Washington state judge denies effort to remove Trump from ballot
A Washington state judge denied a push to remove former president Donald Trump from the 2024 presidential primary election ballot. Following a hearing that lasted less than two hours, Thurston County Superior Court Judge Mary Sue Wilson denied eight registered voters who had petitioned the court to remove Trump’s name from Washington ballots. Judge Wilson emphasized that state law says a ballot challenge must be filed within two days of the candidate list being finalized and required her to make a decision within five days of the challenge being filed, according to a report in The Seattle Times. “The court determines that the secretary of state acted consistent with his duties,” Wilson said from the bench. “An order directing the secretary of state to take different action, an order from this court, is simply not supported by the statutes and not supported by the affidavit of the electors.” MAINE SUPERIOR COURT ISSUES A STAY ON STATE’S DECISION TO BAR TRUMP FROM PRIMARY BALLOT The push to eliminate Trump from the ballots started a few miles north near Seattle in Kitsap County earlier this month. But a judge there, within 10 minutes of a court hearing, denied the request, noting that the petition should be heard in Thurston, where the state government sits. MAINE DEMOCRAT WHO BARRED TRUMP FROM BALLOT MET WITH BIDEN TWICE, CALLED ELECTORAL COLLEGE ‘WHITE SUPREMACY’ Wilson reportedly declined to consider a question about Trump’s place on the general election ballot, calling it premature, but noted the possibility of people, “when it is right,” potentially challenging Trump’s spot there, too. The Kitsap County residents who pushed for Trump’s removal, argued that his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election and his role in the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol make him ineligible for office.
Ken Paxton says he’ll accept judgment, won’t contest facts in whistleblower case
Whistleblowers sued for being fired after accusing Paxton of abuses in office. Paxton says he wants to end the lawsuit.
Dean Phillips vows to be ‘first AI president’ in campaign speech on his artificial intelligence platform
Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., pledged to be the “first AI president” in a campaign speech in New Hampshire on Thursday. Phillips was campaigning alongside former 2020 presidential candidate Andrew Yang ahead of the Granite State’s first-in-the-nation primary on Jan. 23. The moderate Minnesotan is a long shot to lead the Democratic presidential ticket, but his choice to emphasize artificial intelligence (AI) is a way to further separate himself from President Biden, his 81-year-old opponent. “Men in their 80s, frankly, even good men and women, are not in a position to anticipate and prepare us for the future,” Phillips said, taking an indirect shot at Biden. JAMIE DIMON WEIGHS IN ON AI, SAYS ONLY ‘GOD KNOWS’ WHAT THE TECH WILL DO FOR HUMANITY “We had 100 years to prepare for climate change. We knew 100 years ago what would happen by burning fossil fuels, and what did we do? Nothing.” He continued, “AI, my friends, we don’t have 100 years. We have months, if not just a couple of years at the most. I anticipated and am prepared for it, and I will be our first AI president.” The long-shot candidate pledged to put together an AI “task force” to study its applications and outcomes. REPUTATION RISKS POSED BY AI LOOM FOR COMPANIES AS ELECTION YEAR HEATS UP, EXPERT WARNS Phillips said AI would make the federal government “more effective and efficient” and would “generate health outcomes that will transcend anything we could dream about right now.” Citing its risks, however, he added, “It’s going to disenfranchise this economy, it’s going to be disruptive in ways that we can actually anticipate.” IMF WARNS AI WILL IMPACT 60% OF US JOBS, INCREASE INEQUALITY WORLDWIDE “I’m going to put together a task force of the best and brightest to anticipate what’s coming and make recommendations, as we do here, to employ better practices, to put guardrails on the nefarious use of AI. But most importantly, let’s talk about the blessings of AI,” Phillips said. Biden signed an executive order in late October establishing guardrails for AI development and use, including requiring developers of the rapidly-emerging tech to share safety test results and other details with the U.S. government. He’s also held meetings with the heads of Microsoft, OpenAI and other tech giants to discuss responsible AI development.
Wisconsin Republicans propose doe hunt moratorium
A group of Republican lawmakers have introduced a bill that would prohibit hunters from killing antlerless deer in northern Wisconsin for several years in an attempt to preserve does and regrow the region’s herd. Hunters in the state’s Northern Forest Hunting Zone have complained for years that the number of deer roaming the landscape has been dwindling. The zone includes roughly the northern third of the state. WILDLIFE ADVOCATES PUSH BACK AS LOUISIANA EYES REVIVAL OF BLACK BEAR HUNT Hunters killed 14.7% fewer bucks in the zone during November’s nine-day gun season compared to the five-year average, according to state Department of Natural Resources harvest totals. The doe harvest in the zone was down 27.2% from the five-year-average. DNR wildlife officials have blamed a harsh 2022-23 winter for reduced deer numbers. Hunters maintain that wolves are decimating the region’s deer herd. Under the bill Reps. Chanz Green, Angie Sapik, Rob Swearingen and Calvin Callahan and Sen. Romaine Quinn introduced Wednesday, hunters would be prohibited from killing an antlerless deer in the northern zone for four years. The idea is to preserve as many does as possible in hopes they’ll reproduce, bolster the region’s population and give hunters more targets in the future. “We want future generations to enjoy the tradition of hunting in Northern Wisconsin, and this bill is a good start to making that happen,” the legislators said in a memo to their colleagues seeking co-sponsors.
Senate passes short-term spending bill to fund govt until March, says there will be no shutdown
The Senate passed a second “laddered” short-term spending bill, known as a continuing resolution (CR), to fund government agencies through March. The House will now have to vote on the legislation to avert a government shutdown by Friday. Senators passed the bill, with a bipartisan majority of 77 to 18 voting for the CR Thursday afternoon. The House is expected to take up the bill later Thursday night. “There will not be a shutdown on Friday, because both sides have worked together, the government will stay open. Services will not be disrupted. We will avoid a needless disaster,” Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said on the floor Thursday ahead of the vote. “Avoiding a shutdown is very good news for every American, especially for our veterans, our parents, our children, our farmers, our small businesses, and so many others who would have felt the sting of a government shutdown,” he said. The previous CR that Congress passed in November funded federal agencies with dual expiration dates — the first set of funding expiring Jan. 19 and the second set running out Feb. 2. The proposed CR will follow the same structure as the current funding bill, but it pushes expiration dates for government spending to March 1 and March 8. The CR continues funding for four appropriations bills through March 1: Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration; Energy and Water Development; Military Construction, Veterans Affairs; and Transportation, Housing and Urban Development. SENATE CLEARS HURDLE TO ADVANCE TEMPORARY SPENDING BILL Additionally, the CR allocates funding for the remaining eight appropriations bills through March 8: Commerce, Justice, Science; Defense; Financial Services and General Government; Homeland Security; Interior, Environment; Labor, Health and Human Services, Education; Legislative Branch; and State, Foreign Operations. Several amendments to the CR were rejected by senators, including Sen. Rand Paul’s proposal to freeze Palestinian aid until Hamas’ hostages are released. The aim of having two separate deadlines is to prevent Congress from passing a comprehensive “omnibus” spending bill, a practice widely opposed by Republicans. However, the staggered approach may not eliminate the possibility of an omnibus. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., a member of the upper chamber’s committee on the budget, told Fox News Digital in an interview this week he believes Schumer and Sen. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., are likely to advocate for another omnibus this year since only three of the 12 spending bills the Senate’s appropriations committee approved have been passed. STOPGAP SPENDING BILL TO AVOID GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN EXPECTED TO PASS CONGRESS DESPITE RIGHT-WING OPPOSITION “This has all been set up by Schumer, because he wants to do an omnibus,” Scott said. “He and McConnell have done omnibus for years, and they both get to basically get all their stuff in it.” “We still don’t have any commitment that we’re actually going to negotiate, vote, or amend individual spending bills,” he said. “There’s four months past the end of the fiscal year, and Schumer will still not bring up spending bills.” In December 2022, Congress passed a $1.7 trillion omnibus spending package that included $858 billion for defense, $787 billion for non-defense domestic programs and more than 7,200 earmarks costing over $15 billion. Earlier this month, Schumer and House Speeaker Mike Johnson, R-La., agreed to a topline government spending figure for this fiscal year that amounted to to $1.66 trillion in spending. The budget comprises $886 billion allocated for defense and $704 billion designated for nondefense expenses. HOUSE, SENATE RELEASE BIPARTISAN AGREEMENT ON GOVERNMENT FUNDING AS SHUTDOWN DEADLINES LOOM According to Johnson, the achieved Republican concessions involve $10 billion in extra cuts to IRS mandatory funding (totaling $20 billion) and a $6.1 billion reduction from the Biden administration’s ongoing COVID-related funds. Johnson previously said the new agreement would see some additional cuts to discretionary spending to offset the deal. Next week, the Senate is expected to work on Biden’s $110 billion national supplemental security package request that would send billions in aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, Schumer said Wednesday. The package is expected to be paired with stronger border security measures to curb the crisis at the southern border, but a deal has not been reached yet between lawmakers and White House officials.
New Mexico state Republicans file impeachment articles against Dem governor over gun control
Two Republican state lawmakers in New Mexico filed a resolution Wednesday to impeach Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, accusing her of breaking her oath to the U.S. Constitution over her use of emergency public health orders to restrict the right to carry firearms in some public places. Reps. Stefani Lord and John Block claim that with the restriction, Lujan Grisham infringed upon the rights of New Mexicans. “The rights of New Mexicans are not up for debate, and no matter how hard Lujan Grisham tries to violate the Constitution, she will never succeed,” Lord said in a statement. “I stood firm against her tyranny when she tried to use a Covid health order to take our guns, and I will continue to stand firm against her continued attempts to destroy our Republic.” Lujan Grisham, a second-term Democrat, invoked the emergency orders last year in response to a spate of gun violence, including the fatal shooting of an 11-year-old boy outside a minor league baseball stadium. The orders restrict firearms in places like parks and playgrounds in the greater Albuquerque area. NRA PREPARES FOR BATTLES AGAISNT BLUE STATE GOVERNOR ‘TORCHING THE CONSTITUTION’ WITH GUN CONTROL Block accused the governor of “violating the Constitution to make a political statement,” noting that Lujan Grisham said she expected legal challenges from the outset. In the federal court system, a judge has allowed enforcement of the gun provision to continue while legal challenges run their course. NEW MEXICO GOVERNOR’S STATE OF THE STATE SPEECH DISRUPTED BY PROTESTERS In response to the impeachment articles, Lujan Grisham spokesperson Maddy Hayden said in an email to The Associated Press that the two lawmakers are more interested in political stunts than crafting meaningful legislation, citing their bills to criminalize necrophilia and offer sex offenders an early release from prison if they agree to chemical castration procedures. “There’s not much to say in direct response to this inane effort,” Hayden said, referring to the impeachment resolution. Democrats outnumber Republicans in both chambers of the state legislature. Both the House, with a simple majority vote, and Senate, with a two-thirds vote, would have to vote to impeach the governor. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
No Labels alleges ‘conspiracy’ by opponents to use ‘intimidation, harassment’ to block ballot access
No Labels, the centrist group that’s moving toward potentially launching a third-party unity presidential ticket, is asking the Justice Department to investigate possible criminal charges against some Democratic-leaning groups and activists who are opposed to their ballot access efforts. The organization says that “there is a group of activists and operatives and party officials who have participated in an alleged illegal conspiracy to use intimidation, harassment and fear against representatives of No Labels, its donors, and its potential candidates.” Dan Webb, a No Labels volunteer and lawyer, told reporters at a news conference on Thursday, “No Labels has filed a formal complaint with the United States Department of Justice regarding an alleged unlawful conspiracy to subvert American’s voting rights and shut down the organization’s effort to secure ballot access in the 2024 presidential election.” “There is a group of activists and operatives and party officials who have participated in alleged illegal conspiracy to use intimidation, harassment and fear against representatives of No Labels, its donors and its potential candidates,” Webb charged. NO LABELS REACHES OUT TO CHRIS CHRISTIE REGARDING 2024 UNITY TICKET “We decided it was time to fight back,” he emphasized. “Their tactics are becoming increasingly brazen.” As it works toward launching a potential presidential ticket to give Americans a third option in what may likely end up being a rematch this year between President Biden and former President Donald Trump, No Labels has been working to get on the ballot across the country. POLLS POINTING TOWARDS ‘POLITICAL UPHEAVAL’ HELP MAKE CASE FOR NO LABELS No Labels says they are already on the ballot in 14 states – and currently working in 13 others. The group says it intends to have access in 32 states by later this year. “We will decide in the coming months whether to offer our ballot line to a unity presidential ticket,” No Labels executive director Margaret White said. “If we do so, that ticket’s presidential campaign will be responsible for securing access in the final 18 states plus the District of Columbia.” Former Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, a Democrat turned independent and co-founder of No Labels, stressed that “the American people want another choice for president this year.” “No one in our country has a right to prevent that choice from being offered to the voters,” he added, as he pointed to the group’s complaint to the Justice Department. No Labels, in their complaint to the Justice Department, wrote that “it’s one thing to oppose candidates who are running; it’s another to use intimidation tactics to prevent them from even getting in front of the voters.” Opponents of No Labels – which includes outside Democratic groups and operatives – have repeatedly argued that if a unity ticket is launched, it would only boost Trump’s chances of retaking the White House. And No Labels opponents have publicly stated that they would put pressure on the organization and its staff as well as with donors and potential candidates. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
First photo of Ram Lalla inside Ram Mandir in Ayodhya goes viral
This comes ahead of the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony on January 22.
UPenn, which hosts Biden’s think tank, sees Chinese donations soar, including from CCP-linked sources
FIRST ON FOX: The University of Pennsylvania, home of President Biden’s think tank, recently tripled its donations originating from China, records reviewed by Fox News Digital show. The Washington, D.C., office of Biden’s think tank, the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement, previously found itself under a microscope after confidential documents were found at the center. The discovery led to questions regarding Chinese donations to the University of Pennsylvania, which harbors the think tank. New records obtained by Americans for Public Trust (APT) and provided to Fox News Digital show that the University of Pennsylvania recently saw its donations from China exponentially swell from its previous reporting period, and some of the money has come from individuals and institutions with ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). EXCLUSIVE: CHINESE DONORS TO UNIVERSITY HOUSING BIDEN THINK TANK HAVE TIES TO HUNTER’S BUSINESS DEALS, CCP “As America’s adversaries continue threatening U.S. national security interests under President Biden’s watch, it’s no surprise that donations to our colleges and universities from Chinese nationals have continued to surge,” Caitlin Sutherland, APT’s executive director, told Fox News Digital. “This is yet another clear signal that our institutions of higher education have become instruments of foreign influence under an administration that projects weakness on the global stage,” Sutherland said. “The tripling of Chinese donations to the University of Pennsylvania, home to Biden’s think tank, should raise serious alarms among lawmakers who are interested in curbing the growing power of the Chinese Communist Party.” The records obtained by APT from Pennsylvania’s Department of Education reveal the university pulled in $25 million in contributions from entities and individuals in China between mid-2022 and mid-2023. This figure is a significant expansion over the $8.6 million they received from the country during its previous reporting period covering mid-2021 to mid-2022. The Ivy League school has amassed nearly $130 million in donations from China between mid-2018 and mid-2023, an exponential boost from its previous years. Meanwhile, several of its China-based contributors have links to the CCP. SEVERAL TOP WHITE HOUSE OFFICIALS WORKED FOR BIDEN AT HIS THINK TANK WHERE CLASSIFIED DOCS DISCOVERED According to the foreign gift report, an investment manager gave three donations totaling $205,000 between mid-2022 and mid-2023. Chung-nin Rock Chen, who obtained an economics degree from the university’s Wharton School and an MBA from Northwestern University, is not only the Hong Kong deputy to the National People’s Congress but also a member of the National Committee of Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). The CPPCC is the “key mechanism for multi-party cooperation and political consultation” under the leadership of the CCP, according to the CPPCC website. Tung Chee-hwa, who served as a vice chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) from 2005 to 2023, is the founding chairman of the China-United States Exchange Foundation (CUSEF), which has been successful at penetrating American universities on behalf of the CCP. One report by the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, a U.S. government agency, in 2018 said that the CPPCC is a “central part” of China’s United Front system, which works to “co-opt and neutralize sources of potential opposition to the policies and authority of its ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP).” Another major Chinese donor to the University of Pennsylvania was Kathy Xu, or Xu Xin, who donated at least $10 million in December 2022. Xu is the founder of Capital Today, a Chinese private equity firm that was an early investor in the Chinese internet company Meituan Dianping, which has deep ties to the CCP. Bloomberg reported in 2021 that the company’s CEO, Wang Xing, attended a speech by Chinese President Xi Jinping celebrating the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CCP, signaling the billionaire was back in favor of the party. In April 2023, Xu Xin, an alumnus of Nanjing University, met with Tan Tieniu, a member of the National Committee of the CPPCC, at her company and they “exchanged views on NJU’s new progress such as the university-wide discussion, the Forging Ahead Initiate, and the latest developments in fundamental scientific research,” a press release said. BIDEN HAS BEEN SECRETLY MEETING WITH DONORS TO EASE CONCERNS, INCLUDING HIS AGE AND ENERGY: REPORT “The two sides signed a new round of donation agreements to further promote the construction and development of key disciplines at the university,” the press release continued. In 2021, Tieniu was one of several Chinese officials sanctioned by the Biden administration and was one of the “Deputy Directors of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (LOCPG),” which Secretary of State Antony Blinken said was China’s “main platform for projecting its influence in Hong Kong.” In July 2022, RemeGen Co., Ltd., a Chinese biopharmaceuticals company with research labs and offices throughout China and the United States, paid $170,550 to the University of Pennsylvania as part of a contract. A Fox News Digital review found that Dr. Jianmin Fang, the executive director and CEO of Remegen, was previously awarded the “National Distinguished Expert” by the organization department of the Central Committee of the CCP. Weidong Wang, the executive director and chairman of the Remegen board, also has CCP ties, previously serving as the “deputy to the 13th National People’s Congress” and currently serving as the “deputy to the 14th National People’s Congress since 2023,” according to his company biography. “The National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China is the supreme organ of state power. Its permanent body is the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress,” a Chinese government website says. “The National People’s Congress is composed of deputies elected from the provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the Central Government, and special administrative regions, and of deputies elected from the armed forces.” Fox News Digital previously reported that Ma Jianrong, a Chinese billionaire and CEO of Shenzhou International, donated at least $500,000 to the University of Pennsylvania in 2022. According to a 2017 New York Times article, Jianrong is a “member of the Chinese Communist
Georgia Trump prosecutor Fani Willis faces hearing on alleged misconduct
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis will appear for a Feb. 15 hearing regarding allegations that she had an improper relationship with her lead prosecutor. Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee scheduled the hearing on Thursday. Willis has spearheaded the prosecution of former President Trump in his indictment on election interference charges. Court documents filed earlier this month say Willis hired special prosecutor Nathan Wade, her alleged romantic partner, to prosecute Trump and benefited financially from the relationship in the form of lavish vacations that the two went on using funds his firm received for working the case. Willis has not confirmed or denied the claim, but she suggested she and Wade are being scrutinized because they are Black. GEORGIA DA FANI WILLIS CLAIMS ‘IMPROPER’ RELATIONSHIP ACCUSATIONS ARE BASED ON RACE GEORGIA DA FANI WILLIS SHOULD RESIGN FROM TRUMP CASE OVER ‘IMPROPER’ RELATIONSHIP ACCUSATION: EX-U.S. ATTORNEY Willis spoke about the matter for the first time on Sunday at the Big Bethel AME Church in Atlanta. “They only attacked one,” she said. “First thing they say, ‘Oh, she’s gonna play the race card now.’ “But no God, isn’t it them that’s playing the race card when they only question one,” Willis asked. Trump’s co-defendant in the Georgia case, Michael Roman, accused Willis and Wade of having an “improper” and “clandestine” affair at the same time that appointments were being made for the 2020 election interference case. TOP TRUMP PROSECUTOR, GEORGIA DA ALLEGED TO BE IN ‘IMPROPER’ ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP: COURT FILING Trump has called for the case against him to be dropped outright over the allegations. “You had a very big event yesterday as you saw in Georgia where the district attorney is totally compromised. The case has to be dropped,” Trump told reporters last week. “They went after 18 or 20 people.… She was out of her mind. Now it turns out that case is totally compromised. “It’s illegal. What she did is illegal. So we’ll let the state handle that, but what a sad situation it is,” he added. Fox News’ Brian Flood contributed to this report.