Category: Fox News

Capitol Police says it reviewed just one Jan. 6 clip Tucker Carlson showed

Posted on (Updated by Emily Brooks

U.S. Capitol Police say they saw just one of the many clips from the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol that Fox News host Tucker Carlson aired on Monday night, after he was granted access by Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.).

“We repeatedly requested that any clips be shown to us first for a security review,” Capitol Police told The Hill on Monday. “So far we have only been given the ability to preview a single clip out of the multiple clips that aired.”

The limited consultation comes after McCarthy said Capitol Police would be consulted before the video aired to address security concerns.

“We work with the Capitol Police as well, so we’ll make sure security is taken care of,” McCarthy told reporters last week.

Carlson said on his show that his team checked with Capitol Police before airing the footage, and that their reservations were “minor” and “reasonable.” 

His show blurred the details of an interior door in the Capitol due to those concerns.

The same camera angle of the door was previously released during the impeachment trial of former President Trump in 2021, without any blurring of the door, picturing senators and staff evacuating.

The disagreement over whether Capitol Police were meaningfully consulted comes as Carlson says he will release more of the roughly 44,000 hours of unseen footage he now has access to. 

A senior GOP aide with knowledge of the process of releasing the footage said that there was coordination with Capitol Police. 

The Capitol Police gave a list of what would be considered security sensitive, the aide said. 

When Carlson’s team picked out the clips to air, only one of those – the clip with the door – was considered to be security sensitive based on that list, and then given to the Capitol Police to review. 

The Capitol Police then cleared that clip, with the details of the door being blurred.

“We worked with the Capitol Police to identify any security-sensitive footage and made sure it wasn’t released,” McCarthy spokesman Mark Bednar said in a statement.

Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.), chairman of the House Administration Subcommittee on Oversight, also said last week that the footage given to Carlson to air would be cleared for security purposes.

“It’s basically controlled access to be able to view tapes. Can’t record, can’t take anything with you. Then they will request any particular clips that — that they may need, and then we’ll make sure that there’s nothing sensitive, nothing classified — you know, escape routes,” Loudermilk said.

A representative for Fox News did not immediately return a request for comment. 

“This action clearly does not coincide with promises of safety and security and endangers everyone who visits and works in the Capitol complex,” Rep. Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.), top Democrat on the House Committee on Administration, which oversees Capitol Police, said in a statement to The Hill. 

During his primetime show on Monday, Carlson aired the first portion of never-before-seen angles of footage from the attack by Trump supporters, downplaying the violence that broke out during the incident describing the scene at one point as “mostly peaceful chaos.”

“‘Deadly insurrection.’ Everything about that phrase is a lie,” Carlson said during his show Monday night. “Very little about Jan. 6 was organized or violent. Surveillance video from inside the Capitol shows mostly peaceful chaos.”

The agreement to consult Capitol Police over the footage comes after Democrats and several who worked on the Jan. 6 panel raised the alarm over the security fallout that could result from sharing the footage.

"When the Select Committee obtained access to U.S. Capitol Police video footage, it was treated with great sensitivity given concerns about the security of lawmakers, staff, and the Capitol complex,” Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), who served as head of the Jan. 6 panel, said at the time.

“Access was limited to members and a small handful of investigators and senior staff, and the public use of any footage was coordinated in advance with Capitol Police. It’s hard to overstate the potential security risks if this material were to be used irresponsibly.”

This story was updated at 3:02 p.m.

California Dem Senate candidates all back far-left climate proposals

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

The three House Democrats who have announced they are running for Senate in California are proponents of far-left actions to combat climate change and have endorsed the multi-trillion-dollar Green New Deal. 

The Democrats — Reps. Barbara Lee, Katie Porter and Adam Schiff — have supported aggressive policies to transition the U.S. grid from traditional fossil fuel sources to green energy like wind and solar power, argued for massive spending packages that would rapidly achieve such a transition and backed so-called environmental justice measures. The three have all recently entered the race to replace retiring Sen. Dianne Feinstein and are currently the highest-profile candidates.

According to the League of Conservation Voters, a left-wing Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group that tracks how lawmakers vote on environmental and climate issues, Schiff has a 98% lifetime score while Lee and Porter boast 97% lifetime scores. The high scores indicate the three have a long track record of supporting measures backed by the far-left organization.

"From the devastating wildfires in my home state of California to the snowstorms in my birthplace of Texas, there’s no denying that the climate crisis is here, and the threat to the safety and economic security of our communities is growing by the day," Lee said after cosponsoring the Green New Deal alongside Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., in April 2021. 

BIDEN ADMIN MAKES STUNNING ADMISSION ON CLIMATE AGENDA IN LEAKED INTERNAL MEMO

"In order to ensure a healthy and safe future for our children and grandchildren, the federal government must invest in bold policies that address the climate emergency head on, especially in communities of color and low-income communities that have experienced generations of environmental injustice," she added. "Our solutions must match the scale of the crisis—that’s why I’m proud to support the Green New Deal."

Lee's congressional website further states that fighting climate change is a top priority for her, noting that she has fought oil companies and is working to ensure "good-paying jobs created by the growing green energy sector are open to all, especially people of color, women and veterans."

REPUBLICANS UNVEIL EFFORT TO BOOST ENERGY PRODUCTION, FAST-TRACK PERMITTING PROCESS

Lee also joined a congressional delegation to a United Nations climate conference in Egypt late last year where she reaffirmed her commitment to giving billions of taxpayer dollars to the international "Green Climate Fund" and warned the "window is closing fast" on saving the planet.

Porter has also been a vocal proponent of far-left climate proposals and signed on to the Green New Deal after she worked to strengthen "pro-worker provisions" in the legislation.

"Congresswoman Porter has fought to hold fossil fuel companies accountable for cleaning up after they drill, in addition to advocating for a future powered by clean energy," Porter's website states. "Congresswoman Porter is taking action to accelerate our transition to clean energy and make the United States a leading green economy."

"She is a proud member of the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition, which advocates for policies that promote renewable energy, address climate change, and create good green jobs."

Porter has also repeatedly attacked the fossil fuel industry for its supposed "misinformation campaigns." In August, she introduced legislation that would remove taxpayer-funded subsidies from oil companies that were used to help the industry market products, saying "it’s bad enough these corporations poison the planet."

ENTIRE ALASKA DELEGATION MEETS WITH BIDEN AT WHITE HOUSE, IMPLORING APPROVAL OF MASSIVE OIL PROJECT

And Porter made headlines during an October 2021 hearing where she blasted oil executives over how much federal land their companies have leased. In a live demonstration, Porter used candy and rice to show how much land the companies controlled.

"When you lobby and sue so that you can take more of our public land, you’re saying too much is never enough," Porter stated. "The American people are tired of this charade."

Finally, Schiff is the only candidate of the three Democrats to list climate change as a key issue on his campaign website. He argues in favor of the Green New Deal which he was an original cosponsor of, major new green investments, developing a "green economy" and leading the world in clean energy development.

"Climate change is real, our planet is on fire, and we must act. Now," he states on his website. "That seems like common knowledge, but half of our country’s political structure still refutes that simple truth. And worse, refuses to act on it."

"The Green New Deal is not just a bold plan for addressing climate change and beginning to right the ship, it also is an urgent call to invest in growing a modern, green economy that is equitable and just for all," he adds.

On Wednesday, he introduced legislation that would create a sustainable investment fund for federal employees that avoids oil, pharmaceutical tobacco investments. He said the bill would help federal workers use investments to boost "sustainable practices that will help combat the climate crisis."

He also slammed Republicans for passing legislation that would rescind a Biden administration rule allowing fiduciaries to factor environmental considerations into Americans' retirement accounts, an action opponents have argued could significantly harm the interests of customers by placing social priorities over financial interests. 

Judge denies Jan. 6 defendant’s trial delay sought after McCarthy’s release of Capitol riot footage: report

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A judge denied a request from a Jan. 6 defendant to push back the start of her trial to allow time to review about 44,000 hours of Capitol riot footage from House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg acknowledged that the ask from defendant Sara Carpenter is "certainly not a frivolous request by any means," but said the defense failed to clarify why any additional footage would be exculpatory, Politico reported. Carpenter, a retired NYPD officer, is facing two felony charges over the Capitol riot.

Boasberg, who is soon to become Washington D.C.’s chief district court judge, also argued that delaying trials for Carpenter and other Jan. 6 defendants to allow time to review the Capitol and police surveillance footage from McCarthy's office could "derail dozens of trials that are set in the next few months." 

Prosecutors say they already provided Carpenter with an "overwhelming" amount of CCTV footage documenting her 34 minutes inside the Capitol building, leaving only "a matter of seconds" unaccounted for.

PROUD BOYS' DEFENSE PLANS TO SUBPOENA TRUMP TO TESTIFY IN JAN. 6 SEDITIOUS CONSPIRACY TRIAL 

They say they've been left in the dark as to what McCarthy's footage might add. 

"We don’t have what the speaker has," Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Cook said during Friday's hearing, according to Politico. "In any case, there’s always the possibility some information may be out there."

In 2021, Capitol police already shared some 14,000 hours of footage – including the hours of noon to 8 p.m. on Jan. 6 – to Trum House impeachment managers and two House committees investigating the riot that interrupted Congress certifying Joe Biden's presidential victory. 

In requesting a 60-day delay in the trial, Carpenter’s attorneys argued some of McCarthy's footage might help fill the "gaps" and provide more context to the defendant's actions inside the Capitol. 

WRAY RESPONDS TO FBI CRITIQUES OVER HUNTER LAPTOP, TRUMP RAID, JAN 6: WE'RE ‘ON THE AMERICAN PEOPLE’S SIDE'

Prosecutors are required to provide defendants with any potentially exculpatory evidence they might bring in the case, but limits exist when dealing with another agency, such as Capitol Police, which is an arm of Congress, or if the court deems the government has acted in good faith in turning over as much material as possible. 

The Justice Department, in bringing cases against more than 950 defendants in connection to Jan. 6, 2021, has already cited a massive cache of video evidence including from Capitol security cameras, police body cameras, journalists and demonstrators themselves, who recorded hundreds of hours worth of footage. 

The DOJ reportedly has not indicated whether it will attempt to review the footage from McCarthy's office.

Other Jan. 6 defendants, including Proud Boys on trial for seditious conspiracy, have questioned how the tens of thousands of hours of footage will affect their cases. 

Rep. Barry Loudermilk, the Republican chairman of the House Administration Committee’s oversight subpanel, has reportedly said the footage from McCarthy's office would also be made available to Jan. 6 defendants on a case-by-case basis to ensure they're afforded due process. 

Ted Cruz rips Buttigieg at CPAC: ‘What the hell does this guy gotta do to get fired?’

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Sen. Ted Cruz on Thursday tore into Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg for waiting nearly two weeks before addressing the toxic chemical spill in East Palestine, Ohio, and openly wondered how the embattled secretary is still in his job.

"Pete Buttigieg – what the hell does this guy gotta do to get fired?" Cruz asked at the annual Conservative Political Action Committee (CPAC) conference just outside Washington, D.C. "At this point it’s a bar game . . . like, what else could he do?"

Buttigieg waited 10 days before talking about the train derailment that led to the chemical spill, and that’s one of several black marks on his performance as a cabinet secretary in the Biden administration. Buttigieg has been criticized for on over-reliance on expensive private air travel, even as he watched airlines cancel thousands of flights in 2022, in part because of a system failure at the Federal Aviation Administration late last year.

WALTZ, HOUSE REPUBLICANS DROP RESOLUTION CONDEMNING BUTTIGIEG AND SAYING ‘HE SHOULD RESIGN'

Buttigieg has also come under criticism for making arguments that the federal highway system is racist, while coming close a few times to a rail strike that could have crippled the economy.

Cruz said that Buttigieg’s late and tepid response to the environmental disaster is a sign that he and the entire Biden administration aren’t interested in helping people who live in predominantly conservative districts.

"The Democrats don’t give a damn about East Palestine, because it’s a blue-collar, red place, and they’re like, ‘To hell with you,’" Cruz charged. "If you were a bunch of transgender tech workers, you’d have the entire Biden cabinet down there for a listening session and sit-in to feel their pain."

INSPECTOR GENERAL INVESTIGATING PETE BUTTIGIEG’S EXTENSIVE PRIVATE JET TRAVEL AFTER FOX NEWS DIGITAL REPORT

Earlier this week, the Department of Transportation’s Inspector General said it was opening up an investigation into Buttigieg’s use of private jets for travel, which followed a Fox News Digital report that said he has taken at least 18 taxpayer-funded private flights since taking his job.

A department spokesman said that officials "welcome this independent audit."

On the CPAC stage Thursday, Cruz added that President Biden has been "completely AWOL" on the derailment.

PETE BUTTIGIEG TOOK GOVERNMENT JET TO NYC FOR RADIO INTERVIEW, ACLU MEETING BEFORE FLYING BACK HOURS LATER

Cruz gave credit to Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, for sticking with the community and making videos showing evidence of chemicals spilling into waterways. He said that Vance, who shared a stage with him at the CPAC event on Thursday, has done a "fantastic" job sticking up for his voters.

"But J.D., alongside Donald Trump, came there and guilted the administration, and that was powerful as hell," Cruz said.

Biden spurns East Palestine again, travels to Baltimore instead

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

President Biden avoided going to survey the train derailment and toxic chemical spill in East Palestine, Ohio, again, electing to travel to Baltimore, Maryland, for the House Democrat retreat instead.

On Wednesday, the president trekked not too far down the road from Washington, D.C., to Charm City to deliver an address to the assembled House Democrats on their retreat.

Biden’s travel to Baltimore comes as East Palestine, Ohio, still reels from a Norfolk Southern train derailment and toxic chemical spill last month that saw a controlled burn of the vinyl chloride that was released.

WALTZ, HOUSE REPUBLICANS DROP RESOLUTION CONDEMNING BUTTIGIEG AND SAYING HE ‘SHOULD RESIGN’

Fox News Digital asked the White House if Biden was planning to travel to East Palestine to survey the train derailment and toxic chemical spill, and, if he was, when the president would be going to Ohio.

The White House did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Biden will reportedly "discuss how to keep bringing jobs back to America at an historic rate, keep lowering costs like prescription drugs and energy, and further cutting the deficit by having rich special interests pay their fair share," according to a White House official who spoke with Punchbowl News.

"He will reiterate his promise to release his budget to the American public, and his call on Republicans to do the same," the official said. "He will also highlight that congressional Republicans are now threatening to trigger a catastrophic default if they are unable to take health coverage away from millions of families."

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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg traveled to East Palestine last week to survey the toxic chemical spill after weeks of staying away.

Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., alongside several of his fellow House Republicans, introduced a resolution on Tuesday condemning Buttigieg and demanding he resign from his Cabinet post.

The resolution, obtained by Fox News Digital, blasts Buttigieg as having "failed to mitigate or effectively respond to multiple national crises" and that his "ineptitude has jeopardized the safety and prosperity of the American people."

The lawmakers highlighted several controversies in Buttigieg’s career as transportation secretary, such as the secretary being "absent during a historical supply chain crisis when United States ports faced a record backlog of ships stranded off of United States coasts," as well as the "more than 15,000 flights" canceled under his watch in "the worst and most costly single airline operational disruption in the history of United States aviation."

GOP REP. COLLINS BLASTS BUTTIGIEG FOR OHIO RESPONSE, SAYS IMPEACHMENT NOT OFF THE TABLE

Republican Georgia Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., a freshman Republican who is on Waltz’ resolution, called on the secretary to resign in an opinion piece and blasted Buttigieg’s response to the crisis in an interview with Fox News Digital.

Collins said, "They should have shown up immediately" and that "any time we have a problem, as far as small businesses are concerned, you get right to the scene and see exactly what's going on, so you can assess the problem" and "figure out what the solution is."

"Yeah, they sent people up there, but… this thing was a major catastrophe and something like that garners the head of the department showing up," Collins said.

"And, you know, he just was bent on not going," the congressman continued. "And there's reasons why he did that."

"That’s just another, in my opinion, another clear example of this agency and the fact that they have got their sights set on stuff other than trying to improve the infrastructure of this country," Collins said. "And that’s the woke culture that this guy is promoting."

Collins said that whether it’s a train derailment, "planes almost landing on top of each other," or "some person deleting a file that shuts down a whole industry, there's something else that is going on besides what you see," calling them "results of an administration that is pushing a woke culture."

The Georgia Republican also said he does not "think anything is off the table" when it comes to impeaching Buttigieg, should he not step down.

Waltz, House Republicans drop resolution condemning Buttigieg and saying he ‘should resign’

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

FIRST ON FOX: Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., is leading a House Republican resolution condemning Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and calling on him to resign.

Waltz and several of his fellow lower chamber GOP lawmakers introduced the resolution on Tuesday demanding Buttigieg resign over his track record as a Cabinet secretary.

"Whether it’s waiting weeks to visit East Palestine, vacationing in Portuguese wine country during vital union negotiations, his extended absence during one of the largest shipping crises we’ve faced, or his failure to prevent massive aviation groundings, Secretary Buttigieg has shown an inability to carry out the duties of his office," Waltz told FOX News Digital.

INSPECTOR GENERAL INVESTIGATING PETE BUTTIGIEG’S EXTENSIVE PRIVATE JET TRAVEL AFTER FOX NEWS DIGITAL REPORT

"It’s time for him to resign," the Florida Republican added.

The resolution, obtained by Fox News Digital, blasts Buttigieg as having "failed to mitigate or effectively respond to multiple national crises" and that his "ineptitude has jeopardized the safety and prosperity of the American people."

The lawmakers highlighted several controversies in Buttigieg’s career as transportation secretary, such as the secretary being "absent during a historical supply chain crisis when United States ports faced a record backlog of ships stranded off of United States coasts," as well as the "more than 15,000 flights" canceled under his watch in "the worst and most costly single airline operational disruption in the history of United States aviation."

Waltz and the Republicans said Buttigieg "neglected his duties and left the country to vacation in Portuguese wine country amidst ongoing negotiations of an impending railroad labor strike, leaving Congress to act in order to prevent the impending rail workers strike."

The lawmakers also hit Buttigieg for the "preventable malfunction in the Notice to Air Mission’s System" on January 11, 2023, where "the Federal Aviation Administration was forced to impose the largest nationwide ground stop since the attacks of September 11, 2001" as well as his sluggish response to the East Palestine, Ohio train derailment and toxic chemical spill.

Additionally, the lawmakers slammed Buttigieg as having "repeatedly demonstrated a gross level of incompetence and apathy in his role as Secretary of Transportation" and "has lost the confidence of the American people," calling on him to "resign."

Joining Waltz on the resolution are several of his GOP colleagues, including Reps. Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Ryan Zinke of Montana, Mike Collins of Georgia, and Greg Steube of Florida.

Buttigieg has been under GOP fire in the aftermath of the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment and toxic chemical spill.

Collins recently published an opinion piece with Fox News Digital calling on Buttigieg to resign.

The congressman told Fox News Digital that impeachment is not off the table, should Buttigieg not resign.

GOP Rep. Collins blasts Buttigieg for Ohio response, says impeachment not off the table

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FIRST ON FOX: A Georgia congressman blasted Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg for his response to the Ohio train derailment and toxic chemical spill, saying impeachment is not off the table.

Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., a freshman Republican who ascended to Congress in the 2022 midterm elections, weighed in on the Transportation Department’s response to the toxic chemical spill in East Palestine, Ohio.

MY FAMILY HAS RUN OUR TRUCKING COMPANY FOR 30 YEARS. BUTTIGIEG IS A TRANSPORTATION DISASTER AND MUST RESIGN

Collins said, "They should have shown up immediately" and that "any time we have a problem, as far as small businesses are concerned, you get right to the scene and see exactly what's going on, so you can assess the problem" and "figure out what the solution is."

"Yeah, they sent people up there, but… this thing was a major catastrophe and something like that garners the head of the department showing up," Collins said.

"And, you know, he just was bent on not going," the congressman continued. "And there's reasons why he did that."

"That’s just another, in my opinion, another clear example of this agency and the fact that they have got their sights set on stuff other than trying to improve the infrastructure of this country," Collins said. "And that’s the woke culture that this guy is promoting."

Collins said that whether it’s a train derailment, "planes almost landing on top of each other," or "some person deleting a file that shuts down a whole industry, there's something else that is going on besides what you see," calling them "results of an administration that is pushing a woke culture."

The Georgia Republican also noted the CEO of the rail company at the center of the toxic chemical spill, Norfolk Southern, recently notified shareholders of the firm’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) push for "cultivating a safe, inclusive culture."

"They're more worried about appeasing an administration and gender pronouns than they are putting grease on wheel bearings," Collins said, adding air traffic controllers are leaving the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) "because of the culture."

Collins, whose family runs a three-decade-old trucking business, said Buttigieg was an "identity politics" pick for his position that only knows "how to push" the ideology. He also said the transportation secretary "knows nothing about the infrastructure and transportation problems in this country."

"If we identified the problem, that’s the problem," Collins said. "We’re more in tune with trying to fix culture problems and be woke than we are fixing transportation infrastructure problems."

"The solution is… you get rid of Pete Buttigieg and get somebody in there that knows what they’re doing and what they’re talking about," the Georgia Republican continued. "We spent over $1 trillion on the infrastructure bill and the rails aren’t safer, roads aren’t any better, and the airports and the runways aren’t any safer."

Collins said Americans are "already seeing" the dangers of woke culture taking root in government, noting that "congestion is crazy" and "not being addressed," and that a person "can’t get from point A to point B."

BUTTIGIEG MOCKED FOR APPEARING TO WEAR DRESS BOOTS WHILE ON THE GROUND IN EAST PALESTINE, OHIO

"We're barely addressing the potholes, the bridges that need to be replaced.… That's where we need to have our focus. They didn't even put in enough money in that infrastructure bill anyway to alleviate congestion, but you're going to see more of that due to the fact that they're more worried about who we call or what we call or making sure that we have the right diversity."

The Georgia Republican said he does not "think anything is off the table" when it comes to impeaching Buttigieg, should he not step down.

Collins also said that, if he were a person living in East Palestine, Ohio, he would think Buttigieg’s delay of travel to survey the rail disaster shows "he doesn’t even care" and that they are "not important enough."

"Pete Buttigieg needs to give you the real reason why he wasn’t there," Collins said. "But when something significant like that happens, a department head ought to be there. He ought to be right there, on the ground."

"In my private sector, we make our living out on the public roads," the congressman also said. "We don’t have an office building that we go to and we’re with the motoring public every day. And it’s important that we keep these roads safe."

"And in order to do that, you need competent people and a Department of Transportation head guiding that ship," Collins added. "And that's what you don't have."

Buttigieg traveled to East Palestine, Ohio, last week to view the derailment. Critics blasted Buttigieg for his choice of dress boots for surveying the toxic chemical spill.

A Transportation Department spokesperson pointed FOX News Digital to a tweet by Buttigieg when asked for comment.

"Beginning in the first hours when USDOT arrived on-site, and continuing for as long as it takes, our department is working alongside our administraiton partners to ensure that the residents in East Palestine are made whole and Norfolk Southern is held accountable," Buttigieg wrote.

Supreme Court Justice Jackson gets support from conservatives in first majority ruling

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Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson issued her first majority opinion Tuesday since joining the U.S. Supreme Court.

Jackson wrote the opinion in the case of Delaware vs. Pennsylvania Et. Al — a case concerning a dispute between multiple states on escheatment of unclaimed money.

CNN RIDICULED FOR SUGGESTING 'WEALTHY' SUPREME COURT IS BIASED AGAINST STUDENT LOAN DEBTORS: 'WORST TWEET'

The court overruled objections from Delaware and greenlighted the continued authority of a Special Master in the proceedings consistent with the court opinion.

The eight other justices unanimously supported Parts I, II, III, and IV-A of the opinion. She was joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Brett Kavanaugh in her opinion regarding Part IV-B. Justices Neil Gorsuch, Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas and Amy Coney Barrett did not concur with Part IV-B.

Jackson wrote her first opinion in November 2022, a short dissenting opinion that supported Ohio death row inmate Davel Chinn's motion.

REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS FILE APPEAL REGARDING THE LEGALITY OF THE PA LEGISLATURE'S IMPEACHMENT OF LARRY KRASNER

The justice's November dissenting opinion was at odds with the rest of the court, save fellow Justice Sotomayor.

Justices on the Supreme Court have attested to a good working environment between colleagues despite perceived ideological differences.

Supreme Court Justice Kavanaugh offered praise for Jackson last month, telling an audience at the University of Notre Dame Law School that she has "hit the ground running."

Kavanaugh was present for a keynote Q&A session at the 2023 Notre Dame Law Review Federal Courts Symposium, where he addressed the perception that the Supreme Court is sharply divided on ideological grounds after a series of controversial decisions that went in favor of conservatives. 

"There are great relations among all nine justices both personally and professionally. We only get tough cases, and we disagree on some of those. I think that's more nuanced than it is sometimes portrayed," Kavanaugh said.

Fox News' Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report.

Biden admin’s taxpayer-backed contracts to help illegal immigrants avoid deportation come under a microscope

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Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley is probing hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer-backed Biden administration contracts with a left-wing nonprofit to help illegal immigrants avoid deportation.

Fox News Digital previously reported that the Vera Institute of Justice, a New York-based nonprofit that views immigration enforcement agencies as a "threat" to civil liberties, received hefty Health and Human Services (HHS)-backed contracts as part of efforts to keep illegal immigrants in the United States. 

Now, Grassley is seeking answers on the federal contracts with Vera, who he says has a history of not fully complying with legal and regulatory requirements regarding the expenditure of government funds. In a Feb. 16 letter to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra, Grassley raised concerns about the Vera contracts, particularly regarding oversight structures to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse.

"My concerns with respect to HHS' oversight of its contracts with third parties stems, in part, from HHS' FY 2022 Agency Financial Report," Grassley wrote. "In that report, the HHS Inspector General identified a range of problems with HHS oversight of contracts, including contracts for services with respect to unaccompanied alien children."

BIDEN ADMIN GIVES LEFT-WING GROUPS HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS TO HELP ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FIGHT DEPORTATION

"The report included a finding that the ORR 'did not award or sufficiently manage a sole source contract in accordance with Federal requirements,'" Grassley wrote. "Given that Vera could receive almost a billion dollars of taxpayer funds under one contract alone, even a fraction of improper conduct can add up to large sums of money. A robust oversight structure needs to be in place to protect taxpayer dollars from waste, fraud and abuse."

Grassley elaborated on his concerns by referencing a Department of Justice inspector general report that found Vera did not comply with previous "essential award conditions."

"Vera did not comply with essential award conditions related to award expenditures including: personnel and fringe benefits, travel, supplies and other costs, consultants and contracts, and subawards," Grassley wrote. "Additionally, OIG found issues related to Vera's compliance with award special conditions, procurement practices, subrecipient monitoring, and financial reporting."

"The audit also found that Vera had $325,907 in expenditures 'that do not comply with legal, regulatory, or contractual requirements; are not supported by adequate documentation at the time of the audit; or are unnecessary or unreasonable,'" Grassley continued. "This example further demonstrates the need for transparency in how Vera and its subcontractors are using taxpayer funds and what HHS has done to employ robust oversight procedures and policies to ensure Vera is in full compliance with all applicable legal, regulatory, and contractual requirements."

Grassley posed a series of questions to Becerra, including on HHS oversight procedures, policies, and guidelines that are in place to ensure Vera is in full compliance with all applicable legal, regulatory, and contractual requirements.

HHS did not respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment by press time.

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The Vera Institute of Justice and the Acacia Center for Justice, a nonprofit linked to Vera and another left-wing immigration group, have combined to rake in hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer-backed government contracts since President Biden took office.

According to records previously reviewed by Fox News Digital, a vast majority of the money is going towards efforts to keep illegal immigrants in the United States. 

Vera has collected around $350 million from government contracts for immigration services in the past two years. The Acacia Center for Justice has also pocketed tens of millions of dollars in recent federal contracts. The progressive groups landed the contracts amid the escalating border crisis.

Vera received a $171 million HHS-funded contract last March to help unaccompanied minors avoid deportation, the records show. The contract has since paid out around $180 million with supplemental agreements as of December. 

The arrangement lasts until March but can hit as high as $983 million if renewed until March 2027. If extended, it will be the most significant federal contract the group has received for immigration-related services.

Vera has also secured other large government contracts since early 2021, including a $168 million contract in March 2021 for the same purpose of helping unaccompanied minors avoid deportation. During this time, the group also obtained smaller contracts ranging from $4 million to $12 million from other federal departments.

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Vera did not respond to a request for comment on Grassley's letter. 

Meanwhile, the Acacia Center for Justice, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit started from a partnership between Vera and Capital Area Immigrants' Rights, has received several "legal services" contracts from the Department of Justice last September that netted the group around $41 million in payments, records show.

The Acacia Center appears to have launched to expand Vera's work with illegal immigrants detained at the border. However, unlike Vera's government contracts for unaccompanied minors, the Acacia Center's contracts do not specify an age group for the legal services. 

Its partner organization, Capital Area Immigrants' Rights, also directs an adult defense program that provides information, support, and legal representation to illegal immigrants, according to its website. It also has a detained unaccompanied children's program that works with minors at the Office of Refugee Resettlement juvenile immigration detention centers in Maryland and Virginia.

The Acacia Center launched last year and received the contracts less than two months after getting a July 2022 determination letter from the Internal Revenue Service, which stated the group's effective date of tax exemption was Dec. 29, 2021, according to filings.

Jordan rips Dems for skipping Arizona border crisis hearing, blasts ‘reckless’ Biden policies

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan on Thursday took aim at Democrats for failing to attend an in-person hearing on the border crisis in Yuma, Arizona, as Republicans heard from witnesses about the devastating impact the crisis has had on their communities.

"It's a shame that not one Democrat member of Congress would join us on this trip, despite having weeks of advance notice," Rep. Jordan, R-Ohio, said in Yuma. "It's disappointing, but it's not surprising."

Republicans held the hearing in the besieged community with local officials and the CEO of a local hospital that had spent millions on migrant care as part of the GOP pledge to hold hearings at the border.

But when the hearing was announced last week, Democrats dismissed the move as a "stunt" and said they had not been consulted.

AT ARIZONA BORDER, JUDICIARY COMMITTEE HEARS FROM OFFICIALS ON MASSIVE MIGRANT SURGE 

"Instead of focusing on real solutions to a complicated problem, Judiciary Republicans will once again not hear from any federal government witnesses at their hearing, further cementing this hearing as a brazen act of political grandstanding," ranking member Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., and Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., said in a statement. "As a result, Democrats, who have been to the border regularly the last few years, will not attend next week’s performative hearing."

Jordan denied that, saying they had been given weeks of notice. He also rejected the claim that the hearing is a "stunt."

"I would argue it's not a stunt. My guess is our witnesses wouldn't call it a stunt. What we've learned today from them, what we've seen last night on the border," he said.

Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., told Fox News in Arizona that the decision not to attend was a "message of disrespect" to the American people.

HOUSE DEMS PLEDGE BOYCOTT OF HOUSE JUDICIARY BORDER CRISIS HEARING IN ARIZONA 

The Republicans viewed the unfinished border wall, of which construction mostly stopped during the Biden administration, and visited the Yuma Regional Medical Center. Officials there said they have delivered over $26 million in uncompensated care to migrants in a 12-month period — enough to support the salary and benefits of 212 bedside nurses.

"It is an unsustainable model to have a hospital like ours bear the entire burden of paying for migrant health care. No business or service can survive ongoing large-scale expense without any offsetting revenue," Dr. Robert Trenschel said.

Other witnesses included Yuma County Sheriff Leon Wilmot and Jonathan Lines, a county supervisor. Wilmot testified that Border Patrol apprehensions of illegal migrants in the area have gone up from 40 a day to over 1,000 a day in the space of two years, and that the county has had to shell out tens of thousands of dollars to lease Porta-Johns to stop migrants defecating in crops.

His county has spent $323,000 in FY 2022 on booking costs for illegal immigrants who have committed state crimes, including sexual exploitation of minors, narcotics charges, assaults, kidnapping, burglary and theft cases.

"Our southern border, against all public comfort statements out of Washington, D.C., is in the worst shape I have ever seen in my career," he said in written testimony. "When one looks at Public Safety, National Security, and Humanitarian, our southern border can only be described as the largest crime scene in the country."

The border saw over 1.7 million encounters in FY 2021 and more than 2.3 million in FY 2022. Numbers are on track to outpace those numbers in FY 2023, although the Biden administration has pointed to a sharp drop between December and January as proof that border measures announced at the beginning of the year — including a humanitarian parole program that allows 30,000 migrants in a month — are now working.

MCCARTHY IN ARIZONA SAYS ‘NO ONE BELIEVES’ BIDEN ADMIN'S CLAIM BORDER IS SECURE, CARTELS ARE IN CONTROL

The Biden administration has blamed Republicans for failing to fund border security and for not going along with an immigration reform bill the administration introduced on Biden's first day in office. The president reiterated those calls for immigration reform, including a pathway for citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants, during his State of the Union address.

Jordan on Thursday dismissed the proposal as a "massive amnesty package" and put the blame for the crisis on "reckless" policies by President Biden.

"On day one, day one, January 20th, 2021, Joe Biden said, ‘We're not going to build a wall anymore. We're not going to keep the Remain in Mexico policy, and we're not going to deport any illegal migrants who come in for an immigration violation,'" he said.

Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., repeated Republican accusations that Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has not been enforcing the laws on the books — something for which some Republicans, including Biggs, have cited as grounds for impeachment.

"If this administration refuses to enforce existing laws, why would anyone trust it to enforce future laws?" he asked. "But this won't stop us from trying. That's why we're here today. But I'm afraid that this is going to get worse until the American people demand that these policies be reversed."

"History is screaming this warning at us — countries that cannot or will not enforce their borders simply aren't around very long," McClintock said.

Fox News' Bill Melugin contributed to this report.