepest condolences and our prayers, to the friends of families of the three service members that we lost yesterday,” she added. Sunday’s attack was the deadliest since suicide bombers attacked U.S. forces at the Kabul airport’s Abbey Gate in Afghanistan following the chaotic withdrawal in August 2021.
Former North Dakota senator Tom Campbell launches bid for state’s only US House seat
A potato farmer and former state senator has announced his campaign for North Dakota’s sole seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, after initially eyeing a run for governor. Tom Campbell, of Grafton, is the second Republican in the House race. He served in the North Dakota Senate from 2012 to 2018. Campbell previously ran for the at-large seat in 2018 after switching from the state’s U.S. Senate race, but he withdrew before the crowded GOP primary election that year. “North Dakota needs a Congressman who can be effective and can work with President Trump,” Campbell said in a Facebook announcement Friday. “We have to be pro-oil, pro-farmer, pro-business, and pro-people.” NORTH DAKOTA GOV. DOUG BURGUM, FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, WON’T SEEK THIRD TERM Republican Rep. Kelly Armstrong, an attorney, is running for governor, opening up the House seat. Republican Gov. Doug Burgum is not seeking a third term. In an interview, Campbell said he met with Armstrong to discuss the elections, saying the two of them running for governor would “get very expensive, very ugly,” and suggesting they work together in their different campaigns. NORTH DAKOTA REP. ON THE IMPORTANCE OF STATE’S ENERGY INDUSTRIES Former state Rep. Rick Becker, a plastic surgeon, is the other Republican running for the House seat. Democrat Trygve Hammer, a military veteran, also is running. Republicans hold all of North Dakota’s statewide elected offices and congressional seats and control the Legislature.
Supreme Court sets date to hear abortion pill challenge
The Supreme Court will hear arguments in a case challenging access to the abortion pill and its regulatory approval process on March 26, the court announced Monday. In December, the nation’s highest court agreed to consider appeals from the Biden administration and drug manufacturer Danco defending several moves by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration intended to make it easier to access and use the mifepristone pill in the wake of the overturning of Roe v. Wade last year. In overturning Roe v. Wade in June 2022, the Supreme Court ruled in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization that the U.S. Constitution does not guarantee the right to an abortion and that the matter may be decided by the states. In the aftermath, 14 states have banned abortion at all stages of pregnancy, with some exceptions, and two others have banned abortion once a fetal heartbeat is detected, which is around six weeks of gestation. REPUBLICAN STATES UNITE WITH PRO-LIFE DOCTORS FOR SCOTUS ABORTION PILL BATTLE The Biden administration and the maker of the drug mifepristone are asking the high court to reverse an appellate ruling that would cut off access to the drug through the mail and impose other restrictions, even in states where abortion remains legal. The restrictions include shortening from the current 10 weeks to seven weeks the time during which mifepristone can be used in pregnancy. The nine justices rejected a separate appeal from abortion opponents who challenged the FDA’s initial approval of mifepristone as safe and effective in 2000. FEDERAL APPEALS COURT RESTRICTS ACCESS TO ABORTION PILL MIFEPRISTONE, DRUG REMAINS AVAILABLE Erin Hawley, counsel for the civil rights firm Alliance Defending Freedom challenging the Biden administration said accused the Biden administration of “defending the FDA’s reckless removal of the safety standards it originally deemed necessary for women who use abortion drugs.” “The FDA’s own label for these drugs says that roughly one in 25 women who take them will end up in the emergency room. The agency’s removal of in-person doctor visits and consistent, ongoing care has subjected more women to suffering severe, even life-threatening, medical conditions,” Hawley said in a statement. MISSOURI ATTORNEY GENERAL SUES BIDEN ADMIN FOR APPROVING THE SHIPMENT OF CHEMICAL ABORTION PILLS IN THE MAIL “Regardless of Americans’ beliefs about abortion, no one should be okay with the FDA leaving girls to take these high-risk drugs all alone,” she added. The Supreme Court will hear arguments in the case called FDA v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine on Tuesday, March 26 at 10:00 a.m.
Top House Republican says ‘911 prank call’ sent police to his home in ‘swatting’ incident
A top House Republican leader announced he was targeted in a “swatting” situation over the weekend. House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., said the incident occurred when he and his family were not home. “Tonight my family and I were the target of a ‘swatting’ incident involving a 911 prank call that wrongly diverted a police presence to my home,” Emmer announced Saturday night. “Sadly, this illegal and dangerous scheme is being used nationwide to target elected officials.” NIKKI HALEY SWATTED AT HER SOUTH CAROLINA HOME IN DECEMBER: REPORT “Thankfully, no one was home or injured. I condemn this illegal abuse of police resources. I want to thank the Wright County Sheriff’s Office for their professionalism and support,” he said. Emmer’s office told Fox News Digital that there would not be additional comment on the incident. Fox News Digital reached out to the Wright County Sheriff’s Office but has not heard back. There has been a wave of recent “swatting” incidents targeting Republican lawmakers, including on Christmas Day. WHAT IS ‘SWATTING,’ THE ‘CRIMINAL HARASSMENT’ HOAX THAT’S HIT 3 GOP LAWMAKERS SINCE CHRISTMAS? “Swatting” targets an individual by calling in a false police report at their home, with the goal of eliciting a SWAT team response. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., who along with Rep. Brandon Williams, R-N.Y., said she was the target of a prank 911 call on Dec. 25 last year, pledged to introduce legislation to crack down on the troubling practice. “I was just swatted. This is like the 8th time. On Christmas with my family here,” Greene wrote in a post on X at the time. Williams had posted on the site a short while earlier, “Our home was swatted this afternoon. Thanks to the Deputies and Troopers who contacted me before arriving. They left with homemade cookies and spiced nuts! Merry Christmas everyone!” Days later, Greene said a family member of hers was swatted, and she announced she’d be “introducing legislation to make it much easier for law enforcement to arrest and prosecutors to prosecute these criminals.” Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., announced the morning after her post that his home had been swatted. Scott said he and his wife were not home at the time. “Last night, while at dinner with my wife, cowards ‘swatted’ my home in Naples. These criminals wasted the time & resources of our law enforcement in a sick attempt to terrorize my family,” Scott wrote on X.
Biden admin backs off gas stove crackdown after widespread pushback
The Biden administration finalized energy efficiency regulations targeting gas-powered stovetops as part of its broader climate agenda, but backed off a more aggressive proposal it issued last year which attracted substantial criticism. The Department of Energy (DOE) issued the final rules Monday after nearly 12 months of feedback from consumer advocates, industry associations and climate activist groups. The regulations, which are set to go into effect in early 2028, reflect a compromise recommendation issued last year by stakeholders including the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM), the leading U.S. trade group representing appliance makers. “President Biden is committed to using all the tools at the Administration’s disposal to lower costs for American families and deliver healthier communities — including energy efficiency measures like the one announced today,” Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said in a statement. “DOE is dedicated to working together with our industry partners and stakeholders throughout 2024 to continue strengthening appliance standards, addressing a backlog of Congressionally-mandated energy efficiency actions that is delaying a projected $1 trillion in consumer savings from reaching the American people,” Granholm continued. BIDEN ADMIN LAUNCHED AN AGGRESSIVE CAMPAIGN TARGETING HOME APPLIANCES WITH ECO REGULATIONS IN 2023 On Feb. 1, 2023, the DOE issued its original proposal which was set to take effect in 2027 and impact a staggering 50% of current gas stove models. The DOE argued it is required to put forth such regulations under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act which mandates energy efficiency rules while not harming consumer choice. In response, Republicans and consumer advocacy organizations blasted the Biden administration for curbing consumer choice and pushing a regulatory regime that would lead to higher prices. They also criticized the DOE for attempting to force Americans to electrify their homes in an effort to reduce emissions and fight global warming. BIDEN ADMIN AIMS TO PUSH TOWNS, CITIES TO ADOPT GREEN ENERGY BUILDING CODES: ‘VERY SUSPICIOUS’ In June, the House passed the Save Our Gas Stoves Act on a bipartisan basis in a 249-181 vote. That bill, which has yet to receive a Senate floor vote, would block DOE from implementing tougher conservation standards on stoves. But, in September, AHAM and other industry groups opposed to the February 2023 proposal released a compromise proposal with climate advocates, recommending less aggressive energy efficiency targets for stovetops and other appliances. DOE said it scrapped its proposal last year in favor of that recommendation. “We were able to settle on energy levels that would retain the features and performance that consumers rely on every day. We were also able to adjust or modify the timelines that the Energy Department was suggesting,” Jill Notini, a spokesperson for AHAM, told Fox News Digital on Monday. “We do see this as a win for consumers — we retained the features, all the things that we were very concerned about, that we felt like under the original proposal would be lost. We were able to make sure that all of those things stay in the product design through the standard,” she added. WHITE HOUSE HALTS ENORMOUS NATURAL GAS PROJECTS IN VICTORY FOR ENVIRONMENTALISTS In particular, under the 2023 proposal, DOE would have banned the future sale of gas stoves that consume more than 1,204 thousand British thermal units (kBtu) per year. The finalized rules Monday ban the sale of stoves that consume more than 1,770 kBtu per year, a substantial alteration. While last year’s proposal would have impacted 50% of gas stove models, the finalized regulations impact just 3%. Andrew deLaski, the executive director of the Appliance Standards Awareness Project, said Monday that there was disagreement over DOE’s original proposal, but that stakeholders ultimately “came together and resolved it.” Still, consumer advocates expressed concern that the finalized rules didn’t include enough consumer input and also took aim at DOE’s overarching authority to issue such regulations. “A reasonable regulation is better than an unreasonable regulation,” Ben Lieberman, a senior fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, told Fox News Digital in an interview. “But, on applying standards, I think there should be no efficiency regulations and certainly no regulations that may discourage gas stoves,” Lieberman said. “So, while this is a step in the right direction, I think the ultimate goal should be to repeal the regulatory authority and put consumers in charge once again.”
MP: Woman SDM killed by husband for not making him nominee in records
The duo married through a social media site in 2020. Police sources said the accused is reportedly a property dealer.
Land-for-jobs scam: ED grills Lalu Prasad Yadav for over 9 hours in Patna
Prasad, accompanied by his daughter Misa Bharti, arrived at the ED office here for questioning around 11 am and left at 8:50 pm.
Texas GOP increasingly considers push to close its primaries
Presidential candidate Nikki Haley has talked openly about targeting states like Texas that have open primaries to get a boost over Trump.
Biden is wrong, Texas has every right to ‘defend against invasion,’ state AGs tell White House
FIRST ON FOX – A group of 26 attorneys general are defending Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s right to defend his state “against invasion” amid a bitter border battle between Texas and President Joe Biden. Last week, Abbott said he would assert Article 1 powers to defend against an “invasion” at the border while the Biden administration refuses to enforce federal immigration laws. His announcement sparked a controversy that will play out in court about what legal grounds Abbott can claim to support his decision. In a letter obtained by Fox News Digital, 26 Republican attorneys general tell President Biden and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas that they support the Lone Star State, saying that “millions of people illegally coming into Texas as part of a coordinated assault on our border is an invasion” and that “states must be able to defend themselves from invasion.” The escalating crisis at the Texas-Mexico border came to a head last week after the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 to temporarily overturn a lower court’s injunction that banned the federal government from cutting razor fencing Texas had installed along the border near Eagle Pass while litigation continues. TEXAS GOVERNOR DOING ‘EXACTLY RIGHT THING’ AMID CONSTITUTIONAL BATTLE OVER BORDER ENFORCEMENT: LEGAL EXPERTS Abbott said that though the Supreme Court said the Biden administration could continue cutting the fencing, the order doesn’t prevent him from continuing to construct the razor wire fencing – which is what he promised to do despite sharp criticism from the White House. In their letter, the AGs tell the White House, “As lawyers yourselves, you must know that reports that Texas is ignoring or ‘defying’ the Supreme Court are wrong, either misunderstanding or deliberately misstating the law.” “The Supreme Court’s order did not tell Texas that it could or could not do anything. Texas should be applauded for continuing to try to protect the border despite the federal government now, again, being able to try to destroy the barriers Texas builds.,” the AGs note. The AGs add that “states must be able to defend themselves from invasion,” and that no one seriously contests that point.” BORDER BATTLE LINES: DEMS CALL ON BIDEN TO SEIZE CONTROL OF TEXAS NATIONAL GUARD, AS GOP ALLIES BACK ABBOTT Article I, section 10, clause 3 lays out the circumstances that states may act to defend themselves in a crisis, the AGs write Article 1, Section 10, which Abbott says was “triggered” by Biden’s inaction at the border, states, “No State shall, without the Consent of Congress, lay any Duty of Tonnage, keep Troops, or Ships of War in time of Peace, enter into any Agreement or Compact with another State, or with a foreign Power, or engage in War, unless actually invaded, or in such imminent Danger as will not admit of delay.” “Justice Scalia said it best in his dissent in Arizona v. United States: States have a ‘sovereign interest in protecting their borders,’” they said, referencing a 2012 Supreme Court case. “Right now cartels, terror groups, and other bad actors are taking advantage of the chaos by the border to orchestrate a mass influx of people. Gangs are using the flood of people to hide their ‘predator’ members as they enter the United States,” they said. “Millions of people illegally coming into Texas as part of a coordinated assault on our border is an invasion. No state, not even Texas, can handle such an influx of people. And no one—not Texas, not the United States—knows whether any person illegally crossing the border is engaging in additional criminal activity,” they argued. ABBOTT DECLARES TEXAS HAS ‘RIGHT TO SELF-DEFENSE’ FROM MIGRANT ‘INVASION’ AMID FEUD WITH BIDEN ADMIN Attorneys General Brenna Bird of Iowa and Sean Reyes of Utah, who led the Monday letter, note that since Biden’s inauguration day in 2021, more than six million illegal immigrants have crossed the southern border. “That is effectively adding the population of Iowa and Utah to our country in less than three years,” they said. “The invasion on our southern border has made every state a border state,” Bird told Fox News Digital in a statement. “If the Biden Administration won’t do its job to secure our border and keep Americans safe, it should step aside to let the States do the job for them,” she said. Texas’ fight is our fight,” Attorney General Reyes told Fox News Digital. “And if the White House will not defend our laws and innocent citizens, states have the authority under the U.S. Constitution to defend themselves,” he said.