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Haley claims that she will beat Biden ‘all the way down to school board’

Haley claims that she will beat Biden ‘all the way down to school board’

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley said that she is the only candidate that would beat President Joe Biden by double digits and initiate change, “all the way down to school boards.” “Every one of those polls and against Biden, I beat him by double digits, by 17 points,” Haley said. “That’s bigger than the presidency, the House and the Senate. That’s governorships. That’s all the way down to school boards.” “If you win by double digits going into D.C.-that’s a mandate,” Haley said. “A mandate to get our economy back on track and stop this wasteful spending, a mandate to get our kids reading again and go back to the basics when it comes to education, a mandate to secure our borders.” “No more excuses,” Haley said. HALEY CANCELS IN-PERSON CAMPAIGN STOPS, ALL BUT TWO DESANTIS EVENTS ALSO SCRAPPED DUE TO IOWA BLIZZARD Haley said that while she believes that former President Trump “was the right president at the right time,” he barely beats Biden “on a good day.” “I think President Trump was the right president at the right time. I agree with a lot of his policies, but rightly or wrongly, chaos follows him…” Haley said.  “And if you look at these general election polls right now and look at the head to head against Biden, look at any of them, Ron DeSantis doesn’t beat Biden,” Haley said. “Trump on a good day, might be up by two, but it’s head-to-head. It’ll be a nail biter of an election.” The two-term South Carolina governor who later served as ambassador to the United Nations in the Trump administration argued that she is the only candidate that beats Biden by double digits. HALEY DIDN’T ASK CHRISTIE FOR HIS ENDORSEMENT IN 2024 RACE BUT SPOKE WITH HIM AFTER HOT MIC DISS “In order to have that, it’s going to take a lot of courage,” Haley said. “Don’t complain about what happens in a general election if you don’t participate in this caucus. It matters.” A new poll, released Thursday, suggested that Haley had moved past Florida Govenor Ron DeSantis for a distant second place behind former President Trump. According to a Suffolk University survey of 500 Iowa voters likely to participate in Monday’s GOP presidential caucuses, Trump stands at 54% support, with Haley at 20% and DeSantis at 13%. The poll was conducted from Jan. 6-10, when Haley and DeSantis faced off in a primetime debate in Iowa, while Trump simultaneously took part in a Fox News town hall. Nikki Haley’s campaign office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.  Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.

Republican caucuses? Iowa’s Arabs and Muslims are more concerned with Gaza

Des Moines, Iowa – National media, political pundits and United States presidential hopefuls all converged on the state capital of Des Moines this week, as it played host to the final Republican debate before the Iowa caucuses. But just miles down the road from where Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis traded barbs on Wednesday night, local businessman Mohamed Ali was unfazed. “Honestly, we don’t care about them,” Ali told Al Jazeera, blowing smoke from his hookah pipe in a packed cafe outside Des Moines. “With all the debates, they all fight and compete over who supports Israel more.” While indifferent towards the race for the Republican nomination, the 46-year-old Palestinian American father of three said one thing was certain: He would not back Democratic President Joe Biden for a second term in November. Israel’s war in Gaza had been a turning point for Ali, who previously supported Biden in 2020.  Dressed in a white button-up shirt with a light blue blazer over it, he alternated between anger and stoicism — voicing rage over Biden’s support of Israel and apathy towards the 2024 elections. “The Arab and the Muslim community, they are not voting for Biden. I did not talk to a single person who said he’s going to vote for Biden,” Ali told Al Jazeera, as Arabic pop music blared in the background of the cafe. He added that even the prospect of Donald Trump’s return to the White House was not enough to spur Arab Americans to vote Democrat in the presidential race. Des Moines-area businessman Mohamed Ali says it is too late for President Joe Biden to win the votes of Arab Americans in Iowa [Ali Harb/Al Jazeera] Ali was born in Lebanon to Palestinian refugee parents. He studied in Tunisia before moving to New York and ending up in Iowa — the rural, sparsely populated state where the first Republican primary contest will take place on Monday. But Ali, like many Arab and Muslim Americans, has found himself disillusioned with mainstream US politics as the war in Gaza unfolds. Biden has articulated “unwavering” support for Israel, and his rivals in the Republican field have all tried to outdo each other with their advocacy for the US ally. All the while, international outcry has mounted over the rising death toll in Gaza, where an Israeli military campaign has killed over 23,700 Palestinians. Israel itself faced genocide accusations this week before the International Court of Justice. So in Iowa, as the election approaches, many Arab Americans feel stuck between Biden and a hard place. For now, many are spending their energy on local activism for Gaza. Ali himself has organised several Palestine solidarity protests, drawing hundreds of people in Des Moines. ‘Litmus test’ Although overwhelmingly white, Iowa is home to sizable Arab and Muslim communities: One grassroots project estimated Iowa’s Arab American population to include upwards of 17,700 people, in a state of 3.2 million. One of the nation’s oldest mosques is in the eastern Iowa city of Cedar Rapids, an area that elected its first Arab American state legislator in 2022. South of Cedar Rapids, in the college town of Iowa City, there is also a growing Sudanese American community. In Des Moines, meanwhile, there are clusters of Arab and Muslim Americans from the Middle East, South Asia and Bosnia. While US Arabs and Muslims are no monolith, more than a dozen activists interviewed by Al Jazeera echoed the same sentiment: They feel alienated by Republicans, but they will not vote for Biden. Ending the war in Gaza is now the central issue for many of Iowa’s politically active Arab Americans. They have organised protests, met with representatives and pushed ceasefire resolutions at the local level to make their voices heard. “I find it very difficult to stomach anybody who can’t call for a ceasefire at this point, no matter what party they’re in,” said Maria Reveiz, a Lebanese American yoga instructor who owns a jazz club in Des Moines. “I’ve left the Democratic Party. I have no affiliation. Palestine from here on out is my litmus test for anybody to get my support ever again.” That sense of disenfranchisement among Arab and Muslim Americans in Iowa has been amplified by a lack of outreach from campaigns during this year’s presidential race. While Democrats made headlines in 2020 for organising caucuses in Iowa mosques, Republican candidates have not reached out specifically to Arab and Muslim Americans, adding to those communities’ lack of concern with Monday’s race. Reveiz, a curly-haired mother of three, campaigned for Bernie Sanders during the 2020 Democratic caucuses, but she has since covered a sticker of a mittened Sanders on her laptop with a Palestinian flag. Sanders has not called for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. When she spoke to Al Jazeera, Reveiz’s house looked like a shrine for Palestine: a keffiyeh above the fireplace, a painting by a Palestinian artist on the wall, a scarf with the colours of the Palestinian flag on a shelf. Reveiz herself wore a pendant that said “Palestine” in Arabic around her neck. Even a Buddha statue in the corner of her living room was draped with a Palestinian flag. Reveiz had visited Gaza several times in the past years with an aid group to lead yoga classes designed to help address trauma. Israeli shelling has since killed one of her friends in the Palestinian territory. “Ahmad Ismail,” Reveiz said, whispering his name but stopping short of crying. “Wonderful human.” With Israel restricting access to food, medicine and water in Gaza, Ismail had been on his roof collecting rainwater when he was hit by shelling in Deir el-Balah. Reveiz said she has now contacted the offices of her representatives in Congress so often that staffers recognise her. She has also written to the White House demanding a ceasefire. But she has not heard any positive responses to her requests. “It’s futile,” Reveiz told Al Jazeera. Sami Scheetz stands outside the Iowa state capitol in Des Moines [Ali Harb/Al Jazeera]

Supreme Court to decide whether cities can ban homeless from public areas

Supreme Court to decide whether cities can ban homeless from public areas

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear a case involving whether cities in Western states can ban homeless people from sleeping in public areas.  The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals previously ruled against anti-camping ordinances in Grants Pass, Oregon, saying it’s unconstitutional because it violates the Eighth Amendment of no “cruel and unusual punishment.” Grants Pass appealed the ruling, with the backing of California Gov. Gavin Newsom, whose own state faces a homelessness crisis.  The ruling applies to nine western states, including Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. GAVIN NEWSOM PRESSED ON SAN FRANCISCO’S HOMELESS WOES IN LATE-NIGHT STOP: ‘CAN’T BLAME IT ON CONSERVATIVES’ A separate 9th circuit panel ruled in the Grants Pass case that officials shouldn’t pass laws banning homeless people “from using a blanket, pillow, or cardboard box for protection from the elements.”  Former MLB great and 10-time All-Star Steve Garvey, a California Republican running for U.S. Senate, told Fox News Digital Friday that combating homelessness must be “grounded in compassion and practical solutions.”  “Having recently visited homeless shelters in San Diego and Skid Row in Los Angeles, I’ve seen the harsh realities faced by those living on the streets,” Garvey explained. “This experience reinforces my belief that while we need to uphold public safety and community standards, our approach to homelessness must be grounded in compassion and practical solutions.” He said his tour of homeless areas “started as a personal awakening and has now become a personal commitment to doing everything I can to address this humanitarian crisis.” BUSINESS OWNERS SAY SAN FRANCISCO IS ‘GETTING WORSE’ FOR RESTAURANTS AMIDST HOMELESS CRISIS: REPORT Garvey told Fox News Digital that the Supreme Court should “take into account the need for humane treatment of the homeless, alongside the enforcement of public ordinances.” “It’s imperative that we find a balance that respects the dignity of all individuals while addressing the broader social and health-related issues contributing to homelessness,” he added.  Newsom issued a statement on Friday that said, “California has invested billions to address homelessness, but rulings from the bench have tied the hands of state and local governments to address this issue.” His office said he had filed an amicus brief in September that urged the Supreme Court “to clarify that state and local governments can take reasonable actions to address the homelessness crisis creating health and safety dangers for individuals living in encampments and our communities.” Newsom added, “The Supreme Court can now correct course and end the costly delays from lawsuits that have plagued our efforts to clear encampments and deliver services to those in need.” In 2018, a 9th circuit ruling over a Boise, Idaho, case also found that penalizing the homeless for sleeping on the street when there’s no shelter available violates the 8th amendment.  Theane Evangelis, a lawyer for Grants Pass, said, “The tragedy is that these decisions are actually harming the very people they purport to protect. We look forward to presenting our arguments to the Supreme Court this spring.” Grants pass argued that allowing homeless people to stay in encampments can lead to increased crime, fires, “the reemergence of medieval diseases” and harm to the environment, according to The Hill.  CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP But Ed Johnson, a lawyer representing the homeless people who challenged the ordinances in Grants Pass, said, “The issue before the Court is whether cities can punish homeless residents simply for existing without access to shelter. Nevertheless, some politicians and others are cynically and falsely blaming the judiciary for the homelessness crisis to distract the public and deflect blame for years of failed policies.” The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

DeSantis racks up 50 new endorsements from Iowa faith leaders days ahead of pivotal caucuses

DeSantis racks up 50 new endorsements from Iowa faith leaders days ahead of pivotal caucuses

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis gained 50 new endorsements from pastors and faith leaders across Iowa, bringing him to over 150 total endorsements from faith leaders in the final days before the Iowa caucuses. DeSantis’ campaign confirmed to Fox News Digital that the 50 new endorsers plan to caucus for him on Monday. Pastors pointed to DeSantis’ “unwavering faith” and his track record of defending religious liberty in Florida. “Other candidates talk, but Ron DeSantis is a true man of unwavering faith and defender of religious liberty who we can trust to unite our nation and revive America,” Pastor Jeff Moes of Sunnybrook Community Church said. “I will be honored to support him on caucus night and encourage my fellow Iowans to do the same.”  HALEY CANCELS IN-PERSON CAMPAIGN STOPS, ALL BUT TWO DESANTIS EVENTS ALSO SCRAPPED DUE TO IOWA BLIZZARD Others pointed to his “Christian worldview” for why they are backing the Florida governor. “I believe that Ron DeSantis is a political candidate whose core convictions are based upon principles of faith and a Christian worldview,” Pastor AJ Potter of Pleasantville Baptist Church said. “He has earned my respect and my full support for the upcoming caucus this Monday.” The 50 additional endorsements to DeSantis come after his campaign turned its attention to appealing to evangelical voters. HALEY PULLS AHEAD OF DESANTIS IN BATTLE FOR DISTANT 2ND PLACE BEHIND TRUMP IN NEW IOWA POLL In September, DeSantis launched his Faith and Family Coalition, which focused on his promise to “defend religious freedom, allow people of faith to flourish and advance the culture of life.” In November, influential evangelical leader Bob Vander Plaats endorsed DeSantis and has been campaigning regularly for him. Vander Plaats, president and CEO of The Family Leader organization, has long played a vital role in a state where evangelical voters play an outsized role in Republican politics.  Vander Plaats backed former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee in 2008, former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania in 2012, and Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas in 2016 – all three of whom went on to win the Iowa caucuses, but failed to capture the GOP presidential nomination. A new poll, released Thursday, suggested that former ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley had moved past DeSantis for a distant second place behind former President Trump. According to a Suffolk University survey of 500 Iowa voters likely to participate in Monday’s GOP presidential caucuses, Trump stands at 54% support, with Haley at 20% and DeSantis at 13%. The poll was conducted from Jan. 6-10, when Haley and DeSantis faced off in a primetime debate in Iowa, while Trump simultaneously took part in a Fox News town hall. Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.

President touts ‘Bidenomics’ in Pennsylvania the same week thousands of jobs slashed across multiple sectors

President touts ‘Bidenomics’ in Pennsylvania the same week thousands of jobs slashed across multiple sectors

President Biden spoke to small businesses Friday in and around the Philadelphia suburb of Allentown, which the White House said is experiencing an “economic comeback,” as he touts his “Bidenomics” agenda in an effort to shore up his record on the economy.  Biden’s pitch Friday was that he’s been better for small businesses than former President Donald Trump, a billionaire, real estate magnate and reality television host who won the presidency in 2016 on the premise that he knows how to grow the economy. “My name is Joe Biden and I work for the governor and the senator,” the president said as he stepped into the Nowhere Coffee Co. in Emmaus, Pennsylvania along with Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pennsylvania. Biden ordered what appeared to be a mango smoothie.  AMERICANS DESCRIBE STRUGGLES TO AFFORD FOOD WHILE BIDEN TOUTS STRONG ECONOMY: ‘I AM HONESTLY SCARED’ During a later stop at a firefighter training center in Allentown, Biden said people were beginning to feel positive about the economy, particularly inflation, which has receded from its June 2002 high of 9.1% to 3.4%.  “If you notice, they’re feeling much better about how the economy is doing,” Biden said in response to a reporter’s question. “What we haven’t done is letting them know exactly who got it changed. … Everybody’s doing better and they believe it. They know it. And it’s just beginning to sink in.” The president has repeatedly boasted about the economy amid inflation and rising interest rates that have been a barrier for many potential first-time home buyers.  Under Biden, unemployment in Allentown sits at 3.9% and has reached a 20-year-low, according to figures provided to Fox News Digital by the White House. In addition, 32,000 jobs were added in the region and new business applications grew by more than 30% in 2022.  BIDEN SAYS AUSTIN HAD LAPSE IN JUDGMENT FOLLOWING HOSPITALIZATION DEBACLE, SAY HE STILL HAS CONFIDENCE IN HIM But the economic recovery touted by the White House stands in stark contrast to recent announcements of layoffs at some of the country’s most influential institutions in the banking, tech and business sectors. Citigroup plans to let go of 20,000 employees over the next two years, CFO Mark Mason said Friday. A few hundred employees working on Google’s voice assistant unit and another few hundred people working on the augmented reality hardware team will also be let go. Amazon plans to layoff hundreds of workers by the end of the week at its Prime Video, MGM Studio and Twitch divisions. Trump and a slew of Republican presidential contenders have hammered Biden’s record on the economy. In a statement to Fox News Digital, Nikki Haley said many Americans are still feeling the pinch of the increasing costs for everyday items.  “Biden can say the economy is great all day long, but everybody knows that’s not true when they go to the grocery store and the gas station, or when they pay their mortgage and insurance,” Haley said. “Biden’s runaway spending is hurting American families. We need to stop the borrowing, stop the debt, and cut up the credit cards. But first, we have to retire Joe Biden from the White House.” Fox News Digital reached out to other GOP presidential contenders for comment.  Following the November jobs report released in early December, Biden boasted his administration had created “over 14 million jobs.”  A Fox News poll released last month revealed only 14% of respondents said they were helped by Biden’s economic policies. Earlier this month, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Americans needed to give Biden’s economic policies more “time” to take effect as voters remain sour on the president. “We get that, so it’s going to take a little bit of time for folks to feel what the ‘Bidenomics’ has been able to do,” she told MSNBC host Willie Geist. That’s not something that I’m saying. That’s something that economists have said, right? It takes a little bit of time. But it doesn’t mean, it doesn’t mean that the president is not going to continue to work.” The Associated Press and Fox News Digital’s Hanna Panreck and Dana Blanton contributed to this report.