Judge blocks America’s ‘most extreme’ gun control law, but blue state plans to appeal
An Oregon judge blocked the state from enforcing a voter-approved law dubbed the nation’s “most extreme” gun control measure by critics, ruling it violates the state constitution. “This Thanksgiving, we can be thankful for Article I, section 27 and its continued protection of our right to bear arms,” Tony Aiello Jr., who represented two Harney County gun owners in the case, told Fox News via email. Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum immediately vowed to appeal the ruling, which could eventually end up before the state Supreme Court. “The Harney County judge’s ruling is wrong,” Rosenblum said in a statement provided to Fox News. “Worse, it needlessly puts Oregonians’ lives at risk.” OREGON SHERIFFS WON’T ENFORCE NEW GUN LAW: ‘INFRINGES ON SECOND AMENDMENT’ Oregonians passed Measure 114 one year ago with 50.65% of the vote and just six of the state’s 36 counties supporting it. The law requires a permit to purchase any gun, bans the sale of magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds and has been called “the nation’s most extreme gun control Initiative” by groups like the NRA’s legislative arm. Measure 114 never took effect due to immediate legal challenges at both the federal and state level. On Tuesday, Circuit Judge Robert S. Raschio ruled both the magazine ban and permit-to-purchase requirement violate Article 1, Section 27 of Oregon’s constitution, which reads in part, “the people shall have the right to bear arms for the defence [sic] of themselves, and the State.” PUMPED UP: WHO’S LEADING THE EFFORT TO STOP BLUE STATE DRIVERS FROM PUMPING THEIR OWN GAS Much of the state’s case focused on which firearms were common at the time Oregon ratified its constitution in 1857. History professors testified for the state that firearms capable of holding many rounds were “vanishingly rare,” according to Oregon Public Broadcasting. “Semiautomatic technology and automatic technology are such profound ruptures in the history of firearms technology, that I find it very difficult to believe that anybody — even someone very well informed — in the late 1850s could have predicted the emergence of smokeless powder, detachable cartridges, automatic reloading,” said Bryan DeLay of the University of California, Berkeley. But Ashley Hlebinsky, a former firearm museum curator, testified for the plaintiffs that many early guns could fire multiple rounds and that some models with magazine-style devices existed around the time Oregon became a state. Raschio ruled that large capacity magazines were available in the early 1800s and that gunsmiths were actively trying to improve upon the technology. “The idea that Oregon’s pioneers intended to freeze the firearm technology accessible by Oregonians to antiques is ridiculous on its face,” Aiello told Fox News on Wednesday. “If there is any evidence of such an intention, Defendants certainly did not present any of it at trial.” PORTLAND WOMAN KNOCKED OUT BY ATTACKER BLAMES CITY FOR SLOW POLICE RESPONSE: ‘WE DID THIS TO OURSELVES’ The permit system has been one of the most controversial parts of the measure. Gun buyers would be required to complete an “in-person demonstration of the applicant’s ability to lock, load, unload, fire and store a firearm before an instructor certified by a law enforcement agency” — a much stricter process than what is currently required to obtain even a concealed handgun license in Oregon. Lawyers for the state argued the permit system and magazine capacity limit were necessary to curb homicides, suicides and mass shootings. In 2015, a man armed with five handguns, a rifle and several magazines killed nine people and wounded eight others at Umpqua Community College. Last year, a man wielding a shotgun and what police described as an “AR-style” rifle killed two people and injured two more at a Safeway in Bend. But Raschio wrote in his ruling that state lawyers “failed to provide any convincing evidence of a threat to public safety requiring a permitting process” and that, to the contrary, the potential delays in processing a permit application would flip the protections of the right to bear arms “on its head.” “This legal battle is not over,” Aiello wrote after the ruling. “However, we hope that the strength of the Court’s ruling gives our Attorney General pause on filing that appeal and continuing to spend millions of taxpayer dollars defending this ill-conceived ballot measure.” Federal Judge Karin Immergut previously ruled in July that Oregon’s law is in line with a U.S. tradition of “regulating uniquely dangerous features of weapons and firearms to protect public safety.” Plaintiffs are currently appealing that ruling to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
House Ethics Committee votes against investigating Rep Bowman over pulled fire alarm
The House Ethics Committee voted against opening an investigation into Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., for pulling a fire alarm in a House of Representatives building ahead of a critical vote in September to avert a government shutdown. The committee’s decision comes just a few weeks after Bowman pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge in Washington, D.C. Since a majority of the House did not vote to launch an ethics investigation, lawmakers “did not agree to establish an ISC or report to the House regarding Representative Bowman’s conduct,” according to a statement from the Ethics Committee. House ethics rules require that when a member is indicted or formally charged with a criminal offense to either launch an investigative subcommittee (ISC) or report its reasons for not launching one within 30 days. ‘SQUAD’ DEMOCRAT JAMAAL BOWMAN ARGUES BIDEN INACTION ON REPARATIONS IS HOLDING HIM BACK Bowman was charged with one misdemeanor on Oct. 26. An arrest warrant filed by U.S. Capitol Police Supervisory Special Agent Joseph McAtee stated that police were notified on Sept. 30 at 12:05 p.m. that a fire alarm had been pulled on the second floor of the Cannon House Office Building. When Bowman was interviewed by Capitol Police agents, he told them he responded “yes” when asked if he knew anything about the fire alarm. The Democrat representative said he was in a rush because votes were being called, adding that the door is usually open. Bowman, according to the arrest warrant, told the agents he saw the nearby doors with a sign that said, “Emergency exit only push to open,” so “he pushed on the door and pulled the lever next to it, which must have been the alarm.” BOWMAN SNAPS AT REPORTER FOR CALLING OUT INCONSISTENT FIRE ALARM STORY: ‘I WAS STRAIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING’ “[Bowman] advised that usually when votes are called, all doors are open, and that door is usually open (the second-floor door leading to Independence Ave),” the warrant states. “The defendant further stated that this door was a usual door he uses. The defendant advised that he then went to a Dem (Democratic) meeting and a vote at the Capitol, then the House Sergeant at Arms contacted him.” Bowman told Fox News after being charged that he was “happy for the quick resolution,” adding that he has a plea agreement with prosecutors. According to Bowman, the plea agreement requires him to pay a $1,000 fine and “stay out of trouble for three months.” “It was a lapse of judgment, if you will. … Wasn’t a conscious decision to do something wrong,” he said. Fox News’ Adam Sabes and Kelly Phares contributed to this report.
Charleston, South Carolina elects first GOP mayor since 1870s
The historic South Carolina city of Charleston has elected its first Republican mayor since the Reconstruction Era. William Cogswell, formerly a Republican state lawmaker, defeated incumbent Democratic Mayor John Tecklenburg by about 2 percentage points in Tuesday’s runoff, according to the South Carolina Election Commission. Results posted online by the commission showed a 569-vote margin separating the two candidates. Cogswell, 48, had secured the most votes in the Nov. 7 general election but not a majority, meaning that he and Tecklenburg headed to Tuesday’s runoff. PRO-TRUMP CANDIDATE BEATS MODERATE DEM IN UTAH SPECIAL ELECTION TO FILL LAST SEAT IN US HOUSE Charleston’s municipal elections are technically nonpartisan. But Tecklenburg is a well-known figure in the state’s Democratic politics, endorsing Joe Biden in South Carolina’s pivotal 2020 presidential primary. Cogswell, who served three terms as a Republican in the state House and describes himself as a moderate, earned endorsements from others within South Carolina’s GOP political circles, including Sen. Tim Scott. Charleston last elected a Republican mayor in the 1870s, according to historical records from the city and other municipal areas. Republicans including state GOP Chairman Drew McKissick and U.S. Rep. Russell Fry, who served in the state House with Cogswell, celebrated the GOP win in social media posts and statements. NORTH CAROLINA MAYORAL RACE DECIDED BY COIN TOSS “We can confidently say that I’m going to be the next mayor,” Cogswell said Tuesday night, as final results came in. “The people have spoken, and we’re ready for a new direction … a new direction that puts labels aside, so that we can find pragmatic solutions to our problems.” In a concession speech Tuesday night, Teckleburg called his eight years as mayor “the honor of my life” and asked his supporters to rally around the new mayor. “I’d like to congratulate our new Mayor-Elect William Cogswell … and I’d like to ask each and every Charlestonian, everybody out there, to give him your support,” Tecklenburg said. “When Mayor Cogswell succeeds, Charleston succeeds, and that’s something we’re all in favor of.” The City of Charleston has become the second reliably blue area in South Carolina — where Republicans dominate congressional and statewide politics — to choose a Republican mayor in recent years. In 2021, Daniel Rickenmann, a longtime city council member backed by Republicans, was chosen as the mayor of South Carolina’s capital city of Columbia.
Adams warns New Yorkers that ‘we cannot stop’ migrants from sleeping on the streets
New York City Mayor Eric Adams is warning residents of the Big Apple that there is nothing they can do to stop migrants sleeping on the streets, as the sanctuary city scrambles to contain an out-of-control crisis. Adams, who slashed budgets in multiple departments due to the spiraling costs of the migrant crisis said on Tuesday that the goal is not to have people sleeping on the streets, but the “visible signs of this crisis is going to start to show itself.” Adams said that now over 140,000 migrants have come into the city since last year and “thousands are still coming in each week” and numbers are increasing. ADAMS SAYS ‘DC HAS ABANDONED US’ AS NYC SLASHES BUDGETS OVER MIGRANT CRISIS “Believe it or not, there are migrant and asylum seekers who are saying, ‘We want to sleep on the streets.’ And so people have a right to do so, we need to be clear on that in New York City, because of the city council’s actions people have a right to sleep on the streets that we cannot stop. I want New Yorkers to understand that.” In terms of how the city will deal with the crisis he said “every day there is a level of maneuvering that we have to do to deal with the flow of migrants and asylum seekers here.” “Nothing is off the table,” he added. “We thought we were headed back south in the numbers. We thought we were going to be dealing with 2,400 – 2000. I was just told that we were up to 3,000, some weeks we go up to 4,000.” NEW YORK DEMOCRATS OVERWHELMINGLY SAY MIGRANTS ‘SERIOUS’ PROBLEM: POLL The remarks are the latest sign from the mayor’s office of a continually worsening crisis for the city, which has repeatedly boasted about its welcoming stance towards immigrants — including those in the country illegally. The city has repeatedly blamed the federal government for inaction, demanding it provide more funding and a “decompression strategy.” It has caused a rift between the Democratic mayor and the Biden administration, which has pointed to moves to expedite work permits along with hundreds of millions of dollars in funding to help cities like New York City. Separately, the White House has requested an additional $14 billion in emergency funding for border operations, which includes an additional $1.4 billion in grants to help local governments and nonprofits. Adams has made it clear who he blames for the crisis. NEW YORK CITY TO REDUCE POLICE NUMBERS, SLASH BUDGETS DUE TO BILLIONS SPENT ON MIGRANT CRISIS “DC has abandoned us, and they need to be paying their cost to this national problem,” Adams said this week during a town hall in Brooklyn, according to Politico. Last week, Adams announced cuts across all government agencies due to the city having spent $1.45 billion in fiscal 2023 on the migrant crisis and nearly $11 billion expected to be spent in 2024 and 2025. His office said that the New York Police Department will freeze hiring to bring numbers below 30,000 by the end of fiscal year 2025 from over 33,000. There will also be deep cuts to education, including the universal pre-kindergarten program, and sanitation. The budget cuts drew fury from the city’s teachers and police unions, but Adams has repeatedly said their anger should be directed elsewhere. “I tell people all the time when they stop me on the subway system, ‘Don’t yell at me, yell at DC,’” Adams said on Monday, according to Politico. “We deserve better as a city.”
Lawmakers demand answers from AP, Reuters amid accusations their journalists knew about Hamas attack
FIRST ON FOX: Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., is asking the Associated Press and Reuters to answer questions about their journalists’ knowledge of the October 7th Hamas attack after Israel accused the outlets of having a forewarning of the terrorist strike that killed over 1,200 people. Lawler, along with a bipartisan group of lawmakers, are penning letters to the news outlets demanding answers about any possible knowledge they may have had prior to the Hamas attack, which the outlets previously denied. “That these journalists would knowingly not share this information, and in the process save thousands of Israeli and Gazan lives, is simply beyond the pale,” said Lawler. ISRAEL SETS ITS EYES ON SOUTHERN GAZA AS IDF MOPS UP HAMAS REMNANTS IN NORTHERN GAZA CITY After a report from Honest Reporting raised ethical questions about why some AP and Reuters journalists were at the site of attack shortly after the atrocities occurred, the Israeli government’s press office director, Nitzan Chen, accused the outlets of being “alongside Hamas terrorists, documenting the murder of Israeli civilians, lynching of soldier and kidnappings to Gaza,” according to a letter obtained by Politico. Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul said that if the allegations are true, and the journalists “had prior knowledge of this deadly attack, yet said nothing, is morally repugnant and need to be thoroughly investigated.” “It’s not enough to just verify the authenticity of images – these outlets have a moral obligation to ensure they aren’t being used as pawns to spread Hamas propaganda,” said McCaul. However, the Associated Press and Reuters are denying any involvement. The Associated Press said “the first pictures AP received from any freelancer show they were taken more than an hour after the attacks began. No AP staff were at the border at the time of the attacks, nor did any AP staffer cross the border at any time.” Reuters also asserted that their staffers were “not on the ground at the locations referred to in the Honest Reporting article.” ISRAEL, HAMAS AGREE ON TEMPORARY CEASE-FIRE IN GAZA STRIP, RELEASE OF 50 HOSTAGES Nonetheless, Lawler wants the news organizations to “come clean” so that the lawmakers can “get to the bottom” of the events that occurred in the early hours prior to the terrorist attack. “These companies must come clean about any involvement or advance notice their contractors or employees may have had of the October 7th massacres,” said Lawler. “It should not be hard for both news outlets to provide answers, and we must get to the bottom of this. We demand the truth.” McCaul added that the outlets should “ensure their reporting is independent and impartial.” The AP pointed to its previous response to the allegations when reached Wednesday by Fox News. Fox News has reached out to Reuters for comment.
Virginia Democrats reveal 2024 agenda after Youngkin, GOP fall short in midterm election
Abortion and gun control are the top priorities for Virginia Democrats heading into the new year after their election wins earlier this month. Bills and resolutions to ensure abortion access and ban so-called assault weapons were filed Monday as Democratic leaders set the agenda for the 2024 legislative session. Democrats propose increasing the state’s minimum wage and automatically restoring voting rights for convicted felons who have completed their sentences. Del. Don Scott, the new speaker of the House and first Black man to hold the office, said the upcoming legislative session will move Virginia forward. “I am especially glad to see the resolution to start the process of codifying the automatic restoration of rights,” Scott said in a news release. “With this, we are sending a message that there is no room for the spirit of Jim Crow that has plagued our Commonwealth for far too long.” YOUGKIN FALLS SHORT IN HIS MISSION TO WIN TOTAL GOP CONTROL OF VIRGINIA STATE LEGISLATURE If the resolutions for abortion access and restoring felons’ rights pass the legislature, it would be the first step in a lengthy process to amend the state constitution. The amendments would then need to pass the legislature during a second year, and then be put to voters for approval in a state referendum, according to The Associated Press. House of Delegates Majority Leader Charnlele Herring, who sponsored the abortion resolution, said Democrats were keeping a promise made throughout the 2023 campaign cycle. DEMOCRAT SEEKS RECOUNT IN RAZOR-THIN VIRGINIA HOUSE RACE “It has become all too clear that without constitutional protection, access to reproductive healthcare is at risk for the Commonwealth,” Herring said. Bills filed in both the House and Senate would make buying, selling or transferring an assault firearm a Class 1 misdemeanor, subject to up to 12 months in jail. The bills use an existing state definition of “assault firearm,” which covers semiautomatic, center-fire rifles and pistols that use magazines holding more than 20 rounds of ammunition or are “designed by the manufacturer to accommodate a silencer or equipped with a folding stock.” The state Senate passed a similar bill earlier this year, but it died in the House, which was then controlled by Republicans. VIRGINIA SENATE NAMES CAUCUS LEADERS FOR UPCOMING LEGISLATIVE SESSION Democrats retained control of the state Senate and flipped the state House of Delegates from Republicans in the Nov. 7 election. The elections grabbed national attention, as Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin campaigned for several GOP candidates in what came to be viewed as a barometer ahead of next year’s 2024 elections and a test of Youngkin’s political strength. Two years ago, Republicans in Virginia won elections for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general — their first statewide victories in a dozen years – and they flipped the House. The victories in a state that had trended blue over the previous decade energized Republicans nationwide. This year, however, Democrats successfully campaigned on preserving abortion access and Youngkin, who advocated for a 15-week abortion restriction, lost the argument with voters. Now, he must contend with a Democratic-controlled legislature that will stymie his conservative agenda for the remainder of his term. Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Biden admin reacts to temporary cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas, release of hostages
President Biden and other administration officials said Tuesday that they welcomed the temporary cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas that includes the release of hostages. Qatari negotiators helped broker the deal, which included Israel’s military agreeing to temporarily stop its airstrikes and ground invasion of Gaza for humanitarian purposes. Additionally, Hamas has agreed to release dozens of hostages in tandem and Israel has agreed to release Palestinian prisoners on a 3-to-1 ratio. Hamas leaders will release one hostage for every three Palestinians that Israel releases from its prisons. Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken all released statements supporting the agreement between Israeli officials and Hamas terrorists amid the ongoing war in the Middle East. The president said he welcomes the deal to secure the release of hostages taken by Hamas during its “brutal assault” against Israel on Oct. 7 and that he is “extraordinarily gratified that some of these brave souls, who have endured weeks of captivity and an unspeakable ordeal, will be reunited with their families once this deal is fully implemented.” ISRAEL. HAMAS AGREE TO TEMPORARY CEASE-FIRE, HOSTAGE RELEASE DEAL INCLUDING FREEING 3 AMERICANS “I thank Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani of Qatar and President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi of Egypt for their critical leadership and partnership in reaching this deal,” Biden wrote. “And I appreciate the commitment that Prime Minister Netanyahu and his government have made in supporting an extended pause to ensure this deal can be fully carried out and to ensure the provision of additional humanitarian assistance to alleviate the suffering of innocent Palestinian families in Gaza. I look forward to speaking with each of these leaders and staying in close contact as we work to ensure this deal is carried through in its entirety. It is important that all aspects of this deal be fully implemented.” Biden continued his statement by saying he has “no higher priority” than ensuring American hostages around the world are safely released. “That’s why – from the earliest moments of Hamas’s brutal assault – my national security team and I have worked closely with regional partners to do everything possible to secure the release of our fellow citizens,” Biden wrote. “We saw the first results of that effort in late October, when two Americans were reunited with their loved ones. Today’s deal should bring home additional American hostages, and I will not stop until they are all released. Today’s deal is a testament to the tireless diplomacy and determination of many dedicated individuals across the United States Government to bring Americans home.” OPINION: 2 HAMAS HOSTAGES RELEASED ISN’T ENOUGH! WE NEED TO BRING THEM ALL BACK Harris said in her statement that she welcomes “the commitment that Israel has made to support an extended pause to ensure this deal can be fully carried out and to ensure additional humanitarian assistance reaches civilians in Gaza” and that “the flow of aid must substantially increase and civilians must be protected.” She also called on Hamas to “release all the remaining hostages.” “President Biden and I have no higher priority than the safety of Americans, and we welcome that today’s agreement means some Americans should be coming home,” Harris wrote. “As I have told families of Americans held hostage: as they advocate for the release of their loved ones, they are not alone. We will not waver in our commitment to these Americans.” The office of Israel’s prime minister confirmed that at least 50 women and children taken hostage by Hamas will be released during a four-day pause in the fighting. In a statement Tuesday night, Blinken wrote that he cannot imagine what the hostages have endured the past few weeks and that he is thankful they will soon be reunited with their loved ones. “Today’s outcome is the result of tireless diplomacy and relentless effort across the Department and broader United States government,” Blinken said. “I appreciate the leadership and ongoing partnership of Egypt and Qatar in this work. I also thank the government of Israel for supporting a humanitarian pause that will facilitate the transfer of hostages to safety and allow additional humanitarian assistance to reach Palestinian civilians in Gaza. While this deal marks significant progress, we will not rest as long as Hamas continues to hold hostages in Gaza. My highest priority is the safety and security of Americans overseas, and we will continue our efforts to secure the release of every hostage and their swift reunification with their families.” STATE DEPARTMENT SAYS ‘TRANSITION PERIOD’ MUST FOLLOW ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR Approximately 14,000 people have been killed in Gaza and Israel since Hamas launched its largest attack against Israel in decades on Oct. 7, leading to a military response from Israeli forces. Thousands more have been wounded, and many others have been taken hostage by Hamas and raped, tortured and murdered. About 10 Americans in the region remain unaccounted for. Israeli President Isaac Herzog also released a statement about the agreement with Hamas, saying “[the] reservations are understandable, painful, and difficult, but given the circumstances I back and support the decision of the Prime Minister and the Government to move forward with the deal to release hostages.” “This is a moral and ethical duty that correctly expresses the Jewish and Israeli value of securing the freedom of those held captive, with the hope that it will be the first step in returning all the hostages home,” Herzog wrote. “The State of Israel, the IDF, and all the security forces will continue to act in every way possible to achieve this goal, alongside the restoration of the absolute security of the citizens of Israel.”
Christie turns up the heat on Haley and DeSantis as he tries to be the Trump alternative in GOP 2024 race
As he aims to be the last challenger standing against former President Donald Trump in the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, Chris Christie’s turning up the volume on two other rivals. Christie’s amplifying criticism of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former U.N. ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley is for not vigorously targeting Trump, who remains the faraway front-runner for the GOP nomination as he makes his third straight White House run. “Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley have not made the case against him. They refuse to make the case against him. They’re scared to make the case against him,” Christie charged in a Fox News Digital interview on the campaign trail in New Hampshire. And Christie, a very vocal Republican critic of Trump, touted that “the one thing people say about me is I’m not.” POPULAR GOP GOVERNOR IN A CRUCIAL PRIMARY STATE TEAMS UP WITH CHRISTIE, HALEY AND DESANTIS DeSantis and Haley are currently battling for second place in the latest national surveys in the 2024 Republican race and in the most recent surveys in Iowa, whose caucuses lead off the GOP nominating calendar. As Christie runs a second time for the White House, he’s once again concentrating most of his time and resources on New Hampshire, which holds the first primary in the Republican schedule and votes second after Iowa. Christie is currently in third place in New Hampshire polls, far behind Trump and slightly trailing Haley. Christie placed all his chips in his campaign for president eight years ago in the Granite State. However, his campaign crashed and burned after a disappointing and distant sixth-place finish in New Hampshire, far behind Trump, who crushed the competition in the primary, boosting him toward the nomination and eventually the White House. CHRISTIE VOWS TO ‘CONFRONT’ TRUMP IF FORMER PRESIDENT DOESN’T DEBATE Christie became the first among the other GOP 2016 contenders to endorse Trump and for years was a top outside adviser to the then-president and chaired Trump’s high-profile commission on opioids. However, the two had a falling out after Trump’s unsuccessful attempts to overturn his 2020 election loss to President Biden. In the past three years, Christie has become one of the harshest Trump critics in the Republican Party. Christie, who for months has pledged to seek out and confront Trump on the campaign trail, said “I think the one person Donald Trump doesn’t want to have a one-on-one with is me.” “He’s not afraid of Nikki Haley,” Christie argued. “And he certainly made his feelings about Ron DeSantis known. He doesn’t look like he’s very intimidated by him. But the fact is, you don’t hear him saying that stuff about me. He doesn’t want to be on that stage with me.” DESANTIS LANDS THE ENDORSEMENT OF A TOP EVANGELICAL LEADER IN IOWA Christie teamed up Monday night at a town hall in Nashua, New Hampshire, with Republican Gov. Chris Sununu, who also joined Haley and DeSantis on the campaign trail in the Granite State this week. Sununu, a popular governor who’s also an outspoken Trump critic, has said he’ll make an endorsement in the GOP nomination race sometime after Thanksgiving, and that it’s down to Haley, DeSantis or Christie. Asked about the case he’s making to Sununu, Christie told Fox News: “who does he want standing across from Donald Trump when this gets down to a one-on-one? Who does he think can take him on in a direct way? Who’s been saying the same things as Chris Sununu has been saying for the last couple of years about Donald Trump, trying to move the party in a new direction? And I think I’m the person who has the clearest, strongest voice on that.” Christie said that he needs to do “well” in New Hampshire’s primary to be successful in his long-shot bid for the 2024 nomination. Asked to define what “well” means, Christie answered, “No. I can’t define it. I’ll know it when I see it and we’ll see what it looks like.” “If I don’t think I’ve done well enough, I’d get out,” Christie emphasized. “I’m not somebody who’s going to linger here. This is hard work, and you’ve got to get up out of bed every morning and feel like you have a chance to win. And if that moment comes where I don’t feel like I have a chance to win, I’m not going to elongate a campaign just for the sake of doing it.” But he added: “I’m convinced that I’m going to do very well here. And I’m going to be the last one standing against Donald Trump and I’m going to take this right to the convention because he’s going to be convicted of federal crimes of interference of our election process this spring.” CHRISTIE JEERED AS HE TELLS TRUMP SUPPORTERS THEY ‘FEAR THE TRUTH’ AT FLORIDA REPUBLICAN GATHERING Trump has made history as the first former or current president to be indicted for a crime, but his four indictments – including in federal court in Washington, D.C. and in Fulton County court in Georgia on charges he tried to overturn his 2020 presidential election loss – have only fueled his support among Republican voters. Christie’s a longtime friend of Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, dating back to their days as fellow governors. Manchin, a moderate Democrat in a heavily red state, announced earlier this month that he wouldn’t seek re-election to the Senate next year and instead is mulling a potential third-party run for the White House. “Joe and I had dinner together about ten days ago in D.C. It was great to see him,” Christie shared. “We had a great dinner together on his boat in the Potomac. He’s been a great friend for 14 years now, and I suspect that whatever happens in the upcoming year, we’re going to continue to be great friends.” But Christie ruled out teaming up with Manchin in any possible third-party presidential bid. “I’m committed to winning
Legal group calls on Michigan bar to investigate, sanction Tlaib over anti-Israel rhetoric
FIRST ON FOX: A legal group called on the Michigan bar to investigate and sanction “Squad” Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., over her antisemitic rhetoric. The nonpartisan Coolidge Reagan Foundation is calling on the State Bar of Michigan to probe Tlaib, who is an active attorney in Michigan, over her comments. Dan Backer, the foundation’s counsel, told Fox News Digital that he believes people who spread “vile, antisemitic lies to foster hatred towards a people” should be held accountable. TLAIB REFUSES TO ANSWER REPORTER’S QUESTIONS ON CONTROVERSIAL PHRASE DEFINED AS ‘CODE FOR ERADICATING’ ISRAEL Backer said Tlaib “clearly violated” the Michigan bar’s ethics code with her rhetoric and that he was initially looking into “some of those snot-nosed kids” out of Harvard and Columbia law schools. “I was reading … what she was saying, and I was like, ‘You know, this is really outrageous. How is this OK?’” Backer said. “And then I remember, ‘Well, she’s in Michigan, I wonder if she’s a lawyer.’” “And I looked it up, and she was,” Backer continued. “And so we talked about it internally. We realized that people need to be held accountable.” Backer said the “fundamental problem” that America is seeing right now is that “people do horrible s— and they’re never held accountable for it.” He also said that “the sooner you start putting cameras on people’s faces, they stop.” Backer noted the number of calls to the nonprofit Accuracy in Media — of which Backer is on the board — from Harvard students asking to have their name taken down from the organization’s “so-called doxxing truck” for signing a letter in support of Hamas. “When people see accountability for their bad actions, you get less bad actors,” Backer said. “I think that’s really essential, and probably this generation of whiny, little s—s has not really experienced yet.” According to the complaint, the Coolidge Reagan Foundation’s “request arises from Attorney Tlaib’s false, discriminatory, and anti-Semitic comments regarding the horrific massacre and other crimes the international terrorist group Hamas ruthlessly unleashed against innocent Israeli civilians on October 7, 2023, including kidnapping, rape, beheading children, burning people alive, and murdering a baby by placing him in an oven.” “In response to these atrocities, Attorney Tlaib made several public statements evincing deeply discriminatory, antisemitic views that call into question her character and fitness to practice law,” the complaint reads. The complaint references Tlaib’s censure by the House of Representatives this month “for her repeated reprehensible statements” and that Tlaib’s “irresponsible anti-Semitic lies and discriminatory statements — which include embracing a call for the violent destruction of Israel and concomitant genocide of Israelis, as well as reckless false accusations of genocide against President Joe Biden and the government of Israel — violate the Michigan Court Rules and Michigan Rules of Professional Conduct.” “The State Bar of Michigan should initiate an investigation and impose appropriate sanctions against an attorney who spreads anti-Semitic propaganda and lies in support of an officially designated Foreign Terrorist Organization,” it continues. Tlaib’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Tlaib has faced intense criticism over her anti-Israel and antisemitic remarks, including her promotion of the genocidal call against Jews “from the river to the sea.” Tlaib posted to social media about the phrase, saying it was about “peaceful coexistence.” “From the river to the sea is an aspirational call for freedom, human rights, and peaceful coexistence, not death, destruction, or hate. My work and advocacy is always centered in justice and dignity for all people no matter faith or ethnicity,” she wrote on X, formerly Twitter. However, even the Biden White House says the phrase could be considered “antisemitic.” Fox Business correspondent Hillary Vaughn quizzed the Palestinian-American lawmaker, asking her if she regrets using the phrase. “Congresswoman, do you regret using the phrase ‘from the river to the sea’? It’s used by terrorists to call for the genocide of the Jewish people. Do you regret using it?” Vaughn said. Tlaib did not respond. Fox News Digital’s Adam Shaw and Hillary Vaughn contributed reporting.
Biden admin quietly developing settlement with groups seeking to tear down key power source
The Biden administration is quietly discussing a potentially far-reaching settlement with environmental groups that advocate for tearing down four hydroelectric dams in Washington to protect salmon. Federal attorneys representing the government said it had “developed a package of actions and commitments” and agreed to pause litigation with environmental activist plaintiffs in the case, according to court documents filed late last month. In the filings, jointly submitted by the federal government and eco groups, the parties said they could request a multiyear pause on the litigation to allow for the implementation of the package as soon as Dec. 15, 2023. However, the filing failed to detail exactly what conditions were included in the secretive package developed. The groups involved in the case have vehemently argued in favor of breaching the four federally managed dams amid declining salmon populations in the lower Snake River, which winds through Idaho and southwestern Washington before feeding into the Columbia River and then into the Pacific Ocean. “We find it necessary to remind you Congress alone has the authority not only to order the breach of the Lower Snake River Dams, but also exclusive authority to direct the study of breaching or to authorize replacement resources,” four House Republicans from the Pacific Northwest led by Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., wrote to the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) on Monday. MAJOR US POWER SOURCE FACING EXTINCTION THANKS TO RED TAPE, SPARKING CALLS FOR REFORM “This is statutory fact, and we warn the Administration not to attempt to circumvent that fact through clever wordsmithing,” the lawmakers continued, noting they have received a “plethora” of complaints from stakeholders and constituents about the federal government’s secretive negotiations on the matter. The CEQ and Department of the Interior have for months engaged with the plaintiff groups but have stopped short of endorsing tearing the dams down. President Biden, though, said in March he would work with proponents of breaching — Indigenous tribes and Sens. Patty Murray, D-Wash., Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., and Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho — to “bring healthy and abundant salmon runs back” to the Columbia River system. WHITE HOUSE PROHIBITING OFFICIAL TRAVEL TO FOSSIL FUEL CONFERENCES, INTERNAL MEMO SHOWS However, he didn’t pledge to work with Newhouse, the other lawmakers who signed his letter Monday or industry groups like the Public Power Council (PPC), all of which have opposed breaching the dams. The PPC represents consumer-owned utilities in the Pacific Northwest on key issues, such as preserving the Federal Columbia River Power System, and is an intervenor-defendant in the ongoing litigation. “The people of the Pacific Northwest have really been let down by this so-called process being run by the Council on Environmental Quality,” said PPC CEO and Executive Director Scott Simms in a press statement. “Our non-profit, community-owned member utilities and their customers were never given a real chance from the get-go, as we just recently learned a few parties in the litigation were working secretly with the federal government for more than six months on a ‘package of actions and commitments.’” “We can’t wait for the day when the current confidentiality gag order is lifted on those proposed actions and commitments and everyone gets to see for themselves the level of uncertainty and prospective new costs that are being proposed for Northwest citizens as a result of these secret dealings,” he continued. In recent years, multiple government and private reports have determined that breaching the dams would have a dramatic negative impact on energy production, climate goals and transportation in Washington. The dams were constructed in the 1960s and 1970s by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers primarily to ensure the Snake River was passable for barge transportation. However, since then, the main benefit has been their reliable clean energy output. They still provide about 8% of the state’s electricity, enough to serve millions of residents, and have a large total capacity of 3,000 megawatts. BIDEN ADMIN PLAN TO RELEASE PREDATOR NEAR RURAL COMMUNITIES FACES WIDESPREAD OPPOSITION: ‘A HUGE THREAT’ Removing the dams would also likely chip away at U.S. climate goals since their energy production would likely need to be replaced by fossil fuel alternatives. According to federal data, replacing the hydropower with natural gas generation would increase carbon emissions by up to 2.6 million metric tons per year, the equivalent of 421,000 passenger cars. “Despite our organization’s extensive efforts to contribute as industry and subject matter experts, our input was overlooked for months while the plaintiffs engaged in secretive negotiations with the Council on Environmental Quality,” added Neil Maunu, the executive director of the Pacific Northwest Waterways Association, in the press statement. “This failure to consider the expertise and perspective of our members who rely on the critical navigation services provided by the system has left us with grave concerns about the credibility and fairness of the resulting package of actions and commitments,” Maunu continued. “We urge transparency and fairness in this process and call on this administration to do so.” In addition to the impacts on energy and climate ambitions, industry groups have argued that removing the four Snake River dams would disrupt the economy and harm agriculture exports. The river system notably feeds the largest U.S. wheat export gateway. Aided by the dams, barges traveling along the Columbia River system carry about 60% of Washington’s annual wheat exports. A staggering 40% of the nation’s total wheat production, valued at billions of dollars, travels through the river system. LOCAL RESIDENTS EXPLODE AT BIDEN OFFICIALS OVER PLAN TO RELEASE GRIZZLY BEARS NEAR THEIR COMMUNITIES “We have said all along that healthy salmon and dams can coexist, but this can only happen through cooperative work and the ability for all stakeholders to come together in a productive way,” Michelle Hennings, the executive director of the Washington Wheat Association, said in a statement. “Lack of clear direction and transparency from the Federal government only hinders the ability of that progress.” In a statement, a White House CEQ spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the