New Jersey to continue offshore wind push despite top contractor’s withdrawal
Despite the loss of two major offshore wind farm projects when Danish developer Orsted pulled out of New Jersey, the state is moving forward with its plans to support and grow the nascent industry. The state Board of Public Utilities on Friday voted to seek bids for a transmission facility into which several offshore wind projects can plug, an important part of getting the power from ocean-based wind turbines into the onshore electrical grid. But on a more elemental level, Friday’s vote represented a vote of confidence in offshore wind from a state that wants to be the East Coast leader in the industry. DEVELOPERS MAKE PLEDGE TO FINISH NJ’S FIRST OFFSHORE WIND FARM BY 2025 “Recent setbacks will not prevent us from moving forward with our commitment to offshore wind,” said Christine Guhl-Sadovy, the board’s president. “Offshore wind is and continues to be the economic development opportunity of a generation, and remains a key tool in climate change mitigation.” The board authorized a solicitation of proposals for an energy transmission system. That system would be “an open-access transmission facility, located either in the Atlantic Ocean or onshore, used to facilitate the collection of offshore wind energy or its delivery to the electric transmission system in this state,” according to a 2019 law. It would include concrete structures and empty pipes through which power cables would pass. They would be installed in a single construction effort, capable of servicing multiple offshore wind farms. James Ferris, the deputy director of the board’s clean energy division, said that installing the project all at once “would minimize environmental and community impacts by resulting in a single shore crossing.” Those eligible to apply include power transmission developers and owners, and offshore wind developers, Ferris said. The board vote came nearly three weeks after Orsted, the world’s largest offshore wind developer, scrapped its Ocean Wind I and II projects off the coast of New Jersey. The company cited inflation, supply chain problems and a failure to secure as many government financial subsidies as it wanted as reasons the projects were no longer feasible. That sent shock waves through the offshore wind industry. It also heartened its opponents, who said Orsted’s decision to walk away from New Jersey and write off $4 billion in losses, mostly due to the cancellations, shows the industry is inherently unprofitable without massive government subsidies. Shortly after Orsted scraped its projects, numerous community groups celebrated, and promised to oppose other pending wind farms, including one by Atlantic Shores, a project by EDF/Shell. 4 NEW OFFSHORE WIND PROJECTS PLANNED IN NEW JERSEY “The communities of southern New Jersey are surely celebrating the end of the project,” said Joseph Mancini, mayor of Long Beach Township. “New Jersey can harness sustainable energy solutions more effectively without succumbing to the industrialization of the ocean. There are smarter, more considerate avenues to explore that protect our state’s interests and national natural treasures.” As the vote was happening, the Southern New Jersey Development Council, a business group, reaffirmed its support for offshore wind projects, calling them “a shining example of responsible environmental stewardship and economic revitalization.” “Yes, Orsted’s cancellation of the Ocean Wind I and Ocean Wind II projects was a setback, but New Jersey’s continued commitment to offshore wind power is a beacon of hope for a future where renewable energy takes center stage in our fight against climate change, said Marlene Asselta, the group’s president. Proposals are due by April 3.
Thousands of Chinese nationals, gotaways at the southern border since Oct 1: sources
Thousands of Chinese nationals have hit the southern border since the beginning of the fiscal year, along with hundreds of Afghans and other nationalities, while there have been thousands of “gotaways” who have evaded Border Patrol – as the U.S. tackles a migrant crisis that is global in scope and has renewed national security concerns. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) sources told Fox News that since Oct. 1 there were over 6,500 Chinese nationals encountered at the U.S.-Mexico border, along with over 700 Afghans. There were over 140 encounters from Syria, over 80 from Iran and over 1,500 from Uzbekistan, the sources said. FOX NEWS FOOTAGE SHOWS RELEASE OF CHINESE NATIONALS INTO US AMID MASSIVE SPIKE IN ENCOUNTERS Meanwhile, for the month of October, there were on average just over 1,000 “gotaways” a day – meaning migrants who evaded Border Patrol apprehension but who were caught on alternative forms of detection. DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told lawmakers earlier this month that there had been approximately 600,000 gotaways in FY 23. There were more than 249,000 migrants encounters in October, and the arrival of migrants not only from countries in the Western Hemisphere but also from China — a top geopolitical foe of the U.S. – as well as “special interest” countries in the Middle East and elsewhere have raised concerns about the potential national security threat that could be arriving in the wake of the terror attack on Israel. DHS said that it “is and always will work tirelessly to screen, vet, and prevent anyone who poses a threat from entering the country” and says that those screening efforts include biographic and biometric screening. “Our multilayered border security efforts include various screening and vetting processes that work to detect and prevent individuals who pose national security or public safety risks from entering the United States,” an official said. FBI DIRECTOR WRAY SAYS BORDER GOTAWAYS A SOURCE OF ‘GREAT CONCERN’ FOR AGENCY On getaways, officials have stressed that apprehension rates have remained roughly the same to the average from the prior administration, and there is greater situational awareness of the border now due to increased technology. At the same time, officials have acknowledged a security risk at the border. FBI Director Christopher Wray was quizzed on the numbers of gotaways at a House hearing this week and said it was a source of “great concern” to the agency. “Well, certainly the group of people that you’re talking about are source of great concern for us. That’s why we’re aggressively using all 56 of our joint terrorism task forces,” Wray said. FBI DIRECTOR WRAY WARNS TERROR THREAT TO AMERICANS AT ‘WHOLE OTHER LEVEL’ AMID HAMAS-ISRAEL CONFLICT He later said that “any time you have a group of people in the United States that we don’t know nearly enough about, that is a source of concern for us from a perspective in our lane of protecting Americans.” He later said “the threats that come from the other side of the border are very much consuming all 56 of our field offices, not just in the border states.” The Department of Homeland Security’s FY 24 threat assessment warned that agents have encountered a growing number on the watch list and warned that “terrorists and criminal actors may exploit the elevated flow and increasingly complex security environment to enter the United States.” “Individuals with terrorism connections are interested in using established travel routes and permissive environments to facilitate access to the United States,” the assessment also said.
Haley rises but Trump remains dominant in early GOP presidential primary state: poll
With less than two months until the first votes in the battle for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, two new polls in the first primary state show sustained momentum for former ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley. However, the surveys in New Hampshire, which holds the second overall contest in the GOP nominating calendar following the Iowa caucuses, reaffirm that former President Donald Trump remains the dominant front-runner. The polls also suggest that Trump’s supporters are more enthusiastic and committed about voting for their candidate compared to those backing the former president’s rivals for the nomination. Trump stands at 46% support among likely Republican presidential primary voters in New Hampshire in a Monmouth University/Washington Post poll released Friday. Haley, who served as ambassador to the United Nations during the first two years of the Trump administration, is second in the survey at 18%. Trump enjoys the backing of 42% of likely Republican presidential primary voters in a poll released Thursday by the University of New Hampshire (UNH) Survey Center and CNN. His support was relatively unchanged from the previous UNH/CNN survey in New Hampshire, which was conducted in September. Haley stands at 20% support in the UNH/CNN survey, up eight points from the September poll. “While Trump continues to lead as the GOP field narrows, Nikki Haley seems to be consolidating her position as the alternative to Trump among New Hampshire Republicans,” UNH Survey Center director Andrew Smith told Fox News. “Importantly, Haley does not have the negative drag on her campaign compared with other Republican candidates.” WHERE TRUMP STANDS IN THE LATEST FOX NEWS NATIONAL POLL IN THE GOP PRESIDENTIAL RACE Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who is concentrating most of his time and resources in New Hampshire as he runs a second time for the White House, stands in third place in both polls. He is at 14% support in the UNH/CNN survey and 11% in Monmouth University/Washington Post poll. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis stands at 9% and 8% in the respective polls, with biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy at 8% in each survey. During his third straight White House run, Trump saw his lead in the GOP nomination race expand over the spring and summer as he made history as the first former or current president in American history to be indicted for a crime. Trump’s 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. Trump enjoys a massive lead in national polling, including 62% support in a Fox News survey released Wednesday. However, his margins — while extremely formidable — are smaller in the crucial early voting states. Haley, thanks to well-regarded performances in the first three GOP presidential primary debates this summer and autumn, has seen her support among primary voters rise. She has tied DeSantis for second place in some of the latest polls in Iowa, whose caucuses kick off the Republican nominating calendar on Jan. 15. WITH 9 WEEKS TO GO UNTIL THE FIRST VOTES, TRUMP REMAINS COMMANDING FRONT-RUNNER AS GOP FIELD KEEPS SHRINKING The UNH/CNN and Monmouth/Washington Post polls are the latest to indicate Haley in second place in New Hampshire, which will hold its presidential primary on Jan. 23. She has also moved ahead of DeSantis for second place in her home state, which votes Feb. 24 and holds the first Southern contest. The new UNH/CNN survey indicates that Trump enjoys the backing of 55% of registered Republicans in New Hampshire. Support among independents who say they will cast a ballot in the GOP primary is evenly split among Trump, Haley and Christie. Independents, known in New Hampshire as undeclared voters, make up slightly more than 40% of the state’s electorate. Both polls also indicate that self-described Trump voters are more likely than those backing the former president’s rivals to say their choice for the GOP nomination is definite. The survey was conducted Nov. 10-14, entirely after the third Republican debate, which was held Nov. 8 in Miami. “Few likely Republican primary voters paid close attention to the November Republican debate and only about half are interested in further debates taking place,” the release from the UNH Survey Center spotlighted. Additionally, UNH also noted that when it comes to the issues, the survey indicates that “foreign policy has become far more important since September, while support for a 15-week abortion ban has declined.” Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Homeless man sentenced to 27 months for assaulting Democratic lawmaker in elevator
A mentally ill homeless man who attacked a Democratic congresswoman in an elevator was sentenced Thursday to 27 months in prison, according to authorities. Kendrid Khalil Hamlin, 26, assaulted Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn., inside her Washington D.C., apartment building on the morning of Feb. 9. Hamlin followed Craig into an elevator inside her Mount Vernon Triangle apartment building after she walked past him and said, “Good morning,” according to police. While inside the elevator, he began doing random push-ups, Craig told police. SUSPECTED WASHINGTON DC TEEN KILLER BRAGS ON INSTAGRAM AFTER MURDER; MOTHER WATCHES SON OPEN FIRE: POLICE He then asked Craig if he could use her bathroom, and when she declined, he punched her in the chin before grabbing her by the neck. The congressman was able to fight off the attack by throwing her morning cup of coffee at him. He then fled the scene. Later in the day, he attacked two police officers who were arresting him, according to authorities. Hamlin did not live in Craig’s apartment building, but he was able to enter the lobby of the building at 6 a.m., when he defecated and paced around until Craig showed up about an hour later, the Star Tribune reported. He was reportedly acting erratically while he waited for her. Authorities said the attack was not politically motivated. Hamlin pleaded guilty in June to assault on a member of Congress and two counts of assault on a law enforcement officer. Assaulting a member of Congress can carry a maximum of 10 years in prison, while assaulting a police officer carries a statutory maximum sentence of six months in prison, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Columbia. DC MAYOR REFUSES TO WATCH VIRAL VIDEO OF KIDS DEBATING WHICH CRIMES THEY’D ‘RATHER’ COMMIT: ‘WASTING MY TIME’ He was handed down a 27-month prison sentence on Thursday, followed by 36 months of supervised release, prosecutors said. His attorney said he suffered from a history of schizophrenia and substance abuse. Craig detailed the physical and mental effects she was left with after the assault. She suffered bruising and a cut to her lip. “While my physical recovery was days, my mental and emotional recovery has taken much longer and is ongoing. My sense of safety and security has been significantly impacted,” she wrote. “Following the attack, I have developed strategies with professional help to combat and address periodic anxiety. I have sought self-defense training.” She also said she was “doxed” by a media outlet resulting in her breaking her lease and moving due to “targeted security concerns.” Days after the attack, MSNBC briefly aired a copy of the police report that contained Craig’s address. “I received a flurry of additional targeted physical violence and death threats to myself and my staff,” she wrote. Craig wrote she hoped the sentence would ensure Hamlin is “held accountable for his actions” and that he would be provided with mental health services during his incarceration that will allow him to “become a productive member of society.” Craig has served as the U.S. representative for Minnesota’s 2nd congressional district since 2019. She is the first openly gay member of Congress from Minnesota and the first lesbian mother to serve in Congress. She and her wife have four children.
Biden camp weighs joining TikTok to sway young voters months after purging app from federal devices: report
President Biden’s re-election campaign is reportedly weighing privately whether to join the Chinese-owned social media platform TikTok. Axios first reported on Friday that Biden’s team was considering using the platform, owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, though a spokesman for the president’s re-election downplayed the story. The president’s talks about potentially joining TikTok come after his administration banned the app from being used on federal devices earlier this year. EXPERTS RAISE ALARM AFTER BIDEN STRIKES AGREEMENT WITH CHINA TO SHUT DOWN FOSSIL FUELS The Biden administration set a 30-day deadline in late February for government agencies to purge the app from federal devices. The Chinese-owned social media platform is incredibly popular among younger Americans. Biden has joined forces with TikTok influencers amid his re-election run, and the Democratic National Committee itself joined the platform. However, the president’s campaign joining the Beijing-based social media platform could present unique security risks for Biden. Most notably, the Chinese Communist Party’s cybersecurity law allows government authorities to access companies’ data. Many Republicans resist using TikTok due to data security concerns, while an increasing number of Democrats, notably those with aspirations for higher office, have adopted the platform. The Biden campaign pointed to a social media post published by spokesperson TJ Ducklo, who appeared to confirm that the campaign had at least discussed the possibility. Responding to the report on X, Ducklo wrote, “[laugh out loud] this is not a scoop.” “Campaigns talk about a bunch of stuff and some we do and a bunch we don’t,” Ducklo wrote. “If we have news to share we’ll let yall know!” Ducklo added. Parents Defending Education founder and president Nikki Neily connected the story to a recent revival of a terrorist’s defense of 9/11. “Two days ago: Young people on TikTok are proudly spreading Osama Bin Laden’s infamous ‘Letter to America’ that blames America for 9/11 and calls for the destruction of Israel,” Neily wrote. “Today: Biden campaign is considering joining TikTok to ‘reach more young voters,’” she continued, sharing screenshots of a pair of posts. TikTok said it will remove videos promoting bin Laden’s infamous pro-terrorism “Letter to America,” citing violations of its rules on supporting any form of terrorism. The anti-American and antisemitic letter went viral this week after being unearthed by social media users, prompting Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wisc., to call for a ban on TikTok. “Content promoting this letter clearly violates our rules on supporting any form of terrorism. We are proactively and aggressively removing this content and investigating how it got onto our platform,” a TikTok spokesperson told Fox News Digital. The spokesperson also said “the number of videos on TikTok is small and reports of it trending on our platform are inaccurate.” FOX Business’ Brian Flood and Joseph Wulfohn contributed to this report.