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‘Propaganda, provocation’: Did Ukraine down a plane with its POWs aboard?

Kyiv, Ukraine – Two days after a Russian military cargo plane was shot down near the Ukrainian border, unanswered questions loom as Moscow and Kyiv offer starkly conflicting versions – and insufficient proof. Moscow claimed the Il-76, with 65 Ukrainian war prisoners on board, was about to land in the western city of Belgorod on Wednesday in advance of a swap later that day. It purported that Ukrainian air defence forces in the nearby Kharkiv region shot the plane down with two missiles. Russian lawmaker Andrey Kartapolov claimed three missiles were shot either from a US-made Patriot air defence complex or from a German-made Iris T system. “Ukrainian leaders knew very well about the swap, were informed how they prisoners would be delivered, but the Il-76 plane was shot down by three missiles,” he reportedly said. Moscow alleged that all the Ukrainian prisoners, three Russian guards that escorted them, and six crew members had been killed when the plane crashed near the village of Yablonova. The Ukrainska Pravda news website quoted an unnamed military official saying that the downed plane was “their job”, but the laconic report was soon removed. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy did not say who or what could have downed the plane, but called for an internal investigation and accused Russia of “playing with the lives of Ukrainian prisoners”. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov retorted by saying that “if [Zelenksyy] means an international investigation into the criminal actions of the Kyiv regime – then one is indeed needed”. Margarita Simonyan, one of the main Kremlin backers who heads the media network Russia Today, posted the alleged list of 65 POWs on her Telegram channel. [Al Jazeera] Kyiv said that it had planned a prisoner exchange that day, It did not confirm the authenticity of the list shared by Simonyan, but said that one person on it had already been swapped earlier this month. Ukraine insisted Russia provided no information about the plane that in fact had been carrying missiles for S-300 air defence systems. Mobile phone videos presumably shot near the crash site showed the burning plane and traces of smoke allegedly left by a Ukrainian missile. Another video of the plane’s alleged debris showed no traces of bodies. Meanwhile, allegations abounded that Russia would kill captured Ukrainian servicemen kept in Russian prisons and place their remnants in the downed plane’s debris to “provide” proof of Kyiv’s war crime. “They have the prisoners on the ground and would have to kill them, mess up their bodies and mix the remnants with the plane’s debris,” a Ukrainian military official told Al Jazeera on condition of anonymity. A top Ukrainian military expert agreed. “To prove their point, Russians may go very far, including the liquidation of these war prisoners and the dismemberment of their bodies,” Lieutenant General Ihor Romanenko, former deputy chief of Ukraine’s general staff of armed forces, told Al Jazeera. He said that there is a “high probability” that Ukrainian air defence forces downed the plane, but there was too little evidence to prove it – and to say for sure who and what was on board the plane before it was shot down. But Romanenko, who spent decades in in air defence forces, said that he had personally seen how two missiles from an S-200 or S-300 complex can fit into an Il-76 cargo plane, a seasoned Soviet warhorse that can carry up to 40 tonnes. He said that Moscow staged a “provocation” with the plane and will hardly agree to conduct an independent investigation. The incident reminded him of the July 17, 2014, downing of the Malaysian MH-17 plane with 298 passengers and crew on board by pro-Moscow separatists in the Donbas region. The separatists and pro-Russian residents in the area said days after the disaster that the CIA “loaded” hundreds of dead and “pre-frozen” bodies onto the plane to “frame” Moscow. An international investigation based on the analysis of wreckage and intercepted phone calls concluded that the plane was destroyed by the Russia-supplied BUK surface-to-air missile. Investigators said later that there were “strong indications” that Russian President Vladimir Putin approved the delivery of the BUK complex to the separatists. ‘Russian propaganda statements’ Another Ukrainian analyst said that after losing the plane this week, Russia decided to start a propaganda “campaign” while hiding evidence of what really had happened. “What we see is Russian propaganda statements, an obvious information-psychological campaign against Ukraine and a lack of proof of the Russian version,” Volodymyr Fesenko, head of the Penta think tank in Kyiv, told Al Jazeera. Russia did not present the bodies of the 65 POWs, and Ukrainian intelligence official Andiry Yusov said that only five bodies had been delivered to the Belgorod morgue. Moscow also said that only three guards escorted five dozen war prisoners, something that contradicts information about earlier prisoner swaps when each Russian guard escorted three or four Ukrainians. “There are way too many inconsistencies,” Fesenko said. To him and other observers, Russia’s claim were reminiscent of the July 2022 incident in the Olinivka camp for war prisoners near the Moscow-occupied city of Donetsk. Moscow claimed that Ukraine launched a US-made HIMARS missile that hit the camp killing 62 and wounding 130 Ukrainians. Pro-Kremlin media claimed that Kyiv deliberately killed the POWs who could have testified about the war crimes they had allegedly committed during the 2022 siege of Mariupol. But Moscow refused to allow finding missions sent by the United Nations and the International Red Cross to enter the facility. Meanwhile, media analyses based on satellite imagery and post-explosion photos and videos of the prison indicated that Russia’s claims were fabricated and the building was destroyed by a bomb blown up inside the building. However, an international observer offered a sobering explanation of how the latest disaster could have been caused by a dire lack of coordination between Ukrainian military agencies. “One military agency was preparing the usually-secret prisoner swap. Another military agency in a no-less-secret mode moved a Patriot or something

World reacts to ICJ ruling on South Africa’s genocide case against Israel

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has delivered its ruling on the emergency measures requested by South Africa in its genocide case against Israel over its war on the Gaza Strip. The World Court on Friday did not order a ceasefire in Gaza but told Israel to take measures to prevent and punish direct incitement of genocide in the besieged strip. ICJ President Joan Donoghue noted that the court had found sufficient evidence of dispute for the genocide case and said it will not throw it out. Israel has also been ordered to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza and has been asked to report back to the court within a month about how it is upholding the court’s orders. Here are some global reactions to the pivotal ruling: Palestine Palestine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates welcomed the ICJ’s ruling, saying in a statement it is an “important reminder” that no state is above the law. Foreign Minister Riyadh Maliki noted that Israel failed to persuade the court that it is not violating the 1948 Genocide Convention. In a statement he said: “The ICJ judges saw through Israel’s politicisation, deflection, and outright lies. They assessed the facts and the law and ordered provisional measures that recognised the gravity of the situation on the ground and the veracity of South Africa’s application. … Palestine calls on all states to ensure respect for the order of the International Court of Justice, including by Israel.” Israel Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu slammed the ruling as “outrageous”. In a video message shortly after the court order, he said Israel is fighting a “just war like no other”. He added that Israel will continue to defend itself and its citizens while adhering to international law. Meanwhile, far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir mocked the ICJ after the court issued its interim ruling. “Hague shmague,” the minister wrote on the social media platform X. South Africa The South African government called the ICJ ruling a “decisive victory” for international law. In a statement, the government said it welcomed the provisional measures and said it sincerely hoped Israel would not act to frustrate the application of the court’s orders. It further said the ruling marked a significant milestone in the search for justice for the Palestinian people and added that South Africa will continue to act within global institutions to protect the rights of the Palestinians in Gaza. Outside the ICJ headquarters in The Hague, Naledi Pandor, South Africa’s minister of international relations, told reporters that Israel will have to halt fighting in Gaza if it wants to adhere to the orders of the UN’s top court. “How do you provide aid and water without a ceasefire?” Pandor asked. “If you read the order, by implication, a ceasefire must happen.” Hamas Hamas hailed the court’s “important” ruling, saying it “contributes to isolating Israel”. “The [International] Court of Justice’s decision is an important development which contributes to isolating Israel and exposing its crimes in Gaza,” it said in a statement. United States The United States said the ruling of the ICJ was consistent with Washington’s view that Israel has the right to take action, in accordance with international law, to ensure the October 7 attack cannot be repeated. “We continue to believe that allegations of genocide are unfounded and note the court did not make a finding about genocide or call for a ceasefire in its ruling and that it called for the unconditional, immediate release of all hostages being held by Hamas,” a State Department spokesperson said. Qatar In a statement the government of Qatar has welcomed the ICJ’s ruling to impose emergency measures against Israel over its war in Gaza. Egypt Egypt welcomed the ruling on implementing emergency measures. A Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement also said Egypt “was looking forward to the International Court of Justice demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, as the court ruled in similar cases”, stressing the need to respect and implement the ICJ’s decisions. Turkey Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomed the ruling, saying he hoped it would halt attacks against civilians. “We hope that Israel’s attacks against women, children and the elderly will come to an end,” Erdogan said in a social media statement, called the ICJ ruling “valuable”. Iran Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian called for Israeli authorities to be “brought to justice” after the ICJ ruling, according to Iranian state media reports. Amirabdollahian also congratulated South Africa and the Palestinian people on “success” at the ICJ. “Today, the officials of the fake Israeli regime are the most hated people in the world’s public opinion who must be brought to justice immediately for committing genocide and unprecedented war crimes against Palestinians,” he wrote on X. “I must emphasise that the White House’s all-around support for the crimes of the Zionists will also never be forgotten and is considered and followed up by public opinion,” Amirabdollahian added. Spain Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez welcomed the ICJ decision and called on the parties to implement the interim measures the court decreed. “We will continue to advocate for peace and an end to the war, the release of hostages, access to humanitarian aid and the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel, so that both nations can coexist in peace and security,” Sanchez said in a post on X. Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation said: “Once again, Spain reiterates its call for an immediate ceasefire, the unconditional release of the hostages, immediate and regular humanitarian access and the need to move towards establishing the two-state solution.” Ireland Micheal Martin, the Irish minister for foreign affairs, welcomed the court’s orders, which he said were “final and binding. He added that Ireland expects Israel to implement the court’s orders “in good faith and as a matter of urgency”. “Bringing about an end to this conflict and to the death and destruction in Gaza is a priority that must be pursued on all fronts – political, diplomatic, humanitarian and legal,”

Israel’s Netanyahu reacts to ICJ ruling

NewsFeed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejects the ruling by the International Court of Justice and says Israel will continue to defend itself and its citizens while adhering to international law. Published On 26 Jan 202426 Jan 2024 Adblock test (Why?)

GA Senate launches committee to probe Trump prosecutor Fani Willis for ‘improper’ affair

Georgia’s GOP-controlled Senate voted Friday to form a special committee to investigate Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis amid revelations she had an ‘improper’ affair with subordinate counsel.  The special committee would have subpoena power to investigate Willis over allegations she hired special prosecutor Nathan Wade for the case because of their alleged romantic relationship. The Senate voted 30 in favor and 19 against the resolution. Republican Sen. Greg Dolezal introduced the measure, saying that “the multitude of accusations surrounding Ms. Willis, spanning from allegations of prosecutorial misconduct to questions about the use of public funds and accusations of an unprofessional relationship, underscores the urgency for a thorough and impartial examination.” FANI WILLIS WHO ‘RELISHED IN’ DONALD TRUMP PROSECUTION SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM CASE FOR ILLICIT AFFAIR: EXPERTS “We owe it to the public to ensure transparency, accountability and the preservation of the integrity of our justice system,” he added. According to court documents filed last month by Michael Roman, a Trump co-defendant, Fani Willis, who brought election interference-related charges against Trump, has been having an “improper” affair with special prosecutor Nathan Wade, whom she hired to help prosecute the 2024 GOP frontrunner. According to the court documents, Wade, who has no RICO and felony prosecution experience, billed taxpayers $654,000 since January 2022. Roman’s filing alleges that Wade billed Fulton County for 24 hours of work on a single day in November 2021, shortly after being appointed as a special prosecutor, and that Willis financially benefited from her alleged lover’s padded taxpayer-funded salary by taking lavish vacations together on his dime.  TRUMP BLASTS FULTON COUNTY PROSECUTOR FANI WILLIS AFTER ROMANTIC PARTNER ALLEGATIONS: ‘TOTALLY COMPROMISED’ Meanwhile in the state’s House of Representatives, Republican Rep. Charlice Byrd from Cherokee County announced plans to introduce H.R. 872 to impeach Wills, claiming she suffers from “Trump derangement syndrome,” Fox 5 Atlanta reported. CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB Byrd is particularly critical of Willis for indicting Republicans “who used their First Amendment rights to question the results of an election – something other Democrats have done in the past when they post important elections,” Byrd said. Notable examples include Al Gore, Hillary Clinton, and Stacey Abrams, according to Byrd. Additionally, Byrd highlights a potential conflict of interest in Willis hiring a “potential paramour” in the case against Trump.  FULTON COUNTY PROSECUTOR, FANI WILLIS ROMANTIC PARTNER, MET WITH BIDEN WHITE HOUSE TWICE BEFORE CHARGING TRUMP Byrd also points out that a judge previously prohibited Willis from investigating Lt. Gov. Burt Jones due to her financial support for his opponent during his campaign for lieutenant governor. “The First Amendment is still the bedrock of this country and Fani Wills can overturn it because she has Trump Derangement Syndrome,” Byrd said. “It’s time our state lawmakers draw the line in the sand and put an end to her refusal to uphold the Constitution.”

Biden’s approval rating lowest for third-year president since Carter

President Biden suffered a historically unpopular third year in the White House, according to a new survey.  Gallup released a report on Thursday regarding the president’s job approval rating through 2023, noting his third-year performance was rated lower than any other president’s since Jimmy Carter. Gallup’s examination of data from a dozen polls found Biden has an average approval rating of 39.8%. TRUMP CALLS BIDEN ‘WORST PRESIDENT’ DURING IOWA VICTORY SPEECH, SAYS JIMMY CARTER ‘BRILLIANT BY COMPARISON’ The result is the lowest approval rating for a president in his third year since Carter in 1974, when the former president suffered a 37.4% average rating. Biden’s approval rating sat at approximately 48.9% in his first year, followed by approximately 41% in his second. His approval rating hit an all-time low of approximately 37% at three points last year in April, October and November. BIDEN APPROVAL RATING PLUMMETS TO 15-YEAR LOW, POLL FINDS Former President Donald Trump, who is seeking the Republican nomination to run against Biden in November of this year, had a 42% approval rating in his third year. Trump made a Biden-Carter comparison earlier this month after winning the Iowa caucuses, saying Biden was the “worst president” ever. “I don’t want to be overly rough on the president, but I have to say that he is the worst president that we’ve had in the history of our country, he’s destroying our country,” Trump said of Biden after the Republican won 51% of the vote in Iowa. Trump went on to claim that Carter — who was widely criticized for his poor handling of the economy, resulting in high inflation and high unemployment, as well as the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis — was “brilliant by comparison.” Fox News Digital’s Lawrence Richard contributed to this report.

Eric Swalwell calls out soft-on-crime prosecutors for letting ‘dangerous people threaten our kids’

Democrat Rep. Eric Swalwell took aim at soft-on-crime prosecutors on Thursday, saying that their actions threaten children.  The California lawmaker took to social media to respond to a story about a carjacker lifting a 2-year-old boy out of a stolen car and leaving him on the Oakland streets. “My wife and I play these scenarios over in our head all the time,” Swalwell wrote. “We’ve practiced going out through the back seat to get our kids out of our car if we are carjacked.” SOROS-BACKED GROUP PARTNERS ON ‘ABOLITION SCHOOL’ TO TRAIN ACTIVISTS TO ERADICATE POLICE, PRISONS “This is not normal. Soft on violent-crime prosecutors are letting too many dangerous people threaten our kids,” he said. Swalwell’s views deviate from those of many other Democrats, who tend to fully support such prosecutors due to their “reform-minded” nature. Liberal billionaires have played a significant role in pushing many left-wing prosecutors into office in several cities nationwide. George Soros, for example, has devoted tens of millions of dollars to elect such candidates. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCES NEW RESOURCES TO COMBAT VIOLENT CRIME IN DC Meanwhile, crime in Oakland, where the carjacker left the child on the streets that prompted Swalwell’s response, has seen a sharp uptick.  Last year, violent crime rose 21% in the city, robberies increased by 38% and burglaries jumped 23%, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. 

GOP lawmaker moves to defund ‘sanctuary’ cities, slams ‘hypocrisy’ as they seek federal aid for migrant crisis

FIRST ON FOX: A Republican lawmaker on the House Homeland Security Committee is introducing legislation to defund sanctuary cities, as he takes aim at liberal mayors and governors who he says are hypocritically demanding taxpayer money to help them with the effects of the migrant crisis. The “No Funding for Sanctuary Cities Act” is being introduced by Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas, and would amend federal law so that any jurisdiction that blocks federal immigration enforcement would be ineligible for a range of federal law enforcement grants and any other grant administered by the Department of Homeland Security or Department of Justice. It would also require the DHS secretary to report to Congress how many states and localities are not complying with federal immigration enforcement. It says that any funds that are withdrawn from sanctuary jurisdictions can be diverted to those that are in compliance. SENATE COMMERCE REPUBLICANS PROBE CHICAGO’S MIGRANT SHELTERS AT AIRPORTS, WARNS OF ‘ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT MAGNET’  Sanctuary jurisdictions limit or forbid compliance with federal immigration enforcement. Specifically, they prevent the honoring of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainers, which request that illegal immigrants in custody be transferred to ICE so they can be deported.  HAITIAN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CHARGED WITH RAPE RELEASED BACK ONTO STREETS IN BOSTON DESPITE ICE APPEALS  Such jurisdictions also typically present themselves as welcoming to immigrants, including those in the country illegally. But the bill comes as the effects of the three-year migrant crisis at the southern border is having significant effects across the country, including in sanctuary cities like New York City and Chicago. The mayors of those cities have called for more federal assistance, including $5 billion in aid to help them shelter and care for migrants — including a national decompression strategy to move some of them elsewhere. NYC Mayor Eric Adams has warned that the crisis could “destroy” the city, while Chicago has resorted to sheltering migrants at airports. ICE AGENTS RECAPTURE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CHARGED WITH RAPE WHO WAS RELEASED ONTO STREETS IN VIRGINIA Republicans, including in Texas where Gov. Greg Abbott has been busing migrants to sanctuary cities, have accused those cities of being hypocritical now that they are receiving the migrants they claim to welcome. “It is the height of hypocrisy that liberal mayors and governors who intentionally flout federal law by declaring themselves ‘sanctuaries’ from immigration laws are now begging the federal government for money to manage President Biden’s border crisis,” Pfluger said in a statement to Fox News Digital.  “This bill is simple: any state or locality that prevents the enforcement of immigration laws will not receive a cent from federal taxpayers,” he said. Meanwhile, there were over 302,000 migrant encounters in December after an FY 23 where there were more than 2.4 million.

House GOP leaders eye Democrats for help on $80 billion tax bill as Republicans defect

EXCLUSIVE: Lawmakers’ frustrations over Congress’ new tax bill are forcing House GOP leaders to rely on Democrat votes to get it over the line next week, sources said. House leadership released details for the bipartisan agreement from House and Senate negotiators earlier this week, which includes tax deductions to bolster American businesses as well as a temporary extension of the Child Tax Credit (CTC).  Three sources told Fox News Digital that they understand the bill will get a vote on the House floor next week. Normally, legislation will advance through the Rules Committee first and then get a procedural “rule” vote on the House floor, almost always along party lines, before needing a simple majority to pass. But the sources told Fox News Digital that Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Ways & Means Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., aim to push it straight to the House floor under “suspension of the rules,” bypassing procedural steps in exchange for raising the threshold for passage to two-thirds.  JOHNSON CAUGHT BETWEEN WARRING HOUSE GOP FACTIONS: ‘DRIFTING TOWARD MOB RULE’ Republican hardliners weaponized the rule vote several times this session to bring down legislation by their own party in protest of House GOP leaders’ decisions. Johnson holds just a thin majority of 219 Republicans to 213 Democrats, so raising the threshold for passage of the bill, which is expected to be bipartisan anyway, means he’ll need at least 75 Democrats on board if the House is in full attendance. “From everything I can understand, the issue is that Freedom Caucus folks are going to essentially bring down any of the rules that we have in the near future, as long as the immigration situation is hanging out there, and the budget situation is hanging out there,” a senior GOP aide said.  The Freedom Caucus has previously held up the House floor over disagreements on government funding and border policy, issues that are still very much under discussion. It’s not just them, however – Republicans who represent the politically fickle suburbs outside major cities in New York, California and elsewhere are frustrated that the tax bill does not touch state and local tax (SALT) deductions.  Rep. Mike Garcia, R-Calif., who was part of a Thursday night meeting with Johnson and other Republicans concerned about the issue, said that lifting the $10,000 SALT deduction cap was critical to middle-class families. He also argued that it would be critical to deciding who holds the House next year. HOUSE GOP ERUPTS IN DIVISION OVER CALL TO PUSH JOHNSON OUT OF SPEAKERSHIP: ‘WORKING FOR JOE BIDEN’ “The bill is not necessarily a bad bill. . . . I just think it’s asinine to not take advantage of this opportunity to address an issue that matters in districts that will determine who has the majority in the next Congress,” Garcia said before the meeting. Meanwhile, top members of the ultra-conservative Freedom Caucus told Fox News Digital that hardliners have their separate issues with the bill, namely arguing that the CTC can be claimed by illegal immigrants who have children in the United States. “The overall brand that the GOP right now is funding wars and tax cuts for corporations. I’m sorry. I was sent here to cut spending and to secure the border,” Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, said. “Some of the tax policies I firmly support, but we should be making tax policy permanent, not these, like, temporary little additions. I think that’s a problem. And importantly, the child tax credits . . . going to children of people here illegally, and there not being real brakes on that possibility.” Former Freedom Caucus Chairman Scott Perry, R-Pa., was blunter in his assessment: “I can’t imagine why we’re doing it, or why we’re attempting to do it. And it’s not improving a lot of the lives of the people that I represent, and so I’m very discouraged by it.” CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS STRIKE DEAL TO PUNT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN DEADLINES He said that allowing the CTC to go to illegal immigrants “is absolutely something that should be a red line for every single Republican,” and bypassing the rules to put the bill on the floor next week “should be a signal to everybody that you’re heading in the wrong direction.” Chairman Smith pushed back against those accusations in a statement to Fox News Digital: “The Child Tax Credit reforms in this bill are pro-family policies that maintain the child tax credit structure of the Trump-era GOP tax reform. It halts any push for monthly checks and provides no special loopholes for illegal immigrants. In fact, the plan still requires a Social Security number for children, which was added in the 2017 GOP tax reform.” “The Child Tax Credit provisions in this bill help families crushed by inflation, removes the penalty for families with multiple children, and maintains work requirements,” he said. Garcia, who admitted he was still hopeful that something could be done on SALT deductions, confirmed that he had pressed Smith about the issue at another GOP lawmaker meeting last week. He pointed out the deduction caps were still expiring either way in 2025. “We can address this right now, on our terms, get a win out of it politically,” Garcia said. “Or we can do nothing, lose potentially a lot of races because we passed this opportunity to address SALT, which is very important to New York and California, and then try to have a conversation about the new policies when . . . we’ve lost the majority because we passed this opportunity to help the swing district members get a win on the SALT cap.”  The bill was always likely to pass with bipartisan support, sailing out of committee on a 40-3 vote. But putting it up under suspension emphasizes the politically precarious position Johnson finds himself in while presiding over a razor-thin majority in one of the most divided GOP conferences in modern history. Fox News Digital reached out to Johnson’s office for comment, as well as the offices of Majority

Minnesota lawmakers initiate debate on physician-assisted suicide bill

The Minnesota Legislature kicked off debate Thursday on whether the state should join the list of those that allow physician-assisted suicide. A House health committee took the unusual step of giving the bill a hearing even before the legislative session formally convenes Feb. 12. The lead sponsor, Democratic Rep. Mike Freiberg, of Golden Valley, who first introduced a similar proposal in 2015, said at a news conference beforehand that he was confident it will pass at least the House this year. Years of experience in states with similar laws such as Oregon and Washington, show that they work as intended, and they are used only by a narrow group of patients with terminal illnesses, he said. Nancy Unde, of Corcoran, who was diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer in late 2022, told reporters that she wants the right to choose a peaceful, painless death on her own terms. LEGALIZED ASSISTED SUICIDE PUSH IN US ALARMS DOCTORS, DISABILITY ADVOCATES: ‘WHERE DO YOU DRAW THE LINE?’ “This bill has been in front of the Minnesota legislature for 10 years already. It’s time to act,” Unde said. “As I imagine the end of my life, I would like to be able to say my goodbyes and go peacefully. I’m thankful that we have hospice as an option. I will use it for the maximum comfort I can. But if it’s not enough, in the end, I want the option to die gently in my sleep.” Ten states and the District of Columbia already allow some form of physician-assisted suicide, while proponents are planning fresh pushes to pass it this year in several other states. Oregon became the first state to legalize it in 1994. Vermont dropped its residency requirement last May, while Oregon did so in 2022. While a New York bill has stalled for years, it is slowly gaining momentum with more lawmakers signing on as sponsors. Supporters in Connecticut held a news conference two weeks ago to announce a renewed effort after it passed one committee last year but stalled in another. A terminally ill Connecticut woman made news earlier this month by traveling to Vermont to end her life. The Minnesota bill would allow patients age 18 and older who are suffering terminal illnesses and have less than six months to live obtain drugs they could take to end their own lives. The safeguards include a requirement that two providers, one of whom must be a physician, would have to certify that the patient meets the criteria. Patients would have to have the mental capacity to make their own health care decisions and provide informed consent, so those with dementia would not qualify. They would have to take the drugs themselves. The bill does not require that patients be Minnesota residents. Freiberg said he is optimistic because his bill already has around 25 cosponsors, and that it’s “consistent with legislation that advances bodily autonomy” — abortion and trans rights bills — that became law last year. But its prospects are less clear in the Senate, where Democrats hold just a one-seat majority and one Democratic senator, John Hoffman, of Champlin, has already come out against the proposal. Freiberg said he was hopeful of getting some Republican support. But no GOP lawmakers on the committee were present at the start of the hearing, which drew an overflow crowd and a long list of testifiers, though they arrived later and offered amendments aimed at softening the impact of the bill. ASSISTED DEATHS MAY SOON BE A REALITY FOR THOSE SUFFERING FROM MENTAL ILLNESS IN CANADA “Intentionally ending a human life is wrong. It doesn’t matter what name we call it,” testified Chris Massoglia, of Blaine, representing Americans United for Life. “Suicide is not health care. And it’s completely unnecessary due to the advances in palliative and end-of-life care.” Nancy Utoft, president of the Minnesota Alliance for Ethical Healthcare, said at a news conference beforehand that the legislation lacks sufficient safeguards to protect the elderly, disabled and other vulnerable people. Current law already gives people the right to make legally binding end-of-care health care directives, the right to hospice and palliative care, and the right to refuse care, she said. “If these rights were better known and executed, we wouldn’t hear the heartbreaking stories of over-treatment often shared by assisted suicide proponents,” Utoft said. “Let’s prioritize policies that promote better care for everyone.”

Speaker Johnson says House will vote on impeaching Mayorkas ‘as soon as possible’

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told fellow Republican lawmakers that he intends to hold a House-wide vote on whether to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas “as soon as possible.” Johnson made the announcement in a letter to colleagues sent on Friday, a copy of which was obtained by Fox News Digital. “The facts show that President Biden and his Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas have willfully ignored and actively undermined our nation’s immigration laws,” the speaker wrote. “Rather than accept accountability, President Biden is now trying to blame Congress for what HE himself intentionally created.” Johnson pointed out polling that showed illegal immigration as an increasingly urgent issue for American voters. ‘SENSE OF HOPELESSNESS’: MICHAEL MCCAUL SOUNDS ALARM ON BORDER PATROL MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS “The American people know better, and that’s why public opinion polls show the country has overwhelmingly sided with us on this issue. When we return next week, by necessity, the House Homeland Security Committee will move forward with Articles of Impeachment against Secretary Mayorkas,” he said. “A vote on the floor will be held as soon as possible thereafter.” He also reaffirmed the House GOP’s support for Texas Gov. Greg Abbott amid a tense standoff with the federal government at the U.S.-Mexico border. “I made clear that we stand with Texas Governor Greg Abbott in his heroic efforts to protect the citizens of his state and all Americans, and I am emphasizing again today that House Republicans will vigorously oppose any policy proposal from the White House or Senate that would further incentivize illegal aliens to break our laws,” Johnson said. It comes as a bipartisan deal on border security between the Senate and White House, talks Mayorkas has been a part of, appears increasingly out of reach.  WATCH: MIGRANTS CLAIM ASYLUM ON COLD JANUARY NIGHT AS CBP UNION LEADER TALKS BORDER CRISIS Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., who is involved in the talks, told reporters on Thursday that they would know in the next 24 to 48 hours whether a border deal was possible. Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., leading talks for the GOP, said later when asked about text coming next week, “That’s been the hope. Of course, a week ago I said we would have text that week too.” When asked about Johnson’s Friday letter, a spokesperson for DHS pointed Fox News Digital to an earlier memo emphasizing Mayorkas’ role in the talks to solve the crisis. “Instead of working in a bipartisan way to fix our broken immigration laws, the House Majority is wasting time on baseless and pointless political attacks by trying to impeach Secretary Mayorkas,” they added. CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS STRIKE DEAL TO PUNT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN DEADLINES But House lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have warned that whatever comes out of the Senate will not just be accepted by their chamber. Johnson has gone further both in public and in private, calling for nothing short of the measures in H.R.2, the border security bill House Republicans passed in May. That bill, which includes Trump-era policies like Remain In Mexico, has been called a nonstarter by Democrats. Republican lawmakers have also expressed skepticism of the talks over Mayorkas’ role, after blaming him and Biden for the current border crisis. The GOP-led House Homeland Security Committee is expected to advance articles of impeachment against Mayorkas next week. But Republicans are demanding concessions on border security in exchange for support on Democrats’ $106 billion supplemental funding request for Ukraine