House GOP subpoenas DOJ prosecutor who allegedly tried to shield Biden during federal probe into son Hunter
Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee have issued a subpoena for a top Justice Department prosecutor investigating Hunter Biden who allegedly tried to shield President Biden from certain questions, inquiries and search warrants related to the investigation, Fox News Digital has learned. According to the subpoena, which Fox News Digital reviewed Tuesday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Lesley Wolf has been ordered to appear before the committee on Dec. 7 at 10 a.m. ET at the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, D.C. Wolf first began facing scrutiny earlier this year amid allegations from FBI whistleblower testimony that she limited questions and inquiries about the president and blocked search warrants because she was worried about “optics” during the years-long probe. WATCH: WHITE HOUSE ISSUES STERN DEFENSE OF BIDEN’S ‘STAMINA’ ON 81ST BIRTHDAY AMID GROWING AGE CONCERNS One whistleblower, Gary Shapley Jr., who was the supervisor of the investigation at the IRS, said that “at every stage” of the Hunter Biden probe, decisions were made that “had the effect of benefiting” the president’s son. Shapley made a number of damning allegations that cast doubt on the legitimacy of the years-long investigation, and he lobbed critical accusations at Wolf. According to Shapley, Wolf worked to “limit” questioning related to President Biden and apparent references to Biden as “dad” or “the big guy.” TRUMP MEDICAL REPORT RELEASED AS BIDEN FACES CONCERNS OVER AGE, HEALTH Wolf allegedly said there was “no specific criminality to that line of questioning” relating to President Biden, which Shapley said “upset the FBI.” In October 2020, Wolf reviewed an affidavit for a search warrant for Hunter Biden’s residence and “agreed that probable cause had been achieved,” Shapley testified. However, Shapley said Wolf ultimately would not allow a physical search warrant on the president’s son. Shapley said Wolf determined there was “enough probable cause for the physical search warrant there, but the question was whether the juice was worth the squeeze.” WATCH: WHITE HOUSE ISSUES BRUTAL RESPONSE TO BIDEN’S ‘INAPPROPRIATE’ NICKNAME GIVEN BY ANTI-ISRAEL CRITICS Wolf allegedly said that “optics were a driving factor in the decision on whether to execute a search warrant,” Shapley said, adding that Wolf agreed that “a lot of evidence in our investigation would be found in the guesthouse of former Vice President Biden but said there is no way we will get that approved.” Wolf also allegedly tipped off Hunter Biden’s legal team ahead of a planned search of his storage unit. Fox News Digital has reached out to the Justice Department for comment.
DeSantis lands endorsement from influential Iowa evangelical leader in race for GOP nomination
The influential evangelical leader of a top social conservative organization in Iowa endorsed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday. Bob Vander Plaats, president and CEO of The Family Leader organization, announced his endorsement of DeSantis in an interview with Bret Baier at 6 p.m. on Fox News’ “Special Report.” “We need to find somebody who can win in 2024,” Vander Plaats said, pointing to the 2022 midterms, where an anticipated “red wave” never materialized for most of the country. DeSantis, however, won re-election in Florida by a wide margin. GAME ON IN IOWA AS DESANTIS AND HALEY BATTLE FOR SECOND PLACE BEHIND TRUMP Vander Plaats’ endorsement did not come as much of a surprise. “We’re hopeful that we’re able to secure that endorsement,” DeSantis told reporters Tuesday during the first of two campaign stops in New Hampshire, the state that holds the first primary and second overall contest in the GOP nominating schedule, after Iowa’s lead-off caucuses. The Florida governor, along with 2024 GOP White House rivals, former ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, appeared with Vander Plaats on Friday at a Family Leader presidential forum in Des Moines, Iowa. “I think that if you saw that Family Leader forum, clearly his folks there gravitated to me. I don’t think there’s any question about that. We have a good relationship,” DeSantis said. Former President Donald Trump, the commanding frontrunner for the Republican nomination as he makes his third straight White House run, was invited but declined to attend the forum. Trump also skipped a similar presidential forum hosted by the Family Leader in July. DESANTIS, HALEY, RAMASWAMY, GET PERSONAL AS THEY SIT SIDE-BY-SIDE Vander Plaats, who has long had a rocky relationship with Trump and who has argued that it is time for new conservative leadership, said the former president’s “absence communicates a lot to our base.” “There’s definitely a shot that the former president can be beat here,” Vander Plaats told Fox News Digital in an interview last week. Pointing to Vander Plaats, DeSantis on Tuesday noted, “Bob has been somebody that’s been very vocal that Donald Trump is not going to be the way forward, not going to be able to get the job done, particularly as a lame duck president.” In a major boost for DeSantis – who has staked his campaign on winning in Iowa — the Florida governor landed the endorsement earlier this month of Gov. Kim Reynolds, who is very popular among Hawkeye State Republicans. Reynolds’ backing helped DeSantis alter a negative narrative. COULD THIS IOWA EVANGELICAL LEADER’S ENDORSEMENT PUT DENT IN TRUMP’S COMMANDING LEAD? Vander Plaats, who has repeatedly showered praise on DeSantis this year, told Fox News last week that the Reynolds endorsement of the Florida governor “will weigh in on my discernment. But that won’t make my endorsement.” DeSantis, pointing to the backing from Iowa’s governor, numerous state lawmakers and officials, and the probability of a Vander Plaats endorsement, highlighted that “to have so many members of the Iowa legislature, to have the governor, and then to have Bob and his network. That’s going to be a pretty powerful machine and we’re going to turn all that on. Or they’ll turn that on. And we’re going to go there and do that.” DeSantis predicted “that these first two states are going to totally upend the conventional wisdom.” Taking a shot at some of his rivals, DeSantis argued that Republican primary voters “certainly don’t want to fall in line behind an establishment candidate who’s not going to be able to make any big changes. And I think that’s true for most of the people who are running against us in the primary.” Vander Plaats is a top social conservative leader in a state where evangelical voters play an outsized role in Republican politics. Vander Plaats backed former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee in 2008, former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania in 2012, and Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas in 2016 – all three of whom went on to win the Iowa caucuses, but failed to capture the GOP presidential nomination. Ahead of Friday’s forum, Trump’s political allies have dismissed the importance of a Vander Plaats endorsement. A recent memo from veteran Republican pollster Tony Fabrizio, who among other things conducts surveys for the Trump-aligned super PAC Make America Great Again Inc., argued that a Vander Plaats endorsement would have “no significant impact” on the caucuses. Pointing to polling he conducted in September, Fabrizio charged that “while the DeSantis camp will try and spin that a Vander Plaats endorsement will revive their sputtering and shrinking campaign, cold hard data tells a much different story.” WITH CLOCK TICKING TOWARDS FIRST VOTES IN THE GOP PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION RACE, THIS CANDIDATE REMAINS IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT When asked about the criticism, Vander Plaats told Fox News that “my endorsement means one vote. Beyond that, we’ll see what happens.” However, he added, “I think their obsession with my endorsement probably would indicate that they’re more fearful of it than they should be.” The Democratic National Committee described Vander Plaats as a “far-right extremist” and argued that his endorsement “is the ultimate kiss of death for Ron DeSantis’ sinking campaign and guarantees DeSantis will never be the Republican nominee.” “Vander Plaats’ endorsement should come as no surprise – both he and DeSantis share the same desire to ban abortion and rip away freedoms from millions of women,” DNC national press secretary Sarafina Chitika charged in a statement. A couple of hours before Friday’s Family Leader presidential forum in Des Moines, Haley landed a surprise endorsement from another social conservative leader in Iowa. As Haley was taking questions from the audience at a town hall in Newton, Iowa, Marlys Popma, the former Iowa GOP executive director and former president of the Iowa Right to Life, stood to speak. “I was an undecided voter when I walked in here today, and I am no longer an undecided voter,” Popma said, as many in
North Carolina progressive Dem says allowing Jewish Caucus would ‘end’ the party: ‘They control everything’
The leader of North Carolina’s progressive Democrat caucus said that the Jewish Caucus affiliating with the party would “end” it. Ryan Jenkins, president of the Tar Heel State’s progressive caucus, attacked the North Carolina Democratic Jewish Caucus (NCDJC) after the group was denied affiliation with the state’s Democratic Party. Last week, the NCDJC was denied affiliation with the North Carolina Democratic Party (NCDP) in a vote of 17 no votes, 16 yes votes and 17 abstentions, according to local news reports. RASHIDA TLAIB MEMBER OF SECRET FACEBOOK GROUP WHERE HAMAS TERRORISTS GLORIFIED “They have done nothing but whine and play the victim and attack people, and we are sick of it,” Jenkins said on Friday, public radio WFAE reported. “Every single abstention was a no vote that didn’t want to get targeted,” he continued. Jenkins said the members of the NCDJC are “attacking every single person who either didn’t attend… or they are threatening the people who voted to abstain.” “I have seen people who have been working for 30 years who run major districts (in the party) in tears over this,” Jenkins continued. Jenkins said many members of the progressive caucus are against the Jewish Caucus affiliating with the NCDP and that they may boycott the 2024 election should the party decide to affiliate. “If the Democratic Party caves to it, that’s the end of the Democratic Party,” Jenkins said. “We’re not Democrats. We’re the Jewish Caucus. We’re a Zionist group. Because they control everything.” “[If the caucus is approved,] we’re telling them very clearly they are allowed to threaten and bully us, and they will get their way every single time and that our rules don’t apply,” he continued. Jenkins later apologized for his remarks, saying “to anyone who misinterpreted [his comments] as playing to antisemitic tropes about secret cabals and other racist nonsense.” “Seeing it in print, I realize that I chose my words poorly and should have been more exact,” Jenkins said. Jenkins did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. In a statement to Fox News Digital, Tommy Mattocks, NCDP spokesperson, distanced the state Democrat Party from Jenkin’s comments. “North Carolina Democratic Party is a big tent party, united by our shared values,” Mattocks said. “Our Leadership believes in creating safe spaces for our many constituency communities to organize so that they may advocate for the elected officials and policies that most-impact their lives and their beliefs,” Mattocks said. “Despite the procedural issues that caused many of the no-votes during this attempt, we remain committed to helping the Jewish Caucus achieve recognition under the NCDP,” he continued. “We recognize the sinister rise of antisemitism and we will continue to listen to the voices of our Jewish brothers, sisters, and friends.” “We stand with them and will fight everyday to ensure they feel safe and welcome in North Carolina,” Mattocks added. “Ryan Jenkins doesn’t speak for the party nor does his statement reflect an accurate depiction of what occurred.” The North Carolina progressive leader’s comments come as Jews in America face a rising tide of antisemitism. Antisemitism has been on the rise in the U.S. following the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas’ Oct. 7 terrorist attacks that killed hundreds of Israeli civilians. Additionally, videos of pro-Palestinian protesters tearing down posters of Israeli hostages have circulated online.
Hochul rips TikTok over Osama Bin Laden letter, vows NY social media anti-hate teams won’t ‘penalize’ politics
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul slammed TikTok on Tuesday over the dissemination of a letter from Osama bin Laden justifying the 9/11 terrorist attacks, vowing action against social media companies and announcing new tools to help prevent young people from having their “minds polluted by the venom that is being spewed on these sites.” At a press conference ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, Hochul announced that she was ordering the director of Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services to develop “media literacy tools” for K-12 in public schools to teach students and teachers to “understand how to spot conspiracies, theories and misinformation, disinformation and online hate.” “Give the teachers the tools they need to help these conversations in school,” the governor said. “And by teaching younger New Yorkers about how to discern between digital fact and digital fiction, we can better inoculate them from hatred and the spread of it and help prepare them for a very fast-moving and often confusing world.” In the wake of the Buffalo, N.Y., mass shooting that left 10 dead at a grocery store in a historically Black neighborhood, Hochul said state authorities activated more surveillance of critical threats for harm online. And after the arrest of a Cornell student accused of making online threats to rape and kill Jewish students amid the Israel-Hamas war, the governor announced another $3 million investment on Tuesday to ensure every college campus in the state of New York has TAM, or threat assessment, teams to prevent hate-fueled crime before it occurs. CONGRESS SUBPOENAS CEOS OF MUSK’S X, SNAP AND DISCORD TO TESTIFY BEFORE CHRISTMAS ON KIDS’ SOCIAL MEDIA RISKS “These teams are working to identify violent threats. They’re not looking at your Instagram sunset post or your tweets about your favorite football team. And they’re not here to penalize anyone for their political views,” Hochul told reporters, adding that TAM teams are currently tracking 50 cases. “They have a simple goal to find out what’s driving hateful behavior and intervene early before harm is done and to give people who are being radicalized online an off-ramp.” Hochul also announced she was sending a letter to the CEOs of TikTok, Meta, X and other social media platforms to express her indignation and demand concrete action to “reduce the sickening hate being spread on their sites,” including better oversight, larger moderation teams and greater transparency. “A prominent message shared on TikTok was one from none other than the mastermind of the 9/11 massacre of thousands of New Yorkers, Osama bin Laden. It was shocking to see young people extolling the virtues of a terrorist kingpin,” Hochul told reporters. “That only proves the power that social media has over our young people, and therefore they have a responsibility. I refuse to accept this as the new status quo. That’s why I’m pushing back against these companies, pushing back hard. And as the steward of the 21st century public square, TikTok and other social media companies, they must start to regulate vile hate speech that originates on their platforms.” Since Oct. 7, when Hamas launched a surprise terror attack on Israeli civilians, Hochul said Tuesday “there has been a 400% increase in threats against Jews, Muslims and Arabs.” NY GOV. HOCHUL BOLSTERS FBI JOINT TERRORISM TASK FORCE STAFFING OVER ‘RISE IN HATE CRIMES,’ HARASSMENT “We’re not preventing anyone from exercising their First Amendment rights to speak. We’re not preventing anyone’s right to peacefully assemble. We’re not blocking anyone from expressing opposition or support for political or military action in the Middle East,” she said. “That’s what we’re not doing… we’re not tolerating the spread of hate. That’s the difference. And the final component of our effort centers around empowering educators and parents about the power of these radicalization efforts.” Hochul had a message to parents directly ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, encouraging them to have tough conversations with their children at the table. “As a mom, I know as we approach this holiday season, Thanksgiving, it offers a meaningful and sometimes rare opportunity to gather everyone around the table. Your children, younger high school students, college kids who may be home for the first time since they left you in August. I encourage you to talk to your kids not just about the rise in hate, but listen to them,” she said. “Encourage your children, especially the older ones, don’t just be a bystander, be an upstander. Stand up for your classmates. Stand up for your friends, and talk about engaging each other in a respectful, tolerant way.” “This is a time of great influence on our young people and parents have a responsibility and an opportunity to guide them to do what’s right,” Hochul added. “Explain to your children the difference between disagreeing on a policy that a government may take and displaying hate toward an entire group of innocent people. There is a difference.”
Group trying to remove Trump from Colorado ballot appeals loss to state Supreme Court
A group that is trying to remove former President Donald Trump from being featured on Colorado’s primary ballot for the 2024 presidential election has filed an appeal to the state’s Supreme Court in an effort to overturn a ruling made last week that said he is to remain on the ballot. The appeal challenges Colorado 2nd Judicial District Court Judge Sarah Wallace’s 100-plus page ruling Friday, which found Trump engaged in an “insurrection” by inciting the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021, but that the 14th Amendment’s “insurrectionist ban” does not apply to Trump since the presidency is not an “office.” The Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) and six Colorado voters filed the lawsuit in September, calling on Trump to be removed from the ballot under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, known as the disqualification clause. VOTER WARNS ‘WE ARE WATCHING DEMOCRACY FALL’ UNDER BIDEN ADMINISTRATION The clause states that no person shall hold any office if they have “previously taken an oath as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States” or if they have “engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the United States.” Wallace dismissed the lawsuit, ruling that the 14th Amendment does not apply to the presidency, and ordered the secretary of state to put Trump on the primary ballot. The decision came after a Michigan judge ruled Wednesday in a similar lawsuit that Trump would also remain on that state’s primary ballot, which followed the Minnesota Supreme Court and a federal judge in New Hampshire previously dismissing other challenges. In a statement released by CREW on Tuesday, the group said the judge’s finding that Trump engaged in an insurrection was hugely significant. JUDGES SIGNAL THEY MAY LOOSEN TRUMP GAG ORDER IN FEDERAL ELECTION INTERFERENCE CASE “We are planning to build on the trial judge’s incredibly important ruling that Donald Trump engaged in insurrection, and we are ready to take this case as far as necessary to ensure that Donald Trump is removed from the ballot,” said Noah Bookbinder, the president of CREW. “We always knew this case would end up before the Colorado Supreme Court and have been preparing for that from the beginning.” Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung on Friday called the case “another nail in the coffin of the un-American ballot challenges.” “These cases represent the most cynical and blatant political attempts to interfere with the upcoming presidential election by desperate Democrats who know Crooked Joe Biden is a failed president on the fast track to defeat,” Cheung said. Some experts believe the Colorado case may ultimately reach the U.S. Supreme Court. Trump has also been indicted in special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot and alleged interference in the 2020 election. However, Smith has not charged Trump with inciting an insurrection. He also faces criminal charges in Georgia, New York and from Smith’s separate investigation into his alleged mishandling of classified documents. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges, which include conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding and conspiracy against rights. Trump is the first former president in United States history to face criminal charges. Fox News’ Brandon Gillespie, Brooke Singman and Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.
House Democrat Anna Eshoo announces she will not seek reelection
Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., announced Tuesday that she will not be running for reelection in 2024 after serving more than three decades in Congress. “I’m choosing this beautiful season of Thanksgiving to announce that I will not seek reelection,” Eshoo, 80, said in a video accompanying the announcement. “And I do so with a heart filled with unending gratitude to you, my magnificent constituents.” Eshoo will serve out her term until January 2025, her office said in a press release. “As my last year in Congress approaches, I will continue my work with vigor and unswerving commitment to you,” she said. HOUSE REPUBLICANS EYE PRIME OPPORTUNITY IN VIRGINIA AFTER DEMOCRAT ANNOUNCES RUN FOR GOVERNOR The California Democrat said in her video that she was the first woman and the first Democrat to represent her Silicon Valley district, and that 66 of her bills were signed into law by five presidents over the course of her tenure. Eshoo, a member of the House Energy and Commerce committee, joins more than two dozen House lawmakers who are not seeking reelection, including seven Democrats who are retiring and another 11 who are running for other offices, according to Ballotpedia. Fellow California Democratic Rep. Tony Cardenas announced Monday that he will also not seek reelection, and Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., announced last week that she was retiring from the House to run for governor in the state, prompting House Republicans to view her district as a prime pickup opportunity in Virginia. Eshoo’s district, however, is solidly blue and several Democrats are already reportedly being floated as possible successors.
Fox News Politics: Department of DEI (DOD)
Welcome to Fox News’ Politics newsletter with the latest political news from Washington D.C. and updates from the 2024 campaign trail. Subscribe now to get Fox News Politics newsletter in your inbox. What’s happening: – Pentagon asks for $114 million on diversity, equity, and inclusion – The ongoing House GOP civil war rages ahead of 2024 – How much did abortion cost Republicans in 2023 elections? The Department of Defense (DOD) is requesting approximately $114 million to finance its latest round of diversity initiatives. The DOD plans to use the funds for “diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility” (DEIA) programs in fiscal year 2024. “The FY 2024 President’s Budget request demonstrates the DoD’s commitment to DEIA and includes $114.7 million for dedicated diversity and inclusion activities,” the department wrote in its Strategic Management Plan for fiscal year 2022 to 2026. The funding request is the largest of its kind yet for the DOD, which earmarked $68 million for DEIA initiatives in fiscal year 2022 and $86.5 million in fiscal year 2023. ‘PROOF IS IN THE PUDDING’: White House issues stern defense of Biden’s ‘stamina’ amid growing age concerns …Read more CORRECTING THE RECORD: Army letter to troops dismissed over COVID vaccine viewed as effort to increase numbers …Read more ‘RACIST HIGHWAYS‘: Biden admin under fire for tying billions in infrastructure funds to ‘woke’ priorities …Read more ‘GRANDPA JOE’: Social media erupts after Biden confuses pop music icons during botched joke …Read more DOUBLE STANDARD: DOJ threw book at peaceful pro-lifer but doing nothing about DNC rioters: critics …Read more GOP VS GOP: Freedom Caucus member highlights the ‘real fight’ in House GOP …Read more ‘BEYOND GRATEFUL’: Paris Hilton thanks GOP senators for sponsoring bill to prevent child abuse …Read more ‘A CHOICE’: Republicans slam Arizona lawmakers in new campaign ad …Read more CASH FLOW NO MORE: Florida GOPer drops bill to prevent US funds from going to adversaries …Read more DIVIDED THEY STAND?: A protest exposes major Dem rift …Read more UNBORN POLITICS: What role did abortion play on Election Day? …Read more BUBBLE BOY: Democrats plan ‘Bubble Wrap’ strategy to protect Biden for 2024 campaign …Read more ‘FAKE’: Hate crime task force member makes disturbing claim about murdered Israeli babies …Read more CIVIL RIGHTS ISSUE: Lawmakers call on NY Gov to ban pro-Hamas group from campuses …Read more LONE STAR PROBE: Texas opens investigation into liberal so-called watchdog …Read more COLD ON KAMALA: Ex-California governor surprises interviewer with cool response about Kamala Harris …Read more YUK, YUK … YUCK!: ‘SNL’s’ Jon Lovitz tears into Colbert, Kimmel for pushing politics instead of comedy …Read more Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
White House scrubs webpage showing how taxpayers fund union activities
The White House Office of Personnel Management (OPM) quietly deleted a webpage tracking how much official time federal employees spend working on labor union tasks. The OPM, which oversees federal employment and recruiting, removed both the webpage and reports assembled over the past two decades analyzing how much taxpayer money is spent funding union activities. Additionally, OPM appears to have stopped assembling official time reports, which have historically been published every few years during the past four presidential administrations since 1998. “If federal employees are going to be legally permitted to engage in union work while on-the-clock, the very least taxpayers are owed is an accurate accounting of the associated costs,” Maxford Nelson, the director of research and government affairs at free market think tank Freedom Foundation, told Fox News Digital. “While the past four presidential administrations — two Democrat and two Republican — have documented and reported on the scope and cost of taxpayer-funded union time across the federal workforce every 1-2 years, the Biden administration has yet to do so even once,” he added. “Were a new analysis to be conducted, it would almost certainly show that more federal employees are spending more of their workday than ever away from their posts working on union business.” REPUBLICANS WARN BIDEN ADMIN’S FOREIGN FARM WORKER RULE IS ‘GIVEAWAY TO BIG LABOR’ The most recent OPM analysis of official time use was conducted in 2019 under the Trump administration. The report showed that federal employees with taxpayer-funded salaries spent 2.6 million hours working on union chores, costing American taxpayers about $135 million. In a statement to Fox News Digital, an OPM spokesperson said the webpage and past official time reports were deleted as part of a website reconfiguration. However, the spokesperson failed to say when or if the site would be restored, and it remains unclear if any other webpages were impacted by the apparent months-long reorganization. BIDEN USES TRUMP’S OWN WORDS AGAINST HIM IN BID TO RECAPTURE THIS MAJOR VOTING BLOCK FOR DEMS IN 2024 “The Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 provides official time to federal employees to conduct certain union activities in recognition that unions have a statutory obligation to represent all bargaining unit members, regardless if they pay dues,” an OPM spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “Previous reports on official time are not currently available because OPM is reorganizing our website to improve navigation and customer experience.” Meanwhile, the amount of time devoted to union tasks on federal taxpayer-funded salaries has likely experienced a sharp increase since President Biden took office. In May 2018, former President Trump issued an executive order limiting the amount of official time that could be used across the federal workforce to the extent permitted by law, an action Biden immediately repealed upon taking office in January 2021. And the Biden administration has broadly made promoting greater union membership a top priority. The White House Task Force on Worker Organizing and Empowerment announced in March that OPM’s efforts to increase the number of federal workers in a labor union have led to an additional 80,000 workers unionizing since 2021, a 20% increase. “Unfortunately, the Biden administration not only reversed Trump-era rules designed to minimize taxpayer-funded union time, but appears to be actively working to prevent the public from easily accessing past government research documenting how much time federal employees spend working for a union and what that lost time costs taxpayers,” Nelson told Fox News Digital. “Instead, the Biden administration is spotlighting and celebrating its efforts to get more federal employees to join unions and to give these private special interest groups even more control over the already sclerotic federal bureaucracy. This administration’s contempt for taxpayers is palpable.”
ICE arrests Brazilian illegal immigrant child rapist in Martha’s Vineyard
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced this week that it arrested an illegal immigrant Brazilian fugitive – who is wanted in his home country for failing to serve a prison sentence for raping a 5-year-old child — in Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. ICE said the Brazilian, identified as 37-year-old Saulo Cardona Ferreira, had received “multiple criminal convictions” in Brazil in 2019 for raping the child and had been sentenced to 14 years in prison, but he had fled the country. The town of Sorriso, Mato Grosso, had issued a warrant for his arrest. The agency said that at an unknown time and place, he entered the U.S. illegally, meaning he evaded Border Patrol as a “gotaway.” DENVER SPENDS MILLIONS ON TRANSPORTING MIGRANTS TO OTHER PARTS OF US He was apprehended by ICE’s Fugitive Operations Team in the Massachusetts vacation spot during a vehicle stop. A spokesperson said that after being alerted via a law enforcement data review to his potential presence in the area in September, ICE began an investigation and apprehended him near his address on Nov. 14. He is now in custody awaiting a court appearance before an immigration judge. “This undocumented Brazilian national represented a significant threat to the inhabitants of Martha’s Vineyard,” ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Boston Field Office Director Todd Lyons said in a statement. MASSACHUSETTS GOV. HEALEY WARNS MIGRANTS ARE PUSHING STATE’S SHELTER SYSTEM TO CAPACITY “He sexually assaulted a five-year-old child in his homeland and then ran from authorities when held accountable for his actions. ERO Boston will not allow such predators to threaten our residents. We will continue to apprehend and remove anyone who attempts to use our New England community as a refuge from justice,” he said. ICE said that in FY 2022, it arrested 46,396 illegal immigrants with criminal histories, which included 8,164 sex and sexual assault offenses. Martha’s Vineyard was at the center of migration-related controversy last year when Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis flew dozens of migrants to the liberal vacation destination. However, there appears to be no connection between those flights and Cardoso Ferreira — who likely arrived years earlier. The arrest comes as the U.S. remains in the throes of a historic crisis at the southern border. There were more than 249,000 migrant encounters in October after a historic 2.4 million seen in FY 23. Cities have declared themselves overwhelmed, with Massachusetts officials also calling for more federal help as they face what they say is a “federal problem.” Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas confirmed recently that there were more than 600,000 gotaways in FY 23, and Fox News reported that there have been more than 1,000 a day since the new fiscal year began in October.
Social media burns Biden over ‘fire hazard’ flaming birthday cake: ‘America represents the cake’
A social media firestorm erupted over President Biden’s fiery birthday cake that was lit with 81 candles. Biden continued making history Monday, marking another year as the oldest sitting American president at the age of 81. A photo was posted on the president’s X account featuring his flaming treat that was immediately burned by social media users for its “carbon emissions” and being a “fire hazard” given the amount of candles. “As Biden celebrates his birthday —America represents the cake. Regardless of whether you are Republican, Democrat or Independent we are all feeling the heat from Biden’s failed policies,” commentator Mehek Cooke posted. BIDEN’S BIRTHDAY BLUES: WHITE HOUSE APPEARS TO DOWNPLAY SPECIAL DAY, CRITICS SAY AGE IS MORE THAN A NUMBER “Joe Biden is so old, his birthday cake is a fire hazard,” conservative communicator Steve Guest wrote alongside the viral image. “Joe Biden pictured with inflation,” Stephen L. Miller joked. TRUMP MEDICAL REPORT RELEASED AS BIDEN FACES CONCERNS OVER AGE, HEALTH “There’s a portal to hell on a plate in front of him” said radio host Dana Loesch. “The candles on President Biden’s birthday cake seemed to cast more light than his policies and leadership have over the past 3 years. America is in desperate need of clear, strong leadership, not the diminishing approach we’ve been witnessing,” one individual wrote. “Anybody tracking the carbon emissions from Biden’s birthday cake?” said Larry O’Connor. CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “I thought this was a parody account at first glance. That pic wasn’t the best idea,” another social media user said. “TONIGHT: Biden has bonfire in the White House to celebrate his 81st birthday,” an account belonging to the Republican National Committee posted on X. “Is there anything he doesn’t set on fire?” Fox News contributor Lisa Boothe posted on X. Biden’s birthday comes amid increased concerns over the president’s age and whether he will be able to complete another full term if re-elected in 2024. The age concerns come at the same time multiple polls have shown Biden trailing former President Trump in a head-to-head matchup, with many voters expressing the opinion that Biden’s age is a factor. “We’ll make sure y’all’s invitation to Dark Brandon’s birthday rave comes with a trigger warning,” White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates told Fox News Digital in a statement.