Christie ramps up attacks on Haley as she closes gap with Trump in New Hampshire polls
With less than three weeks to go until New Hampshire holds the first primary in the battle for the Republican presidential nomination, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is turning up the volume on his verbal attacks on rival former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley. The former New Jersey governor is accusing Haley of acting “immature” in response to her viral comment that New Hampshire voters “correct” the Iowa caucus results. He argues that if former President Trump, the GOP nomination front-runner, asked Haley to be his running mate, “she would take it in five seconds.” Haley, the former South Carolina governor who later served as United Nations ambassador in the Trump administration, has enjoyed plenty of momentum in recent months and has soared in the latest polls in New Hampshire, which suggest she has significantly closed the gap with Trump. However, this week, two new comments by Haley were instantly used as ammunition by Christie, who is once again staking his presidential campaign on a strong finish in New Hampshire as he runs a second time for the White House. Christie stands in third place in most Granite State surveys, far behind Trump and Haley but ahead of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and multimillionaire entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. FIRST ON FOX: INFLUENTIAL CONSERVATIVE GROUP LAUNCHES MASSIVE AD BLITZ ON BEHALF OF HALEY Campaigning in Milford, New Hampshire, on Wednesday, Haley told the large crowd that “we have an opportunity to get this right. And I know we’ll get it right, and I trust you. I trust every single one of you. You know how to do this. You know Iowa starts it. You know that you correct it.” Pointing to her home state, which on Feb. 24 will hold the first southern contest in the Republican presidential primary schedule, Haley added “and then my sweet state of South Carolina brings it home.” The comment appeared to be tailored to Granite Staters, and the crowd cheered Haley’s remarks. WAR OF WORDS BETWEEN HALEY AND DESANTIS REACHES FEVER PITCH On Thursday night, Christie took aim. “You don’t have to correct anything that Iowa does or doesn’t do. That’s not New Hampshire’s responsibility. Your responsibility is to do what you think is right. You don’t have to worry about what Iowa does,” he told the crowd at a town hall in this New Hampshire town along the state’s southern border with Massachusetts. Minutes later, he told reporters, “I think people in Iowa saw here yesterday that she’s willing to say anything to an audience to try to curry their favor.” “She mocks Iowa voters just to try to get a laugh out of New Hampshire voters,” he argued. “I mean that’s like just immature. Grow up.” Christie was not the only rival to blast Haley. DeSantis, who is staking much of his campaign on a strong Iowa finish, charged Thursday in a local radio interview in the Hawkeye State that Haley was “incredibly disrespectful to Iowans to say somehow their votes need to be corrected.” Haley, during a CNN town hall Thursday in Iowa, said her comment was intended as a joke, noting “we’ve done 150 plus town halls. You got to have some fun, too.” FIRST ON FOX: HALEY FUNDRAISING SOARS THE PAST THREE MONTHS In recent weeks, DeSantis and Christie have taken aim at Haley for not being vocal enough in her criticism of Trump. Both candidates have argued Haley has an ulterior motive. “She will not answer directly, and she owes you an answer to this: Will she accept a vice presidential nomination from Donald Trump? Yes or no?” DeSantis said at a town hall in New Hampshire last month. Additionally, Christie, on multiple occasions over the past month, has emphasized that, “Ron DeSantis and I have both ruled out accepting the vice presidency from Donald Trump. Nikki Haley has not… That’s why she’s not saying strong things against Donald Trump.” Haley has frequently repeated that she is not running for second place in the GOP 2024 presidential primary. Given the opportunity in a Fox News Digital interview Tuesday ahead of a town hall in New Hampshire to categorically rule out serving as Trump’s running mate if asked, Haley reiterated she is running to win. “I have said from the very beginning I don’t play for second. It’s offensive for anybody to think that I would do all of this to play for second. And so I have said that. I will continue to say that. If people aren’t satisfied with that, I don’t know what else to say,” Haley said. Haley also told Fox News that Christie and DeSantis have “criticized me for everything. Let’s be clear. That’s what happens when you’re losing.” ONLY ON FOX: HALEY PUSHES BACK BUT DOESN’T CATEGORICALLY RULE OUT BEING TRUMP’S RUNNING MATE Pointing to the Fox News Digital interview, Christie told reporters on Thursday night “she won’t answer. She gives this bull answer ‘I never play for second.’ Like, what’s that mean? It’s simply yes or no. Would you accept vice president from Trump or wouldn’t you.” “She won’t answer. And you know what that means in politics when you don’t answer a question. That means it’s because you know the answer and you don’t want to say it out loud,” Christie claimed. “I will tell you right now, if Donald Trump offered her vice president, she would take it in five seconds. Five seconds. And that’s why she’s not answering the question.” Pointing to South Carolina’s Feb. 24 Republican presidential primary, Christie argued that Haley “wants the wiggle room to be able to do that later on when she doesn’t do as well as everyone thinks she’ll do here and when she loses her own home state, which she’s going to do.” In an interview with the New Hampshire Union Leader, Haley claimed that ruling out serving as running mate would make “the news for days” and stifle her momentum. Christie, a longtime vocal GOP critic of Trump, has faced plenty
Al Jazeera journalist Samir Sassi released in Tunis two days after arrest
Sassi was arrested on Wednesday at his house. The Al Jazeera journalist, Samir Sassi, has been released by a court in Tunis, following his arrest on terrorism charges earlier this week. Police first entered Sassi’s house late on Wednesday evening, searching his computer and confiscating his mobile phone and those of his wife and four children. Speaking to the press agency AFP, Sassi’s lawyer, Ayachi Hammami – a prominent former member of parliament and human rights activist, confirmed that his client had been released. Speaking separately, a source with knowledge of the matter suggested to Al Jazeera that no further action was presently being considered by authorities, “for now, at least,” they added. Responding to Sassi’s release, Khaled Drareni, the North African representative of the press freedom organisation, Reporters Sans Frontieres told Al Jazeera, “We condemn the unjustified arrest of Samir Sassi, and continue to call on the Tunisian authorities to cease all forms of harassment against journalists. “In our view, this latest arrest is further evidence of the authorities’ strategy of threatening press freedom in the country and creating a climate of fear for journalists,” he said. Prosecutions of journalists and opponents of the government have continued apace since the introduction of Decree Law 54, ostensibly intended to combat misinformation online. Its provisions have increasingly been used to muzzle criticism of Saied’s presidency. At the time of writing, more than 20 journalists and activists were awaiting trial after being charged for online offences. Police recently arrested three journalists – Khalifa Guesmi of Mosaique FM, Chadha Hadj Mbarek, and well-known radio journalist Zied el-Heni on December 28, charging him with insulting Tunisian Commerce Minister Kalthoum Ben Rejeb, on his radio programme, Emission Impossible. “The detention of journalists in such a reckless manner reflects an authoritarian mindset of the authorities tracking anyone who expresses their opinion,” Mahdi Jlassi, president of the National Syndicate of Tunisian Journalists (SNJT), told Al Jazeera. “What’s alarming in Samir Sassi’s case is that he was interrogated for 48 hours under the terrorism law, deprived of his right to have a lawyer present during the interrogation. “This constitutes a blatant violation of fair trial conditions. This breach, along with the disregard for procedures, the right to defence, the right to a fair trial, and ensuring the presumption of innocence … all are characteristics of political trials and trials based on opinion in Tunisia for over two years.” The United Nations human rights chief Volker Turk said last year he was “deeply concerned” about the crackdown on media in Tunisia, with vaguely worded legislation used to criminalise criticism. The SNJT is currently planning on staging a protest outside the country’s principal court in Tunis when el-Heni, the radio journalist, appears there on Wednesday. Adblock test (Why?)
Video shows rare Sumatran tiger cub and mother on first days together
NewsFeed A rare Sumatran tiger has been born at Rome’s Bioparco Zoo. Shown with her motherin video released by the zoo on Jan 5, the cub isn’t ready for public viewing just yet. The birth is a proud moment for the zoo’s conservation efforts as the Sumatran tiger species is at risk of extinction. Published On 5 Jan 20245 Jan 2024 Adblock test (Why?)
Hezbollah chief warns Lebanon could be ‘exposed’ to more Israeli attacks
Nasrallah again pledges retaliation for killing of Hamas deputy chief al-Arouri, says Hezbollah ‘cannot be silent’. The head of Lebanese armed group Hezbollah has said that all of Lebanon will be exposed if the group does not react to the assassination of Hamas deputy chief Saleh al-Arouri in Beirut this week. Speaking in a televised address for the second time in less than a week, Hassan Nasrallah reaffirmed that Hezbollah “cannot be silent about a violation of this level”. “This means that all of Lebanon will become exposed, all cities, villages, and figures will become exposed,” he said. “The murder of al-Arouri … will certainly not go without reaction and punishment.” Al-Arouri was killed in an alleged Israeli attack on a southern suburb of Beirut on Tuesday, a stronghold of Hezbollah. Nasrallah’s comments come as Lebanon filed a complaint to the United Nations Security Council over the assassination of al-Arouri, calling it the “most dangerous phase” of Israeli attacks on the country. The complaint said Israel used six missiles in the attack that killed al-Arouri and added that Israel uses Lebanese airspace to bomb Syria, the Reuters news agency said, citing the document dated January 4. This is not the first time that Nasrallah promised retaliation. He had on Wednesday warned Israel against expanding its war, saying there would be “no ceilings” and “no rules” to his group’s fighting if Israel chose to launch a war on Lebanon. “Whoever thinks of war with us – in one word, he will regret it,” Nasrallah said. ‘670 military operations’ Al Jazeera’s Imran Khan, reporting from Beirut, said Nasrallah reiterated a promise to retaliate. Nasrallah said al-Arouri’s killing “will not go unanswered or unpunished”, and that Hezbollah fighters will use the “right place and the right time, and the field will respond”, Khan said. Nasrallah also said “We have full knowledge of where Israeli military positions are,” and the Israelis “aren’t revealing the true number of their casualties, and the destruction of their equipment”, our correspondent added. In his remarks, the Hezbollah leader said Lebanon’s southern border with Israel was a “key part” of the war, and that the group’s current operations along the border opened a “historic opportunity” for Lebanon to liberate its land occupied by Israel. He added that the Islamic resistance in Iraq also has a “historic opportunity” to get rid of the United States presence in that country. Nasrallah said Hezbollah fighters had conducted approximately 670 military operations on the Lebanon-Israel border, adding that the group destroyed a “large number of Israeli vehicles and tanks”. He also said if the Israeli military managed to achieve its military goals in Gaza, it would then turn to Lebanon. Since October 8 – a day after Israel launched its war on the Gaza Strip – continuing clashes between the Israeli army and Hezbollah along the Israel-Lebanon border have resulted in the deaths of dozens of Lebanese civilians and more than 140 Hezbollah members. Israel and armed groups in southern Lebanon, particularly Hezbollah, have engaged in frequent back-and-forth exchanges across the United Nations-patrolled border. Adblock test (Why?)
‘800-1000 people attacked with an intention to…’: ED on Bengal violence
In an official statement, the federal agency said it has filed a complaint with the local police for registration of an FIR against the accused.
Weather Forecast: IMD issues cold day warning in five states for next 2 days; check details here
A ‘cold day’ is recognized if the maximum temperature drops between 4.5-6.4 degrees below the seasonal norm. If temperatures fall 6.5 degrees below the normal range for the season, it is called a severe cold day.
COVID-19 test made mandatory for patients with respiratory diseases, flu-like illnesses in this state
Stating that neighbouring Kerala has started seeing a downward trend in Covid cases, he said he has asked officials to keep a close watch on those who are Covid positive.
New Hampshire Dems vote to ban child sex changes, young liberal lawmaker decries ‘irreversible surgeries’
Twelve New Hampshire state House Democrats voted with Republicans to pass a bill banning sex change surgeries for children. The bill, HB 619, was originally designed to ban all transgender medical procedures on minors but was amended to only focus on barring sex change surgeries for kids. New Hampshire Democrat Rep. Jonah Wheeler was one of the 12 members of his party to vote for the bill, giving a floor speech on Thursday, citing the “irreversible surgeries” at the heart of the issue. CONSERVATIVES BLAST REPUBLICAN OHIO GOVERNOR AS ‘COWARD’ FOR TRANSGENDER BILL VETO “I rise today, despite the uncomfortability of this vote, because, for me, it comes down to whether or not kids should be able to get these surgeries,” Wheeler, who is 20-years-old, said. “And despite the fact that I am a liberal, despite the fact that I believe in nondiscrimination for trans people, for gay people, for queer people . . . the question before us is whether or not children under the age of 18 should be able to get these surgeries,” he continued. “And I, despite being a liberal who believes in those human rights, do not think that is the case,” he added. Wheeler noted that he spoke to several entities, including lobbyists, stakeholders, and “people with first-hand experience, lived experience,” but that the only argument he’s heard against the “amendment, specifically, opens the door to other bad trans bills.” “But folks, the slippery slope fallacy I don’t think applies here,” Wheeler said. “We’re talking about whether kids should get these surgeries, and they should not.” “These are irreversible surgeries,” Wheeler said, noting the “medical exceptions” in the bill. “But when we’re talking about whether or not kids should get these surgeries, I think that goes a bridge too far,” he added. “And I will not be signing onto that.” Wheeler said the question at hand was “not whether or not you’re with the trans community” but rather “a question on whether or not you believe children should be able to get these irreversible surgeries.” “So, again, despite being a Democrat, despite being a liberal who believes in human rights, I don’t think that children should be able to get these irreversible surgeries,” Wheeler said. “So I’ll take all the heat that comes from this.” Wheeler added that he hopes his Democratic colleagues “who definitely believe in human rights” and “protecting nondiscrimination would consider the irreversible surgeries that kids are going to be getting if this bill does not pass.” Fox News Digital reached out to Wheeler for comment. The New Hampshire House passed HB 619 Thursday in a vote of 199-175. The Granite State Democrats were not the only ones to see defections on the bill. Two Republicans broke with their party to vote against the bill banning child sex change surgeries in the state.
Top House committee probes John Kerry’s coordination with eco groups pushing coal power shutdown
FIRST ON FOX: House Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., is probing the State Department over its apparent coordination with environmental groups pushing to shutter global coal power. In a letter sent Friday to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Comer revealed that his committee obtained emails between Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry’s office and environmental groups like the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) showing extensive communication about plans to oppose coal power. Officials specifically discussed joining the Powering Past Coal Alliance (PPCA), a group the U.S. formally joined in December. “To meet our goal of 100% carbon pollution-free electricity by 2035, we need to phase out unabated coal, and we urge the world to join us in doing so, while working to grow good-paying clean energy jobs,” Kerry said in a statement on Dec. 2 from the COP28 United Nations climate summit in Dubai. “Together with the Powering Past Coal Alliance, we will be working to accelerate unabated coal phase-out across the world, building stronger economies and more resilient communities,” he added. “The first step is to stop making the problem worse: stop building new unabated coal power plants.” EXPERTS RAISE ALARM AFTER BIDEN STRIKES AGREEMENT WITH CHINA TO SHUT DOWN FOSSIL FUELS Comer expressed concerns in his letter Friday that Kerry’s ultimate decision to join the PPCA was heavily influenced by nongovernmental organizations that may, in turn, be coordinating with foreign actors. Notably, the NRDC has significant operations and investment in China which the group says is aimed at assisting efforts to decarbonize the nation’s economy. Comer also noted that coal-fired power plants continue to generate a large share of the nation’s total electricity. In 2022, coal accounted for 20% of total U.S. electricity generation, second only to natural gas, according to the Energy Information Administration. CHINESE TECH COMPANIES ARE EXPLOITING US GREEN ENERGY GOALS, FORMER STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS WARN “Documents produced to the Committee reveal that the State Department sought and received feedback from leftist environmental groups on the [PPCA] and enabled those groups to influence U.S. foreign policy,” Comer wrote to Blinken. “These documents raise significant concerns that confidential information related to U.S. foreign policy, energy policy, and national security policy, have been shared with these groups, including in off-the-record meetings with Envoy John Kerry.” “The PPCA announcement was the latest example of Envoy Kerry and the Biden Administration taking actions under the guise of climate advocacy that undermine our economic health and threaten foreign policy priorities while avoiding congressional scrutiny,” the Oversight chairman continued. For example, Comer pointed to a March 2021 exchange in which State Department officials “solicited and received guidance” from the NRDC about the PPCA. One official wrote to NRDC leaders referencing an off-the-record briefing held earlier that morning and requesting more information about global efforts to phase out coal production. In response, NRDC international analyst Han Chen connected the State Department with another eco group, E3G, and lauded PPCA for its work driving countries to “announce earlier coal plant closures through the process of qualifying to join the PPCA.” DEM, GOP REPS RAISE ALARM THAT BIDEN ADMIN LOOKING OTHER WAY ON SOLAR INDUSTRY’S ALLEGED FORCED LABOR TIES One month later, in April 2021, the NRDC, E3G, Sierra Club, Solutions for Our Climate, and World Resources Institute authored a memo emailed to State Department officials highlighting their support for the U.S. to join the PPCA. They said joining the alliance would support President Biden’s goal to decarbonize the U.S. power grid by 2035. “These exchanges raise concerns as to what information Envoy Kerry and the SPEC office are providing to organizations like the NRDC in exchange for this information,” Comer’s letter to Blinken continued. “The Committee is concerned that U.S. government officials providing similar nonpublic information to such groups could enable them to provide it to foreign governments for efforts undermining U.S. national and energy security,” he wrote. Comer then requested a series of documents and communications related to the State Department’s decision to join the PPCA. He asked for the information to be submitted to his committee by Jan. 19 and further requested a staff-level briefing on the topic. The State Department, NRDC and PPCA didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. CCP-TIED GROUP IS QUIETLY FUELING US-BASED CLIMATE INITIATIVES: TAX FILINGS In one of his first actions leading the Oversight Committee, Comer opened a probe in February into Kerry’s office over its negotiations with China. And in May, Comer again promised “intense scrutiny” of Kerry’s China climate talks. The probe announced Friday is part of Comer’s broader oversight into Kerry’s office and actions representing the U.S. in climate negotiations on the world stage. Shortly after taking office in 2021, Biden appointed Kerry to be the U.S. SPEC, a position that hadn’t previously existed, didn’t require Senate approval, and gives him a spot on the president’s cabinet and National Security Council. The SPEC office is housed at the State Department and has an estimated $13.9 million annual budget with approval for 45 personnel. Since assuming the role, Kerry has traveled worldwide, attending high-profile climate summits and diplomatic engagements in an effort to push a global transition from fossil fuels to green energy alternatives. Despite the high-level role leading the Biden administration’s global climate strategy, Kerry’s office has been tight-lipped about its internal operations and staff members, sparking criticism from Republicans, including Comer, who have demanded transparency from his office.
Americans worry these ‘creepy’ deepfakes will manipulate people in 2024 election, ‘disturbingly false’
Americans in Silicon Valley are predicting advanced artificial intelligence could significantly influence and manipulate voters in the 2024 elections, with a potential for “disturbingly false” political advertising to push agendas. “I’ve seen some hilarious videos and some concerning ones where it’s getting too realistic,” Travis, of San Jose, said. “It’s a little creepy.” WATCH MORE FOX NEWS DIGITAL ORIGINALS HERE As advanced artificial intelligence applications proliferate across industries, the rapidly evolving technology has raised concerns about its ability to manipulate elections, with some 2024 presidential campaigns already utilizing the tool. Former President Trump’s presidential campaign, for example, triggered an uproar on X after using artificial intelligence to recreate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ 2024 presidential announcement with fictional guests, including billionaire Democratic donor George Soros, World Economic Forum Chair Klaus Schwab, former Vice President Dick Cheney, Adolf Hitler, the devil and the FBI. “I think it will worsen the circumstances with fake postings,” Richard said. “I think a lot of the political advertising has the potential to become disturbingly false using AI. It’s gradually improving significantly, and I think there’s a tremendous motivation for people trying to push a particular agenda.” WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)? Claire said voters could have trouble differentiating real and AI-generated content. “People aren’t going to be able to distinguish between AI and real reporting,” Claire told Fox News. “What’s fake and what’s real was already kind of an issue with 2020, and I think it’s going to continue to get worse in 2024 because some of it is extremely convincing.” ‘FEAR AT 10’: SENATORS’ CONCERNS SPIKE ON IMPACT OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ‘TO CHANGE VOTES’ IN 2024 DeSantis’ campaign also used AI-generated audio and video to criticize Trump’s policies, including one portraying a fictional image of Trump hugging Anthony Fauci posted on social media in June. Another campaign ad, created by a PAC supporting DeSantis, used AI-generated audio to mimic Trump’s voice criticizing Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds. The AI voice appears to have been based on comments Trump wrote on Truth Social but never said aloud. “I think AI will be used to manipulate people into doing things that they’re not quite sure they wanted to do,” Steve said. “That’s going to be a big impact that goes under the radar. I think public opinion will be shaped in a large way.” Ken said Americans will have to learn to distinguish between real and deceptively manipulated campaign ads when making important voting decisions. “I think there’s going to be a period where we’re going to be influenced by what AI presents,” Ken said. “It’s going to take some time for people to kind of wise up and understand that we live in a different world.” “You can’t really trust what you see and hear anymore,” he continued. “It’s going to be interesting how this shapes how this shapes us.”