Florida man arrested for threats to kill Eric Swalwell and his children
A 72-year-old Florida man was arrested on Wednesday for threatening to kill a member of Congress and his family, the Justice Department said. Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., suggested on X that he was the victim in the incident. “No threat is going to stop me from representing my constituents,” Swalwell wrote. “MAGA Republicans have chosen violence over voting and this is what it looks like. But I’m not going away and neither should you.” WHERE NO CONGRESS HAS GONE BEFORE: FACING GALACTIC-SCALE FISCAL CLIFF AND BORDER SECURITY THREATS Michael Shapiro, of Greenacres, Florida, made “threatening calls” targeting a lawmaker and his children last month, a release from the Justice Department citing the formal complaint said. “According to the complaint, on Dec. 19, 2023, Michael Shapiro left five voicemail messages for a U.S. Congressperson at the Congressperson’s congressional office in Washington, D.C.,” the release said. HOUSE LEAVES FOR THE YEAR WITH CRITICAL BATTLES STILL ON HORIZON A copy of the criminal complaint obtained by Fox News Digital shows that most of Shapiro’s alleged calls focused on accusations that Swalwell had an affair with a suspected Chinese spy known as Fang Fang. “Hey mother-[expletive], you [expletive] a Chinese spy. You mother-[expletive]. I’m gonna come after you and kill you [N-word],” the complaint described the second call. Another call is described, “Hey greaseball, you [expletive] a [expletive] Chinese spy. Fang Fang. Fang Fang. I’m gonna come and kill your children mother-[expletive]. I’m gonna kill your children.” Shapiro allegedly made the calls from his home in South Florida, according to the release. His first court appearance came Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce E. Reinhart in the Southern District of Florida. The voicemails are also being investigated by U.S. Capitol Police. Fox News Digital reached out to the Capitol Police for comment on Thursday but did not immediately hear back. Shapiro had previously pleaded guilty in 2019 to federal charges related to “threatening communications.” NEW INFO SHEDS LIGHT ON WHEN SENATE SEX TAPE FILMED AS CAPITOL POLICE TAKING PROBE ‘SERIOUSLY’ In August of last year, Swalwell posted graphic audio on X of violent threats made against him and his family. He said the message was a recorded call made to one of his Congressional offices. “Swalwell’s a worthless piece of s—. Cut his wife’s head off, cut his kids’ heads off. I don’t give a f—,” a voice said. A 22-year-old Pennsylvania man pleaded guilty in October 2022 after being accused of making threatening calls to Swalwell’s California offices. Earlier this year, Swalwell reported ex-San Francisco 49ers player Bruce Miller to Capitol Police for allegedly threatening him in a direct message on social media.
New Mexico lawmakers consider ban on oil and gas production near schools
A bill to ban oil and gas production within a mile of schools and day care centers across New Mexico is among the first published proposals as the state Legislature prepares for a 30-day session that could bring an overhaul to fundamental oil and gas regulations. Regulators in the No. 2 U.S. state for oil production are considering reforms including setback requirements aimed at protecting children from pollution, amid pressure from environmental groups and other advocates to bolster pollution controls and fulfill constitutional obligations to regulate the industry. Published Wednesday, a bill introduced by Democratic state Rep. Debra Sariñana of Albuquerque would halt approval of new drilling permits within a mile of school facilities starting in July of this year. It also would halt most oil and natural gas operations in those zones by 2028. NEW MEXICO OFFICIALS PROPOSE REGULATIONS FOR REUSE OF FRACKING WASTEWATER Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham directed the state Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department to consult with a variety of stakeholders and develop its own robust set of proposed reforms to the New Mexico Oil and Gas Act, which regulates production of the two fossil fuels. The results of that process will include the establishment of setbacks from schools, hospitals, medical facilities, multifamily housing, single family homes and water bodies statewide. Lujan Grisham spokesperson Maddy Hayden said in an email Wednesday that the distance of the setbacks has yet to be determined. A draft of the agency’s proposal includes language that refers to a setback of 2,640 feet for schools, homes and health care facilities. NEW MEXICO GOV. GRISHAM PROPOSES PLAN TO TURN OILFIELD WASTE INTO CLEAN WATER SUPPLY Sariñana, a retired high school math teacher, said her proposal would likely affect about 800 existing wells out of more than 65,000 across the state. “It’s about our kids. This year it’s about our kids,” she said. The state and governor are being sued by environmental groups over alleged failures to meet constitutional provisions for protecting against oil and gas pollution. The groups have pointed to buffers around schools, homes and health care facilities as one way the state could meet its obligations. Plaintiffs and other advocates say that limiting the buffer to just a half-mile doesn’t go far enough. In a letter sent to the state Oil Conservation Division in December, they argued that research shows a setback of at least one mile is necessary to protect public health. As setback distances decrease, they said the likelihood and magnitude of exposure risk for people who live, work, go to school or frequent places near oil and gas production increases. “We feel this should be a no-brainer,” Gail Evans, a senior attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a recent interview with The Associated Press. She represents the plaintiffs in the constitutional case. BIDEN ADMIN UNLEASHES 50-YEAR MINING, OIL DRILLING BAN ACROSS THOUSANDS OF ACRES IN NEW MEXICO While the State Land Office has imposed its own buffer around schools, Evans and others say the mandate should be expanded beyond state trust land and that it has been failures by the state Legislature to address the issue of contamination and pollution that led to the legal challenge. The Legislature convenes from Jan. 16 though March 15 to approve an annual budget. Other initiatives can be considered at the discretion of the governor. Published legislative proposals also include ban on the use of fresh water in fracking and enhance oversight and sanctions for spills by well operators.
Ex-Michigan House speaker aides plead not guilty to embezzlement from nonprofit funds
Two people who had close ties to a powerful Republican lawmaker when he ran the Michigan House pleaded not guilty Wednesday to financial crimes, including embezzlement from nonprofit funds created for political purposes. Rob and Anne Minard both pled not guilty on all counts they face, Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a news release. Each was given a $50,000 personal recognizance bond. Anne Minard’s attorney, Gerry Gleeson, said in an email after the hearing that he had no comment. MICHIGAN STATE LAWMAKER ENTERS CROWDED U.S. HOUSE RACE AS DEMOCRATS AIM TO DEFEND OPEN SEAT A message seeking comment was left for Rob Minard’s attorney, Bob Harrison. The charges against the Minards arose from an ongoing investigation of former House Speaker Lee Chatfield, Nessel has said. Rob Minard was Chatfield’s chief of staff in 2019 and 2020 while his wife, Anne Minard, was director of external affairs. They also ran a side business, Victor Strategies, a political strategy and fundraising firm. MICHIGAN GOP STATE REP. SLAMS DEM LEADERSHIP AS HOUSE REFUSES TO HOLD VOTE ON RESOLUTION CONDEMNING HAMAS Nessel has said the Minards misappropriated at least $525,000 from three nonprofit political funds connected to Chatfield and a political action committee. The Minards were charged with conducting a criminal enterprise, conspiracy, embezzlement, false pretenses and a tax crime. Their Lansing-area home was raided in search of documents last February. Chatfield, who is no longer a state lawmaker, has been under investigation by authorities since his sister-in-law said he sexually assaulted her. Chatfield has denied the allegations and said they had a consensual affair.
‘Indians getting extortion calls in Canada is concerning’: MEA
The MEA spokesperson was asked about the growing concern in the Indo-Canadian community living in Canada’s British Colombia about getting extortion calls and threat calls in the last two months and if the Indian government was monitoring the situation.
Trump holds private meeting with top union boss, vexing liberals
Former President Trump privately met with a top union boss on Wednesday, less than two weeks before the critical Iowa caucus. Teamsters President Sean O’Brien thanked Trump for the sit-down in a statement the union posted late Wednesday night. “There are serious issues that need to [be] addressed to improve the lives of working people across the country, and the Teamsters Union is making sure our members’ voices are heard as we head into a critical election year,” O’Brien said. “We thank the former President for taking time during this private meeting to listen to the Teamsters’ top priorities.” NORTH CAROLINA PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY CANDIDATES HAVE BEEN FINALIZED; A TRUMP CHALLENGE IS ON APPEAL O’Brien said there would be a roundtable with “rank-and-file” union members and the former president later in January. A statement from the Teamsters posted on X said the union leader and Trump discussed “an in-depth and productive discussion on worker issues most important to the Teamsters Union.” People on the left immediately criticized O’Brien for the meeting. Utah state Senator Nate Blouin posted on X, “I know some Teamsters who probably aren’t real happy about this.” REPUBLICANS WARN BIDEN ADMIN’S FOREIGN FARM WORKER RULE IS ‘GIVEAWAY TO BIG LABOR’ Green New Deal spokesperson Prerna Jagadeesh said on the social platform, “This is the kind of photo that comes back to bite you. There’s a way to respect that some members support Trump without platforming a union-busting, right-to-work-supporting fraud like him.” President Biden scored the Teamsters’ endorsement in his 2020 race against Trump, but despite touting himself as the “most pro-union president in American history,” they have made clear they will not just hand it over again. RFK JR WARNS AGAINST TRUMP BALLOT NIXES, SAYS DEMOCRATS RISK TURNING HIM TO ‘MYTHOLOGICAL FIGURE’ Trump has been courting the union vote in his re-election bid, visiting Detroit late last year to meet with striking autoworkers instead of participating in the second Republican primary debate. The Teamsters have been meeting with 2024 presidential candidates on both sides of the aisle, as the massive workers union mulls who to throw its considerable weight behind. O’Brien and others met with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, Marianne Williamson, Cornel West and Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., last month. Fox News Digital reached out to a spokesperson for Trump for more details on the meeting with O’Brien but did not immediately hear back.
Biden to double down on Jan 6 attacks on Trump as ‘Bidenomics’ message deflates
President Biden’s campaign is doubling down on Jan. 6-related attacks against former President Trump in the coming weeks following the poor performance of the White House’s “Bidenomics” messaging. Biden will launch the new wave of attacks on Friday, framing Trump as a threat to democracy during a speech at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. Senior campaign officials highlighted the location’s connection with George Washington and Trump’s attempts to cling to power, contradicting Washington’s willingness to step down from office, according to Axios. “Over the last three years, MAGA Republicans haven’t shied away from the Big Lie — they’ve doubled down,” Biden campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez told NBC News. Biden has given speeches on the anniversary of Jan. 6 in both 2022 and 2023, but he refrained from mentioning Trump either time. He is expected to take a different approach on Friday. NORTH CAROLINA PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY CANDIDATES HAVE BEEN FINALIZED; A TRUMP CHALLENGE IS ON APPEAL Biden’s campaign is mirroring the pivot with a new ad focusing on Trump and January 6. RFK JR WARNS AGAINST TRUMP BALLOT NIXES, SAYS DEMOCRATS RISK TURNING HIM TO ‘MYTHOLOGICAL FIGURE’ “All of us are being asked right now: What will we do to maintain our democracy?” Biden says in the ad. “History is watching. The world is watching. And most important, our children and grandchildren will hold us responsible.” “This ad serves as a very real reminder that this election could very well determine the very fate of American democracy,” Rodriguez told reporters. The switch in messaging comes after the White House’s “Bidenomics” campaign sputtered with voters amid still-rising inflation. BIDEN’S HOMETOWN REVEALS HOW IT REALLY FEELS ABOUT ‘BIDENOMICS’ Biden had abandoned using the term in speeches by the end of November, following a chorus of criticism from within his own party. “Whoever came up with the slogan Bidenomics should be fired,” one anonymous Democratic strategist told NBC at the time. “It’s probably the worst messaging you could ever imagine.” Meanwhile, Trump’s campaign is cruising going into the Republican primaries, gaining momentum in large part due to the criminal cases against him and recent state decisions to remove him from primary ballots.
Watch: First look of the invitation cards for Ayodhya Ram Temple consecration ceremony
Ayodhya is getting decked up for the “Pran Pratishtha” at the temple on January 22 and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend it. Over 7,000 people are on the invitee list of the temple trust – Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra.
‘Don’t need Mamata’s mercy’: Congress attacks TMC over ‘2 seats’ offer in West Bengal
Congress MP and the party’s West Bengal chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Thursday hit out at TMC Supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, voice doubts over her intent to go into a seat allotment with the grand old party in the state.
RNC launches ‘Bank Your Vote’ websites in 16 languages across all 50 states ahead of GOP primaries
EXCLUSIVE: The Republican National Committee this week launched websites in all 50 states and in more than a dozen different languages to encourage and educate GOP voters on how to vote by mail and vote early, Fox News Digital has learned. Republicans last year launched its “Bank Your Vote” initiative, which focuses on pre-Election Day voting to build on absentee returns and early in-person voting. The effort is expected to “encourage, educate and activate Republican voters on when, where and how to lock in their votes as early as possible” through in-person voting, absentee voting and ballot harvesting where legal. RNC TO LAUNCH CAMPAIGN PUSHING REPUBLICANS TO VOTE EARLY IN 2024 This week, the RNC rolled out websites in all 50 states and in 16 languages to continue the RNC’s investment and outreach to minority communities. The languages include Arabic, Assyrian, Burmese, Chinese, Chinese (traditional), Hebrew, Hindi, Hmong, Japanese, Korean, Navajo, Portuguese, Spanish, Tagalog, Vietnamese and Yiddish. RNC officials said the websites would not only inform voters but also help them to request a ballot online or by mail, register to vote, check their registration, find their early voting location or even to find their polling place on Election Day. Officials said that as the election year progresses, additional features will be added to the websites to “empower” voters to “bank their vote.” “When Republicans vote early, we win. ‘Bank Your Vote’ will be instrumental in getting Republicans to vote early or by mail to beat Biden and secure Republican victories up and down the ballot,” RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel told Fox News Digital. “Every candidate, campaign and committee now has the ability to educate, empower and turn out Republican voters early to victory.” Last year, the RNC rolled out a video to promote the “Bank Your Vote” effort, featuring endorsements from some 2024 GOP candidates, including former President Trump, who leads the Republican primary by a massive margin. RNC LAUNCHES ‘BANK YOUR VOTE’ AD BLITZ AHEAD OF DEBATE TO PUSH REPUBLICANS TO VOTE EARLY IN 2024 ELECTIONS Meanwhile, Fox News Digital has learned that ahead of the primaries, the RNC has hired political staff in 15 battleground states, including important House and Senate states, which they have identified as New York, California and Montana. The RNC’s political team is focusing on a “data-driven ground game to grow” the party through voter registration efforts and minority outreach and to turn out Republican voters through door knocks, phone calls and volunteer recruitment. Additionally, the RNC has Election Integrity directors in 15 states. The RNC established a full-time Election Integrity Department as a permanent part of the RNC’s infrastructure. “We will continue to file key lawsuits, hire in-state election integrity directors and counsels in our target states, and continue to recruit and train tens of thousands of poll watchers and poll workers,” an RNC official told Fox News Digital. The RNC is currently engaged in more than 70 lawsuits in 20 states across the country, with 42 of those lawsuits focusing on safeguarding mail voting. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
US to send top diplomats to Middle East as regional tensions spread
US Secretary of State Blinken due to visit as Israel’s war on Gaza widens to Lebanon and threatens to engulf region. The United States is to engage in a renewed diplomatic push to calm tensions in the Middle East as the region teeters on the brink of a regional conflagration following a suspected Israeli strike on a Hamas leader in Lebanon, twin bombings in Iran and no end in sight to Israel’s war on Gaza. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is scheduled to engage in some shuttle diplomacy while on a whistlestop tour of several countries, with a visit to Israel planned for next week. Ahead of his visit, special envoy Amos Hochstein, an experienced hand who has helped broker maritime talks between Israel and Lebanon in the past, is expected to lay the groundwork. Blinken’s trip, the fourth since Israel’s war on Gaza began on October 7, comes as interlinked conflicts in the region reach boiling point. In recent days, Israel has ramped up its attacks on Gaza, the occupied West Bank, Syria, and on Hezbollah and Hamas in Lebanon, and is suspected of killing top Hamas official Saleh al-Arouri in Beirut on Tuesday. Palestinians attend a protest against the killing of senior Hamas official, Saleh al-Arouri, in Ramallah in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on January 3, 2024 [Mohammed Torokman/Reuters] Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi rebels have been disrupting global commerce, targeting vessels linked to Israel in the Red Sea in support of Hamas. Leading a multination maritime coalition, Washington has issued what appeared to be a final warning to the Houthis. Over the weekend, US-led multinational forces sank three rebel ships and killed a number of rebels, leading Iran to deploy a warship to the region. On Wednesday, Iran was hit by twin explosions that killed more than 80 people commemorating the death of top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in a US drone strike four years ago. Esmail Qaani, commander of Iran’s Quds Force, blamed the US and Israel for the attack. US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller rebutted the claims, calling suggestions of US involvement “ridiculous” and adding that he had “no reason to believe that Israel was involved”. Reporting from occupied East Jerusalem, Al Jazeera’s Laura Khan said that the US “absolutely” wanted to “restore some calm”. “This comes at a very important time,” she said, adding that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “has already said he’s fighting a war on seven fronts”, in Gaza, the occupied West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Iran. Hochstein will be looking specifically at the northern border dispute between Hezbollah and Israel, where there has been crossfire and heightened tensions since the killing of al-Arouri, our correspondent said. Palestinian women mourn after an Israeli military raid on Nur Shams refugee camp in the occupied West Bank [Majdi Mohammed/AP] Blinken’s planned visit also comes as Israel faces a high-stakes legal showdown at the UN’s International Court of Justice next week after South Africa filed a case accusing Israel of genocide. The hearing, set for January 11-12, will bring some measure of discomfort to the US, which has lent staunch support for Israel since the war began, fast-tracking $14.3bn in aid in November. On Tuesday, however, the US State Department distanced itself from recent pronouncements by hardline Israeli ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir advocating the displacement of Palestinians as a solution to the crisis. “We have been clear, consistent and unequivocal that Gaza is Palestinian land and will remain Palestinian land, with Hamas no longer in control of its future and with no terror groups able to threaten Israel,” Miller said. In Washington, US national security spokesperson John Kirby denied that apparent US support for Israel’s extraterritorial killing of Hamas leadership and its deployment of strike groups to the Eastern Mediterranean to challenge Yemen’s Houthi rebels were contributing to the escalation. “I stand by my answer. No,” he said on Wednesday, in response to a question by Al Jazeera correspondent Kimberly Halkett. Responding to the killing of al-Arouri, Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said the strike was “a major, dangerous crime about which we cannot be silent”. However, in a delicate balancing act, he underlined that he did not fear war with Israel, but stopped short of announcing a large-scale escalation. Adblock test (Why?)