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Georgia Senate passes redrawn school board districts, critics claim new map doesn’t fix racial discrimination

The Georgia state Senate has passed a bill to redraw school board districts in Georgia’s second-largest school system after a federal judge ruled they were unconstitutionally discriminatory. But Democrats warn that the Republican-backed map doesn’t fix the racial discrimination that led U.S. District Judge Eleanor Ross to order the Cobb County school district to not use the map in the May 2024 election, when four board seats will be contested. The districts had produced a 4-3 Republican majority even though a majority of Cobb voters have backed Democrats in recent statewide elections. The lawsuit, which was filed by a group of Cobb County residents and liberal-leaning political groups, alleges that Republicans illegally crammed Black and Hispanic voters into three districts in the southern part of the suburban Atlanta county, solidifying Republicans’ hold on the remaining four districts. GEORGIA REPUBLICAN HOUSE SPEAKER PROPOSES ADDITIONAL CHILD INCOME TAX CUT Ross agreed, finding the people who drew the map relied too much on race. Republican Sen. Ed Setzler of Acworth said the map would maintain core communities from current districts, calling it “the work of a very thoughtful process.” But Democratic Sen. Jason Esteves of Atlanta, who represents parts of Cobb County, said Setzler and Republicans short-circuited the normal local legislative process to try to maintain a Republican majority. “This map and the proposal in the bill violate the clear provisions of the federal court order that was issued late last year,” Esteves said. “This map continues the packing of Black and brown voters in Cobb County, particularly on the south side of the county, limiting their influence.” The map moves on to the House for more debate. If lawmakers give it final passage, Ross would have to decide if it passes legal muster. If lawmakers don’t act quickly, Ross could draw a map without legislative input. “This is not something we need to wait around until March to do,” Setzler said. “There’s an election coming up in May.” Any new map could upset the Republican majority on the board. The 106,000-student district has been riven by political conflict in recent years, with the GOP majority often imposing its will over the protests of the three Democratic members. The district has alleged the plaintiffs are pursuing a Democratic takeover of the board through the lawsuit and appealed to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. In a confusing pair of rulings last week, one three-judge panel on the appeals court refused to reinstate the school board, while another three-judge panel on the same day stayed Ross’ injunction.

Padma Awards 2024 announced: Parbati Baruah, India’s first female elephant mahout, gets Padma Shri; full list here

The last date for nominations for the Padma Awards was September 15, 2023.

Watch a Feb. 16 conversation on how rural Texas communities are solving health care challenges

We’ll discuss how communities are taking on health care challenges and how the state is supporting such efforts.

Ken Paxton could be deposed after Texas judge’s ruling in whistleblower lawsuit

The attorney general accused the judge of “recklessly disregarding legal precedent” after he attempted to end the long-running lawsuit from former staffers.

Florida heads back to court in fight with Biden admin over migrant parole releases

The state of Florida is heading back to court on Friday for oral arguments in another case with potential implications for the handling of the ongoing crisis at the southern border — after a ruling earlier this year blocked the Biden administration from using parole to release immigrants into the interior in some situations. The Biden administration and Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody’s office will be before the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday for oral arguments in a case that stretches back years. Moody initially filed the case in March 2021 over the release of migrants into the interior, via humanitarian parole into Alternatives to Detention — known as “Parole + ATD” —arguing it was unlawful and that parole is to be used on a “case by case basis for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit” by statute. FEDERAL JUDGE RULES BIDEN’S BORDER POLICIES UNLAWFUL, JUST A ‘SPEEDBUMP’ FOR ILLEGAL MIGRANTS Florida contended that the government was violating statutory mandates that migrants be detained. The administration had argued that there is no “non-detention policy” and that it is using its prosecutorial discretion to release migrants into alternatives to detention when necessary. It has also said it cannot detain all illegal immigrants due to capacity issues and the immigration court backlog. The case resulted in the revelation of multiple pockets of information, including testimony from then Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz and the release of plans for the end of the Title 42 public health order. The battle culminated in a federal judge in March 2023 issuing a ban on the administration’s use of Parole + ATD. In a scathing opinion Judge T. Kent Wetherell stated the Biden administration had “effectively turned the Southwest Border into a meaningless line in the sand and little more than a speedbump for aliens flooding into the country.” That ruling would have additional consequences in May when the same judge would slap an injunction on the use by the administration of a “parole with conditions” program, finding it to be materially identical to the parole + ATD program that he had blocked. He said it was “functionally identical” to the other policy. The White House slammed that ruling as “sabotage, pure and simple” and hard argued that the releases were needed to reduce overcrowding.  SENATE BORDER BILL TO ALLOW 5,000 MIGRANTS A DAY BEFORE TITLE 42-TYPE LIMIT STARTS; SPARKING CONSERVATIVE FURY  The administration has consistently argued that it is following the laws passed by Congress, but needs more funding and comprehensive immigration reform from Congress in order to deal with what it says is a hemisphere-wide crisis.  It has more recently pointed to an increase in returns since the end of Title 42 in May, saying it has returned more migrants since May than in the entirety of FY 2019. It has also pointed to a record number of fentanyl seizures as a sign its increased technology is working.  Republicans at both state and federal level have accused the administration of fueling the crisis with liberal immigration policies and the release of migrants into the interior. There were a record 302,000 migrant encounters in December after a record 2.4 million in FY 23. Separately the administration is battling with states over immigration policy. Amid the ongoing fight with Florida, the administration also has multiple legal battles with Texas. This week the Supreme Court overturned a ban on federal officials from cutting razor wire set up by Texas. It also has lawsuits challenging its recent anti-illegal immigration law and the establishment of buoys in the Rio Grande. “Biden is ignoring the law and the opinion we obtained in federal court regarding his open border policies,” Moody said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “He is wasting time and resources fighting Florida and Texas instead of doing his job and ending the border crisis. As a result, more than 8 million unvetted immigrants and hundreds of millions of deadly doses of fentanyl have flooded into our country with no signs of stopping as long as Biden is president.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Meanwhile, Congress is trying to find a deal on a border supplemental deal. The White House had requested $14 billion for aid to communities, expedited removal and more staffing. But Republicans want that tied to tightened asylum rules and more restrictions on the use of parole — the subject of the battle between Florida and the administration.

Kentucky senators weigh dangers of reopening central road through Capitol complex to public

Kentucky lawmakers resumed their debate Wednesday over whether to reopen a road through the heart of the Bluegrass State’s Capitol complex, seeking to balance safety and public access concerns. The Senate Transportation Committee advanced a bill meant to resume vehicle traffic on the strip of road between the Kentucky Capitol and the Capitol Annex, where legislative offices and committee rooms are housed. The measure is the latest attempt to reopen the road. That section of road — part of a loop around the scenic Capitol grounds — was closed in 2021 in response to security recommendations from state and federal authorities, Gov. Andy Beshear said at the time. The Democratic governor referred to the action as a preemptive step to improve security, but the decision has drawn pushback from several Republican lawmakers. KENTUCKY COMMITTEE CLEARS MANDATORY ‘MOMENT OF SILENCE’ BILL FOR SCHOOLS Republican Sen. John Schickel, who had a long career in law enforcement, said Wednesday that he takes security assessments “very seriously,” but disagreed with the decision to close the road. “To unilaterally close a road that is so vital to the public and their understanding of how our state government works I think is a big mistake,” Schickel, the bill’s lead sponsor, told the committee. Before the road was closed, it was a popular place for people to gaze at the Capitol grounds — including a floral clock and rose garden — without getting out of their vehicles, Schickel said. The area between the Capitol and the annex is accessible to pedestrian traffic. The bill to reopen the road heads to the full Senate, where nearly two dozen senators have signed on as cosponsors. It would still need House approval if the measure clears the Senate. Kentucky State Police Commissioner Phillip Burnett Jr. defended the road closure to vehicles. “We take this personally as an agency because the state police we are required to provide the safest environment we can for these grounds and for everyone here,” he told the Senate committee. Burnett pointed to federal security reports that recommended closing the road between the Capitol and the annex. He spoke bluntly about the security risks from having that section of road open to vehicles, pointing to a pair of tragedies that shook the country as examples. He cited the 1995 truck bomb that ripped through a federal building in downtown Oklahoma City and killed 168 people, and the 2017 violent clashes in Charlottesville, Virginia, when a white supremacist rammed his car into a crowd of counterprotesters, killing one woman and injuring dozens. Burnett noted the area between the Kentucky Capitol and the annex is a gathering place for protesters. Schickel noted that his bill would allow authorities to temporarily close that section of road to traffic. The bill advanced with support from Republican senators. The committee’s two Democratic members opposed the measure. Democratic Sen. Karen Berg said when state and federal authorities “tell us this is a dangerous place to let trucks through and park, I’m going to believe them.” In supporting the bill, Republican Sen. Robby Mills said that since the section of road was closed, vehicle traffic has increased through the annex parking lot, creating safety risks. In another security step, security fencing was installed around the Governor’s Mansion after protesters gathered outside the mansion and hanged Beshear in effigy in a tree near the Capitol. The demonstration by armed protesters in the spring of 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, was fueled by coronavirus restrictions.

Venture capitalist, conservative firebrand raises eye-popping amount in bid for Arizona House seat

FIRST ON FOX: Blake Masters, a venture capitalist and conservative firebrand, has raised an eye-popping amount in his bid to capture an open Arizona congressional seat in this year’s elections. According to his campaign, Masters raised over $1.3 million in just the first two months after announcing his candidacy for Arizona’s 8th Congressional District, and has more than $1 million cash-on-hand. That’s more than any of his Republican primary opponents. “I am honored by the support and trust placed in me by so many great people, including many supporters from my run for Senate as well as new donors who want to see more strong conservatives in Washington,” Masters told Fox News Digital in a statement.  HISPANIC COMMUNITY LEADER REVEALS REASON BEHIND SOROS’ EXPENSIVE EFFORT TO REVERSE DEMS’ TEXAS LOSING STREAK “In Congress, I will block and reverse Biden’s harmful policies, back President Trump’s America First agenda 100%, and fight to make sure that Arizona is and remains the best place in the world to live, work, and raise a family. The trust placed in me by so many gives us over $1M to spread this message and earn the GOP nomination,” he added. Masters first gained national name recognition after coming out on top in a contentious primary race for Senate in 2022. He ultimately lost that race to Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., and was reportedly considering running for Senate again in 2024 before deciding to run for Congress instead. ARIZONA GOP CHAIR RESIGNS, CLAIMING KARI LAKE’S EXPLOSIVE RECORDING WAS A ‘SET UP’; LAKE CAMPAIGN FIRES BACK Elections analysts view Arizona’s 8th Congressional District, which encompasses a chunk of the northern Phoenix suburbs, as a safe Republican seat. It’s currently represented by Republican Rep. Debbie Lesko, who announced last year she would not seek re-election. Masters faces a crowded primary field that includes former Rep. Trent Franks, who previously represented Arizona’s 2nd and 8th Congressional Districts for a combined seven terms, state Sen. Anthony Kern, state Rep. Ben Toma, and former Maricopa County prosecutor Abraham Hamadeh. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

House committee presses UPenn for documents on discipline for antisemitism

A U.S. congressional committee has requested documents from the University of Pennsylvania regarding the school’s “abysmal” response to antisemitism on its campus, the committee said Wednesday. Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., chairwoman of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, sent a letter to the university’s leadership asking for all reports of antisemitic occurrences on campus and any documents showing disciplinary action taken by the institution since Jan. 1, 2021.  Foxx wrote that the request comes as questions remain about the institution’s “willingness to address antisemitism seriously” following numerous statements that UPenn’s then-President Elizabeth Magill made during a congressional hearing last year. “When asked whether calling for the genocide of Jews would violate Penn’s code of conduct, Ms. Magill replied that ‘it is a context-dependent decision,’” the letter reads, in part. HOUSE GOP THREATENS ‘COMPULSORY’ ACTION AGAINST HARVARD OVER ITS RESPONSE TO ANTISEMITISM PROBE Magill resigned in December following criticism of her statements at the hearing. Foxx wrote that despite the resignations of Magill and Scott Bok, then-Chairman of Penn’s Board of Trustees, the institution’s failures in addressing antisemitism “extend well beyond the two leaders.” In the letter, Foxx accused UPenn of a “clear double standard” when defending how it addressed antisemitism on campus. “In defense of this disgraceful record, Penn has cited its supposed commitment to free speech. … However, Penn has demonstrated a clear double standard by tolerating antisemitic vandalism, harassment, and intimidation, but suppressing and penalizing other expression it deemed problematic.” PRO-PALESTINIAN STUDENTS DEMAND ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER’S NAME BE REMOVED FROM CAMPUS LIBRARY The letter includes multiple examples of what the committee called a “deeply troubling pattern” of antisemitic incidents at the university that occurred both before and after the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attack on Israel. READ THE COMMITTEE LETTER – APP USERS, CLICK HERE: The incidents cited in the letter ranged from occurrences of antisemitic graffiti to antisemitic statements made by students and instructors. The letter provided links to media articles regarding many of the incidents. The letter also says that emails threatening violence against Penn Hillel and a dormitory named after Jewish philanthropists were sent to Penn staff members, prompting an FBI investigation. 

Sen. Cotton wants to crack down on cybersecurity threats to US agriculture

FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., will introduce a bill Thursday to strengthen cybersecurity defenses to counter cyberattacks against critical food structure sectors.  The legislation, called the Farm and Food Cybersecurity Act, would enhance security for both government and private entities against cyber threats. “America’s adversaries are seeking to gain any advantage they can against us – including targeting critical industries like agriculture,” Cotton said in a statement. “Congress must work with the Department of Agriculture to identify and defeat these cybersecurity vulnerabilities.” BIDEN ADMIN FAILING TO TRACK CHINESE OWNERSHIP OF US FARMLAND: GOVT WATCHDOG He added, “This legislation will ensure we are prepared to protect the supply chains our farmers and all Americans rely on.”  If passed, the bill mandates biennial cybersecurity studies on agriculture and food sectors and reports on findings to Congress. It also requires an annual cross-sector crisis simulation for food-related cyber emergencies, involving various government agencies. Co-sponsor of the bill, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., said in a statement that protecting farms and food security against cyberattacks “is a vital component of our national security.”  The bill already has support from several agricultural groups, including the American Farm Bureau Federation, North American Millers Association, National Grain and Feed Association, National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, National Pork Producers Council, USA Rice and Agricultural Retailers Association.  Republican Rep. Brad Finstad of Minnesota and Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan will introduce companion legislation in the House. CCP-TIED EV COMPANY BACKED BY DEMS BUYS UP MICHIGAN LAND MILES FROM US MILITARY BASES This month, the Aliquippa water authority in western Pennsylvania became a victim of an international cyberattack, along with other U.S. water utilities, by what federal authorities said were Iranian-backed hackers targeting a piece of equipment specifically because it was Israeli-made. The danger, officials said, is hackers gaining control of automated equipment to shut down pumps that supply drinking water or contaminate drinking water by reprogramming automated chemical treatments. Besides Iran, other potentially hostile geopolitical rivals, including China, are viewed by U.S. officials as a threat. Last year, agricultural giant Dole disclosed to federal regulators the impact of a ransomware attack, a type of cuber attack that uses malware to lock a victim’s information until a ransom payment is made, which cost the company $10.5 million.  The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Wild Oklahoma dashcam video shows trooper thrown from side of highway crash

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol released gnarly dash camera video capturing the moments a trooper was speaking to the driver of his traffic stop when another vehicle crashed into them.  “This video is difficult to watch,” Oklahoma Highway Patrol wrote on Facebook Wednesday, sharing the graphic footage.  It shows the moments Trooper Jesse Gregory came to the passenger side of a vehicle as he conducted a traffic stop on Thursday along I-40 at Cimarron Road.  While Gregory was speaking to the driver, another vehicle crashed into the stopped vehicle, which struck the trooper and sent him flying. The trooper is tossed along the ground and rolls over before he miraculously somehow gets up and runs out of frame. At the same time, the stopped vehicle is knocked aside, and the other is seen flipping over several times.  “We show this video as a graphic reminder of the consequences of distracted or impaired driving and the importance of the slow down, move over law,” Oklahoma Highway Patrol wrote. “We are in the middle of a distracted driving emphasis right now in honor of Trooper Nicholas Dees, who lost his life in the line of duty after being struck by a distracted driver.” “Luckily, Trooper Gregory is expected to be OK. In fact, all three people involved in this incident were treated and released,” Oklahoma Highway Patrol added. “Our investigators are looking into the cause of this crash and the investigation is ongoing.”  OKLAHOMA LAWMAKER PROPOSES LEGISLATION OUTLAWING PORNOGRAPHY In an interview with KWTV aired Wednesday night, Gregory said that “after watching the video, I don’t even remember barrel-rolling to my feet.”  “When it threw me from the vehicle, I think it really just took most of the blow, most of the damage,” he said, showing a scratch on his left forearm to the camera.  “Hopefully, this is my scare of the career,” Gregory said, crediting God for him and the other two drivers making it out unscathed.  But the incident last Thursday was not Gregory’s first scare this year. Earlier this month, a driver barreled into a Canadian County Sheriff’s deputy conducting another traffic stop.  And Gregory was at that scene. Dash camera footage shows Gregory running up to Deputy Jose Tayahua-Mendoza, who was sprawled on the ground, yelling, “Hey, are you OK, brother?”  Mendoza was standing on the passenger side of that car he had stopped for a tag display violation on Jan. 5 along I-40 and Garth Brooks Boulevard when a vehicle veered off the interstate. Authorities say the vehicle sideswiped the deputy’s truck and hit the stopped car. The force was so great that the vehicle then careened through the highway sound barrier wall.  ‘LIBS OF TIKTOK’ CREATOR APPOINTED TO OKLAHOMA LIBRARY ADVISORY COMMITTEE “And he’s actually our neighbor. He lives a couple houses down,” Gregory told KWTV of Mendoza, who is in a long-term rehabilitation facility but survived the crash. “He was struck in the exact same situation. I was less than a mile from him, and I was actually first on scene and called for help.”  “When something like this happens to two law enforcement officers within the same month, you know, this was a month’s period that two of us were struck, in the same county within, I would say, two to three miles of each other is pretty crazy,” Gregory said.  “I’m ready to come back and just kind of work through it because I know it’s going to take a little bit mentally to come back.”  Investigations into both crashes are ongoing. The two drivers in the Jan. 5 crash that injured Mendoza also survived, and the driver who was initially stopped by Mendoza is the son of Oklahoma Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat. In a statement to KWTV, Treat said his son was released from the hospital on Wednesday.  “While the healing process will take time, he has recovered remarkably well for the type of life threatening accident he was in,” Treat said, thanking first responders and medical staff.  Treat initially confirmed his son was involved in the crash in posts on X. “For anyone who is unaware, my oldest son, Mason, was in a very serious car accident Friday morning while on his way to school after being pulled over for a minor traffic violation,” Treat wrote on Jan. 6. “Mason suffered serious, life-threatening injuries, which required surgery. He is still in the hospital and is thankfully recovering. Maressa and I are beyond grateful for all of the outreach and support.”  Oklahoma Highway Patrol referenced the Jan. 31, 2015, death of Trooper Nicholas Dees, who, along with another troop, was dispatched to a collision involving a tractor-trailer on Interstate 40 in Seminole County.  Both troopers were standing outside their patrol units when a driver failed to yield to their warning lights, traveled into the collision scene and struck both of them. Dees died instantly, while the other trooper was seriously injured. The driver was convicted of first degree manslaughter and sentenced to 12 years suspended, except for the first five years.