Manipur Police arrest 15 insurgents in multiple raids across state in last 48 hours
On March 9, Manipur Police arrested three active cadres of UPPK from Langol Type – II, Imphal West. The arrested people have been identified as Ngangbam Nishan Meitei (24 yrs), Ashangbam Manikanta Singh (37yrs) and Sorokhaibam Nganthoi Singh (23 yrs).
UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s BIG statement on speculation of shift to Delhi, says ‘Not a…’
The 52-year-old Chief Minister dismissed speculation around a possible shift to New Delhi for a larger political role. “As Mother India’s helper, I have been given the responsibility of Uttar Pradesh, and I am working in that role only.”
Trump says intel pause on Ukraine has been ‘just about’ lifted; says tariffs will make America rich
President Donald Trump said the U.S. has “just about” lifted the intelligence pause on Ukraine, adding that his administration has to do anything it can to get Ukrainians serious about making a deal to end the war with Russia. “You know, I say they don’t have the cards. Nobody really has the cards,” Trump told reporters during a gaggle on Air Force One on Sunday evening. “Russia doesn’t have the cards…What you have to do is you have to make a deal, and you have to stop the killing. It’s a senseless war, and we’re going to get it stopped.” On Friday, Fox News Digital learned from three sources familiar with the situation that the U.S. was continuing to share some defensive intelligence with Ukraine to protect it against incoming Russian strikes. Federal intelligence, the work of the CIA, FBI and human intelligence, and data that helps with offensive Ukrainian strikes against Russia had already been paused. TRUMP EXEMPTS MEXICO FROM TARIFFS FOR USMCA GOODS UNTIL APRIL 2 When asked during the gaggle if he would consider lifting the intel pause on Ukraine, Trump said the U.S. had. “We, we just about have. I mean, we really just about have,” he said. “And we want to do anything we can to get Ukraine to be serious about getting something done.” Trump also noted that he thinks Ukraine will sign the minerals deal, but he wants them to want peace at the moment. TRUMP TO PUT TARIFF EXEMPTIONS ON CERTAIN GOODS FROM CANADA, MEXICO When asked how Ukraine should show it wants peace, Trump said they have not shown it to the extent he thinks they should. “I think right now they haven’t, but I think they will be, and I think it’s going to become evident over the next two or three days,” the president said, adding that we have to have peace over anything. “This week, hundreds of people died in cities in Ukraine, and we got to get it stopped. It would have never happened if I was president.” During the nearly 10-minute gaggle with reporters, Trump fielded questions on a variety of topics, including the types of sanctions or tariffs he may impose on Russia. EMMANUEL MACRON CALLS ‘EMERGENCY MEETING’ FOR EUROPEAN LEADERS TO DISCUSS TRUMP: REPORT The president explained that he and his team had been looking at their options, but his focus was on a few big meetings coming up in Saudi Arabia, which will include Russia and Ukraine. “We’ll see if we can get something done,” Trump said. “A lot of people died this week, as you know, in Ukraine – not only Ukrainians but Russians. So, I think everybody wants to see it get done. We’re going to make a lot of progress, I believe, this week.” Trump was also asked what he would say to Americans watching their retirement accounts freefall from their highest in years amid concerns about tariffs. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR SAYS PUTIN, ZELENSKYY AGREE ‘ONLY PRESIDENT TRUMP COULD GET THEM TO THE TABLE’ The president told the reporter the tariffs “are going to be the greatest thing we’ve ever done as a country,” adding that they will “make our country rich again.” The tariffs, Trump explained, will bring companies and factories back, noting that 90,000 factories in the U.S. had closed since the beginning of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) between the U.S., Canada and Mexico, which was in effect from 1994 to 2020. At the end of his time with reporters, Trump was asked if he was worried about a recession, after hesitating on the same question when asked by FOX Business’ Maria Bartiromo. “Of course you hesitate. All I know is…we’re going to take in hundreds of billions of dollars in tariffs, and we’re going to become so rich you’re not going to know where to spend all that money,” Trump said. “I’m telling you; you just watch. We’re going to have jobs. We’re going to have open factories. It’s going to be great.”
Who is Mark Carney, Canada’s new Liberal leader and next prime minister?
Montreal, Canada – Canada has its next prime minister. Mark Carney has been elected as the new head of the governing Liberal Party, replacing Justin Trudeau in the midst of historic tensions and fears of a trade war with the United States. An economist and former central banker, Carney will be sworn-in as prime minister in the coming days. He is making his first foray into Canadian politics at the country’s highest level – and with a federal election looming. He is also taking the helm of a party that, after years of declining support and criticism over its handling of social and economic issues, is riding a newfound wave of political momentum. “I will work day and night with one purpose, which is to build a stronger Canada for everyone,” Carney said in his victory speech on Sunday evening after securing 85.9 percent of the vote on the first ballot. But just who is Mark Carney? What policies does he plan to pursue, and will he be able to boost the Liberals’ fortunes in the upcoming federal election against a strong Conservative Party? Advertisement Oxford grad, central banker Born in Canada’s Northwest Territories and raised in the western province of Alberta, Carney has presented himself as a political outsider who can steer Canada through a period of economic turmoil and uncertainty. The country has been roiled by US President Donald Trump’s steep tariffs on Canadian products, which came into effect on March 4. Fears of a recession have fuelled a sense of Canadian nationalism and a desire for steady leadership in Ottawa. Carney holds degrees from Harvard and Oxford universities and spent over a decade at the investment firm Goldman Sachs. More recently, he served as the chair of Brookfield Asset Management, where he also led the company’s “transition investing” – an effort to promote investments that align with global climate goals. But it is his banking experience in times of crisis that Carney and his supporters say best demonstrates his ability to help Canada weather the Trump storm. The 59-year-old began his tenure as the governor of the Bank of Canada amid the global financial crisis of 2008, and he was credited with taking quick and decisive actions that helped spare Canada from a more serious downturn. In 2013, Carney left to take the helm of the Bank of England, where he remained until 2020 – the year the United Kingdom formally left the European Union. There, too, he was recognised as having minimised the effects of Brexit – though his assessment that a break with the EU posed a risk to the British economy drew the ire of conservatives who were in favour of leaving the bloc. Advertisement “He was an innovative and inventive central banker,” said Will Hutton, an author, columnist and president of the UK’s Academy of Social Sciences. “He understood that actually, central banks have a job to make capitalism as legitimate as possible by ironing out its worst proclivities. And he was appalled by Brexit, which he thought was self-defeating,” Hutton told Al Jazeera. “But he managed to organise the Bank of England’s behaviours so the fallout from it was less disastrous than it could have been.” Carney holds a news conference in 2016 as governor of the Bank of England [Matt Dunham/Pool via Reuters] Lack of political experience While few dispute Carney’s economic credentials, his lack of experience in electoral politics has raised questions. He previously served as an economic adviser to Trudeau, who resigned amid widespread anger over his government’s handling of a housing crisis and rising costs of living. But Carney has never run for political office before, and he spent much of the Liberal leadership campaign introducing himself to Canadians. “He’s someone who’s been behind the scenes, an adviser,” said Daniel Beland, a political science professor at McGill University who described Carney as a “technocrat on steroids”. Carney has laid out broad promises since he launched his campaign, including reining in government spending, investing more in housing, diversifying Canada’s trading partners and putting a temporary cap on immigration. A former United Nations Special Envoy on Climate Action and Finance, Carney is also a major proponent of the idea that the private sector must take a leadership role in tackling the climate crisis and getting to net-zero emissions. Advertisement “I know how to manage crises. I know how to build strong economies,” he said during a debate against the other Liberal leadership hopefuls last month. “I have a plan, a plan that puts more money back in your pockets, a plan that makes our companies more competitive, a plan that builds a strong economy that works for you.” Beland told Al Jazeera that the Liberal leadership contest largely failed to test Carney because his main opponent was longtime friend and former Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland. The pair did not attack each other much during the race. “That’s not the best test for someone who has no political experience and will then have to basically go into the lion’s den,” Beland said, referring to this year’s federal election, where Carney will face fiery opposition leaders such as the Conservatives’ Pierre Poilievre and Yves-Francois Blanchet of the Bloc Quebecois. ‘Consummate insider’ Carney’s attempt to paint himself as an outsider has been challenged as well. His time as a Liberal Party adviser, coupled with his experience atop the global financial world, make him “a consummate insider and a consummate elite”, said Canadian political analyst and journalist David Moscrop. “At the same time, he’s an accomplished policy expert, a renowned and respected mainstream economic thinker. And if that’s your sort of thing, then this is pretty much the cream of the crop,” Moscrop told Al Jazeera. “But if it’s not your sort of thing, then he represents what some on the left and some on the right see as a kind of global economic elite consensus that is oppressing day-to-day people.” Advertisement Poilievre and his Conservative Party have tapped into that feeling of public
Mahmoud Khalil, student leader of Columbia protests, arrested
United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents (ICE) have arrested a Palestinian graduate student who played a prominent role in last year’s pro-Palestinian protests at New York’s Columbia University, the student workers’ union said on Sunday. The student, Mahmoud Khalil at the university’s School of International and Public Affairs, was arrested at his university residence on Saturday, the Student Workers of Columbia union said in a statement. Khalil’s wife is a US citizen and he has a permanent residency green card, the union said. He remained in detention on Sunday. Khalil’s wife declined to comment through one of Khalil’s fellow students. Khalil’s lawyer, Amy Greer, told the Associated Press news agency that she spoke by phone with one of the ICE agents during the arrest, who said they were acting on State Department orders to revoke Khalil’s student visa. Informed by the lawyer that Khalil was in the country as a permanent resident with a green card, the agent said they were revoking that too, according to the lawyer. Advertisement Greer said the authorities declined to tell Khalil’s wife, who is eight months pregnant, whether he was accused of committing a crime. Khalil has since been transferred to an immigration detention facility in Elizabeth, New Jersey. “We have not been able to get any more details about why he is being detained,” Greer told the AP. “This is a clear escalation. The administration is following through on its threats.” The arrest appeared to be among the first known actions under President Donald Trump’s pledge to deport international students who joined the protests against Israel’s war in Gaza that swept college campuses last year. His administration has claimed participants forfeited their rights to remain in the country by supporting Hamas, which is designated as a ‘terror’ organisation by the US. The move has been described as an attack on First Amendment freedoms. Khalil, an Algerian citizen of Palestinian origin, has been one of the school administrators’ lead negotiators of the pro-Palestinian student protesters, some of whom set up a tent encampment on a Columbia lawn last year and seized control of an academic building for several hours in April before police entered the campus to arrest them. Khalil was not in the group that occupied the building but was a mediator between Columbia provosts and the protesters. The protesting students called for Columbia’s divestment from companies with ties to Israel, a ceasefire and an end to the war that killed nearly 50,000 Palestinians and turned the enclave into rubble after nonstop bombardment. The US provided the bulk of the ammunition for the war. Maryam Alwan, Mahmoud Khalil and Layla Saliba speak to members of the media at Columbia University on June 1, 2024 [Jeenah Moon/Reuters] Columbia said last year that it would consider expediting some of the students’ demands through its investments committee. Advertisement Rights groups have accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza – home to 2.3 million people. Despite a ceasefire in place since January 19, Israel has blocked the entry of any aid into Gaza since March 1, drawing condemnation from rights groups and aid agencies. The October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel and subsequent Israeli military offensive on Gaza led to months of pro-Palestinian protests that roiled US college campuses. At least 1,100 people were killed in the Hamas attack and some 240 people were taken captive. Most of the captives have been released as part of truce deals. A new round of truce talks will resume in the Qatari capital, Doha, on Monday. Targeted by the government A spokesperson for Columbia said the school was barred by law from sharing information about individual students. The Department of Homeland Security and the State Department, which oversees the country’s visa system, did not respond to questions from the news agencies. It was not immediately clear on what grounds ICE agents arrested Khalil. The ICE comes under the US Department of Homeland Security. In an interview with the Reuters news agency a few hours before his arrest on Saturday about the Trump administration’s criticism of Columbia, Khalil said he was concerned that he was being targeted by the government for speaking to the media. The Trump administration on Friday said it had cancelled government contracts and grants worth about $400m to Columbia University. The government said the cuts and the student deportation efforts are due to “anti-Semitic” harassment at and near Columbia’s Manhattan campus. “What more can Columbia do to appease Congress or the government now?” Khalil said before his arrest, noting that Columbia had twice called in police to arrest protesters and had disciplined many pro-Palestinian students and staff, suspending some. Advertisement “They basically silenced anyone supporting Palestine on campus and this was not enough. Clearly, Trump is using the protesters as a scapegoat for his wider agenda [of] fighting and attacking higher education and the Ivy League education system.” In response to the announced grant cuts on Friday, Columbia’s interim president, Katrina Armstrong, said the school was committed to combating anti-Semitism and was “working with the federal government to address their legitimate concerns”. Protesting students have denied the charges of anti-Semitism. ‘This is only the beginning’ Maryam Alwan, a Palestinian American senior at Columbia who has protested alongside Khalil, said the Trump administration was dehumanising Palestinians. “I am horrified for my dear friend Mahmoud, who is a legal resident, and I am horrified that this is only the beginning,” she said. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last week that international students who support Hamas, which the US has designated a “terrorist” organisation, face visa revocation and deportation. On Thursday, Columbia issued a revised protocol for how students and school staff should handle ICE agents seeking to enter private school property. The school said ICE agents without a judicial arrest warrant may be allowed to enter its private property in “exigent circumstances”, which it did not specify. “By allowing ICE on campus, Columbia is surrendering to the Trump administration’s assault on universities across the
Russia claims new gains; Zelenskyy says ‘committed’ to dialogue with US
Moscow said it captured territory shortly before potential peace talks begin in Saudi Arabia. Moscow says it has made new gains in Ukraine’s Sumy region and Russia’s Kursk region as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he was “fully committed” to having a constructive dialogue with United States representatives ahead of talks in Saudi Arabia to discuss how to end Russia’s war on Ukraine. US and Ukrainian negotiators are set to meet for talks in the Red Sea city of Jeddah on Tuesday, with US President Donald Trump’s administration vying to secure a ceasefire and a “framework” for a peace agreement. Despite the upcoming talks, the Russian Ministry of Defence said in a briefing that its forces had “liberated” the small village of Novenke in Sumy near the border with Kursk. Moscow also announced the recapture of the villages of Lebedevka, Malaya Loknya, Cherkasskoye Porechnoye and Kositsa in Kursk. Russia briefly occupied parts of Ukraine’s Sumy at the start of its all-out invasion in 2022 but has not taken any territory there since. Kyiv has not yet commented on Russia’s claim to have captured Novenke, which analysts say could bring Russian troops closer to blocking a major Ukrainian supply route. Advertisement Zelenskyy said in his evening address on Sunday: “I want to thank all our units who are steadfastly and against all odds destroying the occupier, repelling attacks and defending our positions. “Diplomacy will be strong only on strong front-line positions. And we are doing our best to ensure that Ukraine’s front-line needs are met.” Who’s meeting who The US cut off Ukraine’s access to intelligence sharing and satellite data, as well as aid – following a White House public spat with Zelenskyy – in a bid to force Kyiv to negotiate an end to Russia’s invasion – Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II. Zelenskyy invited Trump’s wrath for rejecting a mineral deal, which the Ukrainian president says should involve a US security guarantee. But the Trump administration has refused to commit to that and instead asked Europe to step up aid for the war-battered country. European leaders have, meanwhile, agreed to boost defence spending as they pledged support to Ukraine against Russian threats. Washington has also poured cold water over Ukraine’s NATO ambitions. Zelenskyy confirmed on Saturday that he would visit Saudi Arabia next week and that after meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday, Ukrainian diplomatic and military representatives would stay for a meeting on Tuesday with the US. “Ukraine has been seeking peace from the very first second of this war. Realistic proposals are on the table. The key is to move quickly and effectively,” the Ukrainian president said on X. Advertisement US envoy Steve Witkoff, meanwhile, confirmed last week that he would meet Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia, signalling that he would discuss an “initial ceasefire” and a “framework” for a longer agreement. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will also visit Saudi Arabia between March 10 and 12 for talks with Ukrainian counterparts, a statement from the US Department of State said. He will also hold talks with Prince Mohammed to discuss regional issues and ways to bolster US-Saudi Arabian ties, the State Department said. Rubio spoke with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha on Friday and said Trump wanted to end the war in Ukraine as soon as possible. It will be the first high-level gathering of US and Ukrainian officials since the February 28 meeting between Zelenskyy and Trump devolved into a shouting match and ended with the Ukrainian leader being asked to leave the White House. Adblock test (Why?)
Noem taps new ICE leadership to bring back accountability and results
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem tapped a new director and deputy director to lead U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as she works to reinstate a culture of results and accountability under President Donald Trump’s administration. Noem announced the appointments on Sunday, saying Todd Lyons will serve as acting ICE director, and Madison Sheahan will serve as the deputy director of ICE. “For the past four years, our brave men and women of ICE were barred from doing their jobs—ICE needs a culture of accountability that it has been starved of under the Biden Administration,” Noem said. “Todd Lyons and Madison Sheahan are work horses, strong executors, and accountable leaders who will lead the men and women of ICE to achieve the American people’s mandate to target, arrest and deport illegal aliens.” In a press release, Homeland Security said Lyons currently serves as the acting executive associate director of ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). NOEM SENDS MESSAGE TO THOSE CONSIDERING ENTERING US ILLEGALLY: ‘DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT’ He has served in a variety of other roles within ICE, including assistant director of field operations for ERO, where he oversaw all 25 field offices and domestic operations across the U.S. Prior to that, Lyons worked as the ERO field office director (FOD) in the Boston field office, where he oversaw ERO activities in Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut and Vermont. Lyons started his career in federal service in 1993 as a member of the U.S. Air Force, and in 1999, he went into civilian law enforcement in Florida. Lyons joined ERO as an ICE agent in Dallas, Texas, in 2007. Sheahan and Noem have worked together in the past, though most recently the new deputy director of ICE has served as the secretary of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, where she oversaw a $280 million budget and led a team of over 800 employees across wildlife, fisheries and enforcement divisions. DHS SECRETARY NOEM APPEARS TO ACCUSE ‘CORRUPT’ FBI OF LEAKING LA ICE RAIDS She helped establish the Special Operations Group inside the enforcement division, which places priority on public safety through historic partnerships with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies when major events like Mardi Gras and the Super Bowl take place in The Big Easy. Sheahan also advised Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry in her role. Prior to that, she worked for then-South Dakota Gov. Noem in various leadership positions, including the state Republican Party and on special initiatives aimed toward advancing Noem’s agenda. NOEM ENDS BIDEN-ERA USE OF CONTROVERSIAL APP TO ALLOW MIGRANTS TO BOARD FLIGHTS, EXCEPT TO SELF-DEPORT Sheahan and Lyons did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comments on their new positions. Noem served as South Dakota governor from January 2019 to January 2025, when she was sworn-in as the nation’s eighth Department of Homeland Security chief. She was the fourth member of the Trump administration to gain approval from the Senate, and is leading the department at a time when securing the border and tackling illegal immigration are top priorities for the new administration. The administration has taken a number of actions to secure the border, including deploying the military, restarting wall construction and ending Biden-era parole programs.
Secretary Hegseth says the DOD does not do ‘climate change crap’
U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) Secretary Pete Hegseth said Sunday that his department “does not do climate change crap,” but instead focuses on things like warfighting and training. The secretary was responding to a post from CNN’s Haley Britzky, who shared a story about the DOD and Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cutting programs in the Pentagon that deal with climate change. “The DOD and DOGE have said they plan to cut climate programs in the Pentagon – but officials & experts are warning that climate efforts at DOD are directly linked to military readiness, and say cuts could put troops and military operations at risk,” Britzky wrote. CNN reportedly reached out to the Pentagon with a list of questions about military readiness, Britzky added. DOGE INITIAL FINDINGS ON DEFENSE DEPARTMENT DEI SPENDING COULD SAVE $80M, AGENCY SAYS “…Pentagon Spox John Ullyot said ‘Climate zealotry and other woke chimeras of the Left are not part’ of DOD’s mission,” Britzky posted. After seeing the post, Hegseth weighed in. “John is, of course, correct,” the defense secretary wrote. “The @DeptofDefense does not do climate change crap. We do training and warfighting.” DOD TELLS CIVILIAN WORKFORCE TO IGNORE ELON MUSK’S REQUEST TO REPORT PRODUCTIVITY DOGE, which is being led by billionaire Elon Musk, and the DOD have been working together to slash wasteful spending, DOD spokesman Sean Parnell said in a video posted to social media last week. He listed some of the initial findings flagged by DOGE, which consisted of millions of dollars given to support various diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, including $1.9 million for holistic DEI transformation and training in the Air Force and $6 million to the University of Montana to “strengthen American democracy by bridging divides.” Also, among the findings was $1.6 million to the University of Florida to study the social and institutional detriment of vulnerability in resilience to climate hazards in Africa. OPM’S SECOND EMAIL TO FEDERAL EMPLOYEES ASKS WHAT THEY DID LAST WEEK—AND ADDS A NEW REQUIREMENT: REPORT “This stuff is just not a core function of our military,” Parnell said. “This is not what we do. This stuff is a distraction from our core mission.” “We believe these initial findings will probably save $80 million in wasteful spending,” he added. Hegseth said his agency would work with DOGE, which has conducted reviews of the Treasury, Labor, Education and Health departments, as well as at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Office of Personnel Management and Internal Revenue Service (IRS). He added that many DOGE workers are veterans, and it is a “good thing” that they will find deficiencies. “They care just like we do, to find the redundancies and identify the last vestiges of Biden priorities — the DEI, the woke, the climate change B.S., that’s not core to our mission, and we’re going to get rid of it all,” Hegseth said. Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano contributed to this report.
Stacey Abrams slammed after defending $2 billion in Biden-era EPA funds to buy green energy appliances
Failed Democratic Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams is facing condemnation from conservatives after she appeared on MSNBC to defend a $2 billion initiative under the Biden administration’s EPA to purchase green energy appliances for Americans. “Stacey Abrams linked Power Forward Communities received $2 billion in tax dollars in 2024 after reporting just $100 in revenue the year before. They were so unqualified that the grant agreement required the NGO to complete ‘How to Develop a Budget’ training within 90 days,” EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said in comment provided to Fox Digital on Sunday. “$2 billion in hard earned tax dollars should not have been doled out to this organization for many reasons, especially if they don’t even know how to put together a budget. The Biden EPA ‘gold bars’ scheme is riddled with self-dealing and conflicts of interest, unnecessary middlemen, unqualified recipients, and massively reduced government oversight. The funds are currently frozen, and the DOJ and FBI are investigating.” Zeldin’s response followed Abrams joining MSNBC on Friday to defend the Biden administration granting $2 billion last year to a group called Power Forward Communities. BIDEN SENT $2 BILLION TO STACEY ABRAMS-LINKED GROUP IN GREEN ENERGY ‘SCHEME,’ EPA SAYS The group is a consortium of housing nonprofits, such as Habitat for Humanity International, United Way Worldwide and Rewiring America. Abrams reportedly “played a pivotal role” in establishing the group, according to a LinkedIn post by Ian Magruder, who works at one of the coalition’s partners, Rewiring America, Fox Digital previously reported. Abrams worked with Rewiring America to bring energy efficient appliances to a Georgia community in 2023 and 2024, she said on MSNBC while defending the billions in funds provided to Power Forward Communities. “What is this organization? What is your relation to to it? And what does it do,” MSNBC’s Chris Hayes asked Abrams during the program. ‘WASTEFUL AND DANGEROUS’: DOGE’S TOP FIVE MOST SHOCKING REVELATIONS “In 2023 and 2024, I led a program called Vitalizing De Soto. We worked in a tiny town in south Georgia to demonstrate that by replacing energy-inefficient appliances with efficient appliances, you can lower your cost. And in fact, we accomplished that for 75% of the community. They got appliances that are lowering their bills,” Abrams said, explaining one woman in the Georgia town saw her energy costs slashed by half due to the project. Abrams continued that the project was so beneficial to Americans, that a coalition of organizations joined forces to call on the EPA under the Biden administration to copy the program and deliver the same results nationwide. “Based on that program, a coalition of organizations – famous organizations – came together and said to the EPA, ‘If we can do this here, we can do this for millions more Americans. Let us invest the money of America in lowering the cost for Americans.’ And the EPA said, ‘OK, great, go for it.’ And they then granted those dollars to this coalition of organizations who came together, bringing 250 years and $100 billion worth of experience to doing this project,” she said. The $2 billion was used for the “decarbonization of homes” in low-income communities and paid for new household appliances, such as water heaters, induction stoves, solar panels, EV chargers, and weatherization, according to an April 2024 press release from Power Forward Communities. LEE ZELDIN LIKENS BIDEN ENERGY ‘SCHEME’ CONNECTED TO STACEY ABRAMS TO ‘THROWING GOLD BARS OFF THE TITANIC’ Power Forward Communities CEO Tim Mayopoulos told Politico last month that Abrams did not receive funds from the EPA grant. “Stacey Abrams has not received a penny of this EPA grant,” he said last month. “It was never the plan for her to receive any money from this grant. Power Forward Communities has no relationship with Ms. Abrams, other than the fact that she’s one of the people who have advised one of our coalition members in the past.” Conservatives on social media slammed Abrams over the media interview, as critics asked why the EPA didn’t provide rebates to Americans who purchased energy-efficient appliances, while others remarked the initiative was intended to “buy votes” in Georgia, which was a battleground state during the 2024 election cycle. Fox Digital reached out to the PR firm representing Abrams for comment on the matter on Sunday afternoon, but did not immediately receive a reply. Abrams argued in the MSNBC interview that conservatives, such as Zeldin and President Donald Trump, are “angry” over the funds provided to the group because Democrats “know how to serve the American people and lower their prices.” “What they are angry about is that it’s going to work, because we know it can work. And in fact, the hypocrisy is that just today, the EPA quietly released funds for one portion of this program, $7 billion, where $100 million of that will go to West Virginia for solar projects. Another $60 million will go to Alaska for solar projects. They know this works. They know it will reduce cost. They are angry about the fact that it is Democrats who know how to serve the American people and lower their prices,” she said. The interview followed Trump calling Abrams out during his speech to a joint session of Congress last Tuesday. “$1.9 billion to recently created decarbonization of homes committee, headed up – and we know she’s involved – just at the last moment, the money was passed over — by a woman named Stacey Abrams. Have you ever heard of her?” Trump said during his speech, with some booing Abrams’ name as Trump spoke. LEE ZELDIN EXPOSES STACEY ABRAMS’ CLIMATE GROUP FUNDING The Washington Post ran a fact-check on the remark, giving Trump four “pinocchios” for the comment, arguing Abrams “does not head the consortium; she did not even head one member of the consortium. She was only an adviser. Moreover, the money was delivered nine months before President Joe Biden left office, not at the last moment.” Abrams notably did not distance herself from the project during
Fetterman maverick persona doesn’t translate as senator helps block trans sports bill
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., has established the beginnings of a maverick reputation in the Senate – as someone willing to stand against his own party. But this hasn’t necessarily lined up with his voting record, particularly on key issues, namely preventing biological males from dominating women’s and girls’ sports. Every Democratic senator present, including Fetterman, recently voted to block a bill from moving forward which would have barred men from women’s sports. GOP’S TWO TOP DEM SENATE TARGETS JUSTIFY BLOCKING BILL TO BAR MEN FROM WOMEN’S SPORTS The measure is supported by the vast majority of Americans, per recent polling by the New York Times and Ipsos. In fact, 67% of Democrats agreed with Republicans that biological males shouldn’t be allowed to participate in female sports. The bill would require Title IX to treat gender as “recognized based solely on a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth,” and would disallow any adjustment for it to apply to gender identity. After being elected in 2022, Fetterman started ruffling feathers due to his blunt and vocal support of Israel. He also made waves in January by meeting with President Donald Trump following his 2024 electoral win. TRUMP FDA NOMINEE TURNS VACCINE QUESTION ON DEM, RECALLING CONTROVERSIAL BIDEN DECISION Recently, he co-sponsored the Republicans’ Laken Riley Act, a sweeping immigration enforcement bill, which was ultimately signed into law. In addition to backing several Trump Cabinet nominees early on, Fetterman hasn’t shied away from publicly criticizing his party, particularly after their behavior during the president’s joint address to Congress on Tuesday. “A sad cavalcade of self owns and unhinged petulance. It only makes Trump look more presidential and restrained. We’re becoming the metaphorical car alarms that nobody pays attention to – and it may not be the winning message,” the senator wrote on X after Democratic lawmakers caused disruptions. TRUMP’S BIPARTISAN-BACKED LABOR PICK CLEARS LAST HURDLE BEFORE CABINET CONFIRMATION However, Fetterman’s Democratic rebel persona hasn’t necessarily been reflected in his voting habits, as was the case with his party-line vote to block the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act. In 2023, he voted in line with President Joe Biden 97.3% of the time, according to ABC News’ 538. INSIDE ELON MUSK’S HUDDLE WITH GOP SENATORS: DOGE HEAD TOUTS $4M SAVINGS PER DAY Last year, he didn’t make the list of Senate Democrats who most frequently opposed Biden, as compiled by Roll Call. Those who voted against Biden most often included Sens. Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, of Oregon, Peter Welch, of Vermont, and former Sens. Jon Tester of Montana and Sherrod Brown of Ohio. Former West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, both independents, also made the list. Fetterman’s office did not provide comment to Fox News Digital in time for publication.