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House Oversight ramps up demands for White House to release accurate Biden ‘garbage’ transcript

House Oversight ramps up demands for White House to release accurate Biden ‘garbage’ transcript

The House Oversight Committee is applying pressure on the White House to release accurate transcripts, after they allegedly altered President Biden’s remarks after he called Trump supporters “garbage.” House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., and Oversight Chair James Comer, R-KY, sent a letter to the White House counsel’s office Friday demanding they preserve all documents related to the transcript. “To date, the White House has not issued a corrected transcript, and the false transcript remains on the White House webpage,” they wrote. THE FATAL FLAW IN KAMALA HARRIS’ SPEECH, MARRED BY BIDEN’S ‘GARBAGE’ COMMENT The top members condemned the White House’s alteration of the official transcript, writing that the stenography office cannot “simply rewrite President Biden’s rhetoric.” “In this case, it appears the White House is doing so to safeguard Vice President Harris’s presidential campaign,” they wrote. WATCH: Stefanik and Comer referred to an AP report, which cited an internal email from the head of the stenographer’s office, that noted that the press office “conferred with the president” to change the transcript. The shocking comment came during Biden’s remarks to Latino activists regarding comedian Tony Hinchcliffe’s comments at a Trump rally. Hinchcliffe referred to Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage.” Biden, according to a transcript prepared by the official White House stenographers, told the Latino group on a Tuesday evening video call, “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters — his — his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s un-American.” The transcript released by the White House press office, however, rendered the quote with an apostrophe, reading “supporter’s” rather than “supporters.” The White House insisted that Biden was criticizing Hinchcliffe’s comments – and not the huge swath of Americans supporting a Trump presidency. READ THE LETTER– APP USERS, CLICK HERE: The letter from the GOP leaders shared their “concern with the latest reporting of the White House’s apparent political decision to protect the Biden-Harris Administration, instead of following longstanding and proper protocols.” ‘GARBAGE’ TRUMP SUPPORTERS? AMERICANS REACT TO PRESIDENT BIDEN’S ‘OUT OF TOUCH’ COMMENTS The transcript standard states that: “If there is a difference in interpretation, the Press Office may choose to withhold the transcript but cannot edit it independently. Our Stenography Office transcript — released to our distro, which includes the National Archives — is now different than the version edited and released to the public by Press Office staff.” Now, Stefanik and Comer are demanding that the White House:

Over 150,000 veterans and military family members recruited to staff polling places for Election Day

Over 150,000 veterans and military family members recruited to staff polling places for Election Day

Veterans and military families are falling in by the thousands to staff polling places across the country, according to a veterans’ coalition. Vet the Vote coalition recently announced that after its recruitment efforts, 163,000 veterans and military families will work on Election Day to help facilitate the vote. This number far exceeds the 63,500 veterans and military family members who were successfully recruited to work in polling places during the 2022 midterm elections, when the campaign was first launched. MAJORITY OF VETERANS POLLED SUPPORT RE-ELECTION OF DONALD TRUMP: ‘WE WANT TRUMP BACK’ According to the Election Assistance Commission (EAC), 917,694 poll workers worked during the 2016 election and a majority of jurisdictions polled reported that it was “very difficult” or “somewhat difficult” to obtain a sufficient number of poll workers. “Vet the Vote is a national non-partisan, nonprofit campaign to recruit veterans and military family members to be the next generation of poll workers,” reads their mission statement. The coalition represents 43 advocacy groups and other organizations. It has recently partnered with sponsors like NASCAR, the NFL and the NBA. BRIAN MAST: I’M A WOUNDED WARRIOR. I’VE SEEN DONALD TRUMP CARE FOR VETERANS. THAT’S WHY I’M VOTING FOR HIM “Our community makes for a good workforce” to take on the nuts and bolts of running one of the more than 132,000 polling stations expected to be recording votes next Tuesday, said Ellen Gustafson, a Navy spouse and co-founder of the Vet the Vote organization to Military.com. According to Gustafson, the especially charged political environment going into next Tuesday has posed a challenge uniquely suited to veterans and military families. “Yeah, we sure are hearing about threats. There are people questioning the integrity of our elections,” said Gustafson to Military.com, and “that includes questioning the integrity of the poll workers who do the work. I think we are comfortable with the idea that sometimes situations are challenging and the first goal is to de-escalate.” Most poll workers sign up for long days, with most starting out at 5:30 am. Over half of poll workers in 2016 according to the EAC were aged 60 or over. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5.  CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Vet the Vote did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Trump makes ‘peace on Earth’ appeal to Arab-American voters in key battleground state

Trump makes ‘peace on Earth’ appeal to Arab-American voters in key battleground state

Former President Donald Trump made a brief stop in the heavily Arab-American city of Dearborn, Michigan on Friday, in a continued effort to hold out an olive branch for the Islamic community in the battleground state. Visiting The Great Commoner coffee shop in Dearborn, Trump cast himself as an alternative to President Biden’s handling of Israel’s war in Gaza and Lebanon following the Hamas terrorist attack on Oct. 7. “We have to get this whole thing over with,” Trump said, speaking of the continuing conflict in the Middle East. “We want to have peace. We want to have peace on earth.” TRUMP, HARRIS HEAD TO BATTLEGROUND STATES OF MICHIGAN AND WISCONSIN Trump spoke confidently of winning the swing state of Michigan, saying that his campaign “wants their votes.” “We have a great feeling for Lebanon and I know so many people from Lebanon, Lebanese people and the Muslim population, they’re liking Trump, and they’ve had a good relationship with him,” he said. “This is it, this is where they are, Dearborn.” “We want their votes, and we’re looking for their votes and I think we’ll get their votes,” he said. Trump’s visit is a continuation of his outreach to the Arab and Muslim community. His efforts have earned the endorsements of Bill Bazzi, the first Muslim and Arab American mayor of Dearborn Heights, and Amer Ghalib, the Yemeni American mayor of Hamtramck. WATCH: Residents in Dearborn, the home to one of the largest Muslim communities in the United States, previously shared with Fox News Digital their strong disappointment in the Biden-Harris administration’s handling of the Israel-Gaza conflict. TRUMP CRITICISM OF LIZ CHENEY AS ‘RADICAL WAR HAWK’ FRAMED AS CALL FOR VIOLENCE BY ‘IRRESPONSIBLE’ MEDIA “We are really disappointed in what happened in Gaza the last one year,” Rezul, a registered Democrat, previously told Fox News Digital. He said that the Arab community is concerned about the Muslims “dying in Gaza.” “So just as an American Muslim, I can’t support and people like me can’t support the current administration and Kamala,” Shadi, a Trump supporter, said. This weekend, Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris will make a final push to convince undecided voters before Tuesday. Harris will have stops in Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina and Wisconsin before wrapping her campaign Monday in Pennsylvania. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Trump will be traveling to Michigan, North Carolina, Wisconsin and Virginia. He’ll end his campaign with stops Monday in North Carolina and Pennsylvania. Fox News Digital’s Joshua Nelson contributed to this report.

Supreme Court upholds Pennsylvania provisional ballot ruling, in a major loss for GOP

Supreme Court upholds Pennsylvania provisional ballot ruling, in a major loss for GOP

The Supreme Court on Friday upheld a state court ruling that allowed for the counting of certain provisional ballots, in a major setback for the state GOP and Republican National Committee just four days before the election. The Republican National Committee and the state GOP filed an emergency appeal to the nation’s top court last week seeking to temporarily halt a Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling that ordered the state to count voters whose provisional ballots had been incorrectly filled out or were missing an inner “secrecy” envelope.  Attorneys for the Republican Party urged the Supreme Court to grant a full stay of the state’s decision, writing in a final reply brief submitted Thursday evening that such an order would “prevent multiple forms” of “irreparable harm” to the state.  At a minimum, the court was urged to grant a “segregation order” to allow the ballots to be set aside and counted separately.  “The actual provisional ballots contain no identifying information, only a vote,” the GOP’s lawyers wrote. “Once ballots are separated from their outer envelopes, there is no way to retroactively figure out which ballots were illegally cast. In other words, once the egg is scrambled, it cannot be unscrambled.” THE 1.6M VOTERS WHO COULD DETERMINE THE US ELECTION DON’T CURRENTLY RESIDE IN THE COUNTRY At issue is a lower court ruling in Butler County, Pa., where a local election board had disqualified provisional ballots cast by two residents in the 2024 primary election. That duo joined the Pennsylvania Democratic Party in a lawsuit that sought to have their votes counted, which ultimately was the outcome granted by a state Commonwealth Court and upheld last week by a 4-3 Pennsylvania Supreme Court majority. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court noted in its ruling that provisional votes can be counted only after a person’s eligibility to vote and the rejection of their mail-in ballot are confirmed.  “Counting Electors’ provisional ballots, when their mail ballots are void for failing to use a Secrecy Envelope, is a statutory right,” state Supreme Court Justice Christine Donohue wrote in the majority opinion, adding that the rule in question is “intended to alleviate potential disenfranchisement for eligible voters.” In their response to the Supreme Court Wednesday, opponents argued that Republican plaintiffs had left out important case history in the state — primarily, that in the six years since Pennsylvania’s General Assembly had updated its voting law in 2019 to allow mail-in ballots, “most county boards of elections, and most Pennsylvania courts to consider the issue, have counted provisional ballots submitted by voters who had made a disqualifying mistake in attempting to complete their mail ballots.”  In fact, Butler County was among the few counties that refused to count provisional ballots for votes that were lacking secrecy envelopes, until it became the subject of a lawsuit earlier this year by the two plaintiffs whose votes were not counted. “Applicants, advancing a divergent interpretation of state law, asked the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to take the case and decide it before the 2024 General Election,” they wrote. “Last week the Pennsylvania Supreme Court did just that. That the RNC does not like the result is no reason for this Court to intervene on an emergency basis and disrupt the status quo on the eve of the election.”  That was contested by Republican plaintiffs. In joining the state GOP in the lawsuit, lawyers for the Republican Party described the case as one of “paramount public importance, potentially affecting tens of thousands of votes in a state which many anticipate could be decisive in control of the U.S. Senate or even the 2024 presidential election.” 26 REPUBLICAN ATTORNEYS GENERAL JOIN VIRGINIA IN PETITIONING SUPREME COURT TO RULE ON VOTER ROLL The appeal comes as Republicans have filed nearly 100 election-related court challenges in recent weeks, legal challenges they say are aimed at preventing voter fraud through absentee and mail-in ballots. (Democrats, in return, have sought to position themselves as the party that supports free and fair elections, seizing on the Republican lawsuits as a means of disenfranchising voters.) Many of the lawsuits have been filed in one of seven swing states considered pivotal for either candidate to win the presidency. In Pennsylvania, the Republican Party’s decision to join a lawsuit over provisional ballots in the final days of the campaign is likely a strategic move, analysts said—a “placeholder” of sorts that allows them to cite a preexisting legal challenge in a swing state that they can point to in pushing for courts to act after an election. It’s “absolutely” easier to get a court to involve itself in a case after an election if plaintiffs already have a legal challenge on the books, Andrew McCarthy, a former U.S. assistant attorney general for the Southern District of New York, told Fox News Digital in an interview. In those cases, “you could at least look [judges] in the eye and say, ‘look. I’m not asking you to change the result of the election, I’m asking you to address the rules, which is what we tried to do before,’” McCarthy said. This is especially important in Pennsylvania, the battleground state with the most electoral votes at stake in 2024.  APPEALS COURT RULES AGAINST GOP IN CASE CHALLENGING 225K VOTER REGISTRATIONS IN NORTH CAROLINA  It is unclear how many residents in Pennsylvania will be impacted by the provisional ballot ruling, and the Republican Party did not immediately respond to Fox News’ request for comment. Estimates have been murky at best: A 2021 study conducted by the MIT Election Data and Science Lab estimated roughly 1.1% of mail-in ballots were not counted due to missing secrecy envelopes. Mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania have been lower so far in 2024 than 2020, when many relied on that process due to COVID-19 precautions. More recently, New York University law professor Richard Pildes estimated that the case could affect between 400 and 4,000 ballots in the state – though his “back-of-the-napkin” math focused solely on naked ballots, and not others sent with incomplete information. In a

Opponents of antisemitism on campus frustrated by Schumer’s failure to move on legislation: ‘Stunning’

Opponents of antisemitism on campus frustrated by Schumer’s failure to move on legislation: ‘Stunning’

Pro-Israel leaders and activists are expressing frustration and disappointment that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has yet to plan a vote on a bill aimed at tackling the rising tide of antisemitism on college campuses. Many fear the delay could lead to the bill getting “watered down” – or potentially getting derailed altogether.  “This is a very good bill. It’s a very important bill. It comes at a very, very urgent time in terms of the dynamics of our country, and it should be passed, and it should be passed and signed into law right away. I mean, the sooner the better,” said Elan Carr, CEO of the Israeli-American Council and former U.S. special envoy to combat antisemitism. “There’s deep disappointment that this has been slow-rolled,” Rabbi Abrahm Cooper, former chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom and director at the Simon Wiesenthal Center, added. “I think, in many ways, taking that tactic only highlights the fact that there are obviously elements of the Democratic Party that are anti-Israel.” Carr echoed Cooper’s suggestion that the delay could likely be due to concerns that “this bill could reveal fissures that would be embarrassing for some.”  CNN’S JENNINGS CALLS OUT STUDENT ‘HITLERS,’ ANTISEMITISM ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES: ‘OPEN YOUR EYES’ The bill in question is the Antisemitism Awareness Act, passed in bipartisan fashion on May 1.  It seeks to mandate that the Department of Education adopt the same definition of “antisemitism” used by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), an intergovernmental organization aimed at uniting governments and experts to advance and promote Holocaust education. Under the bill, the IHRA definition would become standard for use in Title VI cases brought forward by the Department of Education. Schumer has promised to put the Antisemitism Awareness Act up for a vote before the end of the year, according to Axios, which reported that he wants to attach the measure to the must-pass defense bill that will be voted on during Congress’ lame-duck session following the election. The move would pressure any potential dissenters to get on board with it. According to Jewish Insider, Republican Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin have opposed the bill on grounds it limits free speech, while the New York Times reported Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah has also voiced his own objections. A spokesman for Schumer indicated the majority leader’s strategy was to attach the bill to another measure senators would feel compelled to vote for. “Senator Schumer has a long and strong history fighting antisemitism, and the goal with passing antisemitism legislation has long been to use a viable, must-pass vehicle to accomplish that. We fully intend to get it done before the end of the year,” said Schumer Communications Director Angelo Roefaro. The American Jewish Committee’s Director of Policy and Political Affairs, Julie Rayman, pointed to Schumer’s “earnest commitment to passing impactful legislation to counter antisemitism in the Senate.”  But other proponents of getting the bill passed, such as Carr, expressed fear that Schumer’s decision to delay the vote until the lame-duck session – which starts after the November election – might jeopardize the bill’s prospects of being passed.  FOX NEWS ‘ANTISEMITISM EXPOSED’ NEWSLETTER: JEWISH STUDENTS FEEL TARGETED AS COLLEGE RESUMES “One thing I don’t want to see happen is that this thing will be amended in ways that will make it actually more harmful than not doing anything at all,” Carr said. “My concern is it could get watered down, and the final product could do damage to the very causes that this bill is supposed to advance.”  Carr pointed to a similar situation that happened in Indiana’s state legislature, where a bill that passed by both chambers was ultimately vetoed by the governor because it failed to incorporate the entire IHRA definition of antisemitism.  “Senator Schumer’s choice to delay a vote on the Antisemitism Awareness Act by attaching it to unrelated legislation is disappointing, risking unnecessary setbacks,” said Florida GOP Rep. Carlos Giménez. Giménez voted in favor of the Antisemitism Awareness Act earlier this year and introduced different legislation targeting hatred towards the Jewish community. “I urge Senator Schumer to act now—protecting students from antisemitism must be a straightforward, bipartisan commitment that doesn’t get sidelined by political calculations.” FOX NEWS ‘ANTISEMITISM EXPOSED’ NEWSLETTER: CHICAGO’S JEWISH COMMUNITY SHAKEN BY SHOOTING     Gerard Filitti is senior counsel with the Lawfare Project, a nonprofit which provides pro bono legal assistance to protect the civil rights of the Jewish community. He argued that in light of the Education and Workforce Committee’s report chronicling Schumer’s laissez-faire attitude towards campus antisemitism, there is “a very real concern” that Schumer might not ever bring the Antisemitism Awareness Act to the floor for a vote at all. “Senator Schumer’s lack of leadership on one of the most pressing civil rights issues in our country is stunning,” argued Filitti. “Schumer has had six whole months to bring this bill up for a vote, and his failure to do so is not just puzzling but rather troubling; antisemitism is not, and should not be made, a partisan political issue. As with other forms of racism and bigotry, it takes bipartisanship to combat Jew-hatred, and in light of the ongoing crisis of antisemitism we see on college campuses, this bill should have passed the Senate months ago.” 

Federal judge orders Musk back to Pennsylvania court for ‘illegal lottery’ lawsuit

Federal judge orders Musk back to Pennsylvania court for ‘illegal lottery’ lawsuit

A federal judge on Friday denied Elon Musk’s request to move a Pennsylvania lawsuit over his $1 million daily giveaways to federal court, remanding the case — which centers on whether the giveaways amount to “illegal bribery” under Pennsylvania law — back to the state for a hearing. The decision is a victory for Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, who filed a lawsuit earlier this week to stop Musk and his Trump-supporting political action committee from continuing its $1 million giveaways to swing state voters.  Judge Angelo Foglietta on Friday ordered the hearing to take place Monday at 10 a.m., in accordance with Krasner’s request that the matter be heard “immediately.” It is unclear whether Musk, whose attorneys filed a motion Friday evening to quash a mandatory attendance provision in the lawsuit, will show up to court. The D.A.’s office has described the giveaways as an “illegal lottery” aimed at influencing the results of a presidential election and a violation of Pennsylvania law. It also accused Musk and his PAC of violating consumer protection laws, citing the “deceptive” and “misleading” statements Musk had made about the nature of the contest.  SWING-STATE’S SUPREME COURT ISSUES PIVOTAL RULING ON MAIL-IN BALLOTS SENT WITHOUT POSTMARK Musk’s attorneys had requested the case be heard in federal court, delaying an original hearing scheduled for Thursday.  Attorneys for the Tesla founder and Trump supporter also used this as a pretext for his failure to show up at an originally scheduled court date in Philadelphia. They accused Krasner’s office of creating a “circus atmosphere” by naming him in the suit. In a filing on Thursday night, Krasner urged the U.S. District Court in Philadelphia to “immediately” remand the lawsuit back to the state, noting that the lawsuit brought against Musk rests solely on state law claims and has no basis for removal.  The push to have a federal court oversee the case “is a stunt to obtain a procedural advantage,” he said, and “run out the clock” until the election. Until the hearing occurs, Musk and the PAC are likely free to continue their daily giveaways. “Brazenly, they have done so every day since the filing of the Complaint — including this morning, the day of the scheduled hearing,” Krasner said Thursday in filing the emergency request. The legal battle comes as Musk’s America PAC has awarded $1 million prizes to 14 people to date — which it said it plans to do through Election Day. Musk had billed the $1 million daily giveaways as an effort to increase voter registration across seven major swing states, and claimed its daily winners are selected at “random.”  But the district attorney’s office contested this, noting: “Though Musk says that a winner’s selection is ‘random,’ that appears false because multiple winners that have been selected are individuals who have shown up at Trump rallies in Pennsylvania.” BATTLEGROUND STATE’S HIGH COURT REJECTS GOP CHALLENGE TO PROVISIONAL BALLOT RULES The lawsuit notes that all lotteries in Pennsylvania are required to be “operated and administered by the state.” Musk’s daily giveaways, the suit claims, run afoul of that law.  The Tesla founder and CEO has come under increased scrutiny for the daily giveaways. Last week, the Justice Department sent a letter to Musk warning that the giveaway scheme might violate federal election laws, which criminalize paying voters to register or participate in elections.  Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub. 

Pennsylvania’s Amish are a key, yet hesitant voting bloc; pressing issues may benefit Trump, some say

Pennsylvania’s Amish are a key, yet hesitant voting bloc; pressing issues may benefit Trump, some say

Pennsylvania’s election is likely to go down to the wire Tuesday, meaning support from the commonwealth’s sizable, yet traditionally private Amish community might just make a difference. The Amish-Mennonite community has long been a reliably conservative group, given its devout faith, humility and reluctance to engage with aspects of contemporary societal norms such as driving cars and using cellphones. Rep. Lloyd Smucker, R-Pa., the first Amish-born member of Congress, said he’s seeing a real change lately. “You have a minority of the Amish who are now farming and agricultural. They ran out of land in Lancaster County a long time ago. So, there’s a new generation of Amish who are business owners,” he said. ACTIVIST TALKS AMISH VOTING “So, they’re becoming much more engaged politically than their parents were.” A report from Elizabethtown College estimated 90,000 Amish live in Pennsylvania and 84,000 live in Ohio, in addition to sizeable populations in Indiana, Wisconsin, New York and Missouri. Smucker said there were 1,500-2,000 new voter registrants in his district who are Amish, adding he expects thousands more to cast ballots this cycle. Two former presidents — George W. Bush and Donald Trump — actively canvassed the community, which by and large doesn’t vote due to customs surrounding privacy. Bush visited Smoketown during the 2004 campaign, meeting with Amish leaders without photographers out of respect of religious customs. Excepting Democrat James Buchanan, a Greencastle native who maintained a residence in the city of Lancaster, Bush was the first president since George Washington to visit at least twice during his term. CRISS-CROSSING PA TO REGISTER VOTERS, PRESLER SEES COUNTIES FLIP RED “We hate that abortion issue,” a farmer named Sam Stoltzfus told The Associated Press during Bush’s visit. “You could hold up a dead mouse with a sign ‘I love Bush,’ and we’d still probably think twice about stomping that mouse underfoot.”  In contrast to Bush’s quiet visit, Trump held a raucous 2016 rally in Manheim. Men in traditional Amish garb were seen seated throughout the venue, cheering the mogul’s pitch and critiques of Hillary Clinton. Of the criticism that Trump’s New York bombast isn’t a fit for humble Lancaster, Smucker said many Amish “love” Trump for his small-government platform. With faith at the core of Amish life, they also appreciate Trump’s own focus on religious liberty. That focus, he said, also mirrors many other conservatives’ priorities outside Lancaster. Smucker said while Bush and Trump have had most of the Amish attention, the Amish were very politically active in the 1950s when compulsory age-based education was an issue for youth who often returned to farming. Today, Trump signs sit on some farms and occasionally on a horse and buggy clip-clopping down Old Philly Pike in Bird-in-Hand. Many Fridays, Republican activist Scott Presler registered voters at the Green Dragon Farmers Market in Ephrata, where he told Fox News Digital the Amish he’s interacted with have been very fervent in their support of Trump. In a tweet, Presler also pointed to Democratic officials who investigated Amish farmer Amos Miller over his raw milk sales. The case drew national attention from the likes of Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who called the litigation “shameful.” Donald Trump Jr. also lambasted a raid on Miller’s property, saying he “can’t be the only person sick of this s—.” Asked whether the government’s run-ins with Miller inspired new political enthusiasm, Smucker said other dairymen have found ways to comply with the law, but the intrusion into Miller’s business was not well taken. “Yes, Amos Miller was a good case of that. But there are plenty of others that the Amish can point to as well,” he said. The Amish first arrived from Germany in the 18th century, when many Germans landed in Philadelphia and initiated a diaspora throughout Pennsylvania. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The Amish headed west toward Lancaster, while other “Pennsilfaanisch” headed northward to the Lehigh Valley, settling in places with ethnic names like Hamburg, Heidelberg, Neffs and Seisholtzville. Today, Lancaster is a little less quiet than it’s traditionally been, with an explosion in tourism and new residents who are “English,” as the Amish refer to those outside their sect, since the turn of the century. Smucker recounted being born the tenth of 12 in an Old Order family, the stricter of the sect, who wear plainclothes, speak “Pennsilfaanisch Deitsch” and drive buggies. He suggested his own story illustrates how Amish values mesh well with conservative principles and those forwarded by Trump. After completing Amish schooling, which ends around the ninth grade, Smucker took a nighttime job hanging drywall to fund private Christian school tuition to finish his studies. “That was the deal,” he said of his time at Lancaster Mennonite School.  He later purchased a fledgling business from a sibling for $1,000 and developed it into a regional leader in construction and commercial contracting. “I talk about that as what we think of as the American dream,” he said. “It doesn’t matter where you start. You know, if you work hard … play by the rules, you’re going to have a really great chance of getting ahead in this country of ours. “It’s the idea of strong individual responsibility, a strong family unit and then a strong local community or local church. And when you have all of that in place, you don’t need a big government. And that’s exactly how the Amish look at that.” Fox News Digital also reached out to the Lancaster County Democratic Committee for comment. 

Harris holds commanding 10-point lead over Trump in Virginia: poll

Harris holds commanding 10-point lead over Trump in Virginia: poll

With just four days to Election Day, Vice President Kamala Harris holds a commanding 10-point lead over former President Trump in Virginia among likely voters, according to a new poll by Roanoke College. The Trump campaign is hoping to flip the Old Dominion State red after losing in 2016 and 2020, with the former president making a last-minute stop in Salem on Saturday for a campaign rally. No Republican presidential candidate has won Virginia since former President George W. Bush’s re-election in 2004. Only 2% of likely voters say they are undecided and another 2% say they will vote for someone other than the five candidates on the ballot, according to the poll. VIRGINIA GOVERNOR SLAMS ‘ASTOUNDING’ FEDERAL RULING REINSTATING VOTING RIGHTS FOR ALLEGED NONCITIZENS Harris leads Trump by 51% to 41%, with independent Cornel West and Libertarian Chase Oliver both polling at 2%. Green Party candidate Jill Stein is polling at 1%. The economy was named as the most important issue by 43% of respondents, followed by abortion (20%) and immigration (12%). Foreign affairs (8%) came in next, followed by crime (3%).  In the U.S. Senate race, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., leads his Republican challenger Hung Cao by 51% to 40%.  The poll interviewed 851 likely registered voters in Virginia from Oct. 25-29 and has a margin of error of 4.6%. Several polls out of the state have shown Harris with a comfortable lead over former President Trump since President Biden withdrew from the ticket and Harris clinched the Democratic Party’s nomination.  DAVID MARCUS: IN VIRGINIA, SIGNS THAT TRUMP COULD PULL OFF A BLUE STATE ELECTION SHOCK Her rise has marked a significant turnaround at the top of the Democratic ticket in Virginia. A Fox News poll in June had Biden and Trump in a dead heat. Biden swept Virginia in 2020 by more than 10 points, and Hillary Clinton beat Trump by more than five points there in 2016 — although Trump went on to win the presidency. The GOP has been making progress in the state, with the 2021 election of Gov. Glenn Youngkin as the first Republican to be elected to the governorship since 2009 and further success in the 2022 midterms and the state’s 2023 off-year elections. “With so few undecided voters, it’s a tough uphill climb for Trump,” said Dr. Harry Wilson, senior political analyst for IPOR and Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Roanoke College. “Democrats continue to take advantage of early voting. Republicans are catching up, but they need massive turnout on Election Day.”  A large majority (85%) of those who have not yet voted are very certain of their choice and another 9% are somewhat certain. Two-thirds (66%) are very enthusiastic about voting, and another 17% are somewhat enthusiastic, according to the poll. CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINION About 95% of Democrats support Harris, and she leads 49%-36% among independents. Trump is supported by 90% of Republicans, per the poll.  Of the 851 responses to the poll, 19 (2%) were landline interviews, 450 (53%) were cellphone interviews and 382 (45%) were completed by text to web. Virginia has become a focal point for election integrity, with the Supreme Court this week greenlighting the state’s efforts to remove possible noncitizen voter registrations.

Fox News Politics: Election Day around the corner

Fox News Politics: Election Day around the corner

Welcome to the Fox News’ Politics newsletter, with the latest political news from Washington, D.C. and updates from the 2024 campaign trail.  Here’s what’s happening… -Michigan Dem Slotkin leads as GOP aims to win first US Senate race in state since 1994 -Discovery of ‘fraudulent’ voter applications prompts PA probe of Arizona company’s potential involvement -Netanyahu signals Tehran’s nuclear program could be next target as Iran plans future attack Two House Republican lawmakers are in political trouble with Election Day just four days away, according to a new analysis. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report issued a ratings update late Friday morning projecting races for Reps. Don Bacon, R-Neb., and Anthony D’Esposito, R-N.Y., to “lean Democrat.” They were both ranked as “toss-up” races, meaning it was anyone’s game ahead of Nov. 5. The Cook Partisan Voting Index (PVI) ranks Bacon’s race as “even,” whereas D’Esposito’s is five points in favor of Democrats…Read more IDENTITY POLITICS: Biden-Harris admin pushed more than 500 ‘DEI actions’ across government, report finds…Read more ‘NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT’: Top House committee subpoenas Biden admin for docs on faulty border cameras: ‘National security threat’…Read more DANGEROUS STREETS: NY Republican slams Biden, Harris for ‘total lack of respect’ after illegal charged in 5-year-old’s rape…Read more TURNING UP THE HEAT: Harris slammed for hiring advisor with ties to dark money group pushing gas stove ban: ‘Par for the course’…Read more CAVING TO ACTIVISTS: Harvard, Northwestern failed Jewish students during college campus protests: House report…Read more ‘ABSOLUTELY ZERO SUPPORT’: Ted Cruz knocks McConnell-aligned super PAC for ‘zero support’ in competitive race…Read more PUT ON BLAST: McConnell issues smackdown of Kentucky Dem governor’s call to abolish the Electoral College…Read more NOVEMBER SURPRISE: Dismal jobs report gives Trump last-minute political ammunition to fire at Harris…Read more TRUMP COUNTRY: Rural Georgia counties outpace Dem strongholds as Peach State shatters early voting records…Read more BLUE WALL HOLDING?: Harris holds narrow lead over Trump in ‘blue wall’ states Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin: poll…Read more ‘IRRESPONSIBLE’: Trump criticism of Liz Cheney as ‘radical war hawk’ framed as call for violence by ‘irresponsible’ media…Read more FOREIGN INTERFERENCE: Video of Haitian migrants saying they plan to vote multiple times in Georgia is Russian-made: US intel…Read more ‘DOESN’T THINK’: Chris Christie blasts Mark Cuban for ‘really stupid’ remark about Trump and ‘strong’ women…Read more FOR RICHER TO POORER: Oregon ballot measure would tax big corporations more, return revenue as rebate to residents…Read more ‘A VIOLATION’: Montana to probe nation’s leading pediatrics group for claim puberty blockers are ‘reversible’…Read more ‘RED FLAGS’: State treasurers push for divestment from China citing ‘red flags’ regarding the CCP…Read more ‘VOTER SUPPRESSION’: Stacey Abrams claims voter suppression in Georgia despite record early turnout…Read more ‘ALL HANDS ON DECK’: Republicans are running a ‘successful’ early voting campaign in battleground North Carolina: NRCC chair…Read more Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.

Biden administration slapped with lawsuit over documents on taxpayer money benefiting illegal immigrants

Biden administration slapped with lawsuit over documents on taxpayer money benefiting illegal immigrants

FIRST ON FOX: A conservative group is suing the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) over documents related to the housing and sheltering of illegal immigrants in the U.S. amid broader concerns about how taxpayer money is being spent on the crisis. The Center to Advance Security in America (CASA) is suing HHS after it submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request seeking documents about HHS’s Office of Refugee Resettlement and information about how money has been spent on non-governmental organizations that help migrants. The FOIA request sought documents “showing the total list of non-governmental organizations that received federal funds from the Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Refugee Resettlement for years FY 2023, and FY 2024 to assist with housing, educational, medical, legal, or other services made available to migrants apprehended at the Southern border.” DOZENS OF SENATE AND HOUSE LAWMAKERS UNLEASH ON BIDEN-HARRIS ADMIN’S CHILD MIGRANT ‘COVER UP’  The lawsuit says it is in the public interest “because it will help the public understand whether HHS is using taxpayer dollars consistent with the law and whether appropriate oversight of federal funds provided to non-governmental organizations is in place.” HHS did not respond to the FOIA, and so the group is suing to get the necessary documents. “The southern border is out of control, and American communities are being forced to deal with thousands of unvetted migrants pouring over the border each day. ” CASA Director James Fitzpatrick said in a statement.  “The American people are entitled to know specifically how much money taxpayers are spending on non-profit organizations providing social services to illegal migrants. CASA’s FOIA requested this information, and now this lawsuit will force the Office of Refugee Resettlement to provide it for FY 23 and 24 just as they have provided it before.” CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS While the Department of Homeland Security is the primary agency dealing with the migrant crisis and the influx of migrants across the southern border, HHS plays a role, particularly in the resettlement of migrant children who come across into the U.S. unaccompanied by an adult. More than 500,000 unaccompanied alien children (UAC) have crossed the border without a parent or guardian since 2021. When unaccompanied children come to the border, they are turned over by Border Patrol to Health and Human Services (HHS), which will attempt to find them a sponsor within the country, typically a family member. Lawmakers have regularly been scrutinizing the money going to nonprofits that resettle migrants, and some Republicans see such spending as a misuse of taxpayer money. THOUSANDS OF MIGRANT KIDS MISSING, ACCORDING TO WATCHDOG REPORT, GOP SENATOR SLAMS DHS: ‘RECKLESS DISREGARD’  HHS, meanwhile, has been under particular scrutiny over its handling of resettling migrant children, and Republican lawmakers recently criticized HHS for “rushing” them out of custody and into the hands of sponsors. A September letter to the White House from Republicans in both chambers claimed the administration has cut back on background checks and vetting procedures as part of an effort to speed up the process. The White House, however, pushed back on the claims. “The administration has taken action to protect unaccompanied children through exacting sponsor vetting for those caring for unaccompanied children and post-release services for all children in sponsor care,” a White House spokesperson said. “HHS is also implementing the strongest rule to protect unaccompanied children ever through the Foundational Rule on Unaccompanied Children, which further implements detailed policies and procedures providing for the safe and timely release of unaccompanied children to vetted and approved sponsors, requiring background and criminal records checks for all sponsors and adults residing in the potential sponsor’s household, strengthened post-release services to ensure child well-being and immigration compliance and enhanced standards for private care facilities that house unaccompanied children. HHS CHIEF ‘UNFAMILIAR’ WITH REPORTS THAT AGENCY CAN’T CONTACT 85,000 UNACCOMPANIED MIGRANT KIDS  “It is outrageous that Republican members of Congress are trying to end these protections for children through use of the Congressional Review Act to repeal this critical rule.” HHS came under the spotlight last year when The New York Times reported on how the agency had been unable to reach 85,000 minors and lost immediate contact with a third of them. HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said at that time that the number “doesn’t sound at all to be realistic,” and “what we do is we try and follow up as best we can with these kids. “Congress has given us certain authorities. Our authorities end when we have found a suitable sponsor to place that child with. We try and do some follow-up, but neither the child nor the sponsor is actually obligated to follow up with us.”