U.S.-Mexico water agreement might bring relief to parched South Texas
The amendment to a 1944 treaty will help Mexico catch up with its water deliveries to the U.S. and might help Rio Grande Valley farmers devastated by low rainfall.
Estimated 500,000-plus ballots still uncounted in Arizona: ‘Elections do not end on Election Day’
Election Day is long gone, but Arizonans and Americans across the nation are still waiting for results from the Grand Canyon State, including the outcome of the closely watched U.S. Senate contest pitting Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego against Trump-backed Republican Kari Lake. “Elections do not end on Election Day. It takes time to ensure all eligible votes are counted,” the state’s ballot progress page states. According to the page, the estimated number of uncounted ballots stands at 588,223. KARI LAKE ARGUES DEMOCRATS ARE SICK OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY While Election Day was Tuesday, the outcome of the Senate and presidential race in the state of Arizona remain unclear as of Saturday. Fox News Digital reached out to request a comment from Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes about why it is taking so long to count 2024 election ballots in the state and when he expects the counting process to be completed. Deputy communications director JP Martin replied via email, “Arizona has historically taken 10-13 days to count results. The secretary has been reminding the public of this fact before the election even occurred. Your premise is incorrect.” BORDER STATE ARIZONA BACKS HAVING LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT ARREST SUSPECTED ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS “Accurate election results take time,” Fontes noted in a post on X. “Signature verification is the process of comparing the sig. on a voter’s ballot envelope against info in the database. The ballot is then separated to keep the voter’s identity secret and sent for tabulation.” Lake has been urging people to volunteer to help “cure” ballots. 7 STATES VOTE TO PROTECT ABORTION RIGHTS, 3 KEEP RESTRICTIONS IN PLACE “I can’t stress enough how important ballot curing is. Every single vote is going to count for this election, so we need to make sure every single vote gets counted. We have until Sunday to cure ballots. I URGE you to get involved if you haven’t,” Lake tweeted. Maricopa County Elections explained, “Curing is the process of resolving any problems with your signature on the green affidavit envelope for early voting. For your ballot to be tabulated, we must have a verified signature each election cycle. There is a small window of time to cure signature issues.” The winner of the U.S. Senate contest will replace Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, a Democrat turned independent who opted not to seek re-election in 2024. Regardless of whether President-elect Trump wins in Arizona, it is already clear he earned an Electoral College blowout over Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 White House contest.
Officials say Qatar decided alone to expel Hamas, not Biden admin due to frustration with political situation
Qatar has grown increasingly frustrated with “political exploitation” from all sides involved in the months-long Gaza peace talks it has hosted, and insists they informed Hamas they are no longer welcome in their nation without the help of the Biden administration, Fox News Digital has learned. U.S. officials said it was the Biden administration who had asked Qatar to push out Hamas political officials after Hamas refused proposals to release even “a small number of hostages” during recent meetings after the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. The U.S. had come to the position after the killing of Hersh Goldberg Polin, an American taken hostage on October 7. But another diplomatic source briefed on the matter said it was Qatar’s decision on their own to ask Hamas leaders to leave after “both sides repeatedly refused to participate in negotiations except on their conditions without showing willingness to engage constructively.” The source said that Qatar had warned U.S. officials, as well as Hamas and Israel, they would not accept “being subjected to political exploitation aimed at gaining political leverage at Qatar’s expense while misleading public perception.” “The Qataris have concluded that there is insufficient willingness from either side, with the mediation efforts becoming more about politics and elections rather than a serious attempt at peace.” “Once the Qataris had made their decision, they notified both sides, Israel and Hamas as well as the U.S. administration. All sides were given no advance warning and were informed after the decision was made.” QATAR AGREES TO KICK HAMAS OUT OF DOHA AFTER REQUEST FROM BIDEN ADMINISTRATION A senior Biden administration official said in response: “Will refer you to Qatar to speak to their decision. The U.S. is continuing to pursue a number of initiatives to secure the release of hostages. That work is ongoing.” The official breakdown in talks was reported just after President-elect Donald Trump won the U.S. election. But U.S. sources say it was in the works before the election and that the Biden administration asked Qatar to ask Hamas to leave about two weeks ago and that Qatar gave Hamas notice they would no longer be welcome about 10 days ago. Another source who is familiar disputes that the Biden administration asked Qatar to remove Hamas two weeks ago, but confirmed Hamas was informed of the decision 10 days ago. “The State of Qatar notified the parties 10 days ago, during the last attempts to reach an agreement, that it would stall its efforts to mediate between Hamas and Israel if an agreement was not reached in that round,” Dr. Majed bin Mohammed al Ansari, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in a statement posted on X. “The State of Qatar will not accept that mediation be a reason for blackmailing it,” he stressed. The source said that those involved in the talks showed a “very clear demonstration to undermine the efforts by backing out from some of the commitments throughout the negotiations and trying to make them as deal breakers for political optics rather than a serious security matter.” “The Qataris informed both the Israelis and Hamas that as long as there is a refusal to negotiate a deal in good faith, they cannot continue to mediate. As a consequence, the Hamas political office no longer serves its purpose.” The source reiterated that Qatar had only notified Israel, Hamas and the U.S. that it would no longer be hosting talks after they had come to the decision, adding they would return to the negotiating table once both sides got serious about ending the war. A similar message had been conveyed in April, prompting members of Hamas to leave for Turkey. ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU FIRES DEFENSE MINISTER YOAV GALLANT But two weeks after that, the Biden administration and Israeli government asked Qatar to request Hamas’ return, because they were keen to continue the talks. Since the start of the war in Gaza, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani has said to have played a key role in peace talks between Israel and Hamas, alongside the U.S. and Gaza, helping to secure the release of nearly 200 hostages over the past year. But U.S. officials say Hamas has shown no signs of budging off “unrealistic”demands to remain in power in Gaza, a position the U.S. and Israel will never accept. With Trump’s win, the Biden administration, now in a race against time to salvage its foreign policy legacy, has just over two months to secure a ceasefire deal. “When it comes to the Middle East, we will continue to pursue an end to the war in Gaza, an end to the war in Lebanon, a surge of humanitarian assistance. And that is our duty to pursue those policies right up until noon on January 20th,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters this week. Trump, having run on a platform of negotiating ends to conflicts around the world, will also be keen to see peace return to the Middle East. He reportedly told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he wants Israel to win the war quickly. Trump and al-Thani met in Florida in September and had “productive” discussions about bringing peace to the region, a source who was familiar said. Fox News Digital reached out to the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu but did not hear back by press time. An Israeli official in Netanyahu’s office issued a statement to reporters welcoming Qatar’s decision, saying that no country should host the terror group. The Times of Israel reported that the Israeli official also stated that “Donald Trump’s election victory this week also contributed to the decision, suggesting that the Republican president-elect would not have supported Hamas’s continued presence in Doha.”
President-elect Trump to meet Biden in Oval Office Wednesday
President-elect Trump is set to meet President Biden at the Oval Office on Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre announced Saturday. The announcement comes as the pair work towards a transition of power which will conclude with Trump being sworn in as the 47th president on Jan. 20, 2025. “At President Biden’s invitation, President Biden and President-elect Trump will meet in the Oval Office on Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. Additional details to follow,” Jean-Pierre announced in a short statement.
DNA TV Show: Why Ajit Pawar distances himself from CM Yogi’s slogan ‘Batenge toh katenge’?
amid the election campaign, BJP ally NCP chief Ajit Pawar has distanced himself from CM Yogi Adityanath’s ‘Batenge to Katenge’ slogan during an election rally in Washim.
MSMEs will get collateral free term loans scheme of upto Rs 100 crore through…, says FM Sitharaman
Speaking at the National MSME Cluster Outreach Programme in Bengaluru, Sitharaman explained that a new credit guarantee scheme, which will support term loans for MSMEs, is expected to go before the Cabinet “sooner.”
Gujarat: 38 injured in collision involving bus, two vehicles near Ambaji
According to the Civil Superintendent of Danta Government Hospital, Dr KK Singh, among the 38 injured, six people sustained serious injuries and were referred to Palampur for further treatment.
Judge says New York can’t use “antiquated, unconstitutional” law to block migrant buses from Texas
Despite the court loss, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said fewer buses brought immigrants to the city after the lawsuit was filed.
Democratic Rep. Jared Moskowitz says police informed him of possible murder plot against him
Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., said in a statement that the Margate Police Department informed him about a possible plot to kill him. The congressman, who won re-election this week, said authorities informed him of the news a day ahead of the election. “The day before the election, I was notified by the Margate Police Department, located in my Congressional District, about a potential plot on my life. The individual in question was arrested not far from my home; he is a former felon who was in possession of a rifle, a suppressor, and body armor,” Moskowitz said in the statement. DEM CONGRESSMAN SAYS TRUMP SHOULD TALK ABOUT DROPPING OUT AFTER DEBATE “Found with him was a manifesto that, among other things, included antisemitic rhetoric and only my name on the ‘target’ list. There are many other details that I will not disclose as I do not want to interfere with an ongoing investigation,” the lawmaker noted. “This is outrageous,” Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., tweeted in response to Moskowitz’s statement about the potential plot. “Nobody should hurt Jared!” Fox News Digital reached out to the Margate Police Department regarding the potential murder plot against Moskowitz, and Maj. Alain Banatte provided a press release that discusses the arrest of 41-year-old John Lapinski. GEOGRAPHIC TERRITORY OF HURRICANE DISASTER IS ‘GIGANTIC’: REP JARED MOSKOWITZ “On November 2, 2024, the Margate Police Department conducted an investigation that resulted in the arrest of John Lapinski, DOB 07/23/83, a resident of Margate, for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and other firearms related charges,” the release noted. “During the investigation, our detectives located several firearms and evidence that indicated he may have been planning some type of criminal act,” the press release continued. “The Margate Police Department contacted the Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to assist with the investigation. “Since this investigation is still active and ongoing the Margate Police Department will not be providing further comment. The ATF is currently the lead agency for this investigation,” the press release concluded. REP. JARED MOSKOWITZ: WE NEED TO GET TO A CEASE-FIRE, BUT WE MUST GET THE HOSTAGES OUT Moskowitz congratulated Susie Wiles in response to the news that President-elect Donald Trump had picked her as his chief of staff. “Congrats to @susie57!” he tweeted. “I worked with Susie in the DeSantis Administration. She is brilliant, tough, strategic. She will serve the country well.”
Soros DAs suffer 12 big defeats, billionaire’s agenda faces uncertain future
Americans are turning the page on the woke left’s approach to crime, if this week’s district attorney elections are anything to go by. A majority of the 25 George Soros-linked district attorneys on the ballot this week were defeated, signaling a backlash against progressive policies that critics say are to blame for a surge in crime across the country in recent years. Many of the losing Soros candidates were running for office in deep blue jurisdictions and suffered heavy losses despite Vice President Harris clocking up comfortable majorities in those same areas – indicating that a large portion of Democrats are also done with the progressive Left’s soft on crime experiment, according to the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund, a pro-police non-profit that tracked the 25 races. Of the 25 Soros-linked district attorneys on the ballot, 12 were either defeated or recalled. ‘FAILED EXPERIMENT’: EXPERTS REVEAL WHY SOROS-BACKED POLICIES TOOK BEATING IN DEEP BLUE STATE Soros, the Hungarian-born left-wing billionaire, runs a dark money web of non-profits that bankroll various candidates around the world who align with his progressive agenda, including his Open Society Foundations. Soros has given over $32 billion to Open Society Foundations since 1984, according to its website. The most high-profile loss this week came in the city of Los Angeles, where District Attorney George Gascón, backed by Soros, was thumped 24% by his tough on crime opponent, Nathan Hochman, a former federal prosecutor, with crime being a top issue of the election cycle. In contrast, Harris swept Los Angeles County by 30 points. In other areas of the liberal bastion state, hard-on-crime San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins comfortably beat out prosecutor Ryan Khojasteh, who was the handpicked candidate of former district attorney Chesa Boudin, who was recalled in 2022. Jenkins claimed in January that the city has been experiencing a “hard turn to the right” in recent years. Those sentiments were echoed by Gascón after his loss this week. In another loss for Soros-backed prosecutors in the Golden State, District Attorney Pamela Price was recalled in Alameda County, home to Oakland and Berkeley, less than two years after taking office following backlash for her alleged soft-on-crime approach. Vice President Harris clinched the county 75%-25%. “Across the battleground states and in Vice President Harris’ home state of California, a sizable share of Democrats voted to oust progressive prosecutors,” Sean Kennedy, the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund’s policy director, tells Fox News Digital. “The election results show that the soft-on-crime approach is not only a failed policy experiment, but also a political loser – even in deep blue areas. California’s Proposition 36, which sought to restore tough penalties for drugs and theft, easily passed with 70.4% of voters. Every single county in the state voted in favor of Prop 36. The defeats come after retail chains and mom-and-pop shops have been hit hard by theft, smash-and-grab robberies and organized retail crime gangs, while cities like San Francisco, Oakland and Los Angeles have been ravaged by rises in property crime and retail theft. LOS ANGELES DA GEORGE GASCON DEFENDS RECORD ON CRIME: ‘I KNOW HOW TO KEEP COMMUNITIES SAFE’ Kennedy says the voter backlash against soft-on-crime policies was especially acute in the battleground states. In Georgia, District Attorney of Athens-Clarke and Oconee Counties, Deborah Gonzalez, was tossed out by 20%. She represented the same county where nursing student Laken Riley was allegedly killed by an illegal migrant, who had been arrested and then released before the brutal crime. Gonzalez ran 16% behind Harris, who carried those counties 56.5% to Trump’s 43.5%. Meanwhile, traditional prosecutors in Arizona’s Maricopa County and Michigan’s Macomb County overperformed Trump’s margin of victory and beat back Soros-backed challengers, according to Kennedy. “In the most significant district attorney races, traditionally minded prosecutors got a larger share of the votes than either Donald Trump or Kamala Harris because one out of eight Harris voters backed the tough on crime candidate. It turns out public safety isn’t a partisan issue, it’s a common sense one.” However, there were wins for Soros-linked candidates, with Savannah’s progressive prosecutor Shalena Cook Jones holding on to her seat by 7%. In Florida, Soros-backed Monique Worrell reclaimed her position as the Orange-Osceola state attorney, beating out Andrew Bain by just over 5%. She was ousted last year by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for “dereliction of duty” on crime. However, another DeSantis foe, Andrew Warren, lost to Republican Suzy Lopez in Hillsborough County. DeSantis suspended Warren in August 2022 for refusing to enforce the state’s abortion ban. Kennedy says that out of the roughly 75 Soros-linked prosecutors nationwide his organization has since identified in 2022, over 30 have left office, and 20 have been replaced by traditional district attorneys. Fox News’ Andrew Mark Miller, Jamie Joseph, Louis Casiano and Michael Ruiz contributed to this report