Pennsylvania Republican Party endorses York County attorney for state attorney general
Pennsylvania’s Republican Party on Monday endorsed York County’s district attorney, Dave Sunday, for state attorney general out of a three-person field. The party’s endorsement came the day before candidates could begin collecting the required number of voter signatures to get on Pennsylvania’s primary ballot. State committee members met via video link to vote on Monday evening. Sunday won the endorsement over state Rep. Craig Williams and Katayoun Copeland, both former federal prosecutors who hail from Delaware County in southeastern Pennsylvania. Copeland has said she would not run against the party’s endorsed candidate and ended her candidacy, a campaign aide said Monday. TRUMP TO HEADLINE ‘MOMENTOUS’ NRA EVENT AHEAD OF KEY PRIMARY SHOWDOWN Pennsylvania’s office of attorney general played a critical role in court defending Joe Biden’s 2020 victory in the presidential battleground against repeated attempts to overturn it in state and federal courts by Donald Trump’s campaign and Republican allies. Democrats are facing a five-way primary for an office that will be open after next year. The Democrats running are Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer, state Rep. Jared Solomon of Philadelphia, former state Auditor General Eugene DePasquale, former federal prosecutor Joe Kahn and Keir Bradford-Grey, the former head of Philadelphia’s and Montgomery County’s public defense lawyers. PRESIDENT TOUTS ‘BIDENOMICS’ IN PENNSYLVANIA THE SAME WEEK THOUSANDS OF JOBS SLASHED ACROSS MULTIPLE SECTORS The attorney general’s office has a budget of about $140 million annually and plays a prominent role in arresting drug traffickers, fighting gun trafficking, defending state laws in court and protecting consumers from predatory practices. No Republican has been elected attorney general since 2008. Candidates must file paperwork by Feb. 13 to appear on the April 23 primary ballot. The current officeholder, Michelle Henry, is filling the last two years of Gov. Josh Shapiro’s second term as attorney general and doesn’t plan to run for the office. Shapiro nominated Henry, his top deputy, in January when he was sworn in as governor.
Haley jabs at Trump as New Hampshire voters head to the polls: ‘This is not a coronation’
Nikki Haley on Monday rejected the idea that she must win the New Hampshire presidential primary to continue her challenge to former President Donald Trump. In an interview on NewsNation, the former South Carolina governor said that while the “political class” has declared Trump the presumptive 2024 Republican presidential nominee, all her campaign needs to do is finish “stronger” than in Iowa on Tuesday night. “We started at 2% in Iowa and ended at 20%. I need to be stronger in New Hampshire, then stronger in South Carolina,” Haley told NewsNation anchor Leland Vittert on Monday. The former U.N. Ambassador said “it’s never been fair” to say that her presidential campaign is make or break in New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation primary. “This is not a coronation. This is an election. And you go state by state. We’re going to take it one step at a time,” Haley said. NEW HAMPSHIRE PRIMARY CLASH: CAN NIKKI HALEY SLOW DOWN DONALD TRUMP’S PUSH FOR THE GOP PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION? Iowa Republicans resoundingly elected Trump to be the party’s 2024 standard-bearer last week, handing him a convincing 30-point victory in the caucuses. The former president is hoping for a repeat performance in the Granite State, with strong momentum after second-place finisher Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended his campaign and endorsed Trump. At a campaign event Monday in Laconia, New Hampshire, Trump said that “now we’re down to two people. And I think one person will be gone probably tomorrow … now is the time for the Republican Party to come together.” HALEY PLEDGES ‘I’M IN THIS FOR THE LONG HAUL’ IN RACE AGAINST TRUMP Haley argued Monday that Trump won “only” 1.5 percent of the total potential vote in Iowa, a state where over 3 million people live, and that his victory is not representative of the broader electorate. Haley hopes that New Hampshire — where independent voters who make up roughly 40% of the electorate can vote in either major party’s contest and have a tendency to reject the winner in Iowa — will show she is a better fit for the general election in November and showdown with President Biden, a Democrat. HALEY REVEALS HER PITCH TO DESANTIS SUPPORTERS “The one thing we have to remember is Donald Trump only won with one and a half percent of the vote in Iowa, 56,000 people voted for him out of the state of 3 million,” Haley said. “That’s not representative of the country. And you’ve got the political class saying, Oh, it’s him. It’s got to be him. No, this is not a coronation. This is an election.” Haley said her campaign will take the primary “one” state “at a time” and that she is looking forward to campaigning on “to my sweet state of South Carolina” after the New Hampshire primary. Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Russia unleashes mass air strikes on Ukraine
Russian missile attacks have targeted the Ukrainian cities Kyiv and Kharkiv, killing several people, wounding dozens and damaging residential buildings, officials say. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said 20 people were injured, including a 13-year-old boy. Residential infrastructure was damaged in at least four districts. In Kharkiv, the country’s second-largest city, four people were killed and at least 40 wounded. An entire section of a multistorey residential building was destroyed, trapping an unknown number of people. At least one person has been killed and another wounded in a Russian missile strike on Dnipropetrovsk region’s Pavlohrad city, according to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine. With the front line largely bogged down in eastern Ukraine, Moscow and Kyiv continue to swap air strikes. Recent Russian attacks have tried to find gaps in Ukraine’s defences, using large numbers of missiles and drones in an apparent effort to saturate air defence systems. On Sunday, Moscow-installed officials reported that Ukrainian shelling killed 27 people on the outskirts of the Russian-occupied eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov labelled the attack a “monstrous terrorist act”. The Ukrainian military, however, denied it had anything to do with the attack. It has not been possible to verify either side’s claims. Adblock test (Why?)
Supreme Court allows federal agents to cut razor wire at US-Mexico border
Ruling seen as win for Biden administration amid dispute with Texas over ‘inhumane’ fence that has injured migrants. The United States Supreme Court has ruled that Border Patrol agents may resume cutting a razor wire fence that Texas installed on its border with Mexico to deter migrants and asylum seekers from entering the country. The 5-4 ruling on Monday was a victory for the administration of US President Joe Biden, issued in the midst of an ongoing legal battle that saw a federal appeals court force agents to stop cutting the fence last month. For more than two years, the Republican governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, has sought to bar migrants and asylum seekers from entering the US, unspooling razor wire that extends over 46km (30 miles) of its border with Mexico along the banks of the Rio Grande river and has left people injured and bloodied. Border control has historically been the legal domain of the federal government. The US Department of Justice argues that the fence has sown chaos, impeding it from carrying out controls along the border. “Texas’s political stunts, like placing razor wire near the border, simply make it harder and more dangerous for front-line personnel to do their jobs,” White House spokesperson Angelo Fernandez Hernandez said. Andrew Mahaleris, Abbott’s spokesperson, said the absence of razor wire and other deterrents encourages people to risk unsafe crossings and makes the job of Texas border personnel more difficult. “This case is ongoing, and Governor Abbott will continue fighting to defend Texas’s property and its constitutional authority to secure the border,” he said. Court battle The fencing at issue in the dispute was installed on private property along the Rio Grande by the Texas National Guard. Texas sued the Biden administration in October, asserting that US Customs and Border Protection agents had no right to cut fencing that it said had been erected with the permission of landowners. In November, US District Judge Alia Moses criticised the administration for failing to stem migration but said the federal government enjoyed “sovereign immunity” protecting it from civil lawsuits and criminal prosecution. A federal appeals court later granted Texas’s request to block federal agents from “damaging, destroying or otherwise interfering with” the razor-wire fencing while the case played out. Lawyers for the Biden administration this year requested it be lifted, arguing there was no indication the wire had stopped migrants from entering the US. They said the new barriers also prevented border agents from monitoring and responding to emergencies. The fence has been criticised by Mexican officials as a violation of international law. Texas’s border with Mexico spans 1,930km (1,200 miles) in total. Operation Lone Star The fence is part of a wider state effort to take control of Texas’s borders. Operation Lone Star, launched in 2021 with significant public support, pushes the legal boundaries of what a state can do to control immigration. The operation, which has cost more than $4.5bn so far, also includes a floating barrier installed in the Rio Grande. Democratic legislators Sylvia Garcia and Joaquin Castro, both members of the US Congress from Texas, last year decried the “barbaric” string of buoys, which are linked with “chainsaw devices” to stop crossings. Everyone needs to see what I saw in Eagle Pass today. Clothing stuck on razor wire where families got trapped. Chainsaw devices in the middle of buoys. Land seized from US citizens. Operation Lone Star is barbaric — and @GovAbbott is making border communities collateral damage. pic.twitter.com/PzKyZGWfds — Joaquin Castro (@JoaquinCastrotx) August 8, 2023 As the number of people crossing the US-Mexico border continues to surge, the Texas operation has become a flashpoint in immigration policy with critics decrying the “inhumane” measures. Abbott has used the fentanyl crisis to justify his measures, citing a rise in drug smuggling. While Republicans have criticised the Biden administration for the rising numbers, there is also pressure from within the Democratic Party. Politicians like New York City Mayor Eric Adams are slamming the president for not doing more to address irregular immigration as his city struggles to provide housing and other services for the new arrivals. Former President Donald Trump, whom Abbot has backed to be the Republican candidate in November’s presidential election, has made immigration a key plank of his bid to retake the White House. Adblock test (Why?)
Photojournalist Motaz Azaiza evacuates from Gaza
His coverage was often raw, unfiltered videos about the civilian impact of Israeli air strikes. Photojournalist Motaz Azaiza, who has been documenting the impact of the war in the Gaza Strip, has left the enclave and headed to Qatar. Azaiza announced on Instagram on Tuesday that he was leaving the besieged strip before boarding a Qatari military airplane at Egypt’s El Arish International Airport. However, it is unclear how he was able to leave Gaza or why he has evacuated. “This is the last time you will see me with this heavy, stinky [press] vest. I decided to evacuate today. … Hopefully soon I’ll jump back and help to build Gaza again,” Azaiza said in a video. So, I had to evacuate for a lot of reasons you all know some of it but not all of it. Thank you all Pray for Gaza. pic.twitter.com/sIqULe9d5V — MoTaz (@azaizamotaz9) January 23, 2024 The 24-year-old Palestinian captured the attention of millions globally as he filmed himself in a press vest and helmet to document conditions during Israel’s war, which has killed more than 25,000 people in Gaza. Israel launched its offensive after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, killing 1,139 people and taking more than 200 people captive. Azaiza’s coverage often took the form of raw, unfiltered videos about injured children or families crushed under rubble in the aftermath of Israeli air strikes. He said he has had to “evacuate for a lot of reasons you all know some of it but not all of it”. In his post, he was seen on a video about to board a grey plane emblazoned with the words “Qatar Emiri Air Force”. “First video outside Gaza,” he said in one clip, revealing that it was his first time on a plane. “Heading to Qatar.” He also shared a video of the inside of the plane as it landed in Doha. Since the start of the war, the photojournalist has amassed millions of followers across multiple platforms. His Instagram following has grown from about 27,500 to 18.25 million in the more than 100 days since October 7, according to an assessment of social media analytics by Al Jazeera. His Facebook account grew from a similar starting point to nearly 500,000 followers. He now has one million followers on X, formerly known as Twitter. As well as his social media posts, Azaiza has produced content for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNWRA). Social media users thanked Azaiza for his coverage of the war, many saluting him as a hero. “Thank you for everything you have done, you have moved mountains , what you have done in the last 100 days people can’t do in their whole lifetime. You were a pivotal voice in showing the world the Israeli atrocities in Gaza. Wishing you well and safety,” one user said on X. Thank you for everything you have done, you have moved mountains , what you have done in the last 100 days people can’t do in their whole lifetime . You were a pivotal voice in showing the world the Israeli atrocities in Gaza . Wishing you well and safety ✊🏻🇵🇸 — Abla #FreePalestine (@falstinya1948) January 23, 2024 “I’m so glad you had the opportunity to get out, God willing, YOU WILL RETURN TO A FREE PALESTINE,” wrote another. “We love you so deeply,” American musician Kehlani wrote, adding, “Thank you for your humanity.” “Frame that vest. It’s the armor of one of history’s greatest heroes,” comedian Sammy Obeid said. Adblock test (Why?)
Email sheds new light on Texas House candidate Jared Woodfill’s role in Southern Baptist leader’s sex abuse scandal
Woodfill has been endorsed by Attorney General Ken Paxton despite his connection to Paul Pressler, a prominent religious figure accused of rape.
Here’s what Texans need to know about the new FAFSA to get aid for college
College hopefuls should fill out the new federal student aid application to as soon as possible to get more funds.
US Supreme Court rejects Michigan commission’s plea to overturn order to redraw Detroit legislative seats
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected a request from Michigan’s redistricting commission to overrule an order to redraw 13 Detroit-area seats in the Legislature, a decision that will likely make the legislative maps more competitive. The redistricting commission had asked the high court to overrule a December ruling by a three-judge federal appeals court panel that Michigan’s legislative maps were illegally influenced by race when drawn in 2021. The panel ruled that although nearly 80% of Detroit residents are Black, the Black voting age population in the 13 Detroit-area districts mostly ranges from 35% to 45%, with one being as low as 19%. The panel ordered that the seven state House districts have their boundaries redrawn for the 2024 election, and it set a later deadline for the six state Senate districts because the senators’ terms don’t expire until 2026. DEMOCRATIC GOV. GRETCHEN WHITMER WARNS BIDEN COULD FACE PROTESTERS IN MICHIGAN WHEN HE VISITS A drafted state House map is due by Feb. 2 and a final deadline is March 29. The Supreme Court did not explain its decision in the order released Monday. Attorneys for the commission did immediately respond to emails seeking comment. John Bursch, an attorney for the Detroit voters who sued the commission, said they were “very pleased” by the order. Bursch said the commission could still appeal, but he called the Supreme Court’s order “a strong indicator that such an appeal will likely fail.” Although it’s unknown how the new maps will be drawn, there would likely be an increase in the number of “Detroit-focused” districts that would be solidly Democratic, said David Dulio, a political science professor at Oakland University in Michigan. That would likely affect districts in the suburbs, which would become more competitive as a result, he said. “You could see these districts, or even a subset of them, really be where the fight for control of the state House is,” Dulio said. The office of Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson had supported the commission’s request to the Supreme Court in recent days. It wrote in a filing that the Democrat was concerned about having new district lines in place by the August primary. “My commitment to maintaining fair and secure elections remains steadfast, and I look forward to working with our clerks in the months ahead to ensure everyone is ready and prepared to administer safe and accessible elections this year,” Benson said in a statement Monday. Michigan Democrats were able to flip the state House and Senate in 2022 while retaining the governor’s office, giving them full control of state government for the first time in 40 years. The party’s success had been attributed, in part, to legislative maps that were redrawn in 2021 by an Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission. State lawmakers drew the boundaries for Michigan’s seats in Congress and the Legislature until voters in 2018 created an independent commission to handle the once-a-decade job. The commission’s first maps were produced for the 2022 election. BIDEN STRUGGLING IN MICHIGAN, DEMOCRATS WARN, AS LEVEL OF CONCERN GROWS: ‘THE PROBLEM IS THE MAN’ Experts repeatedly told the redistricting commission in 2021 that certain percentages regarding race were necessary to comply with federal law. The appeals court judges disagreed, though. “The record here shows overwhelmingly — indeed, inescapably — that the commission drew the boundaries of plaintiffs’ districts predominantly on the basis of race. We hold that those districts were drawn in violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution,” Judge Raymond Kethledge wrote. The redistricting process had reduced the number of majority-minority districts in the Legislature from 15 to five, according to the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research at Michigan State University. The 2022 midterms, the first election since redistricting, saw the number of Black lawmakers in the Legislature reduced from 20 to 17. Detroit, which is predominantly Black, was left without Black representation in Congress for the first time since the early 1950s.
New Hampshire investigating fake Biden robocall telling voters not to participate in Tuesday’s primary
The New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office says it is investigating a robocall with a fake voice of President Biden urging voters there not to participate in Tuesday’s presidential primary and instead “save” their votes for November. The message, which White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday is “indeed fake and not recorded by the president,” was allegedly sent out Sunday, though it is unclear how many people may have received the call. “Although the voice in the robocall sounds like the voice of President Biden, this message appears to be artificially generated based on initial indications,” the Attorney General’s Office said. “These messages appear to be an unlawful attempt to disrupt the New Hampshire Presidential Primary Election and to suppress New Hampshire voters. “New Hampshire voters should disregard the content of this message entirely,” it added. NANCY MACE ENDORSES TRUMP OVER HALEY The date that New Hampshire set for its primary Tuesday is out of compliance with the DNC’s 2024 presidential nominating calendar. Holding an unsanctioned primary means President Biden is not on the New Hampshire ballot, but Granite State Democrats have launched a write-in campaign in an attempt to prevent an electoral embarrassment for the president as he runs for a second term in the White House. “What a bunch of malarkey. You know the value of voting Democratic when our votes count. It’s important that you save your vote for the November election,” the voice says in a recording of the message obtained by NBC News. “We will need your help in electing Democrats up and down the ticket. Voting this Tuesday only enables Republicans in their quest to elect Donald Trump again. Your vote makes a difference in November, not this Tuesday.” DOWN AND OUT: WHAT WENT WRONG WITH RON DESANTIS’ RUN FOR THE REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION? The Attorney General’s Office said “The message appears to have been ‘spoofed’ to falsely show that it had been sent by the treasurer of a political committee that has been supporting the New Hampshire Democratic Presidential Primary write-in efforts for President Biden. “The message’s content directed recipients who wished to be removed from a calling list to call the number belonging to this person,” it continued. Jean-Pierre also said Monday that “the president has been clear that there are risks associated with deepfakes; fake images and misinformation can be exacerbated by emerging technologies. “And that’s why this president has directed the Department of Commerce through the AI Safety Institute at National Institute of Standards and Technology to help develop clear watermarking and content standards,” she added. Katie Dolan, a spokeswoman for the campaign of Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota, who is challenging Biden in the Democratic primary, said Phillips’ team was not involved and only found out about the deepfake attempt when a reporter called seeking comment. “Any effort to discourage voters is disgraceful and an unacceptable affront to democracy,” Dolan said in a statement. “The potential use of AI to manipulate voters is deeply disturbing.” Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Chakrasiddh harnesses ancient Siddha healing methods
The relentless nature of chronic pain can induce feelings of frustration, hopelessness, and despair.