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Harris and top anti-Trump Republican Cheney team up in battleground blitz

MALVERN, PA – The most high-profile GOP politician who is supporting Vice President Kamala Harris over former President Trump in the presidential election says that there are plenty of fellow Republicans who will quietly support the Democratic nominee. “They’re going to vote the right way on Nov. 5. They might not be public about it, but they’ll do what they know is right,” former Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming said on Monday, as she teamed up with Harris at a campaign event in suburban Philadelphia in battleground Pennsylvania. While Trump retains vast sway over the GOP, even a small sliver of Republicans supporting Harris could make a consequential impact in what will likely be a race within the margins in the key swing states. As she turns up the volume on her efforts to court disgruntled Republicans in the closing stretch of the presidential campaign, Harris on Monday was teaming up with the most visible anti-Trump Republican, not only in Pennsylvania, but also in two other crucial swing states – Michigan and Wisconsin. HARRIS-TRUMP CASH DASH: NEW FILINGS SHOW WHICH CANDIDATE IS THE CLEAR FUNDRAISING FRONT-RUNNER Cheney, a one-time rising conservative star in the GOP who, in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, has vowed to do everything she can to prevent the former president from returning to power. “We have the opportunity to tell the whole world who we are, and we have the chance to say, you know, we’re going to reject cruelty. We’re going to reject the kind of vile vitriol that we’ve seen from Donald Trump. We’re going to reject, the misogyny that we’ve seen from Donald Trump and JD Vance,” Cheney argued. CRUNCH TIME: HARRIS TO TEAM UP WITH THE OBAMAS IN THESE CRUCIAL SWING STATES And she emphasized that “we have the chance in this race to elect somebody who… is going to defend the rule of law. You know, Vice President Harris is going to defend our Constitution.” Cheney said her endorsement of the vice president was “not at all a difficult choice” and she reached her decision in part as a mother. Harris is hoping Cheney’s support will help her win support from Republican women who may hesitate on backing their party’s presidential nominee. Cheney, the daughter of former Republican Vice President Dick Cheney, once rose within the ranks of House Republican leadership. But she was the most high-profile of the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach then-President Trump in early 2021 on a charge of inciting the deadly Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol, which was waged by right-wing extremists and other Trump supporters who aimed to disrupt congressional certification of President Biden’s Electoral College victory in the 2020 election. The conservative lawmaker and defense hawk immediately came under verbal attack from Trump and his allies and was eventually ousted from her No. 3 House GOP leadership position. Cheney, who has been vocal in emphasizing the importance of defending the nation’s democratic process and of putting country before party, was one of only two Republicans who served on a special select committee organized by House Democrats that investigated the riot at the Capitol. In 2022, she lost the GOP congressional primary in Wyoming to Harriet Hageman, a candidate backed by Trump. At a speaking event in early September at Duke University in swing state North Carolina, Cheney announced that she would vote for Harris in the presidential election. Cheney’s father also endorsed Harris. And Cheney formally backed Harris as they teamed up on the campaign for the first time earlier this month, at an event in Ripon, Wisconsin. Cheney was not always a fan of Harris. The Trump campaign has repeatedly pointed to a social media post by Cheney during the 2000 election in which she said, “@KamalaHarris has a more liberal voting record than Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. Her radical leftist views-raising taxes, banning gun sales, taxpayer $ for abortion & illegal immigrant health care, eliminating private health insurance-would be devastating for America.” CHECK OUT THE LATEST FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS IN THE 2024 ELECTION Trump, speaking with Fox News’ Bill Melugin during a rally in Michigan earlier this month, charged that Cheney was “terrible” and “a stupid war hawk. All she wants to do is shoot missiles at people.” On Cheney’s backing of Harris, Trump argued, “I think they hurt each other. I think they’re so bad, both of them.” And ahead of Monday’s event, Republican National Committee chair Michael Whatley argued in a statement that “Liz Cheney is just as unpopular as Kamala Harris is to Pennsylvania voters – bringing her to the Keystone State to try to catch up to President Trump’s lead is not a winning strategy.” WHAT THE LATEST FOX NEWS POLLS IN THE 2024 ELECTION SHOW  Cheney and her father are part of a growing list of prominent Republicans who are supporting Harris. Two other high-profile anti-Trump Republicans, former Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois and former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, had speaking roles at the Democratic National Convention, which was held six weeks ago in Chicago. And Kinzinger and Duncan joined other prominent Republicans who are backing the vice president at an event with Harris last week in Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania, at the historic park where George Washington crossed the Delaware River on Christmas night 1776 – a turning point moment in the American Revolutionary War. The lifelong Pennsylvania Republicans who introduced Harris at last week’s event – Bob and Kristina Lange – were part of a group sitting on stage behind Harris and Cheney at Monday’s event. The Langes, who own a family farm in Chester County, Pennsylvania, have also starred in a Harris campaign commercial. The Langes say they’ve seen a barrage of hateful and derogatory messages following their appearance in the Harris ad. But in an interview last week, they noted that their Republican friends say “that they’re on the same page that we are. They’re approaching us and telling us ‘We’re

Convicted child-porn peddler asks court for non-prison punishment so he can advocate for trans daughter

The father of a trans athlete at a New Hampshire high school is requesting a non-prison sentence for his child pornography distribution charges, citing his advocacy for his trans daughter’s fight to play in girls’ sports in a letter to the federal judge. Marc Jacques, the father of New Hampshire high school trans athlete Maëlle Jacques, was sentenced on Sept. 9 to 60 months behind federal bars, according to court documents obtained by Fox News Digital. The U.S. Probation Office allowed him to get his affairs in order before reporting to prison in December. In his letter to U.S. District Judge Paul Barbadoro, Jacques argues his collaboration with the ACLU and GLAAD is essential to support Maëlle’s fight to be able to continue playing in girls’ sports teams.  He noted in the letter that Maëlle does not have the support of Maëlle’s mother because of Maëlle’s transgender identity. Jacques wrote that he has had full custody for the last several years, making him the sole support system for Maëlle and Maëlle’s brother, Remi. VIOLENT CONVICT’S TAXPAYER-FUNDED SEX CHANGE CHALLENGED BY STATE AG AFTER JUDGE’S APPROVAL “As a transgendered teen, Maëlle has had a very, very tough time finding acceptance and seeking to love themselves. Since the Spring of 2023, Maëlle has faced online bullying, vicious attacks on social media and has been the subject of discrimination in pamphlets distributed publicly throughout our school district, as just some examples,” Jacques wrote.   “Before finding joy in school sports, Maëlle suffered from anorexia, depression and anxiety and practiced self-harm (cutting). Since the NH Legislature began their attempts to take rights away from Maëlle and other trans teens this past legislative session, Maëlle has become more anxious once again and has had episodes of self-harm,” he said. Maëlle is also seeking out medical advice on gender transition treatments, his letter notes, “and with her mother being adamantly opposed to gender-affirming medical care, I am Maelle’s sole support system.” “The Pediatric Endocrinologist at DHMC is also exploring the option of providing a medical opinion that the gender dysphoria from which Maëlle is suffering can be declared a disability, most notably in the context of the sports ban,” Jacques wrote.  “This potential option is another strong example of Maëlle needing my support and caretaking as her mother and stepmother will oppose this option and any other option which could lead to Maëlle’s playing high school sports.” Maëlle also submitted a letter to the judge pleading for a non-custodial sentence for Jacques, and said that Jacques has been attending therapy and group rehab for his crime. “If I were unable to stay with him due to a prison sentence, it would be a major strike to my own mental stability as I would lose the home I grew up in and the safety I feel inside of it, as well as the sheer support from him which I simply do not receive at my mother’s,” Maëlle wrote. “The work I have begun to do with the ACLU in regard to my existence as a trans girl in sports is also reliant upon his moral support in my testifying and meeting with Senators. A prison sentence would also harm me and my brother’s future as we would stop receiving support for college payments without his salary.” The judge has not ruled on a non-custodial sentence for Jacques. INDIANA JUDGE RULES PRISON MUST PROVIDE TRANSGENDER SURGERY FOR INMATE WHO KILLED BABY According to court documents obtained by Fox News Digital, Jacques pleaded guilty to one charge of distribution of child pornography. In February 2022, authorities began investigating multiple CyberTips reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) by MediaLab/Kik, prosecutors wrote in court documents. The platform flagged that a user named “wayne9985” had uploaded 49 files that appeared to depict child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to other users through private messages between Nov. 24 and Dec. 6, 2021. Investigators identified Jacques as the user behind the Kik account after tracing IP addresses linked to some of the uploads, including one from his home in Newbury and another from his girlfriend’s residence in Hopkinton. Further inquiries revealed that Jacques’ residential IP address had been associated with over 40 prior CyberTips reported by Reddit, Google, Tumblr, and sendvid from 2018 to 2022. A search of Jacques’ Kik account showed he had disseminated at least 26 files of CSAM via private messages on various dates in November and December 2021. ACLU SUES INDIANA OVER DENIAL OF SEX REASSIGNMENT SURGERY FOR INMATE WHO STRANGLED 11-MONTH-OLD TO DEATH Maëlle, a student at Kearsage High School in New Hampshire, is nearly 6-feet in height, according to multiple reports. Jacques was allowed to play for Kearsage’s Regional despite a state law in New Hampshire that restricts transgender inclusion in girls’ sports. However, a federal judge’s ruling in September put Maëlle right back onto the field and into the locker room with the other girls’ athletes. New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu signed House Bill 1205, also known as the “Fairness in Women’s Sports Act,” into law in July, which prohibits trans girls and women from competing on girls’ and women’s sports teams. But then Maëlle’s family, along with the family of another transgender athlete, sued to block it.  A federal court granted a preliminary injunction on Sept. 10, which meant that the two athletes would be allowed to play until a final ruling is made. A final ruling has not been made, so they have continued to play despite the state law.  The judge who made the ruling, Landya McCafferty, is a liberal who was appointed to her seat by former President Obama in 2013.  Jacques was re-arrested on Friday, according to a local report, and is accused of obtaining more illegal images after his sentencing. A probation officer reported that pretrial internet monitoring reports showed Jacques accessed a data storage device, which appeared to contain more videos of child sexual abuse material, around Aug. 10 and Sept. 16. Court documents reportedly

Pennsylvania Senate race labeled ‘toss up’ in last-minute shift by top handicapper

A top political handicapper shifted its rating on Monday in the pivotal Pennsylvania Senate race, signaling dwindling chances for Democratic Sen. Bob Casey’s re-election.  Unveiling two ratings changes roughly two weeks from Election Day, the Cook Political Report indicated heightened competition in both Pennsylvania and Nebraska, where an independent candidate is threatening to unseat an incumbent Republican.  In Pennsylvania, the race between incumbent Casey and Republican challenger Dave McCormick is now considered a “Toss Up,” according to the handicapper. The battle was previously rated “Lean Democrat.” SCHUMER-TIED GROUP DROPS MILLIONS AGAINST TED CRUZ AS DEMS EYE PICKUP OPPORTUNITY IN TEXAS Cook cited McCormick “shoring up the GOP base and making gains in the western part of the state,” as part of its justification. It also noted that while Casey has a several point advantage over his opponent in public polls, the race is reportedly within the margin of error in both Democratic and Republican internal surveys.  Casey’s race is now in the same category as Senate races in Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin.  GOP CHALLENGER TIES SEN BALDWIN’S REMARK ABOUT TRUMP VOTERS TO CLINTON’S INFAMOUS ‘DEPLORABLES’ MOMENT The ratings change comes as the presidential election between former President Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris is practically tied in the battleground state. With split-ticket voting becoming increasingly rare, it’s very likely that whichever party wins the White House will also win the Senate race.  SENATE SHAKE-UP: HOW A SECRET BALLOT COULD UNDERMINE A POTENTIAL TRUMP ENDORSEMENT IN RACE TO THE TOP Casey defeated McCormick among likely voters 48% to 44% in a recent New York Times/Philadelphia Inquirer/Siena College poll. The survey of 857 Pennsylvania voters was conducted between Oct. 7 and 10. The margin of error was +/- 3.8 percentage points.  Republicans also took a hit in the ratings shifts, with Sen. Deb Fischer’s race in Nebraska moved again to demonstrate a quickly developing tight race. The match-up shifted from “Likely Republican” to “Lean Republican.”  HOVDE SHINES SPOTLIGHT ON TAMMY BALDWIN’S WALL STREET PARTNER DURING WISCONSIN DEBATE Independent candidate Dan Osborn, a union leader and mechanic, has appeared to take Fischer’s re-election campaign by surprise with his popularity just weeks from the election. No Democrat candidate was nominated in the race.  Despite the notable challenge, “we still think the heavy red hue of the state wins out, GOP attacks on Democratic efforts to covertly boost Osborn break through and that Fischer makes it across the finish line,” Cook wrote.  Fischer’s re-election bid is now in the same category as Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas.  Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Kamala Harris ‘has become toxic’ for Pennsylvania, top Keystone State lawmaker says

FEASTERVILLE, Pennsylvania— House Chief Deputy Whip Guy Reschenthaler of Pennsylvania told Fox News Digital on the sidelines of a campaign swing with former President Donald Trump that Vice President Kamala Harris is “toxic” for the Keystone State. Reschenthaler, who represents Pennsylvania’s 14th Congressional District, campaigned with Trump on Sunday across the state.  “He’s fighting hard,” Trump said of Reschenthaler Sunday afternoon. “He wants us to win.”  Trump’s comments about the congressman came during his visit to McDonald’s in Feasterville, Pennsylvania, outside of Philadelphia, where he traded in his signature suit jacket for an apron to learn how to cook French fries and deliver them to customers from the drive-thru window. TRUMP MAKES FRIES AT PENNSYLVANIA MCDONALD’S: ‘I’VE NOW WORKED FOR 15 MINUTES MORE THAN KAMALA’ The visit was intended to slam Harris for her claim that she was once a worker for the fast-food chain.  “It is important to highlight that Harris has repeatedly lied — and so has [Gov. Tim] Walz — on this campaign trail,” Reschenthaler told Fox News Digital on the sidelines of the visit. “And you have President Trump who is willing to call out his opponent on being loose with the facts.”  He added: “It just reminds voters again that Harris has misrepresented her past, and President Trump is going and connecting with the people of Pennsylvania.”  The Harris campaign blasted the McDonald’s visit as a “staged photo-op,” saying Trump “doesn’t understand what it’s like to work for a living,” and saying the vice president “has a record of standing up for workers and taking on bad actors who rip people off, and she’ll do the same as President.” Reschenthaler, who is up for re-election and hoping to seek a fourth term, says he is “feeling very good” with his own race, and is now focusing on helping Trump and other Republicans win in Pennsylvania.  The congressman pointed to new ads airing in the state from incumbent Democrat Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., in his race against Republican Dave McCormick.  Casey’s ad highlights how he “bucked Biden” and “sided” with Trump to end NAFTA and put tariffs on China to “stop them from cheating.” The ad highlights the Democrat senator as an “independent,” and features a Republican woman and her Democrat husband. It does not mention Vice President Harris.  “As soon as I saw that ad where he was trying to tie himself to Trump, I knew — they’ve got to be seeing what we’re seeing in terms of internal polling — that Trump is surging,” Reschenthaler said. “They know that Trump has taken the lead, and they know that Harris has become toxic.”  “That is the only reason why you would have a seasoned Democratic senator like Casey disavowing Harris and trying to tie himself to Trump,” he continued. “He sees the numbers.”  Reschenthaler said he also thinks the ad shows that there is a “real chance that McCormick has a shot at beating Casey.”  “People are going to come out and vote for Trump and Republicans down ballot, which will help us — not only in the Senate, but will help us in the competitive congressional districts as well,” he said.  Later Sunday, Reschenthaler joined Trump at a town hall hosted by Sage Steele in Lancaster, Pa., and then attended the Pittsburgh Steeler’s game against the New York Jets with the former president.  Reschenthaler told Fox News Digital that Pennsylvania is “such a critical state.”  “They don’t call us the Keystone State for nothing,” Reschenthaler said, predicting that whoever wins Pennsylvania “is likely going to win this election.”  “That is why it is so important for President Trump and Republicans to put up big numbers here in Pennsylvania,” he said.  The chief deputy whip told Fox News Digital that it is “critical” for Republicans to gain traction in the suburbs of Pittsburgh and of Philadelphia while also getting voter turnout in the more rural parts of the state. As for the most important issues for Pennsylvanians, Reschenthaler said voters are focused on the economy, jobs, inflation and energy, stressing the importance of the natural gas industry for the state.  ‘BLUE WALL’ DEMOCRAT ALIGNS WITH TRUMP IN NEW PITCH TO VOTERS BEFORE ELECTION “And then you also have immigration, which is usually No. 2 or 3 in voters’ concerns,” he continued. “Everybody says, ‘Yeah, but Pennsylvania is not a border state,’ but under Harris’ reckless and dangerous far-left policies of the border, every state is now a border state.” Reschenthaler said voters in his district, specifically in Southwestern Pennsylvania, have “definitely seen a difference” since the Trump administration.  “They are struggling to afford groceries, gasoline, heating bills — just utilities in general,” he said, while noting that “real wage growth is actually decreasing under Harris,” but recalled the increasing wage growth under the Trump administration, especially for minorities. “That’s another reason why President Trump is doing so well with minority populations, which, historically for Republicans, we’ve had a difficulty reaching minorities,” he said. “But not President Trump — he transcends that.” According to a new USA Today/Suffolk University Poll, Harris has fallen back in support among Latino and Black voters in the seven weeks between surveys. The new poll found Latino voters now back Trump by 49% to 38%. Black voters prefer Harris by 72% to 17%, but that 55-point edge is significantly less than the advantage Democrats traditionally enjoy.  CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The Harris-Walz campaign did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Schumer-tied group drops millions against Ted Cruz as Dems eye pickup opportunity in Texas

A super PAC associated with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., is pouring millions behind new ads in the Texas Senate race, which Democrats see as their best pickup opportunity this cycle.  With about two weeks until Election Day, the Senate Majority PAC announced a new multimillion-dollar digital and radio ad purchase in Texas going against Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas.  Cruz is a two-term senator seeking a third term this cycle.  GOP CHALLENGER TIES SEN BALDWIN’S REMARK ABOUT TRUMP VOTERS TO CLINTON’S INFAMOUS ‘DEPLORABLES’ MOMENT In the 30-second spot, a woman identified as Dr. Nancy O. claimed, “Texas women are in danger because of Ted Cruz.” According to her, it is illegal to “provide care” to pregnant rape survivors and pregnant women with “severe complications.”  “Colin Allred will restore a woman’s right to make her own medical decisions,” she said.  HOVDE SHINES SPOTLIGHT ON TAMMY BALDWIN’S WALL STREET PARTNER DURING WISCONSIN DEBATE “The stakes of Texas’ Senate election couldn’t be higher. Ted Cruz has spent his time in office relentlessly pursuing a deadly agenda and self-enriching politics, utterly indifferent to the needs of Texans – and voters know it,” said SMP President JB Poersch in a statement.  “That’s why Senate Majority PAC is going on offense, reaching voters where they are and working to elect a true, bipartisan leader to represent Texas in the Senate, Rep. Colin Allred.” Abortion is illegal in most cases in Texas following the overturning of Roe v. Wade, which allowed the states to determine their own laws on the procedure.  SENATE SHAKE-UP: HOW A SECRET BALLOT COULD UNDERMINE A POTENTIAL TRUMP ENDORSEMENT IN RACE TO THE TOP There is an exception if the life of the mother is in danger, in which case abortions can be performed. However, critics have noted that there is little clarity on what qualifies as a medical emergency under the Texas laws.  The state doesn’t have exceptions for rape and incest, which are frequently supported by Republicans.  Former President Trump has advocated for the issue to remain at the state level, and Republicans have largely gotten behind his stance. In a recent interview, Cruz indicated that abortion policies should be determined by individual states.  National Democrats have conversely planned to codify Roe v. Wade into law if they are granted the presidency and congressional majorities.  JUDGE ORDERS MORE JACK SMITH TRUMP INVESTIGATION DOCS TO BE MADE PUBLIC AHEAD OF ELECTION Cruz’s campaign did not immediately provide comment to Fox News Digital.  The ad campaign comes as the race between Cruz and Rep. Colin Allred, D-Texas, tightens, with a top political handicapper shifting its rating to “Lean Republican” from “Likely Republican.”  In the latest Marist Texas Poll, Cruz defeated his Democrat challenger 51% to 46%. The poll was conducted between Oct. 3 and 7 and surveyed 1,500 Texas adults. The margin of error for likely voters was ±3.6 percentage points. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Gov. Greg Abbott’s office condemns Texas House lawmakers that intervened in Robert Roberson’s execution

The Texas governor had not publicly shared his thoughts on the actions of a bipartisan group of lawmakers that stopped the scheduled execution of Robert Roberson.

Harris’ death tax reform could impact more than just the ultra-wealthy, experts say

Under former President Donald Trump’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), the federal estate tax – often referred to as the death tax – can only apply to estates passed on to heirs valued over $13.61 million.  If that exemption threshold were to expire or lapse, as Vice President Kamala Harris has signaled she would allow if she becomes president, some experts say it could impact more than just the ultra-wealthy. “It creates monopolies,” one conservative economist said.  “It’s going to impact a lot of our clients,” a New Jersey estate planning attorney insisted.  “The exemption is meant to reduce the double taxation of income,” another economist said. “In a way, it’s like the capital gains tax, where people are like, ‘Oh, it’s to [tax] privileged capital.’ No, it’s actually to reduce the double taxation of income.” The Harris campaign told The New York Times in August that the vice president supports President Biden’s proposed tax increases laid out in the most recent federal budget plan put together by his administration, which would reduce the threshold at which the death tax kicks in from roughly $13 million to around $5 million.  Meanwhile, Harris reportedly endorsed the death tax reforms outlined in the American Housing and Economic Mobility Act of 2024, which would reduce the threshold even further to $3.5 million. While running for the presidency in 2019, Harris wrote in an op-ed for The Washington Post that raising the estate tax was a solution to poor teacher wages. HARRIS SAYS WEALTHY AMERICANS, CORPORATIONS WILL PAY HIGHER TAXES TO FUND ECONOMIC PLAN Critics of letting the TCJA’s current exclusionary threshold for the death tax expire told Fox News it will promote monopolies, impact small businesses and create an additional tax for a meaningful portion of the country. However, others strongly disagree.  “If estate tax parameters revert, that will only affect a tiny sliver (about two-tenths of 1%) of estates – those with estates over the (now lower) threshold,” Kimberly Clausing, an economist with the Peterson Institute for International Economics, told Fox News Digital in an emailed statement. “Those affected will be quite well off and easily able to pay the tax, and without an estate tax, much capital income would escape tax entirely.” KAMALA HARRIS WANTS AMERICA TO HAVE THE WORLD’S HIGHEST DEATH TAX Garrett Watson is a senior policy analyst at the Tax Foundation, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit aimed at helping Americans understand the tax code. He said under the new death tax threshold, only an additional 0.13% of heirs will be impacted. He added that under the $13 million threshold provided under the TCJA, about $206 billion in revenue would be lost from 2025 to 2034. However, Michael Kulzer, an estate planning attorney from New Jersey, argued the move will impact “a lot” of his clients. “You bought a shore house 30 years ago for $500,000, it’s probably worth $3 million today,” Kulzer said. He noted that when adding other assets, like pensions, “you don’t have to be really wealthy today” for an estate to reach a $3.5 million, or even $5 million, valuation. NUMBERS SHOW HARRIS TAX PROPOSALS WOULD GIVE TO SMALL BUSINESS WITH ONE HAND, TAKE WITH THE OTHER Meanwhile, Heritage Foundation economist Richard Stern pointed out that “it’s really the business part of this where it will affect a lot of people.”   Stern pointed to hopeful McDonald’s franchise owners as an example, who, on average, must have $1.5 million to $2.5 million in start-up costs to get going. “If the price to buy the franchise for one McDonald’s is a million and a half dollars, you don’t need to have a lot of restaurants under your belt to reach $3.5 or $5 million in value.” Family farms and family-owned construction companies, Stern added, are other examples of potentially vulnerable targets. Family-owned companies have gone public about being forced to sell, at least in part, due to estate taxes. Stern added that a small business does not need to be far over the threshold to face a big tax bill when the owner dies and tries to pass it on to one of his heirs. This, Stern argued, would force the heir to start selling off parts of their business, and, in turn, serves to “create monopolies.” “The people who are going to be affected the most are often those whose income is not held in cash. It’s often held in stocks. In a company. And in order to pay it, it means you have to sell it,” Veronique de Rugy, a senior research fellow at George Mason University’s Mercatus Center, added. “So, in a way, I don’t really care how many people it affects. It’s just a bad – it’s a bad policy.” Oprah Winfrey, who has endorsed Harris for president, blasted the federal estate tax in 1997 as a “double tax” and blamed it for “why you always hear about people where their aunts left them houses, or left them stuff, and they can’t keep the house because the taxes are so much.”  “In a way, it’s like the capital gains tax, where people are like, ‘Oh, it’s to [tax] privileged capital.’ No, it’s actually to reduce the double taxation of income,” echoed de Rugy in talks with Fox News Digital. The Harris campaign declined to provide an on-the-record response for this article.

Pressure grows on Georgia Secretary of State to release results of noncitizen voter roll audit

A group in Georgia is applying pressure to the state’s Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to release the results of a voter roll audit he announced over the summer. “Millions of illegal immigrants have flooded our country since 2021, and it’s well-documented that thousands of them have successfully registered to vote in multiple states. But even with early voting now underway, Georgia voters are still waiting for confirmation that non-citizens are not casting ballots in our elections,” former Sen. Kelly Loeffler, who now serves as the chairwoman for the group behind the effort, Greater Georgia, said in a release obtained exclusively by Fox News Digital. The comments come more than three months after Raffensperger announced the state was conducting a “SAVE audit” of noncitizens who may have registered to vote, which he called a “vital step in maintaining election security and integrity in Georgia.” HARRIS INVOKES JIMMY CARTER IN BID TO GET SUPPORTERS TO VOTE EARLY “We are double-checking to make sure that if any non-citizens attempt to register to vote, they will not be able to vote unless they prove that they are U.S. citizens,” Raffensberger said in a release at the time, which also warned of prison sentences of up to 10 years and fines of up to $100,000 for noncitizens who register to vote in the state. Raffensperger told NewsNation just a few weeks later that the audit was complete, boasting that he could promise residents of the state that “only American citizens are voting.” GEORGIA SHATTERS EARLY VOTING RECORDS AS CAMPAIGNS ENTER HOME STRETCH IN BATTLEGROUND STATE However, noting that states such as Virginia, Ohio, and Texas have discovered noncitizens on their own voter rolls, Loeffler wrote a letter calling on Raffensperger to release the results of the Georgia audit. “If state officials want voters to trust in the process, they must stop delaying the transparency they have repeatedly promised,” Loeffler said. “We call on Secretary Raffensperger to immediately release the full results of his citizenship audit – and give voters the peace of mind that only American citizens are deciding American elections.”  CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Early voting has already begun in Georgia and runs through Nov. 1. Raffensperger’s office did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Does Musk’s daily $1m giveaway constitute election interference?

Billionaire Elon Musk has pledged to award $1m every day until election day in the United States on November 5 to randomly selected registered voters who sign a petition to “support the constitution” launched by his pro-Donald Trump America Political Action Committee (PAC). Musk announced the giveaway on Saturday at an America PAC-hosted rally in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The scheme has come under scrutiny by legal experts as well as Pennsylvania’s Democratic governor, Josh Shapiro, who on Sunday asked law enforcement to launch an investigation into potential election interference. Here is more about Musk’s giveaway: Tesla CEO and X owner Elon Musk, who supports Donald Trump, appears on stage during an America PAC town hall in Folsom, Pennsylvania, on October 17, 2024 [Rachel Wisniewski/Reuters] Why is Elon Musk giving away money? From October 17 to November 5, Musk said he will give $1m to a randomly selected winner each day if: He or she is a registered voter. He or she is from one of the following swing states: Pennsylvania, Georgia, Nevada, Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin or North Carolina. He or she has signed an online petition created by America PAC. Musk, 53 – who is a founder and the CEO of the electric car company Tesla and rocket producer SpaceX and owns the social media network X – has a net worth of $274.4bn, according to the Forbes real-time billionaires list. What is in the America PAC petition? Musk has repeatedly called the petition one that “upholds the US Constitution”. More precisely, the petition on a webpage belonging to the America PAC website, says: “The First and Second Amendments guarantee freedom of speech and the right to bear arms. By signing below, I am pledging my support for the First and Second Amendments.” The webpage states, “EARN 1,000,000” in big, bold letters, flanked by two money bag emojis. Individuals who sign are supposed to enter their first name, last name, email address and cellphone number. Next to the cellphone number field in the form, a note says the number is required only to confirm that the petition signee is a legitimate voter and “no other purpose”. “Our goal is to get 1 million registered voters in swing states to sign in support of the constitution,” the website added. On Friday, the day before the giveaway announcement, the Reuters news agency reported that Alysia McMillan, who canvassed for America PAC in Wisconsin, said field organisers had reported they were missing their daily goals in terms of enlisting voters and were expecting to fall short of their ultimate goal of contacting 450,000 voters by election day. In Pennsylvania, each registered voter who signs the petition will automatically receive $100 as compensation, and an additional $100 is paid for each person who signs upon their referral. In other swing states, individuals will get $47 per successful referral. The date the petition was created and the number of signatures amassed so far were not visible on the America PAC webpage. What is America PAC? PACs raise and spend money to advocate for or against a candidate in an election. Musk formed America PAC in May to support former President Trump’s election bid this year. On October 16, it was reported that Musk had poured $75m over three months into America PAC. Originally from South Africa, Musk obtained US citizenship in 2002. For years, he voted for Democratic Party candidates. However, the relationship between Musk and the Democrats has soured during President Joe Biden’s time in office. Musk did not immediately become a Trump supporter. Instead, he threw his weight behind one of Trump’s competitors for the Republican presidential nomination, Ron DeSantis, in 2022. Trump has a vacillating history with X, formerly known as Twitter. His tweets made the news regularly leading up to his first campaign for president in 2016, which he won. He was banned from X on January 8, 2021, two days after the US Capitol was attacked by Trump supporters over the results of the 2020 election, which Biden won. However, Musk bought Twitter in October 2022. The next month, Trump’s account was reinstated. Musk posted a supportive message of Trump on X, stating: “I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery,” after an assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July. Musk attended a Trump rally on October 5, wearing a black cap saying, “Make America Great Again” (MAGA), which is Trump’s campaign slogan. Why has Musk rolled out this prize scheme? Musk said the reason he is giving away the money is to generate more awareness about the America PAC petition. “The legacy media won’t report on it. Not everyone’s on X,” he said in a video of the Harrisburg rally posted on the X account of America PAC. “I think this news is going to really fly.” “You don’t even have to vote, you just have to sign a petition,” Musk said in another video posted on the same account. Is Musk’s $1m plan legal? Making a payment to someone “for registering to vote or for voting” is a federal crime, according to a document published by the US Department of Justice in December 2017. It adds that this payment does not have to be money but can also be other valuables like liquor or lottery tickets. Brendan Fischer, a campaign finance lawyer, told The Associated Press that Musk’s giveaway approaches a legal boundary. That’s because the PAC is requiring registration as a prerequisite to become eligible for the $1m prize. “There would be few doubts about the legality if every Pennsylvania-based petition signer were eligible, but conditioning the payments on registration arguably violates the law,” Fischer told the news agency. “It’s not quite the same as paying someone to vote, but you’re getting close enough that we worry about its legality,” Michael Kang, an election law professor at Northwestern University’s Pritzker School of Law, told AP. “Though maybe some of the other things Musk was doing were of murky legality, this

US veteran Daniel Penny on trial in New York for fatal subway chokehold

Penny faces up to 15 years in prison for manslaughter in the racially-charged trial.  A former United States Marine is set to go on trial for putting a man in a deadly chokehold while riding a New York subway in 2023. The veteran, 25-year-old Daniel Penny, faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted of manslaughter and four years if found guilty of the lesser offence of criminally negligent homicide. Jury selection for the high-profile trial begins Monday and could last up to a week. The trial itself could last six weeks, legal experts say. The court proceedings are putting a spotlight back on a case that sparked a national debate about race and criminal justice. Protesters gather outside the Manhattan Criminal Court on the first day of former US Marine Daniel Penny’s trial for the death of Jordan Neely in New York City, US, October 21, 2024 [Caitlin Ochs/Reuters] Homeless man Penny, who is white, is accused of “recklessly causing the death” of Neely, a black homeless street performer who witnesses say was acting erratically on a subway train on May 1, 2023, when Penny tried to restrain him. Witnesses to the incident said Neely – who relatives say had struggled with drug addiction and mental illness – was shouting and demanding money when Penny approached him. Penny pinned Neely to the ground with the help of two other passengers and placed him in a chokehold for more than three minutes until Neely’s body went limp. The medical examiner’s office ruled the death a homicide caused by compression of the neck. Penny’s lawyers argued that he didn’t intend to kill Neely, just to hold him down long enough for police to arrive. Penny, who is from Long Island to the east of the city, has claimed Neely shouted, “I’m gonna’ kill you” and that he was “ready to die” or go to jail for life. Penny’s attorney, Steven Raiser, said the defence plans to offer up other potential causes for Neely’s death, including high levels of the synthetic cannabinoid known as K2 found in his body. They’ll also argue that footage shared widely on social media proves Penny was not applying pressure consistently enough to render Neely unconscious, let alone kill him. Prosecutors, in their court filings, have argued that Penny’s actions were reckless and negligent, even if he didn’t intend to kill Neely. After Neely’s death in 2023, protesters took to the streets demanding that authorities arrest Penny, while others gathered outside the courthouse to show their support once he was charged. Police officers operate as people protest the death of Jordan Neely in New York City, US, May 8, 2023 [Andrew Kelly/Reuters] Numerous right-wing US politicians took up Penny’s cause, with Florida governor and failed Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis saying: “We stand with Good Samaritans like Daniel Penny. Let’s show this Marine … America’s got his back.” The New York City subway system is one of the world’s largest public transit systems, with 472 stations and 399km (248 miles) of routes, and a daily ridership of approximately 3.6 million people. Penny, who served four years in the Marines, has been free pending his trial on a $100,000 bond. Neely’s uncle, Christopher Neely, said he and his other family members are hopeful about the outcome of the trial. “Justice for Jordan is all we think about,” he said. Adblock test (Why?)