Sen. Tim Scott opens up about the moment he knew his fiance was ‘the one’
LACONIA, NEW HAMPSHIRE – South Carolina GOP Sen. Tim Scott, who recently announced his engagement, opened up to Fox News Digital about when he knew his fiancée was the “the one” and spoke about whether he “warned” her that she could potentially be the second lady of the United States one day. “To be honest with you, it was probably two weeks in, we were in the kitchen area, and I said to myself, everyone says you’ll know, and I thought that was the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. I’m 58 years old. So for 40 years I heard, ‘Oh you’ll just know,’ didn’t believe that at all,” Scott told Fox News Digital in New Hampshire at a rally for former President Trump on Monday night. “Well, I knew,” Scott said with a smile. “And when you know, you know, call it a day. I was done at two weeks.” Scott recently announced that he proposed to his girlfriend, Mindy Noce, in Kiawah Island, South Carolina, on Saturday evening. TIM SCOTT ENDORSEMENT OF DONALD TRUMP LATEST SIGN GOP IS CONSOLIDATING AROUND FORMER PRESIDENT “Going to the beach and getting on one knee, and asking Mindy to marry me was so much more important than anything else, and I wanted to make sure that that sacred day would not be disturbed by anything political,” Scott said on Fox News’s “Sunday Night in America,” speaking about his discussions with former President Donald Trump for an endorsement. As a presidential candidate in the 2024 race, Scott introduced 47-year-old Noce during a debate in November. They reportedly met at church approximately a year ago and bonded over Bible study. RON DESANTIS ARGUES TIM SCOTT ENDORSEMENT OF DONALD TRUMP ‘IS A BLOW TO NIKKI HALEY’ Scott, who was in New Hampshire supporting Trump shortly after endorsing him for president, has been rumored to be on the short list of Trump VP candidates and Fox News Digital asked him whether he “warned” Noce that she could be second lady one day. “I didn’t even warn her that I was going to ask her to marry me,” Scott said. “I did warn her parents, however, two weeks before Christmas, that I was going to pop the question.” Scott nodded and smiled when asked if he was “polling 100%” with his fiance. “I’m going to win this race,” Scott said. “The good news is I get to set the date for the primary, I get to set the date for the wedding, so it’s going to be really good. The good news is the primary is going really well, and I want to thank all my constituents who voted for me. I love you, Mindy.” Fox News Digital’s Bradford Betz contributed to this report
Trump opponents in Massachusetts lose attempt to remove former president from ballot
Opponents of former President Trump have failed in their attempt to keep the frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination off the primary ballot in Massachusetts. The Massachusetts State Ballot Law Commission on Monday dismissed the challenge against Trump, stating that its panel found that it did not have jurisdiction over the matter, Boston 25 News reported. Republican Party of Massachusetts Chair Amy Carnevale praised the dismissal of what she called an “ill-conceived effort” to weaken American democracy. “I applaud this decision to allow actual voters to choose their nominee,” Carnevale posted on X. “(Imagine that!) The ill-conceived effort by career plaintiff lawyers would have undercut our system of democracy. The decision of who MA should choose as the nominee will now rely squarely w/ voters.” DONALD TRUMP ENDORSEMENTS: THESE GOP LAWMAKERS ARE THROWING THEIR SUPPORT BEHIND HIM IN 2024 Massachusetts is one of more than a dozen other states to have challenged Trump’s eligibility to appear on election ballots for the primary or general elections after the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. The challenges rely on the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, which prohibits anyone from holding office who previously has taken an oath to defend the Constitution and then later “engaged in insurrection or rebellion” against the country or given “aid or comfort” to its enemies. In December, the Colorado Supreme Court disqualified Trump from appearing on the state’s ballots in 2024. MAINE OFFICIAL APPEALS HER REMOVAL OF TRUMP FROM VOTING BALLOTS TO STATE’S TOP COURT Trump appealed the ruling, and now the U.S. Supreme Court will decide on the matter. The former president also appealed a ruling by Maine’s secretary of state barring him from the state’s primary ballot. Maine’s Supreme Judicial Court said it will not consider the matter until the high court issues its own decision in the related case out of Colorado. Fox News’ Timothy H.J. Nerozzi and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Hunter Biden lawyer testifies that 1st Trump impeachment created ’emergency’ to file unpaid taxes
Hunter Biden’s lawyer Kevin Morris told congressional investigators that it was the first impeachment of then-President Trump in February 2020 that made it an “emergency” for the president’s son to file his tax returns, according to a transcript of his testimony reviewed by Fox News Digital. Morris testified behind closed doors at the House Oversight Committee last week as part of the House impeachment inquiry against President Biden. Congressional investigators had discovered an email from Morris in February 2020 citing “political risk” amid the election cycle, when then-former Vice President Joe Biden was a candidate in the Democratic primary. KEVIN MORRIS GAVE ‘MASSIVE’ FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO HUNTER BIDEN, RAISING CAMPAIGN FINANCE CONCERNS: COMER The email, which was shown to Morris during his interview, was dated Feb. 7, 2020, and said, “emergency is off for today. Still need to file Monday — we are under considerable risk personally and politically to get the [tax] returns in.” When asked what the emergency was, Morris pointed to the Trump impeachment, in which Republicans had threatened to call Hunter Biden to testify. “You know, I believe that, you know, remember that the Trump impeachment process was going on at this time,” Morris said. “And they were waiving around the possibility of calling Hunter…right until the very end. I believe that it wrapped up. I believe that was the…thing prompting us— you know, this is about preparing his tax returns.” Morris explained that he had just started working with Hunter Biden, a client who was coming in “from addiction stuff.” Morris said “taxes are the most important thing,” adding that it is his “custom and practice to get the taxes straight.” “It’s a part of— that’s part of recovery, making amends,” he said. “It’s critical.” FLASHBACK: DEMOCRATS CLASH WITH REPUBLICANS OVER PROSPECT OF CALLING HUNTER BIDEN IN IMPEACHMENT TRIAL When pressed on whether the “political” concerns were due to Biden’s candidacy for office, Morris pushed back, saying “there’s no cardinality between these two things.” “Personally, he hadn’t filed his taxes. Okay? That’s his personal problem,” Morris said of Hunter Biden. “And then, politically…look, there was an impeachment proceeding going on. His name was and face was everywhere in the world.” Morris, though, said the “political risk” had nothing to do with Joe Biden’s candidacy for the White House. Morris testified that he loaned Hunter Biden at least $5 million and began paying his tax liability. However, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer says that was a move to “insulate then-presidential candidate Joe Biden from political liability.” Morris also admitted to the committee that the “loans” he provided to Hunter Biden do not have to be repaid until 2025, after the next presidential election, and could be forgiven, the committee said. Trump was acquitted on Feb. 5, 2020 on both articles of impeachment against him — abuse of power and obstruction of Congress — after being impeached by the House of Representatives in December 2019. BIDENS ALLEGEDLY ‘COERCED’ BURISMA CEO TO PAY THEM MILLIONS TO HELP GET UKRAINE PROSECUTOR FIRED: FBI FORM Trump was impeached after a July 2019 phone call in which he pressed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to launch investigations into the Biden family’s actions and business dealings in Ukraine — specifically Hunter Biden’s ventures with Ukrainian natural gas firm Burisma Holdings and Joe Biden’s successful effort to have former Ukrainian Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin ousted. Hunter Biden was quietly under federal investigation, beginning in 2018, at the time of the call — a probe prompted by suspicious foreign transactions. Trump’s request was regarded by Democrats as a quid pro quo because millions in U.S. military aid to Ukraine had been frozen. Democrats also claimed Trump was meddling in the 2020 presidential election by asking a foreign leader to look into a Democratic political opponent. Republicans had been investigating Hunter Biden’s business dealings, specifically with regard to Ukrainian natural gas firm Burisma Holdings. House Republicans, who were in the minority at the time, made several requests to subpoena Hunter Biden for testimony and documents related to the impeachment of Trump and his business dealings that fell at the center of the proceedings. Biden has acknowledged that when he was vice president, he successfully pressured Ukraine to fire prosecutor Viktor Shokin. At the time, Shokin was investigating Burisma Holdings, and at the time, Hunter had a highly-lucrative role on the board, receiving thousands of dollars per month. The then-vice president threatened to withhold $1 billion of critical U.S. aid if Shokin was not fired. “I said, ‘You’re not getting the billion. I’m going to be leaving here in,’ I think it was about six hours. I looked at them and said, ‘I’m leaving in six hours. If the prosecutor is not fired, you’re not getting the money,’” Biden recalled telling then-Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. Biden recollected the conversation during an event for the Council on Foreign Relations in 2018. “Well, son of a b—-, he got fired,” Biden said during the event. “And they put in place someone who was solid at the time.” Biden allies maintain the then-vice president pushed for Shokin’s firing due to concerns the Ukrainian prosecutor went easy on corruption, and say that his firing, at the time, was the policy position of the U.S. and international community. Now, as part of the impeachment inquiry, Republicans are investigating any involvement Biden had in his son’s business dealings. Republicans obtained an FBI FD-1023 form with a confidential human source detailing allegations made by Burisma CEO Mykola Zlochevsky. Zlochevsky alleged that he was “coerced” into paying Joe Biden and Hunter Biden millions of dollars to get Shokin fired, amid the investigation into his firm. Meanwhile, Hunter Biden has been under federal investigation since 2018. Special Counsel Weiss charged Biden with nine federal tax charges, which break down to three felonies and six misdemeanors concerning $1.4 million in owed taxes that have since been paid. Weiss charged Hunter in December, alleging a “four-year scheme” when the president’s son did not pay his federal income taxes from
WHO pandemic treaty ‘equity theater,’ Pence advocacy group says, urges US withdraw from ‘unsalvageable body’
The non-profit advocacy group founded by former Vice President Mike Pence published a letter Tuesday blasting the proposed World Health Organization (WHO) pandemic treaty, questioning the United States’ continued membership in the international body. Pence’s non-profit, Advancing American Freedom (AAF), is urging the U.S. government to withdraw from the WHO, citing the “equity theater” of the guidelines and its implications for free speech contained in its “pandemic treaty.” “The [WHO] proposal to consolidate power and erode the United States of America of its sovereignty through the WHO Pandemic Preparedness Treaty is untenable and raises serious and significant questions regarding America’s independence of action and ability to respond to global pandemics,” the letter from the AAF stated. WHO DIRECTOR CALLS FOR WORLD PANDEMIC TREATY TO PREPARE FOR DISEASE X WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus has called on countries to sign on to the health organization’s pandemic treaty so the world can prepare for “Disease X.” Disease X is a “placeholder” virus that does not exist but could hypothetically emerge and threaten international health. It was added to the WHO’s short list of pathogens for research in 2017 that could cause a “serious international epidemic,” according to a 2022 WHO press release. Ghebreyesus, speaking in front of an audience at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday, said that he hoped countries would reach a pandemic agreement by May to address this hypothetical “common enemy.” MORE THAN HALF OF WHO’S TRANS HEALTH COMMITTEE HAVE NO MEDICAL BACKGROUND, ARE LGBTQ ACTIVISTS: REPORT The AAF points out that the treaty — ostensibly intended to save lives through international prioritization of the best medical practices — emphasizes race and “equity” before almost every other value in its “general principles and approaches.” “The draft treaty, released on October 30, 2023, uses the word ‘equity’ at least 9 times and ‘equitable’ at least 20 times,” the AAF writes. “It presents ‘equity’ as its 3rd general principle, ahead of responsibility, transparency, accountability, and science and evidence – principles that are magnitudes more important than ‘equity’ during a global pandemic.” The AAF also warned about articles in the treaty related to freedom of expression, with one article specifically calling on signing nations to “combat false, misleading, misinformation or disinformation, including through effective international collaboration and cooperation.” The proposed treaty would also give the WHO control of international supply chains in the event of another pandemic event, intended to allow more efficient manipulation of resources. “The United States should withdraw from the World Health Organization, not further enmesh itself in an unsalvageable body that rejects American leadership in favor of the Chinese Communist Party’s quest for world domination,” the AAF letter said of the proposed treaty. “The Trump-Pence Administration was right to cut off American tax dollars to, and to formally withdraw from the WHO.” The deadline for the proposed treaty is May 2024, when the World Health Assembly is slated to meet. Fox News Digital’s Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.
For Haley to take ‘New Hampshire Gold,’ she must do well in these cities
The last Fox News Power Rankings spelled out the criteria for the remaining Republican candidates to make this race competitive. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis had to take “Iowa Silver” and outperform vote share expectations. In the end, the Florida governor achieved second place, but he was never going to shake up this race with 21% of the vote. For former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, the criteria is simple: she must win New Hampshire. NEW HAMPSHIRE PRIMARY CLASH: CAN NIKKI HALEY SLOW DOWN DONALD TRUMP’S PUSH FOR THE GOP PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION Taking gold will not be easy. Former President Trump continues to beat her in polls, and despite the state’s large bloc of “undeclared” voters, remember that the former president won the Granite State in his first presidential run. If Haley wins, the pathway runs through the townships below. Last week, Trump notched wins in all but one of Iowa’s 99 counties. The exception was Johnson County, one of the most heavily populated in the state, where Haley came out ahead by a single vote. Those results illustrate the divide in the GOP – rural voters all across the map turn out for Trump, making the cities must-win for his opponents. In New Hampshire, Haley must perform well in the four cities with the highest raw vote in the 2016 primary. For each county below, find Trump’s 2016 primary vote share and, for back-of-the-envelope reference, the combined “Republican establishment” vote. In 2016, this meant former Ohio Gov. John Kasich, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Sen. Marco Rubio and Carly Fiorina. When combined, they beat Trump by about 6 points statewide, or 42%-36%. To be clear, these are not benchmarks for Haley. Thanks to a different field and New Hampshire’s pseudo-open primary rules, there are no simple comparisons to make. She will, however, need to post strong results here to make a race of it. Bedford is particularly important for Haley. This affluent suburb of Manchester is home to the types of voters most likely to vote for the former governor. Bedford also flipped to Biden in the 2020 general election, marking the first time a Democratic presidential candidate won there since at least 1972. Together, there are a lot of votes on the table in these four towns: out of the 234 municipalities in New Hampshire, they were responsible for 16% of the total vote in the 2016 primary. The same towns are also home to 17% of the state’s total “undeclared” voters, who can choose to fill out either a Democratic or Republican ballot. Johnson County, where Haley took that one vote victory in Iowa last week, is also home to a large university. In New Hampshire, Haley will be looking for strong results in: Kasich won Hanover by a whopping 24 points in 2016 – one of just a handful of towns where the former Ohio governor notched a win (Rubio came in second at 18%, Trump was in fourth with 11%). Trump took Durham, but only by 3.5 points over Kasich. Haley will need to do a lot more than win in these small towns to keep the race competitive tonight, but the size of her margins here will provide some clues about the strength of her overall vote. Results start coming in at 7 p.m. ET, but 20 towns across the state won’t close until 8 p.m., including Nashua. Early returns will mostly come from rural areas, so be aware that they may not be representative of the overall vote. Democracy 24 continues on Fox News Channel all day and throughout the evening. Stay tuned for insights from our best-in-class Fox News Voter Analysis and the Fox News Decision Desk, which will call the race. Fox News will also have results from the Democratic race between President Biden (who appears on the ballot as a write-in candidate thanks to a dispute between the DNC and the state), Rep. Dean Phillips and Marianne Williamson. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub
RFK Jr campaign promotes workout challenge for voters as Trump, Biden’s fitness becomes issue in 2024 race
FIRST ON FOX – Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s presidential campaign on Monday will begin promoting a new workout challenge for potential voters, as questions about former President Trump and President Biden’s physical and mental fitness have emerged center stage in the 2024 election contest. Championing his group of supporters at Gold’s Gym in Venice, California, where he sometimes works out, Kennedy is unveiling the AmericaMoves challenge on Monday, encouraging participants to get up and get active for at least 24 minutes of movement a day to kick-start healthier habits for 2024. With the help of influencers like Devon Levesque, the first human to bear crawl a marathon, and famed physician and author Dr. Mark Hyman, AmericaMoves “has set out to ignite a wellness revolution,” Kennedy’s campaign said in a statement to Fox News Digital, adding that the challenge is inspired by RFK Jr.’s own physical regimen. It comes at a time when Democrat commentators and GOP presidential rival Nikki Haley jumped at the opportunity to criticize the 77-year-old Trump’s mental fitness when he used Haley’s name instead of then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s at a New Hampshire rally last week when repeating allegations Pelosi was in charge of security and turned down 10,000 National Guard troops ahead of the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. Trump hit back at another rally that he feels, “my mind is stronger now than it was 25 years ago” – the exact age gap between him and Haley – and went on to call into question Biden’s mental, as well as physical fitness, noting how the 80-year-old president has shorter public appearances and has shown difficulty finding out how to get off stages. RFK JR. MEETS REQUIREMENTS TO APPEAR ON FIRST 2024 GENERAL ELECTION BALLOT AS CAMPAIGN SEASON HEATS UP Biden has long-faced criticism for repeated public gaffes, as well as concerns over public falls and trips he has made at speaking events and while boarding Air Force One. Biden’s campaign officials claim the 2024 race “is not going to be about age,” which Trump even echoed, arguing it depends on the person. “It’s not age. Different people, different strokes,” Trump said. RFK Jr., who turned 70 on Jan. 17, went viral over the summer in a shirtless video shared on X showing him banging out nearly 10 push-ups. “Getting in shape for my debates with President Biden!” he captioned the video, which garnered millions of views in June. Fitness influencers and conservative activists championed Kennedy for his physical abilities – and muscular, tan physique – after another video of his bench-pressing skills went viral. Some praised the videos as an inspiration for men especially, while others juxtaposed the display against Biden’s repeated gaffes and public falls and stumbles. The AmericaMoves challenge goes live at 9:30 a.m. ET Monday at http://americanmovesav24.org/ and will be promoted by fitness influences for the next two months, RFK Jr.’s campaign says. The campaign is providing a series of activities based on varying fitness levels to encourage Americans to get active, but says the 24 minutes of movement a day can be anything from walking to running to weightlifting to bear crawling to swimming. RFK Version Beginner Version Bodyweight Version RFK JR. ISSUES STARK WARNING AFTER COLORADO COURT BLOCKS TRUMP FROM BALLOT: ‘COUNTRY WILL BECOME UNGOVERNABLE’ The challenge is inspired by Kennedy’s own workouts and the fitness enthusiasts who are invigorated by him, according to his campaign. Appearing to take a page out of RFK Jr.’s playbook, Vivek Ramaswamy, who suspended his presidential campaign after Trump swept the Iowa caucuses, throwing support behind the longtime GOP frontrunner, notably also went viral for videos working out with his wife in the gym ahead of the first GOP presidential debate in August. Ramaswamy, at age 38, has stressed on the campaign trail that America needs a “new generational leader” and is being floated among a long list of Trump’s potential running mates. A nephew of President Kennedy and son of Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, RFK Jr. announced in October that he was ending his Democratic presidential bid and instead launching an independent run. The best-selling author and environmentalist has become a vocal critic of tech and government censorship after initially launching a bid to challenge Biden for the Democratic nomination in Boston last April and has criticized Biden for denying him Secret Service protection afforded to other presidential candidates on the campaign trail.
Pentagon finally runs out of money for Ukraine, urges 50 allies continue supporting Kyiv
The United States will urge allies around the world during a monthly defense meeting on Tuesday to continue supporting Ukraine in its war with Russia, despite running out of funding to do so itself. The U.S. has hosted this monthly gathering since April 2022 and has been Ukraine’s chief financier during that span, but it will now have to do so for the first time without available funds to give to Ukraine. Instead, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will have to convince about 50 countries to continue sending ammunition and missiles to Ukraine and to keep bridging the gap in support until Congress passes a budget with money for Ukraine’s fight. According to deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh, Tuesday’s meeting will focus on Ukraine’s longer-term needs. “Even though we aren’t able to provide our security assistance right now, our partners are continuing to do that,” Singh said. TRUMP, GOP SKEPTICS OF UKRAINE AID BALK AT POTENTIAL MCCONNELL-SCHUMER BORDER DEAL Austin’s appearance at the meeting will be virtual as he is still recuperating at his home from prostate cancer surgery. The U.S. has been emptying its stockpiles to assist Ukraine and has been using Congress-allocated funding to replenish these reserves. However, it has run out of money and has not been able to provide additional munitions since December 2023. The last security assistance for Ukraine was sent on Dec. 27. It was a $250 million package that included 155 mm rounds, Stinger anti-aircraft missiles and other high-demand items, the Pentagon announced. The ability of the Defense Department to continue funding Ukraine’s war with Russia as well as Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza hinges on policy priorities between the White House and the U.S. Congress, including funding disagreements between the Democratic-controlled U.S. Senate and the Republican majority in the U.S. House of Representatives. RUSSIAN LAWMAKERS WEIGH BILL TO SEIZE PROPERTY FROM THOSE WHO CRITICIZE PUTIN’S INVASION OF UKRAINE More than $110 billion in aid for both Ukraine and Israel is currently stalled over these disagreements. Meanwhile, the war shows no signs of ending soon. Russia continues to escalate attacks in the new year and has shown no willingness to end the conflict. On Monday, the United Nations ruled out any peace plan backed by Kyiv and the West. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Georgia Senate advances bill to define antisemitism in state law
A bill to define antisemitism in Georgia law stalled in 2023 over how it should be worded. But a revised version won unanimous endorsement from a key Senate committee Monday, backed by Republican support for Israel in its war with Hamas and a surge in reported bias incidents against Jewish people in the state. “I think the whole world saw what happened on Oct. 7 and the fallout to Jewish communities around the world,” said Democratic state Rep. Esther Panitch of Sandy Springs, the only Jewish member of Georgia’s legislature. She is a co-sponsor of the measure that won the support of the Senate Judiciary Committee. But fears of opponents who say House Bill 30 would be used as a shield to block criticism of Israeli war crimes against Palestinians are stronger than ever, showing how what was already a fraught topic in early 2023 has become downright raw with the Israel-Hamas war. Some protesters chanting “Free Free Palestine!” were dragged from the committee room by police officers after the vote. Other opposition witnesses told lawmakers they were privileging political support for Israel. GEORGIA LAWMAKERS WILL TURN ATTENTION TO ANTISEMITISM, ELECTIONS AS 2024 REGULAR SESSION BEGINS “What it does do is weaponize attacks and hatred against my community and to silence Palestinian and Muslim Georgians, making threats against me somehow more important than threats against my own neighbors and implying that my safety can only come at their expense,” said Marissa Pyle, who said she is Jewish. “Making other people less safe does not help me.” The bill already passed the House last year and Monday’s vote signals the measure is likely to pass the state Senate and be signed into law by Gov. Brian Kemp. The Republican governor has previously said he supports the measure. The committee also advanced Senate Bill 359 on a split vote. The measure attempts to target the distribution of antisemitic flyers in residential neighborhoods by adding littering, illegal sign placement, loitering, misdemeanor terroristic threats, disorderly conduct and harassing communications to the list of crimes that draw enhanced sentences under Georgia’s hate crimes law. The law would also make any two crimes subject to Georgia’s hate crimes law eligible for prosecution under the state’s expansive anti-racketeering statute. In at least eight states nationwide, lawmakers are working on measures to define antisemitism, part of an upsurge of legislation motivated in part by the Israel-Hamas war. Arkansas passed such a law last year, and like in Georgia, a South Carolina measure passed one chamber in 2023. New bills are pending this year in Indiana, Florida, Massachusetts, New Jersey and South Dakota. Sponsors say a definition would help prosecutors and other officials identify hate crimes and illegal discrimination targeting Jewish people. But some critics warn it would limit free speech, especially in criticizing the actions of Israel. Others don’t oppose a law, but object to the measure defining antisemitism by referring to a definition adopted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. “When can we anticipate the legislature moving forward on a bill that addresses Islamophobia?” said Asim Javed of the Georgia Muslim Voter Project. Javed added that the bill “stifles our First Amendment rights by censoring any criticisms of Israel.” GEORGIA ANTISEMITISM BILL LIVES AGAIN AFTER NEW VOTE But the warnings of free speech harms by the opponents were met by personal stories of harms suffered by the supporters, including Rabbi Elizabeth Baher of Macon’s Temple Beth Israel. She recounted how an antisemitic group hung a Jew in effigy outside the synagogue as worshipers were arriving for services in June. “We the people of Georgia stand united against bigotry and discrimination. Our diverse tapestry is woven with threads of resilience, understanding and mutual respect,” Baher said. Also among those who testified was David Lubin. He’s the father of Rose Lubin, who grew up in suburban Atlanta but moved to Israel, becoming a staff sergeant in the Israeli army before she was stabbed to death in Jerusalem on Nov. 6. Lubin said that when her daughter was a student at suburban Atlanta’s Dunwoody High School, she reported a student making antisemitic remarks and making “Heil Hitler” salutes. “We need laws in place to deter the threat and convict those who commit the actions of hatred,” David Lubin said.
‘Intimidation tactics’: Rahul Gandhi after Assam CM asks police to register case against him amid Nyay Yatra
Assam CM Sarma instructed the Director General of Police (DGP) to register a case against Gandhi for ‘provoking the crowd’ to break barricades.
Arkansas judge dismisses attorney general’s litigation against Board of Corrections
An Arkansas judge on Monday dismissed Attorney General Tim Griffin’s lawsuit that accused the Board of Corrections of violating the state Freedom of Information Act, part of an escalating dispute between the panel and Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders over who runs the prison system. Griffin said he planned to appeal the two-page ruling from Pulaski County Circuit Judge Tim Fox tossing out the complaint stemming from the board’s hiring of an outside attorney in the dispute. ARKANSAS GOV SARAH SANDERS MAKES MAJOR ENDORSEMENT IN 2024 REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL RACE The panel and Sanders have been feuding over the governor’s push to add more temporary prison beds despite concerns raised by board members. The panel earlier this month voted to fire Corrections Secretary Joe Profiri, four weeks after suspending him from the job. Sanders named Profiri to the job before she took office and he was confirmed by the board. The board ousted him after another judge blocked a law Sanders signed last year that took away the board’s authority to hire and fire the corrections secretary. An attorney for the panel said it was pleased with the decision. “The board did not violate the FOIA, and there is no reason for the FOIA litigation to continue,” Abtin Mehdizadegan said in a statement. “We invite the attorney general to meet with the board to work through these differences directly, once and for all.” In his decision, Fox said the AG’s office had not complied with his earlier order to obtain special counsel for the board or to approve its outside attorney as special counsel.