Melania Trump expected to attend Rosalynn Carter tribute service, former President Trump not on guest list
Former first lady Melania Trump is expected to join her contemporaries and other leaders at a memorial tribute service for the former first lady Rosalynn Carter. Trump will be joined by other living former first ladies – including Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton and Laura Bush – the Carter Center said Monday in a news release announcing the guest list for the Tuesday service at Emory University in Atlanta. JIMMY CARTER HAD ONE OF THE ‘GREATEST SECOND ACTS’ IN AMERICAN HISTORY, CONSERVATIVE HISTORIAN SAYS In addition to the former first ladies, President Biden, First Lady Jill Biden as well as Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff are all slated to attend the invitation-only service. Former President Donald Trump was not among the guests listed to attend the event. Fox News Digital has reached out to the Trump campaign. Carter passed away in Georgia last week at age 96 after being admitted to a hospice. Her husband, former President Jimmy Carter, will also attend her tribute service. The couple were married for 77 years. The tribute service will also feature the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, which will play some of Rosalynn Carter’s “most beloved tunes,” the Carter Center said.
New Mexico Supreme Court upholds Democrat-drawn congressional map
The New Mexico Supreme Court upheld a Democratic-drawn congressional map that divvied up a conservative, oil-producing region and reshaped a swing district along the U.S. border with Mexico, in an order published Monday. All five justices signed a shortly worded order to affirm a lower court decision that the redistricting plan enacted by Democratic state lawmakers in 2021 succeeded in substantially diluting votes of their political opponents — but that the changes fell short of “egregious” gerrymandering. The Republican Party argued unsuccessfully that the new district boundaries would entrench Democratic officials in power, highlighting the 2022 defeat of incumbent GOP Congresswoman Yvette Herrell by Democratic U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez. EXPERTS EXAMINE HOW SUPREME COURT COULD OVERHAUL VOTING RIGHTS LITIGATION IN POSSIBLE GERRYMANDERING CASE Democratic state lawmakers argued that the 2nd District in southern New Mexico remains competitive, with just a 0.7% margin of victory in the 2022 election. The district is one of about a dozen in the national spotlight as Republicans campaign to keep their slim U.S. House majority in 2024. Courts ruled recently in Alabama, Louisiana and Florida that Republican-led legislatures had unfairly diluted the voting power of Black residents. Legal challenges to congressional districts are also ongoing in Arkansas, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah. State Republican Party Chairman Steve Pearce said the legal outcome in New Mexico “leaned heavily on the closeness of the previous election” in which a “popular Republican incumbent” was defeated by a lesser-known rival. “We are contemplating our next course of action,” said Pearce, who represented the 2nd District in Congress before running unsuccessfully for governor in 2018. State District Court Judge Fred Van Soelen had ruled in October that recent changes to New Mexico’s congressional districts do not violate the state constitution. Democrats hold every statewide elected office in New Mexico, along with its three House and two Senate seats. SUPREME COURT RULES IN FAVOR OF BLACK VOTERS IN ALABAMA RACIAL GERRYMANDERING CASE Though Republicans won control of the U.S. House from Democrats in the 2022 election, the closely divided chamber more accurately reflects the ratio of Republicans to Democrats among voters nationally than at any time in recent years, according to an Associated Press analysis. New Mexico was among several states to use a citizens advisory board with the aim of tempering political inclinations — without taking redistricting powers away from state lawmakers. Groups, including Common Cause, said the process resulted in fairer maps. But Republicans in the state’s legislative minority argued that they were effectively shut out of the final legislative process amid conversations beyond legislative hearings via email and text messages that were subpoenaed at trial. Democrats gained a 12% advantage in voter registrations over Republicans in the newly drawn 2nd District, where major party registration previously was roughly evenly split, Judge Van Soelen noted.
Soros pushed $15M to nonprofit linked to Biden super PAC to test ‘critical’ policy issues, tax docs reveal
A George Soros-funded group pushed more than $15 million to a nonprofit tied to President Biden’s main outside super PAC for the 2024 elections to evaluate crucial policy matters, records reveal. Tax documents provided to Fox News Digital show that the Open Society Policy Center, an advocacy nonprofit in the Soros-bankrolled Open Society Foundations network, funneled $15.18 million to Future Forward USA Action in 2022 for research and “content testing on critical policy issues.” Future Forward USA Action is the dark money nonprofit arm of the Future Forward PAC, which Biden’s team heightened as the leading external group to rake in big money and aid his re-election efforts. “For someone who claims to disdain dark money, President Biden seems quite comfortable with the king of dark money propping up an outside group spending big to push his agenda,” Caitlin Sutherland, executive director of Americans for Public Trust, told Fox News Digital. “George Soros’ projects are notorious for pushing policies that undermine safety, democracy and the rule of law. By funneling money through this Biden-tied group, Soros is signaling that he and Biden are birds of a feather.” BIDEN’S RE-ELECTION EFFORTS BOLSTERED BY MASSIVE DONATIONS FROM GEORGE SOROS AND OTHER BILLIONAIRES It’s unclear precisely what kind of research and “critical” issues the Soros money went toward. Future Forward USA Action and the Open Society Foundations did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. The cash was likely a substantial part of Future Forward’s preparations before Biden and his confidants publicly elevated its PAC as the central outside political fundraising vehicle to back his candidacy this past summer. Meanwhile, Soros has donated significant amounts to backing Biden’s candidacy in the past and recently cut a $250,000 check to his victory fund. The financier’s son Alex, who now leads the Open Society Foundations network, has also been a frequent Biden White House visitor. CONTROVERSIAL GEORGE SOROS-BACKED VIRGINIA PROSECUTOR OUSTED FROM OFFICE AFTER FINAL VOTES COUNTED Biden is poised to benefit from considerable dark money due to the past arrangements and actions between Future Forward’s nonprofit and PAC. Since the 2020 election, Future Forward USA Action – which does not identify its donors – has steered $77 million into the Future Forward PAC, according to a search of Federal Election Commission records. During that time, the PAC raised roughly $181 million, meaning that more than 40% of the Biden PAC’s funds came from its affiliated dark money nonprofit. The records also show Future Forward’s PAC and nonprofit share employees. In June, the PAC reported $55,798 in in-kind donations for “staff time and overhead” from its nonprofit arm. These actions will likely continue throughout the 2024 cycle, ultimately leaving the public in the dark about significant benefactors assisting the leading outside group backing Biden as the election draws closer. Senior White House adviser Anita Dunn said Future Forward “really earned its place as the pre-eminent super PAC” to back Biden for the upcoming elections after they dropped $141 million on independent expenditures during the last presidential election cycle. “In 2020, when they really appeared from nowhere and started placing advertising, the Biden campaign was impressed by the effectiveness of the ads and the overall rigorous testing that had clearly gone into the entire project,” Dunn told The New York Times in July. Future Forward’s leader, Chauncey McLean, previously told the publication they would continue operating in the shadows as much as possible. “We keep a low profile because we’re just not the story, we’re just not important,” McLean said. “I just don’t see any reason for popping our head up. That’s not going to change.”
Former President Jimmy Carter will attend Rosalynn Carter tribute service in Georgia
Former President Jimmy Carter will attend the Tuesday memorial service for former first lady Rosalyn Carter, his wife of 77 years. The Carter Center, an Atlanta-based non-profit founded by the former president, told Fox News Digital that Carter will attend the National Tribute Service at Glenn Memorial Church at Emory University. Rosalynn Carter died in Plains, Georgia last week at age 96 after she was admitted to a hospice. ROSALYNN CARTER CELEBRATES 96TH BIRTHDAY WITH HUSBAND JIMMY CARTER, PEANUT BUTTER ICE CREAM AND BUTTERFLIES “Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished,” former President Jimmy Carter said at the time. “She gave me wise guidance and encouragement when I needed it. As long as Rosalynn was in the world, I always knew somebody loved and supported me.” She is survived by her husband, her four children, 11 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. Among the guests expected to attend the tribute service are President Biden, First Lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff, former President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton and former First Lady Melania Trump. Former President Donald Trump was not on the list of guests for the invitation-only service. The Carter Center on Monday released additional details about the tribute event, announcing that members of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra would play some of Carter’s “most beloved tunes,” along with performances by “family friends Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood.”
WATCH: Jean-Pierre gives terse response when questioned on possible staff shakeup amid Biden polling crisis
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre issued a terse response when questioned Monday over President Biden’s “sagging” poll numbers and whether the administration had considered any staffing shakeups or strategy changes to combat them. “No,” Jean-Pierre simply said, appearing to gaze sternly at the reporter asking the question. Her answer comes as Biden continues to face the daunting task of winning back enough support from Americans ahead of the 2024 presidential election as a number of polls show Biden trailing each of the top Republican candidates vying for the GOP presidential nomination. BIDEN CHALLENGER GOES ALL IN ON PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN, WON’T RUN FOR RE-ELECTION TO CONGRESS A national poll released earlier this month by Marquette Law School showed Biden trailing former President Donald Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley in hypothetical matchups. Trump, who is the overwhelming favorite to win the Republican nomination, held a 52% to 48% lead over Biden. Haley topped Biden 55% to 45% while DeSantis The reporter went on to reference what appeared to be the call White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients held with cabinet officials over the summer, asking them to decide whether to stick around for the remainder of Biden’s term or leave early. BIDEN UNSURE WHEN AMERICAN HOSTAGES WILL BE FREED BY HAMAS: ‘WE DON’T KNOW’ “Should we be anticipating any departures of either cabinet officials or other senior officials,” the reporter asked. “Look, I can’t speak to people’s personal decisions. We don’t have anything to announce at this time,” Jean-Pierre responded. “We’re going to continue to do the work that the president set out to do. We just talked about supply chains, we just talked about the economy, we’ve been talking about the president’s leadership globally, especially in the Middle East. That’s what we’re here to do and focus on. That’s what I’m here to do and focus on. I just can’t speak to people’s decisions,” she added. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Puerto Rico’s opposition to hold gubernatorial primary as race heats up
One of Puerto Rico’s biggest political parties will hold a gubernatorial primary after Rep. Jesús Manuel Ortiz of the Popular Democratic Party announced his candidacy Monday. Ortiz will face Puerto Rico Sen. Juan Zaragoza, who previously served as the U.S. territory’s treasury secretary. PUERTO RICO ENLISTS TEXAS COMPANY TO BUILD SAN JUAN MEGA YACHT MARINA Ortiz, who is president of the Popular Democratic Party, listed conditions in Puerto Rico that he said were negatively affecting the island’s 3.2 million inhabitants. “Recovery funds that are not used effectively, anguish from waiting months for a doctor’s appointment, the daily battle with a crumbling electrical system, lack of employment opportunities, the deterioration of essential services and so many other problems,” he said. The winner of the Popular Democratic Party’s primary will face the winner of the New Progressive Party’s primary, in which Gov. Pedro Pierluisi faces Jenniffer González, the island’s representative in Congress. They also will face gubernatorial candidates from other, newer parties. The Popular Democratic Party supports the island’s current political status, while the New Progressive Party supports statehood.
Police in this blue state will continue enforcing ‘draconian’ handgun law ruled unconstitutional by court
Maryland State Police will continue enforcing the state’s handgun law for now, despite a federal appeals court ruling that the licensing requirement is unconstitutional. “At this time, the HQL law remains in effect and there are no immediate changes in the process to purchase a firearm in Maryland,” the department wrote in an agency-wide advisory after last week’s ruling. GUNS AND AMMO: ONE OF AMERICA’S FASTEST GROWING HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS HAS ‘NO BENCHWARMERS’ Maryland’s Handgun Qualification License (HQL) requires applicants to submit fingerprints for a background check, take a four-hour firearm safety course with a live fire component, and wait up to 30 days for approval before purchasing a handgun, which then requires another application and seven-day waiting period. Last Tuesday, a three-judge panel of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 that the law is overly “burdensome” and cannot stand under the 2022 landmark Supreme Court decision that a firearm regulation is unconstitutional unless the government can prove it is consistent with the nation’s historical tradition. WHY GUN OWNERSHIP IS SPIKING AMONG THIS DEMOGRAPHIC “The challenged law restricts the ability of law-abiding adult citizens to possess handguns, and the state has not presented a historical analogue that justifies its restriction; indeed, it has seemingly admitted that it couldn’t find one,” Judge Julius Richardson, a Trump appointee, wrote in the court’s majority opinion. But the Maryland State Police’s licensing division said it will continue enforcing the law until the federal court issues a mandate. JUDGE BLOCKS AMERICA’S ‘MOST EXTREME’ GUN CONTROL LAW, BUT BLUE STATE PLANS TO APPEAL Maryland officials have 14 days to file for a rehearing before the full appeals court. If the state does not file within that window, the court will issue a mandate seven days later, which means the final court ruling would be Dec. 11, Fox45 News reported. Officials have not yet confirmed whether they plan to file for a rehearing or, alternatively, seek a review before the U.S. Supreme Court. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said in a statement that he would “continue to fight for this law” and that his administration was evaluating its options. Similarly, a spokesperson for Attorney General Anthony Brown told Fox45 News that they were “weighing options for next steps.” The NRA previously described Maryland’s HQL as a “draconian process” and praised the Fourth Circuit ruling as a “significant victory, for the Second Amendment and Americans who value constitutional freedoms.” “Striking down Maryland’s oppressive Handgun Qualification License requirement affirms that the burdensome process infringes on the rights of the law-abiding,” the NRA’s lobbying arm executive director Randy Kozuch told Fox News Digital.
White House says 3 Palestinian students shot in Vermont should be ‘back in school… not in a hospital room’
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday that the three college students of Palestinian descent who were shot near the University of Vermont over the weekend “should be back in school with their classmates, not in a hospital room.” The statement came soon after suspect Jason Eaton, 48, appeared virtually in Chittenden County Superior Court and entered a not guilty plea to all three counts of attempted second-degree murder. “The president and the first lady were horrified to learn about the three college students of Palestinian descent, two of whom are American citizens, who were shot Saturday in Burlington, Vermont. The president continues to receive updates from his team about the ongoing investigation,” Jean-Pierre told reporters gathered at the White House on Monday. “These students were taking part in a uniquely American tradition, gathering with family and loved ones to celebrate Thanksgiving. They should be back in school with their classmates, not in a hospital room,” she continued. SUSPECT ACCUSED OF SHOOTING 3 PALESTINIAN STUDENTS IN VERMONT ENTERS PLEA IN FIRST COURT APPEARANCE “While we are waiting for more facts, we know this. There is absolutely, absolutely no place for violence or hate in America,” Jean-Pierre added. “No person should worry about being targeted while going about their daily lives. And far too many Americans know a family member injured or killed as a result of gun violence. We cannot and we will not accept that.” Eaton is currently being held without bail ahead of a bond hearing, which a judge said will be scheduled in the coming days. The three college students – Hisham Awartani of Brown University, Kinnan Abdalhamid of Haverford College and Tahseen Ahmed of Trinity College – were shot and injured at about 6:30 p.m. Saturday while out for a Thanksgiving holiday gathering in Burlington, Vermont. SUSPECT ARRESTED IN SHOOTING OF 3 PALESTINIAN STUDENTS NEAR UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT The students were visiting the home of one of the victim’s relatives and were walking to dinner when they were confronted by a White man with a handgun, according to police, who said the gunman opened fire on the victims “without speaking.” The shooting happened in front of Eaton’s apartment building, police said. Eaton was detained Sunday afternoon near the scene of the shooting. The three victims, who are all 20 years old, remain hospitalized as of Monday morning. Two of the victims are U.S. citizens, while the third is a legal U.S. resident. Two of the victims were wearing keffiyehs, traditional scarves worn by some in the Middle East. The Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee said they were speaking Arabic when the shooting occurred. “The president, first lady, and everyone here at the White House join Americans across the country in praying for their full recovery,” Jean-Pierre said. Fox News’ Stephen Sorace and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
AG Garland probing possible hate crime after shooting of 3 Palestinian men in Vermont
Attorney General Merrick Garland on Monday morning said that federal authorities are probing whether the shooting of three Palestinian students over the weekend in Vermont was a hate crime. Garland shared the brief public remarks at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New York City, where he met with other federal, state and local law enforcement leaders to discuss issues in their community, ranging from the fentanyl crisis to extremism in the U.S. that may be influenced by the Israel-Hamas war. “There is understandable fear in communities across the country,” Garland said. “Even as we speak, the ATF and the FBI are investigating the tragic shooting of three men of Palestinian descent in Vermont. That investigation, including whether this is a hate crime, is ongoing.” Jason J. Eaton, 48, was arrested as a suspect in that shooting on Sunday. On Monday morning, Eaton was arraigned and pleaded not guilty to three counts of attempted second-degree murder. He was being held without bail. ATTORNEY GENERAL GARLAND EXPRESSES ‘HOPE’ HAMAS WILL RELEASE MORE AMERICAN HOSTAGES ‘IN THE DAYS TO COME’ Two of the victims were wearing keffiyehs, traditional scarves worn by some in the Middle East. The Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee said they were speaking Arabic when the shooting occurred. “No person and no community in this country should have to live in fear of hate-fueled violence. Fulfilling that promise motivates us every day,” Garland said. NYC MAYOR ERIC ADAMS BLASTS STUDENTS’ ‘VILE SHOW OF ANTISEMITISM’ THAT FORCED TEACHER TO HIDE IN OFFICE Garland said investigative updates out of Vermont would be “coming soon.” “While we are confronting this elevated global threat environment, we also know we cannot lose sight of many other challenges and includes working closely with our law enforcement partners to combat violent crime,” the attorney general said. Fox News’ Lawrence Richard contributed to this report.
Wisconsin Gov. Evers faces scrutiny over use of baseball Hall of Famer’s name in state email
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers has been using an alternative state email account under the name of a late Hall of Fame baseball player as a security measure, his spokesperson said Monday. Evers, a Democrat, used a taxpayer-funded email account with the name “warren.spahn@wisconsin.gov” to discuss public business with top-level Cabinet appointees and others, the conservative outlet Wisconsin Right Now first reported on Sunday. Warren Spahn is a Hall of Fame former Milwaukee Braves pitcher. Evers’ spokesperson Britt Cudaback on Monday said use of the alias email addresses is common. WISCONSIN GOV. EVERS VETOES ‘COMPLETELY UNSERIOUS’ $2B TAX CUT GOV. EVERS SUES WISCONSIN LEGISLATURE FOR OBSTRUCTING BASIC GOVERNMENT FUNCTIONS “As a matter of digital security, dignitaries in the state of Wisconsin have alias email addresses, including the governor, first lady, and lieutenant governor, as has been the case for at least the last decade that I’m aware of, including under former Gov. Walker,” Cudaback said. Bill Lueders, president of the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council, said he was troubled about the use of what he called “phantom email addresses” and said he had never heard of that practice before. “I don’t know if they’re common or uncommon,” Lueders said. “I do know if they’re used for public business, they’re subject to the records law.” Responsive emails requested under the state open records law are always released in accordance with state law, no matter which account they are sent from, Cudaback said. Open records request responses from the Evers administration routinely contain language that says all identifiers of non-public email addresses are redacted. “Making this information available would significantly hinder these officials’ ability to communicate and work efficiently,” the boilerplate language says, including in a response sent to The Associated Press on Sept. 16, 2022. “There is minimal harm to the public interest, given that there are numerous public means to communicate with the Office of the Governor and Office of the Lieutenant Governor, and only the address is redacted, not the remaining email content.” Wisconsin Right Now reported that it asked for all communications to and from “warren.spahn@wisconsin.gov” from 2018 to September 2023. The governor’s office rejected the request as being too broad, saying in a response email sent Nov. 22 that more than 17,000 emails were found. The Department of Administration provided the outlet with more than 30 pages of emails which contained messages back and forth between Evers, Cabinet secretaries and others. WI GOV. TONY EVERS SIGNS SPENDING PLAN AFTER GUTTING GOP TAX CUT, INCREASING SCHOOL FUNDING FOR OVER 400 YEARS In one email, dated May 7, 2020, Evers told then-Department of Administration Secretary Joel Brennan that a box of highly toxic “mechanical solvent” ordered by someone in state government had mistakenly been delivered to the governor’s residence. Evers wrote that he was “not sure what to do with it.” Evers, 72, has talked publicly about his love of Milwaukee baseball and Spahn in particular. In February, when announcing his plan to pay for renovations to the Milwaukee Brewers stadium, Evers said in a statement, “I’ve been watching baseball in Milwaukee since the County Stadium days when I had the chance of a lifetime to watch Warren Spahn’s 300th-career game there way back when.” Spahn was elected to the baseball Hall of Fame in 1973 after playing 21 seasons in the major leagues, including from 1953 to 1964 in Milwaukee. He was an All Star 17 times and died in 2003.